Episode 155: “A New Determination”
“Almost completed soon…”
I murmured to myself while looking at the ceiling in my room. It had been nearly half a year since I received the schedule for the construction of the dormitory to accommodate the incoming slaves. During that time, I had turned seven years old, and Mel was now five.
The construction of the new mansion was still going to take a while, but the dormitory was almost ready to be occupied. It looked splendid, and I couldn’t help but sigh, thinking that the people who would be moving in would surely be pleased.
“However, it’s been quite busy lately…”
Indeed, it had been a hectic period for me. First, I had been busy collaborating with Sandra, Deanna, Capella, Ellen, and others to create an “educational curriculum” for the people who would be coming as slaves.
The incoming individuals were planned to receive education in various fields, including magic, martial arts, and general knowledge. It was like establishing an “educational institution” based on my knowledge from my previous life. In this world, there was almost no concept of providing education to commoners or slaves, mainly because education required substantial resources.
Even if it was apparent that investing in education could lead to future benefits, the decision to do so was not often made. Although it might sound strange coming from me, I was impressed by my father’s judgment in approving this endeavor.
As I pondered over the recent events, something began to bother me. I took out a paper where I had previously written down the “future policy to prevent exile and condemnation” in Japanese and started reading it attentively.
“What I want to protect is no longer just myself. I want to build the power to protect everyone…”
I declared resolutely while looking at the paper. Previously, my intentions were solely focused on “saving myself” except for my mother’s treatment. But now, it was different. I wanted to protect not only my mother’s health but also Father, Mel, and everyone who cared about me.
If, by any chance, I were to face condemnation as my memories from my previous life warned, what would happen to Bardia? It might be somewhat acceptable if only I were condemned, but if Bardia were to face consequences due to my actions, I couldn’t let that happen.
“But if something were to happen that leads to my condemnation, as the eldest son and lord, Bardia Territory would inevitably face difficulties. Farah, my fiancee who will marry me will also undoubtedly suffer. Moreover, aside from the joys of the future, there’s something that concerns me. It’s the fact that my mother is starting to recover.”
I voiced the concerns that had been on my mind.
“If her health continues to improve, it could mean a change in the course of fate.”
While saying this, I couldn’t help but recall a trilogy of science fiction movies from my previous life where they had modified a car into a time machine. In one of the sequels, the antagonist misused the time machine. They handed their past self a book containing ‘future information,’ erasing the originally destined future and creating a more favorable one for themselves. As a result, the antagonist gained tremendous power and wealth that they wouldn’t have obtained in the original future.
However, in the movie, the antagonist’s actions were thwarted by the protagonists, and the future was set back on its original course.
What I had done felt somewhat similar to what the antagonist in that movie did, regardless of the reasons behind it. By making efforts to save my mother, who should have died, she hadn’t fully recovered yet but was likely to be saved. As a result, the future I knew from the game would surely change significantly.
I wondered if there would be some unseen force trying to correct the altered future or if time would pass uneventfully. I didn’t know yet, but I had no regrets.
If the ‘unseen force’ were to come after me and Bardia Territory, I would do whatever it took to protect everyone. That was my responsibility, given that I had changed the future.
While I wasn’t an antagonist from a movie, I thought that from now on, I might need to aim to amass financial and influential power to fulfill this responsibility.
I took a deep breath and solemnly declared, “Bardia, I will protect it. I… I will change everyone’s future…!”
After saying this, I looked at the paper where I had written my previous goals and added a new one in Japanese: “I will definitely protect Bardia.”
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As I added new words to my “Future Plans to Prevent Exile and Condemnation” in Japanese, there was a knock on the door. I responded, and Deanna’s voice came through.
“Lord Rid, Lady Chris, and Lady Emma have arrived with an ‘urgent matter.’ They are waiting in the reception room. How would you like to proceed?”
“An urgent matter? I understand. I’ll head to the reception room right away.”
I neatly put away the paper with my plans in Japanese and quickly left the room. With Deanna by my side, I headed to the reception room where Chris and Emma were waiting.
Upon reaching the door, I knocked and waited for Chris’s response before entering. I immediately greeted them.
“Sorry for keeping you waiting.”
“No, I apologize for this sudden visit.”
Chris bowed, and Emma, her attendant, who was a cat beastman with adorable cat ears and a tail, also lowered her head. Emma usually handled administrative tasks for Chris, so it was unusual for her to be here. I wondered what brought them here.
I sat down on the sofa across from them, separated by a table, as we always did during our meetings.
“Deanna, could you prepare some tea for the three of us?”
“Of course.”
Deanna acknowledged my request with a slight nod and began preparing the tea. Emma, however, looked apologetic as she addressed me.
“Lord Rid, please don’t worry about my portion. I’ll be fine.”
“Don’t worry, Emma. Besides, Deanna’s tea is delicious. I’d like you to try it if you haven’t already.”
“Thank you very much.”
Emma smiled happily and nodded in response to my words. Chris watched our interaction with a smile but soon cleared her throat and changed her expression.
“Ahem… Lord Rid, I apologize for the sudden visit today. The matter concerns information we’ve received regarding the purchase of slaves through the Barst route, a topic we’ve previously discussed.”
“I see… Actually, I have something I want to discuss regarding that matter as well, so it’s good timing.”
Chris seemed more serious and nervous than usual. Emma, her attendant, also appeared somewhat uneasy. I couldn’t help but wonder if there was trouble related to this issue.
I looked puzzled when Deanna brought us the tea.
“Lord Rid, everyone, I apologize for the wait.”
“Thank you, Deanna.”
With the tea prepared, Deanna stepped back, ensuring she wouldn’t interrupt our conversation.
Taking a sip of the tea, I continued our earlier discussion.
“Oh, and what I wanted to convey is that preparations to receive the slaves are almost complete. The accommodations will be finished soon.”
I had requested information about the slaves from Chris about half a year ago, but the main issue had been the lack of a facility to house them. Finally, with the completion of the accommodations, we could move forward with the plan.
Upon hearing my words, Chris and Emma exchanged glances, showing a hint of relief. Curious about their reaction, I furrowed my brows, prompting Chris to speak with a somewhat serious expression.
“Well, we’ve received information about a large-scale sale of beastkin slaves in Barst. If we miss this opportunity, it might be difficult to buy beastkin slaves for a while.”
“That doesn’t sound good at all. By ‘large-scale,’ how many are we talking about?”
A large-scale slave trade? It was not something I felt comfortable discussing, considering my own plans to purchase slaves. As I pondered this, I took another sip of the tea Deanna had prepared.
Chris slowly spoke, her expression growing solemn.
“We’ve heard it involves around 150 beastkin, combining all the tribes.”
“150?! *cough* *cough*!”
Shocked by Chris’s words, I choked on the tea, spilling it on myself. Deanna quickly approached, offering me a handkerchief.
“Lord Rid, are you alright?”
“Yeah, thanks, Deanna.”
I wiped my mouth and spilled tea with the handkerchief. Then, I turned my attention back to Chris and Emma, asking in disbelief.
“So, you mean to say that there are approximately 150 beastkin, considering all the tribes?”
“Yes. Ever since you made the request about half a year ago, there has been a significant decline in beastkin slaves being sold in Barst. However, recently, there’s been information about a large-scale sale of around 150 individuals. I believe there might have been some organized movements during this nearly six-month period.”
Listening to Chris’s explanation, I crossed my arms and went into deep thought, saying, “Hmm.”
Accepting 150 individuals at once was quite challenging, given the initial plan of gradually taking in groups of a few dozen, which both my father and I had been considering. This sudden increase would be demanding.
However, I also recognized the opportunity at hand. If we missed this chance, it might be a long time before we could buy beastkin slaves again. Plus, there was the issue of recouping the invested funds.
The accommodation construction had incurred substantial costs. If it remained unoccupied despite being completed, it could lead to financial setbacks. The worst-case scenario was that it might affect my mother’s treatment, which was also quite expensive.
Taking a deep breath, I muttered slowly, “I see. I’ll discuss this with my father, so could you please provide more details? Is that why you brought Emma along?”
“Yes, exactly.”
As Chris replied to me, she signaled to Emma to begin explaining. Emma, after taking a deep breath, addressed me and started explaining about the beastkin tribes.
