Not knowing the location of the lord's mansion, I asked a patrolling guard and walked towards the lord's mansion.
In most cities of this country, there are both the lord's residence and the magistrate's office. When the lord goes to the capital, the magistrate governs the city in his place.
While walking towards the lord's residence, I looked around the city and saw various shops, such as weapons, armor, and magic items, as this is a city for adventurers.
On the way, I was attracted by a delicious smell and stopped at a stall.
"Uncle, it smells so good! I'll have one skewer, please!"
The uncle who was grilling skewers noticed Kain, who looked like a young adventurer, and spoke with a smile.
"Oh! You understand, kid. It's three copper coins for one skewer. I'll give you a freshly grilled one, so wait a moment."
After turning the skewer and grilling it, he dipped it in the sauce and started grilling it again.
"Here you go, freshly grilled is the best."
Kain received the freshly grilled skewer and paid the copper coins.
Then he bit into the skewer.
"Ouch! But it's delicious!!"
Seeing Kain, who looked like a young adventurer, eating, the stall owner also smiled.
"By the way, how is this city? I just arrived today."
"What, you just arrived today? This city has a lot of adventurers. There are many shops that process and sell materials from monsters hunted by adventurers. This meat is also a skewer made from the meat of an orc hunted by adventurers."
"Is that so? The orc meat is delicious. The sauce is well-soaked. I also visited the guild just now, and I was hassled. The security here doesn't seem very good."
"The lord of this city has always fled due to pressure from the guild. There are so many adventurers, and the magistrate can only do the minimum. The guild master is a cheerful person, but be careful of the sub-guild master who operates behind the scenes. Ah, don't tell anyone you heard this from me."
"Hmm. The sub-guild master! I'll be careful. Thank you, uncle!"
"Come back anytime!"
Kain waved to the stall owner and walked towards the lord's residence.
The lord's residence was located to the north of the central square.
At the gate of the lord's residence, two guards were on duty. As Kain approached the gate, the guards spoke to him.
"You look like an adventurer, but this is the lord's residence. Only the magistrate is here. If you have no business, please leave."
"Is the magistrate here today? Please inform him that Kain Ford Silford Drintle, the new lord of this city, has arrived."
Kain took out the appointment certificate he had prepared from his item box and handed it to the guard.
"Y-You are the lord? I'm sorry, I'll inform Sir Elive immediately."
One of the guards returned the appointment certificate to Kain and went into the magistrate's office to call the magistrate.
Kain was led to the hall of the lord's residence by the other guard.
Soon, from the adjacent magistrate's office, the guard who had just left and another official who looked like the magistrate came towards him.
"Welcome, Viscount Kain. I apologize for keeping you waiting. I am Elive, the magistrate of this city. We have received a notification from the capital. I am surprised by your quick arrival. Please rest inside."
Elive was in his forties, slightly overweight, and had a thinning head with a mustache. He was a civil servant who became a magistrate from a commoner, not a noble.
Led by Elive, the magistrate of Drintle, Kain arrived at the reception room of the lord's residence. He sat on a sofa, and Elive sat opposite him.
"I'm sorry for coming suddenly. I am also registered as an adventurer, so I came to check if this city is as I heard from the capital. I entered the city as an adventurer."
Kain was dressed as an adventurer. To others, he looked like a newly registered adventurer. No one would have thought he was the lord.
"I understand that you have heard about this city, but as a magistrate, I feel apologetic. The number of adventurers in the guild exceeds a thousand, and they do not listen to the administration. They refuse to pay taxes to the guild, so we operate on a deficit, relying on subsidies from the capital."
Elive answered apologetically. In other cities, when a client commissions a job to the adventurer guild, taxes and guild operation fees are typically deducted. This is why the lord allows the guild to be established in the city. With over a thousand adventurers not paying taxes, it is a problem in this city. It is clear that the guild and the administration do not get along well.
"Before coming here, I looked around the city, and it seemed that the residents were living without any problems..."
The skewer stall and the weapon, armor, and magic item shops seemed to be doing well.
"Adventurers don't save much money. Since they don't know when they might die, it's appreciated that they spend their commission money in the city... However, there are always fights in the taverns, and the guards have to rush there."
"First, we need to bring this city back to a normal state. I will stay until tomorrow, so let's have a meeting with the adventurer guild. As the new lord, I need to greet them."
"Then, I will send a messenger to the guild to come to the lord's residence for a meeting. Will you stay here tonight?"
"No, it was a sudden visit, so I will stay at an inn in the city today. I want to see more of the city."
Kain wanted to see more of the city with his own eyes.
"Then, I will arrange for you to come to the lord's residence after lunch. We will prepare lunch for you, so it would be appreciated if you could wake up before noon."
Elive answered apologetically. Kain thought it was understandable given the guild's influence.
"Oh, Sir Kain, if you plan to stroll around the city, be careful near the south gate. There is a slum area there, so try to avoid it..."
Kain was surprised to hear about the slum area.
"Is there a slum area in this city with this many people..."
"Yes, it's a gathering place for failed adventurers and the children of deceased adventurers... I don't know the details."
"I see, I'll be careful not to go there. I'll come again tomorrow."
Kain replied to Elive, left the lord's residence, and started walking towards the west gate. He peeked into various shops as he walked. It was a bit early for lunch, but Kain entered a shop that smelled delicious.
"Welcome! Are you staying or eating here?"
A cat-eared girl who looked younger than Kain greeted him. She wore an apron over a dress, and her tail swayed behind her. She looked about six or seven years old, with cat ears on her head. Her cute, round eyes peered at him.
"Let's eat, I guess?"
"Understood. Please follow me."
Guided by the cat-eared girl, Kain sat at a counter seat. The smell from the kitchen made his stomach growl.
"Would you like the daily special? Today's special is a troll steak. It's nine copper coins. If you add a drink, it's one large copper coin."
"Sure. And add a fruit juice."
"Understood!"
The cat-eared girl ran to the kitchen.
"Dad! One daily special!"
"Coming up!"
A voice from the kitchen, presumably the father, responded.
While waiting for the food, Kain thought about the city.
"I'll meet the adventurer guild tomorrow. And the slum area I heard about earlier... I need to do something about the orphans, maybe create an orphanage. Also, since there are many adventurers, I need to help retired adventurers find regular jobs..."
While thinking, the food arrived.
"Here you go!"
The cat-eared girl brought the food on a tray.
"Thank you. Are you helping out?"
"Yep! Mom is sick and bedridden, so I'm helping out!"
"I see... Have you been to the church?"
Kain asked the girl.
Suddenly, her cat ears drooped, and she looked down.
"Church... I want to go, but we don't have the money..."
Kain knew that healing magic could be cast at the church, but he thought it would be affordable with a small donation.
"I see... I can use healing magic. Do you want me to heal her?"
"Really!? I'll ask Dad!"
The cat-eared girl ran to the kitchen.
"Let's eat for now..."
Kain started eating the food. The troll meat was well-marbled and very delicious. The sauce was light and complemented the meat well. The soup served with it was also delicious, with a rich vegetable broth.
"Yum! It's delicious!"
While eating, the father, led by the cat-eared girl, came out.
The father also looked like a cat-person, in his thirties, with a gentle face and medium build. He wore an apron and came out to the hall.
"The food here is delicious!"
Kain said sincerely. The cat-eared father looked pleased and replied.
"Thank you. As the cook, I appreciate your words. However, my daughter told me you can use healing magic... I can't offer much as a thank you, but please help us."
"Understood. I'll do it after I finish eating."
"Thank you."
The cat-eared father bowed deeply in gratitude.
After finishing the meal and paying, Kain was led to the living space at the back.
"By the way, is the healing at the church that expensive?"
Kain, who didn't know, asked the cat-eared father.
"In this city, a 'Heal' spell costs one large silver coin, and a 'High Heal' spell costs one gold coin."
A 'Heal' spell costs about 100,000 yen, and a 'High Heal' spell costs about 1,000,000 yen, which surprised Kain.
"Expensive!!! Even in the capital, it's not that much. That's definitely too much..."
At the place he was led to, a woman who looked like the mother was lying in bed. She was also a cat-person, but her complexion didn't look good. She seemed to have been bedridden for a long time and was emaciated. The cat-eared girl was holding her mother's hand tightly.
"This is my wife, Himika. Please take care of her."
The cat-eared father looked apologetic.
Kain sat next to the bed and placed his hand over the woman.
'High Heal'
Instantly, the woman was enveloped in a white light.