Isekai Nonbiri Nouka - Chapter 1019: Lady Panna of Archive Museum

I am Pannacore, the eldest daughter of the Count Silver Silk family of Raywhite Kingdom.

Pannacore Silver Silk.

Please, call me Panna, with affection.

-0-

Now then, it has been about ten days since I came to the Archive Museum.

I am assisting the princes, as they requested.

I process the documents laid out before me.

And by process, I do not mean merely signing them.

I must read what is written, extract the necessary numbers, uncover the hidden figures, and even predict the numbers that are not written at all.

I must not dismiss the possibility that the text contains errors.

Anyone can make mistakes.

Some even make them intentionally.

One must read every document under the assumption that errors exist.

Then I compile the resulting figures and turn them into new reports.

……

The documents concern what is essentially a population survey of Raywhite Kingdom.

How many people live in this town, how many in that city.

And from those numbers, we must determine how many public toilets should be installed.

Yes.

Toilets.

In noble estates or in the homes of wealthy merchants, they are normally installed.

But in the homes of commoners, having a private toilet is not unheard of, yet still uncommon.

Households without one rely on shared facilities known as public toilets.

What I am currently doing is preparing materials and drafting proposals for a project to improve those public toilets.

Why the princes are involved in such work, I do not know…

……

Even improving the public toilets that already exist is a tremendous task.

Obtaining permission from kings and territorial lords.

Planning the expansion of water supply and sewage systems to accommodate the new-style toilets.

Arranging craftsmen and materials.

Establishing waste processing procedures.

Managing construction schedules.

Setting up temporary replacement facilities while the public toilets are unusable.

Handling one or two locations would be manageable, but when considering the entire country, the scale becomes immense.

On top of that, there is the construction of new facilities based on population numbers.

That requires securing land.

In some areas, negotiations with nearby residents will also be necessary.

Furthermore, territories opposed to toilet reform must be postponed.

Scheduling adjustments.

……

Documents are overflowing before me… no, they truly are overflowing.

They are even piled beneath the floorboards.

Hehe.

It almost makes one dizzy.

And yet, I cannot abandon this.

After all, it was the princes who asked for my help.

For the sake of a brighter future, I will accept today’s hardships.

It is all right.

I am not alone.

Here are the three daughters of lesser nobles, barons’ daughters, who were the reason I originally came here.

Stora, Terra, and Roche.

They understand conditions in the field and are strong with numbers. They are truly dependable.

Ten noble young ladies, like myself, managed to reach this room.

One count’s daughter, four viscounts’ daughters, and five barons’ daughters.

I would not say we are particularly close, but we have attended several tea gatherings together, so I know their faces.

Each has her strengths and weaknesses, yet they still made it this far.

They are dependable.

Of course, since they lack knowledge of on-site realities, their numbers tend to lean too heavily toward theory, but that can simply be corrected.

It poses no real problem.

And then there are Prince Istre, Prince Nirk, and Prince Monren.

……

I believe they require a bit more study.

Especially in arithmetic.

It is not that they cannot do it, but their processing speed is rather slow.

Therefore, I assign work to the princes, pardon me, I request that they handle tasks suited to their strengths.

The princes’ strength lies in negotiation through the use of their status.

「Lady Foca of the Count Godrake family? You wish us to bring her here?」

「However, according to the records… she came to the Archive Museum before you did, yet she never reached this room.」

「If we bring her, what then?」

Lady Foca is more capable than I am.

There is no way she could have failed to solve those questions.

Which means she realized the intent behind them before reaching this room… and fled.

We must not let her escape.

「…V-very well. It would likely trouble her if all three of us went. I know her face, so I shall go myself.」

Prince Istre said this and rose to his feet.

I then assign separate tasks to the remaining two princes.

「So we are to write letters inviting those who have not yet come to the Archive Museum?」

Yes, but you must not write it so plainly.

Clumsy wording becomes a weakness.

You must leave no evidence behind.

「In other words?」

Do not write as princes.

Present yourselves as benevolent providers of information.

Only faintly suggest that you are princes.

「Th-that sounds difficult…」

Have no fear.

Have the attendants at your side review the letters at the end.

Since they serve you directly, they are quite competent.

They can be relied upon without question.

If possible, I would prefer they wrestle with these documents instead of tending to the princes…

But I cannot very well tell them to abandon their official duties.

The same applies to my maid and to the maids accompanying the other noble ladies.

They are employed by our households, not by us personally.

We cannot simply assign them new responsibilities at will.

This is something we must endure through sheer resolve.

Ah, though I do request tea from my maid without hesitation.

After all, that is her proper duty.

-0-

After we continued working for a while, a pleasant aroma drifted through the room.

It seems it is time for lunch.

Fufufu.

The one bringing the meal is Alfred-sama, the benefactor of my house.

Along with the kitchen assistants.

Among the many desks covered in documents, there is one large table with nothing placed on it.

The dishes are arranged there.

Everyone in the room stops working and quietly takes their assigned seats.

What is laid out before us is a dish called karaage, chicken boiled in oil.

One of the princes let out a small cheer.

I understand.

It must be quite delicious.

I have never eaten it myself, but I am certain the taste is exquisite.

After all, every dish that has been served so far has been exactly that.

It would not be an exaggeration to say that this meal is the reason we continue to work without running away.

So when Alfred-sama is absent, I feel as though I might cry.

Well, the kitchen assistants are royal chefs, so they do serve food of respectable quality…

But they cannot compare to the dishes made by Alfred-sama.

Not at all.

Not even the slightest bit.

Alfred-sama brought with him his own unique seasonings.

That is part of the flavor, but the difference likely lies in his mastery of how to use them.

The kitchen assistants still seem to be studying how to handle those seasonings.

Apparently, Alfred-sama’s seasonings are quite expensive, so their research does not progress easily.

Alfred-sama, however, uses them without hesitation.

Also, the ingredients used in Alfred-sama’s cooking are completely different from those in Raywhite Kingdom.

How should I put it… they are richer.

Even with something as simple as chicken, compared to the chicken Alfred-sama handles, the chicken I used to eat now feels bland.

I was told that the chicken is brought from Alfred-sama’s homeland… no, from a village connected to Alfred-sama’s father, but I was not told the details.

Rather than aiming for the princes, perhaps I should set my sights on Alfred-sama instead.

I find myself seriously troubled by the thought.

Ah, it is delicious.

Come to think of it, Prince Istre’s portion, as he went to secure Lady Foca…

Before leaving the estate, he stopped by the kitchen and made sure to take some karaage with him.

He leaves nothing to chance.

He is truly dependable.

-0-

Afternoon.

Prince Istre returned.

「It seems Lady Foca has gone back to her territory.」

……

「I have sent pursuers after her. The Third Knight Order. They should be able to bring her back.」

As expected, a decisive move.

However…

It will likely be difficult.

「Is that so?」

Lady Foca must have considered the possibility of pursuit.

I doubt she would head straight back to her territory.

「I see. In that case, perhaps the Third Knight Order will… lie in wait at her territory and apprehend her there.」

That will likely not work either.

Lady Foca only needs to avoid approaching her territory until the Third Knight Order withdraws.

They are far too conspicuous.

「Tch. Was it premature to mobilize the Third Knight Order?」

…No, we cannot say that for certain.

Let us use the Third Knight Order as a decoy and have others secure Lady Foca.

A map, please.

From here in the royal capital to the Count Godrake’s territory, which places can be reached?

There is no need to consider anything beyond the Godrake lands.

Whatever the case, Lady Foca is an unmarried young lady.

She cannot move about freely.

She should not be permitted to travel beyond the Godrake territory.

At most, she can make detours along the way.

Lady Foca does not live extravagantly, but hiding in a small village… no, that is unlikely.

There is always the risk of unforeseen trouble.

She will likely stay in a reasonably large town with proper inns.

In that case, these areas are suspicious…

「Seven towns…That is a wide range.」

Indeed.

A large town would not have only a single inn.

And if she is wary of pursuers, I doubt she would register under her family name.

A search conducted under a prince’s name will inevitably attract attention.

If we can find her in the first town, that would be ideal. But if not, she may slip away.

「Let us request assistance from the Korin Religion. It will be fine. Fushu-sama will surely cooperate.」

If we can secure the cooperation of Fushu-sama, the High Priestess of the Korin Religion, we can increase the number of pursuers.

If possible, we should search multiple towns at the same time… wait.

「What is it?」

……

Prince Istre, you went to Count Godrake’s residence, did you not?

Who received you?

「At first, it was the butler. But since Count Godrake was present, the count himself did.」

Count Godrake was at the residence?

「Yes.」

…………That is strange.

「What is strange about it?」

Count Godrake treasures Lady Foca above all else.

「So I have heard. I recall the rumors.」

However, he is also highly diligent in his work.

「I have heard that as well. That he proposes many beneficial policies and keeps the civil officials busy.」

Yes.

Which is why Count Godrake is usually at the royal castle.

Especially during the day.

And yet, at noon, in a residence where Lady Foca was supposedly absent, what was the count doing there?

「…………!」

Lady Foca was at the residence!

「Did he lie to me?!」

That would seem to be the case.

Therefore, it is likely that Lady Foca began moving only after the prince paid his visit.

In that way, it would not count as lying to you.

「No, no, that is not acceptable!」

The timing of events would simply be shifted slightly.

It would fall within an allowable margin.

「Grrr…」

However, that means the distance to Lady Foca is short.

「Indeed. If we pursue her, it would be around here? That narrows it down considerably.」

No, she will flee in the opposite direction of her territory.

In a carriage without the Godrake family crest.

「You cannot be serious.」

If it were me, that is what I would do.

While claiming I had lost my way.

「Would that excuse really work?」

One can manage somehow.

Fortunately, the movements of the Third Knight Order send the message that we believe Lady Foca headed toward the Godrake territory.

If that is the case, she will not rush too much, in order to avoid suspicion.

Which means… she is in this town.

We can narrow it down to a single location.

There is still time.

Prince Istre, please take everyone you can mobilize and go secure her.

「What? I must go as well?」

There may be situations where the prince’s name is required.

「No, if I leave here, then the meals…」

……

I glance at Alfred-sama.

Alfred-sama nods in understanding and promises that when Prince Istre returns with Lady Foca, he will ask for his meal request.

「Understood. Leave it to me!」

-0-

Two days later.

Having secured Lady Foca, Prince Istre returned.

Yes, victory!

Lady Foca glared at me quite fiercely, though.

Well, one can never have too many capable people to rely on.

Now then, please use this chair and desk over here.

It will be fine.

You will grow accustomed to it quickly.

Let us get along well.

Ahaha, please do not ask how we are supposed to manage that.

-0-

A few days later.

The princes’ letters produced no results, but at Lady Foca’s recommendation, after she was captivated by Alfred-sama’s cooking, we secured several more noble young ladies.

Truly reliable.

Incidentally, the dish Prince Istre requested was a noodle dish called ramen.

It was delicious.

-0-

Royal House of Asamud – Prince Istre

Royal House of Seibourg – Prince Nirk

Royal House of Darglin – Prince Monren

House of Count Silver Silk – Pannacore

House of Count Godrake – Foca

House of Baron – Stora

House of Baron – Terra

House of Baron – Roche

Mikel 「Huh? What about my turn to appear?」