Priest Roland Nodded as Francesca Slicking back her inner defenses, she offered the crowd a simple, flawless noble smile. “Let us begin the assembly whenever you wish, Association Leader.”
The large-statured old man, the Chicken Association Leader, nodded respectfully and began the proceedings. “Ah... yes. Today, we are all gathered here to formally discuss the construction of our new community coop. For the past few weeks, the chapel has graciously sent priests to oversee the detailed survey of all the volunteers' coops, measuring their physical sizes, chicken counts, and total supply output.”
“A complete copy of these survey documents was sent to all high-ranking members and the designated advisors of the Association and Project last night,” he finished, looking out over the crowd. He then continued, “Next, I would like Mister Gino, who will be working as our chief constructor on this project, to report on the structural layout first.”
A short, white-haired old man stepped up onto the wooden stage, he had very clear scars on his face. “Hello, everyone. I am Gino, a local builder. My team and I have successfully won the competitive tender for this project, and we hope to break ground and finish the structure completely before the true winter freeze arrives.”
“We have suggested a specialized architectural design that will allow us to keep the required Nestfuel to a bare minimum, heavily saving on heating costs throughout the harsh winter,” Gino continued, explaining the detailed parameters they took into account while planning the blueprint for the tender. “Furthermore, the construction will be modular, made so that it is incredibly easy to add more space whenever it's required without overhauling the entire existing structure.”
The crowd listened carefully to the presentation. After a brief pause, one of the local volunteer farmers raised his hand to ask a question. “The Ironwood Viscounty raises three entirely different breeds of chicken. How exactly do you intend to divide their living spaces? Two of those specific breeds get agitated if they are kept in the same enclosure together.”
Gino nodded understandingly. “Just like a standard Julian Coop design, this facility will feature a centralized heating system that allows the interior walls to absorb and radiate heat. We will be using that exact same wall material to partition off the sections for the different breeds.” He then turned his gaze toward Francesca and offered a polite bow. “Her Ladyship gave us some truly remarkable suggestions when we sought her advice on the matter, introducing us to concepts like modular building and strategic space distribution.”
Francesca nodded gracefully from her seat, though her eyes subtly shifted toward Lord Edward. She watched him intently, trying to gauge exactly what the councilman was plotting.
Down in the audience, the commoners began to whisper among themselves in admiration. “Her Ladyship truly is quite something.”
“She always seems to come up with such brilliant, practical ideas.”
Hearing the rising praise of the populace, Lord Edward looked around the courtyard with a cautious, calculating eye. His lips curled into a sharp smirk as he confidently raised his hand to command the floor.
“May I be permitted to speak?” Lord Edward interrupted, his voice cutting smoothly through the murmurs. “I'm afraid there are some serious, unresolved concerns regarding this project.”
The entire courtyard fell quiet as the bald man’s voice rang out with clear, calculated authority. “I speak on behalf of the Vassal Council. We deeply respect Her Ladyship as our Viscountess; however, she has lived all of her eighteen years in the Capital, entirely away from the North or any sort of countryside, for that matter.”
He stood up from his seat, projecting his voice as if to rally the crowd to his side. “Having someone so fundamentally inexperienced serving as the primary advisor on such a critical project, one on which the very survival of our people through the winter depends… is a highly delicate and dangerous matter.”
“W-what? Lord Edward, are you implying that Her Ladyship’s thoughts on this matter are not worth discussing?” The Association Leader stammered, trying his best to stand up to the vassal council lord on Francesca’s behalf.
Lord Edward simply kept his cool, his smirk widening. “Of course not! I am merely stating that she is inexperienced, meaning her holding the pivotal role of advisor could become a massive liability. Why not simply have the Vassal Council take over the advisory role instead? The council possesses significantly more resources and decades of experience administering the internal affairs of this Viscounty.”
He finished his speech, feeling rather proud of himself.
Just then, the sound of galloping hooves echoed nearby. Miller arrived on horseback, dismounting swiftly near the courtyard gates and beginning his long, aggressive stride toward the town meeting.
I have respectfully stated the facts and given the council a flawlessly justifiable reason to interject itself into this project, Lord Edward thought triumphantly as he caught sight of the Miller approaching. Once the communal coop is completed, we can use this administrative success as an unshakeable defense against Lord Miller, who is desperately trying to dissolve our institution.
Edward's smile turned deeply satisfied. Ah... it’s absolutely perfect timing. With Lord Miller arriving right at this moment, stripping his wife of her role will also serve as a stark warning to him for trying to go behind our backs.
“You are entirely right... Lord Edward.”
Francesca spoke for the very first time since the political ambush had begun. Stomping the tip of her cane firmly against the wooden floorboards of the stage, she rose to her feet with its steady support. She tilted her chin up, looking straight down from the platform directly into his eyes.
Her piercing, golden eyes flashed with the terrifyingly sharp intellect of a silver shark circling its prey in open waters.
“I am indeed very limited in understanding when it comes to agricultural traditions,” Francesca declared, her voice carrying a chilling, absolute calm across the silent crowd, “and I am undeniably new to the harsh realities of the North.”