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Andras prepared an artifact device that looked a little complicated.
Kaneff, who was fooling around on the sitting room couch, sneaked up and showed interest.
“What are you doing all of a sudden?”
“I’m preparing the artifact for Sihyeon to communicate with the Barbatos family.”
“Why are you assembling such a complicated artifact just for communication?”
“I received a request from the Barbatos family to enable video transmission. So I’m temporarily installing equipment here.”
“Why can’t they just say what they want to say in words? It’s fricking annoying…”
“Maybe it’s because they have something important to say.”
Andras, who had been fiddling with the device for a while, straightened up and stood up.
“Sihyeon, I’m ready. I’ll send a signal to the Barbatos.”
“Yes, okay.”
Kaneff, who was watching the situation, crept out of his seat with a grim look on his face.
“Oh, Boss, are you leaving?”
“Yeah, I bet they’re going to say something boring. What’s the point in me staying here, I’m going to take another nap in my room?”
“Oh, come to think of it, did you check the report I gave you today? You know we have to send it to the Demon Lord Castle by tomorrow, right?”
“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh! I’ll take a nap and check.”
Kaneff slowly left the sitting room, and soon, sounds started to come from the communication artifact.
– Pididic!
-Pichiiik
An image of someone came up like a hologram in the air.
The male Demon in the video checked me and Andras and bowed his head.
– Hello?
The Demon seemed to be the one in charge of communications for the Barbatos family.
-The connection seems to have been established properly, I’ll bring the Lord right away. Would you mind waiting for a while?
“Yes.”
– Thank you.
Hearing my answer, the male Demon disappeared from the video, and shortly afterward, Lord Barbatos appeared on the screen.
He looked very healthy and energetic, not the thin figure I saw before leaving the Barbatos palace.
– Oh! Long time no see you both.
“It’s been a while. Lord.”
“I greet Lord Barbatos”
He greeted me and Andras warmly.
– Sihyeon… No. Should I have to call you Lord Cardis, now?
“No, it’s fine. You can call me comfortably.”
– Haha! Hearing those words makes me feel that our relationship is as solid as a rock. Why don’t you take this opportunity and start calling me “brother” comfortably?
The conversation with Lord Barbatos made me realize how close I got with the Barbatos family after a rough start.
I declined his offer politely, hiding my embarrassed expression as much as I could.
“Haha… I think I’m more comfortable calling you Lord.”
– Well, that’s a shame.
He smacked his lips with a look of regret.
However, he quickly regained his smile and continued the conversation.
-I’m sorry I couldn’t attend Sihyeon’s swearing-in as Lord. I wasn’t in bad shape. There are so many important things in the family.
“That’s all right, Lord. It was a great honor that Godmother Diana attended.”
– I’m sorry. If it weren’t for those whining old-timers…
From that point on Lord Barbatos’ grumbling continued for a while.
Complaints about the problems he faces while running a big family to complaints about the vassals who kept nagging him to marry.
Strangely, I could relate to both situations and I nodded my head at his grumbling.
– Come to think of it. I heard rumors that the beer made on your estate is fantastic.
“Did the rumors spread already? We’ve only just started production.”
– Cardis strawberry jam is so popular among the aristocrats, so naturally, I think they would be interested in anything that comes out of your estate. I don’t really enjoy drinking, but I want to taste the beer you made.
“Of course, Lord. As soon as a fresh batch of beer was made in the brewery, I’ll definitely send it to Lord.”
– Kuhm. I didn’t bring it up with that intention…but still, THANK YOU.
Lord Barbatos coughed for no reason and seemed embarrassed.
“I got a lot of help from the Barbatos family. This is nothing. If it weren’t for the Barbatos’ engineers, we wouldn’t have been able to build the brewery.”
Architects sent by Lord Barbatos played a central role in the construction of various facilities necessary for the village and the brewery.
Engineers with this level of skill and experience could not be easily hired no matter how much money we had.
However, Lord Barbatos lent us those high-skilled personnel almost for free.
Even now, few architects are living in Elden Village and helping with the construction work.
“If it isn’t for the Engineers sent from the Barbatos family, the Cardis estate couldn’t have changed this fast. Thank you for your consideration, Lord.”
– Haha! What are you saying? This can’t be compared to what you did to me. You saved my life, man.
“But still, I’m grateful and thankful to you.”
– Hmm. Is that so?
As I repeatedly expressed my gratitude, Lord Barbatos stroked his chin and smiled.
-It’s a little shameful to ask the person I owe my life, but can I ask you a favor?
“Yes, feel free to tell me. I’ll help you as much as I can.”
– Sihyeon, you… unlike other frustrating aristocrats, I think you’re more trustworthy. Because you make decisions based on what your heart says, not your head.
I stared blankly at Lord Barbatos at the sudden praise.
– When I woke up, I was busy solving the family’s urgent problems, so no one talked about it. Perhaps because now I have some free time, the retainers have begun to talk about the issue of successor again.
Oh…
I remembered the days when the baby griffins and I had a hard time because of that.
Lord Barbatos got back in shape, but that didn’t seem to have solved the problem of succession.
– They say it’s best to get married and give birth to a child and continue the succession. But, I don’t really want to be in a new relationship.
He seemed like he had no intention of marrying someone just for the sake of succession, and the bitterness of the previous relationship seems deeply ingrained in his heart.
As Godmother Diana said, he still didn’t seem to forget his late wife.
– I can’t leave the successor post empty forever. The family decided to choose the right person as their successor.
“Okay!!.”
If Lord Barbatos has no intention of entering a new relationship and giving birth to a successor, there was only one option left.
– But it’s a headache again. Each vassal has a different choice and it’s hard to choose.
“Of course, it would be. After all, it’s about deciding who will take over the most important position in the family.”
– So. Why don’t you decide for me?
“…What?”
– I think I’ll get a good result if I leave it to you.
“…… “
Did I hear it wrong?
I felt something strange and looked to the side.
Andras, who was listening to the conversation, also had a dumb look on his face.
“Hmm, Lord. Just now, did you ask ME to choose your successor?”
– Yes. I’d be sure if you could decide it for me.
What’s happening?
Did something happen to his head due to overworking?
Why is he asking for such a ridiculous favor…?
Lord Barbatos smiled, looking at my distorted expression.
– I’m perfectly normal. It’s a very serious request, and I’m speaking with a clear mind.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”
– Yeah, I understand. It’s certainly not an ordinary request, so you may think it’s weird.
I was so flustered that I couldn’t open my mouth easily.
A small step came toward me while I was processing the information in my head.
“Wow! Papa, it’s TV. TV!”
Speranza, who came to my side, shouted, looking at the communication device.
She seemed to think it was similar to the TV she saw at our house.
“Papa, who is that?”
“Speranza, wait a minute. Papa is talking about something important. I’ll explain it to you later?”
Before I could send Speranza back, Lord Barbatos showed interest in the little fox girl.
– Oh, my. Is that your daughter?
“Yes, Lord. Speranza, say hello to Lord.”
Speranza stared at the screen in the air for a while, then waved one hand and greeted Lord Barbatos.
“Hi, Lord uncle!”
“Speranza, you shouldn’t call him like that. You should call him Lord.”
Lord Barbatos burst into laughter.
– Hahaha! That’s good. I like the sound of Lord uncle. Let’s go with that…
Speranza suddenly got embarrassed when she heard him laugh, so she buried her face in my arms.
The cute figure created a warm smile on everyone’s face.
Lord Barbatos hurriedly continued the conversation, taking advantage of the confusion.
– Hoho… It’s time to get going. I will take it as a YES then… to my request a while ago.
“What?”
– We’ll take care of the preparation, so don’t worry. We’ll get in touch soon. Please take good care of the Successor candidates.
“No, Lord, wait a minute!”
– I’ll call you again next time if I had a chance. Then…GOODBYE.
Lord Barbatos hurriedly cut off the communication, leaving only his own words.
I mumbled as I looked into the air where the screen disappeared.
“What the…!!??”
As the surroundings became quiet, Speranza lifted her face from my arms.
She said, looking from side to side.
“Did Lord uncle disappear?”
“Uh… He disappeared.”
I replied, mumbling blankly.
Days passed after the strange request from Lord Barbatos.
At first, I tried to contact him again and refuse the request, but the one who received the call intentionally avoided the conversation with the excuse that the Lord was busy.
When I explained the current ridiculous situation to the farm members, they said.
“Are they out of their mind? Why did they leave the selection of the successor of the Barbatos family to Sihyeon?”
“Maybe Senior heard it wrong? What? Andras listened to it with you? Well… that doesn’t make sense…”
“That guy named Lord, he’s been in bed for a long time, right? Definitely, something is wrong with his head?”
Everyone responded the same way I did.
Except for one person!
Ryan reacted nonchalantly to the news.
“Sihyeon, don’t strain about it. I think, there’s probably nothing to worry about.”
He laughed, telling me not to worry, but I couldn’t do it, considering the situation I was in.
It was not a small family, but a noble family that was so large that it was considered one of the most prominent families in the Demon world. And, I have to choose the successor of that place.
In the midst of my troubled days, the Barbatos family contacted me.
What they said was very simple.
– We’ll send candidates to the farm soon, so please pick one suitable successor.
– Candidates must obey the orders of Lord Cardis unconditionally while on the farm. This is a direct order issued by the authority of Lord Barbatos.
– If you don’t like the candidate, you can send them back anytime.
Are they really going to leave everything to me?
Looking at the contents, the Barbatos family seemed to have made up their minds.
Like that the days passed, and finally, D-Day came.
The Successor candidates from Barbatos really arrived at the farm.