While Yuri was away visiting the Margravine of Ishurias, Celine sat in the quiet study of the castle in the Reberk Barony, reading through documents and signing them one after another.
"Next is... repairs to Est Village's defensive wall."
Application for Approval: Est Village Defensive Wall Repairs
Purpose and Background
Recently, Est Village has faced growing threats from bandits and magical beasts, and the defensive wall in particular has been deteriorating rapidly.
With the support of our lady, urgent repairs are deemed necessary.
Areas to Be Repaired
The western and southern sections of the wall, covering a total length of one hundred and twenty varas.
Cracks and damage have been found in both the timber and the stone, and reinforcements with new wood and stone will be required.
Required Materials and Personnel
Timber: approximately fifty units
Stone: approximately thirty units
Personnel: carpenters and stonemasons, fifteen in total
Work Period
The work is expected to take seven days.
Should weather conditions require an extension, we will submit a further request for approval.
Estimated Cost
Total cost: approximately 220 silver shillings
Material procurement: approximately 80 silver shillings
Labour costs: approximately 40 silver shillings
Food expenses: approximately 50 silver shillings
Guard detachment expenses: approximately 50 silver shillings
Additional Request for Cooperation
We respectfully request support from the guard unit and strengthened security during the repair period.
Approval
The above plan for repairs to Est Village's defensive wall is hereby approved.
The cost shall be paid from the domain budget, and a guard detachment shall be dispatched as needed.
After reading through the document, Celine could not help giving a wry smile.
"So it costs about as much as that hot pot the other day...
We may have been just a little too extravagant with that..."
Her gaze dropped, and she noticed that more than a dozen supporting papers had been attached. When she turned over one of them, she found a page titled Notes on the Est Village Defensive Wall Repair Approval Request, neatly recording the frequency of bandit and magical-beast appearances, the extent of the damage over the past year, the village's population, its tax revenue, and more besides.
There was even a simple sketch of the damaged sections, together with a meticulous analysis of whether the materials and manpower were appropriate, whether the work period and cost estimate were reasonable, whether a guard detachment was necessary, and where the project ranked in priority across the barony as a whole.
"Clever as ever, Chancellor... his work is flawless.
If only he had a little more charm, like my lord husband."
Murmuring that, Celine gently stroked the back of Kokuyou, the black cat curled up contentedly on top of the desk. Then, after confirming the Chancellor's remarks in full, she signed the repair request, placed the completed document in a box, and reached for the next one.
"Next is... a market-use permit.
What ever shall I do...? The market has already been shut down.
And there isn't really anywhere else available yet... the Passage Arcade still isn't open...
I suppose we'll have no choice but to lend out the square on the hill."
Tapping the quill lightly against her lips, Celine stared off into the distance in thought.
A knock came at the door. When she granted permission to enter, a somewhat nervous-looking man appeared, carrying an armful of papers. He was the Chancellor responsible for the internal administration of the Reberk Barony.
"Princess, I have finished sorting the petitions and outstanding issues left unattended by the previous steward, so I have brought them for you."
The sound of the papers being placed on the desk woke Kokuyou from his sleep. The black cat stirred awake, lifted himself up, and gazed at Celine with eyes still hazy from the remnants of a dream.
"Eeek... there's this many?
Ughhh... paperwork is like slimes!
It never gets smaller, it never ends, and it isn't fun at all!"
Celine puffed out her cheeks and appealed to the Chancellor with tears in her eyes. But the Chancellor calmly straightened the pile of papers, then gave a practised bow.
"Regrettably, this is what normal looks like.
The only time paperwork disappears
is when the people disappear from the domain."
Though his tone remained calm, there was the faintest trace of exasperation in the Chancellor's gaze. It was almost as if he were saying, Surely Your Highness, a former consort, knows at least that much.
...Mmph... Compared with my lord husband, he really has no charm at all...
Celine felt a small pang of dissatisfaction inside.
He was the Chancellor His Majesty the King had sent with the instruction to find the most capable man possible, and there was no room to doubt his competence. The sight of him clearing away one document and one problem after another was impressive indeed, but he possessed not the slightest bit of charm.
...If only he'd smile a little, or make the occasional light joke...
And then there's all this paperwork in front of me as well...
Puffing out her cheeks, Celine let out a sigh.
"Why is paperwork so utterly unadorable?
It's nothing but wall-to-wall text and a sour face...
I'm already exhausted just from reading it..."
"...An adorable report?"
The Chancellor stared at Celine with a baffled expression, his gaze carrying that peculiar temperature reserved for someone one pities just a little.
But utterly unbothered by such chilly looks, Celine launched into a still more animated explanation.
"That's right! For example, if it had a drawing of little Kokuyou on it...
Or some lovely animals and flowers in the margins!
Hehe, doesn't it sound a little more delightful just imagining it?"
Twisting her forefinger in the air, Celine happily let her imagination run away with her.
"Nya."
Kokuyou lifted his face toward her as if to say, Exactly so, then gave a small, satisfied nod.
"What nonsense are you saying?
That sort of illustration would only undermine the essence of a report."
Once again, the Chancellor looked at Celine as though she were a pitiable soul.
"Nya."
Seeing that, Kokuyou let out a single cry as if to say, What a man utterly devoid of charm, and Celine, taking his side, nodded along.
"He truly is unbending, isn't he? Reports are read by human beings, after all.
If there were at least a little rabbit bowing politely in the corner,
I'd be ready to slap my seal on one or two of them at once."
"Princess, please examine the contents seriously before stamping anything.
Do you truly understand the situation we are in?"
There was a sharper edge to the Chancellor's voice now.
"O-Of course I do..."
Celine faltered for a moment and looked away. But the Chancellor fixed her with a cold stare and continued, as if determined to press the point.
"Do you, truly? We do not have enough people, food, or money—
this domain is in a critical state.
Do you really understand that?"
With those words, the Chancellor picked up a paper and began reading from it in an even voice.
"'The shortage of labour caused by farmers fleeing the land, along with problems in wheat distribution, has become severe. We request countermeasures.'"
Then he shifted his eyes to another report.
"'The Butchers' Guild has been reluctant to sell meat, and we are in difficulty. We ask that something be done.'"
Without changing his expression, the Chancellor read out the next paper as well.
"'Adventurers have stopped coming to town. The amount of magical-beast meat being brought in and the workshops' sales have both plummeted. We request measures to attract adventurers.'"
And then one more.
"'On top of the road-use tax, bridge toll, and market-entry tax, there are customs duties, sales tax, and consumption tax—
and now bandits have begun appearing as well. Travelling merchants have decreased, and prices have risen, leaving us in serious difficulty.
We request that the bandits be suppressed.'"
"A-Alright, alright, I understand... I'll read them properly later, so please spare me!"
Celine pleaded with a face on the verge of tears. After finishing his recital, the Chancellor quietly returned the papers to the pile and added coldly,
"In short, with the number of farmers and adventurers falling while the Butchers' Guild tightens its grip,
the people have been forced into a state where they are neither killed nor truly allowed to live."
Under the Chancellor's rebuke, Celine sagged into her chair and murmured weakly,
"Ughhh... Kokuyou, the Chancellor is bullying me..."
Seeking emotional shelter, she pulled Kokuyou into her arms and curled up around him.
"Nya."
Kokuyou gently pressed a paw to Celine's cheek, as though encouraging her to keep her spirits up.
Just as she was enjoying that small bit of comfort and playing with Kokuyou, a violent pounding rang out at the door.
...What now...?
Tilting her head, Celine looked toward it, and the Chancellor granted permission to enter. The door flew open, and a stout Commerce Commissioner hurried in in a fluster.
"M-My Lady! Is this proclamation truly official!?"
Breathing hard as he reached the desk, the Commerce Commissioner spread out the paper in his trembling hands. Celine gave it a glance and then remembered, with a stiff smile, the errand she had asked a page to carry out and completely forgotten about.
"Y-Yes, of course it is."
The moment the Chancellor took the document the Commerce Commissioner had set down and ran his eyes over it, his complexion turned grim. Unable to contain his anger, he raised his voice.
"What!? Princess! What in the world were you thinking? To push through a matter of this importance on your own, without even convening the council—this is far too dangerous!"
At the very moment his voice rang through the room, another man came running through the still-open door, gasping for breath. It was the Chief Inspector.
"My Lady, this is terrible!"
"What is it this time? We are in the middle of something."
The Chancellor asked the question with a severe expression, and the Chief Inspector, his face pale, caught his breath and continued.
"The square... the square..."
"What about the square?"
Unable to hide his irritation, the Chancellor pressed him in a harsher tone than usual.
"The square is gone, and in its place stands some strange building with a glass roof,
with something like several shops lined up inside it!"
"What?"
As though unable to believe what he was hearing, the Chancellor let out a foolish-sounding noise of disbelief.
...Well, I cannot blame him for being surprised...
Inside, Celine gave a small amused smile. The expressions of the Chancellor and the Chief Inspector, eyes wide with shock and faces full of confusion, were rather funny.
The Chancellor turned a sharp gaze on Celine.
"Princess... do not tell me..."
Celine gave a light shrug and answered in an almost cheerful tone.
"Yes, it's the new arcade district, the Passage Arcade.
My lord husband built it for me."
"...What? Built it? When?"
The Chancellor stared with eyes wide, unable to hide his astonishment.
"Mmm, this morning. My lord husband just whipped it up, quick as a wink."
As Celine answered with a little twirl of her finger, the Chancellor clutched his head and began muttering,
"This morning? How? And with what money?"
while beside him the Commerce Commissioner spoke up in visible excitement.
"Could it be that this is one of the industrial promotion measures laid out in that report?"
Celine beamed with satisfaction and nodded. Just as the Chancellor pressed a hand to his forehead and groaned, yet another man rushed in, drenched in sweat. It was the Commander of the Castle Guard.
"My Lady, Chancellor, this is terrible!"
"And now what is it!?"
The Chancellor snapped the question out in something very close to a yell. The guard commander flinched for an instant, then immediately saluted and began his report.
"A great number of staff from the Artisans' Guild have descended on the castle gate!"
At those words, the Chancellor let out a deep sigh. Then he turned toward Celine with an expression that practically said, I told you so.
"This is what happens when you fail to lay proper groundwork in council. What do you intend to do now?"
"Why, I shall go and explain it to them, of course."
As though it were no great matter at all, Celine answered while stroking Kokuyou's head.
"T-That is far too dangerous! If anything were to happen to you, Princess, what am I supposed to say to His Majesty!?"
The Chancellor hurriedly tried to stop her.
"I'm sure it will be fine. After all, my lord husband lent me Kokuyou-chan."
Celine said it with perfect confidence, then issued her next order.
"Commander, gather everyone in the great hall."
The Commander of the Castle Guard saluted at once and hurried back out of the room.
"What can a black cat possibly do!? What if the guild staff start rioting!?"
Covering his face, the Chancellor's voice trembled with exasperation. Celine ignored him and turned to the Commerce Commissioner and the Chief Inspector instead.
"Commerce Commissioner, Chief Inspector, I've already bought the master craftsmen over,
but if it looks as though the confusion might spread, go consult Lieselotte in the Harem."
"Yes, understood."
The two men nodded to one another and immediately left the room. Watching them go, the Chancellor still looked far from satisfied as he turned back to Celine.
"You say you have already bought the master craftsmen over... what exactly does that mean?"
"It means exactly what it sounds like. I got them to support the guild reforms and agree to sell goods produced in the Passage Arcade."
Celine looked at the Chancellor with an expression of feigned innocence.
"That is not what I asked. How did you buy them over!?"
The Chancellor planted both hands on the desk and leaned in toward her.
"You truly can't work it out?"
Sending him a provocative look, Celine leaned forward as well and lightly tipped up his chin with one forefinger. His face turned bright red, and he sprang back in flustered haste.
"H-How could I possibly?
No matter how I look at it, all that awaits them is the disadvantage of losing the guild's protection.
Why would they ever agree to this?"
Muttering that while averting his gaze, cheeks flushed, the Chancellor stood there in confusion. Resting her elbows on the table and cupping her face in both hands, Celine smiled.
"I won them over through their stomachs.
I gave them some of the magical-beast meat my lord husband hunted, free of charge. Enough for several months."
Seeing the Chancellor stare in blank astonishment at that answer, Celine felt inwardly satisfied. Reaching out a hand, she went on in an airy tone.
"Everyone already had complaints about the Butchers' Guild, so they accepted it far more readily than I expected. That was a relief."