His Majesty from the royal castle summoned me. And it was still early in the morning.
The messenger said I should come to the royal castle immediately.
Usually, there would be some time after being summoned, right? When I asked, it seemed His Majesty said, "Just come immediately."
With no choice, I got on the messenger's carriage and headed to the royal castle.
After being shown in, I sat and waited in the usual reception room.
They always serve delicious tea. I thought about bringing some sweets next time as a thank you.
After a while, His Majesty and the Chancellor entered.
I stood up from my seat and bowed.
"Kain, I kept you waiting, didn't I? There was a noisy person, so I couldn't come out right away."
"I was enjoying the delicious tea, so it was fine."
His Majesty sat in his usual seat, and the Chancellor sat next to him.
"First, I have decided on a mansion for you. It originally belonged to a viscount, but they were involved in tax evasion, embezzlement, kidnapping, and slavery, so we confiscated everything and dissolved their family. The royal family is managing it now. When I decided to give it to you, Cordino opposed it, which caused a delay."
Cordino again. Both the son and the father are troublesome.
"Well, it's fine that I forced the decision. The school you will attend and the royal castle are not far from there, so it's convenient. You should get a map from Magna later. That's all the business. Let's play."
His Majesty said this while bringing out a Reversi board.
"Eric is quite strong, so playing with you, the inventor, might make me stronger, right?"
His Majesty is really into it.
We started playing, taking turns.
"Ah, if you place it there, you'll lose the corner. Look."
"Ah!!! You!!! Show some mercy to the king!"
"Your Majesty, didn't you want to get stronger through experience?"
"Hmm. Then here!"
The king and the five-year-old were seriously playing Reversi. Watching them, Chancellor Magna sighed.
After playing Reversi for about two hours, His Majesty said he had another meeting and left.
"Lord Kain, I apologize for His Majesty. This is the map and key to the mansion. We are currently recruiting a butler, so I will inform you when one is decided. I will send a few young maids from the royal castle. The furniture is still there from the previous owner, so feel free to use it."
"Chancellor Magna, thank you. Is the mansion large enough to need a butler and maids?"
"It's not as large as the mansion of the Margrave Garm, but it's a decent size. As a noble, it's important to hire people. The economy doesn't work if you don't spend money. But explaining that to a five-year-old is pointless. I think His Majesty will call you to play again. I'll leave it to you then."
"Understood, Chancellor Magna. Thank you for the mansion."
Since there was still plenty of time, I declined the carriage and walked through the noble district alone. The mansion I received is closer to the commoner district than the noble district. The capital of Esfort has the royal castle and the noble district in the center, surrounded by the commercial and residential districts. The school is between the noble and commoner districts, accessible from both.
"Here it is. It's bigger than I thought."
In front of me was a plot of land about a hundred meters square, with a two-story Western-style mansion at the back.
The building is U-shaped, with the entrance in the middle.
I walked through the garden, opened the door with the key, and entered. There was no lighting, so only the sunlight coming through the windows illuminated the room.
'Light Ball'
A ball of light floated from my hand, brightening the surroundings.
"The flashy decorations have all been confiscated, leaving a simpler design, which I prefer."
The building has a staircase hall directly in front of the door, with a dining room and kitchen on the right. On the left are a hall large enough for parties and a reception room. Of course, as a noble's mansion, it also has a bathroom.
On the second floor, there are several rooms on both sides, including the master bedroom and guest rooms.
"Can I manage such a big house by myself? Maybe I'll do some cleaning."
I gathered my magic and covered the entire building with it.
'Building Cleaning'
The building quickly became clean, with all stains and dirt removed from the walls and carpets.
'Building Repair'
The old parts of the building were completely renewed.
The building was as good as new.
"Is this good enough? I can consult the new butler about the rest."
I peeked into various rooms and made magical modifications as needed. Since it's my home, it should be fine. Once I start living here, I want to install a security system.
After being somewhat satisfied, I went outside, locked the door, and returned to the Garm residence.
"Welcome back, Lord Kain."
"I'm back. I just got back. By the way, Sylvia, can I talk to you for a moment?"
"Yes, of course."
Sylvia answered with her usual smile.
"I just saw the mansion His Majesty gave me. It's smaller than this one but has enough space. Chancellor Magna will arrange a butler and maids, but I was wondering if you could come to my mansion. Of course, I need to confirm with Father."
Sylvia nodded with tears in her eyes.
"Of course, I will follow Lord Kain. Taking care of Lord Kain is my job. If you didn't take me, I would have resigned and come to Lord Kain's place."
Sylvia answered with her chest puffed out. Yeah, that's good. I'm only five, so I don't have those kinds of thoughts.
"I'll talk to Father during dinner. For now, I'm tired, so I'll rest in my room."
Saying that, Kain returned to his room.
āāā
Dinner time came, and we all ate together.
"Kain, what happened when His Majesty summoned you today?"
Garm asked.
"I received the key to the mansion I will be staying in. After that, I played Reversi with His Majesty. Since I had time, I went to see the mansion."
"Reversi, huh? I was also called to play with His Majesty the other day. He said Eric, the Duke, is too strong. So, Kain is finally standing on his own, huh? What did he say about the butler and maids?"
"Chancellor Magna will arrange them. He said the butler will be recruited."
"A butler is important. They also protect the house when you're away."
"Father, I have a request. Sylvia has been my personal maid, and I would like to take her with me."
"Of course, that's fine. She has been taking care of you since you were born. It's better to have someone you know rather than strangers."
"Father, thank you."
"Lord Garm, please allow me to express my gratitude. Thank you for letting me serve Lord Kain since he was born. I will continue to serve Lord Kain with all my heart."
Sylvia bowed in gratitude.
"Sylvia, you taught me letters and other things when I was three, so I am who I am today. Thank you."
Kain thanked Sylvia.
"Kain-kun, you're leaving? I'll be sad."
Reine, who had been listening to the conversation with Father, was sad.
"Reine-nee, it's not far from here, so we can meet anytime. I'll show you the mansion when I move in."