I woke up shortly after sunrise. The morning light filtered through the bedroom curtains, gently illuminating the room. For a few seconds, I remained lying down, staring at the ceiling and enjoying the tranquility. It had been a long time since I had the chance to live such peaceful days. After so many battles, wars, and constant worries, this simpler routine felt almost strange.
I got up slowly so I wouldn't wake the girls. Some were still sleeping soundly, while others seemed to be just beginning to wake up. I changed my clothes and headed to the main floor of the mansion. The aroma of breakfast already filled the hallway.
A short while later, everyone was gathered around the table. The conversation that morning was lighthearted. Scarlett commented that she was getting bored without anyone strong to fight. Rai'kanna immediately replied that she could solve that problem at any time. As expected, the two started a small argument that drew a few laughs from Elara.
Liriel simply watched everything with a calm smile.
Lyannis enjoyed her breakfast while reading a small book.
Vespera remained silent, but she seemed relaxed.
I simply watched the scene while finishing my meal.
When breakfast came to an end, I stood up from my chair.
"I have a few things to take care of today."
Lyannis looked up from her book.
"More reports?"
"Unfortunately."
Scarlett let out a laugh.
"I'd rather fight a dragon than spend my time reading paperwork."
"Today I agree with you."
After saying goodbye to them, I walked to the mansion's study.
As soon as I opened the door, I found exactly what I expected.
A considerable pile of documents.
I sighed.
It was still hard to believe that I had become someone who needed to review administrative reports.
A few months ago, my greatest concern was completing missions without ending up seriously injured.
Now I had to keep track of taxes, trade, agricultural production, road construction, and dozens of other responsibilities.
I sat down at the desk.
I picked up the first report.
The information concerned one of the regions under my administration.
The numbers immediately caught my attention.
The harvests for that quarter had exceeded expectations.
Grain production had increased significantly.
The reserves were also larger.
That meant more food for the population and more goods for trade.
I kept reading.
The following reports showed similar results.
New agricultural areas were being put to use.
Several irrigation projects had been completed.
Productivity was gradually increasing.
The more I reviewed the documents, the more I realized that the decisions made over the past few months were producing tangible results.
It was a different feeling from the one I experienced in battle.
There was no adrenaline.
No danger.
But there was satisfaction.
It felt good to know that something built through planning was truly working.
I picked up another stack of papers.
This time, the documents were about trade routes.
I examined the transportation records.
Caravans continued to travel without major problems.
Sales were increasing.
Some merchants had even requested permission to expand their businesses.
The local economy seemed healthy.
As I reviewed the numbers, I noticed something curious.
My personal income had also increased considerably.
For a few seconds, I stared at those figures.
It still felt strange.
I remembered perfectly my first days in this world.
Every coin mattered.
Every expense had to be carefully calculated.
Now the situation was completely different.
Not that I intended to spend money carelessly.
But I no longer had to constantly worry about resources.
The mansion was running well.
The estates were generating profit.
The rewards from the missions I had completed over the months had also helped.
My financial situation was far better than I could have imagined when I first arrived in this world.
I continued working through most of the morning.
Some time later, there was a knock at the door.
"Come in."
The door slowly opened.
Lyannis entered carrying a small tray.
On it were tea and a few sweets.
"I figured you'd still be working."
I smiled.
"You know me well."
She placed the tray on the desk.
Her eyes wandered over the pile of documents.
"Is all of this for today?"
"Unfortunately."
She laughed.
"Now you understand why so many nobles spend their lives stuck in offices."
"I'm starting to."
I picked up a cup of tea.
Its pleasant aroma helped ease some of my mental fatigue.
Lyannis walked over to one of the windows.
"So, how are things?"
"Better than I expected."
She looked back at me.
"That's good."
I nodded.
"In fact, very good."
I briefly told her what I had seen so far.
The profits.
The harvests.
The construction projects.
The infrastructure improvements.
Lyannis listened attentively.
When I finished, she smiled.
"It seems your administrators are doing an excellent job."
"Thankfully."
Because that was the truth.
I couldn't take care of everything on my own.
A large part of that success existed thanks to the people who worked every day managing those regions.
After a few more minutes of conversation, Lyannis left the study.
I returned to the documents.
Time passed quickly.
Before I realized it, the sun was already nearing noon.
I decided to take a short break for lunch.
After the meal, I returned to the study to finish reviewing the remaining reports.
It was during that second part of the review that I found a different set of documents.
The seals immediately caught my attention.
Kingdom of the Giants.
I straightened my posture in the chair.
It had been quite a long time since I had visited those lands.
I began reading carefully.
The information was detailed.
New buildings were being completed.
Roads were being improved.
Trade between the giants and the other kingdoms continued to grow.
Revenue was increasing.
The population seemed satisfied.
Everything indicated that the region was prospering.
A small smile appeared on my face.
I remembered perfectly the first time I had visited those lands.
Many things had changed since then.
I continued reading the reports.
The administrators described numerous advancements.
New trade agreements.
The expansion of several urban areas.
Future projects.
The results were extremely positive.
Even so, a certain feeling began to grow in my mind.
I closed the documents for a few seconds.
I rested my arms on the desk.
Perhaps I was relying too much on reports alone.
There was nothing wrong with them.
On the contrary.
They were detailed.
Organized.
Well written.
But they were still just papers.
I hadn't visited that region in a long time.
I hadn't seen those changes with my own eyes.
I hadn't spoken to the people in person.
I hadn't met the King of the Giants.
Nor the princess.
Everything I knew came through the documents sent by the administrators.
Perhaps it was time to change that.
I stood up from my chair and walked to the window.
The mansion's landscape stretched out before me.
The gardens were beautiful.
The staff carried on with their work as usual.
The sky remained clear.
I folded my arms.
The more I thought about it, the more sense the idea made.
The reports indicated that everything was going well.
That was exactly why it would be a good time to visit the region.
Not because there were problems.
But because I wanted to see the results for myself.
Besides, it had been a long time since I had seen the King of the Giants.
Or the princess.
They would probably be surprised by my visit.
The idea gradually turned into a plan.
I returned to the desk.
I reorganized the documents.
I set aside those related to the Kingdom of the Giants.
Then I continued reviewing a few smaller reports.
When I finally finished, the sun was already beginning to sink slowly toward the horizon.
I stretched my shoulders.
The workload had been greater than I expected.
But it had also been very productive.
I left the study and walked through the mansion's hallways.
The atmosphere was peaceful.
Soon I found some of the girls chatting in the main hall.
Scarlett was the first to notice me.
"So you finally escaped that prison of paperwork."
"It was almost a battle."
She laughed.
"So, who won?"
"At least this time, I did."
A few laughs followed.
I sat down beside them.
We talked for a while about ordinary things.
The peace was pleasant.
As I listened to their conversation, my decision became clearer and clearer.
When night finally arrived and dinner was over, I walked onto the balcony of my room.
I looked out at the distant lights of Vailor.
The night breeze blew gently.
I folded my arms.
The reports confirmed that my lands were prospering.
The administrators were doing an excellent job.
Profits continued to rise.
Everything seemed to be moving in the right direction.
But I wanted to see it with my own eyes.
I wanted to witness the results up close.
I wanted to visit those lands again.
And above all, I wanted to see the giants again.
A small smile appeared on my face.
Yes.
The decision had been made.
Soon, I would travel to the Kingdom of the Giants.