Chapter 4

The small floating island had nothing particularly outstanding.

There was a small mountain with a forest and a river, and the flat area was quite extensive.

When I found it, the island had no distinctive features, but I decided to establish my territory here independently.

One of the reasons was that it seemed unlikely to develop beyond the size of a barony, and it was an uninhabited island.

Wouldn't it be the best place to spend the rest of my life?

After graduating from the academy and becoming a lord, I would retreat, using the excuse of developing the land.

I would have my family take care of me as a foster child, and I would live a leisurely life.

Inside a cave on the island.

There, I had stored Luxion.

Luxion, with its bulky and fake armor, was now using that fake armor as a model to create a new airship.

The work was being done by pod robots.

A gray metallic sphere with a single red eye floated near me.

It was about the size of a softball.

"Do we really need to make a fake one?"

"Preparation is necessary for anything. Besides, we can't rule out the possibility that that woman Zora might try something."

Luxion had said it would self-destruct, but after learning I could speak Japanese, it decided to follow me out of interest.

I don't understand why, but as long as it follows my orders, there's no problem.

"More importantly, how's the island?"

"There are heat-producing minerals on the floating island. It's possible to turn the water drawn up into hot springs. In the future, it could be a profitable tourist destination."

"I'm not really interested, though."

The most important thing is that Luxion is here.

It seems capable of preparing resources on its own.

I can't help but wonder why the old humans lost to the new humans despite having such cheat-like abilities.

However, the battle was already over by the time Luxion woke up, and there are no detailed records. The mystery remains, but in the world of a dating sim, such mysteries don't really matter.

Whatever.

"The construction of the mansion and the port improvements are underway. It should be comfortable on the ground in a year."

A poorly maintained territory is a terrible thing.

That it can be improved in a year is a testament to Luxion's capabilities.

It's hard to believe it only cost 2,000 yen in my previous life.

"Thanks. I'm done with adventures. Just finding you was enough excitement for several lifetimes."

"I must express my respect to a master who, having obtained my capabilities, decided to fully retreat. Selfish and without ambition, you are truly a remarkable human."

"Is that sarcasm?"

"It's sarcasm."

I flicked Luxion away with a headbutt.

It didn't hurt much, probably because the surface is made of a relatively soft material.

"Are you ready to enroll in the academy in the capital?"

In response to Luxion's question, I shrugged.

"Yes, thanks to you, my family is free from debt, and the territory development, which had been delayed, is underway. A merchant I know has prepared everything for me."

I spent most of the treasure I obtained on port improvements and territory development.

I'm gathering materials to build a new village and tackling things I hadn't touched before.

The territory has been quite lively over the past few months.

"Still, what's the point of an academy?"

This time, Luxion answered my question.

"Officially, it's to improve the quality of the noble children through education. Many noble children, like you, tend to stay in their territories and become recluses. Therefore, they often lack general knowledge of the nobility, so they want to gather them in one place for education. Additionally, they want to show the narrow-minded nobles the greatness of the capital and strip them of their rebellious spirit. For the nobles from the regions, the students are like hostages. However, young people are happy to study abroad, and it's a great deal to receive education in the capital at a low cost."

"...You know a lot about it?"

"The main reason is to make the nobles aware that they belong to the same country. Unity in times of crisis is a strength. According to your story, other continental nations also exist."

If there's a point to the academy, it might be something like that?

I thought it was just a setup for a dating sim because it's a school story.

"By the way, the academy is also a place to find a marriage partner. It's also a social setting, so be careful not to do anything reckless."

"I won't do anything. Besides, what can be done just because the commoners are causing a fuss?"

"Commoners, huh. I understand what you mean, but that judgment is—"

I interrupted him.

"Well, just find a suitable partner. Not a high-born noble lady, but a knight's daughter, and aim for independence. That's fine, right?"

A smooth sailing life.

A high-born lady is not a good catch.

◇

"…What?"

I was called to my father's office, and when I arrived, I was faced with a topic beyond my imagination.

"No, why are you surprised? You discovered and cleared an unexplored dungeon, found lost items, and discovered a new floating island."

There was a letter from the palace addressed to me.

Due to my achievements as an adventurer, I was granted the temporary status of a baron.

Not only would I be independent as a knight, but I would also be granted the status of a baron.

"What, why!"

"Just now, I said the reason. You will be the head of a baron family after graduating from the academy. Therefore, you can't be a foster child of your family."

The baron family, the Baltfort family.

If I wanted to be a foster child, there were only two options: a knight family or a minor baron family. It's a common sense in this country that a family of the same rank can't be a foster child.

"There's no territory of a baron family!"

"I don't know either! The letter from the palace says that my achievements are recognized, and my independence and elevation to a baron are approved!"

It seems to be a surprise even for my father.

He thought I would be recognized as independent and granted the status of a knight at most.

"…What about the academy?"

"You will be in a class with heirs of families higher than barons."

Most of the nobles attending the academy are from knight families. However, it's impossible to give the same education to heirs of families higher than barons.

It's fine for second or third sons, but as someone planning to be independent, I was decided to be in the upper class.

Second or third sons from wealthy families also pay to enter the upper class, so it's not just heirs, but it's still a class I don't want to enter.

"I want to be in a regular class."

"It's not possible. You are the head of a baron family. You need appropriate education."

"Then, what about a wife?"

"…Of course, you will receive a wife from a baron or viscount family."

I collapsed to my knees in despair.

"I don't want that!"

"Idiot, stop crying! Women like Zora are rare. Besides, there are good women in the academy… probably."

This father, saying "probably."

That means there might be no good women at all.

"A daughter of a baron or viscount family is the biggest landmine! I don't want it. I absolutely don't want it!"

My father panicked.

"You, stop calling noble ladies landmines! It could cause a big problem if you're heard. Besides, your older sister and younger sister are daughters of a baron family."

"That's why I'm saying I don't want it! They are the worst!"

I would prefer a woman of lower status.

"I don't want it! I want a more gentle and kind woman. A daughter of a family higher than a baron is impossible!"

My father covered his face with both hands.

He seems to agree with me to some extent.

Actually, even though they are from a rural noble family, my older sister and younger sister are a bit "What!?" to me.

My younger sister said, "Men are for support. I'll find a handsome man elsewhere. Or a slave! Dad, I want an elf lover—no, a servant slave."

I was taken aback when I heard that.

My older sister used my money to buy slaves and boasted about it, which made her envious.

My mother was flustered by such daughters, and my father, myself, and my older brother, who had returned home, looked at the scene with a sense of disappointment.

My older sister and younger sister are nothing but a nuisance.

"Anyway, the class you will attend is the upper class."

There are two classes in the academy: one for heirs and wealthy nobles, and one for the rest of the students. The upper class is for heirs and wealthy nobles, while the regular class is for the rest.

Well, girls from families higher than barons can enter the upper class for free.

I thought I might meet the main characters in the upper class, but since I don't have any attachment to them, I'm not interested.

"By the way, this year, the crown prince and heirs from prestigious families will also enroll. It wouldn't be bad to build connections."

"No, they wouldn't even notice us."

In a dating sim, the prince likes normal-looking girls and hates the surrounding nobles. I'm looking at them with a biased eye.

"…I understand, but don't say it so bluntly. Thanks to you, our territory has improved a bit. In two years, we will be able to live a more prosperous life."

While apologizing to my dejected father, I felt heavy thinking about the future.

◇

The capital of the Holfort Kingdom is located in the center of the continent.

There has been a dungeon in that location since ancient times, where monsters have emerged. However, the dungeon also contains magical stones and other minerals.

These have become the kingdom's financial and resource sources, contributing to its rise as a powerful nation.

The continent is very large, and there are not just one or two places where water is drawn from the sea. Water is drawn from several places, making the land rich.

It is a beautiful continent in harmony with nature, but the capital is very large.

There might be a million people in the urban area alone?

A modern city with sewers and electricity.

Such a place is where the academy for nobles exists.

A small floating island, a bit away from the urban area, serves as a port for airships, where airships from the territory are docked.

It's a fifty-meter-class airship purchased by my family.

The latest airships have a deck on top, but the rest is covered in armor, resembling a submarine in shape.

My older brother was holding a travel bag and yawning.

"It's good that we can come directly from home."