Exiled Young Girl’s Territory Development Record: The Result of the Villainous Young Lady Who Was Exiled Before the Scenario Began and Did Whatever She Wanted for the People.

Theodore and his group arrived at the Tarclay Company’s branch. A young employee, likely in his early teens, noticed them immediately and greeted them.

“Welcome, sir knight. How can I assist you at the Tarclay Company’s Clarinton branch?”

“Is anyone here from the last trading caravan that went to Scarletford?” Theodore asked.

“Uh, well…”

“Are they here or not? Which is it?”

“Uh… I’m not sure…”

Seeing the employee’s hesitation, Theodore suddenly drew his sword and pointed it at him.

“I asked if they’re here or not. If you don’t answer, I’ll consider it rebellion against my lord and execute you.”

“They’re here! I think they’re here! I’ll go get them right away!”

“Hurry.”

“Y-yes! Branch manager! Branch manager!”

The young employee ran to the back, shouting. He soon returned with a plump man in his fifties.

“Thank you for waiting, sir knight. I’m Cody Foster, the branch manager of the Tarclay Company’s Clarinton branch.”

“Come with me. You’re going to guide us to Scarletford. If you refuse, I’ll consider it treason.”

“Huh?”

The sudden order left the branch manager bewildered, but the young employee quickly stepped in to assist.

“Branch manager, the knight is looking for someone who’s been to Scarletford. Remember I told you earlier?”

“Hm? Oh, right. Sorry, sir knight, I only came to greet—”

“Then quickly bring the person! Stop wasting my time!”

Theodore shouted angrily and thrust his sword toward the branch manager.

“Eek! Y-yes! Right away!”

The branch manager bolted to the back in a panic.

“Uh, um…”

The young employee was at a loss for what to do, while Theodore glared silently in the direction where the manager had disappeared.

Later, Theodore and his group, accompanied by the merchants who had been with Volta during the waterwheel incident, set out once again for Scarletford.

They were attacked by monsters multiple times along the way, but thanks to the merchants’ guidance, they managed to reach the area where the road had been blocked by a landslide.

“Huh? Why is this here?”

“This couldn’t have happened naturally…”

The merchants all stared up at the wall of dirt, puzzled. Theodore, clearly irritated, addressed them.

“Hey.”

“Y-yes?”

“So the road was correct, but someone deliberately blocked it?”

“Yes. The road is correct. But…”

“But?”

“Well, we… had no idea this was here…”

Theodore clicked his tongue in frustration, glaring at the merchants.

“No choice. We’ll take a detour.”

“Yes, sir!”

With that, Theodore and his group veered off the original path, making a wide detour to reconnect with the road on the other side.

“I must report this arrogance to my lord…”

Theodore muttered under his breath.

“Is it the mayor? Or the Tarclay Company? Either way, for mere commoners with no magic to defy us…”

“N-no! The branch manager wouldn’t—”

“Hm?”

One of the merchants, having overheard Theodore’s muttering, instinctively defended the branch manager.

“So you’re saying this was the mayor’s doing?”

“No, that’s not what I meant…”

“Then who did it? Are you suggesting the small settlement inside Scarletford carried this much dirt to block off their only road to the outside world?”

“Well… no, but…”

The merchant fell silent.

“Hmph. Fine. Meeting with Baroness Scarletford takes priority. Let’s hurry.”

Theodore’s words caused the merchant to breathe a sigh of relief.

After several more hours of travel, Theodore and his group arrived at the small stream marking the border between the Scarletford Barony and the Southberry Marquisate.

However, the bridge had already collapsed, with remnants of the pillars remaining on both sides of the road. In the middle of the path, a wooden sign had been placed, as if to block further passage.

The sign read: *“From this point on, you are entering the Scarletford Barony. No entry without permission. Olivia Ainsley, Baroness of Scarletford.”*

Seeing this, Theodore’s eyes widened in surprise, and he glared fiercely at the merchants.

“Eek!”

The merchants shrank in fear, letting out small screams. Theodore turned his gaze back to the sign and sighed deeply.

“I see now. The reason my lord instructed me to protect Baroness Scarletford is because she’s a member of the Ainsley family.”

The merchants looked at Theodore nervously.

“Going with too many people would be disrespectful. Lord Montague, Lord Richard, come with me.”

“Yes, sir!”

The knight skilled in water magic, who had previously softened the ground into mud, and another knight immediately responded.

“The rest of you will wait here.”

“Yes, sir!”

The merchants, who had felt relieved by this command, were soon put back in their place by Theodore.

“You merchants will guide us. Come with me.”

“Y-yes…”

Their shoulders drooped in resignation as they followed Theodore.

After another day’s walk, Theodore and his group successfully traversed the monster-infested forest without a single attack and finally arrived at a place where they could see Scarletford.

What awaited them was a massive moat, about twenty meters wide, with a stone wall five meters high towering on the other side.

The moat was filled to the brim with water, and instead of a drawbridge, there was a small wooden pier. On the opposite side of the moat, a similar pier awaited, with a small boat moored to it, likely for transportation. Beyond that, a large gate stood closed, making it impossible to see what lay inside.

Theodore’s eyes widened at the sight before him, and he hurriedly questioned the merchants.

“W-what… is this? Hey! I was told Scarletford was a settlement with not a single stone building!”

“When we visited last year, it certainly was!”

“How could they have built such walls and moats in just one year?!”

“Well… I don’t…”

As Theodore’s anger rose, the merchants could only stammer in confusion.