All My Summons Become Divine Girls
Chapter 196: Documents
’Two days are up already,’ Hajin thought, arriving at the palace gates with a tired sigh as he looked at the towers. He had to begin his journey to the region by tomorrow, leaving him very little time to prepare.
The king had summoned him here today to finalize his transition to a regional ruler. He walked past the guards, entering the lobby where a royal administrator was already waiting for him.
The official led him through the hallways, stopping in front of the doors before entering the office. Inside, they found a large desk covered in neat stacks of parchment.
The administrator gestured to the desk, "these are the documents and seals for your new territory."
Hajin sat down on the chair, pulling the stack toward him to scan the contents. The papers detailed the tax registry, the regional laws, and the official map of the land.
He picked up the pen, signing his name across the bottom of each page without hesitation. The administrator watched him with a satisfied nod, stamping each signature with the royal seal.
The administrator pushed a small velvet box across the desk, revealing a silver ring seal. "This is your official seal," the official said, "it proves your authority to the local guards."
Hajin picked up the box, slipping the ring onto his finger while he looked back at the desk, ’this is actually pretty useful.’
The official then slid a leather map tube and a royal gold voucher forward. "This map outlines the border defenses," he explained, "and the voucher is your initial budget to repair the regional infrastructure."
The official leaned back in his chair, crossing his fingers while he studied Hajin’s face. "Securing a region is a massive achievement," he warned, "but ruling it without getting stabbed in the back is another story."
Hajin gestured for him to continue, not saying anything while he listened, "go on," he said, "I am listening."
"You need to find trusted people quickly," the official explained, "specifically a finance person, a strategist, and a butler to manage your affairs."
"A region cannot be run by one man," he added, "especially a place with so many hidden factions."
Hajin nodded slowly, thinking about the list of positions while he pocketed the gold voucher. "A finance person to stop the corruption," he muttered, "and a strategist to handle the local nobles."
"And a butler to keep the staff from poisoning your food," the official added with a dry laugh.
Hajin leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk while he looked at the official, "do you have any recommendations?"
The official shook his head, looking slightly regretful, "I cannot recommend anyone from the capital," he said, "the nobles here are too corrupt, and they would only report your secrets back to their houses."
"You should look for talent within the region itself," the official advised, "or hire foreigners who have no allegiance to our local families."
Hajin understood the logic, knowing that hiring from the capital would invite spies into his household, ’he is actually giving good advice.’
"I will keep that in mind," he said, "it is better to hire strangers than to trust a capital noble."
"Exactly," the official replied, leaning forward to tap the maps, "start with the local guilds and mercenaries, as they usually have the best information about who is reliable."
"Also," the official continued, leaning back again, "you will receive invitations for many parties and meetings. Since you are essentially a great house now, it will only get more stressful from here."
Hajin let out a dry, nervous chuckle, scratching his neck while he looked away, "haha, right, that sounds like a complete headache."
He gathered the documents, placing them inside his leather bag before he stood up from the chair. "Thank you for the advice," he said, "it will save me some trouble."
"Just survive," the official said, "that is all the king expects from a new lord."
Hajin walked out of the office corridor, heading down toward the main palace entrance to find his carriage.
Princess Didi was standing by the tall pillars near the doors, apparently waiting for him. She glanced at him as he approached, her eyes passing over his white hair without any recognition.
He stopped a few paces away, looking at her composed posture while he raised a hand in greeting, "are you waiting for someone?"
Didi started at the familiar voice, her gaze locking onto his mismatched eyes with clear shock. "Hajin?" she gasped, stepping closer to inspect him, "your hair... what happened to you? I almost didn’t recognize you."
He stopped his walk, looking at her with a soft expression, "it was an anomaly in an unranked, but it is completely sorted out now."
She stepped in front of him, grabbing his arm to halt his progress toward the carriage. "An anomaly?" she asked, her voice filled with worry, "you fought another one? Why didn’t you tell me?"
"I got back two days ago," he explained, "but I have been busy resting and waiting to be called here and I didn’t want to come to the palace and disturb your study time."
She did not let go, her grip tightening while she glared at him, "an unranked gate that changed your hair and eyes?" she retorted, "do you think I am stupid? You almost died, didn’t you?"
He offered her a reassuring smile, not wanting her to worry unnecessarily, "I am still here, and I have no intention of dying anytime soon."
She looked at his streaks of gold and blue, her anger fading into concern. "You always do this," she whispered, "acting like nothing is a big deal. You are heading to your new region tomorrow, right?"
He nodded, looking out toward the courtyard where his carriage was waiting, "yes, the administrator just finalized the documents, so I have to leave in the morning."
She crossed her arms, her gaze shifting to the floor while she warned him, "that region is dangerous," she said, "it is not like the capital. The local houses are fiercely independent, and they will try to test you immediately."
He listened to her warning, appreciating the genuine concern in her voice, "I will be careful, besides, my new teammates are quite reliable, so you do not need to worry."
She looked away for a moment, her cheeks turning slightly pink as she spoke. "Actually, I wanted you to come back to the palace because I wanted to tell you something," she murmured, "it is about the Great Families."
"They had a meeting with my father," she explained, "and they are planning to invoke a legal territory war to seize your land."
Hajin’s eyes narrowed slightly, processing the information while he looked at her. "A territory war," he repeated, "so they are already moving against me."
"Yes," she said, "my father is letting them do it to test you, but they are completely serious. You need to be prepared."
She stepped closer, her expression turning stubborn as she met his eyes. "I will visit you," she declared, "and if you get into trouble, you had better send a message immediately."
He smiled warmly, giving her arm a gentle tap to reassure her, "I will, I will send a message if anything goes wrong."
Didi nodded slowly, her stubborn expression softening into a warm, gentle smile, "good."
She stepped forward, wrapping her arms around him in a sudden, tight hug, "be safe out there."
He stood still for a second, then gently patted her back before she pulled away, "I will."