In May of the Continental Year 3457, Lishia Fahlheit, the daughter of a new nobility family, was granted the rank of Baronetess in recognition of her significant contributions to the countermeasures against the "magical consumption fever" that had ravaged the Klein Kingdom.
At the same time, the former territory of Earl Walter was dismantled and redistributed among several members of the new nobility.
Lishia was granted Toka Village, a portion of that land, as her own fief. Her official tenure was set to begin on July 1st.
"Lishia, congratulations."
"Congratulations, dear."
"Thank you, Father, Mother."
A modest celebratory feast was held at the Fahlheit home, attended only by the father, mother, and daughter.
"I can finally set my mind at ease. If anything, I'm bursting with pride."
Niclas, who had finally returned home after completing the post-war processing at Tetrada, looked genuinely happy.
From the Relief Ritter Corps to the Lord of Toka Village.
No matter how much the Relief Ritter Corps focused on rear-line support as its primary mission, it still meant going to the front lines. Danger was a constant companion there.
Niclas had secretly worried that his only daughter, Lishia, had to face the battlefield for the sake of the kingdom, so he was truly delighted that she had been appointed as a lord.
"This is all thanks to Jin-san as well."
"Jin-dono, eh? I heard he was a guest of the Third Princess just the other day."
"It seems so. He came to visit while Father and I were still in Tetrada."
Apparently, Jin was an acquaintance of Deus Ex Machina, and it seemed he had come by to return the sword of Lishia’s that had been recovered from the battlefield.
The reason she said "it seemed" was because the person who actually received it was their maid, Aaru, and the one who delivered it was reportedly a woman.
However, Lishia knew that Jin was the only one who could have known the sword belonged to her. Convinced there was a connection, she had asked him about it indirectly when she visited Kaina Village as an ambassador.
Her suspicions were confirmed; Jin had indeed arranged for the sword's return, and he was an acquaintance of Maquina. Lishia herself still secretly wondered if Jin and Maquina might actually be the same person.
"But since our territories will be neighbors now, I think I'll have more chances to see him," Lishia said, taking a bite of steak.
"That's right. He sounds like an extraordinary individual, so it would be wise to stay on good terms with him. You should consult him if you ever find yourself in trouble," her mother, Milia, added.
Having heard Lishia speak of Jin many times, Milia had a vague sense of his greatness and how utterly "out of standard" he truly was.
"I also have to return the Golem horses he lent us."
The Golem horses Jin had provided for Lishia and Pascoe when they left Kaina Village possessed remarkable performance and had been incredibly helpful during their journey.
Upon seeing them, Chancellor Powell had even considered having the kingdom's royal magi craftmen produce replicas.
However, taking them apart for study was strictly forbidden. If they were to offend Jin, it would be a massive loss for the kingdom. They had explored whether they could learn anything through external observation alone, but the conclusion was that it was impossible.
The internal structure, the materials, and the control systems—they couldn't make sense of any of it.
The only thing they identified was that the exterior was made of light silver. They couldn't even fathom the cost of using light silver so lavishly. At that point, all plans to copy the Golem horses were abandoned.
There was much to do: paperwork, preparing for her post, surveying the site, and organizing her subordinates.
A month passed in the blink of an eye, and on June 25th, Lishia departed Alban with her parents seeing her off. She was accompanied by a single escort Ritter.
"I'm looking forward to this, Lishia."
"Me too, Instructor."
"Come now, stop with that 'Instructor' business. Though, I suppose my own tone isn't exactly appropriate for addressing a superior either. My apologies, Baronetess Fahlheit."
"Please don't do that... Gloria-san."
"But social standing must be respected..."
"You are the Vice-captain of the Royal Female Ritter Corps and my instructor. To me, you are my mentor. A teacher remains a teacher forever. If I were to forget that debt of gratitude, I would be less than human."
Gloria laughed.
"Fufu, thank you. Even if it was only for a short time, you still call me your mentor. Very well, in that case, let’s speak normally except when in public. How does that sound?"
"Yes, if you're willing... Since I'm respecting my elder, this way of speaking should be fine, right?"
"...Well, I suppose it's acceptable."
And so, the two continued their journey in a relaxed manner.
As two and then three days passed, Gloria's horse began to show signs of exhaustion.
In contrast, the Golem horse Lishia was riding showed no fatigue at all. The one carrying their luggage was the same.
"...Still, those Golem horses are truly incredible things," Gloria muttered at an inn in the Town of Charles while feeding her horse fodder.
"And to think they're carrying my share of the luggage as well."
"Hehe, Jin-san mentioned they have five to ten times the strength of an ordinary horse."
"What! Truly, Jin-dono is a remarkable man."
Just then, the sound of rhythmic hoofbeats signaled the arrival of an express messenger.
Alongside pigeons, express messengers were a vital means of transmitting information. While they were slower, they had a higher success rate of reaching their destination even if the recipient's exact location was uncertain.
Furthermore, while pigeons only flew one way back to a specific loft, express messengers could adapt to the situation, such as searching for the person they needed to find.
"Oh, an express messenger? That's rare."
Upon spotting Lishia and Gloria, the messenger slowed his pace as he was within the town and redirected his horse toward them.
"Hmm? Is he coming here?"
With a clip-clop of hooves, the messenger approached. A closer look revealed he was a Ritter wearing a cloak emblazoned with the royal crest. He was a messenger ritter.
"Does that mean it's a royal decree?"
The messenger ritter leapt from his horse in front of Gloria and Lishia and pulled a letter from a bundle at his waist. Since this one lacked the royal seal, it appeared it wasn't a formal decree itself.
"You are Baronetess Lishia Fahlheit, correct? Please look over this immediately."
"Y-Yes."
Though it was quite irregular, the urgency prompted Lishia to check the letter right there in the street. This particular letter was written with black ink on a material made of bonded linen. It was the same type of formal correspondence used among the nobility.
"Let's see... 'On this occasion, the Klein Kingdom shall bestow the title of Magi Craft Meister upon Jin Nidou-dono...'"
In short, since they had appointed Jin as a Magi Craft Meister, they wanted her to deliver the official certification as proof of his title.
"Is someone like me really appropriate for this?" Lishia worried, mindful of her status as a newly minted Baronetess.
However, along with the package containing the certification—which did bear the royal seal—the messenger ritter handed her a brief note.
"Eh?...'Since I suspect Jin Nidou-dono dislikes ostentatious displays, I believe that you, being an acquaintance who has received various forms of assistance from him, would be the most suitable person to handle this'?"
"I have certainly delivered it into your hands, Lady Lishia."
With that, the messenger ritter vaulted back onto his horse, turned its head, and galloped back the way he had come.
"...Jin-san is a Magi Craft Meister, huh..."
Even if she didn't fully grasp the technical weight of the title, she could tell from the sound of it that it was something extraordinary.
"I wonder if I'll even be able to see him? What should I do if I can't find him?"
"Since it’s the neighboring village, couldn't you just ask them to contact you as soon as Jin-dono returns?"
"Ah, you're right! I didn't think of that."
Lishia tucked the letter and the certification into the storage compartment built into the Golem horse's body. It was the most secure place possible, as no one but Lishia—and presumably Jin—could open it.
The following day. Although the day's itinerary was a bit long, they were scheduled to reach Toka Village if all went well.
Just as she had on her previous journey with Pascoe, the two of them departed the Town of Charles early in the morning.
"Today will be a bit of a forced march."
Gloria grumbled as she looked up at the sky, which promised to be clear and hot.
"Yes. Let's cover as much ground as we can while it's still cool in the morning."
They set off early, stopped for breakfast along the way, and ate lunch while still in the saddle. By doing so, they managed to arrive at Toka Village just before sunset.
"Phew, we made it somehow. It’s a blessing the days are long this time of year."
As expected, Gloria was exhausted, but Lishia was relatively energetic.
This was thanks to the various considerations Jin had built into the Golem horse to ensure she wouldn't tire even after long hours of riding.
Originally, Lishia had intended for Gloria to ride the second Golem horse that Pascoe had previously borrowed, but since Gloria had insisted on her pride as a Ritter, Lishia hadn't forced the issue and had used it only for luggage instead.
"Are you the party of the new Lord? Welcome to Toka Village. I am the Village Chief, Braak."
"I am Lishia Fahlheit."
"And I am Gloria, her guard."
After completing their brief introductions, Lishia and her companion were led to the Village Chief's house. Previously, she had stayed in the soldiers' barracks, but since she was now the Lord, the Village Chief himself welcomed her with hospitality.
Neither of them was particularly fussy about food, and the dinner proceeded in a friendly, harmonious atmosphere.
"Currently, mining operations are underway at the Inado Mine just ahead of here."
"So it seems. I passed several wagons on the way."
The conversation shifted from small talk to the state of the village.
"...Essentially, I intend to leave the day-to-day management of the village to you, Village Chief. I expect my role will be to determine broad policies and act as a liaison with the national government."
"I am relieved to hear that. To be honest, our neighbor Kaina Village has gained quite a reputation for its improved standard of living lately. Some of our people have even begun talking about leaving here to move there."
"I see. That is a problem. As your Lord, my first priority will be to make this village a better place to live."
"We would be most grateful for that, my Lady."
And so, the night of June 29th drew to a close.
Lishia Fahlheit would officially assume her duties as Lord on July 1st.