Page 114

Accompanied by Sebastian, Earl Timoti and I entered Marquess Rommel’s private tent.

Inside the tent filled with the light of the magic lantern, I could see my father busy taking care of documents along with important letters that had the seals of other noble families’ symbols.

As Sebastian had said before, my father seemed too busy taking care of his work as a noble territory leader. Especially since he had been absent for several years and had just returned from a family vacation.

"I heard an explanation about the current situation in the forest of our territory from Sebastian."

"That’s a good thing after discovering what happened inside the cave that we didn’t know about. Good job, Lily," my father’s praise and give me a short greeting.

Even in a physical condition that was still unmoved from reading the report letter that came to his work desk, my father was still working hard without touching his dinner that was still on the food cart.

"Preventive efforts are indeed worth doing and for the time being Earl Timoti will help you, Is that right, Lily?"

"There are still some important letters that Father must reply because they concern to the stability of the political wheels in the Aurora Kingdom."

"I understand, Father. Does that mean I am free to use the resources under Marquess Rommel’s authority?" I understood that this small problem would be very difficult to overcome and my Father was too busy taking care of the noble family who was acting up behind the scenes.

"You want to do it that far, Lily?" My Father stopped his activity which was reading an important letter from one of the other military families.

"I am very sure that this problem must get special intervention from our family’s involvement, Father."

My Father stretched his arms and sat back in his chair.

"Golden King Bear and the threat of the monster itself which has a Calamity Disaster level. Our family’s involvement in taking care of the monster is the main obligation that must be do as the responsibility of the ruler of the territory. Are you sure you can take care of all that, Lily?" With a sharp gaze, my Father stared at my body while thinking about important things in his mind.

"Listen to this, Lily. Father does not doubt your abilities who have studied swordsmanship and magic. But to face one of the monsters that have a threat level of Calamity Disaster will cause great panic for our civilians," said my father while pulling his beard that grew thickly under his chin.

"I know about that, father. As a precaution, I would at least like to conduct an evacuation and early warning of the presence of the Golden King Bear that is feasting on the magic cores of the King and Queen Slimes."

"And that is what worries me about it... this unpredictable threat. The information you have obtained from the stealth slime swarm is too accurate along with your use of magic that can control the stealth slime. The biggest problem for now is whether you can make the adventurers who are members of the Adventurer’s Guild sacrifice their lives to hunt the Golden King Bear?"

"Oh, forgive me if I doubt the loyalty and fighting ability of your troops, Earl Timoti. But this Golden King Bear is not a monster that can be defeated with the help of just my troops, your troops, or the combined forces of the Adventurer’s Guild. I doubt even a bag of gold coins can move the interest of adventurers to exchange their lives for such fleeting wealth."

My father’s words were true.

Trading life for fleeting wealth to fight the Golden King Bear was simply unreasonable.

If I were given such a choice, I might do the same… or not?

Watching the battle between the stealth slime herd and the Golden King Bear herd, I could feel that this battle would be one-sided and would require a greater effort to defeat the Golden King Bear.

This conversation became even more difficult as my father was concerned about the casualties that would occur if the next stage of the attack plan was carried out.

"Marquess Rommel, I know that this matter is indeed complicated along with the problem of other nobles attacking you when you return to your territory. If these precautions are not taken immediately, then the emergence of monsters that bring natural disasters to the Aurora Kingdom will start from your territory, Marquess Rommel," said Earl Timoti who had entered this important conversation.

"Unlike you who are still sitting passively like this. Lily-sama has devised a simple military strategy that can mobilize the stealth slime herd until it successfully reduces the number of the Golden King Bear herd that inhabits the cave where the stealth slimes previously lived," continued Earl Timoti who seemed to be bringing my name up for negotiation with my father.

"Wouldn’t it be better if you left all of this to Lily-sama? Just by being with her in the small gazebo arranging the tactics to fight with the stealth slime herd has convinced me that Lily-sama has the talent of a strategist like you, Marquess Rommel?" sweet words filled with admiring gazes directed at my father.

The gaze of admiration that Marquess Rommel received from Earl Timoti did not seem to reflect their old age.

"Stop your ridiculous gaze, Earl Timoti. You are no longer my junior at the Military Academy. We have become part of the military family that serves the Aurora Kingdom. So stop that ridiculous gaze!" My father looked embarrassed after seeing Earl Timoti’s gaze filled with admiration.

Looking at my father and Earl Timoti’s interaction, it seemed that something had happened between the two of them when they were still students at the Aurora Royal Military Academy.

Sebastian suddenly interrupted Earl Timoti’s gaze by handing him a cup of warm tea that had just been heated with Sebastian’s magic energy.

"This may sound presumptuous to you, my lord. Lily-sama has the same talent as you as a strategist in the rear lines. I had the chance to see Lily-sama arranging the movements and directing the complex attack tactics of the stealth slime herd without encountering any significant difficulties. Just by pushing her onto the battlefield, we can find out if Lily-sama has the talent for being a strategist on the front lines as well," with a polite and gentleman gesture, Sebastian gave me a small bow through his sweet words.

"If a herd of monsters like stealth slimes can follow Lily-sama’s instructions. Even the strange humans who are members of the Adventurer’s Guild will be able to follow Lily-sama’s instructions without exception," in the words spoken by Sebastian, I could hear his tongue uttering harsh words as a comparison that was in line with my abilities.

"Ugh, are you forcing me to do this too, Sebastian?" My father responded to Sebastian’s words with a tired expression.

Tapp... Tapp...

My father seemed to be thinking hard about something.

His little thoughts that were flying around made his fingers move to tap on his desk.

Tapp... Tapp...

In the silence waiting for my father’s decision, the sound of his fingers tapping indicated the burden of the decision that would be given as the main leader of the Marquess Rommel family.

A light tap indicated that the risk taken was very light.

A heavy tap indicated that the risk taken had a big step to be reconsidered.

Those two different taps had made me wait for the seconds that determined my father’s final decision.

"There’s no other way, huh?" With a breath filled with defeat from his small considerations, my father said the sentence that determined his final decision.

"Lily, if I leave this Golden King Bear problem to you. Can you guarantee the safety of the people participating in this Golden King Bear hunt?"

A heavy question was asked by my father.

Guarantee of safety?

Honestly, it was the hardest guarantee that would fail if one of the participants in the Golden King Bear hunt was killed.

I shrugged my shoulders and gave the most rational answer to this.

"No way! Who can guarantee safety when hunting a monster that has a danger level equal to a Calamity Disaster like that?" I replied with a smile and an answer that was close to rational conditions.

Hearing my answer, my father and Earl Timoti were stunned.

"But since Ciel, Sia, and Hana are visiting. Why not ask for their help as a guarantee of safety and a death blessed by the Saintess?" I continued while dragging some of my friends to share this heavy responsibility.

As a fellow Saintess, they has to reduce the number of casualties when a natural disaster is slowly trying to rise, right?

At a glance, I could see my father and Earl Timoti nodding at each other.

"An answer I didn’t expect but it’s better because my daughter can see the level of high failure given by the monster’s rampage, huh?" Saying those words, my father looked at me with a warm and light smile, now his hand seemed to be opening a drawer on his desk.

"I was afraid that Lily-sama could guarantee everyone’s safety. But this rational and realistic answer has made me feel at ease after seeing Lily-sama’s perfect tactics in managing the stealth slime herd attack. It turns out that Lily-sama still has things she can’t do, hahaha," Earl Timoti replied to my father’s words with a small laugh that seemed to mock my answer.

"That’s much better than agreeing to a safety guarantee that will be a disaster. I’m not ready to build a large tomb and a memorial to the dead after that safety guarantee fails."

"I know that feeling, Marquess Rommel. Luckily Lily-sama has this kind of logical thinking."

My father suddenly threw a small stick at me after his hand took something from his desk drawer.

"Use that command baton that has the same position as Patriarch Marquess Rommel, Lily. When you use that command stick, no one from Marquess Rommel’s people will be able to refuse your request."

"Use that opportunity to become a lesson and be the next Matriarch."

"Eh?" That was the only answer that came out when I received it.

Matriarch?

Huh?

Huh?

What does that mean?

Why is there a discussion like this all of a sudden?

What is happening in this conversation?

In this confusion, my hand had received the command baton that could make my status on the same level as Patriarch Marquess Rommel.

The burden of holding this command baton felt very heavy.

"F-Father… Uhmm… isn’t this too soon?"

"Hmm? Not really. Would you rather get married than become the Matriarch who continues my noble title?"

"I WILL TRY HARDER TO BECOME A MATRIARCH THAT YOU CAN BE PROUD OF!"

I took the command baton and gave a small salute to my father before leaving.

Golden King Bear, here I come!