At noon, right on time for lunch, Charles arrived at the manor annex.
Since he was already here, Russell felt awkward not keeping him for lunch, so he could only have Butler Morris set another place for Charles.
"Teacher Charles, you don't need to arrive right on the dot every time. Rest properly at home for a while. It would be the same if you came in the afternoon."
"Hehe." Charles laughed, displaying the easygoing shamelessness of someone who could wipe spit from his face and carry on. "I just remembered something I needed to report and happened to come over at this time. Who knew I'd run into you enjoying lunch, my lord? Perhaps this is the call of Black Pearl Wine."
What could Russell say in the face of Charles's brazen shamelessness? He could only reply helplessly, "Eat first."
There was nothing else to be done.
Charles was his tutor and naturally one of his trusted subordinates. Moreover, Charles was probably the only person in the manor's territory capable of serving as an administrative official.
After all, Charles could read and write, and he could organize all kinds of tax documents.
Other manor foremen like Old Hans, no matter how clever or experienced they were, lacked sufficient education. Since they could not draft documents, they naturally could not serve as officials.
Then there were Phantom Beast Knights like Eric. Their combat strength was indeed formidable, but their education was equally lacking, making it difficult for them to manage the territory.
Therefore, unless Russell wanted to handle everything personally, he could only rely on Charles.
Fortunately, although Charles's personality was somewhat roguish and scoundrelly, he was ultimately capable. He helped Russell manage the territory's affairs in perfect order, sparing Russell the trouble of dealing with mundane matters and giving