“Noein-sama, I’ve recompiled last month’s ledger in my own way, so could you please check it? Also, here is the table assigning the rotation of labor duties for the citizens. I’d like you to confirm if there are any issues.”
“Thank you, Anna. I’ll take a look at it right away.”
It had been about a week since Anna had moved to the Arlkvist domain. She was exceeding Noein’s expectations in managing the finances and overseeing the work of the citizens within the domain.
In just a few days, she had grasped her responsibilities, compiled the income and expenses for the current month, and was now in the process of revisiting the past records that Noein had amateurishly compiled, organizing them into a clearer format.
Moreover, she had quickly memorized the names and faces of the key citizens and had already mastered managing their work shifts.
“…Yep, both are fine. Especially the ledger—you’re much more capable at this than I am, Anna.”
“Oh no, I’m not…”
“No, this is something you should be proud of. I’m really glad I welcomed you to this domain.”
Although Noein had been managing things with some ingenuity as an amateur, there was no competing with Anna, whose parents were professional merchants and who had been handling real work for years.
“It’s a bit early, but if you’re okay with it, I’d like to officially appoint you as a retainer of the Arlkvist household. I want you to support the future development of this domain as one of us. What do you think?”
“Noein-sama… Thank you so much. I’ll do my very best to continue to be of service to you and this domain!”
“That’s wonderful. I’m looking forward to working with you.”
As Anna, visibly moved, smiled, Noein felt a wave of relief inside.
From the early days of the settlement, Noein had noticed Anna’s interest in the Arlkvist domain and her abilities in handling administration and finance. Whenever he visited Eliza’s shop, he had made an effort to talk with her.
He had repeatedly told her how enjoyable the settlement was and how wonderful the Arlkvist domain was (with a little exaggeration). Knowing she had an interest in pioneering, he slowly guided her to the point where she decided to move.
It had been a gradual process of gently encouraging her shy nature, leading her to the major decision of relocating. And finally, he had acquired a skilled individual. If she had now decided to quit, all of Noein’s efforts would have been for nothing.
He was almost certain that she would stay, but until she officially declared her commitment, nothing was guaranteed. Hearing Anna’s words now, Noein was finally able to feel completely at ease.
Now, Noein only had to handle the final confirmations for desk work and make decisions that required the lord’s judgment. Compared to before, his workload would be significantly lighter.
Finally freed from overwork, Noein was deeply grateful for Anna’s presence.
…
Whenever Noein had visited Retvik, he made a point of speaking with as many of the locals as possible. His aim wasn’t just to improve his reputation with his neighbors, but also to spread the word that “the Arlkvist domain was recruiting settlers.”
For this purpose, he had been particularly thorough in sharing this information with merchants like Eliza and Benedict, ensuring the news would spread.
Thanks to these efforts, from late October, as winter approached, refugees interested in settling in the Arlkvist domain had slowly begun to arrive.
Most of them were farmers who had fled villages near the southwestern border of the kingdom, close to the Kingdom of Lancel.
Some had lost their homes due to conflicts with the Lancel Kingdom’s military, others had their livelihoods destroyed by the Lordberg Kingdom’s army requisitioning food supplies, and still others had fled to escape the heavy taxes imposed due to the war.
The increasing number of refugees indicated that the security in the western part of the Lordberg Kingdom was gradually deteriorating. But for Noein, it was an opportunity to increase his population by simply waiting in his domain.
He had also commissioned the construction of extra houses for these immigrants, so there was no issue with providing them a place to live.
“Let’s see, your name is… Russell, right? And your wife is Admira, and your daughter is Lilith, correct?”
“Y-Yes, Sir Arlkvist.”
Currently, Noein was meeting with a family that had come hoping to settle. They were inside a tent being used as a temporary outpost, next to the entrance of the settlement marked by the wooden fence.
While Noein was relaxed and welcoming, the family, including Russell, appeared tense.
It was no surprise, given that the lord of the domain was in front of them, and behind him stood the female rabbit-beast Matilda and the sharp-eyed man Pence, both glaring at them as guards.
“You’re originally from the Marquisate of Garduin in the southwestern part of the kingdom, right? And the reason you became refugees is because of an attack by the Lancel Kingdom’s army? Has the conflict really reached so deeply into the Marquisate’s territory?”
Noein asked while looking over a report Pence had compiled after questioning Russell’s family.
Russell began to sweat nervously, his eyes darting around.
“W-Well, um…”
“If I find out later that you’ve lied, I may have to consider expelling you in the worst-case scenario. Please, be honest.”
“I… I’m so sorry! The truth is, we were fleeing from the heavy taxes imposed by the Marquis to gather supplies for the war. We couldn’t bear it any longer and escaped. Staying in that territory would have meant starving to death. Please, don’t send us back…”
“I see. Thank you for your honesty. You’re not lying, right? Can you swear it to your wife and daughter?”
“Y-Yes, I swear on my family and my life. This is the absolute truth…”
To show he was telling the truth, Russell, though trembling, looked Noein straight in the eye. Noein returned his gaze.
“Alright. I’ll trust your words and allow you to settle here. Please work hard as a member of the Arlkvist domain from now on.”
“W-What? Is that really okay?”
“Of course. Just keep in mind that you’re refugees, so try not to talk about it too openly within the domain. If word gets out that there are many refugees here, it could cause issues.”
“Y-Yes! Understood! Thank you, thank you so much!”
Russell’s family, who had feared being sent back to the Marquisate of Garduin, were overwhelmed with gratitude at how easily Noein accepted them.
Meanwhile, Noein thought to himself,
(A few refugees aren’t something a large domain like the Marquisate of Garduin would bother searching for. Reporting them and sending them back wouldn’t earn me any favors from the Marquis. Instead of going through that trouble for no gain, it’s much better to welcome them as part of my domain.)
While these calculations ran through his mind, of course, Russell’s family had no way of knowing Noein’s true thoughts.
After instructing Pence to assign them a vacant house and some farmland, Noein breathed a sigh of relief as Russell’s family left the tent.
“Good work, Noein-sama.”
“Thank you, Matilda. Looks like we’ve gained more citizens.”
“Yes. With this, the population of the Arlkvist domain is now 49. If we get one more family, it will exceed 50.”
“Indeed… We’re getting to the size where we can call this a village. For our first year of development, this is a great start.”
“And it’s all thanks to Noein-sama’s excellent leadership.”
Matilda, as usual, praised Noein.
Until recently, Matilda had spent most of her time managing the mansion while Noein was busy with his various responsibilities as a lord. But now, with more manpower available, including the hiring of two young maids from the citizens, Matilda was once again acting as Noein’s personal assistant.
It would have been a waste to keep someone as capable as Matilda, who could handle everything from paperwork to being Noein’s bodyguard, in a purely maid role.
