The guard stepped aside once the deed was presented.
The parchment was thick, sealed with dark crimson wax. Evelina leaned in to read the fine print while I skimmed the main lines:
Land ownership. Joint authority. Administrative rights.
My name. Her name. Coordinates of the territory.
"…That's outside the city," Evelina murmured.
Of course it wasn't.
"Correct, Lady D'Arclight," the guard said evenly. "The land lies several days outside this city's central borders, in a frontier region not yet fully developed."
Frontier. That meant problems.
"Bandits, monsters, unstable territory… half-built settlement?" I asked.
He nodded. "You are expected to establish governance, infrastructure, and defense. The crown will provide minimal support."
Minimal. Naturally.
"A frontier territory jointly governed by two academy students," Evelina said. "Less a reward and more a test."
"The emperor believes responsibility produces capable rulers faster than comfort," the guard replied.
