"Sigh, that was a good sleep."
Allia was already gone. I heard a knock and the door opened.
"Excuse me, my lord. Good morning."
It was Ellia. She looked both frustrated and tired. Maybe because she had been working while her sister... well, was resting.
Wait a minute. Hey, system, why am I so good at reading faces? Is it because I—
[Nope.]
I didn't even finish the thought. That's rude.
[Yeah, yeah. Right. Can you at least consider that maybe you're just good at it? Stop the delusions.]
My mouth hung open. "You said I could change your personality before, right?"
At that moment, Ellia's voice cut in from the side.
"My lord, is there something wrong?"
"No, no. Nothing's wrong. Will you help me today, Ellia?"
"Yes, right away."
"What's the schedule for today?"
"My lord, my father returned while you were asleep. You'll meet him soon. There was a problem with the blacksmiths—they practically fought each other, so you'll need to settle that."
She looked embarrassed. Probably because it was her sister's job to manage things and she felt responsible.
"After that, the new maids have arrived, and finally..." she hesitated, her cheeks turning bright red, "...my lord, I would like a private meeting with you this evening."
These sisters are shameless... Am I not supposed to be the lord here? What is going on?
Ahem. Still, I'm a gentleman. I can't say no.
"Ahem, sure. Let's finish the day's work first."
"Yes, my lord," she beamed. "My father is in the audience room. We can go see him now."
"Okay, let's go."
We began walking.
"How's the rune work going? Need anything?"
"No, my sister and I are progressing well. We're currently focused on farming runes, but we've also created fire and water runes."
"Water runes? We have a water source already."
"My lord, carrying water is not easy. Animals need a lot of it too. Some villagers and workers can use basic magic, but that's rare. Water runes help a lot."
I was about to respond, but we arrived.
"Alright, we'll discuss that later."
I entered the audience room.
"Sit down. Orec, did you find anything new?"
"Yes, my lord. There are no inland settlements on the island, but on the west and south coasts, we found several fishing villages. There's even a small town with a port. This island isn't as isolated as we thought."
"Did you interact with anyone?"
"No, my lord. I observed from a distance. They speak the same language, but I didn't approach without your order."
"Good. Don't make contact yet. I assume they're beastkin?"
"Yes, all of them in the villages were. The town may have others, but I didn't get close enough."
"How many people are we talking about?"
"Four coastal villages, each with 100–150 people. The town has fewer than 1,000, including the elderly and children. Then there's the forest village we found before—around 500."
"Strange. Why would a large village be in the forest instead of near the coast where food's easier to access?"
"We suspect it's because of winter. Beast, monster, goblin, and orc activity increases. The forest might provide better defense."
"Hmm. That makes sense. Monsters might be valuable to hunt. But judging from the weapons and gear, the villagers aren't particularly strong. Still, we'll need to prepare for winter and the goblin tribe in the northeast."
"Yes, my lord. That's all for now."
"Alright. You're dismissed."
"Ellia, get me breakfast, please."
"Right away."
While I ate, Ellia spoke.
"Should I call the next group, or do you want to rest?"
"Call them in. Let's keep things moving."
Two burly men entered, bruised and scuffed. They bowed before me.
"My lord, these two are blacksmiths. They want you to settle a dispute."
"Let me guess—they fought over who gets the smithy?"
"Yes, my lord," they both shouted.
"Alright. One at a time. You first."
"My lord, we heard you're building a smithy. I came to the manor and Lady Ellia assigned it to my family. But then this guy shows up demanding it for his own, and we fought over it."
"Your side?" I asked the second man.
"Exactly that, my lord. I didn't think it was fair, so we fought."
"Well, you're right—it's not fair. So here's the deal: you'll fight, and the winner gets the smithy. The loser will receive land to build his own."
"Do you both accept these terms?"
"Yes, my lord!"
"Then the fight is tomorrow morning, right after sunrise. Dismissed."
They left, fired up.
I turned to Ellia. "In the future, if there's a dispute like this, let them settle it with a fair duel. Don't let it spiral into chaos like today. If needed, give minor rewards that won't hurt us. If you're unsure, consult me."
"Yes, my lord. I'm sorry for my mistake."
"It's alright. Call in the new maids, then tell Allia to prepare two guards for sparring."
I'm relying too much on the sisters. Hopefully, the maids can ease their burden.
"Here they are, my lord," Ellia said, gesturing toward a group of women.
Ten women stood in line, ranging from young adults to middle-aged. They looked competent enough.
"From now on, you will work here as my maids. Serve with diligence."
"Yes, my lord."
"Ellia and Allia are your head maids. Obey them. If there's nothing urgent, begin your work. Ellia, help them get settled."
I stretched and stood.
Time to train. I still had that evening meeting with Ellia to look forward to.