Triumphant return home

 
 
 ☆
 
 
 The tenth day that Sofia began working for me.
 
 Myself, Anna, and Sofia were aboard a carriage, moving along the highway headed straight north-west.
 
 “Even so, I didn’t expect that pile of paperwork to be cleared up so quickly.”
 
 I brought my gaze back from the flowing rural landscape outside the window and addressed Sofia seated across from me, to which she replied without a change in expression.
 
 “Leticia-sama. It isn’t that it has been cleared up… you know^[1]? It has just been classified by order of priority.”
 
 Right now, she was in the middle of 『informal speech』 practice while receiving Anna’s advice.
 
 She’s still stiff, but compared to the very beginning when she came to us, it felt far lighter.
 
 “It’s enough that it’s been put in order of priority. If Sofia weren’t here, I’d still be trying to wrap my head around that mountain of documents. So the fact that I’m able to go out like this is thanks to you sorting the documents out appropriately.”
 
 “…Thank you very much.”
 
 You wouldn’t know it if you weren’t looking closely, but Sofia was faintly abash.
 
 Over the past ten days, I’ve begun to grasp her emotions of joy just a little.
 
 Though I still couldn’t figure out the rest at all.
 It seems that it’ll still take some time for me to understand what it is that puts her in a good or bad mood.
 
 
 
 Smiling at the exchange she saw between me and Sofia, Anna looked at the scenery outside and let out a 『Ah』 voice.^[2]
 
 “Seems we’ve entered the Owleyes territory.”
 
 Hearing her words, Sofia and I looked out the window once again.
 
 Across the spreading fields and forest, and then the river, the peaks of the Grimoire Mountain Region could be seen, which held the magic stone mine that served as a symbol for the Owleyes territory.
 
 “Somehow, it feels like coming home after a really long time.”
 
 As I leaked a sigh upon seeing the mountain, Anna nodded at me.
 
 “Actually, we have been away from the main territory for a long time.”
 
 “We’ll have to go around to three territories this time, so it’s a shame, but we can’t take our time.”
 
 “Once we arrive at the mansion, I’ll at least brew some delicious black tea for you.”
 
 “Yeah. Looking forward to it.”
 
 Saying so, we laughed together.
 
 The carriage rumbled along, and the bridge spanning the river came into view.
 Once we cross the bridge, the Owleyes territory will be right in front of us.
 
 
 ☆
 
 
 On the third day after leaving the royal capital, we headed to the Owleyes home for the sake of territory inspections.
 
 Along with us were four carriages, twelve escort knights, and seven servants^[3].
 
 As though flanking my carriage, Otou-sama’s carriage, the servants’ carriage and the luggage wagon all formed a convoy and moved along the highway.
 
 Each carriage had two knights to the left and right.
 Furthermore, two knights on horseback escorted from the front and rear each.
 
 Previously, when going from the Owleyes territory to the royal capital, the scale of people and carriages travelling was half this.
 There’s a good reason why it’s doubled from that.
 
 The inspection this time will take approximately one month, in which Otou-sama and I will go around to the new and old territories we’ve been put in charge of.
 
 For that reason, we had no choice but to bring along not just clothes and sundries, but also a certain number of servants and escorts to accompany us.
 
 
 
 “I hope everyone’s doing well.”
 
 Soon the faces of those in the Owleyes mansion and workshop came to mind, and those words left my lips.
 
 My father decided to call this territory which is the first on our inspection 『the Owleyes Main Territory』.
 
 When my brothers asked, 『If there’s a new territory, then why not call it the old one?』, to which my father then said 『because we’ll also keep continuing our Family’s history from here on』, and insisted on calling it the main territory.
 
 It was two against one, but when I finally agreed with Otou-sama on calling it the 『Main Territory』, it was decided.
 
 Apparently my vote seems to be worth two votes in my family.
 
 We were summoned by His Majesty in the royal capital, but I collapsed, and there was the royal castle attack incident’s trial, and I went to the south for Theo’s treatment, so my father and I were ultimately away from home for nearly five months.
 
 Since it’d be better to check the situation in the main territory once this time around, this visit became just a drop-by.
 
 
 
 And if you were to ask, what about the other two destinations, they’re about three days west from the main territory.
 The eastern Graciment region, 『Count Ainsworth’s territory』.
 In other words, the territory I was bestowed.
 
 A local governor^[4] dispatched by the royal family is currently looking after things as my proxy, but I can’t let it stay like that forever.
 
 In order to get a prospect of transfer, it was necessary to go do an inspection in the early stages.
 
 
 
 And then the final destination is the western Graciment region bestowed upon my father, also known as 『the New Owleyes territory』.
 
 Here too, a transfer was needed, and at the same time, an inspection in the early stages was necessary from a national defence point of view, as the western edge bordered the Brandishka Principality^[5].
 
 Just because the documents were piling up like a mountain didn’t mean we could leave it like that forever.
 
 
 
 Incidentally, the journey till now has been generally good.
 The carriages continued along as planned.
 
 The reason why I say 『generally』 is because when departing, there was a quarrel with Otou-sama when, as usual, he wanted to ride in the same carriage as me.
 
 Sofia tried persuading him by saying it’s because 『I’ll be having a briefing session with Leticia-sama while we travel』, but the feeling of sorrow in the carriage Otou-sama was riding alone in was so strong that I ended up spending half the day travelling in Otou-sama’s carriage as well.
 
 Just how much does he love his daughter.
 Seriously, he’s a really troublesome Otou-sama.
 
 
 ☆
 
 
 While I was stuck in such thoughts, the carriage passed over the bridge and reached the territorial capital Owlforest^[6].
 
 Casually, I looked toward that dear town, when———
 
 “Eh?”
 
 bang, I stuck to the window.
 
 Knights and soldiers lined up in front of the city gates.
 
 The problem was the number.
 
 “Wait! Why did all of them come out?!”
 
 Unintentionally, I screamed that out loud.
 
 From what I could roughly see, there were several hundred.
 This is the first time I’ve seen this many of Owleyes’ knights and soldiers assembled.
 
 Looking out the window with me, Anna giggled seeing me react like that.
 
 “It’s because Danna-sama^[7] rose in rank, and Ojou-sama also became a Count. Looks like everyone super-rushed their preparations to welcome you back this time, doesn’t it?”
 
 “Even so, this is too much!”
 
 Looking really closely while stunned, I saw Owleyes and my large flags fluttering and many banners hanging from the city walls, all towering over the knights and soldiers from behind.
 
 『Congrats・Rise to Marquis!』
 
 『Leticia-sama, Well Done!』
 
 『A Historic Achievement! Ainsworth Countess-sama!!』^[8]
 
 『Our Pirde, the Silver-haired Angel!』
 
 『To the Sweet Goddess of Magic ~ From Your Hometown Owlforest, With Love』
 
 — etc, etc.
 
 
 
 “Heeeeeeyyyyyy????!!!!”
 
 I screamed once again.
 
 “Why are there more for me than for Otou-sama who is their Lord?!”
 
 The ratio of banners was strange.
 
 Watching me holding my head in my hands, this time Sofia spoke to me calmly.
 
 “Put simply, it’s a difference in popularity.”
 
 “Even more so, since Owlforest is a town of magic tools.”
 
 Anna continued with a follow-up attack.
 
 At that moment, a shout could be heard outside the window.
 
 
 “To both Their Excellencies, saluuute!!”
 
 Za-Za!!^[9]
 
 
 With perfectly-ordered movements, the knights and soldiers raised their guns and swords.
 
 As one would expect from Otou-sama’s subordinates, that discipline and movement was superb.
 
 I straightened my posture within the carriage and took off my hat towards them, resting it upon my chest.
 
 The knights who looked this way.
 In some way, those gazes were gentle.
 
 
 
 Like that, the convoy passed by in front of the soldiers, and passed through the city gates of Owlforest.
 
 
 “———!!”
 
 
 As we came out the gate, the people’s tremendous cheers greeted us.