Exiled Young Girl's Territory Development Record: The Result of the Villainous Young Lady Who Was Exiled Before the Scenario Began and Did Whatever She Wanted for the People. - Chapter 43: The Banished Girl Returns to Her Village

The next day, we left Bitterley and returned to Scarletford, taking the same amount of time as the journey there.

Of course, thanks to Simon’s thorough work, our shopping was all set.

We managed to acquire a lot of iron tools necessary for road construction, like pickaxes and axes, so I’m planning to proceed with the project in earnest.

As for the route… we can probably just use the same path we took, since there wasn’t much elevation change.

With that decided, I immediately ordered the goblin skeletons.

“From G-18 to G-89, clear the road to Bitteray. Follow the route we took. If you’re unsure, confirm with Bi-6.”

*Clank, clank.*

“Alright, begin the work.”

*Clank, clank.*

The goblin skeletons, each holding an axe or pickaxe, silently set off to work.

Some time passed, and December arrived.

Although it hadn’t snowed much yet, we were seeing more frequent light flurries.

According to the villagers, by the end of December the cold will intensify, and by the time we cross into the new year, the whole area will be covered in snow.

At that point, no more farming can be done, so this time of year is usually spent harvesting winter vegetables. However, this year, everyone has plenty of free time.

The reason, of course, is the skeletons.

The skilled goblin skeletons harvest the crops just as Bob instructed, and since there are many of them and they work tirelessly, there’s no risk of missing the harvest period.

Honestly, when it comes to simple tasks, skeletons are far more efficient than humans.

Of course, they can only follow orders, so they still need villagers around.

Oh, and by the way, the border between Bitteray and us has been finalized.

The location, proposed by Count Laszlo, is a small stream a few kilometers from Bitterley.

Apparently, Bitterley’s knights regularly exterminate monsters up to that stream, and beyond it, they don’t see the need to manage.

At first glance, it may seem like Laszlo missed an opportunity to expand his territory, but it’s actually a bit more complicated.

The reason being that a lord is responsible for ensuring the safety of the roads within their domain. And if those roads connect two territories, the obligation becomes even more pressing. Failing to manage them properly could lead to an infestation of monsters or bandits, which would be a serious issue.

If that happens, and someone petitions the king, Count Laszlo’s reputation would be in tatters.

So, pushing the burden of managing the treacherous forest onto us is a pretty smart move.

For us, it means we have a lot of land to develop, so it’s a win. Though, who knows when we’ll get to it.

As a side note, the previously unnamed stream has been given the unimaginative name “Border River.”

Also, we were fortunate enough to extend the skeleton rental contract. In addition to four wild boar skeletons, they also requested ten bird skeletons. Each will cost one gold coin, or 500 Sherangs, per month.

That brings the total to 7,500 Sherangs a month. To put that into perspective, I could hire 1,500 servants for my biological father’s estate with that sum.

Haha, I’ve suddenly become quite wealthy.

Nobles really do have a lot of money, don’t they? My biological father, despite being from one of the most prestigious families in the kingdom, only gave me 100 Sherangs as a parting gift.

Oh well. I no longer need to rely on the Southbury Marquisate.

Instead of thinking about him, I should focus on things that bring joy and benefit to the villagers.

That means, first up is the road construction project.

Alright! Let’s do this!

Though, all I have to do is give orders.

Meanwhile, back in Bitteley, Muriel was holding a tea party at her favorite café, with a group of girls surrounding her.

“Hey, do you know? I’ve become friends with the Baron of Scarletford, Lady Olivia.”

“What? Scarletford… Baron? Where is that domain?”

“It’s in the middle of the Forest of Monsters.”

“My! In the Forest of Monsters? Then the baron must be a mighty knight. Is it possible that, Lady Muriel, you have a… wait, what was the baron’s name?”

“Lady Olivia.”

“Wait, what!? The baron is a woman!?”

“Yes, and believe it or not, she’s only eight years old.”

“WHAT!?”

The girls gasped in unison.

“Why would someone that young hold a title?”

“Actually, why would someone of that age be the lord of a village in the Forest of Monsters?”

“Surely a steward must be managing the place?”

The girls began bombarding Muriel with questions.

“Oh my, calm down, I’ll answer one at a time.”

“Y-Yes.”

“First, Lady Olivia is, in fact, a member of the Ainsley family.”

“What!?”

“The Ainsley family!?”

“Yes, that Ainsley family.”

Hearing the name “Ainsley,” the girls all frowned simultaneously.

“And not only that, Lady Olivia has black eyes and black hair.”

“Oh no…”

“In the Ainsley family, that means…”

“Exactly. Just as you imagine, she had been kept in confinement all her life.”

“…I can believe that, coming from that family.”

“Yes, and on top of that, she can use magic, or so I’ve heard.”

“My! Magic, at eight years old?”

“But wait, how is she able to use magic? In the Ainsley family, a black-haired, black-eyed child would never be taught magic… oh, wait, could it be…?”

“Yes, exactly. Lady Olivia learned magic on her own, without any formal instruction.”

“Is that even possible?”

“Could it be that the baron is some kind of genius?”

“Yes, I think so, too. Her responses were so mature that, even though I’m older, it felt like I was speaking to an elder sister.”

“That’s incredible.”

“So that’s why she holds the title?”

“No, not exactly. Apparently, her father, the Marquis of Southbury, gave her the barony to banish her.”

“What!?”

“An eight-year-old, his own daughter, banished to the Forest of Monsters because of her black hair and eyes!?”

“Yes, that seems to be the case.”

“Oh my goodness!”

“How horrible!”

“As expected of the Ainsley family.”

“Yes, yes. But, despite all that, Lady Olivia is truly a wonderful person.”

“That’s incredible.”

“But how could someone so wonderful come from the Ainsley family…?”

Afterward, the girls spent the rest of the conversation gossiping about how terrible the Ainsley family was.

“In any case, life in a village within the Forest of Monsters must be quite difficult, right?”

“Yes. She’s apparently been attacked by goblins multiple times.”

“WHAT!?”

“But, can you believe it? Lady Olivia herself repelled them with magic.”

“My goodness!”

“Geniuses really are something else.”

“Please, tell us more about Lady Olivia!”

“Of course!”

The girls continued chatting about Olivia for over an hour.