“…………My estate…… you say?”

Can you even receive an estate from someone else?

“That’s right… Why do you look so dumbfounded?”

Seriana’s words left me staring blankly for a moment, and for some reason, Seriana looked surprised by my reaction.

It’s true that starting this spring, I’m officially becoming a member of the Müller family… but I had already declared long ago that I was going to stay in this estate.

So, suddenly being told that it’s my estate… I wasn’t sure how to respond.

“I mean, dumbfounded… this is the first I’ve heard of it? I figured Grandpa and the others were going to live here…”

“Oh? You’re well informed. Of course, Grandpa and the others will be living here too.”

“He mentioned something like that when we met in the former royal capital… So Grandpa and the others are coming?”

“That’s the plan. Of course, it’ll be after they finish their duties in the royal capital, so it’s still a few years off, but the arrangements have already been made. …Judging by that face, it seems you haven’t quite grasped it yet.”

If Grandpa and the others are coming, there’s no need for this place to be mine… or so I thought, and it must have shown on my face, because Seriana immediately pointed it out.

Then, with a big sigh, she said,

“Well… fine. You do understand why each territory has its own estate in the royal capital, don’t you?”

“Uh… yeah. It’s to support the activities of each territory from the royal capital, right?”

The estates that each territory maintains in the royal capital serve a function similar to embassies.

They support the people from their region who are active in the capital, handle negotiations with people from other territories… and more.

You can’t just instantly travel to the capital, so it’s more efficient to station someone there with a certain level of authority.

Establishing an estate in the royal capital costs money, of course, but it helps form ties not only with domestic nobles, but also with foreign ones—it more than pays for itself.

That applies to Riana as well.

Although it borders the Demonlands, it also connects to sea routes, and still has room for development.

That’s why we’re building an estate in this city now.

“That’s right. Even though Zelkis is adjacent, they decided to invest in Riana’s future by establishing an estate in the domain capital. The problem was deciding who to entrust it to. Originally, this was Zelkis territory, and there are still complicated ties… Moreover, Zelkis’s own territory has shifted its policies and lacked suitable personnel. They were too preoccupied with their own domain’s affairs to focus on diplomacy.”

“…Hnn.”

Zelkis used to take on the role of keeping the Demonlands sealed, but now that Riana has assumed that role, the focus is shifting from brawn to brains—or so they said. Before, that wasn’t the case.

That’s exactly why my old man had to step up…

They must be short on personnel capable of handling diplomacy.

And Riana used to be part of Zelkis, so there could still be lingering complications.

Taking all that into account, I can understand why they’re having trouble sending anyone over here.

“Grandfather wasn’t originally good at diplomacy either, but he’s built a solid track record in the capital. He’s more than capable of handling the role. The estate in the capital is going through a personnel change anyway, and those who assisted Grandfather there will be coming here with him. Zelkis is also dispatching personnel, and working alongside them should help develop capable individuals.”

“I see… But wouldn’t that make Grandpa and the others perfect for the job?”

He’s competent, has people to support him.

On top of that, he can train less experienced members. There’s no need for me to get involved, is there?

But Seriana gently shook her head and continued.

“Grandfather is quite old now, you know? It’s hard to imagine him falling ill, but considering his age, it wouldn’t be strange if he retired at any time.”

“Yeah… that’s true.”

He must be nearing seventy.

He’s a healthy old man, but there’s no denying he’s up there in years.

“If Grandfather were to retire, the question becomes who takes over next. It doesn’t look good from the outside if the person in charge keeps changing… So, by making you—who has no intention of leaving this city—the person in charge, we solve that problem. There was even talk of sending Luciana after she graduates from the noble academy, but… well, you’re the better choice.”

“Hmm…”

Luciana is a year younger than me and will graduate from the noble academy in two years.

That would line up well with the timing of Grandpa’s departure from the capital, but… asking her to come here right after leaving home might be a bit too much.

Starting fresh in a new place and building relationships from the ground up is tough. I can understand why they’d rather leave it to me.

“Well, even so, it’s not like your lifestyle is going to change or anything. And though you’ll be the person in charge, you won’t be held responsible for anything. Relax. As long as you spend one day a week at the estate, everything else will be handled by those around you.”

So basically, I’m just a figurehead estate holder, including the ownership itself…

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Sera・Blessing・【Hideout】+1【Prayer】【Blessing of Mira】【Water’s Garment】

Blessed Items・【Floating Orb】+1【Shadow Sword】+1【Scarlet Bee Needle】【Fairy’s Eye】【Dragon’s Lung】【Amber Sword】【Danrem’s Thread】【Serpent’s Tail】【Ankle Bracelet】【Amber Shield】【Purple Wings】【Red Sword】【Monkey’s Arm】・8 cards

Seriana・【Area Identification】・【】・0 cards

Elena・【】・【Green Fang】【Amber Sword】・4 cards

Alec・【Power Strike】・【Red Shield】【Fierce Horned Trumpet】・10 cards