Show Me Your Stats!-Chapter 21

The Estate Window didn't offer much functionality; it merely provided information about the area, population, and a brief evaluation of the estate's condition. "I knew it would be like this. Still, it's better than when the stats window first opened and showed only a name," Ayra mused.

Ayra slowly absorbed the scant information. Coming from modern Earth, the population of 156,000 seemed quite small to her.

"This estate really is tiny."

While it was not a small number for a mere estate, in this world where the concept of a 'kingdom' was nearly impossible, and estates functioned almost like city-states, it was definitely a modest population.

After taking in the information, Ayra closed the Estate Window. Viewing it seemed to consume more magic than even the stats window.

"I could go for some hot soup right now."

Muttering to herself unwittingly, Jinas promptly responded that he would have it brought immediately, while Bloom unfurled his cloak and draped it over Ayra, perhaps sensing her chill.

'Is this... the taste of power?'

She felt a thrilling sensation as she walked down the mountain path, where Botello was waiting for her. Knowing well that Ayra was sensitive to the cold, the head attendant first handed her a warm leather water pouch.

"Lady Ayra, Master Shinje told me he would be leaving the castle today."

"So soon?"

Hurrying back to the castle, indeed, Shinje was already preparing to depart. True to a mage's form, he carried his few belongings neatly packed into a subspace, his robe fluttering lightly.

"Are you leaving now? Do you need anything more?"

"The head attendant has taken good care of everything. Thank you for everything... And..."

After saying this, Shinje glanced around to see if anyone was listening and then asked in a low voice.

"Ayra, will you return to the Labyrinth?"

She shook her head. It would be a long while before she could return, not until she had borne a child and raised a successor to take over as lord. Moreover, without the rare spatial translocation artifacts that were occasionally lent to those urgently needing to travel, the Labyrinth was not nearly close enough to visit frequently.

Shinje looked at her with a sympathetic gaze.

"Well... take care."

"Thanks. Safe travels."

Their relationship hadn't been particularly close, so the conversation was dry. Nevertheless, watching him prepare to leave gave Ayra a sense of losing connection with the Labyrinth, which felt regrettable.

Out of courtesy, Ayra assigned two soldiers to escort Shinje. She watched him depart from atop the castle walls, then sighed heavily.

Now it was time to get to work.

With a resolute heart, Ayra descended from the castle walls and spoke to Jinas with a smile.

"So, Sir Jinas, now that I am the lord, may I handle the seal in the study?"

"Of course, my lord. Let us go there right now."

Despite the edge in Ayra's words, Jinas's expression remained unchanged. Following him, Ayra summoned the stats window just in case. The favorability was still at 3, unchanged.

'Wow, he likes me more than Janus does, at least.'

Should I be happy about this...?

Just then, a notification popped up.

[Tip: The young steward of the Solar Estate is suffering from depression.]

What? What kind of tip is this? Is it telling me to keep in mind that this steward dislikes me enough to be depressed? Ayra cast a suspicious glance at the floating artificial spirit beside her.

They headed to the third floor of the lord's castle. Ayra had seen every corner of the castle, but this was her first time in the lord's study. Reaching the front of the study, Jinas took a key from his pocket and presented it to her formally. Now that she was the lord, only she could permit entry to the study. She took the cold key in her hand, inserted it into the lock of the study's door, and turned it.

Bookshelves positioned away from the sunlight, antique furniture, and carpets.

The large and serene study was a space that deeply appealed to Ayra, a mage at heart. However, as spacious as it was, it was also chilly, necessitating a call to the servants to light a fire in the fireplace. In this castle, at this weather, she was the only one who could order the fire to be lit...

After sitting down and sipping some warm tea to thaw her frozen hands, Ayra gestured.

"Sit, Sir Jinas."

With an eerily calm demeanor, Jinas sat down across from her. He barely touched his tea, neatly positioning his hands in front of him on his lap. He looked even more haggard than when she had first seen him.

"As you know, I don't know anything about managing an estate. So, you will need to assist me for a while."

"Yes, my lord."

Jinas obediently responded, then gazed blankly out the window. From the wide window of the study, the peak of the highest mountain in the estate shimmered faintly. Then, he smiled.

"It feels somewhat relieving to have it come to this," Jinas began the conversation with an ominously calm prelude.

What's with this unsettling way to start a conversation...

After chuckling to himself, Jinas took a sip of his tea and continued, "In fact, I had suspected that Lady Ayra might have wanted this land so badly that she had the former lord and his family murdered."

...Such a staggering confession all of a sudden?

It was surprising that he harbored such suspicions yet still showed a favorability of 3 towards her. For Ayra, these suspicions were absurd, and she furrowed her brow in response.

"I know there are suspicious circumstances surrounding the family's death. However, I've been residing in the Labyrinth since I left the estate as a child, and the Labyrinth can verify this fact. What evidence do you have to suspect me?"

And honestly, I wouldn't even want this small, cold land! She thought better than to voice this out loud. Despite Ayra's glare, Jinas’s smile did not waver. It wasn't a smile meant to provoke.

"I apologize. But given all the suspicious circumstances, I couldn’t help myself. Moreover, there were times this year when the estate was in dire straits, and the former lord sent letters asking if you might assist, but no replies ever came back..."

"Letters? What... I've never received such letters."

She had indeed noticed that communications from her family had become rare recently, but she had never received any requests for help. Whether Jinas believed her or not was unclear from his expression, which retained a slight smile.

"...So it was," Jinas nonchalantly remarked, his attitude unsettlingly indifferent.

He chuckled, then suddenly stopped and became serious. Is this man alright? Is his depression causing him to act out?

"Let me now inform you about this estate," he said as he stood up. Walking over to a bookshelf, he pulled on a small candlestick, making a clicking sound. Then, he removed a brick from the corner of the right library wall, revealing a small white box inside. Jinas carefully took out a seal and brought it over to Ayra.

"This is the lord's seal."

Inside the small box was a seal carved from white stone. It was essential for authorizing important matters of the estate and exercising the lord’s powers. Ayra examined the seal, then placed it back in the box and took the documents Jinas was handing her.

The documents detailed the approximate number of estate residents, tax rates, military expenses for feeding soldiers and knights, and the count of livestock owned—trivial yet crucial information. It was somewhat consistent with what Ayra had observed during her survey of the estate. It was a small, cold land without any particular resources or products, but it was somehow functioning.

Nothing seemed amiss. But there had to be a problem.

'There must be a problem if there's a countdown to destruction in 233 days.'

She squinted at the documents when Jinas handed her another stack. Without much thought, she began to read as the steward explained in a very calm tone.

"Additionally, these are demand notices from Bolni and Sobletz received a few days ago."

"...Demand notices? So, debts?"

"Yes, debts."

Ayra read the demand notices. They were simple; last year, the estate's lord borrowed grain, magical stones, and iron ore from Bolni and Sobletz, promising to repay the debts this year.

The problems were: 1. Even the steward didn't know the lord had incurred debts, and 2. The amount owed was enormous. Even worse, Ayra's father, the previous lord, had stopped paying even the interest months ago.

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But what was most alarming was the fine print at the end of the demand notices.

...thus, if the overdue interest amounting to 300 cells of magical stones is not paid by the end of this month, it will be considered that you are incapable of repaying the principal, and Bolni and Sobletz will take the lands held as collateral.

-Bolni: Land to the south of the Seranow River, 750 jentas and the buildings tied to that land.

-Sobletz: Land to the north of the Seranow River, 1,200 jentas and the buildings tied to that land.

The total area of Solar was 2,348 jentas. Giving 750 to Bolni and 1,200 to Sobletz would leave only about 400 jentas. Essentially, the estate of Solar would ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) virtually disappear.

Ayra then realized why Jinas's complexion had worsened recently and why he was suffering from depression. The estate was on the brink of collapse.

How long could a lord last with only 400 jentas of land?

...Perhaps 233 days?