Chapter 114
Chapter 114
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 114
Chapter Title: Kibista Harvest and De Vayer Guardianship
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I deliberately arrived at the lakeside a little later than the scheduled time for my Divine Grace training.
My dad and the knights, who had already arrived, were peering at the neatly stacked bricks of ice near the lake.
Last night, I had finally succeeded in catching all ten Kibista.
‘Of course, I learned how to maintain the power of Divine Grace for longer from Florian.’
I had been half-doubting even as I learned it, but seeing the ice still frozen solid this morning filled me with a swell of pride.
On a whim, I hopped over to Dad, who turned to me with a beaming smile.
“My daughter is definitely a genius.”
“So all of this was caught by the young lady last night?”
“Yup!”
Gilla, standing nearby, alternated his gaze between the ice and me, letting out an impressed sound.
“Take them like this and separate the Kibista's suction cups.”
“Understood.”
“The workshops will have demand, so send them there.”
“Yes, sir.”
I had read about it in a book too.
Male Kibista uniquely had powerful suction cups on their front legs.
They were used to hold onto females or to stick to enemies and attack.
Their grip was so strong that if a Kibista latched onto you wrong, it could drag a human straight into the water in an instant.
Having read that, I chose to target the Kibista from outside the water instead of going in myself.
“What are Kibista suction cups used for?”
“They have strong adhesive properties, so they're used in all sorts of ways. If you process them right, even a big guy like Peter couldn't pull them off.”
Extremely sturdy.
Peter, built like a bear, shrugged his shoulders as he followed Gilla to gather the ice blocks.
At that moment, the Chairman Grandfather, who had been walking out from the main building, spotted us and turned toward the lakeside.
As always, two secretaries followed behind him, each carrying stacks of documents.
“Great-Uncle.”
“I heard you were doing Mariella's Divine Grace training.”
“Grandpa, I can catch ten Kibista now!”
Hearing my brag, Chairman Grandfather smiled faintly and patted my head.
“I was just on my way to see you, as a matter of fact.”
“What is it?”
“The Elder Council has decided on the new guardian for Count de Vayer.”
“They finally settled on one?”
“Yes. As you know, it's such a large and wealthy territory. Who wouldn't covet the position of guardian for Saskia de Vayer?”
The trial for Count de Vayer was still ongoing, but they couldn't leave the title vacant.
Stefan was under investigation for conspiring with his father, so he naturally couldn't inherit.
The next in line, Saskia, must have taken the title.
Quietly, without any inheritance ceremony due to the dishonor.
‘Saskia turns fourteen this year.’
An underage girl couldn't run such a vast territory alone, so she needed a guardian.
I looked up at Chairman Grandfather with a glimmer of anticipation.
The fact that he came to tell Dad specifically meant...
“You'll have to take that position.”
I knew it!
I cheered inwardly and looked up at Dad.
“I'd need Father's permission first.”
“His Grace has already approved.”
“Did Dominique just sit still for that?”
“As if. He pressed his blood ties to Saskia hard. But the young Duke hasn't fully escaped suspicion either.”
“......Thank you.”
Chairman Grandfather must have pushed back against Uncle in the Elder Council and won out.
He didn't refuse Dad's thanks.
He even glanced my way and gave me a faint smile.
‘I was right to win Chairman Grandfather to our side!’
So now Dad would manage two prime territories in the North as Lord Rommel and guardian of Count de Vayer?
What about the funds from the Morten Company, gutted after the military combat aid theft came to light?
And the Lewishi self-sustaining groves we stirred up?
Above all, the de Vayer knights seemed quite loyal to the count.
I wondered if they'd follow Dad's orders obediently.
As if reading my worries, Chairman Grandfather spoke up.
“Prepare what you need and go inspect as soon as possible.”
De Vayer County was large and wealthy, so with the count's duties halted, there was bound to be a backlog.
Dad definitely needed to go check in person.
Dad didn't reply right away to Chairman Grandfather but turned to look at me.
Guessing his concern, I gazed straight up at him and flashed a big smile.
“I'll wait nicely, Dad.”
“You sure?”
“Grandpa's here, and Erich and Dietrich too. And Chairman Grandfather!”
What could go wrong?
Uncle might be furious, but our side outnumbered his in the mansion now.
Noticing Dad's worry, Chairman Grandfather chuckled lightly and added,
“Don't worry. They'll stay quiet for a while.”
“Something else happen?”
“The young Duke and third son of the Western Ducal House arrive soon. With his daughter's engagement coming, he'll be busy with preparations and won't meddle elsewhere.”
“Monica's engagement is set?”
“If the talks go well, yes. We're also negotiating a big increase in purchases of their sleep aids.”
Sleep aids?
Coming right after the Marsio Potion from de Vayer County, any mention of Western medicine caught my attention.
Anyway, Uncle would stay quiet for now.
He'd desperately marry Mark off south and Monica west to secure his position.
Dad nodded lightly, thinking the same.
“I'll come back as fast as I can.”
“Okay!”
De Vayer County was ours for at least the next four years!
I let my pride show with a big grin.
Dad and Chairman Grandfather exchanged glances, then smiled down at me together.
Dad and Saskia would head to de Vayer County together.
Dad would handle most things, but Saskia, suddenly inheriting at a young age, had much to learn.
She wasn't particularly close to me, but I felt a bit sorry for her anyway.
And that she'd suffer tremendously for a while.
Thinking that as I saw Dad and Saskia off and walked back down the hall, I ran straight into Uncle.
Erich and Dietrich, who had come to see them off, instinctively stepped forward to shield me from Uncle's view.
“You three are always so close, aren't you?”
On his way to see Grandfather, perhaps? Monica stood quietly behind Uncle like a shadow.
She fidgeted at Uncle's barbed words, but he didn't even glance her way.
Dad would never make me that anxious.
“On your way to see Grandfather?”
“Yes.”
Uncle gave a perfunctory reply to Erich's polite question, his eyes scanning our faces one by one.
Then a clear sneer crossed his features.
“Brother is something else. How cleverly did he raise these kids to blow away the North's loyal vassals like that?”
Loyal vassals, my foot.
Was it fierce loyalty that had them spiking the territory's medicine with monster fluids on their own?
Embezzling military medicine out of devotion to the ducal house?
“Yeah! Dad's amazing!”
“What?”
“That's why I love Dad so much. He doesn't do anything to harm the North like some people.”
Count de Vayer wouldn't have schemed without backing.
Uncle must have been propping him up.
And this guy dares mock Dad and lash at us three?
Uncle's face flushed beet red at my bright, brazen words.