The streets of Liberty, a small frontier city, still seem to be buzzing with activity for summer festivals.

　A tour of the city shows it well.
　The streets of Liberty's streets are about 70 percent full of shops, until now.
　All the shops on the main streets were occupied, but one of the back streets wasn't very popular, and the one farther from the town hall had a lot of empty space.
　But the residents of the surrounding villages who set up stalls at this summer festival told us that they were not interested in the festival.
If you've got a spot open, I'd love to have it.
　We have received quite a few offers to help.

　A common thread among the settlements making these offers was that the majority of the settlements were south of Liberty and around the Green Cone.

　However, when you think about it, this makes sense.
　The people who came to Liberty this time are all sub-humans.

　In terms of location, these people would naturally want to open a store on the roads of the frontier city of Green Convoy.

　But the frontier city of Greencomb is a city that, like the King's City, has a preferential racial policy and adopts the Bobblebum religion, which is a doctrine of racial supremacy, as its urban religion.
　For this reason, surrounding villages are not allowed to set up shop in the city.
　I heard that it is difficult to sell wholesale in the market.

　In the midst of this, Liberty accepted many sub-human settlements almost unconditionally at the summer festival we held earlier.
　As you would expect, though, we refused all slave traders and anything related to the s*x industry.

　At that time, we didn't charge a lot of money for a place because we were sub-humans, nor did we assign the place to a bad location or anything like that.
　Naturally, we made sure that everyone took home their share of the proceeds.

　As for Liberty's earnings, we had a small portion of the festival's participation fee and location fees from the stalls, but other than that, most of the proceeds came from the public sales and wholesalers, the land value labyrinth, the hot spring villages, and the regular magic boats and regular stagecoaches.
　
　So it was still quite profitable.


　Let me backtrack a bit.

　After the festival, people who thought they couldn't open a stall in Green Convoy, but could open a stall in the small town of Liberty, asked to open a stall in a vacant stall at the same time.

　In the meantime, we've made an announcement to everyone beforehand
No room on the front road.
May I take the back roads?
　We did confirm that everyone who applied for a place to stay had a chance to check out the site further before making a decision.
Oh, they talk about back roads, but they're paved with cobblestone.
It's no problem at all.
　With that said, they made an immediate decision, and some of them came that afternoon with a carriage full of goods in tow.

　This filled up a lot of the vacant shops.

'Doesn't that sound kind of nice?'
　After returning from Guianacombe, Foldente was also in a bit of a good mood, as the city was more bustling than he had expected.

　Incidentally, the talks about taking over the two ancient monster tribes that Foldente had gone to negotiate with
Well, I finally got him to agree to it on the third day in a row of screaming and shouting.
　After such an arduous task, both the frontier city of Giana Combe and the ancient monster tribe's settlement had given their consent.
　With this, we could officially welcome Deterra and Tiree to the small frontier city of Liberty.

　I told everyone about it.

　He and Korok looked after Tiree well.
　The two Sarahs who had been taking good care of Detera were happy anyway.
　Naturally, they were overjoyed as well, and Tiree hugged Korok and shed a few tears for a while.

　Honestly.
　Since the Urinakombe, or the Darkness' winning voice, which is aimed at these two people exists in the neighborhood, I couldn't let my guard down, so I thought I had to think of a plan to increase the number of guards as an example, as soon as possible.......


　It was on one such day that the news arrived.

''A messenger from the Central Office Frontier Bureau in the Royal Capital?''
Meow.
　Without any prior notice, a messenger came from the royal capital, Parma.

　There were two people who came on the regular magic ship.
　A man and a woman were escorted into the reception room of the town hall by Unja.

''We didn't have any prior notice.
　Foldente also has a quizzical look on his face, but as I haven't actually heard anything, I can only nod my head.

　
　This central agency frontier bureau is a department in the royal capital that monitors and has jurisdiction over the frontier areas.
　It has jurisdiction over almost all of the vast area of Palma except for the land occupied by the aristocracy and the land around the royal capital.
　Therefore, the number of employees working there must have been the largest among the royal capital's government offices.
　Here, they also take care of the promotion and demotion of frontier cities, as well as the management of the frontier garrisons that guard the surrounding areas.

　In a small frontier city like ours, if you want to apply for public works, and if your application is approved, you can get a percentage of the cost paid by the Central Agency frontier department, which is in charge of reviewing and paying for the works.


　By the way, I've been claiming the cost of restoring the Gehmose area, but I still haven't been paid... maybe that's what you're talking about?

　With that in mind, I headed to the reception room with my deputy lord, Erdena, and diplomatic officer, Foldente.

　In the reception room, we exchanged brief greetings and immediately began the main topic of discussion.

　The first to open his mouth was a male emissary.
''Frontier City Liberty Lord Gossage, you are the frontier city lord. I have decided to ask you to undergo the Frontier City Lord training.　


　I am from the Gossage family, a powerful noble family in the royal capital.
　However, I was disowned by that family and was kicked out of my home.
　For that reason, I thought that using my real name in the vicinity of the King's Capital might cause some problems, so I've decided to use "Gossage Free" as my registered name in the King's Capital.
　Even now, I've cast a shape change spell and changed my appearance slightly... although I'm not used to the nose and mustache.


　So, that's the offer.........not a small frontier city, but a frontier city lord training?
　As I was twisting my head involuntarily, the female emissary opened her mouth.

After a comprehensive review of the city's size, transportation network, security, and the quality of the city's citizenry...well, I think the percentage of sub-humans is too high, but as a result of a comprehensive review by the Central Agency's Frontier Bureau, there is a plan to upgrade Liberty to a frontier city.
　Therefore, we would like to have Lord Gossage-san receive training in the royal capital for that purpose.

　Erdena was especially responsive to those words.
　'I'm as pleased as I am.

''The period of time is approximately one month. However, if you fail to pass the last test, you will have to stay behind until you do.
　If you can find a permanent lodging, you may stay there as well. I will pay for your lodging later...
　After a quick overview, the two emissaries handed me a document that contained the same information as the briefing.

''The training will begin in two weeks. By then, please make sure you have completed the paperwork to hand over to the city's representative before coming to the royal capital.
　With that, the two messengers bowed lightly, shook hands with me, Erdena Foldente, and left the town hall.


'You did it, Safate,'
　I was a little stunned, and Erdena hugged my shoulder.
　Foldente nodded his head in agreement.
Well, I didn't expect to hear about a frontier city so soon.
　He chuckles as he says that, as usual.

　It certainly is.

　I had talked with Foldente a few times, but I was concerned that the number of city folk was still too small and there were too many sub-humans for Liberty, a small frontier city, to become a frontier city.
　For me, I wasn't going to kick out any sub-humans just because I wanted to be promoted to a frontier city, let alone the number of city dwellers, so I was going to let the rest go with the flow, and so I was more confused than happy that the frontier city was mentioned so quickly.

　However.........as I reviewed the paper that the messenger left behind, I finally felt a surge of joy come over me.