Lord of Avalon : Lost in Another World

The moonlight cast a soft silver glow over the Daimyo Manor's terrace. A cool breeze rustled the sakura trees, and the distant chirping of insects filled the night air with a peaceful hum.

Ardi lay comfortably on the wooden engawa, resting his head on Yui's lap. She was in her human form, wearing a flowing white kimono, her silver hair shimmering under the moonlight.

"You're in a good mood tonight, Master," Yui said with a playful smile, tilting her head slightly.

Ardi smirked. "Am I? Maybe it's because a certain fairy was teasing me earlier."

Yui giggled, covering her mouth with her sleeve. "Well, watching you almost fall into the pond was pretty entertaining."

Before Ardi could respond, the sound of footsteps interrupted them.

Megumi arrived first, her usual composed expression soft under the warm glow of the lanterns. Behind her were Keisuke and Hisako, the two villagers in charge of Minori Village's administration.

"My Lord," Megumi greeted with a polite bow before taking a seat.

Keisuke and Hisako exchanged glances before bowing as well. "Good evening, My Lord."

Ardi nodded and gestured for them to sit. "No need to be formal tonight. Just relax."

He poured tea into Yui's cup first, the faint aroma of roasted leaves filling the air. Yui accepted it gracefully, her fingers lightly brushing against Ardi's hand as she took the cup.

Ardi then poured himself some before motioning toward his guests. "Drink up. I'm not going to interrogate you or anything."

Despite his words, Keisuke and Hisako still looked tense. Sensing their hesitation, Megumi whispered something to them, and after a moment, they finally picked up their teacups.

Keisuke let out a nervous chuckle. "Thank you, My Lord."

As they sipped their tea, Ardi leaned back with a relaxed expression. "How's the work at the Great Village Hall? Getting used to it?"

Keisuke and Hisako exchanged an awkward look before Hisako spoke hesitantly. "To be honest, My Lord… it's overwhelming. There's so much to keep track of—especially the population and resources."

Ardi chuckled, shaking his head. "That's not surprising. Running a village isn't easy."

He waved his hand, summoning a translucent blue [Minori Village Management Panel]. The glowing text displayed data on resources, production, and consumption. Then, he pulled up another interface, [Minori Village Population Panel], listing every villager's name, occupation, and contributions.

Keisuke and Hisako's eyes widened. "T-This is…?"

Ardi smirked. "This system tracks the big-picture stuff. I don't expect you to do all that manually. Instead, I need you two to focus on something this system can't."

Hisako frowned slightly. "Something the system can't track?"

Ardi nodded. "Yeah. The small details—the things that don't show up in reports. How much food is gathered through foraging? How efficient are the villagers at their jobs? Are there minor problems that could become big ones later?"

Keisuke stroked his chin thoughtfully. "I see… but how do we gather that kind of information?"

Ardi took a sip of his tea. "Simple. We set up a Suggestion Box at the Great Village Hall. Villagers can submit reports about work conditions, shortages, or ideas for improvement."

Keisuke and Hisako listened intently as Ardi continued.

"I also want team leaders—farmers, blacksmiths, carpenters, and others—to submit weekly reports. Nothing formal, just a summary of any issues or progress."

Hisako nodded slowly. "That… actually makes sense. Instead of running around checking everything ourselves, we can gather insights directly from the villagers."

Keisuke let out a relieved sigh. "That sounds way better than what we've been doing…"

Ardi grinned. "See? I'm not like the lords you may have served before."

Keisuke and Hisako exchanged glances before laughing softly, their tension easing.

From the side, Yui smirked, resting her chin on her palm. "Master, you really spoil your people."

Ardi raised a brow. "Isn't that what a good lord should do?"

Yui giggled. "Oh, I wasn't complaining. I think it's cute."

Ardi rolled his eyes, but a small smile tugged at his lips.

After a few more minutes of casual conversation, Ardi leaned forward, his expression turning serious. "Keisuke, Hisako, I have another request."

Both villagers straightened in their seats. "Of course, My Lord."

"I'm expanding the manor grounds to include staff housing. I want you two, along with Megumi, to live here permanently. It'll make your jobs easier."

Hisako blinked in surprise. "L-Live here? With you, My Lord?"

Keisuke scratched the back of his head, looking conflicted. "That's… quite an honor, but are you sure?"

Megumi, who had been listening silently, smiled softly. "Lord Ardi isn't like the nobles of the capital. He truly cares for his people."

Hisako hesitated before bowing slightly. "Then… we'd be honored, My Lord."

Keisuke sighed, but a small grin formed on his face. "Well, if Megumi and Hisako agree, I can't really say no."

Ardi nodded, satisfied. "Good. Megumi, I'll leave the details to you."

Megumi bowed. "Understood, My Lord."

Ardi stretched his arms with a relaxed sigh. "Alright, that's enough work talk. Let's just enjoy the tea."

Keisuke and Hisako chuckled, finally at ease.

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The night air was cool, carrying the soft rustling of leaves as a gentle breeze passed through the open veranda of Daimyo Manor. Paper lanterns gave off a warm glow, lighting up the polished wooden floor where Ardi and Yui sat comfortably.

After Megumi, Keisuke, and Hisako left, Ardi leaned back and let out a satisfied sigh. His half-empty cup of tea was still a little warm, and the casual conversation earlier had put him in a good mood.

"Megumi really knows how to make great tea," he said, swirling the last bit of liquid in his cup.

Yui, still sitting beside him, smirked as she adjusted the hem of her kimono. "You're getting spoiled, Anata. A Lord getting used to being served like this… Are you sure you won't get lazy?"

Ardi raised an eyebrow, pretending to be offended. "Lazy? Me? Yui, I spent the whole day training, jogging, and handling village affairs."

She giggled, her sapphire eyes shining with amusement. "Oh, of course. You worked so hard that now you're watching Fate/Stay Night: UBW instead of doing paperwork."

Ardi huffed and ignored her, flicking his fingers to bring up the anime streaming interface. The Nexus Garb's system projected the episode onto a floating screen in front of them.

On the screen, Archer Emiya stood on a rooftop, his red coat flowing as he aimed Caladbolg II—his Broken Phantasm—at his target. A moment later, a massive explosion filled the battlefield.

Ardi stared at the scene, his lips twitching slightly.

"…Man, I really want that kind of firepower," he muttered.

Yui burst into laughter, leaning into him as she held her stomach. "Pfft! You've got the 'I need more firepower' syndrome, Master. Are you secretly a mecha pilot now?"

Ardi shot her a playful glare. "Tch, you're laughing now, but don't come crying to me when I actually learn how to do that."

"Oh, I'd love to see you try," Yui teased, fluttering her wings and poking his cheek.

Ardi smirked, then suddenly grabbed her sides and launched a full-on tickle attack.

"Kyah—! W-Wait, stop! Master—!!"

"No mercy, Yui!"

Yui squirmed and laughed uncontrollably, her voice echoing through the manor as she tried to escape. Ardi grinned, enjoying the rare moment of playfulness.

Before things could get out of hand, Ardi's sharp ears picked up soft footsteps approaching from the hallway. The steps were light, controlled, and deliberate—the Shinobi Squad.

As he turned toward the entrance, Ren and four other shinobi stepped out from the shadows—though this time, they weren't in battle gear. Instead, they wore casual villager clothes.

Ardi blinked. "You guys look… surprisingly normal."

Ren smirked slightly and stepped forward, carrying a rolled-up parchment. Beside him, Miyu gracefully held a wooden tray with a large clay teapot and a plate of sweet snacks, while Shiro carried neatly stacked wooden cups.

Ardi raised a brow. "And here I thought Megumi would be bringing the tea."

Ren placed the parchment on the table. "I told Megumi to rest, My Lord. It's late, and she's been working non-stop."

Ardi paused, then nodded in approval. "Good call. I need my chef well-rested."

Miyu poured tea into the cups, filling the air with the warm, earthy scent of roasted green tea. Once everyone had settled, Ren unrolled the parchment and began reading the report.

Ren cleared his throat.

"First, about the bamboo forest to the east. We found a patch of naturally growing Neko Wheat, along with several edible herbs and mushrooms. There's also a small grove of wild tea bushes—possibly an ancestor species of cultivated tea."

Ardi took a sip of his tea, nodding. "That's a good find. Fresh ingredients will make our meals better."

Ren continued. "However, we also found something… unusual. There were footprints—inhuman footprints—deep in the forest. They belong to something bipedal, but with beast-like traits. We're not sure if it's dangerous."

Ardi frowned. "Could it be a Beast-Kin?"

Yui's expression turned serious, which was rare for her. "A beast that walks like a man… Could it be a Youkai?"

A brief silence followed. Ardi leaned back, thinking. Then he nodded. "Alright. Keep an eye on the area, but don't engage unless absolutely necessary."

Ren bowed slightly. "Understood, My Lord."

He moved on to their riverbank findings.

"At the river, we found patches of wild rice and several medicinal plants. We also discovered fish spawning grounds—there are salmon, trout, and various freshwater fish in the river."

Ardi smiled. "Nice. That means our food supply will be even more stable. But what about the strange footprints? Anything unusual near the river?"

Ren hesitated. He glanced at his comrades before answering carefully.

"…Something was watching us. A small figure, half-submerged, with webbed hands and a turtle-like shell."

Ardi's eyes narrowed. "A Kappa?"

Ren nodded. "Yes, My Lord. It ran off before we could get close, but its presence means sentient creatures are starting to show themselves."

Yui pursed her lips. "Kappa can be tricky. Some are harmless, others… not. It depends on their personality."

He set his tea down and exhaled. "For now, mark those locations and make sure no one goes there alone."

Ren bowed. "As you command, My Lord."

Ardi glanced at his shinobi, then at Yui, before chuckling. "Well, at least we're not bored."

Yui smirked. "If you wanted a peaceful isekai life, you picked the wrong world."

Ardi laughed. "Yeah… but I wouldn't trade it for anything."