Chapter 27 - Chapter 27: The Decision of Mother and Daughter
"U-Um! Baron-sama, regarding that talk of migration, c-could I be the one to accept it!"
Eliza, the mother, looked at Anna with a shocked expression after she suddenly spoke up. Beside her, Anna's older brother, Marco, also wore a look of surprise.
Noein acted surprised just like Eliza and the others, but for him, this situation was exactly as intended. He had simply pretended to be surprised with his face to match the atmosphere of the room.
When Noein had previously suggested migration to Eliza as a joke, he had noticed that Anna seemed interested in the conversation.
Afterward, while waiting for food to be loaded at this shop, he had chatted with Anna many times, and during those talks, he had heard that she liked stories about "opening up new lands through pioneering" and seemed interested in that way of life.
Furthermore, she was capable of tasks such as bookkeeping and inventory management. For Noein, who wanted personnel capable of administration and accounting, she was the perfect fit.
"W-Wait, Anna! What are you talking about!"
"Mother, I'm serious! I really want to go to Baron-sama's territory!"
"Be quiet! Come here for a moment! Baron-sama, I apologize, but could we have a moment to speak as a family?"
"Yes, that is fine."
"Thank you. I am sorry for making a scene in front of you... Marco, please guide Baron-sama into the shop and serve some tea."
"Yeah, I got it, Mother."
The group returned inside the shop for the time being. Eliza pulled Anna toward the back of the store, and Noein sat and waited in a chair used for business negotiations.
As per Eliza's instructions, Marco served the tea, but his expression was somewhat stiff.
"Marco-san, if you like, would you care to talk for a bit?"
"Y-Yes..."
"Thank you. Please, sit."
With his face still stiff, Marco sat opposite Noein.
"...If Anna insists that she wants to migrate, will you take her, Baron-sama?"
"I will. I have heard that she can read, write, and do calculations, and that she has learned practical business at this shop. For my part, it would be a great help if she came."
"I-I see..."
Marco wore a sour expression and avoided making eye contact with Noein.
"Would the operation of this shop become unsustainable without Anna-san? If that is the case, I would feel guilty about poaching her."
"No, it's not that... I am the one originally planned to inherit this shop, and there are other employees. It will be a bit hectic filling the hole Anna leaves, but we can manage that. However..."
Even if there were no problems on the practical side, it seemed Marco opposed this idea. It was only natural.
His younger sister had suddenly declared she wanted to migrate to a small territory in the middle of a forest that was still being pioneered, and even the lord of that land, the noble Noein, said he wanted her. As an older brother, his feelings must be complicated. He couldn't simply say, "Please, take her."
Even as Noein continued to speak to him, Marco's expression remained stiff.
...
Leaving Marco to attend to Baron Arqvist, Eliza pulled Anna into the shop's warehouse.
"What are you thinking, Anna?"
"I'm serious."
"...I know that. You aren't the kind of fool who would say something like that as a joke in a place like that."
Eliza answered with a sigh to her daughter, who maintained a stubborn expression.
She knew that Anna was interested in a life of "pioneering new lands."
When Anna was young, she had begged many times to hear such fairy tales, and even after growing older, she had asked how one could live such an adventurous life. Eliza had told her, "That's just a dream."
"Listen, okay? This isn't a simple story like the fairy tales I told you when you were little. You'll be leaving Retovik and spending most of your life in Baron-sama's territory. There may be many dangerous and painful things in a pioneering land."
"I know. But for me, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. To be able to migrate to the territory of a kind noble like Baron-sama, and to have a place prepared where I can work using my abilities... this is a chance that will surely never come again."
Indeed, even from Eliza's perspective, Baron Arqvist seemed like a good lord. He seemed to be loved by his retainers, and he did not behave arrogantly just because he was a noble. Rather, he was polite even compared to the average commoner.
If she sent Anna to Baron Arqvist, she likely wouldn't be treated poorly.
"Please, Mother. I only have one life, so I want to try living the way I desire."
"..."
Eliza looked firmly into her eyes as if to confirm Anna's resolve. Anna did not look away, staring straight back at Eliza.
Though it was her own mother speaking, Anna was an exceptional child.
Eliza had taught her basic reading, writing, and arithmetic, hoping she could help at the shop until she married off, but Anna absorbed knowledge rapidly and eventually learned how to manage the ledgers. Now, her practical abilities rivaled those of the heir, Marco.
She was somewhat shy, but she was diligent and quick-witted. Eliza believed she could work sufficiently as a civil servant under a noble.
A sense of security that it would be fine to entrust her daughter to Baron Arqvist. A merchant's calculation that if Anna worked well in the destination, she could establish a strong connection with a noble of a neighboring territory. And a parent's vague anxiety about sending a precious daughter to a rural territory still under development.
After cycling through these various thoughts, Eliza said,
"...All right. I'll hear the detailed conditions from Baron-sama, and if they are satisfactory, I'll let you go."
"Really!? Thank you, Mother!"
"Wait. Only after asking Baron-sama. It's too early to celebrate."
Eliza couldn't help but give a wry smile at Anna, whose stubborn expression had instantly transformed into a beaming smile.
...
"I apologize for keeping you waiting, Excellency Arqvist."
"No. I imagine there are various things to discuss."
Noein answered with a smile to Eliza, who had returned with Anna.
Given that she addressed Noein with the formal title of "Excellency Arqvist," it seemed she intended to approach this as a serious discussion, unlike her usual manner.
Taking Marco's place and sitting before Noein, Eliza began the conversation with a solemn look.
"...First, I have firmly confirmed Anna's will. This child seems to seriously wish to migrate to Your Excellency's territory. It may be odd for me as a parent to say this, but I believe this child possesses the ability to be of use under Your Excellency."
"Yes. Having spoken with her many times, I believe I understand that Anna-san is an intelligent and diligent person. That is precisely why I am happy with her decision, and I would be delighted to welcome her into my territory."
"Thank you... however, I am also this child's parent. I am concerned about what her life will be like from now on. Of course, I understand that Your Excellency is a very kind person... but could I ask for the details regarding the conditions under which you would welcome her?"
"Of course. I do not have children of my own yet, but I empathize with your feelings as a mother, Eliza-san."
With that, Noein explained the conditions for welcoming Anna.
First, she would be in charge of financial management and personnel management for the Arqvist territory.
The first few weeks would be a trial period; if Anna decided she wanted to stop the migration, or if Noein felt her abilities were different from what he expected, Anna would be sent back to Retovik.
If the trial period ended without issue, Anna would be welcomed as a retainer serving the House of Baron Arqvist.
As for her residence, a private room would be provided for her in Noein's mansion, and if Anna found a marriage partner, she could leave the mansion and have her own house (which Noein would provide).
When Noein finished stating the conditions, Eliza, Marco, and even Anna herself wore blank expressions.
"...Um, if there are no problems with my work, I will be welcomed as a retainer? I thought I would just be a hired worker."
"Of course. I'm entrusting you with important work for the territory. That much is only natural."
When Noein answered Anna's question, her expression brightened instantly.
It was only natural. For a mere commoner to become an official retainer of a noble was something that rarely happened normally. It was an invitation born from the shortage of talent in the Arqvist territory, but for Anna, it was an unprecedented chance for social advancement.
Within the territory of the noble they served, a retainer held a position one step above other commoners. In addition to garnering respect as a vassal of a noble, unless their children were so incompetent that they could not perform the duties of a retainer, that status would be inherited by the next generation.
Hearing the unexpected treatment, not only Anna but also her family, Eliza and Marco, showed great joy. It was natural, as someone from their family was to found a house of retainers.
Just as it had been when he gave farmland to Yuri and the villagers, suddenly presenting unexpectedly favorable treatment to instantly win over the other party's heart was becoming Noein's standard tactic.
"Well then, is it all right for you to come to my territory under these conditions?"
"Yes! I will do my absolute best!"
"That's good. How about Eliza-san and Marco-san?"
"Of course it is fine. I am grateful that you have given my daughter treatment we couldn't have even dreamed of, Excellency Arqvist."
"Please take good care of my younger sister, Excellency."
And so, it was decided that Anna would come to the Arqvist territory.