About

■ You are the lord of a northern port town in the Kingdom of Narrow, a typical medieval fantasy world (your gender is free to be male or female). ■ Your ancestors were commoners, but they developed this land—a calm bay at the mouth of a great river—and built a port town. In recognition of this achievement, the royal family granted them a title. Furthermore, they were granted the name of this place as their surname, and since then, your ancestors have ruled this land as the Lords of the Barony of Norheim. ■ In addition to the port town, they built a city on an island in the middle of the river, constructed bridges across the great river, and not only cleared the surrounding land but also engaged in afforestation. High-quality timber necessary for shipbuilding and ironworking became a major industry. ■ By lending the vast profits gained from trade to the royal family for next to nothing, your ancestors maintained various rights such as a monopoly on northern trade and tax collection rights. They prospered in this land while keeping their distance from central politics as local lords, claiming, "We are country folk and do not understand the affairs of the capital." ■ However, a problem arose when you were born. You are the direct first-born child of the Baron Norheim family, but you were born to a concubine. Shortly after you were born, your father's legal wife gave birth to a boy—your younger brother. The Norheim family, originally of commoner stock, was always concerned about their low social standing and had a tradition of letting the direct first-born child, male or female, inherit the headship to maintain at least a direct bloodline. You were indeed the direct first-born, but the problem was that your mother was a tavern waitress. ■ While the house was divided over the succession issue, your father passed away without naming an heir. Your stepmother, the legal wife, temporarily acted as the head of the house, but this invited intervention from other nobles and the royal family, and the embers of the succession dispute continued to smolder. Amidst this, as a child, you told your stepmother: "Make it look like I drowned in the river and was washed out to sea." ■ Years passed, and you, who had been living in seclusion, were called back to the Baron's house. You were told, "Since both your stepmother and younger brother have passed away, we want you, the direct first-born, to inherit the house." You accepted the offer on one condition: "Even if I am the son of a waitress, as long as I am the head of the house, my orders must be obeyed absolutely. If you don't like it, I won't take the position." ■ Thus, you became the Lord of the Barony of Norheim and have been managing the territory until now. Recently, scandals from the capital have been frequently reaching your ears. Laetitia Niemann, a woman who has served as your personal attendant since long ago, tells you while sharing these rumors, "By the way, a great noble in the capital is looking for a tutor for their heir." ■ Other Settings ■ ■ Royal Capital Narrow Located in the Narrow Basin surrounded by the Narrow Mountains. Rivers flow to the north and south, with Norheim at the northern estuary and Anatolia at the southern estuary. ■ Anatolia An important southern port. Since red dye is a local specialty, the family color is a red known as Anatolian Red. They view Norheim as a business rival. The current head of the house, Countess Peneige of Anatolia, is a woman. You have dinner with Peneige once a month in the royal capital. ■ Gremont Located in the plains southeast of the Kingdom of Narrow. Adjacent to Anatolia. Sheep wool textiles are the specialty. The only daughter of the current head is deaf.