The next morning, Sean woke up earlier than the previous two days, even before the butler, Calib, had finished preparing breakfast.
"You're up quite early today, my lord," Calib said. At fifty years old, even if told to sleep in, he always claimed he couldn't, often being among the first to rise. Sean remembered once suggesting he rest more in winter due to his age, but the man replied that waking earlier made him feel more energetic.
"Mm, there's something I need to do. Where are Dante and Luke?"
"They haven't arrived yet," Calib replied.
"Still not here?"
Sean felt like every time he got up, they were already waiting.
Though Taylemian was small, as the local baron and lord, he bore the responsibility of construction and management. Dante, Luke, and others like them were essentially hired help, their homes arranged by their ancestors near the baron's residence for convenience.
Dante was married but childless, while Luke was single—though Sean suspected he'd eventually settle down, marry, and have kids in this town.
Whether or not he pined for some girl as others claimed... someone accustomed to rural life couldn't adapt to other cities, especially when this world's transportation wasn't as convenient as his previous life's.
Their daily job was to help him maintain order throughout the town.
Small as it was, disputes still arose.
Fights breaking out, debts unpaid and gambled away, one family encroaching on another's vegetable patch—things like that always needed handling.
As for Dante, besides ensuring the baron's safety, he was responsible for all of Taylemian's security. His guards served as the town's peacekeepers.
About seventy men in total.
That was all this country baron had to his name.
"My lord, you once said they could come later if it snowed," Calib reminded him.
Listening to Calib, it seemed he really had said that.
"Tell them to come earlier from now on. Starting tomorrow, everyone rises early, and Dante will lead us in exercise," Sean suddenly ordered.
Not just Calib, but the male and female servants behind him all looked over.
"My lord, you mean everyone?"
"Yes, everyone. Including you and me!"
The older ones could treat it as exercise—no one was exempt.
……………………………………
Sitting in his seat, Sean was still thinking about last night. After seeing Lucille off, she'd only said she'd teach him magic at the right time. He was quite looking forward to learning it.
Wondering what it would be like...
Would it match his imagination, or take some other special form?
Either way, having someone willing to teach him magic was an opportunity he had to seize.
As for the exercise plan, it was meant to improve Taylemian's security. After the archaeological team showed up, Sean realized how weak his soldiers really were.
They had to train.
Even if they couldn't become knights like Dante, they should at least handle basic security—night watches, patrols, all of that.
He waited in the hall for a while before Dante and Luke finally arrived.
Everyone found their lord's sudden request strange...
Only Luke seemed to catch on a bit. As for the knight Dante, he was all for it—he woke early every day anyway. Even when he didn't come right away, he exercised near home.
Now he'd have company.
The others, though reluctant, dared not show it. After all, he was the region's highest authority with the power to command.
Sean could see their feelings but didn't scold them. A little resentment was normal; if he pushed back on everything, he'd be too oppressive as a leader. Besides, since arriving in this world, he'd never truly wielded his authority, mostly going along with everyone.
But last night's incident exposed many problems. He'd spoiled them too much—the baron's household couldn't even keep out a thief. Not a single patrol all night, no one even walking the halls.
Thankfully, the witch had made a deal with him. If it had been someone after money and murder, it would've been a different isekai story.
So Sean needed to change...
A leader shouldn't just chat idly with subordinates. Even for developing his territory, he had to show a stern side sometimes.
Patting both their shoulders, Sean decided to personally dive into work today...
Usually, they'd report their plans for the day in the morning. Dante would arrange patrols, Luke would handle daily territory affairs.
Since Sean wasn't skilled at these yet, he mostly followed Luke's advice. Now he wanted to learn to handle things himself.
"Oh, my lord. I've arranged surveillance on the outsiders. I heard they went into the mountains with instruments yesterday morning. I had some townsfolk disguise themselves as hunters to get close. What do you think?"
"Good, do that. Report any developments, big or small, to me daily," Sean said.
"But, my lord, if they report back here every day, won't that draw attention?" Luke raised another concern.
Sean smiled at the [Doubt!] status appearing on him.
"It's fine. Even if they find out, they won't do anything."
As the local noble and lord, his life might be at risk—was it wrong to keep watch?
Besides, he had a private deal with Lucille. It should be fine.
"Understood."
Sean never mentioned the witch from last night, but Luke always seemed to understand. He then pulled an old journal and a rolled-up map from his waist pouch.
"My lord, after thinking it over yesterday, I went through all of Taylemian's records and found some clues about what those foreign mercenaries might be digging for." He opened a pre-folded page.
"Look here... These are notes from scholars before me. They say Taylemian does have several ancient tombs, quite old, but they're from primitive tribes—not much value. They've been looted many times over centuries, so there's nothing left."
Primitive tribes.
A term for before this nation formed.
Mostly referring to pre-civilization times. Back then, remote areas like Taylemian probably lived a primitive life, hence the name.
That era—what could it leave behind? Just piles of stones and tooth ornaments. Was there really some ancient magical artifact?
"And this—over sixty years ago, a 'Recorder' archaeological team already excavated here. This is the map they drew of the location." Luke spread the map from the journal in front of Sean.
But on that crude map, Sean saw something different.
Just a map, very simple... It marked Taylemian's position and the target mountain range. Yet in Sean's eyes, something else appeared beyond the map itself.
Like a game map, another form gradually emerged on the paper. Especially where the town was written, buildings appeared at the bottom.
Like a projection model...
He reached out to touch it—it wasn't there.
But in his eyes, it was so real, and the building layout was clearly his own home.
More notably, a triangular symbol appeared among the buildings!
Could this be...
Sean quickly stood up with the map. As he turned his body, the triangle's direction shifted. Besides the triangle, there were other small dots around.
White ones, and they moved.
The closest was obviously Luke himself.
"What's wrong, my lord?" Luke didn't understand why Sean suddenly stood and moved. Was he tired of sitting, or something?
Sean walked straight out the door with the map...
It felt like opening a door to a new world. Sean was trying to expand his map vision.
Because only the courtyard area appeared—the town and the marked primitive tomb site were grayed out. When he reached the gate with the map, he saw the area ahead emerge from the shadows as the triangle moved forward.