Chapter 49

The lord's work involves various tasks, but the one that takes up the most time is checking documents.

While there are nobles who carelessly finish the task without even properly looking at the documents, I believe it should be done thoroughly. Sometimes I even find mistakes, so it’s not meaningless.

Once I sign the documents, it becomes my decision, so I can’t be careless. It also helps me understand the state of the territory, and I actually enjoy this part of the job.

While diligently going through the documents, I came across one that caught my attention.

Daimon, who happened to be in the office, was the perfect person to ask.

"Sorry, but what’s this about?"

"What is it?"

"Well, I don’t know much about market prices, but isn’t it a bit much to build a water mill?"

"Yes, it’s bound to cost that much. We’ll be commissioning a reliable craftsman."

So the high cost is due to the labor of the craftsmen. I wouldn’t want a shoddy job, so I signed off on it.

The new water mill is for the settlement that Patrick has been working on. The land he leveled with magic is now seeing the construction of houses and other facilities.

We plan to have the former bandits move from the abandoned village in the neighboring territory to this new village soon.

With that, today’s documents are done. Since Daimon is here, I might as well discuss the upcoming event with him.

"Hey, I have an important matter to discuss..."

"Shall I call Sir Patrick as well?"

That would be a problem. I want to keep it a secret from him.

What I’m planning is a "Congratulations, Patrick, for reaching level 99" party. I haven’t checked recently, but I think Patrick will reach level 99 within a few months.

There’s nothing more celebratory than this, so I’ve been planning a small party.

I want to surprise him, so I’ll keep it a secret until the last moment.

"It’s a secret from Patrick. I’ll tell him myself."

"Ah, what kind of matter is it?"

Daimon looked puzzled.

I explained in a low voice, not sure who might be listening.

"Well, it’s more like a party or a celebration..."

"Oh! I see, that’s wonderful! Please do tell Sir Patrick from you, Lady Yumiera."

"Yeah, it’s about time, right?"

"I’ve been eagerly waiting for this moment!"

Daimon, being an excellent official, quickly understood what I was getting at.

It seems he was also looking forward to Patrick reaching level 99. I’m convinced that reaching the level cap is something to celebrate.

What do I need to prepare? I started listing things out loud to organize my thoughts.

"First, we need a venue, right?"

"Within the territory or in the capital?"

"Here is fine."

"Understood, the people of the territory will be delighted."

Will the people of the territory be happy? I felt a bit of unease and asked Daimon.

"Is there anything else we need to prepare?"

"If you’re particular about it, perhaps a cake?"

"Yeah, a cake is necessary."

"I’ll arrange for a large and luxurious one."

A cake is a must for a celebration. My unease seemed unfounded; both Daimon and I were on the same page about the level 99 party.

Next, we need to decide who to invite. The people working in this mansion are a given, but who else should we invite?

"Who else should we invite?"

"Of course, Sir Patrick’s parents, and perhaps the king and queen as well."

"Really? The king and queen?"

"Of course, it’s a ceremony that concerns the future of the kingdom."

A ceremony sounds a bit grand, but reaching level 99 is a rare achievement. The king can’t ignore someone as strong as Patrick, who is on par with me.

This is turning into a bigger event than I expected, but I guess it’s fine.

Daimon continued to list what else we needed.

"Then there’s the attire. We should have a beautiful dress made for you, Lady Yumiera."

"A dress? For me?"

"Of course, you’re the main guest."

"Isn’t Patrick the main guest?"

"You are too. It’s a ceremony for both of you."

Ah, I see, I’m also level 99. So Daimon was planning to celebrate for me as well, which explains the unease.

But I don’t really want to wear a dress. Do I have to?

"Do I really need a dress?"

"What are you saying! It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, you shouldn’t have any regrets."

Well, reaching level 99 is a once-in-a-lifetime thing, but in my case, it happened a long time ago, and I don’t see the point of wearing a dress.

"I don’t want anything too flashy."

"A pure white dress with lavish lace. It will be elegant and not too showy."

White!? Did Daimon just say a white dress?

If I wear a white dress... I won’t be able to spill anything!

I’m afraid of getting it dirty and won’t be able to eat properly. But the cake is white too, so if I spill it, it might not be noticeable. As long as I’m careful with the curry udon, I should be fine.

Do we need a sash that says "Today’s Star"? Patrick might not like it, so I think I’ll skip that.

Daimon was tearing up as he spoke.

"Ah, I’ve been worried about when this would happen. This is wonderful news."

"Is it really that big a deal?"

"Yes, this will further stabilize and ensure the prosperity of the Dorkness family."

Well, having two level 99 individuals would certainly bring stability. Still, two is a small number. It’s about time more people realize the greatness of leveling up.

While I’m at it, I might as well recruit Daimon, who’s right in front of me. Age doesn’t matter when it comes to leveling up.

"Maybe next after me and Patrick, it could be Daimon."

"Huh? I’ve already taken care of it, albeit on a smaller scale..."

Daimon at level 99? I couldn’t help but ask in a loud voice.

"Really!? You’re already at level 99!?"

"Yes, I have a supportive wife in the background. I’m content with my current level."

I see, he’s content with his current level. Indeed, considering his work, he doesn’t need to be at such a high level. I don’t know why he suddenly started boasting about his wife.

More importantly, I need to finalize the plans, but Daimon insisted on handling it.

"I’ll inform all the servants and start the preparations. Let’s aim for a few months from now."

"Thank you. I’ll tell Patrick myself—"

"Let’s keep it a secret. If we explain the situation, everyone will cooperate."

I bowed again and said, "Thank you," and the discussion about the "Congratulations, Patrick, for reaching level 99" party was over.

That day, I thought our conversation with Daimon was in sync, and we were talking about the same event. That much was certain.

Thank you all for your support! Thanks to everyone who has supported me on Narou and those who have purchased the book, we’ve decided to reprint the book version. I’m grateful to all of you.

Also, I’m always grateful for the typo reports. The typo reporting function is very useful, but I can’t thank everyone directly, so I’m saying thank you here. Thank you.