《I Reincarnated as a Noble Girl Villainess But Why Did It Turn Out This Way?》


 Ch 1

    Inside my head, rather than whiting out, it was more like my head was being filled with darkness.Without hesitation, I sunk the hemlock into the pot of soup. I didn¡¯t know what kind of face I was making or where I was looking at all. With leather gloves that were way too big for me on my hands, I thought it looked silly and felt like laughing at it.


    Although I cried when I first decided to poison my family, I have no more tears to cry now.


    As I looked at the finely ground poison while being extremely careful not to touch it, my head was completely filled with blankness, with no space whatsoever for emotion to get in.


    Luckily, on the dinner table was a large quantity of seafood and other delicacies that my vile mother probably got somewhere from unscrupulous merchants. The irony is, this was all supposed to be in celebration of my birthday today. I just happened to recognize a poisonous plant from my previous world, maybe the merchants that sold this food had tried to assassinate us, is what I thought people would think. No matter what, I probably wouldn¡¯t be suspected due to my age.


    Viscount Cardia and his family that was famous for being villainous, all died, leaving their daughter Eliza who had just turned two as the only survivor. For the crime of poisoning the viscount¡¯s entire family, a merchant who was once again famous for being villainous was executed.


    ¡­¡­And that is the story of how I, Eliza Cardia, succeeded the position of a Junior Viscount.


    Since hemlock is a poisonous plant that doesn¡¯t take effect immediately, I thought that maybe someone would survive, but it seems my fears were unfounded. They either died due to a lack of oxygen caused by paralysis, or choked to death on hurl that got caught in their throat, or hit their head and died as they lost consciousness, there was a rich variety in the way that my family died, but the scene that my crime had caused wasn¡¯t even able to traumatize me.


    In my previous life, hemlock had caused my younger sister to become hospitalized, causing quite a commotion. Because it almost killed her, it had remained as a frightening memory up until now, so it¡¯s ironic that I¡¯ve now used that memory to poison and kill others.


    It would be no lie to say that my mean, base mother was interested in nothing but money, and my father¡¯s favorite interest was to see blood and pain along with contorted facial expressions, so this was their punishment. And since all my relatives were wiped out, as the only survivor of the Cardia family I inherited everything.


    Of course, taking my age into consideration, it was impossible for me to actually run the Cardia family, so this seems to have sown the seeds of a pointless power struggle among the conservative nobles in this country. Well, if they all crush each other, it might even turn out to be a good thing for me.


    Obviously since I was only a two year old infant, I wasn¡¯t even considered a suspect in my family¡¯s assassination even though I was the one who benefitted the most by inheriting everything, but of course I wouldn¡¯t be able to take up the duties that came with being a Viscount immediately. For the time being, the royal capital sent someone to become my guardian. That the person who came would be more human than my father, was all I wished for. After all, if someone came here who was just like my father, then I wouldn¡¯t know for what I even killed my family for. It¡¯s not even funny to think about how rotten this country must be if that were to be the case. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Although I don¡¯t know if the heavens responded to my dearest wish, the vigorous elderly aristocrat that the royal capital sent to me let out a terrible wail at seeing the terrible state of my family¡¯s lands and economic situation.


    From haphazardly stacked bills and debts, to the countless number of idiotic, despotic laws and higher taxes than permitted that had been enacted illegally despite the country¡¯s national laws. The people in this domain had been under such a tyrannic regime that they were too exhausted to even complain. Meaning, the people in my domain are all tattered to the point of falling apart. I can safely say that hell would be something like this.


    Of course, I was powerless to do anything about this.


    Therefore, no matter how elderly my guardian was, until I became an adult, or at least until I matured and was able to provisionally take power, it is imperative that I rebuild my domain no matter how difficult it was. After all, that¡¯s why I killed all six of my family members, my parents and all my siblings.


    Well¡­¡­ I guess, there¡¯s also one more reason. And that reason is related to why I was able to carry out this assassination. Long story short, it¡¯s because I¡¯m someone who reincarnated into this world.


    Cutting to the chase, I¡¯m able to recall that this world seems to be that of an otome game that I played in my previous world. Of course, I didn¡¯t know this right when I was born. I figured this out when I heard a maid singing one of this country¡¯s lullabies to me.


    The supreme power in the northwest of the continent, the Axia Kingdom. That¡¯s the country I was born into, the country where Viscount Cardia¡¯s lands are located. From the lullaby, and from day to day life here, I think that life here is similar to medieval Europe¡­¡­ probably. Well, I only have a rough idea of what that would be like. After all, I wasn¡¯t that interested in history in my previous life, nor was I all that interested in foreign countries. But, I¡¯m certain that there was no such country called the Axia Kingdom in my previous world.


    However, the reason why I¡¯m certain this is a different world, is that this country¡¯s name just happened to be that of one in a game I played in my previous world. What made me certain of it, was myself. Or more accurately speaking, it was the name given to me, and the way my family was.


    Eliza Cardia. Combined with the Axia Kingdom, that¡¯s not simply a coincidence of European naming anymore. The unfortunate thing was, my name matched exactly with the name of one of the game characters.


    I hate this name, is what I first thought when I recognized my name.


    After all, it was easy to associate this name with the Eliza Cardia that had appeared in the game, a truly repulsive, villainous game character. The youngest daughter of the Cardia family, the family whose misdeeds piled up so much that they were eventually executed by the country. Even though she was born as an aristocrat, without even thinking about why she was allowed to have a higher position than commoners, she seems to misunderstand commoners as nothing more than garbage to be stepped upon, is the type of character that she was written to be.


    At first I thought it was just a coincidence, but after seeing the characteristics of my family, and when finding out that the name of the country I lived in matched the Axia Kingdom in the game, I had to admit it even if I hated the idea. Meaning, this must be the same Axia Kingdom as from the game.


    Then, what I immediately thought about was what would eventually happen in the game.


    The story was that the heroine would come over from the neighboring country to the Axia Kingdom¡¯s school where many nobles gathered in order to find a marriage partner.


    Obstructing the heroine, I suppose you could call her the rival, as someone meant only to give the heroine difficulties, was the viscount¡¯s daughter, Eliza Cardia, and no matter which ending you ended up on, her entire family would be executed.


    After all, even if you take away Eliza¡¯s actions at school, since her family¡¯s crimes within their own lands wouldn¡¯t change, the only difference between the different paths in the game was how fast they would all be executed, is what I remembered.


    I had originally borrowed this game from my younger sister in order to kill time, but now that I¡¯ve reincarnated into this world I need to really think things through clearly.


    No matter what, I definitely won¡¯t face a future like that in the game. With the current situation, I figured that I would eventually be executed.


    With that taken into consideration, among other things, helped me decide to poison my entire family. Something like a destruction flag, I¡¯m going to utterly destroy it to the roots as early as possible.


    ¡­¡­As a result I feel like I¡¯ve done something even worse than the Eliza in the game. After all, I assassinated my entire family. I don¡¯t know the specifics of the laws in this country, but, from what I remember hearing about laws in medieval Europe, the crime of killing your family was said to be punished by quartering. Well, since I used poison, I might also be called a witch and burned at the stake.


    Since I have no intention of suffering through such painful executions, I¡¯m going to take this secret about my family¡¯s deaths with me to the grave.


    From now on, since I can¡¯t do anything right now, I¡¯ll just leave rebuilding my domain to my guardian, and it probably won¡¯t be a problem for me to live quietly for now. Fortunately, it seems that he was even able to calculate how much money would be required to rebuild my domain, my guardian, the Senior Earl Terejia, seemed to be quite a capable person. My father can¡¯t even compare. ¡­¡­Once I become the family head I wish I could change my name back to Maria, and as for why it¡¯s probably because my personality in the previous life has greatly affected my life in this one. Oh well, countries like Austria and France don¡¯t exist here.

 Ch 2

    Two years passed. In just two years, my domain has changed greatly. Outside my window, all that I could see beyond the fence, was rippling waves of wheat. He¡¯s done quite well in only two years, is what I was thinking, Earl Terejia can be proud of what he¡¯s accomplished.Due to the despotism of the Cardia family, the people¡¯s resources here had been stretched to the limits. Since my shallow father had been scared of rebellion, he repressed the people so much, that was the biggest problem of this domain. If they don¡¯t work in the fields, then there will be less income. Even an idiot could see that this would only eventually lead to self-ruin.


    But, saying that my father did not completely understand the famine issues within my domain, might have been an exaggeration. He knew that repressing the people as much as he did would reduce income. Then, how did he maintain such an opulent lifestyle in bad taste?


    ¡­¡­When I learned about my family¡¯s incredibly evil ¡°source of income,¡± I was unable to stop myself from throwing up at the bottomless pits of human desire and evil, even if he was my own father.


    Among the punishments for people in this domain, there¡¯s something called forced labor. Basically, putting someone to work. With my common sense from the previous world, there wasn¡¯t really anything like this in my country, so at first I was a bit confused.


    When my father started the forced labor system nineteen years ago, he would take girls from twelve to eighteen years old, and boys from ten to fifteen years old, and force them into sex service. Without sugarcoating it, he was basically treating the domain¡¯s people as slaves.


    In the Axia Kingdom, ¡°slavery¡± is considered illegal.


    It¡¯s clearly stated in national law that slavery is illegal, but, it¡¯s only there in the first place because the state church, the Ar Kusha church, protested slavery on a large scale. The actuality is that most commoners are under a system similar to slavery, called serfdom, in this country.


    Father, with his despicable cleverness, came up with this trick to get around the title of ¡°slavery.¡± First, saying that this wasn¡¯t a demotion or a lifetime thing like slavery. Also, sending the gathered laborers to other domains to work as well. Calling this only as ¡°labor¡± to the very end.


    In this country, no, on this entire continent, people are merely considered to be the property of their domain¡¯s lord. This was considered to be common sense here, but I disagree with it. Meaning, a rental fee could be earned by loaning out the ¡°property,¡± it had to be concealed in this flashy manner, and nobody would blame my father.


    Since anti-slavery laws are strong in the Axia Kingdom, openly practicing slavery would mean getting exiled. Although Earl Terejia seems to have a strong sense of ethics, there¡¯s probably corrupt nobles in other parts of Axia.


    Because this country has enjoyed a long period of peace, I wonder if that¡¯s caused Axia to stagnate and begin to rot from inside. Unfortunately, I found out that ¡°laborers¡± were dispatched to countless houses. And, even now there are still many laborers.


    These laborers are an example of the numerous despotic laws that my father enacted like vomit. It¡¯s terrible. ¡°Laborers¡± that returned from after pregnancy would be abused even more, increasing even further the amount of psychological damage dealt to them.


    Since they were under an unbearably high tax, many commoners were in the harsh situation of facing starvation, and there were so many famished people that improving the quality of life within my domain was slow progress.


    That¡¯s why I¡¯m saying, things are better already. Earl Terejia had put the safety of my domain¡¯s people as his first priority.


    He started with the hunger issue. He sold off all the senselessly expensive stuff in the house. That¡¯s good. I wouldn¡¯t even know where to sell all these things. That money was used to provide free meals to the people.


    At the same time as distributing food to the villages, he also promised forgiveness to the villagers that had been forced into banditry by the terrible conditions. At this time I didn¡¯t know it yet but, Earl Terejia seems to have purchased food and supplies from out of his own pocket as well. But, he calculated it as a loan to Viscountess Cardia in my name, is what I found out later.


    Next, he captured all the wrongdoers that benefitted from working together with my father. Since most of the Cardia family had been assassinated in a single day, they had all fled. I learned this after I started associating with other nobles. The reason being, they had taken what valuables they could with them when they had fled. After executing the primary conspirators responsible and distributing their wealth, along with addressing the hunger issue, the people¡¯s resentment towards Earl Terejia and me was able to take a 180 degree turn and view us in a much better light.


    After that, it¡¯s just a matter of improving our popularity with the people in my domain. It¡¯s a good thing that the people were so weak that they weren¡¯t even able to consider revolt. Their bodies and minds had been completely in tatters, after all.


    And so, for the past two years Earl Terejia has worked tirelessly day and night for the sake of my domain. Looking at the golden sight outside my window, I cried a little at the knowledge.


    Earl Terejia is rather elderly. Rather, it can be said that he¡¯s quite a bit older than the life expectancy in this country. It¡¯s due to the standard of living. It¡¯s not strange at all for anyone seven and older to die of something, and reaching seventy was about the limit. I could only watch such an elderly noble become more and more haggard with his work, while I was being taken care of by the nanny he prepared for me, Mrs. Galton.


    In fact, I¡¯ve still never even spoken with him. At first, it was simply because Earl Terejia was very busy. The situation was that the people in my domain had to be managed and helped as quickly as possible. There was no time for stopping, his work arrived for him like angry waves crashing down. Earl Terejia himself had no time to spare to take care of children. And I was fine with that. I had no reason to complain.


    It happened that night.


    I was leaning out the window, looking at the clear, bright night sky and its sparkling stars with nary a cloud in sight. I didn¡¯t really mean anything by it. It¡¯s just that when I was looking outside earlier, I happened to want to see the stars later for some reason.


    ¡°Do you want to go out, Eliza?¡±


    A low, hoarse voice that still had a bit of power to it came from beside me. I think I could liken it to rumbling thunder. Before I realized it, he had put his hand on my back and I felt a nervous feeling in my stomach, and my body was stiff with tension. I don¡¯t know what the reason could be for him suddenly speaking to me is, since he¡¯s never even said ¡°hello¡± to me in the two years since he¡¯s been here.


    ¡°¡­¡­Why did you think something like that?¡¯


    Although I knew it was rude to answer a question with a question, but the earl didn¡¯t seem to mind, and looked at the stars that I had just been looking at.


    ¡°Earlier during the day, I heard that you had been crying to go out.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°I had been wondering if you were lamenting your misfortune at being unable to go out, but it seems that I was mistaken. Yet, child, why is it that when you have never even cried before today, that you would cry over something trivial that happened when you have such a lovely personality?¡±


    Mrs. Galton must have reported it to him, I see. While looking at the wheat shining brilliantly in the sun earlier today, I was indeed crying. My nanny must have seen me earlier today since she had been taking care of me for the last two years, and I¡¯m like a daughter to her now. Oh, and, I suppose three and four year olds should have been crying more, eh. Since I¡¯m able to speak, I also didn¡¯t have anything to cry over or complain about, I¡¯ve finally realized belatedly that it may have seemed a little strange.


    ¡°Indeed, as far as I can remember, I¡¯ve never left this house. However, I understand already that it¡¯s out of necessity. I don¡¯t have any special interest in going outside or anything like that.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Today¡­¡­ I was just looking at the wheat fields outside. It wasn¡¯t that I wanted to go out.¡±


    The earl who had been silently looking at the stars without speaking, suddenly returned his gaze to me. He was looking me straight in the eye, but I didn¡¯t know what he was thinking.


    ¡°The wheat is finally ripe, now. When I thought about that, I involuntarily started crying for some reason.¡±


    And with that, the earl and I stared at each other in silence. His black pupils were still filled with a strong light in them, but I was still unable to tell what he was thinking at all. The eyes are supposed to be windows to the soul is what I suddenly recalled, so I started thinking about phrases from the previous world. If you gaze into an abyss¡­¡­


    ¡°The abyss will gaze back into you.¡± Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    I was shocked at hearing something so unexpected, it happened in an instant. By then, Earl Terejia had already turned around and started leaving. Without saying anything else, the earl disappeared from my sight in the hallway.

 Ch 3

    It¡¯s been a few days since I turned five.It¡¯s morning during what¡¯s left of early spring. It wasn¡¯t time for Mrs. Galton to come wake me up yet, I might have woken up because I sensed something. Something seemed to be abuzz in the mansion, I could hear the adults discussing something in low voices. I hurriedly changed from my pajamas into casual wear, and left my room as softly as possible. The hallway was still a bit dim and chilly.


    In this country¡­¡­ or rather, this area, the most common casual wear is tunics and dalmatics, they¡¯re a bit too needlessly heavy for me. It¡¯s such a pain to carry the hems so that they don¡¯t make a sound against the ground.


    Originally, I¡¯m supposed to stay in my room obediently until Mrs. Galton comes to get me, but today it seems like something is afoot. It should be fine if I just see what¡¯s going on without being a bother to anyone.


    This mansion is called the Mansion of Golden Hills, but given the Cardia family¡¯s former predilection towards wild extravagance, it actually seems a little small in comparison. The name comes from the wheat fields under direct control of the family surrounding the mansion. In this domain, the areas under direct control primarily harvest high-priced wheat, while commoners mainly have to raise rye for themselves. But three years ago, these wheat fields had been a blighted wasteland due to a plague.


    It seems that in Axia, the residence of a lord of the domain is usually on the scale of a small castle, but since the Cardia family¡¯s domain has been small and poor for several generations, they couldn¡¯t afford to build something like a castle. And as for why my father never even maintained the place at all¡­¡­ He was afraid of attracting attention with flashy reconstruction. His hobby instead was to expand the dungeons as much as possible, really, he was the lowest of the low. He didn¡¯t even consider that his own actions caused the people to resent him, leading to a loop where he would imprison more and more people. Because of this, the Mansion of Golden Hills was considered to be one of the smallest noble residences, split up so that the second and third floors had various bedrooms and empty rooms, and the first floor had rooms such as the drawing room and kitchen. My bedroom was located in basically the innermost part of the second floor, and even though the floor was decently thick, I could still hear a commotion from downstairs all the way from the second floor, so in order not to be caught, I quietly moved until the sounds grew louder and I reached the staircase. After all, it¡¯s been the first time ever since I killed my family that there¡¯s been such a large commotion.


    Hiding myself in the shadows of the pillars, I peeked from the staircase railings over towards the entrance. Both entrance doors were wide open, and several busy-seeming adults were bustling about repeatedly. They seemed to mostly consist of fully armed men, and the ones that were all wearing leather with no sense of uniformity, they were probably Viscount Cardia¡¯s personal troops. The soldiers that were wearing metal armor, were probably prepared by Earl Terejia for some reason, or maybe even sent here by the House of Lords for some purpose¡­¡­


    Given that soldiers from other territories generally wore chainmail, it feels like the technological level of my domain might be almost one hundred years behind the other domains. Because of the House of Lords, the nobles aren¡¯t totally isolated from each other, so a certain level of standard has been achieved across Axia, making my domain¡¯s soldiers stand out as rather unusual. Once again, this is just appalling. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Currently, this mansion is inhabited by eleven people, including me and Earl Terejia. My nanny, Mrs. Galton, my governess, Mrs. Marshan, the earl¡¯s secretary, Bellway, the cook Nathan and the baker Olga, the maids Isadora and Phoebe, the gardener Boriswaf, and the maidservant Mary.


    The people that were usually still sleeping at this time were only me, Mrs. Galton, and Mrs. Marshan, while everyone else would have started working already. Anyways, I could hear someone¡¯s angry voice without any hesitation to it coming from the drawing room. Even though I wanted to know what was going on and even sneaked out of my room to here, no matter how much I concentrated I couldn¡¯t make out what was being said.


    I wonder if it¡¯s better to give up and go back to my room. It¡¯s probably almost time for Mrs. Galton to come to my room in order to wake me up. The thin clouds outside the window were beginning to let a few rays of sunshine through the dimness.


    Thinking while running my hand through my hair, I slowly began to return. Just at this moment, someone ran to the drawing room.


    Maybe he didn¡¯t close the door because he was in such a hurry, or maybe he just felt it wasn¡¯t necessary. Now that the door to the drawing room was no longer closed, I could suddenly hear a sonorous voice loud and clearly from where I was.


    ¡°Here¡¯s my report. Agil Irishettsu, stationed at Shiriru village, is reporting that the wolf dragon draconis has been discovered.¡±


    ¨C Draconis? At the term that sounded out of place, I involuntarily stepped forward a bit. It¡¯s a name I¡¯ve only heard in fairy tales here, so I was rather tense about this. The strange name caught my full attention and piqued my curiosity, and I completely forgot about returning to my room.


    In one of my bedtime stories that Mrs. Galton had read to me, there were a few of them that could be counted as heroic epics. Something that didn¡¯t change from world to world, was the fact that morality plays where monsters were exterminated were always popular. For example, the tale where the Ar Kusha church¡¯s god, Kusha Fema¡¯s servant Wetzlar defeated the giant evil wolf dragon and rescued his wife and daughter is famous throughout all of Axia. Really, this is closer to a myth than a fairy tale, but¡­¡­


    There¡¯s also other stories like how the monkey sage and the ancient wolf dragon have lived for thousands of years, but this is just another commonly told fairy tale.


    According to it, draconis is a gigantic wolf with scales, with a snake¡¯s tail, and wings on its back like a bat¡¯s that allow it to fly.


    I had thought it was only a fusion of several beasts made from imagination, but it seems that wasn¡¯t the case.


    The draconis actually exists. Come to think of it, this world isn¡¯t only a separate world entirely, I finally remembered that this is also a fantasy world. If I think back really hard on the game¡¯s information, the word ¡°monster¡± did seem to appear several times in it.


    Of course, in the ordinary Amon Nor Mountains, it was said that in the farthest innermost portion of the Bandishia Plateau, they lived and ate the snow snakes there, but since I¡¯d never seen such a thing for myself, I didn¡¯t believe it up until now.


    ¡°Anyways, something like the draconis suddenly appearing. Exactly what is going on?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Somehow it happened.¡±


    Since I slipped out from my room and heard about the draconis, Mrs. Galton had a strange look on her face but I somehow came up with a good excuse although I was rather ambiguous and vague. After all, surely I couldn¡¯t tell her the truth about slipping out and what I just heard.


    Even in the afternoon, the commotion in the mansion still hadn¡¯t died down. It didn¡¯t seem like Earl Terejia was trying to hide the information on the draconis from me. He did seem to tell Mrs. Galton to not let me loiter around too close to the drawing room, but I stayed in the dining hall next to the drawing room and could still hear everything being said just fine.


    The discovered draconis was quite large. According to the stories I heard before, draconis were supposed to be rather similar to wolves, preferring to live in herds. That¡¯s why the draconis from this village was being called a lone wolf.


    I wondered what exactly the draconis had come down especially for from the Amon Nor Mountains, to the place where humans lived. Since the mountains weren¡¯t a fitting location for a domain there, there really should be no reason. Since they¡¯re saying it¡¯s such a large individual, I doubt it would have lost in some territory war amongst its own kind up there either.


    ¡°Eliza-sama, it¡¯s time for your meal now!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Pardon me.¡±


    There was too much to think about so I had lost sight of my surroundings while I concentrated. After a sharp rebuke from Mrs. Galton at neglecting my meal, I hurriedly stopped thinking about the draconis for the time being.

 Ch 4

    My days where I still couldn¡¯t go beyond the mansion or the garden continued as always with my schedule remaining the same each day.In the mornings, Mrs. Galton would come wake me up, help me get dressed then perform morning worship, then head to breakfast together in the dining hall. Mrs. Marshan would then teach me various subjects until noon, have a snack, then exercise in the garden if it¡¯s sunny, or read if the weather is bad, then wash myself with hot water before having dinner, and then finally perform an evening prayer as well before sleeping.


    Because as a noble girl, my life was controlled and scheduled very tightly by my nanny, I basically had no free time.


    After the commotion caused by the draconis, the mansion eventually returned to life as usual. Mrs. Galton and I went on with our lives as usual while all the adults hurriedly bustled around, that is to say the event wasn¡¯t able to change our daily routine. Earl Terejia was also directly passing me educational materials on culture and moral sense. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    One day early in the second month of the year, the mansion returned to being silent for once again. The adults that had made the mansion noisy every day might have captured the draconis, or maybe they¡¯ve left for the extermination now.


    I received Mrs. Marshan¡¯s lessons as if nothing had ever happened, and just like usual the three of us were eating together. Suddenly, there was a disturbance at the entrance, and the door to the dining hall opened. And then Earl Terejia came in, and even bothered to tell me personally to come to the garden to talk to him after I was finished eating.


    At first, I was wondering exactly what it could be.


    While I¡¯m surprised that the earl had something to say to me, even more surprising was that the earl personally came over to inform me rather than having someone else do it for him.


    Ever since our first conversation that one night last year, I¡¯ve had several chances to speak with him directly, but he would always wave me off with one hand. Because of that, I wondered if an emergency had occurred and packed a snack in a hurry.


    Even though I knew it was a breach of etiquette, I ran towards the garden.


    The thing in question he wanted to talk to me about, was about raising a baby draconis, it turned out to be something I completely didn¡¯t expect.


    It seems that the draconis that appeared in my domain earlier had been a female individual looking for a place to give birth. The male was nowhere to be found, and judging from the fact that the female¡¯s body was full of injuries, it seems that the conclusion was it had indeed lost in a territorial war and been chased down the mountain. The earl and his party had discovered the draconis¡¯s nesting spot when they headed out to protect the village in question, but the draconis in question seems to have passed away while giving birth, leaving behind four baby draconis.


    Since the draconis is an extremely intelligent monster, if they are trained before they mature and get used to people, it seems that they can be tamed.


    There¡¯s been no actual examples of this for the past two hundred years, but since it seems to have occurred once before, the story has been passed down. Because of my father, my domain used to have the worst public order in the land, in order to keep the peace, Earl Terejia had moved his personal forces here as well, and it seems that even if people did poorly in training the punishment would be light. From the kingdom east of the Cardia domain, there was a forest filled with monsters, and snow snakes would often come down from the nearby Amon Nor Mountains as well, so it wasn¡¯t uncommon that there would sometimes be losses to some livestock. Since the draconis¡¯s main prey was snow snakes, Earl Terejia decided to see if a draconis could be successfully raised to be used for the sake of my domain. I had no objections.


    Out of the four baby draconis, three had been sent over to the fortress along our eastern border with the neighboring country, Fort Yugfena. The last one was being held in Earl Terejia¡¯s waist, and it was sucking on dog milk that had been soaked in a cotton cloth. Seeing the earl and his rugged face taking care of the draconis as if it were a puppy was quite a surreal sight to behold, I was completely lost for words when I had ran out to and arrived at the garden.


    Without minding the fact that I had a blank look on my face with my mouth wide agape, the earl simply explained what had happened, and he told me quite frankly why he had called me over.


    ¡°Eliza, you¡¯re going to be this draconis¡¯s master. Take care of it properly every day, in order to get it used to you.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    During my conversation with the earl, I only had about two seconds of time to be confused about it all. Since he had just explained the situation to me, my reply was immediate. My head which wasn¡¯t working quite yet decided on its own to agree for me, it¡¯s probably better evidence than anything of the training I¡¯ve received as a noble girl.


    With the aid of Mrs. Marshan who had quite a wide breadth of common sense and knowledge, I decided to give my astonishingly rare pet the name of Rashiok. It¡¯s the name of the ancient sun god that was worshiped here in the Yugfena region. It¡¯s now just an obscure fairy tale, in which the sun in the story claimed this name as its own. Once, a mouse took a bite out of Rashiok¡¯s cheese sun, but the weakened sun will still help people in their time of need, is what I remembered Mrs. Galton saying before.


    Mrs. Galton had been born somewhere in the south southwest of Axia, I figured it would have been around the Greenfield region, but she really knows the Yugfena region¡¯s fairy tales quite well¡­¡­ Well, because Mrs. Galton has quite a serious personality, she might have specially looked into the fairy tales here in order to adapt better to this region and show her commitment.


    Rashiok was a baby draconis that had just been born.


    Three months later after all the commotion from his arrival, Rashiok finally became able to open his thin eyelids. He would nudge me with his tiny nose whenever he wanted milk, and press against the cotton wool filled with milk with small, awkward movements, and whenever he saw something he would first point his not at all dangerous seeming nose towards it, it seems that the soldier in training Kamil who shared some of the responsibilities for raising him with me felt some regret towards this last part.


    ¡°Even though he seems so cute¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Will he still be like that even after he grows up?¡±


    ¡°Everything is cute when they¡¯re small, Charlie. Even though Charlie is a chibi, you don¡¯t understand the cuteness of small things, you must have lacked something while you were growing up¡­¡­¡±


    For some reason that I don¡¯t understand, Kamil would always call me Charlie. I am a respectable noble with the title of viscount after all, so I tried to get the reason out of him, but he still wouldn¡¯t tell me. Really, what a rude fellow. I¡¯ll forgive any irreverence wherever there¡¯s nobody else around, but it might have been a mistake to say that to him in the first place. Since he was to be my partner in this and I would be seeing his face every day, I thought it would be too bothersome if he was always respectful towards me and obeyed orders, but this¡­¡­


    ¡°Because young ones are able to obtain the love of those around them while they¡¯re still small, it means that it¡¯s just a type of defense mechanism.¡±


    ¡°Charlie¡¯s not cute at all when you say things like that.¡±


    And so Kamil shook his head and sighed, seeming to lament something, when I heard the whistling sound of the maidservant Mary from the corridor to the garden. Since she was interested in our conversations, she would often listen in from time to time and laugh in amusement. I wonder if I should wish for a change of pace or some rest from this daily work I do. I don¡¯t really mind being listened in on that much, but from time to time I¡¯d like to listen in on something interesting as well.


    ¡°If it¡¯s just like that children¡¯s song, I think that Rashiok might be able to move around by himself by the next full moon.¡±


    ¡°A draconis that was just born, will open its eyes during the night, and will run about and play during the evening, and will leave its nest during the night after three months. Counting the moons since Rashiok¡¯s been born, and the way he¡¯s been opening his eyes, it seems that everything in the song was correct after all.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s always been a legend around here of a draconis being a loyal guardian once, it unexpectedly turned out to be true.¡±


    As Kamil got lost in his interest towards the draconis, I looked straight into Rashiok¡¯s golden pupils. In another ten days, this tiny creature will be able to move around on its own¡­¡­


    To me, who had just been a baby, feeling like a pet to other humans while my destiny remained far away from me, I had fun watching his growth every day, because he didn¡¯t have sight while young he seemed so cute and yet so lonely. I definitely won¡¯t mistreat him, and my feelings just happened to match up with Kamil¡¯s on this matter.

 Ch 5

    ¡°Don¡¯t leave your side open!¡±In tandem with the unforgiving angry voice, my wooden sword was knocked out of my hands. My sparring partner Gunther, would not go easy on me at all. While holding my wrist which was numb from the shock still, I thanked him politely.


    Rashiok has grown to the point where it¡¯s fine even if I¡¯m not watching him at all times anymore, it¡¯s now late summer. The barracks being built for the domain¡¯s troops next to the Mansion of Golden Hills has been completed, Earl Terejia had organized the troops he had hired along with the original soldiers from my domain here. It¡¯s quite some building they¡¯ve finished here¡­¡­ It feels like just not long ago I was still watching its construction from my window.


    Right after the troops moved into the barracks, for some reason the earl had me start learning martial arts. In order to drill the foundations of how to use the sword and spear into me, a three month soldier in training course (for a noble) has been prepared especially for me.


    But really, I¡¯m supposed to be a girl. I¡¯m wondering if Earl Terejia has perhaps happened to forget my gender.


    It¡¯s probably a standard part of noble education so there¡¯s nothing strange about this. There¡¯s no problem with this, but¡­¡­ A different problem is that I feel like my life may be in danger now.


    After I thought about it for a bit, I decided to do it.


    This barracks was decided upon in order to allow the Cardia domain¡¯s troops to stay here at all times. Since it¡¯s the Cardia domain¡¯s troops, of course they were mostly my domain¡¯s people. Meaning, among them were still people that hated my father¡¯s blood to the point of wanting to boil him alive. Of course, they would include me in their targets to hate as well. They hate me simply because of my heritage¡­¡­ Those kinds of uncouth fellows.


    I went out from the mansion for the first time. For grave crimes, the place where you would get quartered became my first memory of a place I visited outside the mansion, so I wondered if there was such a thing as karma, just how bad my karma would be currently.


    Something even worse, is that more than half of my domain¡¯s troops were originally bandits. I wonder if I¡¯ll really make it to the end of my three month training alive.


    At least Kamil and Rashiok are with me as well as my caretaker and pet but, if I¡¯m spoiled too much by Kamil it¡¯ll probably cause my head to be separated from my body soon down the road, so I hurriedly dragged out my skills for self sufficiency from my previous life that I had almost forgotten by now after reincarnating.


    ¡°March ten laps around here, and don¡¯t you dare slack off!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°Do you remember how many times I¡¯ve said it already, use your voice from the stomach when you reply!¡±


    ¡°Yes! I¡¯m sorry!¡±


    The jeers finally stopped after a while, well it could be worse.


    I had always been confined to a gilded cage and raised delicately until now, but this training to me caused me to throw up every night and become completely covered in sweat and sand and mud, although it¡¯s difficult to describe completely with just words.


    Although my breakfast and light meal for lunch were properly prepared for me by the troops, at night I was supposed to provide for myself. It seems to be common training for improving survival ability while on the battleground.


    Night in the Cardia domain is long for lower-ranked soldiers that don¡¯t even get candles. Since I¡¯m also throwing up my food during training, at night my hunger would never, never end, but because my own weakness is the cause, I desperately searched for anything edible at all that I could gather. In my previous life I never wanted for food, and in this life I was born and raised in a noble family that didn¡¯t lack resources either, so I¡¯ve never known until now just how painful an empty stomach could be.


    It was good that Rashiok was allowed to help me, since searching for edible food with a five year old¡¯s abilities was a bit beyond me. Rashiok was beginning to grow scales, and was the size of a small dog, and would roll around and enjoy our hunt for food. After I returned to the barracks, the ¡°food¡± I collected would be checked for edibility, an actual soldier in training would have to check for poisons themselves, so it seems I was given preferential treatment in this.


    Of course, I was at least properly taught about the poisons that could cause immediate death.


    Although my stomach feels like it¡¯s breaking every night, and even blowing bubbles at me could topple me over, at least it¡¯s still been calm and quiet every time I visit the barracks.


    For a powerful country with no wars, it feels like they have an almost strange level of importance attached to the training about food. I wonder if it¡¯s a relic from the time when they became bandits because of a lack of food¡­¡­ How dare them, something must be wrong with their heads. Is it that people¡¯s spirits have become soft after developing civilization, or that they made this training for me because something¡¯s wrong with them, I wonder which it is.


    Because there were many types of poisonous mushrooms, that was the first lesson hammered into my body.


    Birds and rabbits are commonly eaten by the people in my domain, but no matter how many times I tried to hunt them with Rashiok, we were unable to catch even one.


    There were only frogs with very little to eat on them, I learned that the bigger ones would be under the mud. Their eggs are supposed to be edible, but unfortunately it¡¯s not the season for that right now.


    The snakes that I could find were all rather large, and I was treated to a snow snake recently. Since they¡¯re the main prey for the draconis, its nutritional value must be high.


    Most spiders, even the poisonous ones, can be edible when cooked.


    Since many herbs are very poisonous and bad for digestion, eating them will be only a last, last resort.


    I collected a lot of fruits from various trees, but most were indigestible. Since they would come up again when I threw up exactly the same as when they went in my stomach, I quickly gave up eating these.


    What was easiest for me to capture was lizards. The drawback is that lizards must be cooked very well done over a fire in order to prevent parasites, but well, I¡¯m learning now with my own body that humans are truly omnivorous.


    Since my hunting results haven¡¯t been very good the past few days, the day before yesterday I tried boiling grass in salt water, and yesterday I found an out of season cicada, and tried some of the weeds growing all over the place. It turns out that young pampas grass is actually edible, who would have thought¡­¡­ sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Charlie hasn¡¯t been to the river yet, eh. There¡¯s always many insects, snakes, and plants there, and if you try hard you might even be able to fish something too.¡±


    ¡°That this grubby brat is actually supposed to be a refined noble, ten out of ten people probably wouldn¡¯t believe it.¡±


    All the soldiers in training are calling me Charlie. Kamil must have spread it without me knowing, or maybe it¡¯s an old name for something in this region. I have no idea whatsoever if it¡¯s supposed to be derogatory or affectionate. I wonder if they¡¯re taking it out on me because I¡¯m a noble girl and they hate the aristocracy, or if they¡¯re getting along well with me since we¡¯re all comrades that are in this together, sharing similar meals.


    Some days their attitudes would be as cold as ice, and some days they would be warm towards me as if I were their own child. Human emotions and feelings are so complicated that I don¡¯t understand them even now.


    ¡°The river, huh¡­¡­ Charlie, I think you know this already, but if you go there take Kamil with you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Otherwise you might get lost, and can¡¯t find your way back, you¡¯ll be crying!¡±


    The men were all treating me as a child with their language, and the soldiers in training were getting each other riled up with their playful banter. Well, it¡¯s a fact that I¡¯m technically still a child, so I just nodded without minding what they said, and just like always, the charm of a lovable child, which these fellows completely lacked, was able to cause most of these guys to fall silent in amazement.


    I don¡¯t mean to blame anyone but, even though I¡¯ve adapted to life in the barracks, I still haven¡¯t gone out from the land under direct control even once. The land under direct control also included a small patch of woods and a pond. I haven¡¯t gone out far enough to the point where the barracks and mansion would no longer be visible, since I had felt that it would be better to stay within vision of adults I could reach just in case some sort of trouble happened.


    ¡°Oh, isn¡¯t it about time for the kid to go to sleep? You¡¯re going to be beaten up by Gunther again early in the morning, you know?¡±


    The oldest soldier in training among the lot, who usually didn¡¯t speak up very much, raised his voice, and caused a bout of laughter. After breakfast every day, it was time for everyone to help out in the fields belonging to the area under direct control, other than me who would be useless even if I went to the fields, so I would receive swordsmanship instruction from Gunther, and my sword would be knocked out of my hands dozens of times, and after that I would be receiving training in martial arts and getting beaten up but not to a terrible extent, this has become the usual pattern.


    Since I was getting worn out and pushed to the limits by Gunther every day, I could feel the other soldiers becoming slightly less reserved with me. After seeing their enemy¡¯s daughter getting beaten up and rolled around in the dirt so much, it¡¯s probably a load off their chests.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯ll go to sleep now, good night everyone.¡±


    I bid them good night politely, then slipped into my bed of straw. The instant I laid down, I could feel my consciousness slipping away from me and I fell asleep immediately.

 Ch 6

    The stunningly golden wheat, and all the rye as well has been harvested, a silent winter was about to take over from late autumn here in the Cardia domain. My three month soldier in training course was almost over, and I¡¯m also throwing up much less often than before. Every day, I would walk around with a hoe for plowing that was taller than I was, but for now, it was too big for me to even swing. It¡¯s some sort of strange training that¡¯s supposed to improve my physical strength and endurance.It happened one day right before I would return to my life in the mansion from the barracks. In the office of the domain¡¯s lord in the Mansion of Golden Hills that I wasn¡¯t allowed to step into until I completed my training course, right now I was receiving a personal lesson from Earl Terejia in front of four maps on the national situation.


    Earl Terejia has reformed the domain¡¯s laws quite a bit, and in particular he wrote all of the laws pertaining to the domain¡¯s troops himself. Before he came, it was like we almost didn¡¯t even have a standing army. It¡¯s because in my father¡¯s entourage, as long as about ten people had weapons, that was enough for him to swagger about.


    After all, it¡¯s stipulated that all the nobles in Axia are supposed to have their own forces. Of course, basically no countries would want to invade Axia, the largest country on the continent, and inside the country it¡¯s been peaceful as well ever since the kingdom was founded, many lords¡¯ armies were there in name only. It¡¯s no exaggeration to say that the only ones with decent armies are the earls stationed on the remote borders.


    In the time of the Axia Kingdom¡¯s previous incarnation, the Ar Kusha Holy Kingdom, we had already abandoned all policies of military aggression towards other countries. Currently, the borders with other countries were closed, and only those with a passport issued by the king were allowed to enter or leave.


    We have non-interference peace treaties with other countries, and there are friendly trade agreements to allow merchants with permission from the state to do business and international trade. Our country basically practices isolationism. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As for the overall situation in the continent, the rise and fall of nations occurs very often with high intensity. The countries apart from the Axia Kingdom are basically always on alert and vigilant for war.


    Axia Kingdom is able to remain at peace largely in part because the other countries haven¡¯t been able to develop beyond anything more than small countries. The power struggles between countries of similar strengths is keeping them busy, so none of them have the time to even do anything about the major power Axia.


    Among all this, as for why Earl Terejia has been raising an army in the Cardia domain, of course there¡¯s a reason for it. It¡¯s to guard against the countries in the east.


    ¡°The Rindall Union Dukedom, is it?¡±


    ¡°They might be changing their name to Rindall Empire soon.¡±


    To the east of the Axia Kingdom, four countries have been expanding their territory for the past hundred years. It¡¯s an alliance between the countries of Denzer, Planatis, Geograd, and Pamigran.


    Originally, there had been a country called the Rindall Kingdom that ruled over the northeastern part of this continent, but it split into north, south, east, and west, each ruled over by a duke, and each dukedom ended up attracting many people similar to the duke of each country, thus becoming their own separate countries with individualistic traits.


    Some time recently, there had been a movement to reunify the four dukedoms and to nominate an archduke as the leader of the four dukedoms. With that many people under their rule combined, it wouldn¡¯t be strange if they changed their name to the Rindall Empire.


    Right now, the four dukedoms are small countries compared with Axia, but if they combine and become one country then they will become a great power comparable to Axia. If another country with similar power is born, then the predominant position that Axia has held onto for so long might be no more. Depending on the actions from the Rindall side, a war between the two countries may very well be possible.


    ¡°Between the Cardia domain and the country of Denzer, there¡¯s only the Yugfena royal domain. If a battle with Rindall begins, not only would you be ordered to the front lines, it wouldn¡¯t matter even if you had no combat skills.¡±


    Earl Terejia explained everything clearly and in extreme detail to me, while he marked places for me on the maps showing the northern part of the continent and the Axia Kingdom.


    With Rindall uniting together, that would completely change the power balance in the north. Axia would be affected the most directly, which is why secretly, the Cardia domain would have to take heed and be on guard as we were located in the east of Axia and close to the border.


    Because I still hadn¡¯t learned much yet from Mrs. Marshan on Axia¡¯s politics, Earl Terejia had to explain everything to me in great detail. Even though I had arrived at the office during the morning, it was already time to have a light lunch after the earl finally arrived at the main topic.


    ¡°What I just told you about Rindall, you should think on it a bit yourself as well. At least, right after your upcoming sixth birthday celebrations are over. It¡¯s good to be prepared early.¡±


    Earl Terejia moved onto the main issue. First, he picked up a detailed map of the north, pointing out the borders of the Yugfena royal domain and the Denzer Dukedom.


    ¡°Do you know about Fort Yugfena that¡¯s been built along our national border?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    It¡¯s the fort where Rashiok¡¯s siblings are being raised. To the east, there¡¯s a forest known as the Monster Forest, and it¡¯s also a major export location for the grain produced by the Cardia domain. Since it¡¯s not open ground and we have to go around the Monster Forest to get there, I¡¯ve heard it would take about four days to get there on horseback.


    The earl pointed his finger at the northeastern part of the royal domain. He drew a circle close to the southern tip of the Bandishia Plateau, and kept tapping it.


    ¡°Do you know about the nomads?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re tribes of people that raise livestock and periodically roam. Is that correct?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s mostly correct. South of the Bandishia Plateau, is a nomad tribe called the Shiru tribe. They should technically belong to the kingdom of Altoras, but because Denzer has conquered Altoras, they¡¯re resisting against Denzer together with some of the farmers from the border.¡±


    The earl pulled out the oldest map out of the four maps he had prepared, and showed me the area that used to be the former empire of Altoras. It¡¯s a country that used to contain the eastern half of the Amon Nor Mountains, as well as the Bandishia Plateau. Its capital Remeshu had been located in the northern plateaus, but after it fell to Denzer, now it¡¯s become part of Denzer¡¯s territory.


    Altoras had originally been founded as a country for the Altoras people, and this included the Shiru tribe, and the farmers around the region had been accepted into the former country of Altoras as well, is what the earl explained to me.


    ¡°Since Denzer now controls the farmland to the east, the Shiru tribe has been gradually moving westward. Right underneath the plateau, in the royal domain is where battle between the Shiru tribe and Denzer will most likely begin. It¡¯s because that entire area is wide open plains. Actually, it¡¯s been reported to the House of Lords that the Shiru tribe and the farmers together with them would like to be accepted as refugees by Fort Yugfena.¡±


    Since the Shiru tribe has less than one in ten thousand odds of winning, if Rindall unites together successfully then it¡¯s extremely unlikely that Denzer will stand for leaving them alone. It¡¯s been five years since the name Altoras has been erased from the maps. Since the Shiru tribe has resisted Denzer unsuccessfully for all this time, it¡¯s very unlikely that they¡¯ll now be accepted as citizens of Denzer.


    ¡°Denzer intends to wipe out the Shiru tribe, and the Shiru tribe knows that they can¡¯t resist them¡­¡­ is that what¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. At this late hour, surrender is no longer an option open to them. However, although the Shiru tribe are few in number, they are excellent equestrians. It¡¯s difficult to imagine that they will be completely wiped out before they reach Axia.¡±


    With the fort so close to them, the Shiru tribe would definitely fight their very hardest ¨C if that¡¯s the case, Axia might not be able to say it¡¯s unrelated. The leaders in the Yugfena royal domain should think really hard about whether to intervene.


    ¡°The leader of a domain¡¯s armies is the lord of a domain. That means you, Eliza.¡±


    Because I¡¯ve inherited the title of Viscountess as a member of the Cardia family, that also means taking on the responsibilities that come with it. The Axian royalty and nobility that had gotten complacent in an era of peace, didn¡¯t treat the talk of Rindall uniting together seriously four years ago, when I had just inherited my title.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine to leave command decisions on the battlefield to General Calvin, but at a very minimum you will have to be present in the fort. If defense of the fort becomes necessary for whatever reason, know that you yourself may also be required to take up arms for self defense. After you end your time in the barracks tomorrow, I will begin teaching you how to ride a horse.¡±


    There was no room for me to agree or disagree with anything. I¡¯ve always thought that the concept known as war was very far from me, but in actuality it was so close already, I looked silently into Earl Terejia¡¯s eyes, and could only respond by nodding.

 Ch 7

    Due to Earl Terejia¡¯s financial support, the military barracks constructed here had a large bath installed in it as well.The bath was simple in construction, two types of water tanks were lined up against the walls, and either hot water or regular water would come down from them. The water source was the pond, benefitting me greatly, and its heat source was the kitchen stove. There was plenty of steam rising from the hot water section, so I might even be able to call it a steam bath.


    For bathing, we would use a washbasin and a hand pail. Wait until the water in the hand pail is at an appropriate temperature, and then use that to wash my body with. For the sake of injured soldiers with open wounds, lavender has also been put into the water tank, as a way of disinfecting the water.


    Since I used to often throw up over myself as a soldier in training, I would usually have to visit this bath twice a day.


    ¡°Today¡¯s my final farewell to this bath, eh¡­¡­¡±


    Today¡¯s the last day of my three months in the barracks. It was a long time, but it also happened in the blink of an eye. I squeezed out the water that was soaking into my bathrobe, making it heavy, in order to help calm myself down. The bathrobe¡¯s thickness was enough so that it wouldn¡¯t be transparent after it got wet, but that also made it somewhat inconvenient. But after all, I can¡¯t let myself be bathing in the buff here. I¡¯m almost six years old and should have nothing to worry about, but this is the original me speaking. It also seems that nobles are supposed to keep up proper appearances at all times.


    ¡°If you want to do something that a viscountess should be doing, make a large bath in the village, Charlie.¡±


    While washing my hair, I replied to Kamil¡¯s request halfheartedly with a ¡°I¡¯ll consider it.¡± I wondered exactly how much it would cost, but since I¡¯m not privy to the financial situation or budget of my domain now, I have no idea how to calculate it out.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it should be all that difficult if you base it off the bath in Pactoshiki.¡±


    ¡°How am I supposed to use that as a reference. On top of only you knowing about that place, just exactly how much about that place do you even remember?¡±


    The place that Kamil had just mentioned was a country far, far to the south. I wonder just exactly how many people in Axia even know the name Pactoshiki. Because Mrs. Marshan is so knowledgeable about many things, that¡¯s why I learned the name of this place as well from her, but why does Kamil know about a far away obscure place like this.


    ¡°Well, you have a point. Because my father was from there, he taught me about it in detail.¡±


    While laughing loudly, Kamil suddenly poured a pail of hot water on me. A large amount of the water splashed on my face, and when I glared at him reflexively, he looked back at me with a feminine seeming face and an innocent expression as if he didn¡¯t do anything. This bastard, he¡¯s feigning ignorance, even though he just splashed water on me, now you¡¯ve done it! Without any maturity at all, I returned the favor by throwing all the water in my own washbasin at him.


    ¡°You damned bastard, using your washbasin is unfair!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because Charlie started it!¡±


    ¡°The one who started splashing with water was you!¡±


    The shouting and shrieking lasted for only a few seconds. A merciless fist descended on my head from above, and I saw stars in front of my eyes.


    ¡°You¡¯re annoying, you stupid brats.¡±


    The fist belonged to Gunther who had come in to bathe without me realizing it. There was a visible vein popping on his forehead, and his irritated voice resounded throughout the bath. As a military leader known for not going easy even on the youngest soldiers, and with an imposing aura to go along with his status¡­¡­ He, he was, absolutely terrifying.


    ¡°S, sorry.¡±


    ¡°This raggedy brat thinking she¡¯s going to be returning to a noble¡¯s life tomorrow, how thickheaded can you be. You better not get soft on me. I¡¯m still going to be in charge of your training tomorrow as well.¡±


    I involuntarily looked at Gunther with a shocked, idiotic expression on my face. From tomorrow as well, I wonder if that means he¡¯s going to officially become my martial arts instructor. But I had heard from Earl Terejia that I would be beginning to learn ceremonial swordsmanship befitting a noble. Kamil next to me, despite the fact that he had been horsing around just a moment ago, somehow seemed to be quite relaxed already as he asked me in a raised voice.


    ¡°Oi, what¡¯s with your face.¡±


    ¡°Gunther-san, are you able to use swordsmanship for nobles?¡±


    ¡°Hah? Is that sort of thing even useful? ¡­¡­Ah, someone seems to have been called from the capital to come teach you pretty swordsmanship.¡±


    So what this means is that¡­¡­ On top of having to endure Gunther¡¯s grueling training, I¡¯m also going to have a ceremonial swordsmanship instructor. Involuntarily, I became a bit dejected, and Gunther even threatened me with saying ¡°if you dare to make a fool of yourself and throw up in front of whatever weakling noble shows up from the capital, I¡¯ll let you know what death is.¡±


    His facial expression, what is it like, um¡­¡­ a Nio Guardian? From my previous life¡¯s memories that were fading more and more with each passing day, I suddenly remembered these Buddhist statues. What¡¯s more, way too clearly.


    When I returned to the Mansion of Golden Hills the next morning, Mrs. Galton and Mrs. Marshan flew out to meet me. Was it true that I was made a mockery of as a soldier in training! Basically, an extraordinarily menacing atmosphere quickly closed in on me. In a way, it felt even scarier than Gunther¡¯s face earlier.


    ¡°I thought maybe you would be able to finally take a break, but to think that ojou-sama still has to go through such things!¡±


    The two of them did nothing but lament over the life I had in the barracks, making a large fuss and crying over it, and even more regretfully, Earl Terejia who had left the mansion earlier to perform a village inspection returned right at this time. No matter what he said to try and comfort the two of them, they would not calm down, what¡¯s more it was like pouring more fuel onto the fire. How pitiful, how pitiful, they kept repeating this over and over again, but because I myself was satisfied with the results of staying in the barracks, there was quite a large difference in what we thought of it.


    ¡°In order to succeed the position of viscountess, I believe that it was necessary for me to learn the proper skills to lead my domain¡¯s troops. Is that so wrong?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Ahh ojou-sama, Eliza-sama, what kind of stupid things are you saying. You¡¯re a girl. It¡¯s inconceivable that you should be leading an army. After graduating from school, you should be getting married immediately, and it¡¯ll be fine if you just leave the work of the domain¡¯s lord to him.¡±


    I¡¯m too tired of this to comfort them, so I spoke bluntly and honestly about my feelings.


    Although Mrs. Marshan remained silent, Mrs. Galton only got worse and began countering me. Judging by her distressed expression as if she had just heard something incredibly shocking, she was entirely against the idea of women wielding weapons. I knew that the Cardia domain¡¯s history considered women here to be only accessories for showing off a man¡¯s power, but I didn¡¯t consider that Mrs. Galton, who came here from another region to have the same type of thoughts as well.


    ¡°Please calm down, Mrs. Galton. Indeed, while tradition dictates that the lord¡¯s position is succeeded by a man, and war is also considered to be a man¡¯s job, that doesn¡¯t mean that these things have nothing to do with women. And even Mrs. Marshan has been teaching me some of the topics necessary in consideration that I will eventually officially become the Cardia domain¡¯s lord.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Yes, that¡¯s right. Although taking up arms is usually a man¡¯s job, and women usually assist their husbands and leave running the domain to them, it might not always be a good thing, Mrs. Galton. The responsibilities that have to be carried out do not distinguish between men and women.¡±


    In Axia, noble children were educated the same without regards to gender, and since it was required for the nobility to be smarter than the commoners, they would eventually be enrolled in school for compulsory education. However, the royal family has also abolished the position of the queen, and indeed society is ruled by men. But even so, it was allowed for women to inherit noble titles associated with domains, and there are female civil officials that serve in the royal palace as well. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Teaching is also not a profession that is open only to men. To Mrs. Marshan, who has worked as a noble school teacher before for the government as well as currently being employed as my governess, she probably found Mrs. Galton¡¯s point of view unacceptable.


    ¡°In Greenfield, if a woman works, it¡¯s said to be evidence that the man is worthless!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not the case in the royal capital. After all, women aren¡¯t merely men¡¯s accessories.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Since the matter at question is about me, please don¡¯t quarrel. Regardless, isn¡¯t arguing like this considered disgraceful for women?¡±


    While I do think that Mrs. Marshan was finally able to placate Mrs. Galton successfully, I feel a little left out even though it was all about me in the first place. Since Earl Terejia and even his secretary Bellway had left again in order to work on reinforcing the army, if things had gotten any more heated up I wouldn¡¯t have known what to do. Since the two women had been glaring at each other during Mrs. Marshan¡¯s lecture, finally the issue seems to have settled down a bit on the surface.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to argue any more on this matter, but I¡¯ll definitely be having a word with the earl-sama about ojou-sama.¡±


    Although Mrs. Galton still seemed to bear a grudge and had to have the last word, the one who had originally tossed me into the barracks was also the earl in question. I can obviously see that it will be fruitless for her to speak to him, but I couldn¡¯t say that. If the earl personally refutes Mrs. Galton, then she¡¯ll probably have nothing more to say.

 Ch 8

    Winter in the Cardia domain is very cold. Although the weather is mild from spring through autumn, since we¡¯re south of the highest mountain range here, the Amon Nor Mountains, temperatures fall sharply during winter. Especially to the northeast, the river will freeze over as well.Since the Cardia domain runs longer east to west, it¡¯s usually split into the southwestern and northeastern sections, and the villages are concentrated more in the southwestern section where there are many gently rolling hills.


    In the northeast there are many small lakes and rivers, but right now there¡¯s an issue of how to best make use of them. In the past, it seems that people were able to fish successfully here, but because of father¡¯s despotic policies, forcing people to work in the fields, currently the northeast is mostly pristine, untouched land.


    Since Earl Terejia didn¡¯t want to just leave this land alone, he recently decided to try and do something with it, but just building up entire villages seems to be difficult. Since the northeast is closer to the mountains, many beasts will be coming down from the mountains during the winter, taking that into consideration it¡¯s a difficult location for people to be living in.


    ¡°During winter, Rashiok sure is energetic.¡±


    During my daily routine of walking Rashiok, Kamil smiled while he applied a hot bottle of tea to his cheek. I wonder if it was really that fun to sink his feet into the snow, Rashiok was flying about and jumping around on the hillside that had become completely covered in snow. Since the snow snakes which are his main source of food hibernate during the winter, I wonder if that causes him to be the most active during the winter.


    The snow that had been falling for the past two days was so soft and smooth, that it was difficult to walk. The woolen cloak I have to wear to protect against the cold is also annoying. It was already rather heavy since it reached all the way down to my knees, but since water from the snow was getting caught in the hems it became even heavier.


    It¡¯s good that Rashiok seemed to be having so much fun, but today was cloudy and dim and the ground was slippery, and I¡¯m really fed up with this biting cold. It¡¯s the first time since I¡¯ve reincarnated that I¡¯ve experienced the winter outside, and I quickly assessed that I wasn¡¯t going to get accustomed to this.


    Since the grain had been harvested, there was nothing other than the mansion and barracks to obstruct my vision, and the snow-covered, silent hills created quite the lonesome scenery. While chasing Rashiok and creasing my eyebrows because my eyes were smarting from the cold, Kamil would occasionally stop me from time to time if it seemed like I was about to accidentally leave the area under direct control. Because there was no signs or marks, it was hard to keep good track of distance.


    ¡°It¡¯s cold¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine to walk Rashiok for a little bit more. When we return, Nathan should have boiled eggs and soup prepared for us.¡±


    Reflexively I had complained a little about the cold to Kamil. As the son of a large merchant that had been to many other countries, he¡¯s surprisingly good at calming people down. I feel it must be the merchant blood in him.


    It¡¯s very regrettable that his father the merchant has already passed away. That¡¯s because Axians with information on other cultures are few and far between. It would have been nice if I could have heard stories about other countries as well, is what I thought, but there¡¯s no helping it. Since Kamil had been too young at the time, it seems that he¡¯s forgotten most of the stories about other countries. What bad luck.


    ¡°There¡¯s even boiled eggs, eh. How luxurious.¡±


    ¡°It seems like Claria village bought some chickens from the Henznight domain this year. If they breed them successfully, you¡¯ll be able to have boiled eggs more often next year.¡±


    ¡°Ahh, I see.¡±


    From time to time, Kamil was also able to share information with me that I did not know. He had originally been assigned to me from the domain¡¯s army in order to help me take care of Rashiok and be my personal bodyguard, and after all this time being with him it seems that he¡¯s actually a nice guy after all. Maybe it¡¯s because he¡¯s an excellent conversationalist, good at making idle chatter and gossip.


    In the Yugfena region, boiled eggs are supposed to represent providence, so they were usually supposed to be eaten on religious holidays. Unfortunately, the Cardia domain has currently lost most of its knowledge on livestock breeding due to my father¡¯s fault.


    We had been relying on imports from other domains up until now, but this year, starting with chickens, we were beginning to re-establish our own supply of livestock. The plan for next year is to begin seeing what fish we can gather from the rivers and lakes in the northeast. The other project is to start seeing if we can begin to have the people in our domain raise crops other than grains.


    ¡°¡­¡­Charlie? Did you start praying all of a sudden or something?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because I was welcoming the chickens that are being imported to my domain. Is that so strange?¡±


    ¡°Ahh, I guess it¡¯s fine. Charlie must be very pious.¡±


    I shrugged in response to Kamil¡¯s eyes which still had some wondering to them. Prayer, is usually supposed to be offered in respect to the gods, but the only one I¡¯m thankful to is Earl Terejia. Unlike what Kamil said, I¡¯m actually not a devout member of the Ar Kusha church. After all, I don¡¯t believe in anything like the existence of gods at all.


    I had only stopped to think for a few seconds, but before I realized it Rashiok had already gotten several meters ahead of me. I hurriedly ran to catch up. Even if Rashiok can be a bit errant, he¡¯s pretty smart and can find his way back to the mansion on his own, but if we returned to the mansion without him we would certainly be lectured by the earl.


    Without paying heed to us, Rashiok who had been playing around suddenly stopped. He plunged his nose into the snow, and was sniffing something. I wonder what he could have found. Then, he suddenly retreated and headed towards us while barking furiously, running through the snow with amazing momentum.


    ¡°I wonder what happened.¡±


    ¡°Maybe he¡¯s found something that can be food? On a hunt before, I¡¯ve seen the ground move like that once, it had been a rizer.¡±


    ¡°Eh, rizer!?¡±


    Kamil¡¯s voice suddenly became greatly frenzied. Well, that¡¯s to be expected. The rizer is said to be closer related to a mouse than a mole, and it¡¯s a type of gigantic lizard that lives underground. It¡¯s also considered extremely valuable both as food, and as materials for creating weapons and armor.


    ¡°Come to think of it, unluckily you weren¡¯t there with me at that time. Because of that, two rizers got away last time.¡±


    ¡°Two escaped!? What a waste!!¡±


    ¡°How do you expect me to catch a lizard that¡¯s even bigger than I am? With my strength, I couldn¡¯t even pierce one with a spear.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s true, but¡­¡­¡±


    While we were busy arguing, Rashiok had been single-mindedly digging in the snow. Without hesitation, I used my hands which were covered in leather gloves to begin digging too. At seeing this, Kamil said ¡°something like a noble girl digging around in the snow¡­¡­¡± but right now it¡¯s getting to the good part, so I can¡¯t stop. Besides, no matter where you look in Axia, where would you find a noble that¡¯s eaten spiders before?


    After he joined me as well in digging together with Rashiok, progress went pretty fast. The soil was dug up in a few minutes, and the frozen earth beneath that took another several minutes. Then, my leather gloves touched the hard scales of a hibernating rizer.


    ¡°It¡¯s here.¡±


    We dug up all around it until we could see all of it, and carefully examined our prey. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s pretty big. I think it¡¯s about six feet long.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s kill it now that we¡¯ve dug it up.¡±


    As soon as I said so, Kamil pulled out his sword from his waist, and accurately pierced through the rizer¡¯s head with a single stab. I was a little involuntarily stunned as I looked at Kamil. The head had been sliced clean off the rizer. It should have been very difficult to kill the rizer off with a single attack. After all, his sword is heavy. If he goes too slowly, the sword might shake, and if he swung too fast the sword¡¯s weight might have caused it to go off-track. That¡¯s why it¡¯s surprising that Kamil seems to have done it so easily. I don¡¯t think even Gunther has this level of swordsmanship.


    ¡°You¡¯re surprisingly good at swordsmanship.¡±


    At seeing me staring at him, Kamil laughed with an ambiguous expression on his face. From what I could see, he was merely feigning ignorance yet again.

 Ch 9

    (This is Eliza when she¡¯s young, at six years old. However, it¡¯s a little rough because I drew it in a hurry¡­¡­ I think this hardened look is probably her most typical expression. She¡¯s wearing the typical tunic and dalmatic that¡¯s standard casual wear in her domain.) ¨C Author¡¯s noteWith the coming of spring, it¡¯s become a bit busier here at the Mansion of Golden Hills. It¡¯s going to be my first birthday celebration in four years.


    In the Axia Kingdom, one¡¯s birthday is supposed to be celebrated only during three certain times a year. After the fields are planted in the spring, during the next full moon after a religious holiday in the summer, or after the autumn harvest. Since I had been born during the end of winter, my birthday would be celebrated after the fields were planted in spring.


    Although in my previous life I didn¡¯t really care about birthdays one way or the other, since the lord¡¯s birthday is supposed to be celebrated by the entire domain, or simply speaking, it¡¯s supposed to be an event to please the people in my domain. Under the pretext of celebrating, it¡¯s also a way to hand out food, wine, and candy to my people.


    So that the people have their fun, it¡¯s going to continue for an entire three days, and even though it¡¯s rather bothersome to me, as the leading role I have to pretend to enjoy it.


    It seems that Earl Terejia is preparing most of my birthday celebration. Recently, I¡¯ve had more opportunities to see him working up close. I¡¯m actually wondering if it should be considered abuse of the elderly because I can¡¯t help with the work yet. I would be very troubled if he dies from overwork now¡­¡­


    In the first place, after he came here and became my regent, he¡¯s worked so hard for the sake of stabilizing my domain in order to pass on to me later. I wondered if it was really necessary to work so hard to the extent of wearing out his body. I know that he¡¯s a bit mercenary and calculating, but no matter what, Earl Terejia has been a great help in rebuilding and reviving the Cardia domain for me. I really wouldn¡¯t know what to do if he were to be crushed under his workload.


    Having said that, I don¡¯t have the ability to take over his job just yet, nor is there anyone else that can assist him, so all I can do for now is cheer him on, meaning other than obediently receiving the education he prepares for me, I have nothing else I can do.


    As for the education he¡¯s gifted me, the thing that stands out the most is equestrianism. Recently on the continent, strategies revolving around the use of cavalry have been evolving rapidly. Warhorses specially prepared for military use have been improved as well, it¡¯s because of the recent invention of the easy to use leather stirrup becoming widespread. Large scale infantry combat tactics have been established since seven hundred years ago, while riding a horse was originally allowed to only military commanders, the nobles have begun to study cavalry tactics and incorporate cavalry soldiers in order to improve their armies.


    By the way, it seems that battles up until seven hundred years ago used to be leaderless groups of people battling other leaderless groups of people to the death. What¡¯s more, the icing on the cake is that the first recorded army in history had been organized over two thousand years ago by the ancient King Iruhan of Inyatolisk.


    Inyatolisk had been destroyed long before an actual organized military system became widespread seven hundred years ago, when the Ar Kusha Holy Kingdom invented a chain of command system for the sake of national defense which replaced the leaderless mob battles that had been common up until then.


    Well, enough gossip.


    Since the Axia Kingdom specializes in defensive war, that¡¯s why the kingdom¡¯s policy is to avoid war.


    To begin with, the sea is to the north and west of Axia, the southwest has the Amon Karan Mountains and the northeast has the Amon Nor Mountains that have become our national borders, so of course there would be little need for cavalry troops in the army. The current situation here in the southeastern part of Axia, is that the Yugfena royal domain, Earl Genas¡¯ border domain, Earl Ruktoferd¡¯s domain, and Earl Freche¡¯s domains are the only ones that have small cavalry troops. For various reasons, it seems that the House of Lords has been planning the expansion of armaments in the Yugfena region.


    And in the Cardia domain, since its army had been practically nonexistent, it seems that it¡¯s been approved for us to attempt training cavalry troops on an experimental basis.


    Earl Terejia having been so passionate about strengthening my domain¡¯s army, probably was because he knew about the expansion of armaments in the Yugfena region and the approval for the Cardia domain to train cavalry troops. What a frightening person¡­¡­


    Right when winter had begun, the House of Lords had decided to provide my domain with three warhorses to start with. It was scheduled for thirty more warhorses to be deployed next year. And so, sixty members of the army, would be divided into two platoons, and half of them would be used as cavalry soldiers at any time.


    One of the three horses that had already arrived, a relatively smaller gelding, was for my training. The other two horses were given to the high ranked military officers Calvin and Agil, that had been chosen to lead the cavalry troops. The horsemanship teacher that had been prepared for me was a retired former cavalry soldier from Earl Ruktoferd¡¯s domain, and if he had time Earl Terejia would also sometimes personally teach me the best he could. Training for Rashiok who had yet to mature also began so I could ride him in the future, but because his intelligence was extremely high it seems like very little training was necessary.


    ¡°Alright, this is fine.¡±


    It¡¯s two days after the full moon in the first month of the year. After the end of the day¡¯s riding lessons, Earl Terejia made a sign of approval. My sixth birthday¡¯s celebration is about one month away, it seems that it will begin flashily with me leading my domain¡¯s troops on horseback around the villages. I still can¡¯t ride on Rashiok yet as of right now, so for this time¡¯s celebration it seems that he will have to stay quietly in the mansion while the celebrations are going on.


    ¡°Thank you very much.¡±


    Even though he was so busy, Earl Terejia was very passionate about teaching me how to control a horse. He¡¯s dedicating this much time to teaching me all in order so that my skills can improve enough to the point of adequacy by the time of my birthday celebration. Since I passed today successfully, I started thinking about things and my head naturally fell lower.


    Then, I felt a hand patting me on the head for one short moment. Ah, when I realized it and lifted my head, Earl Terejia¡¯s back was already departing from my sight.


    When I returned to my room, Rashiok was laying on the floor by my bed relaxedly. Although I thought it was rare since he had always been playing by the pond recently, when I think a little more about it he does intrude here quite often too.


    ¡°You, came in here without permission again¡­¡­ Huh?¡± S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Since this smart creature can easily open doors, I wasn¡¯t surprised at all to see him here at first. But, something was different today. Something that seemed like his skin was flaking off was on the floor by Rashiok.


    ¡°W, what¡¯s this? Are you sick?¡±


    Rashiok himself seemed to have a nonchalant expression, but I wonder if he¡¯s suffering from some skin disease. I immediately made sure that there were no abnormalities in his smooth, scaly skin. His glossy scales were unscratched and beautiful, and if it wasn¡¯t for the layer of skin on the floor around him I¡¯d think it ridiculous that he was sick.


    Because I had no idea what to do, I called for ¡°Doctor¡± Kamil. It¡¯s best if I ask about something like this from him as quickly as possible.


    ¡°I came because I heard that Rashiok might be ill¡­¡­ Charlie, he¡¯s just molting.¡±


    After that, saying something about how worried the expression on my face was, he couldn¡¯t hold his laughter in anymore and exploded into laughter, holding his belly and slapping his knees, what a rude fellow. Although I said that I¡¯d forgive his irreverence before, why is it that this guy is always inciting my irritation to the maximum level. To the point of even slapping your knees, don¡¯t you know the damage you¡¯re doing to me, as I got angrier.


    But anyways, so it was just molting. I had completely forgotten about the fact that snakes and lizards would go through molting. Since the draconis is mostly wolfen, I had never considered that he would need to go through molting like a lizard. Come to think of it, he has become whiter recently. Since he¡¯s been left alone to do as he liked in the garden these past few days, I hadn¡¯t seen him closely recently, but now I remember that he did look a little different when seeing him from afar.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine it¡¯s fine, this is evidence that Rashiok is maturing properly. A draconis will begin molting when its body begins to grow. Anyways¡­¡­ if the stories are correct, Rashiok will eventually reach over three times his current size. He might be too difficult to use when he¡¯s that big, huh¡­¡­¡±


    Indeed, it was already impossible to find dogs that were larger than Rashiok was. The cost of raising him has to be outweighed by the benefits. It would be unreasonable for me to raise him only as a pet. Rashiok is currently now large enough for me to ride on him without any problems.


    ¡°I wonder if it¡¯s possible to create a draconis rider team, on the scale of a small squad.¡±


    ¡°That, would probably be very inefficient.¡±


    ¡°But if I¡¯m able to fly on a draconis, I¡¯ll be able to secure air superiority.¡±


    ¡°Eh, huh? What is that?¡±


    Kamil tilted his head with a puzzled expression on his face, but I pretended not to hear him. Air superiority, is what I had just said, but truth be told I don¡¯t understand the term all that well myself.


    My previous life¡¯s memories were fading bit by bit. Maybe it¡¯s because my father¡¯s no longer alive, so I don¡¯t really mind, but if I sometimes let a word slip out that people don¡¯t understand, it could be a problem.

 Ch 10

    Did you know that the foundations of basic military training are equivalent to marching training? During my three months of living in the barracks, I had trained in this for hours and hours every day. The amount was so unbelievable that I want to throw up blood at the very thought of how much it was every day¡­¡­¡°Oi brat, your eyes are dead.¡±


    The relentless verbal abuse from Gunther marching next to me barely managed to reach me. I had gotten lost in thought during training for a moment, at his sound I quickly corrected my posture and improved my awareness.


    There¡¯s still two full moons until my birthday celebration, I¡¯m now working hard at training for leading the domain¡¯s army. Since I had to pay attention to both my horse and Rashiok, if I let my attention slip for even a little bit I would fall off from my horse. Today I¡¯m not riding a small gelding for practice, but a large stallion. I had to concentrate with all my might to keep the stallion in ranks with the marching soldiers.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be better if you loosen the tension in your shoulder slightly. If the horse thinks you¡¯re scared, it¡¯ll look down on you.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Earl Terejia who was supervising the march rode up to me and offered a suggestion. Even though his horse was so quiet, mine was completely restless and shaking his head about. Since it would still be the same even if I swapped horses with the earl, it¡¯s simply a matter of my lacking riding skills. It¡¯s only natural, since I think it¡¯s ridiculous to expect a six year old to be able to control a warhorse in active service, but¡­¡­


    To lead, I have to often give my horse directions to turn left, right, or stop, further increasing the difficulty level. Soldiers were escorting me to the front, left, and right, and behind me were forty soldiers in rank and file. It was also hard to match their timing. I wish this was only a marching band.


    ¡­¡­I wonder why I suddenly remembered such a thing. I have no idea how memory recollection works.


    We arrived at our target location, and then began heading back towards the Mansion of Golden Hills in order to restock up on our water supply. Because we had already made three round trips, both people and horses were at their limits, when the earl dismissed us it seemed like everyone half collapsed, it was like we were all crawling back to the barracks. But even so we¡¯re going to have to get ready for this all over again tomorrow, what actual soldiers do is really quite amazing.


    ¡°Welcome back.¡±


    I was greeted by Kamil who had left during our second round trip to run errands, and right when I entered the mansion, I heard the earl calling for me, saying ¡°when you¡¯re done cleaning yourself up and changing, come to the drawing room.¡±


    To be called to the drawing room at this time¡­¡­ There¡¯s probably around an eighty percent chance that it¡¯s a guest that¡¯s come early for my birthday celebration. The other twenty percent is that the earl is having me greet his guest.


    I hurriedly wiped down my body, changed my clothes, and fixed my hairstyle as directed, then headed for the drawing room. Since my room had already been well prepared with a washbasin of hot water and a towel and clean clothes in advance, it was nice that I only had to move mechanically like a robot.


    ¡°I¡¯ve made you wait.¡±


    ¡°Ahh, perfect timing. The introductions were just finishing up.¡±


    Kamil had been waiting for me in front of the drawing room, and after he checked my appearance, he knocked on the door to the drawing room. Eliza-sama has arrived, please enter, the door opened right after that short exchange.


    I was immediately ambushed by a strange sensation.


    Sitting across from Earl Terejia on a couch for visitors, was an elderly man who looked just like the earl. His clothes, facial expression, and hairstyle were different, but there was no mistaking how similar their features were. In surprise at how alike they looked, I couldn¡¯t help looking him up and down.


    ¡°Marquis, this here is Viscountess Eliza-dono. Lady Eliza, this here is Senior Marquis Rittergau. He is my older brother.¡±


    The earl smoothly introduced his guest this way. Even though they were relatives and looked alike, I still felt like something was off. I felt like something dangerous I couldn¡¯t see was in the air, perhaps it¡¯s like this between noble relatives.


    ¡°I believe this is our first meeting, Viscountess Eliza. My name is Radian Terejia Rittergau.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an honor to meet you, Marquis Rittergau. Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Eliza Cardia.¡±


    Compared to the earl who always had a stern look to his face, Marquis Rittergau had a nice smile that made him seem like a good-natured grandfather. ¨C I immediately noticed that his smile seemed to contain something terribly cold. His eyes weren¡¯t smiling in the slightest. As if observing me, he looked over me from top to bottom with his sharp gaze, then he seemed to lose interest in me and looked over at the earl again.


    But anyways, so Marquis Rittergau had been Earl Terejia¡¯s older brother. I wonder why I haven¡¯t heard they were related before, as I pulled on my right cheek and thought things over.


    Senior Marquis Rittergau. A prestigious noble who was the prime minister of the Axia Kingdom, as well as the head of the Terejia family. An aristocrat who had been bestowed a name from the king.


    ¡­¡­So his younger brother had been the earl. It seems that my guardian has someone quite powerful behind him. Since the Terejia family is a large family with eleven branch families, I had thought that someone who would be sent here to the countryside would have been from one of the minor branch families.


    Even though he¡¯s the younger brother of the family head, the earl didn¡¯t set up his own family branch, nor does he have lands of his own despite being so talented, it feels like there¡¯s something to be concerned about if that¡¯s the case. However, I¡¯m not going to simply stick my neck out and pry into the situation. What I should do is leave it alone, since my powers are limited. I don¡¯t even have anything to do with the Terejia family issues to begin with.


    Yep, as I nodded to myself and decided upon that in my mind, I listened obediently to the Terejia brothers¡¯ conversation. Everything they talked about was something interesting and not boring at all, but the fact that they talked about nothing important whatsoever is what¡¯s fearsome about these elderly nobles. There was always a beautiful response to the previous person that wouldn¡¯t offend, and there was no place for me in the conversation at all. However, it was very educational for my conversational skills.


    As the earl¡¯s older brother, Marquis Rittergau¡¯s age was considerably shocking in the Axia Kingdom, and his presence and demeanor were quite powerful. I feel like the upper echelons of Axian society are making the elderly work too hard. It seems that he¡¯s visiting from the royal capital for two days, and that he¡¯ll be returning tomorrow.


    Although I know that the prime minister probably doesn¡¯t have much free time, wouldn¡¯t it be better for his body to work a little less and relax a bit, I wonder. Although with the type of person he is, he would probably find that kind of thinking an unnecessary bother.


    ¨C That night. Marquis Rittergau, much like his brother had done before, approached me while I was standing by the window. The starry night sky appeared distorted through the thick panes of colorless stained glass.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you cold, Viscountess Cardia?¡±


    Calling me ¡°Viscountess Cardia¡± while I didn¡¯t know his intentions, just that alone was to enough to make goosebumps run down my flesh and for me to fully tense up.


    ¡°It¡¯s no problem for me at all. Since I¡¯m still a child, my body temperature is higher. If I get cold, I can just ask my maid to start a fire for me.¡±


    ¡°I would be thankful for that. My old bones are weak against the cold.¡±


    Even though he said that, Marquis Rittergau showed no signs of intending to leave. I wonder if he has something he wants to discuss with me. Even though I¡¯m only a mere child, does the super big shot Marquis Rittergau have something to say to me? S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    I can¡¯t conceal how tense I am. It¡¯s better to let it show, rather than trying to pretend at being natural. Since I¡¯m only a six year old child, he¡¯ll probably think something like ¡°she¡¯s nervous about manners around the important adult.¡± The marquis wasn¡¯t looking at me though, but rather at the distorted sky outside the window.


    ¡°¡­¡­What do you happen to think that the nobility is?¡±


    He asked me a question after remaining silent for a while. Nobility. In my previous life, it had no longer been important. My fate now though, is that my life is both supported by it and threatened because of it.


    So what is nobility, I wonder. What to do, how to do it, and what it is. I want to know about such things too.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Although I tried thinking about it for well over ten seconds, I couldn¡¯t think of anything to say that sounded like it fit. After all, my current position is as if it¡¯s floating in space. Like a ghost in society, no matter what I said, there was no weight or power to my words.


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying that you recognize your own ignorance? ¡­¡­How wise of you to know that you do not know. There¡¯s so many countless people that do not realize the ignorance of their own knowledge.¡±


    I also don¡¯t know the answer to that question myself, is what I heard him muttering under his breath.

 Ch 11

    It was finally time for my birthday celebration, right when my fatigue had reached its peak from preparing for it every day. Starting from today, for the next three days it¡¯ll be hellishly busy until I can finally take a break.¡°¡­¡­Stop laughing constantly.¡±


    Among the heavily exhausted mood in the air, there was one bastard who was cheerfully laughing. It was Kamil. He was holding his stomach, laughing at my outfit. It¡¯s so annoying, I can¡¯t stand it.


    ¡°But! ¡­¡­Ha, hehehehe¡­¡­¡±


    What a terrible bastard. So annoying. His voice is infuriating, and even covering up the sound of my own thoughts. Because I¡¯m so tired, even the small things are annoying.


    But, the reason why Kamil was laughing so hard was because of the irritating outfit I had to wear. Everyone thinks that I look ridiculous so I¡¯m in a bad mood. I wasn¡¯t able to choose my own outfit for the celebration, it was something the earl had picked out for me.


    My hair was coiled in a bun on top of my head, with casual accessories and I was in elaborate, formal knight wear and a mantle. No matter how you look at it, it¡¯s an outfit for boys. Originally, as a respectable girl, I should have been wearing a circlet and bliaud.


    ¡°There¡¯s no helping it. It¡¯s the custom.¡±


    Earl Terejia who was next to me said so in a subdued voice. The domain lord had to personally tour the domain while he or she was still a minor for the birthday celebrations. And, for the celebration, the Axian custom for nobles is to wear formal knight attire. If he hadn¡¯t been dead, my father probably would have been wearing this.


    Up until now no young girls had ever inherited the domain lord¡¯s position, so unfortunately I have become the first ever example. Earl Terejia still dressed me in the customary knightly formal attire¡­¡­ I guess this means that my birthday celebration will be done as if I were a boy.


    It¡¯s finally time for me to get on horseback and lead the marching troops. Indeed as Mrs. Marshan had said so before, leading an army really wasn¡¯t for women. Also, riding a horse in a dress would be disastrous.


    With this taken into consideration, I really don¡¯t see why Kamil had been laughing so hard up until now. He doesn¡¯t think that this formal attire for boys is unfitting for me. Rather, it¡¯s something more like it¡¯s too fitting.


    ¡°It, it¡¯s perfect on you¡­¡­ Hehehe¡­¡­ Charlie isn¡¯t cute at all¡­¡­ Hehe.¡±


    ¡­¡­It¡¯s reversed. It looked much better on me than expected. Is that really so funny? Well, there¡¯s hardly any differences between boys and girls when they¡¯re six years old, shouldn¡¯t it not matter that much what they wear? I feel like I¡¯ll never understand in my life just what is it that this guy finds funny. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Our parade that had left early in the morning passed slowly through the villages. The people were quite different from the last time I had seen them, when they were filled with eyes that had wanted to kill my father and his retainers. Although they still seemed quite poor, it was a longs ways off from the unimaginable time when they were nothing but skin and bones with empty eyes. They¡¯ve improved thanks to the earl.


    However, the number of villagers that seemed joyed at seeing me were rather limited in number, I saw quite a few people who didn¡¯t even try to conceal how much hatred was in their eyes directed at me.


    I guess they still can¡¯t forgive the fact that I¡¯m a Cardia.


    I didn¡¯t let it affect the smile on my face, and continued leading the parade as I had practiced in training. No matter which village we moved on to, there was a complicated mix of feelings directed at me.


    I thought back to when the earl had just constructed the barracks. Now, the soldiers¡¯ murderous intent towards me had faded, their attitudes toward me had gradually eased up from the point of seeming to want to tear me apart with their eyes.


    Much like that time, the people are taking out their hatred of my father through me. The eyes say what the mouth doesn¡¯t, is a phrase I suddenly remembered. Everyone¡¯s bitter expressions testified to the veracity of that phrase, as they couldn¡¯t forgive me for being the daughter of that cruel, unforgivable domain lord.


    However, at the same time, they also seemed to be at a loss for what to do, and had expectations. After all, it was unmistakeable that my guardian Earl Terejia had been the people¡¯s savior. Therefore, the domain¡¯s people saw not only my father in me, but also the earl. And, because two opposites overlapped, they were lost.


    For the domain¡¯s soldiers to finally look out for me, it had taken three months before they got used to me. I wonder how long it¡¯ll be for my domain¡¯s people.


    They can¡¯t see the work that¡¯s being done in the domain lord¡¯s mansion. I wonder how long it¡¯ll take for my people to approve of me as the domain lord.


    Although on the surface it appeared to be glamorous, joyful revelry, on the inside everyone was actually fully tensed up. There was nobody else who was going to relieve the tension. Otherwise, there wouldn¡¯t have been a point to the earl¡¯s preparing this birthday celebration. I¡¯m a bit amazed at my own wishful thinking, but I still think it¡¯s something worth doing.


    The final village we were visiting, Shiriru village, had a strange kind of tension to it as expected, just like all the other villages. No¡­¡­ The atmosphere seemed to be heavier in this village, to the point where I could feel like murderous intentions were stabbing at me through the air.


    Because Shiriru village is the village that¡¯s the farthest away from the area under direct control, reconstruction has been the slowest here. In other words, the benevolent influence that the earl had was very limited.


    Although the villagers had made a sparse runway of flowers along the parade¡¯s path, their expressions seemed more like they were cursing rather than celebrating, it was severely depressing. With the hostility of the villagers, I felt so tense that it gnawed away at me. To them, their hatred towards my father is not merely a thing of the past. It¡¯s to the point where it¡¯s like a lump lodged in their chests.


    ¡°¡­¡­You alright?¡±


    Kamil beside me was worried about me and asked how I was in a low voice, but I only shook my head slightly in reply. Even though the temperature was still chilly, I had a bad feeling about things and sweat was trickling down along my cheeks to my chin.


    ¡°I¡¯ll report to the earl. We need to take a break after leaving this village.¡±


    ¡°Sorry about this.¡±


    Even though my response was an apology, Kamil ignored my ambiguous reply and headed for the soldier ranks in the front where the earl was. I was slightly relieved that Kamil had showed some concern for me, and my breathing had improved without my realizing it from the shallow breaths I was taking earlier.


    At that moment, there was a sudden commotion from the people lined up towards the right. Right when I thought something had happened and turned to look, half of my vision turned black from a shadow hurtling towards me.


    ¡°Uu!!¡±


    Along with a dull thud, pain ran along my forehead from the shock of the impact. At dealing with something unexpected, my body swayed, and I unconsciously grabbed onto the reins.


    Ah, when I remembered it was already too late. Since I had suddenly pulled on the reins, my horse neighed and stood up on its hind legs. I was being shaken about so quickly that I couldn¡¯t see clearly, and soon, my body was midair.


    My back slammed into the ground, knocking my breath out of me. I couldn¡¯t breathe due to the impact, and along with a strong ringing in my ears, my consciousness was fading.


    A large number of people were shouting something. In my blurry vision, I saw lots of metallic silver from the soldiers glittering around me.


    What had happened. A rock had been thrown at me.


    Who threw it. The villagers. Someone from Shiriru village.


    Due to a lack of oxygen, I was panting. The soldiers had drawn their swords. The strained tension from earlier had been completely cut. Both soldiers and villagers were panicking.


    Don¡¯t kill them, is what I tried saying. Since I was out of breath, my voice wouldn¡¯t come out. I dug into the dirt with my nails out of impatience.


    Don¡¯t kill. Don¡¯t kill anyone. If someone is killed now, a grudge shall remain. I could hear the earl¡¯s voice repeating this many times, although it was muffled and distant.


    That¡¯s right. Don¡¯t kill anyone. If anyone is killed here today, all the work that¡¯s been accomplished over the past four years will be destroyed in an instant.


    Did my voice come out or not. I don¡¯t know anything else that happened, as I just kept saying don¡¯t kill them over and over again in my mind with my consciousness fading.

 Ch 12

    ¡°- Eliza-sama!!¡±As if I had just emerged from underwater, my five senses suddenly became clear all at once. The first thing I saw was Kamil¡¯s pale face, then it was the blue sky behind him. At the same time, I heard a dozen people making such a commotion that I couldn¡¯t make out anything that was being said.


    My head hurts so much. It especially hurts if I move, I wonder if I have a concussion. It¡¯s quite possible because I fell off of my horse.


    ¡°¡­¡­Kamil?¡±


    ¡°Nobody¡¯s died, or even been injured. With the exception of you. It¡¯s because a certain someone was moaning don¡¯t kill them so much.¡±


    He immediately gave me a straightforward report, probably trying to give me peace of mind. For now, it¡¯s enough that I know this much. Kamil wiped my forehead with a wet cloth using his fingertips, and looked at me in silence. I felt as sluggish as if I had just been sprinting with all my might.


    I¡¯ve been transported without me realizing it, I seem to be lying down on a flat stretch of ground close to the river outside of Shiriru village. Judging from the position of the sun, it doesn¡¯t seem like all that much time has passed.


    On top of my heart still beating like crazy, even though I had slammed into my back, I couldn¡¯t feel any pain there. Although I had only remained conscious for several seconds after the rock hit my forehead, but leaving the village in all that chaos¡­¡­ It probably took a minimum of at least ten minutes. I don¡¯t know what happened during that time, but it seems like nothing big or shocking occurred.


    As if to surround me, soldiers were resting all around me. I could hear the high pitched shrieks of children, but it was too bothersome to turn my neck.


    ¡°Ahh, Charlie is really such a blockhead.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s with that, suddenly.¡±


    After he finished wiping down my wounds, Kamil abruptly sighed. In this incident, I wonder if there really had been something I¡¯d done that I¡¯d be called a blockhead.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been clawing really hard. This is going to hurt later.¡± S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Kamil pointed at my left hand which he had just wiped as he said so. ¡­¡­Come to think of it, rather than pain, it does seem like there¡¯s a sense of discomfort. I had probably used too much strength when I was digging into the dirt with my nails earlier. I really don¡¯t have anything to say in response to being called a blockhead, because it was indeed a silly injury.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to go wash this cloth. Although the soldiers will be guarding you and you won¡¯t be alone, you definitely can¡¯t just do as you please right now, okay?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Even without you saying that, I can¡¯t even stand up by myself right now. I¡¯ll behave and just rest right here.¡±


    I watched Kamil leave with the cloth, and finally let go of my breath. With my back, fingers, and forehead, the pain was gradually subsiding, and since the chaos in Shiriru village had been resolved without a single injury, I was able to breathe a sigh of relief.


    When I had fallen off my horse, in combination with their accumulated fatigue and tension, the soldiers had completely lost their direction without leadership.


    If they had misused their military power and weapons, they might have affected others not connected to the person who had thrown the rock. If that had happened, the domain would have been endangered. Just because one of the villagers had thrown a rock, that would be no reason to indiscriminately attack the villagers under one¡¯s domain.


    After four years of effort by the earl, the energy and willpower that father had sapped from the people was finally returning. However, the people still had a sense of distrust for the nobility, and especially since I was a Kaldia, their hatred for me continued.


    The people had survived the hellish man-made disaster wrought by my father, but it wouldn¡¯t be strange at all if they had tried to take revenge on me and kill me, this territory is currently under a very fragile balance.


    Really, it¡¯s good that nobody was killed. ¨C No, there might be one person that will be killed.


    On the other side of the soldiers that were resting, was a child who had been endlessly screaming and trying to escape from his restraints, causing a commotion. Even for the earl, he probably couldn¡¯t predict a child¡¯s actions. The rash behavior of children was supposed to be suppressed by adults, but not accounting for orphans had been his failure.


    By the time Kamil returned, my headache felt slightly better, and I was somehow able to sit up by myself. I stood up borrowing the strength of Kamil¡¯s arm, and asked him to take me to the child who was crying and screaming. Although he frowned, Kamil lent me his arm without saying anything.


    The one who threw the rock at me had been an orphan from Shiriru village. The father was unknown, since the mother had gotten pregnant during ¡°forced labor,¡± and the child¡¯s mother had been so upset about it that she had committed suicide soon after giving birth.


    I forced down my dizziness and nausea, and I looked straight into the child¡¯s cloudy eyes. The child¡¯s arms were being held down by soldiers, and was a thin kid in poor shape. The child¡¯s malnourished body seemed even younger than me. In the child¡¯s dark eyes, was unconcealable murderous intent and a desperate desire to break free from the adults.


    ¡°Did you throw the rock, simply because I¡¯m the daughter of a Kaldia? Or did you have some other reason?¡±


    ¡°Why would there be any other reason!? It would have been better if you¡¯d died as well four years ago!¡±


    The child shouted until even the voice became raspy and hoarse, sounding much lower than a child should. When I thought about how this was a legacy that my father had left me, I almost felt like laughing at the disgusting situation.


    In order to stop the raging child from resisting, the soldiers had pinned the child¡¯s arms to the ground. Although the skinny child seemed like a withered tree branch on the ground, but there was no fear at all. How resolute.


    ¡°What, you think it¡¯s funny? You were only a baby back then, so you think whatever your damned dad did had nothing to do with you?¡±


    The child¡¯s voice traveled low along the ground. It¡¯s almost praiseworthy how clear the malice and murderous intent are. If it weren¡¯t for the soldiers around, the glare indicated that there was a possibility of actually acting on it.


    ¡°Is that really so?¡±


    ¡°While you were drinking your milk and sleeping every day, how many people do you think died?¡±


    It should have nothing to do with me. After all, when I was two, I was being comfortably raised up by that disgusting excuse for a lord. If even that¡¯s a crime, to the point of being hated where people think it would have been better if I had died, that¡¯s so childish that it¡¯s hilarious. Well, it¡¯s as expected of a child who hasn¡¯t even reached ten yet.


    In this world, the system of extending complicity for a crime to the criminal¡¯s family members is used. For heinous criminals, the entire family would be executed, and even babies in different households, if they were nieces or nephews, would be included. Under that logic, it is indeed strange that I¡¯m still alive.


    ¨C But, what of it. Since I¡¯m currently alive as an exception to the norm, I have no intentions whatsoever of committing suicide because of drowning in guilt, or allowing myself to be killed by the people in my domain.


    ¡°72.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­Eh?¡±


    ¡°From the time since I was born, I know about 72 people in this domain that have died. 23 died while being sent off as ¡®labor¡¯ to other territories, 11 died of natural causes, and 6 have gone missing. What of it?¡±


    If the child really insists that the people that have died since I was born is my fault, I¡¯ll just accept it for now.


    I had first recalled my previous life¡¯s memories a bit before I turned one. Horrible things such as murder, everything rotten known to man were the foolish ideals here, I had spent a year watching the lives of the people being spent as if they were disposable consumables.


    After that is when I had found the poisonous hemlock by the edge of the pond close to the garden. The soup for the domain lord¡¯s family had been placed in a corner of the kitchen for cooling after it was prepared, and there had only been two cooks left alive of the original seven in the kitchen, so sneaking in had been simple. The ingredients that father had collected for his own tasting, it was forbidden for the commoner cooks to even think of tasting them, and anyone caught would not be forgiven and killed.


    After I had obtained the poison, because I had hesitated about using it for so long, close to 40 more people died. That might be said to be my crime, but who¡¯s going to know?


    ¡°That¡¯s, that¡¯s!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m alive. The fact that I¡¯m alive means, I don¡¯t want to die. Let me ask you back. Why do you think I still haven¡¯t killed you yet?¡±


    I released Kamil¡¯s arm that I had been supporting myself with, and pulled out his ceremonial dagger from his waist. Even though its thin blade was decorative, it was still sharp enough to slice through a person¡¯s skin.


    In those cloudy dark eyes, I saw fear for the first time.

 Ch 13

    ¡°You probably haven¡¯t even thought about the possibility of getting killed, right?¡±I grabbed the child¡¯s hair and pressed it into the ground much like I would with an insect. After pulling away the hair and exposing the throat, I pressed the point of the blade against it.


    The child gulped down a breath. Even so the child kept glaring resolutely, how courageous for a child this age.


    ¡°According to the words of the shrine maiden Xia Fema, sinners must be made to atone for their crimes with the appropriate punishment, in order to cleanse the soul of impurities. Then, how about if I immediately give you the death penalty here?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­If you¡¯re going to kill me, stop acting so pompous and hurry up with it already. Something like that, would have been nothing at all to your mom!¡±


    Although the sentiment is admirable that the child was still so spirited while barking at me, it¡¯s foolish.


    ¡°- Put this child in the basement dungeons. It would be bad to spill blood during the festival.¡±


    I returned the dagger to Kamil, and left the child¡¯s line of sight. The child was somewhat clever and impertinent, but I know well now that this person¡¯s just a simple child. Yes, and on the surface Kamil seemed obedient and respectfully lowered his head, and with his instructions the soldiers began tying the child up with rope.


    ¡°What¡¯s this! In the end, you couldn¡¯t even kill me!¡±


    While twisting around and trying to escape from the soldiers, the child was still shouting. I ignored all of it, and called out to Kamil again.


    ¡°Haul fifteen people from the village that have some relation to this child to the mansion. It¡¯s fine even if they are children.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Wh¡­¡­ What! The villagers have nothing to do with this!¡±


    The child suddenly went berserk in a frenzy, and I laughed inside. Once again I ignored it, and I indicated to the soldiers that they should carry it out immediately. Before long, I could no longer hear the child¡¯s voice due to a cloth gag.


    ¡°¡­¡­What do you intend to do with that child? Charlie.¡±


    Kamil held out his arm without me having to say anything, but maybe it¡¯s because he¡¯s interested or something, he asked me that with an emotion I couldn¡¯t quite identify in his voice.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know the answer to that question yet, since I haven¡¯t decided upon it myself. For the time being, I¡¯ll talk about it with the earl first. We can¡¯t have the original plans for the birthday celebration get even more off track.¡±


    While being supported by Kamil, I headed for the earl who was only a little off in the distance from us.


    The soldiers¡¯ bodies seemed to be rather rigid, as I took his hand. After witnessing my exchange where I confronted the child, staring directly into the eyes, sharp gazes were aimed at me. They seemed to be somewhat frightened and on guard against me. Perhaps in their hearts they¡¯ve gotten farther away from me again.


    However, this would have been necessary someday. I can¡¯t always be seen by them as a child that they can be overly familiar with. I¡¯m not a child that they can get emotionally attached to, it¡¯s necessary to make them recognize and admit me as their lord that¡¯s supposed to be their leader.


    ¡­¡­Since it seems rather difficult, I¡¯m getting a little depressed. I¡¯ve gotten carried away by the mood, I wonder if this is fortunate or unfortunate.


    The sun indicated that it¡¯s now sometime in the afternoon. We¡¯ve finally returned to the mansion, and the soldiers¡¯ eyes were shining at the feast that had been prepared for them. The first day of my birthday celebration is supposed to be for the people. The afternoon had been marching around the villages, providing the people with food and drink, for the sake of the villagers. At night, to thank the soldiers for their efforts, there would be a banquet at the mansion.


    Considering the incident that had happened earlier in the day, it was decided to end the festivities immediately after the customary gift exchanging. It would probably be good for the soldiers as well to end things quietly without a fuss. They weren¡¯t drinking wine and remaining sober like children, looking down on the ground with cold eyes, it was clearly as if water had been poured over the mood of the feast.


    With help from Mrs. Galton, I changed out of the tight, formal knight attire and back into a comfortable tunic and dalmatic. The dalmatic wasn¡¯t decorated with high class accessories, but it had a complicated weave pattern. The people hate it when the nobility are too luxurious. In order to avoid unnecessary backlash, the earl had decided to not use jewelry to decorate my outfit, but spent more money on tailoring the cloth instead.


    After I finished getting dressed I supported myself against the door, and raised my voice to Mrs. Galton who was tidying up my formal wear. Recently she had gotten worse about trying to make me into her idea of a traditional girl. In her home region of Greenfield, the ideal girl was considered to be a housewife that didn¡¯t go out and work, and she seems to be seriously trying to apply that type of education to me. Although I am a girl, but before that the education necessary for a domain lord should be much more important.


    ¡°I¡¯m going out for a bit. Remain here.¡±


    ¡°Eliza-sama, where¡­¡­ are you going by yourself?¡±


    I pulled away from the hand that Mrs. Galton held out in offer to me, walked briskly out and quickly closed the door behind me. As long as I got a little distance between me and Mrs. Galton, she¡¯ll never find me. She¡¯d never imagine that I¡¯d be going to the basement dungeons.


    The basement dungeons here in the mansions, had been wastefully expanded immensely by my father. Its area was about equal to the entire first floor. Since the stones here in the dungeon have had their fill of blood in the past twenty years, the air down here felt dreadfully gruesome. The stone walls appeared slightly wet under the light of the candle flames, giving an appalling reminder that these walls have been coated in blood many times over. It seems that the rough stone walls have been used in the past to ¡°grate¡± people with.


    The child was crouching in a small individual jail cell with clean stone walls. In this dungeon that¡¯s always dark even when it¡¯s daylight outside, it would whit away at anyone¡¯s spirit. After all, human beings are instinctively afraid of the dark.


    ¡°Get up.¡±


    At my sudden line, the child¡¯s face raised in response. The expression on the child¡¯s face was exhaustion rather than the hatred shown for me earlier.


    ¡°¡­¡­What did you come here for?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve come to see you.¡±


    The child¡¯s voice had no more of the spirit from the daytime, it was slightly bitter instead.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to be executed as soon as the festivities are over. As complicity for your crime, the village mayor who had hired you, as well as his daughter, and the woman named Marley whose house you¡¯ve been living in, and her two children as well are going to be executed along with you.¡±


    I forced down the bitter taste as I mentioned the punishment, and my voice came out colder than I expected.


    ¡°¡­¡­What, why?¡±


    ¡°You ask why? What you just did was attempted assassination of Arxian nobility, since I¡¯m the Viscountess and lord of the domain here. Adding in the crime of treason, you¡¯re now considered a heinous criminal. Surely you didn¡¯t think that this would end simply as a child throwing a rock at another child?¡±


    The child who was hugging their knees in the back of the jail cell was now shaking and started moving. Slowly crawling towards me, the child¡¯s glittering dark eyes seemed like that of a specter¡¯s. The child gripped the iron bars of the cell tightly, and focused on me with a terribly calm expression.


    ¡°Even though you know that you¡¯re a criminal, you¡¯re going to punish the people in your domain to preserve your honor?¡±


    ¡­¡­At that question which came from such a small child¡¯s mouth, I was both surprised and found it laughable. What a precocious child. This child¡¯s head was burning with a sense of righteous justice, but a lack of knowledge had invited misfortune.


    ¡°Is dying that scary? Or is it painfully tough that you¡¯ve gotten those around you involved? Or maybe both?¡±


    I tried my best to repress my slight smile as I asked. The child was glaring at me with eyes that wanted to shoot me dead, but for some reason I find it rather fun.


    ¡°You caused all this with your own foolishness. Your punishment is in complete accordance with the law. Maybe I should take up my father¡¯s hobby and take pleasure in harming the domain¡¯s people.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­What?¡±


    ¡°A country¡¯s laws, is there to protect its people. That would include the nobility as well. The nobility aren¡¯t regular people, they¡¯re the gears that move this country. ¡­¡­If foolish people forget that and try to hurt others, this country could be destroyed. Such as my father.¡± Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Since this child hasn¡¯t received any education, I don¡¯t know if the true meaning of my words will be understood. I wonder just how impactful the ideas I borrowed from my previous life would be as a test. I didn¡¯t say anything else, and immediately turned around and left the child in the dungeon.

 Ch 14

    On the second day of my birthday celebration, a priest from the church would perform a ceremony to receive blessings. As soon as their plain horse-drawn carriage arrived in the morning, just like yesterday, today¡¯s plans went out the window.¡°This is¡­¡­ Faris-dono¡­¡­¡±


    As soon as he saw the priest get off the horse-drawn carriage, Earl Terejia raised his voice questioningly. Faris? The priest that was coming today should have been named Almenes. Even more surprising, was how shocked Earl Terejia had sounded at seeing Faris and the earl respectfully lowering his head. They must be quite a high-ranking priest.


    Just before the priest bowed, our eyes met for an instant. The priest¡¯s pupils were absolute pure black, it raised goosebumps on my flesh.


    The priest was dressed in white priest robes and a veil, with a black shawl on the shoulders, and was holding a sword and staff taller than their body in their hands, both age and gender were difficult to determine.


    The head of the staff was decorated with a triangular symbol that represented balance scales, and the circlet that was holding their veil had an ornament that resembled having a third eye on the forehead. The balance scales were meant to judge a person¡¯s good deeds against their bad deeds, the eye was a symbol of how the Xia church could see through one¡¯s sins, and the sword represented punishment and order, and the god Misorua would give blessings.


    ¡°Siegmund. It¡¯s been a while.¡±


    The voice seems a little too low for a woman, but slightly too high for a man. The gender is getting even harder to determine. When Kamil took the person¡¯s shawl for them, although he made a mockery of what a page was supposed to do, even though I could see the priest¡¯s shoulder line, as expected I still couldn¡¯t determine their gender.


    ¡°What happened to Almenes-dono?¡±


    ¡°Around this time of year, he¡¯s been busy everywhere helping pray for the success of the spring festivities. Because of his accumulated fatigue, I¡¯m replacing him today.¡±


    Their skin and face still seemed young like a teenager¡¯s, but their tone and attitude seemed like that of an old person. But why is it that there seems to be no sense of incongruity.


    The two of them walked towards the mansion in silence. The priest named Faris had closed their eyes right after getting off the horse-drawn carriage and greeting the earl, without paying attention to me. Since even the earl is allowing this, I wonder just how high-ranking this priest is.


    There were distinctions between priests, monks, and other clergymen. Priests are given their positions by the king, and would carry out various rituals for both the royal palace and temples, they belong to both the royal palace and the church. Since the earl is ignoring the fact that this priest didn¡¯t even deign to greet me, a Viscountess, the priest must be at least at the level of a temple head or chief priest¡­¡­ Comparing it with noble ranks, at least a senior earl in rank. I wonder why such an important person would take the place of their subordinate and come all the way out here.


    ¡°When will the ceremony be?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s planned for noon.¡±


    Faris walked with long strides, at a fast pace. It¡¯s impressive how fast the priest¡¯s walking considering the difficulty of doing so with the length of the robe¡¯s hems, and that they¡¯re not walking so fast to the extent of being rude. Since I¡¯m a child, sometimes people forget about that and I can¡¯t keep up.


    ¡°Until then, is it alright if I take a look at the garden?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Of course.¡±


    Earl Terejia glanced at me. He probably wants me to return to the mansion first. If the priest wants to see the garden, it might mean that they have something to talk about. Otherwise, since the earl probably has more preparations to finish, it might be better though if somebody else had guided the priest.


    Because of his status, Kamil hadn¡¯t said a single word this entire time, and we saw off the two of them to the garden.


    In the Mansion of Golden Hills, there is no prayer room. Normally, it should be found in every domain lord¡¯s residence, but¡­¡­ Several generations ago the Kaldia family head seems to have destroyed it, but because records of that time were few, no details remained. Because such a thing happened, I¡¯m also interested in knowing why we haven¡¯t been excommunicated from the church yet.


    Since there wasn¡¯t enough money to construct a new church here, the ceremony this time would be performed in a small church that¡¯s in the area under direct control. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The servants in the mansion had worked on cleaning here, so the church was nice and tidy. Inside, it resembled the chapels in my previous world¡­¡­ I think. It felt a bit western and religious somehow, is all I knew.


    Although I feel like it resembles a chapel, I actually don¡¯t remember most of the features in detail. After having spent six years already in a completely different world and culture, my previous life¡¯s memories were becoming vague.


    In the innermost part of the church was an altar. The altar was also decorated with a large sword and scales, and the symbol of the Ar Xia church, the third eye, was drawn on the tiles of the walls.


    To me who had almost nothing to do with anything religious in both my previous life and this one, I couldn¡¯t help but feel like this was all very strange. Or maybe it¡¯s simply because the distorted light coming down from the stained glass skylight was too dazzling for me.


    White cloth had been used generously for my own vestments. Since it had been made especially for this ceremony, there were no decorations and it wasn¡¯t ornate, and the length of my skirt and veil were just long enough to drag on the ground. I did my best to put up with the weight while progressing to the altar. There, the priest Faris was waiting for me with a staff and sword in each of their hands.


    This ceremony was attended by very few people as most didn¡¯t know the details, it was just the presiding priest, the person that would receive the blessing, the person¡¯s guardian if they were a minor, and a non family member as a ¡°witness,¡± were all that were considered necessary for the good of the ceremony.


    Because it was considered necessary for a person to eliminate their sins in order to receive the blessings of the gods, the ceremony also included a ritual where the sins of the person being blessed would be judged. That¡¯s why this ceremony was highly confidential compared to the others.


    The state church of Arxia is the Ar Xia church. The sects belonging to this religion, are collectively considered part of the Xia religion. A millennium ago, St. Ahar had created the Ar Xia Holy Kingdom, creating the Xia religion¡¯s largest faction, the Ar Xia church, and since St. Ahar had been a direct descendant of the Xia church¡¯s founder, the shrine maiden Xia Fema, it seems that they often called themselves the orthodox church.


    Common between all of the Xia sects, were the concepts of sin, punishment, and law. In all the Xia sects, the holy words that the founder Xia Fema had left behind, the ¡°Sacred Code,¡± was treated as the holy scriptures of the church. This book had contained an advanced law system that¡¯s being used even today, and keeping order in society and living life with reason and ration is what Xia emphasizes.


    The priest tapped me on my feet, shoulders, and forehead.


    ¡°And now I shall begin the ceremony of blessing. Daughter of Kaldia, Eliza, raise your face and know your sins.¡±


    I raised my head according to Faris¡¯s directions. The dishes of the scales on the altar, the left one indicated sins, and the right side represented virtues, it was customary for the nobility with their own territories to put the ¡°Sacred Code¡± on the left side, and grains on the right side.


    ¡­¡­That¡¯s why, when I saw what was actually there, my breath stopped for a moment.


    On top of a piece of parchment in the left dish, was a sprig of poisonous hemlock. On top of the bundle of golden wheat in the right dish, was another sprig of poisonous hemlock for some reason. As if hiding in its shadow, a withered, tiny flower was there as well.


    My heart was beating so hard it was painful. I suddenly choked, because I had forgotten to breathe. I felt a shock as if I had been hit in the head.


    ¡°The scales are tilted to the right. This makes up for your sins. Confronting your own sins shall be your punishment.¡±


    My brain felt completely numb, and Faris¡¯s voice swirled dully around me. Earl Terejia softly tapped me on my back as I just kept staring at the scales in a daze, and finally I was able to breathe again after having my breath caught in my throat.


    A sprig of poisonous hemlock had been placed on both dishes. Its bright green color attracted my gaze.


    Since when was it known? Why was it known? Was it Earl Terejia who knew? Or was it the priest Faris that knew somehow?


    At the fact that somebody definitely knew about my major crime, my body trembled. As if my heart was filled with ice water, I felt my hands and feet turning ice cold first instead of my head which was still numb.


    ¡°Never shall you forget your own sins. ¨C Now then, you shall receive Misorua¡¯s blessings.¡±

 Ch 15

    When the ceremony finished and I was allowed to leave, I immediately collapsed onto Kamil¡¯s arm. What¡¯s this, said the earl in an incomplete sentence as he met my eyes. As I saw my reflection in his quiet eyes, I forced a sound out of my throat.¡°Since I¡¯m still young, this ceremony really tired me out. I¡¯m going to get some good rest.¡±


    From behind me, Faris¡¯s laughter seemed to catch up to my back and chase me. I felt an uncanny sense of fear, and even though I knew it was unseemly, I clung tightly to Kamil.


    The left dish of the scales represented my ¡°sins.¡± That piece of parchment had listed the names of the 72 people in my domain that had died after I was born. And, the leaves of that poisonous hemlock. The people that I had let down, and my own parents and siblings. If that¡¯s my sin, I fully understand.


    Since I had told them I wasn¡¯t feeling well, Kamil bid them goodbye for me, and set a quick course back to the mansion in order to get me some rest as soon as possible. I didn¡¯t the ability right now to think of anything, and I clenched onto him so tightly that my hands hurt. My fingertips were turning pale from a lack of blood circulation, and my nails that I had injured yesterday from clawing the dirt were beginning to hurt.


    ¡°Charlie, calm down.¡±


    As if he could see something was wrong with me, Kamil tapped me gently on the back. That prodded me to loosen my grip on him. I should stop hurting my own body in vain just because I was in a state of confusion, but I was still filled with unpleasant feelings.


    ¡°¡­¡­I don¡¯t know what Charlie¡¯s sins are, but your sins have been forgiven, and I¡¯ve ascertained that you¡¯ve properly received the blessings. Come on, take a deep breath.¡±


    Alright, it¡¯s fine, as Kamil shook my hand gently, giving some relief to the bitter taste in my mouth that had been spreading. Simply seeing me as a mere child and protecting me, his sweetness at this time made me think maybe he wasn¡¯t such a terrible fellow after all.


    Even though my sins are rather unforgivable, that priest had said that my sins were compensated for. The church is in charge of the justice system in this country, meaning my crime would not be called into question after what happened just now. However, there had been nothing related to repenting for my sins on the scales earlier. The atonement for my sins might not be over yet. Since I was clenching my teeth too hard and the grinding was beginning to hurt, it jolted me out of this train of thought. Kamil kept tapping my back to help me take large, deep breaths, and I changed my line of thinking.


    So the crime that I¡¯m responsible for committing is now known, but it¡¯s unbecoming that you¡¯ve become so unsettled over this, Eliza Kaldia.


    By scolding myself, I calmed myself down, and went over everything in my mind that had frightened me.


    The ice coldness I had felt during the ceremony wasn¡¯t that strange, it was my brain sending orders to cool down my body as my blood was beginning to boil.


    It doesn¡¯t matter who that priest is.


    The problem is whether or not that priest intends to do something against me.


    Nor does it matter if everything about me had been exposed.


    No matter how much they know, it should be fine if I just act like a child and pretend to know nothing.


    ¡°Kamil, let me down.¡±


    My voice sounded ice cold when I spoke. Kamil who was just about to enter the vicinity of the mansion stopped his movements.


    ¡°¡­¡­Charlie?¡±


    ¡°Let me down. I¡¯ll walk by myself.¡±


    I looked at the shocked-seeming Kamil directly, and as if he was flinching from me, he slowly let me down from his arms.


    ¡°Thank you for your trouble in helping me. Sorry for showing you such an ungraceful appearance.¡±


    I looked at Kamil whose eyes were wide open and mouth was silent. Amongst the greenery, his red eyes seemed jarringly unnatural, and were glimmering with a color almost like blood.


    I suddenly woke up, and rose up in bed. The water clock indicated that the time was about midnight. I have no recollections of having changed into my nightclothes. In the end, the priest Faris¡¯s horse-drawn carriage had brought me back to the mansion, and I had been so fatigued that I probably fell asleep then and there.


    The side table by my bed had a silver pitcher of water and a plate of fruit placed on it. I only drank the water, and got down from my bedsheets. Even though my floor is carpeted, the cold still started transmitting from my bare feet. Night in springtime is quite cold.


    I put on an appropriate jacket and left my room. I headed straight for the basement dungeon. Why I was going there, I didn¡¯t even know myself.


    The chilly stone prison was just like a coffin. While my father had been alive, this had truly been a place for the dead.


    I had a sudden urge to destroy this dungeon, but I somehow managed to calm myself down. Even though there¡¯s probably no need for such an overly large dungeon, and it might be better to get rid of it, right now I need to cooly evaluate my actions and not give in to impulses.


    The child was in the back of the same jail cell as yesterday, and was sleeping in a thick and old blanket. How relaxed even though they might die tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. After thinking so, I was finally able to smile a bit.


    ¡°Whenever I come speak with you, I¡¯ve gotten into the habit of becoming overly prideful.¡±


    I could take a high-handed attitude against the child that¡¯s been imprisoned by me, but I could only escape with my tail between my legs when my secret was discovered by the adults, my own shallowness and foolishness made me angry. My smile that had appeared changed to self-deriding laughter.


    I gripped the cold iron bars so tightly that it hurt, and listened to the child¡¯s sounds of sleeping for a bit.


    ¨C The poisonous hemlock had been placed on both the left and right sides of the scales. On the same level as the sin of killing my entire family, having removed my wicked family was also recognized as a virtue. Even though my oldest sister had only been twelve years old, it¡¯s pathetic that people wanted her dead already. And now, when I¡¯m only half as old as she was, people are wishing me dead in the same way, I feel like that¡¯s pathetic as well ¨C my self-derision now changed into self-disdain after thinking about it.


    And then, I thought about the withered flower that had almost been hidden. The priest had picked a flower that was used for graves, what a terrible person.


    How rude to have toyed with my emotions like that. Having such an important evidence placed in front of me, I¡¯d gotten distraught. What were the goals of the priest who toyed with my mind, and the earl who had allowed it? In the cold, dark dungeon, my head remained cool.


    Nobody other than myself knows about what I¡¯ve done, so that means they have some way of revealing past sins, does this means I have no way of escaping from the atonement? ¨C Well, if that¡¯s what they want.


    I thought over the events in the church again in detail. Thinking about it now, it really wasn¡¯t something to have gotten so shaken up over. I felt angry, embarrassed, and disappointed about how distraught I¡¯d been.


    The earl was probably disappointed in me as well. The fact that the list of 72 people that had died was there, was definite proof that he had provided that piece of evidence. At thinking so, my shoulders involuntarily dropped in frustration.


    ¡°I¡¯ve found you!¡±


    A voice suddenly spoke up from behind me, shocking me and causing me to tense up. By reflex, I reached for the sword in my waist. Oh, this voice was Kamil¡¯s.


    When I squinted towards the dark entrance to the dungeons, in the dull light provided by the candles was the person I had expected.


    ¡°I mean, Charlie. Such a childish thing like running about outside your room at this time of night, if you were going to do it, couldn¡¯t you have started at an earlier age? It¡¯s suspicious because you¡¯re long past that age now.¡±


    Contrary to his words, his tone of voice was rather gentle.


    ¡°¡­¡­You seem to be confused, since I am a child?¡± S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°A regular kid you know, should have ran around, laughed, and cried more. You never say anything, you¡¯re very observant, always obedient, and the fact that you can suppress your own feelings is incredible.¡±


    Kamil didn¡¯t hide his own incredulous attitude as he kept approaching me. Am I going to be brought back? I instinctively gripped the iron bars of the jail cell even tighter. I still wanted to think about various things here for a little longer.


    But contrary to what I expected, Kamil stopped once he reached in front of me and simply put something on my shoulder. It was a slightly heavy woolen cloak that worked well during the winter. My clothes alone hadn¡¯t been enough to keep out the cold, but with this the cold air could no longer permeate through the clothing and reach my skin.


    ¡°If I¡¯m bothering you, I¡¯ll wait outside.¡±


    Kamil suddenly chuckled. Why is it that, my throat suddenly hurt so badly.


    ¡°¡­¡­No, you don¡¯t have to leave, won¡¯t you stay here with me for a little while?¡±


    I had to squeeze those words out of my throat, but when they came out they sounded so soft and faint.

 Ch 16

    It¡¯s the third and final day of my birthday celebration. In the halls that were normally empty, and the garden were quite a few people I didn¡¯t know. They were nobles from neighboring domains, and various nobles connected to Earl Terejia in some way. Although I know their names, it¡¯s my first time meeting them.I killed my family at an early age, and I hadn¡¯t even gone out from the area under direct control until the day before yesterday, so I had no way of getting acquainted with other nobles. Having so many people gather here in the mansion, it¡¯s the first time that I can recall.


    From my second floor window, I could see a deluge of various colors. Since I¡¯m still a minor, the earl is taking care of greeting all the guests. The invited guests were waiting in the garden.


    ¡°That young man over there is Viscount Henznaut¡¯s only son. And, the person next to him in green formal knight attire is one of Earl Genas¡¯s sons.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re about at the age of graduating from school. If it continues to remain peaceful, it¡¯ll be beneficial for us to have good relations with them in the future.¡±


    Kamil stood next to me and helped me by providing information on the neighboring domains¡¯ nobles, since he had served as the earl¡¯s guard before during visits to other domains, he recognized them.


    The nobles from the royal capital were mostly lower-ranked nobles and nobles without their own lands, and having their children accompany them might be normal, but the smaller border domains¡¯ nobles often had commoners accompanying them instead. As a respectable noble from the royal capital, Earl Terejia who had a history of serving in the royal palace, whenever he visited neighboring domains, just like how he would have lower-ranking nobles serving him in the royal capital, he would bring servants along with him.


    And, because there weren¡¯t all that many chances to visit the neighboring domains, it¡¯s really convenient how Kamil had gotten to go along with the earl every time.


    Since it was plainly obvious, no matter how dumb Kamil was, since he was my retainer, the earl must have been trying to train Kamil and give him some experience. Today he¡¯s left Kamil by my side as well, which was probably something done on purpose.


    And so, while looking at the nobles from the window, the earl¡¯s servant Bellway suddenly came up the stairs. This man is capable of appearing unexpectedly at random. I wonder if it¡¯s a requirement to be able to walk extremely fast as the earl¡¯s secretary. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Eliza-sama, it seems that everyone has arrived.¡±


    ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll be there soon. Kamil, get Rashiok.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Eliza-sama.¡±


    In front of Bellway, Kamil didn¡¯t have his usual attitude, and I left him in charge of leading Rashiok. An extravagant mantle cascaded down from his shoulders.


    Today, just like always, I was wearing formal knight attire, and today¡¯s was less casual and more formal than usual. The only slightly informal part was my longcoat. However, my mantle was heavier than usual, and annoyingly, I would become winded if I moved my upper body too much, but there was no helping it. It would have been better if I could ride a horse like on the first day of my birthday celebration, when I had to walk, I suddenly felt my vexation increasing. I reflexively raised my right elbow to try and alleviate some of the weight, but Bellway softly chided me, saying ¡°bear with it, it¡¯s only for today.¡±


    ¡°Formal ceremonial wear is really so heavy.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s actually lighter than a dress. It¡¯s because the undergarments are heavier.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Bellway talked about women¡¯s undergarments like it was nothing, to which I couldn¡¯t reply and remained silent, as we headed downstairs to the first floor. At that moment, my attention was involuntarily caught by the face that appeared around the corner.


    ¡°Ahh, Eliza-sama!¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Galton¡­¡­¡±


    My voice sounded fed up, and although I wanted to come up with an excuse, there was no helping it. There was an abundant amount of soft, sheer fabric in her arms, and she was also holding onto a gaudy dress. Because today is the first day where I¡¯ll be introduced to all the nobles, she had implored for me to at least wear a dress on the occasion, and had appealed over and over to anyone and everyone without regards for who they were.


    ¡°Eliza-sama, ojou-sama. Please, please reconsider, if you appear in front of all those nobles dressed like that, isn¡¯t that just like you¡¯re declaring that you¡¯ll be working even though you¡¯re a girl!?¡±


    ¡°And is something wrong with that, Mrs. Galton?¡±


    I¡¯m really fed up with her gender discrimination. Naturally, my tone became rather harsh, and Mrs. Galton shrank back slightly from my pressure. I bet that Bellway behind me probably has a scary face as well.


    ¡°Without a doubt, I¡¯m the lord of this domain. I have no relatives, and I can¡¯t afford to leave everything about managing this territory to Earl Terejia for the entire remaining time until I graduate from school. He¡¯s already quite elderly, I don¡¯t know when I might lose his protection.¡±


    I don¡¯t have the free time to continuously listen to Mrs. Galton¡¯s meaningless petitions. Especially right now, when important noble guests are currently waiting for my arrival. It¡¯s very regrettable that my nanny who raised me was unable to discern the proper time and place for things.


    ¡°If that happens, I¡¯d have to govern this domain and its people entrusted to me by the king all by myself. That¡¯s why I¡¯m learning. That¡¯s why I¡¯ll be appearing in front of the nobles as I am. Or, is there a problem with that?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡­¡±


    Seeing that Mrs. Galton was lost for words, since I was in a hurry, I talked over her as I passed her by. She¡¯s become more heated recently. Since I¡¯ve grown and her duties as my nanny have been significantly reduced, I wonder if she¡¯s feeling frustration.


    Whatever the case may be, if she doesn¡¯t calm down a bit, she¡¯ll become more and more isolated within the mansion. It might seem odd if I try to seriously confront her about her views, but luckily Bellway feels the same way I do and keeps her in check.


    I could hear the band beginning to play their music. I stopped for a moment at the hallway door, to go over my appearance once more. Bellway reached out his hand, and slightly adjusted the position of my scarf.


    ¡°Your sharp words just earlier, were quite refreshing to hear. If Eliza-sama really thinks that, the earl-sama will be pleased to hear that as well.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Because I returned with an injury on the first day of my birthday celebration, I think it¡¯s made me more irritable. Mrs. Galton¡¯s actions, in her own way, are out of consideration for me and my future as well.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true.¡±


    Bellway didn¡¯t smile as he replied, and he entered the hall without saying another word, so I followed him without hesitation. When the doors opened, brightness filled the entire hall as lights were everywhere despite it being noon. I glanced everywhere around me, but could not feel any fragments of favor from their eyes. Well, it¡¯s nothing to falter over. After all, it¡¯s common to first meetings. I got used to it even though it¡¯s unpleasant. As expected of the guests gathered by the earl, there was no rude commotion to be heard from them at all.


    Since it¡¯s like this, while I can¡¯t completely put aside the issue with Mrs. Galton, I decided to give up defending her. It¡¯ll be terrible for me later if I¡¯m inattentive and make a blunder.


    Earl Terejia brought me around, and introduced me to the noble guests. Among the Arxian nobility, there are customs and manners that must be observed when introducing someone to one¡¯s acquaintances for the first time. It¡¯s that I¡¯m not supposed to do anything as the guest of honor, and someone else shall introduce you to everyone. Meaning, I was limited from directly greeting people. I was introduced to nobles from domains we had dealings with, domains that we could build relationships with in the future, our neighboring domains, and nobles from the royal capital that the earl has known for a long time.


    Since Kamil had been teaching me prior to this, remembering their names was a relatively smooth process. Guests from important domains that we would trade with such as Henznaut and Rogshia would have to be treated courteously, while I had to pay attention to not offend those from nearby strong domains such as Genas or Jugfena, it was quite tiresome.


    Among them, there was a young man who strangely didn¡¯t seem disagreeable to me. He seemed young, probably just a little past twenty years old. He had snow white skin that I¡¯d hardly ever seen since being born in this world, rare silver hair, and deep blue eyes. He must be from northwest of the royal capital, only the people from west of the Albus Mountains have such a special coloring, and my eyes were involuntarily drawn to him. He met my eyes, and broke into a faint smile. At his complete seeming lack of bad intentions, I actually started to think he was suspicious and only nodded back.


    ¡°Kamil, who¡¯s that person with the silver hair?¡±


    When Kamil took a look at the young man I was indicating at, he seemed to be a little lost for a bit, until he finally replied in a voice lacking confidence in the answer.


    ¡°¡­¡­I think that¡¯s Margrave Molton from the Foshubari region.¡±


    Foshubari¡­¡­ the most northwestern region of the kingdom. Since it¡¯s rather far away, I only know the rough outline of the geography in that region. He¡¯s really come quite a long ways just to visit this backwater domain belonging to a junior viscountess. It takes almost a month to come here using a horse-drawn carriage. As a margrave, I wouldn¡¯t think that he has all that much influence in the palace, so I don¡¯t know why the earl would have invited this man here.


    ¡°Would you like to go greet him?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Nah, it¡¯s fine.¡±


    Earl Terejia hadn¡¯t introduced him. Rather than spending time on him, I think I should be paying more attention to other nobles.


    And so I drove that beautiful silver color out of my mind, and went back to watching Earl Terejia. The young man continued watching me for a bit. I could see him out of the corner of my eye, he was the only one in this venue who had something like a slight, soft smile at me for some reason.

 Ch 17

    Because an orphan from Shiriru village in the Kaldia domain had thrown a rock at Viscountess Kaldia, and caused her to fall off her horse, several villagers were punished and had to take responsibility.The child that was the actual culprit in question was tied up in a jute sack and thrown into a river, while those that hired the child to do it, the people that the child was living with, and various other villagers associated were flogged in front of the other villagers. That was the rumor that reached the capital soon after my birthday celebration ended. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Kaldia domain has no particularly noticeable features about it. However, the scandal about the previous lord Orville Kaldia¡¯s atrocities, and the family¡¯s deaths by poisoning in which only the youngest daughter survived, causing Marquis Rittergau¡¯s younger brother to have to become her guardian, were some of the biggest events to be gossiped about by the nobles in the past thirty years, the gossipy nobles in the royal capital with too much leisure time all had their attention on the Kaldia domain.


    ¡°- and that seems to be the current overview of the Kaldia domain in the royal capital.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for your hard work, Kamil. Although it¡¯s within expectations, that they even know about the orphan incident means that the House of Lords really has nothing better to do than pay attention to what¡¯s going on here. It¡¯s depressing to think about that.¡±


    The other day, when the earl attended a meeting at the House of Lords, as part of the earl¡¯s retinue, Kamil had went along with him to the royal capital for the first time. Even though I¡¯m a noble, I still can¡¯t go to the House of Lords as I¡¯m only six. But this means that the earl finally intends to take me to the royal capital soon.


    The House of Lords, is like a government agency, which all Arxian nobility with peerage belong to. It¡¯s the highest level government body below the king, and it can do various legislative and administrative tasks apart from judicial ones which are left to the church.


    As an aside, thanks to the existence of the House of Lords, there were very few other places for Arxian nobles to socialize. Very little diplomacy or politics was actually conducted there, it¡¯s simply become a place for nobles to have fun and show off their power, far from the church¡¯s values of being contented with honest poverty.


    ¡°So that means Charlie¡¯s surprisingly delicate?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s this about surprisingly, how rude.¡±


    Kamil was just as imprudent as usual, and I began to massage the wrinkle between my eyebrows reflexively. I had said before that I would forgive his irreverence, and since I had memories of a previous life, I figured it would probably be easier to put up with Kamil¡¯s informal attitude rather than the alternative, I was finally able to organize my feelings recently.


    I briefly summarized what I had heard from Kamil and jotted it down on a piece of parchment, sorted it away simply on my writing desk, and got up from my chair. The sunlight shining through the thick window panes felt so warm, it was making me drowsy. Recently the chill of spring had been fading, the long hours of sunshine in the summer were arriving.


    I laid my head on Rashiok¡¯s belly while he was sleeping on the windowsill, feeling his smooth scales against my cheek as he breathed. Rashiok woke up with a snort of annoyance as his nap had been disturbed, but even so he stretched out a wing and covered my body. Before I¡¯d realized it, his wings had become wide enough to comfortably cover my small body. Even though his wings had only been the length of Kamil¡¯s arm when he came to this mansion, his growth rate is really quite something.


    ¡°Charlie, are you sleepy?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m just lying down for a bit. Let¡¯s go see how Elise is doing before noon.¡±


    ¨C The residents of the Mansion of Golden Hills changed immediately following my birthday celebration. My nanny was changed, two girls were welcomed as my companions, and Kamil got his own small room as well. However, one of the girls ¡°was sickly and had to recuperate right after she arrived.¡± ¨C That¡¯s the story.


    ¡°How¡¯s the food, Elise?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    In one of the innermost rooms of the mansion, I greeted the child that was lying in bed. Although I called her a child, she was actually three years older than me, and due to malnourishment she didn¡¯t seem older than me at all. Although she was now receiving good care every day, there was still something wild about her black hair, and her shining dark eyes were glaring at me. The gloves that covered her fingertips and the dress she was wearing don¡¯t seem to fit her image too well.


    ¡°The cook Nathan was worried about you and even went to the trouble of making it for you himself. If you don¡¯t properly eat your food, you won¡¯t have the energy to strangle me, ¡®Elise.¡¯¡±


    A jarring metallic sound resounded. From behind me, Kamil softly put a hand on my shoulder, hesitantly thinking to restrain me from something rash. On the bed of the dim room, the small child was trembling in anger.


    ¡°¡­¡­So annoying. Besides, my name¡¯s not Elise. I¡¯m Ratoka.¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s wrong. The orphan named Ratoka from Shiriru village has already been executed. You¡¯re Elise Cherstoka, my playmate companion, and a girl belonging to the Mansion of Golden Hills.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not it! ¡­¡­I¡¯ll definitely kill you someday!!¡±


    This time her chains were making a loud jingling sound. I laughed at her high-spirited appearance as she shouted at me. You¡¯ve gone overboard, Kamil indicated to me by squeezing my shoulder more firmly.


    ¡°You, in the end, you¡¯re just a coward who couldn¡¯t even kill me!¡±


    ¡°Well, I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about at all. You¡¯re such a precious companion of mine that¡¯s come to visit my mansion, why would I have you killed?¡±


    In anger, the child threw a pillow at me. However, since it was filled with light feathers it had little momentum, and it fell silently to the floor before it even reached me.


    ¡°Let¡¯s ask Nathan to prepare something that¡¯s easier to consume. Since she can¡¯t even get down from the bed, let¡¯s not make things too hard on her, right, ¡®Elise?¡¯¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡±


    As I listened to her yell, I wondered if she was going to burst a blood vessel, as I left the dim room. I used a cheap provocation, but as long as she eats, then it¡¯s fine.


    But next, just how long does Kamil intend to keep his hand on my shoulder? However, his hand did not leave on its own. When I looked at him to see what was going on, he hesitantly opened his mouth.


    ¡°¡­¡­Um, you know, Charlie. Why¡¯d you decide to specially place that child close to you? You really might be killed in your sleep.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m specially keeping her close. I¡¯m keeping her alive because her dark red eyes could be useful. You can fool people with hair color, but eye color is the one thing that can¡¯t be changed. Even if she won¡¯t become a trustworthy retainer, there¡¯s plenty of ways to use tools.¡±


    When I said that, I saw something that I¡¯d never seen before in Kamil¡¯s eyes. He furrowed his eyebrows while thinking something, but for some reason it didn¡¯t seem like he was condemning me. What is this feeling, I wonder. Even though I probably should have known it in my previous life, right now the current me had no idea.


    A strong gust of wind must have blown outside the window, the leaves of the trees suddenly made a loud rustling sound.


    ¡°¡­¡­If that¡¯s the excuse you¡¯re going to make to me, that means you don¡¯t think you need to tell me.¡±


    ¡°Then, I didn¡¯t kill her, in order to use her. Because I wanted her to acknowledge me, I placed her beside me. Are you satisfied now, Kamil.¡±


    Silence enveloped the hallway. Kamil¡¯s hand dropped from my shoulder, and I saw him clenching his fists tightly. It seemed as if he disliked me looking at him, and he averted his gaze. I wonder if he¡¯s disappointed in me at this late hour.


    He can think whatever he likes, and we continued under this strange atmosphere. This wasn¡¯t the only ¡°Elise¡¯s¡± room we were going to. As we walked on in unnatural seeming silence, something heavy suddenly landed on top of my head. It was loosely twirling around my hair, and I realized that it was Kamil¡¯s hand.


    From his hand that seemed like it was comforting me, I finally remembered the emotion I saw in Kamil¡¯s eyes earlier. It had been pity. Kamil had felt compassion for me. However, as for why he would pity me, I still have no idea.

 Ch 18

    As I was about to open the door, I could hear coughing from the other side. Cough, cough, it was dry coughing caused by asthma, it was a subdued female voice. I didn¡¯t enter this room rudely without announcing myself like I did with the earlier innermost room of the mansion, but knocked twice on the door first, and heard her say ¡°please come in.¡±¡°Excuse me for coming in. How are you feeling today, ¡®Elise¡¯-dono?¡±


    The other ¡°Elise¡¯s¡± room was much different, with a bright and airy interior, but the sound of coughing continued. On the bed was a girl who was sitting up. There was a rather tall maid who was running her hand up and down the girl¡¯s back, and she was looking this way.


    ¡°Eliza-sama.¡±


    ¡°Good afternoon, Maya. How is Elise-dono feeling today?¡±


    ¡°After coming to this mansion, she¡¯s gotten a little better.¡±


    In the meantime, the girl¡¯s coughing reduced a little, and her breathing got slower as her asthma attacks stopped. Although a bit messy, the girl¡¯s brown hair remained lustrous as her maid Maya brushed it for her, and the girl finally raised her head after the maid was done. It was completely unlike the bitter expression at seeing me that the other Elise had, she had a gentle smile.


    ¡°My apologies, Eliza-sama.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine.¡±


    Her name is Elise Sherstok, and she¡¯s the Stadel domain lord¡¯s niece from bordering north of the Kaldia domain. Although Viscount Stadel and I only greeted each other at my birthday celebration, he took a liking to the warmer climate in the Kaldia domain, and asked later if his sickly niece could come stay here to help her body recover. Elise¡¯s father, Baron Sherstok had land usage rights into my territory along part of the Kaldia domain, and he agreed to sell those back to us in exchange for taking in his daughter.


    By the way, in Arxia, only nobles have land ownership rights. Even so, only nobles with peerage have their own lands, for example a viscount with his own domain, would have the authority to govern and tax the people that live there. A baron would only be allowed to use the land, so other than areas under direct control, he would have to rent out land to use.


    The Stadel domain is a small territory at the feet of the Amon Nor Mountains, it¡¯s only known as a good place to avoid the heat during the summer, other than that it was just like the Kaldia domain in that it had no special products or noticeable features about it, the main difference being that there was a large difference in temperature.


    Viscount Stadel and Baron Sherstok had been looking for a warm location for Elise to recover in for many years, and since Earl Terejia is now in charge of governing the Kaldia domain, after consulting with him, we were the first to come to an agreement with them.


    Even diplomatically, because of my father, we had been isolated in all directions. There was no reason to refuse, and so we agreed to take in the other ¡°Elise¡± and had her brought over here by ship.


    ¡°If you ever have trouble with anything, please don¡¯t hesitate to let me know immediately.¡±


    ¡°Since everyone here treats me so well, I¡¯m having so much fun every day, so I think there¡¯ll be no need.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great to hear.¡±


    Her voice was thin due to the asthma, but Elise was very mild-mannered and ladylike as she made conversation with a smile. We talked about the flowers that Maya and the gardener Boriswaf had picked for Elise this morning, and made other such idle chatter until I left the room, by the time I finally left, Kamil who had waited outside all this time seemed to have a strained expression. I beckoned him silently with my hand, and we headed for the domain lord¡¯s office.


    After making sure we were far enough away from Elise¡¯s room, without having to ask him, he began his report to me as we continued walking without changing his pace.


    ¡°It seems that quite a number of refugees have reached Fort Jugfena.¡±


    ¡°The farmers with the Shiru tribe?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s an emergency summons from the House of Lords for a meeting. Not just the earl, Charlie as well.¡±


    ¡­¡­Me as well? Since Earl Terejia has all the rights to govern as a domain lord currently, to even be summoning me, I wonder if it¡¯s finally time to gather troops at Fort Jugfena. An uneasy feeling started swelling over me, and I quickened my pace reflexively.


    In the domain lord¡¯s office, Earl Terejia was busy putting away some documents, and his secretary Bellway was doing the same task with a serious expression on his face. There were several scrolls of blank parchment paper out, perhaps for emergency communications as several red homing pigeons were perched on the window.


    Red homing pigeons have innate homing abilities and are known for their vivid red color, as well as being the best species of messenger pigeon. Normally white pigeons are used for everyday communications, but red ones are used during emergencies to be able to tell the importance of the message at a glance. By the way, these birds, although they¡¯re called pigeons, they¡¯re actually about double the size of the pigeons from my previous world, since the window frame didn¡¯t have enough room on it, several birds were perched on the floor as well.


    ¡°You¡¯re here.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve heard that due to the mass influx of refugees, the House of Lords has summoned us.¡±


    ¡°It seems that the Shiru tribe themselves aren¡¯t that close to our borders just yet. That¡¯s a relief for the time being. The House of Lords meeting is in four days. It means that there¡¯s no need for haste just yet.¡±


    Even as he said that, Earl Terejia hurriedly tied a piece of parchment to a pigeon¡¯s legs, and sent it off. By reflex, Kamil and I both looked at each other in response to the contradiction between his words and actions.


    ¡°Then, what¡¯s with this situation?¡±


    ¡°At this bad timing, Viscount Galbaito has passed away. He was unmarried and left no children behind.¡±


    Ehh, a sound of surprise escaped from my throat. Viscount Galbaito¡¯s domain borders Kaldia to the south, his territory had been between mine and Margrave Genas¡¯s domain, he had been someone quite young who¡¯d just graduated school recently. Although I had heard that he was sickly, he had just come to my birthday celebration recently and greeted me.


    Without minding that I was lost for words at this sudden turn of events, Earl Terejia continued the conversation.


    ¡°The only person with inheritance rights to the Galbaito domain is Margrave Genas. Both his son and his nephew are currently in high-ranking positions at the royal palace. Now then, Eliza, what do you think will happen to the Galbaito and Kaldia domains?¡±


    I blinked at the sudden question. I get that Margrave Genas is going to inherit the Galbaito domain. That¡¯s because the Galbaito family was originally a branch family of the Genas family, and Margrave Genas had been Viscount Galbaito¡¯s father.


    Eleanor Galbaito had been Margrave Genas¡¯s second wife, and so their child had been adopted into the Galbaito family and taken their name, but Eleanor and both her parents, the previous Viscount were already deceased.


    ¡°It means that the Galbaito domain will be incorporated into the Genas domain. If that happens, then Kaldia will now border both the Jugfena royal domain and the Genas domain.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡±


    Earl Terejia nodded, and his eyes indicated that I should continue.


    ¡°¡­¡­We¡¯ll become the critical link in the supply chain against Rindarl.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not all. This emergency meeting will probably decide if the refugees flowing in will be officially accepted by our country. If that happens, it¡¯s almost certain that Kaldia will become the place to accept them.¡±


    ¡°If we take in the refugees, if that also leads to us extending protection to the Shiru tribe, it¡¯ll mean our domain will become directly involved in war, is that correct?¡±


    Earl Terejia silently confirmed my assumption.


    ¡°¡­¡­Is there something that even I can do?¡±


    ¡°Of course. If we¡¯re to be taking in refugees, preparations will be necessary. Because after the refugees, the Shiru tribe and Densel soldiers will be coming next. It¡¯ll be impossible for Kaldia to remain uninvolved.¡±


    I nodded at the earl¡¯s words, while Bellway brought a large pile of documents out onto the desk. There were so many documents that it was scary to look at, but Bellway managed all of them just like usual with a smile.


    ¡°Alright, Eliza-sama, please go over these documents here. They¡¯re contracts on cooperation with the neighboring domains. From these, please find and jot down everything related to defense cooperation with each domain on the parchment sheets here, it¡¯ll be a great help.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    Right as I sat in my chair, I saw Kamil working on yet another large pile of documents. To have both me and Kamil working on this, as expected it must be quite the imminent situation. Thinking that conflict with the neighboring country would likely become reality soon, my throat became dry.


    End of Act 1, Part 1


    Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Ch 19

    Act 1, Part 2Several chandeliers crafted of exquisite gold dangled from the ceiling of the great hall, even though it was crowded right now, looking at their luxuriousness, if there were fewer people here, this place would make a fine place for dancing. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The House of Lords is located in one of the royal palace¡¯s castles, the Arktoria Castle, and my mouth was wide agape at seeing how high the ceilings were. There were also stained glass windows with religious drawings and silver frames, giving various colors to the sunlight hitting the hall. This castle was only meant for national politics, and so because nobles are the ones who use this place the most, even the conference hall had such sparkling beauty and extravagance.


    ¡°Is it that unusual?¡±


    ¡°Well, a little.¡±


    Earl Terejia¡¯s voice from next to me brought me back to my senses. We¡¯re not here to take in the sights, and I hurriedly refocused myself.


    ¡°Marquis Rittergau has arrived. It will begin soon.¡±


    The earl pointed at the innermost desk. When I looked over there, besides Marquis Rittergau who was just about to sit down, there was also the commander-in-chief of the kingdom¡¯s armies, Marquis Rolentsor, the highest ranking noble, Archduke Dovadain, and various other high-ranking economic ministers and priests, all the prominent leading figures from the royal palace were there. Also among them were Margrave Genas, and the one in charge of Fort Jugfena, Earl Einsbark.


    I¡¯m not sure exactly just how nervous I was, but my palms were becoming damp with sweat. Even though I had known it could happen, I had always felt it was only a concept, only now was reality rapidly setting in. Even after living in this world for six years, I still hadn¡¯t gotten rid of my impression that ¡°this is an otome game¡¯s world.¡±


    There was a quiet buzz around the hall before the meeting started. To me who was seated almost completely in Earl Terejia¡¯s shadow, as expected, many curious looks were cast my way, it seems that ¡°a child being in the House of Lords¡± was quite the news. It was different from the clearly disrespectful looks I had gotten at my birthday celebration.


    Finally the nobles quieted down, and the clanging sound of a bell was heard from the center. It was as if ocean waves had calmed down and become like a still pond. Maybe it¡¯s because most of the stained glass was blue, so that¡¯s why the sea was the first image I thought of. Maybe he¡¯s an official of some sort, a man rose up from the seats in the center and announced the beginning of today¡¯s meeting, and that there were two items on today¡¯s agenda.


    ¡°The first item, is with regards to refugees from the former Artolas Kingdom that are under temporary protection in the Jugfena royal domain, and what we should do with them. The second item, is going on military alert with regards to the conflict between the Shiru tribe and the Densel Dukedom¡¯s army. Senior Earl Einsbark, please let us know about the refugees currently under your protection.¡±


    ¡°- At Fort Jugfena, there are approximately twelve hundred former residents of Artolas that are under our protection. We¡¯ve loaned them tents to camp outside of Fort Jugfena with, and provided them with supplies from our stockpiles, but Fort Jugfena does not have enough food in reserve to keep this up for long. The number of people will probably keep increasing until autumn, and according to the refugees the women and children of the Shiru tribe are behind them and on their way. If another one thousand people arrive, our food stockpiles will be completely exhausted by the end of summer. We also don¡¯t have enough tents. It¡¯s already a situation where people are sleeping outside, exposed to the elements.¡±


    Earl Einsbark was a tall, stocky figure in the prime of life, and his deep voice resounded throughout the entire hall, such as even I who was sitting in the back could hear him clearly.


    ¡°¡­¡­That many people? As expected, it would have been better to expel them without offering our protection to begin with¡­¡­¡±


    Someone in the conference hall made the first comment. After that, a commotion began in the hall.


    ¡°No, they¡¯re also people that believe in the same religion as us. We can¡¯t just abandon them.¡±


    ¡°Even so, that¡¯s back when we were the Ar Xia Holy Kingdom! Arxia is no longer a coalition of smaller countries united by the Xia sect!¡±


    ¡°When the Ar Xia church became the official state church, weren¡¯t there independent noble lords incorporated into our territory at the time as well?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all from more than fifty years ago.¡±


    ¡°While that is indeed from more than fifty years ago, the Arxia Kingdom was established more than six hundred years ago, and we¡¯ve never forsaken those that believe in the same religion as us.¡±


    ¡°But, if we intervene in Densel¡¯s civil war, Rindarl will have a cause to go to war with us.¡±


    At once, debates flew around the conference hall as I listened, while Earl Terejia looked around, and shook his head at me. I understood it to mean that he was disappointed in the arguing nobles.


    ¡°It¡¯s a dispute between the border nobles and the inner area nobles, is it?¡±


    ¡°The inland nobles lack a sense of danger. However, with regards to Rindarl, it won¡¯t only be the borders that are in danger.¡±


    Indeed, it¡¯s mostly Jugfena and Genas that would be affected first if war was to break out with Rindarl, while their neighboring domains would hardly be affected. Of course, we¡¯d also be in Jugfena and Genas¡¯s situation.


    ¡°The ones that are watching out for our eastern neighbor Rindarl are mostly the northern domain lords, eh.¡±


    The northern domain lords that I was referring to, were mostly the domain lords with territories bordering the northern sea. The northern nobles had paler skin as their characteristic, and even the children there sing that you shouldn¡¯t provoke Rindarl.


    ¡°Without having to cross the Bandishia Plateau, it would be easier for Rindarl to face the less steep Amon Nor Mountains. With their troops already camped in Remeshu, they could cross the mountains by land and invade us by sea, pincering us. Although Densel isn¡¯t known for its ships, Parmigran is known to trade with its southern neighbors for ships.¡±


    ¡°Does this mean that there¡¯s no way to guard against Rindarl?¡±


    ¡°Defense spending has only been there in name for many years now.¡±


    At the last piece of information that the earl had just mentioned, I nodded reflexively in understanding. With this, I finally understand the relations between the eastern Arxian nobles.


    The lords of the smaller domains surrounding the royal capital, which I¡¯ll call the inland domains faction, have very little army strength, and they severely lack a sense of impending crisis. They were mostly former priest nobles that had their own small inner domains, since they have plenty of money, they believe that if we accept refugees all they have to do is help spend some money. They can¡¯t even imagine that the entire country would be embroiled in war because of helping people. Unlike the royal capital and the border domains that have more foreigners gather there, the inland domains are as if time has stopped and they¡¯ve stagnated. Almost everyone among them were clamoring for accepting the refugees.


    The border domains and the northern domains by the sea consider the influence of Rindarl uniting as their number one priority. Almost none of them agreed to accepting the refugees, if their own domains became a battleground, it would become necessary to invest all their surplus funds into land warfare or naval defense, they hoped that we could maintain a policy of non-intervention in the east. So of course, all of them would reject the refugees.


    At the midst of this issue were the Jugfena royal domain, the Genas domain, the border domains faction and the inland domains faction, but most were silent and waiting for the decision of the House of Lords. Of course the Kaldia domain was among those waiting. There were both merits and demerits to accepting the refugees, and since the House of Lords is the most critical location for making defense decisions, it¡¯s a rule here to not speak up irresponsibly.


    The southern border domain lords have to maintain a different line of defense, so they¡¯re the ones impacted the least. Because of this, they seemed almost indifferent to this issue, and remained silent while seeming to admire the conference hall.


    ¡°In the first place, we¡¯re not in the era of fifty years ago. The refugees have no land or money, and they speak a different language. Even if we decide to take them in, which domain would accept them!¡±


    One of the nobles got really heated up about the debate, and raised his voice in frustration. Everyone fell silent at his statement. Earl Terejia and I looked at each other, and he nodded quietly at me.


    I held in my trembling the best I could, and took a deep breath.


    ¡°If it¡¯s decided that the refugees will be accepted, then my domain can take them in.¡±


    The voice I summoned wasn¡¯t quite that loud, but it resounded clearly throughout the conference hall that had just fallen silent.

 Ch 20

    All eyes were suddenly focused on me. My heart was beating annoyingly fast to the point of being painful.¡°¡­¡­What¡¯s this?¡±


    The first voice that spoke up was from Marquis Rittergau. He didn¡¯t hide the harsh tone of his voice. His attitude seemed so threatening, but I had to deal with my own fear.


    ¡°If it should be necessary, then my Kaldia domain can accept the refugees, as I just said.¡±


    I said it even more directly than earlier. After all, it would be Kaldia that¡¯s the most likely to be forced to accept them anyways. If I said that we¡¯d accept them ahead of time, then I can get more favorable terms.


    Marquis Rittergau didn¡¯t respond, and only looked at me in anticipation. I felt stifled by the pressure, and heavy silence fell again.


    I counted to well above ten in my mind. During this entire time, Marquis Rittergau and I stared fixedly at each other. ¨C And then, finally, the low whisper of the nobles stirred the air of the conference hall.


    ¡°- We should return to the main agenda now.¡±


    ¡°Y, yes. Well then, Viscountess Kaldia has nominated herself as a candidate for accepting the refugees¡­¡­¡±


    With my speaking up at that timing, it seems to have beneficial for moving things along in the House of Lords. There had been almost no chance of any of the inland domains accepting the refugees, and I had put forth a practical proposal.


    Although the northern nobles complained of concerns about Rindarl again, they were silenced by the priests talking about how the kingdom was founded with the precepts of accepting everyone in the Xia religious sects and the uproar it would cause if we didn¡¯t take in the refugees. In the first place, the Densel Dukedom had already virtually been Arxia¡¯s enemy already, so going to war with them wouldn¡¯t be that big of a surprise to our kingdom.


    The border domain lords had already started a little on making military preparations, and at this rate the southeastern domain lords will probably go on full military alert status and receive the others¡¯ cooperation.


    ¡°Well then, starting next month, the Artolas refugees shall be moved to Viscountess Kaldia¡¯s domain in groups of fifty. Food supplies shall be provided by the Henznaut domain as well as the various lords in the Greenfield region, Margrave Genas shall provide twenty tents, and any more necessary shall be loaned by Earl Freche¡¯s domain, Earl Ruktoferd¡¯s domain, and the Royal Army. We¡¯ll be counting on everyone.¡±


    In the end, other than the northern domains, most of the closer domains agreed to give some kind of support for the refugees. On top of that, quite a large amount of funds would be provided for us from the national treasury as well as the church.


    The southeastern nobles, mostly the inland nobles among them, since this would probably stimulate their own economies, had rather cheerful expressions, but in return the northern nobles who were outnumbered and had lost their cause were glaring at them resentfully. It¡¯ll be better if this wound isn¡¯t too deep and we can all cooperate later, is what I hoped.


    ¡°Did the House of Lords meeting go well, Riliza-dono?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Eliza, Claudia-dono¡­¡­¡±


    Even though I was so exhausted after returning from the House of Lords, the first voice that greeted me upon returning was so carefree, someone with an unbelievable energetic voice. Outside the door of Earl Terejia¡¯s accommodations in the royal capital, this girl was spinning a spear about cheerfully. She was a real beauty, and her long golden hair was sparkling in the sunlight.


    Even though I¡¯ve corrected her so many times, she would always get my name wrong no matter how many times we spoke. At seeing the dazzling smile across her face, I felt as if it was adding insult to injury for my tired body and mind.


    ¡°Oh, I do apologize. It¡¯s just, I¡¯m really bad with people¡¯s names¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, I know that very well.¡± S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Oh, okay. But anyways, did things go well at the House of Lords?¡±


    Oh, okay, her answers were so casual, she seemed to always have no worries whatsoever. It¡¯s piling up even more on me! It¡¯s certain that her energeticness has caused my spirit to suffer even more damage in hit points.


    This girl¡¯s name is Claudia Rolentsor, she¡¯s from that prestigious military family. She¡¯s the other companion that¡¯s staying in Kaldia with me alongside Elise Sherstok.


    Probably due to how she was raised, she¡¯s been trained fully to become a knight and is doing it for real despite the rarity of it for women, while it had been rather difficult for me. Honestly speaking, it had been really tiring. By the way, this girl believes in doing everything fairly with the ideals of justice, believes in absolute integrity, and if it wasn¡¯t for how annoying her personality was, I could say that she¡¯s actually a really good person.


    ¡°Even though they don¡¯t speak our language, you¡¯re willing to accept them into your domain, I truly admire Eliza-dono¡¯s dauntlessness. Giving a helping hand to the weak without any pretension, such a wonderful just cause!¡±


    ¡°Um, rather than that, Claudia-dono, why would you happen to be here?¡±


    Claudia welcomed me with an expression saying as if she belonged here, but when we had left the Kaldia domain two days ago, she should have remained back at the mansion. It takes two days for a horse-drawn carriage to get here, so why is she here?


    ¡°It¡¯s because Elise-dono wrote a letter to you. I rode all the way here to deliver it to you.¡±


    As Claudia absentmindedly made that statement, I felt the pain in my head increasing. What does it mean that she rode all the way here, a distance that takes a horse-drawn carriage two full days. I don¡¯t understand her. Even including my previous life, it¡¯s my first time dealing with someone that¡¯s so difficult to comprehend. I have no idea on how to handle her.


    ¡°Well then, Eliza-dono, you¡¯re probably tired from constantly sitting down in the horse-drawn carriage and at the House of Lords. I¡¯ll loan you a spear, how about we loosen up your body with some spear practice?¡±


    It seems that she was concerned for me, but what¡¯s with her proposal, I have no intention of exhausting myself into an early grave. As Claudia followed me to the garden in high spirits, no, uhh, she didn¡¯t seem to hear my rejections.


    As a last resort, I looked at Earl Terejia to ask him for help, but he was just as tired as I was, and he only nodded as if to say to do my best.


    ¡­¡­There¡¯s no helping it. I¡¯ll just have to play along with Claudia for a little bit.


    Earl Terejia¡¯s garden here was covered with stone pavement rather than grass. That Claudia found her way here, I wonder if that means she also knew the earl from before. Because the ground is made of stone, don¡¯t swing your spear with full force here at me! But for some reason, when I said that to her, she smiled so happily, and nodded ambiguously at me.


    ¡°Eluza-dono is six years old now. I¡¯ve just turned ten. I¡¯ve just started learning the spear recently, so I hope to live up to Terejia ojii-san¡¯s and your expectations.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not Eluza, it¡¯s Eliza. I¡¯ve heard that the Rolentsor family starts teaching the sword at the age of three, so why is that you¡¯re only learning the spear now?¡±


    I wonder if something is fun about all this, Claudia¡¯s smile didn¡¯t slip at all, as she wound cloth strips around her hands. Since she has a custom-made spear for her, and there¡¯s no leather binding on her spear handle, it seems that she has to do this in order to prevent her hands from slipping.


    ¡°No, me and my older brothers started learning the sword at the age of two. I only started learning the spear after I turned seven.¡±


    She started learning the sword at the age of two, this answer made my cheeks twitch involuntarily. As expected of the Rolentsor noble family skilled in martial and military matters.


    I warmed up for a few minutes according to Claudia¡¯s instructions, maybe it was actually good for refreshing my body, my body definitely felt a bit lighter. I¡¯ve been so busy lately, so I haven¡¯t had much time to practice the spear, so this might actually be good.


    But anyways, Claudia appears to be even more skilled with the spear than I expected. This is the first time I¡¯ve actually practiced the spear together with her, although I had heard about her prowess from the soldiers after she came to the mansion, her family has really knightly behavior and that they¡¯re skilled in all sorts of martial arts is what I had figured. However, her skills with a spear, no matter how I look at it, seem to exceed even my teacher Gunther¡¯s level.


    ¡°How are they, my spear skills?¡±


    ¡°They seem to be better than my teacher¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°Gunther, eh. Maybe my family¡¯s style is just too strong. If it¡¯s alright with Eliza-dono, we can fight together!¡±


    While cleaning up after, Claudia still showed no signs of fatigue and was laughing happily. As expected, she¡¯s an incomprehensible person. Whether it¡¯s spear practice, or letting her stay in the mansion with me, I couldn¡¯t refuse her either. Well, she nodded, and suddenly changed her expression.


    ¡°I was wondering what to do if you had refused me. Since Terejia ojii-san had requested that I practice the spear with Eliza-dono, I¡¯ve been trying my best on fulfilling my promise!¡±


    Could it be, could it really be that he had been the cause of my spear practice just now. I was dumbfounded by Claudia¡¯s completely unexpected remark, and this time I completely lost all of my energy.

 Ch 21

    ¡°Eh, we¡¯re staying here in the royal capital until tomorrow?¡±¡°Yes. Tomorrow, I¡¯m to attend a tea party and meet some nobles to make connections. After all, we couldn¡¯t even greet anyone at the House of Lords.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s it. Then, I¡¯ll wait for you guys here tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯re attending as well. You¡¯ll be accompanying me as my retainer, is what the earl said.¡±


    We were staying at the earl¡¯s place, and we just finished a luxurious dinner served for the master of the house that had just returned after a long absence. Since Kamil didn¡¯t have noble status himself, he hadn¡¯t attended the meeting at the House of Lords earlier, and I had just informed him of our change in plans for tomorrow.


    The two of us had remained in the dining hall after dinner to talk, while drinking the tea that the maids had brewed for me. With the influx of refugees and the incident of Viscount Galbaito¡¯s death, there were so many things that had to be done, I finally felt like I could relax a little bit for now.


    ¡°So, this means that the earl is seriously trying to make me into Charlie¡¯s retainer, right?¡±


    ¡°What are you saying, at this late hour. It was probably decided from the time that you accompanied me at my birthday celebration.¡±


    Kamil tilted his head slightly as if he had just realized it, but I was shocked at how late he seems to have recognized it himself. My birthday celebration wasn¡¯t about unveiling me only, but also showing who was going to become my vassal in the future.


    ¡°¡ª. Mmm¡­¡­ that¡¯s so. Sorry, it¡¯s nothing.¡±


    Kamil slowly shook his head. It was as if he was trying to rid himself of his thoughts. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to have said something strange,¡± said Kamil as he smiled, it felt like there was a mix of feelings, and for some reason my voice got stuck in my throat.


    ¡°Kamil -¡±


    ¡°Excuse me! Eija-dono, I¡¯ve brought your letter!¡±


    The words that I was about to say were interrupted by a certain someone rudely rushing into the dining hall without even knocking. Even though it¡¯s after eating, Claudia was like a typhoon and showed no decrease in her energy level at all, and she had charged straight into the dining hall. And what¡¯s more, this time, she¡¯s gotten my name completely off the mark.


    ¡°C, Claudia-dono?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry! Elise-dono¡¯s letter that she entrusted me with, I forgot about it until now!¡±


    She headed straight for me and held out an envelope right in front of my face, and she rushed so fast that she ran right into the chair¡¯s backrest. It¡¯s good that there had been a cushion, but if this had been a normal chair, it surely would have left quite a bump.


    ¡°T, thanks¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°No, no, I¡¯m being taken care of by you now, so something like this is nothing to me!¡±


    You¡¯re declaring that this is nothing, but no matter how I look at it, it¡¯s impossible for covering two days worth of distance on horseback by yourself all in order to deliver a letter to be considered ¡°no big deal.¡± As expected, I don¡¯t understand this girl.


    As I received the letter, I could clearly feel my cheek twitching again. ¨C At that moment, I suddenly recalled a phrase from my previous life. That¡¯s right, her sort of action is known as ¡°ruining the mood.¡±


    Kamil next to me had fallen into stunned silence at the sudden intruder. Oh yeah, come to think of it Kamil hasn¡¯t talked much with Claudia before, and he probably didn¡¯t even know that she was already here today. Uwaa¡­¡­ I had no room in my heart for squealing like that.


    ¡°You¡¯re having tea together after dinner? Can I join in?¡±


    Why does her expression seem so excited and sparkling at a few mere teacups on the table, I wonder. Just as I was about to sigh and say something, Claudia already flew off somewhere.


    ¡°I still haven¡¯t even said anything yet¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Eh, wasn¡¯t that Claudia-sama? Why was she here? Come to think of it, how did she get here?¡±


    Kamil seems to have finally accepted the situation in front of him for reality, and finally spoke up in a rather confused voice. That¡¯s¡­¡­ before I had time to explain the situation to him, Claudia returned here from the hallway. She had a mountain of sweets in her right arm, while her left hand was dragging along a maid with a teacup and saucer.


    In the end, we were forced to accompany Claudia, and drank tea until it was so late at night that we were reprimanded by the maids. Such a small child is still up at this time! is what the old maid said as she pointed at me glared at Claudia, maybe she knew Claudia from before as well, there was no mercy in her lecture. As expected, even Claudia slunk out of the room as if she had wilted, and I took my letter as Kamil and I returned to our rooms.


    It¡¯s now late at night, but there¡¯s still things I want to do before I sleep. I sat at the writing desk with a piece of paper, and opened an ink bottle in order to begin writing a reply.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡±


    Unluckily, there had been cracks in the film sealing the ink bottle, and the ink spilled. It got all over my right hand, the desk, and partially on the paper I had just brought out. I sighed as I wiped myself and the desk with a cloth. I couldn¡¯t get the ink out of the paper, oh well, paper is used for writing on anyways.


    And so I finally began to read Elise¡¯s letter, her handwriting was quite slender, I felt like I could tell how weak she was even through the way she used a pen.


    After beginning with a standard greeting that conformed to noble etiquette, she began talking about how she¡¯s began walking around outside, what she¡¯s seen, about herself, and her interactions with the people in the mansion. It was very Elise-like, nothing but gentle scenes with a peaceful heart. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As I continued reading the letter, the topic changed to worry about me and how busy I¡¯ve been the past few days.


    Unlike Claudia who moved about freely outside the mansion, the last time I had seen the sickly Elise had been on the day I received the news about the refugees. It¡¯s only natural for her to be worried.


    It¡¯s not really that good for a girl who¡¯s supposed to have come here for recuperation to be worrying about me. Even a little bit of stress can cause her illness to become worse.


    I wrote an appropriate reply, and just in case I missed something, I checked over Elise¡¯s letter again. There seems to have been a postscript written casually on the back of the letter, so I scanned its contents.


    P.S. I would like to meet Eliza-sama¡¯s distant relative, Elise-sama. I heard from Bellway-sama that she also has a weak body like me. Since she¡¯s also named Elise and is sickly as well, I¡¯m really curious¡­¡­


    Just what exactly is that Bellway doing.


    I entrusted him with the care of the child locked up in the innermost part of the mansion, but I didn¡¯t expect that he would make the mistake of allowing the person with the name she¡¯s borrowed, Elise, to find out about her.


    Of course there had been a reason for me to go to the trouble of allowing guests, and then giving the same name to that child. It¡¯s in order to not give accurate information about the mansion to the outside.


    Because she had a weak body, the original Elise would be limited from meeting people, and the child that was nominally sick and had the same name was also limited in the contact allowed to her. It¡¯s because I want to limit the knowledge of that child¡¯s existence as much as possible.


    With two sickly Elises in the mansion at the same time, if information ever leaks outside, it could be confusing to others. If it¡¯s an ambiguous story, the information about the Elise that¡¯s been entrusted to me will be mixed with that child¡¯s information. That¡¯s what I¡¯m aiming for.


    Of course, there was no way I could let the original Elise know about it herself. But, it seems that the other ¡°Elise¡¯s¡± existence has already been exposed to her. This won¡¯t be easy to hide anymore.


    ¡­¡­Elise and Maya, will be returning to the Sherstok domain after at most three years. During this time, as long as Elise remains in my demesne, and doesn¡¯t leave the mansion, hopefully it won¡¯t be a big problem.


    While praying that more information about that child wouldn¡¯t become more widespread, I ignored Elise¡¯s postscript. Since it had been written all the way on the back, a reply wasn¡¯t expected.

 Ch 22

    The sunlight was streaming down at the end of spring, on a neatly arranged assortment of sweets on the garden table, but I only listened to the female noble in front of me while occasionally responding to her.Sitting across from me, chattering away for the last hour was Senior Viscountess Daniela Felhi-Berendorf, aunt to Senior Baron Felhi, a financial minister of the palace, and she was a domain lord from the Artsbelf region northwest of the royal palace.


    ¡°Anyways, that knight really couldn¡¯t read the mood! Choosing something like earrings to give a woman, he really lacks consideration!¡±


    Since Earl Terejia was currently boating on the pond with the other male nobles, and other than the servants, only this woman was left with me, but her topics weren¡¯t really something that would be meant for a six year old. I wonder if she¡¯s actually saying all this to Kamil standing behind me who was being so still all this time like a statue.


    At nineteen years old, she was actually younger than her nephew Baron Felhi, she had gotten married at sixteen and became a widow last year when her husband passed away, and she was only interested in the romance gossip between men and women at the royal palace.


    Since her husband had passed away, she inherited his position and became the Viscountess of a small domain near the royal capital, but she left its management almost entirely up to her head steward, and it seems that she lives here in the royal capital instead.


    Having her dumped on me as my conversation partner without taking into consideration the difference between our ages, of course this had to be an episode from my entrance into the florid noble society. She started from which young noblemen were nice and handsome, and continued with who seemed to getting along with each other and who danced with who. And currently, she¡¯s getting heated up after she reached the topic of recalling about various unfortunate men.


    ¡°Ahh¡­¡­ Is it that bad to give women earrings as a present?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s common sense for western nobles. Earrings should given from a woman to the man they love. For men, they usually only gift them to other men as a sign of true friendship.¡±


    ¡°I understand, so that¡¯s how it was.¡±


    What¡¯s with this custom. A man giving another man an accessory as a sign of true friendship, seems like such a mysterious custom to me, so I replied reflexively with a perfunctory answer.


    ¡°It¡¯s a venerable tradition. In the ancient story about Ugaria¡¯s knights, two men who shared an earring each would protect each other¡¯s backs on the battlefield.¡±


    What¡¯s with this, I wonder if this was a roundabout way of expressing homosexuality back in the day for them?


    Two men sending accessories to each other, no matter how I look at it, I can¡¯t see it as simply declaring true friendship to each other. When I nonchalantly checked Kamil¡¯s expression as he stood behind me, he seemed slightly uncomfortable, and he didn¡¯t really seem convinced either. It seems that my sense was most likely accurate.


    However, if there really are records of the country that came before the Holy Ar Xia Kingdom, Ugaria, then it does make sense that such a custom is present in western Arxia.


    Western Arxia has a strong sense for preserving traditions and customs from the Ugarian era. Since the Jugfena region has its own customs left by ancient times, probably the entirety of Arxia is like that as well.


    ¡°That¡¯s why, for a man to give a woman earrings as a present, is like declaring he doesn¡¯t see her as a woman. If only he had ever been to the royal capital, of course he should have known!¡±


    As Viscountess Berendorf got even more heated up while remembering that man, I just replied is that so, and pretended to be taking her seriously. Right now, Earl Terejia is probably speaking to her nephew Baron Felhi about the main issue, and I was only speaking with her just in case.


    When the nobles returned from their boating trip, today¡¯s tea party changed locations to a different house for dinner.


    Today¡¯s goal was to get as much financial assistance from the kingdom as possible from the financial minister Baron Felhi and his noble colleagues, and since the earl had already contacted them about the issue via pigeon before, today we¡¯re here to greet them as a matter of courtesy.


    In fact, it seems that we¡¯re staying here for an extra day in the royal capital specially so that I can make some connections with the nobles in the royal capital. Since we had accounted for an extra day¡¯s time while visiting the royal capital, this is no problem.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no problem. Originally, I had loaned money to their fathers several times before as well.¡±


    Earl Terejia unceremoniously returned with a nonchalant tone of voice. This earl, he didn¡¯t simply have connections, he used debts from their parents¡¯ generation to choose collaborators to work with this time, eh. Even I felt slightly chilly at his outstanding competence and abilities.


    For something he did a generation ago to still have such a large impact, noble society must be indeed completely interconnected. When I thought about how he managed to increase the budget for financial support from the kingdom for the refugees to 1.5 times its original amount, I carved how important these types of things were into my memory.


    The tea party during the day had been at Viscount Avon¡¯s older sister¡¯s house, and when we hurriedly joined the private dinner at Earl Trada¡¯s house, we received a rather strange level of welcome for just Earl Terejia.


    Well, after all, Earl Terejia is the younger brother of Marquis Rittergau, who is the prime minister as well as the Terejia family head. While he¡¯s in the countryside now, there¡¯s still probably many people that want a good relation with him simply because of who his older brother is.


    As if to prove me right, Earl Terejia was immediately surrounded by people, while Kamil and I went around greeting the important nobles courteously, then Claudia joined us for some reason, and the three of us quietly had some food in a corner of this venue.


    ¡°W, why isn¡¯t Charlie wearing a dress and you¡¯re in knight attire instead?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no time or money to get a complete set of dresses or accessories. Besides, in the House of Lords it¡¯s been determined that the proper wear for minors should be knight attire.¡±


    As we enjoyed the beef braised in red wine, I answered Kamil who seemed to be smirking for some reason with today¡¯s excuse.


    In Arxia, males have priority for succession to the peerage, so there wasn¡¯t even a precedent where an underage girl has succeeded to the peerage before. Normally there would be more relatives. In my case, since my father had done his best to eradicate all his own relatives apart from his children, I was in the unusual situation of ending up being the only person with inheritance rights. Come to think of it, although he¡¯s my father, that person might end up in the history books as one of the most evil villains ever.


    So because of that, birthday celebrations for nobles with peerage had only rules for boys, and their formal wear was supposed to be knight attire for the same reason. And since I feel that wearing dresses is troublesome, it¡¯s actually something I welcome.


    ¡°How nice, Elise-dono. I¡¯d also like to be in knight attire rather than my dress.¡±


    ¡°My name¡¯s not Elise, it¡¯s Eliza.¡±


    This time Claudia had mixed up my name with Elise¡¯s, and she was wearing a sky blue dress. She¡¯s tall and slender with a good sense of style, she¡¯s quite an eye-catching beauty. Since she usually liked to dress in men¡¯s shirts and shorts to move about easier, today¡¯s was a rare appearance for her. However, just like usual she had a mountain of food on her plates, and there was nothing ladylike about her.


    And so, we spent some time chatting and having light-hearted fun, but Kamil who had been laughing suddenly fixed his line of sight on someone.


    ¡°¡­¡­Ah, he saw us, Charlie. Over there.¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    I looked over at the direction he indicated. Someone unexpected was standing there, what¡¯s this, I turned around reflexively, he noticed me looking at him as well, and he smiled mysteriously just like before.


    It was Margrave Molton. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    His beautiful silver hair was shining brilliantly under the light of the chandelier.

 Ch 23

    Just as I was beginning to get tired of the overly luxurious food at the dinner party and was getting a little drowsy, the nobles from farther away began leaving as well. While waiting for Earl Terejia who was still surrounded by nobles, Kamil, Claudia, and I remained in the corner and poked at what remained of the food. Although we had free time, we weren¡¯t bored. There were so many nobles here that I¡¯ve never met before. While observing their elegance, I learned who each of them were, as this was absolutely necessary in order for me to seriously enter their society later in the future.And so while I was quietly sipping my tea, Kamil suddenly froze up.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Margrave Molton is coming over this way.¡±


    He said so in almost a whisper as he kept his line of sight fixed on the margrave, and indeed Margrave Molton who had just been talking calmly with the other nobles from the royal capital was now walking leisurely in this direction. He was also looking at us, and our eyes met as if he had nothing to hide.


    As expected, he was smiling without seeming to have any bad intentions. Without any hesitation, he came to our location, and he encouraged the shorter man following behind him to step in front.


    I remembered the face of this man who seemed slightly troubled. He was introduced to me at my birthday party by Earl Terejia as a senior viscount who was a secretary at the royal palace.


    ¡°How do you do, Viscountess Kaldia?¡±


    ¡°Greetings and how do you do, Viscount Gribell. Thank you very much for having taken the trouble to attend my birthday celebration.¡±


    ¡°No, it was my pleasure.¡±


    As he nodded, the viscount¡¯s expression seemed like he was seeing something strange. I wonder if it¡¯s because I¡¯m not talking like a child. Since it¡¯s been so long since I was actually a child, even though I have some idea of what it¡¯s like, it¡¯s difficult for me to act like one. Because it¡¯s easier than having to pretend, I¡¯ve become like this now.


    However, because of this, the viscount now seems to be considering how to speak to me. It would be rude if he was too direct with what he really wanted without at least making some conversation first. As a result, he missed the timing for his next sentence and silence had fallen upon the conversation for a bit.


    ¡°¡­¡­At my birthday celebration, thank you very much for the grape juice. I¡¯ll have to hold off on trying the wine until I become an adult.¡±


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯m glad that you were able to enjoy it.¡±


    I managed to remember back to my birthday celebration in order to continue the conversation. Viscount Gribell had given me a set of both grape juice and red wine, since many other nobles had simply given alcohol, his consideration for me still being a minor had left an impression.


    Viscount Gribell had such a relieved expression when I continued the conversation. He glanced at Margrave Molton who was now behind him, then spoke up again.


    ¡°Since it was from the Freche region, I felt that you¡¯d enjoy it. My younger brother is currently serving Earl Garlof as a squire.¡±


    ¡°When you say Earl Garlof¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Junior Earl Robert Garlof is Margrave Freche¡¯s younger brother. When my older brother was in school, he got to know Margrave Freche, which is why my younger brother got to serve Earl Garlof as an apprentice page, and now he¡¯s become a squire.¡±


    ¡°I see, how fortunate for him.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes. School is the perfect place for fated meetings. After all, studying together for three years, can cultivate deeper relationships. ¡­¡­Ah, come to think of it. Viscountess Kaldia, I¡¯d like to introduce my friend from school to you.¡±


    He¡¯s finally gotten to the point, as I sighed mentally at how roundabout the conversation was, by all means, I consented. It feels like meaningless chatter accounts for eighty percent of talking between nobles. I haven¡¯t really interacted with many nobles other than Earl Terejia, so I¡¯m unused to this kind of interaction.


    ¡°This is my friend from school, Margrave Molton.¡±


    Viscount Gribell stepped to the side to make way for the man with him. The man bowed, and lightly shook his silver hair. As I saw his face from up close, I felt like he was really quite the handsome young man. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Pleased to meet you, Margrave Molton. I would like to give thanks to the gods that I was able to meet you here today. I apologize for my rudeness in not greeting you the other day.¡±


    ¡°All good, Viscountess Kaldia. It is I who should have apologized for not greeting you despite it being a celebration for you. I should be the one thanking the gods.¡±


    I didn¡¯t expect the major noble from the northwest, Margrave Molton to approach me so directly, and while I pretended to remain calm, I was actually in turmoil inside.


    It wouldn¡¯t hurt to stay slightly longer in the royal capital to make some connections, but even though he had accepted the invitation to my birthday celebration, why is he only greeting me here at this late hour.


    Unluckily, right now Earl Terejia is quite far away and busy accompanying the other nobles. It couldn¡¯t be, was he aiming for when the earl would be too busy to pay attention to me? I wondered what Margrave Molton wanted from me as he smiled gently, I wasn¡¯t able to read his intentions. I was nervous to the point where I was about to break out into a cold sweat.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so stiff around me. I have a son the same age as you. As a parent, I just wanted to talk to someone who was the same age as my son.¡±


    Margrave Molton¡¯s cheerful statement exceeded my comprehension capacity as I was being too vigilant and nervous.


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­Son!?


    I had been so high-strung that I broke myself.


    As Margrave Molton began talking about his son being the same age as me and being the right age for a playmate, and asked what kinds of things I was learning, I could only feel like as if it were an out of body experience, as I had lost all my energy due to my own feelings of how stupid I¡¯d been.


    The reason for his mysterious smiles seems to have been because it was his way of encouraging children to work hard. That¡¯s what I had detected at my birthday celebration. But it was natural I¡¯d misunderstand since I hadn¡¯t seen such an expression until today.


    In the end, it seems that Margrave Molton has a soft spot for children and he¡¯s taken a liking to me. Since he¡¯s come to the royal capital to do business with the merchants here and sell daily necessities, I got a promise from him to sell those to us cheaply.


    And since we needed to make many bulk purchases to help the refugees set up the foundations for what they would need to live in my domain, there¡¯s no reason to turn down an offer to be able to buy things cheaply. When Earl Terejia was finally free from all those nobles, he seemed very pleased as well, so it seems that I didn¡¯t do something unnecessary.


    ¡°Come to think of it, even if Kamil didn¡¯t say anything, Claudia-dono kept quiet as well.¡±


    Claudia¡¯s father has quite a low social status among the prestigious Rolentsor family. Even prestigious families will have nobles without peerage due to having too many people. For those like Claudia that won¡¯t succeed to the peerage, nobles without their own lands often have to find governmental work. Due to the family¡¯s status and influence in the military, it¡¯s relatively easy for Rolentsors to find work for the Royal Army. Compared to me, Claudia¡¯s social status is actually much lower than mine, but even so it could be useful to keep a connection to the Rolentsor family.


    ¡°That¡¯s because! I¡¯m aiming to become a knight, so it¡¯s different from you guys. Father told me that once I¡¯m twenty, I¡¯m free to enter the knights and do whatever I like, but since I have to do it with loans and I¡¯m already mostly cut off from my relatives, it¡¯ll actually be more like from when I¡¯m thirteen. Shouldn¡¯t you know this already?¡±


    Urgh, although Claudia was proudly puffing out her chest, I had to conceal how much her story actually troubled me. Looking at the current situation, there would probably not be much of a bright future waiting for Claudia by the time she turns twenty. Judging by both her age and personality, I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll be easy to marry off, either. However, for Earl Terejia to have gone to the trouble of bringing her here, with how strong her spear skills are, and the fact that she¡¯s still a Rolentsor, I feel like maybe she can actually make it as a knight before she turns twenty.


    ¡°¡­¡­Arxia has never had a female knight up until now.¡±


    As if to answer the question in my mind, Earl Terejia secretly whispered that to me. I see, then she has quite a difficult path ahead of her. In that case, then the earl¡¯s aim can only be one thing. Claudia will enter the knights, so that she doesn¡¯t become a burden forever on this household.

 Ch 24

    With so much going on, there was no time to leisurely take two days returning by horse-drawn carriage. Socializing should be something fun and relaxing? Socializing isn¡¯t something so simple for nobles. While riding horses for the entire day and switching them once in a town on our way, I arrived back in the Kaldia domain on the same night in a terribly exhausted state.Of course, as a child I didn¡¯t have the strength to control my horse for an entire day, so Kamil and Claudia had taken turns riding with me.


    ¡°What happened while we were gone?¡±


    On behalf of Earl Terejia, his secretary Bellway had been in charge during our absence. Even after returning there was no time to rest our weary bodies, we had to immediately make large scale preparations for receiving the refugees we agreed to accept, although the earl was the one with the real power, and he immediately headed for the domain lord¡¯s office.


    Claudia headed for the training grounds, I wonder how it¡¯s possible for her to have all that excess energy¡­¡­


    Bellway reported that everything was the same and not much happened, and that there has been no particularly noticeable change for Elise and Maya who have moved in recently, or for the new nanny that¡¯s now mostly in charge of taking care of Elise.


    ¡°Then, about the matter of the ¡®ojou-sama¡­¡­¡¯¡±


    Bellway gingerly began his report about why Elise had found out and written me that postscript. Bellway and the servants call that child ¡°ojou-sama¡± so that it¡¯s easier to differentiate.


    ¡°My deepest apologies. The other day, when I went out, Elise-sama slipped out for a little bit.¡±


    ¡°I know. Elise wrote about that in her letter. Well, I have an affinity for deceiving people. From now on, if Elise ever asks about that child, send her to me. I¡¯ll trick her well.¡±


    As I expected, the main issue was about that child. For information control on the child in the future, I have to be able to control the earl¡¯s secretary Bellway. Since this mansion has relatively few people in it and he¡¯s the one in charge of keeping track of everything, letting Elise find out about her, this is clearly his fault. It¡¯s a mistake that¡¯s rare of him.


    As I instructed him about future correspondence, and was about to ask him if there was anything else to report, Bellway suddenly lowered his head deeply for some reason.


    ¡°I¡¯m truly, deeply sorry about all this. To have betrayed Eliza-sama¡¯s trust¡­¡­ No matter how you punish me, I¡¯m prepared for it.¡±


    There was so much passion for his work in his voice. ¡­¡­As I looked at him bowing his head towards me, I felt it must be hard as well to be the earl¡¯s secretary, and felt something like pity for him.


    Since Earl Terejia doesn¡¯t like having more staff than necessary, Bellway actually does more than just secretarial work without complaint. He was often asked to deal with troublesome work, and he¡¯s even lowering his head to a child that¡¯s not even half his size, it must be quite the stressful job.


    Taking this into consideration, there¡¯s quite a lot of emotional distance between me and Bellway. It¡¯s also quite surreal to be looking up at someone bowing their head to me.


    ¡°¡­¡­The one putting trust in you, isn¡¯t me but Earl Terejia. There won¡¯t be any punishment from me.¡±


    Asking Bellway to take care of that child while we were gone, was because nobody else in the mansion had been qualified to take charge, and also because he¡¯s already received instructions from the earl on the matter. Although I had indeed been the one to request Bellway on this matter directly, but that¡¯s only because I¡¯m the one taking responsibility for the care of that child. Saying something like he betrayed my expectations, but I had never really relied on him that much in the first place. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As Bellway was lost for words, I confirmed the contents of his report. As if he was protesting my decision to not punish him, Bellway had an expression that almost seemed sad, quite different from his usual steely mask.


    Eastern Kaldia is still quite undeveloped, with a large unpopulated lake area. I plan to have the accepted refugees live there.


    They¡¯re farmers, just like the people in my domain. Since there is no already established farmland to grant them, as newcomers they¡¯ll have to do irrigation work for their own land. With effort that environment should be inhabitable for people, and it¡¯ll be good for the domain as well since we lack fishermen, and setting the long-term goal as learning how to cultivate rice from other water-rich domains should be attainable as well. This project might continue on until the next generation, but even so Kaldia will be accepting the refugees because I can see future returns.


    The most obvious benefit would be the pumpkin. Among the refugees, they have pumpkin seeds with them for negotiating new land to live on. Because I¡¯m worried about changing the ecosystem, I¡¯ve put a limit on the types of new crops that the refugees will be allowed to cultivate, for now I¡¯ll just use the pumpkins as a new crop type that the refugees brought with them.


    I was planning to use their potatoes as well, but it seems that because Kaldia has soil with high water content, that it¡¯s not suitable for potatoes. What I remember from my previous life, is that pumpkins seem to be rather nutritious and would make a good crop. Since my domain only plants grain crops, hopefully adding pumpkin crops will help the people¡¯s overall nutrition.


    Also, another great benefit would be expanding the labor force. Since people hardly ever move to the Kaldia domain from other domains, it¡¯s hard for us to start big projects due to a lack of labor force. Because the citizens of my domain have their hands full with planting the crops they need to survive, this domain has basically stagnated.


    So even though I wanted to do something about the eastern lake areas of my domain, there hasn¡¯t been any progress for several years. It¡¯s because I¡¯ve had to wait for a surplus in the labor force as everyone is currently busy with maintaining their fields.


    In that case, since receiving the refugees would mean having a large number of new citizens, I can think of them as a surplus labor force.


    There won¡¯t be any disputes with my original citizens since they¡¯ll be living at different locations, and since they speak different languages anyways it¡¯ll be difficult for any types of disputes to arise. Since they can¡¯t communicate, they probably won¡¯t have anything to fight over.


    But, their children¡¯s generation will definitely have to learn the Arxian language. I already talked to Earl Terejia about it, that we¡¯ll be needing to teach those that are currently too young to join in the irrigation project. Also in order to incorporate the technique to raise rice as well, their children and grandchildren will absolutely have to speak the Arxian language so that everyone can be unified.


    After all, they can¡¯t keep being referred to as refugees forever. After we accept them, their new identity shall be citizens of the Kaldia domain. We should start calling them the new citizens, I¡¯ll talk with the earl about that tomorrow.


    As I thought carefully over accepting the refugees, I was interrupted.


    ¡°You happen to still be awake?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Mrs. Hortensia.¡±


    The woman who opened the door and entered seemed slightly surprised.


    In place of Mrs. Galton who was fired, she¡¯s the new nanny, Mrs. Hortensia. There was no light illuminating the darkness, and I could only hear her sound.


    ¡°It won¡¯t be good for your body to stay up much longer.¡±


    ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll go to sleep.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good, then. You sometimes forget that you¡¯re still only six years old.¡±


    I was a bit startled at Mrs. Hortensia¡¯s remark. It¡¯s because she was right on the mark.


    ¡°Even if you¡¯ve matured early, your body hasn¡¯t kept up with you. You should eat well, sleep well, and exercise well, so that your body doesn¡¯t become weak.¡±


    I understand, was my reply, and Mrs. Hortensia left the room after saying what she wanted to say.


    Mrs. Hortensia isn¡¯t as annoying as Mrs. Galton was, but it¡¯s difficult to grasp her personality, and that was my assessment of the new nanny that¡¯s come here to the mansion.

 Ch 25

    I woke up even though it was still dark outside.It wasn¡¯t cold to the point where it woke me up, but it was chilly enough to chase away any drowsiness. Since I don¡¯t like laying around in bed when I¡¯m wide awake, I grudgingly got out from under my warm covers.


    When I looked at the water clock in my room, it was much earlier than I normally would get up. Since I hate the idea of catching a cold, I immediately put on my dalmatic.


    Since I hate having nothing to do, I decided to take a walk in the mansion.


    There should be no problem as long as I return before Mrs. Hortensia wakes up, I thought the same thing as before like on a certain morning so long ago.


    Rashiok who was sleeping beside the water clock raised his head. Growl~~, a whining sound came from his throat that indicated he wanted to be spoiled, and I took him with me on the condition that he promised to be quiet.


    Since the curtains haven¡¯t been opened yet, the hallways were just as dark as my room. Since Rashiok has night vision and acted almost like a guide dog, helping me avoid obstacles, bringing him along was quite useful.


    As a domain lord¡¯s residence, the Mansion of Golden Hills is considered quite small, so there¡¯s not actually that many rooms. Since the barracks next door is actually larger, it makes one wonder which should actually be the domain lord¡¯s residence. In order to manage the people in the eastern part of my domain, calmly taking things into consideration it might be best to build a new small city in the center of the domain, as I currently live in the western part of Kaldia.


    If war with Rindarl becomes actuality, we¡¯d have to build a new military facility anyways. If results can be shown from us training cavalry troops, the House of Lords will surely support us and further strengthen our army.


    I kept my right hand on Rashiok¡¯s belly as he trotted along, and I wondered if I actually knew where I was going, when Rashiok suddenly snorted. And then, as if he was troubled by something, he rubbed his nose against my face, and pushed against my back.


    By now Rashiok has matured, and he¡¯s at the size where his mouth can easily chomp off my head with a single bite. I can really feel how big he¡¯s getting, and when he stopped to look at me I gave him a gentle glance.


    I saw someone¡¯s shadow, and I immediately hid in Rashiok¡¯s own shadow. Since Rashiok is taller than I am, it was simple to hide completely in his shadow.


    ¡°¡­¡­Hm, is that Rashiok?¡±


    The person walking down the hallway seems to have noticed Rashiok in the dimness. Rashiok growled softly in reply, and the person went into a room without paying mind to Rashiok. The voice was Bellway¡¯s. After thinking about it for a bit, I finally realized that we¡¯re close to Earl Terejia¡¯s room.


    But, isn¡¯t it still a bit early for the earl to be up? I had my doubts, and decided to remain here for a bit. After doing it once before, I¡¯ve acquired quite the bad hobby of enjoying eavesdropping.


    From the earl¡¯s room, I eventually heard the two of them talking in subdued voices. They talked about the plans for today, and the reports on the pigeons that arrived last night. Getting up this early, must be due to the dedication they¡¯re putting in about the matter of accepting the refugees.


    I didn¡¯t know about such a thing, because I¡¯m still getting up at the same time as usual. Even normally, Earl Terejia overworks himself for his old age, and now he¡¯s adding even more to his burden. I can only pray that he doesn¡¯t collapse from overwork.


    I thought I understood Earl Terejia¡¯s reason for rising early, and was about to return to my room.


    ¡°Alright, so about Eliza-sama yesterday¡­¡­¡±


    Bellway mentioned my name, and I raised my hand to signal Rashiok to stop. I felt like he was going to report on my conversation with him yesterday, and I was interested in how he would talk about me with the earl.


    Bellway¡¯s voice became even more hushed, he seemed to be whispering yesterday¡¯s conversation to the earl. His voice was so low that it was difficult to hear him clearly.


    ¡°¡­¡­I don¡¯t trust the future master.¡±


    Bellway¡¯s voice seemed agitated as he returned to a normal speaking volume, and I could hear him clearly. The future master would of course be referring to me. I wonder if the earl intends to have his servants work for me in the future. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Out of all the servants in the mansion, only Bellway was from noble society. Bellway¡¯s father had been a titled knight, but since a titled knight was only an honorary position, it¡¯s not something that can obtain peerage. Unlike nobles that can retain their nobility throughout the generations despite not having peerage, there¡¯s a law that states once a titled knight dies, all their children will no longer be considered to have a noble¡¯s rights.


    With people like this, if I lose Earl Terejia¡¯s protection, I might suddenly find myself without any retainers.


    ¡°You¡¯re not the only one.¡±


    Earl Terejia replied in a low voice that was like a sigh. It felt as if it sounded bitter.


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t trust me at all. She¡¯s been using Kamil and the soldiers and maids to collect information on the villagers.¡±


    ¡­¡­As expected, that was exposed. As the years passed and the number of people around me increased, for me to go and gather information without using any of them, that does indeed seem like evidence that I don¡¯t trust the earl.


    Earl Terejia and I have a relationship of mutual benefit where we use each other rather than a trusting relationship.


    That¡¯s why he had been in charge of rebuilding my domain, and why he had participated in the early stages of the refugee acceptance plan as well. He¡¯s also using this as a chance to get rid of his own subordinates that are too troublesome to use and passing them along to me. What¡¯s more, all the grain that the Kaldia domain produces, goes through the Terejia family, and is sold by merchants affiliated with the Terejias. This could be said that it¡¯s an excellent monopoly deal for him. It¡¯s basically like I¡¯m loaning the domain to him until I become of age since he¡¯s a noble without lands of his own. There were plenty of advantages to be had from this relationship for both of us.


    Since all the servants in the mansion were hired by and signed contracts with Earl Terejia, isn¡¯t this evidence that he doesn¡¯t need to build a trusting relationship with me. For future things, he won¡¯t necessarily need me to do anything or require my trust to do what he wants.


    Something like my trust, I wonder just how much it¡¯s worth. As I was furrowing my brows, Earl Terejia and Bellway¡¯s conversation continued.


    ¡°Then, Kamil also doesn¡¯t trust her?¡±


    ¡­¡­Kamil, huh. I slightly ground my teeth.


    He was originally a soldier-in-training from the army, and he used to have a life as a merchant¡¯s son. I¡¯d heard that his father died, but if things were so simple he should have inherited his father¡¯s riches. While he was a soldier-in-training, he was selected to assist me, and just like that he¡¯s always stayed by my side, but I don¡¯t know the true reasons for it.


    What will they talk about, I concentrated even more on this topic. I¡¯d definitely like to clear up some unknown factors.


    As I listened, the earl¡¯s next words were over in an instant.


    ¡°Ahh, that might be. If he knew that his father had been the merchant that poisoned the family he¡¯s now serving, he might not be able to leave things as is.¡±


    The merchant that had taken the blame for poisoning my father had been Kamil¡¯s father.


    I immediately paled, and my head was spinning around. My vision was flickering, and I collapsed against Rashiok. I was beginning to break out into a cold sweat.


    That¡¯s because, it¡¯s my fault that his father died. I was the one who killed my father. But the one who was accused of and executed for the crime, was the merchant that had sold my parents the food for the party.


    It felt like my heart was about to burst out of my chest. And even though it was cold, I was sweating.


    ¡­¡­I had only heard that he was a villainous merchant. Although Kamil hardly ever talked about his father, I could tell from his expression that he still missed him.


    If Kamil ever discovers that I¡¯m the true culprit. A chill ran down my spine.


    He might have been serving me all this time without looking for any benefits in return.


    Urgh¡­¡­ I couldn¡¯t make a sound, as it felt like I was choking on some sensation. I feel terribly dizzy. My temple was aching in pain.


    I somehow managed to lift my trembling fingers, and poked Rashiok¡¯s back three times. Rashiok understood what I wanted and laid down on the floor so I could get on him.


    As I somehow managed to endure the feeling of being sick while riding him and not throw up, Rashiok silently brought me back to my room.

 Ch 26

    ¡°Have Claudia join your domain¡¯s army?¡±¡°Yes, rather than always being a freeloading house guest, have her join the army as a way of repaying my favor, and become my bodyguard. What do you think?¡±


    The weather had changed this morning, and right now it¡¯s raining heavily. Despite the Kaldia domain being water rich, it doesn¡¯t rain that often. As the rain made tapping sounds against the windows of the domain lord¡¯s office, Earl Terejia blinked several times at my sudden proposal.


    ¡°¡­¡­Once a little more time had passed and you¡¯d gotten to known each other better, I was going to suggest something like that as well.¡±


    ¡°Then I believe, we can send Kamil east for developing the lands there?¡±


    If Claudia becomes my bodyguard, then I can move around Kamil who¡¯s been my bodyguard up until now. Moving Kamil at this timing, it¡¯s convenient because someone will be needed to take charge of constructing the village for the refugees. With an understanding of cultures other than Arxia¡¯s and the ability to get along with others easily, Kamil who should have Earl Terejia¡¯s complete trust would be the perfect person to take charge of constructing the village. Since I wouldn¡¯t have a personal bodyguard if I send him off somewhere else, I plan to have Claudia take his place.


    Earl Terejia nodded repeatedly, and agreed as I expected.


    ¡°Claudia-dono¡¯s already hanging out at the barracks quite often. For the soldiers as well that had seemed a little down at my birthday celebration, having Claudia officially join them would probably raise their spirits.¡±


    There were many soldiers that were deeply impressed with Claudia¡¯s prowess with a spear. In the first place, the soldiers in my domain have a bit of an attitude of respecting the strong. That¡¯s why there were no complaints about the young Gunther being an officer above the older veterans.


    And since most of them had been former bandits, Gunther included, they have very little resistance against women. There had been many women amongst the bandits, it seems there had been people following some strong women as well in the bandit group where the strong ruled.


    If I¡¯m not mistaken, Claudia will definitely be helpful for me controlling my domain¡¯s army.


    ¡°I want to allow the refugees currently suffering outside Fort Jugfena to be able to become citizens of my domain as soon as possible. I would have no objections to having Claudia become my bodyguard and sending Kamil to be in charge. If it¡¯s Kamil, with his skills, he would definitely be able to oversee it successfully.¡±


    ¡°Eliza¡­¡­?¡±


    As I summed up my thoughts on the matter, for some reason the earl suddenly seemed a bit confused. As if to peek into my mind, Earl Terejia¡¯s black pupils looked directly into my eyes. I felt as if he could see straight into my heart, and avoided his gaze by looking at the window, while Earl Terejia shut his eyes, and seemed to be thinking about something for a while.


    ¡°¡­¡­Nothing. Mmm, you¡¯re right. I¡¯ll immediately have a word with Claudia, and instruct Kamil to take charge of constructing the village.¡±


    ¡°Very well then. I¡¯ll go and call Claudia-dono right now.¡±


    I bowed, and exited the office. From behind me, I could hear him saying ¡°you don¡¯t look well, you should get some rest after this.¡± I know that more than well about myself. After all, my stomach and head have been aching since this morning, and if I¡¯m not careful I feel like I could throw up at any moment.


    Even Claudia was actually staying inside quietly on a day such as this when it¡¯s raining so heavily, so I visited the room given to her, and she greeted me back in a voice that seemed to be much lower tension than usual.


    Claudia¡¯s room had almost no personal possessions in it at all. When she came here, she had basically almost nothing besides the clothes on her back. Since her room is basically the exact opposite of Elise¡¯s, it left an impression on me. The iron spear wrapped in cloth leaning against the wall was the only personal possession of Claudia who¡¯s currently rolling around on her bed.


    ¡°What would you happen to be doing, Claudia-dono?¡± sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°I can¡¯t be any more bored than this. Usually it doesn¡¯t rain this heavily, but today I¡¯m stuck in the house with absolutely nothing to do.¡±


    Claudia was the very personification of having nothing to do, and she was now sitting along the edge of her bed while kicking her feet. She had a totally dissatisfied expression as she complained about her boredom to me, and the way her lips were protruding made her seem like a little kid.


    ¡°If you would like, I¡¯ll have a maid prepare the items necessary so you can sew.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but tease her a little to get her back for her thick headedness, as I proposed something that would be very ordinary for most girls¡¯ hobbies, sewing when it¡¯s rainy outside. Although, I¡¯m absolutely sure that Claudia won¡¯t be interested in something like that at all.


    ¡°¡­¡­That¡¯s, could it be? Did you find out that I hate sewing more than anything else so you¡¯re teasing me with such a suggestion?¡±


    ¡°No, of course not.¡±


    I figured that she would only reject me without noticing my intent, but I was surprised that it turns out Claudia absolutely hates sewing. I turned slightly red, and was rather shocked inside. Claudia¡¯s surprisingly good at reading others. If this had been the normal Claudia that¡¯s always high tension, not only would she not be able to read the atmosphere, she sometimes might not even notice what other people are saying.


    She had stopped kicking her feet, and now, with her lower lip slightly sticking out, just the fact that she¡¯s stopped moving really makes her seem like a lady from a good family because of her elegant features. Usually I can¡¯t see her like this¡­¡­ Somehow, it¡¯s actually disappointing that I don¡¯t see her like this more often.


    ¡°Jokes aside, Earl Terejia would like to talk to you. Could you go to the domain lord¡¯s office?¡±


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go!¡±


    Claudia seemed glad to have the chance to get up and move around, when I told her that she immediately jumped off her bed lightly. I wonder just where exactly that earlier bored appearance of hers went off to. The lady that I had seen earlier must have just been an illusion. She¡¯s a girl that has to move, why did I allow myself to get fooled.


    And so Claudia briskly left her room, looked right, looked left, then looked right again. What is she doing. It¡¯s not like traffic¡¯s going to come down this hallway and hit her.


    ¡°Erina-dono¡­¡­ Where¡¯s the domain lord¡¯s office?¡±


    ¡­¡­It seems that even in this small mansion, and what¡¯s more, in spite of running around every day, it seems that she still doesn¡¯t know where the domain lord¡¯s office is. Now I¡¯m feeling a little worried about letting this person be my bodyguard. She¡¯s so foolish, there¡¯s too much to even sigh at. When I think that after sending Kamil away to construct the village that I¡¯ll be accompanied by Claudia every day, I felt an indescribable feeling at what I was going to put myself through.


    Even Claudia seemed to be a little embarrassed at least, her face was unmistakably turning slightly red. My indescribable feeling doubled in strength.


    ¡°My name¡¯s not Erina, it¡¯s Eliza. I¡¯ll take you to the office.¡±


    ¡°No, you only have to tell me where it is. Eliza-dono, please rest for a bit in my bed.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°Your complexion looks terrible. Letting such a child do as she likes when she¡¯s in such a bad condition, is against my code of chivalry. Now, go and rest. When I return, I¡¯ll take you to your room.¡±


    Claudia smiled widely as she said so and pushed me into her room, and she half closed the door on me, and gallantly went on her way towards the left hallway.


    She said and did something cool, but Earl Terejia¡¯s office is actually on the hallway to the right. What a no-good girl¡­¡­


    This time, I deeply sighed, resigning myself to the fact that there¡¯s probably nothing I can do about her.


    At the same time, I laughed a little. Mysteriously, my headache seems to be better than it was as well, that¡¯s probably thanks to that no-good girl as well.


    As Claudia insisted, I threw myself onto her bed. Even though I had been feeling so terrible all morning, my consciousness easily retreated from me and I fell asleep.

 Ch 27

    Knock knock, a sound came from the wooden door.¡°It¡¯s Kamil.¡±


    At hearing his muffled voice after the knocks, I felt a sick feeling in my stomach. My throat felt painful as if it had just been burned, and I couldn¡¯t muster up a voice to reply. As he opened the door silently as to not make any sound, I reflexively closed my eyes and wrapped myself in my blanket.


    After falling asleep in Claudia¡¯s bed, because of my bad condition I had been brought back to my room. I might have strained myself too much and tired myself out. Because I felt sick, I haven¡¯t had anything to eat, and I¡¯ve been sleeping all day.


    While Kamil checked to see how I was doing, he slowly approached me. It felt as if my heart was being gripped tightly and suffocating. Even though it wasn¡¯t cold now, with every step that Kamil took, I could feel myself trembling.


    ¡°¡­¡­Charlie?¡±


    Despite my brain ordering my body to pretend to be calm and answer him, my body had stiffened up and I couldn¡¯t even breathe. I could hear my heart beating annoyingly loudly in my ears.


    Maybe he¡¯ll think I¡¯m asleep, Kamil touched my cheek with his fingers. Goosebumps ran down my body, and my body flinched without my permission.


    ¡°Charlie?¡±


    I desperately kept my eyes closed. I don¡¯t know what kind of expression Kamil is making, but I¡¯m terribly afraid of seeing him. He might even be holding a knife in his other hand right now. There¡¯s no way he¡¯s trying to kill me right now, if he had known about it he would have done something to me the moment he met me, is what my logic was telling me, but even so I couldn¡¯t stop my body from shaking.


    Without a doubt, I was afraid of Kamil.


    Kamil stroked my cheek with his fingers again. Tension and fear seem to have frozen my body solid, this time I didn¡¯t react.


    I could hear the sounds of Kamil¡¯s slow breathing. Even though he wasn¡¯t moving, that alone caused my heart rate to go up. However, even the blood coursing through my body felt like it was freezing over.


    ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s been decided that I¡¯ll be heading east to take charge of constructing the village.¡±


    Although he was talking, it sounded more like a monotone. He muttered it in a rather low voice.


    ¡°The earl-sama said that he can¡¯t leave this job up to someone he doesn¡¯t trust.¡±


    Kamil¡¯s fingers that were touching my cheek moved to my forehead. He casually brushed aside my bangs, and traced his fingers across my forehead. I could hear him laughing slightly bitterly.


    ¡°In a difficult time, you shouldn¡¯t be making that kind of face. Eliza-sama¡¯s so stubborn¡­¡­¡±


    Kamil¡¯s fingers departed from my face together with his voice. Eliza-sama, at hearing him call me that I opened my eyes, but I only saw his back as he was leaving. My throat remained frozen until he left.


    My heart is now pounding hard for a different reason than earlier.


    How long has it been. His voice, calling me Eliza-sama like that, I feel like I¡¯ve heard him call me that before. Although he should have called me that recently, I can¡¯t seem to remember when. I felt a mix of many emotions, but for sure his voice had been reproachful.


    Without knowing why, tears starting flowing out, and were dripping down my face from the corners of my eyes. The back of my throat hurt badly.


    It took three more days before I was finally able to get out of bed.


    My body strength had dropped since I hadn¡¯t been maintaining my body, and the maids prepared simple showers for me with hot water and washbasins. I didn¡¯t even have the strength to visit the showers in the barracks.


    I used a wrung cloth to wipe my body with, and looked at Rashiok who was waiting beside me although he hadn¡¯t come to visit me very much while I had been bedridden. I wiped his forehead as if I were spoiling him, and he laid down for me without me saying anything. Since Rashiok is heavier than a warhorse now, having a six year old ride on him was nothing.


    I stopped the maids who were hurriedly getting up. While Rashiok was still laying down and I was by his belly, he scooped me up with his wings. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°I won¡¯t say that you¡¯re spoiled, but think about our difference in size.¡±


    While talking to him and petting his neck, Rashiok made a ¡°guruguru¡± sound from his throat. His voice seemed more reserved than usual, and I tilted my head in puzzlement.


    ¡°Phoebe, what¡¯s wrong with Rashiok?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­¡­ What¡¯s wrong, you say?¡±


    I asked the maid who was watching my exchange with Rashiok, but she looked confused and didn¡¯t understand my question. I replied to her in exasperation.


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t seem that energetic.¡±


    Normally, Rashiok doesn¡¯t act that spoiled when others are around us. And what¡¯s more, this time he scooped me up with too much force, this is the first time for him.


    ¡°Could it be¡­¡­ because Kamil isn¡¯t here currently? Ojou-sama was also bedridden for a period of time. Rashiok was staying in front of your room the whole time, I think he could be lonely.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Kamil, eh. I see, got it.¡±


    I accepted the maid¡¯s explanation, and slowly closed my eyes. After I received Rashiok from the earl, it¡¯s always been Kamil and I that have taken care of him. Rashiok seemed to understand human power relations to some extent, and obeyed me more than Kamil. Since this is the first time that both of us have been absent at the same time, it can¡¯t be helped that Rashiok would feel lonely.


    Kamil¡¯s not going to be here at the mansion anymore. Rashiok made a lonely sounding cry.


    Even though I was the one who drove Kamil out, why is it that inside my chest it¡¯s hurting. But, at the same time I definitely felt relieved. The contradiction in my own feelings felt so mysterious and sad.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to move that child to the barracks?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m going to send everyone that¡¯s connected to that child to the new village being constructed. I told Gunther that together with Claudia, those two are going to be your future bodyguards and that they¡¯ll be in his care.¡±


    After I dressed myself properly, the first thing I did was to visit Earl Terejia. Even though there¡¯s so much work to be done, because I had collapsed so suddenly I haven¡¯t been able to do anything. I also wanted to know what went on during the four days that I was bedridden.


    The first thing I heard was the report that ¡°Elise¡± would be moved to the barracks. Indeed, right now we¡¯re also moving out the soldiers to help with the first stages of building the new village. This is probably a great chance to hide the short-haired ¡°Elise¡± out of sight as well as getting her some basic training.


    However, some among the army were probably present at the time when ¡°Elise¡± had been captured from the village. I wondered how we would deceive them, but the earl simply shrugged.


    ¡°She¡¯s been kept here at the mansion for quite a while. It¡¯ll be difficult for anyone to tell that she¡¯s the same person as that malnourished, skinny, grubby child.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­I see, indeed.¡±


    Her messy unkempt hair had been cut for her, and Kamil had nominally carried out her execution. Attaching her hair to the jute bag that was tossed into the river to give the impression that she was executed, none of the soldiers from that incident at Shiriru village would be looking for that child.


    Her appearance has improved since her diet¡¯s gotten more nutritious, and since a maid has been washing her every day, even her skin color is different due to all the dirt that had been piled on her skin. Indeed, the change in her is to the extent that she¡¯s like an entire different person.


    ¡°I explained to her that she¡¯s going to receive military training as well, so she should put her spirit into it and work hard.¡±


    Earl Terejia said it nicely, but judging by the expression on his face, it¡¯s much more probable that rather than putting her spirit into things, it had only gotten her angry as she would resent him for how prideful he was.


    Because of what happened to her mother, to that child, as the former domain lord¡¯s daughter, if she didn¡¯t view me the same way as my father who had used his money for personal luxury and to exploit the people, then she wouldn¡¯t be able to maintain her spirit anymore. That¡¯s why obediently going through the same training I did, and changing her opinion of me is harder than even dying to her.


    If she can maintain her murderous hatred for me and return after going through training then that¡¯s fine, or if she fails to make it through the training but changes her view of me then that¡¯s fine as well.


    ¡°It¡¯ll probably correct her distorted views on nobles for her.¡±


    As Earl Terejia nodded, once again I started thinking about what that would mean.


    I first understood it myself when I went to the royal capital, but the only nobles that my domain¡¯s soldiers had ever known were my family, who were all rather extreme and crazy people. The soldiers themselves might not be aware of it, but they view me, Earl Terejia, and Claudia differently now from other nobles. They still basically have a hatred for nobility.


    ¡­¡­Well, it might turn out to be good for that child. Being around other people that compare me and Earl Terejia favorably to the other ¡°normal¡± nobles that they know, it might become easier to change that child¡¯s beliefs.

 Ch 28

    Kamil has left the mansion, and so has that child who was secretly staying in the innermost part of the mansion, but daily life here at the mansion didn¡¯t change all that much. Under Earl Terejia¡¯s instructions, I would help him and Bellway with their work, and listen to Claudia tell stories about her time with the soldiers, and I would carefully manipulate Claudia so that I could control the army, my days became even busier than before.And so spring has ended and summer has begun, and phosphorescent moths known as rinkas have become active.


    ¡°Hm¡­¡­ Is that a type of monster?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. This year, we¡¯ve received reports of increased monster activity in the Monster Forest from the Jugfena royal domain. ¡­¡­Also, it¡¯s not just the magical beasts in the Monster Forest. We must also be careful of the monsters from the Amon Nor Mountains.¡±


    ¡°Ahh¡­¡­¡±


    As Earl Terejia informed me about the reports on monster activity, I could only listen incredulously.


    Monsters really do exist in this world.


    Since I hadn¡¯t heard much about them, I doubted whether they really existed, but it does seem that once in a while monsters would attack people or their livestock. It¡¯s always been a topic quite distant from me, but come to think of it, Rashiok¡¯s species, the draconis, is also a type of magical beast.


    I don¡¯t know the exact definition of a magical beast. Nor do I really know the specific differences between insects, animals, humans, and monsters in this world. In the bedtime stories that I¡¯d heard from Mrs. Galton before, magical beasts are considered to be monsters that can use magic, but I¡¯ve never heard of anything like magic or magical beasts in real life here. In fact, I¡¯ve never even seen Rashiok using any mysterious powers like being able to breathe fire or control the wind.


    However, until I met Rashiok, I¡¯d always thought that draconis were fictional, and I suppose that until this spring, I¡¯d always been a hermit cooped up in my mansion that¡¯s never gone anywhere before. Just like magical beasts, magic might really exist as well.


    ¡°Come to think of it, I haven¡¯t really heard much in detail about the Monster Forest before.¡±


    Earl Terejia raised his eyebrow as he looked at me.


    ¡°Yes, really. I¡¯ve always thought it was only a name.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t Mrs. Galton tell you bedtime stories about monsters and magic every night?¡±


    Earl Terejia seemed to be puzzled as he asked me, but I tilted my head in return. Were bedtime stories really to be believed?


    ¡°Yes, I heard them, but I thought they were all made up.¡±


    After all, in Mrs. Galton¡¯s stories, there were people like sages and paladins, and various paranormal phenomenon that could only be explained by magic. Since as far as I knew, they didn¡¯t actually exist, I thought it was fiction. After all, I didn¡¯t believe in monsters.


    What¡¯s more, the new nanny, Mrs. Hortensia, doesn¡¯t even tell bedtime stories like Mrs. Galton did. Since I¡¯m still using the common sense from my previous world, it can¡¯t be helped that I didn¡¯t believe in anything until now.


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Earl Terejia nodded and made a complicated expression.


    ¡°Call Mrs. Marshan over here immediately.¡±


    Mrs. Marshan who was brought to the lord¡¯s office by Bellway, had some kind of box under her arm.


    ¡°I heard that you wanted to see me.¡±


    I¡¯ve been so busy lately, that I¡¯ve had less time for Mrs. Marshan¡¯s lectures recently. I didn¡¯t really think anything of it since Earl Terejia had allowed it, but it¡¯s been almost half a month since I last saw Mrs. Marshan, I¡¯ve been feeling too lazy to study as of late for some reason. I wonder if it¡¯s because I remembered just how much I had to study in my previous life.


    ¡°Mrs. Marshan, please give Eliza-sama a lecture on magical beasts immediately.¡±


    ¡°I understand. Should I take that to mean that it¡¯s alright to begin right now?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    Bellway must have already filled her in on the details, after a simple confirmation with the earl, Mrs. Marshan took me back to my room immediately.


    But anyways, I wondered just how important magical beasts and the Monster Forest were. For the time being, it still didn¡¯t seem very real to me yet, so I didn¡¯t know how much importance I should give to magical beasts. The children of other domain lords probably already recognize them as real, as I kept thinking irrelevant things, we finally arrived back at my room. Rashiok who was curled up in a corner of my room raised his head as if to say, what¡¯s going on?


    ¡°Mrs. Marshan, what¡¯s in that box?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a book, Eliza-sama.¡±


    The box was about the size of my jewelry box in the closet, so it seems to be the type of book with its own box case. Looking at the book and its leather bindings after it was removed from its case, it reminded me of a dictionary, and since there¡¯s no printing technology in Arxia, such a book must be really expensive.


    ¡°All domain lords for domains where there¡¯s a possibility of monsters attacking are required to have a copy of this book, but taking into consideration Eliza-sama¡¯s age, I have been taking care of this book until now.¡±


    I nodded, as Mrs. Marshan immediately opened the book and handed it to me. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°First, I¡¯ll have to teach you about monsters. Monsters are creatures that have powers to cause mysterious phenomenon, which we call magic. Among them, we tend to call the ones that tend to attack people and livestock magical beasts. That¡¯s because most of them resemble beasts.¡±


    ¡°I understand that a draconis would be considered a type of monster, but it wouldn¡¯t be a magical beast?¡±


    I glanced at Rashiok who was lying quietly in the corner of my room as I asked my question, and Mrs. Marshan shook her head.


    ¡°You already know that draconis mostly eat snow snakes, and since they have high intelligence and are relatively mild-mannered, they hardly ever attack humans. The only magic they can use is said to be magic that helps them fly.¡±


    I see, I nodded again, and Mrs. Marshan went hmm¡­¡­ and tilted her head to the side as she was thinking.


    ¡°¡­¡­Eliza-sama, have you seen a rinka before?¡±


    At Mrs. Marshan¡¯s question, I couldn¡¯t help but think of small moths that would glow in the dark like fireflies, as I told her I hadn¡¯t. The way that fireflies would leave a trail of light behind them was quite a beautiful scene to behold.


    ¡°Rinkas are full-fledged magical beasts. They usually gather by the hundreds and burn down trees with fire magic, and even though they¡¯re a type of moth they¡¯re immune to fire.¡±


    Ehh¡­¡­ a comment involuntarily escaped my lips. That sounds quite dangerous.


    ¡°The buildings in the royal capital all have an outer layer of rinka scales. After all, they won¡¯t burn so it¡¯s the best defense against fire. Anyways, they¡¯re not considered that dangerous by themselves, but only in large packs.¡±


    I kept nodding. Mrs. Marshan continued with her explanation.


    With Mrs. Marshan teaching me as well as using the records from the book, I learned about monsters, and when this crash course ended it was already time for dinner. Since the maids had brought us tea and snacks during the lesson, we had basically spent the entire day on this.


    For now, I¡¯ll just sum up what I learned today.


    Each type of monster can use different types of magic.


    The Monster Forest is so named because only monsters live there with few exceptions. But, monsters actually live almost everywhere.


    Monsters have active periods, in which suddenly all of their kind will become active. There are reports that monsters with lower intelligence will behave incomprehensibly.


    Although there was also various other things that I learned, those seem to be the most important points. In the domain lord¡¯s book on monsters, it mentioned that in case of monster attacks, of course the domain lord and the domain¡¯s army would be responsible for defending the land.


    Even though it¡¯s such a busy time, for monsters to be attacking, this is such an unwelcome event.

 Ch 29

    I used four days to learn as much about monsters and countermeasures against them as I could, cramming it in, and Earl Terejia posted notices within the domain about countermeasures to put into practice against the fire moths.Due to the report that it¡¯s now their active period, once it becomes autumn, with the dry season, the fire moths will become even more of a fire hazard. This summer, their numbers are about average, but last winter an unusual thing had occurred. Usually the fire moths disappear during the winter, but it seems that last winter they remained active and still attacked people¡¯s villages.


    ¡°Mrs. Marshan, there¡¯s no mistake that salt water is the most effective thing at exterminating the fire moths?¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡±


    ¡°I would like to see this for myself. Please tell Bellway that I would like to have three fire moths captured for me.¡±


    Fire moths, just like regular moths and butterflies, have scales that repel water. And what¡¯s more, fire moths seem to be quite water resistant, so only using water would be useless.


    However, fire moths seem to be quite weak against salt. I don¡¯t understand the exact reason, but I vaguely remember learning in science class during my previous life something about certain insects being weak to salt.


    Upon receiving my request, Mrs. Marshan left the room immediately. Normally, I¡¯d be requesting Kamil, but he¡¯s not here right now, and for now, even outside of lessons, Mrs. Marshan has taken over his duties. And what¡¯s more, she would always follow me everywhere. It was necessary for a domain lord to always have someone by them to carry out their orders, is what Mrs. Marshan was teaching me, and I¡¯m very grateful that Mrs. Marshan is more open-minded and accepting of different ways of thinking.


    ¡°Salt, eh¡­¡­¡±


    To think it would be salt. In Arxia, salt is the cheapest among all seasonings, although it¡¯s still fairly expensive among daily necessities. I intend to see if I can find something to substitute for it. For now, I¡¯ll just think on countermeasures against the fire moths with salt water as the main weapon.


    Then, since we know that salt water can defeat the fire moths, we can have salt prepared to help defend the villages.


    It isn¡¯t that rare for fire moths to cause fires, but since the trees native to here usually have high moisture content, the main thing to be concerned about are each village¡¯s stockpiles of dried firewood.


    As for the forests in my domain, rather than using the soldiers on duty at the area under direct control, I¡¯d prefer if it would be possible for the citizens in my domain to guard them instead. Right now, I¡¯d prefer to avoid adding to the citizens¡¯ sense of fear by sending soldiers.


    Fire moths are mainly active during the daytime. Even if it¡¯s their active period, it¡¯s highly unlikely for fire moths to be flying about at night. In my domain, since the moon is usually hidden by the Amon Nor Mountains, it¡¯s quite dark at night. It seems that fire moths don¡¯t have night vision, so they can¡¯t fly around without any moonlight.


    However, since the villagers don¡¯t have lights, night comes early for them. They end their day and go to sleep when the sun goes down. It¡¯ll be necessary to organize patrols around the villages each day until it becomes completely dark at midnight, and find volunteers for that.


    ¡­¡­Organizing the villagers to protect their own villages, it feels almost like a vigilante corps. In this case, it might be for the best if I seriously try and establish a vigilante patrol.


    There¡¯s also the situation with the neighboring country to the east, taking into consideration that Kaldia might be invaded by enemies, this might be a good chance to teach the people some basics of self-defense now. I¡¯d like to make an organization with the villagers that would improve our cooperation and communication.


    I finished a basic plan for setting up a vigilante group system, and left my room for the lord¡¯s office. When I knocked and entered, Earl Terejia who was working busily just like usual looked at me with a surprised face.


    ¡°¡­¡­It couldn¡¯t be, but are you already done with your work?¡±


    ¡°No, I apologize. I¡¯m here to see you because I would like to discuss the domain¡¯s military regulations and information on the soldiers.¡±


    The domain¡¯s military regulations, at hearing this the earl raised his eyebrow. I told him about my plan for setting up a vigilante organization, as he listened with a dubious look on his face, and he pulled some pieces of wood out of his drawer for some reason.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a rough draft for a self-defense organization. I never would have expected that you could come up with something like this yourself as well.¡±


    The earl seemed a little apologetic, and I nodded. This was the first time that I had come up with a plan for the domain entirely on my own. Taking into consideration my age and lack of experience, it¡¯s no surprise that the earl also prepared something like this.


    Earl Terejia¡¯s draft had the same idea as my plan, using conscription into the domain¡¯s army to establish a new organization. Apart from that, he also had methods for cooperation between the new forces and the domain¡¯s army, as well as setting up methods for faster communication in the villages, which I was still thinking about. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°¡­¡­Then, we¡¯ll try to make this a reality.¡±


    ¡°Once you¡¯re finished with these, bring them over to me. Also, please submit your countermeasures against the fire moths then as well.¡±


    Earl Terejia handed me military regulations and military service records, including of those that had already retired from the domain¡¯s army, and I left the office just as Bellway arrived with a small cage containing three fire moths.


    ¡°Eliza-sama. I was just about to go find you. I¡¯ve brought three fire moths.¡±


    ¡°Ahh, thanks for your trouble. I¡¯m sorry, but please bring that to the garden for me. Also, could you please prepare half a cup of salt water for me, as well as two cups of regular water. Lastly, please call the gardener Boriswaf for me.¡±


    ¡°Very well.¡±


    I feel like I¡¯ve crossed a point of no return and done something bad. I turned around to look at Bellway¡¯s back as he was leaving, and I got a feeling like I was getting more efficient at using people. Before, Earl Terejia was the one giving orders to everyone in the mansion, but I¡¯m going to have to get used to this from now as well.


    I returned to my room at the same time as Mrs. Marshan, and I looked at her arms which were filled with information documents and sighed. Since this was an urgent matter, I didn¡¯t have to say anything.


    I placed the documents on top of my desk, and began drafting my plan against the fire moths. Supplying the salt water, and noting the locations where fire moths have been sighted.


    If there¡¯s no other methods that can be as effective as salt water against fire moths, we¡¯ll have to supply the salt water. That¡¯s because the villagers don¡¯t have enough salt of their own. What¡¯s more, we might not have enough salt water to go around for everyone. I wonder if I can use poisonous herbs that won¡¯t be enough to kill a human, and mix them into water and have it be effective on fire moths.


    While Bellway came to see me while I was writing, he stopped me when I rose my head and spoke to Mrs. Marshan instead. I see, he¡¯s telling her that he¡¯s done with the preparations I requested.


    When I finished writing for the time being, Mrs. Marshan probably noticed it and spoke up at that moment.


    ¡°Bellway reported that he¡¯s finished preparing the items in the garden you requested.¡±


    ¡°I understand. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    When Mrs. Marshan and I arrived at the garden, Bellway and the gardener Boriswaf were waiting for us. Under the earl¡¯s instruction, Bellway will be remaining here to watch over what I do here.


    I told him directly that I intended to experiment on the fire moths to see what could kill them, and I left the more detailed explanation up to Mrs. Marshan. Boriswaf is here to help me carry out the experiment in my place. That¡¯s because it wouldn¡¯t be considered appropriate for me or Mrs. Marshan to be pouring salt water on fire moths and killing them.


    ¡°First, I¡¯d like to see for myself the fire moth¡¯s reaction to salt water. Boriswaf.¡±


    At my request, Boriswaf let one fire moth out with a practiced hand. I can see the fire moth quite clearly, and it¡¯s at a close distance for my first time as well, this will make for an excellent observation. A fire moth is about as big as a swallowtail butterfly from my previous life, and its wings were a pale vermillion. With the lighting, it almost looks golden. It really looks like the golden light of fireflies at night, I wonder if that has to do with the pale lighting of the moon as well.


    Boriswaf held on to its wings, and dripped a little bit of salt water onto them. As a gardener, he would be experienced in getting rid of insects, so as expected he¡¯s good at handling a fire moth.


    The salt water changed the wing¡¯s color from pale vermillion to dark brown, and the fire moth was fluttering frantically. It was clear to see that it was in pain. I don¡¯t know the biology of moths and butterflies too well, but even their wings were probably able to feel pain.


    ¡°Alright, let it free.¡±


    I wanted to see if the fire moth would be able to fly with damaged wings, so I ordered Boriswaf to let it go. Although the fire moth was set free, and kept trying to flap its wings, it seems that it wasn¡¯t able to fly.


    When I look closer, there are tiny holes in the wings. It¡¯s because of the salt water.


    ¡°Butterflies and moths won¡¯t be able to fly if even small holes are drilled into their wings.¡±


    I nodded at Boriswaf¡¯s information. This means that I don¡¯t have to completely cover it in salt water, and now I should see if I can find something to replace salt water, or be even be more efficient.

 Ch 30

    Earl Terejia has approved of my plan to deal with the fire moths. Wooden pipes containing salt water would be issued, and a civil militia would be set up.Since there wasn¡¯t enough salt water for everyone, we also distributed wooden pipes with poisons that would work on the fire moths. We also made sure to add sand into the salt water to make sure that the villagers wouldn¡¯t try and use the salt water for their personal use. There was also the fact that we discovered fine grains would solidify the moth scales during the experiment in the garden. However, we weren¡¯t able to find something that would replicate the effect of salt dissolving the wings and causing holes in them.


    Since there were more fire moths than could be taken care of by people, I used the idea of pesticides from my previous life, and instructed the villagers to spray salt water on the fields and near the entrances to the forests, so that the fire moths wouldn¡¯t go near the crops. Although I don¡¯t remember the details, I do seem to remember that salt can be used as a pesticide in my previous life.


    ¡°I¡¯ve received my first task from the earl! Starting today, you¡¯re going to be learning the spear from me, Elida-dono!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Eliza, Claudia-dono.¡±


    I had just finished the plans on dealing with the fire moths, and was working on documents regarding transporting the necessary goods to the villages, when I was ambushed by Claudia, and I was forced to stop working. Well, these documents have to be completed by the day after tomorrow, even though this is something that the earl asked me to do, I don¡¯t absolutely have to finish them today. After all, refusals never get through to Claudia. Since it¡¯s useless, I¡¯ve learned not to waste my energy struggling.


    ¡°Ahh, my apologies. Then, Eliza-dono, let¡¯s go to the training grounds!¡±


    Claudia grabbed my wrist, and started dragging me around while humming.


    ¡°The training grounds? For the soldiers?¡±


    ¡°Yep.¡±


    ¡°I have a different training ground from the soldiers. Since there¡¯s a wide empty space behind the house, I use that.¡±


    Normally Claudia would forcibly use the soldiers¡¯ training grounds and play there, but I don¡¯t go there. After my three months of training concluded, I haven¡¯t been back to the barracks or their training grounds. That¡¯s because I¡¯ve had to either show up in front of the citizens of my domain, or accompany nobles lately. With my own soldiers¡¯ negative feelings towards me, I had to placate them, and get them used to me. I should have cultivated my relationship with the soldiers more, but after leaving the barracks, but considering my position, I haven¡¯t been able to go back to the barracks.


    ¡°¡­¡­I see. I wanted to show you the growth of that child entrusted to me.¡±


    Even Claudia knew at least some common sense as a noble, and she nodded meekly. She doesn¡¯t completely lack common sense, now I know she¡¯s not completely unmanageable. As a house guest that¡¯s entering my domain¡¯s army, we¡¯ve allowed her to freely go in and out of the barracks and use the training grounds there as she liked.


    ¡°Ratoka, eh.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Gunther said she¡¯s finally beginning the food gathering for herself this afternoon.¡± S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    At the same time that Claudia joined the army, Ratoka was placed as a soldier in training at the barracks, and she¡¯s now going through the exact same basic training that I did. That is, getting beaten up all morning by Gunther, polishing tools and cleaning with the other soldiers in training until noon, and doing an endless amount of marching training after lunch. After that, she would have to forage for her own dinner by herself.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never hunted before until I came here, but it¡¯s really so fun! The food I catch myself tastes amazingly delicious.¡±


    Claudia seems to be getting excited over some memories about hunting. I felt a sense of danger, so I gently tried to pry Claudia¡¯s hand off my wrist. She didn¡¯t budge.


    ¡°When I first went up against large beasts with my spear, I realized for the first time that this was indeed different from practice! In order to outmaneuver and defeat enemies with hostile intentions, I must train my intuition!!¡±


    As she shouted and rose her fist to the sky in a display of her determination, Claudia seemed to be sparkling. Probably without realizing it, her other hand was also raising mine to the sky and she was using all her strength to grip me with.


    It hurts. Someone, please save me.


    ¡°Since that¡¯s been decided, Eliza-dono, let¡¯s immediately go do some special training behind the mansion!¡±


    I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s in answer to my wish, but Rashiok who was taking a walk nearby, approached Claudia and gently nudged her back with his front foot.


    ¡°Noo, it¡¯s an enemy attack!!¡±


    She performed a splendid high roundhouse kick, and I could even hear the sound it made in the air. Although Rashiok was able to duck it, if it had been anyone else from the mansion they probably would have taken a direct hit. Well, since nobody was behind Rashiok, luckily that kick didn¡¯t blow anyone¡¯s head away.


    ¡°¡­¡­Oh, Rashiok! I¡¯m so sorry!!¡±


    Claudia hurriedly began apologizing to Rashiok, and was breathing hard, and Rashiok met my eyes as if to say, really? This took Claudia about five minutes or so.


    Finally, with Rashiok coming along as well, the spear training behind the mansion began.


    Claudia had regained her composure on our way here, and with a very calm expression, she began teaching me the advantages and features of the spear.


    ¡°Although the sword is basically the main weapon for nobles, in actual battles nobles use spears more often. Do you know why?¡±


    ¡°Since the sword is required for ceremonies and rituals, nobles are taught ceremonial swordsmanship. However, in actual battles, the spear has longer reach, and being a two-handed weapon, the spear is more advantageous than the sword.¡±


    ¡°Yep, that¡¯s it. Now that chain mail is the main type of armor, swords are rather useless. You have to pierce through it. For that, the spear is more suited to the task due to its shape. Of course, the difference in reach is critical in actual combat as well. When attacking from horseback, swords can be blocked even by helmets.¡±


    I felt strange at seeing Claudia actually being serious, and nodded. It seems that there¡¯s going to be a very high possibility of me actually being in battle in the future. Since I¡¯ll be riding, I want longer reach.


    ¡°First, you¡¯ll have to remember the feeling of manipulating a rod-shaped weapon. Gunther¡¯s spear practice probably only focused on thrusting the spear.¡±


    For infantry with no knowledge of martial arts, they would only receive training on standing in formation and thrusting the spears for basic training. However, since I¡¯m a commander, Claudia said that I need to truly master the spear and be able to use it for self-defense.


    I nodded at Claudia again. Since this has to do with improving my odds of survival, I¡¯m going to take this seriously and learn the best I can.


    ¡°Then, start with your form.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Although I gave a spirited reply, three hours later I was regretting it slightly.


    When Claudia said to start with my form, she didn¡¯t mean to start with the basic training that Gunther had me do before. The proper form was completely different from what I had been doing up until now, and that one word before training started was the only word I was able to get in, I was almost mentally exhausted to the point of being unable to speak.


    With three hours of practice swinging, my training concluded for today.


    ¡­¡­I had been slightly excited to learn martial arts seriously for the first time today, but my inner child was fully exhausted, crushed, and thrown away somewhere.


    End of Act 1, Part 2

 Ch 31

    People were strung up on wooden stakes as the smoke rose around them, and I could only watch without diverting my eyes. Under the harsh summer sun, with the burning straw beneath them, the people that were in the process of dying could do nothing but scream and scream.There were other people that were truly enjoying the sight of the last moments of those thrashing about terribly on the wooden stakes. They would sometimes add oil to the fire or douse it with water, seeming to want to prolong the suffering of the victims.


    The screams would slow down and gradually stop as what used to be human turned black on the stakes. Before I realized it, there was a horrible stench drifting around me.


    At the same time that the heat and stench caused me to vomit reflexively, I heard the sound of raucous laughter next to me. It sounded so out of place at this type of location, that I couldn¡¯t get it out of my head and it agitated me greatly.


    I couldn¡¯t take any more of this, and all I wanted to do was crouch up into a ball and close my eyes and cover my ears, but because I was being held in someone¡¯s arms, I couldn¡¯t do so.


    Let me go, I desperately tried to say that but I wasn¡¯t able to talk yet, and the adult arm was easily able to hold on to my baby body.


    Everything¡¯s a blur. I feel like my head will break with how much it hurts.


    The summer heat, the hot air from the fire, the stench, they combined to choke me. My nausea was at the limit of what I could bear, and something traveled up my esophagus as I reflexively vomited. The smell of my own vomit mixed with the stench of burnt flesh and made things smell even worse.


    After staring at my own puddle of vomit in a daze for a bit, I slowly raised my head. I wanted to take a look at the person that was holding me. It was almost something instinctive, I¡¯m not sure myself why I wanted to do so. But, after I looked at him, I regretted it from the bottom of my heart.


    He had beautiful long black hair, with eyes the color of blood, and he was smiling with an ecstatic expression as he looked back into my eyes. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    I realized that he was my own father, and I woke up from my nightmare in my own bed.


    In the stifling hot atmosphere of my room, I hurriedly wiped off the sweat dripping down my cheeks. Perhaps it was because of the nightmare though, my hands were cold, and I was shaking badly.


    Without even opening my curtains, I left my room. I wanted cool, refreshing air, but even outside it was hot. I¡¯m fed up with this suffocating heat and humidity. I opened the window, and at least some fresh air came blowing in.


    It¡¯s currently the hottest summer that I¡¯ve experienced in the Kaldia domain.


    There¡¯s been an increasing number of people getting heat stroke in the western part of my domain, we¡¯ve been too busy dealing with that to set up the civil militia yet. Earl Terejia and I have been confined to our rooms dealing with how much work there is, but the servants forced us to get plenty of water and take breaks as well.


    The soldiers have begun returning from the eastern village construction project. The refugees have begun moving there in groups of twenty. Since there¡¯s more water in the east, the climate there is milder and I heard from some of the soldiers that they wished they were still there.


    Kamil¡¯s still not back at the mansion yet, it¡¯ll be at least two months before things finish and he returns.


    I took off my nightclothes that were soaked in sweat, and put on a light tunic and dalmatic. Mrs. Hortensia should probably be helping with breakfast preparations, and she won¡¯t be coming to wake me up. After I turned five, I didn¡¯t need anyone coming to wake me up anymore unless I overslept.


    My neck felt sticky with sweat and uncomfortable, and I looked for a maid on my way to the dining hall. Since Phoebe and Isadora are the only maids here, it¡¯s hard to find them during the morning when it¡¯s so busy. I got lucky today though, I found Isadora just as she was taking the laundry back into the mansion.


    ¡°Good morning, ojou-sama.¡±


    ¡°Good day, Isadora. Sorry, but please clean my bedroom today as well.¡±


    Those nightclothes have to be washed before I¡¯d wear them again, and my sheets were soaked in sweat as well. Getting a nightmare just because of how hot the weather¡¯s been, I want to improve the comfort of my bed even if it¡¯s only by a little.


    Maybe it¡¯s the same for everyone else, the heat¡¯s getting to them, Isadora just nodded and responded in a low voice.


    ¡°I understand. Was there anything else you needed of me?¡±


    ¡°After breakfast, I would like to wipe my body down. Please make the preparations for me.¡±


    Isadora nodded again, bowed, then hurriedly walked down the hallway in a busy manner. Getting the laundry is a maid¡¯s job, but actually washing it is the maidservant¡¯s job. Without even needing to take my time and eat slowly, my room will probably be ready with a wash basin and towel.


    For once, Earl Terejia, Mrs. Marshan, and even Claudia were all there at breakfast at the same time. Since Elise always took her meals in her room, that means that other than her, just about everyone else was coincidentally in the dining hall right now.


    ¡­¡­Come to think of it, I haven¡¯t visited Elise for a while. Recently Elise has been getting better, and she would often be out in the garden during the day, so there¡¯s been no need to visit her room.


    Let¡¯s go see her today.


    After I wiped myself with the towel that Isadora prepared for me, I arrived at Elise¡¯s room, just when Maya came walking out at a brisk pace.


    ¡°Ah, Eliza-sama.¡±


    ¡°Where are you going, Maya? It¡¯s rare to see you not by Elise-dono¡¯s side.¡±


    Since Maya is Elise¡¯s personal maid that she brought along with her, they spend most of their time together. It¡¯s rather unusual to see her going somewhere else by herself especially during the day. Today, rare things keep happening.


    ¡°Yes, the earl called for me today.¡±


    ¡°The earl¡­¡­ I see. I¡¯ll take care of Elise for the time being.¡±


    ¡°Thank you very much. Sorry for the trouble, but please take good care of Elise.¡±


    Maya seemed slightly relieved, and went off briskly again. Since Elise often has coughing attacks, she probably doesn¡¯t want to leave her alone.


    And so I knocked on Elise¡¯s door, and heard her saying please come in. Compared to when she first arrived here, it sounded much more energetic.


    ¡°Elise-dono, pardon my intrusion.¡±


    ¡°Eliza-sama! Welcome.¡±


    Instead of sitting on her bed like usual, Elise was sitting on a chair against the window. Her face was beaming and she was about to stand up, but I motioned her to stop, saying it was fine.


    ¡°You seem to be doing well today.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Yes, thanks to this place I¡¯ve become very healthy.¡±


    She was smiling and nodding happily, and I approached her to see what she was up to. I stood next to Elise and suddenly felt slightly shy, as she was looking outside, I spoke up in a quiet voice.


    ¡°Outside?¡±


    ¡°Yes. From here, I can see the garden, as well as the pond on the other side.¡±


    Looking at the scenery from here, she seemed instilled with energy, and she laughed. Ahh, I made a casual reply, and looked outside as well, and saw the garden and pond that Elise was talking about. It¡¯s the place where I got the poisonous hemlock. Since the pond isn¡¯t a place that the gardener¡¯s required to take care of, there might even still be some there still. Although, when the soldiers were connecting the pond to the water tank for the barracks¡¯ bath, they probably should have gotten rid of any poisonous plants already.


    Various types of colorful vegetation surrounded the water, looking at it from a distance made it seem quite pretty. In a well-shaded location, I squinted and saw a tiny grave. So one could also see that grave from here, eh.


    ¡°¡­¡­You shouldn¡¯t be going to the pond.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I know very well. Until I get healthier and more energetic, I won¡¯t go out from the garden.¡±


    I warned Elise as a reminder that the pond was dangerous, but I still saw a longing for the water in her eyes.

 Ch 32

    The days passed by as reports came in about the fire moth extermination and how the eastern village construction was progressing. The other day, thirty warhorses from the Ruktoferd domain were delivered to us, so Earl Terejia¡¯s establishment of a cavalry troop has become one step closer to realization, and other than that, not much has happened.Then, a messenger from the Jugfena royal domain¡¯s army arrived at the Kaldia domain.


    The earl and I welcomed him in the mansion¡¯s drawing room. The soldier was completely covered from head to toe in chain mail, with a tunic embroidered with the Arxia Kingdom¡¯s coat of arms, a crown and the Sacred Code, covering his armor. I pulled on the earl¡¯s sleeve carefully so as to not dirty it, and got ¡°he¡¯s a knight¡± as a response in return.


    I see, so he¡¯s a knight. It¡¯s okay to use knights as messengers.


    Knights are what we call nobles that have become military officers. To be more precise, knights are those that have officially entered the knights, and commoners that enter the knights can become titled knights as well. Since nobles without titles can become titled knights as well, entering the knighthood is basically a way to earn nobility.


    ¡°Welcome to the Kaldia domain.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m greatly obliged for your welcome. I bring a message from the leader of the Jugfena Fortress Knights, Earl Einsbark.¡±


    The knight entered without even sitting down, and remained standing between the chair and the desk. It¡¯s some urgent business. Since he was still standing, the earl and I remained standing as well.


    The knight looked at the earl¡¯s expression of anticipation, and solemnly began speaking.


    ¡°About ten women and children from the Shiru tribe have arrived at Fort Jugfena. They¡¯re currently under our protection.¡±


    ¡­¡­At the knight¡¯s words, I gently closed my eyes. The time has finally come, eh. It¡¯s been two months since we decided to accept the refugees, the Shiru tribe has done well to escape from the Densel army.


    ¡°According to one of them, there¡¯s still forty more of the Shiru tribe that will arrive. They¡¯re being pursued by a company of three hundred Densel soldiers. The Kaldia domain has agreed to take in the refugees, so will there be any problems in accepting them?¡±


    ¡°There are none.¡±


    When I answered, the knight looked at me in surprise. Mmm, although he glanced at Earl Terejia, the earl nodded and he nodded back before looking me in the eye. He¡¯s a praiseworthy knight. Even when others know that I¡¯m Viscountess Kaldia, they always treat Earl Terejia as the domain lord instead.


    ¡°Very well then. Together with the one thousand refugees currently under protection at the fort, it shall be fine to send them here as promised?¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course.¡±


    The knight nodded at me, then he hesitated a little.


    ¡°¡­¡­Viscountess Kaldia, Earl Einsbark would like to request for your aid in defending Fort Jugfena.¡±


    I could see that he was troubled and perplexed in his eyes, and he was looking at me with a changed expression. He seemed to be feeling a sense of guilt, it¡¯s very easy to see that he probably doesn¡¯t want to involve children in battle.


    He¡¯s honest about his feelings. And, he¡¯s very ethical.


    I remembered that when Earl Terejia first taught me about the neighboring country, he had avoided looking me in the eyes.


    ¡°I shall accept this request. I¡¯ll take fifty soldiers from the Kaldia army and travel to Fort Jugfena.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­You will personally?¡±


    It felt like he couldn¡¯t help himself when he asked that question. Oops, said the expression on the knight¡¯s face, as he looked at me with wonder and good will.


    His values seem similar to what I remember from my previous life. In this world, it was very ordinary for there to be child soldiers younger than ten, and it wasn¡¯t all that rare for domain lords that were just past five years old to be in battle. I felt a strange sense of nostalgia as I firmly nodded in response to him.


    ¡°¡­¡­I understand. I¡¯ll inform Earl Einsbark. I shall excuse myself and take my leave now.¡±


    The next morning, a messenger pigeon arrived from the royal capital.


    The message it brought was an order to dispatch troops from the Upper House of Lords. The Upper House of Lords is also commonly referred to as the ¡°Imperial Court,¡± it¡¯s where representatives of the king and the House of Lords make various decisions. It¡¯s similar to feudal governments that I learned about in my previous life, and it consists of the king, prime minister, commander-in-chief, royal priest, head priest, three judges, and five representatives from the House of Lords.


    ¡°Viscountess Kaldia shall command her domain¡¯s army and join the defense of Fort Jugfena¡­¡­ Even the royal palace went to the trouble of drafting such an order.¡±


    There¡¯s no doubt that this has to do with Earl Terejia¡¯s actions and our acceptance of the refugees. Receiving a direct order from the Upper House of Lords, even three times in a lifetime is considered to be very rare. On top of that, it was also sealed with a royal decree from the king.


    I think a simple order from the regular House of Lords should have been sufficient, it feels that even the people in higher places are giving the Kaldia domain their recognition. As I looked at the order documents, I sat down reflexively.


    ¡°How long are you going to rest and relax there when you shouldn¡¯t have the free time to be slacking off, Aida-dono!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Eliza, Claudia-dono.¡±


    ¡°Mmm, my apologies. Well then, it¡¯s time for you to issue a command for the army to move out already! Come on, hurry up.¡±


    As I looked at the person in front of me, Claudia seemed to be overly excited and wasn¡¯t even trying to hide it. This girl¡­¡­


    ¡°There¡¯s something I would like to talk about with you before that.¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    I sighed as I began talking to Claudia. She tilted her head, and smiled with what passed for her serious expression. I already understand well after associating with her for several months that she¡¯s always serious in her own way.


    But even so, this is a very serious topic, so I put on a serious expression as well.


    ¡°I believe Earl Terejia should have already asked you to become my bodyguard in place of Kamil.¡±


    ¡°Mm! ¡­¡­ Hm¡­¡­?¡±


    ¡­¡­I wonder if me trying to have a serious discussion with her meant that I¡¯m an idiot? Am I in the wrong? At Claudia¡¯s confused response, I suddenly felt a sense of futility within me. Maybe I made a mistake from the very moment I decided to have her become my bodyguard.


    ¡°¡­¡­ ¡­¡­ ¡­¡­ Oh, oh! Come to think of it, he did tell me something like that.¡±


    Claudia struck her hand with her fist as she remembered, and I swallowed down my imminent sigh. It seems that she had completely forgotten about it up until now. It¡¯s just that for once, she was able to read the atmosphere and went along with what I said.


    ¡°Unfortunately, Kamil is currently unable to return from overseeing the village construction. There¡¯s nobody else that can speak the language of the new incoming settlers, so there¡¯s no one else that can take charge of the construction project.¡±


    ¡°Ahh, I see how everything is.¡±


    Mmm, mmm, Claudia kept nodding and responding vaguely, but I wonder just how much of what I said she took in¡­¡­


    ¡°Meaning, it¡¯s not possible for Kamil to return and be my bodyguard, so if it¡¯s possible, since I have to go to Fort Jugfena now, I would like to request Claudia-dono to become my bodyguard. Is that alright?¡±


    ¡°Of course, no problem.¡±


    She answered immediately with a delighted smile. I see, it¡¯s no problem, then that¡¯s good.


    ¡°Then, until I return from the fort, I¡¯ll be leaving you in charge of things here at the mansion.¡± S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Claudia didn¡¯t seem to have noticed the way I had worded my request, and say that she¡¯d protect me during battle as well. I¡¯m really glad that she didn¡¯t say something like that. Claudia¡¯s been entrusted to the Kaldia domain. If she happened to die or get injured in battle, it would become a major incident.


    ¡°¡­¡­What!? Won¡¯t I be unable to protect you during the battle then!!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be less dangerous here at the Kaldia domain, and of course I can¡¯t have Claudia-dono accompany me to the front lines of battle at the fort.¡±


    ¡°No~! I¡¯m going to go along with you to protect you!¡±


    Wah, I hurriedly retracted my earlier statement on leaving her behind and made my escape, running for the domain lord¡¯s office. I have to make a report to the earl on what just happened.

 Ch 33

    Since Earl Terejia¡¯s private army was assigned to the defense of the mansion, I had to summon thirty soldiers back from the village construction and take another twenty soldiers that still remained here. With this, I¡¯ll have the fifty soldiers I promised to that knight.Together with Gunther¡¯s orders, the soldiers marched in tandem with me overlooking them while riding my horse. Since soldiers-in-training will be leading the reins for me, compared to my birthday celebration, it¡¯s a lot easier.


    ¡°I thought you weren¡¯t able to ride a horse¡­¡­¡±


    Claudia who was walking next to me muttered that under her breath. Since she had helped me ride part way on our return trip from the royal capital, she¡¯s gotten the impression that I¡¯m unable to ride by myself.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I can¡¯t ride, I just didn¡¯t have the strength to control a horse for that long.¡±


    ¡°How weak. When we return, I¡¯m going to instill some intensive training for physical fitness into you.¡±


    I staggered a little at Claudia¡¯s grandiose exaggeration and touched my temple as I felt a slight headache coming on. It¡¯s not that I¡¯m all that weak, I just have the strength of a six year old still.


    I went on without bothering to reply, and on my other side, Gunther arrived next to me. Claudia called out his name in such a bright voice.


    ¡°Gunther!¡±


    ¡°Yo, ojou-chan, and ¡®my lord.¡¯ The march is going well.¡±


    Agil was the one in charge of the overall marching, while Gunther commanded from the front. It seems that the longest serving soldiers have become a bit revved up, I nodded slightly at him, then tilted my head.


    ¡°¡­¡­Um, what¡¯s with calling me my lord?¡±


    ¡°Ah? You don¡¯t think it¡¯s fitting?¡±


    Of course it wouldn¡¯t be fitting when you suddenly change the way you address me. For the person who¡¯s always called me ¡°brat¡± up until now to suddenly address me as ¡°my lord,¡± of course I¡¯m going to have a hard time adjusting to it.


    When I was living in the barracks with the other soldiers, at first they were calling me brat just like Gunther, but after they got used to me they were calling me Charlie for some reason, the same as Kamil. Gunther had stubbornly never changed his way of calling me, so that¡¯s why I¡¯m so shocked now.


    ¡°You should be more happy like the brat you are that I¡¯ve given you my recognition. Should I drop the honorifics?¡±


    Gunther was laughing delightedly at his own sarcastic remark, while I furrowed my brows. It feels like those words have completely overturned the nature of our relationship up until now. So far I really haven¡¯t experienced what it¡¯s like to be a noble and the domain lord, just the relationship between adults and children, instructor and apprentice, those are the only types of attitudes that Gunther has taken with me up until now.


    It¡¯s really so sudden, I suppose there¡¯s no changing Gunther¡¯s view of me now.


    ¡°You¡¯re really not honest with your feelings.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s so true.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­ Well¡­¡­ whatever, ¡­¡­ fine. Besides that, there¡¯s something I want to talk about immediately. To have Agil be commanding up until now along the way, I wasn¡¯t¡­¡­ informed of this.¡±


    Gunther¡¯s sarcasm with Claudia chiming in didn¡¯t sound all that bad at all. I tried to start a serious conversation immediately while Claudia was being relatively quiet for her. When the question was brought up to Gunther, he shrugged and laughed. He¡¯s not a very mature person.


    ¡°Our path was planned out in advance. We¡¯re really not going to pass by the village construction site?¡±


    ¡°No. If we head directly east to the new village the Monster Forest will be on our path, as well as many ponds. We¡¯ll resupply at Cyril village.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, I got it, I see, I see. At any rate, my lord probably just got into a fight of some sort with Kamil and doesn¡¯t want to see his face.¡±


    After leaving that remark, Gunther went back to the front of the marching formation. As expected because we¡¯ve known each other for so long, he¡¯s good at reading me. It wasn¡¯t a fight though. It was one-sided, with me chasing him away.


    When we arrived at Cyril village to resupply and rest for one night, it was just like last time during my birthday celebration, the atmosphere was filled with tension. Maybe it¡¯s because this place is far away from other villages, the heavy feeling of being unwelcome here was extremely uncomfortable.


    While feeling the sharp gazes of the villagers looking at me, I gave the order to resupply our water from the river flowing through the center of the village.


    The rivers flowing through the Kaldia domain all have melted snow from the Amon Nor Mountains as their water source. Since Cyril village is the closest village to the mountains, they can use the water directly from the river as a clean source of drinking water.


    I had my horse drink some water as well, wiped down its sweat, and fed it. The young boy novice soldier leading my horse didn¡¯t have the strength to control him and lost control for a bit.


    ¡°S, sorry, my lord.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind. Don¡¯t waste your strength talking and try to recover some strength. Tomorrow we¡¯re doubling our pace.¡±


    Next to the village, we set up tents where about thirty of the soldiers would be sleeping tonight. The soldiers were able to set everything up swiftly and give orders efficiently, it must be due to the soldiers that returned from assisting with the village construction. We¡¯ve collected a large number of tents from the neighboring domains for the sake of the new citizens, and they¡¯re used to camping outside.


    As I looked at the sight of me washing my hands in the river, and was able to get some rest for myself, the young boy novice soldier slowly came up next to me at a crawling pace, and sat down next to me.


    He seems slightly older than Elise. He wasn¡¯t very tall, and he had a slender figure. He had fluffy, bouncy golden blonde hair. He looked at my hands in the river with strong curiosity in his eyes.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°As you can see, I¡¯m soaking my hands in the cool water.¡±


    My hands were damp with sweat due to gripping my reins tightly as to not fall off my horse, so immersing my hands in the river felt really good. The river water that had melted snow as its source felt nice and cool in the summer heat.


    The boy novice soldier imitated me and submerged his hands in the water as well. Ah, it¡¯s really cold, escaped his mouth as he smiled happily.


    ¡°Ahh, I want to take a bath in this river.¡±


    ¡°Although it¡¯s very hot, you¡¯re not allowed to enter the river. You¡¯ll get the water dirty. Soak a cloth in water and wipe yourself down with it instead.¡±


    ¡°Okay. ¨C Somehow, it doesn¡¯t feel like my lord is actually younger than me. Rather, it almost feels like you¡¯re the older one.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know what would be good to say to the boy who seemed like he was admiring me, so I looked back at the surface of the water. The boy next to me giggled. In this village of tense feelings, it gave a strangely calm feeling.


    ¡°Before I entered the Kaldia domain¡¯s army, the villagers were scared of my lord. When I actually saw you as well, I also thought that my lord was a scary person. My lord, it¡¯s because you don¡¯t laugh. But after talking with you today, I think it¡¯s okay to not be so scared of you.¡± Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°However, since my parents didn¡¯t really struggle all that much under the despotic rule of the previous domain lord, I might be the only one that feels this way. ¡­¡­But, I think that people will still be scared of my lord if they don¡¯t know how you really are. It¡¯s such a waste. Ah, even though my lord has a cute face, it¡¯s scary because you always have a grim expression. I think that¡¯s a waste as well.¡±


    Without even any context, he started a monologue on this topic for some reason, what¡¯s more he even offered his unsolicited opinion, but somehow, I still felt mysteriously calm, and didn¡¯t even mind that he was a bit meddlesome and listened to all of it. The summer heat around me was being blown away by the cool breeze coming down the mountains.


    It almost feels like Kamil¡¯s talking with me. I wonder if it¡¯s because this boy¡¯s atmosphere resembles Kamil¡¯s in some way?


    Finally, silence fell on the riverbank. For a while, the two of us merely listened to the sounds of the wind and the babbling river.


    Suddenly, there was a commotion from the village, and the sky turned slightly crimson. As I looked at the sunlight reflecting off the water with a tinge of orange, Claudia called for me.


    ¡°Eliza-dono, it¡¯s an urgent situation.¡±


    On top of how rare it was for her to get my name right, Claudia looked more serious than I had ever seen her before. The boy novice soldier also looked at Claudia uneasily.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°A monster has been discovered in the forest near the village. It seems similar to a gigantic rizer lizard. Anyways, please come to the tents first.¡±


    While making her report, Claudia was already lifting me up onto my horse. Then, she jumped on behind me, and while turning the horse around she called out to the boy novice soldier.


    ¡°Could you get some more details from the villagers? The person who discovered the monster should still be resting at the village hall.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±

 Ch 34

    I sat down in the back of the tent on a cushion, and the soldiers gathered around me and sat down in a circle, cross-legged in western style. We left the tent flaps half open, so that the air wouldn¡¯t get too stuffy. I stirred the cup of water that Claudia sitting next to me offered.Across from Claudia was Gunther, and next to him was the soldier named Agil, and they had tense expressions on their faces.


    By Claudia¡¯s side were some men and women in dirty clothes, looking at us nervously with extremely unsettled expressions. They seem to be the leaders of Cyril village¡¯s militia. There¡¯s not enough men in this domain, even women have to be part of the militia.


    Sitting down in the innermost part of the tent was Cyril village¡¯s mayor, he was looking at me with a frightened expression. Due to the incident in this village before with the orphan girl, I see that the fear instilled in him for having him and his daughter flogged in front of the other villagers hasn¡¯t faded.


    Sitting down in a place farthest from the center, was the boy novice soldier from before, looking around in puzzlement. It seems that his name is Paulo, and after being ordered by Claudia to collect information, he¡¯s returned really quickly.


    ¡°Paulo, report on the monster that the villagers saw.¡±


    ¡°Y, yes!¡±


    As expected, he wasn¡¯t used to these sorts of gatherings, and Paulo replied with a high-pitched voice filled with nervousness. He met Gunther¡¯s sharp gaze and squeaked a little, then swallowed his saliva several times to collect himself.


    ¡°According to the villagers, while patrolling to guard against the fire moths, in the forest just north of the village, they seem to have seen a large creature they¡¯ve never seen before that look similar to a gigantic rizer earth lizard. Because it seems to prey on sheep, it could be damaging to the village if we just leave it alone.¡±


    A carnivorous gigantic lizard, eh. ¡­¡­Indeed, it doesn¡¯t sound like we can just let it be. It¡¯s been discovered too close to the village. It¡¯s right next to the patrol route for guarding against the fire moths.


    And if it really turns out to be magical beasts, I¡¯ll take measures against it described in the book on magical beasts.


    ¡°Do you have a more detailed description of the monster?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s different from the earth lizard, instead of scales, it seems to be covered in some sort of crystal resembling rock and ice.¡±


    Then he went on to describe the more detailed features, and all I could imagine was a true monster. Since it snows year round at the Amon Nor Mountains close to here, there¡¯s many monsters with ice magic, so it¡¯s quite likely that it¡¯s some sort of gigantic ice lizard. Once again, I was faced with the fact that there were actual monsters within my domain.


    ¡°It¡¯s probably an ice lizard known as a Radoshishiruka. It¡¯s a type of magical beast with the magic to freeze anything it touches with its claws.¡±


    ¡°Mmm, it¡¯ll be nice if we can catch one and preserve its meat for summer supplies.¡±


    Gunther made a joke, but unfortunately it didn¡¯t go over too well.


    ¡°No, we can¡¯t. Ice lizard claws contain poison, which will also attack whatever they freeze. We¡¯ll have to get rid of it before it attacks the village.¡±


    I concluded that the monster sighted in the forest was an ice lizard, and the village¡¯s militia was to surround the forest with torches of fire. Ice lizards are weak against fire, and hate the heat. It¡¯s very strange that such a creature would come down from the snowy mountains during the summer, but after all it¡¯s difficult to understand the abnormal monster behavior during their active periods.


    ¡°Claudia and I will remain outside the forest. Don¡¯t forget to heat your weapons up with fire before attacking them.¡±


    After our preparations were finished, we headed for the forest. Five soldiers carried buckets of red hot charcoal, for the sake of another ten weapon wielding soldiers.


    Even if they get injured against the ice lizard and are no longer able to go to Fort Jugfena, this number can be replaced by people from the village.


    Gunther led them with spear in hand, and the soldiers entered the forest in droves. The trees gradually hid them from sight, and soon I couldn¡¯t even see their shadows anymore.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be good if they can finish this safely¡­¡­¡±


    Paulo standing behind me muttered that under his breath. He hadn¡¯t entered the forest, and he had probably picked up on the anxiety of the villagers surrounding the forest with torches.


    ¡°If you¡¯re someone that believes in the path of military arts, then proudly believe in your companions, and wait for them without getting flustered.¡±


    When Claudia chimed in with a calmer voice than usual, Paulo hurriedly straightened his back and turned to face the forest again. The silence caused the feeling of tension in the air to spread.


    Then ¨C the yelling of the soldiers could be heard from within the forest.


    Everyone couldn¡¯t help but stare at the forest. A sense of urgency was transmitted along with their cries. Someone beside me audibly gulped.


    Mixed in with the soldiers¡¯ screams, the sound of Gunther roaring resounded through the air. I could tell that they were struggling, and I clenched my sleeves tightly.


    ¡°¡­¡­Hey, isn¡¯t it getting colder?¡±


    I wonder who it was that mentioned it first.


    Imperceptibly, the air around us had begun to chill, and people were beginning to rub their arms as they detected the cold. Since it¡¯s summer, everyone was wearing short sleeves, and they were trying to warm themselves up as the air had now gotten noticeably colder.


    At this moment, a mysterious sound came from the forest.


    It was a small sound that sounded like the cracking of a whip. When the sound began to repeat itself over and over again, the soldiers in the forest could be heard raising their voices in anger and confusion. Along with their screams, it sounded like hard objects were clashing with each other.


    Something strange is happening in there. It was completely silent outside the forest. Including me, everyone¡¯s eyes were glued to the forest.


    ¡°L, look at that! The forest is freezing over!¡±


    One of the villagers shouted that in panic. A commotion immediately began spreading.


    When I looked at the direction the person who had shouted was pointing at, the trees were really freezing over, encased in ice. Slowly but surely, the area of ice was spreading. The area being frozen over just kept increasing. Finally, from the forest¡¯s direction, a voice could be heard saying the same thing.


    ¡°Enough magic to freeze over the entire forest, eh¡­¡­¡± S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The cold air from earlier must have been caused by this. Whether Gunther and the others were still alright, I was quite anxious. Everything must be frozen solid around the ice lizard.


    The fact that they had leather armor instead of metal armor has actually helped out for once. If they had been wearing metal armor on top of their light summer clothing, they probably would have taken much more damage due to frostbite.


    Even if screams were coming from the forest, all I could do was listen to them.


    Then, Claudia suddenly jumped in front of me.


    Before I could even ask why, a gigantic lizard that was knocking down the trees in its path appeared in front of Claudia. The ice lizard had arrows stuck all over its body, and silver blood was flowing out of its injuries at a fast rate.


    ¡°Wah! It appeared!¡±


    Behind us, the villagers were all screaming.


    ¡°Paulo-dono, get back!!¡±


    At the same time that Paulo grabbed me and started retreating, prompted by Claudia¡¯s voice, Claudia pulled out her sword from her waist. Her sword wasn¡¯t very long, but she threw it with an amazing amount of force for such a slender wrist at the ice lizard.


    Thud, the sword made a sound as it pierced the ice lizard¡¯s head. However, the gigantic lizard still didn¡¯t perish. It opened its huge mouth and revealed a set of fiendishly sharp teeth, and eyed the obstacle in front of it, Claudia.


    ¡°Claudia!!¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but shout out her name.


    Claudia¡¯s long golden hair was beautifully spreading in the air. Its beauty seemed terribly out of place here, as I watched Claudia gracefully jumping and dodging. She escaped the jaws of the ice lizard, and with both hands, she stabbed her spear into the ice lizard¡¯s neck.


    A larger, duller sound rang out than when the sword had struck the ice lizard. Claudia had used her own weight and momentum to be able to pierce through the ice lizard entirely.


    I snatched a torch from a villager standing close to me.


    ¡°Claudia-dono, fire!¡±


    Despite the danger, Claudia grabbed the torch I threw at her with one hand. She heated up her spear stuck in the ice lizard with the torch.


    The ice lizard was wriggling violently. From where the heated spear pierced it, it was spouting white smoke that seemed very much like water vapor.


    ¡°Keep going just like that!¡±


    Gunther suddenly appeared from the forest, and swung down his broadsword in his right hand at the ice lizard¡¯s neck.


    Following him, more soldiers also appeared, surrounded the ice lizard, and swung their swords.


    A pool of silver blood spread quickly around their feet.


    Before long, the ice lizard finally stopped moving, and the soldiers finally collapsed down onto the ground.


    The corpse of this ice lizard that was covered in a spear, arrows, swords, and its own blood, was quite a sublime sight to behold.

 Ch 35

    I mobilized the remaining soldiers and had them dismember the ice lizard¡¯s corpse, and burn it a distance away from the village. According to their report, even its bones melted and nothing remained.The soldiers that had done battle with it suffered some frostbite, but it wasn¡¯t too severe, and they were able to make gradual recoveries with application of warm water.


    After a night¡¯s rest, as we were preparing to depart for Fort Jugfena early next morning, we saw several villagers heading our way.


    Gunther moved slightly in front of me as if to protect me. Claudia, who hasn¡¯t been living in the Kaldia domain for that long, doesn¡¯t know the political situation here and the villagers¡¯ hostility towards me. Gunther remembers the birthday celebration incident here.


    The people who had come were the village mayor, a man and a woman from the militia that I saw in the tent yesterday, and two women I didn¡¯t know. One of the women was still very young, and her facial features resembled the village mayor, so I figured that she was probably his daughter.


    She¡¯s probably the one that was flogged along with the mayor for their complicity in inciting Ratoka to attack me. The other woman¡¯s probably the woman named Marley that had allowed Ratoka to live with her.


    ¡°What are you doing here!¡±


    Since the village mayor had brought along the two people punished with him for that incident, all the soldiers were alert and on guard. Their hostility towards the mayor was evident, and he stopped right when they spoke up.


    ¡°Good morning. I would like to thank the domain lord-sama and everyone from the domain army for defeating the magical beast¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°If that was really your intention, why¡¯d you bring those two women along with you?¡±


    In front of the soldiers that had clearly threatening attitudes, the two people from the militia were trembling in fear. However, the two women behind them were looking down at the ground and seemed calm.


    Slowly and quietly, I reached for the hilt of the short sword in my waist. The people of Cyril village hate those of Kaldia blood more than any other village, and I don¡¯t know what they might attempt in a fit of passion.


    ¡°The child that was responsible for committing the crime of treason has already been executed. Why exactly have you appeared in front of my lord!¡±


    The soldier that had called out the village mayor on why he came here was gripping his spear tightly with his hands. Gunther, and even Claudia who had a puzzled expression, both had their hands on their swords as well.


    At that moment, the village mayor¡¯s daughter raised her face. She looked at the soldiers resolutely, and she even looked Gunther, Claudia, and me directly in the eyes. I don¡¯t know what she¡¯s thinking, and I looked back into her eyes to try and read her emotions. Our eyes met for only a little less than two seconds.


    Suddenly, the girl kneeled and lowered her head.


    ¡°!?¡±


    The soldiers were confused because they couldn¡¯t tell what the girl was trying to do. The other woman, as if imitating the girl, kneeled as well.


    The village mayor and the two militia members silently moved next to them. The two women prostrated themselves before me.


    ¡°W, what¡¯s this¡­¡­¡± Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Please listen, soldier-sama, these two¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°We know very well our rudeness towards my lord. But, please, domain lord-sama, I beg you, forgive the two of us!¡±


    Interrupting the village mayor, his daughter implored me directly in a loud voice while still kneeling.


    This could be considered very disrespectful. For commoners such as villagers, they¡¯re not supposed to directly address the nobility unless given permission. The girl might not know this however, and her voice sounded desperate for some reason, she sounded quite tragical.


    What have you done, was the expression the mayor had on his face as he looked at the two of them. His daughter¡¯s actions seem to have been completely unexpected for the mayor. I could tell that he had a bitter taste in his mouth from his angry expression at his daughter deciding to do something on her own without his permission.


    I looked at the two of them bowing their heads towards me. Why did they seem that desperate, I wonder. I couldn¡¯t see their expressions, and I couldn¡¯t even analyze their tone of voice as neither of them had said anything since the girl¡¯s outburst.


    ¡°Gunther,¡±


    ¡°You better not say something stupid.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­but I didn¡¯t even say anything yet.¡±


    With a strained expression full of tension, Gunther interrupted what I was going to say. But, I¡¯m really not the type to give orders without having thought things over carefully first.


    ¡°Gunther, capture those two women and bring them in front of me.¡±


    ¡°Like I said¡­¡­ Huh?¡±


    ¡°For their disrespect towards me just now, I said to capture them. They¡¯re people that were associated with an act of treason, I don¡¯t know what they could be plotting. Bring the two of them to me, and I¡¯ll punish them directly.¡±


    I suppressed myself so that my voice wouldn¡¯t shake while giving my orders, and it sounded terribly dispassionate and cold to me. I wonder if it¡¯s because a child¡¯s high-pitched voice carries well and is easy to hear, I noticed the two kneeling women¡¯s shoulders trembling.


    Gunther looked at me with a dumbfounded look on his face. The soldiers surrounding me, the other two paralyzed villagers, everyone was looking at me with their mouths wide agape.


    A gentle wind blew past the grassy field, shaking the blades of grass. Zaa, the sound of whistling wind surrounded us.


    ¡°What are you doing, Gunther. Your master is ordering you.¡±


    While everyone was busy standing still looking at me, the next voice that spoke up was Claudia¡¯s. Her favorite spear was in her right hand, and her golden hair was fluttering in the breeze as she weaved through the soldiers.


    Gunther hurriedly followed after her. The two of them held the two kneeling women¡¯s wrists behind their backs, restraining them as they rose up.


    Claudia walked the girl in front of me without any hesitation. In comparison, Gunther couldn¡¯t hide his confusion as he followed behind Claudia with the other woman.


    This time, the two women were brought in front of me and made to kneel again, but even so they haven¡¯t made a single sound of complaint.


    ¡°Did you know that you¡¯re guilty of being disrespectful towards a noble? The girl with the red hair, you may answer.¡±


    When I indicated for the mayor¡¯s daughter to speak, her answer was an immediate no! And this time, her voice was shaking.


    ¡°What is it that you wanted me to know so badly, I wonder. You may speak briefly. I¡¯ll listen to it before I decide on your punishment. Raise your head.¡±


    Even I felt that the words coming out of my mouth were so arrogant. However, by some miracle Claudia seemed to understand my true intentions, and she didn¡¯t use too much force on the girl, and tapped her gently on the shoulder to encourage her.


    Although I had ostensibly called the two of them in front of me to punish them, my true goal was to listen to what they wanted. Even if the two of them really did intend to do me harm instead of wanting to apologize, I have the strongest two people in my army holding them down, so that should reduce the risk to me.


    It¡¯s reasonable that Claudia, who was raised as a noble, would understand what I¡¯m doing faster than Gunther did. Even though Claudia normally behaves the way she does, at certain times it feels like there¡¯s such a gap in her abilities when she suddenly becomes competent like this.


    The two women raised their heads, and looked me in the face. Then, their faces turned truly pale.


    ¡°¡­¡­, Domain lord, sama¡­¡­¡±


    Their voices were shaking so badly, that I couldn¡¯t help but raise my eyebrow. They kept staring at me in a daze, their eyes were filled with fear, and they were biting their lips.


    ¡°-That¡¯s right. I¡¯m Eliza Kaldia, your domain lord.¡±


    Surely to the two of them, they must have seen my father in me. With my straight black hair that reflected the sunlight, and my red eyes the color of blood, I¡¯m the spitting image of my father after all.

 Ch 36

    ¡°- What¡¯s the matter. To have committed such disrespect towards me, it must have been because you had something to beg of me.¡±I wonder what it could be that they had to beg of me when they¡¯ve already committed such a crime against me before. Being confronted with the villagers¡¯ stupidity right in front of me, my mind wandered off from the two women kneeling in front of me and what they had to talk about.


    Currently in the Kaldia domain, there¡¯s no sacred shrines dedicated to the Ar Xia church. Since teaching the laws is considered the work of the church, and that villagers usually don¡¯t hire teachers, I remembered that during my birthday celebration, it didn¡¯t take place at a sacred shrine like it was supposed to, and villagers took the place of church officials instead.


    By the way, all the church¡¯s sacred shrines in Kaldia had been destroyed by my father. His reason was that ¡°they were too luxurious.¡±


    At that time, there was an economic crisis in the domain caused by father, so he made a law banning extravagance. The domain¡¯s citizens originally had modest dwellings and lifestyles to begin with, while those from the church had better stone dwellings, and were able to afford slightly fancier clothing as well. He probably chased the church out because the people¡¯s lives had been so poor for several years that they could barely keep the roofs over their heads, and the church was calling attention to it.


    Using the excuse of rebuilding the domain, father had seized money, food, and people from the citizens, and the clergy from other domains were excluded from here so they couldn¡¯t call attention to the terrible situation here, so education level is at a minimum. Basically if he kept outsiders out of the domain, the people here wouldn¡¯t know any better. Well, this all happened fifteen years ago anyways.


    In order to help the new citizens assimilate, it¡¯ll be best if I can get the church to return. Ever since this kingdom was founded, it¡¯s been inseparable from the church.


    ¡°Please, I implore you. We¡¯ll pay the fee for the incident that orphan caused, so please don¡¯t take us away to become ¡®laborers¡¯¡­¡­!¡±


    Interrupting my thoughts, I heard a heartrending cry. I blinked, snapping myself out of my thoughts, and looked back at the two women kneeling in front of me. What did she just say? Laborer¡­¡­?


    ¡°¡­¡­I see, so that¡¯s what it was about. I understand.¡±


    The girl¡¯s shoulders were shaking badly. It seems that my voice came out colder than I thought it would. However, although I understood why the two of them seemed so desperate and sad, I couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of disappointment now.


    Father would gleefully kill any citizens that committed crimes. On top of that, he would force entire villages to be responsible for criminals as well and have to pay ¡°fees¡± or else be subjected to becoming a ¡°laborer.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Could you stop thinking that I¡¯m the same as the previous domain lord?¡±


    I sentenced the two women to travel along with us to Fort Jugfena in order to atone for their disrespect. Claudia did a simple check on their bodies, and she didn¡¯t find anything like poison or a weapon.


    Since Fort Jugfena is likely to become a battlefield soon, the village mayor tried to appeal to me as I was going to be taking his only daughter along with me, but when I asked him if he wanted to take responsibility on her behalf instead, he quieted down. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    And so, although it was still dim and early in the morning, we finally started heading for Fort Jugfena again.


    ¡°Have the two of them carry some of our things. Paulo, I¡¯m putting you in charge of watching them.¡±


    Today as well he was the novice soldier in charge of leading my horse¡¯s reins, and I ordered him to go to the front and have the two women carry some light items.


    Since my horse isn¡¯t going at a fast pace, I don¡¯t really need someone to pull the reins for me. Although he was leading my horse in name, it was more like all he was doing was keeping me company and chatting with me.


    ¡°Eh, ah, yes.¡±


    At receiving his sudden order, Paulo looked at Gunther for a moment. However, when he saw that Claudia next to him was nodding, he went over to the front without saying anything.


    Again, Claudia was able to understand my true intentions quickly. Since the other soldiers have terrible attitudes towards the two women as they were associated with the orphan¡¯s act of treason, I figured I¡¯d have Paulo accompany them instead, and it must have appealed to her code of chivalry, because her eyes seemed to be sparkling.


    Because Claudia never hides her feelings, in a way, it¡¯s actually more fun to be with her than anyone else. She¡¯s not like a noble at all and allows herself to be swayed by her feelings too easily, but at the very least, there was no need to be on guard with her and look for hidden intentions.


    But, taking Claudia¡¯s feelings into consideration, I won¡¯t be able to take the two women to the actual forefront of battle at Fort Jugfena. It can be said that it¡¯s a weak point if I want to use Claudia. Given the current situation, I can only leave things up to Claudia, and trust her to guard my life.


    I simply had the two women carry some light items, since Claudia¡¯s an important person that I need to use until I¡¯m able to safely return to Kaldia from Fort Jugfena. She probably understands that I can¡¯t simply just send any other soldier to look after them. After all, Claudia and I are the only other females.


    We made camp tonight as we neared the border of my domain. Just like yesterday, the soldiers handily put up some tents, cooked some food with simple stoves, and put up a simple wooden fence around the area.


    Because we¡¯re in the lake area, it¡¯s terribly muddy. The soldiers washed their feet and shoes at the nearby lake, and hunted for some food in the surrounding forest.


    I remained at the tents. As long as there¡¯s no urgent situation, it seems that the nobility are allowed to take it easy. Of course, the flip side of it is that nobles are supposed to work harder for the sake of everyone if there actually is an urgent situation.


    Just like yesterday, I sat down where a cushion and cloth had been provided for me on the ground, and I played with a rock that I picked up that I felt resembled a chess piece from my previous life, and Claudia waiting beside me began to pace about restlessly.


    When I followed her line of sight to outside the tent, it seems that the two women I had brought with us from Cyril village had lit up a fire in one of the stoves. They seemed to be much better at using the stoves than the soldiers, and it seemed like Claudia had something she wanted to say.


    ¡°¡­¡­Claudia-dono.¡±


    ¡°Ooh, do you need me to do something?¡±


    ¡°I would like some hot water, could I trouble you to get some for me?¡±


    I implied that she could go over to the stove, and a joyful smile blossomed on Claudia¡¯s face. Since Gunther¡¯s also guarding the entrance to the tent, it¡¯s not much of a problem even if I send Claudia a slight ways off.


    ¡°I¡¯ll bring some to you right away!¡±


    Claudia flew out of the tent with so much energy. ¡­¡­When she returned later, it took a few seconds for her to realize that she had forgotten to bring me any water.

 Ch 37

    The next day, unfortunately the weather worsened, and we continued towards the Jugfena royal domain while it was drizzling. We couldn¡¯t tell the time because we couldn¡¯t see the sun, and we had to proceed carefully so as to not go in the wrong direction with this low visibility.While everything was misty, we just kept following the path to the right, and we arrived in front of a forest that was much denser than the other ones in Kaldia. It was said that a primeval forest once covered this entire area, and what¡¯s left of it now has become known as the ¡°Monster Forest.¡± I could hear what sounded like the sounds of beasts and insects coming from the forest along with the sound of falling raindrops.


    ¡°This place gives off a bad feeling¡­¡­¡±


    That voice came from one of the soldiers. Maybe it¡¯s because of the rain, even though it was summer there was a chill in the air. The soldiers might all be tired as well, everyone kept marching on in complete silence.


    ¡°Gunther, raise our speed to an extent that we won¡¯t get lost again.¡±


    ¡°Understood. I want to get out of here as quickly as possible too. Even being outside the Monster Forest, makes my heart nervous.¡±


    Even Gunther who was such a fearless person thought so, and this road had an eerie atmosphere to it. While holding on the the reins of my horse, I looked at the forest to my right. Due to the rain, its outline was dark and I couldn¡¯t see it clearly. Although there¡¯s still quite a distance to the forest, it felt like the Monster Forest was a looming presence, maybe it¡¯s because the forest takes up such a large portion of my field of vision.


    Suddenly, I felt like within its grey shadows, a bloodstained red was spreading. When I blinked, it was gone already, I wonder if it was an optical illusion, since I couldn¡¯t see it anymore.


    But while I was busy focusing on the forest, I heard a cheer from the soldiers in the front.


    ¡°I can see it! We¡¯ve reached Fort Jugfena!¡±


    At hearing that, all the soldiers cheered. On the other side of the drizzle, the shadow of the giant man made structure was vaguely asserting its presence.


    As we got closer to it, I was gradually able to make out the contours and features of the gigantic fortress. Fort Jugfena, is the only place where people live in the Jugfena royal domain. Rain was drizzling down on the fort made of polished black stone and metal, and it had towers spaced uniformly apart with the Arxian flag on top of them, with walls taller than the Mansion of Golden Hills I live in. Unlike the castles in the royal capital, there was absolutely zero decorative elements, but I felt that its systematic nature seemed supremely magnificent.


    The Kaldia army¡¯s soldiers had never left Kaldia before, and even Claudia as well though she should be used to the castles in the royal capital, they were all staring at the black iron fort with mouths wide agape. I was no exception. In front of this overwhelmingly beautiful fort, the Kaldia army proceeded while being fascinated by it like fools.


    ¡°Mm, Elena-dono, over there.¡±


    Claudia who seemed to have the vision of a wild beast was pointing to the bottom of the fort. Her eyesight was even good enough to find one speck of grain in the large kitchen.


    ¡°It¡¯s not Elena, it¡¯s Eliza.¡±


    ¡°Did I get it wrong again¡­¡­ I¡¯m sorry. Please excuse me.¡±


    I shortened my usual correction of her as I had mostly given up already, and squinted at the place Claudia was pointing at. Since my horse was still proceeding along in the meantime, when we got a bit closer I was finally able to see what Claudia was pointing at.


    ¡°Are those¡­¡­ the refugees¡¯ tents?¡±


    Surrounding the fort, completely different from the tent I used, were rows of simple tents meant for use by soldiers. They were spread out around the side of the fort as far as I could see.


    Even though it was raining, I could see people coming and going from the tents, not minding the rain. Then I changed my line of sight to our objective, the fort that took us three days of marching to get here. We stopped in front of the fort¡¯s doors, and as my leading military commander, Gunther reported my arrival to the fort¡¯s gatekeeper. In front of me were gigantic wooden doors kept behind iron chain mesh, I could truly tell that this castle was intended to be a fortress.


    Maybe the refugees can tell that Claudia and I are of higher status since we¡¯re on horses, their lines of sight were all on us. All they were doing was gawking at us, there wasn¡¯t much expression on their faces. There were those that kept staring at us silently, as well as those that lost interest and returned to their tents. They all seemed unhealthily skinny, I could tell that they all appeared to be exhausted and emaciated.


    I¡¯m sorry, but right now I¡¯m not here to welcome you. I put what I had just seen away in a corner of my mind.


    In the meantime, the gigantic door in front of me opened. Gunther gave the order for everyone to advance, and we slowly entered the castle in columns of marching soldiers. There was a row of soldiers on either side of us, leaving enough space for us to pass by between them. We passed them by as we entered the fort. The fort was brightly lit inside by torches, and we passed by some stables on the first floor where there was a wide space that many horses were resting at.


    ¡°Thank you very much for coming over, Viscountess Kaldia.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m much obliged for your welcome. As promised, I¡¯ve brought along fifty soldiers from the Kaldia army.¡±


    We were being guided by soldiers from the fort, and the knight that had been the messenger to the Kaldia domain the other day arrived to greet me. I suppose he might be the one in charge of being our liaison. Today, since he wasn¡¯t wearing a helmet and his hair was down, he seemed younger than before. If anything, I¡¯d say that his current appearance matches his true age more. But, I don¡¯t have any idea what his age is.


    ¡°On behalf of my lord Earl Einsbark, thank you very much for your pure and noble knightly spirit.¡±


    The man knelt and greeted me in a special knightly pose and ceremonial manner. He basically had his right hand touching his left shoulder. As expected of an actual knight, his movements were elegant and graceful.


    As for Claudia whose dream was to become a knight, her eyes were sparkling with excitement as she watched the knight carrying out his formal greeting. This is bad, this is her expression right before she loses control of herself.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about the inconvenience even though we¡¯ve just arrived, but I wonder if my soldiers can get some rest now. Since we unexpectedly had to deal with exterminating a magical beast on our way here, they¡¯re a bit tired.¡± S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    The knight issued instructions to the soldiers that had been guiding us, and my soldiers went up to the second floor with them.


    Meanwhile, I ordered Claudia to bring those two women over here. Those two women that I brought along with me from Cyril village, when they first entered this stone and metal fortress, they were too frightened to even look at the refugees, and seemed to be at a loss for what to do. For now, I¡¯m just going to say that they¡¯re my and Claudia¡¯s maids, and that tomorrow I¡¯m going to have Claudia accompany them back to Cyril village.


    ¡°So, just for tonight, would it be alright to loan a room to these maids as well?¡±


    ¡°Ahh, there¡¯s plenty of extra rooms. It¡¯s no problem.¡±


    The knight nodded at my second request, and then I continued speaking.


    ¡°I still haven¡¯t heard your name yet. I apologize for not asking up until now.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind. I thank you for the respect you¡¯ve shown me. Allow me to introduce myself, I¡¯m Ergnade Einsbark. I¡¯m the leader of the 1st Cavalry Platoon at Fort Jugfena. Since I¡¯m in charge of being the liaison with you guys, I think we¡¯ll be getting to know each other very well. I¡¯ll be in your care.¡±


    ¡­¡­Einsbark? This is an unexpected name that I¡¯m hearing.


    Since he had been a messenger knight, I thought that he would be just a low-ranking knight, but to think he was a military commander. What¡¯s more, since his last name is Einsbark, that means he¡¯s related to the earl that¡¯s the leader here. With such a high rank, he¡¯s to be our liaison?


    I wonder what Earl Einsbark is up to, selecting such a person to be our liaison. Not knowing what that sly old fox, the cunning veteran knight Earl Einsbark could be planning or thinking, my habit of being on guard reared its ugly neck.

 Ch 38

    Ergnade guided us to our rooms, and as soon as he carefully closed the door behind him and exited, Claudia couldn¡¯t contain her excitement anymore and jumped on top of a bed.¡°Wah!?¡±


    At Claudia¡¯s sudden, eccentric action, both of the women from Cyril village jumped. It was too sudden for them.


    Claudia buried her face in the sheets, rolled around, and wrinkled the sheets. Stop, you¡¯re going to make a mess of my bed¡­¡­


    ¡°Ahh¡­¡­ Being a knight, it¡¯s so dignified and beautiful!¡±


    With her face still buried in the bed, Claudia made such a comment. I was amazed and speechless, and just looked at Claudia with a strange feeling. She really likes the idea of being a knight way too much.


    ¡°¡­¡­You two, it seems that the room to the right of this one will be yours for tonight, so please stay there.¡±


    ¡°Y, yes.¡±


    I don¡¯t know whether I should say the two women were amazed or frozen solid, but I ordered them to their room, and sighed deeply as I was now left alone with Claudia. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Claudia-dono, your spear fell over.¡±


    ¡°What!?¡±


    Claudia, who seems to have returned to her senses, raised her face. At the same time, she saw her favorite spear that had fallen down onto the floor, then she saw me and my amazed expression, and she got off the bed, realizing the way she had been acting.


    ¡°S, sorry¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Please fix the sheets properly.¡±


    As I sat down on a chair in front of the desk by the window, I sighed again as I was tired, and stretched. As expected, riding a horse for three days straight to get here with a six year old¡¯s body, I¡¯m sore all over.


    After I took a glance at Claudia to make sure that she was fixing the sheets, I looked outside the window. For defensive purposes, the window had iron bars. On the other side of the glass, I could see the ramparts that were considered the national boundaries. It¡¯s made basically the same way as this fort, and there was a gate that was currently shut on the tall rampart walls.


    On the other side of the rampart, is the Densel Dukedom. This place is on the frontlines of defending our country, seeing this for myself, I felt some tension as well. Something might happen at any time, just as I was bracing myself ¨C


    ¡°Nooo, why can¡¯t I get it nice and straight like the maids do!?¡±


    Suddenly, Claudia¡¯s idiotic voice interrupted my thoughts. I couldn¡¯t help but collapse on the desk, losing the strength in my arms to prop myself up.


    It seems that Claudia was struggling with the bed sheets, and because it wasn¡¯t going well, she was getting frustrated. Before she could rip the sheets, I hurriedly stopped her and told her it¡¯s fine. Claudia still seemed worked up and dissatisfied at the situation, and she turned and faced me, and spoke up seriously.


    ¡°Erin-dono, please let me remain here and guard you after all.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Eliza. No.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I got it wrong again. ¡­¡­I think it was a good idea to say that those two were our maids. But if I¡¯m not here because I have to escort them back, who will Eliza-dono leave things up to here in the meantime?¡±


    I wonder if it¡¯s because she came in contact with an actual knight, she¡¯s even more insistent than usual. However, it¡¯s useless even if she begs me with those puppy eyes of hers. As Claudia stared at me with those blue eyes of hers, resembling a cat, she tried to overwhelm me with her feelings.


    ¡°Of course I can leave things up to the soldiers, and I can take care of myself. Claudia-dono, you¡¯re a guest that¡¯s been entrusted to me by the Rolentsor family. You really shouldn¡¯t be here at such a dangerous place. It¡¯s the same for those two women as well. Since if they stay here they could be in danger, I¡¯m requesting this of Claudia-dono.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­I give up. Got it, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ve been too selfish.¡±


    Claudia¡¯s head was drooping down, and just like that she went and laid down on the bed. Because it was so rare to see her quiet like this, even though her being quiet was great for me, I couldn¡¯t help but ask her a question.


    ¡°Claudia-dono, why are you so enchanted with the idea of being a knight?¡±


    Like a spring, she suddenly bounced back up. A smile popped up on her face like she was blossoming, and she was looking at me with sparkling eyes. At the great change in her, I asked myself mentally if I had spoken prematurely.


    ¡°Thank you for asking, let me tell you!¡±


    ¡­¡­And my answer was, I had indeed been too hasty.


    According to Claudia, who was actually acting somewhat embarrassed, she started from an episode in her early childhood about her having no talent in anything whatsoever, apart from martial arts and military arts, and wanting to be recognized by her immensely talented older brother.


    Her prowess in battle was indeed strong, so with her abilities, she would have a place in Arxian society. Her academics were terrible and she wasn¡¯t eligible to learn territory management as a girl that wasn¡¯t likely to inherit, but she was treated equal to boys with regards to military arts. Claudia proudly said that her parents had a saying, if you have the free time to be sewing, you might as well be strengthening your spear skills instead, it¡¯s considered normal in her family, although it¡¯s still rather unusual for an Arxian girl to possess such high combat skills.


    Her older brother, who was probably worried about Claudia¡¯s lack of interest in anything girl-like and her lack of self-confidence, seems to have told her that she had the talent to become an amazing knight. It seems that he used to be cold towards Claudia because his younger sister had been better with the spear than he was, but in the end he seems to have managed to swallow his pride and encourage his little sister. It was an interesting story in its own way, I listened to it in silence, only responding occasionally to let her know I was paying attention.


    ¡°My older brother is a splendid knight now! I admire him so much!¡±


    Claudia¡¯s eyes were starry like those of a maiden in love, it¡¯s just that what she was dreaming of was running around a battlefield, becoming a knight. In front of her overflowing hopes and dreams, I could only give a small sigh.


    ¡°Come to think of it, Eliza-dono, don¡¯t you have any?¡±


    ¡°Any what?¡±


    Claudia¡¯s cheerful face looked at me expectantly, and she asked me a question with no context at all. This time she didn¡¯t get my name wrong, how rare.


    ¡°Do you have anything you¡¯re aiming for?¡±


    ¡°Right now, I¡¯m aiming to become a great domain lord.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean¡­.. Mmm.¡±


    It seems that it wasn¡¯t the answer she wanted to hear, and she furrowed her eyebrows as she was thinking.


    ¡°That¡¯s, um¡­¡­ Rather than what you want to be, is there something that you absolutely have to become?¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    Claudia seemed to be trying her hardest to come up with the right words to say, but after not getting the response she wanted twice in a row, Claudia began clutching her head and muttering, trying to think of what to say.


    ¡°Um um um¡­¡­ Uh, as an example, what does Eliza-dono want to do?¡±


    ¡°Want to do¡­¡­ Right now, I want to help the new citizens adjust to their new village as soon as possible. After that, I want to get the church to return to the domain¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that part of your work as a domain lord?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s not what I mean¡­¡­¡±


    Uuu, her muttering had changed to whining. With her face between her hands and a silly expression on her face, moaning and whining, she looked ridiculous, ruining her appearance even though she was a beauty. It felt like a travesty upon my eyes, so I averted my eyes and looked outside the window.


    ¡°¡­¡­Other than things related to your domain, doesn¡¯t Eliza-dono have anything you want to do?¡±


    After a while, Claudia finally managed to think of something to say. Other than things related to my domain¡­¡­?


    Mmm, as I went over the things I wanted to do in my head one by one, every one of them had to do with being a domain lord or being a noble. It was to the extent where I began admiring myself, for my lack of selfishness in not having anything I wanted to do for myself. Finally, Kamil¡¯s face suddenly came to my mind, but I immediately got rid of him by shaking my head.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing?¡±


    Claudia was seriously looking at me with an incredulous expression on her face. Wanting to get married to someone would be considered pretty ordinary, and among all the things that people wanted to do, for her that so single-mindedly wanted to become a knight, it might be a little hard for her to understand me.


    ¡°¡­¡­You don¡¯t have any desires?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s quite accurate, either.¡±


    ¡°Although I¡¯m aiming to become a knight, I¡¯d also like to eat boiled eggs until my stomach bursts, or be able to use magic like monsters can, I have plenty of wishes unrelated to me becoming a knight. Is there really nothing for you?¡±


    I tried to think of something specific, but I was still unable to come up with anything. I shook my head, and Claudia scratched her head.


    ¡°Hmm, as I thought, you don¡¯t have any desires.¡±


    This time I didn¡¯t deny it, and just shrugged. The fact that I¡¯m not completely selfless, I know perfectly well myself.


    I have a wish as well.


    ¨C I want to be forgiven. Someone, anyone, in any way, even though I don¡¯t deserve it, can¡¯t I be forgiven, I¡¯ve always been wishing for it.


    To have no desires, of course that¡¯s not possible.

 Ch 39

    As I passed the time chatting with Claudia, having nothing else to do, after quite some time passed Ergnade invited us to dinner. During this time, the drizzle outside was gradually slowing, and outside the fort¡¯s windows, I was able to see the sun again. Although in the Kaldia domain, due to the Amon Nor Mountains blocking the sun, it gets dark quite early, but since to the east of Fort Jugfena is wide open plains, it¡¯s plenty bright even during dinnertime.¡°Are you dissatisfied in any way with your room, Viscountess Kaldia?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no problems. Thank you very much.¡±


    ¡°I see. It seems that everyone from the Kaldia army is liking their rooms as well. They¡¯re more disciplined than I would have expected. Usually, when we have armies from other domains coming here for the first time, they tend to complain about things here.¡±


    As we walked down the hallway together, Ergnade tried to make small chat, although he seemed unfamiliar with it. While I made the appropriate responses, Claudia following along behind us was staring at him happily. Although I¡¯m not obsessed with being a knight or anything, somehow I felt like following her example and observed him closely.


    He seemed slightly older than Margrave Molton, I wonder if he¡¯s about Gunther¡¯s age or so. Now that I look at him closer, his facial features, especially his nose, did indeed resemble Earl Einsbark¡¯s, who I saw at the House of Lords before. His muscular back seemed almost like a pillar to me.


    Today he wasn¡¯t in ceremonial dress, but in knightly attire instead, which was full black. It seems that the colors assigned to Fort Jugfena by the king were black and silver, although the only silver I saw Ergnade wearing was the knight emblem embroidered onto his cloak.


    ¡°¡­¡­Those black clothes look very sharp on you.¡±


    ¡°Hm? Ahh. Indeed. I iron them every morning.¡±


    Even though I was just paying him a vague compliment, Ergnade answered me with a deadpan expression on his face as he touched his own cloak. Then he grinned, and said somewhat proudly, ¡°doesn¡¯t it look cool?¡±


    He¡¯s a bit mischievous, was my first impression of him.


    As we arrived at the dining hall for nobles, and I saw the painting decorating it, it made me think of Earl Terejia¡¯s residence in the royal capital. The floor was carpeted, there was wallpaper on the walls, and there was even a bright chandelier hanging from the ceiling. There were velvety cloth curtains hanging from the windows as well, hiding the iron bars from view.


    In this dining hall, it was so ornate that it could cause one to forget that this was actually a fortress of black iron. The glittering hurts my eyes. Since the glare from the chandelier was annoying, I avoided looking at it as much as possible.


    Several people were already seated at the long table in the dining hall, including Gunther at the farthest end who seemed frozen solid. At the seat of honor was Earl Einsbark, with two men that looked like his sons sitting next to him. Everyone was wearing black knightly attire similar to Ergnade, it felt almost like a funeral, was the thought that flashed into my head.


    Although in actuality, Arxian funerals have white attire, not black, but I¡¯m just recalling memories from my previous life.


    ¡°Ahh, thank you for coming, Viscountess Kaldia.¡±


    Earl Einsbark sitting in the farthest back stood up and held out his hands in a welcoming manner. Although just like the first time I saw him, he had the face of a strong knight in the prime of life, this time he didn¡¯t have a strict expression like the one he had at the House of Lords, but rather a soft smile much like Ergnade¡¯s.


    ¡°I¡¯m very grateful that you¡¯ve brought fifty brave soldiers from Kaldia, so as a welcome, although it may not be much, I had this modest meal prepared for you. Please enjoy yourself.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m honored and deeply thankful for this feast that you¡¯ve prepared for me.¡±


    Earl Einsbark¡¯s eyes were soft, almost as if he was looking at a grandchild. Ergnade guided me to a seat on the earl¡¯s left, then guided Claudia to a seat as well before sitting down himself at a seat much farther down the table.


    ¡°In order for us to live on, forgive us for the lives we take for this meal. All sins and virtues shall be judged by the scales of Xia.¡±


    Well, I suppose this is sort of a more formal version of ¡°let us partake in this meal¡± from Japan. It seems that in the neighboring country right next to us, the typical prayer before meals is ¡°we are deeply grateful to the gods for this meal today.¡± Since I wasn¡¯t religious in my previous life, I¡¯m deeply grateful myself that I wasn¡¯t born in the neighboring country and have to say such a thing before every meal.


    ¡°I¡¯m very sorry to bring this up right after asking the forgiveness of the gods, but is it alright for me to introduce the people here to you now?¡±


    ¡°Of course, no problem.¡±


    As I nodded, Earl Einsbark pointed to the man sitting right next to him. His hair color was similar to Ergnade¡¯s, albeit slightly greyer, and he was a middle-aged man that resembled the earl even more than Ergnade did. He nodded at me politely.


    ¡°This is Volmar. He¡¯s my eldest son, and the commander of the cavalry troops at Fort Jugfena. Next,¡±


    The man sitting next to Volmar had beautiful features, and smiled gently at me just like Earl Einsbark did. Compared to his family, he was the only one with delicate features, and I couldn¡¯t help but think that he looked weaker.


    ¡°This is my second son, Wiegraf. Although he¡¯s a knight as well, since he¡¯s not that skilled at martial arts, he¡¯s a military strategist. He looks so similar to my wife, I wonder if it¡¯s because of that?¡± sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Although he was laughing easily, I noticed that my jaw muscles had stiffened up a bit unconsciously. It seemed like that parent and child could joke around with each other easily, and I remembered the way that Ergnade was being mischievous as he guided me here, so I relaxed slightly.


    ¡°Over there is Ergnade. He¡¯s my third son, who cunningly contacted you before I did.¡±


    ¡°F, father¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just joking. I¡¯ve heard that Earl Terejia has become the guardian of a certain child, so I¡¯ve been looking forward to meeting you.¡±


    As Earl Einsbark said so, he laughed happily, ha ha! At the same moment, his eldest son Volmar who had appeared straightlaced up until now, burst out into laughter. Wiegraf and Ergnade snickered as well.


    At seeing them, this time, I relaxed myself completely. Claudia and Gunther who had also both been nervous and frozen up, had started laughing as well before I realized it.


    I had been worried that the Einsbark family might be difficult to deal with, but they seem like quite the peaceful family. Although the neighboring country¡¯s invasion was still on my mind, that I don¡¯t seem to be despised here for being that evil villain¡¯s daughter, I felt a bit of relief.

 Ch 40

    Gong¡­¡­ an echoing loud noise shook my entire body. The bell in the central tower of this fort was being struck. I sleepily got up due to the sound while yawning, as the purpose of the bell was to wake everyone up.There¡¯s no water clocks here at Fort Jugfena, and the tolling sound of the bell is meant to tell time instead. After all, manpower would be required to maintain a water clock. Since there¡¯s no maids or foot soldiers that are only required to do menial labor here, it would take too much to keep a water clock operational. The villages in Kaldia mainly use sundials rather than water clocks as well, but for the soldiers and knights, I think auditory information is probably more convenient for them than visual information.


    The first time that I heard the bell ringing, it felt so loud and discomforting that I had to plug up my ears, but I¡¯ve gotten used to it quickly. Even I feel that it¡¯s convenient now. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It¡¯s been exactly seven days since I¡¯ve arrived at Fort Jugfena.


    I squinted through the rugged iron bars on the window at the rays of twilight shining through. Today¡¯s dawn sky seemed strangely red for some reason.


    ¡°Good morning, Viscountess Kaldia. Today, Earl Einsbark has granted permission for you to observe our training grounds.¡±


    When I finished dressing myself appropriately and left my room, a man sharply dressed in black knight attire was already waiting for me. In addition to being my liaison, it seems that he¡¯s also being my escort and guide, I¡¯ve been seeing Ergnade and accompanying him together every day.


    ¡°Good morning to you, Ergnade-sama. Permission to observe, is it.¡±


    ¡°Yes. The earl was wondering if you would like to see how we train our soldiers here.¡±


    ¡°I see, I¡¯m thankful for his concern.¡±


    After seven days, Ergnade¡¯s chatting with me has become quite informal. The first day I arrived, he was addressing me with an overly stuffy, formal version of ¡°you,¡± but some time ago he¡¯s stopped that and is now calling me ¡°you¡± casually like when he first visited Kaldia as a messenger.


    He had sharp eyes, but they would soften at the corners and crinkle up as he watched me in silence. I got the same feeling from Ergnade¡¯s grey eyes as I did from Margrave Molton back at the royal capital. It felt like I was getting cold from it, so I blinked and gently averted my gaze.


    We left the tower I was staying at and headed for the dining hall, where Gunther was waiting for me. On the other side of this tower, my domain¡¯s soldiers were borrowing rooms in the barracks here, while I had been given a room in what was known as the ¡°knight building.¡± Since the ¡°knight building¡± is supposed to be a living space for nobles, the commoner soldiers basically never come here. As one of my domain¡¯s soldiers, Gunther followed those customs as well, and he was waiting for me in front of the door on the fourth floor that led to the knight building.


    ¡°Good morning, Gunther. Thanks for your troubles today as well.¡±


    ¡°Good morning to you, my lord, and Ergnade-sama.¡±


    As Gunther replied to my greeting, he glanced behind me, and almost as an afterthought he greeted Ergnade as well. Ergnade was following behind me with a face that basically said of course he should be greeted as well. I always eat at the dining hall for soldiers, and haven¡¯t been to the place where the earl¡¯s sons, the senior knights eat. I can¡¯t determine with absolute certainty if Ergnade really has been assigned as my ¡°escort,¡± but for him to accompany me here to the regular dining hall probably does mean something of the sort along those lines.


    ¡°Good morning, Gunther-dono.¡±


    Ergnade made a short response to Gunther¡¯s greeting. Exchanging simple greetings like this has been going on every morning while Claudia is absent, as she was currently escorting the two women from Cyril village back to their homes.


    After breakfast, Ergnade would help train me in using the spear. Since my usual instructor Claudia isn¡¯t here right now, at first I thought I¡¯d get tips from Gunther again and have him watch over my training, but it seems that Ergnade must be bored just being my escort as he said he¡¯d help me train as well. Since having a senior knight that¡¯s currently in active duty be my instructor is the best I could ask for, I bowed my head and accepted. Gunther¡¯s role has subsided to only overseeing my basic physical fitness and foundational training.


    The spear skills that Ergnade was teaching me seemed to be a better fit for me, as Claudia¡¯s spear skills were highly technical, and were not a good fit for me as I was still a child lacking in body strength. Ergnade noticed this, and using Claudia¡¯s spear skills as a foundation, he trained me in spear skills that would be more fitting for me, especially as I might be using a spear on real opponents soon, unlike when I was training with Claudia. He emphasized attacking points that would cause the greatest amount of damage with my speartip.


    Ergnade mentioned that Claudia¡¯s spear skills incorporated many elements from staff skills, and that these techniques had no wasteful movements to them and could definitely kill opponents.


    Usually Ergnade would bring two wooden spears out from the armory for our practice, but today he had taken out two unfamiliar weapons instead.


    ¡°Viscountess Kaldia, I¡¯m going to teach you some new moves today.¡±


    ¡°New moves?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m going to teach you about halberds.¡±


    Ergnade placed the weapons on the ground, and told me to take a closer look. Regular spears were made of wooden shafts with a sharpened cone-shaped metal head attached, as it was a shape designed to pierce armor with. It basically takes advantage of length to stab enemies with, designed so that even regular soldiers with no knowledge of martial arts can kill enemy soldiers. It¡¯s commonly used by infantry soldiers.


    In comparison, the spear-like weapon Ergnade had brought out was a bit shorter in length. The halberd was a spear with an axe blade attached to the spear tip, with a somewhat triangular shape and a double-edged blade on both sides of the spear. One was real and the other one was wooden, probably for practice purposes.


    ¡°Although it¡¯s a bit difficult to use, but it¡¯s a strong weapon once mastered. I¡¯ve heard that the Kaldia army is mostly cavalry troops. Since this weapon works well both on horseback and on the ground, I think it¡¯ll be good to learn.¡±


    I see, I nodded as I passed the wooden halberd to him. It¡¯s heavier as it comes equipped with an axe blade. What¡¯s more, it shook a bit in my hands as gravity tugged down on its weight.


    ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s almost lunchtime, so let¡¯s end here.¡±


    I had already become tired to the point where I didn¡¯t have the energy to speak up when Ergnade finally said that, but he barely seemed to be sweating even though it was summer and he seemed refreshed. I had to use muscles that I didn¡¯t normally use in order to just control this new weapon, and just holding it without shaking used up so much of my energy.


    As I tried to catch my breath somehow, just like Ergnade said, I heard a gong¡­¡­ sound from the bell that indicated it was now noon

 Ch 41

    After I was able to get some rest and had lunch, Ergnade asked me if I wanted to go see the training grounds now. That¡¯s when I remembered his comment earlier this morning. Come to think of it, it seems that Earl Einsbark had given me permission to observe their training.Currently, the Kaldia domain soldiers are also receiving training from the soldiers at Fort Jugfena. It¡¯s so that I, Gunther, Earl Einsbark, and the soldiers can all work together better with each other, and we¡¯re all getting as much training as possible before the Densel soldiers draw closer.


    In the southernmost part of Fort Jugfena, there was a building that was almost like a giant box which was the training grounds for the knights and soldiers. Since I¡¯ve been receiving my training in the open grounds, I haven¡¯t been there before.


    ¡°¡­¡­Even though I didn¡¯t even request it, the fact that Earl Einsbark has given me permission to see the training grounds, is it because he wants me to see how my soldiers are doing?¡±


    ¡°Of course, that would be correct.¡±


    When I tentatively asked Ergnade to see if I could receive confirmation, he nodded without any hesitation. Gunther had a bemused expression on his face as he usually didn¡¯t see much of the roundabout way of conversation between nobles.


    ¡°Then, I suppose I¡¯ll have to go take a look.¡±


    I felt like it would only be disadvantageous if I said I wouldn¡¯t go, while Ergnade smiled ambiguously at my reply. It was as if he was smiling at a child making progress, or maybe it¡¯s just a smile he directs at all children. I gently shook my head and ignored his smile, let¡¯s end this topic here.


    The black iron fortress¡¯s training ground was much more overwhelmingly rugged than I expected. I wonder if that¡¯s why Ergnade went to the trouble of showing it to me from the ground up. Since I haven¡¯t really gotten close to here before, this is the first time that I¡¯m seeing the imposing profoundness of this box-like structure up close. This place is much taller than the four towers located in the corners of the fort, and I couldn¡¯t help but raise my head and look at the ceiling, which caused me to almost trip and fall.


    ¡°Uh oh. Please be careful.¡±


    Ergnade had placed his hand on my back, supporting me, otherwise I would have hit my head against the stone floor.


    ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯ve shown you something unsightly.¡± S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Because I¡¯d forgotten that I still had a child¡¯s body, I made a fool of myself just now. Embarrassment was easy to see from the expression on my face, and as if in response, Ergnade just grinned. I wonder if he¡¯s having fun at my expense¡­¡­ as I thought about it, I got more and more embarrassed. Gunther didn¡¯t say anything and just looked at me with a half smile as well.


    Although the training ground was lit up by lights inside, it was still dimmer than outside. It was built similar to an arena, and down in the center, soldiers were repeatedly practicing deploying in formations.


    My domain¡¯s soldiers were wearing something metal on their hands, shins, and heads. It seems that it¡¯s equipment from twenty years ago that the fort had on hand that¡¯s been passed on to them as a gift to my troops, since nobody is using it now.


    In order to improve the quality of my domain¡¯s troops, metal equipment will be required. It might be fine for them to use donated old equipment for the time being, but in order to maintain a cavalry squad in the future, the Kaldia domain is going to have to learn metal processing as well as deal with the increased maintenance costs.


    I¡¯m going to have to attract a skilled blacksmith to my domain as early as possible. However, right now making sure that public order remains stable after accepting so many refugees as new citizens is a more pressing matter.


    ¡°Viscountess Kaldia, what kinds of difficult things are you thinking about?¡±


    I heard Ergnade¡¯s voice, snapping me back to my senses, as he had already finished descending the stairs and was in the center of the training ground. Gunther was also staring at me in amazement.


    ¡°You seemed to be looking so seriously at the soldiers, almost like you were glaring¡­¡­ Do you think the training is insufficient?¡±


    ¡°N, no. That wasn¡¯t it.¡±


    While inspecting their equipment, I had gotten sidetracked thinking about my own domain. I hurriedly shook my head and denied to him that I would think the training insufficient, while Ergnade merely tilted his head and remained silent.


    ¡°It, it¡¯s¡­¡­ because their movements have gotten so much better. I was wondering what type of training they¡¯d gone through in order to polish their skills so much in so short a time.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you come here to learn that? Let¡¯s go, come on.¡±


    Ergnade waved at me with a soft, wry smile. At the way he seemed, it triggered a vague memory in my brain. Although I wondered what it was, no matter how I parsed my memories, I couldn¡¯t remember what it was.


    As Ergnade held his hand out for me as I descended the stairs, ahh, I¡¯ve seen something similar to this scene in my previous life, is what I realized. My previous life¡¯s memories seem so far away now, I felt a fleeting sense of loneliness.


    Before I realized it, my observation turned into training me on how to command, which continued until dinner time. Just like this morning, I was exhausted from everything, to the point where I felt like my head was spinning around when I finally was able to have dinner.


    ¡°Oi oi, you alright there, my lord?¡±


    Gunther sitting next to me had a worried face as he shook me. I just sat there in a daze for a moment, until I finally noticed him and replied ¡°I¡¯m alright,¡± and nodded slowly. It felt too tiring to talk very much.


    ¡°¡­¡­It doesn¡¯t seem like you¡¯re alright.¡±


    Although he seemed relieved that I finally responded, he still didn¡¯t seem to believe me probably due to the look on my face, and he pinched my cheeks. Stop it, I slapped his hand away, and he dropped his hand away from me.


    ¡°I¡¯m tired, can¡¯t you leave me alone¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s obvious to see. Can you still walk to your bed? You look like you¡¯re about to fall asleep on your feet.¡±


    ¡°If she can¡¯t move, then I¡¯ll carry her there. No need to worry, Gunther-dono.¡±


    Ergnade who was eating on my other side elegantly wiped his mouth with a napkin as he interjected himself into our conversation. I was starting to nod off at that point, and stopped paying attention to what Gunther and Ergnade were talking about anymore. While dazedly looking at their worried faces as they kept talking, I thought back to the memory that Ergnade triggered in me back at the training ground.


    ¡°¡­¡­Ah, mom and dad.¡±


    It reminded me of my parents from my previous life, and I accidentally said it out loud.


    Gunther and Ergnade¡¯s surprised faces was the last thing I saw as I lost my consciousness. I¡¯m at my limit.


    Falling asleep for the first time in this world in this manner, I could hear panicky voices around me, it felt like I was hearing both wonder and satisfaction.

 Ch 42

    One morning, I didn¡¯t hear the familiar low tolling sound of the bell. Kan, kan, I heard a high-pitched sound of metal being struck, and the sound was gradually increasing in volume. It was a daunting sound that enhanced tension, is what I thought. It must be a type of warning to inform us about something approaching.When I opened my eyes, it was still dark inside my room. Outside the window, it was still a blurry dark blue sky. It¡¯s before dawn. The metallic sound was increasing in momentum, rather than stopping. I got off my bed with a buzzing sound inside me.


    Just as I had taken off my nightclothes and was putting on my tunic, there was a hasty sounding knock on my door. Rather than a polite knock, it sounded much duller, almost like someone was swinging their fist against the door. It was the first time I¡¯ve heard such a knock, I couldn¡¯t help but gulp.


    ¡°Viscountess Kaldia, it¡¯s me, Ergnade! Please open the door immediately if you¡¯re dressed!¡±


    Ergnade who was usually calm was shouting anxiously from the other side of the door. It¡¯s someone I know, but I only felt slightly relieved.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right there!¡±


    As I hurriedly finished putting on my tunic and removed the bar from the door, Ergnade entered with great momentum. Even with the light from the torches in the corridor, it was still rather hazy inside my room.


    ¡°Listen, it¡¯s the Densel army. On the other side of the Great Plains, the Densel army has made their camp!¡±


    ¡°!!¡±


    At the news of the Densel army making camp, I was so surprised that even though I knew it wouldn¡¯t be visible from here, I couldn¡¯t help but look out the window. On the other side of this fort¡¯s walls, was the flat, wide Great Plains. I could only vaguely make it out.


    ¡°The draconis here detected their scents. We¡¯ll be sending out a reconnaissance unit once it¡¯s sunrise, and prepare for battle. Where¡¯s your battle gear?¡±


    As he was saying so, Ergnade rummaged through my room without my permission. In a box in the corner of the room, Ergnade found what he just asked, as he went through all its contents.


    ¡°This it? ¡­¡­Alright, put it on. Let¡¯s get going right away, Earl Einsbark is waiting for you.¡±


    As I nodded, I felt like I was having an out of body experience. There was a tense feeling in my stomach, and my voice felt like it was stuck in my throat. By the time that I finally understood the situation and got ahold of myself, Ergnade was carrying me off in the opposite direction from where we usually went with large strides.


    There¡¯s still quite some time before it¡¯s dawn. The golden sun was just barely beginning to peek out from the direction of the Monster Forest, when Ergnade and I arrived at a room in the fort. It was a room that was sparsely decorated, just like the iron windows in it.


    ¡°Has she arrived?¡±


    ¡°Yes, she¡¯s here with me.¡±


    Ergnade let me off, and I staggered a few steps. Because I had been shaken a bit, I felt slightly dizzy still.


    ¡°¡­¡­Are you alright, Viscountess Kaldia?¡±


    ¡°Y, yes. I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Now that I no longer feel like I¡¯m being spun around, I had no problem standing properly and bowing neatly. Earl Einsbark nodded as he seemed to check over my appearance, and motioned for me to take a seat over on the sofa. Ergnade and I both sat down across from Earl Einsbark. There was a table in between us, on which a map of the surrounding territory was spread.


    On the map, to the east of Fort Jugfena, in the middle of the Great Plains, there were toys that probably represented the enemy soldiers placed there. Also, there were pieces representing enemy forces to the north, in the Bandishia Plateau as well, although their intentions were currently unknown. This is probably about the Densel army unit that¡¯s chasing the Shiru tribe.


    ¡°We sent out a reconnaissance unit the moment that the draconis detected the Densel army¡¯s presence, but currently we only know that they¡¯ve made camp there and are unsure of their exact numbers.¡±


    There was a tiny toy piece in Earl Einsbark¡¯s hand. He placed it next to the pieces on the Great Plain. It seems to represent the scout unit he sent out.


    ¡°The draconis were unexpectedly helpful in locating them this early.¡±


    Bastards, muttered Ergnade under his breath.


    As I looked at the pieces on the map, I was impressed with how everything was. In the name of chasing down the rebel Shiru tribe, they¡¯ve made camp all the way here and pincered them. To chase less than 50 members of a nomadic tribe here, it¡¯s such a grand undertaking. Even Earl Einsbark seemed daunted.


    At the very minimum, it seems there¡¯s at least 300 soldiers chasing the Shiru tribe. For any more troops than that to be deployed here and camping right next to our borders, it would be quite daring of them, basically an outright declaration of war.


    Since the draconis were able to detect them, we were able to be on guard. So this represents the Densel army, I felt a terribly cold feeling as I stared at the pieces representing them.


    ¡°¡­¡­It seems like the sun is up now.¡±


    Earl Einsbark happened to look out the window and made that comment. Just at that moment, someone knocked on the door to the room, and a knight entered after he was granted permission.


    ¡°Reporting in, the scout unit has returned! The Densel army numbers about 700, and it seems that they have siege engines in their camp!¡±


    ¡°Unbelievable, does Densel really intend to declare war on our country!?¡±


    Ergnade stood up and shouted in anger. I looked at the map again. If Rindarl didn¡¯t unite together, there was no way that Densel alone would have declared war on Arxia. As I thought about what it probably meant, I looked up and saw Earl Einsbark looking at me as if he was seeing something interesting.


    In the blink of an eye, he changed his focus away from me, and the earl stood up. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Tell Volmar to have the soldiers lined up in front of the fort¡¯s walls.¡±


    His voice was quite severe. I couldn¡¯t help but straighten my back.


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    The soldier bowed and exited the room. A moment of silence filled the room.


    ¡°Viscountess Kaldia, prepare yourself and head to in front of the fort¡¯s walls with Ergnade. If you have anything to tell me about your army first, I¡¯ll listen to it now.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing.¡±


    Earl Einsbark nodded once, sighed heavily, and left the room.


    War is now imminent, a stone¡¯s throw away from becoming reality. Although I was tense to the point of clutching my fists, I felt no elation at all, nor did I feel anything like fear yet. As I confirmed to myself how surprisingly calm I was, I nodded to myself.


    ¨C At last, this day has come. It finally happened on the morning of the 21st day since I¡¯ve come to Fort Jugfena.

 Ch 43

    The soldiers lined up in front of the fort walls silently checked their own equipment. Among the feeling of heavy tension, I kept staring at a map in my hands of the surrounding territory.The role given to the Kaldia army in the upcoming battle on the plains was defending the left wing formation, and to guide the Shiru tribe back to the fort safely before their pursuers arrived. The left wing formation consists mostly of a dense formation of spear infantry, and their main role was to ambush the Shiru tribe¡¯s pursuers. In addition, a cavalry unit would head eastward through the Amon Nor Mountains towards the Bandishia plateau. It¡¯s to help, and guide the Shiru tribe. They¡¯ve been included in the refugees that we¡¯ve decided to accept. For that reason, we have to go to the trouble of guiding them.


    The refugees currently at the fort are farmers, and also culturally similar to what¡¯s considered normal in Arxia. If I can acquire the refugees¡¯ leaders, the Shiru tribe, safely without incident, they¡¯ll become indebted to me for shielding them from the pursuit of Densel which represents the Rindarl Union.


    In the name of protecting the refugees from persecution, the House of Lords has decreed that Arxia shall defend our fellow believers of the Ar Xia faith, and save any fellow believers that are under attack from other countries.


    Because he knows that very well, that¡¯s why Earl Einsbark issued the order for the troops to move out.


    I thought it was unlikely that Densel would have expected us to shield and come to the aid of the Shiru tribe, but judging from the amount of troops they have, there¡¯s no way they would have prepared so many troops just to chase the Shiru tribe. It¡¯s made rather obvious since there¡¯s no way they would need siege weapons to deal with the Shiru tribe. What¡¯s more, they even have the Shiru tribe right in front of them and pincered.


    ¡°My lord, here, your sword.¡±


    I didn¡¯t realize that someone was next to me, I raised my face in response when I heard myself being called in a soft voice. When I looked up, I saw Gunther holding a shortsword out to me.


    ¡°¡­¡­Oh, uhhh. My bad, Gunther.¡±


    I hurriedly received the sword from him, folded up my map and put it away in my waist pouch. I sheathed the shortsword and attached it to my belt. Since I already had a spear prepared standing next to me, I had completely forgotten to equip myself with a sword as well. I must have been too nervous.


    Although there will be actual military operations going on, this time the main role of the Kaldia army isn¡¯t primarily focused on combat. But even so, the situation could always change at any time on the battlefield, and both for self-defense and to lead my army, I need a sword. I mounted my horse and began directing my troops with the sword as we marched.


    ¡°Oh ho, you¡¯re in the regular battle garb for nobles. When on my lord, it¡¯s quite something to see.¡±


    ¡°Since you¡¯re a soldier, this must seem like a mockery to you.¡±¡¯


    ¡°I think all this looks just fine on my lord.¡±


    Gunther was being even more overly familiar and jokingly bantering with me than usual, I realized it myself and felt how out of character it was. ¡­¡­I¡¯m about to be on a battlefield. When that thought came to my mind, my heart that had remained calm up until now starting suddenly beating fast. In order to slow down my rapid heartbeats, I consciously took deep breaths.


    ¡°Sorry, Gunther.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­About what. If it¡¯s about the sword, I already heard it.¡±


    This is my first battle with me leading my army. Since I¡¯m their leader, I can¡¯t allow myself to stiffen up and be overcome with tension. I should be thankful to Gunther for overstepping the boundaries between us with his daring words. It was good for relieving the tension, and taking my mind off that I was going into battle.


    And so I just kept watching Gunther¡¯s back as he left my side and returned to leading the marching troops. He¡¯s really someone that doesn¡¯t spoil or go easy on me at all¡­¡­ Indeed, for the domain lord who¡¯s just a child to not flinch on the battlefield, it¡¯s probably something necessary.


    In the meantime, I heard a voice order ¡°Form columns!¡± and the soldiers from Fort Jugfena who were all equipped for battle organized themselves standing neatly, making clanking sounds. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Are all preparations ready?¡±


    Volmar who was in front of the troops, glanced around at everyone as he raised his voice. Even though his voice wasn¡¯t overly loud, it carried well, just like his father Earl Einsbark¡¯s voice.


    All the soldiers and knights saluted him.


    He briefly informed the troops what I already knew, that the Densel army was right upon our doorstep, and to prepare for battle with the goal of protecting the Shiru tribe. When the soldiers responded affirmatively, Volmar stepped down, and in his place Wiegraf stepped forward.


    ¡°The infantry and cavalry are to create a camp outside the castle walls. The center formation shall consist of the 1st and 4th Cavalry Platoons, as well as Igor¡¯s squad, the right wing shall be the 2nd Cavalry Platoon and the rescue squad, while the left wing shall be the Franks squad and the Kaldia domain army. All archers shall man the castle walls. Averin squad, please take charge of the fort¡¯s defense and protection. The 3rd Cavalry Platoon is acting as a detached force and has already moved out.¡±


    The 3rd Cavalry Platoon that he just mentioned is probably the unit that¡¯s meant to guide the Shiru tribe. Not counting the archers and the single squad we¡¯re leaving behind to defend the fort, our battle strength is approximately 450 troops. While it¡¯s quite a difference to overcome compared to the enemy¡¯s 700 troops, it¡¯s not so unfavorable that we wouldn¡¯t be able to beat the Densel army.


    ¡°Listen up, our primary objective is the protection of the Shiru tribe, not the eradication or retreat of the Densel army.¡±


    The overall plan was to first march the army close to the Densel army¡¯s camp, both as a threat and to directly inquire as to the meaning of their advancing army. If battle is unavoidable, the primary tactical objective is to be the destruction of their siege weapons.


    The 3rd Cavalry Platoon is to be responsible for meeting up with the Shiru tribe, and the Kaldia army is to become a detached force as well to guard the Shiru tribe once that happens, and the knights and soldiers are to retreat and battle defensively when contact is made.


    ¡°A strategy based on retreating may be difficult to accept, but based on the situation I believe it¡¯s not unreasonable. Don¡¯t turn your backs on the enemy, and make absolutely certain to not break formation while retreating.¡±


    As the strategist Wiegraf personally informed all soldiers of our battle strategy, I felt like I could feel all the soldiers holding their breaths.


    ¨C Come to think of it, Densel troops haven¡¯t been so close to Fort Jugfena since the battle that occurred here seventeen years ago. Although I had learned that piece of military history from Mrs. Marshan, and Earl Terejia had hammered the neighboring country¡¯s politics and aggressive stance against us into me, there had always been a part of me inside that had put it away in a corner of my mind until I confronted and confirmed it for myself. Fort Jugfena¡¯s soldiers are well trained, and probably most of them are veterans that have experienced actual combat.


    ¨C But as for the Kaldia domain¡¯s troops, it felt like there was a creeping sense of anxiety. More than half of my troops have never experienced actual battle before.

 Ch 44

    Just like the neighboring countries, Arxia uses a conscription system to recruit soldiers, so most soldiers would originally be farmers that had only used hoes and plows up to now. In truth, the Kaldia army is mostly agricultural as well, as even the enlisted soldiers will have one month off each year to go back to their hometown and help with farming or the harvest, and they¡¯re also the ones in charge of growing wheat on the land under direct control.That¡¯s why, it¡¯s not considered unusual for more than half of my soldiers to have never experienced actual battle.


    I shook my head a little to dispel the anxiety that was threatening to invade me.


    In my previous life, war had nothing to do with me, the concept of people killing each other on a battlefield had only seemed like a fantasy up until now. It¡¯s still getting through my head that this is all real, awareness is setting in that my current reality isn¡¯t quite so sweet.


    I chewed lightly on the insides of my cheeks, and used the pain to discipline myself. Maybe it¡¯s because of the pain, it felt like I could organize my feelings faster than usual. I straightened my back as I rode my horse. Now that I was at an adult¡¯s eye level, I could see the knights clad in black on the other side of the soldiers.


    ¡°Eliza-dono!¡±


    Among the soldiers trickling out through the castle gate, Ergnade came running up to me.


    ¡°Please be careful out there, Eliza-dono. I shall pray that the god Xia keeps you safe.¡±


    ¡°You take care as well. Your role is probably more dangerous than mine.¡±


    After all, he¡¯s in the center formation. On top of that, if battle starts, his role is to attack and pierce the enemy formation. It¡¯s a much more dangerous job than mine.


    Ergnade smiled softly, and stroked my hair without messing it up.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I, and the people around me, we¡¯re all prepared for death. However, I have no intention of dying in such a small skirmish.¡±


    I didn¡¯t say anything else, and I just kept staring at his face, to the extent of burning it into my mind. He finally struck his chest, really forcefully.


    ¡°¡­¡­Take care.¡±


    This moment finally stopped with great difficulty, and for a moment, Ergnade¡¯s smile seemed to get deeper as he left.


    The soldiers quickly got into formation outside the fort¡¯s walls. It¡¯s to have the Densel army pay attention to us, is what our leader Earl Einsbark said to do. On the battlefield, the side with more information has the advantage. It seems that manipulating information so that the other side only knows what you want them to know is one of the basics.


    ¡°Everyone, advance!¡±


    At Volmar¡¯s command, heavy drumbeats began sounding in a steady rhythm. In accordance with its beat, the soldiers advanced.


    While being surrounded by soldiers, even though I knew it was out of place, I was impressed with the marching.


    During my birthday celebration march, I had kept thinking that I wanted to do it like a marching band, and as expected, thanks to the drumbeats, it felt like the soldiers were able to march much more in unison with each other. Even though my army had also been training since they¡¯d come here, it seems that they have no sense of rhythm at all. Because the terrain here is all flat, it¡¯s perfect for charging, and it probably won¡¯t be too hard to hear the drums within a 200 meter distance or so.


    Before long, we arrived at the Densel army¡¯s campground. Their 700 troops were already lined up in a dense mass waiting for us.


    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±


    But the closer we approached to them, the more I felt that something was off. I squinted to try and see things better, and maybe my expression gave it away as well, Gunther who was standing next to me asked what was the matter.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but¡­¡­ Something seems strange about the enemy. It might just be my imagination.¡±


    ¡°Ahh? ¡­¡­Hang on a second.¡±


    Although I was unsure of what my feeling was, Gunther glared over at the enemy formation and thought for a moment in silence, then he suddenly raised his voice hurriedly.


    ¡°Oi, there¡¯s no horses in the enemy ranks. On top of that, most of their troops¡¯ heads seem to be fluttering in a funny manner.¡±


    When I heard that their heads were fluttering, the memory of a scarecrow from my previous life suddenly entered my mind. Whenever the wind blew against it, it would begin to flutter. What I thought next was, what a convenient thing to remember at this point in time.


    ¡°¡­¡­This is probably a decoy.¡±


    ¡°What? Who, who¡¯s the fastest in our army!¡±


    When Gunther bellowed at the soldiers behind him, my army all stopped in surprise and shock. As the soldiers froze up and and had thinking expressions on their faces, one skinny arm rose up from among them.


    ¡°Yes! I¡¯m quite confident in my speed and everyone says I¡¯m the fastest!¡±


    The one who stepped out from among the troops as he said so, was the soldier in training, Paulo, who had the role of leading my horse when we were on our way to Fort Jugfena.


    ¡°Alright, then I¡¯m giving you an order. Head directly for the 1st Cavalry Platoon in the center formation, and give their leader Ergnade the message that ¡®The enemy army seems strange. There¡¯s no horses present, and the enemy soldiers look like props.¡¯¡±


    ¡°What!? Sending someone like me as a messenger to the knights!?¡±


    Paulo raised his voice and he was wide-eyed in surprise, but maybe it¡¯s because he knows the urgency of the situation, he left immediately at top speed. Watching him go, I felt like he wasn¡¯t bragging at all when he said that he was the fastest.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Viscountess Kaldia?¡±


    It¡¯s probably because they were wondering why the Kaldia army suddenly stopped marching, the vice captain of the Franks squad traveling with us in the left wing came over on horseback to inquire.


    He¡¯s a soldier that¡¯s rather advanced in years with a white mustache and beard, and rather than fit, it could be said that he¡¯s more plump.


    ¡°Something¡¯s strange about the Densel army, I believe that it could be a decoy.¡±


    There¡¯s no horses, and the enemy soldiers¡¯ heads were shaking unsteadily in the wind, much like scarecrows would. The vice captain listened to my explanation as he stroked his beard, but when I finished and requested that he report the situation to his captain, he began chuckling.


    ¡°What¡­¡­¡±


    When the vice captain started suddenly laughing despite the tense situation, Gunther was struck speechless. He kept laughing without regards to the tension. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Viscountess Kaldia, you¡¯re really such an adorable child. You remind me of my grandson.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    The vice captain has gone off on a tangent that I don¡¯t understand at all.


    I couldn¡¯t help but tilt my head in confusion, while the vice captain turned to Gunther and kept talking with a joyful expression on his face.


    ¡°When being mixed in with only adults in a place like this, children will usually want to say things that make them stand out. You don¡¯t have to take them so seriously.¡±


    What¡¯s with this guy.


    At his overly nonchalant attitude, Gunther and I were frozen in astonishment for quite a long time.

 Ch 45

    ¡°¡­¡­If you have the time to make light of this situation, then hurry up and go report to your captain already.¡±Gunther finally managed to clear his throat and say something, I could easily tell that he was completely exasperated with and quite angry at the vice captain.


    The white-bearded vice captain only tilted his head slightly, and without saying anything, rode his horse unhurriedly back to his squad. Although he did stop by the squad captain to say something, judging by their behavior it seems that they won¡¯t be taking my orders.


    I had ordered the vice captain to report on my analysis of the situation to his captain. Although I don¡¯t have a specific position at Fort Jugfena, I¡¯m still an Arxian noble, no matter if this is Fort Jugfena or even Densel land.


    ¡°¡­¡­My lord, when we return to the fort, shall I submit a formal complaint against that senile old geezer?¡±


    ¡°Do as you like.¡±


    It was incredibly easy to see that Gunther was in a very foul mood due to what had just happened. I thought back to the time last year when I had just arrived at the barracks under Gunther¡¯s care. ¡­¡­I was someone he wanted to kill. In a turn of events, he¡¯s now serving right beside me and protecting me. I can¡¯t even begin to describe just how much people¡¯s hearts can change.


    ¨C Maybe, if I had given them a chance, they could have become good people as well. The family that I killed.


    I decided to get rid of the idea that they could possibly have changed, and seal the thought away in my mind. I had already decided long ago that it wouldn¡¯t happen, when I made the decision to get rid of them.


    ¡­¡­Besides, now¡¯s not the time to think about such things. Even though I was clenching my teeth, I noticed a rumbling sound that didn¡¯t seem like it was caused by my teeth grinding.


    ¡°¡­¡­Gunther, do you hear something?¡±


    ¡°What is it this time? I¡¯m not as young as my lord is, my eyes and ears aren¡¯t as good as yours¡­¡­¡±


    He¡¯s still in his upper twenties, and he¡¯s already claiming age¡­¡­ But even so, he concentrated on listening for sounds without saying anything else.


    ¡°¡­¡­Is this the sound of horse hooves?¡±


    ¡°Can you tell what direction it¡¯s coming from, Gunther?¡±


    ¡°How would I know, do you think I¡¯m a beast or something, you stupid brat?¡±


    I¡¯ll ignore for now the fact that Gunther slipped back to his old foul-mouthed habits, given the situation at hand. It¡¯s not like I have anyone else that would take orders from me. But anyways, it seems that he¡¯s finally lost his patience with me because he thought I was treating him like he had the senses of a beast, and he¡¯s gone back to his more familiar way of talking to me. Although we¡¯ve been together quite a long time as he¡¯s been both my teacher and my subordinate, I never would have thought that I¡¯d be learning more about his personality in such a time and location.


    ¡°If it was Claudia, I think it would be easy for her.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t lump me together with that little girl.¡±


    Well, that¡¯s true, I nodded in acknowledgement, and kept listening for sounds. The rumbling sounds were getting closer to us, and now I could tell for certain that it was definitely the sound of horse hooves. But, I couldn¡¯t really tell what direction the sounds were coming from.


    ¡°My lord-!¡±


    Suddenly, Paulo came running back, having returned after I sent him off as a messenger to the central formation. Even though he¡¯s only a soldier in training, he seems to be quite fit, as he¡¯s not even short of breath.


    ¡°You¡¯re really so fast.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for the compliment. Um, Ergnade-sama said that he would like for my lord to come see him personally in the center formation.¡±


    At hearing Paulo¡¯s message from Ergnade, I furrowed my eyebrows. He wants me to leave my army for the time being?


    ¡°¡­¡­Got it, I¡¯ll go.¡±


    Well, if he wants me to come to him then I must go. His rank here at the fort, and on the battlefield, is higher than mine. The fastest method is for me to go there by myself on horseback.


    ¡°Gunther, take command for the time being. Paulo, get on and ride behind me. I¡¯m going to take you along as a messenger soldier.¡±


    ¡°Whawhat, me ride my lord¡¯s horse?¡±


    ¡°Hurry up already.¡±


    Paulo is one of the soldiers in training to become a cavalry soldier in the future. There¡¯s no way that he¡¯d have been allowed to lead my horse previously otherwise.


    He still seemed lost so I glared at him, and he finally hurriedly but smoothly jumped on behind me. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    There seems to be a state of confusion in the center formation, the soldiers all seemed to be terribly nervous about something. The atmosphere was even heavier than when we were departing from the fort.


    ¡°Ergnade-sama, I heard that you called for me?¡±


    ¡°Ahh, Viscountess Kaldia. I¡¯m glad that you came over immediately.¡±


    He brought his horse next to mine, and with an excuse me, he suddenly picked me up and plopped me on his horse. I was shocked at what he was suddenly doing, but from above my head, I heard him saying in a tiny voice that this was so information wouldn¡¯t leak.


    Paulo suddenly had his hands full, controlling my horse by himself. He looked like how I did before my birthday celebration, all nervous on the horse.


    ¡°Sorry about that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, anyways, what did you want to say?¡±


    ¡°The right wing has changed direction, and is now proceeding to deploy southwest. Just earlier we heard the sound of many horse hooves. There must be a large group of cavalry troops nearby. When I received your report, I wondered if the Densel army was up to a daring plan of some sort.¡±


    We had headed directly east from Fort Jugfena to get here, so to be deploying our right wing southwest from here means that he¡¯s worried about the enemy army invading our country from south of here. The elevation gets lower around here as it gets farther south. Because it can get quite sloped in certain areas, it may be quite difficult to find the Densel army immediately if they did take such a southern route. If the Densel army really has slipped west of us, the southern route is the most likely way they took.


    Although we left some troops to defend Fort Jugfena and there¡¯s the moat and gate, if they sent their full forces they could definitely overcome it. Even the soldiers that are usually on lookout are participating in the expedition today, the military presence currently at the fort is minimal.


    However, to take the southern route to the fort, they would also have to go through the Monster Forest filled with all sorts of magical beasts. That¡¯s why we hadn¡¯t been on guard for them taking the southern route.


    To safely go through that forest, it¡¯s estimated that at least ten thousand soldiers would have been required.

 Ch 46

    ¡°I can¡¯t get a good read on the enemy¡¯s intentions. I think the Densel army must have realized that we left Fort Jugfena¡­¡­ But as for where they went after departing from their camp and leaving decoy scarecrows behind¡­¡­¡±¡°Indeed, it feels like they¡¯re plotting something.¡±


    In fact, I can¡¯t think that it could be anything other than some sort of trap. We chatted while trying to get a good look at the Great Plains where their camp was, and Ergnade agreed with me that it could be some sort of trap.


    ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯ll command the knights and go inspect their camp. Everyone else, be on standby here.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it dangerous to be doing nothing here while we still don¡¯t know the enemy¡¯s intention?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s indeed the case, but we¡¯re currently at the Great Plains with a wide view of everything around us. It should still be safe to just approach the enemy camp. You should return now to the left wing formation, and proceed with the original plan of having your domain¡¯s army be in charge of protecting the Shiru tribe from any attackers on their tail once they are located. Could I ask you to relay the current situation to the Franks squad captain as well?¡±


    When I heard him mention the Franks squad, bitter feelings towards the vice captain of the Franks squad surged up within me as I recalled my recent encounter with him. There¡¯s no point in passing along any messages to someone that won¡¯t listen to you.


    ¡­¡­Him ignoring my orders in that situation, is a serious offense that will have to be taken care of when all of this is over. At the very least, he can be charged with disrespect towards a noble, I wonder if that white-bearded vice captain will still be able to retain his position at the fort after that.


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    I swallowed down my feelings and nodded. Then, I suddenly felt like I was floating again as Ergnade picked me up once more.


    ¡°Good girl. Take care of yourself.¡±


    He whispered that to me in a very kindly manner as he dropped me off back onto my horse. And so, once again I was now sitting in front of Paulo, the novice soldier, who had been struggling with controlling my horse by himself.


    I hurriedly took the reins as my horse neighed and reared slightly. As I took control and had my horse start heading back, I took a peek back in Ergnade¡¯s direction.


    He was nowhere to be seen already.


    I headed for the Franks squad¡¯s vanguard. Since the center formation¡¯s troops had stopped moving, it seems like the other wings¡¯ troops were slightly confused as to what was going on.


    ¡°Is the Franks squad captain here?¡±


    Their vice captain had just come over to my army earlier, so I figured that their captain would most likely be leading their vanguard, but once again it was the white-bearded vice captain that came up to greet me. The vice captain smiled at me, and asked, ¡°what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an order from Ergnade-sama, to stop marching your troops. The entire army is to be on standby for the time being. Anyways, where¡¯s the captain?¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re asking for the captain, he just headed over to the Kaldia army.¡±


    ¡°Wha?¡±


    Because I heard something so unexpected, I couldn¡¯t help but respond in an embarrassing fashion. What exactly would the Franks squad captain want with my army?


    I saw a glimmer of malice in the vice captain¡¯s smile. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Just earlier, our captain noticed Viscountess Kaldia heading off somewhere. Since we can¡¯t have an army without a commander, the captain headed over there to be the acting commander in your place. After all, it¡¯s quite well-known that the Kaldia army is such a low grade, disorganized army that it doesn¡¯t even have military ranks.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±


    With a child as his opponent, he was gleefully saying such base things with clear malice, not even trying to hide his intentions. Faced with his vileness, I could only feel that I don¡¯t want to deal with him for any longer than I have to.


    ¡°I think our army¡¯s definitely a grade above from being under incompetent leadership that can¡¯t even accurately assess the situation on a battlefield.¡±


    Paulo who was sitting behind me suddenly butted in with his comment. It was really sudden and he said it quite forcefully.


    The white-bearded vice captain¡¯s detestable smile finally disappeared.


    ¡°What¡­¡­?¡±


    ¡°Underestimating someone just because she¡¯s a child, having a dumb brain, and the bad taste of making fun of nobility, I think it¡¯s wonderful that there¡¯s nobody like you in the Kaldia army.¡±


    The things I wanted to say to the vice captain, Paulo said for me without worrying about any consequences, cheering me up greatly. It might be that he¡¯s too tense from the possibility of encountering battle for the first time and he¡¯s forgotten his place.


    I didn¡¯t feel like accompanying the vice captain whose face was turning red for any longer, and I turned my horse around to leave. As my horse started galloping, it was a simple matter to put a lot of distance between me and the vice captain in a short amount of time.


    The vice captain, who had been quite slow to react, raised his arm up for some reason, which I didn¡¯t see. Well, I would have been too annoyed to consider thinking about what he could have meant with that anyways.


    Well then, I wonder what my army¡¯s been doing. According to the vice captain, his captain should be with my army currently. I wonder what kind of person the captain will be, why don¡¯t I see for myself.


    ¡°I¡¯m really so sorry, I arbitrarily interrupted my lord in the middle of your conversation.¡±


    As we left the Franks squad, Paulo sitting behind me apologized for his rudeness. Since I had found what he was saying hilarious, it had completely removed all my tension.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I was feeling like my ears were getting dirty just from listening to his filth.¡±


    As we continued on our way, Paulo laughed raucously.


    ¡°So that¡¯s what my lord was thinking. As I thought, you seem even more mature than I am.¡±


    When I returned to my army, my army was marching onwards, while I could hear Gunther angrily bellowing at someone.


    ¡°Like I said, don¡¯t just selfishly decide on your own to take charge! Viscountess Kaldia personally said that I could take command here!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the fuss about, Gunther?¡±


    As I covered my ears slightly to shield them from Gunther¡¯s powerful shouting, I called out to Gunther.


    ¡°¡­¡­Oh, ahh, my lord. Perfect timing. Could you get rid of this guy?¡±


    When Gunther turned around and looked at me, I could see that he had a really frustrated expression. Since Gunther reaches boiling point quite easily and is prone to using his fists when he gets angry, he¡¯s really showing quite a lot of self restraint. It must be because of the rank of who he¡¯s dealing with.


    ¡°Ahh, Viscountess Kaldia. I see that you¡¯ve returned, welcome back.¡±


    Standing next to a frowning Gunther was someone who spoke up in an overly cheerful voice that seemed terribly out of place on the battlefield. Looking up at him, I saw a middle-aged, well-built man with a face that reminded me of a reptile¡¯s. He must be the captain of the Franks squad.


    ¡°¡­¡­Gunther, there¡¯s an order from Ergnade-sama to have the troops stop marching. The entire army is to be on standby.¡±


    I ignored the flowery language from the captain and directly gave Gunther an order instead, and Gunther sighed, saying finally as he took out his sword and raised it to give his orders. The captain¡¯s eyeballs were moving about in all directions as he watched us.


    ¡°Stop the marching!¡±


    All my soldiers immediately stopped marching. After all, the Kaldia army is quite small. One of the benefits though, is that commanding them is quite simple.


    The captain who had come here on the pretext of taking command because of the lack of command ability in the Kaldia army, had quite a bored expression on his face as he watched us.

 Ch 47

    Maybe it¡¯s because Paulo knew how tainted I felt from having to deal with the vice captain, he spoke up for me and told the captain ¡°I think you can go back now.¡±¡°There¡¯s a message from Ergnade-sama for you. The knights will be taking charge of scouting the enemy camp, and the rest of the army is to remain on standby. We¡¯re still to meet up with the Shiru tribe and make sure to protect them, but since we don¡¯t know when we¡¯ll meet up, we¡¯re to be on guard.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what¡¯s going on?¡± was the captain¡¯s response, and he hurriedly went back towards his own Franks squad after taking a good look in their direction. Half of his squad had already stopped marching due to receiving the order from the center formation and seemed to be looking over here at us, while the other half was still marching onwards.


    ¡°¡­¡­Before making comments about command ability in other armies, learn how to manage your own squad.¡±


    Gunther insulted the captain while I watched silently as he drew a line across his neck with his thumb, as the captain was running off, shouting ¡°stop marching, you idiots!¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s how it is.¡±


    Gunther shrugged and turned around, and we headed back for our army that was lined up in neat and orderly lines. Originally though, we had expected that battle should have begun already at this point in time. It¡¯s just a question of when we¡¯re going to meet up with the Shiru tribe.


    We remained on guard at our current location for approximately one hour. Nothing had happened during that time and the plains were eerily silent, when we finally heard something abuzz from behind us.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Gunther raised his voice, trying to figure out exactly what was happening. A soldier from the farthest column behind us answered him.


    ¡°My lord! There¡¯s clouds of dust rising from behind us!¡±


    At that same moment, I could hear what sounded like battle cries from the center formation¡¯s army. Is it an enemy attack? It couldn¡¯t be, from behind us?


    ¡°My lord, please look at that!¡±


    Paulo grabbed my shoulder. When I looked in the direction he was pointing, what I saw was black smoke rising from one of the tents in the back of the enemy camp.


    ¡°¡­¡­Fire?¡±


    I didn¡¯t have a chance to think about it for long. Gunther was already raising his voice again.


    ¡°Oi, they¡¯re coming here!¡±


    The soldiers immediately stopped making a fuss, which was replaced by a feeling of high tension instead. Northeast of us, horses were kicking up quite a lot of dust. The soldiers in front of the horses had the flag of Fort Jugfena.


    ¡°Raise our flags!!!¡±


    It was the 3rd Cavalry Platoon whose role was to guide the Shiru tribe here that was approaching us rapidly, and my army raised their flags as well. From our side, I heard ¡°take your positions!¡± as well. The Franks squad was hurriedly fixing their crooked formation, and organizing themselves into a dense formation of spear infantry.


    The Shiru tribe and the 3rd Cavalry Platoon which consisted of knighted nobility were approaching us without reducing their speed at all. From what I could see, there were many men running on foot, followed by children on horseback. There were two to three children on each horse. One of their leaders who was holding a flag stopped in front of me, and asked, ¡°would you happen to be Viscountess Kaldia?¡± I nodded saying I was, and he saluted me and began giving me a concise report of what happened with the detached force.


    ¡°About the Shiru tribe, there¡¯s overwhelmingly many more of them than we expected. They are the remnants of the Shiru tribe that helped their women escape to Fort Jugfena first and were left behind at the Bandishia Plateau. Their men are letting the remaining women and children use their horses, and their warriors are running alongside our 3rd Cavalry Platoon.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    While we were talking, the horses with children on them started passing by me as well, and with bustling noises and metallic clanging, women soon followed. Behind them were armed knights, probably to protect them as a rearguard.


    ¡°Our current situation here is that I¡¯m afraid we may have fallen for Densel¡¯s trap. The Densel army seems to have gone around ours and taken the southern route. Since I just heard battle cries from the center formation, it could be that they¡¯re already engaged in battle.¡±


    ¡°Then, let us retreat back to the fortress by way of the Bandishia Plateau. Please leave leading the way up to me.¡±


    Since that¡¯s what I wanted to do as well, I nodded immediately in agreement with him. That¡¯s when a man from the Shiru tribe who was on horseback came riding up in front of us. Although he had a bow in his hands, I noticed that his quiver was empty.


    ¡°Oi, the last of us, those with no weapons, have all arrived now! What are we supposed to do now!?¡±


    He spoke fluent Artolan language. The only people who understood him were me and the knight though, Gunther and Paulo just looked at each other blankly. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°We¡¯re going back to our fort by way of the Bandishia Plateau! Since fighting has already broken out on the plains, we¡¯re going to avoid that path!¡±


    As the knight answered, I saw an arrow flying in our direction from far behind us. I could hear vivid sounds of roaring and screaming. The pursuing Densel soldiers are close by. After the Shiru nomad who had used up all his arrows, injured stragglers kept trickling by us one by one. They smelled of blood and dirt.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. It¡¯s time to head for Fort Jugfena.¡±


    ¡°I understand. Viscountess Kaldia, please lead your army.¡±


    I¡¯m strongly worried about leaving the rearguard duties up to the Franks squad, but we can¡¯t afford to stay here a moment longer. I mimicked Paulo and smoothly jumped up onto my horse, and took its reins.


    ¡°Kaldia army, prepare to withdraw! Withdraw!¡±


    Many soldiers passed by my side, with their swords and spears at the ready. Among them were also some male Shiru tribe warriors on foot, having ceded their horses to their women and children.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to return to Fort Jugfena by way of the Bandishia Plateau! Begin marching!!¡±


    As my troops were withdrawing, the Franks squad was advancing. With metallic clanging sounds in the air, combined with horses neighing and people screaming, I could hear clashing sounds as we withdrew from our current location.

 Ch 48

    The exhausted Shiru tribe were about 100 in number, and every one of them was trying their hardest to go as fast as they could despite their condition. Those that couldn¡¯t run anymore would change places with those on horses, everyone was lending each other hands and shoulders for support, and with the 3rd Cavalry Platoon leading the way, we hurried back towards Fort Jugfena.Since we were mostly going uphill, people were reaching their limits. But even so, we couldn¡¯t afford to slow down, because we could hear the sounds of battle from right behind us, scaring people onwards.


    Turning around to look, I could see the forces from Fort Jugfena fighting with the Densel army. Since they were battling at a lower elevation from us, I could see the whole situation quite clearly. The Densel army had indeed attacked from an unexpected direction, so the two armies¡¯ positions were reversed. The Densel army was in between Fort Jugfena and our forces, coming under attack from archer fire, while our forces were between the Densel army and their camp where the tents had been set on fire. With both armies trapped between a rock and a hard place, having nowhere to run, it seems that it¡¯s quite likely that it¡¯ll develop into a scene of brutal carnage.


    I couldn¡¯t help but squint to get a closer look at the battlefield. Even though it was still fairly far away and it would be almost impossible to find someone specific, I couldn¡¯t help but look among the chaos for a speck of black.


    ¡°We¡¯re almost there, everyone please keep doing your best.¡±


    Suddenly, one of the knights who had remained silent up until now suddenly gave some encouragement to the Shiru tribe. Although he was speaking the Arxian language instead of Artolan language, somehow his meaning seems to have been transmitted to them, and the Shiru tribe appeared to be relieved. It¡¯s probably because the enemies haven¡¯t been able to chase us up to here, and nobody has been saying anything until now, which gave them the sense of relief.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a little more until we reach the fort. Let¡¯s get there, then everyone can rest.¡±


    I called out as well to a child who was shakily just holding on, and patted him on the shoulder to give him encouragement. He was riding on one of the Shiru tribe¡¯s horses and appeared even younger than me. Although I was born as a noble, I¡¯m unfortunately already used to the pace of a marching army.


    Because we kept heading northeast, it was getting colder and colder. It¡¯s because we¡¯re getting closer to the Amon Nor Mountains. It¡¯s a bit dark around here because the mountains are covered year round in snow clouds, giving it an eerie atmosphere. Even so, somehow the Shiru tribe quickened their pace.


    We finally reached a cave on the mountainside. Without any hesitation, the knights headed straight inside. The Shiru tribe, and the Kaldia army as well, followed them.


    It was dark inside the cave, and the air was stifling due to it being summer. It was still rather chilly though, and completely silent inside. Since several knights were vaguely lighting the way, we were able to at least see the direction to travel in. The lights the knights were using were probably light emitting stones created from the scales of the fire moths. They¡¯re actually quite few and rare in number, and their effectiveness is about the same as the fire moths themselves. After traveling through the cave for a while, the knights paused in front of a stone door.


    ¡°Viscountess Kaldia, we¡¯ve arrived at Fort Jugfena.¡±


    A happy expression appeared on the knight that was walking in front of me. His relief was obvious to see.


    ¡°Wait a second, there¡¯s no guards on the other side?¡±


    The knight¡¯s relieved expression disappeared instantly when another knight raised his voice.


    ¡°That¡¯s probably because we¡¯re currently in a wartime situation. Everyone is on lookout instead, also to prevent deserters as well. After all, it¡¯s pretty easy to slip right across the border.¡±


    ¡°I see, so there was that as well?¡±


    I was listening closely to the knights¡¯ conversation, but I wasn¡¯t quite convinced how that would be a good reason to leave this door unguarded. Since this hidden passage leads directly inside the fort, it seems too important to not leave a single guard here at all. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With an ominous feeling hanging over me, I spoke to the two knights that were having their conversation.


    ¡°An incident may have occurred here as well. I think it¡¯ll be good if we wait to ascertain the situation before having the Shiru tribe enter the fort.¡±


    The knights looked at each other, then they nodded at me.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s have the Shiru tribe rest for a little while here. Half of the 3rd Cavalry Platoon and half of the Kaldia army shall remain here to guard them, just in case. The rest shall check out the situation inside the fort.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    I nodded in agreement with their plan, and one of the two knights came up close to me. He began speaking to me in a really hushed tone of voice.


    ¡°¡­¡­Viscountess Kaldia, if it¡¯s alright with you, would you join us for going inside the fort? There¡¯s no guarantee that Densel soldiers won¡¯t discover this cave and chase us down. If that happens, with the Shiru tribe here, things may get quite chaotic. We have the responsibility of defending you from enemy soldiers, but that may be quite difficult if there¡¯s a chaotic situation.¡±


    The knight had a serious expression on his face, and I looked up at him straight in the face in return. He looked so strict, that I couldn¡¯t help but take a step back.


    I nodded in agreement, and without changing his strict expression, the knight began the task of dividing people into who would go and who would remain here.


    I let go of my breath, and loosened my stiff body. I had Gunther divide our army into two, and told him that we would be heading into the fort first to check the situation out, while the Shiru tribe got some rest.


    ¡°Alright, everything is ready, so let¡¯s go.¡±


    One of the knights raised his voice, and everyone who was selected to enter the fort lined up in front of the door. It took several people to open the heavy stone door, and it budged with creaking sounds, along with causing a warm wind to blow this way.


    It was already dark before, and even after the stone door was opened it remained dark. While being surrounded by Gunther who was in charge of my personal protection and three other knights, I entered the fort, and we arrived at a large hall in the northernmost section of the fort. We came out of what had been disguised as an altar, covered with a gigantic tapestry embroidered with the Arxian national emblem.


    ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s too quiet.¡±


    Other than the sounds of our breathing, there was no other sound at all. I could clearly hear someone in my party gulping and swallowing their saliva, then it became completely silent again.


    ¡°Let¡¯s¡­¡­ let¡¯s go upstairs. The archer squad should be there.¡±


    The knight leading us said so, and we began heading upstairs towards the nobles¡¯ building from the northern hall.

 Ch 49

    The nobles¡¯ building in Fort Jugfena is farther north than the knight building I was currently staying at, it¡¯s where Earl Einsbark and his family usually live, and there¡¯s extra rooms for the occasional visiting noble as well. When the earl and his sons had treated me to a feast to welcome me here, the dining hall had been in this building as well.On the first floor and the basement level of the nobles¡¯ building, there¡¯s also housing and rooms for the servants to use and work in. I had a room prepared for me in the knight building instead because my current bodyguard was Gunther who was a commoner, but for things like having my clothes washed, the servants would do that here.


    Currently, everyone from the nobles¡¯ building should be in the basement. It seems that the basement¡¯s supposed to be the shelter in times of war.


    Going through the completely empty nobles¡¯ building, we arrived at the tower connecting it with the knight building. It¡¯s a tower with a spiral staircase where no more than two people could possibly squeeze through at a time. It took a while for all of us to climb up, due to the lack of space. Maybe it¡¯s because everyone is worried, our pace was quite fast, almost like trotting. Well, for the adults it was like trotting, but for me I basically almost had to sprint.


    The knight in front didn¡¯t even seem to consider the possibility that this place may have been attacked, and he knocked on a door at the top of the tower. Behind this door should have been Earl Einsbark, his son the military strategist Wiegraf, and the bow troops equipped with greatbows.


    ¡°¡­¡­Oi, why¡¯s there no response!?¡±


    The soldiers were beginning to hit the door, getting very worried. Just as we opened the door, we heard someone shouting ¡°Einsbark-sama!!¡± in despair.


    The knights hurriedly began moving out. Being caught in the flow, I was forced to go along with them.


    Sunlight was reflecting down on red liquid spreading out from the bodies of men clad in metal armor that were all slumped down on the cold stone floor. The floor was drenched completely red, and the entire place had an unbearable stench caused by all the blood, despite this being the outside of the tower, on the tower¡¯s roof.


    It all felt like it almost wasn¡¯t real. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    I could hear faint sounds of groaning coming from here and there. There must be a few people barely clinging on to life.


    When my Kaldia army followed the knights here and arrived, it seems that none of them managed to throw up at this scene. Everyone seemed tense, with their eyes burning at the terrible tragic scene in front of them.


    There were about forty archers that had fallen down in their pools of blood here, and the knights in charge of Earl Einsbark¡¯s personal protection had fallen here as well. There were another thirty or so dead people that appeared to be enemy soldiers here, a trivial amount compared to their overall numbers.


    My intuition tells me that they¡¯re Densel soldiers, because they aren¡¯t wearing the tunics common to this region. However, I couldn¡¯t see Earl Einsbark who should be dressed in black knightly attire, or his son Wiegraf anywhere.


    ¡°Einsbark-sama, he¡¯s not here! Einsbark-sama, Wiegraf-sama, where are you!!¡±


    The members of the knights began desperately searching this area. Earl Einsbark also serves as the leader of all the knights. Of course the knights would look up to and respect him. Wiegraf is the strategist. He would come up with the battle strategy, and the knights would carry it out, their very lives depend on him. I feel like the knights must have a very strong sense of trust in them to be able to rely on each other so much.


    While looking at this situation, the question of whether or not my own army would also desperately search for me like this popped into my mind. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve done anything deserving of respect, nor do I think I¡¯ve established a foundation of trust with them.


    My relationship with my soldiers is, I¡¯m the daughter of someone they all hate, and I have to be on guard for them rebelling and killing me at any moment, since I don¡¯t think it would be strange at all for any of them to want to do that.


    However ¨C I think that dying by betrayal would be for the best. Even if I died, nobody would get worked up about me.


    When I slowly blinked and looked back up at my surroundings, I saw an old archer leaning against the wall. The man laying on top of him had black hair with streaks of blue in it spilling out of his helmet.


    And just like these two laying on top of each other, so many soldiers have lost their lives. But somehow, the more I looked at these two, the more I felt like they were positioned as if to protect them from something.


    I wondered if it could possibly be, and I checked to make sure, they turned out to be Earl Einsbark and his son Wiegraf. They were both unconscious, but still breathing. I told the knights escorting me what I had noticed, and as they confirmed it for themselves, they sighed in relief.


    ¡°It, it¡¯s Earl Einsbark and his son Wiegraf-sama! They¡¯re still living!¡±


    ¡°What, really!? Where!!¡±


    ¡°Right here! He¡¯s disguised as an archer!!¡±


    The knights were making a big fuss as they gathered around us. My army and I allowed them to have this place to themselves, and took a step back.


    I turned to look at the wide Great Plains that could be seen from the fort. Just yesterday it had still been a lush green, filled with flowers, and after being trampled by people and horses today, there was hardly anything left worth seeing. Beyond that, I could see clouds of dust being raised in the distance. I could hear faint sounds of battle all the way from here, I wonder if it¡¯s because of the wind¡¯s direction. Or, I wonder if it¡¯s because everything is too quiet at Fort Jugfena. The archers should have been packed on top of the tower¡¯s roof as well, but not a single one of them was standing. They¡¯ve probably all been defeated.


    ¡°Charlie, can I have a moment of your time?¡±


    One of my soldiers called out to me. He was on the opposite side of the tower from me, looking at the direction of Arxia.


    ¡°What¡¯s that¡­¡­¡±


    The soldier was pointing straight below him. What should have been there was the refugees¡¯ tents.


    However, what was there instead was an incredible amount of dead bodies stacked on top of each other. The very earth itself seemed to be stained red.


    ¡°How could this happen¡­¡­¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but speak that out loud. I could feel myself almost choking.


    The refugees were people without any weapons or riches. Even so, the Densel soldiers killed all of them.


    This is just a massacre. Rather than hoping to gain something from this war, I¡¯m wondering if they came here just in search of people to slaughter.


    I could feel my hand shaking against the cold stone wall.


    Why did they kill them all. Was it all just for pleasure? I bit my lip as I tried to bear the brunt of what I was feeling.


    A memory of red eyes flashed across my mind. I saw the cold yet beautiful face of my father with that ecstatic smile of his.

 Ch 50

    I don¡¯t have the time right now to be distracted by my vivid memories of father and his crazy smile.We were suddenly attacked.


    On the other side of the tower we were on that connected the nobles¡¯ building and the knight building, the door to the tower that connected the knight building to the barracks was suddenly kicked open. With metallic clanging sounds, enemy soldiers drew their swords and came swarming like an avalanche, charging at the soldiers from my army closest to them.


    ¡°Dominic! Igor!¡±


    Instantly, one of my soldiers had a fresh blood splatter down his back, while another one of my soldiers had a sword piercing through his stomach. My whole body felt like it was simultaneously flying into a hot-blooded rage, as well as trembling as if I was cold, bound by a strange feeling.


    Before I realized it I was shouting out their names. The voice coming from my throat sounded more heartbreaking than I¡¯ve ever heard it before.


    ¡°Richard, Wojciech!¡±


    My soldiers were attacking the ambushers that had cut down Dominic and Igor. However, they were surrounded by a greater number of enemies, and Richard and Wojciech were pierced through by swords as well. With their eyes still wide open, both of them collapsed on the stone roof. I saw them convulsing limply with blood running out of their bodies, until someone¡¯s arm blocked my vision.


    ¡°My lord, please get down!¡±


    The arm was Gunther¡¯s. Under his protection, we retreated back towards the nobles¡¯ building, and I put a hand on the hilt of my sword. Since overly long weapons would be useless indoors, I had left my halberd that Ergnade had taught me how to handle back in the mountain cave with the Shiru tribe.


    Like the wind, the knights appeared from behind me to jump to my defense. They began cutting off enemy heads with their swords, and piercing them through their chests in return.


    However, our assailants kept up their fierce attack. The assailants were equipped with slightly shorter swords than the average ones in Arxia, with extremely sharpened tips. It¡¯s basically a single-edged weapon, strong at piercing, and easy to wield due to how light it is.


    It¡¯s become a chaotic melee on the fort¡¯s rooftop, with screams, death cries, and angry roars adding to the confusion. People on both sides were dying left and right, even falling off the fort¡¯s roof to the ground far down below.


    At this ghastly scene, father¡¯s howling laugh from long ago echoed in the back of my head. I felt like I was seeing the hell that father had created all over again.


    My knees were quivering, and my brain seemed completely numb.


    ¡°My lord, please escape!¡±


    The moment that Gunther called out to me, an attacker came from my blind spot behind a pillar, flying at me. As I was jumping backwards, Gunther¡¯s sword was already blocking the attacker¡¯s sword. With the clashing sound of metal against metal, Gunther blew away his opponent completely. However, at the next moment another enemy was already attacking Gunther with a short spear.


    ¡°Gunther!¡±


    I gulped. My body felt leaden. All I could hear was my father¡¯s howling laughter in the back of my head. With the metal equipment that Gunther received from Fort Jugfena, he successfully deflected the enemy¡¯s attack, then cut off the enemy¡¯s head with his sword.


    ¡°Get out of here already!¡±


    He roared angrily at me with worry in his voice. His voice sprang my body into action, and I finally took a step.


    The other knights charged with my protection were also fending off attackers coming from all directions. If even one of them falls it feels like we¡¯ll be overwhelmed, alarm bells were now ringing in my head. Turning around, I saw some knights retreating back into the nobles¡¯ building with the fainted Earl Einsbark and Wiegraf. One of them noticed my situation, and came running back over here with sword in hand.


    ¡°Hurry up and get out of here!¡±


    At the same time that he was shouting at me, I was running there in a straight line as fast as I could.


    From the side, I saw a type of gauntlet glove I¡¯ve never seen before reach out, and slice the knight running over to me in half. Together with the knight¡¯s dying scream, blood splashed out on me in a long stream. My right ear was beating in pain from the loudness of his scream. Luckily at least blood didn¡¯t splash into my eyes. I used the inside of my sleeve to roughly wipe off the blood on my forehead.


    I can¡¯t stop just because I got splashed with some warm liquid. I slowed my running slightly so that I could change direction at any time. For the first time ever, I cursed at how young and weak my body was still, feeling just how much of a difference there was in physical capabilities between me and the knights. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Viscountess!!¡±


    Someone was screaming for me. I jumped sideways because I saw a reflection of light in the edge of my field of vision.


    Sure enough, I made a good decision. I heard the sound of cloth tearing, and felt myself being pulled slightly by the momentum of something passing by me. It seems that my cloak has been torn. My helmet fell off, making a banging sound against the floor. I still had my hand on the hilt of my sword.


    I jumped up again without even taking a moment to catch my breath. Something heavy bounced off against the ground where my face had been just one second earlier. I didn¡¯t even dare to look back behind me, and kept running again.


    However, at that moment I started choking. Someone was dragging me by my torn cloak. He lifted me up into the air by my cloak, choking me.


    ¡°Cough¡­¡­¡±


    I reflexively grabbed at the cloth around my neck with both hands feverishly. Even so, all I could do was swing helplessly in the air. Although I kept trying to scratch and kick the person holding on to me, it did nothing at all.


    I was getting dizzy and my eyes couldn¡¯t see anything. Together with my vision flickering, my whole body was shaking violently. I was beginning to foam from my mouth, and it was dripping down my cheeks.


    ¡°Having a brat on the battlefield, eh. It¡¯s the same everywhere.¡±


    As everything in my world was going blurry, the only thing I could still hear clearly was the coarse sounding voice of the man holding me.


    ¡°How pitiful. That¡¯s right, at the very least, I¡¯ll let you have some fun before dying. All children love to dream about flying, don¡¯t they?¡±


    As he said so, the man began laughing rather unpleasantly. Although I kept struggling ¨C


    I suddenly felt the pressure and pain against my neck disappear.


    ¡°Ah,¡±


    My clothes were making annoying flapping sounds. My arms kept reflexively trying to grab onto something. All I got was handfuls of air.


    After I was thrown off the top of the fort, although it was ridiculous, I couldn¡¯t help but think of the free fall amusement park ride I rode before in my previous life.


    At the same time, goosebumps were crawling up my flesh. I was rapidly approaching the ground, but my fear of death was completely dispersed due to the sound of my father¡¯s howling laughter repeatedly echoing in my head.

 Ch 51

    My voice wouldn¡¯t come out. In the end, that might have been lucky for me because I kept my mouth closed.Someone grabbed me by my belly, and it felt like my internal organs would spill out. My vision was greatly shaking. There was very little pain.


    The first thing I saw was the ground sliding by me. Then I noticed the shadow reflected on the ground. It was the shape of a draconis, gliding on the wind.


    ¡°You alright!?¡±


    Right next to me, I heard a very familiar voice. In a different way from before, I caught my breath again. Even though he shouldn¡¯t have been here ¨C to be more accurate, I had him sent away ¨C how did he appear here at this moment in time? The inner corners of my eyes were getting warm, and I arbitrarily felt relief at hearing his voice.


    However, anxiety was also doing battle with that sense of relief. My face stiffened, and what came out of my mouth sounded ice cold.


    ¡°¡­¡­You disobeyed your orders. You left your post without permission.¡±


    Even though that wasn¡¯t what I wanted to say at all. However, the words I wanted to say got caught in the back of my throat, and wouldn¡¯t come out at all.


    ¡°Honestly, Charlie doesn¡¯t act cute at all.¡±


    With a gentle wry smile, he pulled me up onto Rashiok¡¯s back. Seeing his attitude as well caused my chest to tighten in pain.


    ¨C Kamil. Why are you here.


    ¡°Are you alright, Erbetia-dono!!¡±


    From above me, I heard yet another familiar voice, coming from a red-winged draconis swirling and flapping about in the air. Its wings had a different colored hue from the reddish purple of Rashiok¡¯s wings, but it was beautiful as well, sparkling in the sun. This is probably one of Rashiok¡¯s siblings.


    ¡°Claudia-dono?¡±


    On top of the draconis, I could see the stunning sight of Claudia and her beautiful blonde hair being buffeted by the wind. Maybe it¡¯s because we haven¡¯t seen each other for a while, she got my name ridiculously wrong. Who¡¯s Erbetia supposed to be, really.


    Why are the two of them here, I wonder. As I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion, I noticed one more person behind Claudia.


    ¡°¡­¡­Who¡¯s that?¡±


    The face seems familiar, is what I thought. It belonged to a young man in his teenage years that was steadily maturing. His beautiful, dauntless features appeared slightly strict, and his cloak fluttering in the wind was unmistakably that of Fort Jugfena¡¯s knights.


    His strict expression reminded me of Earl Terejia somehow. Maybe that¡¯s why I¡¯m getting a sense of deja vu.


    ¡°We can talk later!¡±


    That¡¯s the only thing he said, and the red-winged draconis flapped its wings and rose in the sky. Maybe they¡¯ve already decided on some strategy, Kamil and Rashiok rose up as well. Being right next to them, I could hear the fluttering sounds of Rashiok¡¯s wings.


    The two draconis soared lightly back up to Fort Jugfena¡¯s roof. Both sides that were busy killing each other looked up to see what was going on.


    I wonder just what kind of balance sense she has, Claudia was somehow standing up on the red-winged draconis with her favorite spear in one hand, and bow and arrow in her other hand without falling off.


    She was smiling in satisfaction, her joy at the situation was so pure that it was chilling. Still, it didn¡¯t remind me of father¡¯s dreadful smile, maybe it¡¯s because the emotion they¡¯re putting into it are different.


    Then, without hesitation ¨C Claudia jumped off the draconis¡¯s back. With weapons in hand, she landed gracefully in the middle of the battle taking place.


    With the loud sound that was caused by Claudia¡¯s landing, a moment of silence descended over Fort Jugfena. It was still from quite a height that she jumped off, I wonder how she managed to do it without injuring herself. No matter how I look at it, I feel like the impact should have been too much for her to take.


    I wonder just how much this girl breaks the rules of common sense. Claudia seemed so out of place and surreal here, that she actually lowered the tension of the battlefield.


    Claudia inhaled and took a deep breath, and announced herself grandly. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°MY NAME IS CLAUDIA ROLENTSOR. I¡¯M DEEPLY INDEBTED TO VISCOUNTESS KALDIA, SO FOR THIS BATTLE, I¡¯M HERE TO AID THE KNIGHTS OF FORT JUGFENA!¡±


    My eardrums were throbbing at her excessive volume. For the soldiers and knights standing closest to her, both enemies and allies were covering their ears as well.


    Rather than this being an otome game world, it felt more like a shonen manga right now.


    ¡°GUNTHER-DONO!¡±


    Once again, Claudia was raising her voice incredibly loudly, and she tossed her bow and arrows to Gunther who was surrounded by frozen enemy soldiers distracted by her spectacle. Gunther who was the fastest to return to normal among them quickly dropped his sword and caught the bow and arrows.


    ¡­¡­A sword fell on an enemy soldier¡¯s foot.


    ¡°¡ªAghh!?¡±


    When the enemies realized what was going on, Gunther was already firing his first arrow. An enemy soldier was shot right between his eyes and dropped his sword on his foot.


    ¡°That person, although he¡¯s one of the finest among the army in both swordsmanship and the spear, his best weapon is actually the bow.¡±


    While I was still processing what was going on, staring blankly at the sight in front of me, I heard Kamil speaking softly next to me.


    The enemy soldiers were being cut down in swathes by Claudia¡¯s spear, making me wonder just how her slender arms could have that much power to wield her weapon like that. It was almost like her spear was dancing, and she even knocked out an enemy behind her with a blow to the solar plexus with the spear handle. She was taking full advantage of the weight of a metal spear and making it seem like it weighed nothing, blowing away all her enemies.


    My cheek twitched as I saw for myself what an unstoppable force she was.


    Suddenly, I felt Kamil holding on to my stomach with one hand. Rashiok was descending.


    With a roar, Rashiok scattered all the enemy soldiers in the vicinity as we glided on top of the tower connecting the nobles¡¯ building and the knight building.


    ¡°Get down!¡±


    Although it was a bit sudden and right after he said it, Kamil jumped off of Rashiok while holding on to me. I felt quite the impact, and my breath was knocked out of me.


    ¡°Right now!¡±


    We had landed right next to the knights that were barely holding on while protecting the unconscious Earl Einsbark and Wiegraf. Kamil brought me to them while still holding on to me.


    ¡°It, it¡¯s Claudia and Rashiok and company!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, although the enemy is an annoying one, with their level we won¡¯t be losing.¡±


    Although the soldiers greeted us excitedly, Kamil responded back to them calmly. However, in my head I recalled the scene of Dominic and the other soldiers from my army dying.


    Kamil just said that ¡°we won¡¯t lose.¡± He didn¡¯t say that ¡°nobody would die.¡±


    However, this is a war after all, there¡¯s no helping it. In battle, soldiers have the realization that they may die at any time, and haven¡¯t I been leading them all this time while knowing that as well.


    I swallowed my saliva to help me breathe again, and finally felt like I was clearing my mind.


    Instead of wishing for everyone to live, I wished for victory. Only victory would give their sacrificed lives meaning.


    Because I know that, that¡¯s why I¡¯ve come here.


    That¡¯s why, in order to connect myself to their feelings, I have to live as much as possible. At the very least, I won¡¯t allow myself to be killed for revenge just because I let my guard down.


    I could feel an ice cold feeling reviving myself, and helping my body to recover its energy. I struggled free from Kamil¡¯s arm holding on to me.


    ¡°-Charlie?¡±


    ¡°I can run for myself.¡±


    When he reached his hand out to me in puzzlement, I casually dodged it. Even Kamil might try to kill me someday ¨C if he ever finds out what I¡¯m guilty of.


    For example, even if he cuts me down right now, I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll just be written off as me having been ¡°killed in action.¡± If Kamil really wanted to kill me and get away with it, this war will be a golden opportunity for him.


    ¨C Kamil. Why have you come here.


    Once again, I asked myself that question in my mind, and I felt a piercing pain in my chest.

 Ch 52

    The knights carrying Earl Einsbark and Wiegraf went through the nobles¡¯ building and headed straight for the hidden passage leading to the cave. There¡¯s probably nowhere else that can serve as a place to shelter nobles.Since it¡¯s clear now that the enemy has taken over Fort Jugfena, without even knowing their total numbers or the route they took, hiding in the hidden passage that the enemy probably doesn¡¯t know about for the time being is probably the best course of action.


    Mixing along with the knights, Kamil and I escaped as well.


    As we headed down a long corridor in the nobles¡¯ building, I saw a wide space that was gaudily decorated. It¡¯s the space that serves as an entrance hall to the nobles¡¯ building, connecting the second and third floors. Since the first floor is for the servants, that¡¯s why the entrance hall for welcoming guests to the nobles¡¯ building is on the second floor.


    Because this is about the halfway point, after having escaped to here, I was finally able to loosen up slightly and slacken the tension in my shoulders. Although I didn¡¯t actually run for that long, due to the abnormal feeling of being on the battlefield, the time felt unpleasantly longer than usual.


    After passing through this hall and the next one, that¡¯s where the big hall with the hidden passage should be.


    However.


    ¡°-Wait! Stop!¡±


    A knight running in front of us raised his voice to stop us. Everyone immediately got ready for battle. I also tightly gripped the hilt of my sword, and slightly pulled it out of its sheath.


    The tension in the air was so thick it felt almost visible. I did my best to sharpen my five senses as much as possible, to notice anything at all ¨C and I heard a light sound.


    ¡°What¡¯s there!?¡±


    ¡°Be quiet!!¡±


    Someone had quite a sharp tone of voice. And with that, the knights fell silent, even hiding the sounds of their breathing as much as possible. The entrance hall of the nobles¡¯ building instantly became completely silent.


    ¡­¡­Then, I heard a more horribly dreadful sound than I¡¯ve ever heard before.


    It was a rattling sound, caused by something unknown. It sort of sounded like the sound a wooden instrument would make when you hit it. The rattling sound was echoing throughout the hallway.


    Something was in the next hallway. While being as vigilant as possible, some of the knights began advancing to determine the source of the sound.


    I swallowed slightly as I heard some more sounds. Then, I suddenly heard screaming.


    ¡°-Run! It¡¯s magical beasts! It¡¯s baboons from the Monster Forest, Abijhanas!¡±


    At that moment, vulgar sounding laughter echoed through the hallway. So that¡¯s what it was. The laughter came from a magical beast that sounded quite similar to humans. Everyone began running back at full speed, forgetting to even breathe.


    Magical beasts, why would monster baboons be here now at this timing. This is the worst.


    A monster baboon is one of the most brutal, ferocious, and intelligent types of monsters living in the Monster Forest. But, usually monsters from the Monster Forest shouldn¡¯t be coming out on their own.


    We ran to the tower that connected the nobles¡¯ building to the knight building. But the moment we reached the knight building, another knight that was leading the way screamed again.


    ¡°It¡¯s no good, the enemy¡¯s here!!¡±


    ¡°To the tower! Go through the tower to the third floor!¡±


    Once again we turned back, this time running back to the tower from before, climbing back up the tower that we had just run down a few minutes earlier. While the knights jostled each other as they climbed up the narrow spiral staircase, finally the last person came up and they put a bar over the door.


    ¡°Hurry!¡±


    It¡¯s obvious that a bar alone wouldn¡¯t be much to stop the enemy. I could already hear the sound of a body hitting against the door, with a crushing sound resounding throughout the tower. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It was a frightening sound that spurred us onwards.


    Just as I reached the third floor¡¯s hallway, I could hear a dull thud behind me as the door was knocked over and crashed against the stone floor.


    ¡°Hurry up, to the main hall!¡±


    I could hear some people chasing after us, but that was all I knew. I didn¡¯t have the time to turn around and look.


    Since the knights were still carrying the two injured nobles, it would be very difficult to stop and counterattack the enemy here. I mean, in the first place, I¡¯m not much better than baggage, same as the two unconscious over there, so the knights probably won¡¯t ask for my opinion.


    Maybe the enemy doesn¡¯t have bows, they weren¡¯t shooting arrows at us, but other projectiles were flying towards us. It was getting to an extent where it was getting harder to run due to things cluttering the corridors.


    I ran as fast as I could so that I¡¯d be a difficult target, but something like a plate crashed into the wall next to me and cracked, leaving some slight pain on my cheek as one of its shards scratched me.


    There¡¯s nothing I can do at all about the fact that I¡¯m still small and slow, and I was falling farther and farther behind, into the back ranks.


    Suddenly, someone grabbed my arm, and pulled me behind him. When I realized what was going on, it was Kamil who had changed places with me for some reason.


    Uwaa, a sound of surprise came out of me. However, it was drowned out by a boom. Everything in my vision became pure white as something exploded in front of my eyes.


    While carrying me, Kamil was running away from the explosion point as fast as he could. On the edges of my vision, I could see pillars of fire rising. I could only stare dumbfounded in blank amazement as the carpet and the curtains on the barred windows went up in flames instantly. Kamil covered me as much as he could, and I don¡¯t know whether to say it was more like he was carrying me or dragging me, he ran with me in the opposite direction from the one where we were heading just earlier.


    I could just make out that the glass windows were cracking and shattering, with the pieces blowing outside. I could feel it getting hotter and hotter behind me. The woolen carpets are making it really easy for the fire to burn. My heart was beating so fast that I wondered if I would get a heart attack.


    What was that? A bomb? No way.


    I¡¯ve never heard of such a weapon being invented here, and gunpowder¡¯s not at that level here. Maybe it¡¯s at the level of being able to create Molotov cocktails, but even those can¡¯t explode. What¡¯s more, until that explosion happened, I¡¯ve never seen such a fire like that either.


    My body felt like it was floating. Kamil was lifting me up with one hand. And, I took a deep breath at what I saw.


    Kamil¡¯s right arm that was holding on to me was badly burned and it was dripping blood. It must be from the bomb earlier ¨C did he protect me from the explosion?


    Come to think of it, there¡¯s a dull, numb pain on my hands and feet and cheeks. When I looked down at myself, it wasn¡¯t as bad as Kamil, but I was bleeding all over the place.


    It¡¯s not to the point where my life would be in danger, and maybe it¡¯s because my blood is actively circulating around, even though I should be hotheaded right now, my head was miraculously and terribly ice cold clear.


    As if fog was clearing, I remembered some previously blurry fragmented memories from my previous life.


    ¡­¡­That¡¯s right, guns appeared in the Arxia Kingdom where this otome game had taken place. Although it was a muzzle loader type, I remember there was a conversation about using them to suppress magical beasts.


    Nothing¡¯s happened in this world like the scenarios in the game, but if guns aren¡¯t supposed to be considered rare in seven to eight years, then of course there should be gunpowder in this world. Even if Arxia doesn¡¯t have such technology right now, maybe Densel does, or maybe it was obtained by the country of Parmigran as they trade on the seas with many other countries.

 Ch 53

    Anyways, to think that monster baboons would suddenly appear in Fort Jugfena. When we passed by the third floor the first time, those monsters hadn¡¯t been there in the entrance hall.The timing, and the fact that they¡¯re in the fort, everything is going too good for Densel.


    Suddenly, something occurred to me.


    When I first came to Fort Jugfena, I had seen a bloodstained red seeping out from the misty Monster Forest while it was hazy and drizzling. It couldn¡¯t be. There shouldn¡¯t be anyone that would go to the Monster Forest. Perhaps, it was Densel soldiers that were making preparations already so that they could invade us through the Monster Forest. On top of that, they must have had the ability to transport monster baboons here to Fort Jugfena.


    It doesn¡¯t seem real. But, I can¡¯t think of any other explanation. I can¡¯t think of any other reason why there would be monster baboons here in Fort Jugfena.


    ¡°Get out of my way!!¡±


    While still holding on to me with one arm, Kamil dove straight into our pursuers behind us. It felt like my heart was freezing over.


    I was wondering if Kamil wanted to kill me so much that he would be willing to die as well, fear, anger, and suspicion were all welling up within me. But it¡¯s too late to escape from his arm now. The fire¡¯s right behind me.


    Kamil dodged the slashes from the attackers closest to us, and just like long ago when he cut down the earth lizard, he killed someone with a single stab. The point of Kamil¡¯s sword went in between the enemy¡¯s clavicle and the soft fleshy part of his neck.


    As expected, that winter day Kamil had been trying to hide his true skills from me. My face was turning slightly pale.


    Kamil dodged the next attacker¡¯s sword swing easily, and he even slit the throat of the man hiding behind him waiting to ambush us. He did all of this with a backhanded grip on his sword, and without even looking. Smack, I heard another soft sound and the splashing of some warm liquid.


    In an instant, Kamil killed three people like it was nothing. I could only watch what was going on in a daze.


    At the same time, I was so scared that goosebumps were crawling up my flesh. He has the skill to kill people so easily ¨C no, why does Kamil have the training to be able to specialize in killing people so easily.


    While repeating his movements robotically, Kamil kept dodging all enemies¡¯ attacks and slicing their throats, and in less than five minutes, Kamil had taken out all twentyish pursuers by himself. There was so much blood that it was seeping into the carpet, and blood was splashing everywhere and making ripples as it dripped off of Kamil¡¯s hair. A smell of iron mixed in with the smell of death, and my stomach started overturning and I began to hurl. Because I only had a light breakfast, at least there wasn¡¯t much to throw up.


    After I finished throwing up, Kamil¡¯s blood-covered left hand touched my back.


    ¡°You alright?¡± S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As he asked me, he started running with me again. There¡¯s monster baboons on the second floor, and the third floor is covered in fire, there¡¯s no path to the hidden passage.


    It seems that he¡¯s not going to kill me in those pools of blood, I wonder if it¡¯s because he doesn¡¯t have the time to as the fire is still coming after us, ¨C or maybe he just wants to get to the bottom of my identity first before killing me.


    On the other side of the flames, are the knights carrying Earl Einsbark and Wiegraf still okay? There was only one knight left behind on this side of the fire, but due to being seriously injured by shrapnel from the explosion, he had died in the fire.


    ¡°¡­¡­Where are we going?¡±


    Why is it that, it feels so painful to just open my mouth. My hands and feet feel so hot. I feel like they¡¯re burning in the fire. Kamil looked down at me and my expression that looked like it was about to cry. Whatever his facial expression meant, I¡¯m too tired to even think about it right now.


    ¡°Somewhere¡­¡­ Anywhere, that¡¯s safe¡­¡­¡±


    Just as Kamil replied to me in a soft voice, in the distance I heard the booming sound of another explosion. It came from above us. It must be another explosive. Then, another explosion followed shortly after it. It seems that going up will be a bad idea.


    ¡°¡­¡­Let, me down. I can, run on my own¡­¡­¡±


    I was muttering. Kamil either didn¡¯t or pretended not to hear me, and he adjusted me in his grip as if to make me more comfortable, and increased his speed even more.


    We passed the tower, and went through the knight building all the way to the barracks. Since the enemies had kept coming from the south, I thought that we would get annihilated by enemy soldiers there, but contrary to my expectations there were few enemies, and Kamil disposed of all the enemy soldiers that weren¡¯t wearing our tunics without a sound.


    The nobles¡¯ building had stopped burning. After the carpet and curtains were burned up, there¡¯s nothing else other than rough, sturdy stone corridors.


    Why had Kamil killed so many and brought me here, I wonder. As I thought, is he trying to kill me? But then why isn¡¯t he killing me yet.


    I¡¯m so tired, that I could only keep thinking about this in circles, but because my analyzation level had gone down so much I couldn¡¯t even get an answer.


    As I heard some mayhem outside the window, that¡¯s when it happened.

 Ch 54

    Even though he didn¡¯t put me down, at least Kamil brought me closer to the window.Outside the window, the castle door had been broken down, and waves of people were flooding in. When I saw soldiers wearing the insignia of the Densel army, I felt chilled to the bone.


    ¨C However, driving them like sheep, seeming like they were chasing and routing the enemy, were knights from the 1st Cavalry Platoon wearing our black tunics.


    The 1st Cavalry Platoon was in high spirits as they trapped the remnants of the enemy army against the fort¡¯s walls. I witnessed Ergnade calmly strolling through the castle door, still dressed in black while surrounded by knights.


    I¡¯m glad he¡¯s okay.


    He¡¯s in the back of the center formation of the army, and he¡¯s responsible for coordinating the left wing, the right wing, and the mobile divisions to stop the Densel attack against us.


    Of course, his risk of dying in battle is quite high.


    Although he¡¯s safe, there¡¯s still risk as there¡¯s nobody that could take his place.


    He taught me the halberd, he served as my escort at the fort, and just like my previous life¡¯s parents ¨C it felt like he was taking such good care of me just like them, even though I¡¯m just someone he didn¡¯t know until he was ordered to be with me, even though I had locked away knowledge of how a family should feel like away in a corner in my mind ever since I killed mine, thinking there¡¯s no helping it.


    Anyways, it seems that the battle on the Great Plains has been decided and things are turning back in our favor. I couldn¡¯t help but let go of my breath and sigh. I¡¯m pretty sure that it¡¯s because I¡¯m relieved.


    I finally allowed myself to relax and calm down a little.


    ¡°-Please¡­¡­ help¡­¡­ me¡­¡­¡±


    I suddenly heard a faint voice, maybe it¡¯s because I was able to calm myself down and focus more on my surroundings.


    It was a faint voice that I could barely hear on the wind. The first time I heard it, I even wondered if I was hearing things.


    ¡°Pl, -se¡­¡­ he-¡­¡­ me¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Kamil, do you hear something?¡±


    ¡°Hm? ¡­¡­Ah, you¡¯re right.¡±


    It¡¯s the weak voice of someone crying out for help. As for whether it¡¯s coming from an enemy or an ally, I don¡¯t know.


    I don¡¯t know where the voice is coming from, but considering the way this fort is built it can¡¯t be far from us. It must be coming from a location close by.


    As I thought about the voice, either it¡¯s due to my relief, or that my brain has gotten some rest and is no longer in such a tense state, it was much easier for me to think things through.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go take a look. If it¡¯s someone we should help then we can help. If it¡¯s an enemy we can just leave them be.¡±


    ¡°Charlie, that¡¯s¡­¡­¡±


    Kamil hesitantly disagreed with me. However, my fear and distrust of Kamil was still strong in my mind.


    He hid his skill with the sword from me, and definitely deceived me about it. He also rushed here to Fort Jugfena for some reason without any orders of the sort.


    However, all these suspicions are also making me weary and heavy on my heart.


    I can¡¯t trust him. But, I don¡¯t want to doubt him anymore.


    If I¡¯m alone with him, I get even more stressed out. Since today has been completely out of the ordinary with a battle going on, and precisely because I saw for myself just how skilled Kamil is, I really don¡¯t want to be alone with him. I really want to get to somewhere with someone else around, so wanting to escape, I deceived him as well.


    Meaning, I simply can¡¯t just trust Kamil right now. Even if he protected me from the bomb¡¯s explosion with his right arm and got himself burned and full of holes. Whenever I¡¯m alone with him, I can¡¯t shake the feeling from my mind that he might point his sword at me at any moment.


    ¡°¡­¡­Got it.¡±


    It seems that Kamil felt there was no helping it, so he finally left the windowside. Then, he opened the door to the closest room.


    Nothing but silence greeted us in this room, there was only a simple desk and a bed inside. It doesn¡¯t even seem like this place was disturbed, it seems that wherever that voice came from, it wasn¡¯t from here.


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s from the next room?¡±


    Kamil casually opened the door to the next room.


    There was nothing in the next room as well, and only dead corpses that wouldn¡¯t move were in the room after that, we checked to make sure that none of them were still living. It took us a few minutes to check through all the dead people, then we headed on to the next rooms.


    Some of the rooms were locked. Just in case the enemy had stolen some keys and locked the rooms or some such, Kamil opened each of the doors with some sort of thin metal cylinder as a lockpick. At seeing yet another dangerous skill, I was quite shaken.


    As we kept searching through the rooms, I could no longer hear the voice calling for help.


    ¡°It didn¡¯t sound that far away from us¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Maybe they¡¯re unconscious, or they even could have died by now.¡±


    ¡°Even if that¡¯s so, and there¡¯s no helping it, Charlie won¡¯t be satisfied until we look everywhere, right?¡±


    Kamil¡¯s arm was shaking slightly as he kept holding on to me.


    I actually don¡¯t care all that much if we find the owner of that voice or not. However, I can¡¯t say that out loud right now. It seems that my lies are piling up more and more¡­¡­


    Since I remained silent without agreeing or disagreeing, Kamil also didn¡¯t say anything.


    This is the last room. This is the room in the farthest corner of the barracks, and Kamil and I both listened closely for sounds.


    I can¡¯t hear anything. Whether it¡¯s calls for help, panting, moaning, or even scratching sounds.


    Kamil twisted the doorknob. He pushed the door open. I saw clearly into the room.


    ¨C There were signs that a battle had taken place in this room, but there was nobody in sight at all.


    ¡°No one¡¯s-¡±


    here, is what I was just about to say when it happened.


    I could feel the unmistakable taste of blood in my mouth spreading, and something shook my entire body. That¡¯s what caused me to bite myself terribly hard and start bleeding.


    At the same time, there was a terribly harsh sound of an impact. Boom, and then I heard the sound of flesh ripping apart.


    Kamil¡¯s body was slightly shaking. Urgh, I heard him moaning under his breath.


    sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Ch 55

    Since Kamil¡¯s shoulder was covering me, I had no idea what was going on.I heard the door slam shut violently with a loud bang ¨C then, from the other side of the door, I could hear some sort of raucous roaring laughter coming from a monster baboon. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Kamil jumped to the next room over with me. He hastily tossed me on top of the bed, and I landed face first on the downy blanket. I immediately raised myself up on my arms, and saw Kamil piling up some furniture in front of the door. The dressing table, chair, a clothes box, a chest ¨C without saying anything, he was quickly stacking them up.


    I also seem to have bit Kamil¡¯s finger just earlier when whatever it was happened. I wonder if he had let me do it on purpose so that I didn¡¯t bite my tongue.


    Kamil was bleeding from his sides as he moved the furniture around. However, just as I was about to get up and move, when I took another look at Kamil, my body couldn¡¯t help but stiffen.


    Just then, there was a tapping sound on the door. It started off soft at first, but kept getting louder and louder.


    I could hear an unpleasant rattling sound together with that eerie laughter from the other side of the door. Something was hitting the door now. It¡¯s continuing to get even louder.


    Is it playing around, this monster baboon that¡¯s causing these sounds. It disgustingly feels like as if it¡¯s having fun toying with its prey that it¡¯s chased and cornered.


    Soon, Kamil seemed to run out of energy and sat down with his back against the pile of furniture.


    I got up, and stared at Kamil again. He seemed to be shaking all over his body, and it seemed like his strength was leaving him.


    ¡°K, Kamil¡­¡­¡±


    A pathetic, trembling voice came out of me. What am I trying to say to him at this point in time, me.


    That monster baboon must have been mimicking the sound of someone crying out for help, no matter how I think about it this situation is my fault that we¡¯ve fallen for its trap.


    Blood kept flowing out of Kamil¡¯s sides endlessly, seeping into the stone floor. He seems to have injured his internal organs, as dark blood was dripping out of the corner of Kamil¡¯s mouth.


    I didn¡¯t move even one finger. My brain was numb, and I couldn¡¯t do anything other than stare at Kamil.


    Even though we were alone together, even in rooms filled with corpses, Kamil didn¡¯t kill me. It¡¯s my distrust towards him that¡¯s led to this current situation.


    With those sorts of injuries, all he can do is wait for death. There¡¯s such a large hole in his side, and his internal organs are injured as well with no way to give him medical treatment.


    The back of my throat was aching with something hot. My sight turned blurry, as lukewarm water started splashing down my cheeks from my eyes.


    Kamil merely smiled gently at me. It felt like my heart was being squeezed to pieces.


    ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s fine. It can¡¯t be helped, this is my job.¡±


    Kamil opened his mouth and spoke to me in a weak voice. He kept coughing up horrific amounts of blood, and his body was trembling violently now. He¡¯s shaking so badly, I¡¯m pretty sure he¡¯s realized his own situation as well.


    ¡°You couldn¡¯t, trust in me, right? As for the things I hid from you, to the best of my abilities, it was something that couldn¡¯t be helped.¡±


    As Kamil continued speaking in a piecemeal manner, the hitting sounds against the door were continuing to grow in volume. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever been so annoyed in my life before. I want to listen to Kamil talking without having to listen over those sounds.


    ¡°You probably knew that I¡¯m the son of, the merchant, that, killed, your family.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t even nod, all I could do was listen to his words, forgetting to even breathe.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡­ that my father, killed, your entire family. That¡¯s why, to make up for it, I wanted to at the very least, protect you. I mean, you¡¯re really just a small child.¡±


    In the middle, Kamil¡¯s voice suddenly got even choppier, and he had gotten so passionate that it was moving me to tears.


    Do I want to cry and scream at the top of my lungs, or should I be begging Kamil for forgiveness right now, my feelings and regrets were swirling about inside me like a vortex right now.


    However, that as well, ended quickly and it felt like I was deflating like a balloon. The feelings that were bloating me just earlier were nowhere to be found.


    Everything is something that I¡¯ve caused myself. Since everything is my fault, I think it¡¯ll be for the best if I just honestly tell Kamil that I was the root of everything.


    ¡°-No, that¡¯s not it, Kamil¡­¡­¡±


    Before I realized it, I was slowly shaking my head. Since I wasn¡¯t able to accept before that Kamil had no ill will towards me and wasn¡¯t plotting against me ¨C of course he¡¯d never forgive me. I know that I¡¯m only telling him to selfishly lessen the burden on myself.


    My bad habit of clenching my fists as tightly as I could showed itself again, and my nails were digging deep ridges into my palms.


    ¡°¡­¡­Char, lie?¡±


    Kamil¡¯s voice was confused, and he seemed to stop himself from trembling as much as he could, to make eye contact with me.


    ¡°I myself was the one who killed my family. Kamil, your father was falsely accused of it and executed for a crime he didn¡¯t commit. ¡­¡­I¡¯m really sorry about what happened.¡±


    Kamil was looking at me wide-eyed in amazement, looking at me so directly that I really felt like averting my eyes. My body was completely tense. I couldn¡¯t breathe.


    What will he say.


    Well now that I¡¯ve said it, I¡¯m regretting it.


    Why did I tell Kamil something about my treacherous self when he¡¯s on the verge of death, I wonder. I must only be searching for my own self-satisfaction, pouring out my guilt to him.


    I felt like gouging at myself as I wallowed in self-loathing.


    Kamil quietly closed his eyes, and took a deep breath.


    ¡°-¡­¡­Oh, so that¡¯s what happened.¡±


    Really, his voice remained so calm.


    ¨C Then, Kamil didn¡¯t open his eyes. While trembling, I took a step. I got down from the bed, and crawled to Kamil¡¯s side.


    ¡°Kamil¡­¡­?¡±


    I hesitantly touched his blood-caked face with my hand, finding that his blood was already drying. It was frightfully cold, and I shuddered involuntarily.


    ¡°¡­¡­I can¡¯t, move anymore¡­¡­ ¡­¡­It can¡¯t be, helped¡­¡­ Charlie¡¯s¡­¡­¡±


    As if he found things really annoying, Kamil sighed deeply.


    He sluggishly lifted his hand, and hugged my head against his right shoulder. Although I was thrown a bit off balance by his body weight, and had to use a hand to support myself, I obediently let him hug me.


    Close by to me, it felt like the monster baboon was about to break down the door at any moment, the crashing sounds against the door had gotten so loud.


    However, for some reason I didn¡¯t feel scared at all.


    More than that, I was more scared of how fast I could feel Kamil¡¯s body warmth leaving him even touching him through his clothes.


    I slid my head down from his shoulder slightly, down to his left breast.


    When I heard that his heart was still beating feebly, I felt so relieved that I started crying.


    He¡¯s still alive.


    Without even worrying about the crashing sounds against the door, I just listened to his heartbeat get weaker and weaker.


    ¨C Then, I couldn¡¯t hear it anymore, and his hand against my head fell limp to the ground.


    Outside the door, I heard a terrible screaming sound coming from the monster baboon. The sound of people shouting echoed throughout the hallways. I think I heard Ergnade¡¯s voice among them.

 Ch 56

    ¡°¡­¡­Densel has issued a statement saying that they have nothing to do with the incident that occurred at Fort Jugfena. It seems that they¡¯re treating it as an isolated incident caused by exiled soldiers.¡±Earl Terejia told me so in a quiet voice, and I was only half listening to him while thinking of other things.


    It felt foggy inside my head. I heard that Claudia was completely uninjured, that Ergnade and Gunther only suffered light injuries, and that the Shiru tribe in the hidden passage remained safe, but that did nothing to help clear up the fog.


    Although the enemy¡¯s plan failed and we defended Fort Jugfena successfully, it was a difficult, close victory with many losses. Three entire infantry squadrons were wiped out, and all archers were dead as well. On top of that, the commander of the fort, Earl Einsbark, as well as his son Wiegraf, they were seriously injured, and twenty soldiers from the fifty soldiers I took with me to Fort Jugfena died in battle as well, costing me forty percent of my army.


    What¡¯s more, the invading soldiers had likely focused on destroying Arxia¡¯s lines of defense, the rampart alongside our border was smashed all over the place, and there were quite a few holes in Fort Jugfena and its walls as well, we¡¯ve been dealt quite a blow.


    The Densel Dukedom is saying that all of this was a private war waged by exiled soldiers, thus having nothing to do with them. They only prepared a slight compensation for us by selling off the properties of those involved, and executing all the responsible parties and their relatives.


    It seems that the group of soldiers had been exiled after a political defeat, and that they had been from a group that opposed Densel uniting together with the Rindarl Union. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    While looking for a way to survive, they attacked Arxia thinking that the other three countries might reconsider letting Densel into the Rindarl Union if Densel was involved in a war with Arxia, that seems to have been their motive. Being worried about how relations between Arxia and Rindarl would be, Densel would prefer not to have bad relations with us. Well, that¡¯s their excuse, but I¡¯m sure it¡¯s all just lip service and was plotted by them.


    Meaning, all Arxia got was the execution of the so-called anti-Rindarl Union members.


    Of course, saying such things, Arxia is quite angry and discontent as well. Not only did Densel attack us unprovoked, they even abandoned their own citizens and shifted all the blame to them, having the soldiers executed saying they were exiled political discontents.


    The ones who lost the most was us, as the Kaldia domain was supposed to take in the new Artolan refugees that had all died, and the Shiru tribe. Although Densel attacked Fort Jugfena unprovoked and without warning, since Fort Jugfena was on standard combat alert, damage could have been even worse.


    However, the northern Arxian nobles loudly blamed the harboring of refugees from a former defeated country that was enemies with Densel for causing this skirmish, it seems that there¡¯s no way of stopping the world from viewing these things as having caused the skirmish anymore.


    ¡°The House of Lords has made its decision on the matter, the battle that occurred will not be treated as an invasion by Densel, and it will be treated as a private war waged by exiled soldiers. This is in order to quell the anger of the northern nobles, so no matter how angry we are inside, we have no choice but to take it quietly and accept the paltry compensation money offered by Densel.¡±


    For once, Earl Terejia didn¡¯t even try to hide his irritation, but I didn¡¯t really care. I felt like politics didn¡¯t matter to me at all right now.


    Everything felt blank to me right now. My head was filled with fog and I couldn¡¯t think clearly, I even wondered just what Earl Terejia was getting so angry about.


    ¡°The church had openly called out for us to protect the Artolan refugees. None of them publicly opposed that back then.¡±


    Since the church had openly proclaimed that the Artolan refugees and the Shiru tribe would be protected, anyone saying something otherwise could have been excommunicated and persecuted for being a heretic.


    Even more than being a heretic, it¡¯s excommunication that would affect one for life. Since the Arxia Kingdom and the Ar Xia church are inextricably interconnected, being excommunicated would mean there¡¯s no place for them anymore. This is even more so for nobles, they wouldn¡¯t dare go directly against the church that¡¯s in charge of the law.


    The issue of the church being in charge of the law aside, the Ar Xia church usually almost never involves itself in the country¡¯s national affairs. This time had been extremely rare for it to act like that, is what I had thought at the time.


    My mind feels numb, I don¡¯t feel like thinking any more deeper into these matters. Even though this is all something that deeply involves me, right now I don¡¯t care about others¡¯ expectations or feelings at all.


    ¡°¡­¡­That¡¯s all. Well, for now you can just take things slow and get some rest.¡±


    Earl Terejia seemed to worry about me with his last comment, as he left my room. My nanny Mrs. Hortensia remained standing quietly beside me, as I pulled the cushion supporting my back away, and laid back down on my bed. Her expression was softly distorted, and her eyes were closed.


    I can tell that she¡¯s pitying me, and the way I am now, I could only receive it without any sort of mercy on myself.


    I don¡¯t even feel like I deserve to receive pity, and my usual dedication to work had disappeared without a trace. Without even trying to clear my mind, I simply closed my eyelids.


    Was it because I¡¯m tired, I don¡¯t even know. However, I do know for certain that I want to fall into a deep sleep.


    From the other side of my bedroom door, I could hear a slightly muffled voice.


    ¡°She didn¡¯t move at all again today?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Yes. ¡­¡­It¡¯s already been like this for one month. Eliza-sama¡¯s not doing anything by herself at all, other than blinking her eyes and breathing.¡±


    ¡°I see. This is, no matter what, sad for a child as young as her¡­¡­ I¡¯m sorry, but please keep taking care of her. Please don¡¯t mind that you have to take care of her meals and body, someone experienced in these types of things is coming in a few days¡­¡­¡±


    ¡­¡­After that, I couldn¡¯t hear what followed after anymore. The blurry words got lost in the fog, and disappeared somewhere into my mind.


    I¡¯m so sleepy, is all I thought. That¡¯s all I could think, and my consciousness completely sank into the depths of the fog.


    End of Act 1, Part 3

 Ch 57

    Act 1, Part 4(Translator notes for anyone that missed it, turns out Ratoka is a guy that¡¯s being forced to act as a girl by Eliza when in the mansion. Also, as a recap for anyone who¡¯s forgotten some characters, Ratoka is the villager kid that threw a rock at Eliza and subsequently got arrested. Eliza faked his execution, and kept him as a potential body double because he looks similar to her, saying that their shared eye color, red, is very rare and impossible to fake, and created a fake identity, ¡°Elise Cherstoka,¡± for him to act as in order to spread misinformation and confuse any potential future enemies. This fake name is purposefully similar to another girl currently living at Eliza¡¯s mansion, Elise Sherstok, who is a noble girl with a sickly body that¡¯s currently recovering at the Kaldia mansion, since the Kaldia domain has a climate that¡¯s well suited for her illness. Hopefully this summary helps anyone who¡¯s forgotten the details, as these two characters haven¡¯t appeared for quite a while. The next 10+ chapters will be told from Ratoka¡¯s point of view, and it¡¯s actually narrated in third person instead of first person, so hopefully I do a good job, as it¡¯s my first time tackling the third person perspective.)


    ¡­¡­Ratoka smelled the faint scent of flowers, and opened his eyes.


    He still couldn¡¯t get used to the feeling of these clothes against his body. He missed the familiar scent of straw, and he laid and rolled on the bed a bit before getting up.


    Since it¡¯s not his usual wooden bed, but covered fully with soft cloths instead, it¡¯s very uncomfortable for him. Well, due to that, he¡¯s been getting up earlier than before, that might be the only good thing about it.


    Then, he sighed deeply. There was a single flower placed by the pillow, giving his entire room a sweet smell.


    This room is narrow and made of solid stone walls, and the loud snores of people in the connecting rooms echo loudly in his room as well. He pushed away the wooden board covering the window, and let the faint sunlight shine in.


    It¡¯s a little before dawn.


    As the moon and sun changed places, the reddish tinged sunrise that only lasted for a short time each morning was the most beautiful time of day, is what he thought.


    He kept watching the sky until it turned completely blue. His mind which was still groggy until then, finally began functioning.


    When he remembered the face of the person that had taught him the beauty of sunrises, he felt a pain in his chest. She was a sister in training from the church that had been out on patrol. He only knew her for a short time, but, that¡¯s exactly why he remembered her eye color, as clear blue as the sky, so clearly.


    It was almost time to get up, so he turned away from the window, got out of bed, and knocked on the wood and iron knocker installed in the middle of the barracks. The loud knocking finally interrupted that annoying snoring, and hauled the sordid men out of their dreams.


    ¡°It¡¯s morning, get up, you middle-aged men.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Oh, ohh. Morn¡¯in, Ratoka.¡±


    ¡°All of you, would never wake up at all if I went easy on you, every morning¡­¡­¡±


    He¡¯s already been here for two weeks. Whoever wakes up first in the morning is supposed to wake everyone else up with the knocker, but ever since he¡¯s come here, he¡¯s been the only person that¡¯s ever woke everyone else up.


    This morning as well, the adult soldiers blew him away, and after falling down ten times, Ratoka reached his physical limits.


    Although this always happened, the uncouth soldiers would always stick around watching him, ridiculing him and laughing at him every time his sword got knocked out of his hand. Even more humiliating, today the soldiers didn¡¯t even give him time to catch his breath as they hooted at him.


    The jeers today were,


    ¡°Oi oi, how pathetic! Even Charlie was better than this when she was five years old!¡±


    ¡°If you can¡¯t even beat a five year old little girl, all you¡¯re gonna be good for is harvesting wheat!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why, young master Ratoka is an ¡®ojou-san,¡¯ I say!¡±


    That¡¯s what was being said.


    Ratoka had been forced to the barracks by the earl, and the earl had told the soldiers to ¡°give Ratoka the same training that Viscountess Kaldia went through,¡± so of course the soldiers would compare him to that girl at everything, and since Ratoka wasn¡¯t as good as her, everyone called him ¡°ojou-san.¡±


    Ratoka already had a complex about his rather girlish looking face, so calling him an ¡°ojou-san,¡± meaning lady, only increased his humiliation.


    ¡°Shut up! I¡¯m not the same as that Charlie bastard, this is my first time learning swordsmanship!!¡±


    Ratoka was so irritated that he shouted out at the soldiers, and they fell silent for a moment. Just as Ratoka finally thought he would get some quiet, the soldiers started laughing even louder than before.


    ¡°Charlie you say, hahaha, she¡¯s never even touched a sword before she came here to train with us!¡±


    At that retort, even Ratoka was unable to find a comeback. ¡°Damn you all!!¡± He couldn¡¯t find anything to say, so all he could do was curse at everyone in foul language.


    Nobles learn the sword starting from a young age. The young sister that had stayed in Cyril village several years ago had definitely said that to him.


    At first, he had thought that he should go through with and endure this sword training, but now he can¡¯t take all the jeering anymore. Now that he¡¯s discovered his skill level, his already battered pride is in shreds.


    More than anything else, he hates the person he¡¯s being compared to. This girl they¡¯re calling Charlie, the daughter of the noble Ratoka hates more than anything ¨C or more accurately speaking, the current domain lord. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Seeing Ratoka¡¯s face distort as he was unable to even express his anger and frustration properly, even the soldiers realized that they may have gone a little overboard, and they stopped laughing. That laughter that was so annoying had finally stopped, and it¡¯s quiet now, but Ratoka was too angry to care anymore.


    ¡°-Well, um, what is it. You shouldn¡¯t hate our lord so much.¡±


    Someone among the soldiers mumbled that, and some of the other soldiers also mumbled in agreement, and they scattered, as the atmosphere had gotten cooler.


    ¡°-What is all this!!¡±


    Ratoka made a fist with his right hand and hit the ground in frustration, then he heard a voice colder than any he¡¯d ever heard before.


    ¡°You wake up so early, you damned brat. If you¡¯re still that energetic, why don¡¯t you practice some more with me for another five rounds?¡±


    At the same moment, Ratoka¡¯s wooden sword that had been knocked out of his hand came flying down again and hit his stomach, causing him to moan.


    Even though he was only eight years old, Ratoka recklessly glared at his opponent Gunther. Gunther who had his foot on top of Ratoka¡¯s head as he laid down on the ground, defeated, returned a sharp gaze back at him.


    ¡°¡­¡­Sorry.¡±


    Although Ratoka reluctantly apologized, Gunther¡¯s gaze didn¡¯t change at all. Gunther finally pulled his leg back a bit, and Ratoka hurriedly jumped up and retrieved his sword.


    He felt like Gunther was about to kick him, and he was right.


    Ratoka barely managed to dodge Gunther¡¯s foot by a hair¡¯s breadth, and Gunther tut tutted.


    ¡°Come on, don¡¯t laze around, let¡¯s start already!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Gunther-sensei.¡±


    Ratoka nodded, and Gunther started attacking him again.


    ¡­¡­It only took two attacks, before Ratoka was knocked over on the ground again.


    In the afternoon, he has to go forage for his own dinner. That¡¯s the rule of this domain¡¯s army.


    His physical strength was pushed to its limits to the point where he was throwing up, so of course it was impossible for him to do any hunting in his state of extreme fatigue. At least, that¡¯s what Ratoka thought.


    He¡¯s used to feeling hungry anyways. Sulking and telling himself that he was doing it out of defiance, Ratoka had never once gone out to forage for dinner.


    Instead ¨C


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯ve come today as well?¡± (Elise) (Translator note: going to use parentheses to show who is speaking for this section to reduce confusion, as Ratoka goes by ¡®Elise¡¯ as well when in the mansion.)


    Still caring about what others thought of him¡­ he basically dragged his body through the shadows, as he glared at Eliza¡¯s mansion, a symbol of the former domain lord he hated so much. Then, from a section of the garden¡¯s complicated layout, he heard a soft voice from a window above him.


    ¡°Elise-sama!¡± (Ratoka)


    When Ratoka looked up, he saw a girl meet his eyes, perched with her elbows on the windowsill from her room on the second floor. She looked delighted to see him, and laughed happily and elegantly.


    ¡°Hehehe¡­¡­ How funny. You¡¯re also ¡®Elise-sama,¡¯ aren¡¯t you?¡± (Elise)


    Although he still felt slightly bitter at being called that, he swallowed it down and smiled back at the girl. More importantly to Ratoka, he¡¯s happy that Elise seems healthy and energetic again today.


    ¡°Elise-sama, what shall we talk about today?¡± (Elise)


    ¡°Anything. ¡­¡­But anyways, Elise-sama, I¡­¡­ when you address me, you really don¡¯t have to add -sama.¡± (Ratoka)


    Ratoka mumbled a bit, and finally uttered a tiny wish of his. Although he comes here and says that every time, Elise would always smile happily and say ¡°sorry,¡± but she never once nodded and agreed to his request.


    Well, his true wish is to actually have Elise call him by his real name, ¡°Ratoka,¡± but he¡¯s strictly forbidden from telling Elise his real name.


    That¡¯s why, at the very least, he hoped that Elise could address him more familiarly.


    Talking with a noble girl, he¡¯s scared to ask her for anything more than that ¨C and he¡¯s also confused, because Elise doesn¡¯t fit his mental image of how a ¡°noble¡± should be at all.


    He¡¯s always believed that nobles were arrogant spendthrifts that never thought about commoners at all, that didn¡¯t know how to do anything other than look pretty and make idle chatter. Although it was just the sister in training that had told him that, he¡¯s never heard anything else about nobles, nor does he want to hear.


    Unfortunately, the now former lord of this domain, was even worse than the nobles she talked about, is what he had thought.


    However, Elise who always smiled gently at him, he couldn¡¯t think of her as a typical noble at all.


    He felt himself idolizing her, believing her to be special, and Ratoka viewed her as sacred.


    However, the difference between nobles has him even more irritated. Every single day, when he¡¯s in the barracks, he has to hear her name over and over again, that name he associates with everything bad about nobles, ¨C the girl that the soldiers also call Charlie, Eliza. He hates everything about her, that damned Kaldia daughter.


    What¡¯s ¡°Charlie¡± even supposed to mean, Ratoka had asked the soldiers this morning.


    Charlie. A name passed down in the ancient language of the Jugfena region. From even before St. Ahar created the Ar Xia Kingdom a millenium ago, he¡¯s now a story told at bedtime about a legendary king that had ruled over the entire Jugfena region.


    What¡¯s ¡°Charlie¡± supposed to be.


    While he smiled at Elise, once again in the back of his mind, Ratoka spat at Eliza.

 Ch 58

    Ratoka has been in the barracks for a month and a half now, and he¡¯s gained enough strength to the point where he isn¡¯t throwing up anymore.However, he¡¯s still not foraging for his own dinner at night, he¡¯s still going every day without eating any dinner.


    Today, his marching distance training was increased in length. Still, he¡¯s expected to remain standing and finish all of it. His feet hurt so badly after it all, that Ratoka didn¡¯t even visit Elise, and just crawled straight into his bed after training.


    Speaking of hunting for food ¨C he remembered the noble girl that recently became Eliza¡¯s new bodyguard and companion. She¡¯s a blond girl that Ratoka often sees hanging around the barracks after his training is over, twirling her spear.


    She¡¯s more skilled than anyone in the army with the spear, and she makes it look freakishly easy to catch large animals when going out hunting. Because of this, the number of soldiers that call Ratoka ¡°ojou-san¡± have decreased.


    As Ratoka observed her behavior every day, he found that she didn¡¯t fit the image he had of a ¡°noble¡± at all, either.


    ¡°All noble girls, they want to wear a brand new dress every day¡­¡­¡± Ratoka heard the sister¡¯s nostalgic voice in the back of his mind. Even though he hasn¡¯t heard that voice in two years, he still remembers it clearly ¨C rather, he can¡¯t forget it.


    Four years ago, when the former domain lord died, the Kaldia citizens¡¯ lives slowly began returning to normal.


    Two years ago, it was right after the adults had finished planting rye in spring. During a time when nobody had enough excess yet to be able to care about others¡¯ plights, suddenly a traveling group of sisters visited Cyril village.


    Of course, Cyril village wasn¡¯t able to welcome the sisters due to its hardships. However, the sisters did not show any dissatisfactions towards the villagers, and remained calm while helping the villagers in their tasks, as their main goal was to travel from village to village while spreading a certain ¡°story.¡±


    ¨C That all the nobles, had forgotten the original work that nobles are supposed to perform. That the nobles were only abusing their authority, and enjoying luxurious lives. That what the nobles were doing was against the teachings of the church.


    One young girl from among the sisters kept telling Ratoka this ¡°story¡± over and over again. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    While telling their ¡°stories¡± about the nobles, the sisters would keep talking about the arrogance and extravagance of the nobles they¡¯ve seen in their travels, and for the people of Cyril village that lived like they were in hell on earth under the former domain lord¡¯s rule, of course they would believe it all. There was nobody that didn¡¯t believe the sisters.


    As a result, even now, the Cyril villagers have put their blind faith in this group of sisters. This includes Ratoka, who understood less than half of their story. Even so, it could be said that he¡¯s the one who believes in them the most of all.


    Ratoka still vividly remembers the young sister in training that talked to him. Everything that the girl told him about nobles, he believes as fact about all nobles.


    Because of his blind faith, that¡¯s how Ratoka used to view nobles.


    At that time, Ratoka¡¯s body was filled with injuries every day, as he spent daylight begging every day, and sleeping in the shadows of people¡¯s houses at night.


    If he went home, he didn¡¯t know what would happen.


    His mother had fallen mentally ill, and didn¡¯t recognize Ratoka anymore.


    Ratoka had black hair just like the domain lord, and red eyes just like the domain lord. The similarity was too much and his mother lost her mind. In her confusion, she couldn¡¯t even bear to look at Ratoka. Because of this, she lived in terrible fear of Ratoka.


    Ratoka was always alone in Cyril village. The other villagers all avoided him. To Ratoka, he didn¡¯t know why his mom and the villagers hated and feared him so much.


    Ratoka doesn¡¯t have a father. His mother had gotten pregnant with Ratoka when she was forced into sex service as a ¡°laborer¡± by the previous domain lord.


    When her belly had gotten too big to do anything else and she was returned to her hometown village, Ratoka¡¯s mother had already lost her sanity. She didn¡¯t know where she was anymore, or who the father of her child was.


    Also, there was a rule from the previous domain lord that any boys that ¡°laborers¡± gave birth to would be killed. If this wasn¡¯t done, the domain lord said he would have the entire village killed.


    While the ¡°laborers¡± was forced into sex service all over the place, the only common point was that they all served the nobility. ¨C Meaning, any children they had would probably be the scions of nobility. Girls were fine, but boys weren¡¯t allowed to be born.


    So with fear of the punishment hanging over their heads, the villagers would be forced to make her give up her newborn child, if it was a boy.


    However, Ratoka¡¯s mother was already out of her mind. Without even calling for a midwife, she gave birth alone.


    She ended up giving birth to twins. The girl had died in childbirth, but the boy was still living.


    Ratoka¡¯s mother was hugging the baby girl¡¯s dead body when she was discovered. And so, the villagers concealed the information about Ratoka¡¯s birth from the domain lord. He led a discrete life in a small, run-down house with his mother until news of the domain lord¡¯s death finally reached Cyril village five years ago.


    ¡°Ratoka¡± is actually a girl¡¯s name, probably meant for his deceased twin sister. Ratoka¡¯s mother never did prepare a boy¡¯s name for her son.


    After news of the domain lord¡¯s death reached her, Ratoka¡¯s mother got even worse mentally.


    Ratoka was no longer able to withstand the way his mother always abused him, so that¡¯s why he escaped outside of his home.


    Then, he became more well-known in the village.


    Although the villagers had decided not to kill him as the domain lord would have wanted, just the circumstances of his birth alone made the villagers want to avoid him.


    Although his mother temporarily got better again for two years, she finally relapsed again. She had gone so insane to the point where she no longer recognized her son that everyone had taken great care to help her hide and bring up.


    Ratoka would just wander around the outskirts of the village every day and look at the ground listlessly. And while walking, Ratoka would think about how haggard and hungry he was getting. His mother, who had once been his entire world to him, was now trying to harm him.


    ¡°-Why are you walking with your head down like that? You should watch where you¡¯re going, or it could be dangerous, you know.¡±


    The first time when he heard that clear and energetic voice, Ratoka didn¡¯t think that she was talking to him.


    When outside his home, he felt like he was just a ghost to everyone. At that point in time, he wanted to interact with someone else more than anything at all.


    ¡°-Hey, are you alright?¡±


    Someone tapped him on the shoulder, and he was so surprised when he turned around that his heart almost suddenly stopped. A girl that was only slightly taller than he was, was looking straight at him with eyes the color of the dawn sky.


    Ratoka opened his eyes that resembled the color of fire.


    The light coming in from the window woke Ratoka up out of his light sleep instantly. When he opened his eyes, he found that his room was being dyed a vermillion scarlet by the setting sun.


    ¡­¡­He must have fallen asleep right after the day¡¯s training.


    He tried to work his mind that didn¡¯t seem to want to wake up quite yet. He felt like he had just went to bed, so he must have fallen asleep. His body does feel a little lighter now, so he turned his back to the sunset.


    Outside his room, in the cafeteria¡¯s direction, he could hear the commotion of soldiers having fun chatting.


    With the muffled sounds coming through the walls, and thinking about the relationships that others have with him, Ratoka bit his lip in frustration.


    He loves the dawn sunrise, and hates evening sunsets.


    Maybe it¡¯s also because that he¡¯s not with everyone else, while listening to others have fun through the wall, that he would recall such a lonely memory.


    Whenever he returned home to his insane mother¡¯s run-down house, he would always have a mix of emotions that felt like muddy sludge in him, as he walked back slowly. Whenever he heard lively sounds from other houses of people having fun, even that was quite a blow to Ratoka¡¯s weak spirit back then.


    Even if he calls for his mother she wouldn¡¯t even look at him, Ratoka felt so jealous of others, sad, and mentally exhausted.


    Anyone is fine, talk to me about anything, see me, make me feel like I exist ¨C that¡¯s what Ratoka desired back then, as soon as possible.


    And so, the first person to grant his wish, and would talk to him about various things on the nobility, was the young sister in training with reddish blue eyes the color of the dawn sky. For that reason, that¡¯s why Ratoka believed in her blindly.


    Ratoka sighed deeply in an attempt to drive away his loneliness and old memories, and Ratoka looked up at the wall that was lit up by the setting sun.


    Dusk in the Kaldia domain lasts for only a short time. The vermillion scarlet that dyed the room earlier, was getting imperceptibly darker and darker.


    Rather than the color of the girl with eyes the color of the dawn sky, this color reminds him more of the red eyes of that daughter of the domain lord. And, her dead father, the former domain lord.


    Suddenly, he wondered about the color of his own eyes. Red eyes are extremely rare, and his eye color is the exact same shade as Eliza¡¯s.

 Ch 59

    (Translator note: Since Igor, a soldier that died in the battle at Fort Jugfena, appears in this chapter, this means that these chapters take place before the battle in the story¡¯s timeline. Ratoka was mentioned before as having been sent off to the army for training, after all. Rest in peace, Igor, we hardly knew you¡­¡­ Also, on the topic of arcs, I took a look ahead, and the school arc finally begins, in Chapter 143. Just for the curious that were wondering if a school arc would ever happen in this story.)¡°Oi, you¡¯re up?¡±


    A voice suddenly spoke up from the half-open door to Ratoka¡¯s room, catching his attention instantly. Turning to look, he saw a sturdy-looking middle-aged man walk into his room.


    He¡¯s also tall and on the thin side, and probably gives off the impression of being too weak to be a soldier, but he¡¯s the longest serving member of the Kaldia army, that all the other soldiers look up to and go for advice.


    The soldier crinkled his crow¡¯s feet wrinkles slightly at Ratoka. The light of the red sunset shone on him and he cast only a dim shadow.


    ¡°Good, since I was about to come wake you up. Claudia-sama hunted some monster meat today. Right now, everyone¡¯s cooking it up. You should come have some as well, that¡¯s why I¡¯m here to wake you up,¡± the soldier invited Ratoka to eat. While still remaining on his bed, Ratoka just looked at him blankly.


    What exactly was the soldier saying, Ratoka didn¡¯t understand. Although he understands each word individually, but he didn¡¯t understand them together as a whole.


    ¡°¡­¡­What¡¯s the matter? Are you not feeling well?¡±


    He started worrying about how Ratoka was doing, and walked next to Ratoka¡¯s bed. When the soldier reached out his hand with a worried look on his face, Ratoka shook his head hurriedly.


    ¡°That¡¯s, not it¡­¡­¡±


    The soldier watched Ratoka¡¯s confusion for a few seconds. Then, he smiled softly.


    He suddenly picked Ratoka up in his arms, and started walking with him without saying anything. Ratoka didn¡¯t say anything either. He was so frozen up in surprise at what was going on, that his voice wouldn¡¯t come out.


    ¡°I¡¯ll bring you over.¡±


    The soldier carried Ratoka to the cafeteria, where almost all the other soldiers were currently gathered. The barracks cafeteria was constructed with plenty of room, enough to hold one hundred people, but seemed slightly empty since there weren¡¯t enough soldiers in the barracks to fill the cafeteria up.


    ¡°Oi, as expected of the old man!¡±


    ¡°Oh my, wow, to carry the ojou-san here in your arms, this must be the wisdom of age.¡±


    ¡°Hey, you shouldn¡¯t tease children like that. If you keep treating him like that you don¡¯t know what could happen, he might do something stupid!¡±


    While being carried like this, Ratoka heard all kinds of comments coming from around him, until a calm voice admonished the soldiers.


    ¨C Since he was so embarrassed, and couldn¡¯t deal with it, Ratoka hid his face in the shoulders of the soldier carrying him.


    The soldier patted Ratoka in order to soothe him.


    All Ratoka could think about was that the soldiers would surely ridicule him for the state he¡¯s in now. What will they say about him. They¡¯ll probably say he¡¯s just a small kid?


    However, contrary to his expectations, the soldiers didn¡¯t make fun of him, and remained silent. Ratoka had definitely thought they would all laugh coarsely at him, and seeing all the soldiers so quiet like this shocked him.


    He lifted his head slightly, and took a look at the soldiers. Just then, someone offered him a skewer of cooked monster meat, and he couldn¡¯t help but blink.


    ¡°This is for you.¡±


    The young soldier holding the meat out to Ratoka was averting his eyes, and Ratoka hesitantly finally took the meat on the skewer that was being offered to him. It¡¯s also a bigger piece of meat than what any of the other soldiers have, which made Ratoka even more puzzled as to why he was the one getting it.


    ¡°There¡¯s no mistake, this is for you, hurry up and eat it. Since you haven¡¯t been eating dinner, right?¡±


    Since Ratoka held the skewer for too long without eating even though his stomach was growling, the young soldier got impatient with him. Reflexively, Ratoka couldn¡¯t help but hold up the skewer like a weapon. The young soldier immediately jumped away from him.


    ¡°Man, there¡¯s really no helping some people.¡±


    While watching their exchange, the middle-aged soldier holding on to Ratoka smiled wryly.


    ¡°Honestly. All of you, making such a big fuss over one brat.¡±


    Hearing such words coming from close to him, Ratoka was getting more and more shocked. When he looked in the opposite direction, it was Gunther who just made that comment. Looking at him, Gunther had his usual scowl and was furrowing his eyebrows like usual.


    ¡°Ahh, Gunther¡¯s dirty mouth hasn¡¯t improved at all since he was teaching Charlie.¡±


    ¡°Rather than improvement, I think it could be getting worse. Charlie wouldn¡¯t give up no matter how much she was ridiculed, this brat¡¯s not like that at all.¡±


    Ratoka realized that the two adult soldiers were talking about him, and he hid his face. However, was the domain lord¡¯s daughter also ridiculed by the soldiers like this during her training, he was somewhat surprised inside.


    Even though the ugly feeling of hatred would always appear every time he thought about her, this time he felt an entirely different type of emotion swirling about inside him like mist.


    That was what surprised Ratoka the most so far that day.


    That mist-like feeling, didn¡¯t disappear from Ratoka¡¯s mind that day, but rather kept increasing inside him. He still hates the former domain lord¡¯s daughter. However, he¡¯s also beginning to feel a mystery feeling towards her now that keeps increasing in strength.


    Also, the slight murderous intent he used to have towards Eliza was fading. Ratoka didn¡¯t understand what was happening with his own feelings.


    Ever since Ratoka had monster meat together with everyone, the soldiers began saying positive things about Ratoka as well. It¡¯s because it was the oldest veteran soldier that everyone respects had taken Ratoka out of his room to eat with all the soldiers. After the veteran soldier admonished everyone else, the soldiers¡¯ treatment of Ratoka had indeed gotten much better.


    In the first place, the soldiers couldn¡¯t help but keep comparing Ratoka to Eliza, mostly because they didn¡¯t understand that Eliza was actually much more mature for her age and smarter than any normal child. So when Earl Terejia had Ratoka put into the barracks and told the soldiers to train him as well, of course they would treat him the same way, none of them knowing any other children.


    So even though the soldiers were clumsy and inexperienced with children, although they had treated Ratoka the same as Eliza up until now, they were learning that the two of them should be treated differently, which caused a rapid change in the soldiers¡¯ actions and words that greatly confused Ratoka.


    It started from little things. Just greetings between the soldiers and Ratoka, even though everyone still acted nervous around each other at first.


    Ratoka remained in a state of perpetual confusion at all the changes around him. Each time he exchanged greetings with the soldiers though, his irritation towards them seemed to disappear bit by bit.


    It started with breakfast. The young soldiers sitting close to him in the cafeteria would make conversation with Ratoka. And, apart from Gunther still insulting him, the soldiers would begin giving him words of encouragement. They would complain about the former domain lord together, grumble about the severity of everyone¡¯s training menu, tell stories about everyone¡¯s hometowns and families, Ratoka gradually got to know the soldiers better.


    There were quite a lot of shocking stories that the soldiers had to tell.


    For example, a lot of them were former bandits, that hated the former domain lord just as much as Ratoka did. Since Ratoka couldn¡¯t comprehend why they didn¡¯t hate the domain lord¡¯s daughter Eliza as well, he couldn¡¯t sleep well at all on the night he first learned this.


    He heard all about how the soldiers had treated Eliza pretty terribly as well when she first entered the barracks. Ratoka learned that in fact, the toll it took on her body from Gunther¡¯s training seems to have been even worse than what Ratoka received, and the insults were just as bad as well.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re here. Ratoka~¡±


    After marching training, Ratoka was sitting down resting in the shade of a tree, when he heard someone calling his name.


    ¡°Paulo.¡±


    ¡°That was pretty tiring. You alright?¡±


    A boy with fluffy, wavy blonde hair sat down next to Ratoka. His name¡¯s Paulo, and he¡¯s the second youngest member of the Kaldia army, older than Ratoka by only a few years.


    Maybe it¡¯s because they¡¯re the closest in age, Ratoka talks the most with Paulo. Or rather, it could be said that Paulo¡¯s extremely outgoing. This is actually the first time that they¡¯ve talked during a break though, but Paulo¡¯s relaxed attitude like this was just natural made Ratoka forget that fact and his self-consciousness.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­¡­¡±


    Although he is tired from the training, he¡¯s sitting down here more to get away from the heat. Since it¡¯s the middle of summer right now, this is the hottest time of year in the Kaldia domain.


    When Paulo who was worried about Ratoka heard him complain about the heat, Paulo raised his eyebrows slightly. It seems that Paulo¡¯s really strong against the heat, and even after the training was over, he thought nothing of it.


    ¡°I see. Then, want to grab lunch together with me?¡±


    ¡°Mmm¡­¡­ I want to cool off here a little bit longer.¡±


    The sunlight coming down was so dazzling, that he was hesitant about stepping out from the shade. Ratoka¡¯s skin is rather white and sensitive to heat, so he¡¯s not good at dealing with it, so he¡¯d rather relax in the tree¡¯s shade compared to eating lunch. In the first place, he doesn¡¯t feel hungry right now.


    ¡°Oi you, you alright?¡±


    Another two people showed up, this time it was the oldest soldier in the army along with one of the younger soldiers walking unsteadily.


    ¡°Calvin-san, Igor-san.¡±


    Although Ratoka felt it was too bothersome to even open his mouth, Paulo greeted both of them for him. The soldier named Calvin is the one that held on to Ratoka and brought him out to the cafeteria that one time. The one trudging along slowly behind him is Igor, a young soldier who is Ratoka¡¯s roommate now. They both smiled happily as they entered the shade, and held out some large cups to Ratoka and Paulo.


    ¡°Make sure you guys stay hydrated.¡±


    Ratoka silently took the cup of water.


    Paulo and Calvin are the two soldiers that Ratoka is the friendliest with now. It¡¯s mostly because of age for Paulo, and because Calvin brought Ratoka out of his room to the cafeteria and defended him that one time. Well, Ratoka¡¯s roommate Igor has been looking after him as well.


    Ratoka gulped down his water. He definitely feels a lot better now after drinking it.


    ¡°Thank you very much.¡±


    Ratoka lowered his head to thank the two people standing in front of him. Then, Igor reached a hand out to pull Ratoka off the ground.


    ¡°¡­¡­If we don¡¯t go soon, they¡¯ll stop serving lunch at the cafeteria.¡± Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ratoka was almost about to reflexively say that he doesn¡¯t feel hungry right now, but he stopped himself from saying anything. He definitely would have said that in irritation last month, but why weren¡¯t those words leaving his mouth right now, he wondered.


    He looked at Paulo who was still standing in the shade. Even though Ratoka had said before that he didn¡¯t feel hungry and to leave him alone, Paulo still insisted on having lunch together.


    Before, he probably would have just stayed here in the shade alone. After all, if he went to get lunch, he would just have to suffer through insults like ¡°if you can¡¯t move, want me to carry you?¡±


    For Ratoka, who had always wanted to interact with others, having to live together with others in the barracks and get along with everyone was slowly beginning to heal his spirit, and return him back to normal.


    Now that he¡¯s actually being treated as a child of his age, he¡¯s no longer taking things out on others, and the heavy feelings of hatred he had toward Eliza were beginning to fade.

 Ch 60

    The author has also updated characters¡¯ ages, so now we know that Eliza is 6, Claudia is 16 instead of 10 since I mistranslated her saying she was 10 years older as she was 10 years old in her introduction chapter, that Kamil is 12-15, that Earl Terejia is 73, Gunther is 26, Ratoka is 8, and Elise is 9. There¡¯s also quite a lot of unintroduced characters on the character list again, which provides hints as to where the story¡¯s potentially heading next. Seems like it could be politics and romance based.)Since the summer heat is getting milder now in the evening and Ratoka didn¡¯t eat too much at lunch since he wasn¡¯t hungry, Ratoka wondered if he should give hunting a try for once.


    He has no hunting or gathering experience at all. He feels that if he tries his best he should at least be able to get something, and although his thinking is rather shortsighted, for the first time ever, at any rate this afternoon Ratoka is about to go foraging.


    ¡°Ratoka, what are these?¡±


    ¡°This should be fine to eat if it¡¯s cooked over a fire. ¡­¡­Ah, this red plant, I¡¯m going to dig it up. Only its roots are edible.¡±


    In the forest belonging to the area under direct control, Ratoka was carefully gathering plants.


    Since other soldiers also gather plants on a regular basis, the army has quite a lot of knowledge on what plants are edible in this domain. The Kaldia domain also has some plants unique to it that can¡¯t be found anywhere else.


    By the way, Ratoka chose to gather plants for his first food collecting expedition. Since the army didn¡¯t want to let him go by himself, for Ratoka¡¯s safety Paulo was accompanying him, and they¡¯ve entered the forest together for Ratoka to gather plants. Although Paulo did try to stop him, Ratoka paid him no attention as he¡¯d already made up his mind.


    That¡¯s because there¡¯s some plants that only Ratoka knows as well.


    The sister in training that Ratoka knew for only a short time while she was staying in Cyril village, had taught Ratoka more than just about the nobility. Since Ratoka¡¯s mother wasn¡¯t working, Ratoka was always going hungry, so the young sister had taught Ratoka about various wild plants.


    Which leaves and fruits are inedible, which plants are poisonous, which seeds can be eaten and which can¡¯t, there¡¯s quite a lot of types of plants in Kaldia that are inedible.


    Knowledge of wild plants has been passed down over the generations by the sisters, as they¡¯ve traveled through all the many different parts of Arxia, and they must know how to find their own food as many places are too poor to provide additional food for the sisters.


    ¡°Ratoka, what are these?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­I don¡¯t know. The ones I don¡¯t recognize, it¡¯s probably better not to touch them.¡±


    ¡°Got it. ¡­¡­I don¡¯t gather plants too often myself.¡±


    Paulo had been holding out some type of five-leaved plant to Ratoka, a plant he¡¯s never seen before. Well, Ratoka only learned eight different types of plants from the sister in training, so he¡¯s actually not that knowledgeable about plants overall.


    Although Paulo learned the poisonous plants since the army hammered that knowledge into him, he doesn¡¯t know the rest of them too well. Ratoka didn¡¯t have any detailed instructions given to him or knowledge on how to gather plants either, and on top of all that Paulo has to check Ratoka¡¯s plants to make sure they¡¯re not poisonous, so this has all been very time consuming.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s how it is. ¡­¡­Let¡¯s go hunting tomorrow, instead of gathering plants.¡±


    Ratoka¡¯s plant gathering with Paulo¡¯s assistance had rather low efficiency. He understands that as well, but rather than saying it out loud, he could only softly offer an alternative. Paulo just nodded and smiled wryly at Ratoka¡¯s words. Paulo also understood what Ratoka didn¡¯t dare to say out loud.


    After they finally gathered a decent amount, Ratoka and Paulo returned to the barracks as fast as they could. Since Ratoka¡¯s not used to foraging, the heat¡¯s still making him more tired than usual and he¡¯s barely able to move. They sat down in a corner of the cafeteria, and drank down some water for their parched throats while dealing with the plants they gathered.


    As he silently removed roots, stems, or flowers and other such inedible parts from the plants he picked, or performed other chores like hollowing the seeds out from the fruits, Ratoka was reminded of Elise.


    Come to think of it, he hasn¡¯t been visiting that gentle girl recently due to the summer heat. His training has been increased to the point where he no longer has any extra strength to spare, on top of all this unending summer heat, he always goes straight back to the barracks after training to rest now.


    Now that he thinks on it, it was really sudden that he stopped visiting her. He didn¡¯t tell her beforehand that his training was going to get busier, and the temperature has gotten higher as well, so Ratoka hasn¡¯t been visiting Elise at all.


    Since Ratoka hasn¡¯t shown his face there for a while, he wondered what she thought. Since it¡¯s Elise, she¡¯s probably worried about him. Maybe she¡¯ll think that something happened to him.


    At the same time that he worried about what she would think, there was also some anxiety swirling about inside him.


    What if, she didn¡¯t care about him at all. Ratoka¡¯s hand that was busy dealing with the plants suddenly stopped.


    Whenever he visited, Elise would smile and laugh happily with him. She would look him in the eyes, tell silly stories, and they would laugh together.


    He¡¯d always been alone in the village, and until Ratoka¡¯s time in the barracks, Elise and Eliza were the only people to have ever looked him in the eyes.


    When he¡¯d just come to the barracks, since the soldiers were endlessly insulting him, Ratoka would always avoid looking at them.


    He decided to go and visit Elise. Some of the seeds he just peeled, he¡¯ll take some over to her as a present too. Since he hasn¡¯t been to see Elise for so long, he needs to make up for it somehow.


    He¡¯s really scared of Elise coming to dislike him.


    He picked some seeds that had a slightly sweet taste to them, they¡¯re the best tasting ones from among the plants that Ratoka knows.


    If Elise happens to like them, if she¡¯s happy, then maybe she¡¯ll come to like him more. While thinking such things, Ratoka carefully pared the next fruit.


    Meeting someone¡¯s eyes normally, and having a nice conversation with them. It¡¯s something that he¡¯s never experienced before, something he¡¯s always wanted but was so far out of his reach, being all alone by himself with no one to talk to, he never wants to be like that again. Even listening to insults, although not pleasant, is slightly better.


    Those were Ratoka¡¯s desires from the bottom of his heart. He doesn¡¯t even think life in the barracks is that bad now, because nobody from the soldiers tries to avoid or ignore Ratoka.


    Why is it then that, even though Elise is always agreeable and nice to him, why is he so worried about going to see her.


    Ratoka¡¯s hand stopped again. He wondered again why he was so worried. He tried relaxing himself, in search of the answer.


    ¨C If possible, he wants someone to think about him. Since his mother¡¯s no longer sane, she doesn¡¯t even recognize him anymore. He wants something else in exchange. Anyone is fine. He wants to be the most important person to someone, although he doesn¡¯t want to say that out loud.


    He just wants someone to worry about him.


    ¡­¡­He clarified his own wish to himself, realizing just how much he wanted it, and immediately after, Eliza¡¯s icy expression came to mind for some reason, with unknown feelings that clogged his throat.


    Just what does she intend to do with him.


    Eliza stole Ratoka¡¯s freedom and name from him. He has to go by a fake name at her mansion, and she basically forced him into the barracks as a member of her army. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Just what is going to happen to him.


    Is he going to suffer a fate even worse than death?


    ¡­¡­To him, the worst fate possible would be to cut him off from everyone, leaving him all alone.


    At the very thought, he shuddered, feeling discomfort and fear all over his body.


    Ratoka shook his head to clear his feelings, picked up the seeds again, and immersed himself in simple repetitive work to keep busy.

 Ch 61

    The next day, Ratoka dragged his heavy feeling body even though he felt exhausted and slightly sick, and brought some of the seeds he picked yesterday with him to meet Elise.The seeds Ratoka had were about the size of his hand, and they were pinkish in color. While they can¡¯t be eaten raw, they¡¯re really sweet and delicious if they¡¯re boiled.


    Certain plants are good for recovering body strength when eaten, Ratoka remembered the sister that had taught him those words. Since Elise has a weak body, he thinks they¡¯ll be perfect for her.


    While sticking to the shadows as much as possible to avoid the heat, Ratoka wondered if Elise would still be expecting him, since he hasn¡¯t visited her in so long.


    However, when he arrived at the garden, he saw Elise looking down from her window with a dejected expression on her face, and his heartbeat increased rapidly.


    ¡°Elise-sama!¡±


    He rushed towards her window and called out her name, and when Elise noticed Ratoka, her expression was one of surprise and joy.


    ¡°Elise-sama!¡±


    The greeting he got in return was the exact same as his. Even though he used to hate it so much, maybe it¡¯s because of Elise¡¯s overjoyed expression, Ratoka didn¡¯t even mind that one bit anymore. Although it¡¯s annoying that Eliza changed his name on her own, when Ratoka thinks that it¡¯s Elise¡¯s name, he doesn¡¯t mind so much anymore.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t even say anything¡­¡­ and I didn¡¯t come to visit.¡±


    ¡°No, don¡¯t worry about it. ¡­¡­Since you haven¡¯t been to see me, I was worried. I wondered if something happened to you¡­¡­¡±


    Her relief at seeing him alright was evident to see, and her dazzling smile caused Ratoka to feel a prick of guilt inside his chest. He made Elise worry about him, and that he also doubted whether Elise would worry about him, that was causing him to feel guilty, so once again he lowered his head and apologized.


    Then, he held out his gift in an attempt to make himself feel better.


    ¡°Um, this. I gathered it for you.¡±


    He grasped the seeds tightly while his heart started beating faster again. Since Elise¡¯s room is on the second floor, he¡¯s going to have to toss them up to her.


    What if she said she doesn¡¯t need such a thing, his heart was pounding. After all, she¡¯s still a noble. What if she doesn¡¯t like these seeds, that even most commoners don¡¯t bother looking at.


    While Ratoka was waiting nervously, Elise tilted her head in confusion. Then, to the shivering Ratoka, Elise asked a question in wonder.


    ¡°Gathering? Er, what¡¯s that mean?¡±


    It was such an unexpected response, that Ratoka¡¯s brain could no longer process what was going on.


    ¡°Ah, ¡­¡­Eh?¡±


    Ratoka could only reply in a goofy voice, and look at Elise blankly. Silence fell for a moment between them.


    She had asked, what¡¯s that mean. That¡¯s what he had heard, and although Ratoka took five deep breaths, he still couldn¡¯t understand her question at all, which couldn¡¯t be helped.


    Some things Ratoka would consider normal in order to survive as a child, however, normally nobles don¡¯t make food for themselves, and on top of that, Elise has always been sickly and grew up confined inside, so Elise has basically no common sense about everyday life at all.


    ¨C Suddenly, giggling could be heard from within her room. At hearing it, Ratoka¡¯s back became stiff.


    When Ratoka had been put into the barracks, he¡¯d forgotten that he was told to not come to the mansion. Although it should seem obvious, the mansion is for nobles to live in. As a commoner, he basically shouldn¡¯t even be allowed close to here, Ratoka began to remember that fact.


    That was another reason he stuck to the shadows in the first place when coming here, Ratoka just remembered. Although, there was no guarantee that someone else wouldn¡¯t be with Elise.


    ¡°What is it, Maya. Why are you laughing like that?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Nothing, ojou-sama. It¡¯s just that, I¡¯m sure that your friend Elise-sama must be very shocked. Excuse me.¡±


    While Ratoka remained completely frozen, Elise started talking again without paying it any mind. The other voice answered Elise calmly.


    ¡°Various plants and fruits are edible, and can be harvested and picked, this is called gathering. When Eliza-sama was telling you stories about her time in the barracks, surely she mentioned this as well?¡±


    ¡°Yes, indeed. ¡­¡­So that¡¯s what gathering meant.¡±


    Because she understood, Elise smiled happily in satisfaction and turned back to Ratoka. Ratoka instantly smiled in return as well, but he knew that his cheek was still twitching. S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    That person in Elise¡¯s room, must have already known of Ratoka coming to visit many times already. That person must have always remained silent every time he came to visit. He wondered if she was always listening to their conversations in secret.


    He had always thought that these nice, peaceful conversations belonged to him and Elise alone. And, Ratoka had also felt like there was something even sacred about it.


    Ratoka was ¨C at this moment, his cheek kept twitching, and complex emotions filled his entire head.


    Elise is a noble. Surely nobles must be accustomed to having someone else listen in on their conversations, it must be natural to them.


    She didn¡¯t know what the word gathering meant, and this was normal to Elise as well, meaning to her, Ratoka hasn¡¯t said or done anything bad at all.


    However, she had been so different from his image of a noble. That she really is a ¡°noble¡± after all, he feels like he¡¯s suddenly being confronted with that fact. An impression that still remains deep within Ratoka, of a ¡°noble¡± that the sister with dawn-colored eyes despises.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Elise was looking down at Ratoka again, tilting her head in wonder.


    ¡°-No, thing? I¡¯m fine?¡±


    Their standing positions relative to each other by height, seemed as if to reflect the power relationship between them as well, and Ratoka gently looked away from Elise.

 Ch 62

    Since he hadn¡¯t visited Elise in so long, looking for a reason to tell her, before he realized it all Ratoka let spill that ¡°training has gotten more difficult so I¡¯ve been too busy to come,¡± not being able to come up with anything else.A heavy feeling, like mud, was stuck in his chest.


    In Ratoka¡¯s mind, three girls kept appearing and disappearing, changing places with each other.


    ¡°Nobles are so terrible. While the villagers are in terrible condition, they live a good life, and play around happily every day.¡± The sister with dawn-colored eyes and her faint smile was then replaced by Elise¡¯s fleeting smile which turned into her sadly shaking her head.


    Then, after them, the icy expression of Eliza and her blood-red eyes, and the words she said to him from across the bars of his cell that one day, kept coming to his mind.


    ¡°A country¡¯s laws, are there to protect its people. That would include the nobility as well. The nobility aren¡¯t regular people, they¡¯re the gears that move this country. ¡­¡­If foolish people forget that and try to hurt others, this country could be destroyed. Such as my father.¡±


    And so, they just kept switching and swapping, replacing each other in his mind, continuing endlessly, Ratoka¡¯s mind was going funny.


    Of course, this would affect his ability to concentrate and his physical abilities.


    The wooden sword in his hands was knocked away with great force, and the next thing he knew Ratoka found himself on the ground. It happened so fast, that Ratoka didn¡¯t understand what was going on until the pain in his back started setting in.


    ¡°Oi, you¡¯re not into it today.¡±


    Ratoka remained blankly stunned for a while, before his voice crawled along the ground and reached a sullen Gunther.


    ¡°It hurts.¡±


    Gunther kicked him lightly in the head, then grabbed Ratoka by the back of his shirt and forcibly raised him off the ground.


    ¡°What are you doing!!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±


    Even though Gunther was being rather rough and bellowing angrily at him, all that he got back from Ratoka was a blank look. Gunther glared at Ratoka, and Ratoka flinched.


    ¡°¡­¡­That¡¯s enough for today.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°Just do what you like until the marching training.¡±


    Gunther left with only those words, and quickly departed from the training grounds.


    ¡°¡­¡­What was all that.¡±


    Ratoka¡¯s wooden sword that was knocked out of his hands with great force, had flown farther than it ever had before.


    While Paulo smeared some medicine on his back for him, Ratoka just dazedly looked at the fields. He watched the wheat swaying in the light breeze.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter today? You seem to be spacing out.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­Mm? Ahh¡­¡­¡±


    Ratoka barely responded to Paulo who was worried about him, and couldn¡¯t stop himself from thinking about the three girls that were still in his mind.


    Although he really wanted it all to stop and for the girls to go away, Ratoka himself did realize that it was all a manifestation of his own confusion.


    The girl that had taught him his entire sense of values.


    The girl most important to him right now.


    And, the person he hates the most.


    He didn¡¯t know who to trust or believe in, Ratoka was completely lost in confusion.


    His emotions hadn¡¯t matured yet. Since he had a twisted upbringing, that distorted his emotional development. Thus, his emotional maturity is even less than average for someone his age.


    Dealing with all these new thoughts and emotions, caused him great confusion.


    It just went round and round inside him but he couldn¡¯t come up with any answers, so Ratoka, still with his blank expression, asked Paulo behind him.


    ¡°¡­¡­Hey. Nobles are terrible people, right?¡±


    Many of the army¡¯s soldiers had been forced into banditry because of the former domain lord, so they hate, loathe, and despise him. And, that should also extend to his wife and children. His wife had a mansion in the royal capital, and hardly ever stayed in her own domain, their children were fat and ugly, and they seemed to enjoy bullying and torturing the people in their own domain.


    But, why does that not include Eliza, the only survivor.


    ¡°¡­¡­What do you mean? Although the previous domain lord was indeed terrible, Earl Terejia has been helping us.¡±


    Paulo replied after thinking for a little bit.


    ¡°Claudia-sama is a really good person as well. She¡¯s nice, very fun to be around with, and not arrogant at all.¡±


    With Paulo¡¯s words, Ratoka recalled the beautiful girl with long blonde hair. He¡¯s never spoken to her, but he¡¯s seen her around many times. She¡¯s Eliza¡¯s personal attendant and bodyguard, that¡¯s all Ratoka knows. If he wasn¡¯t obedient in the barracks, maybe he would have seen her more directly.


    ¡°As for Eliza-sama¡­¡­ I wonder. I would definitely hate her if she was a terrible noble like her father, but she was brought up by Earl Terejia, and I think it¡¯s good that she does think about her people properly. Claudia-sama says that Eliza-sama is a good person, and the other soldiers all give her their recognition as well, so I think I can say she¡¯s a good noble?¡±


    Just as Paulo finished summing up his thoughts, he finished applying medicine on Ratoka¡¯s back and stood up.


    ¡°Well, if you¡¯re anxious, come to see for yourself.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    Paulo said it very frankly, and Ratoka couldn¡¯t help but think on his words. See for yourself, he said, but Eliza generally doesn¡¯t come out from her mansion. Besides, since Paulo is also only a soldier in training, it should be almost impossible for him to get close to Eliza as well.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, it¡¯s nothing bad. You just have to come with us when we deploy to Fort Jugfena.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Deploy?¡±


    It was such an unexpected word, that Ratoka could only repeat it dazedly.


    Fort Jugfena would mean the country¡¯s border.


    It¡¯s considered the most dangerous place in Arxia, bordering the unfriendly country of Densel, it¡¯s a place where people must be prepared for death ¨C although Ratoka actually didn¡¯t know those things, he did somewhat understand what it meant to have to deploy troops there.


    However, rather than that, more important to Ratoka right now was that Paulo would be leaving the barracks.


    ¡°-Is there going to be war?¡±


    The words that finally came out of Ratoka, weren¡¯t the ones he wanted to say the most. If Paulo is leaving, Ratoka wants to come along as well, but he couldn¡¯t say it.


    In the worst case scenario, Paulo might not ever return again. And so, Ratoka couldn¡¯t bring himself to say goodbye to Paulo.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be to that extent. Because there¡¯s some sort of uprising in the neighboring country close to Arxia, I¡¯ve heard that we¡¯re only heading over there to increase security. Our domain is going to take in some refugees, have you heard?¡±


    Ratoka had indeed heard about the domain accepting refugees. The soldiers that had formerly captured Ratoka, were now all living together with him and had told him about the refugees.


    ¡°In our domain, because of the previous lord, there¡¯s not enough population it seems? I don¡¯t know whether Earl Terejia or Eliza-sama thought of it, but it seems that one of them decided to accept the refugees in order to help rebuild the domain and promote economic development. Having to take responsibility for that, that¡¯s probably why soldiers have to be deployed to Fort Jugfena. Maybe some other domains also wanted to accept the refugees, some domains seem to have opposed it as well, either way, our domain won¡¯t be able to sit things out.¡±


    Without them realizing it, Calvin had come up next to them holding a plate of food, and entered the conversation. He seems to have brought Ratoka and Paulo their lunch portions, and sat down next to them.


    ¡°According to Kamil, it was Eliza-sama that aggressively pushed for our domain to accept the refugees. Also, she was the one that came up with the countermeasures against the fire moths as well. That¡¯s according to the people in the mansion. If that¡¯s true, then Eliza-sama isn¡¯t like the previous lord at all.¡±


    As Calvin continued his story in an admonishing tone of voice, Ratoka only muttered ¡°you don¡¯t know that yet.¡± Calvin simply agreed calmly.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I don¡¯t know what Eliza-sama will become like in the future. But right now she¡¯s definitely working for the sake of the people. ¡­¡­Also, when she was here in the barracks, she tried her best with the difficult training every day. How hard this all is, you should know best, right?¡±


    Ratoka couldn¡¯t even nod or shake his head at Calvin who was smiling wryly at him, and could only ask him a question instead.


    ¡°Calvin¡­¡­ are you also going to Fort Jugfena?¡±


    Calvin had a blank look for a moment, then he nodded gently and smiled.


    ¡°That¡¯s right¡­¡­¡±


    The three girls had finally disappeared from Ratoka¡¯s mind, but in exchange, he had a premonition that he was going to part with the name of Ratoka and the soldiers.


    He felt sadness, then a terrible sense of emptiness, Ratoka was lost for words.


    S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Ch 63

    20 soldiers were recalled from the construction work for building a new village for the incoming refugees, while Earl Terejia¡¯s personal troops would replace them, and Eliza would lead her domain¡¯s soldiers to Fort Jugfena.Before the soldiers returned, Ratoka was returned to the mansion. Ratoka felt a lump in his chest at having to separate from Paulo, Calvin, and the other soldiers.


    Just like before, Ratoka had the room in the farthest back of the mansion, although this time he wasn¡¯t confined like last time. The chains would no longer be used on him.


    When he returned, Bellway who he knew slightly immediately took him to meet two adults.


    One of them was Mrs. Marshan, who was introduced to him as the current governess and who would begin giving him a proper education. The other person was a tall, slender man, who was to begin teaching him the rapier. It seems that usually they teach Eliza as well.


    Although his time in the barracks had given Ratoka the foundation of what he needed for basic physical fitness, his studying and swordsmanship skills hadn¡¯t kept up.


    Although he wasn¡¯t throwing up like the time right after he entered the barracks, due to Ratoka¡¯s mental fatigue and impatience with his learning not going well, combined with him wondering why he was being forced to learn all this, three weeks after he returned to the mansion, Ratoka was already sick of life there.


    Unlike at the barracks, Ratoka got to sleep in a soft bed, and received three good meals a day that were prepared for him. Even so, Ratoka felt that the barracks were better.


    At the very least, he was able to talk with Paulo and Calvin there every day. He was also allowed to be called Ratoka there.


    Now, he¡¯s being swamped with work by the lessons given to him from his two teachers, so he barely gets to go out from his room, so he¡¯s feeling lonely and fatigued every day. It was only natural and couldn¡¯t be helped that Ratoka would feel this way.


    Even so, his teachers would keep telling him ¡°Eliza completed these lessons successfully with hard work and effort,¡± and feeling like he was being challenged, Ratoka kept working on his lessons.


    He believed what his two teachers were telling him since Calvin had also told him the same thing, that Eliza had started out knowing nothing just like she did, and that she completed everything successfully through only her own efforts. Anyways, basically Ratoka¡¯s pride did not allow him to give up on things that she was capable of doing.


    Ratoka was also recognizing that nobles needed to work hard on learning many things, and he was realizing that his previous view that ¡°nobles live a good life and play around happily every day¡± may have been mistaken.


    That¡¯s why, Ratoka chased after Eliza. He wants to be able to do the things she can, and say ¡°that was so simple, I didn¡¯t even need to put in any effort.¡±


    ¡°Well then, Elise-sama, today I shall be giving a lecture on nobility and the law.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯ll be in your care.¡±


    At first, he was taught polite speech and etiquette, along with how to read and write words, and now he¡¯s finally being taught subject matters, one month after he returned to the mansion.


    On top of the desk in front of him, Ratoka saw a rectangular object that he¡¯s never seen before, and he touched it nervously.


    ¡°Is this what¡¯s called a book?¡±


    The rectangular object had many papers bundled inside it, filled with the characters that he had been learning, there was nothing other than the characters he was learning on the papers.


    There were no blank spaces, and no matter where he looked, even though he recognized the characters, he didn¡¯t understand the meanings of the words at all. He had no idea what this book was about at all.


    ¡°Do you understand the contents?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­No.¡±


    ¡°Of course. If you could read that all by yourself, there would be no need for lectures.¡±


    Mrs. Marshan always had a perfect smile on, and her eyes felt slightly soothing. Although the amount he had to learn still made him feel a little melancholy inside, Ratoka happily listened to Mrs. Marshan beginning to teach him about the book¡¯s contents.


    He didn¡¯t have the free time to talk to anyone else out of classes, nor could he talk without permission even in the classroom, and he had to learn proper etiquette and language, Ratoka felt like he was almost drowning in his suffocation.


    He really, really wanted to be able to meet with Elise. Her gentle, calming stories had become of central importance in Ratoka¡¯s heart.


    While learning from Mrs. Marshan¡¯s lectures, his views on nobles were getting more and more shaken ¨C especially his view on Eliza, which he had once thought impossible to change.


    Arxia is a country that is ruled by law. Religion and law are inextricably intertwined in this country, it has been like this since its establishment.


    ¡°Law¡± is considered so important, that its administrators and executors are the nobles. Law is supposed to bring about order, leading to a healthy society and people. Nobles are those that protect the law and order, that¡¯s why ¡°nobles¡± exist.


    The first shrine priestess, Kusha Fema, spread the ¡°law¡± that she obtained from the gods, and was the founder of modern society. Later, her descendant St. Ahar created the guardian of the law, the Ar Xia church, along with the country Arxia that lives by the church¡¯s Sacred Code of laws.


    Meaning, the current Arxia Kingdom is governed by ¡°law¡± above all else. And, the ¡°country¡¯s¡± administrators are the nobles.


    Ratoka thought back to Eliza¡¯s words that night again. ¡°The nobility aren¡¯t regular people, they¡¯re the gears that move this country¡­¡­¡± S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Even the sister with the dawn-colored eyes had affirmed those things to him before. Although, she had said that the nobles had forgotten their duties to this country, drowning themselves in pleasure.


    But, if what she said was true, why were Eliza and him still learning all these things.


    The absolute views on nobles that the young sister had planted deep within Ratoka, were collapsing and loudly crumbling on itself within Ratoka, each time he had his lessons and learned more from his book.

 Ch 64

    Ratoka was finally mastering the basics of the rapier.Ratoka is a boy. As a typical young villager boy, he likes martial arts well enough.


    What¡¯s more, he was even proud of himself, for being able to learn the rapier which ordinary commoners would never have the opportunity to do.


    Summer was ending, so the heat and humidity were subsiding, when Ratoka heard something that made him go ¡°why is that¡± involuntarily.


    ¡°Why was everything decided like this in the first place?¡±


    The person sitting across from Ratoka, Bellway, had just told him something without an explanation like he always did.


    ¡°Your rapier training is going to end, and you¡¯re going to start learning the spear instead today. Your teacher will be Claudia-sama, you¡¯ll be learning at the training grounds, and your name with her will be Ratoka, not Elise. Also, any time that you speak with any of Earl Terejia¡¯s private troops, please call yourself Ratoka. Because I¡¯m in charge of you, please don¡¯t give me any unnecessary trouble.¡±


    Bellway finished what he had to say, and quickly stood up and left without giving Ratoka any answers.


    Even though he was allowed to use his real name for once with these people, Ratoka still felt some heavy feelings.


    Why was he supposed to start learning the spear, after he had finally begun to master the rapier after all that trouble. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder about things over and over again with a heavy feeling in his heart, but couldn¡¯t come up with any answers.


    In the first place, why was he even studying lessons for the nobles. Remembering that he had once thrown a stone at Eliza, Ratoka was becoming even more and more confused at her expectations for him. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She would have him executed, she said. But instead, on the day of his supposed execution, she merely had him locked up, and cut off a small lock of his hair instead.


    He was provided with plain but a very ample amount of food, and was even allowed to go outside regularly. Every day, a towel to clean his body with and a hot bath was also prepared. Thanks to all this, compared to when he was in Cyril village, the skinny, grubby child that he used to be had completely disappeared, with his hair looking cleaner and healthier, his complexion looking much better, giving him a neat appearance.


    If the villagers saw him now, there¡¯s no way any of them would recognize him. Everyone thought that he had been executed in that fake execution, and they had very little contact with him in the first place.


    All they might remember is the color of his hair and eyes. After all, because he looked so similar to the previous domain lord, everyone avoided him even after the previous lord had died.


    However, even though his appearance has changed so much, Ratoka couldn¡¯t tell himself it was ¡°great.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t abandon parts of his appearance or his name that his mother had given him.


    Even if his mother had gone insane. Even if his mother had hurt him.


    ¨C The girl¡¯s name Ratoka, the long hair that his mother had him keep like a girl¡¯s, both of those were proof to him of his mother¡¯s love.


    Even though his hair used to be dirty and unhealthy, just changing it on him without his permission, and forcing him to use a different name for someone else¡¯s convenience, stealing his original name from him, of course Ratoka would feel resentment inside at all of this.


    However, he was beginning to understand a little bit that this was all in order for allowing him to live on.


    ¨C Nobles are the executors of the law. The previous domain lord that had tortured his citizens was an exception, if there had been a real noble, any lawbreakers would have been the ones punished instead.


    Protecting and upholding the law doesn¡¯t mean using it to one¡¯s own advantage, it applies to everyone, from commoners, to nobles and even the royalty.


    That domain lord¡¯s daughter, Eliza, must have known that. Even while knowing that, she had gone around the law and allowed Ratoka to live.


    He should have been executed according to the law, but even so, Eliza had broken the law and allowed him to live, this is such a serious matter.


    What¡¯s more, Ratoka had been caught throwing a rock at Eliza, and had even told her he wanted her dead. Breaking the law to keep Ratoka alive, she gains nothing from it, and it could even be detrimental to her.


    People like Ratoka that resent the previous lord¡¯s only surviving family member, Eliza, aren¡¯t rare at all. What if someone else throws a rock just like Ratoka did, is she going to spare them just like him, he wondered.


    When he thought about all this, even though he still hates her, he saw a glimpse of a truly heavy burden on her tiny shoulders.


    Bellway took Ratoka to the training grounds that he hasn¡¯t visited for a long time, and he saw some soldiers he didn¡¯t know around the place. They weren¡¯t wearing old battered leather armor like the domain¡¯s army, but were wearing metal armor instead.


    ¡°Bellway-sama, who¡¯s this kid¡­¡­?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s an orphan that¡¯s going to become a soldier in training for the Kaldia army starting next spring. He¡¯s going to begin learning the spear here. I was worried that he might get lost, so I guided him here.¡±


    ¡°I see, but surely Bellway-sama didn¡¯t have to go to all the trouble of bringing him here yourself¡­¡­?¡±


    ¡°Everyone else in the mansion just happened to be busy at the moment. It couldn¡¯t be helped.¡±


    The soldiers that he didn¡¯t recognize came over to talk to Bellway. All these soldiers that Ratoka didn¡¯t recognize, and on top of that Bellway was lying to them right in front of him, Ratoka felt something very shady was going on.


    ¡°Since his instructor will be arriving soon, please prepare a section of the training grounds for his usage.¡±


    Before he realized it, Bellway had already just about finished talking to the soldiers, and tapped him on the shoulder, causing Ratoka to shrug and turn around, looking at the direction he indicated.


    He had seen Gunther and the other soldiers use practice wooden spears before, so he wound some cloth strips around a wooden spear to pass the time, until he heard a cool mature girl¡¯s voice saying, ¡°are you Ratorika?¡±


    When he raised his head, he saw a beautiful blonde-haired girl. He¡¯s seen her from afar a couple times before, it¡¯s Claudia.


    ¡°Um¡­¡­ It¡¯s Ratoka.¡±


    At Ratoka¡¯s response, Claudia nodded to herself in self-satisfaction.


    ¡°So it¡¯s Ratoka, sorry for getting it wrong. I¡¯m Claudia. Pleased to be in your care.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be in your care as well.¡±


    ¡°Ahh. Then, let¡¯s start training immediately. Let¡¯s start with twenty laps around the training grounds.¡±


    At Claudia¡¯s words that she said instantly without hesitation, Ratoka¡¯s wooden spear that he was holding slipped from his hands with a noisy clatter.


    Twenty laps, that¡¯s an amount that even the adult soldiers would have trouble with.


    By the way, the most that Ratoka has ever managed up until now has been eight laps. And, she wants twenty?


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s start.¡±


    Without paying attention to Ratoka¡¯s reaction, Claudia was telling Ratoka to hurry up and start running. Even if he takes a light pace, Ratoka felt like twenty laps was still too unreasonable?


    Even so, Ratoka went along with Claudia¡¯s demand, and ran completely out of energy after fifteen laps and could run or train no more, and his first day of spear training concluded earlier than expected.

 Ch 65

    Many days later, although he was feeling fatigued, Ratoka managed to drag his heavy-feeling body to the training grounds again.On the short path from the mansion to the training grounds, Bellway had greeted Ratoka with a ¡°you¡¯re going?¡± and hadn¡¯t said anything else.


    All the adults at the mansion are like that. They never chat about anything unnecessary. There¡¯s only terribly businesslike brief exchanges, Ratoka felt no warmth from them at all.


    Although he had been lonely in Cyril village, his loneliness had begun fading while in the barracks, so now he¡¯s gotten to the point where he can no longer stand being ignored.


    Just like yesterday, Bellway left him behind without saying anything, and Ratoka¡­¡­ sighed heavily.


    He wants to meet Elise so badly, and talk to her about anything at all.


    There were too many things he was thinking about spinning inside his head, it¡¯s to the point where he can¡¯t organize his thoughts or figure out what to do.


    That¡¯s why, he wants to temporarily forget about everything.


    Although that was the wish inside his heart, he knew that it was very unlikely to come true. At the very least, he wants to be able to just make some casual conversation, changing his wish to something smaller.


    If nothing had changed about his life, his wishes would have never come true before. However, there¡¯s now one more person around Ratoka than there used to be.


    Claudia is still a teenager that¡¯s easy to get along with, it might be okay to make some silly idle chatter with her.


    When he thought about that, even though he was still tired from yesterday, some energy returned to him.


    Ratoka who was trying to console himself a little bit, suddenly looked around him. That beautiful golden hair was nowhere to be seen in the training grounds.


    Well, he¡¯d gotten here a little early. He¡¯ll wait patiently, and Ratoka sat down against the wall.


    However, after two hours passed, then another half hour, Claudia still never showed up.


    Although Ratoka did figure out that something might have happened, Ratoka still stayed there waiting for her by himself, as he had nothing else to do.


    In the end, Claudia never showed up to the training grounds. Since Bellway had told him not to make any trouble, Ratoka didn¡¯t move from the training grounds. He didn¡¯t know what was going on, nor could he do anything about it, all Ratoka could feel was anxiety.


    Everything about Ratoka was controlled by the nobles in the mansion, he couldn¡¯t do anything by himself. The nobles have also told Ratoka nothing about anything going on.


    This is the first time that Ratoka¡¯s been confronted with nobody telling him what to do. Feeling anxiety together with a strange sensation, at last Ratoka finally stood up, and headed for the exit of the training grounds.


    Another thirty minutes had passed without anyone at all coming for Ratoka. He wants to take a look around to see what was going on with the abnormal situation¡­¡­ hopefully he won¡¯t be scolded.


    While furtively walking along the paths, come to think of it, Ratoka realized that Earl Terejia¡¯s personal troops that were usually hanging around here weren¡¯t anywhere to be seen today.


    He felt more and more that something must have happened. Ratoka couldn¡¯t help but increase his pace more and more, until he started running.


    He opened a door leading to the mansion, then suddenly turned around and flattened himself against the wall, as he heard many people¡¯s voices.


    It seems that there¡¯s a lot of people right now in this part of the mansion. While paying careful attention to his surroundings, Ratoka stuck to the shadows and took the path to Elise¡¯s room.


    With his back pressed against the wall, Ratoka carefully peeked at the entrance to the mansion. Many of the missing troops from Earl Terejia¡¯s army were gathered there. He also saw Bellway and Earl Terejia among them. This is the first time that he¡¯s seen Earl Terejia in a long time.


    What¡¯s going on, Ratoka held his breath as he surreptitiously spied on them. Everyone was looking up at the sky to the east, without any signs that they were going to go anywhere else.


    What exactly is going to happen in the sky over there.


    Ratoka, in his curiousity, looked at the sky as well. Other than the sunset, there was nothing. Only the reddish color of the sky that Ratoka hates.


    It all seemed slightly ridiculous, everyone was staring into the dazzling sunset. Then, finally, a small black speck appeared in the sky.


    Ratoka thought that it was a bird of some sort, until it got bigger and bigger as it approached, to the point where he could even see its shadow on the ground. It definitely wasn¡¯t a bird, and he looked away from it, back at the group of people when they started making a commotion.


    ¡°Look, isn¡¯t that Rashiok?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Ahh, that¡¯s definitely Rashiok!¡±


    Ratoka tilted his head at what he heard. Rashiok? He seems to recall that name from a bedtime story that his mother used to tell him a long time ago, but can¡¯t remember the details.


    Ratoka noticed that the people crowded around the entrance to the mansion were pointing at the black speck in the sky.


    Then, they must be pointing to that bird. ¡­¡­No wait, it¡¯s not a bird. The black figure, although it spread its wings and was flying through the sky like a bird, it was much, much larger than any bird could be.


    That strange shape seems to be heading straight for here. As he kept watching it get closer, he noticed that there seemed to be a person riding on top the bird-like creature.


    What exactly is that.


    As Ratoka kept staring at the approaching creature out of sheer curiousity, as it kept getting closer and he was able to see it more clearly, he became completely lost for words.


    He could gradually make out, what appeared to be Claudia riding on top of the creature. And, he also noticed that Claudia was holding onto someone smaller in her arms.


    Her black hair was being illuminated by the evening sun, and wasn¡¯t moving in the wind. Her arms were lowered and completely limp, and Ratoka felt himself turning pale reflexively.


    She¡¯s carrying Eliza. Something must have happened to her at Fort Jugfena, for her to return like that.


    The moment he recognized her, Ratoka felt like his heart was being encased in ice. It was as if he was taking an icy shower in winter, his chest was so painful.


    She¡¯s the girl that he once wished would die. But lately, just what exactly does he think of her.


    However, if she dies now, he¡¯ll be troubled. Ratoka doesn¡¯t belong anywhere ¨C only that girl has a use for him.


    Although it¡¯s really frustrating for him to admit it, he had to face the facts. It was Eliza that spared his life, not Earl Terejia or anyone else.


    As Claudia and Eliza landed on the ground, Ratoka could only watch them while frozen over, with his eyes burning. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Ch 66

    Until the exhausted-seeming Claudia finally transported the apparently unconscious Eliza into the mansion, Ratoka¡¯s body remained rooted like a stone.He was filled with chaotic, confused feelings inside him.


    Only when Earl Terejia went inside the mansion as well, did Ratoka awkwardly start moving again.


    He doesn¡¯t know when Bellway might come looking for him to pick him up. He can¡¯t come up with any good excuses, so it¡¯s best to avoid being scolded for going off on his own.


    He left at a quick pace, and returned to the training grounds.


    His heart was still beating painfully quickly. Eliza, Claudia, and the creature they were riding on, were all completely covered in blood. There must have been some sort of battle at Fort Jugfena. Even though everything had been completely normal this morning, he had no clue that any of this would happen.


    People that he didn¡¯t know, were dying in a place he didn¡¯t know, it was still quite a bad shock to Ratoka.


    What¡¯s more, Eliza has returned, which means that the soldiers that went with her to Fort Jugfena should be returning soon within a few days as well.


    At thinking so, he lost all his strength in his shoulders. He tried his best to stand back up properly again, and succeeded right as he saw Bellway entering the training grounds.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I forgot about you and left you here for several hours¡­¡­!¡±


    Bellway who walked briskly up to Ratoka, appeared to be a bit unsettled and impatient. He¡¯s so different from his usual terse coldness, that Ratoka went wide-eyed in amazement.


    Bellway probably realized his own state as well, he cleared his throat to calm himself down.


    ¡°Since Claudia-sama isn¡¯t here right now, I¡¯m terribly sorry that you came all the way out here and waited for nothing. I shall make certain that something like this does not happen again. Then, you can return for today.¡±


    Bellway smoothly explained things away, and quickly turned around and left Ratoka, leaving him feeling terribly despondent for some reason. He just wants to hear something about what¡¯s going on, an explanation rather than an apology.


    The feeling of loneliness was casting a shadow over his heart. Ratoka ploddingly followed along after Bellway in a downcast mood.


    Then, some time later, the remaining soldiers from the Kaldia army returned as well, led by Gunther.


    Ratoka watched them being thanked in the garden for their service, from a window in the mansion, knowing that he would get scolded if he was discovered. In the garden that was paved with bricks of various different colors, he saw what seemed like shadows on the soldiers¡¯ faces, and they barely ate and were quite subdued instead of dancing at the party prepared for their return, drinking alcohol instead.


    As expected, with Eliza¡¯s situation, they can¡¯t just celebrate things.


    He wondered if she was injured, she¡¯s still shut in her bedroom.


    While thinking so, Ratoka stopped looking at all the soldiers, and switched to looking for the people that took care of him in the barracks.


    Since Gunther really stood out, he saw him immediately. He was surrounded by a group of soldiers, and even so his rich russet brown hair was rather conspicuous. Something about him seems to be naturally charismatic, attracting others.


    For once, Calvin was sitting next to Gunther as well, relaxing.


    While the other soldiers had grim expressions, Calvin still had an unruffled, calm expression. Only the soldiers close to him seemed to have somewhat relieved expressions as well.


    Next, he found Paulo and stopped to look at him. He¡¯s the shortest among the soldiers, but his fluffy golden hair is really eye-catching.


    Ratoka felt relief at seeing his friend healthy, and Ratoka started searching through the soldiers again.


    He wondered what happened to Igor. Igor was his roommate, and they got along pretty well, he kept looking for Igor¡¯s face among the crowd ¨C and in the end ¨C he couldn¡¯t find him.


    No matter how much he looked, he couldn¡¯t find Igor and his ordinary chestnut-colored hair. He wondered if Igor was injured and was resting in the barracks.


    As he kept searching through the soldiers for Igor¡¯s location, Ratoka suddenly furrowed his brows, feeling that something was off. What is it. Something seems weird.


    ¡­¡­While he kept looking at the soldiers, he realized what it was that he was feeling, and Ratoka felt goosebumps crawling on his skin.


    There are obviously fewer soldiers than before.


    There¡¯s quite a few faces familiar to Ratoka that are missing.


    And, there were quite a few injured people down there at the party for them.


    Sweat soon covered the palms of his hands. He shuddered out of habit.


    They had gone to defend the country¡¯s borders. And, their leader Eliza, had returned covered in blood. Meaning, it was probably a battle where people had died. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Why had he thought that the shadows on their faces were related to Eliza¡¯s situation.


    No wait, just like he surmised earlier, maybe the rest of them were simply in the barracks. The anxiety within Ratoka, swelled and swirled around inside.


    He kept looking at the soldiers from the window.


    At any rate, none of the people from the mansion are going to tell Ratoka anything about what went on with the soldiers. Then, he just has to go ask them himself.


    He has to learn if the soldiers he couldn¡¯t see in the garden, were still alive.

 Ch 67

    A night one month later, Ratoka softly opened the door to his room.The hallways were dark as the torches had been extinguished, and the only source of light was the stars shining through the windows.


    It was so silent, the even the sound of his own breathing sounded too loud to him.


    Ratoka softly sneaked out of his room, and held his breath as much as possibly while carefully proceeding down the dark corridors. Everyone in the mansion was sleeping.


    This is the second time that he¡¯s sneaked out of his room like this.


    The night that the soldiers had returned, Ratoka had also sneaked out of his room to head for the barracks. However, he was unfortunately discovered by Bellway at that time, and he was ordered confined to his room temporarily and given a curfew.


    In the end, he hasn¡¯t obtained any information, or been able to meet with Elise, all this time.


    This time, so as to not be discovered, Ratoka waited until much later at night, when everyone would be asleep, even the servants.


    His main goal is to be able to leave the mansion first, and he jumped out of a window on the first floor, rolling onto the ground.


    Summer¡¯s already ended, and it was quite cold outside. While rubbing his arms to warm himself up, Ratoka hurried along to the barracks.


    Unlike the mansion, the barracks had lights lit even at night. Ratoka also knew that someone would be on duty, awake, at all hours. At the southern entrance, there should be a single soldier posted on guard duty for the barracks.


    Ratoka really wants to talk to someone and hear what¡¯s going on, so that¡¯s where he headed.


    At the southern entrance, as Ratoka expected, he saw the dim outline of a soldier standing there illuminated by the candlelight.


    Ratoka had been worried that it would be a soldier he didn¡¯t recognize, so he felt some relief when he saw who it was. While he was confined for one month, the remaining soldiers that had been helping construct a village for the refugees had probably returned, so the person here might not have recognized Ratoka.


    Luckily, the person on guard duty here tonight was someone that had helped with Ratoka¡¯s training before. While he wasn¡¯t necessarily as close a friend as Paulo and Calvin, he wasn¡¯t someone that made fun of or had a bad relationship with Ratoka.


    In order to not startle him, Ratoka slowly walked out from the dark night.


    ¡°Who¡¯s there!¡±


    The soldier immediately drew his sword. Ratoka could see the surprise on the soldier¡¯s face in the dim candlelight, and once the soldier saw that it was Ratoka, he sheathed his sword again.


    ¡°Ratoka¡­¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. It¡¯s me.¡±


    ¡°You, where have you been? ¡­¡­More importantly than that, why are you here at this time of night¡­¡­?¡±


    The soldier couldn¡¯t hide his confusion, while Ratoka felt the most relief he had in a long time. The only two people that even talk with Ratoka in the mansion are Bellway and Mrs. Marshan, and neither of them show any emotion in front of Ratoka.


    At seeing more varied expressions in front of him for the first time in a long while, Ratoka relaxed his shoulders.


    ¡°Um, I¡¯m being taken care of at a different place right now. It¡¯s been a bit strict, so I couldn¡¯t come visit except at this time. Also, everyone at the mansion, they don¡¯t tell me anything¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Have you come to hear about what happened to us?¡±


    Ratoka nodded, and the soldier scratched his cheek like he was at a loss. Although he had put away his sword, it seems that he¡¯s still maintaining a minimum amount of vigilance.


    ¡°I saw you all from a distance when you returned. At that time, there were some people I couldn¡¯t see¡­¡­ I was worried if they were injured, and I absolutely had to come find out. My roommate, Igor-san¡­¡­ is he doing alright? Has he returned?¡±


    So as to not appear too suspicious, Ratoka only asked the minimum of what he wanted to know. However, the soldier paled when he heard Igor¡¯s name mentioned.


    The candlelight was flickering over the soldier¡¯s face that had gone white.


    Ratoka clenched his lips and ground his teeth. The soldier¡¯s reaction seemed to indicate that he must know what happened to Igor.


    For a while, both Ratoka and the soldier remained silent. The fall wind kept blowing on Ratoka. It made him cold, and his shoulders were shivering. The chilliness was a bit too much, and Ratoka was the first one to break the silence by sneezing. Then, the soldier finally seemed to come to his senses.


    ¡°Oi, don¡¯t catch a cold or something out here. You¡¯re wearing such light clothes¡­¡­!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m alright. Once I return, I have a warm bed I can sleep in. But, before I go back, please at the very least tell me what happened to Igor.¡±


    Ratoka looked directly into the soldier¡¯s eyes, and the soldier faltered slightly. The soldier bit his lips several times. Then, at last he sighed, and began talking softly.


    ¡°Igor, that guy died. He died at Fort Jugfena. He was ambushed from behind and stabbed in the stomach¡­¡­ Richard, Dominic, Wojciech, Frederick, Joseph, they and more all died. Charlie¡­¡­ Eliza-sama, seems to have gone funny in the head because Kamil died as well. All she does now is sleep¡­¡­¡±


    All the names belonged to soldiers that Ratoka knew, and Ratoka felt like blood was draining from his face, and he touched his face with trembling fingers as he was beginning to feel dizzy. The soldier seemed to be quite down as he returned to his guard post at the barracks entrance.


    Ratoka couldn¡¯t say anything, and just remained frozen there for a while. Although he had known that it was a possibility, being confronted with the knowledge that people he¡¯d known had indeed died was still a big shock to him.


    On top of that, hearing that Eliza who controlled his very fate had gone funny in the head, this news made him unsteady on his feet.


    He felt terribly dizzy as he tried his best to make his way back to the mansion. The soldier saw him off with an anxious feeling as he watched Ratoka¡¯s small back disappear in the darkness with an unsteady gait. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Before he realized it, Ratoka somehow managed to return to his room. His brain felt numb. He was also extremely tired, and Ratoka fell asleep in his bed.


    Bellway was shaking him when Ratoka woke up. He was still lost and in a daze. His eyes felt slightly clouded and warm, almost painful. His entire body felt like it didn¡¯t want to move, it was heavy.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    He heard a cold voice with no worry in it. Ratoka shook his head slowly to clear his mind. He didn¡¯t really know if everything was really alright, but for now he has to clear his thoughts first and deny that anything¡¯s wrong.


    ¡°Is something the matter?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­No. Everything¡¯s fine.¡±


    Ratoka shook his head more strongly than before, and Bellway looked at Ratoka as if trying to pierce through him. It¡¯s such a cold gaze, Ratoka involuntarily recoiled.


    ¡°¡­¡­Come to think of it, I guess you¡¯re still a child¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±


    Bellway muttered that to himself. Ratoka didn¡¯t hear what he said, and just kept staring at him blankly.


    Ratoka met Bellway¡¯s eyes again as he was furrowing his eyebrows, and Ratoka hurriedly lowered his face again, and missed seeing an expression on Bellway¡¯s face that he¡¯s never seen before.

 Ch 68

    Ratoka quietly looked down at the girl sleeping in front of him.Her black hair was scattered on top of the white bedsheets. Her icy gaze and those red eyes resembling the setting sun, he couldn¡¯t see right now. Her smooth white skin, was losing its luster.


    Even though it¡¯s already been a month since she¡¯s returned from Fort Jugfena, Eliza has been doing nothing other than sleeping this whole time.


    The next night, right after Ratoka learned about Eliza¡¯s condition from the soldier that returned from Fort Jugfena, he snuck out again, to Eliza¡¯s room. According to what the soldier had said, Eliza was always stuck in this state. Although she wasn¡¯t injured, it seems that a guy named Kamil had died at Fort Jugfena, which may have caused an injury to her heart instead.


    The fact that Eliza spends most of her time sleeping, Bellway had told him frankly that day. Since he hadn¡¯t heard the full story from the soldier, he figured that Bellway probably found out that he met up with the soldiers and probably didn¡¯t mind too much.


    Eliza also wakes up from time to time. She would open her eyes, and get up, but wouldn¡¯t move. What¡¯s more, she wouldn¡¯t react to anyone voice, and she wouldn¡¯t even walk. She won¡¯t even make idle chat with anyone. Nor does she seem to react to pain.


    Even though she¡¯s still alive, Ratoka felt like Eliza might as well have been a living corpse. She doesn¡¯t show any emotions, she doesn¡¯t talk, nor does she respond to anything.


    Maybe, it was her mind that had died, not her body.


    And right now, Ratoka just kept looking at Eliza for quite a long while.


    Ratoka was holding a silver knife in his right hand. Right now, there¡¯s no one by Eliza¡¯s side. And, Eliza can¡¯t possibly resist in her current state.


    His brain still felt numb. He also felt a strange sense of something resembling elation.


    Spending time in the barracks, and spending more time in the mansion again, he¡¯s learned many things in this time.


    That nobles are not all evil. That the young girl named Eliza, was properly carrying the burden of her father¡¯s crimes, as well as her own sins.


    That Eliza was trying to allow him to live.


    Her way of life, resolution, beliefs, even knowing all these, there was still a reason that Ratoka had a knife in his hand.


    The fact that Igor and the others from the army had died, he blamed Eliza.


    The reason that they had to deploy to Fort Jugfena, was because Eliza had decided to accept the refugees. Calvin had said that Eliza was the one to aggressively push for Kaldia accepting the refugees.


    Even if she¡¯s not as arrogant as the nobles he¡¯s heard about, she still didn¡¯t care enough for the lives under her, and as a result her soldiers died.


    He can¡¯t forgive her due to his loneliness caused by the soldiers¡¯ deaths, and he has nobody else to blame other than Eliza. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ratoka encouraged the hatred building up within him, and slowly raised his hand holding the knife as well.


    If he kills her, this time for sure he¡¯ll probably die as well.


    There¡¯s nobody here that would protect him.


    He¡¯s scared of dying. But, the words he had spat at Eliza before weren¡¯t mere bravado.


    He was shaking. His heartbeat was getting faster.


    Right now, inside Ratoka, a variety of emotions and memories were furiously flying about and changing places with each other.


    His hand holding the knife in the air was trembling. Even though he had come here without hesitation, he couldn¡¯t figure out why he couldn¡¯t bring down his weapon.


    His mother¡¯s face, the rock incident at Cyril village, the dark feelings he had from Igor and the other soldiers¡¯ deaths, the things he learned at the mansion, everything was jumbled together in his mind.


    ¡°¡­¡­Urgh!¡±


    His trembling right hand with the knife, he gripped with his also trembling left hand.


    Even if he¡¯s confused, it¡¯s fine. All he has to do is make his hand obey, and swing down like he wants to.


    As long as he does that, she¡¯ll probably die very quickly.


    ¨C But, even after a long time, he still didn¡¯t bring down the knife. His hands were only trembling.


    He forgot to even breathe, nor could he do anything with his knife, as he watched Eliza continue to sleep, his vision began to get blurry from tears.


    He can¡¯t keep this state forever, Ratoka thought.


    Then, he finally started gasping for breath, and remembered to breathe. He couldn¡¯t say anything, all he could do was take deep breaths of fresh air.


    Then, at that moment, he suddenly recalled Elise¡¯s gentle smile. It was such a sudden bright flash, that it felt like he could really see her before him, as an illusion.


    Suddenly, Ratoka collapsed on the floor, like a puppet whose strings had suddenly been cut.


    Clang, the knife fell on the floor with a light sound.


    His heart is pounding so hard¡­¡­ it even feels like it¡¯s hurting his ears. Even though he¡¯s not feeling painful or sad, for some reason he couldn¡¯t stop the tears from coming out of him.


    Having enough hatred to lead to a murderous intent, Ratoka no longer possessed that.


    ¡°Shit¡­¡­ Shit¡­¡­!!!!¡±


    In his frustration Ratoka tried to punch the floor, then he reached his hand out to Eliza. He grasped the cloth of her high quality nightgown, and shook her.


    ¡°Wake up, you¡­¡­ bastard! You, even though you haven¡¯t done anything for the villagers¡­¡­¡­¡­!!¡±


    Pitter patter, Ratoka¡¯s tears were falling onto Eliza¡¯s cheeks. There was no expression on her face, it looked almost like a doll¡¯s, a fake toy of some sort.


    ¡°Wake up, wake up!!! If you keep sleeping, I, can¡¯t even bring myself to hit you¡­¡­!!¡±


    Even shouting at her with all his emotions, and shaking her as hard as he could, Ratoka got no response. Ratoka didn¡¯t get anything he wanted, all he could do was continue crying and whining.


    At his powerlessness and emptiness, he lost even the energy to keep shaking Eliza. He collapsed on her bed, and simply kept crying for as long as his voice held out.


    All his invisible anxiety, all his emotions that he wasn¡¯t able to organize, his stress, his loneliness, his resentment, everything had reached its limit, he vented all his anger and frustration towards Eliza all at once.


    Ratoka, after all, was still a child that wasn¡¯t even ten years old yet.


    What¡¯s more, since his mother had gone insane, he didn¡¯t have a proper upbringing, and his emotional development had gotten distorted.


    Even though he¡¯s older than Eliza, he¡¯s much more of a child than she is.


    He just kept venting all his mixed feelings by crying, although for how long it lasted, Ratoka didn¡¯t know.


    But, after he finished crying, he fell asleep on Eliza¡¯s bed, just like a baby.


    Eliza, in her foggy state of consciousness, after the crying stopped, reached her hand out to him.

 Ch 69

    A month of sleeping had definitely decreased Eliza¡¯s strength and stamina. Her body didn¡¯t move the way she wanted it to, and it felt heavy. Since it¡¯s come to this, she actually wanted someone to lend her a hand, but there was nobody that did so.All she could do was support herself against Rashiok, and proceed almost at a crawl.


    And so, she arrived at a small pond close by to the garden. The poisonous hemlock that had killed her family was still growing greenly under the sunlight, and entered Eliza¡¯s field of vision. Although there were also bright floral colors to be found here during the summer, right now it¡¯s already past mid-autumn, and there were only drab brown and green colors to be seen.


    This pond has been minimally affected by humans. Without paying mind to that, Eliza walked around the edges of the pond.


    This pond was currently treated as a water reservoir only, and it was created long ago to complement the garden.


    It was built even before the mansion existed, from a time long long ago.


    That¡¯s why, there were still traces of people from long ago left around this pond. The right side of the pond can be seen from the mansion¡¯s garden, and various trees¡¯ shadows fell across the pond water, and below the trees were some stones here and there. Eliza plopped herself down onto a flat tree stump.


    There was a slight sound as the water rippled slightly from the wind which was also swaying the grass, and other than that all Eliza heard was her own heartbeat.


    Although the air was chilly, thanks to Rashiok lying down beside her and warming her up, she quickly forgot the coldness in the air.


    As she sighed, Eliza stopped to look at a certain location. Her line of sight was directed at the base of a tree, where there was a polished stone that was a little less than half her height.


    It was a gravestone.


    Although there was no name engraved on it, nor was there a body actually buried under it, it was still a gravestone.


    Eliza reached out and brushed away the dust on the gravestone with her fingers.


    Rashiok had carried her to the mansion, leaving Kamil¡¯s body behind, and this is the first time that she¡¯s come back here to this pond. She hadn¡¯t forgotten the person that this gravestone belonged to, it¡¯s just that she had gotten tied down by all her emotions and feelings.


    ¡°-It¡¯s been a while. Sorry for not coming all this time.¡±


    Eliza began talking to the gravestone in a small voice. Of course there was no reply. Since gravestones are meant for dead people, she didn¡¯t expect any replies.


    ¡°¡­¡­I let an important person to me die. All because of my own foolishness.¡±


    Even so, Eliza kept talking to the gravestone, all by herself, alone. Even though her fingers were getting dirty from wiping the gravestone¡¯s surface, she didn¡¯t care.


    ¡°Kamil¡­¡­ You¡¯ve become such an important person to me¡­¡­¡±


    There was only the rustling sound of the autumn wind blowing through leaves in response. The sound echoed everywhere, while Eliza silently thought to herself for a little bit.


    ¡°I had always thought that if I trusted people, I would be betrayed and lose my life, but now I know that I can¡¯t live life without trusting in people. ¡­¡­Or maybe, I should say that I felt it would be better to die rather than be betrayed.¡±


    After saying that, Eliza fell silent for a moment again. She lowered her gaze to escape the harsh glare of the sunlight.


    ¡°¡­¡­Thanks to all this, I¡¯ve remembered various things in my dreams that I¡¯ve long since forgotten. Even though I have all these memories, just what has all this become¡­¡­¡±


    She was saying all these words with no force behind them. There was no intonation to her voice, and it was obvious that her voice sounded empty.


    Right now, Eliza¡¯s heart is still being ruled by her thoughts of the departed. When Eliza had been woken up by Ratoka shaking her that much and shouting in her ears, she had actually been quite pissed, but right now she¡¯s actually not that different from when she was asleep. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After losing Kamil, it was like there was a big hole inside her, from which her emotions and feelings had fallen out of.


    ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯ve slept for quite a long time. I finally woke up because that boy shook me so much. I guess I should call him Elise. Kamil, you¡¯d asked me just what I was doing before, giving him that name so similar to mine, someone he hates so much. It was so that I could create another girl named Elise¡­¡­ Just exactly what was I doing, I wonder. Rather than something like that, I could have been doing better things¡­¡­¡±


    Eliza almost sounded like she was whimpering, and fell silent again. She recalled again the crying face of Ratoka when he had woken her up.


    Even if someone comforted her, or encouraged her, Eliza¡¯s foggy world still wouldn¡¯t clear up. Her sleeping all this time, had probably been a form of escape. At the very least, she didn¡¯t suffer while she was asleep, she wouldn¡¯t feel sadness or guilt or anything else. Even if it was deceiving, it was still a kind of peace.


    It was Ratoka¡¯s explosion of emotions that had finally dragged Eliza out, forcing her to face reality again.


    Although Eliza had thought that Ratoka was pretty smart for his age, it seemed that he¡¯s also a bit emotionally underdeveloped for his age as well. Maybe she has to change a little how to deal with him, but she couldn¡¯t come up with any ideas currently.


    In her previous life, she had no experience in dealing with children whatsoever, and in this life, she also has nobody her own age as a friend either. She had no understanding of how children¡¯s emotions were supposed to develop, and in the first place she herself lacked expressive emotions, so Eliza was completely lost on this.


    Eliza looked away from the gravestone, up at the sky.


    The blue sky hadn¡¯t changed at all, whether Kamil was alive, or when he died, it remained the same.


    ¡°¡­¡­Being born into an otome game¡¯s world, I had thought that it would be more fun. I reincarnated as a noble girl villainess, but why did it turn out this way?¡±


    While muttering that to herself, she dragged herself over to Rashiok and climbed on his back.


    The only creature listening to Eliza¡¯s monologue all this time was her draconis, who finally cried, ¡°kuu-on¡± in return.


    End of Act 1, Part 4

 Ch 70

    Beginning of Act 2, Part 1(This chapter returns to Eliza¡¯s point of view.)


    I believe that games, books, manga, anime, TV shows, movies, all these things created solely for entertainment purposes are basically so that we can obtain some sort of catharsis. As an example, in my previous life, due to my younger sister¡¯s recommendation, I tried a certain otome game.


    Helping other people from the heroine¡¯s perspective, improving your character by raising your level and stats, and enjoying the drama between the characters.


    You can romance handsome, high-spec boys, or even, during that process defeat your love rivals.


    With it, you obtain a sense of superiority and satisfaction.


    In a medieval European fantasy setting, made of fluffy images, the heroine is able to meet male capture targets filled with various female ideals, although this was all very lacking in realism. Once again, this must purely be for entertainment purposes, as the characters¡¯ archetypes were rather exaggerated and very shallow.


    The otome game was quite detailed, and it felt deeper than most stories. Just like the original meaning of the word catharsis, it might have been intended to purify the emotions of pity and fear through art.


    However, all I know is that it wasn¡¯t the case for me.


    The heroine was someone that had come from the neighboring country, to go to noble school and look for a husband candidate from among the students, and she would romance them, that was the story.


    It didn¡¯t depict anything about the brutality and filthiness of human beings, there was nothing in it obstructing people from obtaining catharsis.


    I looked around at the earth which was stained with blood. Dead bodies which were unrecognizable, were piled up like garbage.


    Military forces between countries had fought here. Humans had caused so much death and destruction.


    Why had they fought, why were so many lives sacrificed, the dead would obtain nothing.


    There was nothing such as celebration wine to be seen around here.


    This was another side to the game world where the heroine was the neighboring country¡¯s archduke¡¯s daughter and had come to noble school to have fun and find romance. This type of scene had never appeared in the game, yet there were indeed pools of blood everywhere.


    There¡¯s no such reason like people attempting to obtain catharsis here, there was only people killing each other, and dying. Or, there¡¯s no story-like qualities here, only people fighting with all their strength.


    People aren¡¯t very principled, it¡¯s a world where people attack others based on their feelings and desires.


    Even though I know that, still, this world is nothing like the game settings at all, only the stage is the same while a war began, I got the ridiculous idea wondering if this was reality at all.


    I was simply scared. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Is this world real or fake? Am I just dreaming?


    Indeed, my feelings of memories of a past life were fading.


    Why did I kill people for, I wonder. Why do people die, I wonder.


    Are people¡¯s deaths meaningless, I wonder.


    I wonder if I would have been happier had I not recalled my past life¡¯s memories. If I didn¡¯t know the game¡¯s story from my past life¡¯s memories, would this war have not started, I wonder.


    Even if I think about it, I have no answers. That¡¯s all I understand.


    I just keep telling myself that it¡¯s probably for the best that I don¡¯t understand anything.


    Is this world just a game world from my previous life, I wonder.


    Or, is this reality with breathing, living people, I wonder.


    I can¡¯t decide if this is reality or not, even though technically this isn¡¯t supposed to be something that I can just leave undecided.


    That¡¯s why, maybe I have no choice but to accept, that I can¡¯t make a choice between the two.

 Ch 71

    In any society, it seems that there¡¯s various different rites of passage.I¡¯m at the head temple of the Ar Xia church, the Great Shrine of Misorua, which basically surrounds the royal palace here in the royal capital. I¡¯ve been kneeling in the dark for some time, thinking about various things instead of the confession I¡¯m supposed to be doing.


    In the Arxia Kingdom, this is a rite of passage for seven year olds, a turning point in one¡¯s life. This is also the age at which one can be punished for one¡¯s own crimes under the law. Meaning, I¡¯m supposed to make an oath to follow the laws of Xia for the rest of my life, and I shall take the responsibility for being punished in accordance with the law if I break any laws.


    While commoner children can just go to wherever the closest church is and listen to a recitation of the contents of the Sacred Code, it¡¯s different for nobles.


    I had to schedule a date beforehand with the Great Shrine of Misorua for the ritual, and perform a purification ceremony by myself in a dark room by confessing for half a day. After that, I have to recite a passage from the Sacred Code, and swear to protect and uphold the law in front of the god Misorua and the priests.


    At the same time, this ritual is also meant to formally induct me as a member of the Ar Xia church.


    Before seven, I¡¯m only considered an interim member. Well, there¡¯s a very high proportion of children that die before reaching seven, and children aren¡¯t considered to know right from wrong here until they¡¯re seven years old.


    Thanks to various detailed memories from my previous life, I felt like everything religion related seemed really shady, and I didn¡¯t believe in it at all. Spending half a day shut inside a dark room, I found this confession thing to be rather ridiculous, and I merely remained here in silence.


    Whether or not the god Misorua exists, I don¡¯t care either way at all. Even if I belong to the Ar Xia church, whether or not I really believe in what they preach isn¡¯t important at all. What¡¯s important is keeping up appearances and going along with society.


    Six months ago, when I kept sleeping constantly for an entire month, I kept dreaming about things from my previous life.


    I recalled many things that I had once forgotten. But, rather than feeling like it was something that happened to myself in the past, it felt more like I was reading a book with someone else as the protagonist, or maybe a ghost whispering information to me.


    I¡¯m currently Eliza Kaldia from the Arxia Kingdom, not a young girl that used to live in Japan.


    In the darkness, although I took a pious pose of reflecting on my past sins, I mostly spent the time saying my farewells to and making a break from my past life.


    After the time allotted for confession finally finished, I looked around the main hall of the Great Shrine for a while. My guardian, Earl Terejia had come along with me to the Great Shrine, but he has his uses.


    We¡¯re finally supposed to be able to invite a bishop that can hold church rituals to my domain. To keep track of the bishop¡¯s movements, for the necessary paperwork, and the conditions that would need to be agreed on, this is where the earl comes in. By the way, although the term bishop reminded me of high-ranking clergymen from my past life, here in Arxia it just refers to a much more general educator. Bishops are responsible for teaching reading and writing.


    A priest guided me into the shrine¡¯s main hall. When I entered, I was struck by the extravagance and magnificence of what was before me. There were exquisite stone sculptures of unrivaled craftsmanship on wooden pedestals and there was also two fountains of flowing water by the main platform. The ceiling had large panes of stained glass in flower shapes, giving the inside of the church an amazing array of colors.


    On top of the a main platform was an altar to honor the remains of St. Ahar, and even more surprisingly there was a spring coming from it. The water flowing from it was enclosed by a circle of stones, and a coffin was placed in the center.


    ¡°It¡¯s amazing, isn¡¯t it.¡±


    The priest guiding me seemed to be quite proud of it all. I could only nod in agreement. Seeing such beautiful construction, I haven¡¯t ever seen anything like this even in my previous life.


    I finally looked away from all the splendor, and started focusing on the priests here. The priest next to me watched me in silence. It feels like he might watch me like this for quite a while, to the point of boredom.


    Then, as I looked around at the fine details of the craftsmanship on the ceiling and floor, I heard a voice from behind me.


    ¡°Oh my, aren¡¯t you¡­¡­ the Kaldia girl?¡±


    It was a voice that sounded neither young nor old, neither male or female, a very mysterious voice. It sounded familiar. When I turned around, it was a person dressed in white priestly garments. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Priest Faris-!¡±


    ¡°It seems that you¡¯re about to swear your oath. Although, you have quite a terrible expression for someone going through their purification ceremony and confession¡­¡­¡±


    This is the priest that presided over my birthday celebration last spring, Faris had an ambiguous smile. Although I haven¡¯t seen Faris in over a year, there¡¯s no change in Faris¡¯s appearance, and my cheek involuntarily twitched at this priest¡¯s appearance.


    ¡°¡­¡­Well, I guess it¡¯s because you have to shoulder such a terrible burden when you¡¯re still so young.¡±


    Is something funny about all this, that you¡¯re making snarky comments, and don¡¯t touch my shoulder like that without permission.


    This enigmatic priest, I can¡¯t tell what he or she is thinking at all, yet somehow Faris always seems like he or she can see straight into my heart, I felt extremely unsettled.


    ¡°Head Priest-sama, please don¡¯t tease Viscountess Kaldia so much¡­¡­¡±


    The priest guiding me remonstrated Faris. Priest Faris shrugged lightly, and headed for the altar.

 Ch 72

    When I finally woke up last year in autumn after a full month of sleeping, I had a lot of work to catch up on even though I was still recovering. Now that six months have passed since then, things have finally settled down.Also, because of the battle at Fort Jugfena and me being asleep an entire month, the refugee acceptance plan has gone way off track. Originally, starting in summer, we were supposed to start by accepting 50 refugees in the first month. In the end, we were supposed to receive around 1200 new citizens, but because most of the refugees at Fort Jugfena had been killed, in the end Kaldia is only going to gain about 300 new citizens from the refugees.


    Also, as for the Shiru tribe, they were much more in number than what I had assumed. At first I had heard that there would be about 40 of them, but even if there were three times that number, with 120 of them, integration should still be reasonably achievable.


    However, in the end there had still been 300 of them hiding in the Bandishia Plateau that ended up joining me, a much larger number than expected. It¡¯s quite impressive that so many of them were able to shake off such a large pursuing Densel force for over a month.


    Together, it¡¯s 600 new citizens, but it¡¯s still only half the original number of new citizens that were supposed to have joined. They were supposed to help in constructing the new village as well, but with this I¡¯m going to have to redo my plans from scratch.


    After all, half of them are the Shiru tribe, who are nomadic, meaning they roam often and don¡¯t stay in one location for very long, so they have very little knowledge in construction. And on top of that, they¡¯re also not very well versed in agriculture and farming.


    Having come west of the Bandishia Plateau to Kaldia, they¡¯re going to have to adjust their lifestyles and construct homes for themselves. Usually it seems that they construct homes from the earth and stone rather than wood. Unfortunately, stone as a building material in Kaldia¡­¡­ is almost nonexistent.


    Since I don¡¯t have the time or money, for now all I can do is supply wood as building materials. Also, I¡¯m having clay prepared, to be made into bricks.


    Although I also hope to attract people to immigrate to my domain, it¡¯s only a slight hope, first I still have to work my way through this current problem.


    What¡¯s more, because the person in charge of overseeing the village construction was Kamil who passed away, there¡¯s the issue of who to put in charge from now on. Finding someone from here that knows how to speak the Artolan language, so that mutual understanding can be easily achieved for everyone to work together, seems very difficult to do.


    There had also been 30 soldiers originally helping with the village construction, but 20 had been recalled to go to Fort Jugfena¡¯s battle and there were only 10 working there still. Although I had mentally prepared myself that this may happen, due to the casualties suffered in that battle, now we no longer have enough surplus troops to send soldiers to help aid the construction again.


    In the end, I decided to move the village construction farther west, much closer to the area under my direct control in the Kaldia domain. It¡¯s become that things are now moving ahead of schedule.


    Also, just because I was asleep for a month doesn¡¯t mean that there was no paperwork to be done during that time, after the battle I had to repeatedly go back and forth between Kaldia and the royal capital, with no time to rest because too much work had piled up.


    ¨C The above just took me about thirty minutes to explain to Ratoka who was glaring at me. Finally, he spoke up with a sulk.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying you were so busy that you completely forgot about me.¡±


    His voice, while calm, definitely sounded angry and cold. I feel like it might almost be better if he were screaming and yelling at me instead. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s just that I had a lot of work to finish before I could meet up with you, that¡¯s what I just explained.¡±


    ¡°Is that something you say to someone you¡¯ve barely talked to and left alone for almost a year?¡±


    While I haven¡¯t talked to him much lately, his education has still been continuing, so his words have gotten more eloquent. His red eyes and even gestures are so similar to mine, it¡¯s definitely caught my interest.


    ¡°¡­¡­Even if you say I left you alone, I don¡¯t have a use for you right now.¡±


    When those words left my mouth, a vein started bulging on his forehead.


    ¡°Or maybe, could it be, you wanted attention from me even though I¡¯m younger?¡±


    ¡°Do you want to get beaten up!!¡±


    ¡°Whoops, be careful not to let disrespectful words slip out there.¡±


    As I watched Ratoka, also known as ¡°Elise,¡± I couldn¡¯t help but let out a laugh at his face turning red in anger and frustration. Being snarky towards him as a form of stress release, why did I develop this kind of habit, I wonder.


    I dodged his fist that was aimed at my shoulder, and I felt a nostalgic feeling like I was in the barracks, exchanging banter with the soldiers.

 Ch 73

    ¡°¡­¡­What exactly is this?¡±Maybe because I had been so stupefied, those words accidentally slipped out. I had just heard something so unexpected, that I just kept staring at Earl Terejia in a daze.


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to play together with Elise-dono.¡±


    Earl Terejia¡¯s calm voice crushed my feelings of wanting to escape. Once again, I took a good look at what was in my hand.


    It was an elaborate, beautifully made girl doll, but it was creepily deformed by an indescribable smile on it.


    I wondered just how much gold it would take to make those golden clothes the doll was wearing in real life size, as I admired the excessiveness of the doll¡¯s extravagant clothing. After all, the amount of frilliness on it was dreadful to behold.


    This doll in my hand was a gift from the father of the noble girl currently staying here at my mansion, Elise¡¯s father Baron Sherstok. The baron had even went to the trouble of gifting me a set of two dolls with different designs. This was the meaning behind Earl Terejia¡¯s words just earlier, ¡°you¡¯ll have to play together with Elise-dono.¡±


    Although Elise had come over to Kaldia in order to recuperate from her illness, in name she was also my guest and playmate. But up until now, we¡¯ve never really played, and only visited each other. While Elise is indeed a bit sickly, it¡¯s more of that I¡¯ve simply been so busy that I haven¡¯t been able to spare the time to accompany her.


    However, Baron Sherstok wouldn¡¯t know such a thing. The baron is one of those nobles without land of his own, so he basically has very little to do with high noble society, and he wouldn¡¯t know how busy I am or that I have zero interest in dolls.


    That said, giving a doll as a gift to his ten year old daughter Elise, this is a very common type of present. In the eyes of most people, I¡¯m probably more of the odd one for not taking the time to play.


    Knowing my personal preferences on dolls, Earl Terejia perfunctorily left the office. Left alone, I glanced again at the glittering, sparkly doll.


    What do I do, with this. Am I supposed to play with it.


    I held its head, and kept wondering what to do.


    ¡­¡­In short, Elise is supposed to play with this, I wonder if I should find some playmates for her. I¡¯d think that I don¡¯t necessarily have to be the person playing with her.


    While thinking about passing that role on to Ratoka, I started playing with the thick skirt on the doll. Without a doubt, the doll¡¯s costume was overly extravagant, and the embroidery was so fine that I could barely see the stitches connecting the cloth together. A golden rose was sewn neatly into the top of the skirt, reflecting the sunlight prettily.


    ¡°¡­¡­Mm,¡±


    The more I looked at it, the more I felt like something was slightly off about the embroidery. I kept turning the doll around in my hands, and one part just seemed slightly different.


    I flipped up the skirt and checked underneath, and as expected the same type of embroidery was underneath it as well. While I tilted my head and wondered just what it was about this embroidery that seemed strange, I suddenly realized that it seemed almost like it was in the shape of letters of the alphabet.


    When I started trying to read it, although it was a bit difficult due to the tiny size and a lack of spaces, it seems that it was an actual message.


    ¡°I see, so it was a secret letter.¡±


    Earl Terejia read the message that I wrote down for him on a piece of paper.


    ¡°It would seem that this rose is a sign to check for a hidden message. Since Elise usually doesn¡¯t come out of her room while she¡¯s recuperating from her illness here, it seems that Viscount Stadel must have developed these codes and hidden messages for her as a game.¡±


    Elise¡¯s uncle, Viscount Stadel, especially dotes on her as she used to be in such poor health that she couldn¡¯t even get out of bed on some days. I had heard from Elise herself before that he always tried to think of fun things for her to do to escape the boredom of always being confined to bed, that didn¡¯t require her to leave her room.


    Since Viscount Stadel doesn¡¯t have any children of his own, maybe he¡¯s pouring out all his affection for his niece. Also, probably due to Elise¡¯s weak body, maybe he¡¯s become a little overprotective. That Elise could grow up so innocently in such an environment, I felt a strange sense of admiration.


    ¡°And, did you understand what was written there?¡±


    ¡°Yes. If I add in punctuation and spacing, it¡¯s not so hard. It¡¯s a warning about the movements of the northern nobles.¡±


    At hearing about the northern nobles, Earl Terejia frowned slightly in annoyance.


    ¡°I hear that some extremist organizations have been gathering around the northern nobles¡¯ leader, Marquis Nordsturm¡¯s family lately.¡±


    ¡°How foolish. They¡¯re trying to attack Kaldia politically, and make us return the money given to us for the refugees¡­¡­¡±


    The earl sighed deeply, seeming worn out. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    If I think about it calmly, I can organize my emotions. I¡¯m thankful to Viscount Stadel for the information, although I don¡¯t welcome bad news. It¡¯s just that right now, there¡¯s a shortage of labor in Kaldia.


    I recalled the malevolent gazes of the northern nobles last time I met them at the House of Lords, and the depressing atmosphere caused by them. While I haven¡¯t verified the contents of this secret letter yet, I definitely believe that I can trust it.

 Ch 74

    I¡¯ve caught the attention of a troublesome opponent, I sighed mentally.The Nordsturm family is a major noble family from the north, and their current family head is Marquis Nordsturm. Three generations ago, they had also been married to royalty, so they still have quite the connections in the royal capital as well. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Although they have a bad reputation from the fact that their power comes from the moneylending business, because of it very few nobles dare to go against them. What¡¯s more, many of the northern nobles are related to the Nordsturms by being one of their branch families or through marriage in some way, so their influence in northern Arxia is even greater than that of the royal family.


    At one time, the north had been treated as the least important part of Arxia. There was the Amon Nor Mountains forming a natural barrier with the eastern countries, and there was nothing but rough sea waves on the northern border, both of these geographical attributes contributed to making the north a formidable natural fortress.


    It was a bad location for conducting trade on the seas. Although it¡¯s possible to travel east to other countries farther down, a large section of the coastline bordering Arxia¡¯s is controlled by Densel, or belongs to the Rindarl Union that opposes us. Their naval technologies weren¡¯t very far advanced either.


    The earth was frozen over in many places, and even what wasn¡¯t frozen over was very poor land for raising crops, so it was overall a very poor region.


    Because of that, the Nordsturm family has been the only noble family ever since Arxia was founded that¡¯s ruled in the north. Because talented people would be placed in more important places to make use of their skills at governing, no aristocrats were ever sent to the north.


    Of course, ruling over the vast north would be impossible for only the family head, so the Nordsturm family divided the northern lands among its own family members, and starting from about one hundred and twenty years ago, their current governing system is basically a group of lords that all report to the leader of the Nordsturm family.


    For the Nordsturm family who has such power in the north to still have good relations with the royal family, it¡¯s simply because of money. First of all, the Nordsturms are talented at making money in the north. Their most prosperous city is the city where the marquis currently resides, it¡¯s a place where people and goods gather.


    Next, the north helps with the country¡¯s military spending every year even though it benefits them the least. They also have vast sums of money stored away, and they¡¯ve recently started lending money to their neighboring domains, and simply the interest on the loans were already more than sufficient already to cover all the north¡¯s expenses for governing their territory.


    I remembered how Earl Terejia had taught me that a member of the royalty had gotten married to a Nordsturm as a political sacrificial pawn, in order to obtain part of the Nordsturm family¡¯s wealth for the sake of the country.


    There are two royal families in Arxia, meant to be as a measure for keeping the throne out of the reach of any other non-royal family. A daughter from the current royal family that isn¡¯t on the throne, the Melloart family, had married a Nordsturm in exchange for one third of the Nordsturm family¡¯s wealth being donated to the national treasury. Earl Terejia had told me that it was a story he heard from his older brother Marquis Rittergau who¡¯s working in the royal palace as the prime minister of Arxia, so it must be true.


    Their wealth had been reduced, and the Nordsturms also attracted the hostility of other nobles in Arxia with connections to the royalty. I want them to just take a break and ignore me, but it seems there¡¯s no helping it.


    In the first place, the reason why I attracted their attention was because half of the entire defense budget financed by the north was allotted to only three domains, which were Kaldia, Jugfena, and Genas, the eastern border domains. Any funds that were not used for the sake of defense were supposed to be properly returned to the House of Lords.


    The northern nobles are taking it out on only Kaldia, meaning me, as Earl Einsbark who¡¯s in charge of the Jugfena domain and Margrave Genas are too powerful for them to attack politically, so out of simple spite, or maybe picking on weaklings, they¡¯re taking it out on me for being a financial beneficiary of their funds.


    ¡°I¡¯m actually relieved to see that gloomy expression of yours finally returning.¡±


    As the horse-drawn carriage clattered and shook, Earl Terejia who was sitting across from me said so with a snort from his nose. Claudia sitting next to him also nodded in agreement.


    ¡°At any rate, let¡¯s settle this problem quickly. Jugfena and Genas have organized their own domains much faster and better than Kaldia, that¡¯s because Earl Terejia has been deciding policy matters in my place up until now. For the Nordsturm family that isn¡¯t well armed militarily, they would gain nothing from moving against all three of the Terejia, Genas, and Einsbark families at once.¡±


    ¡°The Nordsturm family should be aware of that as well. Still, saying something like moving against all three families, does this mean that you see a way to cooperate with the other families?¡±


    What I¡¯m concerned about right now is, the factions other than the Nordsturm family.


    The Nordsturm family doesn¡¯t actually have much power other than lots of money and the support of the northern nobles. That alone wouldn¡¯t be a threat by itself. However, depending on who allies with whom, things could get a lot more troublesome. I think the problem lies in how the Nordsturm family utilizes their vast fortune.


    ¡°If the Nordsturms seriously attempted it, do you think they have enough power to overthrow the current government?¡±


    Earl Terejia raised his eyebrows greatly at my question. Since the north regularly finances the other domains with their extra funds, decided through meetings at the House of Lords, it means they get more of a say in issues compared to the rest of the nobility. Meaning, they already control much of national policy.


    By the way, the House of Lords only consists of domain lords with the rank of viscount or higher, and court aristocrats with the rank of earl or higher. Lower ranked nobles are supposed to be represented by nobles higher-ranking than they are. It¡¯s like how I used to not attend meetings at the House of Lords, as Earl Terejia attended them for me on my behalf.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think they would try something like that though, would the conservative northern nobles really rebel against a decision made by the House of Lords?¡±


    I answered my own question, and the earl nodded in assent. Although the northern nobles are conservative in a different sense from the court aristocracy, I think that they wouldn¡¯t want to take any risks that would end up lessening their influence.


    Since the Nordsturm family currently seems to be gathering power right now, I definitely think it would be for the better if I think of something I can use against them first. It never hurts to be wary.


    Earl Terejia unexpectedly looked out the window. While watching the scenery pass by, he was probably thinking about something. Our conversation ended as well when the earl looked away. Because there¡¯s many things to be worried about, both of us are probably thinking about things regarding the northern nobles that we¡¯re going to have to deal with someday.


    However.


    ¡°¡­¡­The Nordsturm family¡¯s time may be unexpectedly ending soon, to be replaced by someone else.¡±


    Earl Terejia suddenly said that out loud after a while. Is this some sort of prophecy, once again I confirmed to myself that the earl is quite terrifying.

 Ch 75

    The rocky, clattering horse-drawn carriage took two days to finally arrive at its destination. In the outermost section of the nobles¡¯ living quarters in the royal capital, separated from the commoners¡¯ quarters by a single fence, we stopped at a timeworn small townhouse. It was much shorter than the two story mansion that I live in, and I barely even need to lift my head to look up.¡°We¡¯re here¡­¡­¡±


    A sigh slipped out from Earl Terejia. Then, he looked at me.


    ¡°You, is this really fine?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a place to stay at while we¡¯re in the royal capital anyways.¡±


    The earl shrugged, and looked back at the townhouse distastefully. This townhouse is the first thing that I¡¯ve ever bought for myself in this life, meaning, it was also a bit small and narrow.


    After the battle at Fort Jugfena, although dealing with the aftermath of that battle was finally over, I¡¯m still quite busy and have to go between my domain and the royal capital quite often. Since the House of Lords has regular meetings in summer and autumn, it¡¯s a bustling social season at the royal capital. Most nobles with their own domains also have mansions in the royal capital, and this could be a good opportunity to deepen my network of contacts.


    Especially from mid-summer to autumn, there¡¯s quite a lot of events that gather many people, such as social debuts for newcomers, dance balls, and church festivals.


    Of course, although Earl Terejia is already a very experienced court aristocrat, I haven¡¯t even reached adult age yet, let alone made my social debut, so it should still be about a decade before those social events have anything to do with me.


    ¡­¡­Although that¡¯s how it should have been, contrary to all that there was actually a mountain of invitations from various nobles piled up back home in the domain lord¡¯s office. The reason was simply that everyone wanted to get acquainted with me to establish a useful contact for future negotiations.


    Because of the four eastern dukedoms combining to become the Rindarl Union, and the unprovoked attack from Densel, we were on the highest level of alert against them. Of course, domestic attention was also on the eastern domains that bordered the enemy, the domains of Kaldia, Jugfena, and Genas.


    The House of Lords was giving these three domains extra financial support, but now the system of payments to us was being re-organized, as some of the domain lords were now moving to have some of that money returned.


    Since there was so much attention on our domains, it¡¯s also opened up new market opportunities for Jugfena and Genas, as well as Kaldia, for being the country¡¯s first line of defense. Due to all the military equipment and facilities that must be made, as well as the large number of goods that the new citizens would need, that¡¯s why so many nobles have all sent me their invitations.


    In short, every domain wants new trade opportunities.


    Although it was a bit of a superfluous rule, in Arxia there¡¯s a custom that children that haven¡¯t reached adult age yet shouldn¡¯t attend social events other than ones that they¡¯re hosting, as a matter of etiquette. However, because I¡¯m a domain lord before I¡¯m a child, there¡¯s a relentless number of invitations being sent my way. Usually, it would be the reverse, where someone is a child before they¡¯re a noble.


    ¡­¡­Because of my circumstances, I now have a full schedule of luncheon and evening meetings every day. It¡¯s actually a bit hard on my body as I¡¯m still quite young, but I won¡¯t say a single word of complaint. I don¡¯t have anyone to complain to anyways.


    So that I don¡¯t always have to stay at Earl Terejia¡¯s place whenever I visit the royal capital, I bought this tiny house on the very outskirts of the noble area.


    It does seem to be rather decayed, but well, because I don¡¯t have to stay here for very long each time, it doesn¡¯t matter. I don¡¯t care about the outside, I¡¯ve already had the interior fixed up.


    I sank myself into a non brand name, cheap, yet still well made sofa, and I looked at the exposed red bricks and wood that seemed to give a feeling of warmth to the plaster walls, I think I like it.


    ¡°Elise, give me my schedule for tonight and tomorrow.¡± S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Uh, ¡­¡­ah. Tonight, you¡¯re organizing documents in the office. ¡­¡­Tomorrow, during the day¡­¡­ The tailor is coming over to take measurements. Tomorrow evening, um, you¡¯re attending Margrave Molton¡¯s party.¡±


    When I pestered Ratoka who had been forced to stand beside me in maid attire, he read off my schedule he was holding to me in a fluster. Recently Bellway had been teaching him various things he needed to know to attend to me.


    I mostly intended to make Ratoka into a personal maid, rather than a personal attendant, but if he knows how to do more things, that¡¯s pretty convenient too. Although doing this does seem to have added to his dislike of me, but little by little, it feels like things have gotten more informal between us.


    ¡°The day after tomorrow it seems that you have a Sacred Code study session at the church. Also, there¡¯s luggage to be organized in the office still, what should we do?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go after I¡¯m done drinking my tea.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Your tea you say, but what about your maid?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so dense. That means you should go right now.¡±


    ¡°Ahh¡­¡­ So that¡¯s it.¡±


    Ratoka nodded, although he still had an expression that didn¡¯t quite seem convinced.


    He turned around, and left while walking awkwardly, still unused to the heels and skirt he was wearing, and he passed by Claudia who was leaning against the wall next to the fireplace on his way out, sighing slightly at what he had to endure from me.


    She met my gaze and didn¡¯t even try to conceal that she was laughing, still giggling as she shrugged her shoulders lightly at me.


    ¡°¡­¡­What is it.¡±


    ¡°Nothing, I just thought that you¡¯re having quite a lot of fun with him.¡±


    Claudia had continued to remain being my bodyguard, but since at the mansion I would have other guards as well, this is actually the first time that she¡¯s seen me interacting with Ratoka.


    ¡°When Ellusia-dono is talking with him, you seem quite surprisingly lively. As expected, it must be because of something like you two being close in age?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡­ I wonder. Also, it¡¯s not Ellusia, it¡¯s Eliza.¡±


    ¡°Mm, I got it wrong again. Sorry.¡±


    Somehow, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s because that I¡¯m close in age to him. What¡¯s more, why is it that I treat only Ratoka so casually, I can¡¯t even say for myself why that is.


    ¡°However, when I look at you like this, not only do you seem surprisingly lively, you also seem to be having fun, and even give off the impression of relaxing a little. How should I describe it¡­¡­¡±


    Claudia seemed lost for words, and began muttering to herself. It seems that she isn¡¯t going to say anything else to me, so I turned towards the window to look outside.


    On the other side of the window glass was the sky tinted a shade of red. It gets dark later here in the royal capital than in Kaldia, it would have been completely dark at this same time in Kaldia already.


    What remained the same in the royal capital as Kaldia, was that the lights here were also candlelight as well. It¡¯s too expensive to use anything else after sunset.


    Just like I declared earlier, I headed to the office as well after finishing my cup of tea. That said, all I¡¯m going to do, is organize what¡¯s on the desk so that it¡¯s more convenient for me to use, and I finished immediately.


    When I looked back at Claudia I realized she was no longer talking to herself. She was looking directly at me with those sky blue eyes of hers, with a difficult to describe, somewhat wondrous expression on her face. I didn¡¯t know what to say to that reaction of hers, so I couldn¡¯t help but freeze up.


    I just stayed like that and blinked several times.


    ¡°Ahh, that¡¯s it! It feels like Eliza-dono is finally opening her heart, and calming down. When the person I¡¯m supposed to be protecting isn¡¯t wary, then I¡¯m not wary either.¡±


    Suddenly Claudia said that out loud with an extremely self-satisfied expression on her face, while I felt as if my chest was freezing over, even though I knew it was an illusion.


    ¡°¡­¡­Eliza-dono, what¡¯s that matter? It couldn¡¯t be, did I get your name wrong again!?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­No, that¡¯s not it.¡±


    Even though my frozen muscles were protesting, I somehow managed to squeeze those words out of me. Her words had made me realize just what I was feeling, which really made me want to groan out loud.

 Ch 76

    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s been a long time, Viscountess Kaldia. Thank you for coming today.¡±¡°Thank you very much for inviting me here as well, Lord Molton.¡±


    I had great difficulty as I was currently struggling with wearing a formal dress for the first time, as I greeted tonight¡¯s host, accompanied by Claudia who was dressed in maid attire. The beautiful margrave that I met last year was standing in the back of the dining hall, and after he saw me, he stumbled quite a bit over his words.


    ¡°It looks like you¡¯re wearing a dress this time. It looks really good on you. While you looked quite cool and dignified in knightly attire before, you also really impress when you look feminine as well, and show off your strength.¡±


    Margrave Molton gently gave his opinion of me in my dress. I¡¯ve always worn knightly attire before when out in public, so this time I could definitely feel that I was the center of attention of all the nobles.


    ¡°And how should I interpret that?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mean anything bad by it. I¡¯m not trying to insult you, I think it¡¯s proof that you¡¯re reliable.¡±


    As typical of him, he was laughing happily, and his silver hair was shaking slightly. I feel a bit relieved that I can read his intentions so easily without any misunderstandings.


    ¡°How¡¯s Earl Terejia been doing lately?¡±


    With his work as my regent combined with all these daily social events, and two full days of riding on a horse-drawn carriage definitely seems to be taking its toll on him. Even I think that he¡¯s been overworking himself, but still there¡¯s so much work that only he can do. We definitely need to hire more people, there¡¯s no doubt about that.


    Margrave Molton looked around at the table behind him, and took two wine glasses. Then, he poured a liquid that resembled white wine from a bottle.


    When I took the glass he offered me, I saw that he was apparently offering me apple juice. I couldn¡¯t help but look up at him, only to see the margrave smiling elegantly at me. Out of all the social events I¡¯ve been invited to, attending so many that I¡¯ve lost count, this is the first time that someone¡¯s specially prepared a drink suitable for children ¨C meaning me.


    I definitely believe he¡¯s praiseworthy. It¡¯s not just that he has a son the same age as me, he treats me with kindness and without any prejudice, even though I¡¯m the daughter of the Kaldia family.


    My notorious father and family have left quite a dark stain on my name. They were considered apostates, the scourge of the nobility. Although it wasn¡¯t a formal decision by the House of Lords or anything, the northern nobles and those in agreement with them definitely think so inside. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    We toasted each other and gulped down the contents of our glasses. It was refreshingly sweet with just a tinge of sourness to it, it reminded me of the apple juice that I liked to drink as well in my previous life.


    Margrave Molton pulled two chairs over for Claudia and I, and even served Claudia a glass of juice as well.


    It¡¯s still a bit early for dinner, but there are refreshments and snacks. People are also resting here from the dancing they¡¯re doing in the hall.


    Since the margrave pulled a chair over personally for me, it would be rude to decline to sit down. Claudia and I both sat down facing the margrave.


    ¡°¡­¡­Come to think of it, I haven¡¯t seen your personal attendant lately.¡±


    He¡¯s probably referring to all the times we¡¯ve met before at other social events. The margrave looked at Claudia for a moment, then looked back at me.


    He¡¯s asking about Kamil. The moment I thought about him, I recalled the bloody figure of Kamil in the back of my mind.


    The sound that was made as Claudia put her glass down next to me was tiny, but I heard it very clearly. Margrave Molton¡¯s beautiful smile disappeared instantly at my next comment.


    ¡°He died at Jugfena.¡±


    My voice was shivering as I said the words so directly. My lips were trembling ever so slightly.


    ¡°That¡¯s, ¡­¡­¡±


    The margrave probably noticed my emotions. His voice sounded a bit strained as well.


    ¡°¡­¡­My apologies. Sorry for bringing up something unpleasant.¡±


    He said it in a simple tone of voice and his expression was full of compassion. He probably saw a child similar to his son in me.


    I lifted my glass, and had another mouthful of juice. My throat had dried up without my realizing it, so I had a second helping, then a third.


    Suddenly, I felt pity for the margrave as well. I wonder if he¡¯s realized now that children as young as his son are dying in war. And if that¡¯s the case, just how sorrowful that life can be.


    ¡°I shall pray that his kind soul obtains Misorua¡¯s blessings.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Thank you very much.¡±


    The margrave quietly raised his glass. For a moment, without saying anything, he merely prayed for the well-being of my former personal attendant¡¯s soul.


    On my way back in the horse-drawn carriage, I merely looked out the window without saying anything. In my hands were some sweets wrapped up in decorative paper. Margrave Molton had given them to me as a present.


    ¡°¡­¡­Are secret messages and codes typical for nobles, I wonder?¡±


    ¡°Are they?¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡­ it¡¯s nothing.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but ask Claudia a question, but only got a blank look in response, which made me realize that it was useless to ask her, so I fell silent.


    The sweets were wrapped up in several layers of paper, and on the inside of the outermost layer, there was a message from Margrave Molton.


    It¡¯s a custom to not tear up beautiful wrapping paper, so that it can be used again at a later date as a letter or message card. I would have noticed it sooner or later, but because I have a habit of sending a thank you message to people for inviting me, I found it immediately.


    The message was about people passing through Margrave Molton¡¯s domain to go visit the northern domains. Some traveling church sisters were being strangely active, and were involving themselves with the northern nobles. Why did Margrave Molton tell me this, I wonder. Exactly what are these church sisters up to.


    Since I had very little information to go off of, it¡¯s a bit frustrating. I sighed and looked outside the window at the scenery again. Claudia sitting across from me was in such an excellent mood from having gotten to eat all sorts of sweets at Margrave Molton¡¯s party, that she started humming.

 Ch 77

    The next day, early in the morning, I was already riding my horse.I¡¯m riding east on a road leading out of the royal capital. Riding next to me was Paulo, as well as Ratoka who was dressed in girl¡¯s clothing and wearing a veil, while behind me were Claudia and Bellway, sharing a horse together.


    Last night, Paulo had rode a messenger horse to inform me about a bandit group¡¯s invasion from the neighboring country.


    They had been hiding themselves around the outskirts of the Monster Forest in the Jugfena domain, and they seem to have often invaded Margrave Genas¡¯s domain, but there weren¡¯t enough troops to guard the border against them.


    Under a pincer attack from the troops of both the Jugfena and Genas domains, the only place they could escape to geographically, was unfortunately the Kaldia domain.


    Thanks to Ergnade informing me of his plans beforehand, my troops were already spread out throughout Kaldia, and volunteers from the Shiru tribe were also on the lookout against the bandits as well. It¡¯ll be good if we can capture them before any citizens are harmed¡­¡­


    I canceled the church activity that I was supposed to attend. The head priest was supposed to come as well, and I had really wanted to build some direct connections within the church, but there¡¯s no helping it given the current circumstances. Hopefully I can make up for it if I return.


    Even so, I won¡¯t be able to return to the royal capital for quite some time. Also, Earl Terejia has been feeling rather under the weather with his body in bad condition lately.


    At this time of year, many nobles gather in the royal capital. Marquis Nordstrom¡¯s retinue is also here currently. During this time that I¡¯m away from the capital, I don¡¯t know what they¡¯re going to say about me.


    It¡¯ll probably be something disadvantageous to me that can¡¯t be confirmed immediately by third parties, though.


    We passed by my original mansion, finally reaching the central portion of my domain deep into the night, where a new domain lord¡¯s residence had been constructed. The supplies for constructing this new residence had mostly come from the surrounding mountains, as the Amon Nor mountains were directly east of here, and there was a river flowing down from them that provided water as well.


    This river, the Sera River, runs parallel to a river that¡¯s on our western border, the Rukter River. Upstream from here is Cyril village. Also, on the eastern side of the Sera River, is a flat region filled with lakes and plains.


    ¡°You¡¯ve arrived, my lord.¡±


    Just as I jumped off my horse, I heard the Artolan language from behind me. When I looked back, I saw a young man from the Shiru tribe running towards me, wearing a tunic with their unique designs.


    ¡°Ahh, I just got back. How are things in Kaldia, Teo?¡±


    Teo ¨C this young man named Teomer, was the person directly chosen by the Shiru tribe to be their representative in all things related to me. He also happens to be the leader of their young warriors, so of course, I¡¯ve talked to him the most out of anyone from their tribe.


    ¡°Right now my forces are searching east of the Sera River for the bandits. I don¡¯t believe they¡¯ve crossed west of the river yet. The guys from the army are guarding the villages and the river. Those were Gunther¡¯s orders.¡±


    ¡°I see. ¡­¡­It¡¯s easier to track them in the plains. But since we can¡¯t find them, they might have left our domain already. Maybe just like when the Jugfena soldiers were chasing them, they crossed over into the Genas domain again. ¡­¡­If only we could get into contact with the Genas domain¡¯s army¡­¡­¡±


    I happened to glance at Bellway as I said that, but he shook his head.


    ¡°I sent a messenger pigeon out, but¡­¡­ The reply I got from Margrave Genas¡¯s wife was that ¡®each domain should take care of its own problems.¡¯¡±


    Teo and I nodded without surprise at this. It¡¯s very well known that Margrave Genas¡¯s wife runs most of the internal affairs in the Genas domain, and that she hates Kaldia. Due to my late father¡¯s insane hobbies, and the fact that I¡¯ve inherited his looks and that the Kaldias have received the nickname of ¡°the demon family,¡± Margrave Genas¡¯s wife doesn¡¯t hide her distaste for us at all. Her disgust at how the biggest victims of my parents¡¯ insanity were Kaldia¡¯s own citizens probably led to her attitude towards the entire Kaldia domain. Although I don¡¯t know the details, there¡¯s also rumors that her father and my grandfather had been archenemies as well.


    ¡°Teo, do you still have warriors available to move out right away at this moment?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Ahh, half of them are still here, helping with the village¡¯s construction.¡±


    ¡°Construction can wait until later. Summon all the remaining warriors here.¡±


    Teo didn¡¯t nod at me in acknowledgement. He stepped up to me, kneeled, and grabbed my shoulder. He probably didn¡¯t hold back his strength at all, I could hear some grinding sounds coming from my tiny shoulder.


    I gritted my teeth and bore the pain. I didn¡¯t even allow my cheek muscles to twitch in the slightest. I met Teo¡¯s sharp gaze directly as he spoke.


    ¡°I can¡¯t agree to having the construction of our living quarters be delayed. Or are you saying, that the original citizens of your domain are more important than us, the newcomers? You¡¯re the one who told us originally that you would treat us the same.¡±


    Construction had already fallen far behind schedule. The original leader of the project, Kamil, has died. The refugee farmers that would have been numbers to help the construction have also been slaughtered, and the new construction overseer, me, had been out for some time. They¡¯re using construction materials that they¡¯re not used to, and getting used to living in an entirely new environment. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    To him, finishing the construction for his tribe is critically important. I also knew beforehand how passionate he was about this.


    Teomer is one of the leaders of the Shiru tribe. During his tribe¡¯s long escape from the Denzer army, several of their leaders perished, so he had been chosen as one of their new leaders. Among his tribe¡¯s eight leaders, he¡¯s the only young one, but his age didn¡¯t matter. Young and old, everyone in the Shiru tribe respected him, and pinned their hopes on him.


    I put my own tiny hand on top of Teo¡¯s hand on my shoulder.


    ¡°Teomer Terit, I¡¯m also troubled by the fact that the construction of your tribe¡¯s living quarters isn¡¯t complete yet. ¡­¡­But, I wasn¡¯t in the royal capital to play around. It¡¯ll be no problem to stop the construction temporarily.¡±


    Teo blinked slowly. In his stone grey eyes, a flame seemed to be flickering.


    ¡°¡­¡­You have some sort of measures in place?¡±


    ¡°I had a discussion with Lord Carson about hiring some carpenters. Next month, sixty carpenters will be arriving here, bringing their entire workshop. From furniture to more difficult things such as boats and bridges, they¡¯ll be building those for us. They¡¯re currently working on processing the wood to be used. I also asked them to prepare some spinning wheels and weaving machines.¡±


    Indeed, I didn¡¯t have the luxury of playing around in the royal capital at all. I don¡¯t have the free time, or the right, to do such a thing. I continued speaking.


    ¡°I know. I presumptuously said that I¡¯d accept your tribe, but my original citizens have negative feelings towards me. Even so, I have the duty to protect everyone, which is why I have to make use of your warriors. ¡­¡­I may not be able to live the lifestyle of a warrior, but this is something I simply have to do out of my own pride.¡±


    Teo¡¯s hand on my shoulder completely loosened its grip. He looked straight into my eyes that were the color of blood. A blaze burned brightly in his eyes, feeling similar to when Earl Terejia was looking straight at me as if he could see through me. He could see himself reflected in my eyes.


    Under the urging of Claudia behind me, he finally got up. Then, he bowed deeply towards me.


    ¡°¡­¡­I apologize for my rudeness. As my lord has commanded, I¡¯ll summon all of the warriors in the village here. Let¡¯s search westward.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯ll be helpful. ¡­¡­Thank you.¡±

 Ch 78

    The torchlight was flickering on this dark, moonless night. This year as well, there were a few phosphorescent moths flying about. From the tiny hill, their light was all I could see that was moving.Teo had gathered the warriors, and we¡¯ve already been searching for the bandits for half an hour. I borrowed a tent, and Ratoka went to sleep first in it. I¡¯m getting sleepy as well, but since I¡¯m still waiting on a report, I stood waiting outside the tent.


    Suddenly, I heard a loud flapping sound from above me, and I lifted my head to look at the sky. It seems that Rashiok detected my return somehow, it was his wings causing the commotion. The huge draconis now currently hovering in front of me, had already grown to be as big as a horse. He¡¯s still far from reaching maturity, but his body¡¯s already grown.


    Rashiok slowly lowered that beautiful body of his in front of me. He greeted me with a growl that meant he wanted to be spoiled, he must have not wanted to be left behind at my original mansion while I¡¯m doing all these things here.


    ¡°Thank you for coming to see me, Rashiok. I guess I didn¡¯t promise a time I would be back by.¡±


    His ears bent back just like a dog¡¯s would. As I carefully petted him so that I wouldn¡¯t accidentally scrape off any of his scales, he closed his eyes and seemed to enjoy it.


    ¡°It seems that a bandit group from the Densel Dukedom has invaded us. ¡­¡­It seems that our neighbors just won¡¯t give us a break. If only they would take Earl Terejia¡¯s age into consideration and let him rest.¡±


    Although I was using sarcasm, just like a human would respond, Rashiok snorted at my comment.


    Bandit groups. I slowly took over my time to think about them. They seem to be common in this world, and just a few years ago, they used to be a problem here in Kaldia as well. Well, most of them were pacified after my father died, with them becoming soldiers in the Kaldia army. Earl Terejia¡¯s viewpoint was that they were more victims than aggressors due to my father¡¯s despotic policies, and emphasized allowing them to make up for their crimes by joining the military. Some people still remain unaccounted for, but for now, there¡¯s no major bandit problems in the kingdom of Arxia.


    Most bandits, only turned to banditry because they had no other way of making a living. Most of them were originally farmers, and it was hunger and poverty that forced them into banditry. With the way that Kaldia had been, where people didn¡¯t have money, food, or even clothes at times since my father had taken everything from his citizens, it was only natural that bandits would appear.


    This time though, a bandit group has taken the trouble of crossing the border between countries to invade us. What¡¯s more, the public peace and order is usually much better in Arxia than it is in Densel. At first, I thought that the bandits were invading for some strategic purpose, but it seems that they¡¯ve only been pillaging and plundering.


    If they have some sort of purpose in mind, I wouldn¡¯t know. It would be nice if I could come up with some clever method to capture them.


    ¨C Some of the tools in the deepest part of my mansion¡¯s dungeon, I wonder if I should make use of them.


    I kept thinking about such matters while paying no attention to the flickering torchlight in front of me. A bandit group has invaded us from the neighboring country which we have bad relations with. The bandits passed through Jugfena without suffering any damage. I asked for cooperation from Genas, but was rejected. If I can just catch them, any information leaked about them as well as how I deal with them will be completely up to the discretion of Earl Terejia and I.


    In other words, trying to get information out of them is also the capturer¡¯s job. For the second time, I thought about the tools I had placed into the deepest part of the dungeon, a relic of my father¡¯s twisted hobbies, but unfortunately it looks probable that I might be the very one to bring them out again. I can¡¯t exactly sell them, and I had kept them thinking that maybe I would have them melted down and made into weapons as they were made of iron. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The memories of how to use them are still vividly etched into my mind, forced upon me as I was already self-aware with my reincarnated memories when I was one year old, without the ability yet to fully control my body.


    I also gained the knowledge of how to toy with people¡¯s lives and spirits. No matter how disgusting I find it, I was born into the Kaldia family after all.


    Rashiok¡¯s ears suddenly jumped up from their flattened state while I was stroking him, and he started watching the path to the hilltop I was on. After a little while, I saw some people riding up the hill on horseback. The person leading them was Gunther.


    ¡°My lord!¡±


    Gunther and his subordinates got off their horses as they approached me, and kneeled. He chuckled a little at seeing Rashiok by my side, but his expression immediately got serious as he said ¡°reporting in.¡±


    ¡°Gunther, what information do you have?¡±


    ¡°The Shiru warriors that were searching along the borders found evidence of track marks along our Genas border, from when the bandits crossed over. The closest places to where they entered are Charon village and Nezu village, and there¡¯s a report from Nezu village that a mother and daughter living together there have been missing since earlier today.¡±


    As expected, the bandit group has invaded us, making use of the border with Genas repeatedly. If they cross the border, my troops won¡¯t be allowed to chase them. How impudent, they¡¯re making use of our internal political conflicts to their advantage.


    ¡°Search for them. Have our most skilled trackers follow the trail for as far as possible. Take Rashiok along with you. Claudia and I shall go to Nezu village. Our first priority should be the safety of the missing mother and daughter.¡±


    ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll leave three soldiers here to help protect you.¡±


    Without waiting for anything else, Gunther jumped onto his horse and rode off. I had already finished giving my orders, so I didn¡¯t mind. The sound of his horse¡¯s hooves soon faded. After I rubbed his head a bit, Rashiok took off into the night as well almost silently.


    I had the three soldiers that Gunther left me ride by Claudia, and I got on my horse as well. I¡¯ll just leave Ratoka here. I¡¯m going to narrow the search area to the southeast part of my domain, and I also ordered all the Shiru warriors searching nearby to join me, as I headed for Nezu village.


    Being nomads, the Shiru warriors are extremely skilled trackers. When hunting, it¡¯s said that no prey can escape them once they¡¯ve caught up. It all depends on luck now if they¡¯re still currently here in Kaldia or if they¡¯ve crossed back over to Genas. I¡¯m going to have to leave the fate of my two missing citizens, well, up to fate.

 Ch 79

    October 11, 2016 ¡¤ by imperfectluck ¡¤ in Uncategorized. ¡¤Now that I¡¯ve reached Nezu village, I can finally rest a little. Although personally I would prefer to not go to sleep yet as my mind is still sharp, my young body is telling me that it¡¯s tired. It¡¯s getting late in the night as well, so it¡¯ll be difficult to fight off the desire to sleep. I borrowed a room in one of the mayor¡¯s houses, as he also happened to be the biggest landlord in Nezu village. I fell asleep almost instantly upon reaching my bed, but I woke up quickly the next morning as well, getting up together with dawn.


    I changed out of my clothes that I hadn¡¯t bothered getting out of last night, and wiped myself with a wet towel from a bucket provided for me last night. I used a cheap cotton cloth to clean my teeth.


    When I finished and walked out of my room, Claudia was sitting there waiting for me, and she greeted me. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Did you manage to get some rest, Ellusia-dono?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Eliza, Claudia-dono. Good morning. I¡¯m feeling fine, strangely not tired at all.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear, Eliza-dono.¡±


    Claudia, who had spent the entire night guarding my room, sounded a little less energetic compared to normal. She hasn¡¯t been resting enough ever since we left the royal capital as she¡¯s been entirely focused on being my personal bodyguard. I¡¯m really going to have to make her rest a lot after this commotion is over and taken care of. ¨C In the first place, it¡¯s a bit too much to ask her to be my only bodyguard. It was a bit easier when I was back at the mansion, but now that I¡¯m currently out on the move, there¡¯s a lot more things to deal with.


    When I went downstairs, the mayor¡¯s wife had already prepared breakfast for me. When everyone saw me, a small sound of lamentation broke the silence in the hall.


    ¡°Stop that.¡±


    In front of something she didn¡¯t want to see, the mayor¡¯s wife put a quick stop to the lamenting. The mayor¡¯s wife was a woman of more than 30 years old, but she wouldn¡¯t even look directly at me. I properly thanked the mayor¡¯s wife for hosting and feeding me, but she pitifully just kept trembling. Although she seemed like she was running as if to escape from me, I followed after her to the dining hall where breakfast had been prepared for me. There was no poison or anything unusual, just rye bread commonly found anywhere and egg soup, as well as some sausages. Since sausages are preserved food and the cattle industry hasn¡¯t quite recovered yet in Kaldia, this is actually quite luxurious and they¡¯re taking rather good care of me.


    I don¡¯t know whether to feel happy or pained. But in any case, if they treat me well, I¡¯ll treat them kindly in turn.


    ¡°You seem ¨C to be quite calm.¡±


    ¡°Hah?¡±


    ¡°No, Ena-dono¡­¡­ Whoops, I mean, Eliza-dono, I can see for myself that you always worry yourself over your citizens.¡±


    Ahh, how rare, Claudia noticed mid-sentence that she said my name wrong and corrected herself. Meaning, she thinks that I should be more worried, and more angry.


    Indeed, that would be normal. I believe that as well.


    I¡¯m calmer than she believed I should be, due to the fact that all the Shiru warriors are on the move. My army and the Shiru warriors, will definitely catch the bandits and bring them before me. That¡¯s what I believe ¨C or in other words, I trust them. I have to.


    ¡°I believe Gunther and Teo will live up to my expectations.¡±


    At my reply, Claudia blinked, then she smiled.


    When I left the mayor¡¯s house, waiting for me outside were Paulo and the three soldiers that Gunther left in charge of my protection yesterday.


    ¡°Good morning, my lord.¡±


    ¡°Morning. Anything to report?¡±


    ¡°Rashiok¡¯s discovered their tracks. He¡¯s currently following them.¡±


    Paulo answered with a lively voice. He had only been a novice soldier in training just last year, but it feels like all the soldiers that returned from Fort Jugfena have really matured. Speaking of maturing, Rashiok is now the size of a horse, it¡¯s getting difficult for me who¡¯s still quite short to get on his back. Being the intelligent draconis he is, he¡¯s using his other abilities to assist me.


    ¡­¡­I stopped myself from getting lost in my thoughts and asked Paulo, ¡°anything else?¡± He seemed to hesitate a little, before opening his mouth again.


    ¡°Also¡­¡­ we discovered what we believe to be hair strands from the missing women.¡±


    Women¡¯s hair strands, eh. It seems that it was discovered on the side of the road. The rest can be left up to the imagination, the unfortunate plight of the women taken by the bandits. Since we¡¯ve discovered their hair strands while tracking the bandits, it can mostly be confirmed that they¡¯re responsible for kidnapping the women.


    It feels like I¡¯m starting to see red.


    Last night I still had some doubts about what might have happened, but now it feels like some sort of anger is starting to flow up within me. It¡¯s not irritation or rage, it feels like I¡¯m boiling inside, but I don¡¯t know what word to express it as other than anger.


    ¡°Eliza-dono, your eyes are getting really scary.¡±


    At Claudia¡¯s comment, I noticed that Paulo seemed to be getting really scared of me. I wonder just how frightening my face had been. I¡¯m still only seven years old on the outside, I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d be able to leave that much of an impression. I rubbed my eyes, and Paulo appeared slightly relieved.


    ¡°Got it, tell everyone that they¡¯re to pick up the pace and keep tracking the bandits.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Paulo replied energetically and I saw him off, then I turned to Claudia.


    I took out some paper and charcoal wrapped in a bundle from the pouch under my belt, and began writing a simple letter.


    ¡°Claudia-dono, I¡¯m relieving you temporarily from your duties as my bodyguard. I want you to take Elise (Ratoka) from Sera River back to my mansion, the Mansion of Golden Hills. Give this letter to him.¡±


    Claudia¡¯s eyes were following the charcoal as I finished writing my simple letter, with her lips moving as she read what I was writing. The memo to Ratoka simply asked him to bring out the whip from the deepest part of the dungeon and bring it to me, as well as making sure the real noble girl Elise didn¡¯t find out about this. That whip has drank the blood of many people, it¡¯s not something that a sickly girl recovering from an illness should be witnessing.


    ¡°In order for it to be not said that I¡¯m the incarnation of my father, I¡¯m going to have to consider how to use it.¡±


    ¡°I know you¡¯re not like him.¡±


    ¡±Then, it¡¯s fine.¡±


    Claudia nodded slightly, gave some orders to the three soldiers remaining for my protection, then headed for the stables to get her horse.


    I was still seeing red in my vision, and boiling inside. Even so, my head still mysteriously somehow remained as cool as ice. It was as if I managed to remain frozen solid within boiling water.


    That¡¯s why, I¡¯m going to wait here. I¡¯m going to wait for my soldiers, my citizens, my draconis to drag those bastards in front of me.

 Ch 80

    October 18, 2016 ¡¤ by imperfectluck ¡¤ in Uncategorized. ¡¤Two young women that didn¡¯t seem twenty years old yet, were dragged in front of me while frantically crying and screaming by my soldiers, they weren¡¯t able to say anything comprehensible.


    ¡°Thanks for your work, sorry but, could you guys get out of this room now?¡±


    I realize very well that my voice sounds quite raspy. The soldiers saluted me, then dashed out of the room like they were escaping from me.


    I suppose I had indeed only given my soldiers the order to bring the rescued women before me without going into much detail, so this situation can¡¯t be helped. The women had been discovered together with the bandit scum that my soldiers recently captured, with plenty of signs of abuse. It would only be natural that they¡¯d be scared of my soldiers and other such men as well right now, increasing their fear. I complimented myself on having the young women from the village prepare something beforehand a few hours ago. I had asked them to prepare a bucket of hot water to wash with and some clean cloths.


    ¡°Go ahead and wipe down your bodies. After that, have a meal. It¡¯s simple, but feel free to eat as much as you like.¡±


    ¡°Yes, domain lord-sama.¡±


    The village girl who seemed to have a stronger will looked me in the eyes as she replied. The other girl just nodded her head in fright.


    Earlier today around noon, the bandit group had been discovered in a small cottage quite a ways north from Nezu village. Although the summer days are long, it¡¯s already getting late as it¡¯s dinnertime now.


    The mayor¡¯s wife had food prepared for us. When we learned about the discovery of the bandit group half an hour ago, we hurriedly contacted the Mansion of Golden Hills and had fruits, vegetables, and bread from there brought over. Ratoka, Claudia, and the three soldiers protecting me took turns in bringing foodstuffs over from the mansion, but Ratoka wasn¡¯t able to hide his dislike of having to make the trip between the mansion and Nezu village twice. Even with a veil, his distaste was plain to see.


    ¡°¡­¡­Don¡¯t pout like that. I¡¯ll even praise you.¡±


    As I said so, I gave that awkward child three fruits known as a rockfruit. This fruit is similar to loquats from my original world. In Kaldia where no edible fruits or berries grow naturally, fruits are considered a luxury. Of course, I didn¡¯t buy these, they were given to me recently as a gift when I was making social connections in the royal capital.


    ¡°Is this really fine?¡±


    ¡±I told you that I would praise you, didn¡¯t I? Besides, it looked like you really wanted to try these in the royal capital.¡±


    As my servant in training, Ratoka got to attend several parties and banquets together with me, but servants were only allowed to drink some water and tea, and were not permitted to touch the food for nobles. I know that this child has always had his sight fixed on this sweet-seeming fruit.


    And so, Ratoka finally seemed to cheer up from his bad mood as he began eating, and I turned my sight back upon the two girls that were still weeping.


    Both of them seemed to evoke a feeling of pity that would make one want to protect them. Although it was easy to infer from the fact that my army found several strands of their hair, parts of their hair was pulled out here and there. It was also easy to tell that they were subjected to violence, as there were multiple black and blue bruises on their bodies. There appeared to be sword injuries and even teeth marks on their arms and legs. Their clothes were tattered, torn almost completely to pieces around the breast area, and their skirts were quite torn up as well. While cleaning themselves up, it only made the injuries and damage even more painfully obvious to see. I think it¡¯ll be the best for them if I help them get some new loose-fitting tunics, clothes typical to Kaldia citizens. If they wear something tight with buttons or a corset like what¡¯s popular further inland in Arxia, I think that the clothes would only scrape against their injuries and constantly remind them of the pain. Since they¡¯re now in front of their domain lord, I¡¯ll help them regain their senses, and I shared the food transported here with them.


    ¡°Please eat. You¡¯ll feel warmer after a meal.¡±


    Helping them to clean their bodies, allowing them to eat their fill, having only women around them, that should help the two victimized women calm down. Their trembling finally eased as they looked around the room and saw that the only strangers were me and Ratoka, whom they believed to be a girl. At what I was about to do from now on, I started feeling a little melancholy. I need to ask them why the bandits had abducted them. I feel sorry for them that I¡¯m going to be digging up their memories of the things that were probably done to them right after they¡¯ve calmed down a little, but it¡¯s my duty to do so. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°¡­¡­Have you two calmed down a little?¡±


    I can¡¯t really do much else for the two of them emotionally, I merely stayed here in the same room as them all this time to get them used to my presence. I have a slight feeling of self-loathing right now, but I also simultaneously took out some charcoal and paper.


    The two of them nodded nervously. They seemed like they were about to speak to me, but their mothers next to them shot me looks of disapproval. However, I ignored it and carried on.


    ¡°What violence those people did to you, anything they said to you, please try to remember it all as clearly as possible.¡±


    I didn¡¯t ask them if it would be alright to ask. This is information that I need to hear immediately.


    The two young women instantly turned pale. It looked like they were trying their best to restrain themselves from crying again, as they relived their hellish memories.


    At that moment, the charcoal in my hand broke.


    I didn¡¯t realize it until now, but it seems that I had been clenching it too tightly. As I took out a new piece of charcoal, I kept telling myself to calm down over and over.

 Ch 81.1

    October 19, 2016 ¡¤ by imperfectluck ¡¤ in Uncategorized. ¡¤As for what I had done to the captured bandits, I had them gagged by stuffing cloths into their mouths, preventing them from biting their tongues to commit suicide, stripped naked to ensure that there were no hidden weapons on them, and also had their hands bound behind their backs and then threw them into that dark dungeon below my mansion.


    It¡¯s quite damp down there, it¡¯s dark and cold with no sunlight whatsoever, it¡¯s definitely a place that puts great stress on the human spirit.


    When Ratoka was younger, he had spent three days down there, and he had emerged from it seeming quite haggard. Although he did recover his energy after just a few days.


    ¡­¡­Come to think of it, Ratoka retrieved the whip for me from the dungeon with no problems. Although there are a few lights down there, for him to have slept just like normal in the dungeon, that child might actually be more bold than I thought.


    The only thing I gave the bandits was one very large barrel of water, then I left them alone in the dungeon for two days. This way, they have to go to the bathroom right there, they¡¯re starving, and they can¡¯t even drink properly through the cloths in their mouths. It¡¯s a method to increase the speed at which their spirits will break down.


    On the morning of the third day, I brought a bandit who seemed like he might be one of their leaders out of the dungeon. The bandit probably wasn¡¯t able to sleep properly, he looked haggard and pale as he stood in the interrogation room of the barracks. Since I haven¡¯t given him anything to eat for two days, he¡¯s probably feeling dizzy and nauseous as well.


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask you this first. You have anything you want to say?¡±


    He had been roughly washed by my soldiers, and was allowed to wear his original clothes again that have been inspected already, but his hair and beard were still filthy and unkempt.


    ¡°¡­¡­I have a very good understanding now of how you barbaric and savage Arxian nobles treat their prisoners. It¡¯s been quite a valuable experience.¡±


    He¡¯s got quite the iron will. He¡¯s perceptive as well.


    He went to the trouble of talking to me in the Arxian language, he didn¡¯t look down on me for being a child, and he even noted that I was ¡°Arxian nobility¡± on our first meeting. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°This dungeon was left behind by my late father, known for being the most cruel tyrant in all of Arxia. I couldn¡¯t think of any place more appropriate for the cultured visitors from another country to relax and rest. I¡¯m sure that you¡¯re used to soft beds?¡±


    I smiled at the irony. Although barbaric and savage are meant by him as insults to me, I don¡¯t think of it as such. I don¡¯t think anyone from Kaldia would think that to be much of an insult either.


    The soldiers that were guarding the bandit all laughed in unison. Since they¡¯re used to vulgar speech every day, they¡¯re much more skilled at ways to insult people. In order to break the prisoners completely, I had to ban several behaviors, and I thought about stopping them, but it seems I was correct not to. The bandit¡¯s face started turning slightly red at seeing everyone laugh at him.


    ¡°Oh? So even you guys have soft beds? Let me guess, the Arxian nobles and the commoners alike, you all sleep on stacks of straw?¡±


    ¡°Oh, so people in Densel must still sleep on stacks of straw. It seems that your culture must still be quite backwards, that must be really inconvenient. It was the right thing to do to have you guys sleep in the dungeon. After all, even the plain beds that commoners sleep in, are too good for you.¡±


    At seeing my snickering, and being lost for words to counter me, the bandit could only curse me out in his native Ringwren language, ¡°damned brat.¡±


    My soldiers weren¡¯t able to contain their laughter. Is it really that funny, I wonder. While I did order them to be ¡°crass and vulgar¡± towards the prisoners, and they¡¯ve followed my orders obediently¡­¡­ Although I think they would have done so without orders anyways.


    Well then, just with this trading of insults alone, I¡¯ve found out quite a bit about this bandit.


    Since I had quite a lot of knowledge about various languages forced into me by Mrs. Marshan, I was able to know that the bandit was cursing me in the Ringwren language. Although he has quite an accent, he¡¯s also able to speak Arxian ¨C this means that he¡¯s had quite the social upbringing. The Ringwren language is what¡¯s spoken in Densel and Planates. Despite the fact that he was cursing me, his pronunciation was very smooth, he¡¯s definitely someone from the upper class of society.


    And no matter what, he¡¯s not saying words I¡¯d expect a bandit to say. However, the information I received from Jugfena was that ¡°a bandit group has invaded our country.¡± On what basis did Jugfena call this group a ¡°bandit group,¡± I need to confirm it.


    Well, I¡¯ll organize the current information I have for now, and it¡¯s about time to start the real interrogation, so I called out to Ratoka who was in the next room. Ratoka is wearing a veil today as well so that the soldiers don¡¯t recognize him, but he probably has quite a distorted facial expression under that veil right now.


    ¡°Bring that item I had you prepare for me here.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Ratoka approached me, and uncoiled the whip in his hand for me. This whip has many chains and knots to it like a flail, and the knots seem specially designed to cause people to bleed more. I remember that my father gave this whip to my former older brother as a gift on his sixth birthday. I suppose that if my father were still alive, he¡¯d be giving me things like these as gifts too.


    Meanwhile, the bandit was looking at the whip with wide eyes of surprise. For the first time since entering this room, I saw his face twitch a little.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to ask you some more questions now. I don¡¯t mind if you answer them or not, but¡­¡­ Well, there¡¯s still eleven more people in the dungeon that can take your place. But, I¡¯m not going to go get any of them until I¡¯m finished with your interrogation.¡±


    At hearing so, the bandit¡¯s face started twitching more violently.


    ¡°If it gets to the last person, I wonder if he¡¯ll be almost dead of hunger.¡±


    My soldiers kept laughing crassly. I guess it was an effective follow-up blow, the bandit¡¯s face turned completely pale. I see, is there someone he really cares about in there, or someone really important that he can¡¯t allow to die in there, I wonder.


    ¡°You¡­¡­ You wicked heretic!¡±


    He started shouting at me in great anger.


    I see, so I¡¯m a heretic. Well then, I absolutely have to hear more about this.


    It¡¯s easier than I thought to get information from him, and I began to slightly feel like I may be enjoying this.

 Ch 82.2

    ¡°Alright, the first question may seem silly, but why did you guys come to Arxia?¡±The bandit glared at me without saying anything. Well, I¡¯m not going to waste words, I ordered the soldiers to force him to kneel, and began whipping him.


    Sounds of pain began echoing throughout the interrogation room. Since his clothes are still on, that should mitigate some of the damage. Taking that into consideration, I whipped him another five times.


    He was gritting his teeth to deal with the pain, and wouldn¡¯t even moan. As I expected, he¡¯s not a simple bandit. There¡¯s no way that a normal bandit who only invaded Arxia to pillage and steal should have a strong enough will to withstand torture.


    ¡°Let me ask a different question. Where were you headed in Arxia?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m not familiar with Arxian geography.¡±


    I suppose he learned that he¡¯ll suffer again if he keeps remaining silent, so he spat that out at me. I¡¯m not impressed by his lie. I whipped him again.


    Dark red spots began appearing on his linen shirt. They were shaped like earthworms, marks left by the whip. It seems that his skin is beginning to tear.


    They¡¯re able to skillfully make use of our internal borders, and escape from the Jugfena cavalry platoons, what a joke, saying he doesn¡¯t know Arxian geography.


    I switched the whip to my left hand, and continued whipping him with all my strength. The whip made a sharp cracking sound in the air with each swing that mingled with the dull thuds of it striking flesh. The metal chains on it kept causing injuries instantly, staining his shirt red wherever it landed.


    He finally managed to moan something out. I saw several of my soldiers grimacing.


    ¡°Urgh, n, no¡­¡­ North¡­¡­ We were going north!¡±


    ¡°North?¡±


    ¡°Y, yes. Since the southern and eastern domains in Arxia are along the border and on guard against other countries, and have stronger standing armies, we were going north¡­¡­¡±


    Whatever his reason, it¡¯s true that they were heading north. The Amon Nor mountains run all the way through the northern and eastern parts of Kaldia and Jugfena. Even in summer, it¡¯s very difficult to traverse through that mountain range. As for the bandits¡¯ tracks, ever since the last time they escaped from the Genas domain, they¡¯ve been heading directly north and have been avoiding villages. They crossed into the central portion of Kaldia from Genas, which happens to be close to the Amon Nor mountains. It¡¯s true that they were taking the shortest distance north.


    ¨C They sure do have a good understanding of Arxian geography, don¡¯t they.


    I begun whipping his legs rather than his back. His back seems quite swollen already. Pain from being whipped is different from other types of pain like being burned, the pain won¡¯t fade easily, it will continue to hurt. People are quite weak to pain.


    ¡°Urgh¡­¡­ Gah¡­¡­!¡±


    It must be humiliating for him to be tortured by a child. Every time I swung down the whip against his legs, he groaned.


    ¡°Why did you abduct those women?¡±


    ¡°To find¡­¡­ the exact locations of the villages¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°If that was all, you guys went quite overboard.¡±


    They definitely didn¡¯t need to do what they did to those women if it was only to find out the locations of the villages.


    ¡°¡­¡­Some of the younger ones, they wanted to use them as sex slaves and have some fun¡­¡­ Agh-!!!¡±


    My whip just happened to connect against his heel just then. It seems that it managed to tear off some flesh, he raised his voice in agony. Maybe he experienced too much pain all at once, he ended up fainting. Pain aside, this is to be expected. I did have him starved for two days to aid in breaking down his spirit after all.


    ¡°Bring me some wine.¡±


    I pointed to a random soldier and had him bring me some of the cheap, low-grade bottles of wine that I had prepared beforehand on a table alongside the wall to this room. There was a strange and heavy atmosphere in the room now after seeing my interrogation. The soldier gingerly handed me a bottle of wine with jerky motions.


    I poured the wine onto the bandit¡¯s back. The alcohol began soaking into his blood. The man screamed as he woke up again.


    ¡°The interrogation isn¡¯t over yet. Before it ends, you¡¯re not allowed to rest.¡±


    When a person¡¯s mind is in a haze, it makes it difficult to think clearly or come up with lies. Meaning, people under great duress are more likely to tell the truth once they can¡¯t think straight anymore due to the pain.


    I swung my whip again, and his screams continued.


    It took four days for me to finish interrogating all the bandits. In order for them to not die before giving me all their precious information, I fed them just a little, but of course since I didn¡¯t give them enough, they were tortured all the more by pangs of hunger.


    By the time I got through half of them, I was swinging my whip noticeably less times, it seems that I was using some muscles I don¡¯t normally use very much, I definitely felt some dull muscle pain from my arms.


    Knowledge gained from my father on torture methods proved quite helpful, and I was able to draw out a lot of information from the bandits. Although I might learn more if I interrogate them more in a second session, for now I¡¯ll just write down what I learned and send a report to Earl Terejia.


    ¨C As expected, they weren¡¯t simply a group of bandits. Several of them seem to be highly educated. While Densel is indeed culturally behind Arxia, I can¡¯t imagine that it¡¯s so bad to where their nobles would stoop to being bandits. Meaning, there¡¯s Densel nobility behind these bandits, or maybe something even higher. Taking into consideration that the first bandit I interrogated called me a ¡°heretic,¡± there might be some sort of religious entity involved as well.


    The religion that Densel believes in has a god named Revua at the top, with various lesser gods below Revua. So compared to the Ar Xia church in Arxia, they¡¯re called the Revua church. I concluded that the first bandit may be a believer of the Revua church¡­¡­ And thinking along those lines, isn¡¯t there also quite a good chance that they may have disguised themselves as bandits and invaded Arxia for some religious purpose?


    Also, I confirmed that their goal was to head ¡°north.¡± I had already sent out warnings several days ago to various northern nobles about possible danger, even to the Nordsturms that I don¡¯t get along with. Even though they¡¯re opposing the decision of the Hall of Lords, and view me as an eyesore to be dealt with ¨C the Nordsturms are an important noble family, that¡¯s an unavoidable fact, and I¡¯m sure even Earl Terejia would agree with me that I should send them a warning.


    Well, I¡¯m only extending them that courtesy assuming that they will at least band together internally against external enemies. It¡¯s a different story if the Nordsturms have some sort of dealings with foreign organizations. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    I have no evidence. But, I need to be vigilant.


    I finished my report, locked the drawer to my desk, and stretched my back. I winced slightly at my own muscle pain.

 Ch 83

    October 24, 2016 ¡¤ by imperfectluck ¡¤ in Uncategorized. ¡¤It happened right after I finished my second round of interrogations. A messenger pigeon came to us from the House of Lords in the royal capital. The message stated that the bandit group that successfully invaded Arxia have been declared national enemies to be on guard against, and that they were to be taken into custody by the royal army under direct command of the king.


    ¡°It¡¯s fortunate that there¡¯s still more than ten days before I have to take them to the royal army.¡±


    ¡°You do realize that they¡¯re going to be taken into custody by the country?¡±


    Ratoka was reacting to the news in the letter. I had just commented on it, and he was asking me why I thought it was lucky. I nodded, and began my explanation. Although I have a ton of work, it¡¯s summer, and the cloying heat is a distraction. I felt like a little change of pace by chatting with Ratoka. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Although they were captured in the end, they still managed to penetrate through our border domains and even reach further inland. That¡¯s something that hasn¡¯t happened since the great war in which the Artolas Kingdom was destroyed. Our defenses aren¡¯t that light. At the very least, a simple ¡®bandit group¡¯ shouldn¡¯t be able to penetrate so far inland.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­But, they did get that far.¡±


    I emphasized that they weren¡¯t a simple bandit group, and Ratoka lowered his eyes to look at the floor. It seems that he¡¯s trying to organize the information he knows already with the hint I just gave him, despite his young age, he¡¯s got quite a good brain that works fast. I have the habit of looking down whenever I¡¯m thinking. It seems that he¡¯s copied my habit.


    ¡°Mrs. Marshan taught me that information about Arxian internal affairs isn¡¯t very well known outside our country, especially to a hostile country we don¡¯t have a friendly relationship with like Densel.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡±


    ¡°Commoners would have even less access to information about Arxia. The only place in Densel where they would even see Arxians is in the palace at their capital, where Arxian diplomats stay¡­¡­ For that bandit group to know our borders in such detail, they may have a connection with the Densel palace. Come to think of it, some of them knew how to speak Arxian. Is there a noble mixed in amongst them¡­¡­¡±


    I nodded at each of his analyses of the information so far, when I suddenly realized that my lips were beginning to shape themselves into the form of a smile. The way this child thinks, while he did receive the same education as I did, he¡¯s really so similar to me. Sharing information with him is a good way to confirm my own theories, it seems quite effective so far as Ratoka¡¯s inferences overlap with mine, this is good. Now that I¡¯ve noticed how smart he is, I¡¯m going to make even more use of him in the future.


    ¡°Of course the House of Lords doesn¡¯t know that these bandits are highly educated yet, those nobles are probably of course more concerned with the path the bandits took as they invaded us, feeling suspicious about it. They want to be on guard against the neighboring country, and not let any future invaders get anywhere close to them.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sooner or later our country would learn about us capturing the bandits. That¡¯s why I spent so much energy interrogating the bandits so much.¡±


    Before they were taken away from me, to where I wouldn¡¯t be able to reach them anymore, I wanted to squeeze as much information as possible out of them first. Ratoka nodded, saying ¡°I see.¡±


    I fell silent, and pointed to the bottle of water on the desk. I¡¯d gotten thirsty after all this chatting. Maybe an attitude of serving has been ingrained into him, Ratoka poured a glass of water for me almost unconsciously. This apple mint water has a distinctive cool, refreshing feeling, it completely wiped away the feeling of summer for me. I felt recharged instantly, and continued chatting.


    ¡°I suspect that there may be conspirators within our country aiding them. They knew too many details about our internal geography.¡±


    ¡°Conspirators, eh. Indeed, our diplomats should have no reason to teach the enemy about our geography. But, why is it that Arxia is going to all the trouble of taking custody of the bandits and moving them?¡±


    As expected, when it comes to the way that nobles think, Ratoka hasn¡¯t learned enough yet and he still can¡¯t come up with the reason. He stopped thinking about it, and asked me directly and politely.


    ¡°If they¡¯re in a dungeon in the royal capital, the nobles can easily go see the prisoners. Since nobles are used to having people at their beck and call, of course they¡¯d want the prisoners within their reach. What¡¯s more, if the Nordsturms are involved like I¡¯m worried about, it¡¯ll be the most inconvenient for them more than anyone if the bandits remain here as our prisoners.¡±


    ¡°But, isn¡¯t it dangerous to just obediently hand the prisoners over then?¡±


    ¡°Who said we¡¯re just going to obediently hand them over?¡±


    Eh, Ratoka froze for a moment. Then, he hit his hand with his fist after two deep breaths. He has a look of absolute disgust.


    ¡°I see. You¡¯re going to ¡®kill¡¯ some people, just like you did to me.¡±


    ¡°You should be watching your vocabulary and acting more feminine, ¡®Elise.¡¯¡±


    As I thought, he really thinks in a similar fashion to me. Yes, even if it¡¯s an order from the House of Lords, I see no reason to give them all of the bandits. After all, I had the full authority to question them until this letter arrived. Meaning, even if I accidentally killed one or two bandits during the interrogation process, that was a possibility.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already decided who I¡¯m going to have ¡®killed.¡¯ The first bandit I interrogated, and one other, that blonde-haired man. ¡­¡­I have to take the rest of the bandits to the royal capital like they want. I¡¯ll leave the preparations to you, Elise.¡±


    I ended my chat with Ratoka there. Although I returned to my domain because of the bandit invasion, I can¡¯t just keep them confined here indefinitely and stay here.


    Like I promised Teo, I still need to finish the dealings with other nobles about getting tradesmen from their territories to come help in our construction. I had just really wanted to draft up a more organized system of government while I was back here in my domain. There¡¯s still several urgent problems I need to resolve about the construction though, so I have to take care of that as well.


    It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve ever had to deal with the paperwork and procedures necessary for accepting so many new citizens, I¡¯ve been incredibly busy with very little time to rest. As for the management work and rebuilding of my domain, I¡¯m beginning to do more and more of it instead of Earl Terejia.


    Honestly, that earl¡­¡­ He¡¯s already so elderly, and thinking about how I was still only seven, I almost wanted to cry a little.

 Ch 84

    October 25, 2016 ¡¤ by imperfectluck ¡¤ in Uncategorized. ¡¤I returned to the royal capital, gave the bandits over to the royal army, and headed for Earl Terejia¡¯s villa. I went to hear about what happened in the royal capital while I was away, and to report on what happened in my domain, an exchange of information.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve returned?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Earl.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no mistakes in the report from the two female victims from Nezu village?¡±


    ¡°The injuries on their bodies match what they say. The Shiru tribe members that helped in capturing the bandits can confirm this as well.¡±


    It seems that Earl Terejia still isn¡¯t feeling well, as the meeting was in his bedroom. Looking at the earl in his sleepwear more closely, I feel like he¡¯s gotten a bit more gaunt since the last time I saw him. Even though I have grown a little as well, he used to always seem so big to me, and now looking at him he feels thin and small¡­¡­ He even seems brittle.


    ¡°How is your body¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just a little fatigued, it¡¯s no problem. ¡­¡­As expected, the years are catching up to me.¡±


    Normally, the earl and I would just dispense with the pleasantries and get immediately to business and work. For me to be asking how he is, I wonder if it¡¯s because I¡¯m seeing how old he is, lying down in bed. ¨C Well, it¡¯s mutual, we both talk only about work. I don¡¯t know if Earl Terejia sees me as his subordinate or his employer, but either way, asking him about how his body is or if he¡¯s working too hard isn¡¯t like me at all.


    ¡°Is anything going on in the royal capital?¡±


    Well, I¡¯ll cut to the chase with the topic of the earl¡¯s body, and get to the main topic. Suddenly, the earl¡¯s already strict-seeming face crinkled even further. Something major must have happened, my back felt stiff and tense.


    ¡°Several days ago, the royally-sponsored religious festival took place.¡±


    ¡°I know about that. If it wasn¡¯t for the bandit group incident, I was supposed to have attended that originally.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an important social event that you happened to miss. This religious festival is the largest event of the entire season. But back to the point, the king made an announcement during the festival.¡±


    It was an unexpected topic, I couldn¡¯t help but blink unconsciously. Because the king personally announced it to all his subjects, it must have been something that affects the entire country. Even so, the king shouldn¡¯t have the power to decide national politics all by himself. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The king of Arxia has full authority for managing and governing over the country. But, there¡¯s a limit to what any one person can do, and the governing system in Arxia is one where the king shares power with his lords. Recently in the House of Lords, there shouldn¡¯t have been any topics that would require the king to directly make an announcement to the citizens.


    ¡°It¡¯s about the princes.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Ah, I see. If it¡¯s a royal family matter, then the House of Lords would have no say in it.¡±


    I finally got what was going on, and responded affirmatively. I¡¯m still learning more about politics related to the church and royal family, so I wasn¡¯t able to instantly connect all the dots this time.


    Just recently, I had learned from Mrs. Marshan¡¯s lectures that there¡¯s two areas of politics where the House of Lords has no right to interfere in. One area is diplomacy with foreign countries, and the other is the affairs of the royal family. Diplomacy is the realm of the king, the archduke¡¯s family, and the Upper House of Lords, while matters about the royal family themselves are jointly decided by the royal family, the church, and the Upper House of Lords.


    ¡°There¡¯s currently several princes in the royal family, but do you know how many are in line for direct succession to the throne?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Queen Dionesia¡¯s son Prince Albert, and Princess Evaris¡¯s son Prince Alfred, just those two, right?¡±


    When I asked if I was right, Earl Terejia nodded in confirmation like he was saying I did a good job at remembering.


    ¡°Are you still in the middle of your classes on current issues within the royal family?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll explain it simply for you, Queen Dionesia is the daughter of the duke of Planates Dukedom, while Princess Evaris is a princess from the Melloart family. Since the Queen and the Princess have roughly equal status within Arxia, it¡¯s difficult to determine which prince shall become the crown prince.¡±


    At the earl¡¯s explanation, I thought back to the last time he taught me about politics. (TL note: Chapter 74, mentions the Arxian royalty.) With this much of an explanation, I can see where this is going.


    ¡°Then, was the announcement at the religious festival about the selection of a crown prince?¡±


    ¡°Correct. The crown prince was announced to be the second prince, Prince Alfred, son of Princess Evaris.¡±


    ¡°Prince Alfred? Not the first prince, Prince Albert?¡±


    It was different from what I expected, so I asked again to make sure. Earl Terejia nodded, so it seems that I didn¡¯t hear incorrectly. I hurriedly tried to recall as much as I can from what I learned about Arxian politics so far. According to Arxian law, there¡¯s indeed no different in status between a queen and princess. But currently, there does exist a difference in status between queen and princess in reality.


    Princess Evaris is from the Melloart family, which is one of two Arxian royal families. Together with the current family on the throne, the Teal family, they¡¯re direct descendants of St. Ahar, and they are treated as the same status as the archduke¡¯s family, without holding any positions other than that of family.


    On the other hand, when Queen Dionesia married into Arxia from Planates for a political marriage, she didn¡¯t have to relinquish her position in Planates. So she¡¯s both a queen of Arxia, as well as the daughter of the duke of Planates.


    What¡¯s more, there¡¯s also the matter of the order the princes were born in. Arxia isn¡¯t a kingdom in which the eldest inheriting is absolute, but it¡¯s a custom. Since Prince Albert¡¯s mother is of such high status, and he¡¯s the first prince, he should have been announced as the crown prince.


    ¡°Nobody doubted that Prince Albert would become the crown prince. Prince Albert is well known in the royal capital for being intelligent. Nothing¡¯s lacking about him for him to not become the crown prince.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Then how did this happen?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Because nobody knows, the royal capital is filled with tension and uncertainty at present.¡±


    I see, I nodded, and began mentally organizing information. So the crown prince was decided upon as the second prince instead of the first, and the nobles that had supported the first prince to become king were probably quite shaken. ¡­¡­No wait, just this alone shouldn¡¯t be such a big incident. Thinking about it some more, I didn¡¯t take into consideration the first prince¡¯s mother¡¯s background just earlier.


    ¡°Since we¡¯re currently on guard against Rindarl, there¡¯s quite a few nobles that feel animosity towards Planates¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Currently, it wouldn¡¯t be wise to provoke Planates though.¡±


    Anyone should think that. Even if the king didn¡¯t take that into consideration, the Upper House of Lords should have thought about it before making a hasty decision on the crown prince.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s useless even if we talk about it. All nobles like us can do is watch and see what happens.¡±


    Although I¡¯m still confused, what Earl Terejia is saying is correct. There¡¯s nothing I can do about things related to what goes on in the royal palace or in the royal family.


    ¡°Well then, can you fill me in with more details on what you heard from those bandits?¡±


    There¡¯s more important things to take care of first, like things related to my domain. And so I stopped worrying about the royal succession, as I changed the topic.

 Ch 85

    Just as I had heard from Earl Terejia, the announcement regarding the crown prince resulted in a huge commotion. It was the hottest topic of conversation on every street corner. Of course, this also became an agenda at the House of Lords.¡°Has the royal palace given thought to the influence of Planates?¡±


    ¡°With the situation unstable in Rindarl, why are we provoking the friendlier Planates?¡±


    ¡°But if the Eastern countries unite into the Rindarl Union, they¡¯ll become an even larger threat than the Densel Dukedom.¡±


    ¡°Rather, isn¡¯t it dangerous to snub the Queen¡¯s son, just because she¡¯s from Planates?¡±


    ¡°In the first place, there isn¡¯t even a need to decide on a crown prince in such a rush. Prince Albert doesn¡¯t reach adulthood until another four years.¡±


    It became really chaotic as soon as the discussions began. While the House of Lords can¡¯t directly interfere with the royal family¡¯s inheritance issue, it can still indirectly influence it through the Upper House of Lords. The nobles got heated up instantly and immediately directed their bickering towards one of the representatives in the Upper House of Lords, Royal Earl Edna. On just what basis was the second prince gaining the position of crown prince?


    Royal Earl Edna answered everyone with a bit of confusion in his own voice.


    ¡°Regarding the decision for a crown prince, I myself only found out about it from the royal family two months ago. Prime Minister Rittergau and all of us noble representatives opposed the decision. However, the church and every member of the royal family, with the exception of the queen, approved of making Prince Alfred into the crown prince.¡±


    ¡°Unbelievable. The royal family should know better than anyone how excellent Prince Albert is. The Melloart family aside, for everyone in the Teal family to support Prince Alfred as well¡­¡­¡±


    The one who had just spoken on how unbelievable it was, was Margrave Genas. Since he¡¯s the lord of one of the most geographically important domains in Arxia, his statement actually carries more weight than that of a lower-ranking representative in the Upper House of Lords such as Royal Earl Edna.


    Faced with a rebuke that he himself agreed with, Royal Earl Edna seemed like a frog who was staring down a snake about to eat him. ¡°Take it easy, relax,¡± Earl Einsbark aimed to defuse the situation. Not only is he the leader of one of the border domains consisting of our country¡¯s line of defense as well as the commander of Fort Jugfena, he¡¯s also from a branch of the royal family with slightly less influence. It seems like one of his roles is to mediate matters between the royal family and the nobles.


    While glancing about at the dispute, Earl Terejia began quietly explaining the situation in Rindarl to me. Compared to the adult nobles, I have a glaring lack of overall knowledge, which is why Earl Terejia often gives me short lectures whenever we attend conferences at the House of Lords.


    ¡°It can be said that it¡¯s currently a critical time in Rindarl right now. The four dukedoms are under pressure to unite into the Rindarl Union, doing away with the system of the four dukedoms that are remnants of the old Rindarl Kingdom. It means that the dukedoms will disappear and they may unite soon.¡±


    ¡°Well, the four dukedoms surround our entire eastern border. But, what¡¯s been suppressing their unity into one country so far?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been mostly just one matter. There is basically no difference in power amongst the four dukedoms. The matter of which among them would determine the central decisions, has been the biggest obstacle to them uniting.¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t have someone among them who is politically influential enough to become the leader of all four dukedoms?¡±


    I think it¡¯s quite interesting to learn about and deeply analyze political systems here. In my previous world, there was a different system where it was only considered natural that the king was all-powerful and could decide everything. In the case of Rindarl, where the four dukedoms are having difficulties truly coming to terms over who gets to be at the top, I¡¯m sure that it¡¯ll probably just result in having a figurehead leader.


    ¡°What will they do politically after they have created the Rindarl Union, I wonder.¡± S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Who knows¡­¡­ Will they make use of the noble system and royal power, I wonder?¡±


    ¡°While that system can be quite flexible, it¡¯ll probably also increase their own internal power struggles.¡±


    ¡°No matter the country¡¯s political system, one of its biggest headaches has always been the matter of inheritance of power at the top. Just like Arxia currently,¡± the Earl suddenly chuckled. He still appeared to have a pale complexion. He¡¯d recovered enough to get out of bed, but not fully. It seems that he was somewhat straining himself just by attending today¡¯s scheduled meeting.


    ¡°If the Rindarl Union is close to being established, isn¡¯t it definitely a bad idea to aggravate Planates right now?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s difficult to say. It¡¯s indeed true that amongst the four dukedoms, Planates is the only one with a friendly trade agreement with us. However, Densel is clearly hostile, while we have almost zero contact with Giograd and Parmigran. So if our relationship with Planates worsens, it¡¯ll almost be inevitable that relations with the Rindarl Union would become overwhelmingly bad.¡±


    Nothing about this is difficult for me to understand. All the nobles that are currently opposing Second Prince Alfred from becoming the crown prince are probably worried for the same reason. Since Margrave Genas¡¯ domain borders Planates, it¡¯s only natural for him to be especially worried about this topic to the point of paranoia.


    ¡°But as some of the nobles were discussing earlier, the fact that her Royal Highness the Queen also retained her position as the daughter of the Duke of Planates has become a problem.¡±


    However, the problems associated with First Prince Albert becoming our next king, I can¡¯t infer them because my studies haven¡¯t reached that point yet. While I tried to figure out the reason from what the Earl has told me so far, I couldn¡¯t understand no matter how hard I thought about it. Well, it can¡¯t be helped, I¡¯ll ask the reason. As a fellow domain lord in charge of the eastern border¡¯s defense, I¡¯ll never be able to face Margrave Genas out of shame if I don¡¯t learn why First Prince Albert wasn¡¯t chosen.


    ¡°¡­¡­So why, did they decide this?¡±


    ¡°Hmph. Well¡­¡­ Succession rights for the Duke of Planates isn¡¯t limited only to males in his direct family, any men that are his blood relatives can qualify. Although eldest sons do get priority.¡±


    Rather than answering me directly, he gave me yet another response that would require me to consider the information and come up with the answer myself. That¡¯s his usual manner of doing things. It seems that Earl Terejia strongly emphasizes training my logical reasoning ability.


    Since the Queen never gave up her position as the daughter of the Duke of Planates, that means she never gave up inheritance rights there¡­¡­ Right. That means, her son, Prince Albert can inherit in Planates as well¡­¡­?


    ¡°Meaning, because her Royal Highness the Queen didn¡¯t give up her position as the Planates Duke¡¯s daughter, Prince Albert is also eligible to inherit, and can become the Duke of Planates. Is that it?¡±


    ¡°According to the law of Planates, that is correct.¡±


    ¡°I see. That could indeed be quite a problem.¡±


    If Prince Albert becomes the crown prince, Arxia would almost certainly become controlled by Planates in the future. It would only be expected that even Planates would use Prince Albert to its own advantage.


    There probably weren¡¯t any issues when the Queen married into Arxia. However, there is now a looming presence known as the Rindarl Union that¡¯s surfaced. It can definitely be quite dangerous for Arxia if the person who inherits the position and royal bloodline of King of Arxia also has close ties with enemies of Arxia.


    I¡¯ve finally figured it out. My head feels refreshed. Now that I have no more doubts and can see the political situation clearly, I suddenly felt really bored listening to the nobles bickering over the succession, without knowing the truth behind the matter.


    As for what I think, what this all means, is that the royal family took the Rindarl situation into account when declaring a crown prince. After all, one of the first counter-arguments had been that neither prince was considered an adult yet, and there was no need to choose a crown prince so early.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­Mm,¡±


    Then, suddenly, just like a flashback, a memory appeared from my sea of thoughts. It was a memory fragment that seemed like it was telling a story to me rather than actually belonging to me.


    (The heroine of the otome game is Emilia Rindarl, daughter of the Archduke of the Rindarl Union. She came to the neighboring kingdom of Arxia with the hopes of getting married, which is why she entered the noble school here¡­¡­)


    ¨C That¡¯s right. That was the prologue to the otome game.


    But even so, I won¡¯t consider that to be a future set in stone. I also held a vague feeling of conviction that no matter how much the House of Lords disputed the choice of Second Prince Alfred as the crown prince, that they would not be able to overturn the decision.

 Ch 86

    The season for social gatherings was finally nearing its end, it¡¯s about time for the nobles to hire any staff they need from the capital and return to their domains.After they return to their domains, the harvest season begins. As for us, since the refugees brought us pumpkins this year, and the egg-laying chickens we bought two years ago have been maintaining a steady production, the food available after this year¡¯s harvest should be slightly grander than before.


    Thanks to the women that survived the era of my father¡¯s rule, we didn¡¯t lose some of the traditional ways to make some egg dishes. To me, that¡¯s a great relief. We¡¯ve already lost some traditional recipes for meat and fish dishes due to a lack of supplies during that time. ¡­¡­Thinking about it in reverse, I was able to take advantage of my family¡¯s status when I was young, and a few recipes were preserved by us. As for killing my family, I have to believe that I did the right thing. However, I can¡¯t deny that adding hemlock into that pot of soup that day was only an impulsive action at the time, due to me being tired of the situation I was in.


    That¡¯s why, I always have to check to ensure I¡¯m doing the right thing. Otherwise I wouldn¡¯t be able to remain mentally resilient and keep my spirit going. I won¡¯t allow myself to abandon the role of domain lord just because my heart falters.


    ¡°-Oi, oi, are you listening?¡±


    I was startled as someone tapped me on my shoulder, and I looked up to see Ratoka with a bewildered look on his face. I had been too lost in thinking about my own emotional baggage to notice my surroundings, so I blinked once to return myself to normal.


    ¡°¡­¡­Are you not feeling well?¡±


    ¡°No, I just wasn¡¯t paying attention because I was thinking about something.¡±


    At seeing the look on that child¡¯s face in front of me, I couldn¡¯t help but laugh a little. Seeing me doing so, Ratoka furrowed his eyebrows slightly.


    ¡°Get it together. What if you get assassinated, what would happen to me?¡±


    ¡°I doubt that I would be assassinated here in the royal capital at least.¡±


    ¡°Hnn¡­¡­ But, you never know who might be planning something!¡±


    As for me, I don¡¯t intend to go picking any fights, but until I¡¯m able to fully rebuild my domain and make it into an iron defense as part of our country¡¯s border, I suppose there will naturally be some danger. What¡¯s more, there are also those that are angry at me simply because I received some of the country¡¯s national defense budget.


    In any case, I took another good look at Ratoka.


    ¡°¡­¡­What is it?¡±


    ¡°Would you really be troubled if I died, I was wondering. One year ago, you were so energetic in saying that you¡¯d kill me.¡±


    ¡°Y¡­¡­ You! Is there no limit to how evil you can be!?¡±


    With a sound of shock, Ratoka gave me a look of disgust. With the straight way he expresses his emotions, what a hot-blooded shonen protagonist he is. Also, I felt a sense of relief that I didn¡¯t feel any killing intent from him anymore.


    ¡°My bad, it was a bit much for a joke.¡±


    ¡°Honestly. ¡­¡­Ah, that¡¯s right. To change the topic, I received a letter from the temple.¡±


    ¡°A letter?¡±


    Ratoka brought out a letter for me, and upon closer inspection, it was sealed with a seal that I¡¯ve never seen before. It¡¯s different from the church¡¯s seal which I¡¯m familiar with, it was shaped in the form of the letter F instead ¨C and only one person came to my mind, it had to be from that Chief  Priest Faris.


    When I checked the other side just to make sure, it was clearly addressed to Eliza Kaldia. It seems that there¡¯s no mistake.


    ¡°Ratoka. Bring me a letter opener.¡±


    A letter has arrived for me from a priest which I have no particular close relationship with. I sat down in a chair and wondered just what was in the letter, as I sat there staring at it as if it would help me see through it.


    I rapped on Ratoka¡¯s back when his shoulder drooped in fatigue as he gawked at the extravagant white temple adjacent to the royal palace.


    ¡°We¡¯re going.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­That hurt you know!?¡±


    When I put an end to his sulking with a sharp glare, I heard chuckling and guffawing sounds from Claudia who was a few steps behind me dressed in maid attire, as well as Gunther who was also acting as my bodyguard today.


    I almost always take Ratoka and Claudia everywhere with me wherever I go these days, but I wonder just why Chief Priest Faris specifically invited the three of them by name to come along with me.


    ¡°Why was it these three people¡­¡­¡±


    I muttered that to myself as I stepped into the dazzling marble temple. That priest especially had no reason to know about Ratoka. Just when and where did the priest learn about it, I wonder if Earl Terejia had informed Faris since they seem to be good friends.


    ¡°It¡¯s said that Chief Priest Faris has the god¡¯s own eyes.¡±


    Maybe she heard me muttering to myself, Claudia started chatting about all the information she¡¯s heard in town as she¡¯s much more caught up on local gossip than I am, on that priest I know nothing about.


    ¡°It seems that Faris-dono¡¯s mother was from the Melloart royal family, while she herself was the daughter of a duke. There¡¯s also a rumor that she used to be Earl Terejia¡¯s fiancee, but that¡¯s from a really long time ago.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Hah?¡±


    Faris is the daughter of a duke, and what¡¯s more she used to be engaged to Earl Terejia when they were both much younger? That means that she¡¯s probably within ten years of age to Earl Terejia. So she¡¯s around seventy, give or take¡­¡­?


    ¡°Yes, she has a rather strange background. You usually don¡¯t see someone of such high status entering the church.¡±


    ¡°The degree to which it¡¯s said her god¡¯s eyes can see things, it¡¯s impossible to do by the natural laws of the world. Maybe the church unexpectedly does actually have some sort of divine power.¡± S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Since I was the only one among us who had ever met Chief Priest Faris directly before, Ratoka and Claudia felt no sort of shock at all at the approximate real age of the priest we were about to meet.


    Ratoka aside, if even Claudia doesn¡¯t understand Chief Priest Faris¡¯s ¡°god¡¯s eyes,¡± this priest might really have some sort of mysterious power that I don¡¯t comprehend. ¡­¡­Well, there¡¯re very few monks and priests that interact very often within noble social circles, so maybe even a lot of them actually have some sort of divine powers.


    ¨C But anyway, god¡¯s eyes, eh.


    I remembered back to my birthday celebration when I was six years old, to the scales that balanced my good and evil deeds that Chief Priest Faris prepared for me. Even though absolutely nobody should have known about it, my deepest secret was exposed. The other two people there at that time, Kamil and Earl Terejia, also shouldn¡¯t have known about it.


    Even on the verge of death, Kamil didn¡¯t seem to have known that I was the one who ended up inadvertently framing his father.


    As for the Earl, I wonder if maybe he knew everything. When I think back on it, that parchment with the list of people that died which appeared on the scale could only have been prepared by him. Neither of us have ever discussed it, but I can infer from it that he must have been informed of the ceremony¡¯s contents beforehand.


    The remainder of the walk to the specified location inside the temple was done in silence. Although I do feel nervous about what Faris is going to say to me, about having my weakness in her grasp, strangely I didn¡¯t feel the same sense of fear that I did last year.

 Ch 87

    Shanak Temple ¨C this white temple standing adjacent to the royal palace gave this street of nobles an even more elegant and refined impression than the Grand Temple of Misorua just a little bit further down the street. Commoners also use the Grand Temple though, while this is the center of the street of nobles, so it¡¯s mainly nobles, and in particular royals, that use Shanak Temple.¡°That was fast. I thought you¡¯d get lost.¡±


    In the deepest part of the temple, there was a small church that usually wasn¡¯t open to outsiders. Priest Faris who was waiting for us there, greeted us with the same inscrutable, androgynous voice that I remembered.


    The temple has the most complex interior structure that I¡¯ve ever seen. We didn¡¯t get lost though, astonishingly enough because Claudia led the way.


    ¡°¡­¡­Is it some sort of wild natural instinct?¡±


    I heard Claudia chuckling slightly from beside me. Although I wasn¡¯t exactly praising her just now.


    ¡°Yes, her instincts are excellent. Alright, come over here and relax. Today, I just wanted you to have a long talk with the elderly person that I am.¡±


    A suspicious smile that I couldn¡¯t read appeared on Priest Faris¡¯s face, as she indicated towards a chair for me to sit in. Since Claudia is playing the role of my maid today, she pulled it forward for me, and I sat down. Claudia and Ratoka sat down on a sofa placed by the wall, and Faris finally stopped smiling that creepy smile of hers.


    ¨C I wonder if she¡¯s tired? She¡¯s expressionless, and I really can¡¯t tell that Faris is around the same age as Earl Terejia. No wait, that¡¯s only assuming that Claudia¡¯s earlier story about Faris¡¯s background was accurate.


    ¡°This is to be our third meeting now, young one?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct.¡±


    Faris stared right into my eyes as I answered her without any hesitation. What is this, I couldn¡¯t help but draw myself back a little. She seems even more evidently eerie than before. Faris squinted at me, as if she was probing the depths of my eyes for something in silence.


    ¡°¡­¡­You¡¯ve absorbed and synchronized fast. I can barely see her anymore. Has it accelerated?¡±


    Faris suddenly muttered something under her breath.


    ¡°-Eh?¡±


    It was so unexpected that I had no idea what she was talking about, but Faris ignored my reaction of surprise and continued as if she hadn¡¯t muttered anything at all just now. It seemed like she¡¯d returned to the state she was in the first time we met, with that composed smile of hers as she stared directly into my eyes. Then, the feeling I had earlier that she may be elderly suddenly vanished. Faris really does have an inscrutable gender and age, it gives her an otherworldly, mysterious feeling.


    ¡°How¡¯s Siegmund been doing lately? I heard that he¡¯s been getting quite a lot more wrinkles on his face recently.¡±


    Faris started the conversation as if it was a perfectly ordinary one, and I felt myself expelling my breath that I was holding.


    ¡°He still hasn¡¯t fully recovered yet. It would be nice if he would get healthy again.¡±


    ¡°Well, humans have limits, it¡¯s only natural that they can¡¯t win against old age. And he¡¯s always been one to push himself unreasonably. Even though that¡¯s not good for him.¡±


    Faris seemed to chuckle from the back of her throat, and her lips curved slightly upwards in the faintest hint of a smile. I don¡¯t know if the story about her once being Earl Terejia¡¯s fiancee is true or not, but it definitely does seem that they have some sort of connection.


    ¡°Work is just piling up so much. I would really like for him to make a full recovery and return as well, but¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, how will it turn out, I wonder. ¡­¡­We¡¯ve already reached an age where it wouldn¡¯t be strange for either of us to die at any moment.¡±


    That seems to be a rather deep statement. I couldn¡¯t help but take a deep breath at her use of the word ¡°we.¡± I¡¯m sure that Faris is prepared for death at any moment. Regardless of how mysteriously young she may look on the outside, she¡¯s accepted her old age ¨C along with death.


    ¡°Are you feeling tired?¡±


    ¡°No. However, I¡¯m satisfied in life, I am. As for Siegmund, he worries over too many things.¡±


    ¡°If Earl Terejia suddenly passed away, I¡¯m sure he would have many regrets.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll bet.¡±


    It¡¯s nothing to laugh over, but it¡¯s also nothing to get shaken over, this is just a solemn story, I think. Even though we¡¯re talking about death, the atmosphere doesn¡¯t seem all that heavy, I wonder if that¡¯s thanks to Faris.


    ¡°¡­¡­The gods will definitely bestow upon my soul the gift of eternal sleep. It will be a pleasure.¡±


    Faris¡¯s eyes once again seemed to probe into mine. Those words passed through my ear canals and reached my brain, without tugging on any emotions, and settled down within my heart.


    ¡°If¡­¡­ Just hypothetically speaking. If your soul wasn¡¯t allowed to rest after death, and was sent back to this world¡­¡­ What does Faris-dono think of such a thing?¡±


    Before I realized it, the question had already spilled from my mouth. Faris had a child¡¯s look of innocence on her face for an instant, then the smile returned as if to brush away my question. It was a smile of loving kindness, while simultaneously being a smile of pity. It was a beautiful smile just like that of Saint Shanak¡¯s, I was shocked inside that Faris could make such a smile as well.


    ¡°The god Misorua does not have the power to revive a soul for a second life. There¡¯s no good luck, bad luck, or destiny, everything is all coincidence. Use your own power to carve your path in life, grab what you deserve, and struggle, that¡¯s all. To your life¡¯s utmost limits.¡±


    These words from an elderly person, they¡¯re so heavy. However, I did obediently calm down. I nodded, and Faris¡¯s saint-like smile changed instantly again. Even though it was just the slight inscrutable smile again from earlier, the change in expression was so abrupt that it left me stunned for a short moment. From behind me, I heard Ratoka who had been silent until now moaning faintly.


    ¡°Well then, let¡¯s cut to the chase and get to the main topic. I didn¡¯t invite you here today to deepen your faith in the church, or to hear about how Siegmund has been doing recently.¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course.¡±


    Probably neither of us have that much free time. There must be some sort of reason that she called me out here today, some sort of use she had for me.


    ¡°In every organization, when lots of people gather, there will be differences in opinion, and even factions that appear. The larger the organization, the more apparent the differences will become. Well, it¡¯s said that factions appear whenever three or more people gather together.¡±


    ¡­¡­Is she talking about the House of Lords, I wonder. There¡¯s still some small ongoing conflicts about the matter of the crown prince. Strangely enough, she felt like Earl Terejia whenever he was teaching me something, so I couldn¡¯t help but change my attitude and prepare myself to listen.


    ¡°It¡¯s the same among the gods.¡± sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    However, Faris¡¯s statement was so earth shattering and shocking that I was left mouth wide agape and frozen solid.

 Ch 88

    ¡°Before the Kingdom of Arxia existed in this world, kings and their retainers would marry those from the church, while their children and relatives would be left to the land and the citizens.¡±¡°¡­¡­Really?¡±


    ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s true. Long ago, the church was responsible for recording the history of countries. Nobody is allowed to tamper with history, we are in charge of protecting history and telling history truthfully as it occurred.¡±


    As Faris nodded her head affirmatively, I thought back to Mrs. Marshan¡¯s history lessons. The origin of nobles, was said to be from when the king recognized his greatest supporters. Thinking back on it, although the lessons were vague, the greatest supporters must have been the church, there¡¯s probably no mistake.


    But, considering the power of nobles versus the church today, I must say that it was at least a little hard to believe for a moment. The church is deep-rooted in Arxia, and it shares a common destiny with the country. However, their true power within Arxia is limited. As for their influence, it¡¯s mostly in regards to their responsibilities as keepers of the ¡°law.¡±


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s fine. The Sacred Code does not prohibit it. Order remains protected.¡±


    However, this time I noticed Faris¡¯s eyebrows becoming slightly furrowed for the first time. I¡¯ve never seen this expression of hers before.


    ¡°Currently, there¡¯s some foolish people within the church. They¡¯re disturbing the order and creating chaos, and guiding the country to a path of destruction, and they harbor strong desires and greed even though they swore loyalty to Misorua, the god of Law and Order.¡±


    Faris declared so in a strongly accusing tone of voice, then she moved her line of sight to behind me. When I followed her line of vision, I saw Ratoka sitting there frozen solid. I understood very clearly that Faris was looking at Ratoka in particular.


    ¡°¡­¡­Is there something the matter with my servant?¡±


    ¡°Nothing in particular. However, I believe that your servant knows something about what I am currently discussing.¡±


    Somehow Faris¡¯s smile gave off a wretched feeling, and Ratoka seemed to shrivel up in fear.


    ¡°Faris-dono, my servant was born and raised in a village here in Kaldia. Even in the royal capital, he never leaves my side. I doubt that he¡¯s involved in any sort of plots regarding our country¡¯s destruction.¡±


    Even I find this difficult to believe, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any reason for Faris to question Ratoka. However, as I covered for him, Ratoka¡¯s complexion became even paler. Is it really just like Faris said, does he know something?


    My palms began to sweat with impatience. This is bad, I need to calm down. I subtly took a deep breath, trying not to attract anyone¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Of course, Viscountess Kaldia. I don¡¯t believe that your servant is complicit in such a plot either. But, even so, he seems to know something about it?¡±


    Faris didn¡¯t stop looking directly at Ratoka at all, and in contrast to my impatience, her voice remained relaxed. Without a doubt, Faris seems to be fully confident of it. No, maybe I should say she¡¯s somehow confirmed it already?


    ¡°In a place called Cyril village of Kaldia, there were some sisters doing supposed missionary work while spreading dangerous ideologies. It happened right in the domain you were born and raised in. Don¡¯t you know something about this? ¡®Elise-dono.¡¯¡±


    ¡­¡­Goosebumps are crawling on my skin. Just what and how much does this priest know? ¡°Elise¡± as well as which village she came from, that¡¯s information that I¡¯ve kept as tightly under wraps as possible. Even if Earl Terejia has long associated with Faris, I doubt that he would tell Faris, a complete outsider to the Kaldia domain, about such things. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    How did this priest know? Does having ¡°god¡¯s eyes¡± have anything to do with this?


    ¡°¡­¡­Urk.¡±


    Ratoka seemed to choke while trying to say something. He remained completely frozen solid while his eyes kept darting between me and Faris. He kept gulping and swallowing repeatedly. He kept shaking all over, but finally straightened himself out.


    ¡°- As for being born and raised in Kaldia, I believe that I should also be counted.¡±


    Faris seemed slightly surprised, and returned her line of vision from Ratoka to me again. Her smile seems to have disappeared. I continued my words with a bit of a refreshed feeling.


    ¡°It seems that Faris-dono already knows something regarding this issue of sisters in Kaldia that have been spreading dangerous sentiments under the guise of doing missionary work. Just what additional information could a child of the same age as me provide to you on this matter?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Mmm. It seems that you place quite a lot of trust in your servant, Viscountess Kaldia.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. He is a citizen of my domain. How can I be a proper lord without putting trust in my own citizens?¡±


    Faris blinked several times, then seemed to start grinning. Is that so, she nodded, and her shoulders shaking in laughter helped to dissipate the sense of her overwhelming pressure.


    ¡°What you say is quite right. However, I would sincerely advise you to not keep him by your side.¡±


    ¡­¡­Sincere advice, she says? With what she¡¯s telling me, as well as the way she¡¯s saying it, I feel both uncomfortable and skeptical. Even when I frowned slightly, Faris didn¡¯t change her expression.


    ¡°He¡¯ll become your weakness. If you can¡¯t let go of him, you should watch him a lot more closely.¡±


    Her voice sounded almost lyrical. However, my stomach felt much, much heavier than before.


    ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯ll keep your words in mind.¡±


    My words sounded like they were crawling along the ground. I have nothing brilliant to say, no comeback. Why is it that this priest is so good at riling me up?


    ¡°Don¡¯t make such a scary face. Right now, you need to be even more cautious and vigilant than before.¡±


    ¡°What exactly does that mean?¡±


    ¡°The sisters that were in Cyril village before, seem to be having frequent dealings with the Nordsturms currently.¡±

 Ch 89.2

    Strangely, somehow time went by uneventfully without anything happening at all.The commotion over choosing the crown prince gradually settled down as well after some time passed. The season for socializing has now ended, and all the nobles that were just so active in the royal capital have each returned to their own domains, since it¡¯s difficult to keep a topic going forever no matter how controversial it is.


    Although I say that, it hasn¡¯t calmed down completely yet. That commotion definitely caused factions to form within the nobility supporting either prince, especially with regards to nobles in the royal palace.


    Just like the other nobles, Earl Terejia and I also returned to Kaldia at the end of summer. There seemed to be no movements from the northern nobles that we remained on guard against, nor was there any contact from Faris about the activities of the sisters in the Nordsturm domain. With the usual high amount of work as well as dealing with the autumn harvest, autumn was almost over already before I realized it.


    ¡°The snow should be arriving soon¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Ahh, is it already this time of year? One year sure went by fast.¡±


    It¡¯s now the last month of August, and the air in Kaldia has a chilly bite to it, snow should be arriving at any moment. Regardless of the calendar date, when snow arrives, that means winter is here.


    Ever since I¡¯ve returned to the Mansion of Golden Hills from the royal capital, I¡¯ve had virtually no time to even leave, every day has been hectic with sending out letters, compiling information and reports, writing documents, learn from Mrs. Marshan¡¯s lectures, work with Earl Terejia, or practicing the bow and sword¡­¡­ Well, that¡¯s how I spent every day, so it¡¯s no wonder that an entire season passed before I noticed.


    I¡¯ve been spending every day so habitually like this that I didn¡¯t even realize how exhausted my body was until now, so I sighed lightly. It became a white mist that quickly dissipated in the chilly air.


    I¡¯m currently wrapped in a thick woolen cloak, and riding east together with Claudia by horse. Before a full-fledged winter gets here, I need to check on the state of the village for the new citizens.


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem to have any ambition or aspirations at all right now, Alicia-dono. You¡¯re probably feeling tired? You should take a rest and relax a bit at Teo¡¯s.¡± S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°It¡¯s Eliza, Claudia-dono.¡±


    ¡°Mm, sorry.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­I suppose you¡¯re right. I am a little tired.¡±


    I was so tired that I didn¡¯t even have the energy to pretend I wasn¡¯t as I nodded to Claudia. She also seemed to be slightly fatigued as she replied, of course you are.


    Ever since Earl Terejia started feeling unwell earlier this summer, he hasn¡¯t gotten much better. Of course, I can¡¯t let the work he usually does be not done, so I¡¯ve gotten a lot more familiar with his work.


    No matter how hard I work, I can¡¯t do everything by myself, so I¡¯ve left all military work related to the domain up to Claudia, Gunther, and the oldest soldier in the army, Calvin. Unfortunately, Gunther and Calvin basically don¡¯t know how to read or write, so all the documents are left up to Claudia.


    Also unexpectedly, Claudia has gotten quite busy as well, she¡¯s basically taken over the role of army instructor from Earl Terejia. Not only does she teach the army personal combat techniques, she¡¯s also sharp in tactics and strategy. It seems that she¡¯s extremely skilled at everything military.


    It¡¯s clear to see that both of us are overworked. It¡¯s hard because I lack people I can use.


    ¡°It¡¯s hurts that ¡®Elise¡¯ isn¡¯t here right now¡­¡­¡±


    Even though I know there¡¯s nothing I can do about it, I couldn¡¯t help but let that comment slip out.


    ¡°Well, he was brainwashed before. It can¡¯t be helped.¡±


    Claudia seemed to make an attempt at consoling me. ¡°Elise¡± ¨C or Ratoka, I¡¯ve been keeping him far away from the other Elise this autumn, as well as keeping him under surveillance. The Nordsturms seem to be connected to the group of sisters that planted anti-nobility sentiments in him in the past. They might find out about Ratoka¡¯s existence and take advantage of him somehow to slip through a crack in our defenses. That¡¯s why I¡¯m on guard.


    I know. I was the one who came up with, and carried out the idea to confine him. Even so, I can¡¯t keep a hold on my emotions.


    Is this, any different from what I did to Kamil?


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Eliza-dono?¡±


    I shook my head to try and clear it of these dark emotions.


    ¡°¡­¡­Nothing. On our return tomorrow, I was thinking about staying at Nezu village.¡±


    ¡°Ahh, those girls. It¡¯s good that the wounds in their hearts are healing.¡±


    Claudia nodded, and our conversation ended there. We traveled the rest of the way in silence.


    ¡°My lord! You¡¯ve finally arrived.¡±


    At the entrance to the new village, Teomer was standing there and greeted us, waving his left hand. Claudia and I both waved our hands as well in greeting.


    ¡°Hey, Teo. It¡¯s been a while. How are the preparations for winter going?¡±


    ¡°Long time no see. I see that you barely have any energy just like usual. As for winter preparations¡­¡­ It¡¯s going well, is what I would have liked to say.¡±


    Looking at him, Teomer¡¯s skin seems to be considerably tanner than before after spending an entire summer in Kaldia. He used to be a little reddish, but now he¡¯s closer to the color of wheat.


    ¡°The irrigation work isn¡¯t as far along as I expected.¡±


    Teomer gave me a brief report as we entered the village gate. There¡¯s no other villages close by to here, but we did have a wall built around the village for crime prevention.


    When I entered the village, I saw several inelegant stone buildings, with only the foundations built. Similarly, there were also only a few paths that had been paved with stone, and their own self-made nomad tents as well as the simple tents donated from other domains were lined up all over the place.


    This is the current situation in the village for the new citizens. I see six more buildings than when I was here last time and had to go to the royal capital. However, this isn¡¯t enough for six hundred villagers to live in. Originally these buildings are meant for about five people to live in, and right now double that number is living in each building. Even so, there¡¯s still about four hundred people still currently living in tents.


    ¡°Right now, we¡¯re having the children and elderly live in the ¡®buildings¡¯ and our own tents, but¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s unreasonable to pass winter in Kaldia with only tents. Since you¡¯ve taken all this trouble to become my citizens, I can¡¯t have you all dying and going to visit Misorua in less than one year.¡±


    When it¡¯s spring in this area, melted snow from the Amon Nor mountains will cause the water levels of lakes and rivers to overflow and even flood. That¡¯s why we have to elevate the level of buildings we construct here, and we¡¯re doing flood control work at the Sera River and the surrounding lakes, but since there¡¯s many people among the new citizens that aren¡¯t suited for labor work like children and the elderly, in addition to the fact that they aren¡¯t used to doing this type of work, it seems that things have been progressing slower than expected. On top of all this, this village is the farthest one from the Mansion of Golden Hills, as well as being located far away from other villages. It¡¯s risky to have such an isolated and ramshackle village face the deep snow of winter in Kaldia by itself.


    ¡°¡­¡­Alright. I¡¯m sorry, but let¡¯s have all the new citizens stay in the area under direct control for this winter.¡±

 Ch 90.2

    November 15, 2016 ¡¤ by imperfectluck ¡¤ in Uncategorized. ¡¤ Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.After confirming with Teo that his tribe would agree to spend winter in the area under direct control, there were no more big projects for the time being. I spent the rest of the day on listening to how people¡¯s lives were, what basic necessities were insufficient, learning who was sick and injured, learning all the finer details to the best of my limits. Based on all of this, I need to decide on what needs to be purchased and what Lord Carson¡¯s carpenters should work on first, next spring when they arrive. As soon as I get back to the mansion, I need to talk to Bellway about it all as well.


    For dinner, I asked them to make me whatever they usually ate, and for lodging I just asked to stay in one of their simple buildings with some other children. My new citizens that have very little concept of a nobility system and the difference in rank between commoners and nobles accepted readily.


    The meal that night consisted of pumpkins, boiled fish from the river, horse milk, some vegetables mixed with fish, and a cheese soup. The pumpkin¡¯s texture was smoother than I thought it would be, and not as sweet as I expected, but still delicious. Although everything I described seemed normal, it tastes like they probably put cheese into every dish. Since they keep a small herd of goats, they must also have some way of obtaining citrus fruits for the acidity necessary in the process of making goat cheese. Now that wild fruits have been lost to Kaldia, even cheese is considered quite a luxury item.


    ¡°So this is a pumpkin. How delicious! It¡¯s a vegetable with such a rich taste!¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡±


    Claudia seemed to really like the pumpkins. She took the second serving offered to her in silence with a stuffed mouth and an expression full of joy.


    Later in the evening, I listened to children the same age as me tell stories about fishing and hunting, and I think I strangely fell asleep for the first time in my life while chatting excitedly without having to think about anything difficult at all. I thought that it was actually just pure and fun. To the extent where I felt a little lonely the next morning.


    ¡°My lord!? Wh, what¡­¡­?¡±


    When I returned to stay at Nezu village, the mayor¡¯s wife was so shocked¡­¡­ Or maybe I should say she was terrified. Well, I guess I did visit unannounced, so it can¡¯t be helped.


    ¡°Ahh, sorry for surprising you. ¡­¡­I came to see those girls from before, I just happened to stop by here after a trip to the village for my new citizens.¡±


    ¡°Those, uh, girls?¡±


    I confirmed it again for the mayor who still seemed to be puzzled. After I nodded, they hurriedly tried to have those girls summoned right away, while I rushed as well to stop them.


    ¡°C, call them here immediately!¡±


    ¡°Wait, you don¡¯t need to call them here to see me. I¡¯ll go visit them myself.¡±


    Those two village girls seemed to be regaining their energy despite a lingering fear of men. Although they couldn¡¯t do any work in the fields or heavy labor, it seemed like they were maintaining the agricultural tools, making ropes, and taking care of some chickens.


    I didn¡¯t have the time to chat with as many villagers as possible like in the village under construction, so after I asked some villagers about their winter preparations, I continued on my way back to the mansion. It¡¯s already been five years since Earl Terejia¡¯s become my guardian and begun enacting his policies in Kaldia, it seems that life is returning here little by little. I wonder if it¡¯s about time that we can begin producing cloths and threads on our own again without having to rely on imports.


    It might be fine to purchase some goats from Henznaut domain next year. Or maybe if the new citizens¡¯ goats do really well and increase in number, I can buy some from them. I have to revive technologies and techniques in Kaldia.


    With new citizens¡¯ tents were lined up on a hill north of the Mansion of Golden Hills, I saw the sight of clear skies after the first snow of winter for the first time. Although Earl Terejia had told me about how it looked last year, I missed it back then. At that time I was busy with work as well as recuperating from my long sleep, so I hardly stepped out of the mansion.


    Now I can avoid having the new citizens being forced to deal with unfamiliar weather and an unfamiliar land all by themselves. There¡¯s many elderly and children among them, and in a new land with different customs, they¡¯ll reach a high level of dissatisfaction quickly if I don¡¯t do anything for them.


    That¡¯s not all though, there¡¯s also benefits to having them here. The largest village in all of Kaldia, Claria village, which is located south of the area under direct control, seems to be interested trading with the new citizens as well as learning about their culture. Although Claria village is fairly close to the area under direct control, it happened to be the village least affected by my father¡¯s rampage, and it was also the village where Earl Terejia¡¯s aid reached first. A lot of soldiers in training come from this village, and the regular Kaldia army also has many soldiers with family members in this village, so anti-noble sentiments are quite weak here. Also, since there¡¯s a lot of commoners from other domains that end up staying here if they visit Kaldia, it¡¯s a place that¡¯s also friendly to the new citizens.


    ¡°Last year, we traded our pumpkins, livestock, dairy products, and cloths for things like bread, eggs, straw, rye, and so on. I think some people also got cooking utensils.¡±


    According to Teo, it seems that bartering is something their tribe does often. As for some of the older Kaldia citizens that experienced life before my father¡¯s despotic rule, it seems that cheese was what they wanted the most. It seems that there¡¯s a few words in common between the Artolan language and some words from ancient times in the Jugfena region, so they¡¯ve been able to communicate with each other at a basic level.


    ¡°If possible, please actively trade this year. Claria village is well populated, and things of all sorts gather there, it also has a lot of contact with the other villages. It¡¯s the most appropriate location for you guys to be accepted by the villagers.¡±


    I also chatted with Teo about how his tribe was spending winter as I helped him corral the horses in a simple wooden fence that my soldiers had helped construct. Although the Shiru horses are smaller in size than my army¡¯s horses, it seems that they¡¯re quite compact and muscular all over with excellent stamina. Although they¡¯re trained, they still have wild temperaments and it was a bit difficult for me to get through the fence as I wasn¡¯t used to them.


    ¡°But at the moment we can¡¯t afford to sell any of our livestock, nor are we able to produce cheese.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­I believe I can have lemons imported. Would you be able to make at least a little cheese? In exchange, how about providing you an additional ten goats in the spring?¡±


    At any rate, if I buy goats for my domain, the Shiru tribe would be the best at taking care of them anyways. I also intend to give some goats to Claria village and Nezu village where they already have the ability to take care of livestock again, but since I¡¯m buying a new type of goat for the first time, I want to let the Shiru tribe handle the goats first and hopefully be able to pass down some techniques on goat handling.


    ¡°Ten goats, eh¡­¡­ Alright, I¡¯ll have a word with the other chiefs about this.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a great help. Also, will you go and see the cavalry troops sometime this year?¡±


    ¡°Ahh, that won¡¯t be a problem. Also, you should be there as well, can you participate? How else will you lead if you don¡¯t know how to handle a horse and form battle formations?¡±


    Although my newly established cavalry troops from last year are guided by retired cavalry troops from Earl Ruktoferd¡¯s domain, the instructors return to Ruktoferd for the duration of winter. And so this time, I¡¯m hoping to improve my cavalry¡¯s efficiency by having the Shiru tribe that¡¯s used to being on horseback year-round observe their training. It seems that there¡¯s some fundamental differences in how to handle their horses.


    ¡°Even though it¡¯s winter, as long as life has stabilized for the tribe, it should be fine to have some warriors join the army¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Is that really fine? Aren¡¯t they considered an important existence to protect the tribe?¡±


    ¡°No, now my people are currently protected by you, not our warriors. Didn¡¯t you also pick up the path of the warrior, in order to protect our pride?¡±


    Teo was grinning devilishly as he said so. Indeed, it¡¯s as he says.


    ¡°¡­¡­I suppose. There¡¯s no problem with treating you as my private soldiers.¡±


    ¡°Use us well. You¡¯re our King now.¡±


    ¨CMmm??


    I heard myself being addressed as something that I¡¯m almost sure I misheard, but I decided to ignore it. Maybe to them the position above that of their chief is simply their King. That¡¯s probably all it is.

 Ch 91

    As a traditional stone building constructed in my great-grandfather¡¯s time, the Mansion of Golden Hills gets quite chilly in winter. In rooms without a fireplace, the cold feels like it can pierce down to your bones, and the floors and walls are icy cold as well.Of course, the dungeon with no functions for warmth installed in it whatsoever is even colder. While there are some small holes drilled in the dungeon leading to the ground for ventilation, it seems that the dungeon is actually even colder during winter than our storage facilities.


    There¡¯s quite some strong wind drafts in winter, and the fires lighting up the dungeon were weakened significantly by it. I clasped my thick fur cloak tightly around my body as I descended deep into the dungeon, as I listened to the sound of someone rattling the iron bars.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, you¡¯re causing such a commotion?¡± S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Let me out of here! Please! I¡¯ll freeze and die¡­¡­¡±


    The painfully distressed voice coming from the other side of the iron bars was one of the two prisoners I had secretly kept for myself and put in here earlier this summer, a blonde-haired bandit with a tall, lanky body. His light clothes didn¡¯t do very much to ward off the cold, and he was shivering. His originally blonde hair was also changing to a muddy hue of dirty blonde, becoming matted with filth.


    ¡°Shut up¡­¡­ Don¡¯t do something like beg for your life¡­¡­!¡±


    From the adjacent cell, the other bandit, the first one I interrogated, was shouting weakly in anger with all his remaining strength. It seems that since he¡¯s middle-aged, it¡¯s taken a harder toll on his body. I wonder if the blonde bandit is shivering more because of the cold or because of everything that¡¯s happened to the other bandit. When I just stood there silently without saying anything to either of them, the blonde bandit turned around and started yelling at the other bandit in frustration and impatience.


    ¡°You shut up! If you want to die so much, go die by yourself!! I¡­¡­ don¡¯t want to freeze to death here!¡±


    ¡°You bastard¡­¡­ Have you forgotten your loyalty to our gods¡­..!?¡±


    ¡°Who cares about that!!¡±


    The blonde man was smacking the iron bars. It seems that after being imprisoned for so long, his spirit was finally giving in to the cold of winter and the threat of losing his life.


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯ll tell you anything¡­¡­ Anything at all¡­¡­ Help me, please let me out of here¡­¡­ My feet, my feet hurt so much I can¡¯t bear it¡­¡­!¡±


    His feet hurting so much that he can¡¯t bear it, he¡¯s probably talking about frostbite. Since I didn¡¯t give them any shoes or socks, it seems that his feet developed frostbite first, before his fingers. It¡¯s now been seven days since the first snow of winter, and temperatures have dropped harshly. His injuries have probably already undergone necrosis.


    ¡°¡­¡­I see. Sure, it¡¯s fine. If you tell me everything you know, I¡¯ll let you out of there. I¡¯ll also have your feet treated.¡±


    I think I sound terribly similar to a cat right now. I can even feel myself licking my lips for once.


    ¡°Really!?!?¡±


    ¡°Of course. To be honest, I can¡¯t afford to keep taking care of people that take too long to decide anyways.¡±


    As the blonde man shouted in elation, the other bandit was moaning with an anger-filled voice.


    ¡°What¡¯s, this! How can this be!!¡±


    ¡°You just shut up!!¡±


    ¡°You bastard, are you this shameless!¡±


    I merely watched silently and observed as both men lost all their self-control and shouted angrily at each other. It doesn¡¯t seem like they are acting. I ignored their continued arguing, and had my soldiers take the blonde bandit out of his jail cell.


    ¡°Valon! Don¡¯t go!!¡±


    Finally, the door to the dungeon closed, leaving behind the sorrowful cries of the remaining bandit. I told my soldiers that were helping the blonde bandit named Valon to stand to take him to the interrogation room in the barracks, while I went upstairs to call for Rashiok.


    On the third floor, I found Rashiok sleeping in front of Ratoka¡¯s room. Why is he here, I wonder. Because I¡¯m self-conscious about having Ratoka placed under house arrest again, I¡¯ve been avoiding him these days. What I will say to him, what he might say back to me, it¡¯s only natural that I have no idea what to tell him.


    On the day that I talked with Chief Priest Faris, I had Ratoka return to the Mansion of Golden Hills immediately without listening to any of his excuses.


    Last winter, after I woke up from an entire month of sleeping, Ratoka had told me in detail why he¡¯d thrown a rock at me. The story according to Ratoka seemed to be that ever since his birth, his mother had gone insane and constantly abused him, and he also picked up a hatred of the nobility from the villagers, which developed into a killing intent against the domain lord. His story had never mentioned anything about sisters planting the seeds of anti-noble sentiments.


    That¡¯s why I judged things to be dangerous. There¡¯s many people gathered in the royal capital. I was worried about the risk of those sisters who seem to be connected to the Nordsturms somehow finding Ratoka again and ¡°reusing¡± him in some way.


    Ratoka never mentioned the sisters since he didn¡¯t have any suspicions towards their activities ¨C also, because Ratoka didn¡¯t want to mention any of his memories involving his personal emotions. Meaning, there¡¯s a definite crack in Ratoka¡¯s spirit from which the sisters can slip into and potentially take advantage of.


    But even if I tell that to Ratoka right now, he wouldn¡¯t be able to understand the truth behind my actions. All I can do is, keep away from him, and keep him safe and protected while also keeping him under house arrest.


    ¡­¡­Of course, this is just what I¡¯m telling myself.


    It¡¯s obvious that my emotions might not agree with what I¡¯m doing. Honestly, I truly don¡¯t want to do such a thing to him.


    Rashiok made a sound of surprise in his throat at seeing the look of self-loathing in my eyes. While draconis are highly intelligent, they don¡¯t have as many complicated things to think about like humans do, so they express their emotions simply.


    If you don¡¯t want to be hated by Ratoka, then just don¡¯t do anything that Ratoka would hate you for, it¡¯s just that simple, is what Rashiok¡¯s eyes seemed to be trying to tell me.

 Ch 92

    I intended for Rashiok to be there alongside me at the interrogation of the blond bandit Valon. That man isn¡¯t used to the existence of such a large beast. Rashiok¡¯s presence alone should be enough to terrify and fluster him greatly.However, Rashiok wouldn¡¯t move from his position in front of Ratoka¡¯s room. Since he¡¯s much bigger than I am, no matter how much I pushed him, he wouldn¡¯t budge. This rascal, I kept calling him various names mentally. I couldn¡¯t help myself and suddenly remembered a wide variety of colorful and vulgar swear words from my previous life. I glared at the draconis laying there casually, taking up most of the entire corridor while wagging his serpentine tail back and forth.


    Will I have to give up on bringing Rashiok with me? I don¡¯t absolutely have to have Rashiok with me at the interrogation. The bandit¡¯s spirit had already been weakened by the cold to the point that he was begging for his life. I thought about it and figured I could also use various other methods if I had to return the bandit to the dungeon, so I let go of Rashiok and was about to leave.


    ¡­¡­At that moment, I fell flat on my face in the hallway. I¡¯m feeling an intense pain and heat from my nose right now. Thanks to the carpet flooring, it didn¡¯t hurt as much as it could have, but it still hurt. More importantly, there¡¯s something else. There¡¯s a terrible pressure on my back. I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s Rashiok¡¯s front paw. I can also hear his breathing really close to me, so his face is probably close to me. He also seems to be holding onto the edge of my cloak so that I couldn¡¯t stand back up, and he was the one who made me fall over, what a rascal.


    I raised my face a little and pressed my hand against my nose, feeling a warm liquid trickling down. My nose is bleeding.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­Rashiok.¡±


    I managed to utter his name the best I could with my face to the ground, but the weight on my back wouldn¡¯t disappear. I grudgingly wiped my nosebleed a little with my sleeve rather than letting it drip. While my clothes are rather expensive, the carpet is even more so.


    Then, a small figure started coming up the stairs. It¡¯s Ratoka, holding a book under his arm. What timing. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Eh¡­¡­ Huh?¡±


    Ratoka seemed to be more confused than anything else. Of course he would be. I could only imagine how different I looked from usual, with my nose bleeding as I¡¯m laying flat against the floor with Rashiok¡¯s paw pressing me down.


    ¡°¡­¡­Um, what are you doing?¡±


    ¡°What does it look like I¡¯m doing?¡±


    Hearing the frustration in my voice, Ratoka hurriedly came over and knocked on Rashiok¡¯s head a few times as he was still sitting on top of me. Then finally, the weight casually disappeared from my back.


    That bastard. Once again, I cursed at Rashiok mentally. So this was his aim to begin with.


    ¡°Uh¡­¡­ For the time being, let¡¯s stop your nosebleed.¡±


    With an indescribable expression on his face, Ratoka opened the door to his room.


    There was a bed, a desk, a chest of drawers, and a bookshelf with some papers and books on it. In the year since this room had become Ratoka¡¯s, nothing had changed except that there was now a bookshelf. It¡¯s only natural since I haven¡¯t given him any other furniture nor a salary. However, looking around the room while sitting on his bed, I couldn¡¯t help but feel that his room seemed so wide and empty and a little cold, and I wondered if I should give him a sofa.


    ¡°Here, a cloth to stem your nosebleed.¡±


    Ratoka¡¯s mouth was bent into the shape of the ¤Ø character as he looked to see how I was doing. As soon as he saw that I was still holding my nose with my tunic¡¯s sleeve, he took out a clean cotton cloth for me from the first aid kit on his shelf and also opened the window in his room for me to get some fresh air. I obediently sat still for a while, and my nosebleed naturally stopped bleeding on its own. The pain from face planting is also fading. But if I leave right now, I have a feeling that Rashiok will do the same thing to me all over again.


    I was momentarily confused over what to say, but I ended up asking:


    ¡°How is Elise-sama doing?¡±


    ¡°She had a small seizure earlier today, and she¡¯s now resting. Lately she¡¯s been having seizures more and more often. Even though she¡¯s been getting fevers less often than before, in this past year¡­¡­¡±


    Ratoka hasn¡¯t had any work to do while Elise had been sleeping. He seems to be passing the time by reading books, and he just happened to have gotten a new book to read when he returned to his room. Like Ratoka said, when Elise first came here, she often did nothing but sleep as she lacked physical fitness and would always be getting fevers, but after staying a while in the more temperate climate of Kaldia, her physical condition improved and she was no longer bedridden like before. That¡¯s why I furrowed my eyebrows at the report that her seizures have become more common again.


    ¡°The doctor is examining the current situation, but it also seems like Elise herself agrees that she¡¯s getting worse.¡±


    ¡°Please encourage her as much as possible. I¡¯ll do what I can to visit her whenever possible as well.¡±


    Elise¡¯s seizures are also greatly influenced by her state of mind. If she feels weak mentally, she¡¯ll have more seizures.


    ¡°Please do that. Ever since you¡¯ve put me here again, you haven¡¯t visited Elise even once.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Is that so.¡±


    It¡¯s Ratoka that I wanted to avoid, not Elise, but since Ratoka is still in charge of dealing with Elise for me, I¡¯ve been avoiding Elise¡¯s room as well. I¡¯ve been making the excuse to myself that I¡¯m too busy with work to go see her, but actually I¡¯m feeling quite guilty about not going to chat with her. When I just nodded without saying anything else, Ratoka just stared at me.


    ¡°¡­¡­I can¡¯t even be myself and I have to use someone else¡¯s name, I¡¯m not allowed to use my own.¡±


    His voice was strangely cold. I looked again at Ratoka in surprise. He seemed to be expressionless, nothing but ice.


    ¡°Do you not even need me anymore?¡±


    He almost spat that at me, then he seemed to awkwardly deride himself.


    ¡°¡­¡­The fact that you didn¡¯t kill me, I know that I¡¯m supposed to be grateful and not think about it. But I¡¯ve always been wondering. Just why you went to the trouble of giving me an education, and keeping me by your side. It seems that you like me quite a bit. Are you just spoiling me?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not it.¡±


    Despite me saying so, I was in doubt of myself. I could see what Ratoka is saying. Even I was slightly aware of it, that I had sealed off my emotions this past year.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m wrong. I think you¡¯re overlapping me with Kamil.¡±


    My throat froze up. Even though I wanted to tell him to stop, I couldn¡¯t say anything.


    ¡°You¡¯re just using me as that guy¡¯s replacement.¡±


    My head feels hot. Various emotions are running through me to the point that my hands are shaking. My vision is flickering.


    He knows. Better than I do myself, he¡¯s seen into the inner workings of my heart better than I have.


    ¡°-Ah,¡±


    A tiny sound escaped from the back of my throat. At that same moment, someone knocked on the door to Ratoka¡¯s room.

 Ch 93

    November 29, 2016 ¡¤ by imperfectluck ¡¤ in Uncategorized. ¡¤¡°Eliza, ¡®Elise.¡¯ Are you both here?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Earl Terejia? Yes, Eliza-sama is currently here.¡±


    Since I was currently unable to respond to anything right now, Ratoka replied for me. A tired-looking Earl Terejia quietly opened the door and came in for some reason together with Rashiok. It seems like Rashiok is gently nudging Earl Terejia. Maybe that¡¯s why the Earl appears slightly confused.


    ¡°¡­¡­Is something, the matter. Earl Terejia.¡±


    A terrible sounding voice came out of me. It seems that I¡¯m still quite shaken. Earl Terejia turned towards me, and suddenly raised his eyebrow.


    ¡°¡­¡­No, I want to know what¡¯s going on as well. Rashiok brought me over here.¡±


    ¡°Rashiok did?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. ¡­¡­Something like this happened before as well. The day of that battle at Fort Jugfena.¡±


    Rashiok, the subject of our discussion, was merely sitting in front of the door. Is this to make sure that nobody can leave? I think he wants us to talk things out. While the three of us remained confused, Rashiok suddenly howled.


    We just kept looking at each other for a while. Finally, Earl Terejia was the first one to speak up.


    ¡°Shall we just chat for a little while in front of the door like this?¡±


    Ratoka was licking his lips nervously. I also felt really awkward as well. We had just been talking about a topic which neither of us wanted a third party to hear.


    ¡°I think that what ¡®Elise¡¯ said earlier wasn¡¯t wrong at all. Eliza, you have indeed been overlapping ¡®Elise¡¯ with Kamil.¡±


    It¡¯s impossible for me to insist on that not being the case anymore if even the Earl is saying so. I can only admit to it. I nodded bitterly, while the Earl continued speaking.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you too much these days recently, but I can still tell. You¡¯re afraid of repeating the same thing with Kamil¡¯s death all over again.¡±


    ¨C I felt like my vision had just cracked into two pieces like a shattered mirror. Something that I didn¡¯t want to know, didn¡¯t want to hear, even more so than that I was overlapping Ratoka and Kamil with each other, was being said by Earl Terejia.


    ¡°The same thing?¡±


    ¡°Aye. You couldn¡¯t place your trust in someone, and as a result he died. And now, you¡¯ve become afraid of trusting others. Isn¡¯t that right, Eliza?¡±


    As an old man, his gaze is quite sharp. However, there was no emotion expressed in his eyes. Not anger, not pity, nothing. I felt like all my strength left my body, and I collapsed onto the bed. I was afraid of meeting Ratoka¡¯s eyes. I covered my eyes with one arm, and took deep breaths.


    ¡°¡­¡­Yes. That¡¯s right.¡±


    Once again, I have no choice other than to admit this as well.


    ¡°If even Claudia-dono didn¡¯t notice anything, I didn¡¯t think anyone else would. As expected, you know me very well, Earl Terejia.¡±


    The earl didn¡¯t reply to my words.


    ¡°Even so, I didn¡¯t even know it myself until you told it to me so directly. I probably didn¡¯t want to see or think about it myself.¡±


    Even though I know it¡¯s unseemly, my voice was trembling. On the contrary though, I think it would be funny if I could speak normally right now.


    ¡°¡­¡­What do you mean?¡±


    My shoulder couldn¡¯t help but jump at Ratoka¡¯s sudden voice. I wasn¡¯t able to read his emotions from just his voice alone.


    This time I smiled at myself in self-deprecation.


    ¡°I thought that it was meaningless to trust people, until Kamil died. Actually, it might be better to say that I was being unreasonable. At any rate, the earl meant the thing about me being unable to trust people.¡±


    Ratoka was looking directly at me. ¨C In his eyes, I saw disdain.


    ¡°Just like the earl said, in the end Kamil died because I couldn¡¯t trust him. When we were confused by the baboon magical beast pretending to imitate a human voice, Kamil protected me and ended up dying. ¡­¡­But if it hadn¡¯t been for me not trusting him, he probably wouldn¡¯t have ended up dying.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Then, are you now thinking about doing the opposite and relying on people more instead?¡±


    ¡°Ahh, that¡¯s right.¡±


    I nodded, while Ratoka closed his eyes. He¡¯s taking deep breaths. He¡¯s deeply furrowing his eyebrows, and I can see him clenching his fists tightly and attempting to suppress his emotions.


    ¡°-Is that so.¡±


    That was all he squeezed out of himself. It was such a cold voice. It made me feel like I was looking into a mirror, talking to a reflection of myself. His behavior where he¡¯s freezing his emotions and that icy voice, it strangely resembles me.


    Suddenly Ratoka turned his back on me. Rashiok standing in front of the door stepped aside. Ratoka quietly left the room now that the path to the door was now clear. Earl Terejia who had remained silent while watching us let out a sigh.


    ¡°As always, being so difficult.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°At any rate, since I was obviously summoned here for something, I felt like I had to speak up and say something about how I saw things, forgive me.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­No need to say sorry. Please excuse Rashiok for his actions.¡±


    At any rate, if the earl hadn¡¯t spoken up, probably all three of us would have ended up leaving the room without saying anything. Maybe it would have come out of me someday if we had just continued waiting in silence, but neither the earl nor I have the free time for that. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After Earl Terejia left the room, only Rashiok and I remained. Rashiok approached me and laid down at my feet. His ears and tail were drooping, and he was looking at me with a gentle expression.


    ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m not angry at you, you know.¡±


    Rashiok nudged my feet with his nose as I spoke those words lacking in any energy.


    ¡°Oi! I thought that you were supposed to help me if I told you everything I know!!¡±


    The bandit in the interrogation room was crying and screaming. According to the soldiers, he had been shouting for all this time. It seems that at first he had tried to beat down the door, but since it was too painful to do so, now all he was doing was shouting.


    ¡°Did he say anything useful?¡±


    I had asked Gunther and Claudia to take charge after I had him moved to the interrogation room. I was told by my soldiers that the moment he entered the interrogation room again, the bandit voluntarily started offering information on the bandit group¡¯s goal.


    ¡°¡­¡­It seems that they were going to meet up with a certain woman, in order to assist her.¡±


    ¡°A woman?¡±


    ¡°It seems that her name is Diferis. She¡¯s currently in the Ogren domain. It¡¯s a domain located in the heart of the Nordsturms¡¯ seat of power.¡±

 Ch 94

    When I interrogated the bandit Valon based on what Claudia and Gunther had just told me, it didn¡¯t seem like he hid anything at all, there was nothing that seemed overly suspicious and he immediately told me anything I asked him.He said that he came to Arxia to fulfill a mission given to him by his church.


    He said that his mission was to meet with a woman named Diferis waiting in the Ogren domain, and to assist her.


    He said that some people in the bandit group, himself included, believed in the West Alfena sect of the Revua church, and that the church that had given them their mission was the West Alfena church.


    He said that the believers were nobles from the Densel Dukedom. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He said that the rest were real bandits, hired by the nobles.


    He said that the woman named Diferis was making large amounts of generous donations to the West Alfena church.


    He said that he was told to go through the Kaldia domain in order to reach the Ogren domain.


    It¡¯s been about half a year since I caught the bandits, but this is the first time that I¡¯ve heard all these things.


    ¡°What was Diferis going to have you guys do?¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t really know the details. I think it would probably be some anti-Arxian related activities.¡±


    Anti-Arxian activities, eh¡­¡­ What I kept thinking about was of course, the suspicious movements of the Nordsturms, and those sisters that keep coming and going from their domain. Especially since those sisters are spreading anti-noble sentiments, they¡¯re a dangerous factor that could undermine order in Arxia.


    I believe that Marquis Nordsturm¡¯s wife is from the Ogren domain. It would be natural to consider the Ogren domain complicit in their suspicious movements.


    ¡°Then, is the Western Alfena church intending to invade Arxia? Or perhaps destroy Arxia?¡±


    ¡°Of course, to destroy it. Since this is an infidel¡¯s country based on the Xia sect¡­¡­ Well, that¡¯s what fanatics like my cellmate Remis believe in. I¡¯m different. Well, my parents are believers, but I only joined the church for money. Since, I can make a profit. Just like Diferis, there are many both inside and outside of Densel that wish for Arxia¡¯s destruction and will give us a great deal of funding.¡±


    According to Valon, that¡¯s why he was willing to talk now since he was afraid of dying, as he wasn¡¯t a fanatic believer like the rest of them were.


    It seems that the other man still in the dungeon is named Remis. Well, since he¡¯s going to be nothing but a frozen corpse soon, I no longer hold any interest in him.


    But anyways, all of this got me thinking. If what Valon says is true, the Western Alfena church is basically a church in name only, and is actually more like some sort of anti-Arxian terrorist organization or group. What¡¯s more, it has many supporters.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the goal of your church, their supporters¡¯ goal must be very easy to understand.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Ahh, indeed. Other than the fanatics among them, it¡¯s mostly merchants that are donating money, as well as some nobles. There are some merchants that are aiming for control over regional products found in Arxia¡¯s vassal states, and there are also many weapon and drug dealers. Also, the nobles want to expand their territories.¡±


    Meaning, these people would benefit if war broke out. The merchants aim to profit from war, or to take control over some of Arxia¡¯s vassal states, so they¡¯re investing in a terrorist organization. Since their nobles want Arxia¡¯s land, it¡¯s also advantageous for them to invest in terrorists so that Arxia is already weakened before any actual war breaks out.


    ¡­¡­Also, nobles from my own country, the Nordsturms, might be involved in all this. It feels like some hot, passionate feelings are beginning to bubble up from within me, slowly coming to a boil.


    ¡°But, if your church is up to such large undertakings, I would have expected the name to be a little more famous.¡±


    ¡°The Western Alfena church is only a small sect, a tiny church. Since the original Revua religion that it¡¯s under is so large, it¡¯s like they¡¯re hiding under an umbrella.¡±


    ¡­¡­Unlike the Xia religion in Arxia, the Revua religion has several major sects. However, since it¡¯s structured so that there¡¯s many small sects under each one, it¡¯s indeed difficult to gather information on the smaller churches. None of the main churches should have a name containing either of the words ¡°Western¡± or ¡°Alfena.¡± It¡¯s impossible to investigate. There¡¯s too many small churches to possibly find out about them all. It¡¯s especially difficult to learn about one if it¡¯s so small in scale that it¡¯s only known to locals.


    While I was thinking in my mind without saying anything out loud, Valon also waited for me silently for a while. But while I was in the middle of my thoughts, I heard his voice again.


    ¡°Do all Arxian children have such disturbingly high intellect?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Well, who knows.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t even look like you¡¯re ten yet. If you had been born in Densel, it wouldn¡¯t be strange at all if you were considered to be possessed by a demon and killed off.¡±


    Well, if he had seen how I was when I had just been born in Arxia, he probably would have considered me a demon from an even earlier age. But anyways, he continued speaking.


    I noticed that I couldn¡¯t help but furrow my eyebrows again. The Xia religion doesn¡¯t have the concept of demons, but in the Romur Ringwall languages used in the eastern countries, it¡¯s a commonly used word there. Due to my memories from a previous life, it¡¯s a word that¡¯s easy for me to understand.


    That¡¯s why I had a reaction. Thanks to the standards of my previous life¡¯s memories, I¡¯d always considered the actions of the unscrupulous Kaldia family to be the ¡°work of demons.¡±


    ¡°Demon¡­¡­ Eh.¡±


    Then I considered the words I was about to tell this man. They¡¯re definitely words that won¡¯t put the Kaldia family name to shame, the work of demons.


    ¡°I understand everything clearly now. I shall keep my promise with you.¡±


    ¡°-Really!¡±


    He seemed delighted at the news, while I smiled slightly at him in return.


    ¡°Yes, of course.¡±


    I stood up. At the same time, I had the two soldiers to the left and right of Valon restrain his arms, and force him down from his chair and kneel in front of me. I took a slender sword from Gunther who was behind me, and held its tip to Valon¡¯s throat.


    ¡°¡­¡­Eh?¡±


    His smile froze. That was his final word. My slender sword sliced above his clavicles, right through the soft fleshy part of his throat and exited close to his cervical vertebrae. Immediately after, reddish-brown blood started flowing from his mouth, and covered the floor.


    ¡°I forgot to tell you, but you¡¯re already dead now. Meaning, only dead people are going to leave my dungeon.¡±


    His eyelids were blinking furiously and he kept sputtering blood, while his lips moved like he wanted to say something. No voice came out, but his lips were moving so tremendously that I felt as if he was being driven by demons.


    Well, things are like this already. Eliza Kaldia was cursed from the moment she was born into this world.


    I had never intended in the first place to ever release any of the bandits. They hurt my people and committed crimes. It¡¯s only natural that they should die in compensation.

 Ch 95

    December 21, 2016 ¡¤ by imperfectluck ¡¤ in Uncategorized. ¡¤¡°Eliza-sama, it¡¯s time for dinner.¡±


    The voice surprised me. During this afternoon, I was staying in my room, working on finishing all the paperwork, but I seem to have gotten too absorbed in working. When I raised my head, I felt a dull sensation on my back and neck. It seems that I¡¯ve been working for too long without rest. Since there¡¯s a lack of sunlight during winter, I¡¯m always using candles, and I noticed that it had almost burned all the way down.


    ¡°Ahh ¨C thank you very much, Mrs. Hortensia.¡±


    My new nanny, Mrs. Hortensia, was the person standing in front of the door who had called me. It seems that she came all the way to my room to call me as I wasn¡¯t coming out. It was already completely dark outside, and she had a lamp in her hand. The lamplight was flickering, reflecting off of her eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get going right now.¡±


    After carefully putting my quill pen back in its pen stand so that the ink wouldn¡¯t run or spill, I stood up. Mrs. Hortensia entered my room, and she began helping me put on my robe to replace my coat. While the inside of my room is kept warm by a hearth which had a heating system that could send warm air to my room through a central fireplace, the corridors didn¡¯t have that system.


    ¡°¡­¡­Eliza-sama.¡±


    Just as Mrs. Hortensia helped me button up the last button of my robe, she suddenly started speaking to me. She had a relaxed smile, and was looking at me with a gentle look in her eyes. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Eliza-sama is a splendid person. You work your hardest to try and fulfill your duties as a domain lord.¡±


    She took my hand and wrapped both her hands around mine. She still smiled softly at me when she saw my surprise, and she began talking slowly as if trying to persuade me.


    ¡°But, before any of that, Eliza-sama is still a child. Even though you have the position of an adult, you shouldn¡¯t treat yourself as if you were an adult.¡±


    She was basically treating me just like a child.


    ¡°¡­¡­I can¡¯t do that.¡±


    My thoughts were bitter as I muttered that out loud. Mrs. Hortensia¡¯s words were warm and soft, just like a spring breeze. They suddenly invaded my dry, cracked heart.


    That was why, it was so bitter. It was scary. I felt like I wanted to get rid of this feeling that I wasn¡¯t used to.


    A piece of firewood from my fireplace snapped with a loud crackle. However, Mrs. Hortensia never looked away from me at all, almost as if she didn¡¯t hear it.


    ¡°No. You must realize that you are still a child, and treat yourself accordingly.¡±


    She was so direct with me. Even though her gaze seemed gentle, it was also strong. This was scary.


    ¡°Eliza-sama. It is true that when Earl Terejia hired me, he did instruct me to treat you as an adult. However, you are still a child. I am certain that because nobody treats Eliza-sama as a child, that is why you are always so busy having to think about difficult things.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Stop, please.¡±


    I could hear myself clenching my teeth.


    It was as if there was a voice screaming in the back of my head to not listen to her, to not let her say anything more. It was difficult to breathe. I felt as if I was being choked by something soft like cotton.


    ¡°In this mansion, it¡¯s an unfortunate thing that there¡¯s nobody here who knows how to raise children. That¡¯s why nobody knows how to just let Eliza-sama have fun and relax. Anyone that used to treat Eliza-sama as a child is no longer here.¡±


    Mrs. Hortensia¡¯s tone of voice was invading me with such warmth and affection that it was breaking me into pieces. This time she took her hands that were wrapped around mine, and placed them on my shoulders.


    This was no good. I couldn¡¯t let this go on any further. The innermost part of my mind was screaming at me.


    I wanted to escape from here. Despite thinking so, I couldn¡¯t move at all. Her arms enveloped me while I stood so still as if I had grown roots. It was as if her hands were made to mend broken objects.


    ¡°At your age, you should still have the right to be acting spoiled to others.¡±


    The words she whispered in my ears were like honey to me, giving my mind a sweet numbness. Just like warm milk, she had a sweet, gentle smell. My skin had been missing the warm sensation of human touch.


    I just let my muscles relax and leaned against her without using any strength at all.


    I considered myself as being strong-armed into this. This was an irresistible warmth. It was completely different worlds, inside and outside of her embrace.


    My eyes felt a little hot. The back of my throat hurt as well ¨C it was hot and painful.


    ¡°¡­¡­Eliza-sama? Are you crying?¡±


    I was breaking down. At the same time that lukewarm water accumulated in my eyes and started spilling over, Mrs. Hortensia¡¯s hands rubbed my back.


    ¡°¨CPlease stop.¡±


    Even so, I still couldn¡¯t allow myself to just keep sobbing shamefully like this.


    ¡°Please let go of me, Mrs. Hortensia.¡±


    At the same time as I said that, I pushed against her shoulders with my hands. Her look was one of slight surprise, then it changed to what I understood as pity.


    My heart was pounding. The feeling in my chest was so intense like it would burst at any moment.


    I covered my eyes with my sleeves, and stumbled backwards. Mrs. Hortensia didn¡¯t try to hold on to me. When I lightly sat down with my back against my desk, I finally felt a strange sense of relief.


    ¡°¡­¡­Please go ahead to the dining hall. I¡¯ll come along shortly.¡±


    I heard Mrs. Hortensia sighing gently.


    ¡°I shall do as you say. But, please, never forget what I just said.¡±


    With that final comment, she left only the sound of her footsteps behind. All strength left my body and I collapsed where I was sitting.


    My hands were trembling. I was shivering in fear at something other than that sweet temptation.


    Just why did I reject Mrs. Hortensia¡¯s words just now, I wonder.


    These contradictory feelings of mine made me want to cry again, and I kept desperately grinding my teeth. Still, in the back of my head, I kept telling myself that it was just fine like this.

 Ch 96

    Eliza-sama, feed those horses over there as well, will you?¡±¡°Got it, I¡¯m on it.¡±


    Children about my age are running about, pouring horse fodder into buckets. I had also joined these children, having added a large amount of horse fodder into a bucket I was now carrying, heading for the group of horses they indicated to me.


    The bucket is heavy, and the horses move about freely, so if I don¡¯t act fast I won¡¯t know which horses are the ones I¡¯m supposed to feed. Although it¡¯s winter, this is still work that will make you sweat. However, quite unexpectedly, this is quite enjoyable, even fun.


    ¡°My lord, are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course.¡±


    As I nodded to Teo who came to see how I was doing, I must have really looked just like a child to him. With a wry smile, he left without saying anything else.


    Ratoka, Earl Terejia, and Mrs. Hortensia had each in succession shaken me badly inside, so now internally I was a mess, as if a storm had just passed through me.


    Although it¡¯s a little pathetic to tell anyone, but truth be told, I can¡¯t take any more mental shakeups right now. Especially if someone else is like Mrs. Hortensia, and tries to treat me simply as a child, I¡¯m terribly afraid that something within me will collapse and break down.


    Right now I¡¯m feeling afraid of everyone living at the Mansion of Golden Hills. This phobia of trusting others has made even me realize that I¡¯m currently a little mentally unstable. I¡¯m also a little surprised at this little bit of immaturity inside of me.


    That¡¯s why ¨C I decided to escape from there. Or in other words, I became a runaway of sorts.


    I absolutely can¡¯t bring myself to ignore my work. That¡¯s why, I only ran away to my neighbors¡¯ tents, the new citizens that are currently passing their first winter on the nearby hills. In the morning I¡¯ll still return to the mansion to do my work, but I only sort out and work on the documents with highest priority and importance, and leave promptly at noon. I¡¯m actually only half a runaway.


    Originally during winter, my time during afternoons wasn¡¯t spent on work anyways, it was my time to practice martial arts and train with the army, so it¡¯s no problem to only work this much every day. After I¡¯m done training at the barracks each day, I don¡¯t return to my room at the mansion, and come back to the tents instead.


    Of course, I¡¯m just escaping reality. I realize this quite fully.


    But even so, if the environment around me changes, some other things will change as well. It greatly reduces the chances of meeting someone I don¡¯t want to deal with, such as Mrs. Hortensia and Ratoka. Hopefully this gives me a chance for my emotions to settle down. Well, time should solve all problems, including ones such as my age and my feelings.


    ¡°Eliza-sama, have you finished over there?¡±


    When I somehow managed to finish feeding all of the horses that I was tasked with feeding, a girl about my age called out to me.


    It¡¯s been almost two weeks since I started living with the Shiru tribe. I¡¯ve been staying at the tent with only children, the same one as when I made my inspection before.


    ¡°Ahh, it¡¯s done.¡±


    ¡°Then that¡¯s all for today. Let¡¯s go get something to eat together.¡±


    She grinned and held on to my hand, as we returned to our tent. When I first came here, I kept getting lost among all the tents that looked the same to me, so now the kids here have acquired a habit of having someone lead me by my hand through the tents so that I don¡¯t get lost.


    ¡°Here, wipe yourself with this towel. If you¡¯re all sweaty you¡¯ll catch a cold, so make sure to wipe properly, okay?¡±


    ¡°I know. I¡¯ll be alright.¡±


    The children in the tent basically treat me as a ¡°newcomer.¡± The children find it amusing to help take care of me as I¡¯m not used to life among the Shiru tribe.


    The older children aside, even the younger children behave as if they¡¯re my older brothers and sisters, it¡¯s quite interesting. It¡¯s quite a fresh feeling to be taken care of for once, instead of having to take charge of others.


    With no worries, no cares, I really have this feeling of relief.


    I¡¯m wearing some clothing typical of the Shiru tribe that was handed down to me. Usually tunics and dalmatics are the clothing most typical of the Jugfena region, and although there¡¯s not much difference in the tailoring, the embroidery has much brighter colors than our region, and there are many animal motifs such as birds and horses rather than plants.


    I carefully wiped my entire body. Without her needing to tell me, wiping down sweat properly had been drilled into my bones during my first three months of training at the barracks. While their clothes are a bit different and possibly made from different materials than the clothes I¡¯m used to, I¡¯m already getting used to them.


    ¡°Hey hey, what are you going to do today, Eliza-sama?¡±


    ¡°Today¡­¡­ I have to go train with the army.¡±


    When the sun passes the midday point, Gunther should be arriving soon at the entrance to this simple makeshift village to fetch me.


    ¡°Ahh. So much work. Hang in there.¡± S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    I nodded at her encouragement, and crawled out of the tent. I was instantly attacked by the cold, biting air. Thanks to heat from a nearby fire, the cold didn¡¯t pierce down to my bones, but it was still cold.


    When I covered my nose with my hand as it was hurting from the cold and watching my foggy breath in the air, the girl followed me out of the tent and put a long piece of cloth around my neck. Is this a scarf? Arxia doesn¡¯t use this type of clothing.


    ¡°Wrap this around your neck properly. It¡¯s a serious matter if you get a cold.¡±


    ¡°Ahh, s¡­¡­ My bad.¡±


    Sorry, is what I would have usually said, then I remembered that I was with children and changed my phrasing. To them, they only know simple ways to apologize. The first time I said ¡°my apologies¡± to them, they all tilted their heads at me quizzically.


    ¡°You should only say my bad if you really catch a cold. At times like these, you should say thank you.¡±


    The girl seemed so proud of herself as she said so, and I laughed slightly. Since when had I forgotten how to do such simple things, I wonder? Just like she said, it¡¯s certainly a strange thing to receive a scarf and apologize for it.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Mm, such a good child.¡±


    The girl grinned widely and caressed my head. I was finally infected by her as well, finding all of this funny, and a smile appeared on my face.

 Ch 97

    Huzzah, we¡¯re slightly past the halfway mark of catching up to the author! Minor spoilers: the latest chapter is chapter 187, titled ¡°Minefield of flesh and blood,¡± so that¡¯s quite something to (look forward?) to. Also, as a reminder, Eliza will enter noble school in chapter 149.And, anyone up for donating some steam games to me off my wish list for the winter holidays? They¡¯re all on sale! Let me know on steam if so, my name there is the same, imperfectluck, same picture of Estelle the orange haired girl as well!


    Outside the window, snow is beginning to fall. Although I¡¯m almost done with today¡¯s work, the timing is still bad.


    I removed the item I was using as a reading stone to hold documents in place, and thought about the work I still had to do while examining the lump of glass in my hand. Beautiful glass like this with few impurities is a luxury item, much more valuable than something like window glass, that¡¯s when I suddenly had a flash of inspiration. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Eliza-sama, what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡­ Nothing. Nothing¡¯s the matter, Mrs. Marshan.¡±


    I responded to her and nonchalantly placed the reading stone into my sleeve like nothing had happened. Luckily for me, she didn¡¯t notice anything.


    As always, it¡¯s still Mrs. Marshan¡¯s job to teach me about my political work. Since there¡¯s still much that I haven¡¯t learned yet, it¡¯s a reassuring thing to know that I can always call for her at any time I need to. She¡¯s a talented teacher who has Earl Terejia¡¯s recognition, she¡¯s skilled in a wide range of different fields, and she has a sharp mind that always has a fast and accurate response for any questions I ask her.


    While she did tilt her head quizzically at me when I was busy affixing myself on my reading stone, but she didn¡¯t pay it much mind, and returned her attention to the papers she was working on. It seems like she was reading essays written by both Elises. Mrs. Marshan is also in charge of educating all children at the Mansion of Golden Hills.


    I returned my line of sight to my own work. I still have a few remaining reports and applications from my army to go over, and I need to rewrite and simplify the most important documents as well as sign them. Also, in tandem with that, I need to write up purchase orders for what the military needs, and sign those as well.


    After all that I need to organize them and submit the documents to Earl Terejia. If there¡¯s no problems, the contents of the documents will be carried out. I punched a hole through each documents and strung them together, finally finishing my desk work for today.


    ¡°Are you finished?¡±


    Mrs. Marshan relaxedly pulled up the hem of her dress as she came over. Up until now, she¡¯s never even once worn the dalmatics and tunics common to the Jugfena region. She always wore a simple, plain one-color dress with a proper collar.


    ¡°Yes, there¡¯s no problems. How about on your end?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m finished as well.¡±


    While Mrs. Marshan smiled elegantly, suddenly her expression clouded over as she looked at the papers in her hand. One of the two Elises, or maybe both of them, may have bad grades, I wonder.


    ¡°Um¡­¡­ How are the other children you¡¯re in charge of teaching doing? Are they properly learning under your guidance?¡±


    ¡°Eh? Uhh¡­¡­ They¡¯re mostly fine.¡±


    Maybe it was a little too unexpected for her to hear me asking this question, she seemed to nod absentmindedly at me. However, she continued to remain out of character as she spoke again.


    ¡°However, it seems like recently one of them hasn¡¯t been taking what I say to heart¡­¡­ Although that one is still working hard, it seems like as if there are other distractions going on.¡±


    ¡°Distractions¡­¡­¡±


    I recalled Ratoka¡¯s face from when we confronted each other on that day. A surprised expression, a worried expression, a bitter expression, a dark expression filled with anger¡­¡­ In just a short moment, so many different expressions were expressed across his face.


    I wonder if Ratoka was as emotionally fragile as I was right now, if he had been hurt by that day as much as I was.


    ¡°As for Elise the viscount¡¯s daughter, it seems that she¡¯s been having seizures quite often lately, and her condition is poor. As for Elise the apprentice, maybe she¡¯s been worrying about her.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯ve heard about this as well.¡±


    This is also a story that hurts to hear. Even though I had told Ratoka that I would go and visit Elise, all I¡¯ve done instead is run away from the mansion.


    Even though Mrs. Marshan almost certainly doesn¡¯t know about the argument between me and Ratoka, it seems like she¡¯s detected something from my eyes. But in the end, I couldn¡¯t say anything, and lowered my eyes to avoid her gaze.


    She probably wants to say let¡¯s do something about it. If not that, she probably wants to ask what happened. But, she didn¡¯t approach the topic at all.


    Mrs. Marshan is my governess. Among all the servants, only the governess will end up leaving for another household once her work here is finished. That¡¯s why she never tries to have anything to do with any problem that residents of the Mansion of Golden Hills may encounter. The more people that are living here, the more obvious this has become.


    That¡¯s why I deeply feel the irony of how I feel the safest next to her out of all the residents here.


    ¡°W, welcome back, Eliza-sama!!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m back.¡±


    On days that I don¡¯t have to participate in military training, I¡¯ll return to the new citizens¡¯ makeshift tent village to have lunch, and do the work that¡¯s given to me here, before returning again to the mansion for martial arts training.


    ¡°Eliza-sama, don¡¯t you get tired from work?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s started to snow, aren¡¯t you cold?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s gotten wet from the snow! Take her to warm up by the stove!¡±


    As I entered the tent, I was suddenly surrounded by children. While still busy chattering, one of them took me by my hand and led me to the stove in the center of the tent.


    ¡°Ahh, I¡¯m fine. I rode Rashiok here today.¡±


    ¡°Rashiok, he¡¯s Eliza¡¯s friend, the scaled flying wolf dragunia, right?¡±


    At Rashiok¡¯s name, the children suddenly all got into a commotion. I did talk a little about Rashiok before with them, it seems that they remember.


    ¡°Yes. In Arxia, we call him a wolf dragon, or a draconis.¡±


    ¡°Is he still here?¡±


    ¡°Yes, he¡¯s still here. He¡¯s waiting outside the tent.¡±


    Apparently the children seemed to be interested in the wolf dragon, and they cheered as I pointed to the tent¡¯s entrance.


    ¡°I want to see it!¡±


    ¡°Exactly what I was thinking. It¡¯s cold outside, can we have him come in?¡±


    ¡°Yeah yeah!¡±


    Their eyes that were shining with curiosity, as well as their bright smiles made my chest feel slightly fuzzy and warm. How direct they can be is so dazzling, as well as enviable.


    It¡¯s a way of thinking that I can¡¯t have for myself. Even Ratoka who had a twisted childhood growing up, or the sickly Elise, seem so far away to me, sparkling in the distance.


    Claudia¡¯s image overlapped with their appearance. She¡¯s a girl that¡¯s so direct in everything that it¡¯s almost unbelievable she¡¯s also a noble girl.


    Then, I finally realized it. When Claudia first came to my domain, I didn¡¯t how to deal with her. At first, I was always exhausted because of the way she acted.


    In retrospect, that might have simply been me feeling a twisted kind of envy. I can never be like these children, or be like Claudia.


    I truly believe that it was a good thing for me, leaving the mansion.


    I envy them. However, I¡¯m not like them, and now I can honestly admit to myself that I can¡¯t become like them.


    Knowing myself clearly, this is definitely a requirement for me to be able to solve my own twistedness.

 Ch 98

    I called Rashiok into the tent, and the children were all agog in amazement, but also excited as they surrounded him.¡°-Wow!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, he¡¯s just like a horse or a sheep, he¡¯s docile as long as you don¡¯t do anything bad to him.¡±


    I smiled wryly at the overwhelming excitement coming from the children at seeing a real live draconis for the first time, while I stayed by Rashiok¡¯s side and stroked his nose. This is also the first time that Rashiok¡¯s ever been surrounded by such a large number of children like this, but he just took it all in stride although he seemed a bit confused.


    ¡°Eliza-sama, is it alright to touch him?¡±


    ¡°Since Rashiok has scales instead of fur, you have to pet him gently.¡±


    ¡°O, ok.¡±


    Several of the older children, gingerly began to start touching Rashiok gently in turn. They made sure to be extra careful.


    ¡°Wow, his scales are glistening.¡± S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°This is completely different from a horse!¡±


    Maybe they all now believe that Rashiok isn¡¯t any danger to them, the other children began to reach their hands out to pet Rashiok as well. Since they¡¯ve been dealing with livestock ever since they were born, it only took them a little while to get used to Rashiok. The older children have already petted Rashiok without incident, so the rest of them relaxed unconsciously as well.


    After that, they observed Rashiok even more closely with great interest, and some of them seemed to really enjoy the feeling of stroking Rashiok¡¯s scales, while some of them stood off to the side after looking, with an expression of great satisfaction on their faces.


    I tightly grasped the reading stone in my pocket, and called out to some of the children who had finished with their interest in Rashiok.


    ¡°Hey, do you guys know what shape snow is?¡±


    ¡°Eh? Snow¡¯s shape?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but feel a little excited inside when I saw all of them having blank looks on their faces. All of them confirmed to me that they didn¡¯t know the answer. Some of them asked if it was similar to grains of earth.


    ¡°So you haven¡¯t seen it, eh.¡±


    ¡°But how do you look at it? They¡¯re too small, and look like grains.¡±


    ¡°I brought a secret tool with me today.¡±


    And after saying so, I brought my hand out and opened my fingers. Calling it something like a secret tool, I tried my best to contain the laughter I was feeling inside, and I could feel my cheek muscles twitching as I held it in.


    ¡°What is this? Wow. It looks like ice.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not it. Doesn¡¯t this look like glass?¡±


    ¡°Hey, for some reason Eliza-sama¡¯s hand seems a little weird.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. It looks bigger than usual¡­¡­ Ah, maybe this is what you can see snow with?¡±


    As I nodded to the child who seemed to understand what this was for, the children¡¯s eyes began to sparkle with the light of curiosity.


    ¡°I want to see snow!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I want to see as well. Shall we go outside?¡±


    The children all nodded to each other, and each of them began to tightly wrap their scarves around themselves. I thought that this might take them a while, but some of the girls that really enjoyed helping others had everyone¡¯s scarves wound up around them in the blink of an eye.


    After they prepared themselves against the cold and everyone exited the tent, even though it shouldn¡¯t be that late yet, the sky had already gotten quite dark and covered in snow clouds. Although it¡¯s slightly dim, the snow piled up on the ground seems bright in comparison.


    This time, the children all surrounded me. I laughed a little as I remembered the way they had just surrounded Rashiok earlier, and I held out my hands to accept some snowflakes onto my mittens.


    Then, on top of the snowflakes on my mittens, I placed my reading stone. Well then, is the crystallization of snow in this world a hexagonal flower shape just like my original world, I wonder?


    Looking into the lump of glass on my hand, I saw a beautiful hexagonal flower, just like how I imagined.


    ¡°I can see it!¡±


    As I held my hand out to the children, they looked at it with great interest, then suddenly there was a huge uptick in their excitement levels.


    ¡°Wow! It¡¯s pretty!¡±


    ¡°What is this?¡±


    As the children raised their voices and made a commotion, I could see some adults peeking out of the tents nearby in confusion.


    ¡°Well, snow is incredible. It looks like a flower.¡±


    There was an expression of wonder on her face another girl commented, and I felt joy in my heart as well. As I expected, it looked like a flower.


    ¡°Let me see, let me see! ¡­¡­Oh, it¡¯s true. Is this what snow is shaped like? Amazing.¡±


    A man who was watching from another tent came over and looked into the reading stone, and agreed with the earlier girl¡¯s comment as he patted her head and praised her. Ahh, that¡¯s right. Patting someone¡¯s head while praising them will make them feel better.


    I remembered back to when I was having Ratoka work for me, we never even touched each other. Children should be praised more often and receive more affection, I realize my mistake now. As he patted some other children on the head as well, he put his hand down and looked at me in a bit of confusion on what to do. He seemed like he was hesitating on what to say, but then he returned his line of sight to the other children.


    ¡°¡­¡­Don¡¯t catch a cold out here now.¡±


    And with a gentle chuckle, he returned to his tent. While I silently watched him leave, someone suddenly patted my head from behind.


    ¡°Eliza-sama, you¡¯re incredible.¡±


    And with that, it was like a floodgate was opened and all the children came rushing over to pat me on the head as well. I¡¯m being pushed around on all sides, I feel like a piece of food they¡¯re fighting over.


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s about time to eat!¡±


    When one of the children who had stayed with Rashiok called out to us, the children filled the entire area with cheers. Like always, someone was holding my hand and guiding me, but today there¡¯s so many kids around me that I can¡¯t even tell who¡¯s holding on to me. They¡¯re everywhere around me, and their warmth is much stronger than that of my mittens.


    ¡°-Ah. Everyone being together, it¡¯s so warm.¡±


    Someone noticed this fact and said it out loud, and it was decided from then on that the children would move together in great clumps like this from now on.

 Ch 99

    Life was peaceful as I spent time with the Shiru tribe children. It¡¯s said that only during times like these when one¡¯s heart is tranquil that one can explore their true inner self.Spending all this time with children my own age, I can now objectively observe my own strangeness. No, maybe I should say instead that I was forced to deal with my own immaturity and anxiety, even if I didn¡¯t want to.


    I¡¯ll admit it to myself. My spirit is still immature. As the days passed by, I felt like I was actually more immature than the Shiru tribe children. I was born as and have been living as Eliza to my current age of eight years old without having matured at all over this time. This may be because of the memories I¡¯ve inherited about my past life by some sort of mistake, making me into a fake adult.


    Definitely, my sense of reasoning came with my memories. It¡¯s a fact that I used my memories to establish my own personality, since Eliza¡¯s original personality hadn¡¯t been established yet.


    However, these are still just memories that another girl experienced before, it doesn¡¯t feel like a personal experience. I¡¯m going to separate myself from her will and her emotions. If I don¡¯t do this, there¡¯s no way that my spirit will grow and mature.


    And so within my ugly, twisted inner self, confusion was scattering about inside me.


    Ratoka treats me as an adult and his guardian. Earl Terejia gives me all the responsibilities of an adult. My heart remains too immature as of yet to respond to them.


    Also, there¡¯s Mrs. Hortensia who tries to treat me like a child. If I take her gently offered hand, I would feel like I¡¯d be shirking all my responsibilities. It would mean that I¡¯d stop relying on my own strength alone. I definitely won¡¯t forgive myself for my own sins.


    For someone who doesn¡¯t even know herself, how can I accurately place trust in others? Whether it¡¯s running away from the painful memory of Kamil¡¯s death, or placing a false sense of trust in my previous memories, all of this is simply me acting shamefully.


    For me to have only realized all of this now, just how foolish can I be.


    It¡¯s thanks to these children that I can now laugh at and recognize my own foolishness. They know that I¡¯m the domain lord. However, they also know that I¡¯m still a child as well, and gently remind me of that fact.


    ¡­¡­Well, while I¡¯m accepting all of this, it¡¯s still taking some time for all of my emotions to sort themselves out.


    I stayed with those children on that snow-covered hill for two full months. Finally the skies are beginning to clear up, and winter should be ending soon. This year is almost over.


    During a rare break when the weather was completely clear, a messenger pigeon came from the royal capital.


    ¡°It¡¯s an announcement from the royal family.¡±


    Earl Terejia¡¯s face was drained of all its color and his hands were shaking as he handed the message to me. It was indeed stamped with the royal emblem.


    I haven¡¯t seen Earl Terejia or experienced such a painfully heavy atmosphere since the last time we were all together in Ratoka¡¯s room, and I adjusted my shirt¡¯s collar, trying to forget about that time.


    ¡°What did the king say in it?¡±


    When I inquired about the message, Earl Terejia found it unusually difficult to speak. Normally his eyes filled with wisdom and suspicion would be peering over the contents of the letter. Almost as if he wanted to make absolutely sure of what was written there and to check its veracity.


    He kept me waiting for quite a while, but he finally answered in a much quieter voice than usual.


    ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s been decided that Prince Albert¡¯s going to enter a monastery.¡±


    ¡­¡­Huh?


    The sound of creaky furniture seemed to fill the entirety of Earl Terejia¡¯s office. I only started noticing the sound after what seemed like an endless amount of deafening silence.


    ¡°Unbelievable, could that really be?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but speak what the Earl was probably thinking already. It¡¯s only natural. All I could think about was how unbelievable this was.


    ¡°Does this mean that Prince Albert¡¯s being exiled from the royal family?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­That is indeed what it means if he becomes a monk.¡±


    Ridiculous. How could such a ridiculous thing happen? And why now of all times. Just losing the position of crown prince was already incitement enough for Planates before, and now this happens.


    And on top of all that, just why is he getting exiled from the royal family. Such a thing, it¡¯s almost as if ¨C


    ¡°Could the royal family and the Ar Xia Church be hoping for a war?¡±


    When I muttered those words out in a daze, Earl Terejia¡¯s eyebrow immediately arched upwards.


    ¡°Be careful what you say.¡±


    I realized what I had just said, and I apologized for my misconduct. Even if it¡¯s Earl Terejia, there are things I can¡¯t say.


    Ever since the time of the Arxia Kingdom¡¯s previous incarnation, the Sacred Holy Lawful Kingdom of Arxia, the Arxia Kingdom¡¯s power has only been used to protect followers of the Xia religion. War only means defensive wars. Even threatening or provoking other countries, and declaring war, our kingdom finds this unacceptable.


    ¡°Well, I meant to say that this will probably become a situation. By making Prince Albert completely ineligible to inherit the throne, this is dangerously pushing Planates, or I should say the Rindarl Union, into becoming even more hostile.¡±


    The voice that ended coming out of my own throat sounded terribly cold.


    Well, it¡¯s only to be expected. If Planates becomes an enemy country as well, as part of the eastern border defense line, Kaldia would be greatly affected.


    If war breaks out, I hardly have enough soldiers I can mobilize. I¡¯d have to conscript the citizens into the army and onto the battlefield. It¡¯s hard for the Kaldia army who¡¯s already low on troops to recruit enough soldiers, so conscription is the only method. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Are my citizens going to have to fight? For such unclear reasons? Am I going to have to force them onto the battlefield, even though I had decided to compensate for my family¡¯s sins to them?


    ¡°Calm down. Those in the royal court will probably be able to persuade the king. As one would expect, since nobles are in charge of their citizens, this is something they cannot ignore. Just like you.¡±


    Thanks to the earl¡¯s coaxing, I was able to calm down, at least on the surface. I just nodded back to him reflexively.


    ¡­¡­However, inside me dissatisfaction and anxiety were swirling about like a tornado.

 Ch 101

    Today¡¯s lunch was pancakes, pumpkin stew, and goat yogurt.Arxia¡¯s never had fermented dairy products before. The first time I ate them here I felt like I was eating something extremely ¡°valuable,¡± but I got used to them after eating them every other day here. Rye is ground into flour and provides batter for the pancakes, and they have a rather plain taste to them. I¡¯m really fond of all this food because none of this type of cuisine can be found in Arxia. If only sugar could be added to this pumpkin stew as well, I¡¯m sure it would gain a delectable sweetness.


    During the hustle and bustle of lunchtime, the children around me got to chatting about the schedule for this afternoon.


    ¡°Hey hey, did you know that some of our parents are going over to teach the army how to take care of their horses today?¡±


    ¡°Ehh, even I know how to take care of horses!¡±


    ¡°According to Eliza-sama, people in Kaldia don¡¯t raise horses very often. Just like the farmers¡¯ children.¡±


    The farmers¡¯ children that they¡¯re referring to, are the orphaned children left behind by the refugees. Since the farmers¡¯ children have far different lifestyles and work habits from the nomad children, they live in separate tents, as under the current simple tent system that everyone here lives in, it¡¯s impossible for them to live together. While the thought that the farmers¡¯ children would probably need to know about horses for their lifestyles popped into my mind, the Shiru children all nodded in agreement with each other.


    Well, anyways.


    ¡°It¡¯s not the same at all. The Kaldia army is King Eliza¡¯s warriors.¡±


    Hearing this, one of the children sitting right behind me sharply raised his voice.


    ¡°Those who can¡¯t even become warriors are of a lower class, don¡¯t group them together!¡±


    ¡°Really, are you still going on about that, Athrun?¡±


    The other children all seemed to be tired about whatever this topic was and fell silent as the kid glared around at everyone.


    The kid named Athrun was a sullen boy with blue hair who was now looking downwards with a surly expression. While there¡¯s a fleck of shadow in his eyes, there¡¯s still an intense will emanating from his silver-blue irises. He¡¯s one of those that usually doesn¡¯t hang out with me, so I didn¡¯t recognize him. I see, so his name is Athrun.


    ¡°By the way, although Athrun¡¯s mother is from the Shiru tribe¡¯s Jugar clan, his father was a farmer.¡±


    The girl sitting next to me explained this to me in a small voice, probably because she noticed my attention was on Athrun. She snuck a surreptitious look at Athrun, then continued whispering to me hesitantly.


    ¡°When we started fighting with Densel, Athrun¡¯s father had wanted to become a Jugar clan warrior. But, we only allow those of Shiru heritage to become warriors. So in the end, his father wasn¡¯t allowed to participate in battle, and both his parents were killed by Densel at the refugee camp¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­I see.¡±


    Well, I definitely think he has quite a sad backstory.


    Among the Shiru tribe, there are clear distinctions made between warriors and non-warriors. Those that are made into warriors are given 2 horses each from the Shiru tribe¡¯s common property, and they also receive training in the spear and bow ever since childhood. Although the requirements to become a warrior differ slightly from clan to clan within the Shiru tribe, one thing they all have in common is that they only allow boys from the Shiru tribe to become warriors. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Jugar clan is a patriarchal clan. Since Athrun¡¯s father wasn¡¯t of Shiru heritage, he wouldn¡¯t be able to become a Shiru warrior no matter how much he wanted to become one.


    Now I understand the basics of Athrun¡¯s situation, but there¡¯s still one thing I¡¯m worried about. The girl who had just told me about Athrun was about to return to eating her meal, but I interrupted her to ask a question.


    ¡°¡­¡­He said ¡®lower class¡¯ earlier, what exactly does that mean?¡±


    From the flow of the conversation ¨C I guessed that it probably had to do with outsiders to the Shiru tribe, the farmers. However, I don¡¯t feel that there¡¯s such a large gap between the nomads and the farmers to make such a distinction.


    In fact, since they¡¯re going to move to Kaldia and live here from now on, the Shiru tribe is going to have to abandon their nomadic lifestyle and take up an agricultural one. They don¡¯t have the luxury of discriminating based on backgrounds against the farmers.


    ¡°Ahh¡­¡­ Um. In the past, the Shiru tribe¡¯s warriors were always considered the ¡®King¡¯s Spears,¡¯ the protectors of their chosen king, so it¡¯s more glory and honor than the farmers, that¡¯s what it is, I think.¡±


    Although it seemed like the girl herself didn¡¯t really understand her own explanation too well, I understood her explanation about ¡°lower class¡± very clearly.


    The ¡°King¡¯s Spears¡± is a term from the former Artolas Kingdom, they represent the nobles, or ruling class of Artolan society. Meaning, social statuses have carried over from Artolas even after its destruction by Densel.


    I put down my bowl of pumpkin soup and stood up. From the edge of my vision, I saw the girl who was just talking to me blink in surprise. I didn¡¯t pay her any mind, and I walked up to Athrun.


    Since I had suddenly stood up all by myself, of course all the other children gathered their attention on me. Since Athrun was still looking down at the ground, he was the only one that didn¡¯t notice me, until I walked directly in front of him.


    ¡°Athrun.¡±


    At my voice, he snapped his head up. There was great surprise in his silver-blue eyes as he looked at me.


    ¡°¡­¡­What?¡±


    ¡°I happened to hear part of what you were talking about just earlier. What does ¡®lower class¡¯ mean?¡±


    All Athrun could do was stand there and nod hesitantly. He seemed to have a confused expression, as if he himself didn¡¯t know why he wasn¡¯t able to answer me.


    ¡°I never want to hear you using that term again. The Shiru tribe is now considered to be citizens of Arxia first and foremost, and no longer citizens of Artolas. In Arxia, the Shiru tribe is no different from commoners. All commoners have no distinctions from each other, and are only below the king of Arxia and then the nobility.¡±


    I strongly emphasized the part that there was still someone above the Shiru tribe in rank, while there was no longer anyone below their rank. Although I still wonder if he really understood why I was remonstrating him, he did mutter ¡°I got it¡± in the end while making a¤Ø shape with his lips.

 Ch 102

    It seems that without me realizing it, the stories about me showing the shape of snowflakes and letting everyone at the Shiru children¡¯s tents meet Rashiok have been heard by the farmers¡¯ children. Well, I probably should have realized that it¡¯s impossible to stop children from gossiping, and it¡¯s fine, anyways.Come to think of it though, recently children have been sticking to me so much with me as the center of attention that it¡¯s like I always have a flock of them following me around everywhere, so I have been thinking about setting some boundaries.


    ¡°The Shiru children are hogging Eliza-sama! We want to play with her as well!!¡±


    ¡°Eliza-sama¡¯s living in our tent! There¡¯s nothing wrong with anything!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s unfair that only you guys get to play with the draconis!¡±


    ¡°Even if you say so, none of you came over to become friends with Eliza-sama until now!¡±


    ¡°Why haven¡¯t you guys ever called for us!? You¡¯re just hogging Eliza-sama! Isn¡¯t it more fun to play with everyone!?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m the only one with Eliza-sama, so how can I be hogging her! Besides, Eliza-sama isn¡¯t a toy!!¡±


    A Shiru girl and a farmer boy were struggling to pull me in their direction from opposite sides, having an argument. Well, simply speaking, this is a children¡¯s quarrel. Judging from their comments, it seems that the children are getting a little overly fond of me.


    Maybe I¡¯ve done a bad thing. From their point of view, they might not want to let go of me when I have to leave them. But still, being tightly packed in by dozens of children every day, it¡¯s an indescribable feeling and it¡¯s causing me to break down. It¡¯s, a bit crushing.


    ¡°Then, it¡¯ll be great if Eliza-sama can stay in our tent starting from today!¡±


    ¡°Stop saying such silly things, Reka! Didn¡¯t the clan leaders decide where Eliza-sama would be staying?¡±


    The farmer boy holding on to me by wrapping his arms around my stomach behind me seems to be a boy named Reka who speaks with a bit of a countryside accent. Since I haven¡¯t interacted with the farmer children in the other tents at all, I don¡¯t know him at all. The other girl who¡¯s pulling me is a Shiru girl named Tira that¡¯s currently in front of me with her arms around my neck; she¡¯s usually in charge of helping take care of me. Although they¡¯re bickering, it¡¯s more like friendly banter, so I think they actually get along pretty well with each other. However, why are they getting so heated up with me in the middle?


    Is this where I should step in and tell them to stop arguing over me? I just tried to lose myself in thinking and ignoring reality in front of me, but I soon regretted it when my vision began to darken.


    I finally felt an icy sensation in my head, along with a painful throbbing sensation. Urk, my neck, my stomach, they hurt so much from being tugged on.


    Ahh, am I going to die here? Dying of suffocation thanks to a girl who¡¯s only one or two years older than me pulling on my neck, or will I be crushed to death, or choked to death¡­¡­


    ¡°Oi, you guys had better cut it out already! Reka, Tira! Eliza-sama¡¯s turning pale.¡±


    At that moment, a boy cut through the wall of children surrounding me, making me view him almost like a hero descending from the sky in the nick of time. He peeled both Reka and Tira¡¯s arms off of me, and knuckled both of them on the head. He¡¯s about the same height as Tira, and is shaking his silvery-blue hair. ¨C Oh my, this guy¡¯s definitely familiar.


    ¡°¡­¡­, Athrun?¡±


    When I muttered the name I learned the other day, he instantly turned his head towards me. On his face was a look of surprised innocence, shock that I remembered his name.


    ¡°You¡­¡­ remember my name?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Rather than that, thank you for helping me. It was getting a little painful.¡±


    ¡°It was probably a lot more than painful. You were turning dreadfully pale.¡±


    I just looked directly into his look of surprise, and shrugged. It was indeed painful enough that I had prepared for death. Now that I look closer at him he smiled a slight smile which was somehow a bit mesmerizing, and then he gingerly started pulling me by my sleeve. When I noticed what he was doing, Athrun was getting angry with and scolding Tira who had calmed down and looked like she was apologetic, as well as a boy who¡¯s exactly my height and a little shorter than Tira.


    Well, this boy seems to be the one from earlier called Reka. While his eyes were darting in every direction nervously, he apologized to me together with Tira.


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, Eliza-sama¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°I definitely won¡¯t do this again, Eliza-sama¡­¡­¡±


    With Tira and Reka¡¯s apologies, the surrounding children seem to have regained their senses as well, and they all looked a little guilty as if they had done something wrong.


    Well, now that some of their eyes are watering up, erm, how to say it, now I¡¯m starting to feel like I¡¯m the one who¡¯s guilty of doing something bad in reverse. Well, to begin with, it¡¯s really because of my lack of thought in not stopping them.


    ¡°N, no¡­¡­ I¡¯m sorry as well to everyone. Even though I was showing off some rare things, it was unfair of me to not call the children from the other tents as well.¡± S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    I remembered Reka¡¯s words from the argument just earlier, and I lowered my head in apology and self-reflection as well. If someone with a lot of new and interesting toys just made friends with a lot of other people but not with you, well, of course that would make you feel left out.


    The main causers of the quarrel in the first place, Reka and Tira, as well as Athrun looked at each other with looks of incomprehension as if they couldn¡¯t understand why I was apologizing as well. And when they looked at me again, Tira stuck her tongue out at me mischievously, while Athrun had a wry smile and Reka seemed to be overjoyed with a big smile on his face.


    ¡°The next time I come up with something fun, I¡¯ll invite you guys along as well. I¡¯ll talk to Teo and ask if I can stay in the farmer children¡¯s tents as well. Will that be alright with you?¡±


    While Reka was looking overjoyed again as expected, he also turned around to look at all the other farmer children and nodded at them ¨C the ones that were complaining it was unfair ¨C then he turned back to me and replied ¡°that¡¯s great!¡± It seems that although Reka is slightly short, he¡¯s probably one of the leaders among the farmer children.


    ¡°I never would have expected Eliza-sama to apologize to us, but anyways if Eliza-sama wants to come play with us, that¡¯s totally fine. We¡¯ll make sure to get along with the Shiru children.¡±


    As Reka grinned widely, Tira apologized as well to him as a leader among the Shiru children, and they made up at the end with a hug. Is this what making up with each other is supposed to be like, I wonder.


    Both of them had also lowered their heads when Athrun came to arbitrate between them. Just the other day there had still been some class struggles between them left behind from the time of the now defunct Artolas Kingdom, but it seems that these divisions weren¡¯t deeply ingrained into them yet and that they¡¯re children that listen to reason. Well, I could only smile wryly as I¡¯m still a little older than they are mentally even though I¡¯m roughly the same age as Tira and the others on the outside.


    ¡°¡­¡­Reka. Um, can you stop using the term, ¡®Shiru children?¡¯ For all of us, the Shiru tribe, or lower class, none of that exists anymore. All of us are now Arxians, and have become citizens of Kaldia.¡±


    Athrun turned around and said that to Reka with a complicated expression on his face. It looked just like his expression from the other day. Did he understand my meaning, is he agreeing with me, is he carrying out my will?


    ¡°¡­¡­Mmm. I got it, I won¡¯t say that term anymore.¡±


    I wonder if Reka was there as well on that day a few days ago, Reka took a glance at me then nodded joyfully.

 Ch 103

    In this last month of winter, the snow is finally beginning to clear up little by little. There¡¯s still a little while left until my eighth birthday¡¯s celebration though, as the custom here is to celebrate it a bit after my actual birthday has passed.¡°Teo, how are things?¡±


    I was asking Teo to tell me the results of training the Kaldia army for three months on how to handle horses like the Shiru tribe does. With a serious expression, he checked each of the army¡¯s formations, examining how they moved, commanding them by raising his voice and using hand gestures.


    ¡°Agil and Calvin¡¯s squads have excellent results. They have quick responses to commands, and their horses are orderly. There¡¯s also no problems with Gunther¡¯s squad. However, Locks and Renon¡¯s squads are still a bit lacking. They need to get more used to horses.¡±


    The members of Locks and Renon¡¯s squads that he pointed out nodded in response, while stopping to catch their breaths. These two squads are composed solely of new recruits that have entered the army earlier this year in spring, so their horse handling is conspicuously much more unskilled than the other squads. Their training period as apprentice soldiers has just ended in fall, which is when they started training to become cavalry soldiers, so it can¡¯t be helped.


    Anyways, today¡¯s training is now over. I dismissed the soldiers, and dismounted my horse as well. Teo came up to me looking like he was thinking about something. He was also thoughtful enough to offer me a towel to wipe my sweat off with. While doing so, he also spoke his mind.


    ¡°¡­¡­My lord, I have a proposal.¡±


    ¡°Hold on a minute. We also have something to propose to our lord.¡±


    What¡¯s going on, before I could even reply, another voice cut in from the side. When I looked to see who it was, Gunther, along with Calvin and Agil, were all heading over to speak with me.


    ¡°Got it, I¡¯ll listen to both proposals. Summarize them for me.¡±


    I¡¯ll listen to both proposals, then make a decision based on my best judgment. Teo and Gunther seem to have decided on who would go first based just on eye contact, and Teo gave his proposal first.


    ¡°Well then. My recommendation is that the entire Kaldia army should be converted into cavalry troops.¡±


    It¡¯s a simple proposal. His reason is most likely the difference in skill level between the cavalry squads and the other half of the Kaldia army ¨C the infantry squads. As a new type of unit, I put the best soldiers into it. The soldiers that were judged to have abilities necessary for battling on horseback were incorporated into the cavalry squads, and as the domain lord I participate in and supervise their training every day. However, this has caused both the average skill level and morale of the remaining infantry troops to drop as they weren¡¯t picked.


    In the first place, Arxia treats cavalry soldiers and infantry soldiers differently. Cavalry troops have stronger attack power and mobility, and since they also need special training in horse handling, they usually obtain higher ranks than infantry troops. In the royal army there¡¯s also the title of knight, which can then lead to noble peerage.


    ¡°¡­¡­And Gunther¡¯s proposal?¡±


    ¡°My proposal is, could you just let me be an infantry squad captain instead?¡±


    Uh, oh. I somehow managed to stop myself from making any sounds of surprise. Teo and Gunther were now glaring at each other. Well, it¡¯s only natural, their proposals completely conflict with each other.


    ¡°Gunther, is that really fine?¡±


    More surprisingly, Gunther is asking to step down from the position of cavalry squad captain and become an infantry squad captain, which is basically like a demotion. Before creating cavalry squads, due to my father¡¯s reign of tyranny causing bandits to run rampant and the army to become disorganized, the Kaldia army lacked a formal army rank system. As for the army¡¯s leader, I had just put Gunther in charge before as he was the most skilled and obvious choice.


    Although Gunther wants to be the infantry squad captain, the Kaldia army technically doesn¡¯t have this position currently. So if he becomes an infantry squad captain instead of a cavalry squad captain, his rank will technically go down and he would no longer be considered the leader of the army.


    ¡°Ahh. I¡¯m more used to fighting on my feet. You can just have Agil and Calvin lead the cavalry squads. Calvin¡¯s also the longest-serving soldier as well as the oldest in the army, the other soldiers really believe in him.¡±


    I do know that Agil has been constantly acting as Gunther¡¯s adjutant before, but I haven¡¯t paid as much attention to the older soldier Calvin up until now. When I observe him closely, as a soldier ¨C not to mention a former bandit ¨C he has quite a calm atmosphere about him as our eyes met.


    ¡°Then, you think that the two of them should become commanders?¡±


    Since even everyone in my army gathered together is still less people than one division of an actual army, with so few people it¡¯s simple to do ranks. At the top is me, the domain lord, and under me are a few commanders. Beneath the commanders are squad captains, and their adjutants. After that there¡¯s only regular soldiers and apprentice soldiers in training. Since I¡¯m now taking on the role of their leader, I have a different relationship with the regular soldiers and apprentice soldiers. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m saying the three of us should concurrently serve as commanders and squad captains in the army.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t allow that. The roles of commanders and squad captains are fundamentally different. The commander is the one who gives orders, while the squad captain leads soldiers to carry out those orders. Doing both simultaneously isn¡¯t possible.¡±


    I furrowed my eyebrows and immediately rejected this idea of his. Commanders are usually in the back of the army, while squad captains have to lead from the front, it¡¯s incompatible. In the first place, if a commander is in the front lines and gets engaged in combat and can¡¯t give orders, the system of command would break down. Then the whole meaning of having army ranks in the first place would be lost.


    I know that this is a good timing to reorganize the Kaldia army¡¯s system of command. I already informed Gunther about the message a while back from the king and how it was likely that relations would worsen with the neighboring countries. Both of us agreed that we should prepare for the possibility of upcoming battles.


    It¡¯s been just a little over two years since I finished my military training in the barracks myself. I know that they¡¯re no longer leading unruly lives like when they were bandits, they¡¯re now used to living in an orderly and disciplined fashion, they carry and act out all my orders, and they have the realization that they¡¯re part of the military now.


    However, as for making them into more of an actual army, the blunt reality is that there aren¡¯t enough soldiers, nor do they have enough experience and education. The only person in the army with an education is Claudia, who¡¯s serving both as my bodyguard and is in charge of dealing with all military documents, it¡¯s obvious that there¡¯s not enough people with the ability to do this work.


    When I looked at Gunther again after thinking about how to organize the army all this time to myself, he had a much calmer expression than I would have expected of him considering I flatly rejected his idea. Maybe he knew from the start that I would probably reject it.


    ¡°In that case, we don¡¯t need commanders until the size of our army gets a bit larger. The three of us can serve as squad captains. Just like before, my lord can be the commander of the entire army. After all, we don¡¯t have that many soldiers. At any rate, none of the soldiers are leader material other than the three of us. If such a guy joins the army, you can consider making him a commander after giving him some experience.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Well, this sounds reasonable.¡±


    In order for such a leader type to join the army, I need to put more effort into recruitment. I also reminded myself mentally to give Claudia an official army position soon. I took a glance at Teo, making another mental note to think about how to integrate the Shiru warriors into the Kaldia army system of command. And, I still need to take care of his proposal as well.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I have all the details, but Gunther wants to lead infantry still, right? In that case, consider my proposal unnecessary.¡±


    Since I nodded and said Gunther¡¯s proposal was reasonable, it seems that Teo is maturely withdrawing his proposal. Since Teo is still technically an outsider to the Kaldia army, this is also a reasonable action by him.


    ¡°No, your proposal was useful as well. Thank you, Teomer. Gunther, wait a little while on reorganizing the army. I¡¯ll think on it.¡±


    I don¡¯t really have the knowledge necessary to do something like reorganizing the army all by myself. When I said that I¡¯ll think on it, I really meant that I¡¯ll discuss it with Earl Terejia. Gunther probably knows this as well, and he didn¡¯t have any objections.


    Before the snow thaws in spring, I¡¯m going to have a thorough new system of command in place, and I also want to increase the number of volunteers joining the army as much as possible.

 Ch 104

    I¡¯m now completely accustomed to a lifestyle of moving back and forth between the Mansion of Golden Hills and the new citizens¡¯ simple makeshift village, and I was just thinking about hurrying the construction of the domain lord¡¯s mansion in the center of Kaldia at the end of winter.¡°Eta¡­¡­ Elle¡­¡­ Eri¡­¡­¡±


    I had just finished my work and was on my way back to the tents from the mansion when I started to hear a voice coming from above me.


    What¡¯s this? I looked up at the window above me suspiciously, and I saw sparkling golden blonde hair framed by the blue sky.


    ¡°Eli¡­¡­ Eliza-dono!!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­Yes, what is it?¡±


    I somehow managed to swallow my sigh, and responded to her. It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve felt this familiar feeling of not knowing how to deal with her.


    Of course, this voice belonged to Claudia. The strange words I heard earlier must have been her mangled attempts to get my name right.


    ¡°It¡¯s been so long since I last saw you! I think it¡¯s been over two months!¡±


    Claudia seemed to be excited to see me as she grinned widely and stepped onto the windowsill.


    ¡°That¡¯s dangerous, Claud-¡±


    Before I could finish saying Claudia-dono, I was interrupted, because the person herself was ignoring my warning and was hanging out the window. Of course, Claudia is preparing to jump from a second story window.


    I held my breath. It felt like my heart was going to stop beating.


    ¡°Hm? Did you say something?¡±


    And with that, she jumped and landed with soft, lithe catlike movements, and stood there grinning at me with an idiotic expression on her face.


    I¡¯m unable to close my wide-open mouth. Just what is she. She¡¯s just impossible. Please get out of this otome game world and back in the shonen manga you belong to. Although, I would honestly be very troubled if she wasn¡¯t here by my side.


    This sight was just too shocking for me, so much so that I was trembling all over. Even though I know it¡¯s bad manners, I couldn¡¯t help but vent by shouting at her.


    ¡°JUST WHAT WERE YOU THINKING, JUMPING DOWN FROM THE SECOND FLOOR!¡±


    ¡°Uwa!?¡±


    Maybe Claudia¡¯s ears are extra sensitive, she grabbed them really tight after I shouted suddenly at her. Her sky colored eyes were looking at me wide and round with surprise, but I continued my words with a strong force behind them.


    ¡°Please stop doing these things outside the realm of common sense. I thought that my heart was going to stop.¡±


    ¡°Eliza-dono¡­¡­¡±


    With a blank expression, Claudia muttered my name. Then, she seemed to get happy about something, an innocent, delighted expression lit up her face. Ahh, she really looks like a young child when she¡¯s smiling like this. She¡¯s too pure.


    ¡°Got it, I swear to never do it again. I didn¡¯t think that you would be that worried about me!¡±


    ¡°Hah?¡±


    What¡¯s this about me being worried for her?


    Some words I never would have expected to hear from her came out of her mouth, and this time it was my turn to have a silly expression on my face.


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you worried that I would injure myself?¡±


    The very atmosphere around us seemed to lighten as Claudia laughed happily. I tried to come up with some sort of response, but I just couldn¡¯t think of anything to say to Claudia.


    ¡°Umm, that¡¯s¡­¡­ Just what exactly did I mean¡­¡­¡±


    I have a helpless feeling of wanting to surrender. Claudia was nodding to herself assuredly, saying ¡°yes, that must be it¡± while striking her palm with her fist. She¡¯s really in a world of her own¡­¡­ It¡¯s been so long since I¡¯ve been tired like this. It feels like I¡¯m dealing with an incomprehensible opponent.


    ¡°There¡¯s a request from Elise-dono.¡±


    I didn¡¯t pay attention to what she said at all. I had a blank look of not knowing what was going on, but Claudia grabbed my wrist without minding that at all.


    What¡¯s she doing?


    ¡°Ok, let¡¯s get going!¡±


    Where to?


    By the time I finally realized what it was that Claudia had said, she already brought me to the room where Elise was recuperating at. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Ah, Eliza-sama.¡±


    Elise seemed to be simply pleased to see me, but Ratoka who was there as well dressed in maid attire froze at the sight of me. Even though I also felt this was a very uncomfortable situation, for the time being I¡¯ll focus on the noble girl Elise first and put everything else out of my mind.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, Elise-sama. I apologize for not coming to see you for so long.¡±


    Despite having some free time for myself since the beginning of winter, I do feel really guilty as I¡¯ve been avoiding this place intentionally.


    ¡°No, don¡¯t worry about it. Eliza-sama is the domain lord and must be busy with all the work. Besides, didn¡¯t you send ¡®Elise¡¯ to accompany me in your stead? Just for that, you have my deepest gratitude.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine if that¡¯s the case then. I heard that you¡¯ve been having some more seizures recently, how are you feeling now?¡±


    Elise slowly took her gaze off of me to look outside her window, and showed a gentle, lonely expression. It made me a bit anxious, and it also made my heart tighten up in pain.


    ¡°I¡­¡­ still am unable to go outside yet. But it¡¯s okay, it¡¯s still not as bad as before I came here.¡±


    ¡°Elise-dono¡­¡­¡±


    I suddenly got a flash of inspiration and wondered if this mild-mannered noble girl would have fun playing with the Shiru children. Even though she can¡¯t run around like they can, it might bring her some comfort just to hear about their experiences and daily life.


    ¡­¡­It might be a good idea to think about who from the Shiru children I want to invite. I still need to talk with Earl Terejia, but on top of taking care of Elise, it¡¯s my duty to help her regain her health any way I can.


    As I started mentally listing candidates in my mind, Elise began to talk about the fun times she had lately with Ratoka and her maid Maya. Since this is what she typically will always talks about, I definitely think that I can give my idea a try.


    ¡°If me sending ¡®Elise¡¯ over to you has helped Elise-sama to have even a little more fun, then that¡¯s a great thing.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve had so much fun. Thank you very much.¡±


    At Elise¡¯s innocent, charming smile, once again her purity gave my heart a terrible blow.

 Ch 105

    ¡°My lord wants to choose some children to go to the mansion to become playmates? ¡­¡­Honestly, I¡¯m a little lost, what¡¯s all this about?¡±Teo furrowed his eyebrows as he weaved some ropes on the floor. His face said that he didn¡¯t understand what was going on.


    I already talked with Earl Terejia a bit about finding some playmates for Elise, and he had no problems with it, so now I¡¯m asking Teo.


    ¡°I suppose it can be a little confusing, but simply speaking, I want some kids to come over to the mansion to be friends with a girl that¡¯s staying there.¡±


    ¡°My lord can¡¯t accompany her? That¡¯s why you need some other children to be her friends?¡±


    It¡¯s exactly as Teo says. If only I could do it myself. However¡­¡­


    ¡°I¡¯m unable to go there very often. Also, there¡¯s someone there that I find meeting awkward¡­¡­¡±


    As I thought about Ratoka, I felt a bitter taste in my mouth. I put him with Elise because I didn¡¯t have anywhere else to leave him and it was a fact that I needed someone to help take care of Elise, but that still doesn¡¯t change the fact that I myself have stayed far away from Elise.


    The main reason for the chasm between us, Ratoka saying I was using him as a substitute for Kamil, is still piercing and hurting my heart even now. Seeing Ratoka again, it felt like my heart was being mangled.


    Kamil, my citizens, the nameless gravestone, me¡­¡­ I can¡¯t explain it well, but I think that Ratoka is currently a living embodiment of my traumas.


    He looks so similar to me. He¡¯s a victim of my father¡¯s persecution, which also caused his mother to go insane. Into the emptiness that Kamil left behind, did I really slowly put him there. All of these feelings were gathering up into me and shaping into disgust and guilt.


    Even now, I still can¡¯t forget that time when he threw a rock at me.


    ¡°¡­¡­Honestly speaking, I don¡¯t have anyone truly close to me that I can trust now.¡±


    I¡¯ve gone off topic due to my emotions interfering too much with my thoughts. Thinking on how to fix my accidental revealing of my inner self, I decided to change the topic to a plan that Earl Terejia brought up the last time I spoke to him about playmates for Elise.


    ¡°What¡¯s this all of a sudden?¡±


    Teo tilted his head. His expression says that he can¡¯t keep up with this sudden change of topic.


    ¡°I need more personnel, and right now there¡¯s not even any candidates. Not only is it me, Earl Terejia is also quite isolated as a noble, so I can¡¯t count on him for this either.¡±


    Kamil was the only one being educated to support me in the future, but he¡¯s no longer here. Claudia¡¯s useless at everything other than being a bodyguard, while Mrs. Marshan¡¯s age is too far apart from mine.


    ¡°¡­¡­Ahh, so that¡¯s what it is. Meaning, having some playmates enter the mansion, they¡¯re also candidates for becoming your closest aides in the future.¡±


    Teo managed on his own to infer the connections based on what I said so far. It¡¯s very helpful that he¡¯s so quick to understand.


    ¡°Living at the mansion will probably be for the long term. After all, Earl Terejia was the one who came up with this idea to help me find future candidates to assist me.¡±


    Elise needs some playmates to keep her company, and I also need to raise some candidates to become my closest aides in the future, this is two birds with one stone. Well, this isn¡¯t a bad thing for anyone.


    With the exception of their battle prowess, objectively speaking my new citizens are still much weaker in other areas than Kaldia¡¯s original inhabitants. Regardless of the fact that my own original citizens aren¡¯t really involved in making decisions in Kaldia, the new citizens will probably strongly feel like newcomers themselves.


    However, things will greatly change if they provide several of the lord¡¯s closest aides. The domain lord¡¯s existence still has an incredibly huge influence on the citizens.


    ¡°¡­¡­I have to talk with the other chiefs before I can give you permission. In short, I can allow it as the leader, but you still need to ask the children in question themselves if they want to go to the mansion.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡±


    It¡¯s unavoidable that people will dislike being ordered by their domain lord. After all, I¡¯m asking children to become playmates for a noble guest of mine. It would be easier if I needed some adults to do a job, but since I need children, I¡¯ve decided that it¡¯s better to choose someone that will probably get along well with Elise.


    At any rate, they wouldn¡¯t be living at this mansion all the time anyways. When winter¡¯s over, I intend to return to the village under development with the new citizens, and after that it would be nice if I could come back to visit my summer mansion again on occasion if I have the free time.


    As for raising close aides, this isn¡¯t something that can be rushed, so there¡¯s no hurry.


    ¡°And, who specifically do you have in mind?¡±


    ¡°Tira.¡±


    ¡°That was an instant reply.¡± S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°At the tents, she went out of her way to take good care of me. ¡­¡­Her assistance was incredibly helpful. As she¡¯s both good at taking care of others and explaining things well, I think she¡¯ll be perfect as a noble girl¡¯s playmate.¡±


    She¡¯s been very patient with me who entered their lives so suddenly. And she helped me so much. When I think about it, my chest feels warm, and also a little clogged up.


    ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll talk with the other chiefs about this tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave it up to you.¡±


    After our conversation finished, Teo went right back to making his ropes. Since I didn¡¯t have anything else planned and there was only a little time left until dinner, I watched in interest as Teo made ropes as I¡¯ve never seen this process before.


    While Kaldia citizens also know how to make ropes, I¡¯ve never seen them during the process. Right now I¡¯m really curious how it¡¯s done.


    Several minutes passed in silence as I watched Teo work on his ropes, then he finally turned his attention to me again.


    ¡°¡­¡­What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Watching you make ropes.¡±


    ¡°Ahh¡­¡­ How about I teach you how it¡¯s done?¡±


    He didn¡¯t say that being watched made it difficult for him to work. No wait, even if he doesn¡¯t mind, it¡¯s not like I really want to learn or anything.


    ¡°For future reference, sure.¡±


    Teo seemed to send me a warm look as he nodded and moved next to me. What exactly is that look supposed to be for?

 Ch 106

    Snow has mostly stopped falling, and the sun is starting to show itself more often through the clouds, spring is almost here. Vivid yellow flowers began blooming in places where the accumulated snow was melting, warm winds were now blowing down the Amon Nor mountains, and the melted snow also caused some flooding along the Sera river as the dams weren¡¯t completed yet.¡°Next year we¡¯ll definitely be living over there for winter instead, right?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s difficult to move in winter. I think the adults will definitely complete a dam by this time next year, though.¡±


    ¡°Hopefully we can all live in a proper village soon.¡±


    From the small hill that my mansion sits on, I can see a fairly wide swath of the flat Kaldia territory. The three children that I decided to pick from the new citizens for Elise¡¯s new playmates, Athrun, Tira, and Reka, were looking eastward and chatting with each other. I watched them from behind, and although it may have been unnecessary, I ended up joining their conversation at that point.


    ¡°¡­¡­Some craftsmen from another domain are coming over soon to help us build furniture. The adults will have more work to do then as well.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I know about that! Eliza-sama hired them, right?¡±


    ¡°Ahh, err¡­¡­¡±


    Reka turned around after noticing me and had a big smile. I nodded in embarrassment, but Reka and Tira took both my hands and were jumping up and down in joy.


    ¡°I¡¯m really looking forward to it! I wonder if Eliza-sama¡¯s new mansion will be finished soon as well?¡±


    Usually Reka talks in a slow drawl as part of his accent, but maybe he¡¯s a little overly excited today, his rate of speech has really picked up. Since Tira usually takes such good care of me like an older sister would, I¡¯m more used to her excitement.


    ¡°There¡¯s still plenty of time for that, I think. Although it¡¯s a small mansion, five years time is the standard.¡±


    Although I don¡¯t want to pour cold water on their hopes, I¡¯ll still tell them the truth. Besides, constructing their new village is the number one priority for me, work on the new mansion can be delayed until that¡¯s finished.


    Reka is clearly pouting now. He¡¯s sticking out his lips, and his eyebrows are tightly furrowed.


    ¡°Ehh~ Then, it¡¯s fine even if we don¡¯t finish that dam first. I don¡¯t want Eliza-sama to not have a place to spend the winter. Hey, Eliza-sama, we can come back here again for next year¡¯s winter.¡±


    ¡°Oy, Reka. Don¡¯t bother Eliza-sama with your selfish requests.¡±


    ¡°Besides, even if we¡¯re living here again next year, that doesn¡¯t mean that Eliza-sama has to live with us?¡±


    ¡°Aw¡­¡­¡±


    After being scolded by Athrun and Tira, Reka glumly fell silent. With a wry smile, I reached my hand out to his head, and although he was a little confused at first ¨C I patted him lightly on his hair a few times.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go and see you guys. As much as I can.¡±


    ¡°Really!? It¡¯s a promise!¡±


    Children are really so simple, and their emotions change so quickly. Reka was instantly all smiles again, and with the momentum that came with his excitement, he easily jumped back onto his horse.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to go back first and help prepare lunch!¡±


    After saying so, Reka rode down the hillside so quickly that I didn¡¯t even have time to respond. Athrun, Tira and I could only smile wryly at each other.


    Claudia looked quite improper as she was sitting on her desk used for work, swinging her feet. The early spring sunshine was shining down from the window behind her, so I couldn¡¯t make out her expression clearly due to the glare.


    I was sitting in a chair directly across from her, counting the time pass by in silence. Claudia was the one who had called me over saying she had something to tell me. At least this time she didn¡¯t jump down from a second floor window while calling out to me, so I suppose this is better. However, she¡¯s been quiet for quite some time now, with her mouth bent into a ¤Øshape. I don¡¯t really know what to say to her in this situation either. For once, she has a thinking face and she¡¯s furrowing her eyebrows.


    The sound of the water clock indicated that the time just reached noon. Claudia raised her face and looked at me as if she just realized I was sitting here. She still seemed a little confused when she met my gaze, and greeted me hesitantly.


    ¡°Eliza¡­¡­-dono? Er, Elena-dono? No wait, it¡¯s Eliza-dono, I think I got it right. Um¡­¡­ There¡¯s something I¡¯d like to ask you.¡±


    I want to applaud myself for not getting a sore neck yet, looking directly at her and waiting for all this time. I¡¯ve been kept waiting for so long, what could this important thing that she has to say to me be?


    Come to think of it, Claudia¡¯s finally been able to remember my name more accurately as of late. Ahh, I feel slightly dizzy from the mental fatigue of waiting so long¡­¡­


    With a slight sigh in my voice, I replied to Claudia.


    ¡°Yes, what is it?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡­ um. Hopefully you won¡¯t be angry at me.¡±


    This is really rare, Claudia started in an apologetic manner before her main question.


    ¡°This is from quite a while back, about the bandits we caught earlier last year. At that time, why did you do the dirty work personally?¡±


    Claudia was tilting her head, and her golden hair was making soft swishing sounds.


    I see, so it¡¯s about that. She must know that my emotions are stable now. Probably, she didn¡¯t ask me right after that incident out of consideration for me. As always, her intuition is like the wild instinct of an animal, she can detect my emotional state so well.


    ¡°There were various reasons. I can¡¯t explain it easily ¨C but if I had to say, I think I just wanted to kill him since he deserved to die.¡±


    ¡°What about the other bandit? Did he just freeze to death in the dungeon¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah, probably. I thought it was too bothersome to kill him directly. Him dying just like that without anyone knowing was quite convenient, really.¡±


    Claudia nodded silently. She¡¯s refraining from commenting further, and she may not agree with me, but she does understand my reasons. Seeing her reaction, a mystery popped up in my mind.


    Why was it that I always considered Claudia so useless?


    It¡¯s something that I¡¯ve only realized recently myself, but I can be quite selfish. Thanks to my previous life¡¯s memories, I want to be treated like an adult, and while I acted as mature as I possibly could, I always relied on other adults, just like a child would.


    But when an adult like Mrs. Hortensia came along, and wanted to treat me as a child, and when it seemed like she would spoil me to her utmost extent, I was terrified and my spirit broke down.


    That¡¯s why ¨C I liked having Kamil around. He was important for me. We were children together, we were fellow humans, we were friends, and I was also his lord, even now, his memories still pierce my heart.


    I couldn¡¯t trust him, and I sent him away from me, so of course I would feel guilty about his death. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    And, Claudia meets the same conditions that Kamil did. She¡¯s just as pure as the Shiru children, and she¡¯s a person who I¡¯m very grateful to because she accepts me as I am.


    So, why is it that I can¡¯t see her the same way I saw Kamil? This is an incredible mystery to myself.


    ¡°Got it. Sorry to have taken up so much of your time. I probably should have asked you much earlier.¡±


    Her confusion just earlier disappeared like it never even existed, and Claudia was back to her cheerful self again. And just like that, she left the room.


    Then somehow, I managed to come up with an answer to the mystery in my head.


    Perhaps, to me, she¡¯s neither an adult nor a child. Also, I probably see the Shiru children the same way.


    I still can¡¯t decide whether or not I should call her my friend. Even though, I can now tell myself so easily, that Kamil was my friend.

 Ch 107

    February 4, 2017 ¡¤ by imperfectluck ¡¤ in Uncategorized. ¡¤The skies are clearing, and the snow is melting. After the snow completely melted around the Mansion of Golden Hills, we returned to the village under construction. Nothing big happened this past winter, and I confirmed in the new village that everything was alright with the water sources and supply.


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot of garbage this year as well.¡±


    Teomer was muttering to himself with a frown on his face. The stone path for the village under construction was still incomplete, with dirt exposed everywhere and dead branches and plants scattered about. It¡¯s also quite muddy, and there¡¯s even some fish lying around here and there, with a few of them bouncing up and down. I suppose this is all due to the recent flooding.


    ¡°Well, the bright side is that this provides us with quite a nice supply of fish for the time being.¡±


    Teo could only shake his head as he gave orders to his warriors to gather and wash the fish laying by the roadside. It was really muddy and they weren¡¯t used to this type of food gathering, so it took about half an hour to collect and clean all the fish we saw.


    ¡°I¡¯ll also go wash myself in the river before returning. The temperature should be just about right.¡± Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    During winter, my new citizens had borrowed the bathing facilities in the barracks, but that facility only has hot water when it¡¯s time to cook food. I think that something can potentially be developed to automatically adjust the flames and provide fuel as an upgrade to modernize the bathing facilities, but unfortunately Kaldia doesn¡¯t have the means to do so. So unfortunately, my new citizens still don¡¯t have their own place to bathe yet. This was one of Kamil¡¯s plans that he left behind, but it seems like there¡¯s still quite a while until it can be realized.


    ¡­¡­I don¡¯t have enough money, time, or personnel. Maybe I should write down the ideas that I want to actualize but don¡¯t have the means to do yet. There would be no meaning to it if I forget what I wanted to do in the first place if I have the ability to do so in the future.


    The next morning I had the Kaldia army help in gathering up the new citizens¡¯ tents and belongings, and help transport it all by horseback. By noon, the hillside that had been full of tents was already well on its way of returning to its original state.


    ¡°Somehow, it feels like I¡¯m returning to a nomadic lifestyle.¡±


    Reka next to me seemed to be having fun while looking all around him. Since the children aren¡¯t of much help with the heavy labor and to not let them get in the way, I¡¯ve gathered them here with me to help with the process of collecting the small metal parts that help bind the tents to the ground. Not only were the Shiru children with me, the farmer children were here as well, and even the children that usually stayed with their parents were here today.


    ¡°Unfortunately, this is only for today. I¡¯ll work hard and finish everything so I can come and visit you guys as much as possible.¡±


    ¡°If Eliza-sama works hard, you can really make it happen. Our King would never lie, right?¡±


    ¡°Well, whatever a domain lord says is close enough to a proclamation. I can¡¯t say things I¡¯m uncertain of.¡±


    I answered Reka while I continued to collect the small metal parts. After all, I figured I¡¯d help everyone personally as well. Tira just happened to meet my eyes then as she was sitting in front of me, and she smiled at me. I kept pulling up the small metal parts that fastened the tents, carefully wiped the dirt off of them, and tied them into bundles by wrapping ropes several times around the parts. The new citizens prepared this rope themselves, just like Teo.


    ¡°By the way. Sometimes you guys call me ¡®King¡¯ instead of lord, why is that? The King of Arxia is the only King in Arxia.¡±


    As I continued to work with my hands, I figured that now was a good timing to ask this question I¡¯ve always been wondering about. I¡¯ve been called ¡°King¡± by them several times now, and it¡¯s perked my curiosity. Although only other Arxian nobles can understand the Artolan language they speak, it¡¯ll still be quite a bit of trouble if someone hears the children calling me their ¡°King¡± and can understand it.


    ¡°Eh? Mm, but don¡¯t the people in your army also call you Charlie?¡±


    ¡°Oh, do you know the meaning of Charlie as well?¡±


    Even now, I still don¡¯t know why people kept calling me Charlie. Even though Mrs. Marshan is proficient in her language abilities, she didn¡¯t know either, and Kamil started this trend of calling me Charlie that somehow spread to my entire Kaldia army. That¡¯s why I figured that maybe Kamil was using a term from another language or he just made up a name entirely to call me by.


    That¡¯s why I¡¯m shocked that Reka, with his Artolan heritage, knew this word. I had thought this possibility to be the unlikeliest, but maybe it¡¯s just that some ancient words have been left over here in the Jugfena region. The Arxian language in the Jugfena region and the Artolan language share an archaic root language. Of course, there are many similar sounding words between the languages.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­¡­ We call you our King simply because that¡¯s our term for the person ranked above our clan chiefs. That¡¯s all.¡±


    That¡¯s all, he says, as he smiled as if he knew some secret I didn¡¯t. I feel from his expression like he¡¯s still not telling me everything, but I have no evidence to base this on, so I¡¯ll let it go. When I happened to look at Tira though, she seemed to have listened in on our conversation as she had the same secretive grin that Reka did.


    ¡°Ok, it¡¯s time to get moving! Hurry up and move, Gunther will lead the way!¡±


    In the distance, I heard Teomer giving the order to move out. I had left Teo and Gunther to decide between themselves who would lead everyone on the way, and it seems that it will be Gunther. It seems that the two of them became quite friendly with each other over the winter training the army did. Is it because they¡¯re close in age, I wonder.


    ¡°Alright, we should probably get moving as well.¡±


    Tira wrapped up the last bundle of metal parts with a small sigh in her voice. Looking around at all the other children, I also saw those that were disappointed like she was, as well as children that seemed really excited and were having lots of fun.


    Among all the children, I noticed that a certain silvery-blue head of hair that really stands out in a crowd was missing. He¡¯s also one of the earliest to physically mature among his age group, so even without his hair color he¡¯s easy to spot due to his height alone. But no matter how much I looked for him, he wasn¡¯t there with the other children.


    ¡°By the way, where¡¯s Athrun today?¡±


    ¡°Eh? Well, since he¡¯s so big, maybe he¡¯s helping some of the slightly older children.¡±


    The children that are ten and older are helping the women gather all the cloths and bundle them together on horseback. I looked over in that direction, but I still didn¡¯t see Athrun at all.


    ¡°What do you need Athrun for?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. I just got curious since I didn¡¯t see him around.¡±


    ¡°Mmm. Oh, perfect, Athrun¡¯s returning just now!¡±


    Reka pointed behind me, as I turned around and looked. Some children were leading a group of horses in this direction, and Athrun was among them.


    ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting! We¡¯ve brought the horses, so let¡¯s begin loading!¡±


    A girl who seemed about fifteen years old was acting as their leader and giving orders. It was easy to tell at a glance that all the children bringing the horses here were several years older than the children I was with. Since our work is finished as well, they probably noticed and headed over to help us get started with the moving.


    During all this, Athrun came up to me and slapped me genially on my shoulder for some reason.


    ¡°Eliza-sama, I have something I¡¯d like to say to you.¡±


    What¡¯s this about? Is it something that I have to take care of right now? As I finished packing the tools in my hand into a sack, I turned around to face Athrun silently. As if he wasn¡¯t saying anything so serious, he told me something without any hesitation.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to enter the Kaldia army starting today.¡±


    ¡­¡­With such a simple sentence, it was like he dropped a bomb on me.


    ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡±


    Although he had told me he had something to say, this was more along the lines of a proclamation. I had no idea what was going on, so all I could do was blink and keep looking up at the much taller Athrun.


    ¡°If I can¡¯t become a Shiru warrior, I can at least fight for our King and the Kaldia army. That¡¯s why, I¡¯m going to join your army. Enter it, and stay there.¡±


    Although I had indeed planned on recruiting new members for the army soon, it seems that my first applicant has shown up from an unexpected place. He¡¯s a young boy with determined eyes and a direct gaze that look like he¡¯s made a decision he definitely won¡¯t step back from, so my face couldn¡¯t help but put on a serious expression automatically as well. Then, I stood up and nodded as gracefully as possible.


    ¡°I shall allow you to enter my army. I look forward to your accomplishments. ¨C Thank you for becoming my warrior.¡±

 Ch 108

    February 13, 2017 ¡¤ by imperfectluck ¡¤ in Uncategorized. ¡¤Now that the harvest season has concluded, this year as well I¡¯m going to wear dignified formal red and black colored knight attire with silver adornments for my own upcoming birthday celebration. Earl Terejia suggested that I leave my hair down this year, but just like last time, I decided to leave it bundled on my head. Since my deceased father always kept his hair long and we look so similar, I want to avoid looking like him as much as possible, both for my own sake and to avoid my citizens seeing his shadow in me.


    Last year I didn¡¯t hold my birthday celebration since I was in the royal capital officially entering the Arxian church in their religious ceremony, but this year I¡¯m holding it again, as a good opportunity to see how things are in my domain.


    This year as well the celebration will last for three days, with a big feast on the first day in all the villages. Since this year¡¯s parade by my army will also include the Shiru warriors who have become something like another personal army, it should be quite grand. We also started our recruitment process for the army, and about ten or so people from nearby villages with plenty of hands to spare signed up. They¡¯re not going to participate in the parade because they still lack too much training, but that shouldn¡¯t make any difference.


    Another reason why things will be grander this year compared to two years ago is that the economic situation in my domain is gradually recovering, so we made the parade appropriately grander as well. If the parade seems worse off even when people¡¯s living standards are improving, then it would give the citizens unrest and uneasiness.


    That¡¯s why, this time I¡¯ll be riding on Rashiok for the parade. Also thanks to the previous incident where Ratoka threw a rock at me, this time maybe riding on an intimidating beast will prevent such a thing from occurring again.


    Rashiok¡¯s finally stopped growing, and he¡¯s a bit taller than a warhorse is. Since I¡¯m still too small, I can¡¯t ride atop him unassisted, so despite the fact that Rashiok didn¡¯t like it, I used a saddle whenever I would ride Rashiok.


    ¡°Things seem rather quiet this year.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Ahh, you mean the citizens?¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    Gunther and Claudia were riding next to me and serving as my bodyguards, and since they¡¯re quite experienced at this, I can probably trust their insights. Gunther has a face that says warrior written all over it, but Claudia just looks like a normal beautiful girl as long as she keeps quiet.


    Gunther seems to be much more relaxed this time around than during the tense atmosphere from two years ago, and while Claudia doesn¡¯t know about the details from the last celebration, she was still carefully observing things and on guard just in case anything happened. Her instincts are like a wild animal¡¯s. Maybe I¡¯m spending too much time thinking about idle things, but they¡¯re at exactly my eye level because Rashiok is taller than the horses they¡¯re riding on.


    Just like the previous time, the citizens had created a path of flowers for us to parade through, and in the first village we passed through, Claria village, people saw us off with smiles. Since this village is the closest one to my Mansion of Golden Hills, it has the most visible amount of change from my influence. The people were smiling at me just as they did while interacting with the Shiru tribe earlier this winter.


    ¡°Cheers to our domain lord! May Eliza-sama and Earl Terejia-sama always remain healthy! Cheers to our domain lord!¡±


    During our parade on the flower path, they kept calling out to me. It seems like the villagers are cheering for me.


    ¡°They¡¯re cheering you on. Isn¡¯t that nice, my lord ¨C oi?¡±


    Gunther who was laughing heartily suddenly stopped in surprise and his voice rose up an octave at seeing me. Somehow I managed to remain sitting upright and look forward, but tears were streaming down my cheeks. I think it¡¯s lucky that I don¡¯t wear any makeup yet as I¡¯m still a child.


    ¡°Oh, ah, after we leave the village, let¡¯s take a short break.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t have you parading in front of everyone with a crying face, after all.¡±


    It felt like I could even hear them smiling wryly just from Gunther and Claudia¡¯s words. They sound surprised, but also have heartwarming words for me at the same time. Maybe Rashiok understands my crying as well, he¡¯s using his long, snake-like tail to pat me on my back. His ears keep flickering in a manner that¡¯s pleasant to watch, and the sunshine is glittering off of his scales. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    There was no feeling of heavy tension in the other villages either, but it seemed like the villagers¡¯ eyes were still looking for something in me. Life is getting better for them as well, but as the domain lord, there¡¯s still some sense of distrust towards me remaining. Cyril village, the village last time where the rock incident occurred, had the heaviest remnants of an unpleasant atmosphere remaining. While I could feel a few glares directed at me here and there, most villagers in Cyril village just watched us silently as if this was a funeral procession.


    Two years have passed since I¡¯ve begun actively taking part in my public duties. Since these villagers almost never see me though, it¡¯s impossible for them to judge me since I¡¯m never around. I¡¯m willing to accept their harsh gazes.


    When we visited the last village on the parade route this year, Nezu village, everyone looked at me with an entirely different type of expression. There were those that were smiling gently at me, those with an expression of awe as they stared directly at me, there were a variety of reactions but they all seemed to be so warm.


    ¡°My lord, hey, over there. Take a look.¡±


    Gunther pointed to his right with such a happy expression on his face. When I looked in that direction, standing by the edge of the flower path in front of a group of girls, were the two short-haired village girls from before, waving their hands at me. They were wearing flower crowns on their heads, with dark red as the main theme.


    I was so happy at seeing them, that I couldn¡¯t keep control of my expression anymore. My eyes and mouth couldn¡¯t help but crinkle into a smiling face. While they kept waving at me, they also started shouting to me.


    ¡°My lord, I wish you the best of luck!¡±


    ¡°Happy birthday, my lord!¡±


    Suddenly, the villagers standing on both sides of the path cheered thunderously and threw something in the air. It was colorful and fluttery, and I could see that it was flower petals the same color as the flowers the girls were wearing in their hair, and the inner corners of my eyes couldn¡¯t help but get hot again.


    I must be too young still, I can¡¯t control my tear ducts at all.


    Being welcomed so endearingly by Nezu village like this, having so many people smile at me, it¡¯s a little embarrassing.

 Ch 109

    Beginning of Act 2, Part 3 S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.After being showered in flower petals by my citizens as blessings for my eighth birthday¡¯s celebration, life has been going on rather shockingly peacefully and calmly. Ever since my fifth birthday¡¯s celebration, my days have always been so busy, so it¡¯s unbelievable how there¡¯s such a long respite now, and another year passed by in a flash just like that. I¡¯m now nine years old.


    As the horse-drawn carriage rattled and shook on the paved road, I took the time to reflect on how this past year went.


    Honestly, it was such a peaceful year. Of course, it also means that things have remained stagnant.


    The relations I have with the people around me haven¡¯t changed at all in one year. I still can¡¯t pass by Ratoka without having my heart twinge, and I still avoid Mrs. Hortensia as much as I can, so I keep my distance still from both of them. It might be more accurate to say that I had gotten so used to the new pace of things that I only noticed an entire year had passed after something unexpected interrupted this lifestyle.


    ¡°It¡¯s rather cool for early summer this year.¡±


    Maybe it¡¯s to free himself from the silence, Earl Terejia muttered a comment about the weather as he sat across in the carriage from me while fanning himself. Although the air inside the carriage is mostly enclosed within a small space, it doesn¡¯t feel stifling, rather relaxing instead today.


    ¡°Yes, indeed. It feels quite nice.¡±


    Since I was also getting a little bored as well, I decided to join him in conversation and agreed with him. He glanced at me, perhaps sensing that I wanted to engage him in conversation, and he began talking about the recent situation in the royal capital.


    ¡°When I visited the royal capital earlier this spring, I hardly heard any problems about the issue of the crown prince. As expected, it¡¯s calmed down a bit since it¡¯s already been two years since the crown prince was decided. Rather than that, it¡¯s rumored that the end of the Rindarl Kingdom is finally near.¡±


    ¡°The Rindarl Kingdom, is it. Well, two years ago they were saying the same thing.¡±


    ¡°I guess it was going to happen sooner or later. Regarding the issue of the crown prince, last winter Prince Albert has completed the process of entering a monastery.¡±


    Maybe he¡¯s thinking back to last year, the Earl was now looking at the ceiling of the carriage. His expression seems like he¡¯s eating some disgusting insects, the decision about forcing the first prince to enter a monastery is one that the Earl doesn¡¯t comprehend even today.


    ¡°There seems to have been a big commotion about that earlier last summer.¡±


    Claudia who was sitting next to me spoke up as well. Just like last year, she¡¯ll be serving simultaneously as my maid and bodyguard in the royal capital. Currently, the only ones that can serve as my attendants are Claudia, Ratoka, and Elise. But I won¡¯t bring Elise along for the sake of her health, and since I still haven¡¯t improved things with Ratoka, I left him behind this year.


    ¡°About that big commotion. He might as well have said it straight that he was disinheriting the first prince. Just what is our King thinking, I don¡¯t get it at all¡­¡­¡±


    Maybe he didn¡¯t want to think about the commotion caused by the crown prince incident, Earl Terejia started complaining to us as if he wanted somebody to vent to. It must be hard on him that he still can¡¯t understand the royal family¡¯s thought process.


    Even if we don¡¯t know the reason, even if we don¡¯t agree with it, we have to obey whatever the King decides on. That¡¯s the way things are in this country. However, there¡¯s a big emotional difference for us, his subjects, between knowing the King¡¯s intentions and not knowing what he wants.


    ¡°Anyways, if there¡¯s so many rumors about Rindarl floating around this year, we need to increase our guard along the eastern border. Now, just to iron out the details¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Earl Terejia, how about having a meeting with Earl Einsbark and Margrave Genas? If we can form a united front by ourselves, that would be much more effective than having to go through the House of Lords.¡±


    ¡°Of course that would be for the best, but the problem is Margrave Genas¡¯s wife. It¡¯s difficult to establish any relations with how much she detests Kaldia.¡±


    With a heavy sigh, Earl Terejia covered his eyes with his left hand. When I noticed that he seemed to be getting pale, I took a good look at him.


    Seeing him like this, I can¡¯t help but think he¡¯s gotten so old now, even though it¡¯s only been a little over four years since the night I first met him. Two years ago the earl¡¯s condition got much worse, and I¡¯ve been trying to take over as much of his work as I can, but even so he still has so much on his plate to deal with. Although he isn¡¯t able to work as much as he did before, he still does an unreasonable amount of work for his age. He¡¯s such a workaholic. It seems like he hasn¡¯t been getting much sleep recently, and I¡¯m worried about how he¡¯s doing. It would be nice if he doesn¡¯t suddenly die on me.


    ¡°In the first place, we¡¯d have to decide on what to discuss if we meet. I¡¯m not an expert in military affairs. Einsbark is quite reasonable and easy to make dealings with, but it¡¯s still going to be difficult to establish something like a united front.¡±


    Earl Terejia started talking to nobody in particular, as if he just wanted to complain. Seeing this, I decided to look over at Claudia. As for military affairs, the Rolentsors are the most famous family in all of Arxia for this. Claudia seemed to understand what I wanted and held up the palm of her left hand to me as if to say, wait for a little while. Then, she put her hand on her chin and started thinking.


    Claudia doesn¡¯t have a close relationship with her family though¡­¡­ Basically, she has zero contact with them. Her family name probably won¡¯t be of any help.


    ¡­¡­Maybe I should have Earl Terejia help me establish a formal order of knights in Kaldia. I¡¯ve been thinking about something along those lines as of late. There are two types of knights in Arxia, personal knights and those that serve the country. National knights are officially part of the Royal Army, and there are those within the Royal Army that are able to become knights. As for personal knights, nobles with the rank of Earl or higher are allowed to appoint members in their personal armies as knights with the permission of the House of Lords and the church.


    But, there are strict restrictions on becoming a knight, only a limited number can be knighted by each noble and they must pass an examination as well. Also, to establish a personal knight order, a minimum of two knights must be selected and pass the examination.


    Well, Claudia would probably pass the examination easily. Who should I pick for the other knight, though? In terms of ability, Teomer would be the best choice, but would he be willing? Among the three eastern border domains that received defense funding from the House of Lords, Kaldia is the only domain without its own order of knights. If we request to establish one, it will probably be approved.


    I need to discuss this with Earl Terejia and figure out the details. ¡­¡­Come to think of it, I discuss everything important with him. This is because I don¡¯t have the ability to make decisions by myself yet.


    Indeed, if something happens to him, I¡¯ll be really troubled. I need to think about what to do just in case something like that happens as well.

 Ch 110

    Earl Terejia went ahead of me and returned to his own villa in the royal capital, then I arrived at my house in the capital as well.¡°Welcome back, Eliza-sama.¡±


    The servants that were hired earlier this spring to take care of the house in my absence all lowered their heads towards me. Since I¡¯m almost never here except when I visit the royal capital each summer, there¡¯s only a bare minimum of servants that help maintain the house.


    I don¡¯t have a memory that¡¯s so good that I can remember their names with just their faces alone all at once in our first meeting, so I had all the servants introduce themselves to me and tell me their specific jobs. Since the nobles in the capital don¡¯t care much to know about their servants¡¯ details, I could tell that my servants were quite surprised. To me though, it¡¯s only natural to want to know more about who¡¯s working for me.


    Next, I introduced the people I brought along with me to the capital to them. Claudia who was riding in the same carriage as me, Mrs. Marshan who came along in a different carriage, my maids Phoebe and Isadora, as well as the cook Nathan. They¡¯ve been serving me for five years already at my mansion, and I was worried about that this time my stay in the royal capital would be longer than usual and I wouldn¡¯t be used to new servants, so I brought a minimum of servants along with me. The others all stayed behind at the Mansion of Golden Hills.


    The people around me haven¡¯t really changed much at all in the last five years. The only servant that left was Mrs. Galton, my first nanny that got fired.


    ¡°Sorry for coming on such short notice, but is the study available?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Eliza-sama. Please use it however you like.¡±


    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll take a break there and write some personal things. Please begin preparing dinner as well. Claudia-dono and Mrs. Marshan will be eating with me, so please prepare for three.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Eliza-sama. Understood.¡±


    The elderly man that was employed as a servant here lowered his head towards me in a polite but distant manner. The other new employees didn¡¯t seem like they had much of a welcoming atmosphere either.


    Well, since the Kaldia name is synonymous with evil thanks to my family¡¯s actions, this is only to be expected. The Earl had originally only hired those that were unemployed for a low salary anyways. Earl Terejia also hired a female butler as the head of the new servants and to educate the new staff, but of course it¡¯s impossible to train them completely in etiquette in such a short time.


    But still, Isadora. Please stop glaring at the new servants like that¡­¡­ Your smile looks scary, and your eyes aren¡¯t smiling at all. She¡¯s always so warm and friendly to everyone, this is the first time that I¡¯ve ever seen this side of my maid Isadora.


    Under the direction of the female butler that Earl Terejia hired, while the new servants weren¡¯t particularly friendly, they still carried out their duties properly. When I entered my study, there wasn¡¯t a speck of dust to be found. This is actually a bit better than I expected.


    I went to the desk and took some envelopes and stationary out from the drawer. First I¡¯m going to write a letter to Elise. Just like the previous two years, I¡¯m going to exchange letters with Elise while in the royal capital.


    While I¡¯m in the capital, my mansion back in Kaldia will become a rather serene place. I write to Elise so that she won¡¯t get so lonely, even though this year will probably be different for her, but it¡¯s become a habit already.


    I wonder if Elise still really needs me to keep writing to her. She now has the maid/attendant Ratoka, the new soldier in training Athrun, and her new playmates Tira and Reka by her side, so telling Elise in a letter that I miss her probably has less of an effect than before.


    Even though I usually almost never go to meet her, is something going to change now that Elise probably doesn¡¯t need me as much as before? In an attempt to shake off this feeling of unease creeping into my mind, I rubbed my temples with my fingers.


    Alright, let¡¯s get to writing that letter. First I¡¯ll let her know that I arrived safely in the royal capital.


    Just like every time I come to the royal capital, my schedule is so full. Even though I arrived just yesterday, I have to attend a scheduled meeting of the House of Lords later today, with no time for me to rest.


    When I arrived at the royal Arctoria Palace together with Earl Terejia, just like always, a handsome lord by the name of Margrave Molton found me instantly. I¡¯m impressed with his rugged handsomeness that¡¯s been polished by the effects of middle age, honestly. As always, he smiled that innocent smile of his at me, and he bowed to the Earl, causing his elegant silver hair to sway slightly.


    ¡°Greetings, Earl Terejia, Viscountess Kaldia. I¡¯m glad to see that both of you seem to be doing well this year, like usual.¡±


    ¡°Greetings, Margrave Molton. You look just like how you did last year as well. How is your son doing?¡± S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Ahh, thanks for asking, he¡¯s also in perfect health.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great to hear. Then, I have to get going¡­¡­¡±


    Margrave Molton and the Earl exchanged polite greetings, then Earl Terejia left me on his own as he went to go find his seat. All of us know already that Margrave Molton is more interested in me than Earl Terejia since he has a son that¡¯s the same age as me, so it¡¯s already customary that Earl Terejia will go off on his own to let us discuss things each time.


    ¡°Greetings, Margrave Molton. Thank you for attending my birthday celebration this year as well.¡±


    I bowed slightly deeper than usual on purpose, to let him see the back of my hair for an instant. Earlier this year at my birthday celebration in spring, he had given me a simple hair ornament decorated with a red jewel, which I was now wearing.


    For the first time ever since meeting him, I saw an expression of surprise on him, which managed somehow to remain elegant. It seems like a type of innocence, unexpected joy at seeing me wear the ornament he¡¯d given me.


    ¡°No, I should be the one thanking you, since I was merely returning the favor as you¡¯d given my son a present for his birthday as well. But I¡¯m really happy to see that you enjoy wearing it. Thank you very much, Viscountess Kaldia.¡±


    His eyes seemed like he was looking at me like I was his own daughter, he took my hands and shook them, while my vision began to get slightly blurry. Maybe he¡¯ll even pat my head. This is still the House of Lords though, he seemed to recall that it may cause an incident if he he is seen patting the head of another noble, even if I am a child, and he looked like he was doing his best to refrain from patting me, clenching and unclenching his fingers.


    Just last year I myself learned from the Shiru children the appeal of patting a child on the head, so I can understand his urge. I do have to say, there is an indescribable feeling that comes from being patted on the head, but it does feel nice.


    Then, he suddenly started whispering something to me without changing the smiling expression on his face at all ¨C


    ¡°The Densel bandit group in the knight headquarters¡¯ dungeon was all executed earlier this spring. I¡¯m talking about the members that you caught before.¡±


    ¡­¡­Just where exactly does he get his information from? He just told me some information that even Earl Terejia didn¡¯t know, and he just walked off like that to find his own seat like nothing had happened. What¡¯s more, he still retained his elegance and handsomeness.


    Honestly, I want to copy his elegance and coolness. Although he¡¯s a man¡­¡­ should I really be copying his style. Well, usually I wear knight attire anyways, and I don¡¯t think I mind being admired¡­¡­ It feels like I¡¯m making excuses to myself though.


    But anyways, the remainder of that bandit group ¨C well, they were really agents working for Densel ¨C has finally been executed, eh. If they were executed, it means that they were no longer considered useful.


    Although there might not be much point, should I see if I can take a look at the knight headquarters¡¯ official records? I think there¡¯s at least an eighty percent chance that they¡¯ve been erased from the records, though.

 Ch 111

    March 1, 2017 ¡¤ by imperfectluck ¡¤ in Uncategorized. ¡¤As I expected, the agenda for today¡¯s House of Lords meeting began with a discussion about the threat posed by the possible disappearance of the Rindarl Kingdom.


    It¡¯s located in the center of the four dukedoms to the east, and has deep historical and cultural ties to the other countries that are trying to unite into the Rindarl Union, which carries the same name.


    So, of course the Rindarl Union would want to incorporate it into its territory if they succeed in uniting, but as a kingdom, compared to the dukedoms there are major differences between their societies and their laws. The Rindarl Union wouldn¡¯t want to forcefully incorporate a country with such deep ties into their new country, as they would have to worry about the political repercussions of doing so.


    Since the Rindarl Kingdom is geographically located within the four dukedoms, it¡¯s impossible for other countries to interfere in their affairs. Meaning, it¡¯s almost certain that the Rindarl Kingdom will likely cease to exist and be incorporated into the new Rindarl Union in some way.


    So, to the Arxia Kingdom, what¡¯s important to us is the question of when the Rindarl Kingdom will cease to exist, and when our neighbors will officially form the Rindarl Union. After all, it costs a lot of money to constantly have soldiers mobilized for border defense and remain on guard at all times. It¡¯s only natural that Arxia would want more accurate information so that it can move only when necessary.


    ¡°At any rate, it would be great if we could get more detailed information¡­¡­¡±


    The nobles were clutching their heads and complaining. Since Arxia of today is an isolationist country, it has too little information about other countries. Our ambassadors and just a few merchants are our only sources of information.


    Well, even if we don¡¯t open our country¡¯s borders, I still think that we should create some sort of spy network, but that¡¯s just me. Well, even if we make one now, it¡¯ll still be too late to find out the current political situation in Rindarl.


    Anyways, a spy network, hmm¡­¡­ There¡¯s no such thing as too much information. Maybe I can set up some sort of spy network using the Kaldia army, it¡¯s worth thinking about. No wait, I¡¯d need to think about who even has the talent for this first.


    ¡° ¨C May I say something?¡±


    While the nobles were busy making a fuss and I was getting lost in my daydreams about creating a spy network, a loud and clear voice rang through the hall and caught my attention as well as everyone else¡¯s. It¡¯s an elderly voice with a low baritone. This voice belongs to a noble that I¡¯ve been on guard against for the past two years ¨C the major noble of the north and their leader, Marquis Nordsturm.


    ¡°¡­¡­Yes, of course, go ahead, Marquis Nordsturm.¡±


    The noble who was acting as the moderator for today¡¯s House of Lords meeting was obviously surprised for a moment, but quickly regained his composure and gave Marquis Nordsturm permission to address everyone. The entire hall fell silent as if something major had happened.


    ¡°I keep hearing everyone say that they would like more information about Rindarl. If everyone is okay with me, I have some personal resources and people I can use in Planates. Maybe I¡¯m overstepping my bounds though, what does everyone think?


    ¡­¡­Eh. He has personal connections in Planates, he says. Wouldn¡¯t he also have them in Densel, then? Mentally inside I laughed sarcastically at his arrogance and haughtiness. Since only I have information from the Densel bandit group that he¡¯s probably connected somehow to them, anything he says is difficult to believe. Rather than information from Planates, information from Densel on their anti-Arxian terrorist organization would be much more useful, if he were really trying to help Arxia.


    ¡°Oh, ohh. Of course, go ahead, that would make everyone feel at ease.¡±


    However, it¡¯s definitely true that the Nordsturms are well connected, especially due to the nature of their money lending business. On hearing that he had connections in Planates, the country from the four dukedoms that Arxia has the friendliest relations with, all the nobles gleefully latched on to his proposal. Having skillfully controlled the discussion in the House of Lords, I saw Marquis Nordsturm smile a dark, self-satisfied smirk, then he glanced directly at me for a moment. I saw malice in his eyes directed straight at me, and an expression as if to say everyone here was a fool beneath him, myself included.


    ¡°Then, it is up to you, Viscountess Kaldia. May the god Misorua¡¯s guidance be with you.¡±


    A high-ranking priest from the Arxia church was currently lowering his head towards me. Right after the priest said this, Viscount Ogren who was wearing the Nordsturm emblem on his scarf smiled viciously at me without even attempting to conceal the nasty grin he had on his face.


    ¡°¡­¡­Yes, I understand. I shall definitely do the best I can.¡±


    I suppressed myself to the best of my abilities, and a surprisingly calm and neutral voice managed to come out of me. I feel like if I look in a mirror though, maybe I can see a throbbing vein that¡¯s about to burst.


    I¡¯ve been forced into something troublesome. What¡¯s more, it¡¯s a request from Viscount Ogren. Marquis Nordsturm is almost certainly behind this very troublesome request of his.


    After the end of this regular meeting of the House of Lords, I had to participate in a medium-sized dance party with Marquis Nordsturm¡¯s unpleasant smile still fresh on my mind. As the first evening party of the new season, many people were present, and I got a bad premonition when I noticed Viscount Ogren heading in my direction together with a person that looked like a high-ranking church official. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    I should have listened to that ominous feeling, and escaped from them while I still had the chance. Now I know all too well just what that malicious expression Marquis Nordsturm had aimed towards me was, as something incredibly troublesome has been forced upon me unexpectedly.


    ¡°So they used a high-ranking priest to order you to mediate a dispute between Viscount Ogren¡¯s son and his fiancee, eh. They¡¯ve pressed something so unreasonable onto you.¡±


    While I was busy wallowing in regret at not running at the sight of them, Margrave Molton who had heard the story from Claudia patted me on my shoulder to console me.


    ¡°At any rate, even if you escaped tonight, they would still send you an official letter from the church, with the same orders that you can¡¯t refuse. Although, this is still a rather annoying task to receive at an inconvenient time. This is definitely something only dirty and underhanded people will stoop to.¡±


    Margrave Molton dares to say things like that out loud. The ¡°they¡± that he¡¯s referring to, is of course the Nordsturm faction.


    ¡°¡­¡­Well, you¡¯re right. Dealing with a sixteen year old girl and her love problem, this is something completely different, even if I am also a girl, I¡¯m only nine years old still, it¡¯s ridiculous to be asking me.¡±


    They even went to the extent of using a high-ranking priest to make this request of me so that I wouldn¡¯t be able to refuse. Since the church has the power to uphold the law, when they ask me like this to help mediate a dispute in order to maintain order, a minor noble like me, a viscountess, has no right to refuse.


    Honestly, I¡¯ve been saddled with something so bothersome during this terribly inconvenient period of unrest and turmoil.


    ¡°Viscount Ogren¡¯s son¡¯s fiancee is the daughter of the Rogshia family, correct? If it¡¯s the Rogshia family, they¡¯re a noble family from the Greenfield region.¡±


    Claudia was cool as a rock as she listened to our exchange while accompanying me as my maidservant, and she finally inserted herself into our conversation, letting me know about the fiancee¡¯s background. As for the nobles in the Greenfield region, isn¡¯t that the place where people ignore women¡¯s opinions and wills almost entirely? That¡¯s where my fired former nanny, Mrs. Galton was from. At such a busy time, I now have to go talk to a girl who was probably never brought up to think for herself for all her life, and change her heart. How meaningless. For women from that region, she probably had an upbringing where she always had to listen to anything and everything her father and grandfather had to say.


    ¡°¡­¡­Anyways, for the time being we must set up a meeting with the daughter of the Rogshia family. Hopefully Earl Terejia can give me some advice as well.¡±

 Ch 112

    ¡°Hey, you, isn¡¯t that Claudia?¡±Right after I got saddled with something annoying due to the Nordsturms¡¯ harassment, I heard a loud booming voice coming from beside us as I discussed things with Claudia and Margrave Molton. When I turned to see who the owner of the voice was, I saw a head of honey blonde hair glittering in the sunlight like a chandelier. He¡¯s a young man with a cool demeanor that has gray eyes the color of stone, I could tell right away by his appearance that he¡¯s definitely related to Claudia in some way. He¡¯s almost certainly a close relative of hers.


    ¡°Older brother!?¡±


    With Claudia¡¯s surprised voice, now I knew for certain that this person was her older brother. Looks like I was right on the mark. Comparing the two of them, they definitely appeared so similar to each other.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I should be saying, Claudia. Today¡¯s party organizer is one of the leaders of the Knight Order, didn¡¯t you know?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m only attending as the personal attendant of a noble today¡­¡­ I see now. That¡¯s why there were so many of my distant Rolentsor relatives at the party today.¡±


    Margrave Molton seemed to be interested as he watched the siblings greet each other. It seems that since the Rolentsors are a military family, they don¡¯t like to go to most social gatherings. Indeed, other than Claudia, I don¡¯t know anyone from the Rolentsor family at all.


    ¡°Then, is the one next to you your current master, Claudia?¡± S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Ahh, she¡¯s Eliza-do¡­¡­ Eliza-sama, sorry for the late introduction, but allow me to introduce my brother to you.¡±


    She didn¡¯t call me Eliza-dono like she always did, maybe she suddenly remembered that we were in public and she hurriedly corrected herself and used a more polite term. Maybe he¡¯s used to seeing such things from Claudia, her brother just smiled wryly. I nodded at Claudia and she breathed in relief, as I exchanged knowing glances with her brother.


    ¡°Eliza-sama, this is my older brother, Nathaniel Rolentsor. Older brother, this person is Lord Eliza Kaldia, my current master.¡±


    ¡­¡­Ohh, she managed to say all that without stuttering. She¡¯s not very used to using polite speech and she probably has butterflies in her stomach right now, but as expected she can do it when she tries. She was able to perfectly introduce Nathaniel and I to each other in a ladylike manner.


    ¡°Pleased to meet you, Lord Kaldia. I¡¯m Nathaniel, Claudia¡¯s older brother. I work in the royal capital¡¯s military police. It¡¯s an honor to make your acquaintance.¡±


    ¡°Pleased to meet you as well, Nathaniel-dono. Thank you for taking care of your sister before this.¡±


    I was going to bow to him, but Nathaniel suddenly stuck his right hand out at me. With a bit of confusion, I shook his hand. Then, with a wry smile on his face, Margrave Molton interrupted us.


    ¡°Nathaniel-dono, I believe that your sister¡¯s master is a lady.¡±


    ¡°Eh? ¡­¡­Ah!!¡±


    While I was surprised just now that he shook hands with me, Nathaniel seemed even more shocked right now, and he swiftly let go of my hand. In Arxia it¡¯s the custom for men to shake hands with each other, while boys and girls are expected to keep more of a distance from the other gender during a first introduction. Due to the way I dress, he must have mistook me for a boy.


    ¡°S, sorry¡­¡­ To think that I was so rude to a lady.¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t mind at all. I prefer to dress like this. I don¡¯t mind being treated according to my clothes, either.¡±


    Boys and girls are just supposed to simply greet each other on a first introduction. I felt sorry for Nathaniel who was apologizing for treating me like a boy because of how I dressed, so I told him the truth that I didn¡¯t mind.


    We got some drinks from the party, and everyone¡¯s calmed down and relaxed a bit. Nathaniel apologized to me once more, and I calmly and politely told him again that I didn¡¯t mind, then he started speaking to Claudia again.


    ¡°By the way, Claudia. Shouldn¡¯t you be handing in your resignation to Eliza-sama soon? Are you still going to continue on like this?¡±


    Both Claudia and I were wide-eyed in surprise at his sudden question. Only Margrave Molton was able to keep a cool smile on his face as he watched us with interest in his eyes.


    ¡°Eh, what are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t even know what I¡¯m talking about¡­¡­ Hey, you, didn¡¯t you make a promise with father? If you aren¡¯t able to become a knight by the time you turn twenty, you¡¯ll return home and listen to his orders?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Ahh!¡±


    As if she just remembered something, Claudia smacked her fist into her hand. That¡¯s not the reaction I want from her though! She¡¯s forgotten such an important thing? Although I probably shouldn¡¯t criticize her for it. Now that I think back on it, she told me about this several years ago when I first met her, but I¡¯d completely forgotten about it as well. I had just been thinking about creating a knight order in Kaldia, but I had thought that I¡¯d be able to take my time. Now I have to establish a knight order as fast as possible, so that Claudia won¡¯t be taken away from me.


    Honestly, this is the worst time possible for me to be saddled with an annoying burden by the Nordsturms!


    Even though I was mentally screaming inside, I also started calculating and planning out what I could do as quickly as I could in order to create my knight order. And of course, Claudia would pick at this moment to go off completely on another tangent and interrupt me.


    ¡°Eliza-sama, is it alright if I go and greet the hosts of this party tonight!? I want to see if I can ask to become a knight! No wait, I won¡¯t ask them to make me a knight, I just want permission to take the test!!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Wait, wait, calm down, Claudia. You¡¯re getting overly excited. Besides, you¡¯re only a noble¡¯s personal attendant. You don¡¯t have the status to go and greet someone so high-ranked, please don¡¯t try it.¡±


    ¡°No way!¡±


    Claudia was tightly gripping the hems of her dress, and she seemed like she was almost about to fly out of here. I prepared myself mentally to talk to her about this, now just how to do the persuasion.


    I absolutely can¡¯t have a confrontation with Claudia in front of Nathaniel. If he reports it to their parents, it might be that Claudia will be forced to leave me even sooner. When I glanced over at Nathaniel uneasily, he was grinning like a cat, a smile that looked just like his sister¡¯s, and it looked like he was having fun watching us discuss things.


    ¡°¡­¡­You guys get along so well for servant and master. I¡¯m glad that you were able to meet a master that complements you so well. You¡¯ve even managed to remember her name properly.¡±


    This comment from him hit me hard. All my feelings, that I can¡¯t get in order, that are going out of control. Undoubtedly, Claudia¡¯s older brother can see how we get along.


    Margrave Molton who was watching all this from behind us seemed to be chuckling with that wry smile of his stuck to his face all this time, while I just felt incredibly tired from everything.

 Ch 113

    I finally left the evening party and met up with Earl Terejia in a horse-drawn carriage, and immediately consulted him about setting up a knight order. Claudia was too embarrassed about having forgotten her promise to her father that she didn¡¯t join our discussion and was riding on another carriage instead, and Bellway was here instead to have another person in the discussion.¡°What¡¯s this. You forgot this issue about Claudia-dono? A mistake due to inexperience.¡±


    After I explained the situation to Earl Terejia, he seemed surprised for a moment, then his expression became very strict. Although I did expect his disappointment, I¡¯m still a bit embarrassed that I caused him to be disappointed in me.


    ¡°Yes, my apologies.¡±


    ¡°Eliza. Taking care of nobles from other families is a serious responsibility. It¡¯s important to know each person¡¯s circumstances. Remember it well.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll deeply engrave it into my mind. ¡­¡­Sorry for the inconvenience, Earl. Bellway, my apologies.¡±


    Honestly, even if the Earl didn¡¯t tell me, I know that I¡¯ve made a huge blunder. Claudia had promised her father that if she wasn¡¯t able to become a knight by the age of 20, that she would return home and get married to whoever he wishes, and she¡¯s 19 right now. I definitely do recall her telling me this before when I met her a few years ago. And yet, I still managed to forget it.


    I could feel the blood draining from my face so I lowered my head, and this time I noticed that Bellway seemed surprised as well. Well, come to think of it, we¡¯ve had our disagreements. And now, I¡¯ve gone and done something so unreliable. Of course he would be surprised as well, I started feeling even more down.


    ¡°Eliza-sama¡­¡­¡±


    Bellway uttered my name with a slightly bitter tone of voice. I couldn¡¯t help but raise my head again as a conditioned reflex. Now I¡¯m deeply regretting the rift between us, the harsh things I¡¯ve said to him before and how I¡¯ve hurt him with my words.


    I¡¯ve never apologized even once to him in the last three years. And honestly, even now, I don¡¯t know how I should go about it.


    A momentary silence fell upon us. Maybe Earl Terejia wanted to stop the awkwardness, he picked up the conversation again.


    ¡°Please raise your head. Anyways, we have to make a plan for establishing a knight order immediately.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Yes.¡±


    ¡°While I can apply for the establishment of a knight order for you, have you thought about the reason you¡¯ll give for needing one?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll say that they¡¯re for protecting and being in charge of the new citizens, to help them get adjusted.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Mmm.¡±


    For personal knight orders, they are required to have a meaning to their existence and have actual work to do. The military¡¯s role is to maintain order and defend the territory, but they can¡¯t be in charge of the new citizens. The soldiers in the army are also recruited from ordinary citizens, so their social status is equal to that of commoners.


    However, being knighted by a noble for their personal knight order will raise the rank and social status of the knight as well as confer noble status. Meaning, knighting someone is a noble¡¯s way of giving people promotions, and it also allows knights to help do work that only nobles are allowed to do. Only nobles with a rank of earl or higher can create knight orders though, so Earl Terejia will have to lend me his assistance.


    ¡°To create a knight order, you need to have at least two qualified knights, though.¡± Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Claudia and¡­¡­ Teomer Terit from the Shiru tribe, is who I was considering.¡±


    The Earl seemed a little lost at who Teomer was, but I really couldn¡¯t think of anyone else as a candidate so I said Teo¡¯s name in the end, and as expected, the Earl¡¯s expression turned strict.


    ¡°Teomer, eh. ¡­¡­But, it¡¯ll be for the best if you don¡¯t use a foreigner to help create your knight order.¡±


    ¡°As I expected, it was like that.¡±


    ¡°The House of Lords probably wouldn¡¯t approve of it.¡±


    Teomer is a new citizen himself, and the knight order¡¯s establishment is meant to protect and take charge of the new citizens. Well, he can be added as a later member with no problems, but it seems that if he¡¯s used as a founding member, my application for a knight order probably won¡¯t get approved.


    ¡°¡­¡­Then, how about myself?¡±


    Although a person can¡¯t be both a knight and the same person that the knights are sworn to serve, technically speaking this knight order will be created to serve Earl Terejia, so on paper there should be no problem if I become a knight as well. Usually the domain lord will become the master of their own knight order, but since my rank isn¡¯t high enough, I have to use the Earl¡¯s name and higher rank.


    As for the test to become a knight, more important than combat capability is knight etiquette, that is to say, knowledge of how to behave similar to and around nobles. That¡¯s why nobles themselves are always the most common to become knights. Also, there¡¯s no restrictions on gender or age. I think that I should be able to pass it as well.


    Well, that¡¯s what I thought, but this time Bellway shook his head with furrowed eyebrows as he shot down my plan.


    ¡°It¡¯s forbidden for there to be any sort of master-servant relationship between a guardian and his ward.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Ahh, that¡¯s probably true.¡±


    I suppose that even my idea wasn¡¯t a blind spot in the rules after all. Since Earl Terejia is still my guardian right now, I won¡¯t be able to become his knight.


    But in that case, I don¡¯t have any ideas about any other qualified candidates. What should I do¡­¡­ Should I ask Bellway who¡¯s very experienced in serving nobles to do it? Although he¡¯s not nobility himself, he¡¯s completely accustomed to being around nobility. And since he was qualified to become the Earl¡¯s secretary, he¡¯s probably still the distant relative of some noble family, just not closely related enough to have noble status, this seems to be likely.


    I kept glancing at Bellway while thinking this idea over, but the more I thought about it, the more unlikely I felt it was that Bellway would become a knight. If he had wanted noble status in the first place, he would have joined as a knight long ago, instead of remaining as a commoner and becoming the Earl¡¯s secretary. So, he probably wouldn¡¯t be interested and his combat capabilities are questionable.


    Once again, I lamented the lack of educated people in Kaldia. Right now we¡¯re still focused on just raising the basic quality of life in Kaldia to get closer to the average in Arxia, and I have no resources to use on cultivating future useful personnel. I don¡¯t have any idea right now, either.


    ¡°¡­¡­I have someone that might work.¡±


    Even though he still had a strict expression, this time the Earl offered up a suggestion.


    ¡°You have someone in mind?¡±


    It was so unexpected to hear the Earl having a candidate, that I couldn¡¯t help but lose control over my expression and my mouth was wide agape for a moment. The Earl nodded to me in return, and this time he asked me a question in turn.


    ¡°Yep. I only have one candidate, but he¡¯s still a candidate. He¡¯s someone that¡¯s not related to Kaldia at all though, is that okay with you?¡±


    A person that¡¯s not related to Kaldia at all, eh¡­¡­ Well, since the knight order is technically Earl Terejia¡¯s, the members don¡¯t need to be related to Kaldia, it¡¯s okay if they¡¯re related to him as well. But since the reason for my knight order¡¯s existence is to protect and take charge of the new citizens, I need to judge for myself what kind of person this candidate is.


    ¡°Then, who do you have in mind?¡±


    ¡°My grandnephew. He¡¯s the grandson of my half-sister who was born from a concubine, so he¡¯s a Terejia without noble status. You should have met him once before.¡±


    I was very confused at him saying I should have met him before. Other than Marquis Rittergau, I don¡¯t recall ever being introduced to any of Earl Terejia¡¯s relatives before.


    ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m very sorry, but when and where was I introduced to him before, I¡¯m afraid that I can¡¯t recall.¡±


    ¡°No, he was never introduced to you. You should have met him at Fort Jugfena.¡±


    ¡°At Fort Jugfena¡­¡­?¡±


    I¡¯d met so many people at Fort Jugfena, was one of the Earl¡¯s relatives among them? However, when I thought back to my days at Fort Jugfena, I still couldn¡¯t remember who he was.


    ¡°He was the one riding on the red-winged draconis.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Ah!¡±


    When he mentioned this, I instantly remembered. When Claudia and Kamil had arrived at Fort Jugfena and saved me, there had been two draconis, and there was a person I didn¡¯t know who was riding together with Claudia. (TL note: Chapter 51, there was a character that was described, but never introduced or mentioned again until now.)


    I recall that he was a young man who looked quite similar to Earl Terejia if the Earl was younger. I had originally planned on asking about who he was, but then I lost myself sleeping for an entire month and ended up forgetting about it.


    ¡°His name is Oscar Terejia, and he¡¯s nineteen years old just like Claudia. Right now he¡¯s an apprentice to Earl Einsbark¡¯s eldest son, but since he¡¯s still a Terejia despite not having noble status, he hasn¡¯t been allowed to go on the front lines in the Jugfena knight order. He¡¯s burning for an opportunity to prove himself.¡±


    ¡°I see, got it.¡±


    ¡°Would you like to meet him officially?¡±


    ¡°Of course. I¡¯m deeply grateful to you for introducing him to me.¡±

 Ch 114

    I immediately began the process necessary for preparing the documents for the upcoming arrival of the person critical to establishing my knight order, Oscar Terejia. My knight order application needs to go to the central office of the Royal Army¡¯s headquarters stationed in the capital and I must submit some fees as well. Their office is also quite a grand place to behold.¡°I¡¯m here on behalf of Earl Terejia. Please give me the necessary documents in order to apply for a knight order.¡±


    Bellway had taken me here today and was over at the next window, taking care of what we came here to do, but since we went to the trouble of coming to the knight headquarters, I might as well investigate some other things also.


    ¡°I would also like to ask a question. I may have heard a rumor that the bandits caught in my Kaldia domain have been executed.¡±


    ¡°A bandit group, you say¡­¡­ Oh, Kaldia domain? Could you be, Viscountess Kaldia¡­¡­?¡±


    The knight at the window who was talking to me had a tired, bored voice. I couldn¡¯t help but furrow my eyebrows at his lack of manners. What have things come to if a knight working in the main headquarters has an attitude like this, sigh.


    I managed to hear the knight saying the word ¡°torture¡­¡­¡± to himself quietly under his breath as he looked through some documents. My ears may be better than I expected.


    ¡°W, what business do you have knowing these matters? The, the methods used to obtain information from them are classified as top secret. Where they are and what happened to them is also top secret.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Maybe you¡¯ve misunderstood something. I would merely like to see the unclassified public documents available about the information learned from the bandits.¡±


    ¡°Oh, ohh, ahh, the public documents.¡±


    While still talking so slowly like a sloth, the knight got the public documents for me. I think that this knight probably thinks I¡¯m a torture maniac or something. I wonder if he¡¯s seen the scars I left on the bandit group for himself.


    ¡°Okay, here you are, the public documents available about the bandit group.¡±


    I took the folder of documents he gave to me, and swiftly scanned through them. As I expected, I didn¡¯t see Marquis Nordsturm¡¯s name anywhere, but I did see a low-ranking northern noble¡¯s name, Viscount Garmstead. Maybe it was impossible for him to hide all connections entirely, and this is just a scapegoat? Either way, I carved Viscount Garmstead¡¯s name into my memory, then I returned the documents to the knight.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, sure.¡±


    As I returned the documents, the knight immediately filed them away again. His expression didn¡¯t seem to have fear or curiosity, only boredom, and I decided to leave the window before I heard something unnecessary again.


    ¡°Oh, my my. What a coincidence, I never would have thought that I¡¯d meet you here, Viscountess Kaldia.¡±


    Suddenly, a raspy voice greeted me. What a place to meet him in.


    ¡°¡­¡­Greetings, Viscount Ogren.¡±


    ¡°Hmph, I can¡¯t say that I¡¯m feeling all too well right now. Unlike some barbarians, I prefer to avoid this type of place whenever possible.¡±


    I merely laughed mentally at Viscount Ogren who was guffawing like an idiot. I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s here for, but his words have already revealed that he must be here for something that only he personally can do since he hates being here so much.


    ¡°By the way, Viscountess Kaldia. How are things going with my request from several days ago?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve gotten in contact with the Rogshia family.¡±


    ¡°I see. That means, you still haven¡¯t met their daughter yourself? Just what are you doing, you haven¡¯t even met the person herself to take care of the problem!¡±


    Viscount Ogren seemed quite surprised, while I simply stared at him coldly in return. Maybe he was irritated that I would stand up to him, he gave me a look that said he was bored with me.


    ¡°Well, I hope you¡¯ll take care of things soon.¡±


    He said that as if he had to get the last word in as I continued on my way. Although I must wonder, since he¡¯s still a noble, is it really okay for him to reveal his emotions and thoughts so easily like that. He seems so easy to take advantage of. Well, he¡¯s just a disposable pawn.


    But just for the sake of harassing me, Marquis Nordsturm wouldn¡¯t dispose of this pawn on purpose, would he. He¡¯s definitely inconvenienced me at a time when I should be busy with other matters, but I think that would be careless of him.


    ¡°I¡¯ve returned. ¡­¡­Eliza-sama, what are you been doing?¡±


    Bellway returned with documents in hand when he noticed me just standing there tilting my head while thinking.


    ¡°Oh, nothing in particular. You¡¯re finished?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve received all the necessary documents.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go back to Earl Terejia¡¯s place. Time is of the essence.¡±


    ¡°Tea party?¡±


    ¡°Yep. There¡¯s an invitation from the Rogshia family to see if you would like to meet their daughter officially at a tea party.¡±


    ¡°Is their daughter coming to the royal capital?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s already here, as a first-year student in noble school.¡±


    Ahh, I nodded in understanding. So this means that next year will be Feria Rogshia¡¯s coming of age ceremony and debut party. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In Arxia, people are considered adults at 16, and officially enter social circles then. Well, only those from the royal family or duke¡¯s families are able to be well-connected instantly upon reaching adulthood, but it¡¯s still a necessary process for all nobles. ¡­¡­Or to say, it¡¯s basically a necessity for nobles to attend all sorts of these social events. That¡¯s why even though I¡¯m not an adult yet, I still need to attend so many of these as well.


    ¡°Has a date been decided?¡±


    ¡°Not yet.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­¡­ How about leaving it to Bellway?¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s what you want to do.¡±


    I nodded to Earl Terejia, while also catching Bellway¡¯s look of surprise in the corner of my eye as he stood in the corner of the room. Then I turned around and faced Bellway directly.


    ¡°Bellway, can I leave it up to you to arrange the date?¡±


    ¡°Eliza-sama¡­¡­¡±


    Bellway looked back and forth between Earl Terejia and myself with a confused expression. I don¡¯t know what the Earl¡¯s expression was though, I couldn¡¯t see his face from here.


    Bellway coughed slightly, then he looked straight at me again.


    ¡°¡­¡­Of course. Thank you, for leaving it up to me.¡±


    ¡°No, thank you instead. I¡¯ll trust you to do it, Bellway.¡±

 Ch 115

    Bellway scheduled with the Rogshia family that our small tea party would take place soon, in the middle of the seventh month in this world. But before that meeting took place, a young man from Fort Jugfena came to visit me. He was Oscar Terejia, Earl Terejia¡¯s grandnephew, and the person that I was going to request become my knight.Upon meeting him formally for the first time, I started out by apologizing to him for welcoming him in my house which was only a small townhouse. Now that I¡¯ve met him again, just like I remembered, his strict gaze really does remind me of Earl Terejia, I think anyone meeting him for the first time would easily get nervous.


    ¡°Thank you for coming, Oscar-dono. This is our first time being introduced to each other. Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Eliza Kaldia. I¡¯m pleased to make your acquaintance, you must be tired from your journey, coming all the way from Fort Jugfena.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s my honor to be summoned by you, Viscountess Kaldia. I¡¯ve heard that you need some founding members for your knight order that you¡¯re establishing, so I¡¯ve come all this way to speak to you.¡±


    Much like his appearance, he seems to be the serious type, and his first greeting to me was rather stuffy and formal. Behind it all I could sense that he was slightly nervous, but because of that I felt a sense of kinship with him.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so formal with me. As you can see, I¡¯m just a child.¡±


    I opened my palms to him as if I was playing, and Oscar¡¯s eyes widened for an instant, then he smiled slightly like he just saw something funny. It also feels like his shoulders have loosened up a little.


    ¡°As you wish.¡±


    I pulled a chair over for him, and he sat down with a much more relaxed air about him than when he entered the room. I¡¯m relieved that he seems to understand and get along with me so far. Since he¡¯s going to be someone that I may have to interact with quite often in the future, in both Kaldia and social circles, it¡¯s for the best that we get along.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get right to the point, and explain more in detail about my knight order. Earl Terejia is setting it up for me in his name, and the purpose of the knight order will be to protect and take charge of the new citizens in my doain.¡±


    ¡°My granduncle is setting it up in his name?¡±


    ¡°My noble rank isn¡¯t high enough. ¡­¡­Only earls and higher are allowed to create their own knight orders.¡±


    I only remembered after I already said it that it¡¯s not common knowledge that a higher noble rank is required to set up a knight order, so I hurriedly explained for his benefit. Because I¡¯m receiving both a noble education and a domain lord¡¯s education, sometimes I forget the differences in what¡¯s taught in each.


    I¡¯m going to appear in social circles in the future as well, but I have to remember to keep the conversation topics appropriate for whoever I¡¯m speaking to. ¡­¡­From now on I need to be more careful.


    ¡°But doesn¡¯t that make my grand-uncle a higher rank and have all the power instead of you, the lord of the domain who¡¯s supposed to rule the populace?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. He¡¯s my official guardian, and because I¡¯m still a minor, he¡¯s allowed to take care of my domain lord duties for me. Also, I have to submit my consent as well when he applies for various things.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡­¡±


    It was only a simple explanation, but Oscar was already nodding in understanding. He learns quickly, how excellent.


    ¡°Although, I should note that the knight order¡¯s actual task will be to carry out my objectives.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­What type of objectives do you have in mind, do you already know?¡±


    ¡°Of course. The first thing that I must accomplish is, the new citizens can actually supervise themselves sufficiently through using the old system.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t that¡­¡­ go against the social hierarchy?¡±


    The social hierarchy in Arxia is, as interpreted from a section of the Sacred Code, commoners are not allowed to govern commoners, and must be governed by nobility. If there¡¯s a difference in status among the commoners, it¡¯s considered a threat to the governing method of our country. Of course he would be puzzled, so I shook my head and answered him.


    ¡°The old system that I¡¯m referring to is where people will have to sign contracts with me as my vassals. They will simply be communicating my will to the other new citizens.¡±


    Of course, the country won¡¯t stand for anything that strains the current social hierarchy too much. The domain lords have the right to appoint the mayor for each village, and the entire right to command the soldiers recruited entirely from commoners lies solely with the domain lord as well. Of course, everyone knows that there are some unavoidable exceptions. That¡¯s why formally encoded in our kingdom¡¯s laws, nobles are also allowed to offer commoners contracts to become vassals. A vassal is defined as someone who serves their lord, and their primary job is to mediate between the lord and the citizens.


    In the past maybe the leader of the domain¡¯s army and the domain lord would have been separate positions, but now after many years of passing down positions through hereditary bloodlines, they¡¯re now one and the same. Although knights were also a type of vassal to begin with, after a long period of time it also became a special position that conferred noble status, so it¡¯s changed into something else as well over time.


    ¡°Ahh, vassals¡­¡­ I see.¡±


    ¡°Eventually, I would like to have all the leaders of the Shiru tribe become members of my knight order. They still lack knowledge about Arxia, but they¡¯re in the process of learning and will definitely be useful in the future.¡±


    I also told Oscar very simply that I needed the knight order established as fast as possible for the sake of human resources. He probably knows this already, as he just nodded without asking me questions about this.


    ¡°Although the real reasons aren¡¯t necessarily praiseworthy, on the surface the knight order is still going to be in charge of supervising and protecting the new citizens. Most of the new citizens only speak the Artolan or Rindarl languages, and of course they¡¯re not literate either, so they don¡¯t know how to read or write. I¡¯d like to do something about this. Also, about their protection. For when it¡¯ll be necessary, their defenses will need to be expanded.¡±


    ¡°Do you mean to try at increasing our defenses to cover our entire border?¡±


    ¡°Your thought process is excellent.¡±


    I could feel the corners of my lips raising up. Capable personnel are highly welcomed.


    Anyways, I¡¯ve been talking so much that I¡¯ve gotten thirsty. I rang a bell and gave instructions to the maid waiting outside the room to prepare tea for us. Then, for some reason, Oscar must have found something funny as he chuckled.


    ¡°¡­¡­What is it?¡± sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Nothing. It¡¯s just¡­¡­ Even though you¡¯re still so small, you seem like such a splendid noble.¡±


    Oh, so he¡¯s saying that my words and actions don¡¯t fit my age. I nodded, and told him not to worry about it. This is a much better reaction from him than something like getting scared or disgusted, at any rate.

 Ch 116

    There are eight different gates in the royal capital that connect the nobles¡¯ district with the commoners¡¯ district. In the center is the royal palace, then eight streets spread out from it like the spokes of a wheel, forming the noble district, and the gates are on the outside edges.My townhouse happens to be in the vicinity of the southeast gate, and the Rogshia family¡¯s residence that I¡¯ve been invited to today is close to the south gate. We¡¯re closer neighbors than I expected, but unfortunately there¡¯s many streets that aren¡¯t wide enough for carriages, so I had to ride there myself by horse.


    Since I¡¯m riding a horse, I put on my usual knight attire. Riding clothes for women in Arxia haven¡¯t been developed yet, and wearing some formal dresses or skirts would range from impossible to incredibly inconvenient for riding. For maids and teachers, their clothes are softer and easier to move about in for the sake of their jobs, but clothes for nobles are so heavy and difficult to move around in. Honestly, it¡¯s really so inconvenient¡­¡­ I¡¯ll just wear what I like instead.


    ¡°Well, aren¡¯t we feeling quite casual today, Viscountess Lady Kaldia.¡±


    And the result is, the servants of the Rogshia family got such a negative first impression of me. The Rogshia noble family is from the Greenfield region, which is a bit backwards in regards to women¡¯s social standings. While Arxia is a bit slightly patriarchal, Greenfield exaggerates this to a another level entirely.


    So they insulted me with sarcasm, and I thought back to my time with Mrs. Galton. I must say though, it¡¯s unbecoming to get angry over this degree of snubbing, so I slowly and elegantly tilted my head.


    ¡°This is formal wear according to the law, is there a problem?¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t an official venue like the House of Lords. Don¡¯t you think that it would be polite for women to wear clothes that make them look like women?¡±


    ¡°Since I¡¯m meeting your master for the first time, I believe that it would actually be more polite for me to wear such formal attire.¡±


    Has he already run out of words to counter me with, the male servant just stood there silently with a look of annoyance. Behind me, I could hear Claudia who was wearing maid attire doing her best and failing to muffle her sounds of laughter. Since she¡¯s a girl that wants to become a knight despite her gender, of course she would be also be against such fixed ideas about gender.


    The servant guided us into the Rogshia family residence, and on my way I only saw male servants inside. Even the work that maids would normally do, male servants were performing instead. It seems that rather than disdaining work that some would think are supposed to be left for females, they think it¡¯s more important for women to not work at all. They must be very rigid in their beliefs.


    ¡°Master, Viscountess Lady Kaldia has arrived.¡±


    ¡°Ahh, welcome and thank you so much for coming, Viscountess Kaldia.¡±


    The servant guided us to a reception room with a large window that allowed the room to be brightly illuminated. Outside the window I could see a garden, and the room was nice and warm thanks to the unobstructed sunshine.


    ¡°Thank you very much for inviting me today.¡± S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Not at all, I should be the one apologizing, troubling you to come all the way over here for my family¡¯s troubles.¡±


    Viscount Rogshia had a soft smile, and his age showed through the many white hairs on his head, he seems to be a gentle person despite the atmosphere of this residence. When I took a seat, he immediately had his daughter, the problem child in person, called over.


    Compared to the servants¡¯ attitudes, there¡¯s a startling discrepancy with how agreeable Viscount Rogshia seems to be. It¡¯s a strange and unsettling feeling.


    ¡°¡­¡­Father, you called for me?¡±


    His daughter showed up soon after she was called for. She has light blue hair, which appeared almost transparent when bathed in the sunlight from the window. I think that she¡¯s quite a cute girl. I know that she¡¯s supposed to be 15 years old, but she has her father¡¯s gentle demeanor, and looks younger than her age.


    ¡°Viscountess Kaldia. This is my daughter, Feria.¡±


    While putting his hand gently on her shoulder, Viscount Rogshia introduced his daughter to me. Maybe she didn¡¯t expect to be introduced to a child much younger than she was, there was a look of confusion on her face.


    ¡°Feria, this is Viscountess Kaldia. Go ahead and greet her.¡±


    ¡°O, okay. My name is Feria Rogshia, Lord Kaldia¡­¡­¡±


    Although she stuttered a little, her voice was clear. She looked directly at me, and I could tell she had a strong will. I sensed that she was probably the lively, active type of girl rather than quiet and obedient, and I mentally sighed.


    Her father seems to be a calm and gentle person, and at least he doesn¡¯t seem adhere to the special customs of the Greenfield region just yet. Feria is probably a similar type to Claudia, the most difficult for me to deal with.


    ¡°¡­¡­My name is Eliza Kaldia. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you.¡±


    Honestly, how annoying. Even if Feria doesn¡¯t want to be engaged to Viscount Ogren¡¯s son and wants to cancel the engagement, it will be a daunting task to convince her father to say the words and break off the engagement entirely, with his personality and their region¡¯s customs. Nor will convincing Feria to accept the engagement be any easier.


    Once again, I cursed the northern nobles that thrust such a troublesome matter onto me.

 Ch 117

    I got saddled with such a bothersome task in the first place all because Feria didn¡¯t want to get married to Viscount Ogren¡¯s son. For Viscount Ogren who¡¯s taken up the task of inconveniencing me, and Marquis Nordsturm who¡¯s probably the one behind everything pulling the strings, this headstrong girl must have been a perfect opportunity for them to keep me busy elsewhere.Feria was sitting next to Viscount Rogshia in a ladylike manner, and seemed to be quietly observing me. Well, she probably doesn¡¯t know the reason that I¡¯m here yet. I don¡¯t know the specific circumstances yet, but either way, she wants to break her engagement, and I¡¯m here to stop her from doing that despite her wishes. If she knows my goal, maybe she¡¯ll be on guard against me.


    Well, what should I do. How do I hear Feria¡¯s story from her without raising her guard?


    First, maybe I can use a safer topic, like the relations between the various lords, to try and probe about her circumstances. I looked at Viscount Rogshia who was smiling calmly, Feria who wasn¡¯t trying to hide her look of confusion, and Claudia who was waiting for me in the corner of the room. What story should I use to break the ice?


    My attention was suddenly attracted to a sight outside the window. In the garden that I could see through the large window, some seasonal flowers were swaying in the wind. It was a breathtaking sight, the colors and brilliance.


    ¡°The Renvia flowers this year have really blossomed so nicely. Last year we planted the red and yellow varieties, but this year the flowers have mixed their colors, so it¡¯s quite something to behold.¡±


    It seems that Viscount Rogshia noticed my momentary lapse of attention, as he introduced the flowers to me. Although this isn¡¯t a topic about the nobles that I was going to use, it¡¯s still something nice and easy to begin with.


    ¡°Ahh, Renvia flowers. You have such a wonderful garden, a lot of work must have gone into it.¡±


    The Renvia is a type of plant with a spiral-shaped flower. While it¡¯s very effective at brightening any garden, since its colors are so vivid, it¡¯s rather difficult strike a balance and find complementary colors. The garden in this mansion¡¯s backyard has at least ten different types of flowers blossoming simultaneously. I wonder if they have a truly skilled gardener here.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m glad that you enjoy it so much. ¡­¡­Feria, how about you give Viscountess Kaldia a tour of the garden?¡±


    At the urging of Viscount Rogshia, Feria agreed to guide me through the garden and she stood up gracefully. ¡­¡­For just a moment, I saw a sparkling accessory on top of silken stockings around her thin ankle.


    -Ahh, this is really going to be quite troublesome.


    Somehow, I managed to suppress my inner emotions somehow, and didn¡¯t let them show on my face. In Greenfield, unmarried girls that haven¡¯t come of age yet aren¡¯t supposed to have metal accessories. This has been a long tradition in this area.


    Even though that¡¯s supposed to be the case, I definitely saw a flash of silver on Feria¡¯s ankle.


    Well, this probably means that this girl is having some sort of love affair with someone else even though she has a fiance. This is considered absolutely no good.


    ¡°Lord, Kaldia-sama?¡±


    Feria was looking at me confusedly and there was hesitation in her voice. She was also holding out her left arm towards me as if she expected me to escort her, and I felt a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. I looked directly at her hand, then met her eyes. I ignored her arm that she held out for me to take.


    ¡°¡­¡­Alright, I¡¯ll leave it up to you to show me the garden, Feria-sama.¡±


    An icy look appeared in Feria¡¯s eyes for just an instant. It seems that because I called her name so directly, she probably considered me rude. She¡¯s definitely mistaken about my gender. For boys and girls that meet each other for the first time, they would almost never call each other by the first name unless there¡¯s a huge age gap between them. Especially in an annoying place like Greenfield with such backwards ideas about gender, these gender customs will be even more rigidly enforced.


    ¡°Um¡­¡­!¡±


    ¡°Yes, what is it?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­E, escort.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m already nine years old, and I can walk by myself so there¡¯s no need for an escort.¡±


    My sarcasm was clearly irritating Feria and her face was turning red, so I snuck a look at her father, Viscount Rogshia. He still remained the same as always, with a calm and gentle expression on his face.


    This is bad, is what I was thinking inside. If only I had investigated more about Viscount Rogshia. Just in case, if he doesn¡¯t happen to be someone from Greenfield originally, all the plans that I had thought up would be wasted. Even though I took all the trouble of learning the terrible sexist customs and habits of the Greenfield region¡¯s nobles, if the person I¡¯m really dealing with, Viscount Rogshia, isn¡¯t familiar with Greenfield customs, everything I learned will have been for naught, I can¡¯t use my original plans.


    ¡°That¡¯s not it, you should be escorting me. You said you¡¯re nine already, right?¡± S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Oh, my apologies. I¡¯m very sorry about the confusion, but I happen to be a Viscountess, a girl. I didn¡¯t take your hand out of the consideration that we would appear to be getting too close to each other for our first meeting.¡±


    Unusually for Claudia, I could hear her sighing from behind me. She¡¯s probably sighing because I¡¯ve gotten off to such a bad start with one of the primary people I¡¯m dealing with.


    ¡°¡­¡­Girl, viscountess?¡±


    Feria was absolutely frozen in shock with her mouth wide agape, and I confirmed to myself that I was right about her having mistook my gender. Well, Viscountesses are rare to begin with in Arxia, and it definitely wouldn¡¯t be allowed at all in the Greenfield region.


    ¡°-But, then, those clothes¡­¡­¡±


    She finally managed to squeeze out a silly-sounding higher pitched voice than usual from that brain of hers which must be in so much confusion right now. In her eyes, apart from confusion, I could see that there was another, more complex emotion flickering about.


    It was probably, jealous envy. She didn¡¯t feel sorry for me, nor was she disgusted with me, she wanted freedom like me, and once again I sighed in my mind.


    The more I observe, the less Feria seems like anything a girl from the Greenfield region should be like. In this mansion, every servant is just like everything I¡¯ve heard about Greenfield, with just about everything excluding women. The only people that don¡¯t match, are Viscount Rogshia and his daughter Feria.


    Honestly, this is such a bother.

 Ch 118

    (Translator note: for those of you that come from novelupdates and miss other posts, I recently posted some pictures from Eliza¡¯s two light novels, here and here.)For the time being, since I¡¯ve achieved my objective today of meeting Feria, I toured their garden for long enough to be polite, then excused myself and made my leave of the Rogshia residence as soon as I could.


    Viscount Rogshia and his daughter Feria are the complete opposite of all Greenfield customs. Thanks to all the strange contrasting things within the Rogshia mansion, I know now that I lack too much information.


    First, that sparkling accessory I saw on Feria¡¯s ankle accidentally ¨C this is such a great piece of information that fell into my lap. I can already guess at why Feria wants to cancel her engagement to Viscount Ogren¡¯s son.


    What it means is, Feria most likely has someone that she¡¯s seeing romantically right now. And, she probably wants to get married to that person instead. That¡¯s why she has to break the engagement on purpose.


    It¡¯s all very simple to understand. But, anything related to feelings is complex to deal with, and I also felt rather angry inside.


    Marriages between nobles aren¡¯t made just for mere status. While they are sometimes made for alliance purposes or power struggles, it¡¯s mostly about trade.


    To go on a bit of a tangent, merchants in Arxia don¡¯t hold all that much power. This is because most of the largest transactions are directly conducted between domain lords. When I arranged for the new citizens to get critical supplies such as food and materials from other domains, since most of these products can¡¯t be produced in Kaldia on a large scale, Earl Terejia and I basically bought the products directly from other domain lords, before distributing them to my citizens.


    The largest merchants don¡¯t have power because, they mostly deal in luxury and high-class goods, so their customers are almost exclusively nobles, and they¡¯re kept completely under control by the nobility. Even the Sacred Code, our law system, decrees that regulating imports and exports is part of the domain lord¡¯s work. This is probably all to prevent some merchants from disrupting the country¡¯s balance if they have too much money and power.


    Alright, back to the main topic.


    One of the most convenient methods for doing trade between domains is to arrange a marriage. In the Greenfield region, it¡¯s common for daughters to get engaged early, but on the other hand, it¡¯s also known to be common to break engagements if someone comes along with better conditions.


    By the way, since this time I¡¯ve formally had to accept a request from Viscount Ogren, I¡¯m forced to take his side and actively work to preserve the engagement. It will be a big problem if I¡¯m seen to promote breaking the engagement instead.


    Engaged families are also formally treated as relatives. There are various benefits to this, such as lower tariffs between the two domains, and relaxing restrictions on goods that are only allowed to be brought across domains in limited number.


    This is why the church went out of its way to order me to preserve this engagement. Their trade involves daily necessities, so if the engagement is canceled, it may directly impact some citizens negatively if they can¡¯t get enough goods, and the church¡¯s role is to preserve order.


    I¡¯m angry because, Feria¡¯s already at an age where she¡¯s almost about to graduate from noble school, and she¡¯s still ignoring all these things for her own selfishness and trying to break her engagement.


    While it¡¯s clear to see that Viscount Ogren¡¯s request to me is entirely meant to harass me more than anything else, and that he¡¯s a nasty character, still. This engagement affects a great number of citizens¡¯ lives in both domains.


    Domain lords¡¯ income mostly come from taxes in their own domains. And I don¡¯t know the specifics in this situation, but whenever an engagement is decided, usually it will come with many trade benefits for the citizens. And yet, this girl whose food, clothes, and shelter all come from the people¡¯s taxes, she¡¯s prioritizing her own love interests over that of her people¡¯s well-being?


    Well, I still don¡¯t know the full story yet though, so I shouldn¡¯t be getting angry just yet, maybe I¡¯m making a mistake.


    Viscount Rogshia¡¯s behavior really caught my attention. Of course I told him in advance what reason I was visiting him and Feria for. He also knows very well that I was requested by the Ogrens to mediate, so that the engagement can be preserved. And yet, he just lets Feria do whatever she wants. From what I saw today though, Feria probably doesn¡¯t know anything. She doesn¡¯t know the consequences of breaking her engagement, nor does she know why I¡¯m here.


    ¡°Eliza-dono, I¡¯ve brought you some drinks. How about resting for a little while?¡±


    When I returned home, I was about to begin investigating Viscount Rogshia by candlelight in my study when I was suddenly interrupted unexpectedly. When I looked to see who it was, I saw that it was Oscar, who was already being invited into the room by Claudia. There was also a maid with a tray in her hand behind him, who walked into the room gingerly. Come to think of it, I¡¯ve never called any maids to my study before. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Ahh, thanks. Hope you don¡¯t mind the mess here.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind at all. Rather than that, what are you investigating? Is there anything I can help with?¡±


    With his nature of taking everything seriously, even worrying about me, I could only smile wryly. He had left with Bellway to go back to Kaldia immediately in order to take care of all the knight order establishment procedures. It would have been difficult to ask him to do anything else for me right away, and even if he could help, I would prefer it if he¡¯d help Earl Terejia first instead of me.


    ¡­¡­Is what I had thought.


    Poke, Claudia gently poked my side. Stop it, don¡¯t pinch me next. My muscles aren¡¯t hard enough, and have many soft spots. What is it, when I looked at her, she mouthed ¡°Kaldia army¡± to me under her breath.


    Kaldia army? Ahh, reorganizing the army. It wasn¡¯t an immediate problem, so it didn¡¯t come to my mind.


    ¡°Mmm, sorry, Oscar-dono. There is one thing I would like your help with?¡±


    ¡°Mm? Okay.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a great hurry, but I would like to leave you and Claudia-dono in charge of reorganizing the Kaldia army. There are some unique things about the army¡¯s current system¡­¡­ You can hear the specifics from Claudia-dono later.¡±


    Mmm, Oscar simply nodded and responded that he accepted. So this is one less thing off my mind, wonderful. I felt more relaxed already, and I took a sip of the black tea he had brought for me.


    ¡°¡­¡­What,¡±


    My nose immediately felt such a strong, sweet, cool and minty sensation. Um, what¡¯s this¡­¡­ It actually feels like I¡¯ve smelled this already recently just today.


    ¡°¡­¡­Did you change the usual tea blend?¡±


    ¡°Ahh, it seems that some Renvia flower petals were added today.¡±


    Renvia flowers again. The flowers in the Rogshia mansion¡¯s garden, where I chatted with Feria only about unimportant gossip, with a strange and uncomfortable atmosphere that was probably mostly my own fault. I must have been smelling these flowers at that time, so this is what Renvia is.


    Renvia flowers sure have popped up a lot today.


    ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry that you went to all the trouble of bringing this to me, but please just stick with the usual.¡±


    I stood up as I said so, and Oscar was tilting his head at me quizzically, while Claudia who knew about everything that happened at the Rogshia mansion was grinning like a cat.

 Ch 119

    Oscar¡¯s come all the way from Fort Jugfena to become my knight, and it¡¯s been about a month since he¡¯s arrived, but before I realized it, Bellway¡¯s become busy running all around Arxia setting up a meeting between the Jugfena region domains of Kaldia, Jugfena, and Genas, and on Earl Terejia¡¯s end, there¡¯s an astonishingly even greater amount of work to be done.I have to write the budget proposal for the knight order¡¯s activities for the next two years, training plans, and regulations for future knights, all of these are things I must tackle immediately. Then I also have to create some new forms, design the garden for the mansion, make some proposals for new pumpkin recipes, decide the type of feed for the horses, and so on.


    The truly frightening thing is that somehow Oscar is managing to help me take care of all this work in between traveling so much between the royal capital and the Jugfena domains. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    How did this happen.


    I clutched my head. I thought that he was just a serious person before, but is he actually another unbelievable person like Claudia? The speed at which he goes about things is Claudia¡¯s level.


    ¡°Everything¡¯s finally been completed.¡±


    Oscar said so with such a proud expression on his face, but all I said was ¡°I see¡± with a nonchalant tone of voice. It¡¯s nice that his eyes are sparkling with eagerness, but I can also see fatigue in them. He¡¯s overworking himself.


    ¡°We¡¯ve almost finished making the arrangements with the Jugfena royal domain and the Genas domain, the meeting with them should be scheduled sometime late this summer. It¡¯s been agreed upon that we¡¯ll all meet at Margrave Genas¡¯s mansion.¡±


    ¡°Ahh, it went smoother than I expected. I¡¯ll leave the follow-up to you. Even though you haven¡¯t officially become my knight yet, it pains me that I have to ask you to do so much unrelated work for me¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°No, I like doing these things.¡±


    Meaning, he¡¯s a workaholic. He must take after Earl Terejia in this, but unlike the earl, Oscar even enjoys working and has a strong sense of accomplishment when getting things done. I¡¯ve only noticed this recently, but it seems Oscar has the same face that Claudia has when twirling her spear, whenever he¡¯s working on something. I wonder what¡¯s so fun about it all, but I won¡¯t say anything. If it¡¯s something I don¡¯t understand about feelings, all the more reason not to ask.


    ¡°It¡¯s a great help that you finish your work so fast, but do remember take a break once in a while, and move your body about¡­¡­¡±


    Oscar¡¯s eyes quite remind me of dead fish floating in a pond. I tried to suggest that he refresh himself, but,


    ¡°Please do not worry. Whenever I have spare time, I train as much as possible together with Claudia-dono in spear practice.¡±


    Even though he was smiling, I felt like the color of his eyes got even more stagnant. Of course I¡¯d been referring to light exercise, and not the type of all-out training that training together with Claudia would entail.


    I swore to myself that I would stop interfering with Oscar and his reasons for liking to work so much. If I get too close, I¡¯ll catch his addiction to working. I¡¯m just going to pretend I don¡¯t see anything.


    However, why is it that he still has the free time to train with Claudia even though he has that much work to do every day¡­¡­ I twisted my neck trying to think about it, but even though I felt like I would get a headache from overthinking all this, I couldn¡¯t stop myself.


    Having a new capable subordinate join me is the best kind of news. Congratulations to me. Oscar¡¯s been able to take over some of Earl Terejia¡¯s work, so my hope that the Earl¡¯s workload will decrease has finally come true as well. As expected though, I¡¯m still short on personnel, and once again I realized through my fatigue that human resources are of vital importance to me.


    Outside the window, the sun is beginning to set. I lit a candlestick, and began calculating the tax income sheets for Kaldia that I had laying on my desk.


    In Arxia, we use a type of paper money called Arcs, but since Kaldia is mostly a closed domain with little outside contact, we use mostly a barter system. Trading for food and other goods with domains that are better off , as well as exchanging goods for cash, is all considered the job of the domain lord. I must collect the goods given by each village as tax, trade them for other necessary items with other domains, and anything left over after giving what¡¯s needed to each village is my profit.


    In Kaldia, the domain lord¡¯s share is currently 30%. This is a lower rate than most other domains, but it¡¯s not a problem. In addition to the tax income, I also receive 60% of the sales revenue from selling the wheat crops raised by the Kaldia army. In eastern Arxia the land is less suitable for cultivating wheat, and rye is the main crop, so wheat¡¯s price is higher.


    And as for a new source of tax income, I¡¯m thinking about the pumpkins that my new citizens brought. Last summer, I tried cultivating pumpkins around the mansion, in Claria village, and the new Pioneer village, and it was a success, so this year I¡¯m thinking about having two more villages begin to raise pumpkins.


    I didn¡¯t want to start so big at first, because I would need to set prices and a system for the pumpkins, but starting next year I definitely want to add some more fields and begin fully developing. Wheat crops are limited by areas where they can grow and can¡¯t be grown in the same field all during the year, but rye is a hardier crop that grows in more difficult climates and infertile lands for longer periods of time. Also, I think that I¡¯m going to use crop rotation between wheat and pumpkins in order to prevent any major crop disasters one year from affecting the next year as well. I¡¯m just an amateur in farming and only have my common sense to go off of, but I think it¡¯s better than not doing anything at all.


    Besides crops, I also want to increase the number of livestock in Kaldia, since the Shiru tribe has taken the trouble of bringing livestock with them. I want to increase the number to where it¡¯s feasible for me to start trading in dairy products. But there¡¯s many things I need to consider first, in order to not place too much of a burden on my citizens.


    Last year, thanks to Lord Carson¡¯s carpenters, life in Pioneer village has finally begun stabilizing. This year they¡¯ve been greatly successful at making traps to catch fish in shallow water, so I also need to think about distribution methods for fish. Since we don¡¯t have the means to preserve raw fish and transport it to other domains, this will probably have to be limited to sending raw fish to other villages.


    Although Oscar¡¯s reduced my amount of work as well, there¡¯s still so many improvement projects to work on for the domain. I used to write down whatever ideas I had on paper, and I¡¯ve filled up six entire pages. I wonder just when it will be that I¡¯ll be able to finish turning all of those ideas into reality.


    Earl Terejia¡¯s age is also getting up there, so my work is increasing every year, but with the increase in living standards in my domain, it brings more work to me as well. One of the biggest problems is that few people are literate, so only Earl Terejia, Bellway, and myself, as well as Oscar who just joined us, we¡¯re the only ones handling the entirety of the paperwork as there¡¯s nobody else to do it.


    After I finished going over the paperwork, I laid down on my desk weakly, drained of energy. A groan-like sound managed to escape my throat without my permission.


    ¡­¡­Should I talk to my governess Mrs. Marshan, to see if she would be interested in a direct post under me as a civil official? Because she¡¯s also nobility, she can register directly for a civil officer post. I can have her take on the simple tasks such as calculating tax income first, to decrease the overall workload.


    When I thought about how Earl Terejia might not be around for much longer, my stomach began hurting. It doesn¡¯t matter who, but maybe I need to start searching for my next guardian. I don¡¯t need help running my domain anymore, but as a minor I still need an adult around for various things.


    The root of all my problems is that I don¡¯t have enough personnel¡­¡­


    Once again I sighed, and another groan escaped me.

 Ch 120

    Knight orders are now considered a branch of the military, but in the past when our kingdom was established, knights referred to those who protected St. Ahar, or battle priests that fought in the military.That¡¯s why even today, knights must have their knight cloaks sanctified by holy water in a church ritual, it¡¯s a remnant from that time. I attended the ceremony, and from what I could see, the holy water is considered holy is because it¡¯s water from the spring at the altar where St. Ahar is buried, which is also where the ceremony is taking place today. It¡¯s a spring that hasn¡¯t dried up even though St. Ahar died more than a millennium ago, so maybe there¡¯s something special about it after all. sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Today is the day when my knight order will become formally recognized, so together with Earl Terejia, Claudia, and Oscar, we all headed to the Divine Temple of Misorua.


    Claudia and Oscar are wearing the uniforms of the Kaldia knight order for the first time today, and it looks better on them than I expected. They¡¯re going to officially become knights, and their knight cloaks have white as the main color, they¡¯re well fitting of the sparkling image.


    Especially Claudia, she looks so smooth and cool, almost as if she¡¯s a handsome prince. Actually though, only the royal family¡¯s knights are allowed to use pure white for their knight cloaks, so the cloaks I designed have silver and gold embroidery on them as well.


    Since this is a formal church ritual, I was in knight attire as well, but my cloak¡¯s contrast with my eye color¡­¡­ Well, I¡¯ve inherited my father Orville¡¯s scarlet eyes. It¡¯s so similar to the color of blood, I really don¡¯t like it at all.


    ¡°I think we¡¯ve arrived too early.¡±


    Earl Terejia looked at the water clock in the corridor and made such a comment, which Claudia replied to with her own idea almost instantly.


    ¡°W, well then, is it alright if I walk around a little?¡±


    In a rare instance for her, her voice is shaky. She doesn¡¯t seem composed, either. I suppose that even Claudia can¡¯t keep calm on the day when she¡¯ll finally achieve her dream that she¡¯s had for so many years. She¡¯s wanted to become a knight for so long, that when she finally put on her knight uniform this morning, she almost fainted. Of course, she knows that she¡¯ll ruin the whole schedule if she actually faints, so Claudia managed to rebound upwards mid-fall and somehow stand up straight again even after falling backwards. ¡­¡­Is this a testament to her flexibility, I wonder.


    Oscar who also wanted to become a knight had such a proud expression as well, so I can really tell how badly Claudia wanted this.


    ¡°Earl Terejia, I think it¡¯ll be good for her if she gets a little breather first.¡±


    ¡°Mmm¡­¡­, you¡¯re right. Let¡¯s take a walk in the garden until the priest gets here.¡±


    Although Earl Terejia widened his eyes in surprise at seeing how Claudia was acting, he merely shook his head slightly and gave his permission. I can tell that he also means for me to go along with Claudia, probably to look after her. I nodded, stopped leaning against the handrail in the corridor, and gently tugged Claudia¡¯s sleeve. Claudia obediently followed after me, walking unsteadily.


    The central courtyard in the Divine Temple of Misorua serves as both a garden and a passageway. There are buildings north, south, east, and west of the central garden, but only the southern building is open to commoners. The northern building is where the priests and monks live and study, the eastern building is a major cathedral, and the western building has a smaller cathedral and places such as confession rooms and ceremonial ritual locations.


    ¡°Even though it¡¯s the central courtyard¡­¡­ There¡¯s no flowers. What a strange garden.¡±


    Claudia made a frank statement about the courtyard garden, and I commented ¡°you¡¯re right¡± in agreement. This garden consists only of shrubs and grasses, and although when looking closely you can see some tiny white flowers blossoming, it¡¯s nothing even close to the ornamental flowers for admiring that you¡¯d see in most normal gardens.


    Claudia walked around in circles for a while, then she squatted down in the shadows of some shrubs and sighed. This is even rarer, it seems that she¡¯s not energetic because she¡¯s too nervous.


    ¡°¡­¡­Sorry, Eliza-dono. Could you let me be alone for a little while? I promise not to move from here.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡­ I understand. But, just for a little while.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Although I¡¯m a bit worried about leaving Claudia alone when she¡¯s feeling so much tension, I don¡¯t want to go against her wish, so I made my way between the shrubs, and walked deeper into the garden.


    Walking deeper into the garden, I noticed the plants surrounding the garden as a sort of fence getting gradually taller. They seem to be some type of rose plants, but with no flowers. I¡¯m not an expert in botany, but when I looked closer, I noticed some other plants that should be flowering currently in this season, but I couldn¡¯t find a single flower.


    Just as I was thinking how strange it all was, I noticed many traces of scissor cuts on the branches. ¡­¡­Someone cut off all the flowers, no, maybe took them all for some reason. Well, I don¡¯t know the story behind all this.


    When I looked up again to check my surroundings, I could hear the sound of footsteps crunching on grass from the north. Is it one of the monks that live in the north building, I wonder.


    Upon listening more closely, it sounds like he¡¯s sprinkling water on the plants. Sometimes it sounds like he¡¯s using an unreasonable amount of water though, so maybe he¡¯s not used to the work yet.


    I thought about it a little, and looked back at the path I just took. It might be slightly too early to return yet, as Claudia had wanted some time by herself. Let¡¯s do this instead, I tried walking as silently as possible and headed for the direction of the watering sounds.


    ¡°¡­¡­Is someone there?¡±


    It seems like my efforts at going unnoticed have failed. The person asking me the question sounded like a young teenager, whose voice hadn¡¯t changed yet. He sounds like he¡¯s highly on guard against me. Why would a monk in the divine temple have anything to be wary about, I wonder?


    ¡°I¡¯m just taking a walk in the garden. Don¡¯t mind me.¡±


    At my answer, I could hear the tension disappearing from his voice.


    ¡°¡­¡­A child?¡±


    Hey, aren¡¯t you still a child yourself? I kept that thought to myself though, and as I went around the bushes, I suddenly saw the boy who was speaking to me.


    ¡°!!¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but stare wide-eyed in surprise. Even though this is my first time meeting him, I definitely know who he is.


    At that moment, for the first time ¨C


    I met one of the main characters from the otome game.

 Ch 121

    I was only slightly shaken, though. Since we are in the royal capital after all, I¡¯d already considered that we might meet one day.If I manage to stay alive long enough to get there, I knew already that I would meet the otome game characters in noble school. This is earlier than I expected, but it¡¯s not a big deal.


    He¡¯s wearing properly fitted monk attire¡­¡­ He¡¯s in a white robe similar to a longcoat, and has rich black hair that¡¯s clean and well cared for. I think he¡¯s right before reaching teenager status, around 12 years old or so. He¡¯s got unusual purple eyes that reflect the sunshine beautifully, like jewels.


    I don¡¯t know his actual name, but in the otome game he was just called Alb. ¡­¡­It¡¯s just that, there¡¯s one big difference between the drawings in the otome game and the boy before me. Alb had a slightly disfigured face, he was a young man that wouldn¡¯t leave a good first impression with his appearance. The boy before me has a very healthy face still.


    Just what is going to happen to him in the five years before he reaches noble school¡­¡­


    Alb isn¡¯t his original name, it¡¯s a new name given to him after he enters the church and becomes a monk. According to my memories, in the game¡¯s character introductions, it says that his ¡°monk name is Alb.¡±


    ¡­¡­At least that¡¯s what it said in the instruction manual. To tell the truth, I never met him ingame at all. As for why, it¡¯s because I only played this game based on the recommendation of my younger sister, and I was only about to begin my second playthrough on another route when I died.


    So, that is to say, I don¡¯t know what type of position Alb has, what his background or personality is like, nor do I remember most things my sister might have told me.


    Of course, he¡¯s a living human being though, and there¡¯s no evidence whatsoever that he¡¯ll behave the same way as the ingame character, so this shouldn¡¯t be a problem.


    I only remember one thing that my sister told me about Alb. He only comes into the story after Eliza is executed, but other than that I have no details about him.


    ¡°¡­¡­A formal knight, uniform?¡±


    When he saw me, his first reaction was one of surprise, muttering to himself. I glanced over my uniform again, then returned my line of sight to the boy.


    ¡°I¡¯m here for a ceremonial ritual, to establish a knight order in my domain.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Oh wow, you¡¯re a domain lord? This young?¡±


    ¡°My father died quite early.¡±


    I gave only a brief explanation, but the boy was nodding, it seems like he gets what I¡¯m saying. There are also other examples out there of children inheriting their father¡¯s position as a domain lord when the father dies young, after all. ¡­¡­Well, that¡¯s usually limited only to boys, though. When it¡¯s a girl that¡¯s left behind, usually it¡¯s other male relatives that have a higher priority when it comes to inheritance.


    Normally most noble families will have many relatives. Even if not related by blood, those that marry into the family are also taken into consideration. However, there¡¯s no precedent like the Kaldia family, where every family member was massacred and only left one person to inherit the title. Well, it¡¯s troublesome to explain that much, and there¡¯s no point, so I¡¯ll just save my breath.


    ¡°If you came here for a ritual, why are you here walking in the garden? Could it be, did you get lost?¡±


    ¡°No. I arrived earlier than scheduled, so I simply thought I¡¯d spend some time here.¡±


    Even after learning I was a domain lord, meaning a noble, he didn¡¯t change his tone of voice with me at all. He must be from quite a high ranking noble family. Since he¡¯s one of the main characters from the otome game, maybe he¡¯s even from the Melloart royal family.


    In Arxia where the church and the law are deeply intertwined, monks aren¡¯t people that abandon worldly life, but rather they dedicate their lives to being enforcers of the law. In other words, monks don¡¯t completely abandon their past lives and positions.


    That¡¯s why I don¡¯t find it strange even if he doesn¡¯t change his tone of voice when talking to me. On the contrary, since he¡¯s a monk, I should be using polite speech with him.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s fine then.¡±


    After learning that I wasn¡¯t a lost child, he smiled faintly. It would have been difficult to detect if I wasn¡¯t looking directly at him all this time, it was such a minute change, but it still somehow managed to be expressive.


    ¡°Are you taking care of this garden?¡±


    ¡°Ahh. I just water the plants. ¡­¡­Although, I¡¯m still not used to it, so I¡¯m not very good. I recommend that you not go beyond the hedges there. You¡¯re wearing such a nice knight uniform, it would be a shame to get it dirty.¡±


    He gave me some advice while furrowing his eyebrows. Although his facial expression looked grumpy, I was able to accurately read his feelings. He has high expectations of himself and is unsatisfied with his own low quality of work. It was an expression that made me feel rather close to him.


    ¡°Got it, I¡¯ll turn back. ¡­¡­But not right now, though.¡±


    ¡°Why¡¯s that? Is there some sort of problem?¡± S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°It¡¯s, the knight that¡¯s receiving the ceremony feels too nervous about it¡­¡­ and asked to be alone for a little while. I wanted to give it some more time.¡±


    ¡°I see. Then, I won¡¯t water where you¡¯re standing for the time being.¡±


    ¡°Sorry about the inconvenience, and thank you for understanding¡­¡­¡±


    He has a rather passive tone of voice. Somehow, it feels so similar to me, it sounds almost like a monotone. Maybe he noticed me observing him, he smiled faintly again. I gave a slight smile as well, but perhaps my cheeks only barely twitched, just like the boy in front of me. I feel a sense of affinity with him.


    ¡°Since I¡¯m not going back yet, I have some free time. Shall we chat?¡±


    ¡°Chat?¡±


    I wonder if he minds, he fell silent after saying only one word. He stopped working on the plants and indicated with his hand for me to follow him. He led me to an open space with a plain stone bench that seemed like it was maintained regularly. He sat on one end of it, and motioned for me to sit on the other.


    ¡­¡­Well, it¡¯s not considered proper etiquette for boys and girls to sit on the same chair. Or I should say it¡¯s not good if anyone is watching, and I can still barely make the excuse that I¡¯m still a young child. I was confused for a moment, then remembered other situations where people mistook me for a boy, and I sat down next to him without saying anything. I don¡¯t really have the habit of making idle chatter with myself or with others, so I decided to ask him what topic he liked.


    ¡°So, what would you like to chat about?¡±


    ¡°Anything is fine. For example¡­¡­ oh, how about this. How about telling me about your friends? What types of things do you like to do with your friends?¡±


    When he asked me this question somewhat cheerfully, I felt like I had been struck by lightning.


    ¡­¡­A conversation about friends, but I have hardly any to talk about!

 Ch 122

    With ambiguous, indescribable feelings, I decided to talk about Claudia.I could have talked about the Shiru children as well, but daily life with them is so far removed from the noble lifestyle, I felt like it wouldn¡¯t be a suitable topic for the boy in front of me. Talking about Ratoka with how far apart we¡¯ve drifted would be even more terrible. I¡¯ve never had even a moment with him where I can use the term ¡°friendship¡± to describe. So he¡¯s out of the question.


    Then, the only other children around me are Elise and Paulo. ¡­¡­And although there¡¯s a bit of a gap in our ages, there¡¯s Claudia, and even Kamil.


    Kamil may have been the closest person to me I could call a friend up until the point where I started distrusting him. He sometimes praised me or made fun of me depending on the situation, and when we were alone together, we were equals. But, I¡¯d feel uncomfortable talking about him with someone I don¡¯t even know. Now that I think about it, I¡¯ve never spoken about Kamil with anyone else before. I¡¯ve never felt like talking to anyone about him before, either.


    Since Paulo¡¯s a soldier in the Kaldia army, I don¡¯t have much contact with him, and Elise is so sickly that I mostly only talk to her through letters, telling her stories.


    So, that means I¡¯m only left with Claudia to talk about.


    She¡¯s a noble girl that¡¯s staying in my mansion as my playmate¡­¡­ When I told him this, I noticed that it didn¡¯t feel strange at all to say it out loud. Even despite the age gap, I enjoy her antics. As for her daily life, she¡¯s really enthused about swinging around her spear every day, she¡¯ll talk to anyone despite whatever the atmosphere is like, she loves riding horses, and just generally running about everywhere, even jumping out of second story windows, that sort of thing. Although sometimes she will bother me, she always tries her hardest at everything she does, and she doesn¡¯t act her age at all.


    Talking about all these silly things regarding Claudia, somehow it felt as if with her childlike innocence, she was actually younger than me.


    ¡°She seems like quite an energetic girl, your playmate.¡±


    The boy who was listening to me all this time seemed to be half smiling, he probably thinks Claudia is similar to my age or younger than me, since I didn¡¯t mention her age.


    And after I just finished talking about Claudia, the person herself gathered her emotions together and came to find me. Unlike me, she¡¯s incredibly skilled at switching gears quickly when it comes to emotions. She now looks like a handsome knight with no sign of tension at all, and the boy next to me seemed quite shocked at her appearance.


    He would probably never imagine that this handsome knight in front of him is that ¡°energetic girl¡± he just heard about.


    ¡°Is this the, new, knight that¡¯s going to serve under you? This is so¡­¡­ How to say it, dignified¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°This knight has always been the most skilled in my domain, and has been aiming for the goal of becoming a knight for such a long time.¡±


    ¡°Mmm, I see.¡±


    The boy nodded. Has Claudia ever acted dignified before, I wonder, although perhaps her behavior is also that of a warrior¡¯s, I always felt like she acted more like a cat than a girl her age. But I suppose she can be dignified as well.


    ¡°I see¡­¡­ It¡¯s great that your knight was able to have a wish granted¡­¡­¡±


    In a tiny voice, I heard him muttering that to himself under his breath. I felt it was unfortunate that I heard this, since he obviously didn¡¯t mean for anyone to hear that. I didn¡¯t really understand what he meant by it, so I glanced at him, and immediately regretted doing so. If only I hadn¡¯t seen his expression.


    It seems that Claudia, with her sharper senses than normal people, heard him as well, as she also took a quick glance at him, before meeting my eyes and keeping her gaze fixed on me.


    ¡°¡­¡­Shall we return?¡±


    I called out to Claudia, wanting to leave here in a hurry, and rose up from the bench. The boy also raised his face, and said ¡°it¡¯s good that you were able to find each other, see you later.¡± I made an appropriate response, and hurriedly left the garden together with Claudia.


    ¡°¡­¡­That boy had a terrible expression on his face.¡±


    After confirming to make sure nobody was around, Claudia whispered that to me in a tiny voice. She was looking directly at the garden we had just left. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Indeed, what a terrible expression it had been. His face had been empty, desolate, or maybe it was despair. He was probably a noble before with a high position, but he had been forced into the monastery before he could attend noble school, so he could no longer do as he liked, that¡¯s probably the reason behind the expression on his face when he said how nice it was that my knight got a wish fulfilled.


    ¡°He must have his own circumstances.¡±


    I made that comment, and Claudia tilted her head as if she was thinking about it, then she nodded in agreement. Well, everyone has their own circumstances. Such as Claudia who¡¯d always wanted to be a knight, even knowing how difficult it would be.


    She¡¯s really lucky. Her parents allowed her to do as she wished until she reaches 20 years of age, I really need her existence by my side, Earl Terejia being able to set up the knight order for me, all these things led to her today being able to wear a knight¡¯s uniform for the first time.


    He definitely isn¡¯t a lucky one. And I¡¯m sure that just like him, there are countless other ¡°unlucky¡± people out there that aren¡¯t able to fulfill their dreams.


    ¡°¡­¡­I can¡¯t do anything for him.¡±


    I have my citizens. For someone like him who has barely any connection to me, I don¡¯t have the spare time to worry about him.


    ¡°I understand, Eliza-dono. Got it.¡±


    Claudia didn¡¯t say anything else and just nodded. She was looking at me with an earnest look in her eyes. Honestly, even though she¡¯s clumsy in so many aspects, she¡¯s also surprisingly astute in others. For just an instant, even though we didn¡¯t exchange words, Claudia was perhaps acting more seriously than I was.


    I hope that her beautiful heart won¡¯t be tainted by malevolence one day. -Yes, I think that I should protect it.


    ¡°¡­¡­Oh right, I almost forgot.¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    Indeed, there¡¯s something I haven¡¯t said to her yet. As she tilted her head questioningly, I took both of her hands in mine.


    ¡°Congratulations, Claudia-dono. You¡¯ve always been such a great help to me. Thank you. I¡¯ll be relying on you in the future as well.¡±


    As my knight, but there were some things I still wasn¡¯t able to say out loud, and I kept it in my heart instead.

 Ch 123

    I¡¯ve achieved my goal of establishing a knight order, but there¡¯s still several major tasks remaining ahead of me.I¡¯m talking about the meeting between the Jugfena region domains of Kaldia, Jugfena, and Genas, as well as the issue of Feria Rogshia¡¯s engagement.


    There¡¯s also some other points of concern. For example, the movements of the woman named Diferis and her terrorist organization described to me by the bandits a few years back, and their possible connections to the northern nobles. While Priest Faris had provided some information to Earl Terejia, there¡¯s been no progress.


    The date for the meeting between the three Jugfena region domains has already been decided, so there¡¯s just some various small matters that need to be taken care of before that. Other than that, it¡¯s just waiting for the day to arrive. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    However, Feria Rogshia¡¯s engagement is a special problem.


    The Ogren family is a northern noble family, and they¡¯re quite close to the Nordsturms. I¡¯m pretty sure that Marquis Nordsturm had Viscount Ogren request me on purpose, and I¡¯m not enthusiastic about having to complete a task for them.


    Not only that, I have suspicions that they may be traitors to our country. This suspicion is because they may be connected to Diferis, who is working to undermine Arxia as a terrorist. But Diferis seems to be hiding in the north somewhere, and there¡¯s no evidence to connect her to the northern nobles.


    Personally speaking, with my suspicion against them, I don¡¯t want to help them arrange a marriage with nobles from the Greenfield region, so close to the capital.


    Should I crush this engagement, or should I fix it like I¡¯m supposed to?


    Breaking the engagement will be a problem as well. If I merely break the engagement without being able to give a really good reason, this will severely affect my status as a noble, and Earl Terejia¡¯s standing will suffer as well.


    How bothersome, this engagement involving the fates of the Ogren and Rogshia families. Both domains already depend on each other for trade. That¡¯s why it¡¯s so irritating that Feria¡¯s only thinking about herself with her actions.


    And so, the days passed by as I gathered information on the other domains, looking for a method to deal with this problem.


    ¨C If only I could unlearn what I was just about to find out.


    ¡°Hmm? Isn¡¯t that Earl Freche¡¯s youngest son?¡±


    Summer¡¯s almost over, and I¡¯ll be soon returning to my domain from the royal capital. I¡¯m currently on my way to shop for a souvenir for Elise at a high class store. Claudia made a loud comment suddenly as she peered outside the horse-drawn carriage¡¯s window.


    ¡°¡­¡­Are you acquainted with Earl Freche?¡±


    ¡°No, not at all. It¡¯s just that his son is the same age as me, so I visited an evening party at the Freche residence once in the past.¡±


    Somehow, I¡¯m a little unconvinced at Claudia saying she was able to remember Earl Freche¡¯s son even though she only met him once. For someone like her who¡¯s so bad with remembering names, it took several years before she memorized who I was. ¡­¡­Sometimes, from the bottom of my heart, I truly believe that Claudia is an incomprehensible existence.


    I have no connections to Earl Freche at all, unless you count me getting horses and training from the Ruktoferd domain, which is part of the Freche region. Well, this is a good time to get to know more nobles, and band together against the threat of our neighbors. Thinking this, I decided to peek out the window as well to see what Earl Freche¡¯s youngest son looked like.


    When I looked in the same direction as Claudia, at the shops along the street, I saw a teenage boy on the edge of reaching adulthood, and a girl holding hands with him walking with a delighted expression on her face. I wonder if she detected us looking, she just happened to look back directly at us.


    It¡¯s a face I¡¯m all too familiar with.


    It was Feria Rogshia, the person responsible for so much of my aggravation, foolishly enjoying a date in public with a boy that¡¯s not her fianc¨¦, without caring about who might see her.


    ¡°¡­¡­Lady Feria.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but utter her name in exasperation. I found it so unexpected, that Feria would do this in broad daylight.


    That girl, does she have the awareness that she could be cast out of noble society together with that boy? Or is it just the recklessness of youth, and she¡¯s not thinking at all?


    Claudia¡¯s expression turned serious as she met my gaze. After receiving my cue, she bounded out of the horse carriage¡¯s window as lithely as a cat ¨C artistry in motion.


    My heart is pounding. Well, even though I¡¯m sort of used to it now, it still gives me breathing difficulty. I feel like this may shorten my life span, but I¡¯ve already given up on talking to Claudia about jumping out of windows. I suppose I have no choice but to get accustomed to this.


    I heard Claudia¡¯s voice telling the servant to stop the carriage. As the horse gradually slowed, and the scenery outside the window stopped moving, this time I heard Claudia¡¯s voice straight from above me, on the roof of the carriage.


    ¡°-Hello there, please wait a moment.¡±


    This road is rather deserted, so Claudia¡¯s voice carried far. Several people suddenly appeared from the shadows. I¡¯m guessing they¡¯re probably Earl Freche¡¯s son¡¯s bodyguards. Although public order is quite good in the noble district, it¡¯s still impossible for most nobles to go outside by themselves.


    ¡­¡­But anyways. I won¡¯t make any assumptions about Earl Freche¡¯s son, but for now it¡¯s quite apparent that Viscount Rogshia doesn¡¯t intend to restrict his daughter¡¯s movements in any way whatsoever.


    This is getting more and more bothersome, this annoying task.


    The troublesome couple in question looked back at Claudia with expressions of shock on their faces. At seeing their faces pale in unison, I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle slightly.


    Both of them should currently be students at noble school. There¡¯s a rule that students who live in the dormitory aren¡¯t allowed to leave without permission. Usually only the head of the household can give their children permission to leave¡­¡­


    Since they seem so flustered at us simply calling out to them, perhaps they¡¯ve sneaked out of school without permission. Due to this situation, are they going to have to request me to keep it secret for them?


    ¡°W, what is it¡­¡­¡±


    Earl Freche¡¯s son seemed at a loss for what to say as he asked Claudia why she called out to them. Claudia has a stern expression aimed directly at Feria. ¡­¡­This is the first time I¡¯ve seen such an expression on her face. Claudia¡¯s temperament is usually simultaneously competitive yet gentle, but I¡¯ve always thought that she held no negative feelings towards others whatsoever.


    ¡°You¡¯re Viscount Rogshia¡¯s daughter, and Earl Freche¡¯s son, right? Who else are you with?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you lost? That¡¯s no good at all. How about I take you guys to the noble school?¡±


    ¡°N, ¡­¡­ no! There¡¯s no need for you to go to all this trouble, when we don¡¯t even know each other!¡±


    Blood seemed to be draining from Freche¡¯s son¡¯s face as he backed away from Claudia, and even hid behind Feria. Claudia kept that strict expression on her face, and shook her head saying she didn¡¯t mind the trouble at all.


    ¡°It will be evening soon enough, and we¡¯re currently quite close to the noble school. -Also, my lord will definitely have some matters to discuss with Lady Rogshia here.¡±


    Feria¡¯s shoulder suddenly jerked upwards. I could see fear in her eyes, from Claudia¡¯s imposing presence, as her shoulder started trembling. That¡¯s when she finally noticed me as well.


    ¡°Ah-¡°


    Now she was simply dumbfounded, and she sat down right where she was standing in the middle of the street. Freche¡¯s son tried his best to catch her, but perhaps he simply isn¡¯t strong enough, both of them ended up falling down. With a hup, Claudia made it look easy as she pulled both of them up again.


    ¡°Yep, it seems like you two must be quite exhausted.¡±


    Saying that to the two targets she¡¯s captured, how wonderfully ironic she can be.

 Ch 124

    ¡°Well then¡­¡­ Can you tell us your story?¡±In my residence¡¯s tiny reception room, Claudia and I, the two noble teenagers that we just captured, and Oscar, who¡¯s also taken on the role of gathering information for me, were all crammed in together. It¡¯s an overwhelming situation for Feria and Freche¡¯s son.


    The young couple is so stiff, as if we¡¯re threatening them or something. Feria¡¯s face is ashen. ¡­¡­Well, although I¡¯m calling them young, I¡¯m actually even younger than they are, technically.


    ¡°Without any companions, where were the two of you headed? Also, Lady Feria, you happen to have an engagement. You won¡¯t exactly be praised for jaunting about on the streets with a boy. Do you have a permit showing permission from the noble school? I need to notify the school that I was able to protect you. Please let me confirm your permit.¡±


    I held out my hand as if to say give it to me, that¡¯s when Freche¡¯s youngest son who had been chewing his lip all this time finally lifted his head with a glare aimed at me.


    ¡°Why do we need to show you our permit? You¡¯re saying that you protected us, but you¡¯re just a child that¡¯s not even in noble school yet, where¡¯s the head of your household, at the very least I should be talking to someone ranked above you.¡±


    Oh? Come to think of it, while Feria does know who I am, I still haven¡¯t formally introduced myself yet to this boy.


    ¡°My apologies for the late introduction. I am Eliza Kaldia. I¡¯m currently the domain lord of Kaldia, from the Jugfena region. I have some business with Lady Feria and her father, so that¡¯s why I¡¯m acquainted with Lady Feria.¡±


    ¡°It couldn¡¯t be. You¡¯re the head of the house?¡±


    I nodded in confirmation, and the young Freche¡¯s mouth was wide agape in astonishment. Then, he lowered his face again with a scared expression. Oi, you can¡¯t show me a permit?


    ¡°¡­¡­Lady Feria.¡±


    It can¡¯t be helped, let¡¯s turn to Feria, she was biting her lips as well, although she opened her mouth to talk even as she was trembling.


    ¡°I, I, was heading for my fianc¨¦¡¯s place, the Ogren residence. The reason for going there is uh, er, private. ¡­¡­Um, this here is Cornell Freche-sama, my old friend, and he was taking the trouble of accompanying me to the Ogren residence.¡±


    For the time being, I¡¯m going to ignore the part where she introduced Cornell Freche. Ogren? This is a name I never thought I¡¯d hear Feria say, so I tilted my head.


    ¡°Something private, eh. That¡¯s why, you snuck out of school?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Yes.¡±


    Maybe she¡¯s realized she can¡¯t hide it anymore, she admitted that she didn¡¯t have a permit to leave school and nodded.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know the details, but it¡¯s about my engagement. I know that my fianc¨¦ is the Ogren family¡¯s son.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m already aware. After all, I got acquainted with you in the first place because¡­¡­ The Ogren family asked me to make sure that the engagement with you proceeded smoothly.¡±


    I don¡¯t know what Viscount Ogren thinks about this entire situation at all, so I vented my frustration as I told her my purpose. Now that she¡¯s told me directly about Ogren when she¡¯s kept silent all this time before, I feel like there¡¯s no need for me to hide my task given to me by the church from her.


    ¡°Eh¡­¡­?¡±


    ¡°Viscount Ogren went to the trouble of contacting the church, and asking me to convince you to go through with the engagement because it looked like you weren¡¯t really interested. Well, neither him nor your father really matter to me, I was going to observe this rubbishy situation for a little longer, but.¡±


    ¡°Such a thing¡­¡­¡±


    Feria was covering her mouth with her hand as if she couldn¡¯t believe what was going on. Maybe it¡¯s an unconscious reaction, I saw her weakly grabbing onto Cornell Freche¡¯s sleeve. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°¡­¡­Please wait a moment, Lord Kaldia. I think you¡¯re having a misunderstanding about the relationship between Feria and myself.¡±


    Did he gain strength from Feria¡¯s fingertips I wonder, Cornell Freche who had been drooping his shoulders all this time, suddenly cut in with a soft voice.


    It¡¯s difficult to hear him clearly. I couldn¡¯t help but furrow my eyebrows, I¡¯ve wasted the time frame in which he was afraid. My place is no House of Lords, where even the small things can threaten and scare people. ¡­¡­Besides, I think that it would be a miserable thing to be scared of a child more than five years younger than he is. Quite pitiful, really. I would prefer it if he could stand up straighter.


    ¡°A misunderstanding? So, what¡¯s your excuse for sneaking out of school together with a girl that¡¯s already engaged?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not it! In the first place, Feria¡¯s engagement¡­¡­ Don¡¯t get angry at Feria. Their, no, what that guy really wants is for their engagement to be broken!¡±


    He suddenly started shouting. Suddenly going from soft-spoken to shouting angrily in a show of unstable emotions, is he really okay, I wonder. I couldn¡¯t help but start worrying.


    The following is the story that Cornell Freche told me.


    Originally, Cornell was a childhood friend of Feria and her fianc¨¦, Ista Ogren. They all grew up together, being neighbors in the noble district. The three of them hung out together, even after entering noble school.


    However, when Ista Ogren became a third-year student, and Cornell and Feria became second-years, the relationship between them changed slightly. The reason was because Ista liked a noble girl other than Feria. When Ista began spending more time with that girl, the natural outcome was that Cornell and Feria started being together more often. And after that, the relationship between them developed as I expected.


    During the time that Ista was about to graduate from noble school, the three of them had a talk with each other about their futures. Ista said that he definitely agreed to canceling the engagement with Feria, and that he wanted to get engaged to the girl he liked instead, swearing that he would return to the Ogren domain to persuade his father, Viscount Ogren, after graduation.


    ¡°After he returned to the Ogren domain, we¡¯ve exchanged letters three times, but it seems that persuading his father isn¡¯t going well. However, this time Viscount Ogren summoned us to his residence, saying that after much persuasion by his son, he¡¯s decided to think it over again after listening to all three of us directly.¡±


    I listened silently throughout all of Cornell Freche¡¯s long story that he desperately tried to explain clearly to me. He¡¯s obviously not used to having to clarify things for others.


    ¡­¡­Just what should I say in this type of situation? Am I supposed to be surprised, or amused? Cornell and Feria looked at me with such serious expressions as I thought about what to say.


    ¡°It¡¯s well known within school that Feria and Ista are good friends as well as engaged to each other. That¡¯s why, we can¡¯t ask for permission to go out and let rumors spread in school, as it would greatly damage the reputation of both families¡­¡­¡±


    I wonder if he¡¯s said everything he wants to say, after Cornell Freche finished his story, he lowered his head again. Is he trying to gain sympathy from me by acting modest?


    -I have no leeway to sympathize with him whatsoever, so I decided to pretend as if I didn¡¯t see his action.


    I¡¯m absolutely at a loss for what to say right now, and somehow I ended up glancing in Oscar¡¯s direction. He had an expression that blatantly said his head was hurting from this situation. I wish I could let my emotions at this headache of a mess show on my face as well.

 Ch 125

    ¡°¡­¡­I see, I understand your situation now. I have several things I would like to say about what you just told me.¡±I finally cut into Cornell¡¯s story with a gloomy tone of voice, so Cornell and Feria were looking at me with surprise on their faces. I just made a decision to use this type of atmosphere¡­¡­


    ¡°I¡¯ve investigated various things about Lady Feria¡¯s engagement. There¡¯s still a few things I haven¡¯t checked yet, but allow me to come to a preliminary conclusion based on what I currently know. Canceling the engagement between the Ogren and Rogshia families will be basically impossible.¡± sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°¡­¡­What?¡±


    An expression of dissatisfaction started distorting Cornell¡¯s face. Since explaining everything to him would be troublesome, I looked in Oscar¡¯s direction. He nodded to me as he adopted a strict expression strikingly similar to Earl Terejia¡¯s, and he began a detailed explanation in my place.


    ¡°The engagement between the Ogren and Rogshia families involves a debt owed by the Rogshia family. About 15 years ago, the Ogren and Rogshia families began a deep relationship with each other when the Rogshia domain started a new business. At that time, the Ogren family made a loan as the beginning capital for the business. Also, the loan amount was so large, that the law required the two families become relatives through marriage as collateral, so the engagement between the son and daughter of the two houses was decided upon.¡±


    This happened right around the time that Ista Ogren and Feria Rogshia were born. Viscount Ogren¡¯s wife happened to be from the Greenfield region, and was a childhood friend of Feria¡¯s mother.


    ¡°I shall skim over the details, but suffice it to say that the business ended up in failure. In order to recoup their losses, both families took on further debts, and only in the last five years have they finally begun making a profit. However, the money that the Rogshias borrowed from the Ogrens, was in turn loaned to the Ogrens by the Nordsturms, the guardian family for the Ogrens. Well, simply speaking, the Ogrens were a middle man.¡±


    ¡°Such a thing¡­¡­ My father, has debts?¡±


    ¡°Yes, indeed. Because of this reason, breaking the engagement will not be legally possible until the debt of the Rogshia and Ogren families is reduced to 3 million arcs or less. If the engagement is broken, it will result in bankruptcy, loss of noble status, confiscation of ruling rights, and the domain itself will be subject to acquisition by others.¡±


    As Oscar calmly continued his summary, Feria¡¯s face was growing paler and paler. I can tell that she¡¯s despairing.


    The relations between various domains and the legal benefits of noble marriage should all be topics covered as part of a noble¡¯s education, did she really never learn any of this I wonder. Well, it probably has to do with her spoiled upbringing, although I can¡¯t say with absolute certainty.


    Conversely, Cornell¡¯s expression was a sharp contrast to Feria¡¯s, as he appeared to be thinking deeply about the situation. Well, since he¡¯s Earl Freche¡¯s son, I think just his wedding dowry alone will be around 5 million arcs simply for getting married. He¡¯s probably considering the power of his family to intervene in this situation.


    ¡°¡­¡­This is all of the information I have on hand. Since I¡¯m not directly involved in this situation, this is all that I could find out.¡±


    When I spoke up again, Cornell appeared to stop thinking, and met my gaze directly again.


    Not a bad expression, in my opinion. He¡¯s able to face reality, and deal with a difficult situation without resorting to useless protesting. Should I say that this is expected of a border domain noble¡¯s son? Honestly speaking though, I¡¯ve always been living in an abnormal situation, and doubting everyone around me, it would have been nice if I had a more normal life like his instead.


    ¡°How much is the debt owed by the Rogshia family?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know the exact amount. Taking into consideration the increasing interest rate after five years, I believe that it will be in the realm of 15 million arcs.¡±


    ¡°15 million arcs¡­¡­¡±


    Well, it¡¯s only an estimate, so in truth it may be more or less than this amount. It¡¯s that information about loans can only be viewed by the lender and debtor, or those with a certificate of permit issued by the Ministry of Finance. There¡¯s also some debts and donations that aren¡¯t related to the Ministry of Finance, but that¡¯s a story for another day.


    Cornell was furrowing his eyebrows deeply. 15 million arcs is an amount that can purchase a small domain. There¡¯s no way that a student like him can come up with the funds so easily.


    ¡°That¡¯s 10 years of my salary. Quite an amount!¡±


    Claudia who had been silent up to this point, chimed in with an incredulous tone of voice. Now that Claudia and Oscar have become knights, their salaries are paid for by Earl Terejia¡¯s personal savings and Kaldia¡¯s tax revenue. Their salaries are about 1.5 million arcs a year.


    The knight orders managed directly by the kingdom pay out a higher salary than private knight orders. The knight order with the highest status in the kingdom, the Royal Bodyguards knight order, has an annual salary of about 3.5 million arcs. The border knights are paid about 3 million arcs per year, and if they rise in rank through promotions, the salary will increase.


    By the way, knights are among the highest paid for nobles. Their annual income is higher than the average baron.


    Silence fell in the room. Oscar whispered something to Claudia, and left the room.


    I just realized that the light outside is beginning to dim. Should I have some snacks prepared for these two guests of mine? At any rate, they won¡¯t be returning to the school any time soon tonight.


    ¡°¡­¡­There¡¯s something I would like to ask.¡±


    Although he looked like he was having difficulty finding a solution, Cornell finally spoke up again. Feria pulled on his sleeve anxiously, but he kept looking directly at me while ignoring her. When I asked him what he wanted to know, Cornell seemed hesitant, yet he was still able to speak in a firm tone of voice.


    ¡°Lord Kaldia, what would you like to do about the Ogren and Rogshia family¡¯s engagement? I would like to hear your true feelings.¡±


    Such a foolish question. ¡­¡­Claudia next to me appeared to be stifling her laughter. I wonder if something about that question tickled the chivalric spirit within her.


    ¡°Asking about my true feelings, I don¡¯t think a question like this is something to be asking other nobles.¡±


    After I said that with a sigh, Claudia was now making laughing sounds from the back of her throat like a cat. How noisy. In order to get rid of this annoying laughter, I think I¡¯m going to have to answer his question, however reluctantly.


    ¡°¡­¡­Honestly speaking, I couldn¡¯t care either way about the engagement being broken or not. My domain gains nothing either way. However, due to the large debt, if the engagement is broken, it¡¯ll set off a chain reaction leading to downfall and ruin. There¡¯s nothing I can do about that.¡±


    I don¡¯t think it¡¯s necessary to tell them about Diferis and the terrorists, so I¡¯ll just talk about other things in the current situation.


    ¡°Meaning?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯ve never heard of a single successful incident where a noble son was able to properly go through the procedures and break off an engagement.¡±


    Maybe his prodding touched a sensitive spot in me, I answered him rather bluntly. Everyone in the room dropped their shoulders sharply. If Kamil had been in the room right now, I¡¯m sure I would have heard him whispering to me ¡°you sure aren¡¯t honest.¡±

 Ch 126

    I made use of everyone I could, and drastically changed my planned schedule for tomorrow. I¡¯ll go over the details later, but supporting Cornell¡¯s plan that he came up with will be convenient for me as well. Although I want to break the engagement in some way, I still intend to keep the information about Diferis a secret.To begin with, it¡¯s strange why Viscount Ogren would ask Feria and Cornell to see him and discuss things, when he¡¯s always been so vehemently opposed to canceling the engagement.


    According to what Cornell told me, the girl that Ista Ogren likes is the daughter of a western domain lord, and that domain¡¯s primary income stems from agriculture. Oscar gathered some basic information for me on that domain, but the conclusion is that there¡¯s no way that domain will have enough money to cover the Ogren family¡¯s debt to the Nordsturms.


    Meaning, there¡¯s no way that Viscount Ogren asked for Feria in order to agree to cancel the engagement. Then, what exactly is he planning? Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡­¡­If something happens to Feria¡¯s engagement at this current timing, it will probably be the Rogshia family as well as me that suffer from it. The Ogren family is being supported by the powerful Nordsturm family. Even if something happens to cancel the engagement, the Ogren family is in no danger of financial ruin given their backers. The biggest victim will be the Rogshia family as it will cause their downfall, and I¡¯d be affected by the ripples of such an outcome as well.


    The Arxian nobility greatly dislike seeing the downfall of one of their own. Although legally I won¡¯t be directly responsible, it¡¯s actually a heavy responsibility that¡¯s been given to me. If the Rogshias are ruined, the other nobles are sure to assign the blame to me. I won¡¯t be able to avoid having my reputation in shambles¡­¡­


    So, did Viscount Ogren summon Feria at the instruction of Marquis Nordsturm? There¡¯s a high chance that he¡¯s merely working as Nordsturm¡¯s chess piece for the sake of having Earl Terejia and I exiled from noble society.


    ¡­¡­Did Marquis Nordsturm anticipate that Feria would come without obtaining permission from noble school? Students inside the school are supposed to be isolated from the outside. Basically speaking, the students aren¡¯t able to obtain information from outside, the only things they hear about noble society are what their parents tell them.


    But conversely, it¡¯s quite easy for those outside to learn about the affairs inside the school. There are many servants working in the noble school. They¡¯re an easy source of information.


    Even I¡¯ve used my personal funds to hire two commoner women working in the lecture halls for information purposes, and Earl Terejia has more than a dozen sources himself.


    While the noble school itself has no direct involvement with politics, having knowledge about the future power players in the royal capital is still useful.


    Since I¡¯m primarily focused on my own domain for the time being, perhaps it¡¯s a bit early for me to have hired people inside the school already, but I want to be fully prepared for the time when I¡¯ll have to enter noble school myself. ¡­¡­I¡¯ve gone off a tangent here.


    Meaning, perhaps Marquis Nordsturm found out from sources in the noble school about Feria¡¯s engagement situation, and it would have been quite easy for him to predict Feria¡¯s actions if he had Viscount Ogren call her out to discuss the engagement. Things will be even easier for him if there are Viscount Ogren¡¯s people around Feria. Because their two families are engaged, there won¡¯t even be anything suspicious about it.


    I don¡¯t know the exact reason that Viscount Ogren summoned Feria over. But, it seems to me that Viscount Ogren is making moves in order to destroy the engagement between their families.


    -The fact that I caught Cornell and Feria before they were able to arrive at the Ogren residence was quite a stroke of luck. But thanks to this I¡¯m able to make a counterplay, and I¡¯m not going to let this chance to turn everything around slip past.


    For the next three days, I was consecutively absent from meetings at the House of Lords, claiming I was ill. In the meantime, the items I had prepared arrived at my residence one after the other, and one of the items I had procured, an amount of fruit, began sending sweet scents wafting through my house.


    ¡­¡­It will be nice if I can gain the upper hand through this. Some things depend on other parties¡¯ movements though, and I don¡¯t know what may happen in the end.


    ¡°Um¡­¡­¡±


    Feria who was sitting on the bed in the guest room, was looking at me with an incredibly awkward expression on her face. I lowered my cup of black tea, and asked her ¡°what is it?¡± as I looked in her direction.


    ¡°It¡¯s about, my father¡¯s business¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Ahh. Did you learn more about it?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Yes. It seems that, he¡¯s in the beeswax business.¡±


    ¡­¡­Bees, eh.


    ¡°Beekeeping seems to be a flourishing business in the Greenfield region.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I believe that my father raised bees also in order to join the beekeeping business. However, his bees didn¡¯t produce any honey, so he probably was forced to change to raising bees for the purpose of producing beeswax.¡±


    ¡°Why do you think so?¡±


    When I asked for the reason behind this, Feria seemed to consider the answer for a short while, then she hesitantly began telling me the reasons that she came up with.


    ¡°In my home¡­¡­ We go a little overboard with lighting wax candles everywhere. Also, for the past five years, I often received skin care cream from my father¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Beeswax making, eh¡­¡­ However, I still have some doubts remaining. It¡¯s reasonable to say that there¡¯s a high demand for candles. But still, Viscount Rogshia¡¯s business started out as a failure. And I¡¯ve never heard anything about beeswax being a special regional product of the Rogshia domain before.


    ¡­¡­Something about all this bugs me. I¡¯m really bothered by it, but I have no way to investigate it¡­¡­


    Besides, right now I have to focus on the opponent I have to deal with immediately, Viscount Ogren. I pushed away my doubts to the back of my mind for the time being.

 Ch 127

    I heard a slight clinking sound. I stealthily walked to the window, and opened it almost imperceptibly. Through a tiny gap, I saw a man I didn¡¯t know, who wasn¡¯t one of the servants, paying close attention to his surroundings with a vigilant expression.Without a sound, I simply dug my nails into the fruit I was holding. The fruit¡¯s aroma instantly escaped and surrounded me with a faint sweet scent.


    ¡­¡­Even though it¡¯s summer currently, I¡¯m going to have to hide in a small cabinet. It¡¯s too hot. I don¡¯t want to be drenched in sweat. Plus, it¡¯s stifling. Nor is this something like hide and seek.


    From outside the cabinet, I could still detect the intruder¡¯s footsteps as he furtively approached. Thanks to the sharp hearing I inherited from my father, I heard even the minute sound of him opening and closing the door.


    I bit into the soft flesh of the fruit I peeled with my nails. A sweet juice began gushing out. I spit it out into my palm. A terribly thick, fruity smell was emanating from it.


    Then, I finally crawled out of the cabinet. The drawing room in my house on Onboro Street was dead silent, just like usual. ¡­¡­Other than the window that I opened, none of the furniture was moved at all.


    I looked upstairs. Since I¡¯ve left things there to reliable people, I probably have nothing to worry about. Even if I hear a commotion, there¡¯s no need for me to rush.


    Thinking so, I began eating the fruit in my hand. It¡¯s a sweet fruit similar to a peach from my old world, and it was effective at slaking my thirst.


    ¨C I heard some cacophonous clanging for a moment, along with a scream that sounded like it came from a beast. After I confirmed that the ruckus had died down, I stood up from the sofa.


    So, it finally happened. I don¡¯t know what type of person the intruder is, but it seems he must have been the cautious type. Even though my residence is so small, he¡¯s been taking his time and exploring room to room for almost an hour.


    I just happened to finish eating all of the fruit. I wiped away all of the juice on my hands.


    Even after I left the drawing room, it was completely quiet inside my residence. Although there were already few servants to begin with, in the daytime they typically go out to buy supplies and run other errands, so the house will be even emptier than usual. Especially since ¡°I¡± went to the House of Lords today, the servants will prioritize their errands outside the residence.


    I slowly went up the stairs to the second floor. The guest room right above the drawing room just happened to have its door ajar. It¡¯s the room I¡¯ve lent to Feria for the past three days.


    I stepped into the room. The cup of black tea that I sent Feria seems to be broken, and shards were everywhere. Also, Feria was trembling in fear at the end of the bed, while the intruder wasn¡¯t making a sound as he was currently being pressed down on the floor by two men, and a draconis.


    ¡°¡­¡­Oi, you broke this cup. Weren¡¯t you told to not break anything?¡±


    ¡°Hey, I wasn¡¯t the one who broke it. He did it!¡±


    Gunther made the last comment grumpily as he stepped on the male intruder with his full body weight. The man pinned to the floor was flapping his mouth, probably in pain. Wheezing sounds were coming from his throat, and he was salivating. It¡¯s clear to see that he¡¯s having difficulty breathing. With this method, his thoughts and actions are considerably restricted, and he won¡¯t be able to kill himself by biting his own tongue. It¡¯s very painful, not being able to breathe. Even if he wants to die, his body won¡¯t have enough energy to allow him to do so.


    ¡°Without letting him die, strip him naked and tie him up. Also, gag him so he can¡¯t kill himself.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    The person who replied this time was Teo, who¡¯d gotten used to my preferred method of treating captives already when he helped me catch the bandit group.


    Finally, Rashiok who was also crushing the intruder under his massive weight looked at me proudly and barked. His tail was sweeping left and right on the floor, but being a draconis, his tail is more snakelike, so it didn¡¯t send dust flying everywhere. Rashiok was the one that smelled the fruit scent as my signal that there was an invader, so he got Gunther and the others to be on high alert. Draconis are really such clever creatures.


    Since Teo and Gunther just came here, they might not know all the servants yet, and they might mistake one of them for an intruder. In order to deal with that, I decided to use the smell of fruit as a signal to Rashiok. Rashiok is able to detect the fragrance even from the second floor, so he can alert them to capture any invader.


    ¡°I think what¡¯s about to happen next will be rather unsightly, Lady Feria. Would you mind closing the curtains of the window?¡±


    When I asked that to Feria who was still pale and trembling, her shoulders jumped. Since I never told her about the possibility of an impending attack like this, it seems she¡¯s badly in shock. All of this happened around her without her involvement, and her complexion looks almost as bad as the man on the floor.


    Then, she asked me in a soft voice: ¡°yes, um¡­¡­ Can¡¯t I just leave the room now?¡±


    ¡°You should just stay by our side. Because of this current situation, I¡¯m worried about leaving you by yourself. I¡¯ll just close the curtains myself. What¡¯s coming next isn¡¯t anything that unmarried women should see.¡±


    Regardless of Feria who looked like she still wanted to say something else, I closed the curtains of the window personally. Right after I closed them, Teo mercilessly ripped off the intruder¡¯s clothes.


    A small cry resounded in the room. Well, for a normal noble girl like Feria, she might not even notice the sound.


    As Teo tied the man as tight as he could, Rashiok continued to lean on the invader, causing him to breathe heavily. However, even through his hazy eyes and unfocused expression, I still saw confusion and surprise in them as he looked at me.


    It¡¯s probably because he saw ¡°me,¡± together with Earl Terejia and my rather conspicuous two knights as escorts, at the House of Lords.


    A child with black hair and red eyes. This is definitely information that this invader would have on me beforehand.


    ¡­¡­Well, that child he saw earlier was just a fake though, the real me is still here and never left my residence. My prey fell right into my trap, it was a successful strategy. It was supposed to be a great chance for them to do something to Feria with the lord and all the servants gone¡­¡­ or so they thought.


    ¡°My lord, look here. This man has a family emblem embroidered in his clothes.¡±


    Teo tossed the invader¡¯s clothes to me. I confirmed that the inner lining had the Ogren family crest on it, and Gunther and Teo nodded as well.


    ¡°Indeed. Then, when you finish tying this person, put him in the winter storage room. After this, that Freche boy will be able to make his moves.¡±


    ¡°-Is it alright to just leave that kid alone? Without seeing what¡¯s going on over there?¡±


    ¡°As for ¡®Elise,¡¯ she has her own task to fulfill.¡±


    ¡°Have you two finally reconciled? It seems like you¡¯ve been on bad terms for two years now, such a long quarrel.¡±


    ¡°Ahh. -For a proper apology, I allowed ¡®her¡¯ to slap me once. I figured, why not?¡± S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    When I showed Teo and Gunther my left cheek which was swollen, they almost spat simultaneously in astonishment. ¡°To think, that bratty kid actually just wanted to slap another child!¡± was Gunther¡¯s response to learning about how I made up with Ratoka.

 Ch 128

    Beginning of Act 2, Part 4I took Gunther¡¯s advice and handed the invader over to the military police, making this into an official investigation.


    I considered the fact that the invader might have disguised himself as a servant, but his clothes are quite a standard type for those serving the lower-ranked noble families. These clothes are usually custom made to order, so there¡¯s no way a rush job could have been done just for the sake of this attack. Perhaps, knowing the high risks associated, he wore these clothes anyways thinking it would help him achieve his goal.


    But since the Ogren family¡¯s crest was discovered sewn into the inner linings of his clothing, this can be treated as definitive evidence of Viscount Ogren plotting an attack, or even an assassination attempt on me.


    The next evening, the following involved parties, Viscountess Kaldia, Viscount Ogren, the presumed target of the invader, Feria Rogshia, and her father Viscount Rogshia, we were all summoned to a church located in the noble district for a trial convened by the judicial branch of the priests.


    This dispute between the lower-ranked nobles such as ourselves became such a huge commotion, that many other people got into an uproar as well, which caused the church to crack down upon nearly 100 illegal acts by the nobles in this short time period.


    For us three viscounts, there were three priests here today, including one judge priest, and they all had extremely strict expressions as they began writing the records for today¡¯s trial.


    Viscount Ogren who was basically forced to come here after falling into my trap, still appeared calm on the surface. However, the hatred in his eyes was rather unexpectedly directed in Viscount Rogshia¡¯s direction instead of mine.


    As for Viscount Rogshia, he was looking back in Viscount Ogren¡¯s direction with a terribly cold look. I still don¡¯t know the exact nature of their relationship, I could only feel like I was still missing some pieces of the puzzle as I glanced back and forth between them.


    Well, the actual target of the attack was Feria anyways, and I¡¯m only technically involved because Feria was staying with me at the time of the attack. While watching sparks fly between Viscounts Ogren and Rogshia, now, how exactly should I play this out today? I thought about the hectic previous four days, and mentally went over everything that happened.


    The scenario we set up was that when Feria heard that her friend Eliza Kaldia had gotten sick with a fever, she came running from noble school in order to visit. Unfortunately, my illness had been contagious, and Feria came down with a fever as well. Since she was also sick, she just remained resting at my residence instead of returning to school.


    That was the ¡°reason¡± that I created for Feria remaining at my residence. I sent messages to both the noble school and Viscount Rogshia informing them that she was ¡°sick.¡±


    I sent out three other messages as well that day. One was to the House of Lords, informing them that I would be absent the next day. Another one was to Earl Terejia¡¯s residence, informing him of the current situation, my predictions for what was going to happen and letting him know about my upcoming plan. The last message was to the Kaldia domain. I summoned Ratoka, Gunther, Teo, and Rashiok to the royal capital.


    ¡°-So, when Viscountess Kaldia returned to her residence from the House of Lords, you found out that soldiers from your army staying at your residence just happened to capture an intruder.¡±


    The judge priest confirmed the situation on the day of the incident with me, and I nodded and said yes in affirmation.


    ¡°Since you were present at the House of Lords during the time of the attack, you weren¡¯t present while the attack was taking place. It seems that most of the servants were also outside for the time being, so it¡¯s a good thing that nothing happened to Lady Feria.¡± S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This is what the judge believes, but of course it¡¯s all made up. Ratoka was the one present at the House of Lords, not me, and I was personally commanding at the scene itself which led to the capture of the invader.


    I snuck a glance at Feria, as she knows the truth of what happened. Yes, this is good, just keep quiet without saying anything unnecessary. And if all this manages to break the engagement to the Ogrens, she can marry Cornell Freche like she wants.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to ask you some questions, Viscount Ogren. The attacker was wearing servant clothes embroidered with the Ogren family emblem. Its authenticity has already been confirmed by our experts. It¡¯s compelling evidence that you should also bear responsibility for this attack.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Indeed, the person who attacked the Kaldia residence was wearing servant clothes from my family. However, I have no recollection of ever hiring someone like that. If you check my employee ledgers in my residence, I¡¯m sure you can find that out for yourself.¡±


    Viscount Ogren was pretending to be hurt by this accusation. ¡°I see,¡± said the judge. I¡¯m actually slightly impressed that Viscount Ogren already faked some documents in his residence, with only one day to prepare, in case of a search. Even if we search his whole house, it probably means that nothing strange will be found.


    Viscount Rogshia just kept glaring nonstop at Viscount Ogren. I suppose I should give him credit for being a noble as well, he seems like a completely different person from having that gentle demeanor when I first met him.


    ¡°Besides, what reason could I possibly have for attacking my own son¡¯s fianc¨¦e?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you tried to do to my daughter, but I can certainly think of a motive, Viscount Ogren.¡±


    At hearing Viscount Rogshia¡¯s icy voice, Viscount Ogren¡¯s reaction was almost comical as he took a defensive posture.


    ¡°I myself intend to file an official complaint against Viscount Ogren as well. There was a serious problem with the business that we jointly ran together ¨C because Viscount Ogren intentionally started this issue. I¡¯m certain that he must have been trying to threaten my daughter in order for me to not file an accusation.¡±

 Ch 129

    ¡°What are you talking about, I don¡¯t understand!¡±Viscount Ogren laughed off Viscount Rogshia¡¯s accusation. Since he must have cleaned up his house of any incriminating evidence, he appeared supremely confident. His eyes were still sharp and he scoffed while he directly met Viscount Rogshia¡¯s glare.


    ¡°Exactly what have I done? I¡¯ve dedicated myself to supporting your business over all these years as well. Plus, your business is even turning a profit these days -¡±


    ¡°Viscount Ogren, please don¡¯t interrupt. Give Viscount Rogshia a chance to state his accusation.¡±


    Although Viscount Ogren was eloquently defending himself, the judge priest stopped him from speaking any further. Viscount Ogren stopped talking, and glared at the judge in annoyance. The military police member standing behind Viscount Ogren clanged his spear loudly against the stone ground as if to threaten him, and he finally became obedient.


    ¡°Then, Viscount Rogshia. Please continue what you were just saying.¡±


    When the judge urged Viscount Rogshia to continue, he seemed to realize as if he was about to do something truly frightening by making this accusation. His face was turning incredibly pale, and his shoulders were shaking. Feria next to him seemed puzzled by this, but she held his arm in support, and he finally opened his mouth again.


    ¡°Yes. ¡­¡­I¡¯m accusing Viscount Ogren because during the course of our partnership in the beeswax business, our beeswax showed poisoning symptoms.¡±


    ¡°Poisoning symptoms? Is that¡­¡­ really true?¡±


    For what the judge probably expected to be a small, simple trial, he must have never expected to hear a word like poison being thrown around. The judge¡¯s face was full of shock and doubt.


    ¡°Yes. Although weak, people started developing a dependency on the beeswax ¨C and Viscount Ogren was responsible for the manufacturing process. He signed off on our contract that he would guarantee the safety of the manufacturing process.¡±


    As Viscount Rogshia finally began his case against Viscount Ogren, a perceptive military police member held out a cup of black tea for me while I was feeling like none of this had to do with me anymore. He drank a few drops of the tea himself first, as if to assure me there was no poison. As expected of military police in the royal capital. They¡¯ve undergone excellent training, it was quite smart of him to do.


    Well then, as I elegantly sipped on my black tea, Viscount Rogshia¡¯s story was causing the three priests¡¯ faces to turn pale as he continued. According to him, they started producing the addictive beeswax five years ago, and the wholesale routes were left to Viscount Ogren. Apart from the addictive beeswax, they also produced ordinary beeswax for trading, and the production method for the two types of beeswax wasn¡¯t really all that different, except that one was an addictive substance.


    ¡°What exactly are the specific differences between the two types of beeswax?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡­ roughly speaking, resin produced by the Renvia fruit is added to the production process.¡±


    ¡°Renvia? It couldn¡¯t be. That plant isn¡¯t poisonous at all.¡±


    The judge priest was furrowing his eyebrows. Indeed, the Renvia flowers themselves certainly aren¡¯t toxic in any way whatsoever. As a popular horticultural species grown in many gardens, any poisonous properties would have been discovered long ago. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Well, what happens is¡­¡­ When you mix the resin produced by ripe Renvia fruits together with honey and burn it, the smoke has addictive properties.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s certainly something I¡¯ve never heard about before¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°When the Renvia fruit is ripe, it will release a pungent smell that strongly affects the senses. I¡¯ve been cultivating them so that we¡¯ll always have a stockpile of ripe fruit ready to harvest any time we need to.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡­ I see.¡±


    Well, the judge priest most likely doesn¡¯t have any experience with gardening, as he was only nodding ambiguously. On the other hand, the two priests probably have to take care of plants in the monastery, they were nodding more affirmatively.


    ¡°Indeed, if what you say is true and you can prove that this manufacturing process creates an addictive beeswax, Viscount Ogren will be charged with fraud against Viscount Rogshia, and also narcotics trafficking within Arxia. I think that you wouldn¡¯t be able to avoid drug charges either, though¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Please wait, I didn¡¯t participate in such a thing at all! All of this is nonsense by Viscount Rogshia. I don¡¯t have any specialized knowledge about plants. It¡¯s inconceivable for me to have manufactured such a drug.¡±


    Viscount Ogren¡¯s insufferable voice loudly interrupted at this point again.


    ¡°Also, you priests should know already! The fact that a few days ago, I secretly accused Viscount Rogshia of tax evasion. He¡¯s just trying to cover his own crimes by blaming me!¡±


    ¡°What!?¡±


    At hearing Viscount Ogren firmly accuse him, Viscount Rogshia who had remained calm up until now stood up from his seat.


    While continuing to sip on the delicious black tea that the military police member gave me, I gave a hand signal to Oscar who was behind me, as we may have to intervene in this chaotic situation soon.


    Adults are all liars, it¡¯s impressive, really. About this entire incident, there were limits to what information I could gather with my own resources, so I had to rely on Earl Terejia¡¯s information network, through which I learned all about the ugly truth behind the conflict between the two viscounts. It¡¯s amazing how silver tongued people can be, lying with such straight faces.

 Ch 130

    Both Viscount Rogshia and Ogren¡¯s tales were full of exaggerations and lies. In the first place, both of them were in on creating this addictive substance together, purely out of the ugly desire to make profits in any way possible, and now that it¡¯s been exposed, they¡¯re both trying to make sure the other one takes the fall.Secretly creating drugged candles with beeswax, drug smuggling, tax evasion¡­¡­ Any argument they had on the surface about their children¡¯s engagement was only camouflage for their secret activities, a deep swamp that I¡¯ve been dragged into because I found what was truly going on behind what appeared to be a simple engagement conflict.


    How long is this farce going to continue for, I wonder.


    All the evidence that Earl Terejia helped me gather of their illegal acts, I modified the evidence so that it would benefit Viscount Rogshia, and I¡¯ll submit it to the priests when they¡¯re finished with their arguments.


    The fact will remain that Viscount Rogshia still has a large debt, but the person truly holding the key to Viscount Rogshia¡¯s future prospects is Earl Freche. For the mere price of 20 million arcs, a paltry sum to him at least, Earl Freche will be able to acquire large amounts of fertile land in the Greenfield region and extensive beekeeping facilities. It¡¯s good for all of us that Earl Freche accepted his youngest son Cornell¡¯s plan to pay off Viscount Rogshia¡¯s debt and essentially gain control of the Rogshia domain.


    The crookedness of the Ogren family surely must be connected to the main family behind them, the Nordsturms. Earl Terejia wants to find a concrete connection somewhere so that he can drag Marquis Nordsturm in front of the House of Lords, so this time I¡¯m acting as Earl Terejia¡¯s chess piece with this final objective in mind.


    ¡­¡­It seems that the issue between the Ogrens and the Rogshias will come to a close soon. However, I felt an unexpected uncomfortable feeling in my ear, so I raised my head instinctively.


    ¡°Is something the matter?¡±


    Maybe it was too much of a sudden movement, the priests that were coldly and calmly listening to the viscounts argue, and even the two viscounts that had been verbally sparring so viciously, everyone in the room¡¯s attention was pulled to me. I could hear a high-pitched tone in the distance, increasing in volume, causing my ears to tremble slightly.


    ¡°¡­¡­I think, there may be some sort of commotion outside?¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    One of the priests quickly signaled a guard standing in front of the door to this room, who opened the door.


    At that instant, all of us could clearly hear some sort of commotion. Also, there was some sort of strange sound in the air, almost like the rustling of leaves.


    Exactly at this time, guards from outside panickily rushed into the room, shouting ¡°it¡¯s a fire! There¡¯s a fire near us! Evacuate to somewhere safe!¡±


    Everyone stood up in unison. If this is just a simple fire though, this other sound we¡¯re hearing is still too strange.


    ¡°Since this is an emergency situation, this trial will end for the time being. Everyone, follow me.¡±


    One of the priests who looked absolutely ashen lead the way, while guards escorted both viscounts. Since Feria still looked lost about what was going on, I pulled on her arm. Since I gave a hand signal to Oscar for him to go fetch the documentary evidence against Viscount Ogren and we¡¯re currently separated, will we be able to meet up later properly? He shouldn¡¯t be that far away.


    ¡­¡­But anyways, what an inconvenient timing for such a ruckus. I hope that this doesn¡¯t have a negative impact on resolving this incident.


    At a brisk pace, I walked out of the church temple for the trial. What I saw next made me doubt my eyes, and everyone was speechless.


    The sky itself was crimson. Although it was evening, the air itself appeared to be burning. From the direction of the commoners¡¯ district, black smoke could be seen rising here and there, and sparkling fiery powder could be seen glittering everywhere in the air.


    ¡°Are these¡­¡­ fire moths? It couldn¡¯t be. Such an enormous amount?¡±


    Viscount Rogshia made that comment in a daze. Well, I felt the same way he did as I looked up at the sky.


    A crimson sky. There¡¯s an uncountable number of fire moths swirling about, dancing in the sky.


    With their strange buzzing, wherever the fire moths swarmed like waves over the commoners¡¯ buildings, a new fire would vigorously sprout. Screams are echoing everywhere. Everyone was lost for words at this abnormal situation.


    ¡°Exactly what is going on here?¡±


    ¡°At any rate, let¡¯s evacuate from here¡­¡­ this area is dangerous.¡±


    It happened right when the priest turned around. Suddenly a great force hit me, and my body struck a wall. Due to the shock of the impact, I couldn¡¯t breathe for a moment. I limply fell down to the ground against the wall, as I couldn¡¯t summon up any energy.


    ¡°Nobody move! Don¡¯t move!!¡±


    Someone is now pressing up against me forcefully on my back. It¡¯s Viscount Ogren, who¡¯s even louder than before and sounds almost hysterical. When I somehow managed to turn my head around, I also saw two unfamiliar men in black clothing removing their swords from the guards¡¯ bodies that they just ambushed.


    Feria¡¯s screaming pierced through the air. I also saw Viscount Rogshia collapsing to the ground without uttering a sound.


    ¡°What is all this!!¡±


    Those were the last words that the judge priest ever said. Buzz, as the fire moths approached us, he met his end and was wiped out of existence instantly.


    This temple¡¯s garden began smoldering as well. As the fire started spreading here as well, it reached the tunic of one of the dead guards on the ground. I could only watch the licks of fire expanding in blank amazement. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°How excellent. All of you can just be burned alive by this fire!¡±


    Viscount Ogren¡¯s screaming voice was overjoyed as he kept stepping on my back, and a moment right after I felt something cold on the back of my left hand ¨C


    ¡°Uu, ahhhhhhh!!!¡±


    Sweat started trickling down my entire body as I was racked in pain and screamed instinctively. My left hand is so hot. It¡¯s burning with pain. Viscount Ogren had taken a spear from one of the dead guards, and stabbed it through my left hand, pinning it to the ground.


    The viscount¡¯s crazed laughter as he ran off even drowned out the sounds of Feria trying to struggle and escape the grasp of one of the black-clad attackers. The crackling sounds of fire, screaming, and the buzzing of the fire moths, at any rate I was surrounded by nothing but horrible sounds, and my left hand¡¯s pain would soon become the least of my worries.

 Ch 131

    I grinded my teeth, and grabbed the spear sticking out of my left hand with my right hand. It was difficult to catch my breath because of all the impacts my body had just received. I could hear unpleasant sounds as the fingers in my left hand began cramping terribly.It seems that at least the spear¡¯s blade avoided piercing any of my bones. This is fortunate. If my bones had been broken as well, I would be even more sluggish and nauseous.


    I tried to pull the spear out of me. My palm was slippery with sweat, and it was difficult to get a good grip. Because of the fire¡¯s close proximity to me, impatience and anxiety spread all through my body. If I don¡¯t hurry, I¡¯ll be burned to death¡­¡­ There¡¯s also several people fallen around me.


    I could still see signs of life in the priest on the ground close to me. Viscount Rogshia is probably still alive as well. It¡¯s too late for the others. Someone seems to have stuck a blade through the judge priest¡¯s heart just to make extra sure he was dead, and both guards are dead as well.


    At the very least, I have to make sure this priest lives. If he makes it out of this alive, he can send Viscount Ogren to be executed. ¡­¡­Well, before all that, I have to solve my own urgent situation first.


    But, I don¡¯t have the strength to remove a heavy metallic spear with only a single hand and the strength of a young child. I¡¯m burning up with impatience. Just thinking about the possibility of the fire moths getting any closer to here sends chills running down my spine. I should be trying to calm down and catch my breath, but on the contrary I¡¯m getting all heated up.


    The smell of burnt flesh caused me to recall unpleasant memories, and I felt disgusted. I don¡¯t need additional reasons other than heat and pain to cause me to sweat right now.


    Calm down¡­¡­ Calm down, me. How about I just take drastic measures, and try ripping the spear out of my flesh, even if it tears my fingers off? At the very worst, maybe I won¡¯t be able to use my middle finger, ring finger, and little finger for the rest of my life, but that¡¯s probably still better than dying here being burned alive. Plus, my left hand isn¡¯t even my dominant hand.


    ¡°-Eliza!¡±


    Just when I was thinking about sacrificing some fingers, how fortunate for me, I heard a voice calling for me from the sky.


    It was so unexpected for me to hear this voice, that I almost called him by his real name, but I managed to stop myself. I don¡¯t want to get into another argument with him.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡¯Elise,¡¯ I¡¯m here!¡±


    Swoosh, the fire moths scattered. As Rashiok landed, a child with remarkably similar black hair and scarlet eyes to me rushed by my side. He looked at the spear stuck into my hand and his expression distorted, then he grabbed the spear handle with both hands and pulled it out of the ground.


    Blood is now falling to the ground with a pitter patter sound. An intense pain and numbness is causing my wrist to shake. I tore my cloak into strips with my mouth and right hand, and I had Ratoka help me tie the cloth strips around my hand and stop the bleeding, then I also had Ratoka carry the priest to Rashiok¡¯s back as well. I had Rashiok carry Viscount Rogshia gently in his mouth, while the rest of us rode on Rashiok¡¯s back as he soared through the air.


    I can hear the sounds of the wind blowing past us. Even though we¡¯re flying straight in the middle of so many fire moths, none of them can approach us at all, probably because of the fact that Rashiok can control the wind with his magic.


    When I looked down at the royal capital¡¯s downtown area, it was truly in a terrible condition. There were groups of people everywhere, trying to escape the fire moths through narrow alleyways. Fire and black smoke was everywhere, and there were constant screams of despair and anger.


    ¡°You, how come you¡¯re here?¡±


    ¡°Rashiok suddenly¡­¡­ made me get on his back and flew off from your residence.¡±


    Is that so, I nodded. Ratoka actually didn¡¯t know what was going on. It was Rashiok that decided to move on his own. I would have preferred Teo or Gunther to Ratoka, honestly, but what most likely happened was that the moment Rashiok noticed something was going on, he probably just found the closest person and brought him here to me, so I can¡¯t complain. I felt a bit relieved, and stroked Rashiok¡¯s neck with my fingertips.


    ¡°Oi, don¡¯t move your injured hand.¡±


    ¡°The bleeding has stopped. I¡¯m fine. It shouldn¡¯t get worse unless I move my palm around.¡±


    My tightly wrapped left hand had already stopped bleeding. I pushed the throbbing pain out of my consciousness and instructed Rashiok to land on the waterway. Since fire moths are weak against water, they shouldn¡¯t be close to the waterway. There were many commoners that had escaped the fire moths standing in the water, shivering in fear.


    ¡°Ratoka, take care of the injured people we brought. Don¡¯t let them die. Especially this priest.¡±


    I suddenly gave Ratoka an order, and removed the remnants of my cloak that was interfering with my movement, and pressed it into Ratoka¡¯s arms telling him he could use it for bandages. Eh, was all that Ratoka could say, as I dropped him off on the high ground together with the two unconscious men.


    ¡°Don¡¯t leave the waterway. The fire moths won¡¯t approach here.¡±


    ¡°Where are you going, with such an injury!¡±


    ¡°Viscount Ogren escaped and took Feria Rogshia with him. I¡¯m going after them.¡± S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°What!?¡± I soon put Ratoka¡¯s shouting behind me, as I ordered Rashiok to fly again. Once again I felt the wind¡¯s roar, as well as the internal sensation of my organs floating.

 Ch 132

    ¡°Follow Feria¡¯s scent, hurry!¡±They shouldn¡¯t have been able to go far yet. With this much chaos, and how conspicuous they would be, they would probably be noticed by someone everywhere they go. Especially in the noble district.


    But, I don¡¯t know the identity of the two men in black clothes, and I can¡¯t be certain that Viscount Ogren and Feria are together. That¡¯s why I want Rashiok to hurry as much as possible.


    Rashiok landed on a street in the commoners¡¯ district where the fire was weak, then took off running down the street. Occasionally he pushed some packs of fire moths away with gusts of wind, and ran down an empty road. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    I finally realized that there was something strange about the fire moths¡¯ movements. They were still gathering on the edges of Rashiok¡¯s control over the wind in groups, but they weren¡¯t moving in waves anymore.


    There¡¯s something unnatural about all this, is what I think. The abnormal behavior of magical beasts has been continuing for the past few years. But, such behavior that clearly deviates so far from their natural behavior, shouldn¡¯t happen unless it¡¯s the prelude to some sort of calamity. All the knowledge I¡¯ve accumulated about magical beasts is telling me something¡¯s off.


    It¡¯s absolutely impossible for the fire moths to cause such a major incident, based on their biological behavior.


    -Then, this incident must be the work of a human.


    I had a flashback to what happened three years ago. A magical beast that left the Monster Forest and entered a human structure, the monster baboon. It had seemed to get excited over human blood. But considering that beast¡¯s original nature, that shouldn¡¯t have been possible.


    Although monster baboons have high intelligence, it¡¯s still a magical beast. Its inherent nature is that of an animal. In other words, for it to have been hunting humans that aren¡¯t its food in a building that was currently burning goes against all the laws of nature.


    When something that cannot naturally occur does occur, the cause will almost certainly be due to humans. I don¡¯t know how they do it, but there must be a person somewhere that has a technique to make monsters and magical beasts run rampant. As I got lost in my thoughts, Rashiok gave me a low growl.


    ¡°You found them?¡±


    I unsheathed the sword fastened to my waist. It¡¯s only a ceremonial light sword, but it will still suffice as a weapon.


    In a small plaza with a fountain, I saw two men dressed in black. One was carrying Feria on his back, and the other was vigilantly watching the surroundings while holding a spear.


    I could also see two shadows on the other side of the fountain. ¡­¡­Viscount Ogren was the only person I couldn¡¯t see. But he wasn¡¯t alone, there was the shadow of someone else there, presuming one of the shadows was Viscount Ogren.


    First I must consider, is it really necessary to rescue Feria? I can¡¯t do anything if I¡¯m worried about the fact that they have a hostage. -In my opinion, it¡¯ll be difficult to steal her from them.


    ¡°Go, Rashiok. It¡¯s time to hunt.¡±


    The man hurriedly swung his spear at Rashiok when he finally noticed us ambushing him, but it bounced off his scales uselessly as Rashiok bit into his unarmored arm. The momentum from the collision threw him into the fountain, causing water to splash all over.


    Simultaneously, I jumped off of Rashiok¡¯s back, and I aimed directly with my short sword to pierce through the man carrying Feria.


    I¡¯m not worried about the fate of the hostage, but I must bear the full brunt of my choices. This is a realization that I¡¯ve come to after reincarnating.


    A strange sound spewed out from the mouth of the man whose shoulder I pierced through completely, causing life to leave his body, as I also peeled Feria off of him. Feria screamed as we hit the ground together rolling, and I used her to absorb some of the impact from hitting the ground. After all, since I¡¯m still only nine years old currently, it would be difficult for me to do something like actually carry a girl that¡¯s sixteen like Feria by myself.


    ¡°Get down.¡±


    Giving blunt instructions that get straight to the point has become my habit already. As Feria tried to get up while just looking at me in amazement, I stepped over to the person that Rashiok bit to death, and took his spear. Well, it¡¯s a little heavy for me, but it¡¯ll do.


    At that moment, I heard the sound of a heavy object falling into the fountain and water splashing again. On the other side of the curtain of water droplets falling like rain, two people were coming in my direction.


    ¡°¡­¡­Well, well. Eliza Kaldia. I didn¡¯t expect to meet you so soon. You¡¯re really so similar to your father, who enjoyed killing people in such a garish manner.¡±


    I heard a man laughing gloomily, which gave me an eerie sensation of familiarity, and when the water droplets stopped falling and I saw the man who had just been speaking, that¡¯s when it hit me.


    I couldn¡¯t do anything but stand there stunned.


    While his black hair was wet from the water, his dazzling scarlet blood-red eyes were exactly the same shade that I loathed to look at every time I saw myself in a mirror.


    For an instant, I almost thought I really was looking into a mirror. However, the clothes and hairstyle were different. Also, this person had the same crazed aura about him as a person from my memory.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡­¡­ F, father?¡±


    Is this some sort of nightmare that I can¡¯t get away from, that¡¯s come into the world of reality? As the man slowly turned his head towards me and I got a clearer look, he appeared more and more reminiscent of my late father.

 Ch 133

    May 9, 2017 ¡¤ by imperfectluck ¡¤ in Uncategorized. ¡¤Clang, the spear I was holding slid down my palm and rattled against the stone ground. The sound brought me back to sanity, and I hurriedly gripped the spear properly again.


    This man who resembled my father to such a great degree, was rolling Viscount Ogren¡¯s body with his feet quite casually as he approached me slowly.


    -The viscount. The sound I heard earlier of something falling into the fountain must have been him. He¡¯s drenched in water, and I can also see a dark red color spreading.


    Was Viscount Ogren killed by this man I wonder, and just as I was realizing that my head still wasn¡¯t able to get a grasp on this situation quite yet, Viscount Ogren¡¯s right hand lifted up weakly and grabbed the hem of the blood-red-eyed man¡¯s pants.


    ¡°Why, you, Nor¡­¡­ dstur¡­¡­ do this¡­¡­ to me!¡±


    He¡¯s having difficulty speaking clearly, but I was still able to hear him as he sent water droplets flying. I think he probably took a blow to his head. Too much information to process¡­¡­ rather than processing information that I can¡¯t understand right now, it¡¯s probably better to stop thinking about it entirely for the time being.


    Just now, what did Viscount Ogren call this man? Did he refer to him as a Nordsturm?


    ¡°Melchior, is that the child? You two really do look alike.¡±


    The chuckling sound of a woman I didn¡¯t know cut through the air. The woman who had been standing behind the blood-red-eyed man stepped out in front, all while casually grinding her foot into Viscount Ogren¡¯s head. The viscount groaned once, then fell silent.


    She¡¯s a rather tall woman wrapped in a simple traveler¡¯s cloak. I can¡¯t tell the color of her eyes because most of her face is covered by a cloth, but going by her smooth tan brown skin that she exposed so casually on her belly and thighs, she¡¯s definitely not from Arxia.


    ¡°¡­¡­Just who are you guys?¡±


    When I asked who they were, they looked at each other. Then, they suddenly started laughing.


    ¡°Listen up closely, little child. This man here is Marquis Melchior Nordsturm. He¡¯s got a much higher rank than you. Don¡¯t you think you should be showing a little more respect?¡±


    With her annoying laughter all throughout introducing her companion, the woman used a high-pitched tone of voice that almost sounded like she was singing.


    -Ridiculous. Marquis Nordsturm¡­¡­ Really? This man who¡¯s obviously some relative of mine is a Nordsturm? Just the fact that his family name is Nordsturm is shocking enough, but he also has the high noble rank of a Marquis? Confusion and surprise is whirling through my head right now.


    In the first place, none of my relatives other than me should have survived. -It can¡¯t possibly be, did I fail to kill one back then?


    I looked directly at the man again. I gripped the spear tightly with my right hand. While this man looked exactly the same as my father did, almost as if it were a photograph, there¡¯s clearly a point of difference. It¡¯s his age.


    I can tell that this man looks a bit younger than my father from my memories. I think he¡¯s probably about fifteen years older than me. I can¡¯t imagine him being more than twenty years my elder. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Don¡¯t stare at me like that, Eliza. Isn¡¯t this the first family meeting for us~? Isn¡¯t that right? My sister. Or perhaps you¡¯re my niece?¡±


    I got goosebumps on my flesh. So he¡¯s acknowledged and knows that we¡¯re related in some way¡­¡­


    A strong feeling of disgust was welling up within my chest, and gathering at my throat. It feels like my insides are tossing and turning, and it was getting difficult for me to keep my balance, so I supported my body by leaning against the spear.


    However, I couldn¡¯t bear the disgust and nausea any longer, and I leaned over and vomited right on the spot. It wasn¡¯t just once, either, I vomited several times, to the point where I emptied my entire stomach and my body was cramping up.


    ¡°Oh my, it seems I¡¯m so disliked to the extent that you even vomited. Such a pity. I had always looked forward to meeting you though, since you¡¯re the person my father pays the most attention to.¡±


    His tone of voice was that of getting excited and having a lot of fun. Just this alone further increased my nausea. Things are swirling in my head right now. My father¡¯s maniacal voice is forcibly coming back to me.


    Before I realized it, Rashiok had crawled beside me, and was barking at the two of them as if to intimidate. Suddenly a gust of wind blew, and both of them almost lost their footing.


    The cloth covering the woman¡¯s face was blown away, and I could see her face clearly now. She had the distinct look of someone from the eastern countries, sharp features, and for some reason, the left side of her face was strangely distorted.


    It¡¯s a chalk tattoo. It¡¯s a complex pattern, while the right half of her face only had a cross of some sort drawn on it, which also spread to and was repeated again on her arms and legs.


    ¡°Oh, wow. You have quite the exotic pet, little kid. I¡¯m jealous~.¡±


    The woman¡¯s lighthearted tone of voice as if she was merely bantering resounded through my ears. I forced myself to swallow down any feelings of nausea, pursed my lips, and looked directly at the woman. When she noticed my attention, she smiled creepily again.


    ¡°I¡¯m so jealous, you should lend him to me. I want to have some fun, too~.¡±


    Although she was empty-handed, the woman reached out to Rashiok with both her hands. Then, although I almost doubted my eyes ¨C the toxic purple tattoos on her body began glowing.


    ¡°You may want to play, but we need to leave here soon, Diferis.¡±


    ¡°I know, Melchior. Just for a little while. Just let me play for a little while, until that little kid¡¯s heart gets completely shattered into pieces.¡±


    With signs of madness in her eyes as she looked directly at me, her smile was warping to an incredible extent. Exactly what is she planning to do? I increased my level of vigilance, and readied my spear.


    This man just called her Diferis. Meaning, this woman is the foreign church terrorist that¡¯s infiltrated Arxia for so long.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s have a little fun with your pet, shall we!?¡±


    At the same instant that the woman was crowing with her annoying voice, that¡¯s when it happened. Suddenly, Rashiok who was next to me emitted a scream, and fell down on the spot.

 Ch 134

    ¡°Rashiok¡­¡­!? You bastard, what did you do!¡±I aimed my spear directly at her neck in an effort to pierce her through. While Diferis did open her eyes and see me coming, all she did was tilt her head backwards.


    Before I was able to strike her throat with my spear tip, a sword interrupted me from the side, and I glared at the man who interfered. Using the momentum of my thrust, I turned my body around and the centrifugal force from my spear was threatening enough that both of them jumped backwards instantly.


    ¡°Oh no, you¡¯re actually surprisingly strong.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s merciless. There¡¯s something messed up about her, that¡¯s why she can kill people without any hesitation. It¡¯s proof that she¡¯s inherited more traits from her crazy father than anyone else.¡±


    The man ¨C Melchior seemed to be delighted as he said those words, and even though my logic knows that he¡¯s just trying to shake me mentally, it still had its effect and I could feel my brain going numb.


    Calling my father crazy, saying there¡¯s something messed up about me ¨C shut up, even if he doesn¡¯t say such things, even if it¡¯s disgusting, I still mentally acknowledge it ¨C thinking so, I couldn¡¯t help it anymore and began grinding my back teeth loudly.


    Let me analyze the situation. A two against one battle will be almost hopeless for me, but with Rashiok currently fallen down, I don¡¯t have any other choices. I tried to regulate my breathing as much as I possibly could, so that I could calm down and stay in control.


    ¡°¡­¡­You don¡¯t need to glare at me with such a scary face, little kid. You have a different opponent.¡±


    Dark red blood was flowing from her tattoos now, and Diferis¡¯s distorted face was showing signs of pain while still laughing somehow. She was holding both her arms out to empty space. A demonic glow was tracing patterns in midair.


    With a rumble, the ground suddenly shook, then Rashiok behind me slowly stood up.


    ¡°Rash-¡±


    I was interrupted before I could finish calling out to him, normally he should have replied with his typical bark, but this time his huge body came hurtling straight at me.


    ¡°¡­¡­Rashiok?¡±


    I called out his name again in a daze, there¡¯s clearly something wrong with him. He fell down to the ground again, moaning painfully while pawing the ground in front of him with his front legs. He¡¯s frothing from his mouth, and his pupils are extremely dilated, as if he¡¯s in a state of terrible excitement.


    Exactly what is going on here? Suddenly, my hairs all stood up on end, and I got a bad feeling about all this.


    ¡°Hehehehe. Alright then, let¡¯s begin playing with your cute pet~!¡±


    Diferis started her grating laughter again, and she began swinging her arms. It¡¯s almost like she was dancing, while drawing ominous purple trails through the air.


    Rashiok stood up again, and turned towards me. I could tell from his eyes that he was no longer in control of himself, he was dripping slimy pieces of drool, and roaring at me.


    I saw nothing but white. I barely managed to dodge Rashiok charging at me, I was basically moving unconsciously.


    ¡°Rashiok-¡±


    I could hardly believe what was happening, and I tried calling out to him again. Once again, Rashiok moaned in agony, and he rubbed his head against the ground as if to clear his head of any confusion. At this obvious act of resistance, Diferis¡¯s mocking laughter became even higher-pitched.


    ¡°As expected of a relative to dragons! It actually has quite some ability to resist!!¡±


    This woman who¡¯s prancing around with blood coming out of her face and neck, dirtying her whole body, is such an incredibly distasteful existence. She¡¯s incomprehensible, and of course, what humans can¡¯t understand is usually frightening to them.


    This woman, she¡¯s definitely controlling Rashiok.


    Could it really be? Is such an outlandish thing even possible? Being able to control the wills of other living creatures, such a thing ¨C although a little part of me inside still wanted to deny it, in the edge of my vision, I saw the fire moths still in the sky, dancing and spreading fires everywhere in the commoners¡¯ district.


    ¡°¡­¡­You, can, control magical beasts?¡±


    Can she use magic, just like Rashiok who¡¯s able to manipulate the wind?


    On my way to this fountain plaza, I¡¯d already considered the possibility that the abnormal behavior of the fire moths was caused by a human. And, I also remembered about the monster baboon that appeared where it shouldn¡¯t have been.


    At that moment, my vision was dyed pure red.


    I put all of my strength into my right arm, and threw my spear. It drew a black line as it flew, and pierced through the woman¡¯s right thigh, causing a spurt of fresh blood to come out in mist form.


    Her cackling laughter turned into screaming. ¡°Diferis!¡± Melchior lost his calm demeanor for the first time, as he called out to her.


    My lips are smiling, drowning in this brutal pleasure, that¡¯s so heavy and dark, just like oil. When I traced my left hand¡¯s fingers along my cheek, I noticed that I also had a terribly distorted smile on my face.


    Heh heh, some laughter escaped from me as well. It feels like my insides are boiling, it¡¯s painful to the point where I¡¯m wondering if my body is beginning to fester, but contrary to all that it feels like my head is encased in ice, I¡¯ve never felt such a chilling coldness before.


    My ears are ringing harshly. I¡¯m feeling wondrous, as if I¡¯m floating and not connected to the ground. My murky emotions discharged themselves from my body by turning into a low-pitched laughter.


    I stepped on the head of the corpse which just happened to be close by, and pulled out my light sword that I had just stuck through his neck and shoulder earlier. At this time, Diferis also managed to pull out the spear from her own leg, and threw it on the ground with a clang. Her expression is painted over now with anger and humiliation, and she was glaring at me with hatred and murderous intent. I could feel my lips turning even further upwards.


    This woman, was directly responsible for Kamil¡¯s death. At thinking so, my muddy feelings that I couldn¡¯t describe just began overflowing. Even Rashiok¡¯s suffering disappeared from my mind.


    ¡°I will kill you.¡±


    As my atrocious declaration echoed, I could feel my brain reaching subzero levels. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Ch 135

    As Diferis rose both her hands up again, I rushed directly for her with my short sword in hand. I aimed for her stomach, but just like I expected, a sword interfered from the side again. I heard the sound of someone clicking their tongue in impatience, before a metallic clang from our swords colliding drowned out all other sounds.I suddenly had the idea to stomp on the stone that the spear happened to be resting on close to me, causing it to bounce up into my hand. At seeing this, as if she wanted to escape, Diferis hurriedly backed away from me. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°¡­¡­Urgh, this shitty brat¡­¡­!!¡±


    At the moment that Melchior jumped backwards and seemed to be rubbing his sword, Rashiok roared from behind me as he soared into the sky. I grabbed some mud in my left hand, and targeted for his eyes.


    I listened to my draconis crying painfully from having his eyes blinded in a surprisingly cold, detached manner. I aimed for a spot slightly away from his nose, and smacked him with the blunt side of my sword without hesitation. Some of his sparkling scales fell off in front of me.


    However, I wasn¡¯t able to avoid his wing that struck my left shoulder. My arm started swinging loosely, and I definitely heard an unpleasant cracking sound from my shoulder.


    I was feeling sharp pain and numbness in tandem, and I also found that I wasn¡¯t able to control my left arm anymore.


    ¡­¡­Has my shoulder been dislocated? It¡¯s fine if it¡¯s only a subluxation, but a complete dislocation will be quite bothersome.


    ¡°Ahh, Diferis. I think you¡¯ve really gone and done something unnecessary here-¡±


    As Melchior aimed for my leg with his sword, his voice was tinged with frustration. I kicked the ground with my shoes, jumping up as high as I could, and directly targeted his red eyes with my sword tip.


    He twisted his body and face as much as he possibly could, causing all the water still clinging to his hair to scatter about, and since his long black hair was swinging freely in front of me, I took the opportunity to attack whatever I could reach with the remaining force of my momentum.


    With a ka-shing sound, I sliced off part of his hair. Melchior¡¯s face was painfully distorted as he lost part of his hair, and my short sword also managed to graze him on his ear.


    ¡°Urk!!¡±


    He let out a shriek. I analyzed him coolly, as if I was a hunter who was observing her prey, and came to the conclusion that he wasn¡¯t used to fighting. Also, he didn¡¯t seem to have much killing intent towards me. So, they probably didn¡¯t intend to kill anyone at this location.


    How convenient for me. If they¡¯re still going easy on me, then it may be possible after all to kill them.


    ¡°Melchior!¡±


    Diferis entered the fray again with a short sword in her hand. Compared to her more practical weapon, my short sword is ceremonial in nature, a rapier. I ducked the blade clearly meant to cut off my head, scooped up some more mud and aimed straight for the fresh wound on her right thigh.


    ¡°Gah, you!!¡±


    With the next swing of her blade, she sliced directly at my left arm that was hanging limply. I completely ignored the threat, and flicked my rapier upwards, stabbing directly at her face.


    I heard her scream again. It seems that I¡¯ve managed to cut open the left side of her face. As if she just realized for the first time she could possibly lose, she backed away and put as much distance between us as possible.


    Without any hesitation, I fell back as well, to take this chance to rest for a small moment after their combined attacks.


    Also at this time, I started tearing off the high collar of my coat with my teeth. I leaned my rapier against my left hand¡¯s fingers, and now that my right hand was empty, I grabbed my left shoulder. I felt my joint that was clearly displaced and slowly, forcefully pushed it back into place with all my strength. The pain was even more severe than when it got dislocated, sweat started pouring out all over as if my body was a raincloud. Click, a loud and horrifying sound echoed throughout my body, and the pain when it popped back in made me white out for an instant.


    I had an awful feeling like I was about to vomit once again, and what little remained in my stomach came flowing up into my mouth. My throat was burning. I spat out the contents of my mouth quickly, and returned my sword to my right hand, in combat position.


    My breathing was so ragged, that I forced myself to take a deep breath. My body is wobbly. I wonder if I¡¯m somewhat overdoing it.


    As for Diferis, she was also treating her injuries while keeping watch on me. I could see her hand trembling violently as she covered her left eye with her hand, and she was glaring at me furiously, like some sort of wild beast, panting uncontrollably. There¡¯s zero sign of the mocking laughter from earlier.


    ¡°Diferis.¡±


    From behind Diferis, while holding a hand over his bleeding ear, Melchior kept his cool as he talked to her.


    ¡°We¡¯re just about out of time, we need to get going.¡±


    The primal expression on Diferis¡¯s face distorted momentarily. I wonder if they¡¯re going to be late for something really important to them, she kicked the ground in frustration, then swiftly acted again. She shook those mysterious tattoos on her body again, and waved her fingers in my direction.


    This time it wasn¡¯t Rashiok that moved, instead it was the mass of fire moths still floating in the sky. Without being deterred by the fact that water was still everywhere after being splashed out from the fountain, the fire moths formed into a huge dark clump and flew straight in my direction. I splashed myself with as much water from the fountain as I could before they got here, then reflexively covered my face with my arms. Soon, I saw and felt nothing but fire moths all around me. I heard their wet wings crashing into me one after the other, then falling onto the ground. As I expected, because I¡¯m still wet from being splashed, they aren¡¯t able to start a fire on me. Although they can¡¯t really do anything to me right now, as they¡¯re mostly harmless when their fire magic is negated, and they die when they come into contact with water, there¡¯s so many of them that it¡¯s difficult for me to move.


    While I was being surrounded by the leafy sounds of the fire moths¡¯ buzzing, I heard a girl¡¯s high-pitched screaming.


    -It¡¯s Feria. I couldn¡¯t help it and mentally cursed myself. Even though she should have been close by still, right now I can¡¯t even stretch out my hands, and I¡¯m so covered in moths that I don¡¯t even know which direction is which currently.


    ¡°See ya, little kid!¡±


    In Diferis¡¯s parting remark, I could detect anger, contempt, and even regret that she wasn¡¯t able to stay.


    Finally, the fire moths all died off after coming into contact with the water on my body, and I was able to see Melchior and Diferis¡¯s backs in the distance. I also saw what appeared to be Feria in Diferis¡¯s arms.


    I swept away all the dead moths that had accumulated on my body, and used a coat from one of the dead men in black to wrap all the dead moths in. Then, I inspected my rapier. It has a dark aura about it now ¨C but I was interrupted by Rashiok who was glaring at me with bloodshot eyes, and frothing saliva was dripping everywhere from his mouth again.


    ¡°Rashiok-¡±


    This time when I called him, he didn¡¯t rub his head against the ground in confusion. As if he had gone rabid, just like a wild beast, he opened his jaws wide and jumped straight for me.

 Ch 136

    It¡¯s quite obvious that if Rashiok manages to bite me, I¡¯ll die. I was calmer than I expected as my brain continued to work.I barely managed to escape Rashiok¡¯s charging, by rolling on the ground. However, his snake-like tail came crashing into my left side at a frightening speed, and my light body was blown away.


    ¡°Urk, oof¡­¡­!¡±


    My body was tossed and turned on the muddy ground several times, bouncing up and down. My body was making unpleasant rattling sounds. Even though I still hadn¡¯t recovered from the impact yet, I got up again as soon as my body stopped rolling. I held my sword in front of myself defensively, and prepared myself for Rashiok¡¯s next attack.


    My heart felt so dry, like it was splitting into pieces, a terrible feeling. When I wiped some of the mud off of my face with my left arm, I felt a stinging pain. My entire body was aching. ¡­¡­Now then, how can I make it out of this situation alive?


    Rashiok seemed to be in a bad mood as he watched me and shook his tail back and forth. Even though Diferis has completely left this location by now, he still isn¡¯t returning to normal.


    Is this a complete brainwashing, then? For all sorts of magical monsters and beasts, making them ignore their inner natures, and giving them amnesia¡­¡­ It¡¯s definitely not an ability that can be explained by anything other than magic.


    While I think that the concept of magicians is a bit ridiculous, I acknowledge that magic definitely exists in this world. The ice lizard that froze an entire forest, Rashiok and his wind magic, and the fire moths. While there are monsters and beasts that can use magic, there¡¯s never been any evidence that humans can cast magic.


    ¡°Rashiok, please turn back to normal¡­¡­!¡±


    Even when I shouted, Rashiok didn¡¯t show any signs of reacting to my voice. He increased the volume of his roaring instead, and fixed his gaze upon me as if I was his prey.


    Am I going to have to kill him? Will I be able to do it?


    -Also, blades are ineffective, they¡¯ll bounce off his scales easily, and I might injure myself. I either have to aim for his eyes, or his open mouth.


    When I thought about the possibility I would have to kill him, my mind already began to race on effective methods to kill my opponent. The sword will be ineffective. So, I should switch to the spear. Since Rashiok is so huge, I can¡¯t let him corner me in a confined area. The spear is currently spinning around on the ground between me and Rashiok. If I jump for it¡­¡­ can I make it in time?


    I could feel my body rapidly increasing in sluggishness. I don¡¯t have the confidence to say I can avoid his next charge. So, I¡¯m going to have to go for the spear immediately.


    I made my decision instantly. I kicked the muddy ground so hard, that I almost tripped and fell. As if lured by my movements, Rashiok came running as well.


    The mud on my shoes caused me to slip, so I grabbed the spear handle while tumbling on the ground. Just as I managed to right myself, Rashiok¡¯s open mouth was already in front of me.


    Reflexively ¨C I used the long spear to block his teeth from chewing down on me.


    I myself was surprised at my instant reaction. The momentum from Rashiok¡¯s charge pushed me back however, and my head hit the ground.


    Suddenly, I felt a pressure being applied to my left arm. Is he playing with his prey, like a wild beast?


    ¡°Ah, ahhh!!¡±


    My throbbing shoulder caused me to scream in pain again, and I also saw my red blood flying out from a gash on my left arm. I heard Rashiok making a sound from his throat as if he didn¡¯t want to do this.


    In addition to the pain, something else was making my vision go blurry. I wasn¡¯t able to see Rashiok¡¯s unfocused eyes in front of me clearly anymore.


    Damn it, why is it at this time, that my tears would well up¡­¡­


    Although Rashiok let out several sounds of reluctance, he wasn¡¯t able to stop himself. Why must I fight with him in a life or death struggle? Even though I helped bring him up myself before he even opened his eyes. This beautiful beast, that was always at my side, am I going to have to kill him?


    -It¡¯s impossible. I can¡¯t do it. Even if I die, I don¡¯t want to do it.


    My arm is trembling. The tears from my eyes rolled down and washed away some of the mud on me.


    Still, no matter what I feel, or how much I cry, it won¡¯t help persuade this beast that¡¯s lost its sense of reason to let me live. Even though I raised him up myself.


    In the instant that his teeth got stuck on the spear I was still holding on to, I kicked at Rashiok¡¯s defenseless throat exposed in front of me with all my might. I surprised even myself with my half-unconscious acrobatics, as Rashiok wailed in pain and I used this chance to get a good grip on my spear again.


    Alright, let¡¯s die. In this current situation, when your body collapses, it¡¯ll probably crush me under it, and we can die together.


    However, my spear didn¡¯t pierce his flesh like I had expected. Suddenly Rashiok began roaring thunderously, and his gigantic body took flight above me. I heard the sound of some object falling onto the mud. It was something big, that was beautiful and reddish-violet colored.


    It felt like as if my heart was being squeezed by a hand of ice. Rashiok was making sounds of agonizing excruciation, and I was crying for him as well.


    ¡°-Are you alright!?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­Oscar?¡±


    An adult¡¯s arm picked me up from the mud I was wallowing in. His usually serious voice was tinged with anxiety, and I finally said his name after catching my breath.


    ¡°I thought you would die¡­¡­, no, my apologies, this happened right after I left your side.¡±


    No need to apologize, I was the one who ordered you to leave my side to fetch the evidence against Viscount Ogren. I shook my head slowly.


    ¡°How, is, Rashiok?¡±


    My voice was weak and choppy. My lungs feel bruised, and hurt terribly.


    ¡°¡­¡­I cut off one of his wings.¡±


    A wing. -I see. The sound of pain as Rashiok kept thrashing about in this bog-like area continued to increase in volume.


    ¡°Rashiok¡­¡­ Rashiok!!¡±


    I wonder if the pain will be able to dissolve the brainwashing. It was a faint ¨C a tiny hope that I clung to as I called him.


    But, indeed, he responded to me. Through his roars of suffering, although it was weak, Rashiok did respond to me just the way he always did.


    ¡°¡­¡­Rashiok,¡±


    In the end, that woman ¨C things happened just like she said it would. She put me into a situation where I had to kill Rashiok, no matter how much I didn¡¯t want to, stabbing through my heart all over. Just like she said she would do, she successfully shattered my heart into pieces. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    However ¨C both Rashiok and I are still alive. I¡¯m injured all over, one of his wings has been cut off, and yet, we¡¯re still alive. Neither our bodies, nor our spirits, were broken entirely in this battle we were forced to fight against each other.


    The heart isn¡¯t like paper or a piece of cloth. As long as the heart can still see hope, it can be mended again.


    Oscar wiped my tears for me as they kept flowing out. He also had the foresight to caress my cheeks, and soon his hand was replaced by Rashiok¡¯s warm, moist tongue that still had life in it as he licked me.

 Ch 137

    I washed all the mud off my body with what little water remained in the broken fountain, then with Oscar holding on to me, both of us got onto Rashiok¡¯s now one-winged back.Rashiok and I are both at our limits. However, they¡¯ve kidnapped Feria. Also ¨C that woman, Diferis, I want to kill her more than anyone else, in this chaos today while I have the chance.


    That woman¡¯s ability is way too dangerous. I can¡¯t allow her to get away, and there¡¯s also the fact that she wants to kill me just as much.


    ¡°Please, it¡¯s unreasonable to push yourself any further!¡±


    ¡°I know. My apologies, I¡¯ll have to leave any fighting up to you, Oscar.¡±


    ¡°Anyone that would make you fight in your current injured state would have to be heartless.¡±


    Then, Oscar continued speaking.


    ¡°You¡¯re not a knight, you¡¯re the commander, and I¡¯m not a civil servant, I¡¯m a knight. That¡¯s how it originally should have been. ¡­¡­I¡¯m so sorry for my late arrival.¡±


    Since Oscar was more accustomed to riding on a draconis than I expected, we were able to push our limits, and tracking down Diferis and Feria wasn¡¯t that difficult.


    A black cloud of fire moths was swarming on top of the central area in the commoners¡¯ district. There were fires everywhere, but dark clouds were also gathering right now above the royal capital. Are they intending to escape under the cover of rain? More than the dark clouds though, the sky was almost completely blackened by smoke.


    ¡°If it starts to rain, their scent will be erased by the rain, and Rashiok won¡¯t be able to track them any more¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°We have to catch up to them before then!¡±


    As if in response to Oscar¡¯s tone of urgency, Rashiok¡¯s feet began kicking off from the building rooftops with increasing speed. Even though he lost one of his wings, his agility was still amazing to behold as he lightly jumped through the air. Even with the current situation, I have to thank Earl Terejia. He was the one who helped me meet such a splendid draconis.


    Rashiok uttered a low growl. I could already see the rooftop in question. There was a huge mass of fire moths above it, with a huge buzzing sound. Diferis was standing in the church plaza, and seemed like she was dancing while controlling the fire moths. Those toxic purple tattoos were drawing patterns in the air again, and the fire moth flocks acted as if they were puppets attached to strings coming from her hands.


    It was a fantastical scene to behold, one that couldn¡¯t get any weirder. I shook off my body¡¯s painful memories that it brought up in my left hand. Next to the dancing Diferis, I saw Feria sitting there listlessly on the ground. I lightly tapped on Rashiok¡¯s neck.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    With my voice as the cue, he jumped straight for Diferis who was on a three-story building¡¯s roof. For a magical beast whose natural habitat is the treacherous cliffs and the snow-covered Amon Nor mountain range, something like this is nothing.


    She must have noticed us descending upon her, Diferis¡¯s expression suddenly changed and she backed away from where she was standing. I took this chance to make my next moves together with Oscar and Rashiok.


    Rashiok picked Feria up in his mouth, and instantly left this location. Oscar drew his sword and headed straight for Diferis, while I slipped behind one of the church¡¯s statues. I suppressed an urge to cough from my weakened body.


    ¡°So you came after all, hey, you¡¯re getting really annoying!!¡±


    Shing, a sharp sound hung in the air after Diferis deflected Oscar¡¯s sword aiming for her heart with a large knife. They traded several successive blows with their weapons, and Oscar could only stay on the defensive, having to block her dagger with his one-handed longsword.


    An incredible buzzing sound suddenly arose from the fire moth swarms, and this time they went after Oscar.


    This is the first time I¡¯m seeing his combat abilities, and while he¡¯s not bad, his movements are too inflexible. He¡¯s definitely not a monster of Claudia¡¯s caliber. His aristocratic swordsmanship is too ceremonial.


    However, as if representative of his steadfast nature, his style is extremely simple, it¡¯s the very essence of consistency and reliability.


    ¡°Now then, if you don¡¯t want to become fuel for the fire today, dance for me as much as you can!!¡±


    Her high-pitched frenzied shouting was soon swallowed up completely by the deafening buzzing sound of countless fire moths.


    While Oscar has considerable ability as a warrior, there¡¯s a limit to what he can do by himself. With fire moths everywhere in the air, flying irregularly, gradually he was no longer able to close the distance to Diferis anymore.


    ¡°Ahahaha, come on come on, dance more for me!!¡±


    Her dancing increased in fervor. Also, the number of moths now flying near the ground around us increased even more.


    This time, there¡¯s no convenient water source close by that we can use and blow up. Diferis seemed to be giving it everything she had, and sent a red wave of fire moths at Oscar.


    Impatience seeped into Oscar¡¯s expression. Swish, he immediately cut off his knight outfit when it began smoking, and numerous fire moths kept trying to get close to him.


    I held my breath while staying in the statue¡¯s shadow, and kept my gaze on everything occurring. It felt like I was watching an animated painting, as Oscar kept dancing with death with the fire moths trying their utmost to kill him.


    My role is to act as the eyes currently. I have to see what Oscar can¡¯t. Just as he said, I¡¯m not a knight, and he is.


    I removed all unnecessary actions and emotions, and made my mind into ice ¨C


    ¡°To your right, Oscar! Aim for her blind spot!!¡±


    -As I expected, Diferis¡¯s magic depended on her vision. Since I sliced her left eye earlier, it seems that it¡¯s affected her eyesight quite considerably, although I doubt it was serious enough to make her go blind in that eye. When I observed her calmly and coldly, it appeared that the fire moth groups on her left side lacked precision in their movements.


    I think that her flashy dancing is misleading, whenever she attempted to control Rashiok, or gave some new orders to the fire moths, she had to have her target in her line of sight. Being able to exert some partial dominance and give some simple commands while letting the target be in auto mode, or manually controlling the target¡¯s movements, it seems that her magic can work both ways.


    Diferis seemed surprised for an instant, and as if lured by my voice, she looked away from Oscar. She presented her back to Oscar, while she faced my direction, where I was hiding behind the statue.


    She pointed her fingers at the sky above me. All the glittering red fire moths in the area, immediately rushed straight for me.


    ¡°Burn to death, you brat!!!¡±


    My vision is dyed pure black right now.


    I¡¯m holding my breath. My body is in such a tense, excited state that it¡¯s like I don¡¯t have any energy.


    -You¡¯re the one who¡¯s going to die here, Diferis!! S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As a wall of fire moths approached me, a draconis wing opened up and blew them away with all its power. Woosh, the sound of the wind was strong. I was almost blown away as well, I had to desperately cling on to the statue.


    The sudden gale easily pushed all the individually light fire moths back in the direction from where they came.


    There was a wail of despair from Diferis mixed in with all the sounds, and ¨C just for an instant, it changed to a final scream of death.


    In the middle of the plaza where fire moths had scattered everywhere, Oscar¡¯s sword had penetrated her chest.


    When he pulled his sword out, her tan body collapsed onto the ground. She was still convulsing slightly, and bright red blood was spreading out quickly.


    The fire moths were dancing in confusion, but as if attracted by her blood, they slowly started gathering to Diferis while she was on the verge of death.


    She finally stopped making any noise entirely.


    The smell of her burning flesh began to trigger nausea in me from my old unpleasant memories.


    -But, I won. I¡¯ve definitely succeeded in having her killed.


    It¡¯s, my, victory.

 Ch 138

    The major fire disaster that occurred in the commoners¡¯ district of the royal capital was finally extinguished with the help of the rain, two days after it began. The number of dead people was estimated at roughly 700 to 800, and the priests and nobles of the kingdom were making efforts everywhere to support the commoners.Also, as for a few nobles that unfortunately got caught up in this fire ¨C Viscount Rogshia, Viscount Ogren, and Viscountess Kaldia, who were having a trial at a church near the commoners¡¯ district, the House of Lords was thrown into a state of confusion about their matters.


    According to the surviving priest¡¯s testimony, he reported to the House of Lords through the church that Viscounts Rogshia and Ogren were under suspicion of illegal narcotics manufacturing, smuggling, and tax evasion, and that two unidentified men connected to Viscount Ogren attacked us.


    With that lead to go on, after being made aware of the facts, a large-scale undercover investigation was done by the church to root out corrupt nobles. Among those caught were nobles from the north and the southwest inland region of Evitonis, which caused a huge uproar because Evitonis is the sacred land that the church founder Kusha Fema came from, so it was a problem to find out some of the ruling class there was corrupt.


    With that as the catalyst, Chief Priest Faris from Shanak Temple forcibly conducted an investigation against all the church branches in the Evitonis region. The terrible news that the church, which should have been the guardian of the law, was also discovered to be corrupt during the course of the investigation. About half of the churches in the Evitonis region were declared excommunicated from the Church of Arxia, and with the charges brought against them of misusing judicial authority, many people lost their social statuses all at once.


    ¡°So, the ones secretly pulling the strings behind the curtains were Marquis Nordsturm, and this Western Alfena Church?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Is all of this really true? That you fought a member of the Western Alfena Church which infiltrated Arxia. Not only that, your opponent had a mysterious ability to control monsters?¡±


    ¡°The one who killed her was Oscar Terejia, knight to my guardian Earl Terejia. All of the dead bodies from our fight were taken by Chief Priest Faris of Shanak Temple. One of the corpses died due to draconis bites, please confirm it with Chief Priest Faris. As for her ability, there¡¯s no physical evidence of it. Currently the church is investigating the dead bodies.¡±


    Margrave Genas who was sitting directly across from me was stroking his thick brown beard as he asked me questions with doubt in his voice. Ergnade sitting in a chair by my side nodded with a hmm as if he was deeply interested in this subject.


    ¡°Well, seeing Viscountess Kaldia¡¯s injured state, I think there¡¯s no need to doubt her words. As for her draconis¡¯ wing, I completely believe what she has said. This Jugfena region domain meeting is a good chance for all of us to remove our internal disagreements and unite together, so I think continuing to ask if her words are true or false is insignificant.¡±


    Ergnade who was here on the behalf of the Jugfena royal domain¡¯s¡­¡­ no, I should say as the representative, backed me up in front of Margrave Genas.


    After such a major incident within the royal capital, big changes occurred in the domestic situation. One example of this was the heir to the Jugfena royal domain, Earl Einsbark¡¯s second son Wiegraf, taking over for him in the political arena.


    For a domain where the position is usually appointed instead of inherited, this would usually become a huge topic of discussion, but thanks to the sudden change in the domestic situation, it¡¯s been buried by other topics.


    From all the incidents that happened, there was parts where the church and the House of Lords intentionally withheld information from the public. Diferis¡¯s existence, my involvement and fight with her, the reason for the fire moths¡¯ abnormal behavior, basically most of the information about my involvement wasn¡¯t made known publicly.


    I don¡¯t know what their intention is, but Earl Terejia and I have already decided to conceal our involvement. The only exception is at this Jugfena region domain meeting. As Ergnade just said, this is the time to come together, so we should share as much information that may be relevant to border defense as possible.


    So I shared my knowledge about an unknown ability to control monsters, and the terrorist that infiltrated Arxia and the incident she caused, as this isn¡¯t the place to conceal such information. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Margrave Genas glanced over at my bandages. I barely got any sleep and rode Rashiok overnight to get here to this meeting on time, but according to my doctor, I need to obediently rest in my bed for an entire month in order to recover.


    I forcibly fixed my dislocated shoulder, I have a laceration in my arm, and I had a hole drilled through my left hand. I was told that continuing to fight in this condition would of course be impossibly unreasonable, and that scars and impediments using my left arm in the future may remain. It¡¯s possible for it to recover full functionality with rehabilitation, but time and patience will be necessary.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­This entire uproar, was caused by the Western Alfena Church sect from Densel. Meaning, this is a complete loss for our Arxia. She¡¯s successively caused massive chaos within Arxia, and together with the loss in noble rank of so many people, the number of Royal Knights have greatly decreased. She¡¯s successfully managed to greatly weaken our national power and combat capabilities.¡±


    Margrave Genas sighed, and looked up at the sky. He was looking out the window to the east, and his wrinkled face showed signs of bitterness.


    ¡°One fortunate thing among all this misfortune, was that my father had decided to reorganize the command structure at Jugfena right before the incident. The system of command at Jugfena isn¡¯t under much chaos right now. Originally, my older brother Wiegraf the strategist, was in a position where he could command both the knights and the army. If you compensate for the loss of personnel, you can organize a new command structure quickly.¡±


    ¡°I believe that Earl Einsbark¡¯s current age greatly exceeds that of the average soldier. -I¡¯ve heard that the injuries he received a few years ago are affecting his strength, how is he doing¡­¡­¡±


    He¡¯s referring to the defensive battle three years ago at Fort Jugfena which was smoothed over into nothing, it was a war in which Earl Einsbark wasn¡¯t even able to swing about his weapons to his satisfaction. Earl Einsbark¡¯s domain is technically a northern domain, and his position is conferred upon him. There¡¯s a rumor going around that Earl Einsbark may be promoted to Marquis this month, and that the territory confiscated from the corrupt northern nobles will be given to him.


    ¡°It¡¯s not as if resting is the only thing he can do anymore, so it¡¯s not all that bad. My eldest brother Volmar is also doing his best to manage the affairs of the domain, so that takes some of the burden off him.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see.¡±


    Since the second son Wiegraf is becoming the heir and entering politics, the eldest son Volmar is helping with running the domain more now, and had to resign from the Jugfena Fortress knight order. Since currently there was a shortage of noble candidates and the House of Lords was busy dealing with the aftermath of the fire moth incident, the two older Einsbark sons that were both accomplished in their own right acquired power just like that.


    ¡°¡­¡­I would like to propose that we proactively share information with each other from now on, how about it? There¡¯s so much information coming from my Genas domain that it¡¯s too difficult to sift through it all, so I think it should be fine for both your domains to assist me.¡±


    Right after we finished talking about domestic affairs, Margrave Genas himself proposed that we share information. Ergnade and I agreed to this with no hesitation whatsoever.


    And so, the first Jugfena region domains meeting succeeded in strengthening our ties, and we decided that we would hold such a meeting again in the future.

 Ch 139

    This happened right after our meeting concluded. Ergnade softened his strict expression, and beckoned for me to come over. Hm? When I tilted my head and followed him while puzzled, he leaned over and met my eyes with a deep gaze.¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s only been three years, but you¡¯ve grown so much, Viscountess Kaldia. In the past, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to meet your line of sight unless I was crouching down.¡±


    ¡°Ah, is that the case? It seems like you haven¡¯t changed all that much.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already finished my growth period long ago. The only thing that¡¯s going to happen to my appearance from now on is that I¡¯ll get older.¡±


    His eyes were twinkling with mischief, although there were more wrinkles around his eyes than the last time I saw him. He¡¯s beginning to resemble his father Earl Einsbark even more. More so than three years ago, the last time I saw him.


    ¡°How¡¯s Oscar doing? I heard that he became your knight.¡±


    ¡°You know him? I thought that he wasn¡¯t one of your direct subordinates.¡±


    ¡°He has the blood of the Terejia family. He¡¯s not someone that I should know nothing about.¡±


    ¡­¡­Well, it¡¯s indeed as he says. Although Oscar¡¯s grandmother was born to a different mother, she was still a half-sister of Marquis Rittergua and Earl Terejia. With such a powerful noble family like the Terejias, it would be difficult to ignore Oscar¡¯s existence, even if he was only a distant relative.


    ¡°He¡¯s a capable fellow. He¡¯s similar to Earl Terejia, and quite efficient in his work.¡±


    ¡°He tends to get overly passionate about what he¡¯s doing. Since you¡¯re so overworked, it¡¯s a good thing for you to have a subordinate like him.¡±


    ¡°Ah, well, yes.¡±


    Ergnade sat down on a sofa, and motioned me towards a sofa opposite of him. If he wants me to sit, he must have something else to talk about. I obediently sat down across from him like he wanted.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get straight to the point. Earl Terejia himself requested something of me.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Does it have something to do with me?¡±


    Earl Terejia requested something from Ergnade. I was lost for words for a moment in surprise. To my knowledge, the Einsbark family and Terejia family aren¡¯t deeply connected, but it wouldn¡¯t surprise me if Earl Terejia had personal connections with them. However, for Earl Terejia to directly make a request to Ergnade, I could only think that it had something to do with me.


    Over the past few years, Earl Terejia¡¯s body¡¯s condition had deteriorated, and I faintly detected with him summoning his relative Oscar to aid me that perhaps he was also preparing to share more and more of his duties running the Kaldia domain with everyone. If he keeps overworking himself like that, I feel as if he may die within the year, and I¡¯d actually prefer that he get some rest for himself so that I also know to prepare to find a new guardian. ¡­¡­Unlike before, I¡¯m getting increasingly worried that something may happen to him at any time.


    ¡°Yes, it mainly has to do with you. I¡¯ll skip the details of his request. Basically, he wants to know if you would like to become my daughter.¡±


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­Wha? S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    I couldn¡¯t help but furrow my eyebrows and I took a good look at Ergnade which told me he was being serious.


    Become his, daughter? Me, and him?


    ¡°¡­¡­You¡¯re thinking about adoption?¡±


    ¡°Nope. Not adoption, but legally taking on my family name. This method ¨C it seems that you don¡¯t know about it.¡±


    Ergnade gave me a simple explanation, that taking on the Einsbark name wouldn¡¯t confer any new legal responsibilities on me at all. He told me not to overthink it, this is quite simple, he said quite naturally. It¡¯s just as if he was lending me his family name.


    -I can¡¯t comprehend. What does he get out of all this?


    Is there something behind this proposal of his? But for the second generation of a major noble military family, to support a young girl from a small domain with a reputation for infamy, I could only think that they would receive unnecessary hardships.


    ¡°Hey, I already told you this isn¡¯t such a hard thing to decide. Taking on the family name isn¡¯t for the sake of any benefits. In ancient times, it was a way to have even closer ties to people you really liked, that you considered family. If you happen to be unsatisfied with me, feel free to say no, but if you decide you like me then just go ahead and say yes!¡±


    ¡°Ahh¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, don¡¯t worry for my sake, I do gain something from this as well. Right now I¡¯m currently under pressure from my family to have children. I¡¯m not even married yet so it can¡¯t be helped, and giving you my family name will give me a daughter, it¡¯ll be good for me as well.¡±


    It¡¯s quite a common story, and it struck a chord with me. Ergnade¡¯s currently twenty-seven years old right now. Now that he¡¯s become the leader of the Jugfena knights, it¡¯s probably expected of him to have children as well.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that just because you take me in, that the voices wanting you to have children will disappear¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, but there is a way to quiet them. Then maybe I should say that I don¡¯t mind just giving you my family name, how about I adopt you as well, eh. I think that when people hear your name, they¡¯ll fall silent. Your name is beginning to get known as a warrior. After this incident, probably even more so.¡±


    As I tilted my head, Ergnade added the ambiguous comment that ¡°you¡¯re not just any simple child, after all.¡±


    ¡°By the way, hasn¡¯t my father already talked to you about taking on our family name?¡±


    ¡°Oh, no, not yet. You must be joking?¡±


    ¡°Who knows,¡± Ergnade just grinned like a cat as he chuckled, he was probably joking I suppose. And, without noticing, all the tension in my shoulders was finally gone. This warm, relaxing feeling, where Ergnade cared for me and always tried to relieve my tension, was just like I remembered it, without changing.


    ¡°Since Earl Terejia went to the trouble of requesting you, I have no objections.¡±


    ¡°I see. Well then, from now on you¡¯ll be known as my daughter.¡±


    ¡°Indeed so. Then, please continue to take good care of me from now on.¡±


    ¡°Well, nothing much will change, really.¡±


    After a surprisingly and simple discussion for such an eventful matter, on that day, I acquired an adoptive father. When I tried calling him father though, apparently I got an incredibly strange expression on my face, so I think I¡¯ll just continue to call him Ergnade.


    (TL note: Some readers with sharp eyes and rudimentary Japanese knowledge may have noticed from the LN pictures that it spoiled the fact that Eliza was named ¡°Eliza Kaldia Einsbark¡± in the character pictures. Well, this is why! From now on, Eliza has a new name, Eliza Kaldia Einsbark!)

 Ch 140

    When I met Earl Freche¡¯s youngest son Cornell again, autumn was just about to end. It was around the time when the commotion over summer¡¯s incidents was finally dying down.With only a minimal number of servants, I received Cornell in my plain drawing room and served him black tea, and we got straight to the main point after briefly exchanging pleasantries.


    ¡°¡­¡­That thing you mentioned, is this it?¡±


    He brought out a cream-colored lump with a tense expression on his face. I took it from him, and handed it to Ratoka behind me who was wearing a veil. Ratoka confirmed the aroma for me, and tapped my shoulder. That¡¯s the signal that there¡¯s no mistake.


    ¡°It seems that this is correct. Thank you for your troubles, Cornell Freche. With this, our deal is now complete.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m glad to hear that. This is a load off my shoulders.¡±


    He rubbed his hand over his heart in relief, and kept anxiously looking over at the lump in Ratoka¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Um, is this really alright? I mean, that¡¯s¡­¡­ it¡¯s what caused such an uproar in the royal capital, right¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°This is the addictive beeswax, so of course it caused that commotion.¡±


    ¡°I knew it¡­¡­¡±


    As I nodded in confirmation, his face paled. I told him that there wouldn¡¯t be any problems.


    ¡°Starting from tomorrow, this beeswax will become a ¡®controlled medicine¡¯ that can be traded.¡±


    ¡°Controlled, medicine?¡± S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Indeed. A licensed doctor¡¯s prescription will be required, but any noble can purchase it. They must acknowledge that side effects may occur, and only take it according to a doctor¡¯s instructions. Arxia has decided to regulate this drug and control its supply.¡±


    In Arxia, there¡¯s laws and a system preventing the use of dangerous drugs, any drugs classified as dangerous would be banned from being manufactured, sold, or taken. While there is a system in place for licensing doctors, the mortality rate remains high because the medical knowledge in this world isn¡¯t that advanced yet. ¡­¡­By the way, Arxia¡¯s average lifespan is still higher than the neighboring countries.


    Younger noble boys that aren¡¯t heirs often go down the path of becoming a doctor, but there¡¯s still not enough research and medicine available. If anything is recognized to be harmful to the human body, it doesn¡¯t matter what type of effects it has, it will become regulated. Since medicine and drugs go hand in hand, so technological innovations in both fields have been slow to progress.


    ¡­¡­I haven¡¯t done anything all that remarkable. It¡¯s just that during the final dance parties of this season, I just talked to some adults about my own ideas. I had many opportunities to chat with nobles that lost some of their family members to drug addiction, as well as nobles that had domains where medicinal herb production was thriving.


    ¡°Renvia flowers ¨C in particular its resin, it does have addictive properties, but the symptoms are light compared to most other regulated drugs. It doesn¡¯t have much of an effect unless it¡¯s used frequently and daily. Also, it has a history as a folk remedy for being a treatment for forest syndrome.¡±


    ¡°Forest syndrome?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Ahh, you don¡¯t hear about this disease much in the south. Forest syndrome is a type of respiratory problem caused by inflammation in the bronchial tract due to inhaling powder from a type of cotton butterfly monster that lives symbiotically with cypress trees. Since the north has many cypress forests, these butterfly monsters are very common. These butterflies avoid the scent of the Renvia flower, and its smoke seems to have easing, anti-inflammatory properties. I prepared a lot of information on its medicinal properties in advance, which I also gave to your father, and it was decided that this would be certified as the first regulated medicinal drug.¡±


    I could tell that Cornell was confused as he only said eh, ah, and um, so I subtly moved my line of sight away from him. When I tilted my head, he looked down as if he was greatly relieved.


    ¡°My apologies. There were probably many words you haven¡¯t heard before, that you didn¡¯t know the meaning of.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Ah, no. I wasn¡¯t being considerate.¡±


    In this world, medical knowledge is mostly only for experts, so medical vocabulary isn¡¯t widely known. Many common words that I know because of my knowledge from a previous life aren¡¯t typically taught even to nobles.


    Recently I¡¯ve only been talking to nobles that are experts in medicine and pharmacology, so I¡¯d forgotten to watch what I say. ¡­¡­This time was my mistake.


    ¡°To explain things simply, the Renvia flower can be used as a medicine for some northern regional diseases. It¡¯s easier to use after being processed as beeswax.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve made it quite a lot easier than your previous explanation.¡±


    ¡°If you want to know the details, ask your father. I¡¯m sure that you¡¯ll probably be deeply involved in the future as well.¡±


    At any rate, this will become the main business of his future wife-to-be¡¯s domain. More than anyone else, Cornell should go and learn some knowledge from Earl Freche.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s true. -Then, this ends our deal. I¡¯m deeply grateful for all your assistance, Lord Kaldia.¡±


    ¡°Not at all, same to you.¡±

 Ch 141

    Tap, tap, I knocked on the door. I heard the maid Maya replying ¡°yes?¡± from inside.¡°Excuse me, Elise-dono.¡±


    ¡°Eliza-sama!¡±


    A smile bloomed just like a flower on Elise¡¯s face as she called out my name. Today as well she was resting on her bed with the window closed, and her complexion didn¡¯t seem well. It seems that she¡¯s been having more seizures again recently, and she¡¯s staying bedridden with a weak body.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad that you¡¯ve been visiting so often lately.¡±


    ¡°Not at all¡­¡­ I just come by whenever I¡¯m free. But, well, I don¡¯t mind coming to visit Elise-dono once in a while, although this time I have another reason for seeing you.¡±


    ¡°You do?¡±


    Elise¡¯s eyes were round, and she closed her eyelids ambiguously. She has an innocent smile, but it also seems like she¡¯s given up. It¡¯s definitely a hard thing to accept, having your illness get worse again when you¡¯ve gotten better before. Although, her symptoms should still be lighter now than when she first came to my domain¡­¡­


    ¡°Elise-dono, I have something I would like to give to you.¡±


    ¡°Yes? What is it?¡±


    As she tilted her head, when she saw the inscrutable person whose gender and age were both a mystery dressed in white behind me, her eyes became like round saucers in astonishment.


    ¡°¡­¡­Oh, is this the girl?¡±


    Elise glanced over very interestedly at Priest Faris¡¯ veil, and behind Priest Faris, Ratoka nonchalantly came in as well.


    ¡°This person here, is Priest Faris. Priest Faris is a licensed national doctor, so I troubled this person to come see you today. Elise-dono, I also informed your father and uncle in advance already, so please rest assured.¡±


    At the words licensed national doctor, Elise¡¯s mouth went wide agape and a small gasp escaped from her.


    National doctors are extremely rare. The test to become one requires much medical knowledge, and the high test fee narrows the candidates down even fewer, and of the doctors that do take the test, fewer than half will pass.


    Basically, the national doctor¡¯s license program was launched as a qualification to become a royal physician, and it¡¯s basically not needed at the local level. As they¡¯re required to handle the controlled drugs, their number will probably increase in the future, but currently there¡¯s fewer than 50 licensed national doctors.


    ¡°It seems to be forest syndrome. Would it be alright to ask you some questions about your illness?¡±


    ¡°Ahh¡­¡­ Of course.¡±


    Elise seemed confused at everything that happened so suddenly, but seeing me nod at her affirmatively, she was able to relax.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be in your care.¡±


    Priest Faris inquired about how frequent her coughing was, how serious her seizures were, and when she would have them. Elise answered most of the questions, and occasionally her maid Maya would add some details as well.


    After Priest Faris finished the medical diagnosis, she wrote a medical permit that¡¯s sort of like a prescription and handed it to me, giving her permission for Feria to burn the Renvia beeswax candle for fifteen minutes every day, in order to reduce her seizures and telling her to burn it especially during the seizures. As I took the permit, I asked ¡°will this be alright?¡±


    ¡°Repeat attacks are common with forest syndrome seizures. If your mind and body are weak, coughing will increase even if there are no cotton butterflies around anymore. Symptoms are also dependent on age, so they should lighten as she gets older and her body matures, so please make sure to keep a positive state of mind as much as possible.¡±


    As expected of a holy person, I¡¯m impressed that she can say such things as well. Just hearing this will convey a sense of relief.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be alright, while the royal capital area does have more cypress trees than Kaldia does, cotton butterflies almost never fly near the noble district and the noble school. Most of the trees are basically outside the huge city. Your symptoms won¡¯t worsen if you come to the royal capital.¡±


    Pat pat, Priest Faris even patted Elise¡¯s shoulder as if to comfort her, while Ratoka and I listened silently.


    It was only recently that I noticed Elise¡¯s seizures would become more severe whenever she had to leave Kaldia. Since she¡¯s about to turn thirteen years old, she¡¯s going to be required to attend noble school next spring. I was worried about her having to leave this domain that¡¯s beneficial for her recuperation, and of course she¡¯ll have more pain as well if her seizures increase. And according to Ratoka, Elise was more attached to life in Kaldia than I believed.


    ¡°¡­¡­Elise-dono. In the royal capital, it¡¯ll be easier to meet with your father and uncle. I¡¯ll also being living there during each summer. I believe that the winters in Sherstok were colder than Kaldia¡¯s to begin with, so you should be able to handle the royal capital¡¯s weather.¡±


    ¡°Eliza-sama¡­¡­¡±


    Priest Faris slipped out of the room without a sound. I walked up to Elise¡¯s bedside near her pillow, to fill in the empty space where Priest Faris just was.


    Thirteen years old. In Arxia, this age means you¡¯re almost an adult, and many laws will treat you equal to adults. However, this girl in front of me still only thinks that I¡¯m an unreliable child.


    At this moment, I saw for the first time an expression from Elise that seemed like she was about to cry. This is despite the fact that she¡¯s already been in Kaldia for three and a half years now.


    Elise would rarely let her anxiety show, because she didn¡¯t want to worry her family. ¡­¡­Even though she has a great relationship with her affectionate family, it doesn¡¯t mean that she doesn¡¯t suffer. Maybe it¡¯s impossible for someone like me who killed her own family personally to completely empathize with her, but it¡¯s not a good idea for me to ignore emotions I can¡¯t understand. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    My world is such a heavy one to bear. Pain and suffering are so close to me, much more so than in the world of the memories left to me.


    ¡°¡­¡­In winter, I probably won¡¯t be able to visit this domain anymore?¡±


    To Elise¡¯s tiny little desire, I could only shake my head and answer:


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not.¡±


    Is that so, was her reply as her shoulders drooped in disappointment. Honestly, I wanted to say that I didn¡¯t mind if she came over whenever she liked. Even though I haven¡¯t visited her all that much, having a gentle, kind-hearted girl close to me where I can visit her any time I want, it¡¯s a wonderful healing experience for my heart.


    However, it won¡¯t come true anymore. There¡¯s a high chance that she won¡¯t ever visit Kaldia again in her lifetime.


    A formal protest has arrived in Arxia from the Planates Dukedom regarding the treatment of Prince Albert. When Prince Albert was forced into the monastery, it basically meant that he lost the right to attend noble school. For being born a noble, just what type of unfair treatment is it that he isn¡¯t able to go the noble school that¡¯s required by law to attend, this sort of protest.


    The protest was a strong condemnation, and sharply criticized Arxia for the insult to the Planates bloodline. The disappearance of the Rindarl Kingdom could now happen at any moment.


    It¡¯s a very dangerous situation, with the only potentially friendly country of Planates in the future Rindarl Union making a formal protest to us at this timing right before the Rindarl Union will be formed.


    ¡­¡­Everyone is concerned about the relationship with the neighboring country. Especially when I was at the meeting of the Jugfena region domains earlier, our domains made plans to increase our military armaments and prepared for the possible outbreak of war.


    I kept all of these matters to myself, and gently presented the box of beeswax I had in my hand to Elise.


    ¡°This is what I was referring to earlier when I said I have something to give to you. I¡¯ll be really happy if you accept it.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°A type of beeswax that¡¯s also a medicine to treat forest syndrome. You must follow the law and Priest Faris¡¯s instructions when using it, but there should be a beneficial effect for your seizures.¡±


    Elise looked at the box placed on her knee with a look of amazement. Of course, medicine is rather expensive in Arxia. And for the Renvia beeswax which is now a controlled medicine, it¡¯s probably going to be one of the most expensive to prescribe.


    ¡°Whenever you¡¯re feeling better, please come and visit my summer townhouse in the capital. It¡¯s a bit of a small, ramshackle house, but¡­¡­ you¡¯re welcome anytime.¡±

 Ch 142

    May 19, 2017 ¡¤ by imperfectluck ¡¤ in Uncategorized. ¡¤As usual for this time of year, thick snow was piling up outside yesterday. Today a light powder is falling soundlessly, further increasing the thickness of the snow.


    When I arrived at the dining hall for breakfast, Claudia was chatting with Earl Terejia, Bellway, and Mrs. Marshan about something, and she greeted me with an energetic ¡°good morning!¡± when she noticed me. I greeted all of them as well, and took a seat after asking the cook Boswef to make me something in the kitchen.


    Maybe it was a coincidence, Oscar and Mrs. Hortensia came in right this time as well, along with Elise who was feeling better lately and her maid Maya.


    The dining hall at my Mansion of Golden Hills is now completely filled. Is this the first time that so many people have gathered here all at the same time, I wonder?


    Everyone in the mansion that has some sort of social status is currently here. I heard Earl Terejia muttering under his breath to himself about how unusual this all was.


    ¡°¡­¡­Various different kinds of people have lived together in this mansion up until now. Looking at all this again, I think it¡¯s all so interesting.¡±


    As Oscar, who was the newest person here, made a comment, I mentally agreed with him.


    Earl Terejia, Bellway, Mrs. Marshan, Claudia, Elise, Mrs. Hortensia, and Oscar. Before I realized it, the number of people living here increased to be more than the number of family members I killed with poison before. ¡­¡­Thinking about it like this gives me profound emotions.


    Earl Terejia and Elise are going to leave this mansion next spring, however. Also, Mrs. Hortensia will probably also leave once I reach teenage age and a quasi-adult status, having finished her role as my nanny.


    Perhaps, the concept known as family was originally such that members will leave the household little by little. No, not all families are like this though. As someone with memories from a previous world, someone with the experience of killing all of her own family, I know better than anyone.


    As the snow fell in the dim light, Rashiok was rolling around on the snow excitedly. The snow from this morning is soft and easy to walk around in. My cold weather clothing, a woolen cloak, is exasperating to deal with though. It¡¯s so heavy even though it only reaches to my knee, but when the hems brush against the snow, it absorbs water and becomes even heavier.


    As I expected, I really think that I can¡¯t bring myself to enjoy winter.


    Maybe it¡¯s a sign of my growth, I feel like it¡¯s not as difficult to walk in heavy clothes as it used to be, but I dislike this sense of inhibited movement. I buried most of my face in my scarf, and I followed behind Rashiok without a word as he turned around in the snow.


    We descended the hill, and plowed through the snow-covered fields to reach Claria village. There were lights on in the village, but it was so quiet everywhere that you could hear a pin drop.


    This is typical of midwinter. Every house has its doors and windows tightly shut, they¡¯ll add extra wood to the fireplace, and each family will quietly sit around the fireplace together, and not waste unnecessary energy. They might not be sleeping, but it¡¯s really similar to hibernation.


    I watched everything in this peaceful silence for a while, and warmed my hands with a glass bottle of hot black tea. Rashiok kept bouncing up and down in the village square, which had no footprints other than his.


    I paid a visit to the village mayor¡¯s house, and asked if there was anything that was worrying him or giving him trouble recently. The mayor nodded and told me there wasn¡¯t anything at the moment, so I told him I¡¯d come check things out again the next time it¡¯s snowing weakly like this.


    I rode on Rashiok¡¯s back and headed for the next village. I watched the scene of snow-covered trees passing by me silently, at a speed that would be impossible for humans. However, this is normal for a draconis, even with a human riding on his back.


    Pat pat, I stroked Rashiok¡¯s empty right shoulder where there was now a missing wing. I laid myself down against him, and although I still think it¡¯s cold, his remaining wing opened up slightly and blocked the wind for me.


    I don¡¯t know exactly how it works, but it seems that the draconis manipulates wind magic using its wing as the starting point. This was something that Oscar knew already, and he taught it to me right before my battle with Diferis. That¡¯s how I was able to plan for Rashiok to use his magic in his remaining wing to create a strong gust of wind.


    Some materials obtained from magical beasts¡¯ bodies are able to retain a portion of their magic power, such as crystallized fire moth scales that usually act a source of light in this world. Of course, it can¡¯t be used forever though, it¡¯s just like a battery, it will run out of power one day.


    Rashiok¡¯s wing that was cut off no longer has the power to control wind, but it¡¯s been stored in a warehouse after being treated with preservative chemicals. It seems that the light and durable film of the draconis wing will be incorporated into my personal armor one day in the future when my body matures.


    I will use my draconis¡¯s wing that was cut off, for as long as possible. I feel like I have an obligation, this is the least I can do.


    ¡°Rashiok¡­¡­¡±


    Sorry, and thank you, neither expression managed to make it out of my throat, I ended up not saying anything at all. Rashiok¡¯s long snake-like tail that moves freely stroked me on my left shoulder that I don¡¯t move very much these days. Although we¡¯re a human and a draconis, we understand each other better than anyone else.


    I¡¯m glad that you¡¯re here with me. I¡¯m really happy that I didn¡¯t end up killing you.


    I remembered another day just like this when I was outside walking in the snow, and I felt sentimental, thinking about the person who¡¯s now only in my memories.


    Every time something happens, it feels almost like a little bit of me is being scraped away from the edges, it¡¯s a gruesome idea that¡¯s been sticking with me.


    For me to have changed to where I was happy just because we were alive, and being grateful that I didn¡¯t have to kill Rashiok. A sigh containing self-derision escaped from me. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    How did it become this way? This world was supposed to be from an otome game. ¡­¡­And yet I¡¯d gotten used to thinking that this dark way of life was normal. Just how did it get like this?


    All these oppressive emotions, swirled down into my chest as if they were snowflakes that wouldn¡¯t melt. As I laid face down on Rashiok¡¯s back, I took long, deep breaths, and exhaled until my lungs were empty.


    Author note: This chapter ends the childhood period of Eliza¡¯s story.


    End of Act 2, Part 4

 Ch 143

    Act 3, Part 1The Great Plains east of Fort Jugfena has witnessed warfare for the past six years.


    First, there was a small defensive battle that the royal capital¡¯s practically forgotten about already, one which I participated in with my shabby domain army consisting of a mere fifty soldiers.


    Almost as if it¡¯s a joke, it¡¯s now known as the ¡°hidden defensive battle,¡± this skirmish has been buried in people¡¯s memories even though it was my first ever battle. In theory, this battle was also the first battle to start it all.


    The Kaldia army currently consists of 250 soldiers. More than half of them are actually cavalry troops, which is extremely rare for such a small domain army, and when I turned 12 years old, we became incorporated into the royal knight troops¡¯ left flank formation.


    -Eh, how odd. My army¡¯s supposed to be a border defense unit, acting as logistical support from the rear, isn¡¯t it? How did it become like this?


    The Densel Dukedom army of the Rindarl Union, numbers approximately 30,000. As for the Arxian royal army, it can mobilize approximately 48,000 people.


    The horde of people was so thick that the ground couldn¡¯t even be seen, and the sounds of weapons clanging, screaming, dying, gunpowder, and horses filled the air.


    ¡°Curses, what¡¯s with that arrow! Its sound and power is causing the soldiers¡¯ morale to drop, and the front lines of the central army are beginning to collapse!!¡±


    In the middle of the Arxian army, a Shiru warrior who served as our direct messenger from the general commander was pacing back and forth and shouting from his horse. In response to his thick Artolan accent, I replied that he should calm down.


    ¡°The core of the central army¡¯s formation consists of the top soldiers in all of Arxia. They¡¯ll be able to fix the formation immediately. What¡¯s more -¡±


    On the other side of where the infantry was doing battle, the sound of gunpowder was booming. This is the fifth battle already since the war has begun. Screams were piercing through the air, drowning out the roaring of our soldiers and causing the soldiers around us to visibly shrink back.


    -These new ¡®arrows,¡¯ are they guns? I remembered back to six years ago when I managed to escape the fire caused by explosives at Fort Jugfena. If they were already researching explosives and gunpowder back then, it¡¯s well within the realm of possibility that Densel managed to invent the weapon known as a gun.


    On a battlefield where swords, spears, and bows are supposed to be the primary weapons, if an unknown weapon suddenly appears that can kill instantly from a distance without any movements you can read, it¡¯s only natural that the soldiers who witness what bullets can do will fall into chaos. Just seeing it won¡¯t give them an understanding of how it works, they won¡¯t know when it can attack, and they can only hope the armor on their bodies manages to protect them from this unknown scary threat.


    This is warfare in this world, it¡¯s something that can¡¯t be helped.


    ¡°¡­¡­The northern flank¡¯s attack has deviated from its planned location. Both the enemy army, and our ally army are out of our effective communication range. This will be too dangerous if this goes on.¡±


    ¡°I know, Oscar.¡±


    Oscar beside me gave me his advice on the current situation, and I worked my brain to its utmost limit thinking about the next move to take. I must make a decision in thirty seconds, I can¡¯t afford to take any longer than that.


    Right now, my 250 member Kaldia army that¡¯s supposed to be acting as logistical and rear support, is camped out between the central army formation and the left flank, close to the front lines.


    Even with the enemy formation¡¯s attack on the left, it¡¯s more chaotic than it should be, and right now dust is gently blowing in the opposite direction, toward the right side. The fight is extending out far more than any of the Arxian royal army¡¯s troop formations. I can hear the sounds of the chaotic melee right behind me.


    If we want to regroup and fix the formation, we¡¯d have to retreat. However, the left flank army¡¯s melee has already spread to behind us to block our path, so we¡¯d have to take another route. And I¡¯m not sure how it happened, but it seems that we also happen to be in an excellent position to strike at the enemy army central formation¡¯s unguarded right flank. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s time to make good use of this chance that the enemy army has given us, let¡¯s go cause chaos in the enemy troops that are using their new weapon.¡±


    ¡°Mmm, an interesting battle plan!¡±


    After I firmed my resolve and decided on a plan of action, Claudia who was next to me smiled in expectation of going to battle.


    ¡°What are the new arrows like, Orben?!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a type of cylindrical tube, almost as long as a person is tall! It makes a huge sound, and any soldiers standing in front of it will be shot by it¡­¡­ It seems to fire invisible arrows!¡±


    I ignored Claudia¡¯s overly excited voice that didn¡¯t belong on a battlefield, and focused on listening to the Shiru messenger soldier Orben¡¯s description of the enemy¡¯s new weapon. As I expected, Densel¡¯s new weapon is something I know of already, some type of gun.


    ¡°What is the known information on the enemy unit equipped with this weapon?¡±


    ¡°It seems to be a light infantry unit of about thirty enemy soldiers. After they fire their invisible arrows together, they return behind the cover of their heavy cavalry troops. Their heavy cavalry unit is a problem¡­¡­ they seem to be quite skilled at riding horses, like us.¡±


    Similar in skill to the Shiru tribe, a nomadic group? The former Artolas Kingdom that was conquered and swallowed up by Densel, used to have countless nomadic tribes living in it during the past. Perhaps some of them are now working for Densel.


    ¡°I think that their new weapon is probably unable to carry out rapid fire attacks like a bow can. It takes time and effort to reload that barrel weapon with new ammunition. That¡¯s why they always have to take the trouble of retreating back into their formation. ¡­¡­The next time they appear, I¡¯m going to aim for a surprise attack on them.¡±


    ¡°How do you plan to do this attack, do you have an idea, Eliza-sama?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­These long cylinders, are most likely weak to side attacks. I believe their cavalry troops are serving as the guards for that unit. It would be normal to think that Densel doesn¡¯t want to lose the new weapons it just invented. Let¡¯s use a light cavalry formation, and when they bring out their long-barreled weapons unit, how about immediately retreating and regrouping with the central army formation?¡±


    Almost all of my light cavalry troops are Shiru warriors. For their ability as a cavalry unit, they should be top class in all of Arxia. ¡­¡­I have confidence in them.


    ¡°Mmm. It should work as an effective distraction. Claudia-dono and Gunther can lead our remaining troops, and enter the melee behind us to assist our side.¡±


    ¡°Oscar, I would like you to join them as well. Depending on the circumstances, be flexible with the strategy as you see fit. I shall join the light cavalry troops together with Teo.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡­ Dangerous. I should be the one with the light cavalry.¡±


    I shook my head at Oscar, and patted the head of the huge draconis I was riding on. Rashiok proudly raised his nose, and slightly opened his wing without a sound, causing a light breeze.


    ¡°Do you remember who my partner is? If necessary, a draconis can run three times faster than a horse. What¡¯s more, the enemy¡¯s arrows are strongly destructive. This way, I can surely reduce the number of casualties.¡±


    Oscar didn¡¯t object any more. On the other side of the dust billowing about the field, I could see the enemy¡¯s heavy cavalry formation opening up. There were a group of soldiers coming out from it.


    ¡°Alright then, let¡¯s go! Do your best to live to tell the tale!¡±

 Ch 144

    I instantly arrived in front of the enemy soldiers before they knew what was going on. With a backhand grip on my halberd, I put strength into it as I slipped it through the wall of enemy spears.A rain of blood was falling down. As the vanguard, I¡¯m now completely covered in blood, and the soldiers that were following me will probably get drenched in red as well.


    According to what my adopted father Ergnade told me, it¡¯s perfect if you get drenched in blood. Just like he said, the gaudy appearance from being splashed red in blood sent enemy soldiers running away from me.


    As I remembered my teachings, I left things up to Rashiok¡¯s momentum while slicing off the head of an enemy¡¯s horse. A scream of anger that sounded like it came from the bottom of the stomach erupted from the rider on the now collapsed dead horse.


    I could see the shadows of the gun-holding soldiers hiding behind the heavy cavalry troops, and I raised my halberd in preparation. I felt the heaviness of the halberd for a few seconds.


    This makes five killed already. The ones that escaped will probably get cleaned up by my soldiers following me. I could still hear the explosive sound of gunpowder coming from behind. It wasn¡¯t the sound of a gun firing this time though, it was more like a gun jamming. Did one of their weapons explode I wonder, I suddenly heard what sounded like one of their weapons blowing up, then the thumps of several heavy objects falling to the ground.


    Please let it be that my soldiers didn¡¯t get mixed up in it.


    Anyways, dense formations are weak to side attacks. Their cavalry troops should have been arranged to protect the flanks, but were they prioritizing the encirclement of the large number of Arxian troops I wonder, they were arranged at the end of the left and right wings of their formation instead. The Rindarl side probably took many things into account when protecting their gun unit, but it seems that they probably didn¡¯t calculate for my army¡¯s movements because we were supposed to only be a logistical support troop.


    ¡°Go ahead and rampage, Rashiok!!¡±


    I turned my halberd against the soldier that came to try and stop me. Rashiok responded to my encouragement by roaring. The roar of a carnivorous beast has the power to instinctively cause people to shrink back in fear. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Together with a windstorm, my draconis crashed into a wall of people. Any spears that aimed for Rashiok merely bounced off his scales, or were broken by the impact, while the wall of people and horses before us was scattered so easily.


    Ahhh, all the enemy soldiers were screaming. The heavy sound of all the horse hooves following me, turned into the screams of death. Metallic armor was left deformed, and an all too juicy crunch was heard by the sharp-eared among them.


    ¡°Withdraw! Meet up with the main army!¡±


    I confirmed with a glance that behind me, the gun unit had been crushed as well. The enemy formation was in utter confusion. Their dense formation didn¡¯t take a side attack into consideration, getting confused because of this degree of attack is pathetic.


    I rose my halberd into the air, and tilted it to the right. After seeing my signal, Teomer gave instructions for our soldiers in the back to withdraw as well. My superb light cavalry troops composed of mainly Shiru warriors instantly aligned their horses and started galloping together towards the right.


    When I passed the combat area where the left wing had extended to, Claudia was there ahead of me.


    ¡°Go straight ahead! Now, we can pincer and surround the remaining enemy troops!¡±


    ¡°Alright, do it!!¡±


    If she says this is the correct strategy, I made the snap decision to do as she suggested. As for the soldiers following me, Oscar speedily gave orders to each small team.


    The Arxian soldiers that had been fighting were able to get relief from combat, and the Rindarl soldiers were driven away as if they were a flock of sheep that was being herded.


    How many can I surround, I wonder? ¡­¡­Roughly two or three hundred? Is it possible to make a strong encirclement with the same number of soldiers? Considering I¡¯m also using a mix of light cavalry. I¡¯m just a low-ranked commander, after all.


    ¡°Kill them all, don¡¯t leave any small fry that are worthless as prisoners alive!¡±


    Stop it, screams were rising from the enemies. My soldiers ignored them as they circled them from the outside with their spears and killed them with the positioning advantage.


    The soldiers that were caught in a collapsed formation were helpless. The Rindarl soldiers on the inside had no ways to effectively attack, and were crushed by my soldiers on the outside. The enemy soldiers on their outside edges are pushed inwards, and cooperation with their fellow soldiers becomes impossible as their order falls into shambles.


    ¡°This is a one-sided slaughter with the advantage of cavalry! Arxians are such barbaric brutes! Have you forgotten the spirit of chivalry or humanity!!?¡±


    As I killed a horse, the really muscular man who fell down was shouting that at me. He happened to roll right in front of me. This man noticed Rashiok, and looked directly at me who was the rider. I saw astonishment in his eyes, followed by a mix of hatred and contempt.


    ¡°Get down from your horses and fight fair and square!! You coward, weak little kid!! If you have any pride as a knight, duel with me right here right now-¡±


    The man who was barking at me got an expression like he saw something inconceivable in his last moments. Then, he realized that the sword I threw at him had pierced through his neck, and gurgled up a fountain of blood in place of his shouting. Then he finally collapsed onto the ground, and he stopped talking forever more.


    ¡°¡­¡­What¡¯s this so-called cowardice on the battlefield? The only thing there is, is death.¡±


    As I spat that out, I jumped down from Rashiok. I approached the man¡¯s corpse, to retrieve my sword.


    When I noticed that his cloak was shining gold with the emblem of a high-ranked knight, I caught my breath. I am a domain lord, not a knight. Unlike this bastard, I wasn¡¯t raised with the chivalric spirit to begin with. And in the first place, there¡¯s no way I can acknowledge such a buff man shouting for a child to duel him as any sort of proper knight.


    I pulled out my sword, and I used my halberd instead to cut off his head. Since he does seem to be a high-ranked knight, at the very least it will be useful to take his head with me. I¡¯m in the frontlines of battle, after all. There¡¯s no such thing as too much reward money.


    I wrapped his head in his cloak and tossed it to my soldiers to keep for the reward money, but I couldn¡¯t have known what it would end up causing at the time.

 Ch 145

    ¡­¡­Just why is it that I¡¯m standing here?Trying to escape the reality that I was right in front of the throne of the royal palace, I glanced over at some of the highest-ranking knights in the kingdom, Marquis Rolentsor and Earl Einsbark.


    His Majesty who was sitting there, I feel like he called my name just now, am I just hearing things?


    ¡­¡­Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t seem to be hallucinating, as someone pushed me on my back. I staggered as I stepped forward, and just like that I was in front of the king.


    ¡°Go, and kneel in front of the king.¡±


    Ergnade who was right behind me was whispering to me. I proceeded the rest of the way by myself, being unable to return even though he was just a few steps behind me. I kneeled as I was told to in front of the steps to the tall royal throne, from where the king overlooked me. I met the king¡¯s blue eyes for an instant before I looked down. Neither the king nor I had any expression of our feelings.


    ¡°Viscountess Kaldia. During this battle, you¡¯ve made a splendid meritorious accomplishment. For your glorious achievement, I would like to reward you.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Hearing so from Your Majesty directly, I¡¯m grateful for the honor.¡±


    While managing to squeeze out polite words required of me by etiquette, my voice sounded almost like a robot to myself, surprising me mentally with how calm I seemed to be. I¡¯m in the presence of the person who holds absolute power over this entire huge kingdom, it¡¯s a strange atmosphere in which was fresher than I expected.


    I understood that the king was the absolute representation of authority for both the church and the law in this country. I managed to drag this fact out of my mind somehow, as if I was a computer, although right now it all feels so far away from me.


    Arxia¡¯s political system seems feudal at first glance, but the true situation is quite different. All of the actual power is held by the king, and he merely delegates power to his vassals. The royal domain system is probably the easiest to explain, it¡¯s similar to a Count Palatine from medieval Europe. Those that manage it receive a high noble rank from the king, which wouldn¡¯t be possible without the trust of both the king and the Upper House of Lords, and it¡¯s supposed to be a title that isn¡¯t hereditary.


    The main reason that this system has successfully continued for the past 600 years without decaying is thanks to the existence of the church. The moral character of everyone in this country is guided by the Ar Xia church¡¯s Sacred Code. Committing a felony would cause you to be excommunicated from the church, and as for excommunication¡­¡­ those branded as heretics are savagely treated, almost inversely proportional to the modernity of the legal system for a fantasy world.


    Well, at any rate, law and religion in this country haven¡¯t decayed, and it¡¯s been an effective system for a long period of time now.


    I¡¯ve gone off on a tangent. It seems that when my mind tries to escape reality, I can drift quite far off-topic.


    ¡­¡­But anyways, did I really have such a great accomplishment on the battlefield? Indeed, I managed to disable their unit with the new weapons. But its power and shooting range is limited, and once the army knows exactly what kind of weapon it is, I¡¯m sure that such a chaotic response won¡¯t happen again. And as for the enemy heavy cavalry unit, it wasn¡¯t entirely destroyed.


    As for what I did after that, is this about surrounding the enemies on our overextended left flank and annihilating them? While that unit was indeed annihilated, such a thing should have been accomplished by Ergnade several times already in the previous battles. Divide and conquer. It¡¯s one of the most basic strategies in battle.


    Among the enemies killed, there was that muscular soldier that seemed to be a high-ranked knight, but I doubt his head would have such a high price attached to it if he was at the frontlines himself like that.


    Anyways, that was the only sentence the king spoke to me, as after that Marquis Rittergau, Earl Terejia¡¯s older brother who¡¯s still working despite his age, took over and read out my achievement and reward from some documents in an official tone of voice. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Although, I don¡¯t really understand what it is that I¡¯ve achieved, since I wasn¡¯t paying attention. I don¡¯t have much military experience, and the only word that I really caught was head. I¡¯ll have to ask Ergnade later about what he meant.


    In contrast though, the reward part was easy to understand. Basically, it was money, land, and ranking. ¡­¡­I don¡¯t really want land or ranking though, I felt somewhat bitter about it. Right now, the new Pioneer village is just getting settled down in Kaldia, and my hands are full with the irrigation construction for the largely untouched eastern half of my domain.


    Even if I receive new, unsettled land from the Jugfena royal domain, without receiving any human resources to go along with the land, this has no benefits for me. They¡¯re just giving me more land to match my promoted title.


    At any rate, although I still don¡¯t quite understand why, I now have the rank of a lesser earl. How strange. Something like a promotion in noble rank shouldn¡¯t be that easy to obtain¡­¡­ I guess it can¡¯t be helped that I¡¯m a bit confused, as too many unexpected things just fell into my lap.


    As for the otome game that¡¯s supposed to begin when I enter noble school, that¡¯s coming up soon, later in autumn of this year that I¡¯m twelve.


    ¡­¡­But more importantly, one year ago, war between Arxia and Rindarl broke out, and it¡¯s a fact that I played an important role in this particular battle.


    How is this battle going to affect the otome game, I wonder. I don¡¯t want the war to expand even more, as I¡¯d have less time to take care of Kaldia, and it might be devastated or fall into disrepair due to the war. I finally managed to bring my domain back to a civilized level similar to the other domains ¨C just how long did it take? It¡¯s been ten long years.


    I absolutely won¡¯t stand for my ten years of hard work to go to waste, so the next chance I get, I think I should remove even more of Rindarl¡¯s soldiers.


    ¡­¡­After all, it seems that I have an affinity for combat.

 Ch 146

    The king¡¯s troops under his direct command joined the battle as well, and the scope of the lines of battle on the Jugfena Great Plains expanded even further.Even though it was clear that the Rindarl side just suffered a major defeat, it seems that they rejected Arxia¡¯s request for them to surrender.


    Apparently, Arxia captured over 600 Rindarl soldiers in the last battle. At a rough estimate, they had maybe 4,000 casualties.


    Even with such a loss, and abandoning their captive soldiers to be executed, sending more troops at us again¡­¡­ I don¡¯t know what Rindarl, or I should be more specific, the Duke of Densel is thinking. But at any rate, the reason why they declared war on us was supposedly because it¡¯s a ¡°protest against the unfair treatment of Rindarl noble blood,¡± because of the exiling of the first prince, Albert, and his lost opportunity to attend noble school.


    Arxia is also being Arxia. Even though they could have nominally registered Prince Albert as a student at noble school and avoided the bloodshed of its citizens, Arxia didn¡¯t do so.


    I can¡¯t show any dissatisfaction to the king since he even sent his personal troops to the front lines, and since the Rindarl Union is a newly formed country, perhaps they don¡¯t want to back down for the sake of their reputation, is what I think. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡­¡­Although since I¡¯m actually on the front lines, I can think whatever I want, but none of it will be of any help.


    As for the sudden change in the situation, which put my army in the midst of combat, without being able to contact our allies, the attack that I planned caused about thirty of my soldiers to be injured, and six have died. Although I know that losses can¡¯t be avoided in battle¡­¡­ I hated myself, each of their deaths cut at me.


    From among the dead soldiers, they included some that slept under the same roof as me during my time in the barracks.


    ¡°Then, Earl Kaldia and her army, as well as her knights, will be in charge of defending to the north of Fort Jugfena, on the corner of the Bandishia Plateau known as the Ritox Plateau.¡±


    At the end of an overly long House of Lords meeting, when the overall commander of the Arxian Royal Army, Marquis Rolentsor, gave me my new command assignment, there was no way I could be happy about this even though I had no choice but to accept.


    ¡°¡­¡­Understood.¡±


    Since I received such an unwanted promotion¡­¡­ My Kaldia army, I suppose it¡¯s Earl Kaldia¡¯s army now, at any rate, is now officially being deployed to the front lines as well. Even though my light cavalry troops should have been well suited for the role of logistical and rear support.


    Ergnade gave me some information about this location in a low voice, telling me that the Ritox Plateau was a small plateau at the southwest of the larger Bandishia Plateau, and that it had a terrain which should be easily defendable by even a small number of soldiers.


    If he says so, then it¡¯s probably true. It¡¯s a good thing that Claudia¡¯s distant relative seems to be a rational person when it comes to giving me a military assignment. Well, they¡¯re probably going to be more reasonable than what I can imagine, given the few knights I do know.


    ¡­¡­Since I¡¯ve received my orders, there¡¯s no helping it, let¡¯s take this chance to reorganize the command structure of my army so that no problems will occur. Since I¡¯m going to be on the front lines, I can¡¯t just let most things run automatically anymore like logistics, which was mostly helping the troops resupply.


    My personal messenger soldiers as well as strategist will be Oscar and his unit, Gunther will command my only infantry unit with no horses, and Agil will lead my heavy cavalry troops that we¡¯ve been training ever since we were called to war.


    Teomer will lead my light cavalry unit that consists of primarily Shiru warriors, while Claudia will lead the unit with the fewest soldiers, the light cavalry unit made up of my domain¡¯s soldiers. Claudia¡¯s unit will be a mobile strike force, under my direct command.


    Perhaps it seems strange that the main troops under my direct command will be the mobile strike force, but since I¡¯m riding Rashiok who has the best mobility of all, there¡¯s no helping it. Besides, I¡¯m not well versed in the strategies of warfare, so Oscar who has experience from his time with the Jugfena knights will be a more reliable leader for directing the infantry as he can come up with sound strategies.


    ¡°Your job isn¡¯t to mobilize and attack, but you need to prepare for defensive measures. Do you have anything in mind, Countess Kaldia?¡±


    Just as I being impressed with Marquis Rolentsor for his being reasonable, another noble interrupted my thought process with his disdainful attitude typical of a priest noble. He went to the trouble of calling me a countess, the female title for an earl, putting extra emphasis on that word, I suppose it¡¯s a way to ridicule the knight attire I¡¯m wearing.


    Even I think that it¡¯s just lucky coincidence how I managed to get a promotion in noble rank, and since the Kaldia domain is well known for a bad reputation, this promotion was sure to earn the ire of some court nobles.


    Although Marquis Nordsturm has been lying low as of late, even now the northern nobles will still secretly say annoying things in the shadows, such as how the way I annihilated the enemy was evidence of my father¡¯s cruel bloodline still alive in me, or that I was a demon girl who enjoyed bathing in blood.


    Well, it¡¯s whatever, really. At any rate, I won¡¯t have to see them very much anymore when I¡¯m in noble school. They probably just want to say how useless my answer about defensive measures will be, the rambling of the weak with no power trying to attack me, although honestly, they know nothing about just how cruel my father had been. In strange contrast to the anger in my stomach, my mind was working at a high pace.


    Just then, a good idea appeared in my mind about how to decrease the enemy soldiers¡¯ morale. I suddenly remembered a ridiculous story about how a European noble named Vlad the Impaler from my previous world was infamous for using the atrociously brutal method of impaling his enemies. As always, memories would just suddenly pop into my head on their own.


    ¡°For my plan, can I ask that all of the prisoners taken that are scheduled to be executed anyways be given to me?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­The captured prisoners? Exactly what kind of strategy do you have in mind?¡±


    I took a glance around me, and all the nobles seemed surprised. The noble talking to me hurriedly said ¡°well, I think you should ask the general commander about that,¡± before turning around and returning to his seat as quickly as possible.


    What¡¯s with that reaction?


    In keeping with the expectations of the nobility, without losing a single soldier ¨C I went to the trouble to think up such a wonderful strategy that will deal an incredible blow to the morale of the Densel army, which will almost certainly lead to their miserable defeat at our hands.


    ¡°You have a terrible expression on your face.¡±


    Ergnade beside me was laughing as he said so.


    ¡°¡­¡­Is that so?¡±


    ¡°I know perfectly well just how much you loathe Densel ¨C take the captives with you. This time, crush them utterly.¡±


    Ergnade¡¯s advice was usually merciless. It¡¯s only natural that my actions on the battlefield would imitate him, as it¡¯s all based on his teachings.


    The impression you give others is really important. Although I don¡¯t mean important in the typical way, I want to leave a different type of impression.

 Ch 147

    In the first place, the Kaldia domain probably detests the Densel Dukedom more than any other domain would. Many of my citizens were former refugees forced to the brink by Densel, having lost many friends and family members, and I myself was also almost killed by them, so it¡¯s not strange at all that we would hate Densel.I¡¯ll get to the point, though. Since we know better than anyone their lack of respect for human life, we¡¯ll kill them as well without hesitation. That¡¯s just how it is. If I see them, even if they try to escape, I will kill them. And since we¡¯re now at war ¨C I¡¯ll lure them out, then kill them.


    They¡¯re just unlucky. They should have given up and surrendered.


    The extremely long battle lines extended far to the north and the south, the southern lines almost reached the Planates Dukedom¡¯s territory, while the northern lines reached even the sea, localized small battles were occurring everywhere.


    Nonetheless, it¡¯s unreasonable for us to go through the Bandishia Plateau controlled by Densel and cross over the Amon Nor mountain range, and the northern sea is filled with icebergs that come down from the mountains, making it almost impossible to navigate. That¡¯s why the Great Plains is still the main location of battle, while most of the other defensive battles are concentrated in the Genas domain, the Jugfena royal domain, and the Red Forest near the Planates border.


    The king¡¯s personal army is participating in battle on the Great Plains. Even though we¡¯re supposed to be fighting a defensive war, it seems that we¡¯re progressing gradually and pushing the enemy back with our attacks.


    Being able to push the enemy back to their own borders when we¡¯re the ones being invaded, strategically this is a major defeat for the enemy. It¡¯s unclear to me what criteria Rindarl has for victory¡­¡­ Well, it has nothing to do with me anyways because I¡¯m only a low-ranked noble with a small domain.


    ¡°Oi, the fire arrows have been prepared, my lord.¡±


    As always, Gunther was overly rough and casual in his speech towards me, and I observed the view beneath me from the high plateau. It was a horrible sight of about 100 people impaled on stakes.


    The prisoners¡­¡­ well, they¡¯re getting executed. Although it was already decided on that they¡¯d be executed, some of them died already from injuries suffered in battle before being impaled.


    ¡°¡­¡­Honestly, you¡¯ve really come up with something. My lord never did learn the elegance that most nobles are supposed to have.¡±


    ¡°I know full well that it¡¯s something incredibly unpleasant.¡±


    ¡°Ahh. Well, five or six years back, I was trying to kill you instead of the enemy soldiers.¡±


    At his lighthearted reference to how he was honestly trying to kill me back then, I couldn¡¯t resist letting out a wry smile.


    ¡°How about now? Do you still want to kill me?¡±


    ¡°Now¡­¡­ well then. Whatever my lord is thinking about or what methods you use, I never think about it anymore.¡±


    Heh, I chuckled a little. Then, while stroking Rashiok who was leisurely relaxing by my side, I looked over the horizon of the plateau.


    Northern Arxia was a barren land the same as the composition of the Bandishia Plateau, covered with reddish gravel, and at a glance one could tell that it was an inhospitable place. According to what the Shiru tribe has told me, if you go farther north and travel through the Amon Nor mountains, you can finally begin to find a few plants. Just those limited plants managed to support their nomadic lifestyle before.


    ¡°¡­¡­Marquis Rolentsor, the general commander of the Arxian Royal Army is a fair man. Even to his enemies.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s this about?¡±


    I changed the topic so suddenly, that Gunther had trouble following me. As we chatted, Agil and Oscar arrived as well, but they just silently listened to me talk.


    ¡°That is to say, he treats the enemies with the same honor and dignity as he does friends. Any prisoners that he captures, he will have their wounds treated, give them plenty of food and rest, and ensure that they have a clean bed in a warm dungeon.¡±


    ¡°They adhere quite strictly to the code of chivalry, the king¡¯s personal army.¡±


    ¡°Is it really fine for prisoners of war to be treated so well? We still have to gather our own food these days, or else we face starvation.¡±


    Agil spat in discontent, and I nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Now that we¡¯re on the front lines, we no longer have to gather our own food. Rather, food will be supplied to us. Food is being gathered from the inland domains that won¡¯t face combat and transported to the front lines, and Margrave Genas is receiving a huge portion of it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear it.¡±


    ¡°The problem is just like Agil said, the prisoners are being treated too kindly. Shouldn¡¯t there be times to use the carrot and times to use the stick? Just what are they doing, showing respect and kindness to the enemies that invaded our land?¡±


    In the past, Arxia¡¯s wars were always like a whip. Arxia¡¯s military might was so overwhelming, that enemies would always be crushed instantly, and Arxia was the strongest country on the continent.


    But, the war this time is different. The Rindarl Union definitely has equal military power to Arxia. It¡¯s time for the whip to be updated.


    The scout began waving his signal flag to indicate that he saw enemy troops. Well, this means the Rindarl soldiers are coming. I picked up my halberd, and stood up.


    ¡°¡­¡­Well then, how about, we become the new whip? Shall we try becoming a symbol of fear and hatred in Rindarl?¡±


    When Oscar made that suggestion, Agil and Gunther both looked at him. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. I talked with the folks from Fort Jugfena before, the royal army should act as the carrot, while the others can act as the stick. The difference between two extremes will confuse the enemy, and surely make their morale vulnerable to target. This is all in order to end the war as quickly as possible.¡±


    ¡°Oi, wait a moment. Just what specifically should we do?¡±


    Gunther grabbed my shoulder. I looked straight into his eyes that were so close to mine, and answered him bluntly.


    ¡°We will become to Rindarl, what Orville Kaldia was to you.¡±


    I braced myself for him to hit me, expecting it for sure ¨C but it never came.


    When I gingerly looked up at him again, Gunther was snorting from his nose.


    ¡°You took me too seriously when I said I never bothered with what you were thinking anymore, I think! You¡¯ve become incredibly evil, haven¡¯t you, shitty brat!¡±


    Just as I relaxed and let go of my breath, flick, I received a rather painful flick to the forehead. Surprised, I reflexively rubbed my forehead with my palm.


    Gunther muttered some things like ¡°as always, your evil brain is surprisingly excellent, always thinking about things I don¡¯t understand well,¡± as he trudged back to his own infantry unit.

 Ch 148

    Ritox Plateau is located in the lower mountainous region of the Amon Nor Mountains, it¡¯s a strategic location that connects the Amon Nor mountains to the Bandishia Plateau, a place that can¡¯t be avoided if you want to cross over.Just in case that the Rindarl army didn¡¯t have enough information on our movements, I intentionally let the enemy scouts know we were here. It¡¯ll be a great help if they move just as I expect, and see what I¡¯ve prepared for them.


    Thanks to Rashiok¡¯s nose and Claudia¡¯s eyes, we were able to detect the enemy scouts earlier, but we didn¡¯t do anything to them on purpose. After all, we wanted them to tell their army what they saw here and bring their forces.


    ¡°Claudia, how is it?¡±


    ¡°Mm, there¡¯s quite a lot of dust rising. The Rindarl army is coming! It¡¯s going to be a battle!¡±


    Of course, the only one who had sharp enough eyesight to see the dust clouds in the distance, was Claudia. Go back to the shonen manga world you belong in, I brushed away that thought that reflexively came up in me again, and I avoided looking at Claudia who was clearly getting excited.


    The Rindarl soldiers passing by under the plateau after a long march to get here were all staring in shock at a ditch in which there was a forest of impaled people. This would be the perfect opportunity to ambush them from above with arrows while they¡¯re in a daze, but in order to further increase the effect of their fear and hatred in the future, I waited on purpose.


    I could see how shaken and confused the enemy soldiers were. Although their commanders seemed to be trying to restore order, maybe there were some captives in the ditch that the soldiers recognized, there was a surge of soldiers rushing for the ditch in a huge commotion.


    Eventually the effort of their commander went to naught, as the soldiers who were probably conscripted farmers judging from their equipment broke formation entirely and starting rushing for the ditch haphazardly in a mess. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    One of their knights riding on a horse with an expression like he¡¯d given up on this rabble, was one of the first to approach the ditch.


    ¡°Arxians!! This is too cruel! It¡¯s overboard! Do you even have chivalry, or humanity anymore!!¡±


    I stood up and faced towards the knight. Then, from the high elevation of the plateau, I threw what was in my hand in his direction.


    At first, the knight was surprised that the one who stood up was a child, but when he saw what was rolling at his feet, his complexion instantly paled.


    It was the head of a young soldier. It was easy to tell from his facial characteristics and skin color that he must have been from Densel, and the head¡¯s expression was one of dreadful fear and pain with eyes wide open in his final moments.


    ¡°What a joke, talking about humanity when you¡¯re trying to sneak into someone¡¯s home like a rat!¡±


    While the knight was lost for words, I spat out some more choice words for him.


    ¡°To begin with, you rejected our terms for surrender, and you were the ones who abandoned these prisoners to their fate. This is the foolish result that you bastards have brought upon yourselves, carve it into your barbaric heads!!¡±


    ¡­¡­This is no good, I¡¯m not skilled at taunting the enemy. The fact that the captives were abandoned by their own country to their fate, even I feel that it¡¯s rather pitiful. Since I¡¯ve already decided that I should leave a terrifying impression in the enemies¡¯ hearts, I really need to add more contempt to my voice so they won¡¯t take me lightly. It seems that I don¡¯t have the talent to become an actress.


    I wonder what that knight is thinking about chivalry on the battlefield now. He just kept staring at me dumbfounded, as if his entire code of morals had been shattered, and this time I started laughing.


    It seemed like he didn¡¯t even notice the fact that the soldiers behind him were turning into a disorganized, out of control mob.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, rat? You don¡¯t feel like fighting anymore? Then, just obediently watch from where you are. From now, let me truly begin executing the Rindarl prisoners.¡±


    ¡°What¡­¡­!?¡±


    I ignored him, and gave Gunther who was standing behind me the signal to begin.


    The Rindarl troops that had ignored their commanding knight who was just in a daze, and rushed into the ditch, suddenly heard the command of ¡°fire!¡± from above.


    My soldiers suddenly stood up all at once on the plateau with the fire arrows we had prepared earlier, and all of them aimed their arrows into the ditch. It ignited the oil already smeared on the prisoners in the ditch, as well as the oil that was on the ground of the ditch as well.


    Sizzle, there was an instant uprising of a wave of heat. The captives that were still alive while being impaled, and the soldiers that rushed in to save them without thinking, all of them were burned alive as screaming began to echo throughout the plateau.


    ¡­¡­This was a reproduction of the worst scene I¡¯ve ever beheld. Anyways, I judged that this would be the most effective method of planting nightmares into the enemies¡¯ minds, so that¡¯s why I decided to do this. Well, it¡¯s probably even worse than what I remember my father doing, because the scale was much bigger this time.


    I could feel cold sweat running down my entire body, and my knees felt like they had no strength in them. As I expected, I felt terrible. I supported myself by leaning against my halberd.


    Everyone in the ditch was burning. The soldiers that didn¡¯t rush into the ditch all seemed to be watching this spectacle.


    The amount of oil I used wasn¡¯t all that much. The roaring flames are probably going to lose their momentum soon.


    Before the enemy has a chance to calm down and think, I¡¯m going to completely break their minds ¨C it¡¯s time to use my other, even more rotten plan.


    If the strategy I used in this battle becomes widely known, it¡¯s probable that my father¡¯s evil reputation will be completely replaced by my own. As expected of Orville Kaldia¡¯s daughter, people will make sarcastic jokes about it, mixed with fear and disdain.


    ¡°Rashiok, come to me!!¡±


    My most loyal servant, came up to me and rubbed my side.


    While it was still chaotic on the ground below, the screams were indeed dying down, and I brought out the tied young captive soldiers ¨C since soldiers are conscripted from the commoners, they have no value as prisoners at all, and Arxia was already planning to execute them anyways.


    They were about my age, and in full view of the remaining Rindarl soldiers, I started pushing them down to the fire pit below.


    When they fall, since they¡¯re tied up and can¡¯t stand, they¡¯ll end up just rolling around in the flames. Or, maybe they¡¯ll fall onto a stake and get impaled.


    ¡°-Stop it!! Just how rotten can you be!!¡±


    I could hear a frenzied, angered shouting that was louder than the fire¡¯s crackling. I instructed my archers to aim for that voice. It¡¯s important to kill the intelligent, rational ones first. I¡¯m going to assert my dominance over this battle from beginning to end.


    I shall toy with their emotions, and I¡¯ve brought their soldiers down to the level of a mob. Then, the defeated soldiers that survive will bring the news of what happened here back to their country, and Ergnade suggested I let eight captives go free as well to bring the news ¨C about what I did to their captives in the name of warfare.


    Below the plateau, it was a living picture of hell. It was such a strange sight to behold, and with various complicated emotions mixing about inside me, what came out of my mouth was the sound of high-pitched laughter.


    End of Act 3, Part 1

 Ch 149

    Act 3, Part 2As the word about what I did to the captives spread, it seems that my adoptive father Ergnade was quite successful in overwhelming and crushing the enemy troops.


    After several battles, Arxia was able to capture all the critical strategic locations in the Great Plains and the Bandishia Plateau, and the movements from the Rindarl side stagnated due to the precipitous drop in their soldiers¡¯ morale, as well as worsening public sentiment in their country for support for the war. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But, the Rindarl Union wouldn¡¯t respond to attempts to negotiate a ceasefire or a truce, and the Arxian Kingdom decided to adopt a strategy of primarily defending its own territory without invading the enemy, so just like that, with winter arriving soon, the two countries were locked in a stalemate.


    After the successful routing of the enemies by Ergnade and his older brothers, my name was beginning to get famous as well in both Arxia and Rindarl, and the next thing I knew, I was summoned back to a special military meeting held separately from the House of Lords.


    Well, I can probably guess at the reason I was summoned, and so I arrived at the royal palace again right on the cusp of winter. For my achievements in battle, I was rewarded with gold, and an official second-tier medal with my family name engraved on it.


    The medal was rose red, engraved with the word Einsbark, made from a gemstone that remarkably resembled the blood-red color of my eyes.


    ¡­¡­This medal is one given to commoners or lower-ranked nobles for military achievements. In the medal system of this country, this one should be ranked fourth from the top.


    Also, the name engraved on this medal given to me says Einsbark.


    When I received land for my domain before, it was quite bothersome, but I wonder if Ergnade had something to do with it, like pushing his credit in battle on to me, he seemed suspiciously overjoyed compared to me.


    I don¡¯t need to receive a second honorary reward like this, my head felt heavy. It¡¯s not useful at all in preventing my citizens from going hungry, and the only thing it will do is increase the jealousy that other nobles have toward me.


    After returning to my mansion, one day in winter, I called Ratoka to my office. He now works as Claudia¡¯s assistant, as well as helping Bellway and Mrs. Marshan run errands.


    As always, there was still a strange type of distance between us, apart from occasionally acting as my double, I usually don¡¯t call for him much.


    According to Ratoka himself, he¡¯s usually busy¡­¡­ and since Claudia often chats with him, she says that he¡¯s grown up to look much more like a beautiful girl than I do, so I try not to have him near me. Maybe it¡¯s because he lacked nutrition when he was younger, but even though I¡¯m one year younger, I¡¯m actually much taller than he is, which apparently also hurts his self-esteem.


    ¡°You called for me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I called for you¡­¡­ Elise. Before we talk, could you straighten your hair, it¡¯s a mess.¡±


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s because I was just training together with Claudia earlier.¡±


    After he finished fixing his hair, Ratoka once again asked, ¡°what is it?¡±


    Apart from being my body double on occasion, sometimes when I bring him out of the mansion with me, he¡¯s either a maidservant, or a steward, it depends on what the circumstances require. Therefore, we¡¯ve prepared several wigs that can greatly change the impression he gives off, and his long hair was trimmed to shoulder length because it was in the way.


    ¡°You know how noble children are required to go to noble school in the royal capital in spring when they turn thirteen?¡±


    ¡°Of course. What about it?¡±


    ¡°The rules there allow for servants to be brought. Well, I should say that it¡¯s a custom for all nobles to do so.¡±


    Ratoka seems to have understood what I meant, he was looking at me with a complex expression. It¡¯s good that he¡¯s so observant.


    ¡°Please prepare for when spring comes and I have to go to the royal capital. While I¡¯ll be at noble school for three years, I¡¯ll still probably return to Kaldia quite often, so we don¡¯t need to bring much luggage. As for clothes, please prepare servant clothing, military clothes, and the Kaldia knight order¡¯s clothes.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Understood. Um, who else will be coming with us?¡±


    ¡°Athrun from the Kaldia army, and the children named Tira and Reka from Pioneer village. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll take anyone else. It¡¯ll be quite inconvenient to take more with me.¡±


    As always, Kaldia lacks human resources. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s because I¡¯ve become famous lately, immigrants have been slowly trickling in from other domains, I still haven¡¯t decided how I want to help them settle in. There¡¯s a law however that states you must live in a domain for one year to acquire rights as a citizen of that domain, so I won¡¯t be able to consider recruiting from the immigrants until next year at the earliest.


    ¡­¡­I believe that my domain has already returned to a similar living standard compared to the other agricultural domains, and even with my lack of personnel, I¡¯m still promoting the development of my domain.


    The average lifespan for commoners in this country is in the mid-forties, while nobles typically live to mid-fifties or mid-sixties.


    Because the generations change so quickly, I can¡¯t afford to make any plans that are too long-term. I have to do what I can, while I can, so I always have a chronic personnel shortage.

 Ch 150

    Noble school. This place is required by law for noble teenagers to attend from thirteen years to fifteen years of age. It¡¯s the only general education institute in the country, and it primarily focuses on teaching the contents of the Sacred Code and national law, as well as economics, history, geography, ethics, social studies, and the neighboring countries¡¯ languages, it teaches all basic academic classes, and you can even major in some of these classes and pursue research here.Although it¡¯s an educational facility, it¡¯s already normal for noble children to receive an education in their own household to some extent, it seems that this school was established by the church in order to give nobles a thorough education in the Sacred Code and on their own country¡¯s history and development.


    That¡¯s why, all noble children are required to live for three years in the dormitories here, and make connections with nobles the same age as them that will be their peers when they come to power.


    Other than winter vacation, permission is required from the head of the household in order to leave the school premises, and nobles that aren¡¯t researchers, teachers, or students are also prohibited from entering the school grounds.


    Because of all this, the noble school that takes up a vast amount of land in the southwest portion of the royal capital, is almost on the scale of a small city, and it has its own unique society nicknamed ¡°the second royal capital.¡±


    On the day of the new student orientation ceremony, I headed for noble school together with Ratoka, Athrun, Reka, Tira, and a woman named Cornelia Heideman.


    Mrs. Cornelia Heideman is someone who works for the Terejia family in the royal capital as a housekeeper, and she¡¯s acting as my guardian in lieu of Earl Terejia, bringing me to noble school. Maybe it¡¯s that Earl Terejia, or perhaps, the Terejia family, they want to observe me and see how things go.


    We¡¯re going to the school with so few servants and very little luggage because I already sold off my tiny residence in the royal capital, and had my things brought over to the dormitory already. I had my servants in my former royal capital¡¯s residence head over to the dormitory, and dispose of any unnecessary household items.


    ¡°Eliza-sama, what kind of place is noble school?¡±


    In our rented carriage headed for noble school, Reka was excited at first to see the noble school at first, but maybe he got tired of seeing the endless school fence, he asked me a question.


    While his command of the Arxian language is still poor, in just a few years he¡¯s learned quite a lot and is quite chatty now. It¡¯s different from a few years back, when he was a lot quieter.


    However, it seems that someone sent by a major family in the royal capital has a different opinion about his question.


    ¡°Don¡¯t speak to your master with such a carefree attitude.¡±


    Before I could answer him, the cold Mrs. Heideman began scolding Reka strictly. It was so sudden that Reka, Tira, and Athrun all looked at her with surprised faces. Even Ratoka who¡¯s had experience in various public events as a maidservant, had an expression of discontent on his face. I was confused for a few seconds as well on how to deal with this, before I said something. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°¡­¡­Mrs. Heideman, I don¡¯t really have any limitations on what they can ask me in private.¡±


    ¡°Then, please take care to change that. Servants being so casual with their master will be terrible for your reputation. People should be aware of their own statuses and behave appropriately.¡±


    I know that already. There are some major differences in how nobles from the royal capital treat their servants in comparison with nobles with their own domains. Those in the royal capital like to keep contact with the servants to a minimum, and servants must not look directly into the eyes of nobles, this is all to maintain their so-called dignity as nobles.


    Indeed, for Earl Terejia as well, whenever he was in the royal capital he only had other young nobles following him around and doing his errands. For a family of such high status like the Terejias, they seem to have followers from the lower ranked nobles like viscount and baron families.


    Since nobles themselves aren¡¯t allowed in the school, usually a lot of servants come from lower ranked noble families, most commonly distant relatives to noble families without enough claim to nobility themselves¡­¡­ noble children from families ranked earl or higher will surely have servants and followers like that.


    Although I don¡¯t really feel like doing it, now that I¡¯ve become a lesser earl, technically I¡¯m supposed to accept the daughter of another noble family as an apprentice maid, something like that. But since I was only a Viscountess half a year ago, I have no connections for this. Besides, I decided it would be easier for me to take along people that know me better, so that¡¯s why I brought along Tira and the others.


    At the very least, I need to have some servants that are trustworthy enough to know about and help me with the secret of Ratoka being my body double, so my childhood friends from the new citizens are necessary to me. Tira, Reka, and Athrun shall become my maid, servant, and bodyguard.


    ¡°Then allow me to teach you, before being my servants, they¡¯re first and foremost my retainers. ¡­¡­Ahh, I¡¯m taking them as my servants because they have a deep connection to Kaldia.¡±


    I bluntly told Mrs. Heideman that I trusted in their abilities. I took the trouble of bringing servants I wouldn¡¯t have to be on guard against, it¡¯ll be annoying if I¡¯m forced to hire some servants I don¡¯t know just to fit in with other nobles.


    It seems that Mrs. Heideman who works in the royal capital for the Terejia family doesn¡¯t have a good grasp on the retainer system that¡¯s usually used by domain lords. All she did was close her mouth after stubbornly saying ¡°well, don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t tell you so,¡± and it was easy to tell from her attitude that she was dissatisfied.


    ¡°Earl-sama, we¡¯ve arrived at the main entrance to the noble school.¡±


    Just as the atmosphere was getting heavy in the carriage, the driver informed us of our arrival. The carriage that had already been decelerating, stopped completely. Mrs. Heideman got off the carriage without a single word, but her face was twisted somewhat unpleasantly.


    ¡°Mrs. Heideman, please help me take care of the payment for the rented carriage. Since it¡¯s my first time, it¡¯ll be reassuring to have an adult along.¡±


    Ratoka¡¯s intervention finally relieved the atmosphere. ¡­¡­Perhaps I should reward him with his favorite fruit later. Because he saved me the trouble of having to deal with this troublesome person on my first day of school. No wait, am I being too nice?


    When I got out of the carriage, the school gate in front of me overwhelmed my field of vision. On a path paved with bricks, was a beautifully decorated arch which served as the gate. Behind it, I could see a white school building. Also, above it was a perfect blue sky, beautiful weather for orientation day.


    It¡¯s quite a splendid sight. It¡¯s not as glittery as the royal palace, it can be said that the noble school has a majestic and refreshing appearance befitting that of an educational institute filled with rich history and tradition.


    ¡­¡­However, this wonderful view was slightly ruined by the memory of a certain otome game¡¯s cheaply drawn title and logo also set against the backdrop of this scene.


    Come to think of it, just what have I been doing, I shook my head, slightly disappointed in myself. I wasn¡¯t even all that busy recently¡­¡­ I almost completely forgot about it because it had no relation to the battlefield. I only remembered it again now that I¡¯m here.


    Although honestly, I wouldn¡¯t care if I had forgotten, there¡¯s only unpleasant memories, that might not even be useful for me.


    -This school was the main setting of that otome game.


    So, how much will the situations have changed? When I remembered back to poisoning my family, I smiled bitterly. At that time, I was more aware of what would befall me in the game, and I felt a stronger sense of hatred and fear.


    But anyways, how about now? Looking at this familiar sight even though I¡¯ve never been here before, I gradually tried recalling what memories I could.


    Although I can still conveniently remember some things about my previous life, I never really cared too much about the details of the otome game, and didn¡¯t think it had much value for me.


    ¡­¡­Well, it¡¯ll probably come back to me if I see someone familiar, so I don¡¯t need to try too hard right now. And besides, people are alive in this world, they won¡¯t act according to the game¡¯s script. It¡¯s totally meaningless, trying to guess how someone would act based on something as two-dimensional as a game, although knowing what will happen in the future in some fixed game scenarios, could definitely be useful.

 Ch 151

    ¡°Oi, look¡­¡­ that¡¯s Earl Kaldia. Black hair and blood-red eyes, there¡¯s no mistake.¡±¡°Ahh, is that the atrociously brutal earl that enjoys blood¡­¡­¡±


    In the hall filled with chatting students, I could hear some voices talking about me. Since I¡¯m an earl and the second highest-ranking student in school after the crown prince, I¡¯m attracting a lot of annoying attention.


    There are far more court nobles that live in the royal capital compared to landed nobles. Apparently in the ¡°second royal capital¡± of the school, rumors about my infamy have spread quickly from parents to children.


    While observing the power balance that was subtly different from the House of Lords, I slowly walked around the hall, looking for anyone that seemed familiar.


    There¡¯s supposed to be an evening party for welcoming the new students later tonight, and I thought about if I should attend, but being a recently promoted noble, I don¡¯t want to attract unnecessary attention. And besides, I can feel everyone looking at me, saying whatever they like, and honestly, it doesn¡¯t feel good.


    Although I was planning to leave after I found someone I recognized from the otome game, I wasn¡¯t able to find anyone like that. ¡­¡­At any rate, I don¡¯t really have anything to say to such a person regardless, apart from basic greetings, so how about I take my leave now? Just as I was getting tired of all the attention in the hall, someone tapped me on my shoulder.


    ¡°Hey, Earl Kaldia¡­¡­ no, Einsbark. Congratulations on your noble title promotion.¡± S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    When I turned around, I saw an astoundingly handsome boy with blonde hair and blue eyes. I managed to suppress my surprise.


    ¡°Crown prince Royal Highness¡­¡­¡±


    This person who was smiling softly at me was the crown prince of this country, Prince Alfred. With a dazzlingly brilliant smile, he held out his hand to me.


    I took his hand, and after a moment of confusion, I kissed the back of his hand. He greeted me when we haven¡¯t even been formally introduced to each other yet, there¡¯s no proper etiquette on what to do in this situation, but from his expression, maybe he had wanted me to shake his hand instead.


    I¡¯ve seen him a few times before when visiting the royal palace, but this is the first time I¡¯ve seen him up close and gotten a good look at his face. And now, I¡¯ve remembered that he¡¯s one of the capture targets from the otome game, and that he¡¯s supposed to be the freshman representative who will give the opening speech later. Now that I¡¯m seeing him directly, some hazy memories are coming back to me about the otome game, just like when I reached the school¡¯s door.


    I recalled that the crown prince had a close relationship with the other capture targets, and when I looked at the people next to him, as I expected I was assailed with more familiar faces.


    It¡¯s such a strange feeling. I¡¯ve forgotten their names, but I remember some other basic information about them from the character list.


    According to my vague memories, these guys next to him are the sons of the archduke, and the grandson of the Arxian Royal Army¡¯s general commander Marquis Rolentsor, they¡¯re definitely people that will be in positions critical to the future of this country.


    They¡¯re definitely going to be pillars of support for the crown prince in the future. ¡­¡­I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if this school gets attacked by those with nefarious plans in the future. It feels like too many important people have gathered here as freshmen with me this year.


    I remembered the woman that invaded our kingdom, and set so much of the commoners¡¯ district on fire, but I kept those unpleasant memories to myself.


    Well, it¡¯s probably due to my high ranking that the crown prince took the trouble of coming to greet me, due to social status within this school. Of course, there are noble children here from higher-ranked noble families than I am, but according to the laws of this country they¡¯re still treated as nobles without titles. Most students haven¡¯t obtained their own noble titles yet, after all. I think there may be a few students here that have inherited a baron or viscount title, but I seem to be the only one with a title of earl.


    ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m so happy to be noticed by Your Highness like this. It¡¯s a great honor to be congratulated like this by you.¡±


    ¡°Mm, I¡¯m happy to hear that we¡¯ll be in the same class. I¡¯ll be in your care from now on.¡±


    I finally managed to eke out some polite words required of me by etiquette, and the prince smiled back beautifully.


    Ahh, this is¡­¡­ With such an excellent appearance, I believe I can understand why many people would be attracted to him.


    His excellent appearance is one of his qualities. The first prince Albert is known for his intelligence, but evaluations about his appearance say that he¡¯s only average. The second and crown prince Alfred who¡¯s in front of me now, however, has a matchless appearance that makes me doubt my eyes with just how fine he looks.


    The fact that he was in the same class as me, I expected that as well based on the game of course, and unlike the first prince ¨C his bloodline has no controversy, coming only from Arxian royal blood.


    ¡°Hey, if possible, I¡¯d like it if you weren¡¯t so stiff around me. You¡¯re not my vassal yet, you¡¯re still my father the king¡¯s vassal, and besides this place is just a school. I¡¯d like to just be friends with you, how about it?¡±


    While I was busy thinking in silence and lost in this social situation I didn¡¯t understand at all after too much time on the battlefield, the crown prince¡¯s voice brought me back to my senses again. Maybe that¡¯s why he seemed dissatisfied with my kissing the back of his hand, I must have been too formal.


    ¡­¡­If possible, I¡¯d like to agree. If I¡¯m able to say that out loud, how joyous it would be. He¡¯s not just an otome game character, after all. However, I absolutely can¡¯t allow myself to make friends with someone for such a silly reason.


    ¡°I apologize if I¡¯m being too formal. Your Highness will be the future king. I can¡¯t allow myself to be impolite, please forgive me.¡±


    ¡°But, are you going to be so formal for three whole years? I think that it¡¯ll just be tiring for everyone. Given our ranks, I think that we¡¯ll be seeing each other quite often.¡±


    ¡­¡­No, of course it won¡¯t be too tiring. What is he talking about, this crown prince.


    Although I¡¯m the second highest ranking noble in school after the crown prince, once I leave school, I¡¯ll be just an earl again. What¡¯s more, I¡¯m an upstart inheritor. Unlike a higher rank like a marquis or a margrave, my social status isn¡¯t appropriate for getting close to the crown prince.


    There should be some dukes¡¯ daughters here as well, so I think he¡¯d be better off going to find them instead. In noble society, people of different statuses hanging out together would only plant the seeds of useless friction. Even now, I¡¯m still dealing with the annoying consequence of receiving that medal.


    Although I say this, my social status is much lower than the crown prince¡¯s, so unfortunately, I¡¯m unable to refuse his direct request.


    ¡°¡­¡­As Your Highness wishes.¡±


    In the end when I was forced to agree with him, the crown prince showed off his gorgeous smile again. It¡¯s quite blinding, my eyes are getting dizzy, please stop it.


    ¡°Thank you, earl. By the way, I was curious. Could you please tell me why it is that you¡¯re wearing clothing for boys?¡±


    ¡°According to the school regulations, students with noble titles are supposed to wear formal military attire.¡±


    ¡°Well, I know that, but still¡­¡­¡±


    I suppose it¡¯s only natural for the crown prince to be confused with what I¡¯m wearing. As always, I wore ceremonial clothing for males.


    This noble school has no school uniforms, and most noble children just wear their own clothing that they like. Especially the girls, it¡¯s normal for most of them to dress up every day and accessorize because other nobles¡¯ eyes will be on them. The majority of girls that aren¡¯t engaged will desperately be trying to find a partner here at noble school.


    But just as how the crown prince was wearing the clothes of his knight order, I was also currently wearing the military uniform of the Kaldia army, because of the rule where nobles with titles must attend school wearing military clothes. This rule is meant to make their statuses stand out from the other students.


    ¡°¡­¡­Is that rule really necessary for female students to follow?¡±


    ¡°I am the first example of a female student with a noble title that this school has ever had, so it applies to me as well.¡±


    Also, the reason why I¡¯ve always been wearing this style, is still the same as before. Since there have never been any underage female domain lords like me before, there¡¯s a lack of official rules regarding formal attire for girls. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve always been wearing knight attire or my military uniform whenever I attend social gatherings such as evening parties, I never change it.


    ¡°These clothes are more practical than skirts, and I happen to like wearing this style as well. I¡¯m glad that I don¡¯t have to spend any unnecessary money on accessories. Your Highness has no need to worry about my clothes.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Um, ¡­¡­I see. It¡¯s fine if you like it, then.¡±


    The crown prince seemed even more confused as he nodded.

 Ch 152

    ¡°Oh hey, since we¡¯re here, how about I introduce you to my friends?¡±¡°Alright, it¡¯ll be my honor to meet them.¡±


    ¡°Everyone, allow me to introduce her to you. This is Lesser Earl Eliza Kaldia Einsbark. Eliza-dono, these are Archduke Dovadain¡¯s sons, Viscount Grays and Baron Eric. And this is Baron Sieghart from the Rolentsor family.¡±


    ¡°As he just said, my name is Eliza Kaldia Einsbark.¡±


    The lineup of handsome boys in front of me is quite an impressive sight. As expected of otome game capture targets. I suppose it¡¯s typical since all of them are from powerful noble families with long histories. I vaguely feel like their faces are younger than I remember, but it¡¯s probably because I¡¯m meeting them a bit earlier than when the game started.


    ¡°Mmm, so you¡¯re the one we¡¯ve been hearing about. When I heard about your military accomplishments, I was very surprised to find out you were a girl.¡±


    ¡°I know. Rather than knight attire, wouldn¡¯t a dress look better on you?¡±


    Everyone around us seemed to be astonished at our gathering, and listening in while chatting about us.


    The boys introduced to me named Grays and Eric were chuckling impolitely while saying some inconsiderate things without even formally introducing themselves. The sons of Archduke Dovadain also have royal blood in them, they¡¯re the crown prince¡¯s cousins. Both of them have completely inherited their father Archduke Dovadain¡¯s looks, and the two of them appear so similar that they could almost be twins despite me knowing the fact that they have different mothers. They had red shoulder-length hair tied behind them, with matching light gold eyes. In the game, they had looked like this as well.


    In the game I could have sworn that both of them were supposed to be high spec, but am I remembering things incorrectly? In a public place, right after the crown prince¡¯s introduction, they¡¯re directly being so disrespectful to me. I feel like their heads are rather empty.


    ¡°You seem to resemble your father¡¯s appearance greatly. It¡¯s almost like you¡¯re a living incarnation. ¡­¡­And as for the battlefield, you were quite lucky. I have confidence that our military is quite well-trained, and we would have won anyways. You managed to defeat a small unit that happened to have a high-ranked commander in it, this can¡¯t be anything but sheer luck.¡±


    Although I didn¡¯t allow my facial expressions to move even one centimeter, I wasn¡¯t able to dodge their malevolent verbal barbs.


    ¡°She¡¯s like her father, eh. I¡¯ve heard about him, the infamous demon domain lord that raped and pillaged his own citizens, and devastated his own domain, right?¡±


    Maybe Eric has a sense for how to strike at weak points, he irritatingly added some more malicious information. I furtively glanced at my surroundings. The people around us listening in, seemed to be drowning me in an unpleasant, sinister atmosphere. The crown prince, and the other member of his retinue Sieghart who hadn¡¯t spoken yet, were the only ones who seemed like they were thinking about how to stop Eric.


    If your father had died five years earlier, you wouldn¡¯t have been born.¡±


    ¡°If I was born earlier, then there wouldn¡¯t have been any problems.¡±


    I sparred with him calmly. I predicted that my answers would incite him. Eric was shaking his head in irritation. It seems like my answers are getting under his skin.


    -I suppose that we¡¯re now going to be more distant from each other.


    I know that Eric isn¡¯t a direct descendant like Grays and Sieghart, and that his bad temper is most likely the result of his mother being a mistress. Even after graduation, the higher ranked noble children will still associate with each other, and maybe he¡¯ll get left out, I think he¡¯s just taking things out on me, how troublesome. Since Eric is an illegitimate child, he probably doesn¡¯t have a job lined up for the future.


    ¡°Eric.¡±


    Eric was glaring at me and seemed like he was about to explode, when Grays stopped him by tightly clamping his hand onto Eric¡¯s shoulder. He whispered something to Eric, and dragged him away.


    Well, although I¡¯m supposed to have a higher rank, there was no respect for me at all. I don¡¯t particularly want to worsen my relationship with Grays as well, but I¡¯m probably going to have to deal with high-ranked nobles like the archduke¡¯s family in the Upper House of Lords in the future. There¡¯s nothing I can do about it, so I¡¯ll just leave them alone.


    ¡°¡­¡­My friend was rude to you.¡±


    Sieghart awkwardly lowered his head towards me. Being the grandson of general commander Marquis Rolentsor, he had black hair and a sharp glint in his reddish-brown eyes. He has an intrepid face much like his grandfather, and he seems to have ambition as expected for a descendant of the greatest military family in Arxia. He¡¯s also the tallest of the four boys, and is in the best physical shape, it was easy to tell that he¡¯s a military noble.


    My name as well as the Einsbark name are both known as military nobles as well, but compared to him I feel like my body is dreadfully tiny. I guess the huge gap between us is because of gender?


    ¡°Please don¡¯t mind that. I seem to have hurt his feelings as well.¡±


    As I shrugged my shoulders, Sieghart seemed to sigh in relief. I can see a resemblance to Claudia in his actions, it definitely feels like they¡¯re related.


    ¡°How has Marquis Rolentsor¡¯s health been? On the battlefield, he took good care of me.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re asking about my grandfather, you must know him well. While we did live in the same house, he hasn¡¯t been there since the war began. It seems that he¡¯s been quite busy lately.¡±


    ¡°Ahh, then he¡¯s probably still dealing with the aftermath of the recent battles. There¡¯s a lot of injured soldiers, and many captured prisoners as well. Not only that, the enemy has invented a new weapon. Since the war hasn¡¯t ended either, he must prepare for the next battle.¡±


    The royal army is commanded by the kingdom, while domain armies are personal armies. That¡¯s why in war between countries, most of the fighting is done by the Royal Army and royal knights. Since Marquis Rolentsor has such a solemn personality, he¡¯s probably taking the lead in doing the work. I thought about how Ergnade was quite busy at this time as well.


    ¡°¡­¡­How about injured soldiers in the Kaldia army?¡±


    The crown prince who had been silently listening to us for a while asked a question in a soft voice. Maybe he already knows how many were injured in the Royal Army, he had a serious expression on his face.


    There weren¡¯t many large-scale battles in the war ¨C most of the battles were between small forces, and what¡¯s more, Arxia hasn¡¯t been in any major wars for 600 years. The population has increased greatly since that time period, along with the number of children.


    ¡°Fortunately, my army was almost unscathed on the battlefield. My army is primarily made up of cavalry troops¡­¡­ it¡¯s a bit of a different configuration from the Royal Army which is primarily infantry.¡±


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s good to hear. You won your first battle, and your troops were almost unscathed? You must be a very reliable leader.¡± Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The crown prince seemed to be happily praising me, but I felt my lips slightly twisting into the shape of a smile.


    ¡°Thank you for the compliment.¡±


    I see. He doesn¡¯t know yet about the details of the first battle I participated in.

 Ch 153

    Alright then. My school life began with a bit of an argument with the archduke¡¯s son, but other than that there didn¡¯t seem to be anything new or special about it.It¡¯s because there isn¡¯t much change to my daily routine no matter where I am.


    Oscar and Claudia send messenger soldiers with political paperwork for me to take care of on occasion, I¡¯m confirming reports and giving instructions on the continuing irrigation work in my domain, I check the food production statistics of my domain and calculate the amount of food that we need to import¡­¡­ and for some reason Fort Jugfena is also sending me intelligence reports on Rindarl for me to peruse over.


    Something like an intelligence report, is only supposed to be read by the highest military commanders and the commanders of important strategic locations. It can¡¯t be viewed otherwise unless the House of Lords approves of it.


    ¡­¡­I¡¯m currently exempted from having to participate in battle because of attending school, so why is Wiegraf sending me detailed intelligence and the proposed battle plans for future clashes? Well, perhaps he¡¯s just looking out for me since I fought together with him and his brother Ergnade, and all three of us helped to put together the plan for the display at Ritox Plateau. No, it could also be that he wants me to have as much information as possible, just in case I need to return to the frontlines for some reason.


    Because of all my work related to my domain and the current war situation, it¡¯s difficult for me to concentrate on my studies. As for all my classes every day and how to deal with learning it ¨C it¡¯s simple, I have a body double¡­¡­


    ¡°Hey, today as well that bastard Eric pulled on my hair, and stepped on the hem of my cloak. I thought this was supposed to be an upstanding educational facility? Oh, and the teacher gave an overview of the lecture¡¯s content. What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°I want to hear more.¡±


    Ratoka who just returned from classes was asking me in confusion about what was happening, although I only responded succinctly. ¡­¡­Although, hair pulling, stepping on the hem of a cloak, that Eric sure is immature. Is he a child? Well, he¡¯s thirteen¡­¡­ uh, I suppose he is a child.


    ¡°You want the details of the lecture? Um, it was a lecture about the Artolan legal system. Then, it was a comparison on differences between the laws of Artolas and Arxia, even though we both use the Sacred Code as the basis, we discussed why there would be differences, we analyzed its influence, and predicted about what would happen if we adopted some of their laws, things like that.¡±


    ¡°Comparing laws? What was the textbook used?¡±


    ¡°The title was ¡®Observations on Differences in other Sects¡¯ Laws.¡¯ It¡¯s a book from the church.¡± S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Ahh, I¡¯ve read that book before. There¡¯s no problem then. You¡¯ve read it before as well.¡±


    Yep, Ratoka nodded, as he told me some more details about the class. I know that it can be daunting for someone else to attend classes and do all the homework for me, but I¡¯ve given Ratoka an education and training before so he can handle it. If I had to do these things in addition to my normal workload, it would be an unreasonable amount.


    Well, it¡¯s not like I make Ratoka do it all the time, I still go and attend classes myself when I can, there¡¯s just no helping it¡­¡­ Well, that¡¯s what I told myself.


    But anyways, I glanced over again at his appearance. Even from an early age I felt like his facial features and all the colors matched mine so well, now that we¡¯re both maturing his face resembles mine even more, to the point where even Claudia will sometimes get us mixed up. When comparing side by side, Ratoka¡¯s face actually seems more feminine, and because he¡¯s been by my side for so long, he can accurately imitate my expressions and reactions without any suspicion. That¡¯s why I¡¯m having him go to classes for me¡­¡­


    ¡°¡­¡­What?¡±


    Has he been taking lessons from Claudia¡¯s sharp senses, Ratoka noticed me looking over at him. I told him it was nothing as I took my eyes off him.


    It¡¯s now one month after I¡¯ve entered school, and I still haven¡¯t discovered the person that I¡¯ve been searching for. Since we¡¯re still having only basic classes though, and we¡¯re supposed to be stuck in class for most of the time, there¡¯s no helping it that I can¡¯t move around. It should have been easy to find the person I¡¯m looking for just based on appearance, but every time I myself go to class I have to deal with the crown prince¡¯s appearance being an assault on my senses with how brightly he stands out, so it¡¯s quite a bother.


    Today when I went to class, just like always my eyes were drawn to the sight of his luxurious head of shimmery blonde hair glittering as it reflected the sunlight from the window. His terribly conspicuous appearance draws everyone¡¯s attention at all times, whether he wants to or not. Maybe if I see him more often I¡¯ll get used to it, and I¡¯ll build up a resistance?


    I briefly greeted him and sat down in an empty seat. I don¡¯t want to have to be invited by the prince to sit with his group by the time more students come and most seats are taken. It would be quite a bother, as I can easily imagine how much of a commotion that will cause with the other noble students if that happens.


    All of these classes have already been drilled into my head by Mrs. Marshan, so the only real reason for me to come to class is to have opportunities to get in contact with the crown prince and find out what he wants, this thought kept going around and around in my head.


    ¡­¡­I understand why Ergnade and the others would be concerned about me. I¡¯m someone that can help the war effort. Besides, they gave me their family name, even if we¡¯re not related by blood, we¡¯re as close as real relatives. I can also understand how the Terejia family is keeping an eye on me because I¡¯m the one who was raised up by Earl Terejia.


    However, I have no idea what the crown prince¡¯s intentions are towards me. After I graduate from noble school, I¡¯m going to return to my own domain. As someone who¡¯s going to control the entire kingdom in the future from the royal palace, why does he try to keep getting border noble that¡¯s only a lesser earl involved with him?


    Although I¡¯ll have to tolerate it patiently for three years, dealing with other nobles isn¡¯t something that I enjoy. I just want to stay by myself, I don¡¯t want to affect my domain¡­¡­ Since I can¡¯t go against the crown prince, I¡¯ll just deal with the nobles here the best I can with my poor abilities and stay silent as much as possible.


    Crack, I put too much force into my hands as I kept thinking. Then, I heard a snapping sound from between my hands.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±


    I¡¯ve done it now. I snapped my pen.


    Well, I did know that my pen was getting quite old and reaching the end of its lifespan. But, I still kept using it because it was still usable. It¡¯s not like I have a superhuman grasping strength like Claudia does.


    But now, the problem is that I don¡¯t have a replacement pen. While I was the one who broke it, I didn¡¯t think that it was going to break this quickly, and I just stared at the remnants of the pen in my hand.


    ¡­¡­What should I do about the class? Should I try writing with just the top half? I still need to share class information with Ratoka, so I¡¯d like to take notes on the teacher¡¯s lecture.


    ¡°Excuse me, Earl Kaldia.¡±


    Someone quietly called for me from beside me, and I finally took my eyes off my pen. When I saw who it was, I reflexively let out a small gasp of surprise. The boy who was talking to me was the exact person I was looking for all this time.


    He looked like an exact younger copy of Margrave Molton ¨C despite that, he seemed to not stand out for some reason ¨C Margrave Molton¡¯s son that he doted on so much sat down next to me.


    ¡°Please, go ahead and use this.¡±


    Why did I never notice him, with his distinctive silver hair. While I was frozen in surprise as if I was seeing something I couldn¡¯t comprehend, he handed a brand new feather pen to me.


    ¡°-Thank you. You¡¯ve been a great help.¡±


    Although I was thinking about looking for him and greeting him, now that the person I couldn¡¯t find was sitting next to me, and I still couldn¡¯t get over the shock that he had been in the same class all this time, my mind went blank and I could only respond foolishly to his offering his pen.


    ¡­¡­Although, with his hair color, and his face, why didn¡¯t his presence draw my attention instantly, like his father or the crown prince?

 Ch 154

    ¡°You¡¯re well acquainted with my father? Wow. Really?¡±¡°Of course. I get along quite well with your father. I even sent you gifts for your birthday celebrations before.¡±


    As we walked together in the brightly lit hallway towards the school dining hall, I had a conversation with the person I finally found after all this time, Margrave Molton¡¯s son, Jeff Molton.


    He has beautiful silver hair, and his eyes are a deeper emerald green compared to his father¡¯s ¨C I¡¯m still confused about how I could have missed him, seeing him up close now. Maybe the crown prince just stood out way too much, causing me to miss him.


    ¡°¡­¡­Ah, do you mean those baked confectioneries?¡±


    ¡°Yep. You have a good memory.¡±


    ¡°Every year, when they arrive, father will be so pleased, acting like it¡¯s from one of his best friends. I always thought that it was from a noble in the royal capital though¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°My domain doesn¡¯t produce any local specialties. That¡¯s why I buy sweets in the royal capital and send them over.¡±


    ¡°Ah, got it,¡± Jeff smiled softly in response. Comparing his expressions with his father, they¡¯re not alike at all. His gentle smile makes him seem like someone you can easily approach. It seems that while they look alike, many personality traits are different.


    As we got closer to the large dining hall, the number of students in the hallway increased. Jeff didn¡¯t seem to mind, but for him to be seen associating with me and my bad reputation, I could sense everyone¡¯s curious and distasteful stares.


    ¡°¡­¡­Ahh, come to think of it, I¡¯m sorry, but I have to do something in the library before lunch. See you later!¡±


    As we turned around a corner, I took this chance to come up with an excuse to leave. If we¡¯re seen entering the dining hall together, it¡¯ll attract too much attention.


    The Molton family isn¡¯t one that has a particularly strong influence or reputation in the royal capital. The Molton domain is geographically located too far away from the royal capital, and Margrave Molton only spends a limited amount of time here.


    However, the Molton domain is one of the biggest producers of jewelry thanks to extensive gem mines, so they often earn money by trading in the royal capital. I¡¯m sure that they would like to avoid causing any trouble in the royal capital if at all possible.


    Even if the merchants here already know what type of person Margrave Molton is, the school is an isolated environment and it¡¯s difficult for me to calculate how much of a negative influence associating with me will be for Jeff.


    ¡°Is that so? Ah, er¡­¡­ mm. Then, see you later, Earl Kaldia¡­¡­ er, Einsbark.¡±


    Jeff tilted his head slightly as he said goodbye, which I¡¯m sure the other students noticed. I accepted this, and waved goodbye to him.


    ¡°You can just call me Kaldia, Molton. Otherwise it¡¯s a bit easy to get confused with the other Earl Einsbark.¡±


    ¡°Ahh, that¡¯s right. Hm¡­¡­ you can just call me Jeff as well. Molton sounds too much like my father.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s do that then.¡±


    He nodded as he left. It seems that his father and him are both similarly chatty. Even though he¡¯s just as welcoming as his father, it gives me a strange feeling. So are their atmospheres similar after all, or am I just feeling nostalgia because of their similar welcoming chattiness?


    ¡°-Oi.¡±


    I heard a voice from behind me, and I reflexively turned around while holding my coat so that it wouldn¡¯t get in my way. While turning around I also jumped back two steps, and I smacked away the hand that was reaching for my hair.


    I heard a small moan of pain from the hand¡¯s owner. Because I couldn¡¯t see him coming, he probably thought that this was a good chance to attack me.


    ¡°¡­¡­Excuse me, Baron Dovadain. My apologies if I scared you ¨C it¡¯s a habit from the battlefield.¡±


    I barely managed to refrain from pulling out my sword, and I informed Eric about my habit In a steely voice. Honestly, if I hadn¡¯t controlled my reaction a little, I probably could have sliced him in half. Gunther drilled my reflexes against ambushes deep into my bones.


    At any rate, I¡¯m someone who was on the battlefield. Eric should at least take that into consideration. I can¡¯t just kill the members of the archduke¡¯s family however I like, though.


    ¡°And, did you need something from me?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Where are you going. Isn¡¯t it lunchtime right now? Just what are you planning to do, going in the opposite direction of the dining hall, away from where everyone is? Are you planning to slice someone¡¯s servant into little pieces?¡±


    I tilted my head at his voice filled with enmity and sarcasm. Just what does he mean, saying I plan to slice someone¡¯s servant into little pieces? It¡¯s such an unexpected comment, that I can¡¯t tell if it¡¯s a dark joke meant as some sort of greeting or if he seriously thought that was what I was planning.


    ¡°I¡¯m headed for the library. I thought that I¡¯d see if they had any books on irrigation.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Irrigation? What is that?¡± S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°There¡¯s lots of undeveloped land in my domain. Preventing floods, and creating a water transport system near rivers and lakes so that people can live there is what irrigation is.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Aren¡¯t you the hard worker.¡±


    Even though I answered his question, Eric was still quite brusque and seemed frustrated. It¡¯s bothersome to deal with him, so I decided to leave, when he stopped me again.


    ¡°I¡¯m not done talking with you yet!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­What else is there?¡±


    ¡°Alfred seems to have a high opinion of you, but Grays and I don¡¯t trust you yet! Know your place and don¡¯t get too close to Alfred, you upstart lesser earl!¡±


    Know your place, doesn¡¯t this kind of not apply to me? I know better than anyone the distrust and loathing that many nobles have towards me. I¡¯m the one who¡¯s confused on why Crown Prince Alfred is taking an interest in me.


    ¡°As for whatever deep thoughts His Royal Highness may be thinking, I wouldn¡¯t know, as I¡¯m merely a lesser earl. However, since His Royal Highness can think for himself, and as he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll soon learn more about social statuses just by spending time at this school.¡±


    ¡°Huh? What does that mean?¡±


    While Eric was still tilting his head in confusion, I merely said ¡°sorry, excuse me now since I really need to go to the library,¡± left him there just like that.


    What does it mean? It means that I know full well the difference in status between the crown prince and myself. Sigh¡­¡­ in order to put some more distance between the crown prince and myself, should I find an excuse to go back to Kaldia some time? I¡¯m the head of the household anyways, so I can give myself permission any time I feel like it.

 Ch 155

    (TL note: After checking it out, it seems that Jeff Molton¡¯s first name was originally indeed intended to be Zephyr. Therefore, I¡¯ve changed his name, even though he doesn¡¯t appear in this chapter.) sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.I held the tip of my rapier horizontally, pointed at the throat of the general commander¡¯s grandson Sieghart. Although normally wider swords should be used in battle, as rapier techniques are mostly ceremonial.


    My opponent Sieghart set up an elegant pose with his rapier in front of his body, as someone who will surely enter the Royal Guards knight order in the future, he was probably educated in the finest ceremonial rapier techniques there are.


    ¡°I¡¯ll begin.¡±


    ¡°Please go ahead.¡±


    Since rapiers are light short swords, it¡¯s a high-speed duel. Even though Sieghart said that he¡¯ll begin attacking, he took his time in testing my defense for openings, without going for direct attacks.


    No matter how light it is, you need to have adequate muscle strength in order to maintain the proper sword stances. If we keep dueling defensively, I¡¯ll be at a disadvantage due to my limitations in stamina. Taking that into consideration, I began my offensive.


    I purposely crossed swords with him, and managed to avoid being hit by his next slash, using the momentum from our swords clashing to jump back. Clang, while our swords weren¡¯t broken, there was a grating sound in the air while I almost lost hold of my sword from the impact, having to pull on the edge of my coat to find my balance again, as I put distance between us and fixed my combat stance.


    ¡­¡­As expected of the foremost military family in this country. There are no flaws in his defense whatsoever. It¡¯s quite evident that he¡¯s extremely skilled in handling his sword.


    ¡°Beautiful moves, Rolentsor.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to countless hours of practicing!¡±


    Turning on one foot, I avoided his sword which instantly came at me again, and blocked his attack with my sword. Originally in ceremonial swordplay, once you trade blows you¡¯re supposed to draw back, but ¨C reflexively, I stepped forward into his bosom.


    ¡°Wha!?¡±


    Screech, a high-pitched metallic sound was ringing. Even though Sieghart obviously had more muscle strength than me, I was pushing back his rapier with my own. I had the advantage in positioning, and he was forced just slightly off balance.


    I increased the speed of my movements even more, and I stomped down diagonally ¨C aiming straight for his feet.


    There was a pleasant sound as my foot connected against his, and the general commander¡¯s grandson fell face forward onto the thick mat. Just as I was about to reflexively attack his wide-open back with my sword as he poised both his hands to break his fall, the instructor shouted ¡°that¡¯s enough!¡± at that moment.


    I threw down my sword, then I finally remembered that this was only supposed to be a practice duel, which caused me to really want to clench my head.


    -This is bad. I¡¯ve gone completely overboard. Unconsciously, I moved according to the familiar movements of my training, but I shouldn¡¯t have done that here.


    ¡°¡­¡­Eh, huh?¡±


    Sieghart seemed to be terribly confused as he dazedly looked at me. ¡°Are you alright,¡± I asked him. While he didn¡¯t shake his head, his head was bleeding slightly from what I did to him. Still, I kept asking him if he could stand up, while he just remained sitting there in his daze, and I just repeated my question over and over while hurriedly extending my hand to him, and he finally took my hand and pulled himself up.


    ¡°Sorry, I¡­¡­ are you hurt?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine¡­¡­¡±


    The general commander¡¯s grandson who was just slightly taller than me kept looking at me with a confused expression. I think he was about to say something, just when he opened his mouth, the instructor called out my name, with an ¡°Earl Kaldia!¡±


    ¡°Ahh, Earl Kaldia. What was that, that underhanded swordsmanship?¡±


    Listening to the instructor¡¯s shocked reaction, I reflected on my actions that this was just as I expected. The training ground for the practice duel suddenly became abuzz with commotion when it was completely silent during our duel.


    ¡°Swordsmanship is something that¡¯s supposed to be elegant, beautiful, fair, and clean. It¡¯s inconceivable that you, a noble, would use such a tactic suited for commoner soldiers!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­My apologies.¡±


    This time was my fault. Normally I hold back when swinging my sword around. ¡­¡­The general commander¡¯s grandson was too strong, I wasn¡¯t able to help myself because he was the first one I couldn¡¯t win against unless I used my full abilities.


    This mock duel between Sieghart and I, was originally intended by the instructor to be a demonstration of ceremonial swordplay, in order to teach the other students that hadn¡¯t learned it before.


    If I win using tactics that aren¡¯t a part of ceremonial swordsmanship, then it won¡¯t be an example for the other students. Because my opponent only used ceremonial swordsmanship, I¡¯m the one who broke a rule here. It¡¯s completely considered my fault.


    ¡°-Humph. As expected, cowardly methods befit the cold-blooded earl famous for killing unarmed enemies without even flinching. Doing such an ugly thing, winning with no pride or honor at all. Just like a low-class commoner.¡±


    Eric¡¯s voice instantly came ridiculing me from the side, when right after his rant Sieghart roared at him. ¡°ERIC!!¡± Sieghart is someone who¡¯s talented enough to know that my combat style is necessary on the battlefield, so he¡¯s probably defending me because of it.


    ¡°Eric, I can¡¯t let this insult pass. Take your words back right now!¡±


    ¡°Oh, um, Rolentsor, wait a moment. It was my bad just now¡­¡­ Please calm down.¡±


    He tried convincing Sieghart in a subdued voice. I suppose this situation is bad for him. For someone who will likely be the future general commander in the future by the crown prince¡¯s side to be seen shouting angrily at Eric like this in class, it will cause rumors.


    ¡°But, your words just now were an insult to every soldier on the battlefield. It¡¯s unforgiveable.¡±


    ¡°Even so, what he says is true. I used a style that wasn¡¯t appropriate for this place, my earlier sword technique was indeed learned from commoners. It doesn¡¯t change the fact that I used an underhanded technique during the duel. My apologies.¡±


    I whispered that to Seighart so only he could hear it, but it was obvious for anyone that Eric had been ridiculing me. The commotion in class kept increasing in volume, to the point where the noble instructor was shouting ¡°quiet!¡±


    The crown prince and Grays just happened to not be here today due to official business, normally they would be able to help contain the commotion.


    ¡­¡­Ahh, this is terrible. For Eric who was trying to ¡°preserve honor in duels¡± to get shouted at by his friend Sieghart like that, his pride will greatly suffer. And now, nobody¡¯s here who can help calm him down.


    ¡°¡­¡­What are you talking about, Sieg! It¡¯s because of dirty tactics, that you always lose!¡±


    Sure enough, when Eric¡¯s temper flared up and he started shouting angrily back at Sieghart, I involuntarily leaned my head back and stared at the ceiling. I already knew that trying to reason with children was an impossible task, and that it would only lead to loud arguments ¨C this is something I know from experience.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­What?¡±


    Now I heard Sieghart¡¯s low voice filled with anger. I kept scolding myself mentally for my major blunder in not holding back being the cause of this gigantic mess.

 Ch 156

    ¡°My head hurts¡­¡­ I don¡¯t want to go to school¡­¡­¡±¡°What are you saying, weren¡¯t you the one who said I shouldn¡¯t switch in for you for a while?¡±


    Ratoka was chewing his breakfast while talking, furrowing his eyebrows in puzzlement. Ever since that mock duel, I hardly ever had him substitute in for me. Based on the situation, I judged that it would be difficult for him to take my place.


    ¡°Hey, you should eat your breakfast properly as well. Just what exactly happened? I¡¯ve never seen this type of expression on your face before.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­You¡¯re being noisy. I don¡¯t want to talk right now, Elise¡­¡­¡±


    I kept clenching my head, while Ratoka stopped eating, picked up a piece of bread and smeared some jam on it, and stuffed it into my mouth.


    ¡°Hurry up and eat. You¡¯ll be late for the next class unless you leave soon.¡±


    ¡­¡­Urk. My head hurts. I don¡¯t want to go to school. I mean, why do I need to keep going to classes I¡¯ve already learned? Rather than doing something meaningless, shouldn¡¯t I use my time more productively instead on my domain lord work?


    Am I the type of student to skip classes though? That thought kept circling around in my head as I listlessly ate my breakfast.


    ¡°Good morning, Kaldia. Are you alright? You don¡¯t look so good¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Ahh, Zephyr¡­¡­ Good morning.¡± (TL reminder: Jeff -> Zephyr, see last chapter TL note)


    Zephyr sat down next to me and looked over with a concerned expression. I decided to go to class in the end, although I feel like I may feel worse if I don¡¯t take a break soon. He often talks to me like this, even though his reputation may be affected. Lately I¡¯ve been worrying as well if he¡¯s suffered because of it, so as a result I¡¯ve been chatting with him more often.


    ¡°My body¡¯s fine. I¡¯ve just been dealing with too much lately, I¡¯m a bit tired.¡±


    ¡°I see. Try not to overdo things? Um¡­¡­ it¡¯ll be difficult for everyone if a domain lord collapses.¡±


    ¡°Ahh, thank you for your concern.¡±


    He should also know the real reason why I¡¯m not feeling well. However, I¡¯m very grateful to him that he isn¡¯t asking me to talk about it, it¡¯s very difficult for me right now as it feels like my heart is being stabbed.


    ¡°Good morning, Earl Kaldia, Molton.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Good morning, Rolentsor.¡±


    ¡°Good morning as well to you, Baron Rolentsor.¡±


    Sieghart came over to us like it was the natural thing to do for him, his nonchalant expression saying he felt like he belonged, and I softly clutched my head again.


    It¡¯s been 10 days since that mock duel. However, after the argument between Sieghart and Eric on that day, they¡¯ve been arguing each time they see each other every day now. Crown Prince Alfred and Grays still haven¡¯t returned yet from their official business, so there¡¯s nobody that can mediate between them.


    And on top of all that, the general commander¡¯s grandson now hangs out with me every day as if to guard me from Eric.


    This is why my head hurts.


    For Sieghart who¡¯s a member of the prestigious Rolentsor military family, he can easily make a connection with Eric who has royal blood from Archduke Dovadain who is the king¡¯s younger brother, if they just talk it out, I¡¯m sure they can go back to being good friends again and forget about their argument.


    The crown prince and the two brothers from the archduke¡¯s family have a social status that¡¯s far too different from mine, if at all possible I don¡¯t want to associate with them, but the general commander¡¯s grandson is a different story. I already get along quite well with several members of the Rolentsor family, and taking the future into consideration I think that I wouldn¡¯t mind if I had a friendlier relationship with just Sieghart from the four capture targets.


    However¡­¡­ this situation is bad. Since I¡¯m in the center of it all, it¡¯s really bad.


    After that mock duel ¨C Sieghart forced Eric to apologize twice for his insults that went overboard. I also apologized myself, only to Sieghart.


    Of course, Eric became more distant from us after this incident. Then, Sieghart declared in front of the entire class, that he wouldn¡¯t renew his friendship with Eric until he apologized sincerely.


    Even though Sieghart seems quite calm now, the way he¡¯s dealing with this whole matter is¡­¡­ he¡¯s just a stubborn child, although I can¡¯t say that directly to him.


    This is terrible. ¡­¡­Because of me, there¡¯s now a rift in the crown prince¡¯s retinue. Right now it¡¯s still only to the extent of a children¡¯s quarrel, but when I think about how the story might be twisted by the time the crown prince returns¡­¡­ my head hurts.


    ¡°Come to think of it, I think it¡¯s about time¡­¡­ if it¡¯s okay with both of you, I¡¯d like to call you by your first names. Especially since I¡¯ve heard that Earl Kaldia already has a good relationship with several other Rolentsors?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Mm, ahh¡­¡­?


    ¡°Or would you prefer if I just call you Kaldia like Molton does? In my opinion, I think that we¡¯re friendly enough now where I¡¯d like to be granted this permission.¡±


    ¡°Ahh¡­¡­ I suppose¡­¡­?¡±


    During my headache Sieghart kept bothering me about something, but honestly I didn¡¯t really pay attention to what he said and just responded with something that seemed appropriate. Then I noticed how happy he suddenly seemed to be, which snapped me back to my senses with a bad feeling.


    ¡°Is that so, thank you. Then I¡¯ll be in your care, Kaldia. Is it alright if I also call you Molton then?¡±


    ¡°Oh? It¡¯ll be my honor, becoming friends with you. Go ahead and call me Molton if you like.¡±


    ¡­¡­Wait a moment. This is a conversation about what to address each other as? sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Among nobles, what they call each other in private is a huge indication of their level of friendship. At first you¡¯re supposed to address them by their proper name or title, they¡¯ll use honorifics when they get to know each other, and when they become close friends they¡¯ll start calling each other by name.


    Now I¡¯m deeply regretting that I responded without paying attention. I hope that this won¡¯t cause the fighting to intensify even further¡­¡­ and, when I noticed Eric glaring in our direction ferociously, my all too sweet dream was dashed instantly.


    Before the crown prince returns, I need to figure out how to manage Eric and Sieghart.


    ¡­¡­Ahh, my head hurts. I want to go back to my room and sleep.

 Ch 157

    ¡°We¡¯re going out. Reka, Tira, please make the preparations.¡±¡°¡­¡­Eh?¡±


    I got a reply from my guardian that I contacted for the first time after I came to noble school. After I confirmed the contents of Earl Terejia¡¯s letter, I placed it in my desk drawer, and Tira who thought she would just prepare my school things like usual raised her voice in surprise.


    ¡°Out? Does that mean we¡¯re going outside the school?¡±


    ¡°Yep. First we¡¯re going to Earl Terejia¡¯s residence, then the House of Lords, and after that will depend on the situation. Elise will come as ¡®Ratoka¡¯ today. He¡¯ll act as my personal attendant.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    Saying that he¡¯s going as Ratoka today, means that he¡¯ll be wearing men¡¯s clothing this time. With an expression that said he was tired of having to wear annoying maid clothes all the time, Ratoka quickly left the room to go change together with Reka.


    ¡°¡­¡­Wait a moment. We¡¯re going to the House of Lords as well?¡±


    ¡°Arktoria Castle which contains the House of Lords only permits nobles to enter. You guys can just wait for me at the entrance. There¡¯s no need to be so nervous, Athrun.¡±


    ¡°Nah¡­¡­ It¡¯s not that I¡¯m nervous. Are you going to be alright, taking us with you? Taking us Shiru tribe members close to the royal palace, won¡¯t it be a problem?¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t be a problem,¡± I answered the anxious Athrun as I looked him over from head to toe. The Shiru tribe that originally lived in the plateau have slightly darker skin than people from the Jugfena region, but their facial features are just about the same. Besides, I wondered why Athrun thought it would be a problem.


    In my domain, I¡¯ve successfully kept any negative feelings about the Shiru tribe under control. In fact, my original citizens have positive feelings towards them, as they¡¯ve helped spread domesticated meat, milk, and dairy products in Kaldia. Even though we¡¯re not in Kaldia now, there really shouldn¡¯t be anyone holding such negative feelings toward the Shiru tribe here. And when the war with Rindarl begin, many Shiru members joined my army for the war effort, and the current atmosphere in my domain is that discriminating against them is taboo.


    Athrun¡¯s line of sight moved to Tira standing behind me. Tira is the only pure Shiru kid among us, and it¡¯s a bit evident that her skin is somewhat darker than the farmer¡¯s child Reka and the half-Shiru Athrun.


    ¡°Arxia has many people with darker skin. There¡¯s plenty of people from the southwest with even darker skin than the Shiru tribe. Your features may be considered rare in the eastern part that we reside in, but it¡¯s common for nobles¡¯ servants to come from all over the place, so nobody will find you strange at all.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡­¡±


    Athrun nodded, but it still seemed like he wasn¡¯t in full agreement. ¡­¡­Well then. In noble school, there¡¯s very few people that know just where Tira and Athrun came from.


    Maybe those who are extremely well informed will figure out from their skin color that they came from the Artolan refugees that Kaldia accepted, but like I just explained to Athrun, it¡¯s common in Arxia for there to be tan skin even darker than theirs. With no evidence, not counting children, any nobles with an education wouldn¡¯t make a fool of themselves without proof.


    I turned from Athrun and looked at Tira. She was still smiling calmly and softly, but since Athrun seemed to be so worried, as their guardian I feel like I should say something about this.


    ¡°Tira, in the end Mrs. Heideman is just someone from outside Kaldia. No matter what she said that day, don¡¯t worry about it. You¡¯re always my citizens first and foremost, and I won¡¯t let even the Terejia family insult you guys. I don¡¯t mind even if I have to issue a formal protest to Marquis Rittergau. I¡¯m going to meet his younger brother today, anyways.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t mind it. Personally, I think that I can trust my lord, Eliza-sama more than anyone else, and believe what you say. ¡­¡­Um, you know, for us Shiru tribe, the word of an outsider is worth less than the baying of our livestock. That¡¯s why, it doesn¡¯t really matter what other people say.¡±


    I nodded at Tira¡¯s words. Servants usually have different ranking systems divided by gender. For Mrs. Heideman who was the head housekeeper, it must have been a blow to her pride when she learned that Tira who¡¯s only my maid had a larger room given to her than what Mrs. Heideman probably had.


    Since the Terejia family has profited from the demands created by war, for them to send her for the purpose of disparaging the Shiru tribe couldn¡¯t have been their intention. If Mrs. Heideman had been using the Shiru tribe as an excuse to attack Tira, it¡¯s because she couldn¡¯t find any other faults. Tira¡¯s such an excellent maid.


    ¡°¡­¡­Shiru women are so strong.¡±


    Athrun finally seemed relieved as he muttered that. Ratoka finished changing and came back at this time, and just like that this matter was settled. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    I suppose I need to start paying attention to Mrs. Heideman¡¯s movements, and judge based on the situation if I need to fire her. For the Terejia family to have saddled me with such a useless person, it¡¯s a good chance that they¡¯ve given me. The Terejia family isn¡¯t a solid rock after all, maybe this will become a useful attack card in the future.

 Ch 158

    It¡¯s really been so long since I last saw Earl Terejia.¡°I haven¡¯t come to greet you for such a long time, my apologies.¡± Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I was the one who should have been there for your school¡¯s opening ceremony.¡±


    The earl was casually resting on a couch, and it feels like his expression is just slightly less strict than usual after seeing me return here. Ever since he arrived in Kaldia to become my guardian, the situation had been so bad in my domain that it took up so much of his time, that¡¯s why the earl that I usually see was always so strict.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that you¡¯ve been feeling worse lately¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just some light coughing. My family is making a big fuss out of nothing every time I want to get some bed rest for a day or two. There¡¯s no problem.¡±


    ¡°Is that the case? I¡¯m glad to hear it¡¯s not serious.¡±


    ¡°Humph, everyone¡¯s treating me like an old man at death¡¯s door. Even though my older brother is still energetically working in the castle every day. Shouldn¡¯t he be the one treated like me because he¡¯s even more of a workaholic?¡±


    After my tenth birthday, Earl Terejia started staying in the royal capital for longer periods of time. And when I was promoted in noble rank, he ended his regency of taking care of Kaldia for me, and returned to his royal capital residence permanently.


    He has no children or anyone who will inherit his title, and lately he hasn¡¯t been attending House of Lords meetings much either. Apart from doing some accounting for the royal palace which was his original work and the basis for his noble title, he¡¯s mostly retired now, and spends his time enjoying himself in his mansion.


    ¡°¡­¡­Well, it¡¯s whatever. Anyhow, I hear that you¡¯ve been caught up in a troublesome situation?¡±


    He still holds much information on the other nobles¡¯ weaknesses, and even now many nobles in the royal capital will often come to consult him on various matters. As always, my guardian seems to have a little too much influence.


    Well¡­¡­ it¡¯s exactly because he has so much information that I¡¯m coming to consult him this time, though. Since my noble rank was promoted, I¡¯m going to have more and more dealings with other nobles in the future.


    ¡°Yes. Actually, Eric-dono from the archduke¡¯s family is giving me some trouble¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just like the situation you wrote me about in the letter? After I read it, I instantly disposed of the letter.¡±


    I simply confirmed by nodding. Before I came to visit him, I gave him a report on the tangled relationships between me, the crown prince, and the three members of the prince¡¯s retinue. Since I also wrote my personal thoughts about them in my report, it would greatly trouble me if someone other than the earl saw it, and the earl and I are now deeply connected and on the same boat, so of course he would never betray me and he shredded my letter. That¡¯s what he meant when he said he disposed of it.


    ¡°Yes. Also, I don¡¯t understand why Eric seems to have such strong feelings of enmity toward me for the things I said. Although I did want to verbally attack him so that it would be easier for me to be distant from the crown prince.¡±


    ¡°It seems like you haven¡¯t talked much to the Rolentsor boy or Grays yet? Especially Grays, you haven¡¯t talked to him since the first day other than greeting him?¡±


    ¡°It felt like an appropriate distance to keep from Grays-dono, it felt comfortable this way. Does it have to do with the archduke¡¯s family education as well?¡±


    I don¡¯t know what type of person Archduke Dovadain is, as he hardly ever attends House of Lords meetings. As the younger brother of the king, he¡¯s a major figure in the Upper House of Lords, but from what I can tell, he almost never gets involved in politics.


    ¡°¡­¡­The archduke¡¯s family, eh¡­¡­¡±


    However, it appears that even Earl Terejia who¡¯s spent time in the Upper House of Lords before doesn¡¯t know much about the archduke. In a rare instance, he didn¡¯t have much to say, and his usually strict face became even grimmer.


    I kept drinking my black tea as I waited for him to say something. While waiting for the earl¡¯s information, I reviewed the facts I already knew about the archduke¡¯s family.


    No matter how much of a child he may be ¨C even if Eric is only an illegitimate son, he¡¯s still from one of the most important major noble families, and his behavior is too strange. Every time he behaves inappropriately, it makes me raise my eyebrows in wonder at just what kind of education he received in the archduke¡¯s family, and he¡¯s done so more than once.


    He¡¯s the son of a concubine, with how much he resembles Grays and the way he acts, he probably received equal treatment to Grays. Then, his education shouldn¡¯t have been all that different from Grays.


    Among the crown prince and his retinue, Grays is the only one who hasn¡¯t spoken to me much. Does he already have his sight set on being the next archduke I wonder, it feels like he has an attitude where he doesn¡¯t even pay attention to a mere upstart lesser earl.


    And, I feel like his attitude is to be expected. Sieghart being from a military family is an exception, but the crown prince and his two cousins that are the archduke¡¯s sons shouldn¡¯t be showing this much interest in me.


    ¡­¡­Since noble school has its own isolated society, it¡¯s unavoidable that the crown prince and other nobles would pay attention to me since I have the second highest noble ranking.


    However, that only applies inside noble school, once we¡¯re back in normal noble society, I¡¯m still just one of many lower-ranked nobles. With regards to military noble families, the Rolentsors and the Einsbarks are much more accomplished than I am. The crown prince is being way too friendly with me for some unknown reason¡­¡­ but I¡¯ll leave him alone for now.


    The mystery is in the difference between Eric and Grays. Being from the archduke¡¯s family, Grays is distancing himself from me appropriately, but Eric isn¡¯t doing so. But if they had different educations and were treated differently in their family, Grays and Eric shouldn¡¯t be so close to each other. Even though one is the heir and the other a bastard son, they get along just like twins would. Since Eric is allowed to be equal to Grays, then why is it that their attitudes toward me are so different?


    ¡­¡­I really don¡¯t want to stick my nose in other families¡¯ household problems, but in order to manage Eric, so that nothing bad happens to me in the end, I¡¯m going to have to learn more about whatever his bothersome family issues are.

 Ch 159

    ¡°¡­¡­How much do you know about the archduke¡¯s wife?¡±Just as I was finishing the last sip of my black tea, Earl Terejia finally spoke up.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that Grays¡¯ mother is the official wife, and Eric¡¯s mother is a concubine, and that the archduke got married when he was still one of the possible heirs to the throne.¡±


    ¡°The archduke¡¯s concubine Marleen is from the Provents family¡­¡­ which is a branch family of Marquis Zellutelutsviha¡¯s family, and the archduke¡¯s official wife Otelia is from Duke Zastin¡¯s family. The archduke married them both at almost the same time, and again they almost simultaneously gave him two sons, Grays and Eric, in the same year. I don¡¯t know in detail if his two wives get along well or not. Marleen almost never goes out in public.¡±


    ¡°Zellutelutsviha¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Marleen¡¯s a princess of Zellutelutsviha. In order to deepen the relationship between the royal family and the independent Marquis territory, it was a common type of political marriage in order to increase friendship with Zellutelutsviha.¡±


    In the Red Karan mountains, there¡¯s a unique area in Arxia known as the independent Marquis territory. I didn¡¯t know that Eric¡¯s ancestry hailed from such a region. Well, unless Eric¡¯s temper is because of a special type of mental disorder in Zellutelutsviha, I don¡¯t see how this is very useful so far.


    ¡°Also, from what I¡¯ve heard, the concubine Marleen was originally treated the same as the official wife Otelia. That¡¯s probably why Eric has a higher status than Otelia¡¯s second son as well.¡±


    Come to think of it, I received an invitation recently to Grays¡¯ birthday party first, meaning he¡¯s older than Eric. I didn¡¯t pay much attention to it, since nobles typically send out a huge amount of invitations just for courtesy. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Considering my current relationship with Eric, I really want to decline it, but¡­¡­


    ¡°Was originally, does that mean it¡¯s not the case anymore?¡±


    ¡°Marleen passed away approximately five years ago.¡±


    I looked at Earl Terejia as he fell silent.


    ¡°¡­¡­I didn¡¯t know about that. The concubine being treated equally to the official wife in the archduke¡¯s family, as well as her having passed away, it¡¯s not well known to many people.¡±


    I would remember any knowledge about the royal family and the archduke¡¯s family as it¡¯s common sense to do so. If there¡¯s something I didn¡¯t know, it probably means that it wasn¡¯t meant for a lower-ranked noble like me to begin with.


    ¡°The archduke¡¯s family held only a small private funeral for Marleen, and it seems that they only told the relevant parties.¡±


    ¡°I see, does this all have to do with Eric¡¯s outrageous behavior?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t say with absolute certainty, but I did start hearing bad things about Eric¡¯s reputation right after Marleen¡¯s death. He lost his mother, he¡¯s alone in a complex family situation, it¡¯s conceivable that his personality may have become a little twisted in such a scenario.¡±


    ¡­¡­As he said his personality may have become a little twisted, it felt like the earl was taking a very deep look at me. Well, in my case, my personality may have become twisted when I killed my parents, Eric¡¯s case is probably a lot different from mine.


    ¡°So the exact reason is unclear, correct?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all I know. It¡¯s because I hardly have any dealings with the archduke¡¯s family.¡±


    After that, he stopped talking, and finished his already cold tea.


    It seems that if I want any more information than this, I¡¯ll have to find it myself, eh. I do have the birthday party invitation coming up, so that¡¯s a potential chance I could use. I¡¯m going to have to adjust my schedule again¡­¡­ I suppose I should leave everything I don¡¯t have time to handle personally to Ratoka.


    In the afternoon, just like I planned, I went to the House of Lords. Since there aren¡¯t many people staying here during spring, the meetings usually aren¡¯t as important. Usually what they do in spring is things like confirming the national budget, hearing cases involving people from the palace, stuff of this degree.


    I took the fact that the House of Lords usually doesn¡¯t have anything important going on at this time into consideration when I decided to leave school to go and collect information today. Since the House of Lords is where nobles gather, it¡¯s a place where I can gather information even if there¡¯s no meeting today as some nobles will still be there.


    ¡°Hello, how are you today, Earl Ruktoferd?¡±


    ¡°Ohh, if it isn¡¯t Earl Einsbark. How are you? How¡¯s school life treating you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a fresh experience for me every day. I¡¯ve never had so many people of the same age around me before.¡±


    The first noble that I saw and greeted was Earl Ruktoferd. His domain is one of the few that produces warhorses, and Kaldia¡¯s first batch of horses was from the Ruktoferd domain as well. And since a retired soldier from his army was the one who helped teach my cavalry troops how to ride horses, I¡¯ve known and had dealings with Earl Ruktoferd for a long time.


    ¡°What are you up to today, then? I thought that there wasn¡¯t anything on the agenda today about the Kaldia domain¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Actually, I wanted to consult with you about something today, Earl Ruktoferd. It¡¯s about the Shiru horses that my domain took in¡­¡­¡±


    Although it hasn¡¯t reached the extent to where I can export them, the number of horses in Kaldia have been steadily increasing every year. The Shiru horses are smaller than warhorses from Ruktoferd, and aren¡¯t as suited for traveling long distances or pulling heavy carriages, but their lightness, ease of handling and top speed are excellent qualities for my light cavalry on the battlefield to become a mobile strike unit, and it seems that others have become interested in purchasing some from me lately as a result of my success in battle.


    Meaning, Kaldia could possibly become Ruktoferd¡¯s business competitor in the future. The earl seemed slightly confused that I would consult him, but he politely said ¡°alright, I¡¯ll hear you out¡± as he led me to an empty resting area in the House of Lords.


    Honestly though, the Shiru horses are just bait to get the earl hooked in conversation, my true goal is to hear more from him about the eastern border¡¯s situation since he regularly supplies the border with horses¡­¡­ After talking about horse breeding, I can steer the conversation in that direction. I talked with the earl about the possibility of breeding Shiru horses with his horses and creating a new breed of warhorse, improving the species slowly over the next fifty years, a grand plan to undertake.


    Of course, I was able to achieve my actual goal as well. Thanks to our conversation, I learned that the stalemate on the eastern border was still continuing, and that the royal army¡¯s lower-ranked troops were slowly becoming disorderly.


    About 10,000 soldiers are basically occupying enemy territory now and remaining there. While Arxia is forbidding them from making any further attacks, they must always be on guard for ambushes from Rindarl, it¡¯s a stressful situation for the soldiers.


    ¡­¡­It¡¯s only a matter of time before our soldiers¡¯ morale begins to drop as well. I shall inform Ergnade of this situation. He¡¯s not a member of the royal army himself however, so I don¡¯t know if he¡¯ll be able to intervene effectively.

 Ch 160

    After the incident, the corpse of Marquis Nordsturm, leader of the northern nobles, was discovered. This was also information that was concealed from the public. His funeral was carried out quietly in secret, and the nobles just know that his successor only inherited a low-ranked noble title for some reason.There were rumors that he couldn¡¯t bear the disadvantageous evidence piling up against him, and that he committed suicide, but the truth was unclear. The new leader of the Nordsturm family was his eldest, and also said to be his only son, a young man with wheat-yellow hair like his father. Melchior disappeared during the incident, and hasn¡¯t been found since.


    Eliza chapter 160 ¨C Like a board game


    The next day when I returned to noble school, ¡°good morning,¡± just as Zephyr greeted me, he was roughly pushed aside, by someone I hadn¡¯t expected to see so soon.


    It¡¯s Eric. He was glaring at me as if he had something against me, an expression that seemed like he was dissatisfied with something. ¡­¡­It feels a bit pitiful that I have to deal with opponents like him that are even shorter than me.


    Before I could even ask just what he wanted, I noticed Zephyr falling from the violent shove, about to hit a desk, and I reflexively grabbed on to Zephyr¡¯s arm. I managed to catch him right before his head hit the corner of the desk. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Maybe I pulled Zephyr too hard, this time he staggered forward. I was about to support his shoulder with my left hand, but my arm was still trembling from the impact so he slipped from my hand, so I had to catch him in my arms.


    Even though I do exercise regularly, of course I don¡¯t have the strength to hold someone my size for a long period of time, but he was a bit dizzy and had trouble standing by himself. -Since it couldn¡¯t be helped, I gently rolled Zephyr onto the floor.


    ¡°¡­¡­That was dangerous. You almost hit your head.¡±


    ¡°T, thank you, Kaldia. You saved me¡­¡­?¡±


    Even though he thanked me, I feel like there was a question mark at the end of his sentence, is it because I ended up rolling him onto the floor? I made sure to do it gently so that he wouldn¡¯t get injured, but I don¡¯t quite recognize the expression he¡¯s making right now.


    I pulled Zephyr¡¯s arm again to finally help him stand up, then turned around and looked at Eric. He seemed rather shaken, and he stood there frozen. However, the moment he noticed me looking at him, he started moving awkwardly, and he slowly changed his expression to an apologetic one as he looked away from me and at Zephyr.


    ¡°¡­¡­Uh, my bad, Molton. Um¡­¡­ because I wasn¡¯t paying attention, you may have been injured.¡±


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­What, was that supposed to be an apology? Is Eric a commoner or a low-ranked noble? It doesn¡¯t seem like an apology that should come from the high-class archduke¡¯s family that can have the most luxurious lifestyle, living off of the people¡¯s taxes.


    As Zephyr was about to hurriedly say something like ¡°not at all,¡± I pulled on his arm and stopped him. Zephyr is the eldest son of a margrave. As a member of a higher-ranked noble family, he should consider proper noble behavior at all times. Since Eric obviously isn¡¯t being very polite, there¡¯s no need to be polite to him back, even if he¡¯s from the archduke¡¯s family.


    Zephyr seemed surprised as he didn¡¯t say anything, and I coldly stared in Eric¡¯s direction. Eric also wasn¡¯t saying anything. I don¡¯t know why, but his willful expression suddenly seemed to be at a loss for what to say.


    ¡°-Kaldia, Molton. Even Eric¡¯s here as well. What just happened?¡±


    With a dubious expression on his face, Sieghart arrived. That¡¯s when Eric¡¯s atmosphere of confusion suddenly vaporized.


    Eric turned around, and left the classroom just like that. He can¡¯t deal with his emotions, so he ran away, is that what it was? He¡¯s at a moody age, maybe something like that.


    And in the end, I didn¡¯t even find out what Eric wanted from me¡­¡­


    ¡°Um, there¡¯s something I¡¯ve always been thinking that I haven¡¯t said before. Could it be that Eric just wants attention from Eliza-sama?¡±


    After I finished talking about what just happened, I heard a shocking comment from Reka, causing me to blink. I moved a piece on the chess-like board game I was playing with Athrun, then I looked over at Ratoka and had a simple exchange with him.


    ¡°Did you understand what Reka was talking about just now?¡±


    ¡°Nope, not at all.¡±


    From the edge of my vision, I noticed that Tira was giggling, and even Athrun seemed to be looking at me as if I was a small child. It seems that only Ratoka and I don¡¯t understand what¡¯s going on.


    ¡°When the two of you first met, didn¡¯t you make him into your opponent?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because he was making fun of me. It seems that he¡¯s disliked me ever since then, so I¡¯ve continued to treat him that way.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s, why it is. He also wants to make friends with Eliza-sama, but doesn¡¯t know how to do so. It¡¯s probably because he didn¡¯t have any friends to begin with. He has no idea how to become friends with Eliza-sama, nor does he know how to make up with friends after fighting.¡±


    ¡­¡­That extremely rude behavior is the only way Eric knows how to communicate?


    ¡°He tried to do something resembling an apology, correct?¡±


    ¡°He has an older brother, right? Maybe he doesn¡¯t know how to apologize for what he thinks are small things.¡±


    As expected of children that had somewhat more normal childhoods, I got the feeling that Reka¡¯s explanation was quite convincing.


    ¡­¡­Noble children have a special environment growing up. Besides, Eric probably had a more unique environment than most, since his mother died five years ago. I honestly hadn¡¯t considered that it would cause his communication skills to drop so precipitously¡­¡­


    ¡°¡­¡­By the way, I don¡¯t have any intention of making friends with Archduke Dovadain¡¯s sons, you know.¡±


    ¡°Eh, how come?¡±


    ¡°Other nobles are already unhappy that I received rewards from the king, if I try to get closer to a powerful family like the archduke¡¯s, it¡¯ll increase their negative feelings towards me even further. I still want to limit my bad reputation as much as possible.¡±


    ¡°Mm¡­¡­ I see. You want to be friends! But because of the adults around you, you can¡¯t make friends with children your own age, such a sad story¡­¡­¡±


    Athrun who was having difficult figuring what move to make next in our chess-like game finally moved his knight. When I attacked his knight with my archer, Ratoka whispered something in Athrun¡¯s ear. Hey, giving advice isn¡¯t fair.


    ¡°Is that so? Even if I improve my relationship with Eric, I don¡¯t feel like I¡¯d have much to talk with him about.¡±


    Tira joined our conversation as she poured some black tea for me. She also brought a small dish of confectioneries to go with the tea, so I took a baked good and placed it in my mouth, thinking about what she meant as I chewed.


    ¡°Is Eric¡¯s problematic behavior well known among nobles?¡±


    ¡°Hmm. The other nobles probably know about it through the servants that work here.¡±


    ¡°What about the eldest son Grays, will Eliza-sama consider having a better relationship with him?¡±


    I nodded at this question. In Grays¡¯ case, I feel like before the question of ¡°do I want to make friends with him,¡± there¡¯s this huge gap in our social statuses that¡¯s getting in the way.


    ¡°Given the current situation, any noble would think that the archduke family¡¯s power will be inherited by Grays, not Eric. In the first place, Eliza-sama was being cold to Eric in order to distance herself from the crown prince and Grays, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Even if I make friends with Eric, I doubt that Grays¡¯ opinion of me would change, and it¡¯s really questionable if he¡¯d be able to influence the crown prince¡­¡­ Nobles¡¯ viewpoints aren¡¯t that simple. No matter how bad Eric¡¯s reputation or evaluation is, he¡¯s still a member of the archduke¡¯s family, and there will be some sort of backlash if I get close to him.¡±


    ¡°I see. Arxian nobles are so complicated, unlike the King¡¯s Spears in the Shiru tribe.¡±


    The former Artolas Kingdom was a country consisting of many ethnicities and didn¡¯t really have a nobility system, but something similar to nobles in social status existed there. Among the citizens of Artolas, the Shiru tribe was one of the closest related tribes to their king. It seems that they often served the king directly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how complex it really is, but it¡¯s definitely a different way of thinking. The Arxian king has absolute power as the symbol of royal blood descended from the first king of the Holy Kingdom of Arxia, Ahar Xia. He doesn¡¯t choose representatives from the most powerful clans to serve him, it¡¯s quite a different system from our King¡¯s Spears.¡±


    ¡°Worshiping the bloodline as sacred, it¡¯s so inconceivable. Even though we¡¯re all believers in the Xia sect, why are our customs so different?¡±


    I shrugged my shoulders and dodged answering that last question. That¡¯s a question for theologists, not for a domain lord that doesn¡¯t even believe in this religion and only considers how she can use religion to her own advantage to help in ruling her domain.


    ¡°Ah, Athrun. You¡¯re in check.¡±


    ¡°Damn it¡­¡­¡±


    Athrun and Ratoka simultaneously groaned as I moved my knight to attack their king. They¡¯re still so weak. The only person who I¡¯ve never defeated in this chess-like strategy game is Claudia.

 Ch 161

    Eliza Chapter 161 ¨C Outstanding margraveA margrave, this noble title is classified as a high rank in noble society. Margraves are usually given out as a title to nobles that maintain something critical to Arxia. For example, court nobles that work in the highest-ranking financial jobs, nobles with the most strategically important borders that need defending, or nobles with domains that produce a large amount of food eaten by everyone, or nobles with rare resources in their domain, these nobles will all be designated as margraves.


    So, nobles that are margraves obtain their ranks differently from nobles that are earls. Only a handful of high-ranked nobles have the title of margrave.


    Margrave Molton has his title because of rare resources in his domain. His previous generations were only lesser earls, but eventually the Molton domain began to develop and produce various gems, including two really rare gems called Esmeralts and Vardalias in this world, which is how he obtained his title.


    ¡°Thank you for coming tonight, Earl Kaldia. Usually I just stay by myself in my residence, and this is honestly just a tiny evening party, but I¡¯ll be happy if you can enjoy yourself.¡±


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s my honor to be invited to your son¡¯s birthday party, Lord Molton.¡±


    The beautiful deep blue Vardalias matched his eye color on the jacket Margrave Molton was wearing, and as always, I found it difficult to believe he had a son the same age as me as he smiled brilliantly.


    A building resembling a castle was standing behind him. I can¡¯t imagine what it¡¯s like for him to sleep there by himself. It¡¯s definitely a residence befitting one one of the few higher-ranked nobles. Its size and value completely outclass my former residence in the royal capital, as I was only a low-ranked viscountess back then.


    ¡°¡­¡­So, why was it that you took the trouble of having me enter through the back entrance?¡±


    For some reason, he had me come through the back door of this wonderful mansion. The margrave smiled mischievously, which I thought was rather cute.


    ¡°Actually, my beloved second son Lucius is the main character tonight, he¡¯s quite a fan of yours. He¡¯ll be entering noble school next year, and I was wondering if you could tell him some stories about it.¡±


    And that¡¯s what he said. I clutched at my head.


    Even though he often travels in and out of the royal capital, I don¡¯t know whether to say that his actions are a little strange, or that he just likes going at his own pace¡­¡­ I don¡¯t know how to describe it, this was just so sudden.


    His appearance and gentle personality are probably why the royal capital¡¯s social circles treat him as an overly gaudy existence. He¡¯s too sincere and direct. For a domain lord, his personality stands out too much.


    ¡°I wish you could have informed me of this earlier. I didn¡¯t prepare any presents for him, after all.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, there¡¯s no need. You are his gift, after all. Since it¡¯s not a busy time for nobles, I¡¯m just asking you to do a little baby-sitting.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be troubled if you just give me away as you please. ¡­¡­Also, any child that¡¯s my fan must be an unusual one. My reputation should be infamous.¡±


    While I casually chatted with Margrave Molton, he guided me to the room where Lucius was waiting for me. Even though my three young servants didn¡¯t say anything, I could also detect their confusion as they followed behind us. I informed them beforehand that the margrave was a bit of a unique character, but they probably don¡¯t realize just how different he is because they haven¡¯t interacted with any nobles from the royal capital yet.


    A young child who seemed almost pale with nervousness was waiting together with his older brother Zephyr who was being a good brother and trying to calm him down. This child is probably Lucius. He also has his father¡¯s silver hair, he¡¯s got even clearer emerald-green eyes than Zephyr, but his face must resemble his mother, he looks almost feminine.


    ¡°¡­¡­Ahh, Zephyr. I¡¯m no good after all. When I think about how to do a greeting, my chest keeps hurting¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine. Lucius, you can do it. You¡¯re much better than last year. Didn¡¯t our tutor praise you as well?¡±


    ¡°But brother, she always scolds me to speak more clearly like you, without stuttering¡­¡­ I can¡¯t do it well. I think it¡¯s impossible for me.¡±


    ¡°When you give your greeting, father and I will be by your side. That¡¯s why you can calm down and not worry about things. Yep, take a deep breath, exhale, inhale, inhale, inhale-¡±


    Lucius continued to take deep breaths to the limit of what his lungs could handle, but then he began coughing, and he glared at Zephyr with tears in his eyes. Zephyr handled it with a cool expression and a mischievous smile, looking almost exactly like Margrave Molton from earlier.


    Zephyr and his father give off really different impressions, but their behavior is so similar. Shouldn¡¯t it usually be the reverse?


    ¡°Hey Zephyr, don¡¯t get Lucius into a bad mood before he has to come to the hallway, you know?¡±


    Margrave Molton was chuckling with laughter as he spoke up. The brothers looked up and noticed their father, and froze solid when they saw me standing behind him as well. Well, I¡¯m sure it would be surprising since their father suddenly brought me in unannounced through their back door.


    Besides, I had refused Zephyr¡¯s earlier invitation to his place. It¡¯s completely his father¡¯s fault that I ended up coming here after all.


    I was a little lost on what I should do, but I ended up waving to Zephyr who was still frozen solid.


    ¡°¡­¡­Kaldia?¡±


    ¡°Good evening, Zephyr.¡±


    ¡°Eh, eh? What¡¯s going on? I thought you said you had something else to do today?¡± S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Ahh, yes, something else to do. It¡¯s because I was invited by a certain jokester father, to apparently come and attend his second son¡¯s birthday celebration, that¡¯s why.¡±


    Sorry, I can¡¯t go, I had rejected his invitation a few days ago. Hey, don¡¯t stare so seriously at me, even I didn¡¯t know what your father was thinking. I¡¯m confused as well, but with things as it is I can only go along with whatever Margrave Molton says now.


    ¡°¡­¡­Father?¡±


    ¡°Hm? I invited and brought over my friend, isn¡¯t that something natural?¡±


    While Margrave Molton had this wonderful smile, I was amazed to the extent of wanting to hide my face. He¡¯s such a no-good father, both spoiling his children so much and playing so many jokes on them.


    However, he seemed to have a proper trusting parent-child relationship with them. Even an outsider like me could tell that Zephyr wasn¡¯t actually frustrated at his father¡¯s harmless although tasteless joke, even if he looked a bit dissatisfied.


    Actually, I¡¯m just a little bit envious of them.


    As an aside, Zephyr told me that his brother Lucius was quite sickly and couldn¡¯t quite manage having a conversation with me, so I ended up spending some time chatting with Zephyr.


    Well, maybe it was better after all that I didn¡¯t prepare a present. Seeing the current situation, he might have difficulties even with basic greetings.


    After Lucius got over his nervousness though, he was able to channel his excitement into a better direction, and he properly gave his greetings. The margrave seems to understand his children well and is skilled at dealing with them. I truly apologize for thinking he was a little strange. As expected of the outstanding margrave. He has such a way with children and their worries.

 Ch 162

    ¡°¡­¡­Mm, delicious. I never thought that I¡¯d be able to taste fish and other seafood from the northwestern Fushobari region in the royal capital.¡±¡°Is it good? I¡¯m glad to hear that you enjoy it. As for the fish¡­¡­ chances to eat it are limited, as it¡¯s a bit difficult to transport fish all the way to the royal capital. If you go closer to the sea, there¡¯s even more delicious foods that you can taste there.¡±


    ¡°It must taste even fresher there.¡±


    ¡°Yep. Cut the fish into thin pieces, grill it, and season it with rume vinegar. It¡¯s out of this world, how delicious it is.¡±


    ¡°Gerberries and oinocera oil also go wonderfully with fish.¡±


    Rumes and gerberries are some strongly sour fruits that grow in the northern Fushobari and Ugaria regions, they can be made into fruit jams, processed into vinegar, or even cooked into fruit pies.


    ¡°I see,¡± I nodded, and I remembered a similar taste from my previous world, a drink called lemonade. Even though I can¡¯t recall the specific game scenarios clearly anymore, my mind is coming up with such an insignificant memory now, it¡¯s amazing how it works. Well, in my past life I had only played this game as a way to pass some time, it¡¯s only natural that it would be easier to remember things from my daily life.


    ¡°And, here¡¯s a rume pie. You still have enough room to try it, right?¡±


    ¡°Ahh, I¡¯ve heard of it, but never tasted it before. I shall try indulging myself.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Zephyr gave me a slice of pie, and seemed to exchange an expression like he was trying to hold back his laughter with Lucius. Although I was a bit dubious, I placed the pie into my mouth, and chewed.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­, ¡­¡­¡­¡­Nn¡­¡­!!¡±


    An unimaginably sour taste started spreading out in my mouth all at once. The sourness was stronger than anything I¡¯ve ever tasted. It¡¯s such a sharp taste. Well, it¡¯s not so strong that it will linger on in my mouth, but it¡¯s so acidic.


    At seeing my reaction, Zephyr exploded into laughter. Although I almost thought about glaring at him, I changed my mind, smoothed out my facial expression, and decided to pick up the remaining part of my pie slice. Since the pie was also considerably sweetened, once I got used to the sourness it was actually quite delectable.


    ¡°Kaldia, what do you think? Is it savory?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­I was a bit shocked at how sour it was, but yes, it¡¯s quite scrumptious.¡±


    ¡°Everyone who tries rume for the first time reacts just like how you did. I¡¯m sorry, but if I told you how sour it was, you would have been mentally prepared and it wouldn¡¯t have seemed as sour. That pie¡¯s main flavor isn¡¯t even the sourness of the rume, anyways.¡±


    ¡°Since young children are forbidden from eating rumes, everyone in the Fushobari region tries it for the first time around the time they become a teenager. I tried it for the first time myself just a few days ago, but unlike you, I gave a loud shout at how sour it was.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see,¡± as I responded, Lucius offered me some wine to wash the taste out of my mouth. It was definitely delicious, but I definitely felt a need to rinse the sour acid out of my mouth.


    ¡­¡­This, I have an idea. I absolutely have to make my double Ratoka try this. I won¡¯t stand for being the only one to experience this sourness. Although, it was both sour and mouthwatering at the same time.


    ¡°Zephyr-sama, Lucius-sama.¡± sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A girl that seemed like she was a teenager held the hems of her dress and approached us at this moment. Judging by the emblem embroidered in her dress, she must be from a branch family of the Moltons. Zephyr and Lucius welcomed their relative warmly, and briefly introduced her to me. However, is her social status a bit low I wonder, I only learned that her name was Irche.


    ¡°Alright then, Irche. What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°The master is in the main hall and has a message for you. He says it¡¯s about time to come to the ballroom for the dance. After the pavane dance, the two of you are to go to the great dining hall¡­¡­ Especially Lucius-sama, since you¡¯re the main character for tonight, please spend a little more time in the dance hall.¡±


    Zephyr and Lucius were smiling ambiguously. ¡­¡­Um, maybe I¡¯m not good at reading this expression, but doesn¡¯t this mean that they think it¡¯s troublesome? I see Margrave Molton hovering around the House of Lords every time there¡¯s a discussion about jewelry taxes on the agenda as well.


    ¡°¡­¡­Well, birthday celebrations are basically dance parties at this age.¡±


    As I muttered my concurrence with Irche¡¯s statement, Zephyr took my arm with a smile as if he had thought up of some good idea. Huh?


    ¡°Earl Kaldia, please come attend together with us. Today there will be many beautiful young ladies gathering at the Molton residence tonight, so I would like use this chance to announce to them all that there¡¯s already a girl that I¡¯m taken by.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Very well. I¡¯m saving myself for Rashiok, though¡­¡­ Jokes aside, I might as well go to the dance hall together with you. Since Margrave Molton went to the trouble of inviting me, I¡¯d feel bad about staying in the dining hall for the entire time.¡±


    I made a joke that came from the classical literature I had been reading recently in class. While socializing in the dance hall is a bit bothersome, Zephyr and Lucius should be more accustomed to it than me, and it might not be bad to go with them as their friend.


    Although come to think of it, aren¡¯t those words that are usually said to a girl you intend to marry? I¡¯m someone who always wears male clothing though, and I¡¯ve never even thought about marriage.


    ¡°Earl Kaldia, who might be this Rashiok person you speak of?¡±


    ¡°Oh, he¡¯s my draconis, a magical beast that I¡¯m raising. Of course, I was just joking when I said I was saving myself for him.¡±


    When I entered the dance hall together with Zephyr and Lucius, all the noble girls¡¯ gazes gathered upon us at an amazing speed. I was being pierced by so many glares that I think I would have been dead if this had been a battlefield. In some ways, it¡¯s scarier than armed enemy soldiers.


    ¡­¡­Although they¡¯re the hosts, I suppose I must acknowledge that Zephyr and Lucius were more popular with girls than I realized. At noble school, maybe Zephyr pales in comparison to the crown prince¡¯s features, but his beautiful silver hair and azure eyes from his father probably cause him to be adored by many girls. Actually, it¡¯s unusual for his appearance to be inconspicuous. Meaning, the crown prince just stands out by a ridiculous amount.


    In order to not be bothered by all the noble girls, I took half a step away from the others.


    ¡°Uh, um, Zephyr-sama. Who might this be?¡±


    However, before I could get any further, I heard Zephyr introducing me. Ehh, why me? As the hosts, they need to use me to block this wall of flowers, are they that desperate?


    Zephyr ended up introducing me to the flock of girls as his classmate. I wonder if they know my infamy, the teenaged girls stepped back from me and some hid their faces with fans, but all the girls that appeared my age came closer to me for some reason¡­¡­


    ¡°E, Earl Einsbark, could you dance one time with me¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°No, um, please do me the honor of having this dance!¡±


    ¡°Hey! Didn¡¯t you girls say you were going to dance with Margrave Molton first!¡±


    ¡°Earl, do you like the sarabande dance? I¡¯m confident about my sarabande dancing!¡±


    Oof, I was pressured with invitations to dance from all sides, as I managed to take another half step. Then I was able to put one step¡¯s distance between us.


    ¡°As expected of the earl that everyone in the royal capital is paying attention to. You have so many other admirers, apart from myself.¡±


    Lucius seemed to be pleased with all the adulation I was receiving for some reason. No, I think you¡¯re the one that¡¯s strange here for admiring someone with as bad a reputation as me. The reason why I¡¯m a hot topic in the royal capital was because of my cruelty, there¡¯s no reason to admire anything there.


    Look at this, these girls all have expressions like they¡¯re on the battlefield, fighting over me. This is probably nothing more than nobles that want to make a connection with me for their own ends, no matter if I¡¯m good or bad, just because everyone has been talking about me.

 Ch 163

    One day, when my classes were over and I returned to my dormitory, I noticed that Reka didn¡¯t come out to greet me from the servants¡¯ living area. I noticed a young boy that was one of Zephyr¡¯s servants rushing over towards me, does he have a message for me from Reka, is he busy with something?¡°Earl Kaldia¡­¡­! Your servant, he went to the upper-level section of the noble school¡­¡­!¡±


    He seemed out of breath, so first I told him to take a seat and calm down. I told him to catch his breath, so he obediently started taking deep breaths.


    ¡°And, why exactly was it that Reka went to the upper-level section?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Okay. He was ordered to return a book to the library in the upper-level section, or else¡­¡­ The one who ordered Reka was the son of the Innefort family.¡± sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Innefort¡­¡­ He¡¯s a northern noble. Got it. I thank you from my heart, for your generosity in letting me know.¡±


    After giving my gratitude to Zephyr¡¯s servant who was still catching his breath, I headed for the upper-level section as quickly as my feet would take me.


    For school life, it¡¯s common for servants to go around everywhere to assist in things such as classroom or food preparation.


    Of course, there are rooms just for servants, and there are some that go around with their servants at all times when they¡¯re not in class, but the majority of nobles and their servants will move separately most of the time.


    Because there are many lower-ranked nobles that are friendly with their servants, it seems that it¡¯s often the case that some nobles will hang out together with their servants as friends. Higher-ranked nobles typically don¡¯t even notice the existence of commoner servants, so they wouldn¡¯t even think of going around together with their servants, and they¡¯re much less likely to have servants with them when going from class to class.


    And, even if all servants are commoners, there¡¯s an unwritten rule that students shouldn¡¯t give orders to other students¡¯ servants.


    The classes are divided based on academic ability, and that¡¯s supposed to be used to judge the students rather than noble rank in theory, but there¡¯s always going to be those types from the higher-ranked nobles that enjoy things like harassing the lower-ranked nobles¡¯ servants.


    ¡­¡­However, unwritten laws are unwritten laws. It¡¯s just something that nobles set up out of respect for each other, but it¡¯s not an actual rule that must be followed.


    As I kept heading in the direction of the upper-level section in search of Reka, I passed many horses on the wide school grounds.


    The upper-level section allows adult servants to accompany the nobles there. If Reka who¡¯s just a child goes there, he¡¯ll be treated as a commoner without the protection of his master. If he¡¯s unlucky, he might encounter some nasty noble who will cause an incident.


    -As expected, after it became widely known about the conflict between Eric and me, factions started forming among the students.


    The fact that the crown prince and Grays have been absent from school for so long is also a cause, but it also means I still have time to resolve this somehow before they return. Factions appeared because Eric and Sieghart were both originally influential members of the crown prince¡¯s retinue, and I took the attitude that it had nothing to do with me, but I¡¯ve already been caught up in the middle of it all.


    The current situation is that the Kaldia faction, including Sieghart, has a great majority, and the students in Eric¡¯s faction are being excluded. For example, the seats in the cafeteria. Using the power of numbers, those in Eric¡¯s factions are forced to sit in the corners and the seats for lower-ranked nobles.


    There¡¯s no thought involved in this factional struggle at all. It¡¯s nothing more than a noble power game, the desire to be better than someone else using the advantage of numbers or noble ranking. And for me whose name has been put onto this faction as the head, it¡¯s something I really don¡¯t want.


    After all, there¡¯s no benefits in this for me whatsoever, but the negative feelings from those being bullied in Eric¡¯s faction will all concentrate on me. And now, the end result is that they¡¯re breaking an unwritten rule, in order to harass my servant. While cursing under my breath, I grabbed the reins of a horse.

 Ch 164

    Unlike noble school which is compulsory education for all noble children, the upper-level section is for those that wish to continue their studies even further. There are three types of students there. First are those that are studying to become instructors themselves, or high-level civil officials. Some other students are studying research and development in various fields. And the last type is, those that are granted special permission to stay at school for an extra period of time, if they haven¡¯t found anything to do as a noble yet.There are exams that must be taken for the first two types of students, but there¡¯s none for the last category. And unlike noble school, the upper-level section doesn¡¯t have a term limit.


    Of course, some people will actively search for jobs, especially within the royal palace, but noble society basically depends on your connections and achievements. Meaning, the third type of students in the upper-level section are those that have been mostly abandoned by their families, considered as too troublesome, and just remain at noble school. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡­¡­Well, they haven¡¯t truly been abandoned by their families, because they would have been forced into the monastery if that was the case, so these students still have some hope. And so, these students that remain here at the noble school¡¯s upper-level section mostly have a rank of earl or higher.


    Anyways, the upper-level section has a group of students with reasons to be dissatisfied with the way their life is going. These students are considered problematic, to the extent where even the House of Lords has had discussions about them before. This is due to them often causing violent incidents against the servants of lower-ranking nobles.


    Students at noble school typically have very little contact with students in the upper-level section. While we¡¯re all in the same school, the school grounds are so vast that there¡¯s a great amount of distance between our dormitories and their section. Occasionally however, our servants and their servants might interact with each other.


    It¡¯s difficult for lower-ranked nobles to complain directly about higher-ranked nobles. Especially if it¡¯s only for what¡¯s considered as a small matter, such as injuring some commoner servants.


    ¡°Reka!!¡±


    I finally found Reka a little ways off the forest path between the dorms and the upper section, a place where nobody hardly ever went. This was the first time I¡¯ve ever been thankful for having uselessly acute hearing. Thanks to hearing the soft sounds of people talking, I was able to find Reka through the maze of trees.


    Reka was lying on the ground, surrounded by some teenagers that appeared to be servants. He was wheezing in pain from his chest, and I also saw blood dripping down from his head. The teenagers around him appeared quite buff, and it was evident from their appearance that they were northerners. When they noticed me, I could see their strong contempt for me in their eyes.


    In the group of teenagers, only one boy was standing in front of Reka as if to protect him from the others, and he looked at me with no particular emotion in his eyes at all. His eyes are purple, a rare gemstone-like color. I feel like I¡¯ve seen them before ¨C


    ¡°Humph, let¡¯s go.¡±


    When I returned to my senses, it was already too late. The teenagers escaped into the woods and ran off. It¡¯s going to be difficult to follow them on horseback, nor is there any meaning to catching just one or two of them.


    Besides, Reka who¡¯s lying prone on the ground is more important. I jumped off of my horse, and I kneeled next to Reka, by the purple-eyed boy¡¯s side. I called Reka¡¯s name, but he didn¡¯t respond. It seems that he¡¯s unconscious.


    ¡°Wait a moment, it¡¯s better not to move him. I think he may have a concussion, because they were beating his head.¡±


    The boy next to me spoke up, and I agreed with his assessment. I inspected his injuries, checked his breathing, and focused on ascertaining his current condition.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­Eh, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Reka, you¡¯ll be alright. Don¡¯t move yet.¡±


    Fortunately, Reka finally woke up. As for what happened to him, Reka was much calmer about it than I expected, and I confirmed that he wasn¡¯t in any confusion although he had a headache. I gave him an order to lie there for a little while longer and rest.


    Reka¡¯s cheeks were red and swollen. As the purple-eyed boy said, it definitely seems like they were beating his face, which could have caused a concussion.


    ¡°Just rest there quietly for a while. If your head keeps hurting, I can call for someone to come get us.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Nn, okay.¡±


    He obediently laid there and slightly nodded, while I took off my coat and used it as a pillow for him. I was going to change out my coat soon anyways, so I don¡¯t mind if it gets dirty. Even though I became an earl, I found it too bothersome to change my coat¡¯s design, so as expected in the end Earl Terejia gave me a lecture about it¡­¡­


    When I stood up, the honorable purple-eyed boy who was waiting patiently for me spoke up lightly.


    ¡°¡­¡­I never would have imagined that I¡¯d meet you again.¡±


    Although there was the shadow of something melancholy in his expression, he laughed gently. ¡°Ahh,¡± I nodded in response to him.


    I see, he¡¯s ¨C the hidden capture target of the otome game, named Alb, whose settings and story I didn¡¯t know, he must have been a student from the upper-level section.

 Ch 165

    ¡°¡­¡­So you¡¯ve become a student. It¡¯s good that you were able to leave the monastery.¡±¡°Yes, that¡¯s so. I concur.¡±


    I used words that would probably be safe to say, and he nodded. However, a tinge of darkness remained in his voice. He must still have a complicated family situation. Considering that he was forced into a monastery when he was only a child before, there must be some difficult unavoidable things in his life even after several years have passed.


    ¡°¡­¡­I didn¡¯t enjoy my life in the monastery.¡±


    He suddenly added on that comment, and I nodded ambiguously.


    Well, of course it¡¯s only natural. I don¡¯t really know the details of life at a monastery, but much like my previous world, it¡¯s an ascetic, austere lifestyle of giving up one¡¯s desires and serving others. If he was forced to join the monastery, instead of going of his own free will, of course he wouldn¡¯t like it.


    ¡°Your servant, will his injuries be alright? It seemed like his opponents were also commoners.¡±


    ¡°His head has stopped bleeding, and I think he¡¯ll be okay. No bones are broken either.¡±


    Then I thanked him for helping my servant, and he smiled. While his smile was elegant, it also seemed lifeless and fatigued, he¡¯s giving me the same impression as our first meeting. I couldn¡¯t help but think about why he would feel that way, but unfortunately as I didn¡¯t know anything about him, I couldn¡¯t do anything about the bad taste I was feeling.


    It feels like his gloominess has increased since the time I met him at the monastery, and it reminded me of the heavy atmosphere when my citizens were all glaring at me when I first became their domain lord and met them.


    ¡­¡­However, he¡¯s not one of my citizens. I cut away my growing sympathy towards him. I¡¯m the lord of Kaldia. I can¡¯t afford to care about others equally if they aren¡¯t my citizens.


    I think the last time I met him was approximately four years ago. I¡¯m a little relieved that I still think the same way, that my citizens are the most important to me.


    Well, the conversation¡¯s died down. However, I want to have Reka resting for a while longer. I can¡¯t leave here, I¡¯m going to have to stay here until this boy in front of me leaves. I¡¯m feeling an uncomfortable silence between us now since I cut away my sympathy for his situation, and I don¡¯t know what to talk about as we barely have any connection to each other at all.


    ¡°¡­¡­Did you enter noble school this spring? Or was it one year ago?¡±


    In the end, he was the one who spoke up first again.


    ¡°It was this spring.¡±


    ¡°I see. Then, that¡¯s quite a big deal. This year¡¯s freshman students include an incredible number of influential students.¡± sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°¡­¡­Ahh, that¡¯s right.¡±


    Well, I¡¯m here right now in this forest precisely because of their influence, my voice came out softly as I was thinking that. Maybe he detected something from my tone of voice, he moved his line of sight from Reka directly to me.


    ¡°What type of person¡­¡­ is the crown prince? Is he just like a royal priceless treasure that¡¯s been protected in the castle for all his life?¡±


    He immediately looked aside again. It seems like he really wants to keep this conversation going. Maybe he has no intention of getting involved with the factions that have been forming recently, or perhaps it¡¯s not well known in the upper-level section, he started out by asking a question about the crown prince who¡¯s been absent on business for such a long time.


    Well then, how to answer him. I don¡¯t know what his opinion of the crown prince is, so I¡¯ll have to choose my words carefully.


    ¡°¡­¡­He seems to be suited for the position of crown prince. No matter where he goes, he¡¯s the center of attention. I think that¡¯s a difficult quality to find.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard myself that he¡¯s by far the most handsome prince in the history of the royal family. But, I¡¯ve never seen him at all, even once. ¡­¡­It¡¯s difficult for me to imagine just what his appearance must be like. For example, I think that you as well also have an excellent face that would break the hearts of countless girls.¡±


    Break the hearts of countless girls, just what does that mean? I didn¡¯t think I had such an appearance that would cause such a commotion¡­¡­


    I don¡¯t really get if he¡¯s praising me or insulting me, it¡¯s an odd feeling. While my appearance that¡¯s inherited from my father may indeed be considered beautiful by normal standards, I feel like it¡¯s far from the feminine beauty of women, and besides, I hate this face from the bottom of my heart, so I can¡¯t think of it as an excellent appearance.


    ¡°I¡¯m nothing in comparison to the crown prince. The crown prince is skilled in every area, he¡¯s an excellent person.¡±


    Well, just like everyone else, my face with my father¡¯s features is nothing compared to the crown prince¡¯s handsome appearance. Looks, noble ranking, academic ability, the crown prince is top level in every aspect, he¡¯s got a much better reputation than a certain infamous upstart domain lord.


    ¡°¡­¡­I see, is that the case.¡±


    However, he only tilted his head slightly, while the shadow in his purple eyes seemed to get darker.


    ¡°Apart from the crown prince, there¡¯s one other first-year student that everyone has their attention on. An excellent lady who even has the attention of the prime minister and king.¡±


    ¡°Lady?¡±


    I tilted my head. I¡¯ve never heard of such a girl.


    ¡°¡­¡­You¡¯ve never heard of her?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard anything like that at noble school. Is she someone from the royal family?¡±


    The boy shook his head saying no. Then, it must be the daughter of some duke¡¯s family. If even the king and prime minister are paying attention to her, it must be a noble from the royal capital.


    ¡°Maybe due to the crown prince, she doesn¡¯t stand out as much in comparison. I heard that she was rewarded for her achievements on the battlefield, though¡­¡­¡±


    Achievements on the battlefield, so maybe it¡¯s someone related to the Rolentsors. The war with Rindarl has been dragging on for quite some time, so there¡¯s many people that have received accolades in battle, so I can¡¯t narrow it down just with this.


    For women, there are some that will be in charge of combat strategy, even if they don¡¯t personally fight on the battlefield. Both boys and girls in the Rolentsor family for example receive an education in military strategy and martial arts, so it wouldn¡¯t be strange if this girl was from an excellent military family¡­¡­


    ¡°Is the crown prince really more outstanding than this lady? The girl¡¯s the same age as the crown prince, but will he stand for it if he loses to her in combat strategy? What do you think?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Indeed. The crown prince was raised up to the position of heir over the first prince in an uncertain situation. Isn¡¯t it natural to expect so?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but avoid his eyes. I felt a chill running down my spine, and regretted saying what I did.


    Almost imperceptibly deep in his eyes, when he opened his eyes slightly, I noticed an incredibly dark emotion bursting out from within.

 Ch 166

    ¡°Eh, Reka will remain here? Why¡­¡­¡±¡°Claudia and Bellway are coming to give me a report on the current state of Kaldia, and they¡¯ll attend Grays¡¯ birthday party with me. Athrun, Reka, and Ratoka will take a day off to rest on that day. Tira will be with me as my maid. I¡¯ll give her an extra vacation day later.¡±


    I was making preparations for the archduke family¡¯s evening party in three days, chatting with Athrun and Tira. When I told them that everyone but Tira would be resting, Tira appeared confused. She¡¯s probably feeling uneasy about having to attend an evening party without her childhood friends.


    ¡°¡­¡­Vacation?¡±


    Athrun tilted his head. ¡­¡­Ahh, come to think of it, there¡¯s no concept of vacation in this world. Regardless of your social status, working is considered a part of life, and there¡¯s no such thing as taking extended breaks.


    ¡°I mean that you won¡¯t have any work to do and you can use your time freely as you please. If you want, you can take a walk outside the school, or just relax in the dorms. Just, please tell me what you intend to do by tomorrow.¡±


    Well, it¡¯s not like they¡¯ll have no work whatsoever¡­¡­ and honestly, I wanted to take Reka along with me. The evening party at the archduke¡¯s family residence will be huge, and most students at noble school will be attending. Of course, this includes Innefort who was responsible causing the incident with Reka.


    Although Reka wasn¡¯t injured seriously, the memory of many people surrounding and beating him still hasn¡¯t healed.


    ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll let Reka and Ratoka know.¡±


    I didn¡¯t directly say out loud that it would be safer for the three of them to be together, but they seem to have realized this as they nodded. Especially if they want to go out and explore the royal capital, I definitely hope none of them goes alone.


    ¡°As Tira is a maid, I think that she¡¯ll be going outside of noble school for various things more often than Reka and Athrun in the future. I hope that she can get used to it with this opportunity.¡±


    ¡°Eh, but¡­¡­ Isn¡¯t it unusual for nobles to bring servants along when going to a party for nobles?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s expected for those that become earls. Earl Terejia did that as well. Even if I haven¡¯t been an earl for even a year yet, the ranking still trumps over the fact that I¡¯m still a student and not an adult. And Claudia and Bellway are adults that come from noble families, so there shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡±


    Tira nodded in understanding. She¡¯s a Shiru girl, which already was a position of authority in her old Artolas Kingdom, but it¡¯s still difficult for her to get accustomed to the Arxian nobles that just won¡¯t shut up about noble ranking.


    As I am a girl, after I become an adult, I¡¯ll no longer be required to wear this type of ceremonial male clothing, and I¡¯ll be expected to wear dresses. When that happens, I can already guess at the shower of criticism that me and my servants will be receiving when I don¡¯t change my clothing style. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Men are the only ones in this society that are supposed to do jobs like bodyguards and combat positions, and noble girls are supposed to have female servants, with noble boys having male servants. That¡¯s why, Tira¡¯s education as a maid is more important than Reka¡¯s. I don¡¯t know how much longer I¡¯ll be able to use Ratoka as my maid ¡°Elise,¡± he might grow to look less feminine one day in the future.


    Although, in noble school, I need to attend many almost exclusively male classes, that teach you how to be a proper domain lord, so Reka¡¯s needed there, but¡­¡­ I can¡¯t expect Tira whose work is to be my maid to do things like prepare my weapons or lead my horse for me. Although, Tira herself is superbly skilled at handling horses. I still have to consider appearances and what people will think to some extent.


    The archduke¡¯s residence is on the corner of the royal palace grounds. It¡¯s adjacent to Arktoria castle which is used for administrative purposes and the House of Lords. It¡¯s less than half of Arktoria castle¡¯s size, and is known as Dovadain castle¡­¡­ it was originally used as a place for visiting foreign royalty to rest at, but after the construction of Arktoria castle which could also serve that purpose, and the fact that Arxia stopped having diplomatic relationships with most other countries according to its isolationist policy, it¡¯s a castle that was repurposed for the archduke¡¯s family.


    Eric¡¯s birthday is in autumn, while Grays¡¯ is in spring. This is actually the first time that I¡¯m visiting Dovadain castle, since I¡¯m usually absent from the royal capital for my domain¡¯s harvesting season, and I¡¯ve been busy with the Rindarl war lately.


    Lebrecht, the third son of the Dovadain family, is Grays¡¯ younger brother, but because Eric is older, Lebrecht is treated as the third son instead of the second. It¡¯s clear to see that being close to the crown prince has its benefits for Eric, there are rumors in the House of Lords already that Lebrecht is highly likely to go abroad from Arxia in the future.


    Since Eric was already a part of the crown prince¡¯s retinue even before entering noble school, it¡¯s likely that he can become a king¡¯s aide in the future, but Lebrecht doesn¡¯t have that option. Although Eric is treated the same as a legitimate child, the chances of him inheriting the archduke family¡¯s power are quite low. Even his cousin, the Crown Prince Alfred, is higher in the succession order than he is. And Lebrecht is second in the line of succession after Grays, so Lebrecht is basically treated as a backup in case anything happens to Grays, and everybody knows this.


    ¡°Lebrecht-sama goes out in public even less than Eric-sama does, and this will be the first time that all three brothers will be appearing in public at the same venue.¡±


    ¡°Have Grays and Eric appeared together in public before they became teenagers?¡±


    ¡°Yes. At the ceremony for the Royal Army last year, the two of them attended together with the crown prince.¡±


    I nodded and said ¡°I see¡± to Bellway, and thought a bit about Lebrecht. No matter how much I dug into my memories, I couldn¡¯t recall hearing his name before from anywhere.


    According to my memories from the otome game, I only knew about ¡°two sons¡± from the archduke¡¯s family and didn¡¯t see Lebrecht¡¯s name. In the game, the only people from the archduke¡¯s family that appeared were the archduke, Grays, and Eric, just these three people. If I take into consideration the game¡¯s timeframe which is supposed to begin next year¡­¡­ it means that next year, Lebrecht should have become a noble school student together with us, but he wasn¡¯t in the game.


    I can¡¯t remember the details like what was in the game¡¯s conversations or the names of all the characters, but¡­¡­ I¡¯m certain that there wasn¡¯t a character like Lebrecht in the game.


    Of course, I¡¯ve met many important and influential people that weren¡¯t mentioned in the game before, but Lebrecht is a special exception I need to pay attention to. He¡¯s the younger brother of two of the main characters, Grays and Eric, and he¡¯s someone who should be attending noble school soon, but for some disconcerting reason, he never went to school in the game.


    ¡­¡­I can¡¯t stop myself from thinking about the game scenario even though my memories are hazy after so many years have passed, maybe I¡¯m just an idiot.

 Ch 167

    The party I¡¯m attending at the archduke¡¯s residence is on a much larger scale than any I¡¯ve ever been to. Only the royal family would be able to host a larger party, but they¡¯re usually more frugal, so the archduke family¡¯s party is the grandest in all of Arxia.The venue where the party is to take place is so large that I feel my huge mansion back in Kaldia could easily fit into this huge courtyard, that has plenty of space for all the nobles to gather here in its hallways, its dining hall, salon, and even game room. ¡­¡­It¡¯s a bit dizzying to think about, I believe just this place¡¯s maintenance costs must exceed Kaldia¡¯s annual tax revenue. These were all originally constructed into Dovadain castle as this place was intended to entertain foreigners that wouldn¡¯t be taking part in Arxia¡¯s evening parties.


    ¡°Eliza-dono, they even have the incredibly rare Barcova meat here! As expected of the archduke¡¯s party.¡±


    ¡°I know, but please act a little more restrained, Claudia-sama. Don¡¯t forget that you¡¯re supposed to be a maid here¡­¡­¡±


    This place is so large, that I haven¡¯t seen any nobles I¡¯m acquainted with yet. Bellway was scolding Claudia whose eyes were sparkling at all the food available here, while I had Ratoka bring an appropriate amount of food for me and I sat down in an empty area to rest.


    Before the time comes to greet the archduke¡¯s family, there¡¯s still a few things I need to take care of. I might as well fill my stomach while I¡¯m at it. -I¡¯m not used to this type of venue, my red eyes definitely won¡¯t sparkle like Claudia¡¯s.


    ¡°There are waiters that will bring food to your table.¡±


    Ratoka who was dressed as my male servant today, brought us back some juice and drank together with us. It seems that there are servants just for the purpose of being servers for tonight¡¯s party so that the nobles can enjoy their food in luxury without having to move. If the master gives permission, it seems that they can even join the dance. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The rules are quite different at a party of such a large scale. This is because most of the invited guests have brought their family members and servants tonight.


    In Arxia, according to law titled nobles and their close relatives are the center of legal relationships, for example before Claudia being my knight, she¡¯s still a member of the Rolentsor family, or that knights¡¯ daughters and younger sisters will also be recognized as nobility. Bellway¡¯s from a noble background, but he¡¯s from a branch family that¡¯s too distantly related and thus doesn¡¯t have noble status, and since several generations have passed in his family without a noble title, his family¡¯s been deprived of noble status.


    These strict laws are in place to prevent the needless expansion of the noble class and diluting its worth, but it also complicates the relationship with servants in noble society. Considering that some servants are also the younger children of noble families, it¡¯s impossible to prohibit all servants from participating in eating and drinking. But just because a servant is highly educated, it¡¯s still difficult to tell if the servant is from a noble family. So that¡¯s why, at most evening parties, servants are also allowed to eat and drink, as well as dance, while serving the guests at the same time.


    ¡°Well, since Eliza-dono usually lets me eat whatever I want, this is just normal for me. We really have such a good boss, don¡¯t we, Bernard-dono.¡±


    ¡°Ahh, yes, indeed so. Eliza-sama is such a generous person. By the way, my name is Bellway.¡±


    I felt almost nostalgic listening to their interaction, as I began trying some of the food the servants brought to me. Ratoka also tried something he was interested in, sticking his silverware into the food, and it disappeared instantly down his mouth as he ate ravenously.


    Considering the special task I¡¯m about to have him do for me, I have to give him this kind of allowance. After we ate and drank whatever we wanted, I handed my glass of juice to Ratoka, and lightly tapped his arm.


    Ratoka stood up while continuing to eat, and took a step backwards. Then, he just happened to collide with a servant passing by, and both of them tripped and fell.


    They only fell on their butts lightly. The sound wasn¡¯t loud, but the remaining juice from my glass splashed out from Ratoka¡¯s hand with a splishing sound, onto the clothes of two people sitting on the marble floor.


    Bellway hurriedly jumped up and assisted in place of Ratoka with wiping off the juice. The servant seemed a bit stunned. Bellway asked the two people if they were injured, while making his face red with embarrassment as he kept bowing apologetically. Then, he roughly dragged Ratoka up, as Ratoka was still sitting stunned on the ground, looking at the servant.


    ¡°This is all because you were way too careless. Making such a mistake like this ¨C how dare you stain our master¡¯s name with mud.¡±


    Because of Bellway¡¯s loud scolding, curious gazes were beginning to look in our direction.


    ¡°I, I¡¯m so sorry -¡±


    ¡°This is his excellency the archduke¡¯s castle, don¡¯t open your mouth without permission, you low commoner. -It was a mistake to have someone as stupid as you become a servant. You¡¯ve caused the clothes that you were given to become dirty. Don¡¯t show your face in front of me again, until these two nobles¡¯ clothes, and your own have been cleaned of any stains!¡±


    He¡¯s saying those words quite naturally. I used my deceased father as a reference for Bellway¡¯s lines. His attitude of treating his servants like this without losing control of his emotions, always felt so harsh and uncaring, rather than just being cold.


    The servant seemed confused as Bellway kept apologizing and asking for permission to use the archduke¡¯s castle facilities to clean the clothes, but he ended up showing Ratoka the way. Ratoka continued to fake being in a daze, as he disappeared from my line of sight.


    Now then, his communication skills have surely improved from a few years ago, so will Ratoka be able to achieve my goal today, I wonder.

 Ch 168

    After quite some time had passed, it was finally time for the organizers and host of this party, the archduke¡¯s family, to come out and greet everyone. Because there were so many guests, as an upstart lesser earl, I was fairly far back in the greeting order.¡°Greetings and salutations, Your Excellency the Archduke. It is such a great honor to be invited to your son Grays¡¯ birthday party tonight. I would like to take this opportunity to offer a prayer to Misorua for your son Lebrecht-sama as well, and also the entire Dovadain family, for your continued good fortune.¡± S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°I shall gratefully accept, Earl Einsbark.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a joyous occasion that you are able to be here tonight for the sake of me and my brothers. We can all relax here tonight, free from the requirements of noble school. I hope that you will enjoy the remaining entertainment planned for tonight.¡±


    The archduke had the same blue eyes as his sons and only briefly responded to me, while Grays took over the rest and lightly gave me a formal prepared greeting as required by etiquette. Eric who was standing a little behind them avoided my gaze and didn¡¯t say anything, and the archduke¡¯s wife sitting next to him also remained silent, while Lebrecht was sitting in the center gave me the impression that he was very uncomfortable being here. Because Eric wasn¡¯t hiding it, it was obvious to see even though this was a public venue that there was some discord within the family.


    Even after leaving from where the archduke¡¯s family was sitting, I observed them for a while longer at a distance. As they greeted other nobles, it seems that all of them had some interaction with each other, except for the archduke¡¯s wife, she never spoke to Eric. Even if there was something, she would only nod, and I could tell even at a distance that she had a tense expression.


    ¡°-Oh, isn¡¯t this Lord Kaldia, I mean, Earl Einsbark.¡±


    Suddenly a voice interrupted my thoughts and a familiar face entered my sight. It¡¯s Cornell, the youngest son of Margrave Freche. He was escorting his fiancee Feria Rogshia, and happened so see me so he came over to greet me. I was a bit surprised that Margrave Freche¡¯s third son would be invited, but then I noticed some people that looked like Cornell¡¯s two older brothers behind him. I recall that both his brothers should be barons. Which means, since Cornell doesn¡¯t have a title yet, he should be here accompanying them.


    ¡°How have you been, Earl Einsbark?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s been quite a while, Cornell-dono, Feria-dono. Because it¡¯s easy to get confused with the other members of the Einsbark family, you can just call me Kaldia like before.¡±


    ¡°I see, then I¡¯ll call you Earl Kaldia. I didn¡¯t think that I¡¯d meet you here. I had been wanting to contact you recently.¡±


    ¡°What is it that you wanted?¡±


    If he wanted to contact me, I can only imagine that it must have something to do with their upcoming marriage. But just because of their marriage¡¯s situation, I doubt that Margrave Freche would ask me about it.


    ¡°Even in the Freche region, we¡¯re well aware of Earl Kaldia¡¯s achievements on the eastern border. -My father seems to be concerned about the assorted smaller southern countries. He wanted to contact and discuss some things with the Jugfena region domain lords.¡±


    The assorted smaller southern countries¡­¡­ I tilted my head at the unexpected topic.


    Although Kaldia is on the eastern border, so I mostly pay attention to the situation with our eastern neighbors, in truth only the Genas domain separates Kaldia from the southern border as well. Although, the threat from the southern countries is much lesser compared to Rindarl.


    The southern countries are too small in size, even if they ally together, they wouldn¡¯t be much of a threat to Arxia. Among those countries, there¡¯s too many new countries appearing as well as old countries being destroyed due to constant infighting, that development is far behind there, and their soldiers, citizens, and resources are all exhausted.


    ¡°Is there a country that¡¯s suddenly become powerful, is that why he¡¯s concerned?¡±


    ¡°Ahh. Apparently, Rindarl is intervening in the southern countries¡¯ wars. On Rindarl¡¯s southeast border, some countries have become Rindarl¡¯s vassal states.¡±


    Intervention. It¡¯s something that the isolationist Arxia would never come up with. In the first place, when thinking about national defense, it¡¯s convenient for Arxia if other countries are constantly at war with each other, and it¡¯s more advantageous if the southern countries continue to rise and fall, so there was no reason to intervene in their affairs. Although, in accordance to Arxia¡¯s national laws and religion, Arxia doesn¡¯t do anything to purposefully intensify their conflicts either.


    ¡°If you have the spare time, I¡¯d like to hear more details on this right away.¡±


    ¡°Got it. I can leave greeting the archduke to my older brothers, let¡¯s go meet my father.¡±


    ¡°Wait a moment. The person who wanted to talk to me wasn¡¯t you, it was Margrave Freche?¡±


    I¡¯m shocked that Margrave Freche wanted to talk to me personally. I was even slightly impolite, forgetting etiquette in my surprise. But, Cornell nodded affirmatively, saying ¡°father said that would be good for him.¡±


    I don¡¯t know how Margrave Freche would benefit from talking to me, but margraves have their own interests to consider. As long as there¡¯s no disadvantages for me, it won¡¯t hurt me to hear what he has to say.


    ¡°¡­¡­Got it, let¡¯s go.¡±

 Ch 169

    There¡¯s no accurate map of the assorted southern countries. Countries¡¯ borders change daily, along with the appearance or disappearance of new and old countries, it¡¯s impossible to map completely.Margrave Freche handed me a current version map on what he knew about the southern countries, with some of the main countries marked.


    ¡°This is the information that I¡¯ve personally collected on the southern countries, but I¡¯ve only shared it with Earl Ruktoferd and the Upper House of Lords so far¡­¡­¡±


    There were only four labeled countries. Jenhans, Nazric, Epadena, and Pactoshiki.


    ¡­¡­Seven years ago, Kamil shared with me that he was from Pactoshiki, a country which is in the southwest. Jenhans is a country directly south of eastern Arxia, Epadena was the largest of the southern countries, and occupies the southeastern portion of the continent. Also, Nazric had no land of its own on the map.


    ¡°Recently at the end of this spring, Nazric lost a war with Epadena, and the country was subjugated. Using its momentum, Epadena¡¯s swallowed up several small countries around it and has been expanding rapidly.¡± S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Epadena¡¯s current leader seems to be a conqueror fixed on expanding by military might. It¡¯s said that as for the countries adjacent to Epadena, without caring about cultural differences or ethnicities, they¡¯ve been conquering all their neighbors and incorporating their land into Epadena through force.


    Since several small countries on Rindarl¡¯s southeast border have become their vassal states, does this mean that Epadena has been receiving aid from Rindarl? However, I need to make sure.


    ¡°However, isn¡¯t something of this degree common in the south?¡±


    Otherwise, countries wouldn¡¯t come into existence and fall so quickly in the south. Conflict is endless there, borders keep getting redrawn, countries expand or contract, or a new country becomes independent and causes more strife. I need to find proof that Rindarl was involved, either directly or indirectly.


    ¡°Indeed. But, something changed recently about Epadena¡¯s strategy when invading other countries. ¡­¡­Epadena had been fighting their war with Nazric for four years, at a stalemate.¡±


    Four years. ¡­¡­Four years, eh.


    Claudia next to me whispered something to Bellway, and he got up. The two of them are some of the only literate people around me, and while they take care of a narrower range of responsibilities, they often deal with numbers. Maintaining our combat strength, daily operations and administration, the flow of money necessary for all this.


    It takes a strong country to declare war. If you want to supply combat lines far away from your country, you need even more resources. For example, human resources for leading the army and its soldiers, logistics, a source of weapon production, other combat materials and food sources, and you also need a stockpile in the national treasury that can maintain the state of any newly conquered country and help in assimilating them in an orderly fashion.


    For countries that are constantly in danger of invasion from one another, to the extent where the map is constantly changing, they shouldn¡¯t have the ability to come up with such national strength.


    ¡°So, has Rindarl intervened?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re quite perceptive. Rindarl¡­¡­ or rather I should say, the Giograd Dukedom from Rindarl, they were trading weapons and resources to both Nazric and Epadena during the war. Perhaps I should say instead that Giograd was selling to both sides.¡±


    So, due to the intense, long war, Giograd was able to make an enormous profit by selling weapons and resources to both sides.


    ¡°How was Epadena paying for all this?¡±


    There¡¯s still a huge gap between the economic strengths of Giograd and Epadena, to the extent where they couldn¡¯t possibly be trading equally with each other. In fact, Epadena¡¯s war with Nazric was at a stalemate for four years. Judging by Epadena¡¯s size on the map, it shouldn¡¯t be a country like Arxia that still has the strength to develop economically while remaining at war for so long.


    So just what has Epadena been using to pay their debts? Just as I had a bad premonition, Margrave Freche smiled sardonically.


    ¡°¡­¡­By the way, Lady Kaldia, I don¡¯t think that you¡¯re as bad of a person as rumors in the royal capital are making you out to be.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Just what is this sudden topic, I was completely surprised, while the margrave shook his head.


    ¡°Your strategy in that one battle doesn¡¯t seem like it¡¯s capable of being conceptualized unless you know what true evil is. Judging you to be overly cruel, that¡¯s just the incompetent inland know-nothing nobles that have experienced nothing but peace for too long.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Ignorance in nobles is unforgivable.¡±


    ¡°I know very well that they¡¯ll cry just about anything. Anyways, back to the main point. What Epadena is paying to Giograd, is humans.¡±


    Humans¡­¡­ My premonition came true, and I couldn¡¯t help looking away from Margrave Freche for a moment.


    However, this makes it clear. Giograd¡¯s objective for intervening in the south is slaves¡­¡­ in other words, they view the southern countries as a manpower resource.


    Buying and selling humans, this is considered a great evil according to the teachings of the Ar Xia church, and it¡¯s a serious crime in Arxia. As for my late father, after ruining the economy in Kaldia with his despotic laws, he sent the unemployed citizens to other domains as ¡°laborers,¡± which he also used as a bribe to avoid paying national taxes.


    Although he managed to make it look on paper like it was just for labor, in actuality it was no different from him being a slave merchant. For this and all his other crimes, I would have ended up executed along with him when they were discovered, if I had never stopped him.


    Epadena¡¯s basically doing what my father did. If they have nothing else to sell, sell humans.


    ¡°Right now in Rindarl, the place that requires manpower the most would be Densel¡­¡­¡±


    When I muttered that, Margrave Freche¡¯s gaze became even sharper as he looked at me, and his expression also contained pity.


    But right now, I don¡¯t have the time to care about what his emotions are. I need to consider what will happen on our currently stalemated eastern border, if Giograd supplies Densel with their recently acquired slaves.


    ¡°¡­¡­Is it something like that?¡±


    Although it¡¯s in quite a roundabout manner, it seems that there¡¯s a connection between the southern countries¡¯ situation and our current eastern border defense problem.


    Currently the royal army is in charge of the battle against Densel. ¡­¡­Without any prior knowledge, I doubt that they¡¯d be able to handle the inhumane tactic of using slave soldiers. The knights in the royal army care too much about chivalry, it¡¯s a weakness for them on the battlefield.


    ¡°Twenty days ago, an envoy from Pactoshiki came to the southern border of my domain for the first time in eleven years, and gave me detailed information about the southern countries¡¯ situation. Epadena is now in the process of conquering Jenhans. It seems that even in the countries that have allowed Epadena¡¯s military to pass through, quite a large number of people are disappearing.¡±


    ¡°Pactoshiki¡­¡­ that¡¯s one of the few countries with permission to trade with Arxia. Considering that they even sent an envoy to inform us, does this mean that we have a friendly relationship with Pactoshiki?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s correct. A little over ten years ago, an Arxian merchant group seems to have visited Pactoshiki, and contributed greatly to its economic development. They also helped spread the teachings of the Ar Xia church there, and although I don¡¯t know what will happen since Pactoshiki is so far away, Pactoshiki has also sent us an official request for protection, as a fellow country that believes in the Ar Xia church.¡±


    It seems that Pactoshiki¡¯s main goal must be their official request, they must really view the development in the southern countries as dangerous if they¡¯re requesting our aid when we¡¯re so far away from them.


    ¡­¡­A merchant group that visited Pactoshiki a little over ten years ago, this can only mean that the merchant who was executed for my crimes must have been among them. Meaning¡­¡­ Kamil¡¯s father.

 Ch 170

    The nobles were already beginning to return home, and it was late at night with the moon high in the sky. In order to retrieve Ratoka, we left the party and headed for the back door. So that the door guard wouldn¡¯t notice us, our horse-drawn carriage was parked a little ways to the side of the road.Bellway went back first. He needs to write letters on my behalf, to let some other places know about what Margrave Freche just told me.


    At the time that we decided on beforehand, Ratoka came out. Seeing him, Claudia silently moved to the coachman¡¯s seat.


    ¡°¡­¡­Thank you for your efforts, Elise. How was the result?¡±


    ¡°I was pretty lucky. I think you¡¯ll be satisfied with the information. ¡­¡­Why are you glaring at me?¡±


    Ratoka was beginning to sweat and his face was paling, while he pouted his lips in dissatisfaction. Why am I glaring, he¡¯s asking?


    ¡°You got lucky? Is that so. Didn¡¯t I tell you not to overdo things and put yourself at risk, you idiot!¡±


    My voice came out much louder and angrier than I expected. However, I wasn¡¯t able to contain the hot emotion boiling in my stomach and get it under control.


    Ratoka¡¯s left arm was completely swollen. He probably has a broken bone. While grinding my teeth, I used a thick fan as a substitute for a piece of wood, and wrapped some cloth around his arm in a makeshift splint.


    ¡°Who beat you, and why?¡±


    If he had been able to acquire the intelligence successfully, he probably wouldn¡¯t have been beaten by the security for being a suspicious person.


    In the first place, I had him infiltrate the archduke¡¯s family¡¯s servants. I knew that there was some risk involved. ¡­¡­But the fact that Ratoka returned to me with a broken arm made my blood boil over.


    Normally, my anger should be directed at the people that dared to hurt a citizen of my domain, but right now my anger was being directed irrationally at Ratoka.


    But, I still know that being angry at Ratoka is unreasonable. So I desperately swallowed and pushed down my anger, until it was only a quiet whisper of rage.


    ¡°A, a male servant¡­¡­ Actually I shouldn¡¯t have been beaten. It¡¯s just that, there was a guy who was pestering the laundry woman that was my information source. So, in order to protect her, teehee.¡±


    What¡¯s with that teehee. Don¡¯t make it sound like your injury isn¡¯t a big deal. Ratoka¡¯s expression kept saying that it was nothing to him, and even though I just desperately pushed down my emotions, now irritation was welling up within me.


    ¡°Rather than such a thing, be happier. Although I got injured, what about the archduke family¡¯s situation? The laundry woman was a maid back in the day and knew about it. I was able to investigate properly for you. You want to know, right?¡±


    ¡°Such a thing, you say¡­¡­?¡±


    Even though his lips were so pale, he was still smiling, something feels off about his expression. And at the same time, I finally understood what emotion this was.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­Got it. Report the information you obtained to me.¡±


    ¡°Like I said, you don¡¯t need to be so angry. I even worked so hard for your sake.¡± S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Both of our voices were tense. The atmosphere was filled with irritation as Claudia drove the horse-drawn carriage.


    ¡°I¡¯m not being angry now. I just said to give me a report. You may want to be praised, but unless you have results, your injury will have been in vain. Hurry up and tell me.¡±


    As expected, Ratoka deeply furrowed his eyebrows. Due to my irritation, what came out of my mouth sounded five times worse than what I intended, I realized this.


    ¡°Just what are you saying! What are you unsatisfied with!? Don¡¯t joke with me!!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­That¡¯s what I should be saying!! What am I unsatisfied with? You¡¯re treating your own injuries too lightly!! You should be angrier, you should be in pain, you idiot! I said I wanted information on the archduke¡¯s family, but rather than that, your body is more important!!¡±


    ¡°What!? I¡¯m important!? That¡¯s¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°You are one of my citizens! Listen up, for a domain lord, their citizens are who they should protect first and foremost!! You got hurt carrying out such an unimportant task, and you¡¯re treating it as trivial!? You¡¯re the one who should stop joking around, don¡¯t just debase your personal value as a citizen of Kaldia!!¡±


    With the momentum of my anger exploding, I was ranting, and when I finished I noticed Ratoka¡¯s eyes were wide open in astonishment and he was frozen solid. My head was cooling down now. Eh, just now, why was I so angry? Embarrassment, anger, confusion, and even masochism, all those emotions welled up within me, and I reflexively covered my mouth.


    I couldn¡¯t help but look, I noticed that Ratoka¡¯s mouth was trembling.


    ¡°Y, you, did, did you really mean that¡­¡­?¡±


    ¡°This is an order from your domain lord, forget everything you heard just now, get off the carriage, and run home.¡±


    ¡°Impossible.¡±


    Now Ratoka¡¯s shoulders were trembling as well. It feels like even a gust of wind could blow him over right now.


    Indeed, for me to have said the things I just did, I feel like there¡¯s so much to laugh at. I mean, it¡¯s such a slip of my character for me to say the things I really wanted in a fit of anger.


    But, I just couldn¡¯t forgive Ratoka¡¯s nonchalant attitude towards getting injured. And all the same, even if he returned without injuries, I wouldn¡¯t be able to forgive myself if I wasn¡¯t able to provide some security for him.


    ¡°¡­¡­You, this is¡­¡­ This is what¡¯s called trust ¨C isn¡¯t it?¡±


    -I expected Ratoka to explode at me, but opposite from what I was prepared for, his voice sounded shaky and almost teary.


    Huh? When I hurriedly looked directly at him, he was wiping tears from his smiling face with his uninjured arm¡¯s sleeve.


    ¡°Sigh ¨C it took so, so long¡­¡­ Later than me¡­¡­. Honestly-¡±


    ¡°Y, you¡¯re noisy. ¡­¡­Shut up, Elise. Also, use neutral gender pronouns instead of male ones, to refer to yourself.¡±


    With difficulty I managed to squeeze those words out, and all my emotions other than embarrassment had cleanly left me.

 Ch 171

    Two days later, after a day of rest on an off day, I returned to noble school and greeted people around me as necessary, then I went to go greet Sieghart of my own volition for the first time.¡°Good morning, Sieghart. It¡¯s a pity that I didn¡¯t see you at the party two nights ago.¡±


    ¡°Ahh, good morning, Kaldia. Well, actually¡­¡­ I didn¡¯t go to the birthday party at the archduke¡¯s residence.¡±


    The general commander¡¯s grandson sounded weaker than usual. When I looked at the center of the classroom, Eric and Grays, who had finally returned to class after such a long absence, were glaring angrily in Sieghart¡¯s direction.


    Ahh, I have to deal with this early in the morning. I really didn¡¯t want things to become like this because of me, Sieghart and Eric should be getting along with each other originally.


    ¡°¡­¡­I remember you said that you would participate, so what happened?¡±


    ¡°The morning on the day of the party, my grandfather heard about what happened at school, and ordered me to stay at home and not participate in order to learn self-discipline. No, I should say that self-discipline was only an excuse. As a warrior, I must follow up on anything I say to the very end.¡±


    Oh? I see, it¡¯s a boycott.


    General Commander Rolentsor¡¯s style is to never stand down and withdraw from anything that has been decided upon. And it¡¯s evident to see from the Arxian royal army, that he has a firm hold over them and strictly upholds the code of chivalry.


    The commotion that began from my win in the mock duel using tactics considered underhanded, has now become a direct confrontation between me and Sieghart on one side, versus Eric on the other side. In order to resolve this conflict, it depends on if Eric can officially take back his insults to me in front of everyone, this has already become a matter of nobles¡¯ pride.


    ¡°I see, so that¡¯s what the general commander has done¡­¡­ Then, Sieghart, I have something I¡¯d like to request of you and your grandfather.¡±


    ¡°Request?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯d like to resolve this situation. Definitely before it gets any bigger and the archduke hears about it.¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute, the archduke? Just what exactly do you want me to do?¡±


    ¡°Nothing that major. I¡¯d just like for you to write a formal request letter, on my behalf.¡±


    Sieghart furrowed his eyebrows even deeper, indicating that he didn¡¯t know what was going on.


    ¡°¡­¡­Kaldia, what are you plotting?¡± S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°What¡¯s with that? Plotting, you make me sound like I¡¯m up to something nefarious¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°My bad, your expression just now made me think that you had some evil scheme in mind, though.¡±


    Just what type of face was I making? I could have sworn that I didn¡¯t allow my facial muscles to even twitch. Being a bit unsatisfied with myself, I couldn¡¯t help but touch my cheek silently.


    I had Sieghart write a letter of formal request for Baron Eric Teal Dovadain to visit the Jugfena royal domain, as the representative on behalf of the royal family, the archduke¡¯s family, and the House of Lords, in order to console the soldiers exhausted from the long, ongoing war.


    The official request letter to Eric was filled with formal, stuffy, speech, but that was the essence of the letter. Sieghart¡¯s face kept twitching as he kept looking back and forth between the letter and me.


    ¡°K, Kaldia¡­¡­ are, are you serious about this?¡±


    ¡°Of course. I already received consent yesterday from Earl Einsbark who¡¯s in charge at Fort Jugfena, as well as Ergnade who¡¯s the leader of the Jugfena knights, in fact they think it¡¯s an interesting plan and will help me with my goal.¡±


    The grinning face of my adoptive father Ergnade appeared in my mind. Unlike for me, my plan had no benefits whatsoever for Ergnade and his brothers, they¡¯re helping me mostly because they think it¡¯s amusing.


    ¡°Eh, but, Fort Jugfena is on the frontlines, right? How are we going to get the archduke to agree to sending his son Eric, even if Eric is only the second son, to the frontlines when Eric¡¯s not even a military officer¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°No, Fort Jugfena isn¡¯t on the frontlines, right now it¡¯s just a military base supporting from the rear. Recently the House of Lords made a decision, and supplies are being stored there. There¡¯s a simple hospital that¡¯s been set up there, so it should be the perfect place for a consolation request.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see¡­¡­ But, will Eric go there obediently?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯ll go. ¡­¡­I can¡¯t say the details, but at any rate the Upper House of Lords will have to send a person with an appropriately high enough rank as a commander to the front lines before the next battle.¡±


    Although I immediately shared the information I received from Margrave Freche with the eastern border, the army will be able to prepare for things in advance, but it can¡¯t make a move.


    There are three separate chains of command for the soldiers on the border currently. The first and largest group is the royal army commanded by Marquis Rolentsor. The second group consists of Earl Einsbark and his Jugfena knights and commoner soldiers stationed at Fort Jugfena. And, the third group are the border domain nobles¡¯ armies, meaning Margrave Genas¡¯ army and the Kaldia army.


    The only group that¡¯s allowed to move independently and attack without direct permission from the king, is the royal army. Of course, during war the other two groups have permission to respond to and deal with any Rindarl attacks, but in other words they aren¡¯t allowed to decide attacks on their own. Basically, not all of our forces are allowed to make decisions on their own to engage the Rindarl troops.


    ¡­¡­The laws regarding warfare are somewhat complex in Arxia, this is because Arxia primarily adopts a defensive strategy, but in times of war, there are provisions that also allow it to invade other countries. However, permission is needed from the king in order to attack enemy troops or territory, and we¡¯re only permitted to invade countries that are currently attacking us. This type of law is in effect because Arxia views itself as a non-aggressive country, while leaving provisions in place to attack enemy countries if we are attacked first.


    The Sacred Code which is the origin of Arxia¡¯s laws contained no mention of requiring the king¡¯s permission. However, in order to not get involved in war and worsen the relationship with the neighboring countries, the non-aggression laws were enacted.


    ¡­¡­Currently, the enemy is about to use slave soldiers forcibly drafted from a defeated country. I expect that the morale of the largest group of our soldiers on the border, the royal army, will take a huge hit from this. In order to prevent this, even if only a little ¨C the king, or at least someone related to the king coming to visit and console the soldiers, it¡¯s the most effective type of performance to boost their morale.


    Considering the scale of the battle, actually it should have been someone even higher ranked like Grays or the crown prince¡­¡­. But with the risks involved, the House of Lords was willing to compromise and send Eric instead, that¡¯s how I got my proposal passed through even the Upper House of Lords.


    Besides, in the formal, stuffy speech words of the official request to the archduke¡¯s family, I hinted at knowing the archduke¡¯s family¡¯s secret problems. Remembering the information that Ratoka brought back to me on the archduke¡¯s family, I smiled to myself. Marquis Rolentsor hates scandals more than anything, and the archduke definitely wouldn¡¯t welcome a scandal either.


    So of course, the archduke wouldn¡¯t interfere with sending Eric to console the soldiers, he was basically forced into having to send Eric.


    Obviously, in order to console the soldiers and rally their morale, a speech must be prepared for Eric to give to the soldiers.


    I¡¯m already a person that¡¯s a part of noble society. I¡¯ll settle this problem using nobles¡¯ methods. ¡­¡­I¡¯ve manipulated Eric into a situation where he¡¯s going to be forced to swallow his pride and the insults he said against the soldiers.


    After Eric is dispatched to the border, I shall ask him to withdraw his previous remarks, and if he still doesn¡¯t, it¡¯ll become necessary for the archduke himself to resolve his own family¡¯s situation. And besides, with this it should relieve some of Eric¡¯s unresolved anger and maybe correct his personality issues, along with settling this entire problem.


    I see, I can understand now how it may have seemed like I was plotting something. But I was just trying to do what I thought was best for the security of Arxia, how odd.

 Ch 172

    I don¡¯t know the details of the exact procedures that went on in the Upper House of Lords for the approval, but it seems they agreed to dispatch Eric to Fort Jugfena without incident. Since time was short, the notice for Eric came immediately.For some reason I was also included in the request to go to the frontlines, and so I requested a break from noble school. Even if the enemy slave soldiers are defeated or captured, what should be done with them if they¡¯re captured, should they be executed, it¡¯s highly likely that it¡¯ll cause Arxia¡¯s soldiers¡¯ morale to greatly decrease as Arxia doesn¡¯t have slavery. ¡­¡­While I don¡¯t want our main forces consisting of the royal army to lose morale, I don¡¯t know how they¡¯ll handle things, but I want to personally manage any slave soldiers that my Kaldia army captures, in the future.


    Maybe I¡¯ll decide that I have the know-how to handle foreigners since I¡¯ve absorbed the Shiru tribe into my domain already, or maybe I¡¯ll decide to ¡°dispose¡± of the slave soldiers and execute them immediately. Or, it could even be both.


    After I submitted a leave of absence notice to the Upper House of Lords, I was informed that I would be given a special examination to test my academic knowledge upon my return. In some ways, this resembles my previous world surprisingly closely.


    And so, I set out from the royal capital and headed for Fort Jugfena, together with Eric and Marquis Rolentsor, returning to the battlefield for the first time in half a year.


    It took two days to arrive at Fort Jugfena by horse-drawn carriage. I suppose it should be only natural that we¡¯d rest at Kaldia which was on the way, right?


    For someone just recently promoted to an earl, to be visited by a member from the archduke¡¯s family along with a marquis, this would normally never happen. Therefore, there¡¯s only enough employees of at my Mansion of Golden Hills to maintain the place, there¡¯s not enough people there to deal with these high-ranking guests. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Bellway who was the current leader of the servants at the mansion, hurriedly hired some more people from the surrounding villages, and barely managed in time to make the arrangements to hospitably accommodate them.


    ¡°¡­¡­This is unbefitting of my ranking, it¡¯s such a small place.¡±


    As always, the first words that Eric said were quite rude as he got off the horse-drawn carriage, but his tone didn¡¯t sound like it was mocking anything, it sounded more reflexive.


    ¡°Its owner probably didn¡¯t think that she would receive a noble title promotion, by the next time she returned.¡±


    ¡°Ah, right. Then again, no descendant of Kaldia would want to believe that any ancestor of theirs would gain accolades through winning with cowardly tactics, now would they?¡±


    ¡°Indeed, I have no idea what kind of children I will have, or if I will even ever have children. If I think that my children could be like the previous domain lord of Kaldia, I think that I¡¯d never have children in that case.¡±


    Of course, Eric¡¯s not just referring to my father, he¡¯s obviously talking about me as well. Just thinking about if my children would be able to kill people without flinching or batting an eye, it¡¯s quite daunting to consider.


    Even though I made such a remark, Eric still sharply shrugged his shoulders and glared at me. It seems that my statement was unintentionally grating on his nerves.


    ¡­¡­Ahh. I see. It¡¯s not strange for my self-deprecating comments to have touched Eric¡¯s nerves. Since I learned from Ratoka that Eric killed his own mother, and is so distant from his stepmother.


    For our departure on the following day, my soldiers of the Kaldia army were also making their preparations, as they were coming along as well. From here on I¡¯m no longer going to go by horse-drawn carriage, I shall be leading them while riding Rashiok. In the past three years, with the successful integration of the Shiru warriors into my army, as well as an increasing number of villagers that have signed up for military service, my army¡¯s undergone some expansion and I now lead them while riding Rashiok.


    It¡¯s been a few months since I went off to noble school, but Rashiok seemed to be doing quite well. His snake-like tail kept wagging, and he was light on his feet as he rushed to me. He had an affectionate expression as I stroked his neck, and his ears were twitching as a sign of pleasure.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I haven¡¯t been able to see you lately. I would have liked to take you to the royal capital as well, but that would have been a little¡­¡­¡±


    Even though he couldn¡¯t communicate with me in my language, he desperately growled in return like he was trying to chat with me. Somehow it felt like I could understand what he meant, as I closed my eyes and continued stroking his neck.


    ¡°My lord, you¡¯re quite happy today for some reason, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Mm?¡±


    Just like the previous time we went to Fort Jugfena together, Paulo was leading my horse for me, as he chimed in with his peaceful tone of voice. Somehow, this all feels quite nostalgic. Paulo¡¯s gone through puberty since then and is much taller than last time, but it seems that his personality remained the same.


    ¡°Ahh, ¡­¡­at any rate there¡¯s so many bothersome things in the royal capital. Although I can¡¯t exactly relax and take it easy back in Kaldia, I wanted to come back here as soon as possible after finishing noble school. Rashiok is here as well.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just Rashiok, we¡¯re here as well. Because whenever my lord isn¡¯t here, we wouldn¡¯t have the occasional fancy food, so we wanted you to come back soon. Ahh, I wish I was born two years later. Then I would have been young enough to attend to you in the royal capital together with Athrun, it¡¯s such a pity¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°What, you miss me just because of food? I¡¯d like to distribute more abundant varieties of food throughout Kaldia, though. I hope this war gets settled soon so I can spend more time on Kaldia.¡±


    ¡°Please keep up the good work. But, remember not to push yourself too hard.¡±


    Paulo hummed through his nose while making all these oh so casual comments, and he chuckled. In a horse-drawn carriage a little bit apart from us, I could sense the painful gazes of Eric and Marquis Rolentsor on us.

 Ch 173

    Even though summer was just about over, when we arrived in the Jugfena royal domain, it still felt like the peak of midsummer. With the Amon Nor mountains to the east, hot air gets trapped in eastern Arxia. So of course, Jugfena will have higher temperatures than the royal capital, and while Kaldia is also warmer than the royal capital, it¡¯s cooler than Jugfena due to the cold drafts that will sometimes blow down the Amon Nor mountains in Kaldia.¡°Hey. Thanks for your hard efforts in escorting them here. The Fort Jugfena knight order and I shall take it from here. ¡­¡­You had to come here earlier than I expected. I was hoping that you¡¯d be able to enjoy your school life a little longer.¡±


    Ergnade came out from the black iron fortress to welcome us. He probably has the position most suited for this task, as he¡¯s the younger brother of the current Earl Einsbark with Wiegraf having taken over the title.


    ¡°While the order did indeed come earlier than expected, there was no problem at all, as I¡¯m always ready to move out at a moment¡¯s notice. Ergnade, I thought you were on the frontlines¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°No, I was called back here a while ago. There have been no movements recently on the frontlines, so things have been left to my subordinates, and I¡¯m basically in command now of scouting and reconnaissance. I never would have imagined though that you¡¯d learn about such major enemy movements from Rindarl, while in the royal capital.¡±


    ¡°Due to being away from the battlefield, perhaps it was easier for me to notice their roundabout actions. Besides, it was Margrave Freche that gave me this critical information.¡±


    ¡°Ohh, Freche, eh. It seems that your network of connections is spreading at an astounding rate. The Rolentsor family, the Terejia family, the Moltons and the Freches, and my Einsbark family, the next one seems like it¡¯ll be the archduke¡¯s family.¡±


    ¡°It was just luck that we were in the same class. She¡¯s just fortunate to have the opportunity to know so many people.¡±


    Ergnade and I glanced over at Eric who was getting down from the horse-drawn carriage with a sullen expression on his face. He¡¯s here primarily because he still wouldn¡¯t withdraw his insults for the sake of his own name¡¯s honor, so he¡¯s in quite the bad mood. On top of that, he has to travel with me who he doesn¡¯t like, so his mood was steadily worsening.


    ¡°I see, he¡¯s the one.¡±


    ¡°Yes, he¡¯s Baron Eric Teal Dovadain, representative of the Upper House of Lords.¡±


    Although the Einsbark family is deeply involved with the royal family and the Upper House of Lords, Ergnade basically almost never goes to the royal capital. This is his first time meeting Eric.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll guide him to my older brother. You should have your soldiers rest first. Just like always, we¡¯ve left the second through fourth floors of the same southern building from before empty for your army. I¡¯ll let you know when it¡¯s time for dinner, so be ready.¡±


    ¡°Understood. I thank you from my heart, for caring about the well-being of my soldiers.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­I think that I wouldn¡¯t mind though if you started responding ¡®yes, father, thank you very much¡¯ instead.¡±


    Ergnade finished our conversation by making a joke and slapping me lightheartedly on my shoulder, but I just stared at him in silence. I remember the strange expression from the last time I tried calling him father.


    Even before entering noble school, I was at Fort Jugfena, so I¡¯m already familiar with the layout of this place and the location allotted for our usage. There was no argument over who would get what room, and everyone picked their own places, being used to this fortress already.


    ¡°Just like always, the fourth floor will be reserved for my lord, or should I say my lady, or young master, and me and Teo.¡±


    ¡°Ahh, you¡¯ve taken the trouble of ensuring things. Thank you, Gunther.¡±


    ¡°Not at all¡­¡­ anyways, what should we do about Rashiok?¡±


    ¡°Eh¡­¡­?¡±


    I took a look at Rashiok who was resting in the empty space between the fort buildings and its wall, which was where I was taught how to wield the halberd so long ago by Ergnade, Rashiok looked comfortable there for some reason and didn¡¯t seem like he wanted to move. Because we¡¯re currently in a state of war, I can¡¯t expect other military troops to help manage my draconis, and as the person responsible for him, I should be the one taking care of him. Well, Rashiok had been fine on his own until I got called here to Fort Jugfena, but¡­¡­


    There was another draconis sitting there next to Rashiok. The other draconis was a bit smaller than Rashiok, has scales that were almost pure white, and its wings were a shade of vermillion. Well, since Rashiok seems to be larger than usual according to what¡¯s in the books, I suppose this one should be about average size?


    From what I can tell, this draconis doesn¡¯t seem to be one of Rashiok¡¯s siblings. His siblings that were left here before at Fort Jugfena, should have similar colors to him, albeit with slightly different color tones on their wings.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡­ Well, aren¡¯t they just pairing up?¡±


    Seeing me observe the two draconis, Gunther spoke up hesitantly.


    ¡°Pairing up¡­¡­?¡±


    ¡°Probably. I don¡¯t have any evidence though.¡±


    Pairing up¡­¡­ Got it. Rashiok is already a mature draconis, it wouldn¡¯t be strange if he finds himself a mate.


    I see, while thinking that, I looked away from the two draconis. When I think about how it could be his mate, I felt a little embarrassed to watch them any longer.


    ¡°Come to think of it, speaking of finding a girlfriend¡­¡­ Gunther, how about your end? Even Teo informed me earlier this spring that he¡¯d gotten married.¡±


    When I mentioned what I just thought of to Gunther, he suddenly spat out his drink. ¡­¡­Did I say something so strange to that extent?


    He¡¯s already quite a bit past the suitable age for marriage, but well, considering the fact that he¡¯s working in the army, there¡¯s no helping it. But, something that can¡¯t be helped even more is that he¡¯ll soon be approaching the age where it¡¯ll be too late for him to get married.


    I don¡¯t know his exact age, but he should be about 20 years older than me, roughly. So at an estimate, he¡¯s in his early 30s¡­¡­ I see¡­¡­ (TL note: Cast of characters indicates that Gunther is exactly 20 years older than Eliza, so he¡¯s 33.) Just as I was thinking that he¡¯s already at the age where I should be calling him uncle instead of viewing him as an older brother, Gunther glared at me, muttering ¡°mind your own business, brat!¡±


    ¡°If you have someone in mind, please hurry up and notify me. I will help you get married as fast as possible.¡± S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°What!? You¡¯re annoying!¡±


    Gunther definitely seems to care about this subject at least a little, and another thing just happened to come into my mind. As for Claudia, just how is she doing in that regard? Expecting to hear anything out of her on this topic will be utterly useless, but according to her family¡¯s wishes, she was intended to have found someone to marry in her early 20s, and she¡¯s now 23.


    ¡­¡­When I return to Kaldia, I need to check on this situation as early as possible. As one of my most trusted retainers, her marriage is something that has to do with me as well, after all.

 Ch 174

    When Ergnade called for me to come to the dining hall for higher-ranked personnel, Wiegraf was already waiting there for me, smiling and waving hello. Maybe it¡¯s because I have a closer relationship to the Einsbarks, I was called before Eric or Marquis Rolentsor.¡°Eliza-dono. I¡¯m glad to see you well.¡±


    ¡°Greetings, how are you doing, Earl Einsbark?¡±


    ¡°Mm, I¡¯m the same as always. It¡¯s good that there haven¡¯t been many injured soldiers lately. I¡¯m also grateful to the Fort Jugfena knight order for helping bring my adopted niece here safely. Please, go ahead and enjoy this insignificant meal.¡±


    He waved at me and indicated my seat, which was right next to him. My adopted child relationship with Ergnade should extend only to the two of us, legally. What¡¯s with him, calling me his adopted niece. I¡¯ve never even heard of such a term.


    I think that my thoughts may have shown slightly in my facial expression, as Wiegraf tilted his head with a hm? expression. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Don¡¯t make such a face, you should just give up and accept being called an adopted niece by my older brother.¡±


    As I sat on the chair, I casually avoided looking at him. Back when Ergnade first proposed that I become his adopted daughter, he made a comment that I wasn¡¯t sure if it was a joke or not, asking if his family had discussed adoption with me yet. Then afterwards, letters indeed arrived from Wiegraf and Volmar for additional adoption proceedings, causing my cheeks to twitch just thinking about it. That was still back when I had no military achievements yet, so I declined politely, saying that there would be no benefits for them, but¡­¡­


    ¡°I already receive plenty of protection from Ergnade, any more than this is¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Indeed. In fact, perhaps in a few years Ergnade may be the one receiving your protection.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Surely you jest.¡±


    Although he¡¯s the third son, Ergnade is the direct descendant of the now Marquis Einsbark who¡¯s ruling over the northern domains given to him that was confiscated from the Nordsturms. On top of that, he¡¯s the leader of the Fort Jugfena knights, a powerful position. For an upstart like me to reverse the power balance between us in just a few years, it¡¯s inconceivable.


    ¡°Ahh, okay, that was a joke. However, your name is now known far and wide, so I¡¯ll be delighted if you contact me about adoption as well at any time. As long as it¡¯s before you officially become an adult, even a secondary adoption is okay. After all, it¡¯ll be too late if we wait another few years.¡±


    Wiegraf was chuckling much like his father would have. ¡­¡­I think that those from the Einsbark family can¡¯t help it, they love joking around too much to the extent where they even joke about serious matters.


    The atmosphere in the dining hall remained jovial, until Eric finally arrived. Apparently he must have been uncomfortable eating with people so closely connected to me, he only responded curtly to Wiegraf¡¯s welcome.


    As I explained the situation at school between Eric, Sieghart, and me to the Einsbarks beforehand, Wiegraf and Ergnade were rather lukewarm in their attitudes toward Eric, but he didn¡¯t seem to notice. Well, it¡¯s better if he doesn¡¯t notice. There¡¯s nothing as troublesome as a child that¡¯s throwing a tantrum ¨C I couldn¡¯t help but think back to what happened with Ratoka several years ago.


    ¡°¡­¡­no time to relax. There¡¯s an immense enemy army of more than 100,000 soldiers, including at least 30,000 slave soldiers, that will soon be pressing up against our borders. That¡¯s why I went to the trouble of returning here to the border, at top speed.¡±


    Eric¡¯s irritation level seemed to reach its maximum, right as we had stopped making idle chatter and were discussing methods to deal with the enemy slave army. Just as I was giving them the bad news, I glanced over at Eric, wondering if I had left him alone for too long.


    ¡°Wonderful. Knowing the exact severity of the danger you¡¯re dealing with, is one of the most important things on the battlefield.¡±


    Ergnade was grinning as he made such a comment. Since I had given him such bad news, I didn¡¯t expect that he would praise me. Eric was now looking at Ergnade with a blank expression of amazement.


    ¡°However, the enemy soldiers haven¡¯t arrived on our borders quite yet. According to our scout teams, it doesn¡¯t seem like their reinforcements have already reached the frontlines. We use draconis that have excellent senses which can detect enemies from afar and read the wind. When the enemy¡¯s troops amass and attack our border, we¡¯ll be informed beforehand, so rest assured.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Draconis.¡±


    Was it the one I saw? Eric¡¯s face seemed to be distorting into a sullen expression again. He looked at me for an instant, and he furrowed his eyebrows even deeper. Does he have something against Rashiok? Although, Rashiok was by my side during our entire trip here, so I don¡¯t think Rashiok has ever done anything to him before.


    Then, Eric suddenly changed his distorted expression into that of a smile as he spoke up.


    ¡°If the draconis is such a useful beast, wouldn¡¯t you also like one for a personal bodyguard, eh, Marquis Rolentsor? I was thinking this on the way as well, but a draconis seems like a suitable beast for the future king to ride. If its sense of smell can detect people from so far away, it must also be able to detect poisons and metals. As such, don¡¯t you think it would make an excellent gift for the royal family?¡±


    I was speechless. I could sense the malice dripping from Eric¡¯s words, this was a direct attack against me. Other than me, all the people here were closer to the ¡°future king¡± than I am.


    ¡­¡­I see. So, he wants to separate Rashiok from me? I could hear the sound of my teeth beginning to grind unconsciously.

 Ch 175

    ¡°I see, indeed that may be the case.¡±Marquis Rolentsor nodded. At seeing that the marquis obviously agreed with him, Eric shot me a triumphant look for an instant. I avoided his gaze, and looked at my spoon instead.


    ¡°Then, shall we make an agreement about the next baby draconis you receive here?¡±


    ¡°I believe that their breeding season is in spring. I don¡¯t know when we¡¯ll be fortunate enough to acquire another baby draconis, but I¡¯ll make the arrangements.¡±


    The next moment, Marquis Rolentsor and Wiegraf were making a gentleman¡¯s agreement for a future baby draconis, while I could see Eric with a stupefied expression, as if he was saying ¡°huh?¡±


    Well, he wanted to separate Rashiok from me by any excuse, but unfortunately for him, a draconis never changes its master. There¡¯s no records in history of what a draconis may do if it¡¯s forcibly separated from its master, as it¡¯s never been done before, considering the fact that draconis are both extremely rare and powerful.


    ¡°¡­¡­If it¡¯s to be a draconis for royalty, I think a silver-white one would have a better appearance. While silver-blue is also a rare color, silver-white stands out more and complements the royalty.¡±


    I remembered the white draconis that was getting close to Rashiok earlier today, so of course Ergnade and Wiegraf must also know about that draconis, as they were grinning. It feels like they must intend to plan on using that draconis instead in a future breeding plan.


    Whether or not one of Rashiok¡¯s children will become a royal draconis is something I don¡¯t know, after all, there were three of Rashiok¡¯s siblings that were sent here to Fort Jugfena before, and two of them were female. Judging by the evidence that a wild draconis actually came here as well, due to the fortress being located at the feet of the Amon Nor mountains, the draconis here will have a much easier time finding a breeding partner, than Rashiok who usually travels around with me.


    Eric¡¯s face showed that his mood was even worse now due to things not going his way, and everyone else was also showing cold expressions. Well, that¡¯s just how things are. And when you think about it, a draconis with only one wing like Rashiok wouldn¡¯t make a suitable gift for the royal family. Besides, I¡¯m not sure Rashiok would enjoy that type of atmosphere either, being with the royal family.


    Apart from all that, even if it was allowed, it would only be the king or the crown prince that would receive a draconis, certainly not a second son from the archduke¡¯s family born from a concubine who was sent close to the frontlines without much resistance.


    ¡­¡­Without letting others know, I sighed mentally. Although I didn¡¯t intend to denigrate Eric¡¯s status for the way he was born, I realize that it¡¯s a fact of life in this world that your parents determine your social status from the time you were born, and I feel like it¡¯s affected my way of thinking just a little.


    If I had been born a commoner in this world, then I would just be a commoner. But I was born into a noble family like the Kaldias, and the blood of that unimaginably evil family runs in me.


    Early next morning, before Eric¡¯s scheduled speech for the soldiers, Fort Jugfena was already on full alert and combat ready at a moment¡¯s notice. Before sunrise, enemy scout troops had been detected invading the border. Of course, Fort Jugfena didn¡¯t have the luxury of just letting them do as they liked without responding, so our soldiers went out and captured all the enemies. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°It seems that all the captured enemies have been branded with slave markings. Until we decide what to do with them, I¡¯ll leave them here, is that alright?¡±


    ¡°I can lend you our prison, that¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°I see. Then, I shall borrow the key to the prison from you for the time being, and imprison them in the two-floor underground dungeon below the training grounds.¡±


    I had that conversation with Wiegraf earlier this morning, and I was now holding on to a heavy key ring. While playing with the keys, causing a jangling sound, I took Gunther and Ratoka with me, to the underground dungeon where the slave soldiers were imprisoned.


    If the enemy scouts have arrived, their main army will be attacking at any moment. Ergnade and Marquis Rolentsor have already taken some soldiers to our most frontline position. I wanted to confirm the status of the slave soldiers as soon as possible before it was decided what to do with them.


    ¡°Elise, Gunther, if you¡¯re feeling uncomfortable, feel free to leave the dungeon immediately.¡±


    After letting both of them know that they could leave if they wanted, I unlocked the heavy door and descended the steps down into the dungeon. I imagined a dungeon like the one underground in my Mansion of Golden Hills, but this one wasn¡¯t in such bad taste. The walls, floor, and ceiling were all made of polished stone, although the air inside was a bit stuffy. The slave soldiers were locked together in a big jail cell in the back, and as we approached, some of them noticed and were looking at us.


    ¡­¡­There¡¯s no light of life in their eyes at all. I reflexively looked back at Ratoka behind me. Back when I was talking to him while he was in my jail cell, he had those same eyes.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Nothing¡­¡­¡±


    I turned my head back around, and began inspecting each of the captured slave soldiers one by one. They¡¯re mostly silver-haired, tan-skinned children around my age, which are physical characteristics that you wouldn¡¯t see in Arxia, they appear quite malnourished, and they were huddling close to each other with exhausted expressions. From among them, I noticed one who was observing me quite closely. Even when I looked directly at him, he didn¡¯t try to avert his golden eyes, and I beckoned to him.


    ¡°You there, come out front.¡±


    After calling him, I regretted making him come out front, because when he stood up and I could see him more clearly, he was dragging his thin body as he supported himself with his hand along the wall. This slave soldier who seemed just a little bit older than me, was missing his right leg.

 Ch 176

    ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡±At almost the exact same time, Ratoka also noticed that the slave soldier boy was missing his right leg, and both of us exclaimed in unison.


    ¡­¡­Come to think of it, this is the first time I¡¯ve met someone who¡¯s missing an arm or a leg. I haven¡¯t been on the battlefield for long enough, so I haven¡¯t seen enough injured soldiers yet.


    The slave soldiers would have already been inspected for weapons before locking them up in here, but they were just wearing ragged cloths that were unable to conceal anything. Consider how thin and weak they all appear, I doubt that our soldiers would treat them violently.


    When they were captured, I heard that they put up almost no resistance, and I suppose that throwing an injured slave like this boy into a unit consisting of only young slave soldiers would be only natural. As I was thinking so, the boy who was now standing seemed to be in pain, standing up with great difficulty.


    ¡°Do you, want, something?¡±


    His voice was listless and dry. While he had an accent, he was speaking in Arxian. I hid my surprise.


    ¡°How and where did you learn the Arxian language? I recall that Nazric never had any interactions with Arxia.¡±


    I answered him in the Nazric language, and it was easy to tell that the boy was stunned. Although his expression didn¡¯t change much, his eyes indicated that my words stirred some emotions deep within him. For an injured slave soldier like him to be unreasonably forced to join a scout unit, it was evident that he was exhausted as would be natural, but I could also tell that he¡¯s the type to suppress his emotions. Meaning, he¡¯s the same type as me.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±


    He seemed lost for words, and desperately kept squinting his eyes. It would appear that he¡¯s carefully considering his words. This is something that isn¡¯t possible for ordinary commoners. Now then, just who is he? This boy.


    ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m, probably not who you think I am. While Nazric indeed never had any direct contact with Arxia, it¡¯s actively traded before with other countries that in turn trade with Arxia. For us smaller southern countries, the development of the huge northern country of Arxia could influence our very fates. My country Nazric desperately studied knowledge about Arxia. This information was drilled into us. I learned Arxian in class as part of that knowledge¡­¡­¡± S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    I nodded in response to the flood of information that suddenly came pouring out of this boy who seemed only slightly older than me. As I took a step closer, the boy seemed to shrink back in fear of me. I thought for a moment on what to do, then I mentally snorted at myself because I had already decided what I should do already. I will do it just because I want to, although it could be said that it wouldn¡¯t be very noble-like of me.


    Fortunately, this time it was very clear to me just what I should do.


    ¡°Elise, go to Ergnade and report to him that I¡¯m removing a prisoner from the dungeon. Gunther, please give him some of our provisions, and make sure he receives some food. Also, summon Oscar over to me.¡±


    As I abruptly ended the conversation with the boy and gave brief, direct orders to my two subordinates behind me, I could tell that everyone here was looking at me with various feelings. In the captives¡¯ listless eyes, I could finally see another emotion.


    Being surrounded by me, Oscar, Ratoka, and Claudia, the boy from earlier who may have been feeling pressured by all of us seemed to have calmed down after eating some food we gave to him, but when I asked him what his name was, he choked up again. He said earlier that he wasn¡¯t who I thought he was, meaning that he wasn¡¯t a noble or royalty after all, so why was it that he had so difficulty saying his own name? Seeing that I was furrowing my eyebrows, he hurriedly explained things to me.


    From what he told me, Rindarl forbade their slaves to use their names, and called them by numbers instead. If someone was found calling others by their names or using their own name, they would be punished severely.


    It¡¯s an inhumane slavery system. I thought back to my battle at Ritox Plateau late last year. Considering the fact that I impaled and burned Rindarl prisoners of war to death back there, should I really be lecturing Rindarl about what¡¯s inhumane?


    ¡°Well? In the end, what¡¯s your name supposed to be?¡±


    Ratoka interrupted from behind, saying he couldn¡¯t believe such a ridiculous story, but I told the boy to ignore Ratoka, and with a bit of a bewildered expression, he answered that his name was Vanita.


    ¡°Ok then, Vanita. I think you understand that I need to find out some information from you, so first tell me what you have to say about Rindarl, and how it was that you came to be here.¡±


    ¡°We¡­¡­ because I have some knowledge about Arxia, I was brought here. We were sufficient as scouts, and if we were captured and killed, I heard that it would lower Arxia¡¯s morale.¡±


    I also found out from Vanita that the scout unit consisted of slave children brought from various different places. And, everyone had some friends or relatives that were also enslaved, whose lives would be forfeit if a slave betrayed Rindarl. Before they departed, there was also a rumor spread around that a few of them were real Rindarl child soldiers infiltrating the slave unit, spying on them, so while the slave children were on their way to Arxia, none of them, including Vanita, had considered betraying Rindarl at that time.


    ¡°Before you departed, do you know where their main forces were located?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know the direction because there were no landmarks¡­¡­ I was brought to a building that they constructed with stone walls, and given instructions there. Before then, everyone had been together, with their family members and friends that are now hostage. After that, we were blindfolded, put on horses, and we arrived at some forest, then we walked all the way towards this black iron fortress that we could see from the forest.¡±


    ¡°What exactly was your group ordered to come here and find out?¡±


    As scouts, they¡¯re still far too young, and as far as I can tell, none of them have even received any military training. Well, there¡¯s the possibility that a few of them have been trained as scouts before, but either way, they should have been given some specific mission, instead of being sent here aimlessly just to lower our morale.


    Vanita took a good look at me. Then, with fear in his voice, he spoke up again.


    ¡°¡­¡­Our job was to see if there was a black-haired, red-eyed child here. A demon that drinks people¡¯s blood, we were supposed to find out if Earl Kaldia was currently at Fort Jugfena.¡±


    His voice left quite a deep impression because he was clearly being serious, while Oscar, Ratoka, and Claudia suddenly looked at me.


    -After thinking for a moment, I shook my head slightly. For the time being, let¡¯s trust this boy¡¯s words.

 Ch 177

    Rather than not trusting the information Vanita gave me about being a slave soldier, I didn¡¯t trust what he told me about himself. Not minding the fact that my room was now dark, I kept thinking back to what he told me.Being chosen because he was a child who learned about Arxia before, it sounds like there¡¯s nothing wrong with his story. But, even with having received some education before, his story sounded too logical¡­¡­ that¡¯s just the feeling I got.


    There was nothing extra or insufficient in his story, and it was quite coherent. Such skills in story telling only come with training, he must be a person who knows how to apply his knowledge.


    Unfortunately, I know almost nothing about Nazric to begin with, but Vanita gave me a deep impression that he was more intelligent than he should be. I definitely need to confirm his story again from another child, but the problem is who to choose.


    According to Vanita¡¯s story, the slave children were spying on each other, and that there was the possibility of real trained child soldiers from Rindarl mixed in with them.


    So, I need to carefully consider just who to ask questions of next. ¡­¡­But, I don¡¯t have the time to leisurely decide. Since we¡¯re now on active combat alert, and battle could begin at any moment, I have to command my Kaldia army, attend meetings with the other leaders, write reports on logistics and supplies, review information¡­¡­ in addition to that I have to pay attention to the actions of other nobles and the House of Lords, confirm and follow the royal capital¡¯s orders¡­¡­ it¡¯s almost enough to give me a headache, I have a mountain of work piled up.


    ¡°Um, hey.¡±


    While thinking about what to do next, I heard Ratoka as he entered my dark room with a lit candlestick. When I looked at him to encourage him to go on, he seemed a bit lost on what to say. It was a bit similar to Vanita¡¯s atmosphere from earlier today, but also somewhat different. Either way, Ratoka was being hesitant.


    ¡°¡­¡­Um. Is it alright if I go visit the underground dungeon?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d like to talk with the captives?¡±


    I didn¡¯t think that it had that much to do with him, but I could also understand why he cared.


    ¡°Ah, there was something, that caught my attention.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help tilting my head at how vague he was being. Then, Ratoka spoke up again in a small voice.


    ¡°Ah, no, um. It¡¯s fine if you didn¡¯t notice anything.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­What was it that caught your attention?¡±


    I must have missed what he noticed, so I briefly ordered him to tell me. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s because we¡¯ve known each other for so long, or if because Ratoka usually doesn¡¯t talk about this sort of thing with me, I feel like he¡¯s being far too roundabout and needs to get to the point.


    ¡°Um¡­¡­ I was wondering whether it would bother you if I talked to the prisoners. ¡­¡­Sorry.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but be speechless at what finally came out of his mouth after much hesitation. His hesitance, plus the apology that he felt necessary to add at the end, told me what I needed to know.


    ¡­¡­Ratoka has been immensely affected by my lack of trust towards others, and even now he¡¯s being greatly influenced by me. As my body double, I share almost everything with him. Now I know that trust is a mutual relationship, accumulated over time, this is something that I¡¯ve learned myself through experience.


    Because of his silly outburst in the horse-drawn carriage a few days ago, I foolishly believed that would clear the air between us of any remaining ill feelings. But he seems to believe that I still don¡¯t trust him completely. Something which has been ongoing for so many years, wouldn¡¯t disappear so easily, I see now.


    ¡°-No, sorry. About that, I¡¯m the one who should apologize.¡±


    It felt like there was mud congesting my chest, as I chose my words as carefully as possible and said them directly, which finally caused Ratoka¡¯s expression to become less tense. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°R, ridiculous. Because you and I aren¡¯t of equal status, it¡¯s only natural that I should apologize if you don¡¯t believe in me, and that you should be doubtful of me. ¡­¡­I know at least that much.¡±


    Even while saying that we weren¡¯t equals, as if I wasn¡¯t there, Ratoka stole my cold cup of black tea from my hand and gulped it all down. Hmph, I almost wanted to snort and laugh out loud at his incongruous behavior.


    ¡°Okay, go ahead. In fact, I was just wanting to give someone the order to go observe the prisoners. I¡¯ll leave it to you, Elise.¡±


    ¡°Understood, ¡®my lord.¡¯¡±


    Ratoka exited the room, as he addressed me by the title my soldiers usually did, a title that he normally would never use for me.

 Ch 178

    In wartime, Arxia¡¯s army basically has only one overall strategy.First, defend against the opponent¡¯s attacks. Second, wait for the enemy army to retreat, be defeated, or annihilated, then counterattack. Third, quickly achieve preset goals, such as occupying strategically important locations. It¡¯s quite a simple pattern, maintained by Arxia¡¯s huge standing army.


    Well then, the enemy¡¯s scouts have invaded our border, so Ergnade and Marquis Rolentsor already took some troops to the frontlines. However, the few soldiers that they took with them fall into pattern one, they¡¯re squads that are meant for defending this fortress. Fort Jugfena¡¯s main forces are still currently stationed here.


    Before Marquis Rolentsor finishes giving orders on the frontlines and returns, Eric is supposed to give a speech to the troops stationed here on behalf of the Upper House of Lords, and ¨C he has several other tasks he needs to accomplish.


    ¡°Just what is it, you say I have work to do.¡±


    When I informed Eric who leisurely came to my room like he had all the time in the world that he had work to do, he made an expression that indicated he felt it was bothersome. Since he¡¯s asking what he has to do though, instead of outright refusing, it seems at least he hasn¡¯t forgotten what he came here to do. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Consolations. There¡¯s a makeshift hospital that¡¯s been set up at this fortress to accommodate injured soldiers. For the royal army themselves, I¡¯ve heard that it¡¯s Marquis Rolentsor who¡¯s personally consoling the troops on the frontlines, and he outranks even the archduke on military matters.¡±


    ¡°Mmm¡­¡­ Hey, why do you know? You have nothing to do with the royal army, right?¡±


    ¡°No, because I¡¯ve established a personal knight order, I have the position of an informal military officer in the royal army.¡±


    The owner of a knight order isn¡¯t included as one of the members. However, the owner will be registered in name only as a military officer in the royal army. This system is in place to remind us that personal knight orders belong to the country first and foremost, before belonging to any individual. It¡¯s only a nominal job title, and doesn¡¯t even come with a salary like a normal military rank would.


    ¡­¡­Although it¡¯s supposed to be in name only, because of it I¡¯m now basically being treated as Eric¡¯s babysitter, and from time to time I¡¯m also treated as a military officer similar to Ergnade and the others. While I¡¯m also rewarded for my achievements, there¡¯s something I still don¡¯t understand. I had no intention of becoming a full-fledged military officer, so why was it that somehow people were treating me as one, without me realizing it?


    Well, I also know that Ergnade is rewarded handsomely for his achievements in combat, so I can somewhat understand. And for the Kaldia domain that¡¯s certainly no economic powerhouse, reward money is always welcome.


    According to Arxian military law, informal military officers are basically treated like outsourced jobs. And since there¡¯s no concept of outsourcing fees here, reward money isn¡¯t paid by the military budget, but treated as a private expense instead.


    ¡°This is an order from Earl Einsbark, that Baron Dovadain should finish meeting with and consoling the soldiers here before General Commander Rolentsor returns.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Ah, got it. I¡¯ll go.¡±


    Was he getting too bored these past few days, he listened to me easier than I expected.


    The makeshift hospital where Eric was to do his consolations, was just a simple extension of the medical office in the fort. Even so, it was also a place where many seriously injured soldiers had returned to from the frontlines, as Fort Jugfena was currently in the rear of the frontlines.


    ¡°Urk¡­¡­!¡±


    Eric entered the nursing area with an unwilling, frowning expression, but the moment he stepped into the room, he caught his breath.


    Soldiers were all over the room ¨C no, perhaps I should say former soldiers. Many of them were missing an arm or a leg, or badly burned, it was clear to see that they were in excruciating pain.


    ¡°Eric-sama, there¡¯s no need to hesitate, please go and console each of them individually and ask how they are doing. None of the patients in this room will be able to fight on the battlefield anymore, and now they¡¯re just waiting to be picked up by their own domains and families.¡±


    The doctor informed Eric about the soldiers here, but Eric seemed frightened, as he backed away from the patients¡¯ beds.


    ¡°¡­¡­Urgh, ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±


    The doctor and I shook our heads slightly at Eric¡¯s reaction. While I had expected he would be shocked, it seems that the soldiers in this room were still too much for him.


    There are no lightly injured soldiers in this hospital. In the first place, the lightly injured wouldn¡¯t need to return from the frontlines. The only ones here were those that were seriously injured, to the point where they wouldn¡¯t be able to move or fight. Although I explained the situation here to Eric beforehand, because Eric lives a daily life with no bloodshed whatsoever, he has no way of comprehending the sight before him, even though he has knowledge about it.


    If it had been the crown prince or Grays here however, I doubt either of them would have been as shaken as Eric. They should have received an education to expect such things.


    Now then, how will Eric go about consoling these soldiers? My job was just to bring him here, and in the end, I¡¯m not connected to the royal army soldiers like he is, so I can¡¯t replace him to console these soldiers on his behalf. Besides, that would completely destroy Eric¡¯s image.


    ¡­¡­How annoying. Why is it that I have to do something like educate a boy that¡¯s my age? Well, it was my idea in the first place to give him a taste of the real world out there to help him mature, so I guess it can¡¯t be helped.

 Ch 179

    June 14, 2017 ¡¤ by imperfectluck ¡¤ in Uncategorized. ¡¤Well then, it happened just as I was mentally sighing about Eric..


    ¡°Eeeee!! Why, why is the vampire here!? Noooooo!! I don¡¯t want to die, I don¡¯t want to dieeee!!¡±


    Suddenly, a crazed shouting arose from the corner of the nursing room. I clicked my tongue at being called a vampire, while the doctor headed over to see what was going on. Eric was frozen in shock for a moment with his shoulders trembling, then he looked around the room aimlessly.


    ¡°Please calm down, don¡¯t get excited! Someone! Sedatives!¡±


    ¡°No! No!! There¡¯s so many, I don¡¯t want to be the vampire¡¯s bait anymore!!¡±


    ¡°Why is the vampire back here!? I thought the vampire was currently at noble school!!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t even fight anymore! Stop it, I don¡¯t want to kill anymore or die!! I can¡¯t even fight anymore, I¡¯m even missing a leg now!!¡±


    With the first scream getting everyone¡¯s attention, subsequent screams arose all at once, and the room suddenly was awash in commotion. I detected many eyes on me, containing clearly negative emotions such as condemnation, contempt, and fear. The doctor hurriedly ushered me out of the nursing room, and like he was attached to me, Eric came following after.


    When I closed the door to the adjacent room in an attempt to block out the sound, I finally let go of a heavy sigh.


    Among the royal army¡¯s soldiers, my infamous reputation is commonly known. They seem to be strongly emotionally opposed to me due to my methods of attacking enemy units and dealing with enemy prisoners, which runs directly contrary to their ideals of chivalry and benevolence.


    I hadn¡¯t taken into consideration that my appearance would cause them mental trauma¡­¡­ even through the closed metal door, I could still hear the doctors and soldiers dealing with the panic that my appearance caused, and I unconsciously chewed my lower lip.


    For them, I¡¯m a symbol of death, violence, and the battlefield. As the hubbub continued in the distance, my emotions felt like they were condensing into something leaden.


    ¡°Baron Dovadain, my apologies. It seems that the place where you were to give your condolences has become chaotic. I shall let Earl Wiegraf Einsbark know that I¡¯ll have some other person take you here again on another day, so you can return to your room now.¡±


    Eric seemed unable to comprehend the situation at all, he just kept staring with a frozen expression on his face at the closed door leading to the nursing room as I talked to him. He finally looked at me when I finished speaking, with an expression of utter confusion.


    ¡°T, that just now¡­¡­ what was that about? Why is it that, our own country¡¯s soldiers fear you so much?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­The battlefield is a place that easily damages people¡¯s hearts.¡±


    While urging Eric to walk out of here with me, I decided to answer him. I had thought that it was necessary to educate him anyways, so I suppose this could be a good opportunity. When he visits here again to give his condolences, it¡¯ll be better if he¡¯s able to handle it better and come up with some words to say.


    ¡°For enemies on the battlefield, it means that you¡¯re fighting each other and trying to kill each other, which can create a sense of denial and mental suffering in humans. And as Eric-dono already knows, I¡¯ve already killed many enemies mercilessly, even prisoners. The injuries those soldiers from earlier received caused them to have weak hearts because they don¡¯t ever want to return to the battlefield again. So, without being able to distinguish between allies and enemies, anything that reminds them of the battlefield causes them to be terrified.¡±


    ¡°Damaged hearts¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Injuries and death don¡¯t only happen to your body, it can also happen to spirits. For example, it¡¯s incredibly common for a person to have a phobia of fire if they were burned before, and all living creatures fear pain that they understand the cause behind. In order to keep living, in order to not die, they fear getting injured.¡±


    While giving a basic explanation of psychological damage to Eric, I also thought about my own citizens. The hellish life that they had under my late father¡¯s rule, scarred their hearts deeper than anyone. Although it was necessary, what followed after with my and Earl Terejia¡¯s rule amounted to what was essentially shock therapy. I felt a sense of regret that I wasn¡¯t able to take better care of their hearts.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­You.¡±


    From behind me, Eric said only one word, with nothing else to go on, not even a question. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Me?¡±


    I had no idea what he was trying to say, and I tilted my head as I asked him back. Eric himself seemed unsure what to ask me, he was furrowing his eyebrows deeply.


    ¡°¡­¡­You, um, well, didn¡¯t personally kill those enemy soldiers, did you?¡±


    He finally ended up asking me a question in quite a roundabout manner. Even though the royal army also consists of commoners, their pride wouldn¡¯t even let them consider a tactic like the one I used before. Since they¡¯re not even in the same chain of command as me, they¡¯ve never even participated directly in battle together with the infamously villainous me.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­Are you really fine? Acting like nothing happened, even with something like that,¡±


    He trailed off with a whimper as I glared at him. While his words were cut off, I perfectly understood what he was trying to say.


    ¡°They simply weren¡¯t my citizens.¡±


    I shrugged as I answered him. I didn¡¯t mention if I was fine or not.


    I could sort of say that I was fine, but it¡¯s also partially true that I wasn¡¯t. Right now my feelings are sleeping deep within me, and unlike my citizens, maybe they¡¯ll come up floating to the surface again at a time that I can¡¯t control.


    End of Act 3, Part 3

 Ch 180

    June 14, 2017 ¡¤ by imperfectluck ¡¤ in Uncategorized. ¡¤Beginning of Act 3, Part 4


    To the east of the Jugfena Great Plains, is a flatlands littered with small hills that look like floating islands from a distance, and castles are built as defense bases in those hills. Rindarl¡¯s army has abandoned these bases after suffering some defeats, and we¡¯ve been occupying them as our most frontline position, for just over eight months. Currently, autumn is almost upon us.


    Marquis Rolentsor left the defense of those bases up to Ergnade and the Fort Jugfena troops he took with them, while he returned to the fortress with the royal army soldiers that had been guarding the bases up until now. There¡¯s the fact that we can¡¯t just leave our most frontline position unguarded, but right now Eric won¡¯t be any use in encouraging the soldiers, and it may be a bad idea to have the royal army soldiers continue with that task with their morale decreasing after such a long time stationed there.


    ¡°The costs to maintain our frontlines are getting ridiculous. If it increases any further, we might as well just annex all of Densel and make it into our vassal state.¡±


    When Marquis Rolentsor returned from the frontlines, he was complaining in dissatisfaction. The irritation from not knowing what Rindarl is thinking and being in a continuous state of war must be adding to his fatigue from having to have a meeting with us right after returning.


    It seems that with the considerable time of eight months having passed, the royal army soldiers at the bases added many modifications and paths in order to make life more convenient there. They¡¯ve put enough investment into it to where it would be almost impossible to accept returning those bases to Rindarl in any sort of border and peace agreement with them. It would be a sad story, having to develop the enemy country¡¯s infrastructure for them and then giving it back. That¡¯s why, even though it wasn¡¯t Arxia¡¯s original intention, it might end up having to expand.


    ¡°The economic benefits from researching the new weapons we captured should more than make up for our expenditures.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just the thinking of a military officer without any citizens, Wiegraf. Even if we increase the number of new weapons, that doesn¡¯t increase the amount of food. Since they can¡¯t see the war for themselves, the interior nobles won¡¯t agree to increasing our funding.¡±


    I touched the metal tube in front of me that was approximately four feet long. It¡¯s a gun. These were discovered abandoned in the bases that we captured.


    These guns are quite different from the weapons I captured in the battle where I got promoted to an earl as a result. The guns my army captured before were six feet long thin metal cylinders with what looked like ladders attached, but these have a much closer resemblance to the guns I remember. The enemy¡¯s succeeded in significantly decreasing the gun¡¯s size, and I had the chilling thought that it was now much easier to maneuver.


    ¡°Well, we don¡¯t have the right to talk about what¡¯s in Arxia¡¯s national interest, so we¡¯ll have to leave these negotiations to the general commander. ¡­¡­¡­¡­Anyways. Compared to the last battle we fought at the Great Plains, they seem to have made additional improvements to this new weapon of theirs.¡±


    The last battle, for me would be when I was defending Ritox Plateau. The enemy soldiers there only had conventional weapons, but it seems that guns made a reappearance on the Great Plains during that time.


    ¡°¡­¡­They seem to use these stones.¡± S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A white stone cut into a hexagonal pillar shape was attached to the side of the tube, also reaching inside the cylinder. The mechanism seems to have some sort of function similar to a gun trigger, and when you remove its clasp, the stone will vigorously retract inside.


    ¡°Mm. It seems to be a device to trigger sparks for gunpowder. It¡¯s very similar to luminescent lamps made from fire moth powder¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Fire moth powder lamps can only produce light, nothing else. It doesn¡¯t have the ability to start fires.¡±


    Wiegraf¡¯s comment caused both me and the general commander to shake our heads again.


    ¡°This is probably why we were able to capture a stockpile of these so easily. It¡¯s likely that this mechanism is quite efficient already, but we aren¡¯t able to make use of it because we don¡¯t understand the principles.¡±


    ¡°In other words, we won¡¯t be able to make use of this short-tubed fire arrow unless we build another mechanism for it to prevent fires. Although, speaking of mechanisms. We could use the other bigger version of this for reference.¡±


    Apparently, it seems that Arxia is now calling this weapon short-tubed fire arrows, although I know it as a type of gun. It seems that several hundred years ago, there existed a simple cannon-like weapon that shot out large stones and other similar ammunition, which was simply called the ¡°big tube¡± back then, which is where guns got this type of name from.


    Now, the technology on how to make the cannon has been lost, and I think that most people probably forgot about its existence, until the appearance of these short-tubed fire arrows.


    ¡°Well, we have no choice now but to research it.¡±


    ¡°I concur, Earl Kaldia. This could be a wonderful weapon, depending on how we use it. I want to spread it to the royal army as fast as possible.¡±


    I averted my gaze from Marquis Rolentsor who said that with sparkles in his eyes. It must be his personal interest, as a military person from the family obsessed with all things related to martial arts, weapons, and combat strategies.


    ¡°More importantly, the most critical thing now is the formal speech from Baron Dovadain.¡±


    Eric originally came here as a messenger from the king giving permission to do battle, and his primary purpose here is to give inspiration and encouragement to the soldiers. Although I called it a formal speech, it isn¡¯t really something all that pompous.


    However, the problem lies with Eric.

 Ch 181

    Today I took Eric to the makeshift hospital again, and I waited outside the door for him as I read Ratoka¡¯s report on the prisoners. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.Just like Vanita told me, the slave children seemed to be suspicious of each other. There were some children that were so afraid of being ratted on by a spy, causing their friends and family to be executed, that they even committed suicide in our dungeon, their mental states were quite fragile.


    Given this situation, I suppose it¡¯s highly likely there are child soldiers among them that are deceiving us. My memories of Kamil further increased my suspicions. It¡¯s definitely possible that there are children just like him, that are capable of killing so many adults.


    ¡°-Kaldia.¡±


    Eric came out of the makeshift hospital and called out to me, so I put the report down.


    ¡°Baron Dovadain. For being able to come visit and console the soldiers again today, I thank you on behalf of my adopted father.¡±


    As I stood up and thanked him, Eric¡¯s face distorted. Still, maybe he was thinking that it would be a bad idea if those inside the hospital heard my voice, he indicated with a chin movement that we should walk further down the hallway.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter how many times you ask me, I won¡¯t use my status as a royal to authorize an attack on Rindarl. When I return to the royal capital, I¡¯m going to inform His Majesty the king and my father that we should offer a ceasefire and make peace with Rindarl.¡±


    ¡°-Please consider it again. Without Baron Dovadain¡¯s permission, the Arxian royal army won¡¯t be able to efficiently deal with the enemy¡¯s slave armies. If the enemy uses their slaves as meat shields to attack us, then our army will¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop repeating yourself, it¡¯s annoying. My answer is the same, we should retreat. Our frontlines should be pulled back to Fort Jugfena, no matter who our enemies are, we shouldn¡¯t invade their territory, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    In the past few days, Eric and I have been repeating the same conversation over and over again. -This, is the new ¡°problem¡± with Eric I was referring to.


    ¡°It¡¯s contrary to our church¡¯s teachings, using violence to forcibly take land and resources. But, just look at what¡¯s happening at our frontlines. Not only have you guys forced the opponent¡¯s armies back, you¡¯ve also occupied Densel and Planates¡¯ land, and now they want to defend their territory and take it back. And think about the toll it¡¯s taking on our soldiers!¡±


    Eric was angrily motioning about as if he wanted to hit something. It¡¯s somewhat different from when he was throwing tantrums at noble school, this was because of his self-righteousness.


    His face was changing color with how furious he was for the sake of others, and the slight self-loathing and self-denial that I could sense in him before was completely absent.


    ¡­¡­The impact from meeting those soldiers that were so psychologically damaged, was much stronger than I expected. I knew that he would be sensitive towards mental trauma, but I never would have thought that he¡¯d make the leap from seeing injured soldiers straight to denying the fact that we were at war.


    ¡°Baron Dovadain, you should understand that it will be difficult to relinquish those captured bases as it would hinder peace negotiations.¡±


    ¡°Humph, what are you saying. You¡¯re the one who should understand, right? Such a thing isn¡¯t necessary for peace negotiations. Isn¡¯t Rindarl¡¯s request simply to treat the first prince better?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±


    That¡¯s something that everyone in this war knows. I was speechless in response.


    ¡°Summon First Prince Albert back from the monastery to the royal palace, and allow him to attend noble school. Cancel Prince Alfred¡¯s crown prince position, and the cause of this entire war will disappear. For such a meaningless reason, sacrificing our citizens in a ridiculous conflict¡­¡­ Hey!?¡±


    Before Eric was able to continue his rant any further in the hallway, I suddenly dragged him into an adjacent room. Even if he¡¯s a high-ranking noble like the archduke¡¯s son, there are words that can¡¯t be said. What he just said was a clear insult to the Upper House of Lords ¨C the highest decision-making body in Arxia. Although he¡¯s from the archduke¡¯s family, he¡¯s still only the second-born son of a concubine, there are statements that can¡¯t be taken back once they¡¯re said out loud.


    ¡°What are you¡­¡­ doing!¡±


    ¡°Calm down a little. Calling the decision of His Majesty the king ¡®meaningless and ridiculous¡¯ in such a public location, you know what will happen if this is heard, don¡¯t you?¡±


    I closed the door and covered his mouth, while coldly urging him in a whisper to remain calm, and reminded him that he was disrespecting the king. I forcibly made him focus on me, instead of the injured soldiers. Hopefully with this, his head will cool down somewhat and he¡¯ll regain his senses.


    Eric stared at me as I talked, then he slowly nodded. The moment I took my hand off him, he quickly scampered away from me, putting distance between us.


    ¡°My apologies for being rough with you.¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡­¡­¡­ It¡¯s fine. I think I was¡­¡­ a bit carried away just now.¡±


    Eric¡¯s face was pale as he sat down on a nearby chair while breathing hard. He felt like a balloon that just lost its air, it¡¯s like a hole just opened up in his emotions, and he lost his original shape.

 Ch 182

    After I saw that Eric had calmed down somewhat, I pulled over a chair and sat down as well. Time is urgent, and this was a good chance. I have to be able to convince Eric either today or tomorrow.¡°I understand perfectly well, Baron Dovadain¡¯s concerns. The things that you¡¯ve said, everyone¡¯s considered them, including me.¡±


    ¡°Then!¡±


    ¡°However, what you¡¯re saying is wrong. Since you¡¯re from Archduke Dovadain¡¯s family, you should be looking at the situation as a politician, not a knight.¡±


    I used a rather forceful tone of voice with Eric, and while he looked surprised for an instant, his face soon stiffened again as he bit his lip.


    I want to sigh. From his reaction, I know what he¡¯s thinking even if he doesn¡¯t say it out loud.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­Kaldia, you must have known all this already. That¡¯s why you brought me here.¡±


    I didn¡¯t say anything in response to Eric¡¯s question. I didn¡¯t know how Eric would react, after he met the injured soldiers again this time.


    In the first place, I already achieved half my goal of resolving the conflict at noble school, when I succeeded in bringing Eric to Fort Jugfena. Eric will forced to officially retract his previous statement by me.


    In order for him to give condolences to the soldiers successfully, I had hoped that seeing the actual state of injured soldiers would galvanize him, and that he¡¯d be able to gain some passion as he encouraged the soldiers.


    While passion was indeed injected into him, it went in the opposite direction I expected ¨C while being a politician, he also took a knight¡¯s viewpoint, meaning he¡¯s on the ordinary soldiers¡¯ side. While being compassionate about the citizens, he¡¯s not considering the benefits from Arxia¡¯s standpoint, and he doesn¡¯t even know the determination of the soldiers that are willing to stand on the battlefield, so that¡¯s why he¡¯ll only be able to say words without much substance behind them.


    ¡°Even if you¡¯re wrong, you¡¯re not someone who will stand on the battlefield, and you weren¡¯t born as someone who will become a knight. It¡¯s a mistake for you to think about the battlefield from the viewpoint of a knight.¡±


    For those standing on the battlefield, they must be prepared for the loss of their lives or their friends¡¯ lives. Politicians must realize their own positions as well. They must be prepared to defend their citizens¡¯ lives as well as their own, and have the resolution to use others¡¯ lives for that purpose.


    I¡¯m someone from both of those worlds, and unlike Eric, I¡¯m flexible and can adapt to both a military officer and a politician¡¯s roles. I continued lecturing him.


    ¡°¡­¡­Death is scary to soldiers. So only those who are prepared to die can stand on the battlefield. Those whose hearts are broken, will retreat from battle. For the remaining soldiers whose hearts haven¡¯t been broken, it¡¯s considered an insult to run away from the battlefield. Baron Dovadain, after coming here, will you still insist on insulting those whose life is represented by their swords? Then will you escape back to the royal capital, and will you be able to show your face in front of Sieghart?¡±


    If Eric returns to the royal capital just like this, as I explained to Eric earlier, I¡¯m certain that Arxia¡¯s army will be unable to do anything to the Rindarl army that will use its slaves as a meat shield, and they would be forced to retreat from Fort Jugfena.


    That would mean letting go of all our previous victories. No matter how you look at it, it would be a clear loss for us. ¡­¡­And General Commander Marquis Rolentsor¡¯s name and honor will bite the dust.


    When I mentioned Sieghart¡¯s name, Eric¡¯s expression became clearly distorted. He seemed almost about to cry, quite a childish reaction.


    -Well, from what I remember of my past life, thirteen should be considered quite young. And, I¡¯m the same age as him. But in the common sense of this world, thirteen means you¡¯re almost an adult. They¡¯re treated almost equal to adults.


    That¡¯s why, even though I realized that he wasn¡¯t mature enough yet to handle things, I was different from him as I was a reincarnator.


    ¡°You should know your own role.¡±


    ¡­¡­If I try to think like a child, I feel like I can also sort of understand Eric. When I think about how he has no female role model in his life to look up to anymore, he seems pitiful, but just because I sympathize with him doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m going to be friends with him.


    ¡°You need to have at least a minimum amount of resolution, to be prepared before having come here.¡±


    In this situation where it¡¯s only the two of us in this room, it¡¯s ridiculous to even try and conceal my feelings. I threw out those words forcefully at him.


    While Eric¡¯s expression remained distorted like he was about to cry, he didn¡¯t remove his gaze from me until the very end. I think that this might be the first time we¡¯ve held each other¡¯s gazes for so long.


    ¡°¡­¡­Ahh, I got it. Just now, ¡­¡­and the thing with Sieg as well, it was my bad.¡±


    Nevertheless, in the end he was honest with his feelings for once, and then he hung his head.


    As I was taking the despondent Eric back to his room, Paulo found me in the hallway.


    ¡°Eliza-sama, Earl Einsbark is calling for you.¡±


    ¡°Immediately?¡±


    ¡°Yes. He told me to inform Baron Dovadain as well. Our scouts have reported that Densel¡¯s forces have moved out from their capital, and orders are for our royal army to return to the frontlines immediately¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± I nodded, as I glanced sideways at Eric who was still looking down. He seemed to notice me observing him, and for a moment he turned around and looked back in the direction of the makeshift hospital, but he nodded affirmatively.


    S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Ch 183

    When I took Eric to the conference room, Wiegraf and General Commander Rolentsor welcomed him as if nothing had ever happened between them, and began making preparations for the formal declaration of attack.Since bringing up the fact that Eric had refused to grant permission to attack before would benefit no one, and only us here know about it with me being the messenger between them and Eric, it¡¯s treated as an open secret.


    Anyways, this troublesome problem has finally been resolved. As for the preparations for the formal declaration of attack, it¡¯s not anything that I need to be involved in. I just have to wait for my next orders.


    In order to use our time more efficiently on other work and various matters, Ergnade and I left the conference room first since there was no meaning to us being there at the current time.


    ¡°You still care about that in the end?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­So disrespectful, as expected.¡±


    ¡°Who might you be referring to, I wonder?¡±


    On our way to the training grounds, Ergnade laughed coolly as he walked next to me. I felt rather annoyed at his expression that said he wouldn¡¯t give up on this topic, and I sighed.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind if you stuck a little closer to me, though. I wager I would have won the bet if that was the case.¡±


    ¡°Could you stop playing games about betting on people?¡±


    ¡°If I remember to, let¡¯s do that next time.¡±


    Well, what he was betting on was most likely whether or not Eric would give in to me in the end. The players in their betting game were Ergnade, Wiegraf, and Marquis Rolentsor. Given their personalities and understanding of me, I believe that Wiegraf most likely won their bet. He used to be the strategist for Fort Jugfena, and he has a sharp mind.


    ¡°Because Eric¡¯s attitude didn¡¯t soften at all after coming here, I thought that he wouldn¡¯t be able to change. You were probably also able to cancel out his bad attitude towards you because of his loss of status, right?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s developed into a factional struggle, to the point where one faction completely overpowered the other.¡±


    Ergnade means that Eric having come here also affected his standing with the crown prince. To put it simply, he lost favor.


    I want to have an appropriate political distance from the crown prince and Grays, as they will probably become the next king and archduke, and it seems that the general commander¡¯s grandson wants to make friends and hang out with me, as long as it doesn¡¯t cause me to get too close to the crown prince, I¡¯m fine with that. In that regard, Eric whose status is sort of low despite his noble rank is just perfect for acting as a barrier between us.


    Eric, who is the son of a concubine, started an entire factional struggle at noble school over a personal feud because of my mock duel with Sieghart, and in the end the royal army¡¯s highest-level commander Marquis Rolentsor and Archduke Dovadain both learned about it and had to take action.


    This was clearly a black mark against Eric. Of course his social status and power would be greatly diminished.


    ¡°Well, I found it unexpected that he would abandon his rigid way of thinking and change. I thought that you wouldn¡¯t be able to break him, and that we¡¯d have to enter battle without the ability to attack as we wished.¡±


    I knew that full well. As a last resort, even if it caused the royal army¡¯s morale to drop dreadfully low, I planned to have the Kaldia army and the Fort Jugfena troops slaughter the enemy¡¯s slave soldiers acting as meat shields that the royal army wouldn¡¯t be able to deal with. If it became necessary, I was also prepared to request reinforcements from Margrave Genas.


    Just as I was considering if I should call Rashiok and play with him, in a counterattack.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t about to allow him to continue thinking the way he did.¡± S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s just how it turned out. But, even though it wasn¡¯t necessary, why did you make the effort to fix your relationship with him?¡±


    I formed my mouth into the¤Ø shape. He suddenly changed topics to this one, was this something he planned on asking all along?


    ¡°¡­¡­I mean, I cared because I found it nostalgic, it¡­¡­¡±


    Just as I sighed deeply, Ergnade exploded into laughter. While he was laughing heartily, I glared at him with my eyelids half shut. That¡¯s why I hated the idea of saying it out loud. I thought about summoning Rashiok and having him toy with Ergnade, to get back at Ergnade for this.


    That¡¯s when it happened.


    From in the distance, we heard a low booming sound, together with the impact of the ground shaking. Ergnade and I both froze, and looked at each other.


    ¡°¡­¡­That was from underground.¡±


    ¡°The captured children¡­¡­!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go there first. You should call Rashiok to come with you.¡±


    I nodded, as Ergnade ran off first while adjusting his black uniform. I¡¯m going to go straight after him as well, but first, I went out of the hallway, and blew a high-pitched sound with my fingers in order to summon Rashiok.

 Ch 184

    Rashiok came running over to me immediately. Then, I wondered if there was something wrong with my eyesight.Behind him, the pure white draconis was gliding beautifully as it descended. The light of intelligence was shining from its eyes, and she sat down next to Rashiok, as she stared at me. It seemed like she was awaiting my orders. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    I thought that a wild draconis would be unused to human beings. While I was confused, as if to reassure me, Rashiok made a gentle bark that sounded like he was saying it was alright.


    Could it be that, the white female draconis treated me as the draconis leader? Even though I was confused, I nodded, and gave orders to both of them.


    ¡°Rashiok, first take me to Ratoka immediately. And¡­¡­ um, you, I would like for you to watch whether children are coming out around the fortress, could you do that for me?¡±


    Even though I know that draconis are highly intelligent, will a wild draconis understand my words, I wonder. Just as I was thinking so, it seemed that she indeed didn¡¯t understand what I meant. However, Rashiok made some snorting sounds through his nose, in some type of communication with her, and she made a bark that sounded like an acknowledgment before flying up into the air.


    ¡°¡­¡­You¡¯ve obtained quite a nice girlfriend.¡±


    Watching this scene in stunned amazement, I couldn¡¯t help but make that comment to Rashiok. He made a head movement that seemed like he was saying ¡°I know, right?¡±


    ¡°Ratoka!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Eliza?¡±


    Ratoka was on the path beside the underground dungeon. Rather than saying on the path, maybe I should say instead that he was buried in the stone rubble, from the collapsed walls.


    While each individual stone probably wasn¡¯t all that heavy, it seemed his clothes were being restrained by so many rocks, that he wasn¡¯t able to move and climb out.


    ¡°Are you alright!?¡±


    ¡°Ahh, luckily my head wasn¡¯t injured at all.¡±


    I jumped down from Rashiok, and randomly started clearing the stones off and freed him from the debris. I could see bruises on his wrists. While he said that his head wasn¡¯t injured, it¡¯s highly likely that his body is black and blue from the impact.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    As I asked him, Ratoka shook his head in response.


    ¡°I don¡¯t really know what happened. Just as usual, I was about to go check on the state of the prisoners and was heading to the dungeon, when suddenly there was a huge boom and the ground started shaking, so I reflexively crouched down on the floor and that¡¯s when the walls collapsed. However, I heard the sound of the children. They escaped from the dungeon. It seems that they¡¯re being threatened by someone, so they took action.¡±


    A prison escape. ¡­¡­What¡¯s more, he says they¡¯re being threatened. I knew full well that I was currently furrowing my eyebrows deeply. Even though I finally managed to resolve the problem with Eric, now I have something even bigger to worry about.


    ¡°By someone threatening them, are you talking about an invader?¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡­ It was probably one of the children. If my guess is correct¡­¡­ it was probably the short-haired, petite girl.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­It couldn¡¯t be. Wasn¡¯t that girl the youngest of all the children captured?¡±


    ¡°Indeed. But, from talking with her, and watching her, I felt like she was older than she appeared. She¡¯s probably about eleven years old. Even you were already wielding a spear on the battlefield when you were six, right?¡±


    In my case though, I had the assistance of memories from my previous life¡­¡­ although this is something I won¡¯t say even to Ratoka, so I just shrugged. Anyways, Ratoka has been observing the prisoners for quite some time now. Let¡¯s trust his judgment, and act on the belief that the short-haired petite girl was the cause of this commotion.


    ¡°Ratoka, go to Ergnade and tell him about this situation. I¡¯ll chase down the children. If you see Kaldia soldiers on your way, join up with them, and we¡¯ll all meet up later.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    ¡°Rashiok, can I leave it up to you to track the escaped children? ¡­¡­¡­¡­It doesn¡¯t seem to be a problem? Let¡¯s go then.¡±


    I split up from Ratoka again, as I returned onto Rashiok¡¯s back.


    While holding on to Rashiok¡¯s neck, I touched the sword buckled to my waist. Instead of a practical military sword, I was armed with only a ceremonial rapier and a dagger.


    Fort Jugfena is a military base currently in the back of the frontlines. Although I¡¯m technically something like Eric¡¯s escort, considering that this location was still quite far from the battlefield, I was only minimally armed, it seems that this was a huge mistake on my part. With such a big incident happening right now, I could only curse my carelessness.


    The rapier is a weapon that¡¯s designed for piercing, cutting and slicing isn¡¯t its specialty. In fact, my weapon¡¯s blade was terribly dull and blunt.


    ¡­¡­With this weapon, even if I don¡¯t intend to, I may end up having to kill. And, my own personal safety will be at risk.


    Piercing is an attack pattern that leaves you wide open to attacks yourself. Unlike a spear that has a much longer reach, the rapier has only an average length.


    Also, ¨C I was concerned about the fact that the walls had collapsed.


    That booming and ground shaking impact was clearly the sound of something explosive. And, none of the captured children could possibly have hidden something capable of causing an explosion.


    Exactly how did they do it? Several days have passed by since they became prisoners. It¡¯s hard to imagine that it was in their stomachs.


    Then, just how did they create such a huge explosion?


    Somehow, I had a terrible premonition, one that caused chills to run down my body.


    In my mind, I recalled the figure of the woman who made the impossible, possible ¨C that tan-skinned woman who had the ability to manipulate magical beasts.

 Ch 185

    Rashiok ran at full speed through the fort¡¯s narrow passages. On our way, we happened to encounter Claudia, and I picked her up. ¡­¡­Or rather, as always, Claudia did something incomprehensible like managing to jump onto Rashiok¡¯s back on her own while Rashiok was at his top speed.¡°What are you looking for, Eliza-dono?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­The captured children.¡±


    ¡°Did they escape!? So, that means the ground shaking earlier was caused by them.¡±


    ¡°It seems that way.¡±


    ¡°Man¡­¡­ Even though they¡¯re enemy soldiers, I don¡¯t really like cutting down children. Normally I would use a spear to knock them unconscious, but in the narrow spaces of the fortress, there¡¯s not enough space to wield a spear. What should I do? If I knew this would happen, I would have made the edge of my sword blade duller.¡±


    ¡­¡­The Kaldia army has encountered child soldiers on the battlefield several times now. I always thought that there were quite a lot of them that ended up as prisoners of war before, was it Claudia¡¯s handiwork


    Even if they¡¯re child soldiers, no, even if they are, anyone that attacks my troops will be treated mercilessly by me. People getting injured or killed in the process of fighting is just standard in the course of war.


    I wonder if Claudia has only been knocking people unconscious so far, after all this fighting. I thought about it in surprised silence as my shoulders drooped, while Claudia who had no idea what I was thinking but sensed my mood asked me ¡°Eliza-dono, are you feeling alright?¡±


    While she kept chatting on and on, I bit my tongue, and just as she finished, I accidentally bit my tongue too hard by accident. Indeed, I¡¯ve never personally witnessed Claudia ever killing anyone.


    The escaped child prisoners seemed to be heading down an underground passage that I wasn¡¯t familiar with. It¡¯s an intricate underground passage system that spread out like a labyrinth below the barracks and training grounds here.


    Usually, the soldiers at Fort Jugfena don¡¯t use these passages. Some of the passages have been crushed by falling rocks or disrepair, and it was forbidden to enter them due to the danger.


    The underground passages weren¡¯t very high, the height wasn¡¯t enough for me to ride on Rashiok anymore. While having Rashiok follow behind me, we hurried as much as possible while muffling the sound of our footsteps.


    ¡°Are they really down in here? Aren¡¯t some of the passageways blocked off?¡±


    ¡°The children seem to possess some sort of explosives.¡±


    ¡°What are explosives?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Weapons similar to the ¡®big tube¡¯ (cannons) and the ¡®short-tubed fire-arrows.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Ohh, those! I see, short tubes aside, the big tubes are capable of firing huge rocks that can easily blow apart any stone walls or debris. ¡­¡­However, how are they using such a weapon?¡±


    Well, if only I knew, I¡¯d feel less stressed. As I talked to Claudia while continuing to progress down the passageways, boom, there was another impact as the ground shook again. From the ceiling, some stone flakes fell.


    ¡°¡­¡­Isn¡¯t this a bit dangerous?¡±


    ¡°Considering that this could easily trigger a full collapse of the tunnels, and that we don¡¯t know when it could happen, yes, this is probably quite dangerous.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­We need to hurry up and capture them. I¡¯d rather not be buried under tons of rock.¡±


    I thought privately to myself that Claudia would probably be alright even if she was buried under tons of rocks, but I kept that thought a secret.


    As we progressed forward, the deterioration of the passageway became more apparent.


    ¡°They¡¯re there¡­¡­¡± sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In the dim passageway, we could see the light shining off torches reflected by the children¡¯s silver hair. It¡¯s the escaped prisoners. They seemed to be hiding in the collapsed debris and looking around to watch the situation.


    ¡°Tsk, this is a dead end.¡±


    I heard the clicking of someone¡¯s tongue as someone spoke forcefully and irritatedly in the Rindarl language. The voice belonged to a young girl. Because of how quiet the tunnels were, it was easy to hear her voice clearly.


    ¡°Well then, what should we do?¡±


    When the girl turned around and talked to the other children, the slave children all began whimpering. If Ratoka¡¯s report was correct, is this young girl the one that threatened all the other prisoners and brought them out? She was probably the one that caused the explosion somehow, but how does she keep several tens of prisoners obedient to her with that tiny body of hers? Does she have a collaborator?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Hmm, Sharma. You¡¯ll do just fine. Weren¡¯t you complaining to Vanita just earlier how tired you were?¡±


    You¡¯ll do just fine, what does that mean? We didn¡¯t understand what she meant even though we understood the Rindarl language, so Claudia and I tilted our heads.


    However, it seems that those children understood perfectly well what that girl meant. In the flickering torchlight, it was clear to see that those words caused them to move about uneasily. Simultaneously, the piercing sound of children wailing echoed throughout the passageway. The crying girl named Sharma who was singled out by the petite girl was suddenly knocked against the wall somehow, and just as I was furrowing my eyebrows, wondering what occurred, that¡¯s when it happened.


    The other children rushed out back in our direction. They abandoned the crying girl named Sharma that was pinned against the wall.


    ¡°No!! No!!! Vanita, help, me!¡±


    Was she made unable to move anymore, the girl that had been screaming all this time suddenly fell strangely silent.


    Then, in the next instant ¨C pop, I heard an eerie sound of something liquid flowing. And then boom, an explosion occurred for the third time today.


    As Claudia and I remained crouching against the ground, we were still quite stunned at what just happened. It was dim and vision was poor. I wasn¡¯t absolutely certain. However ¨C however, what just happened, was most likely.


    ¡°¡­¡­Using a shorty like Sharma, even if I blow her up, the explosion¡¯s power seems to have decreased, I guess I should have expected it.¡±


    As the debris started settling down after the explosion, the petite girl started talking to herself, and my suspicions were confirmed.


    That girl was using the other children themselves, as explosives.

 Ch 186

    It was such a repulsive sight that I felt nauseated. In order to help me bear the nausea, I held on to Claudia¡¯s sleeve as she crouched next to me.As if she was a lithe predator, Claudia had a low body posture that seemed like she was ready to pounce at any instant. Her sky blue eyes were glittering in the darkness.


    ¡­¡­Claudia¡¯s essence was that of a knight. She¡¯s never personally talked with me about what exactly she does on the battlefield, but I know that she¡¯s never strayed from her morals. Because of her chivalric code, she¡¯s never killed any children whether they¡¯re enemies or not, and unless I order an ambush specifically, she¡¯ll only attack directly from the front as an honorable knight would do.


    Although Claudia has her knight¡¯s chivalry, I¡¯m going to give her the order that this girl absolutely can¡¯t be forgiven.


    However, the only person with me currently is Claudia, and it¡¯ll be troublesome for me if she rushes in recklessly without a plan. The enemy girl seemed quite vigilant, and she always moved with a minimum of three children around her. And since we don¡¯t know the conditions for her to use that explosion magic, we can¡¯t rush in due to the risk factor.


    ¡°¡­¡­Can you bring Vanita here to me under the cover of darkness?¡±


    In a low whisper, I gave a command to Claudia. I felt like we should act as quickly as possible. The children had pulled back close to the immediate vicinity of the mountain of rubble we were hiding in. I think that if we act now, that girl might not notice if we bring Vanita back to where we¡¯re hiding.


    Claudia didn¡¯t make a single sound in the dim tunnel, as she used dexterous movements to ambush and drag one of the taller children back to where I was.


    ¡°¡­¡­!? ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­!!?¡±


    Claudia had gagged him in order for him to not shout out, and I whispered to the frightened Vanita that it was me, for him to calm down. Vanita relaxed his body after finding out that it was me. And when Claudia released her hand from his mouth, Vanita inquired ¡°why are you here?¡± in a low voice.


    ¡°We came chasing after you guys.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s only two of you, how unreasonable¡­¡­ Please, you should return while you still can. I want to help you guys¡­¡­ But I don¡¯t want to die here, in a place like this¡­¡­¡±


    At Vanita¡¯s entreaty, Claudia and I looked at each other. He says he wants to help us, but he¡¯s also saying for us to return while we still can.


    ¡°¡­¡­That girl, Mefuri, I don¡¯t know how, but she has the magic ability to explode us. Those explosions are powerful enough to blow up anything in close proximity. We still don¡¯t want to die¡­¡­ Please, I¡¯m begging you, don¡¯t fight Mefuri¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­Eliza-dono, Vanita has bits and pieces of human flesh and blood stuck to his body.¡±


    I was momentarily at a loss for words.


    He¡¯s begging me to not fight this girl named Mefuri, and in addition to that, Vanita was covered thickly in blood, and had the smell of burnt human flesh on his body, that probably came from the exploded girl. While the stench was disgusting and difficult to breathe through ¨C my head actually got cooler and colder. It¡¯s as if cold water was being poured through my brain and started freezing over, that¡¯s how much it hurt.


    ¡­¡­The scene that rushed with great momentum into my mind was my defensive battle at Ritox Plateau during the war with Rindarl, which happened less than a year ago. In order to prevent the enemies from invading through that chokepoint, I burned people alive, and threw child soldiers into the burning pit of impaled enemy prisoners.


    ¡°Rashiok.¡±


    My voice sounded ruthless and icy. Even though I was listening to my own voice, it felt so distant from me.


    Rashiok who was breathing quietly and hiding himself in absolute darkness, obediently poked his face out towards me. Vanita was just about to scream at the sight so I gagged his mouth again with my hand this time, as I rubbed my face against Rashiok¡¯s nose. It was a cold and damp feeling, it strangely matched my brain that felt like it was freezing over in cold rage.


    ¡°Can your wind magic handle the impact from that explosion?¡±


    I asked intending to find out if he could protect us from the blast, but Rashiok responded with a low growl. It seems that it would be impossible.


    After the loss of one of his wings, Rashiok was no longer able to fly in the air, and his wind magic was greatly weakened. His wind magic is only at the level of a slight breeze these days.


    ¡°Then, can your scales withstand the force of that explosion?¡±


    Rashiok answered negatively again. Well, since that explosion could blow apart stone walls, this was to be expected.


    ¡°¡­¡­Then, the last question. Is it possible for you to peel off those three children around her, faster than our prey can realize?¡±


    Woof, he barked softly and affirmatively. Certainly. Good child, I told Rashiok as I stroked his head.


    ¡°What are you planning¡­¡­?¡±


    Witnessing my exchange with Rashiok, Vanita seemed dubious. His single leg made a slight sound as he adjusted his body. Behind him was Claudia, and as I expected, she had soundlessly unsheathed her sword.


    ¡°I¡¯ve decided. I¡¯m going to capture the escaped prisoners¡­¡­ that¡¯s my goal.¡± S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible, stop it! We¡¯ll all die¡­¡­ Unn!?¡±


    Vanita protested in a small voice and tried to grab me, but he was instantly knocked unconscious by Claudia.


    ¡°Have a rest here. Perhaps, this might even save you. -I¡¯m sorry, but I have no time to spare. And if you have to die, it might as well be here.¡±


    Just as I finished talking to the unconscious Vanita, a heavy sound came from above and small sandy fragments fell from the ceiling.


    ¡­¡­That was the sound of horses. What¡¯s more, it was several dozen, or even several hundred horses.


    -If I calmly analyze this situation, if there¡¯s such a movement within the fortress at this time, it could only mean that something must be happening on the battlefield. Causing unpredictable confusion to us would be advantageous for the enemy¡¯s attack. Our scouts had already reported to us that their troops had moved out.


    Going at a fast speed by horse, it¡¯s half a day¡¯s distance to the most frontline position from Fort Jugfena. Our royal army that barely just returned to the fort must be moving out again. This could only mean that ¨C war had fully broken out again, after a lull of eight months.

 Ch 187

    Suddenly, the shaky children in the tunnel started screaming. Probably because she knew that an attack was coming at the same time as her planned prison escape, Mefuri was the only one looking at the ceiling calmly.Her attention wasn¡¯t on her surroundings, and her vigilance level was somewhat reduced ¨C this is the best chance for an ambush.


    ¡°Go!¡±


    I pushed on Claudia and Rashiok¡¯s backs. One human and one beast¡­¡­ or should I say two beasts? They jumped out soundlessly from the rubble as if they were shot out of a slingshot.


    The sounds of the children screaming increased in level and kept echoing as the tunnel fell into complete darkness. While blocking my ears with the collar of my coat, I focused all my attention on what was happening in the darkness.


    I could barely make out the figure of Rashiok lightly tossing aside and gently throwing them against the wall in the commotion. I couldn¡¯t tell what Claudia was doing.


    ¡°Shut up!! My head hurts, so you bastards need to shut up immediately!!¡±


    Mefuri was shouting hysterically above the din. It seems that she was still childish in this aspect. As expected, her voice echoed in these tunnels, and I was able to roughly guess her position.


    Like this, I might be able to defeat her¡­¡­ But yep, it happened just when I was feeling a little relieved.


    Pop, there was an unsettling sound. Just then, one of the children that Rashiok lightly bit and was tossing away, turned into a small explosion by his nose.


    Boom, and since Rashiok received such an impact at a close distance, he started howling.


    The smell of burnt flesh spread wider within the tunnels. I realized that Rashiok had instantly distanced himself from the remaining children by taking huge strides.


    It was silent for a moment. And then, the children became more panicked than earlier, as Mefuri made her move.


    ¡°¡­¡­Heh, ahahaha! Idiots!! You¡¯re really idiots!!¡±


    The girl who was laughing in a high-pitched, sarcastic tone of voice moved around the area of the explosion. What is she intending ¨C why was she able to accurately create an explosion and injure Rashiok in the darkness, even though I know I¡¯ll be at a disadvantage if I¡¯m passive and let her be the proactive one, I can¡¯t make any reckless moves until I understand her power first.


    ¡°At the very least, even if I can¡¯t see anything, I ¡®know¡¯ the location of my own bombs!!¡±


    The girl¡¯s tone was mocking as if she wanted to incite me, and popping sounds kept going off around her. sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    And then boom, boom, with sounds of something exploding, small sparks lit up around Mefuri, and illuminated the shivering children that were clinging to the walls.


    ¡­¡­Is she unable to control the power of her explosions, and the power depends on the ¡°material¡± she uses?


    And the reason why the explosion that hit Rashiok wasn¡¯t as powerful as the earlier ones, wasn¡¯t because she wasn¡¯t trying, like the ones that had enough force to blow apart stone walls, ¡­¡­but it was probably because the child¡¯s body that was the ¡°bomb¡± had already been torn to pieces before Rashiok tossed it.


    And in place of a light, she lit up countless small pieces of flesh and blood, and a horrendous sight now entered my view. Flesh and blood were blown everywhere, ¡­¡­the girl¡¯s horrifying ¡°magic¡± gave me an impression I¡¯ll never forget.


    She definitely wasn¡¯t using anything like bombs concealed in her stomach, she had the ability to freely explode body parts like arms and legs or any flesh, this was most definitely some type of magic power. Just like Diferis that I killed before, she has a power that¡¯s beyond human comprehension.


    With the makeshift lighting, Claudia who had been concealing her presence made the first attack and attempted to ambush Mefuri, jumping out at her. However, Mefuri quickly noticed her presence, and lightly shook her right hand. I heard some slight popping sounds again, and Claudia must have detected danger as well, because she instantly jumped backwards right as the location where her feet just were exploded.


    ¡°Is it really alright if you escape in that direction?¡±


    Pop. With a boom that rocked the air, the child standing closest to Claudia exploded. That child didn¡¯t even have the time to scream.


    ¡°-Urgh!!¡±


    Together with the exploding flesh and blood, Claudia was blown away by the explosion. -This is bad.


    ¡°See, you were blown ¨C wah!!?¡±


    I hurriedly jumped out of the rubble mountain with my sword drawn, and slashed at Mefuri. She twisted her body greatly in order to dodge me, and had a look of surprise on her face for an instant as she looked at me, then she attempted to put distance between us.


    ¡­¡­As I expected, it seems that she herself was also vulnerable to her own explosions. In that case, it will be fatal for me to allow her to put distance between us. I pressed the attack and pursued her closely, while Mefuri retreated even farther back with an impatient expression on her face.


    ¡°Stop following me!¡±


    Mefuri picked something up from the ground and threw it at me. It violently exploded in midair, and I was forced to retreat.


    ¡°Rashiok!!¡±


    Rashiok¡¯s wind magic answered my call, and managed to scatter away the pieces of flesh and blood from the explosion ¨C that most likely came from a child¡¯s arm.


    ¡°Take this-!!¡±


    At almost the same time as the flesh explosion, I threw my short sword into the bloody mist surrounding Mefuri, and it pierced into her shoulder.

 Ch 188

    Although I was able to use my coat to cover myself and block some of the debris from the flesh explosion, I was still blown away and rolled several times on the ground in the tunnel. Some of my hair seems to have been singed, I could smell a nauseating burnt scent.I tried to catch my breath and recover my balance, but I couldn¡¯t stop myself from a coughing fit and regurgitating what was in my stomach. My vomit scattered everywhere as it made splashing sounds.


    I was so dizzy that I could only crawl along the ground to try and hide in the darkness again.


    Meanwhile, Mefuri was screaming from the pain from my sword having pierced her. She was crying such things such as how unbelievable the pain was. Her high-pitched childish voice echoed throughout the tunnel and my head. The other remaining children shrunk themselves against the walls as much as they possibly could, as if to hide from her.


    She¡¯s reacting this strongly to having a sword stuck in her shoulder. Is she actually not trained for battle?


    ¡°-Rashiok, Claudia!¡±


    Because I¡¯m currently in a state where I¡¯m too dizzy to move, I can only rely on them. I twisted my body while breathing quickly to look at Mefuri who was in the light. Mefuri seemed to have completely lost control of her temper and was angrily yelling while attempting to peel one of the children off of the wall.


    ¡°Hurry up and obey me!! Do you want to be exploded and die that quickly!!?¡±


    She was threatening the child with the sword that she removed from her shoulder, while looking around her uneasily.


    ¡°¡­Hey, don¡¯t get away from that wall!! This tunnel might collapse at any moment if she explodes that wall! Unless she¡¯s willing to risk being buried alive, she can¡¯t kill you guys!!¡±


    I endured my nausea and summoned my energy to shout that towards the children, while Mefuri angrily responded with a ¡°shut up!!¡± in my general direction.


    -Aiming for Mefuri¡¯s momentary distraction, Claudia suddenly attacked her soundlessly from the darkness and sent her petite body flying.


    ¡°Wah!? You¡­ get off me!!¡±


    Did Claudia throw away her blood and flesh-covered clothes, she was basically in only her underwear, but every time Mefuri scratched at Claudia¡¯s hair and arms, I saw the spark of tiny explosions.


    ¡°Claudia¡­!¡±


    However, being the most competent knight I knew, Claudia didn¡¯t even let out a groan. She bit her lips to endure the pain, and in a break between the small explosions, even while covered in blood she was able to grab on to Mefuri and throw Mefuri over her own back in a brilliant move.


    As Mefuri hit the ground, Claudia instantly had her sword against Mefuri¡¯s throat.


    The underground passageway returned to dead silence. The remaining children seemed to be trembling while keeping as quiet as possible and observing Claudia and Mefuri.


    ¡°-Normally, I use spears.¡±


    Claudia began calmly talking to Mefuri who was still on the ground.


    ¡°The Rolentsor family¡¯s spears are so sharp that a piece of paper falling on the spear tip would be sliced in two. The swords we use are also the sharpest around.¡±


    As Claudia talked, Mefuri attempted to do something with her right hand, but Claudia used her empty left hand to twist Mefuri¡¯s arm behind her back. Claudia¡¯s expression distorted as Mefuri screamed again.


    ¡°However, I loathe the idea of killing children. That¡¯s why I would appreciate it if you could give up without resisting. You should just sit there obediently and wait for my master to decide whether to kill you or not.¡±


    ¡°¡­W, what!? D, don¡¯t joke with me ¨C Eek!?¡±


    Rashiok suddenly appeared on top of Mefuri unexpectedly as she was ranting. Claudia was still smiling calmly while holding her sword against Mefuri¡¯s throat.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m saying it for your own sake that you should sit there obediently. Because of my code of chivalry, I prefer to avoid doing anything to a child¡­ but this draconis here is just like my lord, even if you¡¯re only a young girl, there won¡¯t be any mercy for you.¡±


    ¡­¡­Um, hey.


    Well, I suppose it¡¯s just like she says.


    Just as I wished, Claudia was able to capture Mefuri alive, but I had a subtle indescribable feeling as I watched her begin to tie Mefuri up.


    At any rate, we¡¯ve successfully captured the escaped prisoners with this. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With Rashiok helping me, I stood up again in the tunnel that returned to darkness once more.


    The thick smell of blood lingered in the air. I felt like I could hear auditory hallucinations of the children that were still crying out in fear.

 Ch 189

    After tying up Mefuri¡¯s arms and legs as well as even blindfolding and gagging her, we finally left the underground passage.We didn¡¯t know the exact conditions for Mefuri to activate her magic yet, so I could only go off the example of Diferis who had to use arm gestures and her voice in order to activate magic.


    As for Mefuri¡¯s explosions, although I inferred that preliminary preparations must have been necessary for her to be able to explode the children, I still didn¡¯t know the details. Because I had accidentally touched Mefuri, along with the fact that we had to carefully keep a distance from the remaining children while returning in the dark and narrow tunnel, Claudia, Rashiok, and I were all exhausted by the time we returned to the fort.


    Again, while we didn¡¯t know the details, it seemed that Mefuri could grasp the position of her ¡°bombs¡± even without relying on her vision, a fact that gave us great pressure. I think that perhaps her sense isn¡¯t perfect, as she didn¡¯t notice the fact that we took Vanita in the darkness and then knocked him unconscious¡­ as Vanita could be one of her living bombs as well.


    ¡°So, what are you going to do?¡±


    Without concealing the fatigue on her face, Claudia indicated towards Mefuri. I confirmed that the children hadn¡¯t come out of the tunnels yet, and placed my hand on my neck without saying anything. Just in case Mefuri attempted to explode the remaining children, we had ordered them to follow along far behind us.


    ¡°Persuading her will be rather¡­¡±


    Claudia seemed both unwilling to forgive this girl as well as being unwilling to kill her if at all possible.


    ¡°She¡¯s most likely not one of the slaves from Nazric. Her appearance might mean she¡¯s from Epadena¡­ or, she could be someone from Rindarl originally that has southern blood in her.¡±


    Maybe Claudia was unsure if what I said was accurate or not, she furrowed her eyebrows as she looked down at the bound Mefuri that she was dragging along behind her.


    Mefuri seemed to be recoiling in fear at our voices as she breathed raggedly through the cloth gag that was roughly stuffed in her mouth. ¡­Although she¡¯s the enemy¡¯s agent, with her young age Rindarl probably only taught her about how to use her ability. Now that she¡¯s been defeated and has become our prisoner for real this time, she seems to have completely lost her calm.


    Although she¡¯s still young and it would be typical behavior for her age, it could still be some sort of trap for me to lower my guard. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°How pitiful.¡±


    Claudia suddenly made a comment.


    Her heavy tone of voice was clearly because she expected this to end in Mefuri¡¯s execution, but Mefuri wouldn¡¯t know that. Mefuri finally stopped throwing a tantrum, and attempted to crawl closer to Claudia.


    ¡­The sight of her seemed so miserable. She was probably around eleven years old, covered in blood and tied with ropes, and was struggling like a dying insect to wriggle closer to the people that would probably end up killing her. Her trembling body and and shaky knees indicated her fear of us though, I couldn¡¯t imagine that she could possibly be acting.


    ¡°¡­, ¡­¡±


    I think that I most likely had a terribly cold and ruthless look as I was looking at her.


    ¡°¡­Indeed, it¡¯s truly pitiful. It doesn¡¯t matter what kind of magic power beyond human understanding she possesses, with how young she is it¡¯s obvious that she¡¯s just a chess piece whose fate is to be used and thrown away.¡±


    ¡°Eliza-dono?¡±


    Claudia seemed surprised as she looked at me. Mefuri who seemed like she was almost at death¡¯s door also heard my statement. Perhaps she received a huge shock, she violently jerked her body.


    ¡°This child was betrayed and abandoned. It would be normal for her to be executed if she was captured. For whoever sent these children here, the person in charge probably considered it nothing even if this girl died here as well.¡±


    Mefuri kept shaking her head as if she didn¡¯t enjoy hearing me talk. Her body language was shouting that she didn¡¯t want to listen to this. However, it¡¯s not like she has any options. Since she was the cause of all this, she no longer has the freedom to choose.


    ¡°-Whoever sent this child here surely isn¡¯t capable of rational strategizing. Wasting and allowing someone with such magic power to be killed like this¡­ Well, if this child had been my soldier, I would never have done such a terrible thing.¡±


    Pitter patter, there was the sound of something liquid leaking out of Mefuri¡¯s eyes and dripping to the stone floor even through her blindfold.


    As this incomparably pitiful young girl tried crawling towards my feet, I still looked at her with an expression of cold ruthlessness.


    -I¡¯m perfectly aware that what I¡¯m doing is attempting to brainwash her. She seems like the type who wouldn¡¯t obediently answer my questions, so first I must use psychological attacks to break her spirit.


    Since she¡¯s not an Arxian, I absolutely can¡¯t trust her because I don¡¯t know what morals she¡¯s been raised with.


    If I can¡¯t trust her, I can¡¯t make use of her, so breaking her spirit is the best method I know.

 Ch 190

    While taking Mefuri who seemed to have gotten more obedient along with us, for the time being I decided to place the rest of the escaped slave children soldiers into the barracks.The barracks at Fort Jugfena also has a room that can serve as an interrogation room. As the leader of the Kaldia army, I was informed beforehand on how to unlock it. In order to prevent its misuse, a simple but special method must be used to unlock the door, one that would be difficult for outsiders to figure out.


    My Kaldia army soldiers were awaiting orders in the dining hall. Since they were all gathered here, it meant that Ratoka must have done as I instructed and summoned them together, but Ratoka didn¡¯t seem to be here for some reason.


    ¡°My lord!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve returned, report the situation to me¡­ Gunther¡¯s not here?¡±


    When I looked around, not only was Ratoka missing, Gunther was absent as well. Was he off together with Ratoka somewhere?


    ¡°My lord, you¡¯re injured? Come, let¡¯s get that treated right away.¡±


    ¡°More importantly than that, Claudia¡¯s injuries are worse than mine.¡±


    ¡°She got injured! What, it couldn¡¯t be!¡±


    ¡°Claudia-sama was seriously injured¡­!?¡±


    ¡°So this wasn¡¯t the blood from the enemy!!?¡±


    The soldiers were in a ruckus at seeing the state Claudia was in. I simply received a towel and began wiping the vomit and blood off of my body, but they made a simple makeshift bed for Claudia to rest on and placed her on it respectfully.


    When the blood covering Claudia was wiped away as well, I discovered that Claudia was in a worse condition than I thought. ¡­The skin on her fingers and wrists had been burnt by explosions. Her beautiful blonde hair was also singed in many places.


    Well, at least hair will grow back¡­ The skin on her fingers and wrists, that could be much worse¡­


    As I bit down on my lips, perhaps Mefuri who was behind us felt a disturbance in the air, her shoulders started trembling. Although she was still tied up, blindfolded, and gagged, she seemed sensitive to the people nearby her. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s part of her magical powers, though.


    ¡°House the captured child prisoners under our protection in three separate rooms. Claudia, please choose a unit for me to do this task.¡±


    ¡°¡­Then, the third unit.¡±


    The army unit that Claudia designated split itself into three smaller teams, and took the remaining children to the three rooms picked for their temporary accommodation.


    ¡°My lord, what about that girl?¡±


    ¡°¡­She¡¯s under my personal jurisdiction.¡±


    Mefuri seemed anxious as the soldiers glanced at her. It seemed that she was still able to detect their gazes upon her, she was rather restless and unsettled.


    ¡°Mefuri, this way.¡±


    When I called her, she hesitantly and obediently walked in my direction. With her senses taken away from her, human nature would be that she was frightened of moving, it should be a stressful situation for her. Well, that was part of the reason why I had Mefuri blindfolded.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to ask you some yes or no questions. Nod for yes and shake your head for no.¡±


    Mefuri nodded her head slightly. Being surrounded by soldiers seems to have heightened her feeling of tension.


    ¡°Firstly, about your magic ability. You have the power to explode things, correct?¡±


    She nodded. The soldiers were in a momentary uproar at hearing this, and they all went on guard against Mefuri. Her shoulders were trembling as if she was frightened.


    ¡°Are humans the only thing that you can explode? ¨C No? Then, humans and magical beasts? -Oh, still wrong?¡±


    Mefuri¡¯s ability seemed to have wider applications than I realized.


    ¡°Then, animals as well ¨C what, it even includes plants?¡±


    She nodded in confirmation at those.


    She could even explode plants¡­ The more I found out about her ability, the scarier it sounded, I was shivering as well.


    ¡°So you can even explode plants¡­ So I suppose you could even explode dead leaves, then?¡±


    That was just an expression of my admiration for the extent of her power, but it seemed that Mefuri interpreted it as another question. She seemed confused at how to respond, then shook her head.


    ¡­What part of that was she saying no to? ¡­She was unable to explode dead leaves? She was just exploding corpses and body parts earlier. What exactly was her power¡­


    ¡°Is it that you can only explode living things, then?¡±


    She nodded affirmatively. I see.


    -After that, I kept asking Mefuri many questions and got a clear grasp on Mefuri¡¯s ability by the time that the first aid treatment for Claudia was over.


    It seemed that the weakness of her ability was the condition to become something she could explode. To be able to explode something, she had to be touching it beforehand continuously for about half a day. Not only that, she could only do it to one living thing at a time, she couldn¡¯t prepare two living things as bombs simultaneously. Among the remaining captured children, it seemed that there were only three left that could be exploded by her. Apparently, she turned them into her bombs without arousing suspicion by holding hands while sleeping with them.


    The explosion¡¯s power would depend on the type and mass of what was used, Mefuri herself was unable to control the power. However, she had a sense for how strong the explosion would be.


    And, the greatest limit to her power was the detonation distance. In order to explode her bombs, the bomb must be able to hear Mefuri¡¯s voice, and Mefuri must give a verbal command personally. Meaning, no matter how close Mefuri¡¯s bombs were to her, if something loud drowned out her voice or if there was a soundproof wall between them, she wouldn¡¯t be able to explode her living bombs.


    Even after exploding a living bomb, she could still explode the corpse¡¯s body parts again, but that was limited by the facts that the explosions would be much smaller and Mefuri had to be within the body¡¯s range.


    She also had the ability to sense the locations of her bombs that were close to her, as well as being able to sense the maximum range that she could detonate her bombs at, it¡¯s unmistakable that her ability was powerful despite its limitations.


    ¡°¡­Got it. Then, I shall have your bindings and blindfold removed. The gag shall remain, you should have no objections, right?¡±


    Mefuri nodded affirmatively.


    I drew my short sword so that I could kill Mefuri at a moment¡¯s notice if need be, as I indicated to the soldier standing behind Mefuri to remove her blindfold first.


    ¡­But, hmm. Is this ¡°good¡± enough already?


    As the blindfold was removed, her cloudy, muddy, murky eyes that seemed like they were dreaming were revealed ¨C I confidently looked down on her with my own eyes that were as cold as ice.


    S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Ch 191

    While I was preoccupied with Mefuri in the underground tunnels, the combat situation that had stagnated for eight months suddenly changed all at once.At almost the same time as Mefuri¡¯s escape from the dungeon, Densel¡¯s army began a massive attack, marching out its entire army from its largest city, Eris. Their target was our small defensive bases that we previously captured from them, and our troops at the farthest frontline base which was on a hillside and named Fort Droyan were already engaging them.


    Unexpectedly, the Arxian army was ambushed even though they were expecting the enemy¡¯s attack. At the second defensive base, Fort Droidas, which is located on a tributary of the Tave River, they detected an enemy platoon of ships arriving from the sea¡¯s direction.


    The enemy¡¯s naval troops seemed to be under a different chain of command from the Densel army. The Arxian troops stationed at Fort Droyan were caught in a surprise pincer attack and defeated. They no longer even have the option of retreating and abandoning their base, and have been encircled and are currently under siege.


    Currently on the battlefield, we were facing two of the enemy army¡¯s units, with the forces stationed at Fort Droyan that were now under siege, as well as the relief troops from Fort Droidas and the third defensive base Fort Droitros.


    Our draconis scout teams were able to detect the enemy army¡¯s march from a long distance away, so each base was able to smoothly prepare for combat and be on guard for battle.


    However, the main forces of the Arxian army, the Royal Army under the command of Marquis Rolentsor, had returned to Fort Jugfena to rest, and the new troops that Ergnade, leader of the Fort Jugfena knights, was bringing weren¡¯t even close to arriving when battle already started. Fort Droyan¡¯s remaining troops were mostly scout troops and guerilla troops, so they could only focus on defending their fort, while the relief troops from Fort Droidas that consisted of mostly cavalry troops which were getting bogged down forced to fight the enemy¡¯s naval troops in order to attempt crossing the river. It would take Fort Jugfena¡¯s forces at least half a day to reach where the fighting was, an extremely disadvantageous state for the beginning of Arxia¡¯s battle.


    ¡°¡­Will the enemy find out immediately about our troops organizing and moving out?¡±


    After I finished questioning and brainwashing¡­ I mean, persuading Mefuri, I headed to meet Wiegraf with one of the senior officers in my army as well as one of the cavalry squad leaders, Agil, in place of the injured Claudia.


    Even in a combat situation, Wiegraf seemed calm and composed and even worked on his other duties while explaining the combat situation to me. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    At a glance, the documents he was working on were about Wiegraf¡¯s decision as the person with full authority over Fort Jugfena to temporarily move the rearmost Arxian base from Fort Jugfena and establish a communication base in the rolling hills, much closer to the area of combat.


    The communication base would be forcibly taking over one of Densel¡¯s rural villages, an action that hasn¡¯t been permitted by Arxian nobility that feared any action deemed as invasive. Well, considering that the battle situation has become quite ugly, I suppose that we¡¯re just going to have to pretend that there¡¯s no such order restricting us from doing so.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to think about the possibility that there are spies among us Arxians, but¡­¡±


    Wiegraf seemed so relaxed even though he was currently perusing information on the roughly just over two thousand knights and soldiers stationed at Fort Jugfena, as well as the information on the Royal Army here which numbered over ten thousand.


    He glanced over at me for less than a second before instantaneously returning his gaze to the documents in front of him. He seemed to deeply trust in me.


    ¡°¡­Ahh, more importantly, I have a message for you from Ergnade. He borrowed Elise, Gunther, and Oscar from your army.¡±


    ¡°Ergnade did?¡±


    I was quite shocked at the fact that he took some of my personnel with him without even asking me first, and Wiegraf sighed as if he had a headache.


    ¡°Indeed. He said that he apologizes for it, but because of the current situation he asked the three of them to safely escort Eric-sama back to the Kaldia domain. Of course, some of Jugfena¡¯s soldiers are with them as well.¡±


    ¡°Ahh.¡±


    So that¡¯s why he even used Elise who was really Ratoka, I finally understood. Even in our current circumstances, it would be necessary to spare some people to move Eric and ensure his safety. Since he referred to Ratoka as ¡°Elise,¡± it meant that Ratoka was currently acting as ¡°Eliza¡± while escorting Eric back to safety. I wouldn¡¯t actually be able to go back, as I need to stay here and command the Kaldia army. I have no reason to complain about Ergnade¡¯s judgement, as he did what he decided was best during a chaotic situation.


    Although I don¡¯t have any complaints¡­ Ergnade shouldn¡¯t have known about Ratoka. The only people here that know of Ratoka¡¯s existence are me, Claudia, and Gunther and Oscar that Ergnade happened to make use of.


    When did Ergnade realize? No matter how similar Ratoka looks to me, using him as my substitute isn¡¯t an idea a normal person would come up with.


    At almost the same time as my doubt, I felt like I obtained the answer from the smile in Wiegraf¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s excellent that you understand so quickly. Now then, shall we also leave Fort Jugfena? We need to make the preparations for the communication base as soon as possible.¡±

 Ch 192

    July 16, 2017 ¡¤ by imperfectluck ¡¤ in Uncategorized. ¡¤We took over and moved our rear communication base to one of Densel¡¯s villages, named Clement village. The Densel farmers were all trying to remain as silent as possible as they trembled while watching our soldiers that had arrived from Fort Jugfena.


    ¡­I¡¯ve heard that Rindarl has a law about treating the civilians of other countries fairly.


    To begin with, the Rindarl Union is made up of the countries that split up from the original vast former Rindarl Kingdom. Historically, this law has always in place to help assimilate the citizens of any conquered country into its territory.


    However, that law of theirs has nothing whatsoever to do with Arxia.


    Ever since Arxia became an established country in its current state, Arxia has become a major isolationist country, and it¡¯s been six hundred years since Arxia has last had any wartime agreements with other countries.


    Just thirty years ago, there was war between the Densel Dukedom and the now destroyed Artolas Kingdom. According to the Clement villagers, armies from both sides occupied this village back then as well.


    That¡¯s why some of the villagers still had memories from that time.


    Unlike thirty years ago where they would be assured of survival as long as they remained obedient, we had more soldiers this time, so they had less food as we needed to take their food to provide for our soldiers. It was a worse treatment than the previous war.


    Clement village had an atmosphere filled with anxiety and distrust at not knowing if they could believe their lives would be guaranteed even if they complied with our orders.


    The atmosphere felt so heavy, pressing down against me from all sides, that I was reminded of that day when I first arrived in Cyril village.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t exactly a pleasant atmosphere.¡±


    As soon as Wiegraf finally got a chance to sit down and rest, as he¡¯d been running around setting things up right after we arrived, he complained to me about the feeling in the air. He looked as if he was a drowning person pleading for assistance, and I nodded in sympathy.


    Although it was uncomfortable, my Kaldia army and I had already gotten used to this type of atmosphere thanks to prior experience. However, the soldiers and knights from Fort Jugfena, having no such previous experience in dealing with angry civilians, were quite shaken by it all.


    It won¡¯t be good to expose them to such negative emotions for a prolonged period when we haven¡¯t even reached the frontlines yet.


    ¡°If something ignites the spark, do you think there could be an uprising?¡±


    ¡°¡­You¡¯re annoyingly right about the possibility,¡±


    ¡°Although it¡¯s a shameful story, in the past, I¡¯ve been in a similar situation to this before.¡± S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Even though I don¡¯t want to believe that you have such an experience since you¡¯ve barely just become a teenager, it¡¯s quite regretful that you had such a childhood, isn¡¯t it¡­¡±


    Wiegraf muttered so as he clutched at his head.


    We¡¯ve taken over the largest residence in the village as our strategy room, which was the village mayor¡¯s house. From the window, I could see the area where the farmers were gathered together.


    Even before we made this village into our temporary rear communication base, the Arxian army¡¯s been forcing the village to turn over most of their food supplies to us so we could use it as provisions for the front lines. It¡¯s been eight months since then. All the farmers were working on their agricultural work while being guarded by soldiers, and their faces were grim while their eyes contained both fear and anger.


    ¡°¡­This is basically the same as slavery.¡±


    I stated it as I saw it. The Arxian Kingdom doesn¡¯t recognize slavery. But right now, these Rindarl farmers have no guarantee of their lives, no freedom, and they must give all the food they produce other than enough for them to eat over to us¡­ Whether they¡¯re called slaves or serfs, what¡¯s the difference?


    I have no intention of sympathizing with the Rindarl citizens, though. They should have been informed already that they could convert to the Church of Arxia¡¯s Xia sect when the occupation began in order to receive asylum.


    It¡¯s just that these people have nothing to do with their country¡¯s actions. Since their everyday lives are basically no different now from that of slaves, heavy feelings have been welling up within them.


    ¡°Originally, for the war with Densel, Arxia had been intending to eventually release the Densel prisoners of war to Planates. But since Planates has declared their enmity towards us as well over the Prince Albert incident, Arxia will no longer be able to release the prisoners until the war is over. ¡­Only when the war is over will talks about the captured prisoners of war finally be possible.¡±


    Wiegraf ended up responding to my sarcastic remark meant only as irony, as he took out and spread a map on the table after only such a short rest.


    When the war is over, eh. I see; indeed, I should try to help conclude this war as fast as possible.


    ¡°If only this war could have been over already. For example, eight months ago.¡±


    ¡°Well, well. According to our beloved country of Arxia, it¡¯s important for us to keep our non-interference policy for the so-called sake of everyone¡¯s peace.¡±


    Wiegraf didn¡¯t even attempt to hide his irritation as he said so. He began arranging chess pieces on the map as red pigeons kept arriving for us with reports on the battle situation at the frontlines.


    I stopped watching the farmers outside and returned my focus to the table in front of me. It¡¯s time for strategizing.


    ¡°-Alrighty, I know it¡¯s all quite sudden, but you¡¯re going to have to get quite busy and move out again as well.¡±


    It seemed almost ironical when Wiegraf took some red flowers from the flower vase in the house, bent them, and placed them on the map as a marking.


    The place where he marked for me was ¨C farther east of the rolling hills where the current frontline battles were taking place. It was the capital of Densel, its largest city as well as the home base of the entire Densel army, the city of Eris.

 Ch 193

    According to Wiegraf, this battle plan had been thought up by Ratoka.Wiegraf even went to the extent of joking that he wished Ratoka was still here with us instead of on his escort mission. He mentioned how he couldn¡¯t afford to overwork me as I was just one domain lord in this entire war, although his tone of voice indicated that he clearly wasn¡¯t being serious.


    While Wiegraf doesn¡¯t resemble his younger brother Ergnade that much in physical appearance, he gave me a comment of ¡°haha, wasn¡¯t that quite interesting?¡± while grinning just like Ergnade would.


    Well, I didn¡¯t get the joke. He also told me that this battle plan was nicknamed ¡°the five Earl Kaldias,¡± which I didn¡¯t know how to respond to either.


    ¡°The fact that the enemy army sent out scouts just to confirm your current location means that they consider you a dangerous existence. For you to suddenly appear on the frontlines when they don¡¯t expect it, that¡¯ll give a huge blow to their morale more than anything else.¡±


    Well, he may have a point. Considering the slaughter that I masterminded at Ritox Plateau, I¡¯m quite aware of my own infamy.


    I¡¯m not familiar with how much knowledge Rindarl has of Arxian internal affairs, but they must feel uneasy at not having seen me for the past eight months.


    In this world, it¡¯s very rare to have a system where all the noble children gather together in one place to receive an education. Considering the fact that Arxia is an isolationist country, the fact that I went to noble school to study shouldn¡¯t be well known abroad.


    The strategy of the mischievously named battle plan was simple. I shall ride the white draconis that¡¯s taken a liking to Rashiok, while Rashiok and his other three draconis siblings already in the Jugfena army will each have a knight disguised to look like me riding them. Taking advantage of our aerial mobility and their lack of knowledge about us, we¡¯ll ambush the enemy¡¯s capital Eris and its navy stationed on the Tave River, aiming to cause chaos to the enemy.


    With me on the white draconis, I shall head directly for Eris together with the three Jugfena draconis, while Rashiok will head for the Tave River navy as he can¡¯t fly. After attacking Eris, we¡¯re to head for the Tave River as well. It seems that I¡¯ll be taking on the entire enemy army stationed in Eris as well as their navy while on the white draconis.


    ¡­I¡¯m a bit concerned about riding on the white draconis that¡¯s still a wild draconis, but most likely I¡¯m the only one that she¡¯ll allow to ride on her due to her viewing me as Rashiok¡¯s leader. I don¡¯t think that I¡¯m necessarily being asked to do something unreasonable, but I still have my doubts.


    Since we¡¯re a half-day¡¯s distance from the battlefront by horseback, this fixes the problem of not being able to get there on time, but I wonder what will end up happening.


    ¡°Vedwoka, please stop here.¡±


    While observing the circular city that spread out below me, I stroked the neck of the beautiful white draconis beneath me that was obedient but seemed restless. I named her Vedwoka after the name of an ancient god from the Jugfena region just like Rashiok. As I expected, she definitely didn¡¯t allow anyone other than me to even approach her, but she did end up obeying my orders to separate from Rashiok. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    I could already feel from her the same type of trust and intimacy as how Rashiok acted around me, so I accepted her long snake-like tail that was stroking my face. It¡¯s said that draconis use their tails to express many emotions, such as pounding it to express dissatisfaction or disagreement as well.


    As usual, the sun had set long ago in the direction of the Amon Nor Mountains. We watched the night sky gradually brighten as we flew over the buildings that the other Jugfena knights flying with me and I had marked as targets. The sunrise was to be our signal to begin our attack.


    When we saw the bright edges of the sun peeking over the mountain¡¯s summit, we each lit a matchstick and dropped it into a large cloth sack we were carrying filled with sawdust. Then, we each made sure that they were burning heartily by swinging the bags around with the ropes they were attached to.


    Now then, it¡¯s time for the Densel citizens to wake up to a roaring fire instead of the morning sun like usual.


    As the sun continued to rise, our draconis dived in unison.


    I cut the ropes attaching the sack to Vedwoka¡¯s belly, so that the burning sawdust within that had previously been soaked in oil fell down upon Densel¡¯s capital city, Eris.


    ¡°I¡¯m counting on you, Vedwoka.¡±


    At my signal, Vedwoka began mightily flapping her wings. With assistance from her wind magic, the flames suddenly spread everywhere.


    Most people in Eris were still asleep at this early hour, so this fire spread quickly and quietly without them realizing.


    I gave the next signal after confirming that all the fires we set were now at a level which wouldn¡¯t easily be put out.


    ¡°¡­Alright, it¡¯s time to go to our next location. We have to make some time to properly go and greet the Densel army stationed at Eris. Although it¡¯s a bit of a bother to do so.¡±


    Although I know that Vedwoka wasn¡¯t raised by humans so she doesn¡¯t understand the Arxian language, it¡¯s my habit from riding Rashiok to always talk to him.


    Vedwoka was still able to understand my intention though, so she flew up once more into the sky as I began to hear the explosive crackling sounds of the city that was built mostly of wood burning, as well the screams of the soldiers who finally realized what was happening at the crack of dawn to Eris.

 Ch 194

    ¡­And that was what happened during my attack on Eris. Let¡¯s go back to the time of the strategy meeting.¡°Tomorrow morning at dawn, the attack on Eris will commence. This attack will completely be the independent decision of me and you, and perhaps it¡¯ll even be our final battle against the enemy invading army, so that¡¯s why I decided to act on a large scale this time. You can even go ahead and think of it as my treat!¡±


    Me and you, so Wiegraf says, but his rank in the military is much higher than mine so this should really be called his independent decision. I see, we currently don¡¯t have the time to discuss with the general commander who¡¯s currently at Fort Drofy or with the royal palace back in Arxia¡¯s capital, so this can only be a pragmatic independent decision.


    ¡°Each draconis heading to Eris will be equipped with a large sack the size of approximately two or three adults, filled with sawdust drenched in flammable oil. We¡¯re going to target its military facilities as well as the castle of the lord of Eris. We¡¯ll use the draconis¡¯ wind magic to spread the fire as much as possible.¡±


    ¡­Indeed, this is indeed on a rather large scale. Wiegraf was talking calmly yet happily about such a strategy, so I strongly felt his resemblance to Ergnade. And now I¡¯m learning that the former strategist Wiegraf also views my infamy as an excellent weapon to be used against the enemy.


    Although technically we¡¯re supposed to receive permission first from the highest-ranked nobles in order to attack an enemy city, if we carry out this operation using only me and the Jugfena knights, the legal risk will be almost zero. It¡¯s certain that we¡¯ll be scolded for taking an independent action, but it won¡¯t be a big deal as long as we don¡¯t get the royal army involved. That¡¯s why it¡¯s okay for me to do this by only borrowing the Jugfena knights¡¯ assistance.


    No matter how much criticism I receive, as long as we deal a critical blow to the enemy to the extent that they won¡¯t want to fight us anymore, I¡¯m prepared to do anything in order to finally force a peace treaty out of them. I think that just about all our soldiers in this war also think this war is bothersome and tiring as well.


    ¡­I¡¯m no longer mad at Mefuri who¡¯s completely surrendered herself to me now, but to the enemy country of Densel that sent children to Arxia as living bombs, making Claudia receive terrible injuries in that underground tunnel battle, Densel definitely makes my blood boil. Although I do realize that their ordinary citizens probably had no part in all of this.


    ¡°Eliza, after setting fire to Eris, and making sure the enemy knows you¡¯re the one who did it, you¡¯re to move immediately to Fort Drofy. Meanwhile, the other three fake Earl Kaldias will continue spreading chaos and terror in Eris. When you reach the battlefront at the Tave River, that should be right when the enemy will find out there¡¯s something going on at Eris¡­¡±


    ¡°And so my appearance at the Tave River will send the enemy into even further chaos, is that it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure that their fear will be multiplied several times over, I¡¯m looking forward to it. Now then, about attacking their navy¡­¡±


    As Wiegraf continued speaking while grinning, he turned to look at Mefuri for the first time who was sitting obediently in the room with us.


    ¡°So that you won¡¯t be bothered with too much work to do after the war, I¡¯m going to have to trouble you with a lot to do for the time being. You should at least work off the costs it¡¯ll take to repair all the walls you destroyed, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    As Wiegraf tilted his head slightly, Mefuri nodded silently a few times in affirmation.


    Of course, draconis have characteristics similar to wolves, as they¡¯re wolf dragons. For instance, they seem to have endless amounts of stamina, almost as if they don¡¯t know fatigue.


    ¡­But I could only smile wryly as Vedwoka was the only one who could do such a thing, so I took a small nap on her back as I arrived at Fort Drofy by myself while Vedwoka flew high enough that we would go unnoticed by anyone on the ground. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Until the signal to begin the next part of our attack, I¡¯m to wait at Fort Drofy. We¡¯re waiting for the message from Wiegraf that the enemy¡¯s realized I was behind the attack on Eris, and meanwhile I met up with my Kaldia army that had also arrived at Fort Drofy while I was burning the city of Eris and replenished my energy with some food.


    After I quietly asked about Claudia and Mefuri¡¯s conditions, and updated myself on the latest reports on the combat situation, I was surrounded by my own soldiers that had been with me for so long as soon as I went to the dining hall.


    Everyone was calling me Charlie for some reason like the old days, and as if I was still a novice apprentice soldier, they tried to stuff me with food as if I still needed them to look out for me. Even the members that weren¡¯t from my army seemed to be addressing me as Charlie instead of Earl Kaldia.


    ¡°Hey, eat this as well, Charlie.¡±


    ¡°¡­No, I¡¯m fine. If I eat anymore, I¡¯m going to have a stomachache before battle.¡±


    ¡°What are you saying, you used to eat anything and everything you could get your hands on in order to not starve! How could you get a stomachache!¡±


    ¡°This is a different matter, about my stomach¡¯s capacity.¡±


    While making pointless idle chatter with the my soldiers that have increased in number over the years, I thought about how I hadn¡¯t chatted with them like this for several years.


    It¡¯s still similar to my bantering with Teomer and Gunther, but I hardly ever talk to the normal members of the cavalry and infantry squadrons these days. ¡­And as for the newer members of my army, they¡¯ve probably never even had a chance to talk to me.


    I felt a sense of nostalgia almost as if I was a novice soldier back in the barracks again. Through that nostalgia, there was also a throbbing sense of pain.


    This atmosphere reminds me of the days when Kamil was still with me.


    I¡¯m going to use this pain of mine just like the oil on the sawdust from earlier.


    It¡¯s just perfect for right before battle.

 Ch 195

    The Rindarl soldiers surrounding Fort Droyan seem to have finally noticed that there was something different about the color of dawn in the direction of Eris today. A report just came in for us now that it¡¯s morning that there seems to be a commotion in the enemy army on the other side of the Tave River.Well, of course. This much is only natural.


    After all, the Rindarl army was making use of a large number of slave soldiers. The enemy was making use of slave soldiers as literal meat shields, filling the moat with them, as well as forcing them to be the first to climb over the fort walls using ladders. The slave soldiers would have almost zero morale to begin with, and if the Rindarl soldiers controlling them fell into disorder, it would greatly shake their entire army¡¯s chain of command.


    It seems that there¡¯s already a large number of slave soldiers that are escaping and surrendering to Arxia, so it should only be a matter of time for us to break the enemy¡¯s encirclement of Fort Droyan.


    It¡¯s clear that the enemy armies across the Tave River from us are being commanded by nobles from Densel for the army and Parmigran for the navy. Although our forces at Fort Droyan are fewer, they¡¯re skilled at archery and swordsmanship, and they¡¯ve been holding out the best they can with the terrain advantages that come from fighting a defensive battle. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Rindarl¡¯s main strategy seems to be focusing on keeping Fort Droyan suppressed so that they can move the bulk of their main forces across the Tave River, using Eris as their main base to launch attacks from.


    Wiegraf observed that their intention was most likely to shift enough soldiers for their attack on Fort Droyan to keep up a constant attack, day and night, fatiguing our soldiers there and keeping them suppressed. It should also be clear to the enemy that Arxia¡¯s soldiers¡¯ morale has declined as well due to having to constantly be in a state of war on the frontlines for the past eight months.


    From the standpoint of crushing the enemy¡¯s strategy, ambushing Eris which basically served as their logistical supply base would have the absolute best effect. Next, we¡¯re going to aim for the enemy¡¯s confusion upon hearing the news and crush their navy on the Tave River. If we succeed, that will deal a fatal blow to the Densel forces.


    ¡­It takes time and money to build navy ships. It also takes quite a considerable amount of time to train personnel to crew their ships. And, the ships and personnel are from Parmigran.


    Before commencing my attack, I received a personal message from General Commander Rolentsor stationed at Fort Drofy through a red messenger pigeon.


    It basically said: ¡°annihilate the enemy on the Tave River. Destroy all their ships. Make the Tave River flow red with their blood.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but exclaim out loud how dangerous this all sounded, which caused Mefuri who was waiting by my side to glance at me.


    We commenced our attack as soon as we confirmed the enemy was in confusion from receiving the news about Eris so as to not miss our opportunity.


    Once again, I¡¯m separating from my Kaldia army, and heading for the embankments of the Tave River with only Rashiok and Vedwoka. My rank in this battle will be as a guest commanding officer under Ergnade who¡¯s also leading his Jugfena knights from Fort Droitros in order to join this attack.


    When the horn blew to signal the start of our attack, our knights that were organized into their formations charged the enemy troops that were waiting for us by the edge of the Tave River. According to reports from our previous fights with them, whenever we approached the Tave River, three ships would appear soon and begin firing their ¡°short-tubed fire arrows¡± (guns) and normal arrows at us.


    As soon as we confirmed their ships¡¯ arrival and that they were equipped with those ¡°short-tubed fire arrows,¡± our knights began running sideways while shielding themselves.


    ¡°Rashiok, let¡¯s go! It¡¯s our turn!¡±


    The Jugfena knights made a path for me and my draconis in their formation. As Rashiok and Vedwoka rushed through the path and jumped out from the front row, I heard a huge uproar from the enemy army.


    The incoming projectiles of bullets and arrows that almost immediately rained down upon us were all blown away by the wind magic of the two draconis. The strong gusts blowing in from the side seemed effective enough to even neutralize the bullets of their primitive guns.


    ¡­It seems that Vedwoka¡¯s wind magic is even stronger than Rashiok¡¯s from before he lost one of his wings. It¡¯s a little regrettable that Vedwoka can¡¯t understand complex orders like Rashiok can, nor will she allow anyone else other than me to ride on her. Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t have enough time to raise and train her for such purposes.


    ¡°It, it¡¯s Kaldia! It¡¯s Kaldia of the crimson eyes!! It¡¯s the dragon-riding monster who drinks blood and eats human flesh!!¡±


    A draconis would naturally draw attention in the midst of our warhorses. Especially all the more so that we were charging at them.


    Rather than approaching the Rindarl army¡¯s dense formation of spears that was waiting for me, I had the two draconis suddenly make a sharp change of direction. Since the enemy here is composed of only infantry and archers, it¡¯s quite easy for us to flank them and charge them from the side with the high speed and maneuverability of the draconis.


    ¡°Devour them, Rashiok! It¡¯s hunting time!!¡±


    In response to my voice, both draconis howled. The enemy was clearly taken off guard by our speed, and unable to change direction quickly enough, they collapsed under our attack as screams rose around us.


    Rashiok dexterously avoided the enemy spears as he forced himself into their formation. Bracing myself for impact, I didn¡¯t even have to swing around my heavy halberd as I used the momentum from Rashiok¡¯s charge to slice through everything in my way.


    Rashiok¡¯s huge body was also capable of crushing several people under him at once, and desperate screams resounded every time that Rashiok jumped up then crushed more enemy soldiers under him anew.


    Now that the enemy was in total chaos, the Jugfena knights took this opportunity to refresh their attack. They took advantage of being on horseback to have their warhorses trample over Rindarl soldiers, breaking bones in the process. Other enemies would be speared to death, and a mountain of enemy corpses instantly started piling up.


    ¡°Ahhhhh!!¡±


    Even in such a situation, of course there were still enemies that were able to calmly try attacking me with their spears or swords, but there was too much of a difference between the reach of my halberd and their weapons. Combined with Rashiok¡¯s speed, I was able to easily crush enemy skulls with a force not possible by human hands alone.


    Splitter splatter, blood was gushing out everywhere almost as if it was grape juice, sending the enemy soldiers closest to me into an even more terrified frenzy.


    And so, just like that, the two draconis and I successfully passed through the enemy¡¯s army.

 Ch 196

    It¡¯s now past sunset, and night has fallen upon both sides¡¯ camps on the Tave River. Tonight, the moon was conveniently hiding behind the clouds, causing darkness to come earlier than usual.I was sitting on Vedwoka¡¯s back, gently opening and closing my right hand as I watched my lightly equipped Kaldia army head downstream for Fort Droitros from Fort Droidas. I seem to have overexerted myself using my halberd earlier in the day using the aid of Rashiok¡¯s momentum. I returned to Fort Droidas after that battle, and noticed that my wrist was throbbing. I must have strained it slightly.


    Although that may be the case, it¡¯s not at the extent where I can¡¯t move my hand, so I¡¯m going to have to go back on the battlefield just like this. Well, unlike during the daytime, this time there¡¯s no substitutes that can take my place. After all, I¡¯m supposed to be the commander of the Kaldia army.


    ¡­For the past several years, my soldiers have been involved in the construction of the village for Kaldia¡¯s new citizens, as well as my new mansion that¡¯s become the new center of Kaldia domain. Considering that I¡¯ve been on guard against the possibility of war with Rindarl, my army¡¯s swelled up to a size that¡¯s disproportionate for the small domain that Kaldia is. Kaldia domain remains a poor one though, and I can¡¯t afford to keep an army that doesn¡¯t work for its pay. Until we have sufficient food resources to abolish the longstanding tradition of going out to forage for your own food at night, all our resources must be put into development and agriculture so as to prevent my budget going into the red.


    And to be honest, the members of the Kaldia army are more skilled with hoes and axes than swords and spears, but at least almost all of them have experience working with rivers. They often go to the lakes and streams, searching for food through fishing and other means.


    Wiegraf already seems to have taken their experience in the water into account. My Kaldia army¡¯s numbers are probably just right for carrying out this secret operation we¡¯re about to do next.


    ¡­By the way, the secret operation to ambush the enemy¡¯s ships was why my Kaldia army has switched to saws and axes from their swords and spears.


    My Kaldia army stopped a little ways from their navy¡¯s position, and six excellent swimmers from my army began slowly approaching their six large ships by swimming through the Tave River.


    The enemy¡¯s huge ships belong to the country of Parmigran. They were towing along some smaller ships with infantry soldiers on them. The big ships appeared to be acting as a logistical supply station for food, arrows, and ammunition.


    For Rindarl, or perhaps I should say for the Densel Dukedom, they don¡¯t seem to have any more forces other than what we already knew about. As evidence, these ships of theirs didn¡¯t head downstream even though the battle turned disadvantageous for them.


    They¡¯re probably in the situation of having to wait for their soldiers in Eris to recover and head out. The Densel nobles leading their troops from the ships are probably desperately trying to get prepared for tomorrow morning.


    I saw that my soldiers had reached the bows of the enemy¡¯s large ships. Each of them swung their axes around several times, waiting for my signal. I also signaled for them to wait with my sword, and waited for a signal from Fort Droidas.


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s almost time. Mefuri, how are you feeling?¡±


    When I asked Mefuri who was sitting in front of me, she only responded by nodding with a frightened expression on her face.


    ¡°Don¡¯t make such a scared face. Tonight will be your glorious first battle on the Arxian side.¡±


    Mefuri nodded again. However, her expression remained tense. She¡¯s probably afraid of her betrayal being discovered by Rindarl. In any case, she¡¯s currently at a turning point in her life she won¡¯t be able to go back from.


    ¡°Take your mind off it by thinking of something else. That¡¯s right, how was today¡¯s food? We¡¯re on the battlefield, so provisions are a bit rough, but I think it didn¡¯t taste all that bad. The amount wasn¡¯t much though, but that can¡¯t be helped.¡±


    ¡°It, it was amazing, yeah. Also, eating so much, it, it was the first time for me.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? -Ahh, I see. ¡­I don¡¯t know what type of person was looking after you before, but now I know that he was a bastard that didn¡¯t give you children proper meals. Listen up, Mefuri. What you just ate was nothing more than coarse grains. Without a doubt, the food situation in my domain is the worst in all of Arxia, but it¡¯s vastly improved over the past few years thanks to my constant efforts in improving the situation.¡±


    I made sure to add plenty of compassion to my voice, as if I was saying ¡®I would never allow any country to do that to you ever again.¡¯ Mefuri¡¯s eyes began to well up with emotions. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°You¡¯ve seen my soldiers already, right? What do you think about their equipment? You can tell that it¡¯s much poorer in comparison with the other knights. My domain is a poor one. However, it definitely should be a much better standard of living than whatever your old life was like. As proof, do you see a single soldier of mine that¡¯s skinny to the point of being malnourished?¡±


    As I used a calculated emotional appeal to firmly bring her over to my side, Mefuri¡¯s face began distorting as if she was about to cry. I wondered if she was remembering back to some painful memory, since her shoulders were trembling.


    While stroking Mefuri¡¯s back, I confirmed that the lighthouse at Fort Droidas was lit up. This was the first signal.


    ¡°¡­Alright, Mefuri. It¡¯s time to use your power. Vent your anger on those that used you like an animal. Be reborn as an Arxian and a believer of the Xia sect, and bring Misorua¡¯s judgement down upon those that would take from others.¡±


    I feel almost as if I¡¯m playing the part of a demon who¡¯s trying to deceive a child, but well, in my opinion, Rindarl was definitely the side that was in the wrong.


    The wind brought sounds of a commotion¡¯s beginning to me. The Arxian infantry suddenly began their assault on the enemy¡¯s small fleet.


    The countless torches they held illuminated the night and revealed the blood that was still on the ground from the earlier battle.


    Rindarl obviously noticed Arxia¡¯s assault beginning, and their ships that had remained quiet up until now suddenly became bustling with noise.


    Their commanders¡¯ panicked voices overlapped with the sounds of their soldiers getting off the ships. I had been waiting for this opportunity, so I signaled my soldiers waiting near their ships¡¯ bows to begin.


    They were equipped with hand axes. Of course, such a weapon would be unable to break through the ships¡¯ hulls. It would surely take a long time for them to make a large hole in any ship¡¯s hull in an unstable environment like the water.


    But, a hand axe was more than sufficient to make a tiny dent or hole in which to place something in.


    After my soldiers returned to me and confirmed that they all successfully placed their objects, I incited Mefuri to truly commit her first act of betrayal.


    ¡°Do it, Mefuri. Bid farewell to Rindarl!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Ah, ahh, ahhh, ahhhhhhhhh!!!¡±


    A loud voice filled with despair and anger rang out from her throat.


    It sounded as if she was trying to shake off the fear and hesitation at betraying her home country.


    It sounded as if she was venting the anger and frustration from her heart that she couldn¡¯t form into words.


    Pop, I heard that eerie sound once more from the water, as the six ships¡¯ bows were grandly blown away in simultaneous explosions.


    ¡°Go, my army!! We have direct orders from the General Commander of Arxia! Annihilate the enemy on the Tave River! Destroy all their ships! Make the Tave River run red with their blood!!!¡±

 Ch 197

    August 14, 2017 ¡¤ by imperfectluck ¡¤ in Uncategorized. ¡¤The scene was such that I couldn¡¯t find any words to describe it other than one: trampling.


    Screams and roars of rage mixed in with the sounds of battle. Even though this was a battlefield, sounds of crying and begging for help pierced through the skies.


    The Arxia army mercilessly slaughtered all Rindarl soldiers camped on the riverside, regardless of whether the enemy was armed. Of course, the Fort Jugfena knights led the charge.


    Just like earlier this morning, the royal army followed behind the Jugfena knights and trampled over everything remaining. It seemed almost as if we were working on cultivating a field for agriculture.


    By the way, the situation where I was resembled that of what was happening on the riverside. After blowing sizable holes in the enemy ships with Mefuri¡¯s power, I took the opportunity to personally attack the enemy ships, vandalizing and destroying everything I could on their ships. I either killed those that were too late in escaping from me, or knocked them into the river. Once I rampaged enough on a ship so that it was no more than a wreck that couldn¡¯t even float, I would move on to the next one and repeat the process.


    Once I completely destroyed all six enemy ships, I left the river and went upstream.


    ¡°Alright, start pouring.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Wiegraf¡¯s large-scale battle plan didn¡¯t end with the mere destruction of the enemy ships. We poured all our prepared materials into the river. Due to a difference in density, the liquid soon coated itself over the entire river. Oh, just to clarify, we poured flammable oil onto the river.


    We quickly dismantled all the barrels to allow the oil to pour as fast as possible into the river, and thus our preparations were complete.


    ¡°It¡¯s finished? Everyone, get back then. Fire arrows, release!!¡±


    The soldiers aimed for the broken barrel pieces floating in the river. The Kaldia army had no training whatsoever for shooting at moving targets on a flowing river, but some of the better archers among them were able to hit at least a few of the targets.


    After the fire was ignited successfully on the barrel pieces, it quickly spread over the coating of oil on the entire river and bathed the river in fire.


    This was only to be expected. For my soldiers who had never witnessed the sight of fire burning on top of water before, I could hear them exclaiming shouts of ¡°wow!¡± and ¡°amazing!¡± despite the fact that we were still on the battlefield. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡­Following this, the remainder of the battle in the night was absolutely one-sided.


    The enemy ships that were already mostly rubble burned into nothing but ashes. The few remaining survivors of the Rindarl army that weren¡¯t able to escape were all throwing down their weapons and waving white flags.


    They¡¯ve completely lost all will to battle. Even for the damned Rindarl army that¡¯s so persistent in not surrendering, I suppose that this battle where they were backed up against a burning river and lost almost everything was too much for them.


    By the way, I could hear cheers from the Arxian army shouting ¡°we have the divine protection of the god Misorua!¡± all around me. My soldiers were finally celebrating.


    ¡°We¡¯ve won! With this, the war will finally be over! We can carry our victorious lord home on our shoulders!¡±


    Agil who was standing next to me kept shouting jubilantly as if he wasn¡¯t feeling any fatigue at all from the constant battling today all morning and all night.


    ¡­Personally though, I don¡¯t think I contributed all that much to this battle or the conclusion of the war if it happens. My soldiers were enjoying the pleasure of victory right now though, so I kept silent and let them have their fun.


    After all, this battle¡¯s entire strategy was overseen by Wiegraf, and he prepared everything necessary for it. While I may have carried out his strategy successfully without inconveniencing him, my soldiers were the ones who did most of the grunt work.


    Although this war caused me to become infamous, I doubt it would actually influence the outcome of the overall war. It¡¯s only to the extent of making me into a more useful chess piece and increasing the number of tactics we can use.


    Even if I wasn¡¯t present at this battle, I think that Ergnade and the Jugfena knights are far more frightening than I am, and even Marquis Rolentsor and his personal knights participated in this battle. The pressure and fear that the enemy felt probably would have been the same.


    ¡­Well, to be honest, I think I do feel just slightly relieved as well.


    I knew that I had probably gone somewhat overboard. I shall never forget my fear of losing my humanity, no matter how long I end up living.


    However, as I thought about my original goal of ¡°ending the war,¡± I still felt a sense of refreshment at witnessing the Densel troops finally being completely broken of their will to fight anymore.


    Although, I knew that I was already 80% similar to the enemy as it currently stood.


    ¡°Shall we return to Fort Droidas now, Milord?¡±


    Calvin who was leading a unit to protect our extra supply of oil barrels in case we needed them asked me in a soft voice.


    ¡°Ahh, sure.¡± I nodded in response as I stroked Vedwoka¡¯s neck as a reward for her patience with all my soldiers around her. I felt like I might as well walk together with my soldiers for a change, so I was about to dismount from her.


    At least, that had been my intention.


    But suddenly, Vedwoka¡¯s body that had been relaxed suddenly filled with tension as she snapped her silvery-white snake-like tail back to her body, causing my entire field of vision to be massively shaken. The next thing I knew, Vedwoka had suddenly flown up and away from this location.


    ¡°Eek!¡±


    Vedwoka¡¯s movements were so sudden that I was unable to figure out the draconis¡¯s intentions. Mefuri who was still sitting behind me shrieked as she clung on to Vedwoka¡¯s neck.


    Something huge entered my field of vision, flying at a tremendous pace straight for the place where Vedwoka and I had just been.


    Ahh, so she was trying to avoid that ¨C I realized that through the headache I had from being shaken around so unexpectedly.


    ¡°Agil!! Calvin!!¡±


    That¡¯s when I realized that ¡°the huge something¡± landed right next to their feet.


    A sonorous birdsong rang out, its elegance and melodiousness seeming terribly out of place on the battlefield.


    A mysterious and beautiful giant golden bird had arrived here ¨C that was all that my confused and battered mind was able to comprehend.

 Ch 198

    Author note: Here¡¯s a celebration POV chapter for having reached 200 chapters! (Cast of Characters and Glossary count as chapters in the Japanese raw.) This story has continued for such a long time successfully! The second half to this chapter shall be at Chapter 250. Well, this story doesn¡¯t have too much relationship to the main storyline. I hope that you all will be able to enjoy it anyways. Please wait for the conclusion of the extra chapter!Earl Siegmund Terejia¡¯s POV (80 years old)


    TL note: remember that Earl Terejia¡¯s older brother is the prime minister of Arxia. Earl Terejia is currently having a dream about 60+ years in the past, in his childhood.


    Today¡¯s the day that my older brother Radian Terejia is supposed to visit my residence instead of staying at the House of Lords like he typically does. Normally my residence had a quiet atmosphere; only today was my residence lively and bustling.


    It wasn¡¯t particularly that my older brother liked my servants, but it was something more like he was able to relax and work more efficiently in my residence that had only serious people residing here with nobody interested in ¡°having fun.¡±


    Due to my strict upbringing from my late mother, I wasn¡¯t able to say anything about it. However. I still minded the fact that there was a commotion from my servants during my typical free time that I used for reading books.


    Of course, those serving the Terejia family would never cause a commotion during work. If anyone was to take a walk in my residence, they wouldn¡¯t find a single servant engaging in idle chatter at any time.


    ¡­However, that didn¡¯t change the fact that today, I could hear muffled voices coming from all over.


    I let out a sigh as I closed my book. While it was a sign of my immaturity even at my age to be distracted by sounds, I had no choice but to give up on reading since I was unable to concentrate no matter how hard I focused.


    Apart from reading, the only other activities I typically do are walking around my garden or studying. I really dislike wasting my time idly, but today I¡¯ve been sitting for so long at my desk while accomplishing nothing. Perhaps it would be better if I move my body around in an effort to improve my mood.


    Thinking so, I saw a dizzying sight as soon as I entered my garden. Someone was in it already, having a one-person tea party act.


    Well, for a moment I tried to pretend like she didn¡¯t exist, but she called out towards me saying ¡°greetings, am I bothering you?¡± It was impossible to ignore.


    ¡°¡­What¡¯s with that, saying greetings.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but let my displeasure seep into my voice. Despite this, the person in question tilted her head slightly with a smile as if she was about to eat someone, saying ¡°hmm? I don¡¯t seem to be welcome. Have I done something?¡±


    She was acting so casual.


    ¡°First, remember that this is supposed to be my residence. Second, right now it¡¯s still quite early in the morning. Third, I recall that you were supposed to be present at my older brother welcoming at the noble school. ¡­Why are you here, Amanda?¡±


    Although I had a slightly irritated tone of voice, this childhood friend of mine definitely acted her teenager age as she completely ignored my attitude and casually stated ¡°well, how about taking a seat for the time being?¡± as she gestured towards an empty chair with her chin.


    This was just how she was, she wouldn¡¯t have a proper conversation with you unless you were sitting across the table from her. As soon as I sat down together with my long-time acquaintance, she began pouring tea for me as if she was one of my maids. I didn¡¯t feel like relaxing at all, however.


    ¡°And so? About my older brother¡¯s welcoming?¡±


    My older brother¡¯s welcoming should have been scheduled to be right in front of the noble school. It¡¯s still possible to make it on time if she leaves right now, but I felt it was unreasonable for me to have to worry about whether or not she¡¯ll manage to be there on time.


    After all, she herself didn¡¯t appear to be any hurry. She was simply drinking tea so nonchalantly.


    ¡°Amanda. You¡¯re my older brother¡¯s fianc¨¦e. Why is it that¡­¡±


    Even though I put as much of a criticizing tone into my voice as I possibly could, Amanda didn¡¯t even raise her eyebrows while smiling towards me mysteriously.


    She wasn¡¯t looking at me, she was watching me.


    Amanda had the bad habit of looking at others as if she could see through them. Most people ¨C including my older brother that was engaged to her ¨C found this creepy. ¡­Well, Amanda and I have tried to point out and fix each other¡¯s bad habits, but no matter what I said, she never seemed to do anything about or understand why this habit of hers was a bad one.


    ¡°Just exactly what are you thinking?¡±


    Not knowing what she was thinking, I could only swallow down my apprehension as I averted my gaze from Amanda¡¯s eyes.


    At any rate¡­ It was useless for me to do anything about her.


    -Honestly, I¡¯m always so useless at everything important.


    I was always someone who could hear all the noise around me, but for this person I didn¡¯t care for, I couldn¡¯t see beyond her outer appearance. Although I say that, this childhood friend of mine is also someone who completely can¡¯t read the atmosphere.


    ¡°¡­Ahh, I can hear so much today¡­¡±


    Amanda finally opened her mouth with a distorted smile filled with fatigue and her tone of voice seemed pitying.


    I glared back at her. She was the only one I didn¡¯t want pity from. I wouldn¡¯t allow it.


    She seemed momentarily surprised by my glare, but the next instant an amused smile appeared on her face.


    I sharpened my glare even more. This was in extremely bad taste, being amused at someone feeling uncomfortable.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. I was amused at your thoughts.¡±


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t get what the difference is supposed to be.¡±


    ¡°Well, it seems that you believe they¡¯re the same. However, there¡¯s a huge difference to me.¡±


    My childhood friend was strangely mature, and she often spoke in a roundabout method used mostly by adults. While I wasn¡¯t put off by it, I wasn¡¯t interested in her way of speaking either. As for why she became like this, I have no idea. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Although, perhaps I was the one who empathized and understood her the most.


    ¡°As for Radian, don¡¯t worry about it. Marquis Terejia himself told me that greetings would be unnecessary.¡±


    While saying so, Amanda picked up a baked pastry from the dish in front of her.


    ¡°What? Have the plans changed? I didn¡¯t hear about that¡­ Still, even if this is your fianc¨¦¡¯s home, I think it¡¯s considered a problem for you to be indulging yourself here so early in the morning.¡±


    ¡°Heh heh, what¡¯s done is done. Besides, this is the last year. Starting next year, we¡¯ll be noble school students as well.¡±


    She deftly split the baked pastry with her fingers. ¡°You want one?¡± I took the pastry half she offered to me with an indescribable feeling.


    Next year will be noble school. ¨C Come to think of it, that means that we won¡¯t be able to have tea like this anymore with just the two of us. Starting from next year, only my older brother will be allowed to do this.


    I¡¯m perfectly aware that right now this was only implicitly permitted due to the facts that I¡¯m her fianc¨¦¡¯s younger brother, that we were both still minors, and that no outside prying eyes were here at the Terejia residence.


    ¡­Originally speaking, even sharing sweets with her like this wasn¡¯t something that we were supposed to do. But thinking that I could only do something like this now, I couldn¡¯t help but accept the sweet that my childhood friend offered me.


    I heard a chuckle from Amanda at this. I only saw her smile for a brief instant, even though she involuntarily let it out because of me. I could only give her a sidelong glance at this.


    Suddenly, I jolted awake. As expected, the familiar figure of my childhood friend dressed in white priestly attire was beside my bed.


    ¡°¡­Amanda¡­?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡±


    I gave a sigh at hearing how weak the voice that replied to mine sounded.


    Although we¡¯re the same age, I have to take a nap like this every day to have energy through the evening. I can¡¯t compare to her who¡¯s still so energetically coming to visit my residence like it¡¯s her own all the way from the temple.


    ¡°I came to visit you. I¡¯m more relieved than I thought I would be, since you seem so energetic, Siegmund. I had thought that you were nearly bedridden.¡±


    ¡°It was just for a mere ten days, not a big deal. Besides, if you visit me so frequently, everyone will think that I¡¯m nearing my deathbed soon.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t the Terejia family servants quite excellent in doing their work?¡±


    My childhood friend chuckled familiarly while saying something so bothersome. She still seemed indescribably young as if time had stopped for her, but when she smiled like that, wrinkles still emerged.


    She sniffed her nose at letting out that unexpected comment coming from her.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it in bad taste to be amused at a woman¡¯s wrinkles?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yeah. That¡¯s right. My bad.¡±


    ¡°¡­Heh heh, no, I was just joking. Somehow, things felt rather nostalgic. You used to say that name so often in the past in your mind. ¡­Amanda, wow. That¡¯s quite an old name I haven¡¯t used for decades, what you were calling me just now.


    She seemed to have a distant look on her face. I wonder if she was reminiscing about the past.


    Thinking back to the dream I just had about our childhood when she was still Amanda, I muttered that just about everyone would have twinges of nostalgia when reaching senior citizen age.


    ¡°That¡¯s just the nature of elderly people.¡±


    She seemed to be rather happy as she sniffed and the wrinkles on her face appeared again with her smile.


    Although she just joked with me that it was in bad taste, but truthfully, I still felt that it was a good thing that my childhood friend still showed at least some signs of aging.

 Ch 199

    Vedwoka was roaring in an effort to intimidate the golden bird. She also whipped up a painful gust of wind that was slightly too strong for my body to handle, but the majestic beast ignored it with an unruffled expression.¡°-Kaldia army, keep your distance! Help anyone near you that¡¯s injured! But, don¡¯t approach too close to that large bird even to rescue anyone!!¡±


    In order to stop myself from panicking, I shouted orders in as loud of a voice as I could possibly muster. My soldiers that were just as shocked as I was at the huge bird¡¯s sudden appearance regained their senses at hearing my shout and obeyed my orders to keep their distance from the golden bird.


    Despite me telling them that they shouldn¡¯t get close to the bird, they were still dragging and carrying away the soldiers that had lost consciousness for various reasons who were closest to the giant bird. Well, the rescuers were the ones who weren¡¯t affected too much by the bird¡¯s descent, and I suppose it wasn¡¯t *too* close in proximity to the giant bird.


    ¡°Injured soldiers retreat first! Archers, prepare for combat! ¡­Rashiok! Please help me protect everyone!!¡±


    The first thing on my mind was to prepare for in case this golden bird was an enemy. For such a gigantic bird, the only soldiers in my army that would be able to do combat with it are those equipped with long-distance weapons, my archers.


    Following my orders, my soldiers quickly ran for the nearby trees¡¯ cover. The golden bird merely tilted its head and watched them disinterestedly.


    I wonder if the golden bird didn¡¯t chase the small humans moving around it as it descended due to its bulkiness. Its physical structure didn¡¯t seem suited for chasing smaller prey like us humans. Or was it that it simply wasn¡¯t interested in the soldiers?


    However, once Rashiok went out with his one wing spread out protectively to cover the soldiers, the golden bird was no longer able to ignore him and Vedwoka who was still roaring intimidatingly. The golden bird screeched piercingly as well.


    This seems almost like a battle between magical beasts. Although I knew that this wasn¡¯t the time or place to be thinking such a thing, I couldn¡¯t stop myself from thinking this as I straddled Vedwoka.


    ¡­That¡¯s why I was so relieved in spite of the situation when I heard someone speak up from where she was sitting on the golden bird.


    ¡°Calm down, this is just my pet. I didn¡¯t come here to be your opponent.¡±


    The voice sounded rather melodious. Although her voice seemed calm as well while telling us to calm down, the mysterious part was how her voice managed to transmit its way across this great distance.


    On the golden bird¡¯s back between its wings, I saw a speck of gray with green mixed in at the top.


    She was slightly older than me¡­ I think this girl was around 18 years old or so. She was wearing light-colored church clothing like a church sister would, seeming completely out of place on this battlefield. She was looking all around her, but she stopped and smiled when she fixed her line of sight on me.


    A chill ran down my spine.


    At first glance, she seemed to be smiling calmly and gently. However, I also saw enjoyment of other people¡¯s suffering there ¨C this expression is one I know far too well, no matter how much I detest it.


    I think it¡¯s the expression I hate more than any other in this world. If only I hadn¡¯t gained so much experience with this expression right after I was born¡­ more accurately, I wish this type of emotion didn¡¯t even exist in this world in the first place.


    ¡°¡­If it was up to me, I¡¯d really like to kill you here and now, but I shouldn¡¯t. I¡¯ve come for a different purpose today, you see.¡±


    It almost seemed like she was talking to herself as she looked down at me with a cruel look in her eyes. She then looked slightly adjacent to me, at Mefuri who was currently clutching on to me.


    The mysterious girl¡¯s expression changed to one of utter coldness and contempt.


    I heard the sound of Mefuri whimpering from behind me and felt her trembling in fear.


    ¡°Archers, fire!!¡±


    Well, no matter what this girl said, it didn¡¯t change the fact that she appeared to be an enemy.


    Even if her aim was just Mefuri, it didn¡¯t change the fact that she nonchalantly scattered so many of my soldiers around like they were bowling pins.


    Although she speaks the Arxian language, and there¡¯s still too many unexplained things like how she came to be here, I won¡¯t show mercy to anyone that came to this battlefield which was no place for civilians.


    In accordance with my order, multiple arrows released everywhere from the surrounding woods, all aiming for the golden bird.


    ¡­However, the golden bird shot out several of its feathers, and knocked all the arrows away.


    ¡°Useless. Human weapons won¡¯t work on my pet here. That¡¯s why you should just obediently hand the traitor over to me.¡± S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The girl didn¡¯t change her gently smiling expression and pointed straight at Mefuri as if she was saying ¡°alright?¡±


    I responded with nothing but silence. I didn¡¯t feel like getting angry at this girl who had the power to cause Mefuri to tremble in such fear, nor did I feel negotiating with this girl who had basically invaded my army by herself.


    -This situation gave me the same feeling as when Melchior Nordsturm, who stunningly resembled me so much, appeared in front of me several years ago and claimed to be a living relative of mine. A warning was ringing in my mind to ignore any words that this girl said and to kill her as soon as possible.


    ¡°¡­I find it difficult to imagine that there will be a good outcome for you if you try to protect that girl¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no helping it.¡± The girl seemed to say that to herself.


    At that moment.


    The golden bird looked up at the sky and screeched again, but the next thing that happened was difficult for me to comprehend. Black clouds instantly appeared in the clear sky, and a lightning strike came down straight for Rashiok.

 Ch 200

    When the white streak hit Rashiok, he screeched loudly in pain as if he had been hit by a gunshot.I was unable to make a single sound.


    I was in shock as if the world around me had stopped moving, like I¡¯d received a blow to my own head.


    Even though I didn¡¯t intend to believe in the Xia Church, did this count as evidence that I¡¯d begun accepting their teachings?


    In this world, the thunder from the skies was supposed to be something only the ¡°gods¡± could control.


    For an enemy giant bird to be able to control it was difficult for me to accept. My head felt like it was going numb.


    ¡°Rashi¡­¡±


    I heard the sound of something rattling. What was this continuous irregular clacking noise? I reached out to touch my own face for the source.


    That¡¯s when I finally realized. I was trembling with such severity. This sound had been coming from my upper and lower teeth constantly gnashing against each other. ¡­Compared to where I was touching my face, my hand was actually trembling less.


    ¡°Have you changed your mind now?¡±


    The enemy girl¡¯s calm voice seemed to envelop the entire area. I began breaking out into a cold sweat.


    I stubbornly stopped myself from looking down at Mefuri who was in my arms. If I did, I felt as if I would perhaps release her to the enemy.


    But no matter how much I worked my head, I couldn¡¯t come up with a good idea on how to get out of this situation without handing Mefuri over.


    No, it was likely possible that if it was only me and Mefuri, that we would be able to escape, but I wasn¡¯t willing to make such a sacrifice of my soldiers just for Mefuri¡¯s sake.


    I kept opening and closing my mouth meaninglessly.


    Mefuri was now looking back up and me.


    ¡­Then, I came to the sudden realization that she had already been touching both me and Vedwoka for almost half a day already. My unsightly impatient expression met Mefuri¡¯s currently blank eyes.


    ¡°Or perhaps it¡¯ll be quicker if I just burn everyone here, including you. What should I do? Do you want to stay by this child¡¯s side? If not, could you please kill her personally for me? There¡¯s no need for the light of this child¡¯s life anymore in this world, you know?¡±


    The enemy girl was saying that so lightly almost as if she was singing.


    I took a deep gulp.


    Die. Only the conviction that I wanted the enemy girl to die was whirling around inside my mind like a tornado.


    Was I going to have to sacrifice Mefuri?


    I felt as if my mouth was going completely dry.


    But, abandoning Mefuri wasn¡¯t an option. The moment I said something like that, there was the possibility of her blowing me up.


    I myself was the one who inflated and encouraged Mefuri¡¯s ¡°fear of being abandoned¡± in order to get Mefuri onto my side. How ironic that I myself had no path of retreat thanks to my own tactic.


    It seemed as if I had only the two choices of keeping my word to Mefuri and protecting her while risking being struck to death by lightning from that giant bird, or breaking my promise to Mefuri to never abandon her and most likely end up getting exploded by her.


    However, no matter what, I had no intentions of dying here.


    It was as if I heard a tiny voice whispering into my ears. ¡®-I like you as well. I don¡¯t want to kill you. That¡¯s why, no matter what happens, live. Do not die, I will never allow such a thing-¡¯


    It was a curse.


    ¡­Or perhaps it could also be called a promise that hurt my chest to the point where I thought I would have a heart attack.


    From my stomach and below, I felt so hot as if I was boiling, yet my head remained perfectly cool and colder than ice.


    Although this mixed sense of icy and burning rage wasn¡¯t new to me, somehow my brain was working even better than it normally would at this point in time. There was just one thing I had to do.


    ¡°¡­Mefuri. I have a question for you. You-¡±


    I averted my gaze from the girl gazing at us with a sarcastic taunting expression and whispered my question to Mefuri in a low voice only we could hear. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mefuri opened her eyes wide in surprise at my question. Finally, she nodded almost imperceptibly.


    I let go of a huge sigh as I placed my hand on her shoulder. At the same time, I slowly withdrew my short sword from the scabbard on my waist.


    I saw the girl on the huge bird narrow her eyes joyously as she looked in our direction.


    I met her gaze, and glared viciously in return ¨C and had Vedwoka suddenly jump up into the air.


    ¡°¡­Eh?¡±


    The girl didn¡¯t even have time to react with anything other than an expression of shock to the supple draconis flying up instantly with a powerful jump.


    I kept rising and rising. For just a split second, I met the girl¡¯s glance at the exact same eye level, before I passed her swiftly by in height.


    My blood-red eyes were so similar to the color of sunset during dusk. Just like during the battle where I set fire to an entire river, I currently had an expression similar to my deceased father¡¯s.


    I sliced my short sword horizontally. With a *shing!* sound, I suddenly felt less weight on my head.


    I let go of my bundle of tied hair and dropped it towards the giant golden bird.


    ¡°Do it, Mefuri!¡±


    Mefuri responded to my order and shouted out murkily in a grating sound that was the exact opposite of the golden bird¡¯s sonorous singing.


    Pop, I heard the familiar activation sound of her magic.


    My hair that I sliced off of myself exploded on top of the giant bird¡¯s head.


    ¡°Kyaa!?¡±


    The girl and the giant bird screamed together simultaneously. The giant bird that had suddenly received an unexpected attack to its head flew up to the sky in a frenzy and scattered blood around everywhere.


    ¡°Vedwoka, devour!¡±


    Vedwoka matched her altitude with the giant bird that was currently flying around haphazardly in a frenzy. Assisted by the magic power to control the wind that Rashiok formerly possessed as well in the past, Vedwoka dived through the air and sunk her fangs into the giant bird¡¯s throat.


    ¡°Screech!!¡±


    Everything happened in just an instant. The giant bird violently thrashed its body around, twisting and turning so much that I was extremely jarred as well from the centrifugal forces.


    Before we crashed into the ground, Vedwoka righted herself and flew up again, while Mefuri and I did our best simply to hold on.


    Although I expected it, the explosion¡¯s power was still too small for my satisfaction ¨C probably because I hadn¡¯t been in contact with Mefuri for a sufficient amount of time yet. It seemed like we still didn¡¯t manage to do enough damage to the giant bird, as it also succeeded in righting itself midair and appeared to finally calm down.


    There was no more time for us to escape now.


    -Damn it!


    ¡°Ha. Ahh, I see. That¡¯s how it is. That¡¯s your choice, eh. Diapetal, cast divine judgement down upon them!¡±


    The girl¡¯s loud voice sounded from above me, and the huge bird crowed once more towards the sky.


    It all happened so fast that I had no time to react whatsoever.


    My field of vision was filled with a light so bright that I had no idea what was happening to me.

 Ch 201

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­I couldn¡¯t see or hear anything.


    I couldn¡¯t even feel which way was up and which way was down. Nor did I know if I was currently still in the sky or on the ground.


    Even in such a state, my senses gradually returned to me, and I noticed that I was collapsed on the ground.


    I was painfully lying face-down against the ground.


    Not even mentioning the fact that I was ingesting a large amount of dirt and sand, I could only keep my mouth open weakly like a caterpillar¡¯s crawl as I breathed into the dirt. It was so difficult to breathe that I felt like I was drowning, even though I wasn¡¯t in the water.


    Before attempting to breathe again, I finally expelled the remaining air in my lungs, and then somehow managed to start breathing somewhat normally.


    I breathed to confirm the situation. If I tried inhaling as much air as my lungs wanted, they would instead expel the air back out of me again.


    ¡­It seemed that I wasn¡¯t dead after all.


    Although my body seemed to be intact even if it was in throbbing pain everywhere, my hands and feet wouldn¡¯t obey my orders, and I was unable to lift them.


    Had I taken a direct hit from the enemy¡¯s lightning? The ground I was collapsed on seemed to have been blown up by the thunderbolt, with the rice plants scattered about everywhere.


    ¡°Honestly, this is why I opposed leaving things up to an outsider.¡±


    What? S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As if I was submerged in water, the voice sounded fuzzy and distant from me. If it wasn¡¯t for the current situation, I probably would have missed it and dismissed it as background noise.


    When I dazedly managed to twist my head, I saw some people standing by my side.


    There were two people wearing white cloaks. I was unsure as to their identities.


    When did they-?


    ¡°¡­What¡¯s going on here, I wonder? Why did you get in my way? Wasn¡¯t I dealing with this child for you as you wanted?¡±


    I could hear the blurry voice of the enemy girl from earlier who wasn¡¯t even trying to conceal her irritation. Unless I concentrated, her voice sounded so distant as if it was just one voice out of many in a crowd.


    ¡°It¡¯ll trouble us if you damage a valuable Flowerless Fruit simply to deal with a wilting weed. Just imagining the potential loss¡­ Well, since you had your power stolen by demons, it¡¯s something you wouldn¡¯t understand. Flowerless Fruits are incredibly rare, you see.¡±


    ¡°¡­Exactly what are you talking about? Flowerless Fruit?¡±


    The girl¡¯s voice lowered after hearing something mysteriously difficult to comprehend.


    ¡°It¡¯s something that the gods have taught us. If you don¡¯t know, then that means there¡¯s no need for you to know.¡±


    This strangely high-pitched voice seemed to be coming from the other person wearing a white cloak. How passionate the voice sounded in tandem with the strange tone caused goosebumps to run down my flesh.


    ¡°Since it¡¯s come to this, it¡¯s fine to just forget about dealing with the traitor. It would be a waste to damage the Flowerless Fruit¡¯s sprouts just to deal with a wilting weed.¡±


    ¡°Exactly what¡¯s going on? Weren¡¯t you guys the ones who wanted me to kill the traitor in the first place?¡±


    ¡°Ahh, ignorance is truly such a frightening thing. Even if we gathered ten rotten seeds that can¡¯t germinate such as yourself, all of you together wouldn¡¯t compare to Flowerless Fruit that has sprouted. Ahh, if only we had known about this Flowerless Fruit¡¯s existence sooner¡­¡±


    ¡°Guariere, don¡¯t reveal too much information. The Flowerless Fruit is listening. ¡­Well, even if she listens, she probably wouldn¡¯t understand anything.¡±


    With a swish, one of the two people wearing white cloaks kneeled down beside me and looked into my face. ¡°Red eyes,¡± the person muttered to him or herself under their hood, and a nasty smile appeared on the person¡¯s face.


    Suddenly, there was a sensation of heat as if there was a fire in front of my eyes. The white-cloaked person named Guariere held down my head as a burning sensation entered my body through my nose.


    What exactly was this? What was going on? Even though there was clearly no fire, why was there the sensation of fire?


    ¡°Stop,¡± I weakly managed to moan, but the white-cloaked person ignored me. Not only that, the fiery sensation amplified even further in magnitude, causing great anxiety within me as I was unable to escape.


    My ears began ringing strongly, and my fear kept increasing at the abnormal situation.


    ¡°Get away from Milord!!¡±


    At this moment, I heard voices from afar. Since one of my ears was pressed against the ground, I could feel the trembling in the earth from my soldiers rushing over towards me.


    At hearing Rashiok¡¯s rather weakened roar among the hubbub, I let slip a sigh of relief.


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to stop now. Guariere, it¡¯s time for us to leave.¡±


    ¡°To be satisfied when I¡¯ve only finished with her face¡­ No, I shall leave things up to the guidance of my god and my teacher.¡±


    Due to the constant ringing in my ears, I had to strain my utmost to listen in to their conversation.


    Far before my soldiers could reach me, I saw the giant bird flying away through my field of vision that was still hazy.


    The two white-cloaked people watched the bird fly off, then both glanced down at me. Due to the glare of the sun, I was unable to make out their faces clearly.


    ¡°Glory to our god.¡±


    Both of them muttered that in unison with fanatical voices.


    And then, suddenly ¨C as if something had gone wrong with my eyes and they were just my imagination ¨C both of them instantly disappeared right in front of me.

 Ch 202

    ¡°Kaldia!¡±In the Kaldia domain, in front of the domain lord¡¯s residence.


    I had finally withdrawn from the border together with the royal army¡¯s troops and arrived back home when a voice called out to me. Looking up, I saw Eric who was vigorously waving towards me from a third floor window.


    Even though he had only left several days earlier, it felt as if I hadn¡¯t seen him for several months with all that happened.


    I reflexively wondered if I should wave back at him, then remembered that I was currently bandaged all over for my injuries, so I barely raised one hand just for the sake of appearances.


    In place of me, Rashiok and Vedwoka who were flanking my sides both howled in greeting. I could only smile wryly at the startle it gave the horse I was riding on.


    ¡°I¡¯ve returned, Baron Dovadain. My apologies for having left you alone.¡±


    ¡°Honestly! You put me here and went off to the battlefield by yourself, and now you¡¯re coming back all beaten up like this!! Are you an idiot!?¡± I could only accept his typical insult-filled greeting with a subtle expression.


    Eric who came out to greet me first when I entered my mansion was staring at my now shortened hair and arm that was currently in a splint.


    It was easy to tell that he was worried in his own way, and I expected that my appearance didn¡¯t seem congruent with the fact that everyone was now in a post-victory mode.


    By the way, Ratoka who was acting as ¡°me¡± while escorting Eric was glancing over at me while mixing in with the other servants in maid attire. Ratoka had pretended to return to the battlefield after escorting Eric here, but secretly stayed behind in order to take charge of Eric¡¯s protection and other needs with Eric never finding out the truth that I hadn¡¯t escorted him to begin with.


    ¡°Whoa!? K, Kal, Kaldia! You, your hair¡­!!¡±


    It seemed that Eric had finally noticed that my hair under my hood had parts of it chopped off and now reached only my shoulders. I only shrugged lightly in response to him who was pointing at my hair with a finger that was trembling.


    Arxian nobles, regardless of if they¡¯re male or female, prefer to keep long hair. Although there¡¯s still some teenaged noble boys that prefer to keep short hair, most of them also keep long hair to separate themselves from commoners that would be unable to maintain the upkeep for beautiful long hair.


    The royal males and nobles that enter the monastery are typically the only exceptions. Well, I suppose that my shortened hair will be stared at with curious eyes by everyone once I return to noble society. I also felt that it was inconvenient how I was no longer able to tie my hair up as I could before.


    Ever since cutting my own hair short, I¡¯d been avoiding mirrors.


    ¡­I¡¯m almost the same age now as the ¡°Eliza¡± from the otome game. I felt a sense of loss at the timing of losing my hair which I kept long and tied up in a ponytail on purpose to differentiate my features from the Eliza in the game as much as possible, even if we had the same face.


    However, with my hair this short, I felt now that I didn¡¯t resemble my father as much as before. This was the only good part about losing some hair.


    ¡°Well?¡± Ratoka who was helping me change my bandages tilted his head questioningly.


    ¡°¡­The cartilage in my wrist is cracked. I have injuries and scrapes all over my body. My left ear¡¯s eardrum seems to be torn. For some reason, only my face seems to be fine, so you won¡¯t need any strange injuries for you to continue acting as my double.¡±


    After I finished informing him about my situation, he let out a deep sigh.


    I glanced over at his left hand then quickly averted my gaze. There was the trace of an ugly three-year old scar there.


    ¡­His scar was at the exact same location as mine. Normally, we both kept our scars hidden with gloves, but his had appeared by itself without me knowing about it. Three years ago, the now deceased Viscount Ogren had stabbed a spear through my left hand, impaling it against the ground and leaving me with a deep injury. Ratoka must have purposefully given himself a similar injury to match mine as my body double without me even requesting it of him.


    Ratoka never talked about it, nor have I mentioned it. I felt that there was no need.


    I never gave him such a command. But if he gave himself such a wound, I have nothing to say.


    ¡°¡­Well, isn¡¯t that a pity. I wouldn¡¯t exactly have looked forward to injuring myself again if you had injured your face.¡±


    Ratoka had never brought up the topic of injuring himself out of his dedication to me before. I decided to respond to his sarcastic joke with one of my own as thanks.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you happy anyways to be told that you look cute as a maid?¡±


    ¡°No, of course I¡¯m not happy!¡±


    ¡°Ahh, well, I¡¯ve always heard that whenever you take my place, there¡¯s comments like ¡®Eliza-sama seems much cuter than usual¡¯ and so on.¡±


    ¡°Shut up, you¡¯re annoying! Stop pointing out what people don¡¯t want to hear!¡± S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    At Ratoka¡¯s forceful retort, I suddenly couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. It felt like a heavy weight I had been carrying in my chest was finally beginning to dissipate.


    I managed to come back alive ¨C that weight had been from my resolve at possibly facing death on the battlefield.


    ¡°Sigh¡­ Anyways, I understand about your injuries now. So, what happened after that? ¡­Are the captured enemy children prisoners alright?¡±


    The gentle air in the atmosphere gradually started cooling.


    Ratoka¡¯s eyes held no expectations as he asked me about the children. Nor were there any signs that he had given up on them. I merely saw trust in me at whatever I decided to do to the children I had been chasing after in the tunnels when Ratoka and I separated. I slowly shook my head.


    ¡°Four of them died. As for what happened ¨C let me give you a detailed explanation. Ratoka, do you still remember the incident from three years ago?¡±


    ¡°The fire moth incident in the royal capital?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Just like that time, a force beyond human understanding ¨C a person who could use magic just like the magical beasts appeared.¡±


    Ratoka remained silent in response to the beginning of my tale.


    I told Ratoka everything that happened after we separated. About the fight in the underground passageway, about the war, about the giant bird¡¯s attack, and about how the mysterious two people in white cloaks appeared and presumably spared me.


    As I told the story, I felt grateful ¨C perhaps I should be grateful to the Xia Church¡¯s god, Misorua, that I was still alive to tell the tale.

 Ch 203

    For the newly emerged large country known as the Rindarl Union that was only a year and a half old¡­ Well, more technically, it was mostly a war with the Densel Dukedom of the Rindarl Union. Since the Rindarl armies had suffered massive losses on the Tave River, together with the rebellion of their slave soldiers during their attempt to siege Fort Droyan, and the fact that their farthest frontline base as well as Densel¡¯s capital Eris suffered a complete loss of all supplies kept there due to fire, Rindarl finally offered their unconditional surrender.Peace negotiations were still ongoing, and it seemed that my neighbor Margrave Genas¡¯ army was in charge of escorting and protecting Arxia¡¯s peace ambassador to Densel¡¯s capital. Arxia was now already circulating stories of how Rindarl finally understood Arxia¡¯s true military might, that it was no joking matter to mess with Arxia.


    Since I had to recuperate from my injuries, I returned to the royal capital much later than the royal army did, and returned to the noble school that still appeared the same as before I headed for Fort Jugfena. Anyways, at the school now, just about all the students avoided me even more than before, most likely because of stories they heard from their parents. Well, due to having fought again on the battlefield, stories about my infamous reputation and wicked plots that I used during the war may have spread even further.


    Well, all those changes were trivial ¨C such as how my head now felt lighter with less hair than before.


    ¡°Kaldia! It seems that Grays and Alfred are returning to school today. It¡¯s been quite a long while since we saw them last, hasn¡¯t it? Don¡¯t you think we should go greet them?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­His Royal Highness and Grays are most likely tired from their civic duties. I¡¯m sure that they would be bothered by our greeting.¡±


    ¡°Nah, rather, if you go, I¡¯m sure that Alfred will be saved from having too many people swarm around him. Let¡¯s go!¡±


    And so, Eric pulled my arm towards the crowd that was already beginning to form.


    After Eric returned to noble school and had a few conversations with his father the Archduke, he¡¯s remained like this all the time.


    Did he misunderstand something and believe us to be friends now? Where did his unwillingness to associate with a low-ranked Earl like myself disappear to?


    I thought that Eric wanted me to keep my distance from the crown prince due to my negative reputation, why did it become like this? I only had one long talk with Eric back at Fort Jugfena that I can recall. That was it. Was that the cause? Doesn¡¯t this seem like too much of a change?


    What¡¯s more, Eric was sent off to Fort Jugfena in the first place as a way to punish him for starting that scandal with Sieghart and to distance him and me from national politics. Well, if his relationship with me improved slightly due to it, it was not a problem ¨C that was within my calculations.


    But instead, not only was Eric not removed from the crown prince¡¯s inner circle, he seems to be acting far more familiar with me than I expected and is even encouraging me to interact with the crown prince now¡­ For a lack of better words to describe it, I felt like I was missing too many pieces of the puzzle.


    From what I heard, the rebellion of the enemy slave armies at Fort Droyan seemed to have come about due to the speech Eric ended up giving to the royal army.


    After he was touched by visiting the mentally injured soldiers in the makeshift hospital at Fort Jugfena, Eric finally gave the royal army formal permission to attack as well as inspiring and encouraging the knights for their honorable service to Arxia. Due to his speech, the knights at the frontlines of Fort Droyan avoided combat as much as possible with the enemy slave soldiers, and in some cases even actively protected them ¨C which apparently led to the enemy slaves¡¯ great rebellion.


    And as a result, all the troops at Fort Droyan returned almost unscathed.


    Thanks to this being recognized as Eric¡¯s accomplishment, while Eric did leave the crown prince¡¯s side for a time, Eric ended up performing tasks such as giving inspiring speeches to some of the most powerful knight orders in Arxia, working on veterans¡¯ benefits for retired and injured Arxian soldiers, and other such civic duties. In fact, it could be said that Eric had gotten closer to the center of national politics as well.


    I could only smile helplessly at Eric telling this was all thanks to me. I did not plan for it, nor did I expect it.


    Why did things become like this? Really, why did things become like this?


    But right now, I didn¡¯t want to deal with Eric¡¯s minor bothering of me. Although I can¡¯t say that we were friends just because of this one thing ¨C it was an indisputable fact that I was able to rest peacefully and recuperate from my injuries before coming back to noble school thanks to Eric¡¯s assistance.


    Since I owed him this favor, I couldn¡¯t treat his minor bothering of me as an evil action.


    ¡°Alfred! Grays! Ah, Sieghart¡¯s here as well!¡±


    Eric pushed his way through the crowd as he dragged me along after him. I could see that the crown prince and Grays had shocked expressions at seeing the two of us. The general commander¡¯s grandson, who was most likely here to greet Prince Alfred and Grays, glanced warmly in my direction.


    The crown prince was able to quickly return to his usual smile as he greeted me with an ¡°it¡¯s been a long time.¡± With that, I no longer had the option of escaping as it would be a breach of etiquette, so I could only greet him in return.


    ¡°Your Royal Highness Crown Prince Alfred, and Viscount Dovadain. It¡¯s been so long since I¡¯ve last seen your esteemed presences. It¡¯s better than anything that you¡¯re both doing alright.¡±


    ¡°You as well, Kaldia. I heard that you were quite active in the war against Rindarl. Apparently you suppressed Densel¡¯s capital city Eris, and destroyed all the enemy¡¯s ships on the Tave River.¡±


    ¡°That was all thanks to Earl Wiegraf Einsbark¡¯s strategy.¡±


    ¡°I also heard that you declined most of the rewards. It does seem like your style, but¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t need any more increase in noble rank or additional territory. I¡¯m terribly afraid to receive such things.¡±


    Even the rank of an Earl was too high for my tastes, so I definitely didn¡¯t want a promotion. And as for land, I didn¡¯t even have enough time or personnel to develop what the Kaldia domain already had, so I wanted land even less. Even if I received such things, they would only be a burden and attract even more envy from other nobles that I wouldn¡¯t want. The only thing I wanted was money. Well, personnel as well. And also food supplies, and materials to be used in construction and so on¡­


    ¡°Anyways, you seem to be getting along quite well with Eric now. That makes me relieved.¡± S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°I apologize from the bottom of my heart for making Your Royal Highness worry about such a trivial matter.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind such a thing. I¡¯m just happy to see my friends and companions getting along. But, is everything alright?¡±


    With that question, the crown prince tilted his head. Was everything alright? He was probably referring to the political and reputation balance and repercussions for me. Since he¡¯s probably heard stories about me as well, I suppose it¡¯s only natural that he would be worried.


    ¡°-In being able to act together, I think that it must be Misorua¡¯s guidance that someone like me was able to become friends with Eric-dono. Although I say this, the grace of Misorua¡¯s guidance has already exceeded what my body can handle. It would be arrogance on my part to desire more, like trying to force a bent nail to straighten with a hammer.¡±


    Although my words were polite and formal, I basically told them rather bluntly through this that ¡®while Eric and I have resolved our disagreements, I don¡¯t intend to do anything beyond my ranking by associating with all of you.¡¯ The crown prince and Grays¡¯ expressions stiffened ever so slightly at this.


    ¡°¡­I see. You¡¯re as humble as always. Then I as well shall pray to Misorua for an opportunity to become closer with you.¡±

 Ch 204

    Finally, winter came before long.After the final winter semester exams, there was winter vacation, and all the students typically either returned to their residences in the royal capital or back to their parents¡¯ domains. S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Before any of my classmates could see my returned test results with the teacher¡¯s comments that I had received the highest marks in the entire grade, I hurriedly destroyed all my test papers. While waiting for my horse-drawn carriage¡¯s arrival to come pick me up, Zephyr and I chatted a little  in my free time.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to be returning to the Kaldia domain?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I still have lots of work to do as the domain lord. If it wasn¡¯t for that, I wouldn¡¯t want to return.¡±


    ¡°Surely you must be joking. You¡¯re always so serious, Kaldia, that the truth must be you really want to return to clear up all the accumulated work.¡±


    Zephyr chuckled at his own joke, while I merely shrugged as my lips relaxed.


    To tell the truth, I actually didn¡¯t have too much work piled up, as I took care of it already while I was recovering from my earlier injuries. Even though I hadn¡¯t been in Kaldia for most of the past year, letting work pile up was something that I absolutely wouldn¡¯t allow. I would always take care of it even at school, so it couldn¡¯t pile up.


    Zephyr seemed to understand this as well, so it was probably just a casual joke by him.


    ¡°How about you, Zephyr? Are you going to stay in the royal capital?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m also going to return to the Molton domain this winter. The journey is so long that it¡¯s rather bothersome, but my younger brother Lucius is waiting there for me. Also¡­ when Lucius becomes a student at noble school next year, I think I¡¯ll have less chances to go back to my home.¡±


    There¡¯s still two more years left before we graduate. Perhaps Zephyr was planning on not seeing his homeland for the following two years, as there was now a wistful nostalgic expression in his eyes.


    ¡°¡­The Molton domain is really beautiful. The white Amon Albus mountains are near, so the rocks are also white, plus there¡¯s a colorful variety of wildflowers. I would love for you to visit me, and although it¡¯s annoying for me to admit it, visit my father as well as you¡¯re one of his best friends. It¡¯s really far from the royal capital though, so I suppose it would be difficult for you to accept? Even if I don¡¯t go back for two years after this, I¡¯d still like to show you around there sometime after we graduate from noble school.¡±


    I smiled as widely as I could while listening to Zephyr.


    ¡°The war is finally over. In two years, I think my domain will mostly have recovered fully. That¡¯s why I think it would actually be nice to take a nice relaxing vacation somewhere at that time. The first place I¡¯d want to visit¡­ I think a close friend¡¯s domain sounds like a great idea.¡±


    ¡°Wonderful! That sounds like the best vacation plan ever! Will you take me along with you?¡±


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t mind, but how many months do you intend to spend on the trips between the Molton and Kaldia domains, then?¡±


    Zephyr seemed shocked at my comeback and fell silent for a moment. Then, we broke out into laughter almost simultaneously.


    The other students around us that kept a good distance from me all seemed to glance at us with annoyed expressions, but I paid them no mind and continued laughing together with Zephyr.


    Even now, I can barely believe that I¡¯m able to enjoy myself like this, laughing at a joke and having fun together with a classmate of mine. I never even considered the possibility when I first walked through the school gate here for the first time.


    The number of people I could relax myself around were so limited in number. Apart from Zephyr, there were only Ratoka, who knew almost all of my secrets, and Tira, Reka, and Athrun from the Shiru tribe, the children I lived together with in my childhood.


    Despite the fact that we were both nobles, Zephyr seemed to have become someone I could relax and have fun with just like Ratoka and the others even though I¡¯ve barely known him for that long compared to the rest. How inconceivable.


    ¡­As expected, was it because Zephyr¡¯s way of talking and joking seemed so similar to his?


    Even though I could no longer remember his voice clearly, it seemed that bits and pieces of him still remained piled up in the bottom of my heart.


    It was almost time for the heaviest snowfall of the year in the Jugfena region when Arxia¡¯s peace ambassador to Rindarl finally returned.


    With the peace treaty finally having been completed and signed, the royal capital was incredibly lively this year even though winter was usually its quietest season.


    Despite the fact that the royal army¡¯s victorious return had already caused a huge commotion, there was actually a second round of invitations sent out for yet another victory celebration. I could only smile blankly at this in amazement.


    Arxia had set out many conditions for Rindarl to follow in order to achieve peace.


    Slavery was banned. Rindarl receiving immigrants from the southern countries was banned. An upper limit was set for Rindarl¡¯s military expenditures. Furthermore, a tariff was established for Rindarl to trade with the southern countries. A large amount of compensation money was paid to Arxia by the Rindarl Union¡¯s ambassador to Arxia. Apart from these, there were also countless other conditions that we obtained.


    Apparently in Arxia¡¯s ¡°Royal Palace,¡± the new prevailing way of thinking was that now with a country like the Rindarl Union that was as large and powerful as Arxia existing, having a non-interference policy was no longer feasible for Arxia. Even with conservative voices in the House of Lords strongly against the changes to Arxia¡¯s isolationist policy, Arxia still pressed through successfully with these demanding peace conditions that were basically akin to pushing down someone¡¯s head against the ground.


    In the long history of Arxia, this was the first time that we had ever ¡°controlled¡± what was considered a heretic society.


    Only a single Rindarl citizen came to Arxia together with our peace ambassador. This was information that probably even Earl Terejia didn¡¯t know yet.


    Another one of the peace conditions had been for Rindarl to send a royal hostage to Arxia. The name of the girl chosen for this purpose was Emilia Yuriel De La Rindarl.


    She was both the princess of the former Rindarl Kingdom, and the daughter of the current Rindarl Union¡¯s Archduke. She was the only daughter of the Archduke from the former Rindarl Kingdom that had been set up as the puppet government leader for the four united Dukedoms-


    ¨C And she was also the heroine of a certain otome game in my memory, who potentially was a person that could wildly influence my fate, and cause my life to completely go off its tracks.

 Ch 205

    Intermission arcSnow thawed early for this year¡¯s winter.


    The heaviest snowfall finished before we entered the last month of the year, and the already fallen snow began melting. The ice covering the western lakes had already become thin enough for us to restart fishing ahead of schedule.


    In this season, I can take the afternoons to slightly relax after taking care of the seasonal trivial domain lord work.


    When I entered noble school, I distributed part of my work as the domain lord, so now I¡¯m finally able to take things a little slower. ¡­Well, after returning to noble school again, I¡¯m going to need to study for my classes, so my free time will disappear quite easily.


    Nevertheless, it¡¯s all thanks to Oscar that work has been continuing at such high efficiency, as he was able to allocate every task without any needless waste.


    There¡¯s also the remaining work from Earl Terejia on continuing to improve the quality of life in Kaldia domain as the domain lord¡¯s work. However, Oscar¡¯s quite skilled at sorting out all the work.


    Most importantly, Oscar worked together with the Ar Xia Church¡¯s bishops that I hired several years ago to teach the young soldiers in training in the Kaldia army that were still children so that they could eventually help me with document work in the future.


    Even if these children wouldn¡¯t be able to read difficult sentences, as long as they knew basic math and the necessary vocabulary, the number of people who would be capable of doing deskwork in the military would increase dramatically. Besides, if any of them are forced to retire from the army in the future due to injuries, they¡¯d have a job to fall back on.


    I was slowly beginning to try and solve the problem of the personnel shortage in Kaldia. While this spring vacation was rather slow and relaxing, I could still feel the changes happening within my domain.


    Tira and the others told me to relax as well and took me out of the mansion. I was completely wrapped in the Shiru tribe¡¯s anti-winter clothing as I stepped out into the garden which still had leftover snow. This newly constructed domain lord¡¯s mansion had a much larger garden than the one at the Mansion of Golden Hills. The space was used exclusively for the two draconis.


    ¡°Ah, Eliza-sama.¡±


    ¡°¡­Mefuri.¡±


    A young girl was sitting in the corner of the garden and seemed like she was trying to hide herself as she was trembling. This was the former disposable Rindarl child soldier I brought back to my domain, the magic user Mefuri who still had many mysteries surrounding her.


    ¡°Why are you in such a place¡­¡±


    Although the snow has stopped, it was still technically the end of winter and snow remained on the ground. The temperature outside was certainly not suitable for having fun outdoors. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Because Eliza-sama and Claudia-sama were both busy with work. I came here to see the draconis.¡±


    Mefuri seemed troubled by the fact that she was discovered outside of the room. I didn¡¯t know what to say in response, and could only look at her face that was reddened due to the cold.


    Ever since I brought Mefuri back with me, she had remained this way. She would only talk to me, Claudia, and the two draconis Rashiok and Vedwoka, while avoiding all contact with everyone else.


    In addition to Mefuri, Vanita and the other former child slave soldiers of Rindarl were also now under my guardianship and living together in my mansion. I could understand that she most likely didn¡¯t want to see them. She had brought it on herself however, and I couldn¡¯t help her.


    While I did give Mefuri a private room of her own, whenever Claudia or I wasn¡¯t around her, she would always come out to the garden to be away from others.


    I would have preferred for her to remain indoors and not shiver outside in the cold like this, but considering her past as well as her mental condition, there was no way I could just force her to stay in her room.


    ¡°Before you catch a cold, let¡¯s go back into the mansion.¡±


    In the end, this was all I could say. However, this time Mefuri looked up at me with her murky eyes as she laughed thinly and shook her head.


    ¡°Only if I can stay in Eliza-sama¡¯s room. I¡¯ll even endure it if there¡¯s other children around.¡±


    ¡°¡­Mefuri, please listen to what I have to say. I still don¡¯t intend to make you one of my close aides yet as you¡¯re too young, but even so, nor can I just ignore a child that keeps running away from the mansion to shiver outside in the cold.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Mefuri began pouting as she continued to look up at me.


    ¡°You seem to be troubled, Eliza-sama.¡±


    That comment from Mefuri seemed to contain joy for some reason, which caused me to reflexively furrow my eyebrows.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to go back to your room. If staying there is no good, how about going to the village? And, you should dress a bit warmer. How about having Athrun go together with you?¡±


    ¡°Warmer clothes, are you talking about the Artolan style?¡±


    Mefuri was the one who furrowed her eyebrows this time at hearing what I suggested. It seemed that she didn¡¯t have a good impression of the Shiru tribe and the Artolan people.


    I didn¡¯t know where Mefuri was from out of the four dukedoms that made up the Rindarl Union, but all four dukedoms had a bad relationship with the former Artolas Kingdom. Since they were at war with Artolas just over a decade ago and wiped the entire kingdom from the map, perhaps the relationship between Artolas and Rindarl could be said to be even worse than that of Arxia and Densel. As someone who was probably born around that time, Mefuri was likely raised by someone that gave her negative feelings towards Artolas.


    ¡°This style is much warmer than the cloaks typically worn by commoners in Kaldia. That¡¯s why in the last few years, we¡¯ve begun to produce them for everyone. Ah, there are some differences in the patterns used, though.¡±


    But as I went on about this topic, Mefuri¡¯s expression of obvious prejudice became even stronger.


    ¡°¡­No. I don¡¯t need it. Nor will I go to the village. I¡¯ll just return to my room after all.¡±


    After glaring in disappointment at the Shiru clothing I was wearing for several seconds, Mefuri stood up and said that as she ran off back to the mansion.


    As I watched her back disappear, I thought to myself that I shouldn¡¯t leave her alone too much. Whether it was because of my methods that were basically brainwashing, or her own dark past, Mefuri was too unstable. It was far too dangerous for someone who had powers beyond human understanding to be unstable.


    Just as I was deep in my thoughts thinking about what to do, something jolted me when it touched me on the cheek and gave me quite a shock.


    ¡°¡­¡­Oh, what. It¡¯s you, Vedwoka. You surprised me.¡±


    Before I realized it, she had come up beside me and was nuzzling me with her cold nose. Rashiok had arrived as well, and we all seemed to be getting along well with each other as they stood with me in the middle.


    ¡°Just what should I do,¡± I muttered to myself. Rashiok could only respond by nuzzling my face as well.


    While stroking his cold and smooth scales, I could only sigh to myself.

 Ch 206

    Even though it was now peacetime, various things would still happen. My headaches weren¡¯t limited only to Mefuri trying to isolate herself from everyone.¡°Eliza-sama, a letter has arrived from Claudia-sama¡¯s family.¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll read it.¡±


    Just as I was finishing up the office work for this morning, Mrs. Marshan who was in charge of Tira, Reka, and Ratoka¡¯s studies brought a letter to me.


    This is the second time that I¡¯ve received a sealed letter from the Rolentsor family since returning from the battlefield.


    Of course, the content was about the only point of contact I had with them ¨C it was with regards to finding a marriage for Claudia.


    Claudia who¡¯s ten years older than me will be turning 24 years old on her next birthday which is in the summer.


    ¡­As for the age of 24, even in the royal capital which is more lax on marriageable age, it¡¯s considered to be nearing the end of an appropriate age to get married in this country. Since we were in a rural domain like Kaldia with mostly only commoners, I had been putting this off¡­ but in my defense, there was nobody I could think of in this domain that I could put together with her in a ¡°marriage.¡±


    Ever since she successfully became a knight before the age of twenty so that she wouldn¡¯t have to obey her parents and get married to whoever they wanted, she herself has probably never even thought about the concept of marriage since then.


    But in the end, she was still a noble daughter herself, and there will still be people interested in getting married to her.


    After I returned from the battlefield at the end of autumn, I had written a letter to Claudia¡¯s father. I asked him if he had any ideas about helping Claudia to get married.


    However, what Claudia¡¯s father believed was that I, since Claudia was a knight now officially serving me, or Earl Terejia since that was who she was serving on the surface, should take the responsibility for her marriage issue.


    Unlike the case of where noble daughters would often temporarily work as maids in other noble households, Claudia working as a knight for me was probably a job she viewed as permanent in nature, completely leaving her home.


    The ranked knights of personal or national knight orders are considered to be permanent jobs unless they withdraw of their own volition. Since these knights will receive titles of their own, they can be thought of as new heads of their own branch families.


    But even so, they still have parents. As for Claudia¡¯s parents, when Baron Rolentsor saw that the war was over and peace had arrived, he wanted Claudia to settle down and get married so that she could enjoy the ¡°average¡± happiness of life.


    His letter to me even included veiled criticisms of the fact that Claudia had gotten both of her hands injured while fighting for me. If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that she had succeeded in becoming a knight, I was certain that he would have loudly protested because of the custom about how unmarried girls shouldn¡¯t have their bodies blemished or something like that.


    ¡­Even though I¡¯m someone who personally killed her entire family with her own hands, I can still understand the happiness of having your own family that you can spend time with.


    The girl from my previous life was able to spend her last days before death peacefully thanks to her own family. Even if I didn¡¯t have the exact same feelings as that girl, I understood that she had what was considered an ideal family. That¡¯s why I also hoped to give my citizens the same type of peaceful family lives.


    While Claudia technically wasn¡¯t one of my domain¡¯s citizens, she was one of my closest aides that served me faithfully. I was filled with conflicting feelings of just allowing Claudia to continue down her favorite lifestyle of hot-blooded battles, but also wanting her to be able to enjoy a peaceful life.


    That¡¯s why I now had the urgent matter of thinking about how to have my upcoming discussion with Claudia.


    ¡°Anyways¡­¡­ sigh. For the time being, I should hear what she thinks first.¡±


    As I finished reading Baron Rolentsor¡¯s letter and folded it up neatly, I couldn¡¯t help but let a sigh escape from me. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Did Claudia herself want to get married? I was quite doubtful of it.


    And if she told me that she was willing to get married, just who should I help her get married to?


    Of course, she would have to get married to a noble that was approximately equal to her in status. On top of that, she probably wouldn¡¯t want to end up leaving Kaldia, it was impossible for her to act like a typical noblewoman and settle down at home, and due to the fact that her personal combat prowess was astonishing, it would have to be an individual who wouldn¡¯t have a complex about most likely being weaker than she was.


    And as for my personal wish, I hoped that whoever she got married to would be able to rein her in to a certain extent. And I needed a person who wouldn¡¯t mind having to move to the Kaldia domain.


    Not to mention, it needed to be a person who didn¡¯t have any conflicts with the most important families connected to me, the Terejia, Einsbark, my own Kaldia, or the Genas (my most important neighbor) families.


    Even if all of the above was satisfied, there was one biggest problem of all remaining ¨C honestly I wasn¡¯t even sure if this problem was surmountable ¨C Claudia herself would have to be willing to marry this person.


    ¡­Was there even a single unmarried male in this world that managed to fulfill all of these conditions simultaneously?


    ¡°Mrs. Marshan, could you please pass along a message to Claudia for me, please? I would like to have lunch together with her today.¡±


    Even though all these things were weighing on my mind, I decided to set up a time to discuss this with Claudia and deal with this issue.


    Mrs. Marshan agreed to pass my message along. Now then, let¡¯s finish off the last bit of my work and get ready for lunch.


    There was only one final stack of documents remaining, and I unrolled the papers as I prepared my stamp.


    These were a rare type of document, being marriage notifications regarding my citizens that were planning on getting married for this year¡¯s spring.


    Spring always had the most marriage applications, which made me wonder if it was because they had the most time to prepare to get married in winter. This year, it seemed that there were twenty-six couples planning on getting married.


    The first time that I stamped my approval for the citizens¡¯ marriage applications was when I was seven years old. Compared to then, my citizens are getting married at a much higher rate than before.


    And so, I stamped my approval on each marriage application that the villages had mailed to me.


    That¡¯s when¡­


    ¡°¡­Hmm? ¡­¡­¡­¡­Ehhh?¡±


    My hand couldn¡¯t help but stop when I suddenly saw the name ¡°Gunther Pavel¡± written on one of the marriage documents.


    ¡­¡­What, what was this?


    Gunther was getting married? That guy didn¡¯t mention anything on this topic at all while he was at Fort Jugfena with me! Even the other Kaldia army members didn¡¯t bring this topic up at all!

 Ch 207

    Gunther¡¯s marriage does bother me but Claudia is more important now.I did sign the applications and approve them but put them into the drawer without putting them out as finished, approved application.¡ª-I did tell Gunther that I would affix the seal quickly but there was something I needed to confirm.


    I decided to have a proper simple meal for lunch¨Cwell, although it was not that simple but that¡¯s the image I get when I compare it with breakfast and dinner.


    I do want to avoid carelessly upsetting Claudia. Worst case scenario, she might even stop talking to me. Although that probably won¡¯t happen.


    Even though I want to confirm her will, her family is saying *that* after all. If possible, I want her to easily accept the marriage¡­ But even if she did accept, the problem of finding the partner would still remain. Well, it¡¯s not like I don¡¯t have any means of finding such a person, though.


    Claudia, who did not yet know of her family pestering me for the marriage, happily came to the sudden lunch meet.


    I took a seat facing her, apologized for the sudden meet and we started eating.


    ¡°It feels like it has been so long since we have had lunch like this in the mansion.¡±


    ¡°It has been quite a while, after all. Thank you very much for protecting my territory as a knight this year. I wanted to express my gratitude to you for fighting in the battlefield and for capturing those kids.¡±


    On Claudia¡¯s hand, the scar she received from the underground passage still remained. It doesn¡¯t seem to cause any hindrance in using the spear but it is painful to look at.


    It isn¡¯t a scar an unmarried woman should bear. Now if I were a man, to take responsibility for the scar, I probably would have to take her as my bride¡­ Well, putting that aside, all the problematic things might have been settled at once.


    ¡°A knight¡¯s scar is something like a decoration. You don¡¯t need to worry.¡± S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She said indifferently, tore a bread with her scarred hand and ate it.


    She didn¡¯t even try hiding it with a glove like me so that is probably what she really believes.


    ¡°It really helps me when you say that¡­ However, when I think that it might ¡¯cause problems in your marriage¡ª¡°


    As I said that, trying to probe into the matter, Claudia declared that,


    ¡°Ahh, that probably won¡¯t be a problem either. I don¡¯t have any intention in marrying into a house which does not honor me being a knight, after all.¡±


    She is too gallant. From the looks of it, does she not think of marriage at all?


    In my mind, the letter Claudia¡¯s father had sent kept making a round trip with amazing momentum. A father¡¯s love for his daughter can be very overwhelming.


    ¡°Even still, bringing up the topic of my marriage¡­ Taking this chance when the war is over, are you planning on finally getting me married? Or did my father send an impolite letter regarding the matter?¡±.


    With an expression which looked like she was enjoying herself, Claudia launched an astoundingly sharp comment.


    ¡­Ah, that is true. She was quite clever in terms of aristocratic matters.


    Being read like a book just because of a single word, I was left astonished. Due to her usual dumb speech and conduct, I had forgotten but she has quite a skill of reading into people¡¯s thoughts. For some reason she displays quite the sharpness when the matter is faced towards her. Well, it is not on purpose¡­¡­ Right? I would like to believe so.


    ¡°No. Teo sent out a notification for marriage earlier, right? And so that made me think of stuff. I would like to ask without beating around the bush but, what are your thoughts about your marriage, Claudia-dono?¡±


    Saying so that the fact that her father was actually pestering me about her marriage is avoided, I directly went into today¡¯s topic. It would also be a pain if the topic gets carried away while I am beating around the bush.


    But Claudia wore a puzzled expression to my question and slightly tilted her head.


    ¡°¡­Did I, perhaps say something odd?¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Were you not planning on getting me married with Oscar using this chance? Or rather, I had totally thought that was what Earl Terejia was planning when he recommended Oscar to the Kaldia Order of Chivalry.¡±


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..Oscar?


    I ended up staring into Claudia¡¯s sky-blue eyes dumbfounded for a while there. She glanced back with a smile.


    On the inside, I felt like sweat was coming down my forehead like a waterfall.


    That¡¯s right. There is Oscar. How could I totally forget about his existence? I completely omitted him as Claudia¡¯s husband candidate.


    After all, it¡¯s the Oscar who shows even less interest in marriage than Claudia. Maybe the impression he left on me made me think that if needed, he might go and marry someone of his own choice.


    ¡°However, I don¡¯t really have any objection but¡­ there is a condition.¡±


    Claudia started speaking while cleanly piercing her fork into the dessert. Before I knew it, her plate was almost empty. What is with that eating speed? She might be hiding a talent for battle dinner or something.


    ¡°A condition, you say. What would that be¡­.?¡±


    I asked while revising my loose posture. Exactly what kind of condition is she talking about?


    After all, the very moment when someone is taking Claudia as their wife, the general things people want from wives are far from plausible. What more does she want to add on top of that, I wonder?


    ¡°That is¡­.¡±


    Claudia started speaking with a serious expression. *Gulp* I held my breath.


    ¡°The person who will become my husband must win in a battle against my elder brother.¡±


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.


    ¡°Alright then, let¡¯s start sending letters to all the relatives at once. I guess I will confirm with Oscar for what it matters as well.¡±


    There hasn¡¯t been a single moment before where I wanted to be praised for my ability to stop myself from slamming my forehead into the table. After all, that is the kind of condition she had which made nervousness seem completely ridiculous.


    Seeing my exhausted expression, Claudia replied ¡®Hmm¡­?¡¯ with a puzzled expression yet again.

 Ch 208

    Oscar, eh? ¡ª Upon hearing the name, I recalled that I did think he was the perfect match but, now that I think about it properly, he too has his bothersome circumstances.After lunch with Claudia, I went straight to catch Oscar and confirm his situation, or more precisely, the Terejia family¡¯s situation.


    Oscar, who I had officially appointed as the landlord¡¯s assistance when I had entered the school, had always been working here and there. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He has been doing all sorts of work like handling the papers which I approve and Ratoka sorts, having discussions with important people like the bishop, the head of the Shiru family, looking over matters needing attention in the villages and what not¡­


    Although he is supposed to be titled a knight, he has been making Bellway work relentlessly and at this point, he probably does more territorial jobs than me, the lord of the territory.


    What on earth are knights? After the Terejia family put on pressure, although I was the one who ordered it, I left Oscar in charge of the territory in my absence. By the way, when I had returned, the tax collection was perfectly done.


    Really, what on earth are knights?


    Despite all that, he spars with Claudia once every two days and also doesn¡¯t miss the combined training with the territory army ¡ª I really don¡¯t understand how¡­ It is at the level where you would doubt if he was using clones or something¡­


    ¡­And well, so, he has now become an existence whom you must call out to if you happen to find him¡­ Otherwise you¡¯d end up having to hunt around the whole territory for him.


    Just when I was about to go to his office to deliver some papers and cards, I happened to find him there coincidentally and, in turn for helping him with the register, he agreed to talk with me.


    If I had let this go, I am not sure when I would get the opportunity again. Well, if I were to consider his mysterious movement speed, if I had left a memo in his office, he would have probably come to my office the next day, though.


    And when I began to tell him to finish the registry calculations fast so that we could talk about his and Claudia¡¯s marriage, he nodded like he had known and explained what Earl Terejia had in mind.


    In short, that is what they wanted but they still hadn¡¯t talked about it with the Viscount Rolentsor¡¯s family. Assuming that Claudia wouldn¡¯t settle down before the state of affair with the neighboring country calmed down, they had not yet officially talked about it.

 Ch 209

    He asked a odd question which I didn¡¯t quite understand but it seems like Oscar doesn¡¯t really object to this marriage either.Well, they live in one of the area under the territory lord¡¯s mansion and don¡¯t really go out into the high society, so noble, lady-like skills will probably not be demanded from Claudia. In fact, if you just think about it in terms of income, she might just be an amazing wife¡­¡­ Probably.


    For now, I guess it is alright to think that there will not be any impediments to the marriage as long as no problems arise from Oscar¡¯s side ¡ª the Terejia house.


    If that is the case, then as I thought, the problem is¡­


    ¡°¡­.And that¡¯s what she said..¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­. I see¡­¡±


    When I told him about the condition Claudia spoke about, Oscar wore an indescribable expression.


    I was probably making a similar face, as well. If someone were to look at us, they wouldn¡¯t think we are talking about marriage at all.


    ¡°A duel¡­ eh. That too against Natarnael-dono who is renowned for his strength among the Imperial Knights.¡±


    It seems like Claudia¡¯s brother had been promoted to the Imperial Knights before I knew it. He was supposed to be in the military police squad maintaining public order so that is quite the promotion. He might have also joined the king¡¯s army.


    ¡°Do you think you have a chance at winning?¡±


    ¡°Impossible. The Imperial Guards are the best among the elites. If it was a death fight, it would¡¯ve been different but when it comes to royal court sword skills, I do not hold a candle against him.¡±


    Oscar flatly declared. Remembering the blunder at the school last year, I couldn¡¯t help but wear a bitter smile.


    But still, this is bad. Who would have thought the biggest obstacle to this marriage would be one of Claudia¡¯s relative, when the one asking her to get married is her father.


    ¡°However, the situations have changed since that promise. How about discussing the matter with Natarnael-dono?¡±


    That is true. Her brother wouldn¡¯t want his sister to be unmarried, now would he?


    I nodded and decided to advance this marriage talk seriously.


    First, I decided to send a letter to Earl Terejia.


    When I handed over the letter to Paulo, who had now become a veteran messenger soldier, and told him to go deliver it to the capital, he looked crestfallen and hung his head.


    ¡°Hm? What happened? Did you request for a vacation or something?¡± S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    When I was about to go and check whether the request papers were checked or not, Paulo panickedly shook his head left and right.


    ¡°Ah, no¡­ it¡¯s not like that. Just that there is a girl I am getting along with recently¡­ Ah! No! It¡¯s not like I am neglecting this job for that or anything!¡±


    ¡­..Looks like there is a person who is enjoying the post-war peace here too. (?)


    I should better think about the marriage rush and the surge in birthrate which would accompany that. Well, since the quality of life now is very different from the previous world, I probably don¡¯t need to think about it that deeply¡­. Probably.

 Ch 210

    After entrusting the letter to a soldier, I returned to the office and pulled out Gunther¡¯s marriage certificate from the drawer.The number of people who can write are limited so the person who wrote this is probably not someone related to them but the village mayor or an expert. Gunther¡¯s parents¡¯ house is already gone and he doesn¡¯t belong to any village now so naturally this certificate was probably delivered from his wife¡¯s village.


    After confirming the name of the Neza village¡¯s mayor at the end of the document, I decided to immediately verify the matter. Can¡¯t possibly keep this marriage certificate on hold for so long, after all.


    And as I was going, I thought I might as well take Mefuri along with me as she seemed free.  I went to the room she was supposed to be in.


    ¡°Mefuri. I came to deliver the laundry¡­.. Ah, Eliza-sama.¡±


    I encountered Vanita along the way, who was calling out to Mefuri with his awkward Arkshia language while knocking on the door.


    Looks like he was helping the maids. I didn¡¯t really ask him to do anything specific so he is apparently doing it voluntarily.


    ¡°Vanita?¡±


    For just a moment there, his face distorted very awkwardly but then he stepped back a few steps to let me stand in front of the door.


    Mefuri was particularly avoiding Vanita. To be honest, I didn¡¯t think Vanita would be thinking of meeting Mefuri either but it seems like I was wrong.


    ¡°¡­..Mefuri, it¡¯s me. I am opening the door.¡±


    I did knock and call out to her but as Vanita was with me, she didn¡¯t reply. Without paying it any heed, I opened the door to find Mefuri in front of the open window, staring at me. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Well, from the looks of it, she doesn¡¯t have a weapon so even if Vanita tried to enter she probably would¡¯ve only tried to escape. Seems like she doesn¡¯t plan on causing a ruckus.


    ¡°Seems like Vanita came to deliver the laundry.¡±


    ¡°¡­..Put them in front of the room. Vanita doesn¡¯t want to meet me either, right?¡±


    What are you doing, the victim is trying to meet half way and you, being the wrong-doer, are rejecting?


    ¡°Mefuri, go out and take your own laundry yourself from Vanita.¡±


    Enduring my urge to sigh, I ordered her clearly. With a frozen expression, she sluggishly moved away from the wall.


    And then she timidly took her laundry from Vanita, who was idly standing in front of the room.


    ¡­..is that really avoiding contact? It would have been one thing if Vanita was the one avoiding, but why is Mefuri the one avoiding?


    I hear her magic gets more and more broken the more time you put into it. She can¡¯t possibly turn the other into a bomb from just the trivial contact from everyday life.


    Vanita was watching the assailant, Mefuri, be extremely frightened, with an indescribable expression.


    Sighing in my mind, I thought about what I could do about these two. Mefuri and Vanita will have to live together in this mansion for the next few years. I was planning on giving them some sort of a job or educating them once they get used to living here but it won¡¯t start if they don¡¯t even meet face to face and keep avoiding contact.


    ¡­..Alright. This might be a bit forceful but I need to change the situation.


    ¡°Vanita. Do you have any plans after this?¡±


    ¡°Eh? No, I don¡¯t, ma¡¯am.¡±

 Ch 211

    Kaldia¡®s Budding Spring ¨C Part SevenThe face of the woman called Nadje was somewhat familiar to me.


    Upon attempting to drill further, she had initially responded with a blank expression, and had then adopted one more aligned with confusion. She had nevertheless offered me a bashful smile and ushered me into her home.


    It was an odd feeling. Apart from the small children and region soldiers, there weren¡¯t many people who were willing to come into contact with me and not even wince.


    ¡°Just what happens to be the issue? Do you have some sort of business with me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Nadje. About that¡­¡±


    The Village Chief was decent enough to be the one to explain things to her. With him treading on glass, it only served to make me feel all the more awkward. Thanks to his input, however, it was much easier to evoke a change in Nadje¡¯s reactions as lent an ear.


    When asked of her relationship with Gunther she grew a bit embarrassed, but was still frank in her admission that she pined after him while still being somewhat wary of me. But her somewhat calm demeanour disappeared the second the Village Chief decided to ask about the marriage registration, almost as if shattered.


    ¡°Eh¡­ Mr. Gunther and I¡­ Marriage? Huh¡­ What?¡±


    The wheels in her head seemed to stop turning about halfway through, and the Chief and I turned to look at each other. The girl herself was supposed to be at the very centre of the issue, but she didn¡¯t seem to have an inkling of what had happened. It was fairly obvious that there was no subterfuge mixed with her bewilderment. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡­ Which meant that the one we should be asking was probably her father.


    The marriage laws of Arxia differed, depending on the region. The new laws passed down by Earl Terejia and I stated that the two parties to be wed were required to allow the village they willingly lived in to act as a sort of mediator, a place where they would whip up the marriage registration contract. Both parties would sign said contract, and it would have to be submitted to the lord of the lands.


    Before the laws were revised, however, any laws concerning matrimony had been based off of aristocratic conduct. The agreement needed for a marriage was not to be between the two parties concerned, but rather between the Lord and the acting father or guardian of the would-be bride.


    ¡°Village Chief, exactly who was the one to request the marriage registration?!¡±


    ¡°Come to think of it¡­ It was Nadje¡¯s father. I¡­ I¡¯m truly sorry, I appear to have been lacking in my review¡­¡±


    ¡°Not at all. A parent can act as a default proxy for their child. There¡¯s no reason to fault you over what happened at the time of registration.¡±


    That really wasn¡¯t the core of the issue; that lay more in the fact that Nadje¡¯s name had been signed into the registry. If Nadje was really unaware, then that meant it had been forged¡­ and that whoever forged it would have to be confronted by the law itself.


    ¡°Um¡­ What¡­ What should I do¡­?¡±

 Ch 212

    Kaldia¡¯s Budding Spring ¨C Part Eight¡°Uuuh¡­ Right, that¡¯s it. Gunther, there¡¯s something I wanted to ask you¡­¡±


    With both hands around the now moving snow snake that had sprung from the bag, I decided to resume the conversation.


    He would probably want to understand the bizarreness of the situation as soon as he could. Gunther responded in the positive, with a small ¡®Sure¡¯ and a nod. Wishing to avoid beating around the bush any further, I decided to cut straight to the point.


    ¡°Thing is, someone handed in a marriage certificate with your name and Nadje¡¯s inside.¡±


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    At that moment, Gunther¡¯s voice and tone had gone soft and low. I could see both Nadje and the village chief twitch back a bit as they restlessly peeked over to Gunther.


    Just as I was about to warn him that it was best not to make expressions that dangerous, Rashiok¡¯s head ¨C its owner still fixated on the snow snake ¨C grazed against my side, and my back became recipient to the thrashings of a rather long tail. It eased the atmosphere a bit, admittedly.


    ¡°¡­ Yes, I thought this was more of a one-person ordeal, but I really can¡¯t have falsified documents stamped with the seal of approval, can I? I had it looked in to.¡± S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Gunther did not give a single response, and instead let the bag slung over his back ungraciously drop to the floor. A heavy silence took over the house. Gunther was giving off oddly intimidating vibes.


    The space between his eyebrows wrinkled as he fell into a deep silence, and Nadje could only barely open and close her mouth, again and again.


    ¡°¡­ Exactly what do you mean by ¡®falsified¡¯?¡±


    ¡°In the Kaldia area, it¡¯s necessary for both the man and woman meant to marry to be willing. The very thing that shows that willingness is their combined signature. Nadje, on the other hand, doesn¡¯t know about the certificate and is therefore unwilling. I mean that we have a document with a forged signature on our hands.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ Look here, boss¡­ You think I could talk this over with Nadje for a little bit?¡±


    Gunther was madly scratching away at his scalp, almost as if his head itself was in pain. The oppressing air dispersed, and the others let out a breath of relief.


    Possibly due to the dissipation of tension, Rashiok¡¯s head began shoving against me repeatedly and forcefully, almost as if to tell me that we¡¯d done enough here. Nose pressing against the snake that drooped from the palm of my hand, the thrashing against my back became even more violent

 Ch 213

    Kaldia¡¯s Budding Spring ¨C Part NineThe snow snake has a unique and smooth texture. The closest thing it can be compared to would maybe be the gray layer between the salmon¡¯s body and skin? Though the former has almost no smell and the taste isn¡¯t as strong¡­ I almost never ate salmon though.


    ¡°Mmm, tasty¡­.¡± Mefuri unintentionally murmured as she felt the soft texture.


    Immediately after, I added a few herbs to the snake soup to change its taste, their citric feeling was quite refreshing¡­ She took her time savoring it.


    Vanita had a troubled expression as he looked back and forth between me and Mefuri while holding his bowl, though he stopped staggering with Mefuri¡¯s words, and took a sip of the liquid.


    ¡°Y-yummy¡­!¡± He proclaimed after a small wait.


    He murmured with an absurd amount of amazement. Could you please avoid being so expressive about it when talking about good food?


    The snow snake is an excellent ingredient that can be much tastier than a rabbit if cooked properly. Well, it¡¯s not a very common meal, so it¡¯s understandable.


    ¡°Mefuri, could you share the herbs?¡± I extended my hand to receive them.


    Vanita watched while Mefuri gave them after a moment of staggering, I wanted him to taste the snake by itself, so it would be meaningless to have added the herbs from the start.


    ¡°T-thank you.¡± Vanita said after I passed them to him.


    As he received the herbs, Vanita kept on looking back and forth between me and Mefuri. After some hesitation, he tried talking to her.


    ¡°¡­ Back when you grew up, was it common to eat snakes in the place you lived in?¡± S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mefuri seemed to be panicking at his attempt to start a conversation, she directed me a pleading gaze, but I couldn¡¯t help her, as I didn¡¯t know where she came from in the first place.


    Considering the dark color of her skin, it is unknown rather she really is from Rindarl or not.


    When I brought her to live here, I heard about what kind of life she went through while growing up, but I don¡¯t know any details.


    What I know is essentially that she was brought up as a spy, learned magic whenever possible, and had the knowledge of how to escape through mountains and forests drilled into her head.


    When I shrugged my shoulders to her plea for help, Mefuri resigned herself to it, and bit by bit started putting an answer together.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if other people ate it, but whenever I got hungry, snake was the first thing I went after¡­ It was easier to catch than other types of meat.¡±


    That is certainly true, it¡¯s the same reason I ate snakes in the first place.


    ¡°I started eating other types of meat recently, but¡­ I think snake is the tastiest.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Is that so?¡±


    Vanita nodded awkwardly. Well, it¡¯s hard to feel at ease when hearing about Mefuri¡¯s past.

 Ch 214

    Kaldia¡¯s Budding Spring ¨C Part TenGunther and Nadje finished their talk at about the same time we finished eating and tidying up.


    While Nadje was very embarrassed, Gunther unsuccessfully hid his own embarrassment behind a frown. A tall man came together with them and apologetically bowed to me.


    ¡°It was not done with bad intentions.¡± He said.


    ¡°It is no worry, rather, did you reach an agreement? What should be done about the marriage registration?¡± I replied.


    ¡°About that¡­ They just sanctioned it.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ Ahn¡­ Congratulations on your marriage Gunther.¡±


    It took me a while to reply because it was too much to take at once, I didn¡¯t expect them to accept it.


    Gunther curtly replied with a ¡°Hmph.¡± and then, as if he couldn¡¯t hold back any longer, began to briefly explain the circumstances. The tall man occasionally opened his mouth to supplement a few parts of the story, apparently he is Nadje¡¯s father.


    Apparently, Gunther planned to marry Nadje from the beginning. The one that was unable to get the consent was Nadje. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Nadje is scared of men, even now she is only able to talk to those she is close to.


    Nadje¡¯s father ended up worried about Nadje because Gunther was the only man close to her, but he was from the military, and constantly moved back and forth from the capital, it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if Gunther had extramarital relationships.


    Her father felt that if she got closer to Gunther, Nadje would be completely unable to get over her fear, so he talked to Gunther last winter and gave him an ultimatum that if he wasn¡¯t willing to take her hand in marriage, then he should never get close to Nadje again.


    ¡­ I felt pretty overwhelmed, he protected his daughter way too much.


    Gunther being Gunther decided to propose her, I wonder how much he cared for the surrounding opinions when doing that, however, it seems like he got a good reputation on the village on recent years, as the man that was part of the military and rescued Nadje in the past.


    ¡°¡­ Do you think you can just marry a girl like that whenever you want? Nadje is poor.¡± Her father had said.


    Gunther got somewhat shocked at that and scratched his head, he completely forgot this kind of ruling existed as he hadn¡¯t really planned on getting married before he met Nadje. As a show of good faith though, he signed a marriage certificate in advance, so as to let them marry once things were ready.


    What they didn¡¯t expect however, was that Nadje¡¯s mother, who didn¡¯t know how to read but knew how a marriage registration looked like, found the certificate signed by Gunther, and immediately got delighted as she had already given up hopes on Nadje getting married. She immediately made Nadje sign it, who also didn¡¯t know how to read, so had no idea what she was signing, and brought the signed paper to the mayor.


    Which led to the situation of both Nadje and Gunther being completely clueless about the Marriage registration being sent to me.


    ¡­ What can I say? It seems like a story straight from a drama, put them on some fancy clothes and they should be able to make comedy opera with this.


    Well, if the people involved agreed to it, then the problem is settled.


    Gunther is going to discuss when to hold the marriage with the whole family now, so I decided to go back to the Lord¡¯s Mansion.


    With this Gunther¡¯s matter is solved, but there is still one troublesome marriage to take care of.


    ¡°¡­ Are you alright? You look tired, but happy.¡± Vanita asked, and I nodded in return.


    With how much I have been moving around, and needing to deal with this opera-like marriage, of course I would be tired, but marriages are a happy occasion by nature, especially Gunther¡¯s, which is my direct subordinate and also my former teacher.


    It was only natural for me to give him my blessing.

 Ch 215

    Kaldia¡¯s Budding Spring ¨C Part Eight¡°Uuuh¡­ Right, that¡¯s it. Gunther, there¡¯s something I wanted to ask you¡­¡±


    With both hands around the now moving snow snake that had sprung from the bag, I decided to resume the conversation.


    He would probably want to understand the bizarreness of the situation as soon as he could. Gunther responded in the positive, with a small ¡®Sure¡¯ and a nod. Wishing to avoid beating around the bush any further, I decided to cut straight to the point.


    ¡°Thing is, someone handed in a marriage certificate with your name and Nadje¡¯s inside.¡±


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    At that moment, Gunther¡¯s voice and tone had gone soft and low. I could see both Nadje and the village chief twitch back a bit as they restlessly peeked over to Gunther.


    Just as I was about to warn him that it was best not to make expressions that dangerous, Rashiok¡¯s head ¨C its owner still fixated on the snow snake ¨C grazed against my side, and my back became recipient to the thrashings of a rather long tail. It eased the atmosphere a bit, admittedly.


    ¡°¡­ Yes, I thought this was more of a one-person ordeal, but I really can¡¯t have falsified documents stamped with the seal of approval, can I? I had it looked in to.¡±


    Gunther did not give a single response, and instead let the bag slung over his back ungraciously drop to the floor. A heavy silence took over the house. Gunther was giving off oddly intimidating vibes.


    The space between his eyebrows wrinkled as he fell into a deep silence, and Nadje could only barely open and close her mouth, again and again. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°¡­ Exactly what do you mean by ¡®falsified¡¯?¡±


    ¡°In the Kaldia area, it¡¯s necessary for both the man and woman meant to marry to be willing. The very thing that shows that willingness is their combined signature. Nadje, on the other hand, doesn¡¯t know about the certificate and is therefore unwilling. I mean that we have a document with a forged signature on our hands.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ Look here, boss¡­ You think I could talk this over with Nadje for a little bit?¡±


    Gunther was madly scratching away at his scalp, almost as if his head itself was in pain. The oppressing air dispersed, and the others let out a breath of relief.


    Possibly due to the dissipation of tension, Rashiok¡¯s head began shoving against me repeatedly and forcefully, almost as if to tell me that we¡¯d done enough here. Nose pressing against the snake that drooped from the palm of my hand, the thrashing against my back became even more violent


    ¡°It is, of course, best for the two parties in question to talk it out. Had some measure of ill will or malicious intent been involved, then we¡¯d be going about this differently. But I¡¯m, in essence, an outsider. Actually¡­  even if that was the issue, I¡¯d still have to apologise and leave this seat. Hold on, Rashiok. Don¡¯t push me. Stop.¡±


    Now I was forced to speak while stumbling about like some half-wit, and Rashiok was to blame. Nadje and Gunther said nothing as they looked my way, but then simultaneously burst into unsure smiles.


    Now outside the house, I decided to quickly deal with the snow snake. For my travel companions mostly, since they seemed to have time to kill.


    Adamant on the simplistic choice of skewered, grilled meat, I decided to borrow the village¡¯s bonfire and improvised further by using a branch as a make-shift spit.


    I asked Mefuri to step on the end of its tail, restraining the snake so that it couldn¡¯t writhe about any longer. I then used my short sword to cleanly lop off its head.


    ¡°W-Wooow¡­¡±


    Seeing the decapitated snake still wriggling and writhing about, Vanita backed away, looking rather taken aback.


    Mefuri and I turn to one another. Mefuri appeared to be of one mind with me, seeing snakes as a type of animal clearly meant to be eaten. Looked like my own thoughts really came across.


    ¡°Mefuri, could you do me a favour and borrow a pan and some salt from that house over there?¡±


    Snakes were much more delicious as a soup. Snow snakes especially.


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    Mefuri, having already seen the Village Chief¡¯s wariness towards me and therefore able to extrapolate the more minute details, gave me an obedient nod and ran to the nearby house.


    Vanita threw me a glare that screamed, ¡®But I could¡¯ve gone too!¡¯. I deliberately ignored it. Why? Simply because Mefuri, once she realised that she was too little to carry the pot by herself, would come back soon enough.


    Mefuri, her gaze dancing between Vanita and I as I preoccupied myself with chopping up the snake, eventually adopted a somewhat reluctant approach and spoke to Vanita.


    ¡°Um¡­ Vanita. I can¡¯t really take the pot, so¡­ D-Do you think you could help me out?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Oh¡­ Sure.¡±


    Well, it looked like my original plan to bring the two of them outside with me and have Mefuri start talking to Vanita out of her own accord had been a success.


    My protective gaze lingered on their backs as they raced for the house. Then Rashiok invaded my field of vision.


    ¡°¡­ I get it, I get it already.¡±


    Heaving a sigh, I tossed half of the snake¡¯s head and body into Rashiok¡¯s mouth. And here I¡¯d thought that I could skin it, at least¡­ Well, its worth was bound to sink quicker than it did during winter anyway, so I supposed I could let it get eaten this one time.


    Making use of the pot Mefuri and Vanita carried over, I removed the bones and entrails of the snake and threw it in along with salt and water.


    Letting a thick tree branch fall in the meantime, I broke it up to pieces and chiselled out its insides to make a sort of utensil. I¡¯d decided to make spoons while I was at it, and had even prepared my short blade.


    ¡°¡­ Excuse me.¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°How can be used to that much if you¡¯re a domain lord? Do the nobles in Arxia train to infiltrate foreign forests or something?¡±


    There was a rather pure perplexity underlying Mefuri¡¯s question as she presented some herbs that looked like they might add some taste to the meal.


    ¡°Ah¡­ No, not really. There was just a time when I lived in the barracks of the region army for a while. The region soldiers back then just sort of made their own dinner from what they found.¡±


    I had hesitated for a brief moment before responding, unsure of how to answer. Then I realised that there wouldn¡¯t be much in the way of deception, and decided that I might as well explain to her the bit about my past where I¡¯d been an apprentice soldier of sorts.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t really have a lot of stamina back in the day either. Couldn¡¯t even protect anything right. I think I ate pretty much anything that could be eaten. The regions just happened to be pretty poor at the time too. So, snakes aside, the meat of animals like squirrels, rabbits, and birds were handed over to the populace¡­ It wasn¡¯t easy to keep up the spirit to take ingredients back to the barracks and cook them either, so it was pretty inevitable to make the tools on the spot and eat there.¡±


    ¡°Oooh¡­¡±


    I¡¯d spoken with a tone of fond reminiscence, but now it wasn¡¯t just Vanita who turned toward me with a distasteful expression; Mefuri did the same thing.


    ¡­ Vanita, with a mind forged by a higher education was once thing. But when Mefuri, who¡¯d probably had to go through the same things I had did the same, I couldn¡¯t help but feel a little put-off by the whole thing.

 Ch 216

    Kaldia¡¯s Budding Spring ¨C Part NineThe snow snake has a unique and smooth texture. The closest thing it can be compared to would maybe be the gray layer between the salmon¡¯s body and skin? Though the former has almost no smell and the taste isn¡¯t as strong¡­ I almost never ate salmon though.


    ¡°Mmm, tasty¡­.¡± Mefuri unintentionally murmured as she felt the soft texture.


    Immediately after, I added a few herbs to the snake soup to change its taste, their citric feeling was quite refreshing¡­ She took her time savoring it.


    Vanita had a troubled expression as he looked back and forth between me and Mefuri while holding his bowl, though he stopped staggering with Mefuri¡¯s words, and took a sip of the liquid.


    ¡°Y-yummy¡­!¡± He proclaimed after a small wait.


    He murmured with an absurd amount of amazement. Could you please avoid being so expressive about it when talking about good food?


    The snow snake is an excellent ingredient that can be much tastier than a rabbit if cooked properly. Well, it¡¯s not a very common meal, so it¡¯s understandable.


    ¡°Mefuri, could you share the herbs?¡± I extended my hand to receive them.


    Vanita watched while Mefuri gave them after a moment of staggering, I wanted him to taste the snake by itself, so it would be meaningless to have added the herbs from the start.


    ¡°T-thank you.¡± Vanita said after I passed them to him.


    As he received the herbs, Vanita kept on looking back and forth between me and Mefuri. After some hesitation, he tried talking to her.


    ¡°¡­ Back when you grew up, was it common to eat snakes in the place you lived in?¡±


    Mefuri seemed to be panicking at his attempt to start a conversation, she directed me a pleading gaze, but I couldn¡¯t help her, as I didn¡¯t know where she came from in the first place.


    Considering the dark color of her skin, it is unknown rather she really is from Rindarl or not.


    When I brought her to live here, I heard about what kind of life she went through while growing up, but I don¡¯t know any details.


    What I know is essentially that she was brought up as a spy, learned magic whenever possible, and had the knowledge of how to escape through mountains and forests drilled into her head.


    When I shrugged my shoulders to her plea for help, Mefuri resigned herself to it, and bit by bit started putting an answer together.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if other people ate it, but whenever I got hungry, snake was the first thing I went after¡­ It was easier to catch than other types of meat.¡±


    That is certainly true, it¡¯s the same reason I ate snakes in the first place.


    ¡°I started eating other types of meat recently, but¡­ I think snake is the tastiest.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Is that so?¡±


    Vanita nodded awkwardly. Well, it¡¯s hard to feel at ease when hearing about Mefuri¡¯s past.


    ¡°What about you?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Eh?¡± He replied.


    ¡°What kind of things did you eat?¡± She pressed on.


    Vanita staggered when being asked back, I¡¯m amazed he didn¡¯t expect it, his surprise seems a bit exaggerated.


    He seemed unsure on how to reply, it¡¯s understandable though, as Vanita still has things hidden even from me.


    I didn¡¯t question him about this kind of thing because I found no opportunity to do so, but perhaps my lack of probing is what made him talk so little about himself? S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Ah, I¡­ I had to study a lot of etiquette, so I ate a wide variety of meals to remember how to handle each of them¡­¡±


    Judging from his expression, I¡¯m pretty sure he ate his fair amount of luxurious meals, which obviously led to an awkward silence when it was said right after Mefuri talked about how she had to struggle to fill her stomach each time.


    ¡­ This kind of atmosphere ruins the snake¡¯s taste.


    ¡°Maybe your positions will be reversed in the future.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help intervening into their talk, they both turned towards me with confused looks on their faces.


    ¡°I¡¯m still thinking on how you two will spend your future in here, but you¡¯ll probably go to the lord¡¯s manor, Mefuri in particular would only make use of lessons in etiquette, as she already knows basic survival skills. Vanita on the other hand might receive education in the army.¡±


    They both trembled and started exchanging looks with one another, and with this, I dropped my eyes back to the bowl on my hand.


    ¡­ Well, those are the most likely possibilities anyway, while I have no intention of mixing those two with the slave children, both Vanita and Mefuri will probably live in the same place, I can¡¯t let them continue being scared of one another.


    The children were all gathered from completely different places, so the death of others didn¡¯t create a grudge between them, only fear.


    However, that fear wasn¡¯t the only thing to move the children, many of them followed Mefuri voluntarily, as they had no trust in Arxia, the possibility of escape would make them move regardless of Vanita. Considering this, it is pretty likely that he would be taken to the place she was supposed to bring him to.


    I won¡¯t say they should interact as if nothing of that happened, but they need to be able to make minimal conversation at least.


    At the moment, both Vanita and Mefuri don¡¯t have much in terms of personal achievements, but I have hopes they¡¯ll step up to the task. When spring comes, the river thaws and starts flowing again, but we can never know if it will lead to a valley or a fertile land.


    ¡­ I must be getting influenced by the spring, I never wanted work as a matchmaker like this. I would never had to worry about it if I was still looking for snakes every day.

 Ch 217

    Kaldia¡¯s Budding Spring ¨C Part TenGunther and Nadje finished their talk at about the same time we finished eating and tidying up.


    While Nadje was very embarrassed, Gunther unsuccessfully hid his own embarrassment behind a frown. A tall man came together with them and apologetically bowed to me.


    ¡°It was not done with bad intentions.¡± He said.


    ¡°It is no worry, rather, did you reach an agreement? What should be done about the marriage registration?¡± I replied.


    ¡°About that¡­ They just sanctioned it.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ Ahn¡­ Congratulations on your marriage Gunther.¡±


    It took me a while to reply because it was too much to take at once, I didn¡¯t expect them to accept it.


    Gunther curtly replied with a ¡°Hmph.¡± and then, as if he couldn¡¯t hold back any longer, began to briefly explain the circumstances. The tall man occasionally opened his mouth to supplement a few parts of the story, apparently he is Nadje¡¯s father.


    Apparently, Gunther planned to marry Nadje from the beginning. The one that was unable to get the consent was Nadje.


    Nadje is scared of men, even now she is only able to talk to those she is close to.


    Nadje¡¯s father ended up worried about Nadje because Gunther was the only man close to her, but he was from the military, and constantly moved back and forth from the capital, it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if Gunther had extramarital relationships.


    Her father felt that if she got closer to Gunther, Nadje would be completely unable to get over her fear, so he talked to Gunther last winter and gave him an ultimatum that if he wasn¡¯t willing to take her hand in marriage, then he should never get close to Nadje again.


    ¡­ I felt pretty overwhelmed, he protected his daughter way too much.


    Gunther being Gunther decided to propose her, I wonder how much he cared for the surrounding opinions when doing that, however, it seems like he got a good reputation on the village on recent years, as the man that was part of the military and rescued Nadje in the past.


    ¡°¡­ Do you think you can just marry a girl like that whenever you want? Nadje is poor.¡± Her father had said.


    Gunther got somewhat shocked at that and scratched his head, he completely forgot this kind of ruling existed as he hadn¡¯t really planned on getting married before he met Nadje. As a show of good faith though, he signed a marriage certificate in advance, so as to let them marry once things were ready.


    What they didn¡¯t expect however, was that Nadje¡¯s mother, who didn¡¯t know how to read but knew how a marriage registration looked like, found the certificate signed by Gunther, and immediately got delighted as she had already given up hopes on Nadje getting married. She immediately made Nadje sign it, who also didn¡¯t know how to read, so had no idea what she was signing, and brought the signed paper to the mayor.


    Which led to the situation of both Nadje and Gunther being completely clueless about the Marriage registration being sent to me.


    ¡­ What can I say? It seems like a story straight from a drama, put them on some fancy clothes and they should be able to make comedy opera with this. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Well, if the people involved agreed to it, then the problem is settled.


    Gunther is going to discuss when to hold the marriage with the whole family now, so I decided to go back to the Lord¡¯s Mansion.


    With this Gunther¡¯s matter is solved, but there is still one troublesome marriage to take care of.


    ¡°¡­ Are you alright? You look tired, but happy.¡± Vanita asked, and I nodded in return.


    With how much I have been moving around, and needing to deal with this opera-like marriage, of course I would be tired, but marriages are a happy occasion by nature, especially Gunther¡¯s, which is my direct subordinate and also my former teacher.


    It was only natural for me to give him my blessing.

 Ch 218

    The budding spring at Kaldia Domain ¨C 11It was by the time when the snow has melted and wild flowers has started to bud when Claudia¡¯s brother, Nathanael, arrived at Kaldia.


    After some greetings, I escort him to the village of the new citizens, which can also be seen from the current domain lord¡¯s mansion we were in.


    After a while of walking on a suddenly vibrant street while being followed by curious gazes from the citizens,


    ¡°¡­¡­.Hmm, I see. So this is the village that the people from Artolas made. Still, I can¡¯t believe that such  splendid village can be establish in just a few years¡­.., it¡¯s truly amazing¡±


    Nathanael stated as he looked back at the road we just passed with fascination.


    ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s one of the things Kaldia is proud of. Because despite of being unaccustomed to their new environment, everyone still did such a great job.¡±


    I nodded with a hint of embarrassment.


    In order to retain my composure, I put all efforts to ignore the fact that a girl who was weeding the field on our side suddenly stood up and run elsewhere. Ugh¡­. I¡¯m sure this will spread all over the village now that I¡¯ve been heard¡­.


    ¡°I heard that many of the excellent troops of Kaldia helped with the construction, is that true?¡±


    ¡°Hm¡­. ah, yes. The army was included in most of the construction¡±


    Kaldia¡¯s military was used in developing this village in the first place. After that, soldiers from the Shiru tribe also became part of the construction.


    Even now, the military would be the first one to move if there¡¯s any expansion or rebuilding, or even cultivation and irrigation works within the domain. That¡¯s the reason why the construction skills of Kaldia¡¯s army are high.


    ¡­¡­Most of the men who came from Artolas belongs to the Shiru tribe. Since people such as the Sellion farmers lives outside the Bandishia plateau, they quickly received Dansel troops attacks. That¡¯s why many men sacrificed themselves in order for the women and children to escape.


    This is one of the main reasons why the Shiru tribe remained as the usher for the new citizens, though it¡¯s also partly because of their influence during the time where Artolas still existed.


    ¡°It¡¯s a nice village. Not because it has a great view but because its people are all in good shape¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Thank you¡±


    I sincerely expressed my gratitude to him who was smiling happily as he let out a praise.


    I really think that he is indeed a sincere and outstanding person. It¡¯s not like I was doubting it, since he¡¯s the person that Claudia look up too and completely trust.


    Rather, It¡¯s because he¡¯s like that, that¡¯s why I think so.


    I cannot predict what will happen to his awaiting duel with Oscar.


    Whether he will win, or not.


    All I can do is to watch and see for myself.


    I can¡¯t help but feel nervous.


    ¡°Now then, let¡¯s proceed with the match¡±


    Back in the domain lord¡¯s mansion, after the introduction of Oscar was over, both of us swallowed the urge we¡¯re feeling as Nathanael remove his top as he states those words.


    This feeling of exhaustion, it¡¯s completely the same with Claudia. As expected of siblings.


    ¡°¡­¡­ excuse me but, how about having lunch first? you still haven¡¯t taken a rest from walking around the village¡±


    ¡°Ah, there¡¯s no problem. Also, my movements will become dull if I eat so it¡¯s better to finish some light work out first¡±


    Light¡­¡­ Light? Did I not mention that it¡¯s a duel?


    I clearly stated in the letter that it will be a ¡°duel¡±.


    And of course, a duel is a serious match. It doesn¡¯t just have a high risk of injury, there¡¯s also a possibility of death involved.


    Above all that, Claudia¡¯s engagement is at stake here. I can¡¯t think of it as some light workout¡­¡­


    While feeling uncertain, Nathanael nonchalantly laughed at me.


    I currently have a confused expression on my face, as if wanting to ask what¡¯s so funny


    Beside him was Claudia who has the same expression. Upon this, mine and Oscar¡¯s shoulders dropped as we gave in.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­I understand. We shall finish that first then. I was thinking of using the courtyard as the ground , is that alright with you?


    ¡°Yes, of course. It won¡¯t take long so no need to worry.¡±


    I saw Oscar as he casually wrap around my back. The sword he was holding furiously shakes as  he grips on it.


    Well, It does sound like he¡¯s being looked down upon. It¡¯s the same as saying ¡° Fighting with someone like you won¡¯t take long¡±


    But probably, no, surely Nathanael didn¡¯t mean any harm.  don¡¯t feel like he¡¯s looking down on him.


    ¡­¡­I¡¯m sure that Nathanael is also aware of their difference in strength since Claudia guaranteed his way of making prediction and it¡¯s accuracy


    Although I didn¡¯t think that he was the kind of person that difference to his opponent, even though he doesn¡¯t mean it


    Just what in the world is he thinking¡­¡­?


    My stomach started to get heavy as I feel more and more nervous. When I was about to unconsciously wrap my hands around it


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­I noticed Claudia who¡¯s currently preparing her spear and gauntlet. The hands that were about to wrap to my stomach almost held my head instead.


    ¡°¡­¡­um, Claudia¡­¡­ What are you doing?¡± S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Hm? What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡­. Why are you picking up your weapon even though we¡¯re about to begin their duel?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­£¿Why, you ask? Aren¡¯t Oscar and I going to duel with my brother together?¡±


    ¡­¡­¡¢¡­¡­


    ¡­¡­¡¢¡­¡­¡¢¡­¡­


    ¡­¡­¡¢¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡¢¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­


    Wait a minute.


    What did she say?


    It¡¯s my first time hearing that.


    Look. Oscar, who probably feels the same way as I do, looks completely drained!


    Even though the duel is about to begin, what are you gonna do about this!?

 Ch 219

    ¡°¡­..Do you have anything you would like to say?¡±That scene was just too unreal and surreal ¡ª said Ratoka later on, after witnessing from the sides.


    I was standing with my arms folded, taking a daunting stance, in front of 3 men who were kneeling on the ground.


    It goes without saying that the culprits behind this incident are Oscar, Claudia and Natanael.


    ¡°U-Umm¡­ I am sorry! It was just too fun synchronising with Oscar to exchange blows against brother¡­¡±


    ¡°I am sorry¡­ I guess I got a little too excited going seriously all out for a while there¡­¡±


    ¡°I am sorry. I felt like I would die if I hadn¡¯t blocked or deflected their moves.¡±


    ¡°I understand. Oscar, you go to the dining and set up a table before us.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t really keep him here, making him feel responsible for this situation as he already looked like he was dying so I let him go early. Well, for Oscar, I guess I can¡¯t help but feel kinda¡­ sorry.


    After seeing Oscar go into the mansion after bowing, I shifted my vision towards the Rolentsor siblings, who were dripping cold sweat. Then, I looked towards the courtyard¡­ or the place which was the courtyard, the place which hadn¡¯t even been a year old after being made.


    It was made with Rashiok¡¯s playing ground or my training place in mind so it isn¡¯t like there were any decorations there.


    There isn¡¯t¨Cbut, however¨C


    What must you do such that it turns out like this? (I feel like they might have thrusted their spears with full force) There were cracks, ground collapsing, and in some places rising too¨Cit was a complete wasteland.


    The tiles laid out in the back were smashed to pieces, the terrace was covered in a cloud of dust¨Ceven the refreshment lawn was in a terrible state.


    If you don¡¯t call this a disastrous scene, what would you call a disastrous scene?


    ¡­Or rather, what is this? Is this really something a human can produce? Oscar did quite well to even stay alive in the midst of that stormy fight. Even with just that, I feel like he did quite well.


    It was a dreadful fight.


    It was supposed to be a courtesy duel in terms of the Imperial sword or spear technique. And in reality, it was in fact not far away from that standpoint¡­ Although I can¡¯t really come to terms with it.


    ¡°Ummm¡­ Eliza-sama?¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Are you angry¡­?¡±


    In response to Claudia¡¯s question, I just pouted disappointedly. S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Although she asked with a taciturn expression, if I were asked if I was angry or not, I feel like my answer would be a bit different.


    Even more than that, I am astonished by the Rolentsor siblings to be able to create such disaster¡­ Is it because I am feeling it is very irrational?


    It feels like the good ol¡¯ scenes from the Shounen mangas.


    However, I can¡¯t really be sulking about it all the time.


    After letting out a sigh, I called them by their names, ¡®Natanael-dono, Claudia-dono¡¯. They straighten their backs to the limit, as if they were flicked.


    ¡°¡­..I plan on holding the ceremony for Claudia-dono¡¯s wedding here, in this courtyard.¡±


    ¡°¡±We will clean this place up with all our might!!¡±¡±


    In response to the synchronized reply by the siblings, I again let out a deep, de¡ª¡ªep sigh.


    Well, with this, I guess the first part of the spring has come to an end.


    Good grief¡­ or rather, feeling kind of relieved, I let out yet another breath, different from a sigh this time.

 Ch 220

    Tick, tock.Tick, tock.


    There was a grandfather¡¯s clock of the latest trending style lying inside the room. The sound of its pendulum reverberated in the air.


    Outside, the sky was unfortunately still cloudy. The room was slightly dim, making gloom envelope this moment of waiting. Every single person in the room naturally kept being silent, as if the air was telling them to hush down. Sometimes, there would be signs of someone chewing on snacks or sipping black tea, but that was it. The rest of them would just sit down on the sofa in the room and stayed silent, waiting for that moment to arrive.


    Tick, tock.


    Tick, tock.


    ¡ªand then. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Gentlemen, it¡¯s a successful birth! They¡¯re healthy, glowing baby boy twins! The mother is all safe and well!¡±


    Someone quickly stepped through the corridor, and along with a knock, he shouted from the outside without entering the room. He soon left to go somewhere else, only leaving the sound of hurried footsteps which grew fainter by the second.


    Their seats rattled as everyone in the room stood to their feet with vigor. However, even though they wanted to open the door in order to go to their lady¡¯s side at once, somehow, nobody made any move. While I wondered the reason for that, I was just about to call Ergnade¡¯s name.


    ¡°Twins¡­¡­¡±


    While wearing a dazed blank look on his face, those words were spilled from his mouth along with a moan.


    ¡°¡­¡­Ergnade?¡±


    Father¡¯s condition looked strange. No, it wasn¡¯t only Ergnade. The other three people waiting in the room, the senior Earl Einsbark, Volmar, and Wiegraf, were also wearing the same utter shock look in their faces while being at loss for words.


    It was a precise mouth gaping empty look in their faces while the grandfather clock resounded. And then, as if to drown out that sound, a dazzling light shone through the window in unison with a thunderous roar that even shook the floor in tremor.


    Paralyzed by the thunder and lightning that crashed very close to them, they finally exchanged looks with grim expression and pursed their lips.


    ¡­¡­Just how could there be twins? A dangerous bewilderment hung in the air.


    ¡°¡ªLet¡¯s go.¡±


    With Ergnade¡¯s stiff voice, I exited the room and followed him. My own bewilderment deepened by the seconds.


    When the spring ended, just before I turned to my second year in the college, I got invited to the earldom of the senior Earl Einsbark. The reason of that invitation was to ask for my blessings for the sake of a safe delivery for the child of my father Ergnade, and I intended to agree to that invitation.


    When I was nine, Ergnade took me in, and it had been five years since then. He couldn¡¯t have a child on his own, so he had been treating me like his real daughter, but finally, after avoiding the pressure from his blood relatives, he could finally obtain his dearest wish: a legitimate child.


    As for me, who was only a person he treated like his child, wishing to attend to congratulate him was something that was beyond my position. However, the Einsbarks had a lot of things that they owed to me, so no one refused my presence. ¡­¡­I couldn¡¯t be an adopted child of the family, but I was treated well by everyone in the Einsbarks, as if I was a part of them, as if I was a part of their noble house. It was weird.


    Well, that issue aside, being allowed to grant my blessings to Ergande¡¯s child made me feel sincerely happy, so I unhesitatingly rushed over.


    However.


    After giving birth, Ergnade¡¯s wife wailed in anguish as if it was the end of the world, while the male Einsbarks engage in deep talk with sorrowful look in their faces.


    Even though the long awaited child and the mother were both healthy, as soon as they arrived in this building, the high anticipation and joy that they expected took a complete flip into despair and pessimism.


    Incidentally, the newborn twins were already carried by the midwife from the royal capital to another room. They had been made to sleep after their first bath, but most nobles didn¡¯t partake in that gesture. Thus, it wasn¡¯t strange that the newborns weren¡¯t around in this kind of moment. In my previous life¡¯s memories, one would expect a recently born baby to be sent directly to a nursery for the newborns.


    ¡°Ergnade¡­¡­, Lord Father?¡±


    Because I couldn¡¯t keep up with the situation, there was no other choice for me but to call him by his name.


    ¡°¡­¡­ng, ¡­¡­ah, yes. My apologies, Eliza.¡±


    Ergnade seemed to have only now realized my presence. He exchanged discreet look with his parent and brothers, and as if trying to include me in that circle, he folded his arms and signaled me to come every now and then.


    ¡­¡­Am I really going in there? Me? Even while shaking my head in exasperation inwardly, I still came closer to their side just like I was told to. Ergnade explained the situation straightforwardly with grief in his voice.


    According to him.


    ¡°The truth is, in our Einsbark house, twins are taboo.¡±


    ¡°Taboo?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­For generation after generation, when twins were born, one of them would be buried. Especially when the twins were both boys¡­¡­ It¡¯s harsh.¡±


    ¡°Oh, no,¡±


    Don¡¯t tell me, was what I wanted to say. I never heard a tendency of avoiding twins except for anciently recorded times in history. My direct older brother and sister had been twins. Setting aside that characteristics, being born in Arxia meant accepting those extremities as well. ¡­¡­There was no comparing to my birth situation.


    ¡°It was a story from a long time ago, but¡­¡­, Einsbark house was once ruined. The legitimate twins both competed for the seat of family head, and it created a catastrophic civil war for the entire family. After that, twins were regarded as taboo. Of course, I strongly believe that we don¡¯t have to adopt that kind of evil practice. But, even so¡­¡­¡±


    Ergnade¡¯s face distorted unpleasantly as he cut his words short.


    For him, who had always been a cheerful man, to show that kind of expression¡ªI never wanted to see that in my whole life.

 Ch 221

    00-2 Einsbark Family¡°¡­¡­Outside this family, no one could have foreseen this. If there¡¯s no child, the wife will be divorced and a new one will be found and escorted in. There are a bunch of like-minded people who think it is fine to speak like that.¡±


    Volmar groaned with undisguised rage.


    ¡­¡­The Einsbarks didn¡¯t have that many branch families, but they had many blood-related aristocrats, and then it seemed they grew to be close with each other.


    The Einsbark house was the current Imperial Guard house, as well as a prestigious family with many members holding a prominent position in the order of chivalry. However, once, it was a family which served the royal family and the sacred order of the temple instead of being loyal the kingdom. As a sacred order, it served as a private order which belonged to the temple for more than a century, and when the imperial army was reshuffled, the order of imperial guards was established along with the sacred order¡¯s demolition.


    At that time, the Einsbark was a noble house, but it hated to expand. Almost every child would be strictly disciplined and trained during their childhood. The scions who exited the House of Lords would join the sacred order, and only returned to their secular life when they had to become the family head. Even now, most of them would become monks. The Einsbark family would only keep that utterly imbalanced power.


    In the case of the formation of the order of imperial guards, most of the Einsbark family members who came from the sacred order and became imperial guard would choose to obtain their own name and grew independent with their new lives. This was caused by the lack of main-branch family divisions, originally, as it was their tradition to crown the most excellent member of the house who became a knight of the sacred order, as the family head.


    Since that was the case, the prestigious families of the imperial guard who bore the same blood with Einsbark house could be considered as Einsbark¡¯s branch families, but the Einsbark¡¯s family head would only become a figure head among them. Despite being blood relatives, they bore different names after all. Therefore, as peer nobles, they were equal. Even inside the Einsbark house, they would freely speak and pressure the family members¡­¡­


    In order to keep the Einsbark family from being affected by most of the high society, it seemed that there were many intermarriage between the blood relatives. Consequently, even if they separated, as blood relatives their connection wouldn¡¯t fade either. And then, there was the most traditional custom in order to keep the Einsbark as the one with the highest standing in the society, which was to strengthen their leverage by marrying their own blood relatives. Deciding things according to that kind of hierarchy, especially around the royal family, was as if they had fallen into someone¡¯s careful plan who was expanding their influence.


    They kept telling Ergnade¡¯s wife that she couldn¡¯t do this and that to the babies, but it looked like other reasons also came into play here.


    ¡­¡­The twins taboo this time was also the same.


    The twins were born at the same time. Moreover, no one could tell which one was the first-born. At the very least, in Arxia, the distinction between the families and houses were left to their own customs.


    ¡°¡­¡­I see. If the twins¡¯ presence are known in this kind of situation, there will be a second internal war of the family¡­¡­ no, there will be mutual bloodshed. For the sake of determining which one would inherit the position of the family head in order to defeat the other families.¡±


    Ergnade was the third son, but he had his own territory that kept expanding even now, so he was expected to have his own unique peerage and territory in the future. Coincidentally, as the reward for Wiegraf¡¯s meritorious deed in the previous decisive war with Rindarl, he obtained a peerage of a lower Earl as the special consultant for the royal army. It wasn¡¯t a position that would land him a job, but becoming the kingdom¡¯s earl and working in the chivalry order would ensure that his peerage would be able to be inherited in the family.


    ¡°Yes. Moreover, ever since Father obtained this fief, our blood relatives have only moved more aggressively. Us three brothers luckily didn¡¯t marry with the blood relatives or the families in the Imperial Guards, but still.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­so, those blood relatives are planning to usurp the Einsbark house, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s correct. ¡­¡­That¡¯s why I have to make my stance without choosing a method that will allow such a thing.¡±


    Earl Einsbark¡¯s words drowned the expression of everyone in the room.


    Not choosing a method that would allow such thing, in other words¡­¡­. to avoid the bloodshed, the twins must be assassinated, was it? Einsbark family only had a few people already, and those people settled their restlessness. Protecting their own selves should be easy, but they had an overwhelming lack of time to protect the small lives of the twins. The scope of the assassination most likely included the mother as well. Protecting four lives at once wasn¡¯t plausible.


    Finally understanding the severe degree of invoking the taboo of the twins, I went into a grandly¡ªmost likely, just as grand as Father¡¯s¡ªdeep frown.


    ¡°¡­¡­Fuh, causing you to make that kind of expression. I¡¯m sorry. You¡¯re dragged into the problems of this house.¡±


    Ergnade smiled wryly. I shook my head at his words.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind it. I¡¯ve received a lot of things from you, so until the very end, I wish to remain as your daughter. ¡­¡­For that reason, knowing that the children of my benefactor are in peril, even as someone without blood relation¡­¡­ no, it¡¯s because I¡¯m not related in blood that I feel my gut seething this much.¡±


    ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be like that. You¡¯re thinking about this situation as someone whose relatives just gave birth to children, am I right? I¡¯m happy for that, and I¡¯m, sorry for that, too. That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying. You are someone I consider my daughter, but I can only give you more unnecessary concern.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a given, though. Because if Ergnade has children, they will be my brothers.¡± S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    That part wouldn¡¯t change even without their blood running in my veins. ¡­¡­all the blessings that I had received in Einsbark family were countless. They became the shield in my back, stood their grounds by my side in the battlefield so I would get the rewards for my merits, and then, they included me to deal with this matter as a part of their family.


    As someone who killed her family with her own hands like me, I never though that I would be blessed with another family for the second time.


    ¡ªHold it. Brothers, ¡­¡­Family?


    Something flashed in my mind.


    ¡°¡­¡­, That¡¯s right.¡±


    Those small words that I let out without noticing made all of their heads turned to my direction. I became startled and had to duck my head, but I still explained to them what I had in mind nonetheless. If this was needed¡­¡­ I started my speech like that. More than heavily anticipating eyes, they looked apologetic and resigned. My eyes must have mirrored theirs as well.

 Ch 222

    00-3 The Chaos in Kaldia¡¯s Residence¡°Haa?! Making a baby¡¯s cradle within 10 days?!¡±


    Within the workshop where the sound of saws, nails, and hammers striking could be heard, the chief¡¯s loud voice that sounded like a roar was raised, drowning out the other noises.


    The silence that didn¡¯t even last for a moment occurred, and the excellent craftsmen who guessed the conversation during that time hastened their working speed.


    Five years ago, the whole workshop migrated from the territory of Carlson as a new carpenter craftsmen. The workshop that consisted of 60 staffs at that time got new employees bit by bit as there were villagers who sought for jobs there, and now there are almost 100 staffs working there.


    ¡°That¡¯s right! After that, please also do sleeping basket, washbasin, and clothes containers, and the others!¡±


    I yelled out loud as the sound of their operation increased.


    Even if it¡¯s usual for me to visit this place, I feel like I¡¯m standing in the battlefield. No, it¡¯s not like the aura feels that dangerous to that extent, but the way I hold the conversation back and forth feels completely like the time of a battle.


    ¡°Oi oi oi, what¡¯s up, what¡¯s up with that?! What kind of a rushed work is that, you son-of-a-bitch?!¡±


    ¡°Please!¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re requesting for it, then we¡¯ll do it! We can¡¯t refuse the request from the lord!!¡±


    The muscular chief replied vigorously, and his body built didn¡¯t seem like as if he was making a fine woodwork.


    ¡°I¡¯m saved!¡±


    ¡°And, just when the hell did you take a bride, my lord?!¡±


    ¡°¡ªAh-, not yet¡­ no, I¡¯m a woman, though not quite satisfactory!¡±


    When I reflexively yelled to give my answer, the sound of laughter bursted out from within the workshop. The chief laughed very loudly as he held his sides with laughter at the words ¡®though not quite satisfactory¡¯. He then put me at ease when he told me that the building time could be finished within 3 days.


    There are also many other things that need to be prepared.


    ¡°Bellway, I¡¯m sorry for troubling you with the preparations for the move, but I want you to arrange for a wet nurse within the royal capital and the territory. Negotiate the wage up to 15 silver coins per month. After that, I want to hasten the migration to the royal capital to three days. Leave the arrangements for the house over there to Elise¡ªaah, that¡¯s right, Elise. Arrange the vacant room facing my room as if there will be someone using it, together with Mrs. Hortensia in the morning. Use the maids and have Tiara and Mefuri help you. ¡­Luca! Sorry, but please bring this pouch to the women of Gairuju village. Get the needle and yarn to sew clothes put intise of the pouch. Aslan, convey a message to the military base. Increase the guards who will accompany the journey to the royal capital to five people. As much as possible, choose the people who have little brothers or little sisters.¡±


    I instructed Bellway, who was treated more like of a housekeeper rather than working a mere secretary¡¯s job, to prepare the necessary arrangements; made Ratoka arrange the interior of the current house, and order the people who had nothing to do like Luca and Aslan to move this and that.


    I feel bad for giving them a large quantity of work to do in addition of being originally busy with the preparation for my enrollment to the academy, but it can¡¯t be helped as it¡¯s something necessary to do.


    ¡°Eliza-sama, what kind of matress and other things should be prepared in the new room?¡±


    ¡°The matress and curtain will be the ones used by Earl Terejia. The tapestry should be brand new, and I don¡¯t care about the rest. I have already asked the workshop to deal with the furnishings. In the afternoon, the villagers will come to help deciding their colors and shapes, so I¡¯ll be counting on you until that time.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    Mrs. Hortensia had a bewildered expression, but she bowed without asking anything and quickly went away.


    I finally caught my breath after I finished issuing instructions at one go, but immediately, Gunther entered the entrance hall and said, ¡°There¡¯s something I would like to discuss with the lord¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah? What is this? I came here as Aslan called me out, but what kind of fuss is happening here? Is the lord bringing a bride over?¡±


    Gunther who saw the chaotic situation inside uttered the same thing as the workshop¡¯s chief. I replied back to him, ¡°The one who¡¯s going to take a bride should be you, shouldn¡¯t it?¡±


    Well, the lord¡¯s residence right now is indeed in a condition where one can say so.


    This spring, besides Oscar and Claudia¡¯s safe and sound marriage, Gunther is also holding his wedding ceremony in this mansion while inviting all of the army members under the reason of, ¡°This is how I can reward your allegiance up until now.¡± And that was how the mansion residents who were still in the middle of tidying up got even busier than they were. Incidentally, there was also a christening ceremony for the newly arrived members of the village just the other day.


    Finally, as soon as I felt like calming down a bit after arriving at the royal capital, I added two more carriages to depart to the royal capital 10 days later¡ªnaturally, there are some necessary preparations to be done¡ªas absurd as it seems, since the lord is heading out, there was quite a hectic uproar. There was no right and wrong about it, though.


    ¡°Don¡¯t make fun of Nadje.¡±


    ¡°Then, I won¡¯t tease Nadje. And then, anything else?¡±


    ¡°Ah-, that¡¯s right. I saw the lord¡¯s white-bellied green pigeon during the patrolling. It shouldn¡¯t be in the office during this period of time, right? That¡¯s why, I thought that I ought to tell you.¡±


    ¡°A pigeon?¡±


    That¡¯s the white-bellied green pigeon used for any contact requiring a hurried response¡­ If we are to compare its movement speed alone, it can be used for communication at a speed even faster than the most excellent red carrier pigeon.


    Just where was it from? I instantly went upstrairs and when I entered the office, there were certaintly some bright blue feathers of a dove left on the plate.


    I picked up the sealed letter right next to the feathers¡ªand I opened my eyes wide at it.


    ¡°¡­The royal family¡¯s seal?!¡±


    Everyone knows of the Arxia nobility, but it was the first time in my life that I saw the symbol in a letter for myself. I tore open the sealing wax that contained the royal family¡¯s seal.


    [There is an imperial edict for Countess Kaldia. If you would please quickly go and pay a visit to the royal palace.]


    These excessively simple sentences were written in its content that I opened in a rush.


    After unintentionally crushing the letter with my hands which were under pressure and tossing it away, I dashed up to the stairs and ran down with all my power.


    ¡°¡­And that¡¯s how, I apologize, but I need to go to the royal capital earlier than the initial plan.¡±


    ¡°Haaaa?!¡± The residents of the lord¡¯s mansion who were in a chaos raised their voices which were close to screams, but it couldn¡¯t change the royal¡¯s order.


    ¡°T, that, I understand, but¡­ In regards to the additional arrangements, how should we proceed with them from now on?¡±


    Bellway, who correctly understood the importance of the royal¡¯s order even more than everyone else here, regained his composure in an instant and inquired me to give the instructions on how to proceed with the work smoothly even in my absence.


    ¡°I will leave the preparations for the necessary things to Mrs. Hortensia, and the preparations to load the items along with my luggage to Bellway.¡±


    ¡°Me?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. ¡­It can¡¯t be helped for things to turn this way. There are some circumstances with details that I can¡¯t divulge, but¡­ everyone here is a part of my own body. I will put my trust that you won¡¯t leak this story to the others.¡±


    I could hear the sound of someone swallowing their own saliva.


    Since there might be the risk of assassinations and the others entangled in the story, I tried making it as clear as possible that I would be making this public much later on, but¡­ sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°¡ªI am going to adopt a child.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I repeat, I¡¯m going to adopt a child.¡±


    There was a momentary silence.


    Followed by, ¡°Whaaaaaat?!!¡± This time, there were clear screams full of chaos.

 Ch 223

    01 It Felt Like An Unexploded Bomb Was PressedDespite not even a month left before the spring break from the study institution ends, since a letter has arrived from the royal family with the content of, ¡°Hurry and visit the castle,¡± I must quickly reach the royal castle as soon as possible.


    Yes, such is the duty of a noble.


    In order to carry out that duty, it¡¯s a matter of course to use an animal whose legs are the fastest.


    Therefore, it was decided that I would ride Rashiok to the royal castle accompanied only by Claudia who was completely useless at the preparation and arrangements. Naturally, I want to retaliate for this very abrupt summoning.


    ¡­We advanced on the highway where people made way for us, and the people around the normally crowded road all voluntarily avoided our way.


    It was an unprecedented pleasant journey, but as I heard continuous screams here and there, as I thought, I should refrain from riding Rashiok to the royal capital as much as possible¡­


    ¡°Please go on ahead, Earl Einsbark.¡±


    The audience room¡¯s door was opened, and we were urged to enter.


    Just what on earth is going to be discussed? Though I understood that it was a royal call, I had never expected that I would be officially summoned to pay an audience to the king.


    If such an opportunity comes to a low-class noble, then it would be some necessary courtesy ceremonies for things such as giving rewards for triumphal return or giving medal of honor, and so on. More or less, I have experiences in all of them, but¡­ for the current situation, I do not have any clue at all.


    For some reason, even though there was the king¡¯s imperial command this time, the venue wasn¡¯t the Arktoria castle that was usually used for political affairs, but we used the living room of the Farudaru palace which was the royal family¡¯s castle.


    The Arktoria castle¡¯s dazzling audience room was originally made in order to hold audiences with the state guests, and it costed the amount of gold needed to hold a small-scale evening party just to use the room.


    Deep inside that audience room, there was His Majesty the King sitting on a throne that was made similar to a tiered platform, and beside him, there was Archduke Dovadain, and Marquis Rittergau stood just beneath the platform. Looking at how the three people, who are responsible to make decisions in the imperial court, are all here, I felt a mysterious chill. It was a keenly dreadful hunch.


    Because I didn¡¯t want to be considered disrespectful, I carefully paid my attention to His Majesty who was sitting on top of the platform, stepped forward, and kneeled down.


    ¡°Eliza Kaldia Einsbark has just arrived and humbly offers her presence to answer your Majesty¡¯s summoning.¡±


    ¡°You have come. You may raise your face, Earl Einsbark. There is something that I would like to ask you to do.¡±


    Though I was a little bit bewildered at his directness to cut straight to the important matter, I did as I was told and raised my face.


    Once I raised it, something entered my line of sight for a moment. It felt like something that you couldn¡¯t see¡­ or I felt like it was an existence that I didn¡¯t want to see. Looking at the dress that¡¯s colored like the hanging banner behind the throne, the moment I realized it, I was foolishly too late.


    Why would the otome game¡¯s heroine be waiting for me along with the king?


    ¡°Let me introduce you. This is Emilia Yuriel De La Rindarl, the daughter of the Archduke of the Rindarl Union, our neighboring country, who¡¯s staying in our country as an exchange student at this time. I would like to depend on you to ensure that Emilia-dono won¡¯t feel any discomfort within the study institution.¡±


    Uhm¡­ that, does that mean that he would like me to look after the heroine? However, wasn¡¯t that role given to those four people in the game¡­?


    My future vision of the two years ahead that I had roughly decided was smashed to pieces in my mind.


    Or more precisely, I don¡¯t understand the meaning. To purposely choose me, who¡¯s famous for my ill reputation throughout the Rindarl army.


    It is still unknown whether Emilia (the heroine) knows about me, but in case that she knows about me all along, then my first impression would be bad.


    ¡­Or was it the purpose all along?


    To choose me would be equal to humiliating the hostage princess of the defeated country¡­, like that.


    I have never thought of Arxia to deal with Rindarl in this kind of way, but since the hatred for Rindarl has been growing stronger within the nobles, then the likelihood won¡¯t be nonexistent.


    ¡°I¡¯m Emilia Yuriel De La Rindarl. Pleased to make your acquaintance.¡±


    Emilia stepped forward in regards to the king¡¯s words, then gave out her name with a voice that wasn¡¯t able to conceal her anxiety, and gave me her salutation. It was Arxia-styled salutation, ¡­though still quite unrefined.


    I quickly repaired my grimaced expression that was produced reflexively. Among all of the people within the imperial court right here and right now, I¡¯m the one with the lowest rank. For me to receive such a respectful bow from her, who¡¯s another country¡¯s archduke¡¯s daughter, regardless of the speculation behind it, it doesn¡¯t look very good.


    When I reflexively turned my gaze towards Marquis Rittergau, he lightly nodded. Is that it? I even have to look after her¡­ etiquette? S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­I humbly accept this official appointment.¡±


    After a silent period, I managed to squeeze out those words. Well, I have no choice other than squeezing those words out.

 Ch 224

    02: A Visit From the Crown Prince¡°What¡¯s the matter, Lady Eliza? You don¡¯t look well.¡±


    Claudia, who had kept to the antechamber and awaited my arrival, approached me as she spoke. I had intended to maintain a false air of composure, considering that I was still in the castle grounds, but she saw right through me. It wasn¡¯t surprising; we¡¯d known each other for a good while.


    ¡°¡­The thing they asked me to do just happened to be a little worse than I expected.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t say. Well, what is it?¡±


    ¡°I have to play guardian for some noble girl in another country.¡±


    ¡°¡­Well, that¡¯s definitely something. I may not have the head for politics, but it¡¯s obvious that there¡¯s some ulterior political motivation behind this.¡±


    I respond to her words, tinged with a rather sympathetic tone, with a nod. Then I allowed myself a good sighing session. There were other titbits I could consider legitimate factors, such as my own social status within the academy, or even, quite possibly, that there was some stronger influence at play.


    I had good reason to suspect that the motive behind having me act as Emilia¡¯s guardian wasn¡¯t just relegated to the reason I¡¯d thought of earlier on a whim.


    The girl came from a country that had suffered defeat during war. To top it all off, her country was the one who instigated the battle in the first place. The idea that Emilia would be on the receiving end of ever-growing animosity in those learning facilities wasn¡¯t at all improbable.


    I wasn¡¯t entirely sure which was worse; my own bad reputation or the ill will that had piled up on her. But in any case, keeping Emilia close by should prevent anyone from hurting her. After all¡­ the sordidness of my reputation was accompanied by a good dose of fear.


    And here was the long and short of it. I was essentially given the incredibly arduous task of protecting Emilia, while simultaneously making sure that I didn¡¯t appear to be too comfortable around her.


    ¡­All of this was making my head hurt. While I wasn¡¯t supposed to stay at this learning institution for too long, this was all making me want to go full truant.


    ¡°Lady Eliza. While I don¡¯t wish to impose when you¡¯re busy making faces, there¡¯s someone coming over.¡±


    Claudia gave me a nudge, and I rushed to bring my furrowed brow and scowl back to normal. I would have been in a tight spot if anyone caught me looking sour after taking orders from the King.


    ¡°Aah, there you are. Thank goodness I caught you.¡±


    Sure enough, the person who peeked his face through the entrance to the antechamber was a resident of this castle. It was none other than Alfred, the crown prince himself.


    ¡°An honour to see you, crown prince. What appears to be the matter?¡±


    ¡°Well. There¡¯s just something I have to tell you¡­¡±


    The crown prince, who had managed to get this far with a solid smile, suddenly held his shoulders and slowly fell into a crouching position.


    ¡°Your Highness!¡±


    I rushed over in a panic, noticing how pale he appeared. He was even covered in cold sweat.


    ¡°Sorry¡­ I just¡­ rushed over¡­ so I¡­¡±


    ¡°Please, your Majesty. Rest a while.¡±


    I was a bit astounded that he kept trying to maintain a smile on his face, now that it was white as a sheet. I offered him my hand. When I helped support his back, I could feel him shivering. It looked as if his knees were entirely bereft of strength, and he remained unsteady in his stance. I wondered if he had come down with some kind of cold. The weather had definitely been colder as of late.


    Well, I certainly didn¡¯t have it in me to just leave him there. I decided to bring him somewhere warm¡­ And, as poor luck would have it, there were no guards close by.


    ¡°Clau¡­ Actually, never mind. For my discourtesy, Sire, I will apologise in advance.¡±


    I was close to asking Claudia for help, but I changed my mind at the last second and hoisted the crown prince up on my own. I was, at this point, completely uncaring of what rumours might spread if someone happened to see us like this. But Claudia was a newly-wed. I couldn¡¯t let her go through that.


    I also didn¡¯t have the leisure of carrying the crown prince as I would carry my own luggage, so I just held him so that he could lie. I was, in other words, carrying him bridal style. I was sure that there could be little more humiliating than this to a crown prince undergoing puberty, but¡­ well, I had no other options. He¡¯d just have to live it with.


    ¡°K-Kal¡­ Kaldia!¡±


    ¡°Your Highness, whereto should I carry you?¡±


    While the crown prince definitely didn¡¯t appear to be all that heavy, he was far more thin and delicate in my arms than I¡¯d have guessed. He was almost frighteningly light.


    Elize, whom I¡¯d been living with until a few years ago in the Gold Coin Hill mansion, springs to mind when the blood recedes from his fingertips and they go cold. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°I can walk¡­ I can just walk, alright¡­?¡±


    ¡°You ask too much of me, Sire. I may carry you now, but I doubt I can forever. I will be quick. I fear I don¡¯t have the discipline to carry someone close to my age for too long¡­¡±


    ¡°R-Right¡­ the greenhouse, then. Can you bring me to the greenhouse?¡±


    ¡°Of course, right away.¡±


    I noted his request and made my way immediately. It didn¡¯t really matter how light he was; in the end, I still couldn¡¯t carry him forever.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Kaldia.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know if the crown prince had simply given up, but his eyes went dead as he quietly grabbed on to my shoulders.


    It was then that I decided that Claudia, who was belly-laughing behind us, would be getting no desserts that night.

 Ch 225

    03: A Greenhouse Like a BirdcageWhile I was grateful that I was being told the way to the greenhouse, the paths that led deeper and deeper into the castle served to put me a bit on edge. There was, at least at this time, no one else who patrolled these ways. That, however, did little to abate the wide-eyed stares of the guards that roamed the distant balconies and passages. I realised that I only had myself to blame, but my regret was already overwhelming me.


    ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ a little further. I¡¯m really sorry, Kaldia.¡±


    At least the crown prince was starting to look a little healthier, most likely thanks to my own suffering. A faint tinge of red crept back into his colourless face, rendering it only somewhat pale, and his cold sweat had begun to recede.


    At long last, we reached the outskirts of a courtyard located in the furthest depths of the castle. Glass walls formed a structure not too dissimilar from a gigantic birdcage. This building was familiar to me.


    It was something I¡¯d heard of in passing, through simple gossip at the House of Lords. This greenhouse and the park therein had, allegedly, been erected in the honour of Alfred¡¯s birth, then offered to him and him alone, a den for his own privacy. This meant that I was no longer in the Faldarl Palace itself, but a place that served as a sort of royal villa, built adjacent to it¡­ this was a place none were meant to enter, apart from the royal family. It was, then, of little wonder that so little of the castle servants and guards wandered about here.


    The crown prince, still in my arms, pointed towards the entryway, telling me something to the effect of, ¡®Please, go in.¡¯ Though not without a shortage of awkwardness to his tone.


    Since I had already come all this way, I was really in no position to just drop the crown prince off here and make my way back. I obliged, setting foot into the greenhouse, then laid him down on a couch in a spot that had been arranged to act as a room.


    ¡°Thank you. This really helps¡­¡±


    ¡°No need for thanks, Your Highness. I¡¯ll call for the palace physician right away.¡±


    ¡°¡­No. No need. This happens all the time. I always feel better when I¡¯m here; I¡¯ll be fine. Sorry about all this. Just give me a moment, then I can make us some tea. We can talk more then.¡±


    The crown prince laughed, told me not to make such a face, then poked me between the brows. I¡¯d been furrowing them this whole time, it seemed.


    The crown prince had collapsed back there. This wasn¡¯t something I could just brush off when he told me he was fine, at least I didn¡¯t think so. But the prince had gone so far as to refuse that his physician be brought to look him over, and had asked me to indulge him further by engaging him in conversation. I could do little but obey.


    If the prince¡¯s hue had still been the way it was before his collapse, then I would have turned on my heel, regardless of his sentiments, and called for the royal physician. But there appeared to be truth to his words; he was looking better by the minute.


    ¡°It¡¯s always been like this, you know. This isn¡¯t a chronic disease or anything of the sort, but¡­ it comes and goes. The smell of the plants in here clear it up, for some reason. That¡¯s why there¡¯s a room in here; it¡¯s been prepared for me specifically.¡±


    ¡­What, this huge birdcage?


    He was right. The furnishings of this place were all things you would have brought into your own private quarters. A draped bed, a sofa, a table, a writing desk, a washbasin, even a closet were available in this place.


    ¡°Sometimes, when spring, autumn, or winter come around, I just plain live here. No one comes here otherwise, not unless I call for them¡­ I can just come here whenever I want my peace. It¡¯s perfect for that.¡±


    I saw what he meant, and nodded my head. If I were in his position, a crown prince to a whole country, I¡¯d love to have some privacy in my life. He likely lived a life where he was always accompanied, even watched over when he was asleep. It was perfectly reasonable to want some time away from everything every now and again, even someone from an entirely different line of nobility could wrap her head around that. In a place like this; where everyone was an outsider looking into this birdcage, it was permissible to want for some time alone.


    ¡°And, would you believe it, even Grays has never been in here. Not once.¡±


    ¡°Interesting¡­ I didn¡¯t know that.¡±


    Well, if this place really was supposed to be meant for his use alone, then people like Grays or even Eric certainly wouldn¡¯t be belligerent enough to make their way in here uninvited. I nodded, for no particular reason, really, and the prince chuckled a little. Well, he was recovering quickly. That meant I finally had the opportunity to ask him what it was he wanted to talk about.


    ¡°Actually, you¡¯re the first person I ever let in here, Kaldia.¡±


    ¡°Oh, alright. Huh?¡±


    I was starting to lose track of our conversation. If even Grays, who was by far the closest to the crown prince, hadn¡¯t come here, then that much was to be expected. What was he trying to say?


    ¡°Hmmm¡­ Well, I supposed it doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    The prince laughed, a little perturbed. Even though I was the one who had reason to worry.


    About half an hour later, the prince took it upon himself to pour the two of us some tea. I was honoured, I really was, and since we were far from peering eyes, I, having no reason to object, gratefully accepted it.


    ¡°Well then, let¡¯s move on to the real subject. I asked Father to prepare this for me.¡±


    The prince pulled a small, folded piece of paper from his pocket. It was just a duplicate, he told me as I unfolded it and began reading, curious what it might have to do with me. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°¡­Concerning the dormitory transfer¡­?¡±


    I had absolutely no recollection of sending this sort of application, but there it was, a form of approval stating that Eliza Kaldia Einsbark was eligible for transfer regarding the dormitories of the educational institute.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m sorry I have to spring this on you, but I hear that transferring abodes is an utter necessity. The legal procedures were taken care of this morning; I¡¯d gotten my hands on the documents earlier and come back as fast as I could to show you. Unfortunately, I was a little too hasty and had another fit. I thought I could ease some of your burdens if I was quick enough.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t thank you enough for your sympathy, Your Highness.¡±


    He was right; letting me know of the transfer in advance was a huge relief to me. Still¡­ what kind of situation had I gotten myself into if a royal mandate had to be issued for this?


    I looked back to the prince, thinking to myself that he may have an inkling as to what was going on, but he could only offer me a smile that came off as somewhat forced.


    ¡°Kaldia¡­ There¡¯s no one here ¨C pardon, there¡¯s no one here apart from your attendant. You can act a little less formal, you know. There really isn¡¯t much to be had from ranks, not in this place. Don¡¯t you think so?¡±


    Oh, so that was what he meant. I¡¯d gone through something similar when I was enrolled into the institute. He was telling me that, since there was no one here watching us, the two of us could reach a sort of compromise on the matter.


    ¡°¡­Thank you for your consideration, Sire. Does this work better?¡±


    ¡°I still think that¡¯s a little stiff, but¡­ Sure. I¡¯m so sorry, I keep trying to get you to indulge in my whims, don¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°Not at all.¡±


    I shook my head from side to side, and the subject of the crown prince began to hold just a little more weight in my mind.


    For one thing¡­ He was born as the prince to this country, and likely raised in a manner that must have been befitting his status. But if so, why was he so quick to apologise at every given opportunity?

 Ch 226

    04 New Home¡°We¡¯re here.¡±


    The place where the crown prince¡¯s horse stopped was at a dead end at the back of the street around the dormitory house area with refined stone paving laid out on the road. The square with a water fountain was blocked by the other buildings, yet the black mansion¡¯s presence was so emanating as it stood towering over its surroundings.


    It seems to be my new dormitory house.


    It¡¯s a two-storied building with half wooden frame structure resembling a small castle, and if one were to include the high attic part, then it would seem like a three-storied building. It is about the same size as the golden hill mansion.


    ¡°This¡­ is it¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yes, this is it. It seems to be called as Gerda¡¯s mansion.¡±


    ¡°Gerda¡¯s mansion?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Us, the royalty and our attendants are living in an imperial villa within the educational institute which is different than the dormitory house district, but¡­ 160 years before that, there was a royalty called Princess Gerda who hated to live together with the other royalty¡­ or rather, I thought that she didn¡¯t want to divide her life within the academy and with the other nobles as much as possible. And that was the history on how this mansion was built.¡±


    In front of the crown prince who helped me to proceed with my transferal procedure to the dormitory house, I tried to suppress the cramped laugh that was about to rise for a moment with all my power.


    Even the dormitory house that I previously inhabited, taking into account that it was the next tallest building after the crown prince¡¯s resident in the current academy, it was excessively huge and elegant. Furthermore, it was also spacious and luxurious. There¡¯s no way I didn¡¯t have any facial cramp.


    ¡°¡­Well, there was a slight resistance as to how this building was able to be used by the likes of general students and the likes of you.¡±


    The crown prince smiled bitterly as if to soothe the situation.


    I wonder just which part of me was considered not the same as the general students? Isn¡¯t it just how I took a temporary absence from school in order to carry out my duty as a noble and my obligations towards the territory and the country¡­? At the very least within the educational institute, I¡¯m supposed to have done almost nothing that could cause a blunder. With the exception of my confrontation with Eric.


    ¡°For the time being, won¡¯t you take a look inside? If there are more necessary things, then we will take charge to provide them.¡±


    ¡°Huh? ¨CAh, no, so you won¡¯t be just in charge for the transferal procedure and boarding expenses?¡±


    ¡°Obviously. Since you¡¯re required to move to this dormitory house due to our one-sided circumstances, so that¡¯s a matter of course, right?¡±


    The crown prince¡¯s strained laugh intensified even further.


    When I took a look at the interior, Gerda¡¯s mansion¡¯s structure was such a wonder. Except for the kitchen, dining room, entrance hall, and the employees¡¯ rooms, the interior was perfectly divided into two buildings.


    According to the crown prince, there seemed to be a structural alteration of the building several ten years ago when a duke¡¯s children, which were a pair of a male and female twin, enrolled here.


    Going back to what the crown prince said about if there are more necessary things¡­ The interior of Gerda¡¯s mansion¡¯s furnishings, everything was of a high-grade goods prepared by the royal family¡¯s purveyor. Aside from the baggage prepared, there was nothing else that needed to be prepared.


    ¡­This was originally a mansion arranged for the sake of the royalty, huh? My head has been hurting ever since earlier from the difference in money sense. I think I will be pretty depressed if I were to accidentally damage or break the things here.


    ¡°Will I really be living here¡­?¡±


    To be frank, I felt like wanting to say, ¡®please spare me¡¯, but such were the words that spilled from my mouth reflexively in front of the crown prince who was guiding me around.


    ¡°Sorry, it was such a sudden thing.¡±


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t mean to reproach Your Highness Crown Prince, the royal family, and the other upper house of lords. However, this is way beyond my position¡­ Aren¡¯t you going to explain it to me soon? About why I have to move to this mansion?¡±


    Because the crown prince was moving around, I postponed asking about the reason, but I should be hearing about it soon, right?


    So I thought and decided to cut and carry it off, and the crown prince turned his gaze out of the window for some reason.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, I think it will come soon.¡±


    ¡­What¡¯s coming?


    At the exact moment I got suspicious of it, there was the sound of a carriage coming closer. The voice gradually slowed down and stopped at this mansion¡¯s carriage porch. A little while later, a knocking sound could be heard.


    ¡°It looks like they¡¯ve arrived.¡±


    ¡­Like I said, who is it?


    The crown prince only answered, ¡°It¡¯s faster for us to meet them,¡± and went to go down to the entrance hall.


    There was no way I would let the crown prince to be the one to welcome the guest, so I gave a signal to Claudia to overtake him and open the entranceway.


    ¡­Ah, I see.


    It was certainly like what the crown prince said. It would be faster for us to just meet them. There was no need for a complicated explanation.


    There, Emilia stood with an uneasy expression.


    ¡°U, uhm¡­ how do you do, Your Highness Crown Prince¡­ and Earl Einsbark?¡±


    Towards Emilia who hesitantly said her greeting, I sighed in my mind. More or less, since her status on paper was an exchange student, she¡¯s supposed to take a more dignified attitude. At least her attitude shouldn¡¯t appear to be withering in all directions, since it could make Arxia to be falsely accused of treating her unjustly.


    ¡°How do you do, Emilia-dono. ¡­You¡¯ve ever met with Claudia before, haven¡¯t you? There is no need for introduction anymore, right?¡±


    Whether it was because of Emilia¡¯s stiff attitude, the crown prince tried to affirm it anxiously. Although Emilia nodded, the crown prince turned around to me just to make sure of the situation, and I nodded at him. sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    And I softly whispered a frank confirmation to the crown prince.


    ¡°¡­The king¡¯s order was to make sure that she won¡¯t experience any kind of discomfort in the educational institution, right?¡±


    The crown prince slightly nodded and affirmed.


    In other words.


    It seems that I will have to live under the same roof with Emilia.


    Since the interior was divided to two parts, so rather than living a life together with her, it feels more or less like sharing a room or sharing a home with her, but¡­


    ¡°How did it turn this way¡­¡±


    I whispered my complaint so that nobody could hear me.


    Despite the fact that I just adopted a child this year.


    Aah¡­ come to think of it, I also need to think of a name for that child. Thankfully, the Einsbark household members wanted me to be the child¡¯s godparent.


    I deviated my thought to that topic so that I could completely escape from the reality.

 Ch 227

    05 Royal LibraryThe dorm had been separated into two sides with Emilia being assigned the side that was formerly used by a women. It was also decided that her servant would share the space with her, not only as a guard but because Emilia had not brought any handmaidens with her when she came to Arxia.


    It would be necessary to make arrangements for Emelia¡¯s handmaiden as well¡­ But the fact she was underage was a bit of an issue here, and it was not possible for her to come until Spring vacation had ended at the school. She would have to stay with Emilia as well. Fortunately, there were the two others, Tira and Ratoka who also acted as her handmaids. Well, Ratoka would inevitably stare at her with her dewy eyes.


    Until our belongings arrived from Kaldia, Emilia would stay at the Archduke¡¯s villa and I decided to stay at the residence that I had been until now. In the meantime, I packed in order to be able to move to the new residence from there, all the while thinking of a name for the orphan. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    I am trying to think of a name that does not have a Jugfena ring to it.


    Names in the Einsbark family have historically been taken from bishops and priests¡­ Generally speaking, the names were mostly from religious figures who had been revered as saints. I don¡¯t know where the name Ergnade derived from, but this applied to both Volmar and Wiegraf¡¯s names.


    However, borrowing the names of saints was considered rather unusual in Arxia, and it was nearly unheard of among those in high society. And so this naming convention was considered as a distinct feature of the Einsbark family.


    But I had taken in the child in order to protect its existence from their relatives, so I could not give it a name that would give voice to suspicion.


    However, at the same time, one day¡­ When I considered that the child might one day return to the Einsbark house, I felt that I could not give a Jugfena specific name either. This was because the Einsbark family were not from the Jugfena region.


    In that case, it was necessary to use the royal capital as a basis for choosing a name. Settling with a standard Arxia name would be the most preferable then.


    ¡­But, unfortunately, I was not very bright when it came to such matters.


    ¡°¡­Mrs. Heideman, I¡¯m sorry to disturb you, but I need you to ready a horse for me.¡±


    ¡°Of course. Where will you be going?¡±


    ¡°To the Royal Library.¡±


    I had no books near me that I could use as a reference for finding names, and I was not educated enough to be able to think of the kind of words that could help me. And so I took the safe course and decided to do some research.


    The Royal Library was located in the western corner of the school grounds, specifically, it was just inside of the gate that faced the center of the town of nobles. It was not only the largest but also had the highest number of books of any facility in all of Arxia.


    Students of the school were allowed free access, and could even borrow books on the condition that they would not be taken outside of the school grounds. Those who were citizens of the royal capital were also allowed access after paying an annual fee. This was why the school remained open even during Spring vacation.


    There was also a modest reading room within the school itself, that was more than enough to find information pertaining to my studies, and so I had not bothered to go to the library until now.


    ¡­I had vague memories from the game about certain events occurring here, and so I had been somewhat avoiding it. Though, I didn¡¯t exactly remember what kind of events they were, specifically.


    But it was wholly unlikely that there would be any books about names in the reading room, and so I had to give in to this irresistible force guiding me here.


    I finished identification at reception and quickly grabbed a directory of nobles and several dictionaries that looked useful, and then moved over to the reading area where I took a seat.


    Any likely names I found in the directory I would then look up in the dictionary. As long as I was offering a name to someone else¡¯s child, I wanted it to be a name thats meaning had been carefully considered.


    As I continued in this for a while, the libraries visitors started to increase and the building had become rather loud before I knew it. But I paid it no mind and continued to immerse myself in my work.


    ¡°¡­.Ah!?¡±


    Apparently, I had been a little too immersed and had been unconsciously stacking books atop each other at random. The moment that someone had passed by, two or three volumes had shifted and then fallen loudly to the floor.


    ¡°I, I am so sorry.¡±


    I frantically picked up the fallen books. I shot a quick look at them, but they appeared to be undamaged.


    I breathed a sigh of relief and raised my head, my eyes catching the other person who had frozen with surprise by the sound of the falling books.


    ¡°¡­Ah, um, no. I should be sorry, it was all my fault. Are the book alright, Lady Einsbark?¡±


    The person who stood in front of me was none other than Emilia, who now wore an expression that combined a wincing embarrassment and a worry for the condition of the books.


    I see. So she was the reason for the earlier commotion.


    I wasn¡¯t sure about the underage students, but by now Emilia¡¯s face was starting to become known among everyone else at the school. But then again, she was living quite openly at the royal castle and the archduke¡¯s house, so that was to be expected.


    ¡°La-lady Emilia. What a pleasant surprise to meet you here¡­ Please forgive my blunder. And do worry about the books.¡±


    ¡°No, it was my own carelessness¡­ I think that maybe the hem of my skirt got caught on it.¡±


    As soon as Emilia said this, a nobleman who happened to be sitting at the same desk as me quickly looked up in our direction.


    This was unfortunate.


    What Emilia was now wearing was not a Rindarl style dress with a straight skirt, but an Arxia dress which had a hoop under the skirt to give it some volume.


    It was clear that Emilia had not really been thinking, but you couldn¡¯t blame a bystander for thinking that her words implied that, ¡®Arxia dresses were difficult to move in.¡¯


    ¡°Well, well. That is most troublesome¡­ But they do not have such basic lessons for ladies in this school.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    I purposely said this as if to push her away. Emilia¡¯s eyes widened a little as her confusion deepened.


    The nobleman who appeared in the corner of my vision seemed to have been satisfied by this, as he returned his gaze to his book. The reason that there was a curl in his lip was probably due to the fact that he felt I was being a little harsh on Emilia.


    ¡°¡­It must be quite hard to have to live wearing such unfamiliar clothing. I will have some dresses that are closer to the Rindarl fashion prepared for you at the house.¡±


    This time I lowered my voice and whispered so that only Emilia could hear me.


    I understood her, because I did not wear dresses very often myself. With Arxia dresses, even ones worn during the day were extravagant and used corsets, making them very difficult to move in until you grew more accustomed. The biggest issue was that the space between your body and the hem of the skirt was completely different, so you were constantly bumping into other things.


    ¡°Uh, oh?¡±


    Emilia looked at me with an uncertain expression. She had stopped here a little too long now, and I could see several pairs of eyes were now being drawn towards us. Most of them had faces that twisted in contempt as if something about all of this was not amusing to them.


    ¡­Oh, well.


    ¡°What book were you looking for?¡±


    I should quickly have her borrow the book she was after and send her back before this led to any kind of incident.


    I was thinking this as I stood up, but Emilia¡¯s eyes widened once again, uncomprehending.


    ¡ªI felt that this might have been the first time I saw her with an expression that fitted that of an Otome game¡¯s heroine.

 Ch 228

    06 ¨C I Just Don¡¯t Understand WomenI didn¡¯t think there¡¯s much more I can say in regards to the way the lectures separated men and women, but it still bore mentioning that both the garb I wore and the ruling title I¡¯d been bestowed with allowed me to be subjected to lectures and training that would, normally, be reserved for the opposite gender.


    Much like last year I was, of course, not playing the escorted but rather the escort.


    It didn¡¯t really matter whether this one of Earl Terejia¡¯s lectures ¨C who had incidentally wasted no time in predicting this situation ¨C or whether I was simply interacting with the educational facilities¡­ now that I¡¯d come this far, I was sure that I¡¯d be given an exception and allowed this sort of behaviour, even once I¡¯d reached adulthood. I¡¯d enforced until now and I¡¯d continue to do so.


    Oh, well. The disagreement with Lindharl had already been settled anyway. Once I graduated, I would be little more than a regular member of the ruling nobility and would only have to show myself at the royal capital every other summer or so.


    There was little room for escorts in the House of Lords, and while Kaldia¡¯s demands for procurement had notably ceased as of late, I very much doubted that there was still some noble benevolent enough to extend an invitation to some evening party. I was fairly certain that I wouldn¡¯t have to go out of my way to find the sort of clothes appropriate for someone fresh into adulthood or that I¡¯d have to force any befitting conduct.


    In any case, the overall useless, more masculine disposition which had only seen use once, namely upon receiving the invitation to the Moldon family¡¯s evening feast, was finally of benefit to me. It was more than effective for playing the assisting escort to Emilia, who looked rather uncomfortable in her Arxian dress.


    ¡°You can use this book here to get an overall understanding of what we covered during our lectures last year. I doubt you¡¯ve had the chance to become particularly familiar with either royal law or sacred doctrines, Lady Emilia, but this should make for a fine introductory manual. Oh, and it¡¯s best if you take this dictionary with you. Even we Arxians have trouble with the more technical terms, learning them can be quite the handful without a lecturer¡¯s guiding hand. I don¡¯t think this is the best substitute, but it should be enough for the time being.¡±


    I pulled Emilia along with me as I chose textbooks practically at my own discretion, hoarding them all in my free arm. Emilia didn¡¯t seem to have much confidence in her capacity for study, and had come to the conclusion that it would be for the best if she could peruse what we¡¯d discussed in the year prior.


    Actually, now that I thought about it, I recalled that there were several bonuses that allowed for one¡¯s stats to be improved upon. Stats like refinement, wisdom, charisma¡­ what else was there? Battle prowess? No, no it was stamina. I vaguely recalled that the special event for the commander-in-chief¡¯s grandson had given plenty of room to level it up.


    They weren¡¯t only essential in winning over certain characters, but if memory served, they also allowed for an increase of hidden parameters that affected things like public opinion and even grades. The lower they were, the harder it was to trigger random events, and the more challenging it was to increase the affection of whatever character you had your eye on¡­ I only had the faintest memory of my little sister telling me these things back in my world, but the information was definitely in some distant corner of my mind.


    That said, while the setting of this world was most definitely reminiscent of the game, the world itself wasn¡¯t purely built on the loose foundation of gaming mechanics.


    If any kind of ability could be increased purely by completing some kind of action, then something so simple it could be expressed as a straightforward numerical value could hardly be called true aptitude. It was just too much to assume that a culture built entirely on social strata evaluated skills as such, and it was just as ridiculous to presume that one¡¯s good will towards you would be increased simply through continuous interaction.


    ¡°Thank you so much¡­ Oh, I¡¯m ever so sorry, Lady Einsbark. I realise that I must be quite the handful¡­¡±


    Emilia¡¯s apologetic nature only showed itself once we¡¯d finished collecting all the books we needed.


    It was clear to me that she was fully aware of the reserved glances that darted her way from every nook of the library. She was even more aware of the fact that she was a visitor from enemy lands.


    Both the polish and structure of Lindharl¡¯s royal court had been cemented only recently, and it was apparent that they differed from Arxian norms. It was fairly asinine to begin with, thinking that a kingdom that was hundreds of years old and had always followed royalty and nobility would even be comparable to the royal court of countries that were only a fourth the kingdom¡¯s size.


    It was then fair to assume that Lindharl, what with its much smaller hold over territories and with it being on the brink of destruction, offered a lifestyle that was far simpler when posed against the lives led in the royal castles of Junus and Freche.


    If that was all true, then there really wasn¡¯t much reason for her to not feel out of place. It also meant that there was little point in criticising her for blunders born from simple ignorance.


    ¡°You were sent to a different country with different customs. It¡¯s only natural that there would be a few things you don¡¯t fully understand just yet. I will help you, and do my best to make sure that this cultural divide won¡¯t cause you further grief.¡±


    I¡¯d already been given the royal decree, in any case. I knew that I had to see this through, and mentally prepared myself for the worst. Whatever I¡¯d said was less for Emilia¡¯s sake and more for my own, a measure meant to reassure me.


    ¡°Then¡­ I¡¯m truly thankful. I really am putting you through a lot, aren¡¯t I?¡±


    The girl had yet to grow out of her apologetic shell, but I could nevertheless see the faint traces of a smile beginning to form.


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    It would just become more and more troublesome if she kept apologising with every other breath. I wasn¡¯t offering her my help purely out of altruism, after all. There was no need for her to be so overly appreciative.


    At the time, those were the words that ran through my head when I spoke up.


    ¡°O-Oh, I see¡­¡±


    Regardless of my intent, Emilia seemed to suddenly retreat back into herself, her head lowering itself just a tad.


    Well then¡­ I wasn¡¯t quite sure, but I had a hunch that I¡¯d said something wrong.

 Ch 229

    07 ¨C Final Days of Spring BreakI spent the next ten days that preceded the safe arrival of that carriage from Kaldia celebrating the fleeting peace.


    I had little else to occupy myself with, after all. Nothing apart from slowly and selectively transporting my things from the old dorm to the new and cleaning up the place, at least. And even then, my role consisted of little more than ordering around servants. Since there was a rather scant number of my possessions that necessitated personal input and instruction, every last thing I owned had been moved before the ten-day period even had the chance to see itself out.


    With that avenue exhausted, I attempted to assist with the cleaning. But then Lady Heidemann glared me down with all the ferocity of an ogress, and that was the end of that.


    I considered that there might be a chance that I¡¯d only spent these days so listless and with nothing to do ever since I¡¯d been tossed into the military¡¯s base of operations.


    Going out wasn¡¯t much of an option, seeing how I wasn¡¯t particularly warm to the idea of running into walking nuisances or being subjected to the disagreeable glares of nobles I didn¡¯t even know by name. Instead, I let myself be at the mercy of one of the greatest luxuries of all time by holing myself up in my home and just lazing the days away. Well¡­ there was only one thing I couldn¡¯t get away from, and that was training with Claudia, who never really knew what to do with an abundance of spare time.


    The horse-drawn carriage had departed from Kaldia at the precise date it was expected to, and had taken three days to reach the old dorm. Since this place had made it a valid option for several years that carriage horses could be procured in exchange for money, one could forgo moving between stations and simply leave the matter at that, showing favour to leisure.


    ¡°What¡­? What¡¯s all this, then?¡±


    Dumbfounded and in a home bereft of both possessions and servants, Ratoka muttered in solitude. I having spent the time waiting for the carriage sunbathing in the salon and dozing off as I did, a result of my day-long indulgence, finally opened my eyes.


    I offered an explanation, going into detail how royal rule had mandated I be moved along with my possessions and servants, and was promptly met with a resounding, ¡®That¡¯s something you should¡¯ve told me earlier, you moron!¡¯ It goes without saying that Ratoka took the opportunity to give my head a good thrashing.


    I carefully assemble what excuses I have, keeping in mind how my plans wouldn¡¯t have changed even if I had been more informative, and how I couldn¡¯t find the people who¡¯d usually send the message, and how there was a good chance they wouldn¡¯t find their target anyway, but that just led to another boff to the head.


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    I took the chance while we unpacked to explain the royal decree to my associates. What I¡¯d just heard had been muttered by Athrun, accompanied by a sigh as he unfurled the rug and spread it over the floor. I could only assume that he thought the noise might help obscure his voice, but there was nothing my sharp ears couldn¡¯t pick up.


    ¡°Oh, that reminds me. Athrun, I want you to guard Lady Emilia on academy grounds. Tira¡¯s her handmaid, by the way.¡±


    Athrun spun around, shock evident in his expression, and I merely offered a shrug in response. I hadn¡¯t said that just to get even with him, of course. Being in the academy required a fairly young chamberlain. If I had to choose people now, before I could call for a new batch of attendants, then it was only natural I¡¯d pick the two of them out of the lot. Emilia wasn¡¯t like me, who only needed to take along Reka whenever I walked about; she was meant to take lectures specifically tailored for women. She¡¯d need a handmaiden.


    Under normal circumstances, I¡¯d have set up Ratoka and Tira as attendants, but Ratoka was a special case in this situation. I thought it would be best if he didn¡¯t get too close to Emilia. Both Ratoka and Athrun were perfectly capable of playing the guard, but excluding the former really only left me with one choice.


    ¡°Guess that means I¡¯ll be your attendant¡­¡±


    Ratoka muttered, showcasing displeasure, and Reka sidled up before offering a lukewarm smile and a series of consoling pats to the shoulder.


    Strange. Ratoka and the three childhood friends had only come to know each other last year, but they all appeared much more close-knit that I¡¯d expected them to be. Then again, they were the only ones around here who were familiar with Ratoka¡¯s personal history and current peculiar circumstances. Not to mention that they were in the same age group. It was one of those situations. The ones where a shared secret just helped a group grow closer together.


    ¡°Now them, Lady Emilia will be here come tomorrow. All the rooms here are ready, including yours. You can take a look later.¡±


    ¡°Aye, aye!¡±


    Reka responded with nothing but obedience, and the others soon expressed their own acknowledgement, following his lead.


    On the day that followed, we ushered Emilia into the dorm. It was full of life now, a stark contrast to the ten days that had led up to this moment.


    The servants had spent the early hours of the morning scampering about, only now getting to whatever unpacking work they¡¯d decided to postpone the other day, fervent in their preparations to welcome the archduke girl from the neighbouring country as if she meant the world to them.


    I for one had spent the morning getting my appearance fine-tuned to perfection by Lady Heinemann¡¯s capable hands, was told, rather harshly I might add, to act like the lady of the house and just do nothing. I was reluctant, but I still went to look over the written reports that had come in from my territories.


    ¡­There was just something about sitting by and doing nothing whole everyone around was fussing about even the smallest things that kept me from relaxing. I brought the now-cold cup of tea to my lips, feeling as if I was trying to cheat myself out of the natural sigh that was about to escape them.


    It was just before noon that something finally happened, blowing away my boredom.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry you had to wait so long, Lady Emilia.¡±


    I could finally get to work when Emilia stepped out of the carriage, at the exact time I¡¯d expected her to be here ¨C yes, I considered our interactions a workload on their own terms ¨C and adopted the best, brightest aura I could conjure, smiling in an effort to show just how happy I was to welcome her.


    ¡°Lady Einsbark¡­¡±


    Almost in opposition to me, Emilia looked on with a heap of discomfort that I¡¯d gotten all too used to by this point. She looked as if she was drawing much too close to her journey¡¯s end.


    I watched over her because the king had ordered me to. The minute I¡¯d made that clear to her, she¡¯d become completely unable to swallow down her despondency.


    Well, I supposed it didn¡¯t matter how she felt about it. I wasn¡¯t about to change my attitude now, after all. I had no doubt that, had it not been for that royal decree, I wouldn¡¯t have even considered getting into contact with her in the first place.


    But since that hadn¡¯t happened and I had indeed been ordered to do just that, I didn¡¯t have the slightest intention of straying from the path the royal court had entrusted me with.


    Bearing all that in mind, I offered my hand, an invitation to escort her about. Emilia¡¯s hand overlapped with mine, and while she bore the same looked a lost child might have had, she didn¡¯t bother putting any strength into it.

 Ch 230

    08 ¨C The Opening Ceremony (Part One of Three)¡°Lady Emilia. Your hand, if you would.¡±


    I made sure to leave the carriage first, then reached out my hand to escort her. The garden that came prior to the hall was teeming with festivities, and no sooner had I made my move then did I feel stares from all around us. To Athrun¡¯s credit, he never so much as fidgeted when he protectively moved behind me.


    The stares rose in tune with the commotion when Emilia descended from the carriage. She flinched back in turn, freezing in her tracks, and I reassuringly whispered that she shouldn¡¯t pay them any mind.


    The opening ceremonies for the registered students took place Schtelt Hall, considered to be the most historical area in all the academy grounds. It was located opposite to the intersection between the building itself and where the newcomers held their own ceremonies.


    Today was the one day of the year when every student, not excluding the older ones of course, could get together. The result was a sea of unfamiliar faces. There was a strict divide between the occupied learning facilities that made to separate first years from the older students, so this day made for the academy¡¯s true debutantes.


    As far as politics were concerned, it was obvious that most students who had little to no affiliation with the ways of diplomacy had never been made privy to Emilia features.


    I sharpened my ears for the hushed conversations held between the distant but plentiful stares that came at us from all sides, and it became immediately clear that they mostly revolved around matters of who Emilia was, confusion as to my newly short hair, and murmurings that went something like, ¡®Isn¡¯t that you-know-who, the one with the really bad reputation from Kaldia?¡¯.


    Of course, I had no way of being sure that none of those present knew about Emilia, and therefore couldn¡¯t deny the possibility of there being anyone who might wish her ill. I simply feigned ignorance, not once letting up in my vigilance.


    Emilia, who timidly stood by my side, slowly looked around and let out the breath she¡¯d been holding.


    ¡°Lady Emilia, why don¡¯t we go to the gardens? The gardens of Schtelt Hall might be the most distinguished in all the kingdom, but only students and teachers may see it for themselves.¡±


    As far as I knew, neither the Archduke family¡¯s villa nor the roads that led to the castle boasted such a grand-scale garden. This probably marked the first time in Emilia¡¯s life that she saw gardens that spread this wide.


    I didn¡¯t want her to make some huge mistake while she was so overcome by worry and fear, and I certainly didn¡¯t want to deal with the hassle that would spark. I had called out to her to give her some chance at relaxation, and Emilia, in turn, recoiled a little.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go. We have more than enough time.¡±


    She was likely far from gleeful at the idea of approaching the staring crowds. But there wasn¡¯t a doubt in my mind that those stares would continue to follow her in the future. I came to the conclusion that I had to do what I could so that she could get used to the looks, and so I ignored whatever she was about to say, took her by the hand, and pulled her along.


    We wandered through the gardens, and both the stares and whispers only grew. Emilia was supposed become aware of them, though only in moderation. To see that through, I brought her attention to some deeper subject matter as we slowly walked about, hoping that it would be enough to keep her from overthinking the situation.


    The tension began to lift from her shoulders, and she stared with great intrigue at the many flowers that lined the gardens before she stopped moving.


    ¡°It¡¯s so pretty¡­¡±


    The thing that had so captivated her was a bed of beautiful purple flowers in full bloom which caught the light of the sun and reflected it in a glowing collage of reds and blues.


    ¡°Ah, yes. They¡¯re called violet tears. They were brought over here from the western province of the kingdom, all the way from Ugalia. Its unusual mixture of colours is said to be the result of an uneven petal surface. The unevenness is supposedly so minute that it can¡¯t be seen by the naked eye.¡±


    That was the extent of what I knew about the iridescent flowers. I¡¯d only been able to speak of the things that had clung to my memory, simply by virtue of their rarity, and once I was done, I saw that Emilia grew more and more spellbound as she continued to stare. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°¡­Do you like them, perchance?¡±


    ¡°I do. Very much so.¡±


    My question had been fairly nonchalant, but Emilia¡¯s unexpected answer was delivered in a voice so honest and innocent it was as if it had just flown out of her. She barely even seemed to notice the fact that she¡¯d responded.


    Well¡­ if she was that enamoured by them, there was no reason why I shouldn¡¯t bring some of them over to our living quarters. Not being able to find relaxation in your own dorm was, after all, far too detrimental for her psychological well-being. I had to move quickly if I was to make her feel more at home. I began cooking up the best way to inform the stewards under the dorm¡¯s employ and left Emilia to her own devices, and soon enough¡­


    ¡°Ah, there you are.¡±


    The voice behind me came just as I thought it was high time to go to the hall. I turned around and saw Eric waving our way, his smile wide and cheerful. He had, according to the multiple letters we¡¯d sent to each other during winter, continued his rather energetic lifestyle in recognition of the royal troops¡¯ services, despite the holiday.


    His bearing appeared much more majestic than it had been the last time we¡¯d met, though I wasn¡¯t entirely certain that it was all due to the aforementioned way he¡¯d spent his time.


    ¡°Baron Dovadain. It¡¯s a pleasure to see that you haven¡¯t changed.¡±


    ¡°Why, thank you. Though I have to say, you¡¯ve certainly changed a little since we last met¡­ Well, might I have the honour of greeting Princess Emilia?¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course.¡±


    He¡¯d asked me first, just as common etiquette demanded, and went to greet Emilia with a strong air of formality. It was considered in good manners to never speak to an escorted woman until one had done so with said escort.


    I took half a step back from the scene, then checked our surroundings. Now that it had become clear that the unknown girl at my side was acquainted with the archduke household, the commotion had increased even further.


    At that point, I thought that I¡¯d gathered sufficient attention that would put Emilia in the spotlight. Her social status, just as her position, should be common knowledge amongst those around us. If I wanted to garnered even more of their focus on Emilia before her name became known, then what followed would be just perfect.


    ¡°Lady Emilia, Baron Dovadain. This is a good time, I believe, to head for the hall.¡±


    I¡¯d waited until the two had covered the preliminary stages of their interaction before speaking, and Eric, giving me a light nod, was the first to step forward. In the face of the imposing and growing authority of the Archduke House, the students made yet more distance between themselves and us.


    They were so far away now that their mutterings became muddled and unclear, even to my hellishly sharp ears. I was thankful that the unwanted whispers could no longer reach Emilia, especially now that her nervousness had been alleviated with the help of the purple tears.


    ¡­Had Eric actually gone out of his way to lend me his support in this escorting role I was so unused to? Now that I thought about it I recalled that, in the game, this was the same year he would take the mantle of council president for the students¡¯ neighbourhood council.


    Last year, Eric¡¯s general appearance had made me doubt this information¡¯s validity. But looking at him now, I was more than ready to believe that could be the case.

 Ch 231

    09 ¨C The Opening Ceremony (Part Two of Three)¡°Ah, Lady Kaldia, Lady Emilia. You¡¯re here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m pleased to see you¡¯re doing well, Your Highness. You as well, Viscount Dovadain, Sieghart.¡±


    Just before where I¡¯d moved with Emilia under Eric¡¯s guidance was a stage, located in the deepest section of the Schtelt Hall. The crown prince was there wearing his usual smile, and alongside him was Grays, who looked on with little warmth to speak of, as well as Sieghart, who lightly raised his hand in answer to my superficial greeting before exchanging pleasantries with both Eric and Emilia.


    ¡°Well then, let¡¯s go over our plans. We have welcomed Lady Emilia as a transfer student to this academy as a symbol of the peace between us and the United Kingdom of Lindharl. We have to make this clear to the other students.¡±


    We all nodded at the crown prince¡¯s words. I could faintly feel the tension creeping back into Emilia, but knew that there was nothing I could do for her now. In the days that would come, she would have to stand in front of the masses so many times she might get sick of it. There was nothing I could do but allow her to adapt to such a notion.


    ¡°Grays will escort Emilia to the middle of the stage, while Kaldia will take on the role of her guard. She will, for this purpose, wear the ceremonial rapier and follow her. Eric and Sieghart may stay close to me and for protection. Not much of a change from the usual.¡±


    ¡°Here, Kaldia. The sword.¡±


    I accepted the rapier Sieghart held out to me and carefully placed it at my hip. The awe-inspiring and elaborate craftsmanship that had been put into the thing was enough to make me balk at the idea of wearing it, even if it was only for a short while.


    ¡°The blade¡¯s been shattered, but don¡¯t let that stop you from drawing it if something happens, Kaldia.¡±


    The crown prince¡¯s nigh outrageous words came the second the belt had been fastened around my waist.


    ¡°Albert, please. That¡¯s a little too much, even for a joke¡­¡±


    Grays had spoken up, less due to forethought and more on instinct. He wasn¡¯t wrong, I was willing to give him that much. Even if the crown prince had meant to lighten the mood with a small, passing jest, he¡¯d certainly put far too much weight into it.


    Every child born of noble standing attended this academy. It was only reasonable that the guards would be aware of the gravity of such a situation, and that they would spread all throughout the grounds. There could not, by no conceivable means, be given room for more than a petty squabble between students.


    ¡°Oh no, Grays. I wasn¡¯t joking. The king himself has ordered that Princess Emilia be guarded by Kaldia, after all. Do not think of her as a mere decorative bauble. And we should always have a plan ready for emergencies, wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡±


    With a light shake of his head, the crown prince had completely denied any reason for reprimand. The conversation was teeming with restlessness and further hidden implications, but no one could find the words to counter what he¡¯d said.


    ¡°You jest, surely. This is the academy. I sincerely doubt we¡¯ll have to deal with any emergencies ¨C¡±


    ¡°You might have a point. But nevertheless, what bears mentioning must be mentioned, regardless of where one might find oneself. Isn¡¯t that so?¡±


    The grim expression that warped Grays¡¯ features was immediately recalled by the man himself. I had a feeling that he didn¡¯t want Emilia, who was now observing this development with wide eyes, to see his expression.


    ¡°Pardon. That was too forward of me.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you worry about that. You did nothing wrong. Kaldia¡­ are you ready?¡±


    ¡°Of course, Your Highness.¡±


    I nod at his voice, which seemed more of a reminder than anything else. I couldn¡¯t say that I¡¯d completely rationalised the crown prince¡¯s thought process, but at the same time, I knew that I was no longer allowed to show even a sliver of emotion that Grays had displayed.


    ¡°Your Highness, the ceremony is about to begin. Please, come this way.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m coming.¡±


    The crown prince gave Grays¡¯ shoulder a light tap as one of the instructors called him over, then turned to me for a split second and gave me a smile. When he passed by me, he spoke again. I could hear the faintest whispers of an apology.


    He didn¡¯t wait for me to turn around. Instead, he simply rose to the stage with Sieghart and Eric at his side. The only thing he¡¯d left in his wake was a feeling of uneasiness.


    ¡°Lady Emilia. This way, if you would. We should still have some time left, so please, take a seat.¡±


    Grays wasn¡¯t looking our way, and I seized the moment to sit with Emilia upon the couch that was so close to the wall until we were called.


    ¡°Excuse me, but¡­ what happens now?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t worry about it if I were you. I¡¯m sure that His Highness just doesn¡¯t want me to get too lax. This academy is a place where all noble-born children of this kingdom come together, be they from the castle or the archduke house. The security is as strict as you¡¯d expect. His Highness simply means to make me realise that I¡¯ve been asked to protect you, Lady Emilia, and that I have no reason to grow lazy regardless of where we might be.¡± Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Knowing that it was best to relieve her of any misgivings, I offered her an explanation that presented the prince¡¯s words as a mere wake-up call, though I had a strong inkling that that wasn¡¯t the case.


    The relationship shared by those in Arxia and those in Lindharl was beyond sour. Though we had achieved peace largely through our control of the lands, Lindharl and Arxia had never merged, the former being left with some semblance of governmental autonomy and international influence.


    Voices that expressed their displeasure with this would spring forth, undoubtedly so.


    Above all was the issue with the family circles of nobles that had seen no profit from the ordeal, the same nobles whose utter disgust for Lindharl was so bordering on the irresponsible that one would be foolish to turn a blind eye to them.


    Provided that the kingdom¡¯s treatment of her remained outside of the nobles¡¯ sphere of knowledge, then today was surely the day any ill will towards her might reach its peak, though only once she¡¯d confirmed her status.


    As for the rapier, I wouldn¡¯t have to return it to the crown prince¡¯s hands until this ceremony was completely over.


    Though I refrained from letting out a sigh while in Emilia¡¯s and Grays¡¯ presence, the mere thought of what was to come was a heavy burden. While I was still standing guard, I remembered thinking of nothing but the fact that I wanted to go home.

 Ch 232

    10 ¨C The Opening Ceremony (Part Three of Three)I¡¯d always thought that I knew what it was like, that I knew what awaited me when I stood on a stage and looked down.


    Anyone who ruled over some extension of territory would, naturally, run into many situations wherein they found themselves talking about some subject or another to a whole group of people.


    Those people were, however, generally nothing more than soldiers and villagers. In others words, those beneath the ruling class.


    Put anyone of higher note in their place, and suddenly the situation felt much heavier. I briefly wondered if the crown prince, Eric, and even Grays had to go through this all the time, and Emilia¡­ well, she would probably have to suffer through this for the rest of her days.


    These were the children of noble families. There was a clear distinction to be made between them and the common masses, both in their positions and the awareness they held. With their refinement and level of scholarship, it wasn¡¯t a stretch to say that they were the children with the most ¡®awareness¡¯ out of any social strata. These children would, in the near future, be polished and refined into the cogs that made the wheels of this enormous kingdom turn. sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The wavering and flexing of the emotions and willpower they expressed was nothing to sniff at.


    It wasn¡¯t my intent to belittle or write off any of my subjects. It was simply that I could grasp the clear differences splayed out in front of me.


    It struck me then that the only ones able to watch them being shaken by waves of bewilderment without so much as a twitch to their expressions were the same people that stood atop all of them. And I¡­ I was meant to be of those who would raise Emilia up to that very position.


    When the title she held finally left the crown prince¡¯s lips, the crowded halls began to ripple and stir in a loud ruckus. The expressions I could see from the stage were, to put in one way, harsh. I could see that people weren¡¯t even willing to accept the simple truth that she existed, and let out a small sigh in lamentation.


    The atmosphere hadn¡¯t been quite so thick with impending danger back in the game. I noted that I still had to keep Emilia away from any instance or manner of battle, and that I had no idea just how much different it would be doing so in the game and doing so for real.


    As far as her perspective was concerned, the only thing that she knew for certain had changed was the state of war itself; two countries had become friendlier with each other and had come to make an arrangement for peace as equal as could be managed. That said, it was peace born from the complete defeat of one side and an imposition made upon the other.


    The reasons behind the distaste were, more likely then not, due to the abhorrent and inhumane tactics Lindharl had employed towards the end of the war. They had intervened in the disputes of other lands, solely to hunt and gather slaves, and had even mobilised them as soldiers. It was the manner in which they operated that had the most profound impact on what would come next.


    If only they¡¯d abstained from doing as such, then Arxis-Lindharl relations would have been somewhat more mellow. They wouldn¡¯t have festered into the seething distaste it was now.


    ¡°Her Ladyship Emilia is a symbol of peace. Our kingdom has bonded with Lindharl, and to prove that our new alliance is just and true, Her Highness will join us in the spread of knowledge. In other words¡­ you may consider this a diplomatic event.¡±


    The crown prince paid no mind to the state of the hall, indifferently and matter-of-factly sharing with them what needed to be explained. The unsure air from before made shifted into a tense one, especially for the older students and those that had come from the more affluent houses upon their realisation that there had been a change in the diplomatic relations of Arxia itself.


    The kingdom of Arxia, which until now had been a single whole, wasn¡¯t alien to the idea of forming allegiances with large neighbouring countries. And of course, if people were able to do the same as Emilia, namely to leave and enter other countries, then even more instances would present themselves wherein Arxians could enter another countries, either for observation or with the prospect of invasion.


    Diplomatic matters would no longer be relegated to those under the archduke family, surely. It was clear that those capable of being guided in such issues of political intrigue would be the nobility of our generation.


    ¡°The tragedies that have torn our two lands apart have been tied back together, all through peace. Now, as two lands that stand equal, we will act as virtuously and without shame, just as our nobles should. I must ask that you all remember to act in a way befitting the gravity that comes with diplomacy.¡±


    The crown prince¡¯s words held a strong, rigid ring to them. It was at odds with his usual, gentle demeanour.


    The silence was incomplete and peppered with distant whispers, and the chilling atmosphere around us that reached to the depths of the hall itself was a good fit for a spring night. Even when the crown prince closed his mouth and ceased his speech, no one seemed willing to move just yet. It was almost as if they had been frozen in time.


    ¡°¡­Sir Dean. I believe that I¡¯ve said what I must.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ certainly, yes. Oh¡­ tell the orchestra to begin playing.¡±


    Finally, at the invitation of the slightly awkward crown prince, the dean allowed the opening ceremony to begin. Music swept from stringed instruments, as if meaning to untangle the forcibly congealed air we found ourselves in, and the crown prince guided Emilia to the centre of the hall, where room had almost frantically been made by the students.


    The first melody and dance, considered the highpoint of these nightly gatherings, was often reserved for the highest sponsoring authority to dance. As this party had been sponsored by the academy itself and therefore eschewed any such status, it wasn¡¯t at all off-putting that the crown prince and Emilia would bear the burden.


    Realising that my true role would only now come into play, I steeled my nerves. An exchange of looks between Sieghart and myself was the signal. We split of into two groups, careful to draw as little attention as possible, then moved close to the walls to follow after the crown prince.


    Emilia moved in tandem with the thrum of the music, the hem of her dress matching the large steps she took and gracefully sliding and fluttering across the floor. The pale yellow of her dress could almost be mistaken for white, and only the lower fringes of what she wore was in the purple-and-blue colours that made up the flag of her homeland, like the sky at daybreak.


    Just as I¡¯d thought, it grabbed people¡¯s attention. There was some cheer, though it was reserved and fleeting, but the overall impression remained softened.


    ¡­The reason I¡¯d imposed the image of the Emilia I¡¯d found in the game onto reality as I had, I thought, was to make her story progress as closely as it had to its plot. It was a selfish wish on my part, and I could already feel the first hints of guilt pooling in my chest.


    It was guilt at being one of the reasons that had driven Lindharl so far into a corner that they had been forced to resort to the inhuman tactics that now made them so despised¡­ or perhaps it was guilt at being the largest reason for it. I felt guilt at the selfish desire that all the responsibility and burden would shift to that one, powerless girl.

 Ch 233

    Even though it was the opening ceremony, there were no rituals.And because the headmaster and the teachers don¡¯t have any more right than what¡¯s needed, the general vibe of the opening ceremony was a bit different than the previous era. And although it was called a ceremony, it was basically just an evening party; a place for socialising.


    The crown prince and Emilia finished dancing without any problems and the ones among the students, who wanted to dance surrounding the hall, came advancing to the center, changing places with the ones who had already finished dancing.


    As an unspoken agreement, it was decided that the official families would dance starting from the 2nd song and so Erik and Grays chose a suitable partner and participated.


    The crown prince entrusted me with Emilia¡¯s escort and disappeared into a corner of the hall with Sieghart.


    He probably plans on staying back until the tension in the atmosphere loosen ups a bit.


    ¨COr possibly to rest a bit. His pale face I saw at the royal palace crossed my mind for a moment.


    ¡°Emilia-sama, shall we rest a bit?¡±


    Maybe from nervousness, Emilia¡¯s face had also turned pale when she returned.


    It is understandable. The reservedness, hostility and unpleasant feelings towards her from the students is much more direct and bare unlike those from the adults. On top of that, this was her high society debut and her dancing partner was the crown prince. It was probably the most overwhelming few minutes of her life mentally.


    She also seemed a bit dazed, so I grabbed her hand and took her to the next hall.


    It was a space filled with couches and tables prepared for meal and break, and when we made our way towards the table, the waitress there guided us to the second floor.


    Although the second floor was a bit narrow, the seats were much wider and it was made like a terrace from which the two halls could be seen.


    Is this what they call a VIP seat? Either way, I am very grateful as an escort.


    Tira and Reka, who had been standing by at a corner of the hall after changing place with a waitress, and Ratoka, who was wearing a uniform of an attendant, all three came to tend to us and were worried seeing Emilia¡¯s dazed expression.


    They also snuck a glance towards me, asking if she was okay. Hmm, well, she did do her best but she isn¡¯t quite okay and so I brought her here.


    ¡°¡­..Tira, please bring warm, black tea with milk.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Eliza-sama.¡±


    She disappeared into the staircase quickly.


    And in the meantime, Ratoka and Reka promptly prepared the tables and a light meal.


    ¡°¡­.Um, Kaldia-sama.¡±


    And while looking at all this uninterestedly, finally Emilia opened her mouth, although her voice was almost inaudible. Seems like she calmed down a bit.


    By the way, I made her change the way she calls me, thinking that she might enter the high society even as a student since she is an archduchess now.


    The name Einsbark generally means Volmar. Although there is a difference in the lower and higher class, you wouldn¡¯t normally refer to their name when calling them and so in my case, while it is different when I am talking one-to-one, I am known as the Kaldia count in the high society.


    ¡°Did I not make a mistake somewhere? Maybe due to the nervousness, I can¡¯t really remember much after his Highness Alfred¡¯s greetings¡­¡±


    Seems like Emilia is in the ¡®my mind is blank¡¯ state.


    Although she had just told me that, as if she just became aware of how severe an archduchess not being aware of her surroundings in a public place is, her expression just got more and more grim. Well, she was stiffened from the start, though.


    Now then, how shall I pacify her? I glanced towards Ratoka and he glared back, while jerking his chin, as if to tell me ¡®Do it. You do understand, right?¡¯.


    Haa¡­¡­¡­ are we really doing that?


    Going back a few days in time.


    After finishing the arrangements in my new hostel, when I welcomed Emilia, there were only 10 days of spring break left.


    As I had too much free time on my hands, I decided on improving Emilia¡¯s behaviour and had already built up some trust between her.


    When it was decided that Emilia and I would be living together, I had planned on calling Mrs. Marshan to the capital as Emilia¡¯s private tutor but Mrs. Marshan was quite a capable tutor in the territory and so couldn¡¯t be moved that easily.


    Either way, Tira, Ratoka and I taught her all the required manners and etiquettes for the opening ceremony.


    ¨CWell, it would have also been quite simple to make someone from the royal family or archduke family be her private tutor but letting someone completely unknown into the house would be a bit bothersome.


    And naturally, Emilia mastered the general etiquettes very well.


    We prioritized specially on the dance.


    In case of greetings, as she is a woman, it is more or less fine if she just stays silent but that wouldn¡¯t do for the dance. There was also the problem of dancing types being different between Arxia and Rindall.


    As a result, Emilia was able to learn the Arxia dance quite well for a hasty preparation but¨C


    ¡°Hey, can¡¯t we do something about the way we handle Emilia-sama?¡± Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Ha?¡±


    Ratoka suddenly came saying yesterday night, while preparing my hair for the opening ceremony.


    ¡°No, just that¡­ you and Emilia-sama aren¡¯t really in sync, are you?¡±


    That seems to be Ratoka¡¯s impression after having seen Emilia and me up close for the past 10 days.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to be in sync either, is there?¡±


    ¡°No, I actually think there is a need.¡±


    He ended up discarding what I had to say instead of letting me do it so I stayed silent. When it comes to this, he wouldn¡¯t move until I hear what he has to say. What a stubborn guy he has grown to be.

 Ch 234

    ¡°I get it. I get it reaaaally well that if you were a man, you would have been so unsociable that people would feel like punching you.¡±Ratoka said, folding his arms and looking down on me with an imposing pose. To which I reflexively ended up trembling a bit.


    After all, even though there¡¯s a smile on that girl-like face, no matter how I look at it, Ratoka was clearly angry.


    This is what I get after talking about all the conversations I had with Emilia when Ratoka wasn¡¯t there.


    ¡°¡­.Was there something that made you angry?¡±


    This conversation is supposed to be about how to deal with Emilia, not about Emilia and definitely not about Ratoka who wasn¡¯t there, so I have no clue what he¡¯s angry about.


    ¡°There is. You don¡¯t understand a woman¡¯s heart, at all!¡±


    ¡°I am a woman, though¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up! You might be a female but at the moment, you¡¯re no woman!¡±


    He declared.


    Eh, what? That is¡­ a difference in the heart¡¯s gender or something? I am pretty sure I identify as a woman, though.


    Seeing me perplexed, Ratoka retracted his anger and, instead, sighed like he was utterly exasperated.


    ¡°¡­..Seriously talking here. You should stop taking feelings towards yourself in a twisted way already.¡±


    Seeing how seriously he said that, I interrupted him by raising my hand.


    ¡°Prepare some tea and sit down. I will listen to your warning since you¡¯re ¡®another Eliza¡¯.¡±


    Ratoka nodded like he was relieved. And then, smiled bashfully and smacked me on the head lightly.


    To think I would be smacked by him.


    ¡­The last time my head was patted was probably when I ran away to the Cil family¡¯s tent. Maybe because I was stiff as a child back then, I was patted quite frequently.


    Ratoka went down to the kitchen to prepare tea. Feeling weird just sitting there ¡®cause there were just two of us, I also went down to help. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    We were using garden tiger moths¡¯ hardened scales as a luminous stone ¡ª which is supposed to be very rare ¡ª without frugality, and so when you pull the string hanging on a side of the entrance, all the lights light up at once for about an hour every other hour.


    And so, you would normally transfer the fire to a candlestick while it is on. Ratoka and I transferred the fire to the stove and lit a fire, heated the water and brewed tea, and also took a few white bread from the storage while I was at it and put some smoked meat and vegetables in it. It¡¯s an impromptu roll sandwich.


    I left a signed note for the cook to handle the clean up and left the room.


    ¡°¡ªCouldn¡¯t even think about this before.¡±


    Ratoka muttered while arranging the food on the table.


    ¡°About what?¡±


    ¡°About everything. When I had met you, it was impossible for me to even imagine this.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know how to react to his weird laugh.


    But remembering him smacking my head earlier, it is true that I couldn¡¯t have imagined before that our relationship would get so close. And of course, we couldn¡¯t really ask for white bread for dinner at that time in Kaldia territory.


    Ratoka¡¯s expression loosened up a bit and he sat on the other side.


    ¡°¡­.You are, you know, how do I put it, well, not stubborn but you have this strong thought that you¡¯re like this.¡±


    He started out with confidence, not even confirming. I stayed silent and urged him to continue.


    ¡°To be straight forward, the thing that I, the ¡®other Eliza¡¯, thought is that you¡¯re not thought to be as bad as you think. Do you know that?¡±


    I stayed silent this time as well.


    Not thought to be as bad¡ª?


    ¡°No matter how things were before, without a doubt, you changed our, the Kalidia residents¡¯ lives, as fast as you could. Of course, I know it isn¡¯t something you did by yourself. But, everyone knows that you did what you had to do¡­¡­ I was able to understand that much so there¡¯s no way other people can¡¯t, right?¡±


    Shrugging his shoulders, Ratoka said casually.


    ¡­¡­ Well, that is true. After all, the one who threw a rock at me is the guy in front of me. Although the residents didn¡¯t really have the energy nor willpower to resist back then, it is also true that Ratoka was a part of the anti feudal lord extremist party.


    ¡°Of course, I understand that the residents have forgiven me and acknowledged my efforts but¨C¡±


    ¡°Wrong!!¡±


    Before I could finish, Ratoka smacked the table and shouted.


    ¡°You¡¯re a step ahead of that! The residents love you, you know?!¡±


    ¡°¡ª¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no mistaking it!¡±


    I still didn¡¯t say anything. But I decided to stop for the time being.


    ¡°You do this thing, where you try to guess others¡¯ feelings from the situation and stuff, right? To be honest, that¡¯s a bad habit, you know? You should start looking eye to eye with everyone and directly feel what they are feeling. If you don¡¯t, that would be just sad for the residents who love you so much. Believe in them. They are your people, right?¡±


    ¡­¡­


    ¡­¡­¡­ I couldn¡¯t say anything back.


    The words I was going to say had also vanished once he told me to believe in them.


    ¡°¡­.Got it.¡±


    As I slowly but firmly nodded, Ratoka also nodded. But then his expression changed to one of embarrassment.


    ¡°¡­¡­.ah¨Cwe went off topic, didn¡¯t we? By a big margin.¡±


    ¡®As I thought¡¯¨CI sighed exasperated. What we talked about now was important but we were supposed to talk about the stiff relationship with Emilia.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not like it isn¡¯t related at all¡­¡±


    Ratoka said while chewing his food, then swallowed and continued.


    ¡°In other words, well, right, this also goes for Emilia-sama. You¡¯re probably interacting with her considering the situation and what not¡­¡±


    ¡°You are trying to tell me to consider her feelings too and have a better relationship, right?¡±


    As I completed his sentence since he was getting sluggish at the end, Ratoka¡¯s expression became sour.


    Really, this guy¡¯s expression changes so much. It tires me just looking at him.


    ¡°¡­I understand that you have to show that you¡¯re not treating her that well to mitigate the tension inside the country but there¡¯s no need to be that aware of it, is there? After all, you are pretty brusque even if you just act normal.¡±


    ¡°Pretty brusque even if I act normal.¡±


    ¡°And so, if you were to just act normal towards Emilia-sama in front of the people, your attitude towards her will be a bit more sincere.¡±


    ¡°Sincere.¡±


    ¡­¡­I somehow feel like I have heard such a conversation. Yea, like in a corner of a classroom, discussing what a guy student has to do to make a good impression on a girl¡­¡­.


    ¡°After all, that girl, she has no one else to rely on, right? But that is because she has no other choice, not because she wants to.¡±


    Ah, I see.


    Ratoka is seeing his past self in Emilia.


    It is certainly true that it¡¯s rough when everything you know changes when you enter a new environment and you have no one to rely on emotionally.


    ¡°I understand. I will consider her emotional instability and will work towards earning her trust.¡±


    ¡­¡­.I did understand but, let¡¯s see.


    How shall I change this situation, where everyone thinks I am interacting with her because of my duty towards the king¡¯s orders?


    Looks like Ratoka could also tell what I was thinking as he also started thinking and then clapped his hands together as if he had thought of something.


    ¡°Ah, right. For now, if Emilia-sama does something well, just pat her head and compliment her.¡±


    ¡°Ha?¡±


    ¡°No, like, I also talked with Aslan and the others and I think that child hasn¡¯t yet been a ¡®child¡¯, you know?¡±


    Pat a country¡¯s archduchess¡¯ head?


    Seeing me doubt what I heard, Ratoka just casually said ¡®you won¡¯t be doing it in front of others so it should be fine¡¯.


    No¡­¡­ is that really okay?


    And while I was hesitating, this time he came scolding me saying ¡®you wanna earn her trust, right?¡¯


    No, but still, you know¡­¡­


    And as such, Ratoka has been urging me silently to pat her head since this morning. Which also ended with me hesitating and him giving me a glare.


    Am I really going to do it?¨CEvery time I waver like that, the pressure from Ratoka¡¯s glare just keeps increasing. It is true that it might be quite natural for me to compliment her dance and pat her head while at it.


    I panicked.


    I somehow feel like if I do that, I will have done something irreversible. It isn¡¯t anything more than what my intuition is telling me but¡ªNo, wait a minute.


    Flag.


    Such a word suddenly popped up inside my head.


    What was it¡­ I am pretty sure it was something related to otome games.


    If so, I think it would be better to avoid it.


    However, to make better of this situation, I must do something.


    So that the conversation doesn¡¯t feel unnatural, I had to reply immediately to Emilia¨Cand in a situation like that, I felt my brain working at a really high speed.


    And so, about the measure I worked out.


    ¡°Hmm, let¡¯s see¡ªEmilia-sama, would you mind if I forced a dance on you?¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°Next dance, with me. ¡ªIt would be most easy to understand if you were able to do it like practice.¡±


    So that she doesn¡¯t misunderstand and relaxes, I told her with as much of a gentle expression as I could.


    After turning into a quasi-adult, I have only participated in these evening parties a few times in knight¡¯s formal dress and so I have never really danced in a party like this.


    I had also told Emilia before her that I didn¡¯t have my debut dance even though I acted as her practice partner.


    Now if only this Emilia understands that I have the intention to work even without the king¡¯s order.


    Now then, about the partner¡¯s reaction.


    Emilia vacantly looked at me and then started turning red.


    Umm¡­ it¡¯s hard to tell if she is happy or not¡­ Will Ratoka accept me doing this instead of what he said?


    ¡°I-if you are fine with me¡­!¡±


    Hearing her excited voice, what I did understand was that I must teach her how to hide emotions properly.

 Ch 235

    ¡°Doing a debut dance to open your heart to the archduchess after being scolded by your attendant? To think one of the few heroic figures of Arkshia would be manipulated by women.¡±¡°I won¡¯t lend you the note if you are going to ridicule me, Sieghart.¡±


    ¡°Now, now, don¡¯t sulk, Kaldia.¡±


    I pushed aside the feathers of the quill pen with which he was trying to tickle my cheeks.


    ¡°But it was a target for attention¡­ is that okay?¡±


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s not really a problem¡­¡±


    Or so it¡¯s supposed to be. At least for me.


    On the day following the opening ceremony, at territorial business administration class.


    Being trapped in from both sides by Zephyr and Sieghart, who were also taking the course, I was casually conversing about pointless things with them.


    I haven¡¯t felt this in a while¨Cever since last year. Well, this might be a bit late as a year has passed, but I enjoy these talks with my school friends. Although my conversations with Ratoka and Tira and the others are also quite casual but they don¡¯t have that feel of talking to a friend.


    From the second year in the academy, they start giving specialty subject lectures after noon.


    It is a general rule for direct sons of feudal lords to study territorial business administration or law and home economics for the noble daughters.


    On the other hand, sons or descendants who do not possess a land¨Cin other words, the parents of whom do not have a count rank¨Cstudy law or economics pursuing a government job or study military studies, commercial science or global sociology. Girls normally aim to be a teacher or a court lady and even home economics or economics depending on their fiance¨Cmeaning they don¡¯t have many choices.


    Special examples would be from the dukes¡¯ family or the royalty, as the crown prince, Grace and the archduchess Emilia are studying global sociology and Erik taking military studies lectures.


    I guess I would also fall in the exception section.


    ¡°That reminds me, Sieghart, is it okay for you to not take any military study lectures?¡±


    ¡°I have been told quite a lot about wars and battles by my family, you see. The eldest son of the family must properly study territorial administration studies¡­ otherwise we can¡¯t manage this land we received from the his majesty, the king, after all¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ I see¡­¡±


    All three of us ended up giving a distant look while nodding.


    Although it wouldn¡¯t be weird if the Rolentsor family started saying stuff like all their residents are soldiers or ¡®farmers soldiers unite!¡¯ and stuff, it actually seems like their territorial management is going quite steady, as because of the calm climate and blessed soil, they have a great source of income from the high quality agricultural products. Seems like the current feudal lord has been working hard at it.


    ¡°What about you, are you fine not taking it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I am prioritizing the territory first.¡±


    ¡°No hesitation, huh? Even though you did enough work to be recognized as a hero, are you not interested in the rank of a military officer?¡±


    Hearing Zephyr¡¯s words, I wondered about the path to becoming a military officer for once. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As I had selected territorial business administration studies without a second thought when selecting courses, I didn¡¯t really think about the rank of a military officer.


    ¡°Nope. I don¡¯t have any intention of commanding any army other than my territory¡¯s and I also don¡¯t plan on moving them from the territory unless needed.¡±


    Well, at the end, no matter how I looked at it, it was a no-no.


    In the first place, the reason I was able to achieve such merit in war is because of the highly special combination and abilities of the horsemen and military engineers of the Kaldia territory and the special trust we have among us.


    If I lose them, I would be nothing more than a young girl. I don¡¯t even have experience as a military soldier and neither do I think I am gifted with the talent.


    ¡°What do you mean by you don¡¯t plan on moving your territory army from the your territory?¡±


    ¡°The territory army now has too many functions for the territory to reorganize, you see. Although it is because the education hasn¡¯t quite caught up yet, besides from the military police who uphold the public order in the territory, we are also taking in residents who have nowhere else to go. For the land¡¯s development, flood control, soil preparation or periodic thinning of forests and afforestation. Even patrolling for monsters and suppression beside doing postal services. We are also doing agricultural work in the area directly under the king. If they are mobilised from the territory, each and every aspect of the administration will be delayed¡­¡­¡±


    As I answered, I felt a weird sense of discomfort and looked to my left and right. Zephyr and Sieghart had an indescribable expression on their faces and looked behind me.


    Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡­


    Overcoming my desire to escape the reality so that I don¡¯t have to turn around, I slowly turned around.


    ¡°Yo, nice to meet you. That was a very nice and simple explanation, thank you. I might need you to help me with some lectures sometimes. After all, there aren¡¯t any more appropriate teaching material for territorial business administration than this.¡±


    Seeing that smile and obsidian colored eyes, I felt like laying my face down on the desk.


    I have seen those eyes way too much already.


    Mark Terejia¡ªthe instructor of this territorial business administration course slowly looked at me, blinked and said ¡®nice to meet you¡¯ once again with a smile.


    ¡­¡­ Although I had been extremely naturally answering the questions, what am I doing, talking about my inexperience and explaining the pre-developments to my territory like that?

 Ch 236

    The lecture ended without any setbacks¨Cwell, even though I say that, today¡¯s lecture was just about the course details and outline¨Cand so, after parting with Zephyr and Sieg, I headed towards the meeting place with Emilia.The specialized lecture hall, used for the special courses starting from the 2nd school year, was located on the left side and was mainly called the left-wing. We had used the right-wing during the first year and the dining hall, lecture halls and reception halls were between those two wings.


    They made the two wings with their appearances in mind and how they would contrast each other, so the structure was fundamentally same. However, because of the small differences between the two buildings, I ended up getting a bit perplexed and took a longer route to the lounge which ended up taking a bit more time.


    The lounge, which was an open area facing the hall, was supposed to be a place which wasn¡¯t used by many people from what I heard but when I reached there, I discovered that there were several female students other than Emilia there.


    And so I unconsciously stopped talking and ended up hiding in the shadow of the wall¡­¡­ It was because it looked like the girls were surrounding Emilia, who was sitting on the couch.


    The students going through the hallway also gazed that way from the distance while passing by.


    ¡°Oi, what happened?¡±


    ¡°Shh, quiet.¡±


    Stopping Ratoka and Leka who were confused by my actions with concise instruction and gestures to close their mouth, I observed the situation from behind the wall.


    Those girls seem to be from a different class than me as I don¡¯t recall any of them. But if so, then I can¡¯t think optimistically that these girls would surround me or Emilia and talk happily.


    Judging from Aslan and Tira standing at a corner of the lounge looking irritated and worried, it seems like my impressions are not wrong.


    From the looks of it, it didn¡¯t seem like a big argument broke out yet.


    Their conversation was quiet and didn¡¯t reach all the way to the hallway, so even if they just say that they started talking after spotting a new face, it would also work since, from the distance, they looked calm.


    However, my excessively good sharp ears caught a portion of the conversation.


    ¡° ¡­¡­¡­ like I said, misunderstanding¡­¡­ saying it¡­¡­¡­ That¡­¡­¡­ dancing with you¡­¡­¡­¡­ For that situation¡­¡­¡­ for you it is¡­¡­¡­¡­¡°


    ¡°That¡¯s right. You¡­¡­¡­¡­ princess of the enemy country¡­¡­¡­¡­ impudent¡­¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°I am sure¡­¡­¡­¡­ complicated that¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­


    ¡­This is, perhaps¡­ Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡®Don¡¯t go having some sort of misconception just because the crown prince chose you as his dance partner!¡¯ or something¡­¡­


    It can¡¯t be that it is¡­¡­


    In other words, this situation¡­ is it that a villain event is happening to Emilia, the heroine¡­ or something?


    But, the villain is supposed to be Eliza Kaldia, me.


    Using Emilia to better up or take advantage of the crown princes. Gaining rights in the capitals and craving for more, being atrocious and greedy to meet their needs¡­ that is supposed to be the ¡®Villain woman¡¯ of this otome game.


    ¡ª-No. This world isn¡¯t a game. The human society doesn¡¯t move according to scenarios, it moves with people¡¯s thoughts, belief and feelings.


    Emilia is a former princess of the enemy country. It was more than obvious that many nobles would have an ill feeling towards Emilia as she can do as she pleases by the crown prince¡¯s side.


    My reasoning denied the impulsive thought.


    Even though I have known this for years, maybe because the game¡¯s timeline was this timeline or maybe because Emilia is close to me now, I end up thinking of the game¡¯s scenario whenever something happens.


    If I am going to take advantage of remembering what happens in the game in a certain scenario, that is great. It is also good to admit the differences between reality and the scenarios for that.


    However, I should stop being manipulated by it at this point.


    After all, I also know that all the choices I have made up till now are a big reason we are now dissociated from the scenarios.


    ¡°Ms. Eliza, what happened? Are you fine with not saving her?¡±


    Even though Leka urged me with a small voice, I hesitated for a moment.


    It is true that it would be easy to get rid of those girls if I force myself in there¡­¡­


    After hesitating a bit, I stepped out from the shadows such that only Emilia notices me and not the other girls.


    And like that, I stood near the hallway wall and quietly watched over the situation.


    If these girls can¡¯t even comprehend her status as she officially came to Arkshia and surround her like this, it just goes to show their level of education and family background.


    I don¡¯t need to lend a hand to her when it¡¯s even presumptuous for girls like these to talk to her in the first place.


    In fact, I could use this situation to show that Emilia is being treated coldly.


    I don¡¯t plan on forsaking her but I also don¡¯t want to pamper her more than needed.


    Let¡¯s see what you¡¯ve got.


    Emilia immediately noticed me. Her gaze shifted from the girls to me and she tried to hide her agitation with her folding fan.


    It isn¡¯t like she is estranged from human subtleties and thoughts. In fact, Ratoka had been saying that she was especially understanding of human spite and because of that she gets nervous and timid really quick. Also that if he were to choose, he would say that she resembled me.


    As of that moment, Emilia has only been feeling perplexed by me so I was wondering what was exactly going on¡­


    She gazed towards me just for a moment.


    ¡­Ah, I know that look.


    It¡¯s the look she has when she is trying to see through someone.


    In response to that, I just slightly squinted.


    Telling her to get it done quick.


    As a result, it seems Ratoka¡¯s analysis was better than mine.


    It seemed like my thought was conveyed more or less as Emilia looked agitated once again.


    Her light rose-colored eyes restlessly wandered. She was keeping up her appearance on the surface so I will give it a passing mark.


    However, it isn¡¯t that Emilia doesn¡¯t have the guts.


    Otherwise it would have been impossible for her to dance to two songs without much interval in between with the crown prince in front of that many people.


    She suddenly closed her eyelids, as if she had given up or let go of something.


    And then¨Cshe just raised her left hand elegantly.


    And then held it out towards me.


    I reflexively felt like laughing out loud.


    Her gesture just now meant ¡®Escort me¡¯.


    It is something I taught her.


    It is also something which would look arrogant if any of those other girls do it and is only permitted for someone of the highest class in a social platform.


    And of course, the person of highest class in here was Emilia.


    I didn¡¯t think she would do something like this but if it is something she did to take revenge on me as I just stood and watched, then it was quite delightful.


    The girls looked puzzled seeing her raise her hand like that and then looked at the direction of the hand¡­ in other words, towards me, which made their expressions stiffen.


    I intentionally didn¡¯t look at them at all and advanced forward to take her hand respectfully, also as an apology.


    ¡°Wha¡­¡­¡±


    One of the girls surrounding her was exasperated, as if feeling that she was made fun of.


    Just before her shaking lips opened to abuse,


    ¡°Good day to you all.¡±


    Emilia said as calmly as possible, which made the girl flinch.


    ¨CAh, now that I think about it, the heroine (Emilia) might have been like this. If I were to say, she was of a cowardice nature, was easily tensed, introverted and didn¡¯t have self-consciousness as a duchess¨Ca girl with little confidence.


    However, she can strengthen her resolve when needed. And when she does, her resolution is clean.


    That was the kind of heroine she was.


    ¡ªSaying she resembles me, what a misunderstanding, Ratoka.


    I don¡¯t have such hidden pureness like her.


    All I have is just feelings of guilt, coldheartedness and ruthlessness.

 Ch 237

    For the next few days, I stayed near Emilia in such a way that anyone would understand we were walking together.That was because there was a need for me to spread the fact that I was escorting Emilia because, after many people witnessed that incident of Emilia being surrounded by those girls, there were many other girls the next day who were glaring at her without even trying to hide it.


    I was also bathed with angry glares from the girls who were hostile towards Emilia but, in the end, it¡¯s just a few glares lacking any murderous intent from some powerless girls, so there was no need to be afraid.


    By the weekend, the students¡¯ restlessness also calmed down and all the fuss inside the academy subsided.


    Now then, since it was the first holiday of the year, I left the dormitory with Emilia and Tira and the others and met up with Oscar and Claudia who had come to the capital within a day, as usual, after which we all attended the House of Lords.


    It wasn¡¯t only the academy which had started moving inside the capital in this new year. As there were a lot of meetings this year to deal with the post-war situation, it didn¡¯t quite feel like the opening meeting but today was the first official usual meeting.


    As it was the opening ceremony of the regular meetings, the big hall upstairs was also used with the House of Lords. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Count Kaldia has arrived!¡±


    As I finished up with the reception and entered the hall, all the gazes in the hall gathered on me. I looked around and greeted them and headed towards Count Einsbark first, while receiving return greetings.


    ¡°Ohh, Ms. Eliza.¡±


    ¡°Count Einsbark, I am glad to see you as healthy as you were when we met this winter.¡±


    After greeting the Count, who called me out cheerfully raising a hand, I also greeted Weigraf and Volmar who were there beside him.


    Ergnade was not there. He¡¯s probably acting as a proxy for the counts of the royal territory at Jugfena fortress. He probably cannot maintain doing all these simultaneously as his wife just gave birth recently.


    ¡°I heard that you were selected as the duchess of Rindal¡¯s escort inside the academy?¡±


    Weigraf came naturally bringing up the topic right away. With a gentle smile on, he couldn¡¯t hide his enjoyment.


    ¡°Yes. To be honest, I am very honored for the role.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the most suitable for it.¡±


    I wanted to lightly dodge the topic but Volmar cleanly cut off my escape route.


    ¡°Eris and Tave¡¯s heroic Count Kaldia. In addition to personal military prowess, you have excellent subordinates and there is nothing about your ruling power in your territory that can be criticized and, on top of that, you know your bounds and do not try to extend your powers to the capital. You¡¯re a female and only next to the crown prince in rank in the academy. There¡¯s no one more appropriate for the role other than yourself.¡±


    I just fixedly gazed at him as he kept listing the details.


    In the first place, titles like heroic and what not only came to be because of him. Distributing bothersome titles, forcing showy fights which will become the hot topic, he just keeps doing as he pleases.


    ¡°Now, now, don¡¯t be mad. I like hearing about my youngest child¡¯s progress.¡±


    ¡°¡­..Count Einsbark, I do not remember becoming your adopted child, though¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. It¡¯s similar, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡­¡­Well, I guess you could say that.


    I guess I have no choice but to stay silent since Count Einsbark said so.


    But on the other hand, it seems like those 3 decided to leave me be, seeing the wrinkle in between my eyebrows and shifted their gazes towards Claudia and Oscar, who were standing behind me.


    ¡°Oscar, it has been a while since I have seen you like this. I heard you have married Ms. Claudia.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mr. Volmar.¡±


    ¡°¡­..Even still, nothing seems to have changed. There¡¯s no point in teasing then¡­¡­¡±


    I agreed with Volmar¡¯s exasperated voice in my heart. Oscar and Claudia really haven¡¯t changed a bit after their wedding. Even though Gunter, who got married in the same period, had such a lax expression on his face¡­ what exactly is this difference?


    ¡°I gave my word to my wife that we will prioritize our master as a knight, so.¡±


    ¡­¡­¡­Me, eh?


    I see.


    I didn¡¯t plan on butting into their marriage but this is¡­¡­ I suppose I might have to talk to him after this.


    If Claudia were to give birth to a child, now would be the best time as the war with Rindal is over and I am also enrolled in the academy at the moment.


    It will also be easier for the adopted child if there¡¯s someone close to his age. If it¡¯s those two¡¯s child, then it¡¯s that child¡¯s destiny to become my adopted child¡¯s follower.


    Weigraf and Volmar kept their mouths shut with an indescribable expression on their faces.


    Those two¡­ or rather, all three of the brothers, including the youngest, are prioritizing their life as a knight at Jugfena fortress while leaving their wife or child at the capital.


    ¡°¡­.Ahem. By the way,¡±


    Weigraf hurriedly changed the topic as it was heading towards a painful direction.


    ¡°Are you aware? Count Nordsturm, who had stayed indoors for many years in his territory for self-restraint and mourning seems to have returned to the capital this year to attend the House of Lords.¡±


    ¡°Count Nordsturm?¡±


    The large fire at the lower part of the capital is still fresh in everyone¡¯s memory.


    The news of Marquis Nordsturm sheltering an assassin from Denzel dukedom and the heretic order from the church who joined hands with them and then getting assassinated had shaken the royal court for some time.


    And so, naturally, the Nordsturm family was charged but after taking into account that the influencer and current head of the family had already died, the punishment was shortened to a huge fine, confiscation of a part of land, decreasing rank and 5 years of penitence. The duke¡¯s only son inherited the remaining rank and property.


    ¡°¡­.Ah, speak of the devil. He is here.¡±


    Weigraf¡¯s gaze shifted towards the entrance of the hall. Following him, I also turned to look that way and saw a tall and slender man on the other side of the imperial guards.


    His face was disturbingly similar to his father. But maybe because his expression didn¡¯t have any vigor, the impression he gave off was much different.


    ¡°Count Nordsturm has arrived!¡±


    And with the imperial guard¡¯s shout, the hallroom fell silent.


    And behind Count Nordsturm, who had entered the hall staggering, a shadow of one man followed.


    I felt trouble breathing.


    ¡ª-And the hall room was filled with commotion.


    The three from Einsbark family grabbed me from behind and pushed me to the wall and stood in front of me as if to hide me from that man.


    The man who was behind Count Nordsturm looked exactly like me¨Cthe man I faced on the day of the huge fire, the man who called himself my brother, Melchior.

 Ch 238

    hapter 238 Not even a skirmishI expressed agitation only for a moment but immediately forced it in.


    That man just glared, with disappointment in his face, standing across the three other men.


    Why? Why here, at this time? Why show up now?


    While my head tried to calmly read his thoughts, the bottoms of my stomach were burning up with emotions.


    ¡ª-You have some guts, appearing in front of me carelessly.


    Diferis. How can one forgive someone who cooperated and worked alongside that woman?


    As if he did not care the slightest about the nobles making a commotion surrounding them, Melchior looked around the hall.


    And then, suddenly fixating his glance this way, he wore a slight grin and looked slightly doubtful.


    ¡­¡­¡­That strange atmosphere eerily resembles my father¡¯s, which still remains in my memories. He even looks of the same age, making the unpleasant feeling even worse.


    ¡°Is that the one which came up in the talks four years ago?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    I answered Weigraf by moving my lips as little as I could.


    I shared the knowledge of Melchios¡¯ existence at the Jugnefa Three Territory meeting. Other than that, I also reported to Count Terejia but he didn¡¯t make it public.


    On top of that, it was during the time when the Kaldia territory was unstable. If possible, I wanted to bury his existence itself¡­


    ¡°What will you do?¡±


    The next question was from Count Einsbark.


    Not only am I grateful to them for hiding my agitation from the public eye there, knowing that he still wants to support me made my heart a bit lighter. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    They are being cordial. Well, of course, they also wouldn¡¯t want me getting dragged into anything bothersome as I am adopting Ergnade¡¯s son.


    ¨CNo.


    I was scolded by Ratoka for this way of thinking.


    This is¡­ kindness. I should just accept it, without being uncooperative.


    ¡°¡­..Thank you for your consideration.¡±


    Even though the situation is like this, I was also surprised at how soft my voice came out.


    I panickedly focused my energy again, thinking that it sounded a bit too lax. Since I didn¡¯t know what Melchios and Nordstrum were planning, it wouldn¡¯t be a good move to let loose.


    After all, Melchios has that appearance. Just by being there, he can drag me in as someone related to the incident.


    ¡°About that man¡­ it is vexing but, we know nothing.¡±


    ¡°Nothing, eh?¡±


    ¡°Yes. His status is officially under Nordstrum. Now that they have concealed that incident, we can¡¯t interfere, can we?¡±


    ¡°Right. However, if that¡¯s the case, you alone will have to deal with all the troublesome stuff from now on. Will you be okay?¡±


    Even Volmar¡¯s muttering easened the burden on my heart.


    Even though I have such little connection with him. Really, just how much will they accept me?


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for us to flinch.¡±


    And that is why, I must have them rest easy.


    Saying that in my usual demeanor, I came out of hiding behind their back.


    I noticed Melchios¡¯ eyes open a bit wider. Unfortunately, I haven¡¯t been brought up that poorly to be shocked that easily by such a surprise attack.


    ¡°¡­.Even if that man were the Kaldia family¡¯s illegitimate child, what can he possibly say to me, the current head of Kaldia Einsbark family?¡±


    And when I smirked, saying that, the 3 from Einsbark family also smiled.


    ¡°I see, certainly, that is something you have won yourself.¡±


    ¡°His Majesty has given me this honorable full name. It would be disrespectful to have my illegitimate brother call himself that.¡±


    ¡°In the first place, most of the property belonging to the Kaldia territory now are the assets you won in the battles yourself. Even if it were your actual brother, there¡¯s no way he could inherit any of it.¡±


    In response to their rapid succession of positive comments, I couldn¡¯t help but give a wry smile. Their daring smiles¡­ no, our daring smiles¨Cmust have looked quite arrogant.


    When looked at it like this, they might actually suit being my relatives just fine.


    Maybe seeing how little I reacted, the hall¡¯s commotion also died down.


    It seems Melchios was also planning to just observe this time as he immediately withdrew to an anteroom.


    Now then¡­¡­ This has turned into a situation where I have to make a move. I should be getting over these situations with ease too.


    Since he has shown himself here, it will turn into a game of balance between the nobles. The people supporting him are either people who still think of me as someone from the dishonorable Kaldia or that I am not suited to be the landlord and the head of the family since I am a woman and still a minor.


    As I pondered there with cold thoughts going through my head and acted like nothing happened, I could feel nostalgic, stabbing glances from the surrounding.


    Ah. Right, as I thought, I am more used to this.


    Having them think of me as weird is better than having to shoulder too much.

 Ch 239

    AkuyaBefore long, while the not so many attendees for today gathered around in the general hall, dinner was set on the annex hall next door.


    The seats had been arranged so that members of the Terejia house were set at the foot of the table, well away from those of the Einsbark house.


    Well, regarding my family name, despite having received my full name from my father, I¡¯m officially under Earl Terejia¡¯s guardianship. As long as we don¡¯t go public on the matter of the adopted child, my position will remain under the protection of the Terejia house until I am accepted as an adult.


    On the other hand, the adoption of that child will have strong public repercussions. Given the risks of a possible assassination attempt, we must carefully choose when to go public about it.


    ¡­ About that child, and about Emilia¡­ besides them, there are two other important things that we should pay attention to. The possible blood relation with that ¡°brother¡± over there, and the appearance of that spy from another country and her parasite of a companion.


    My head has grown heavy for quite some time. I seriously pray to God that they don¡¯t cause any further trouble.


    ¡°¡­ Oh, Countess Kaldia! So that seat was yours?¡±


    Just as I had sat down, I had to resist the urge to sigh as I was called out from the person sitting right across me.


    As I took a glance upon that person, I found a lady wrapped up in a full dress, which is a very unusual sight here, smiling elegantly at me.


    ¡­ I remember seeing her before. I also remember hearing that voice¡­ Certainly, there is a lady in the peerage that I have exchanged words with before, and that is¡­


    ¡°Lady Berendorf?¡±


    ¡°You do remember! I¡¯m happy! Even though you were just a little girl when we met.¡±


    Was that during my first trip to the Royal Capital? I met that woman when I accompanied Earl Terejia on his personal social life affairs. If I remember correctly, the men had gone on a trip, leaving us women behind to distract ourselves from boredom by drinking tea together¡­ or something like that.


    At that time, she was but a 19-year-old girl who loved to chitchat, but now she has completely turned into an adult. The boisterousness and eagerness of her face and tone of voice had changed and calmed down to match her age. Her smile had become more graceful, and it is with this grace and that she was smiling at me with her whole face.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while. To think that I would get to meet you here of all places¡­¡±


    Despite being a lady of nobility, up until now, she hadn¡¯t shown her face in the House of Lords. After becoming a widow, she had written up her succession to the peerage. Feeling anxious about being in command as a lord herself, she entrusted the management of her territory to her steward. Also, she must have been asking another nobleman to act as her proxy when attendance to the House of the Lords was necessary so far.


    ¡°Hoho! Actually, I remarried last year, you know?¡±


    I turned my view to the man sitting next to Viscountess Berendorf. He seems to be about the same age as her. If they¡¯re sitting here, could it be that they are from the Terejia house?


    The Viscountess poked the man with a folding fan, who then turned his attention to me. For a moment, his glance seemed scared, and after a slight nod, he remained there, looking downwards. Apparently, he didn¡¯t feel like having a talk.


    ¡°Hey, Vaine¡­¡±


    As one would expect, the Viscountess Berendorf had warned his husband about his attitude, but that didn¡¯t matter to me. I suppose there is no need to agitate such a frightful person any further.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Viscountess Berendorf. Moreover, congratulations on your wedding.¡±


    ¡°¡­ I offer my gratitude for your generous spirit, Countess Kaldia.¡±


    The Viscountess placed her hand over her chest and let out a sigh of relief,  seemingly unburdened of having to care for her husband. Turning again to face me, her eyes wandered around as if searching for the door back to the topic.


    ¡°I have heard rumors, but you have really grown into a really beautiful lady.¡±


    And just like that, for some reason, after she had earnestly said those mysterious words of praise, I spontaneously replied with a ¡°Huh?¡± with a stupid voice. Until now, I¡¯ve never had such flattering words like ¡®beautiful¡¯ said to me before.


    Or rather, were those words of disgust, as if I had obtained the feminine beauty of someone that¡¯s approaching adulthood everywhere but in her body?


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t you know? The schoolgirls down at the nobles¡¯ school are so completely fascinated with your good looks and your devilish charm that some rumors here and there began to sprout. They say you¡¯re like some kind of vampire that came straight out of a tale!


    ¡°¡­ Huh?¡±


    Wha¡­ Whaaaaat!?


    I cannot understand this at all¡­ or should I say, I don¡¯t want to understand it. My head feels faint as it refuses to accept it.


    In the battlefield, enemies and allies are familiar with the use of the word ¡°vampire¡± since they both use it against each other derogatorily. It would mean that I¡¯m some sort of monster that plays with her victims, and then mercilessly slaughters them in order to drink their blood. By no means should there be any implications about me doing anything such as deceiving another woman and ¡®drinking her blood¡¯! There cannot be anything like that¡­! sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Oh my, you do have no self-awareness whatsoever, do you? You slow lady¡­ I wonder if your military spirit is indeed too strong¡­¡±


    Viscountess Berndorf let off a sarcastic laugh as if she was shocked.


    ¡°¡­ You must have misunderstood that rumor, it has to be about someone else.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a shame, but there¡¯s no misunderstanding. That rumor is definitely about you.


    ¡­


    ¡­¡­..


    No, no, no! How did it turn out like this? Honestly!

 Ch 240

    Viscount Valendolf gazed at me with interest for a while as I remained quiet with all the bewilderment and astonishment whirling around in my mind. Before long, she broke the silence, saying, ¡°That reminds me¡­¡±, since she couldn¡¯t bear it any longer, considering how talkative she is.¡°Rumors have already started to spread, you know. At the anteroom a while ago¡­¡±


    With a clink sound in my head, I felt my mind changing gears.


    That was because the topic she brought up was something that needed to be dealt with and was far more comprehensible than some feelings from ambiguous strangers.


    ¡°Count Nordsturm¡¯s companion, you mean?¡±


    ¡°Yes. You know them?¡±


    The viscount couldn¡¯t hide her curiosity and bent forward. In response to that, I just slightly shook my head.


    ¡°No, not at all. As it was recorded in the family tree that all other blood relatives of this family were dead, I had not even considered the possibility.¡±


    I said out bluntly because the crowd was literally straining their ears to eavesdrop.


    Judging from the fact that it is turning into a rumor so quick, it can be said that this attracted that much attention.


    ¡°Ara. From the way you said that, are you thinking he is possibly a blood relative?¡±


    ¡°He looks that similar. I think it is more realistic to think that he¡¯s an offspring of the previous generation or the generation before that rather than just an accidental resemblance.¡±


    I shrugged my shoulders and let out a sigh. Even though my appearance in the mirror is also detestable to me since it resembles Orville.


    ¡°I agree. Then, will you welcome that person as a blood relative?¡±


    I felt the surrounding eyes gather at once.


    For just a moment there, the chatter died down.


    ¡°Yes, under the preface of his origins¡ª¡±


    ¡­.Such curiosity towards a poor countryside territory.


    Now that the war is over, even if they get involved with my territory, it will not connect to any profit. Their interest is merely for juicy gossip, and nothing else. And it¡¯s because I know that that I feel stumped. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°¨Chowever, if count Nordsturm or he himself doesn¡¯t wish for it, then I won¡¯t do anything. If he does join my family, then he will have to obey or even serve an underage family head. As such, since there is no evidence to prove his connection, I have nothing else to say to him.¡±


    I declared, clearly, such that everyone could understand, that I do not intend on giving up my position to anyone.


    As I just simply stated the facts, the surrounding people had already understood and lost interest.


    ¡­.I see. I guess having a good reputation isn¡¯t all bad.


    Up until now, most would have just thought like ¡ª ¡°but she¡¯s a kid¡±, ¡°but she¡¯s a girl¡±, ¡°that Kaldia daughter is cunning¡±. And what now? It seems my words are falling into their ears much easily now.


    Of course, a group of nobles were frowning but there¡¯s nothing to be bothered about. Stirring animosity or them laying bare their discomfort isn¡¯t anything new.


    ¡­There¡¯s no need to be frightened about something I am used to.


    Along with the cold feeling in my heart, I suddenly realized that I was evaluating people¡¯s hearts like that, and let out a sigh.


    ¡°Well then, as decided in the interim meetings held until winter, we will begin developing diplomatic relations with the country which we have friendly relations with from next year. Rindall Union Dukedom¡¯s counter will be count Juunas¡¯ territory and southern countries¡¯ counter will be count Freche¡¯s territory. We will allow the people permitted into the country to be active in the authorized wards. Is that okay?¡±


    In response to the facilitator¡¯s question, the House of Lords answered with silence.


    All dispute had already been boiled down and there was no one who would voice their displeasure at this point.


    That agenda was the last one. The House of Lords was done and the nobles started exiting the reception room in a crowd.


    Although the anterooms were also a kind of social meeting place, as there were a lot of people, many rooms were becoming empty.


    I don¡¯t know what Melchior did after exiting the anteroom but he didn¡¯t show up at the room Oscar and the others were in. No change could be seen between the two as they met up. Seeing Weigraf calmly walk behind me, I gave a slight strange expression.


    ¡°The meeting ended without any problems. Let¡¯s return to the dormitory.¡±


    I also added that I had some things to talk about after returning to the carriage, to which both of them slightly nodded.


    When I glanced back, Weigraf had already changed his direction towards his attendants.


    I see.


    ¡­I guess I need to think of a way to say my thanks.

 Ch 241

    Akuya 241Blood Relative Problem


    After returning to the dorm, the first thing I did was send out a few pigeons.


    And then, I got updated on Emilia¡¯s manner lessons from Mrs. Heideman while I was away, sent the revised education programme to Marquis Rittergau to approve and then called Ratoka after clearing out everyone from the room.


    Ratoka, who was desperately dealing with Mrs. Marshan¡¯s matter which was brought by Oscar and the others, entered the room with looking tired and asked ¡®what is it?¡¯ with a weird expression.


    I was at a loss for words for a moment. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    I wasn¡¯t sure how to bring this up.


    Even though I had gotten used to the unpleasantness of my blood relatives, I realized at this point that maybe Ratoka had not.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡­ Um, calm down and listen to me. It¡¯s about the person who might be your father¡­¡±


    At the end, I ended up saying it with a deep tone.


    ¡°¡­¡­.ha? ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­Eh, ha?¡±


    He looked like a half-asleep cat who had just slipped from a high place.


    Finding Ratoka¡¯s blood relatives was one of the things I entrusted to Oscar in secret.


    He doesn¡¯t look as alike as Melchior does but similar enough to pass off as a substitute. Although the tone details are different, the hair and eye color are the same¨Chair color aside, red eyes are quite rare.


    ¡°Orville Kaldia¨Cmy father, was attached to his blood relatives¡­ especially the ones who looked similar to him. He isn¡¯t the type of man to abandon you if he knew about you nor the woman who gave birth to you.


    Ratoka nodded as if he felt sick.


    I guess it is only the natural reaction if he is told that the chances are high that the previous landlord who traumatized him when he was young is his grandfather.


    It wouldn¡¯t have been weird even if he lost his composure. Well, I decided to tell him about it because I didn¡¯t think he would lose his composure.


    ¡­¡­¡­Although it might have been bad telling him about my birth. Well, I guess it would have been a hideous talk no matter how I went about it.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t look too alike when you were young. The reason why you started looking alike as you grew up is¡­ well, because you¡¯re a guy.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think that is contradicting with my looks?¡±


    It seems he was surprisingly doing fine as he replied impertinently.


    ¡°However, after knowing about Melchior¡¯s existence, I think the possibility should not be ignored. And so, I had Oscar investigate where your mother had been sent for ¡®work¡¯ but¡­¡±


    ¡°Oi, don¡¯t leave me hanging.¡±


    ¡°Well, our primary form of information collection was interviewing so it took quite a while before the burden on the people lightened but¡­¡±


    As I continued with a serious tone, I could see his eyes become still.


    ¡­¡­Seems like he is¡­ okay, eh?


    We have sure gotten strong, huh?


    ¡°¨CI don¡¯t know how Melchior will recognize you. To begin with, it¡¯s unclear if he even wanted to have you. However, going forward, you might encounter him.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I understand.¡±


    Ratoka slightly nodded.


    He nodded so easily¡­ does he really understand?


    Just when I was about to give him the look, his expression changed to a serious one and he continued.


    ¡°He¡¯s your enemy for the time being, right? If so, then he¡¯s my enemy as well. And that¡¯s fine.¡±


    He finished saying as if it was only natural.


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Well then, the talk is over with that.


    Just when I was about to say that, I suddenly realized that there was something I still hadn¡¯t talked about.


    ¡°Ah, that reminds me, this kind of confirms that you¡¯re my nephew but¨Cdo you want to take on the Kaldia name?¡±


    ¡°Wha?¡±


    ¡°What, you didn¡¯t think of it?¡±


    Ratoka froze for a few seconds with his mouth half open.


    Then, after blinking a few times, he said ¡®that means¡­¡¯ in a low voice.


    ¡°¡­..If that¡¯s so¡­¡­ I am¡­¡­¡±


    It seems this was more shocking to him than the fact that he has Orville¡¯s blood in him.


    His mouth opened and then close again. I could see that he was slightly shaking.


    ¡°I am¡­¡­ in form, your¡­¡­ adopted child then¡­¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess that¡¯s how it would be. With a bit meddling with the age, it will be like you¡¯re my adopted child and nephew.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­I, absolutely, refuse¡ª!!!¡±


    Ratoka roared and then smiled a little.


    We both are still childish in these aspects, huh?


    ¡°¡­Oscar. Leave the adoption papers I arranged for another year.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Seeing off Ratoka as he went back to his task, I gave a small instruction to Oscar who came in later.


    It might be necessary later. And it also might not be necessary. Well, I don¡¯t really mind either way. It would be a little inconvenient not having a double but that¡¯s about it.

 Chapter 1 - 1

    Inside my head, rather than whiting out, it was more like my head was being filled with darkness.


    Without hesitation, I sunk the hemlock into the pot of soup. I didn''t know what kind of face I was making or where I was looking at all. With leather gloves that were way too big for me on my hands, I thought it looked silly and felt like laughing at it.


    Although I cried when I first decided to poison my family, I have no more tears to cry now.


    As I looked at the finely ground poison while being extremely careful not to touch it, my head was completely filled with blankness, with no space whatsoever for emotion to get in.


    Luckily, on the dinner table was a large quantity of seafood and other delicacies that my vile mother probably got somewhere from unscrupulous merchants. The irony is, this was all supposed to be in celebration of my birthday today.


    I just happened to recognize a poisonous plant from my previous world, maybe the merchants that sold this food had tried to assassinate us, is what I thought people would think. No matter what, I probably wouldn''t be suspected due to my age.


    Viscount Cardia and his family that was famous for being villainous, all died, leaving their daughter Eliza who had just turned two as the only survivor. For the crime of poisoning the viscount''s entire family, a merchant who was once again famous for being villainous was executed.


    ¡­¡­And that is the story of how I, Eliza Cardia, succeeded the position of a Junior Viscount.


    Since hemlock is a poisonous plant that doesn''t take effect immediately, I thought that maybe someone would survive, but it seems my fears were unfounded.


    They either died due to a lack of oxygen caused by paralysis, or choked to death on hurl that got caught in their throat, or hit their head and died as they lost consciousness, there was a rich variety in the way that my family died, but the scene that my crime had caused wasn''t even able to traumatize me.


    In my previous life, hemlock had caused my younger sister to become hospitalized, causing quite a commotion. Because it almost killed her, it had remained as a frightening memory up until now, so it''s ironic that I''ve now used that memory to poison and kill others.


    It would be no lie to say that my mean, base mother was interested in nothing but money, and my father''s favorite interest was to see blood and pain along with contorted facial expressions, so this was their punishment. And since all my relatives were wiped out, as the only survivor of the Cardia family I inherited everything.


    Of course, taking my age into consideration, it was impossible for me to actually run the Cardia family, so this seems to have sown the seeds of a pointless power struggle among the conservative nobles in this country. Well, if they all crush each other, it might even turn out to be a good thing for me.


    Obviously since I was only a two year old infant, I wasn''t even considered a suspect in my family''s assassination even though I was the one who benefitted the most by inheriting everything, but of course I wouldn''t be able to take up the duties that came with being a Viscount immediately. For the time being, the royal capital sent someone to become my guardian.


    That the person who came would be more human than my father, was all I wished for. After all, if someone came here who was just like my father, then I wouldn''t know for what I even killed my family for. It''s not even funny to think about how rotten this country must be if that were to be the case.


    Although I don''t know if the heavens responded to my dearest wish, the vigorous elderly aristocrat that the royal capital sent to me let out a terrible wail at seeing the terrible state of my family''s lands and economic situation.


    From haphazardly stacked bills and debts, to the countless number of idiotic, despotic laws and higher taxes than permitted that had been enacted illegally despite the country''s national laws. The people in this domain had been under such a tyrannic regime that they were too exhausted to even complain. Meaning, the people in my domain are all tattered to the point of falling apart.


    I can safely say that hell would be something like this.


    Of course, I was powerless to do anything about this.


    Therefore, no matter how elderly my guardian was, until I became an adult, or at least until I matured and was able to provisionally take power, it is imperative that I rebuild my domain no matter how difficult it was. After all, that''s why I killed all six of my family members, my parents and all my siblings.


    Well¡­¡­ I guess, there''s also one more reason. And that reason is related to why I was able to carry out this assassination. Long story short, it''s because I''m someone who reincarnated into this world.


    Cutting to the chase, I''m able to recall that this world seems to be that of an otome game that I played in my previous world. Of course, I didn''t know this right when I was born. I figured this out when I heard a maid singing one of this country''s lullabies to me.


    The supreme power in the northwest of the continent, the Axia Kingdom. That''s the country I was born into, the country where Viscount Cardia''s lands are located. From the lullaby, and from day to day life here, I think that life here is similar to medieval Europe¡­¡­ probably. Well, I only have a rough idea of what that would be like.


    After all, I wasn''t that interested in history in my previous life, nor was I all that interested in foreign countries. But, I''m certain that there was no such country called the Axia Kingdom in my previous world.


    However, the reason why I''m certain this is a different world, is that this country''s name just happened to be that of one in a game I played in my previous world. What made me certain of it, was myself. Or more accurately speaking, it was the name given to me, and the way my family was.


    Eliza Cardia. Combined with the Axia Kingdom, that''s not simply a coincidence of European naming anymore. The unfortunate thing was, my name matched exactly with the name of one of the game characters.


    I hate this name, is what I first thought when I recognized my name.


    After all, it was easy to associate this name with the Eliza Cardia that had appeared in the game, a truly repulsive, villainous game character. The youngest daughter of the Cardia family, the family whose misdeeds piled up so much that they were eventually executed by the country.


    Even though she was born as an aristocrat, without even thinking about why she was allowed to have a higher position than commoners, she seems to misunderstand commoners as nothing more than garbage to be stepped upon, is the type of character that she was written to be.


    At first I thought it was just a coincidence, but after seeing the characteristics of my family, and when finding out that the name of the country I lived in matched the Axia Kingdom in the game, I had to admit it even if I hated the idea. Meaning, this must be the same Axia Kingdom as from the game.


    Then, what I immediately thought about was what would eventually happen in the game.


    The story was that the heroine would come over from the neighboring country to the Axia Kingdom''s school where many nobles gathered in order to find a marriage partner.


    Obstructing the heroine, I suppose you could call her the rival, as someone meant only to give the heroine difficulties, was the viscount''s daughter, Eliza Cardia, and no matter which ending you ended up on, her entire family would be executed. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After all, even if you take away Eliza''s actions at school, since her family''s crimes within their own lands wouldn''t change, the only difference between the different paths in the game was how fast they would all be executed, is what I remembered.


    I had originally borrowed this game from my younger sister in order to kill time, but now that I''ve reincarnated into this world I need to really think things through clearly.


    No matter what, I definitely won''t face a future like that in the game. With the current situation, I figured that I would eventually be executed.


    With that taken into consideration, among other things, helped me decide to poison my entire family. Something like a destruction flag, I''m going to utterly destroy it to the roots as early as possible.


    ¡­¡­As a result I feel like I''ve done something even worse than the Eliza in the game. After all, I assassinated my entire family. I don''t know the specifics of the laws in this country, but, from what I remember hearing about laws in medieval Europe, the crime of killing your family was said to be punished by quartering.


    Well, since I used poison, I might also be called a witch and burned at the stake.


    Since I have no intention of suffering through such painful executions, I''m going to take this secret about my family''s deaths with me to the grave.


    From now on, since I can''t do anything right now, I''ll just leave rebuilding my domain to my guardian, and it probably won''t be a problem for me to live quietly for now. Fortunately, it seems that he was even able to calculate how much money would be required to rebuild my domain, my guardian, the Senior Earl Terejia, seemed to be quite a capable person. My father can''t even compare.


    ¡­¡­Once I become the family head I wish I could change my name back to Maria, and as for why it''s probably because my personality in the previous life has greatly affected my life in this one. Oh well, countries like Austria and France don''t exist here.

 Chapter 2 - 2

    Two years passed. In just two years, my domain has changed greatly. Outside my window, all that I could see beyond the fence, was rippling waves of wheat. He''s done quite well in only two years, is what I was thinking, Earl Terejia can be proud of what he''s accomplished.


    Due to the despotism of the Cardia family, the people''s resources here had been stretched to the limits. Since my shallow father had been scared of rebellion, he repressed the people so much, that was the biggest problem of this domain. If they don''t work in the fields, then there will be less income. Even an idiot could see that this would only eventually lead to self-ruin.


    But, saying that my father did not completely understand the famine issues within my domain, might have been an exaggeration. He knew that repressing the people as much as he did would reduce income. Then, how did he maintain such an opulent lifestyle in bad taste?


    ¡­¡­When I learned about my family''s incredibly evil "source of income," I was unable to stop myself from throwing up at the bottomless pits of human desire and evil, even if he was my own father.


    Among the punishments for people in this domain, there''s something called forced labor. Basically, putting someone to work. With my common sense from the previous world, there wasn''t really anything like this in my country, so at first I was a bit confused.


    When my father started the forced labor system nineteen years ago, he would take girls from twelve to eighteen years old, and boys from ten to fifteen years old, and force them into sex service. Without sugarcoating it, he was basically treating the domain''s people as slaves.


    In the Axia Kingdom, "slavery" is considered illegal.


    It''s clearly stated in national law that slavery is illegal, but, it''s only there in the first place because the state church, the Ar Kusha church, protested slavery on a large scale. The actuality is that most commoners are under a system similar to slavery, called serfdom, in this country.


    Father, with his despicable cleverness, came up with this trick to get around the title of "slavery." First, saying that this wasn''t a demotion or a lifetime thing like slavery. Also, sending the gathered laborers to other domains to work as well. Calling this only as "labor" to the very end.


    In this country, no, on this entire continent, people are merely considered to be the property of their domain''s lord. This was considered to be common sense here, but I disagree with it. Meaning, a rental fee could be earned by loaning out the "property," it had to be concealed in this flashy manner, and nobody would blame my father.


    Since anti-slavery laws are strong in the Axia Kingdom, openly practicing slavery would mean getting exiled. Although Earl Terejia seems to have a strong sense of ethics, there''s probably corrupt nobles in other parts of Axia.


    Because this country has enjoyed a long period of peace, I wonder if that''s caused Axia to stagnate and begin to rot from inside. Unfortunately, I found out that "laborers" were dispatched to countless houses. And, even now there are still many laborers.


    These laborers are an example of the numerous despotic laws that my father enacted like vomit. It''s terrible. "Laborers" that returned from after pregnancy would be abused even more, increasing even further the amount of psychological damage dealt to them.


    Since they were under an unbearably high tax, many commoners were in the harsh situation of facing starvation, and there were so many famished people that improving the quality of life within my domain was slow progress.


    That''s why I''m saying, things are better already. Earl Terejia had put the safety of my domain''s people as his first priority.


    He started with the hunger issue. He sold off all the senselessly expensive stuff in the house. That''s good. I wouldn''t even know where to sell all these things. That money was used to provide free meals to the people.


    At the same time as distributing food to the villages, he also promised forgiveness to the villagers that had been forced into banditry by the terrible conditions. At this time I didn''t know it yet but, Earl Terejia seems to have purchased food and supplies from out of his own pocket as well. But, he calculated it as a loan to Viscountess Cardia in my name, is what I found out later.


    Next, he captured all the wrongdoers that benefitted from working together with my father. Since most of the Cardia family had been assassinated in a single day, they had all fled. I learned this after I started associating with other nobles. The reason being, they had taken what valuables they could with them when they had fled. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After executing the primary conspirators responsible and distributing their wealth, along with addressing the hunger issue, the people''s resentment towards Earl Terejia and me was able to take a 180 degree turn and view us in a much better light.


    After that, it''s just a matter of improving our popularity with the people in my domain. It''s a good thing that the people were so weak that they weren''t even able to consider revolt. Their bodies and minds had been completely in tatters, after all.


    And so, for the past two years Earl Terejia has worked tirelessly day and night for the sake of my domain. Looking at the golden sight outside my window, I cried a little at the knowledge.


    Earl Terejia is rather elderly. Rather, it can be said that he''s quite a bit older than the life expectancy in this country. It''s due to the standard of living. It''s not strange at all for anyone seven and older to die of something, and reaching seventy was about the limit.


    I could only watch such an elderly noble become more and more haggard with his work, while I was being taken care of by the nanny he prepared for me, Mrs. Galton.


    In fact, I''ve still never even spoken with him. At first, it was simply because Earl Terejia was very busy. The situation was that the people in my domain had to be managed and helped as quickly as possible. There was no time for stopping, his work arrived for him like angry waves crashing down. Earl Terejia himself had no time to spare to take care of children. And I was fine with that.


    I had no reason to complain.


    It happened that night.


    I was leaning out the window, looking at the clear, bright night sky and its sparkling stars with nary a cloud in sight. I didn''t really mean anything by it. It''s just that when I was looking outside earlier, I happened to want to see the stars later for some reason.


    "Do you want to go out, Eliza?"


    A low, hoarse voice that still had a bit of power to it came from beside me. I think I could liken it to rumbling thunder. Before I realized it, he had put his hand on my back and I felt a nervous feeling in my stomach, and my body was stiff with tension.


    I don''t know what the reason could be for him suddenly speaking to me is, since he''s never even said "hello" to me in the two years since he''s been here.


    "¡­¡­Why did you think something like that?''


    Although I knew it was rude to answer a question with a question, but the earl didn''t seem to mind, and looked at the stars that I had just been looking at.


    "Earlier during the day, I heard that you had been crying to go out."


    "Eh?"


    "I had been wondering if you were lamenting your misfortune at being unable to go out, but it seems that I was mistaken. Yet, child, why is it that when you have never even cried before today, that you would cry over something trivial that happened when you have such a lovely personality?"


    Mrs. Galton must have reported it to him, I see. While looking at the wheat shining brilliantly in the sun earlier today, I was indeed crying. My nanny must have seen me earlier today since she had been taking care of me for the last two years, and I''m like a daughter to her now. Oh, and, I suppose three and four year olds should have been crying more, eh.


    Since I''m able to speak, I also didn''t have anything to cry over or complain about, I''ve finally realized belatedly that it may have seemed a little strange.


    "Indeed, as far as I can remember, I''ve never left this house. However, I understand already that it''s out of necessity. I don''t have any special interest in going outside or anything like that."


    "¡­¡­"


    "Today¡­¡­ I was just looking at the wheat fields outside. It wasn''t that I wanted to go out."


    The earl who had been silently looking at the stars without speaking, suddenly returned his gaze to me. He was looking me straight in the eye, but I didn''t know what he was thinking.


    "The wheat is finally ripe, now. When I thought about that, I involuntarily started crying for some reason."


    And with that, the earl and I stared at each other in silence. His black pupils were still filled with a strong light in them, but I was still unable to tell what he was thinking at all. The eyes are supposed to be windows to the soul is what I suddenly recalled, so I started thinking about phrases from the previous world. If you gaze into an abyss¡­¡­


    "The abyss will gaze back into you."


    "Eh?"


    I was shocked at hearing something so unexpected, it happened in an instant. By then, Earl Terejia had already turned around and started leaving. Without saying anything else, the earl disappeared from my sight in the hallway.

 Chapter 3 - 3

    It''s been a few days since I turned five.


    It''s morning during what''s left of early spring. It wasn''t time for Mrs. Galton to come wake me up yet, I might have woken up because I sensed something. Something seemed to be abuzz in the mansion, I could hear the adults discussing something in low voices. I hurriedly changed from my pajamas into casual wear, and left my room as softly as possible. The hallway was still a bit dim and chilly.


    In this country¡­¡­ or rather, this area, the most common casual wear is tunics and dalmatics, they''re a bit too needlessly heavy for me. It''s such a pain to carry the hems so that they don''t make a sound against the ground.


    Originally, I''m supposed to stay in my room obediently until Mrs. Galton comes to get me, but today it seems like something is afoot. It should be fine if I just see what''s going on without being a bother to anyone. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This mansion is called the Mansion of Golden Hills, but given the Cardia family''s former predilection towards wild extravagance, it actually seems a little small in comparison. The name comes from the wheat fields under direct control of the family surrounding the mansion.


    In this domain, the areas under direct control primarily harvest high-priced wheat, while commoners mainly have to raise rye for themselves. But three years ago, these wheat fields had been a blighted wasteland due to a plague.


    It seems that in Axia, the residence of a lord of the domain is usually on the scale of a small castle, but since the Cardia family''s domain has been small and poor for several generations, they couldn''t afford to build something like a castle. And as for why my father never even maintained the place at all¡­¡­ He was afraid of attracting attention with flashy reconstruction.


    His hobby instead was to expand the dungeons as much as possible, really, he was the lowest of the low. He didn''t even consider that his own actions caused the people to resent him, leading to a loop where he would imprison more and more people.


    Because of this, the Mansion of Golden Hills was considered to be one of the smallest noble residences, split up so that the second and third floors had various bedrooms and empty rooms, and the first floor had rooms such as the drawing room and kitchen.


    My bedroom was located in basically the innermost part of the second floor, and even though the floor was decently thick, I could still hear a commotion from downstairs all the way from the second floor, so in order not to be caught, I quietly moved until the sounds grew louder and I reached the staircase.


    After all, it''s been the first time ever since I killed my family that there''s been such a large commotion.


    Hiding myself in the shadows of the pillars, I peeked from the staircase railings over towards the entrance. Both entrance doors were wide open, and several busy-seeming adults were bustling about repeatedly. They seemed to mostly consist of fully armed men, and the ones that were all wearing leather with no sense of uniformity, they were probably Viscount Cardia''s personal troops.


    The soldiers that were wearing metal armor, were probably prepared by Earl Terejia for some reason, or maybe even sent here by the House of Lords for some purpose¡­¡­


    Given that soldiers from other territories generally wore chainmail, it feels like the technological level of my domain might be almost one hundred years behind the other domains. Because of the House of Lords, the nobles aren''t totally isolated from each other, so a certain level of standard has been achieved across Axia, making my domain''s soldiers stand out as rather unusual.


    Once again, this is just appalling.


    Currently, this mansion is inhabited by eleven people, including me and Earl Terejia. My nanny, Mrs. Galton, my governess, Mrs. Marshan, the earl''s secretary, Bellway, the cook Nathan and the baker Olga, the maids Isadora and Phoebe, the gardener Boriswaf, and the maidservant Mary.


    The people that were usually still sleeping at this time were only me, Mrs. Galton, and Mrs. Marshan, while everyone else would have started working already. Anyways, I could hear someone''s angry voice without any hesitation to it coming from the drawing room.


    Even though I wanted to know what was going on and even sneaked out of my room to here, no matter how much I concentrated I couldn''t make out what was being said.


    I wonder if it''s better to give up and go back to my room. It''s probably almost time for Mrs. Galton to come to my room in order to wake me up. The thin clouds outside the window were beginning to let a few rays of sunshine through the dimness.


    Thinking while running my hand through my hair, I slowly began to return. Just at this moment, someone ran to the drawing room.


    Maybe he didn''t close the door because he was in such a hurry, or maybe he just felt it wasn''t necessary. Now that the door to the drawing room was no longer closed, I could suddenly hear a sonorous voice loud and clearly from where I was.


    "Here''s my report. Agil Irishettsu, stationed at Shiriru village, is reporting that the wolf dragon draconis has been discovered."


    ¨C Draconis? At the term that sounded out of place, I involuntarily stepped forward a bit. It''s a name I''ve only heard in fairy tales here, so I was rather tense about this. The strange name caught my full attention and piqued my curiosity, and I completely forgot about returning to my room.


    In one of my bedtime stories that Mrs. Galton had read to me, there were a few of them that could be counted as heroic epics. Something that didn''t change from world to world, was the fact that morality plays where monsters were exterminated were always popular.


    For example, the tale where the Ar Kusha church''s god, Kusha Fema''s servant Wetzlar defeated the giant evil wolf dragon and rescued his wife and daughter is famous throughout all of Axia. Really, this is closer to a myth than a fairy tale, but¡­¡­


    There''s also other stories like how the monkey sage and the ancient wolf dragon have lived for thousands of years, but this is just another commonly told fairy tale.


    According to it, draconis is a gigantic wolf with scales, with a snake''s tail, and wings on its back like a bat''s that allow it to fly.


    I had thought it was only a fusion of several beasts made from imagination, but it seems that wasn''t the case.


    The draconis actually exists. Come to think of it, this world isn''t only a separate world entirely, I finally remembered that this is also a fantasy world. If I think back really hard on the game''s information, the word "monster" did seem to appear several times in it.


    Of course, in the ordinary Amon Nor Mountains, it was said that in the farthest innermost portion of the Bandishia Plateau, they lived and ate the snow snakes there, but since I''d never seen such a thing for myself, I didn''t believe it up until now.


    "Anyways, something like the draconis suddenly appearing. Exactly what is going on?"


    "¡­¡­Somehow it happened."


    Since I slipped out from my room and heard about the draconis, Mrs. Galton had a strange look on her face but I somehow came up with a good excuse although I was rather ambiguous and vague. After all, surely I couldn''t tell her the truth about slipping out and what I just heard.


    Even in the afternoon, the commotion in the mansion still hadn''t died down. It didn''t seem like Earl Terejia was trying to hide the information on the draconis from me. He did seem to tell Mrs. Galton to not let me loiter around too close to the drawing room, but I stayed in the dining hall next to the drawing room and could still hear everything being said just fine.


    The discovered draconis was quite large. According to the stories I heard before, draconis were supposed to be rather similar to wolves, preferring to live in herds. That''s why the draconis from this village was being called a lone wolf.


    I wondered what exactly the draconis had come down especially for from the Amon Nor Mountains, to the place where humans lived. Since the mountains weren''t a fitting location for a domain there, there really should be no reason. Since they''re saying it''s such a large individual, I doubt it would have lost in some territory war amongst its own kind up there either.


    "Eliza-sama, it''s time for your meal now!"


    "¡­¡­Pardon me."


    There was too much to think about so I had lost sight of my surroundings while I concentrated. After a sharp rebuke from Mrs. Galton at neglecting my meal, I hurriedly stopped thinking about the draconis for the time being.

 Chapter 4 - 4

    My days where I still couldn''t go beyond the mansion or the garden continued as always with my schedule remaining the same each day.


    In the mornings, Mrs. Galton would come wake me up, help me get dressed then perform morning worship, then head to breakfast together in the dining hall. Mrs.


    Marshan would then teach me various subjects until noon, have a snack, then exercise in the garden if it''s sunny, or read if the weather is bad, then wash myself with hot water before having dinner, and then finally perform an evening prayer as well before sleeping.


    Because as a noble girl, my life was controlled and scheduled very tightly by my nanny, I basically had no free time.


    After the commotion caused by the draconis, the mansion eventually returned to life as usual. Mrs. Galton and I went on with our lives as usual while all the adults hurriedly bustled around, that is to say the event wasn''t able to change our daily routine. Earl Terejia was also directly passing me educational materials on culture and moral sense.


    One day early in the second month of the year, the mansion returned to being silent for once again. The adults that had made the mansion noisy every day might have captured the draconis, or maybe they''ve left for the extermination now.


    I received Mrs. Marshan''s lessons as if nothing had ever happened, and just like usual the three of us were eating together. Suddenly, there was a disturbance at the entrance, and the door to the dining hall opened. And then Earl Terejia came in, and even bothered to tell me personally to come to the garden to talk to him after I was finished eating.


    At first, I was wondering exactly what it could be.


    While I''m surprised that the earl had something to say to me, even more surprising was that the earl personally came over to inform me rather than having someone else do it for him.


    Ever since our first conversation that one night last year, I''ve had several chances to speak with him directly, but he would always wave me off with one hand. Because of that, I wondered if an emergency had occurred and packed a snack in a hurry.


    Even though I knew it was a breach of etiquette, I ran towards the garden.


    The thing in question he wanted to talk to me about, was about raising a baby draconis, it turned out to be something I completely didn''t expect.


    It seems that the draconis that appeared in my domain earlier had been a female individual looking for a place to give birth. The male was nowhere to be found, and judging from the fact that the female''s body was full of injuries, it seems that the conclusion was it had indeed lost in a territorial war and been chased down the mountain.


    The earl and his party had discovered the draconis''s nesting spot when they headed out to protect the village in question, but the draconis in question seems to have passed away while giving birth, leaving behind four baby draconis.


    Since the draconis is an extremely intelligent monster, if they are trained before they mature and get used to people, it seems that they can be tamed.


    There''s been no actual examples of this for the past two hundred years, but since it seems to have occurred once before, the story has been passed down.


    Because of my father, my domain used to have the worst public order in the land, in order to keep the peace, Earl Terejia had moved his personal forces here as well, and it seems that even if people did poorly in training the punishment would be light.


    From the kingdom east of the Cardia domain, there was a forest filled with monsters, and snow snakes would often come down from the nearby Amon Nor Mountains as well, so it wasn''t uncommon that there would sometimes be losses to some livestock. Since the draconis''s main prey was snow snakes, Earl Terejia decided to see if a draconis could be successfully raised to be used for the sake of my domain.


    I had no objections.


    Out of the four baby draconis, three had been sent over to the fortress along our eastern border with the neighboring country, Fort Yugfena. The last one was being held in Earl Terejia''s waist, and it was sucking on dog milk that had been soaked in a cotton cloth.


    Seeing the earl and his rugged face taking care of the draconis as if it were a puppy was quite a surreal sight to behold, I was completely lost for words when I had ran out to and arrived at the garden.


    Without minding the fact that I had a blank look on my face with my mouth wide agape, the earl simply explained what had happened, and he told me quite frankly why he had called me over.


    "Eliza, you''re going to be this draconis''s master. Take care of it properly every day, in order to get it used to you." Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I understand."


    During my conversation with the earl, I only had about two seconds of time to be confused about it all. Since he had just explained the situation to me, my reply was immediate. My head which wasn''t working quite yet decided on its own to agree for me, it''s probably better evidence than anything of the training I''ve received as a noble girl.


    With the aid of Mrs. Marshan who had quite a wide breadth of common sense and knowledge, I decided to give my astonishingly rare pet the name of Rashiok. It''s the name of the ancient sun god that was worshiped here in the Yugfena region. It''s now just an obscure fairy tale, in which the sun in the story claimed this name as its own.


    Once, a mouse took a bite out of Rashiok''s cheese sun, but the weakened sun will still help people in their time of need, is what I remembered Mrs. Galton saying before.


    Mrs. Galton had been born somewhere in the south southwest of Axia, I figured it would have been around the Greenfield region, but she really knows the Yugfena region''s fairy tales quite well¡­¡­ Well, because Mrs. Galton has quite a serious personality, she might have specially looked into the fairy tales here in order to adapt better to this region and show her commitment.


    Rashiok was a baby draconis that had just been born.


    Three months later after all the commotion from his arrival, Rashiok finally became able to open his thin eyelids.


    He would nudge me with his tiny nose whenever he wanted milk, and press against the cotton wool filled with milk with small, awkward movements, and whenever he saw something he would first point his not at all dangerous seeming nose towards it, it seems that the soldier in training Kamil who shared some of the responsibilities for raising him with me felt some regret towards this last part.


    "Even though he seems so cute¡­¡­"


    "Will he still be like that even after he grows up?"


    "Everything is cute when they''re small, Charlie. Even though Charlie is a chibi, you don''t understand the cuteness of small things, you must have lacked something while you were growing up¡­¡­"


    For some reason that I don''t understand, Kamil would always call me Charlie. I am a respectable noble with the title of viscount after all, so I tried to get the reason out of him, but he still wouldn''t tell me. Really, what a rude fellow. I''ll forgive any irreverence wherever there''s nobody else around, but it might have been a mistake to say that to him in the first place.


    Since he was to be my partner in this and I would be seeing his face every day, I thought it would be too bothersome if he was always respectful towards me and obeyed orders, but this¡­¡­


    "Because young ones are able to obtain the love of those around them while they''re still small, it means that it''s just a type of defense mechanism."


    "Charlie''s not cute at all when you say things like that."


    And so Kamil shook his head and sighed, seeming to lament something, when I heard the whistling sound of the maidservant Mary from the corridor to the garden. Since she was interested in our conversations, she would often listen in from time to time and laugh in amusement. I wonder if I should wish for a change of pace or some rest from this daily work I do.


    I don''t really mind being listened in on that much, but from time to time I''d like to listen in on something interesting as well.


    "If it''s just like that children''s song, I think that Rashiok might be able to move around by himself by the next full moon."


    "A draconis that was just born, will open its eyes during the night, and will run about and play during the evening, and will leave its nest during the night after three months. Counting the moons since Rashiok''s been born, and the way he''s been opening his eyes, it seems that everything in the song was correct after all."


    "There''s always been a legend around here of a draconis being a loyal guardian once, it unexpectedly turned out to be true."


    As Kamil got lost in his interest towards the draconis, I looked straight into Rashiok''s golden pupils. In another ten days, this tiny creature will be able to move around on its own¡­¡­


    To me, who had just been a baby, feeling like a pet to other humans while my destiny remained far away from me, I had fun watching his growth every day, because he didn''t have sight while young he seemed so cute and yet so lonely. I definitely won''t mistreat him, and my feelings just happened to match up with Kamil''s on this matter.

 Chapter 5 - 5

    "Don''t leave your side open!"


    In tandem with the unforgiving angry voice, my wooden sword was knocked out of my hands. My sparring partner Gunther, would not go easy on me at all. While holding my wrist which was numb from the shock still, I thanked him politely.


    Rashiok has grown to the point where it''s fine even if I''m not watching him at all times anymore, it''s now late summer. The barracks being built for the domain''s troops next to the Mansion of Golden Hills has been completed, Earl Terejia had organized the troops he had hired along with the original soldiers from my domain here.


    It''s quite some building they''ve finished here¡­¡­ It feels like just not long ago I was still watching its construction from my window.


    Right after the troops moved into the barracks, for some reason the earl had me start learning martial arts. In order to drill the foundations of how to use the sword and spear into me, a three month soldier in training course (for a noble) has been prepared especially for me.


    But really, I''m supposed to be a girl. I''m wondering if Earl Terejia has perhaps happened to forget my gender.


    It''s probably a standard part of noble education so there''s nothing strange about this. There''s no problem with this, but¡­¡­ A different problem is that I feel like my life may be in danger now.


    After I thought about it for a bit, I decided to do it.


    This barracks was decided upon in order to allow the Cardia domain''s troops to stay here at all times. Since it''s the Cardia domain''s troops, of course they were mostly my domain''s people. Meaning, among them were still people that hated my father''s blood to the point of wanting to boil him alive. Of course, they would include me in their targets to hate as well.


    They hate me simply because of my heritage¡­¡­ Those kinds of uncouth fellows.


    I went out from the mansion for the first time. For grave crimes, the place where you would get quartered became my first memory of a place I visited outside the mansion, so I wondered if there was such a thing as karma, just how bad my karma would be currently.


    Something even worse, is that more than half of my domain''s troops were originally bandits. I wonder if I''ll really make it to the end of my three month training alive.


    At least Kamil and Rashiok are with me as well as my caretaker and pet but, if I''m spoiled too much by Kamil it''ll probably cause my head to be separated from my body soon down the road, so I hurriedly dragged out my skills for self sufficiency from my previous life that I had almost forgotten by now after reincarnating.


    "March ten laps around here, and don''t you dare slack off!"


    "Yes!"


    "Do you remember how many times I''ve said it already, use your voice from the stomach when you reply!"


    "Yes! I''m sorry!"


    The jeers finally stopped after a while, well it could be worse.


    I had always been confined to a gilded cage and raised delicately until now, but this training to me caused me to throw up every night and become completely covered in sweat and sand and mud, although it''s difficult to describe completely with just words.


    Although my breakfast and light meal for lunch were properly prepared for me by the troops, at night I was supposed to provide for myself. It seems to be common training for improving survival ability while on the battleground.


    Night in the Cardia domain is long for lower-ranked soldiers that don''t even get candles. Since I''m also throwing up my food during training, at night my hunger would never, never end, but because my own weakness is the cause, I desperately searched for anything edible at all that I could gather.


    In my previous life I never wanted for food, and in this life I was born and raised in a noble family that didn''t lack resources either, so I''ve never known until now just how painful an empty stomach could be.


    It was good that Rashiok was allowed to help me, since searching for edible food with a five year old''s abilities was a bit beyond me. Rashiok was beginning to grow scales, and was the size of a small dog, and would roll around and enjoy our hunt for food.


    After I returned to the barracks, the "food" I collected would be checked for edibility, an actual soldier in training would have to check for poisons themselves, so it seems I was given preferential treatment in this.


    Of course, I was at least properly taught about the poisons that could cause immediate death.


    Although my stomach feels like it''s breaking every night, and even blowing bubbles at me could topple me over, at least it''s still been calm and quiet every time I visit the barracks.


    For a powerful country with no wars, it feels like they have an almost strange level of importance attached to the training about food. I wonder if it''s a relic from the time when they became bandits because of a lack of food¡­¡­ How dare them, something must be wrong with their heads.


    Is it that people''s spirits have become soft after developing civilization, or that they made this training for me because something''s wrong with them, I wonder which it is.


    Because there were many types of poisonous mushrooms, that was the first lesson hammered into my body.


    Birds and rabbits are commonly eaten by the people in my domain, but no matter how many times I tried to hunt them with Rashiok, we were unable to catch even one.


    There were only frogs with very little to eat on them, I learned that the bigger ones would be under the mud. Their eggs are supposed to be edible, but unfortunately it''s not the season for that right now.


    The snakes that I could find were all rather large, and I was treated to a snow snake recently. Since they''re the main prey for the draconis, its nutritional value must be high.


    Most spiders, even the poisonous ones, can be edible when cooked.


    Since many herbs are very poisonous and bad for digestion, eating them will be only a last, last resort.


    I collected a lot of fruits from various trees, but most were indigestible. Since they would come up again when I threw up exactly the same as when they went in my stomach, I quickly gave up eating these.


    What was easiest for me to capture was lizards. The drawback is that lizards must be cooked very well done over a fire in order to prevent parasites, but well, I''m learning now with my own body that humans are truly omnivorous.


    Since my hunting results haven''t been very good the past few days, the day before yesterday I tried boiling grass in salt water, and yesterday I found an out of season cicada, and tried some of the weeds growing all over the place. It turns out that young pampas grass is actually edible, who would have thought¡­¡­


    "Charlie hasn''t been to the river yet, eh. There''s always many insects, snakes, and plants there, and if you try hard you might even be able to fish something too."


    "That this grubby brat is actually supposed to be a refined noble, ten out of ten people probably wouldn''t believe it."


    All the soldiers in training are calling me Charlie. Kamil must have spread it without me knowing, or maybe it''s an old name for something in this region. I have no idea whatsoever if it''s supposed to be derogatory or affectionate.


    I wonder if they''re taking it out on me because I''m a noble girl and they hate the aristocracy, or if they''re getting along well with me since we''re all comrades that are in this together, sharing similar meals.


    Some days their attitudes would be as cold as ice, and some days they would be warm towards me as if I were their own child. Human emotions and feelings are so complicated that I don''t understand them even now.


    "The river, huh¡­¡­ Charlie, I think you know this already, but if you go there take Kamil with you." S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "That''s right. Otherwise you might get lost, and can''t find your way back, you''ll be crying!"


    The men were all treating me as a child with their language, and the soldiers in training were getting each other riled up with their playful banter.


    Well, it''s a fact that I''m technically still a child, so I just nodded without minding what they said, and just like always, the charm of a lovable child, which these fellows completely lacked, was able to cause most of these guys to fall silent in amazement.


    I don''t mean to blame anyone but, even though I''ve adapted to life in the barracks, I still haven''t gone out from the land under direct control even once. The land under direct control also included a small patch of woods and a pond.


    I haven''t gone out far enough to the point where the barracks and mansion would no longer be visible, since I had felt that it would be better to stay within vision of adults I could reach just in case some sort of trouble happened.


    "Oh, isn''t it about time for the kid to go to sleep? You''re going to be beaten up by Gunther again early in the morning, you know?"


    The oldest soldier in training among the lot, who usually didn''t speak up very much, raised his voice, and caused a bout of laughter.


    After breakfast every day, it was time for everyone to help out in the fields belonging to the area under direct control, other than me who would be useless even if I went to the fields, so I would receive swordsmanship instruction from Gunther, and my sword would be knocked out of my hands dozens of times, and after that I would be receiving training in martial arts and getting beaten up but not to a terrible extent, this has become the usual pattern.


    Since I was getting worn out and pushed to the limits by Gunther every day, I could feel the other soldiers becoming slightly less reserved with me. After seeing their enemy''s daughter getting beaten up and rolled around in the dirt so much, it''s probably a load off their chests.


    "That''s right. I''ll go to sleep now, good night everyone."


    I bid them good night politely, then slipped into my bed of straw. The instant I laid down, I could feel my consciousness slipping away from me and I fell asleep immediately.

 Chapter 6 - 6

    The stunningly golden wheat, and all the rye as well has been harvested, a silent winter was about to take over from late autumn here in the Cardia domain. My three month soldier in training course was almost over, and I''m also throwing up much less often than before. Every day, I would walk around with a hoe for plowing that was taller than I was, but for now, it was too big for me to even swing.


    It''s some sort of strange training that''s supposed to improve my physical strength and endurance.


    It happened one day right before I would return to my life in the mansion from the barracks. In the office of the domain''s lord in the Mansion of Golden Hills that I wasn''t allowed to step into until I completed my training course, right now I was receiving a personal lesson from Earl Terejia in front of four maps on the national situation.


    Earl Terejia has reformed the domain''s laws quite a bit, and in particular he wrote all of the laws pertaining to the domain''s troops himself. Before he came, it was like we almost didn''t even have a standing army. It''s because in my father''s entourage, as long as about ten people had weapons, that was enough for him to swagger about.


    After all, it''s stipulated that all the nobles in Axia are supposed to have their own forces. Of course, basically no countries would want to invade Axia, the largest country on the continent, and inside the country it''s been peaceful as well ever since the kingdom was founded, many lords'' armies were there in name only.


    It''s no exaggeration to say that the only ones with decent armies are the earls stationed on the remote borders.


    In the time of the Axia Kingdom''s previous incarnation, the Ar Kusha Holy Kingdom, we had already abandoned all policies of military aggression towards other countries. Currently, the borders with other countries were closed, and only those with a passport issued by the king were allowed to enter or leave.


    We have non-interference peace treaties with other countries, and there are friendly trade agreements to allow merchants with permission from the state to do business and international trade. Our country basically practices isolationism.


    As for the overall situation in the continent, the rise and fall of nations occurs very often with high intensity. The countries apart from the Axia Kingdom are basically always on alert and vigilant for war.


    Axia Kingdom is able to remain at peace largely in part because the other countries haven''t been able to develop beyond anything more than small countries. The power struggles between countries of similar strengths is keeping them busy, so none of them have the time to even do anything about the major power Axia.


    Among all this, as for why Earl Terejia has been raising an army in the Cardia domain, of course there''s a reason for it. It''s to guard against the countries in the east.


    "The Rindall Union Dukedom, is it?"


    "They might be changing their name to Rindall Empire soon."


    To the east of the Axia Kingdom, four countries have been expanding their territory for the past hundred years. It''s an alliance between the countries of Denzer, Planatis, Geograd, and Pamigran.


    Originally, there had been a country called the Rindall Kingdom that ruled over the northeastern part of this continent, but it split into north, south, east, and west, each ruled over by a duke, and each dukedom ended up attracting many people similar to the duke of each country, thus becoming their own separate countries with individualistic traits.


    Some time recently, there had been a movement to reunify the four dukedoms and to nominate an archduke as the leader of the four dukedoms. With that many people under their rule combined, it wouldn''t be strange if they changed their name to the Rindall Empire.


    Right now, the four dukedoms are small countries compared with Axia, but if they combine and become one country then they will become a great power comparable to Axia. If another country with similar power is born, then the predominant position that Axia has held onto for so long might be no more.


    Depending on the actions from the Rindall side, a war between the two countries may very well be possible.


    "Between the Cardia domain and the country of Denzer, there''s only the Yugfena royal domain. If a battle with Rindall begins, not only would you be ordered to the front lines, it wouldn''t matter even if you had no combat skills."


    Earl Terejia explained everything clearly and in extreme detail to me, while he marked places for me on the maps showing the northern part of the continent and the Axia Kingdom.


    With Rindall uniting together, that would completely change the power balance in the north. Axia would be affected the most directly, which is why secretly, the Cardia domain would have to take heed and be on guard as we were located in the east of Axia and close to the border.


    Because I still hadn''t learned much yet from Mrs. Marshan on Axia''s politics, Earl Terejia had to explain everything to me in great detail. Even though I had arrived at the office during the morning, it was already time to have a light lunch after the earl finally arrived at the main topic.


    "What I just told you about Rindall, you should think on it a bit yourself as well. At least, right after your upcoming sixth birthday celebrations are over. It''s good to be prepared early."


    Earl Terejia moved onto the main issue. First, he picked up a detailed map of the north, pointing out the borders of the Yugfena royal domain and the Denzer Dukedom.


    "Do you know about Fort Yugfena that''s been built along our national border?"


    "Yes."


    It''s the fort where Rashiok''s siblings are being raised. To the east, there''s a forest known as the Monster Forest, and it''s also a major export location for the grain produced by the Cardia domain. Since it''s not open ground and we have to go around the Monster Forest to get there, I''ve heard it would take about four days to get there on horseback.


    The earl pointed his finger at the northeastern part of the royal domain. He drew a circle close to the southern tip of the Bandishia Plateau, and kept tapping it.


    "Do you know about the nomads?"


    "They''re tribes of people that raise livestock and periodically roam. Is that correct?"


    "That''s mostly correct. South of the Bandishia Plateau, is a nomad tribe called the Shiru tribe. They should technically belong to the kingdom of Altoras, but because Denzer has conquered Altoras, they''re resisting against Denzer together with some of the farmers from the border."


    The earl pulled out the oldest map out of the four maps he had prepared, and showed me the area that used to be the former empire of Altoras. It''s a country that used to contain the eastern half of the Amon Nor Mountains, as well as the Bandishia Plateau. Its capital Remeshu had been located in the northern plateaus, but after it fell to Denzer, now it''s become part of Denzer''s territory.


    Altoras had originally been founded as a country for the Altoras people, and this included the Shiru tribe, and the farmers around the region had been accepted into the former country of Altoras as well, is what the earl explained to me.


    "Since Denzer now controls the farmland to the east, the Shiru tribe has been gradually moving westward. Right underneath the plateau, in the royal domain is where battle between the Shiru tribe and Denzer will most likely begin. It''s because that entire area is wide open plains. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Actually, it''s been reported to the House of Lords that the Shiru tribe and the farmers together with them would like to be accepted as refugees by Fort Yugfena."


    Since the Shiru tribe has less than one in ten thousand odds of winning, if Rindall unites together successfully then it''s extremely unlikely that Denzer will stand for leaving them alone. It''s been five years since the name Altoras has been erased from the maps.


    Since the Shiru tribe has resisted Denzer unsuccessfully for all this time, it''s very unlikely that they''ll now be accepted as citizens of Denzer.


    "Denzer intends to wipe out the Shiru tribe, and the Shiru tribe knows that they can''t resist them¡­¡­ is that what''s going on?"


    "That''s right. At this late hour, surrender is no longer an option open to them. However, although the Shiru tribe are few in number, they are excellent equestrians. It''s difficult to imagine that they will be completely wiped out before they reach Axia."


    With the fort so close to them, the Shiru tribe would definitely fight their very hardest ¨C if that''s the case, Axia might not be able to say it''s unrelated. The leaders in the Yugfena royal domain should think really hard about whether to intervene.


    "The leader of a domain''s armies is the lord of a domain. That means you, Eliza."


    Because I''ve inherited the title of Viscountess as a member of the Cardia family, that also means taking on the responsibilities that come with it. The Axian royalty and nobility that had gotten complacent in an era of peace, didn''t treat the talk of Rindall uniting together seriously four years ago, when I had just inherited my title.


    "It''s fine to leave command decisions on the battlefield to General Calvin, but at a very minimum you will have to be present in the fort. If defense of the fort becomes necessary for whatever reason, know that you yourself may also be required to take up arms for self defense. After you end your time in the barracks tomorrow, I will begin teaching you how to ride a horse."


    There was no room for me to agree or disagree with anything. I''ve always thought that the concept known as war was very far from me, but in actuality it was so close already, I looked silently into Earl Terejia''s eyes, and could only respond by nodding.

 Chapter 7 - 7

    Due to Earl Terejia''s financial support, the military barracks constructed here had a large bath installed in it as well.


    The bath was simple in construction, two types of water tanks were lined up against the walls, and either hot water or regular water would come down from them. The water source was the pond, benefitting me greatly, and its heat source was the kitchen stove. There was plenty of steam rising from the hot water section, so I might even be able to call it a steam bath.


    For bathing, we would use a washbasin and a hand pail. Wait until the water in the hand pail is at an appropriate temperature, and then use that to wash my body with. For the sake of injured soldiers with open wounds, lavender has also been put into the water tank, as a way of disinfecting the water.


    Since I used to often throw up over myself as a soldier in training, I would usually have to visit this bath twice a day.


    "Today''s my final farewell to this bath, eh¡­¡­"


    Today''s the last day of my three months in the barracks. It was a long time, but it also happened in the blink of an eye. I squeezed out the water that was soaking into my bathrobe, making it heavy, in order to help calm myself down. The bathrobe''s thickness was enough so that it wouldn''t be transparent after it got wet, but that also made it somewhat inconvenient.


    But after all, I can''t let myself be bathing in the buff here. I''m almost six years old and should have nothing to worry about, but this is the original me speaking. It also seems that nobles are supposed to keep up proper appearances at all times.


    "If you want to do something that a viscountess should be doing, make a large bath in the village, Charlie."


    While washing my hair, I replied to Kamil''s request halfheartedly with a "I''ll consider it." I wondered exactly how much it would cost, but since I''m not privy to the financial situation or budget of my domain now, I have no idea how to calculate it out.


    "I don''t think it should be all that difficult if you base it off the bath in Pactoshiki."


    "How am I supposed to use that as a reference. On top of only you knowing about that place, just exactly how much about that place do you even remember?"


    The place that Kamil had just mentioned was a country far, far to the south. I wonder just exactly how many people in Axia even know the name Pactoshiki. Because Mrs. Marshan is so knowledgeable about many things, that''s why I learned the name of this place as well from her, but why does Kamil know about a far away obscure place like this.


    "Well, you have a point. Because my father was from there, he taught me about it in detail."


    While laughing loudly, Kamil suddenly poured a pail of hot water on me. A large amount of the water splashed on my face, and when I glared at him reflexively, he looked back at me with a feminine seeming face and an innocent expression as if he didn''t do anything. This bastard, he''s feigning ignorance, even though he just splashed water on me, now you''ve done it!


    Without any maturity at all, I returned the favor by throwing all the water in my own washbasin at him.


    "You damned bastard, using your washbasin is unfair!"


    "It''s because Charlie started it!"


    "The one who started splashing with water was you!"


    The shouting and shrieking lasted for only a few seconds. A merciless fist descended on my head from above, and I saw stars in front of my eyes.


    "You''re annoying, you stupid brats."


    The fist belonged to Gunther who had come in to bathe without me realizing it. There was a visible vein popping on his forehead, and his irritated voice resounded throughout the bath. As a military leader known for not going easy even on the youngest soldiers, and with an imposing aura to go along with his status¡­¡­ He, he was, absolutely terrifying.


    "S, sorry."


    "This raggedy brat thinking she''s going to be returning to a noble''s life tomorrow, how thickheaded can you be. You better not get soft on me. I''m still going to be in charge of your training tomorrow as well."


    I involuntarily looked at Gunther with a shocked, idiotic expression on my face. From tomorrow as well, I wonder if that means he''s going to officially become my martial arts instructor. But I had heard from Earl Terejia that I would be beginning to learn ceremonial swordsmanship befitting a noble.


    Kamil next to me, despite the fact that he had been horsing around just a moment ago, somehow seemed to be quite relaxed already as he asked me in a raised voice.


    "Oi, what''s with your face."


    "Gunther-san, are you able to use swordsmanship for nobles?" Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Hah? Is that sort of thing even useful? ¡­¡­Ah, someone seems to have been called from the capital to come teach you pretty swordsmanship."


    So what this means is that¡­¡­ On top of having to endure Gunther''s grueling training, I''m also going to have a ceremonial swordsmanship instructor. Involuntarily, I became a bit dejected, and Gunther even threatened me with saying "if you dare to make a fool of yourself and throw up in front of whatever weakling noble shows up from the capital, I''ll let you know what death is."


    His facial expression, what is it like, um¡­¡­ a Nio Guardian? From my previous life''s memories that were fading more and more with each passing day, I suddenly remembered these Buddhist statues. What''s more, way too clearly.


    When I returned to the Mansion of Golden Hills the next morning, Mrs. Galton and Mrs. Marshan flew out to meet me. Was it true that I was made a mockery of as a soldier in training! Basically, an extraordinarily menacing atmosphere quickly closed in on me. In a way, it felt even scarier than Gunther''s face earlier.


    "I thought maybe you would be able to finally take a break, but to think that ojou-sama still has to go through such things!"


    The two of them did nothing but lament over the life I had in the barracks, making a large fuss and crying over it, and even more regretfully, Earl Terejia who had left the mansion earlier to perform a village inspection returned right at this time. No matter what he said to try and comfort the two of them, they would not calm down, what''s more it was like pouring more fuel onto the fire.


    How pitiful, how pitiful, they kept repeating this over and over again, but because I myself was satisfied with the results of staying in the barracks, there was quite a large difference in what we thought of it.


    "In order to succeed the position of viscountess, I believe that it was necessary for me to learn the proper skills to lead my domain''s troops. Is that so wrong?"


    "That''s¡­¡­"


    "Ahh ojou-sama, Eliza-sama, what kind of stupid things are you saying. You''re a girl. It''s inconceivable that you should be leading an army. After graduating from school, you should be getting married immediately, and it''ll be fine if you just leave the work of the domain''s lord to him."


    I''m too tired of this to comfort them, so I spoke bluntly and honestly about my feelings.


    Although Mrs. Marshan remained silent, Mrs. Galton only got worse and began countering me. Judging by her distressed expression as if she had just heard something incredibly shocking, she was entirely against the idea of women wielding weapons. I knew that the Cardia domain''s history considered women here to be only accessories for showing off a man''s power, but I didn''t consider that Mrs.


    Galton, who came here from another region to have the same type of thoughts as well.


    "Please calm down, Mrs. Galton. Indeed, while tradition dictates that the lord''s position is succeeded by a man, and war is also considered to be a man''s job, that doesn''t mean that these things have nothing to do with women. And even Mrs. Marshan has been teaching me some of the topics necessary in consideration that I will eventually officially become the Cardia domain''s lord."


    "¡­¡­Yes, that''s right. Although taking up arms is usually a man''s job, and women usually assist their husbands and leave running the domain to them, it might not always be a good thing, Mrs. Galton. The responsibilities that have to be carried out do not distinguish between men and women."


    In Axia, noble children were educated the same without regards to gender, and since it was required for the nobility to be smarter than the commoners, they would eventually be enrolled in school for compulsory education. However, the royal family has also abolished the position of the queen, and indeed society is ruled by men.


    But even so, it was allowed for women to inherit noble titles associated with domains, and there are female civil officials that serve in the royal palace as well.


    Teaching is also not a profession that is open only to men. To Mrs. Marshan, who has worked as a noble school teacher before for the government as well as currently being employed as my governess, she probably found Mrs. Galton''s point of view unacceptable.


    "In Greenfield, if a woman works, it''s said to be evidence that the man is worthless!"


    "That''s not the case in the royal capital. After all, women aren''t merely men''s accessories."


    "¡­¡­Since the matter at question is about me, please don''t quarrel. Regardless, isn''t arguing like this considered disgraceful for women?"


    While I do think that Mrs. Marshan was finally able to placate Mrs. Galton successfully, I feel a little left out even though it was all about me in the first place. Since Earl Terejia and even his secretary Bellway had left again in order to work on reinforcing the army, if things had gotten any more heated up I wouldn''t have known what to do.


    Since the two women had been glaring at each other during Mrs. Marshan''s lecture, finally the issue seems to have settled down a bit on the surface.


    "I''m not going to argue any more on this matter, but I''ll definitely be having a word with the earl-sama about ojou-sama."


    Although Mrs. Galton still seemed to bear a grudge and had to have the last word, the one who had originally tossed me into the barracks was also the earl in question. I can obviously see that it will be fruitless for her to speak to him, but I couldn''t say that. If the earl personally refutes Mrs. Galton, then she''ll probably have nothing more to say.

 Chapter 8 - 8

    Winter in the Cardia domain is very cold. Although the weather is mild from spring through autumn, since we''re south of the highest mountain range here, the Amon Nor Mountains, temperatures fall sharply during winter. Especially to the northeast, the river will freeze over as well.


    Since the Cardia domain runs longer east to west, it''s usually split into the southwestern and northeastern sections, and the villages are concentrated more in the southwestern section where there are many gently rolling hills.


    In the northeast there are many small lakes and rivers, but right now there''s an issue of how to best make use of them. In the past, it seems that people were able to fish successfully here, but because of father''s despotic policies, forcing people to work in the fields, currently the northeast is mostly pristine, untouched land. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Since Earl Terejia didn''t want to just leave this land alone, he recently decided to try and do something with it, but just building up entire villages seems to be difficult. Since the northeast is closer to the mountains, many beasts will be coming down from the mountains during the winter, taking that into consideration it''s a difficult location for people to be living in.


    "During winter, Rashiok sure is energetic."


    During my daily routine of walking Rashiok, Kamil smiled while he applied a hot bottle of tea to his cheek. I wonder if it was really that fun to sink his feet into the snow, Rashiok was flying about and jumping around on the hillside that had become completely covered in snow.


    Since the snow snakes which are his main source of food hibernate during the winter, I wonder if that causes him to be the most active during the winter.


    The snow that had been falling for the past two days was so soft and smooth, that it was difficult to walk. The woolen cloak I have to wear to protect against the cold is also annoying. It was already rather heavy since it reached all the way down to my knees, but since water from the snow was getting caught in the hems it became even heavier.


    It''s good that Rashiok seemed to be having so much fun, but today was cloudy and dim and the ground was slippery, and I''m really fed up with this biting cold. It''s the first time since I''ve reincarnated that I''ve experienced the winter outside, and I quickly assessed that I wasn''t going to get accustomed to this.


    Since the grain had been harvested, there was nothing other than the mansion and barracks to obstruct my vision, and the snow-covered, silent hills created quite the lonesome scenery.


    While chasing Rashiok and creasing my eyebrows because my eyes were smarting from the cold, Kamil would occasionally stop me from time to time if it seemed like I was about to accidentally leave the area under direct control. Because there was no signs or marks, it was hard to keep good track of distance.


    "It''s cold¡­¡­"


    "It''s fine to walk Rashiok for a little bit more. When we return, Nathan should have boiled eggs and soup prepared for us."


    Reflexively I had complained a little about the cold to Kamil. As the son of a large merchant that had been to many other countries, he''s surprisingly good at calming people down. I feel it must be the merchant blood in him.


    It''s very regrettable that his father the merchant has already passed away. That''s because Axians with information on other cultures are few and far between. It would have been nice if I could have heard stories about other countries as well, is what I thought, but there''s no helping it.


    Since Kamil had been too young at the time, it seems that he''s forgotten most of the stories about other countries. What bad luck.


    "There''s even boiled eggs, eh. How luxurious."


    "It seems like Claria village bought some chickens from the Henznight domain this year. If they breed them successfully, you''ll be able to have boiled eggs more often next year."


    "Ahh, I see."


    From time to time, Kamil was also able to share information with me that I did not know. He had originally been assigned to me from the domain''s army in order to help me take care of Rashiok and be my personal bodyguard, and after all this time being with him it seems that he''s actually a nice guy after all.


    Maybe it''s because he''s an excellent conversationalist, good at making idle chatter and gossip.


    In the Yugfena region, boiled eggs are supposed to represent providence, so they were usually supposed to be eaten on religious holidays. Unfortunately, the Cardia domain has currently lost most of its knowledge on livestock breeding due to my father''s fault.


    We had been relying on imports from other domains up until now, but this year, starting with chickens, we were beginning to re-establish our own supply of livestock. The plan for next year is to begin seeing what fish we can gather from the rivers and lakes in the northeast. The other project is to start seeing if we can begin to have the people in our domain raise crops other than grains.


    "¡­¡­Charlie? Did you start praying all of a sudden or something?"


    "It''s because I was welcoming the chickens that are being imported to my domain. Is that so strange?"


    "Ahh, I guess it''s fine. Charlie must be very pious."


    I shrugged in response to Kamil''s eyes which still had some wondering to them. Prayer, is usually supposed to be offered in respect to the gods, but the only one I''m thankful to is Earl Terejia. Unlike what Kamil said, I''m actually not a devout member of the Ar Kusha church. After all, I don''t believe in anything like the existence of gods at all.


    I had only stopped to think for a few seconds, but before I realized it Rashiok had already gotten several meters ahead of me. I hurriedly ran to catch up. Even if Rashiok can be a bit errant, he''s pretty smart and can find his way back to the mansion on his own, but if we returned to the mansion without him we would certainly be lectured by the earl.


    Without paying heed to us, Rashiok who had been playing around suddenly stopped. He plunged his nose into the snow, and was sniffing something. I wonder what he could have found. Then, he suddenly retreated and headed towards us while barking furiously, running through the snow with amazing momentum.


    "I wonder what happened."


    "Maybe he''s found something that can be food? On a hunt before, I''ve seen the ground move like that once, it had been a rizer."


    "Eh, rizer!?"


    Kamil''s voice suddenly became greatly frenzied. Well, that''s to be expected. The rizer is said to be closer related to a mouse than a mole, and it''s a type of gigantic lizard that lives underground. It''s also considered extremely valuable both as food, and as materials for creating weapons and armor.


    "Come to think of it, unluckily you weren''t there with me at that time. Because of that, two rizers got away last time."


    "Two escaped!? What a waste!!"


    "How do you expect me to catch a lizard that''s even bigger than I am? With my strength, I couldn''t even pierce one with a spear."


    "Well, that''s true, but¡­¡­"


    While we were busy arguing, Rashiok had been single-mindedly digging in the snow. Without hesitation, I used my hands which were covered in leather gloves to begin digging too. At seeing this, Kamil said "something like a noble girl digging around in the snow¡­¡­" but right now it''s getting to the good part, so I can''t stop.


    Besides, no matter where you look in Axia, where would you find a noble that''s eaten spiders before?


    After he joined me as well in digging together with Rashiok, progress went pretty fast. The soil was dug up in a few minutes, and the frozen earth beneath that took another several minutes. Then, my leather gloves touched the hard scales of a hibernating rizer.


    "It''s here."


    We dug up all around it until we could see all of it, and carefully examined our prey.


    "¡­¡­It''s pretty big. I think it''s about six feet long."


    "Let''s kill it now that we''ve dug it up."


    As soon as I said so, Kamil pulled out his sword from his waist, and accurately pierced through the rizer''s head with a single stab. I was a little involuntarily stunned as I looked at Kamil. The head had been sliced clean off the rizer. It should have been very difficult to kill the rizer off with a single attack. After all, his sword is heavy.


    If he goes too slowly, the sword might shake, and if he swung too fast the sword''s weight might have caused it to go off-track. That''s why it''s surprising that Kamil seems to have done it so easily. I don''t think even Gunther has this level of swordsmanship.


    "You''re surprisingly good at swordsmanship."


    At seeing me staring at him, Kamil laughed with an ambiguous expression on his face. From what I could see, he was merely feigning ignorance yet again.

 Chapter 9 - 9

    (This is Eliza when she''s young, at six years old. However, it''s a little rough because I drew it in a hurry¡­¡­ I think this hardened look is probably her most typical expression. She''s wearing the typical tunic and dalmatic that''s standard casual wear in her domain.) ¨C Author''s note


    With the coming of spring, it''s become a bit busier here at the Mansion of Golden Hills. It''s going to be my first birthday celebration in four years.


    In the Axia Kingdom, one''s birthday is supposed to be celebrated only during three certain times a year. After the fields are planted in the spring, during the next full moon after a religious holiday in the summer, or after the autumn harvest. Since I had been born during the end of winter, my birthday would be celebrated after the fields were planted in spring.


    Although in my previous life I didn''t really care about birthdays one way or the other, since the lord''s birthday is supposed to be celebrated by the entire domain, or simply speaking, it''s supposed to be an event to please the people in my domain. Under the pretext of celebrating, it''s also a way to hand out food, wine, and candy to my people.


    So that the people have their fun, it''s going to continue for an entire three days, and even though it''s rather bothersome to me, as the leading role I have to pretend to enjoy it.


    It seems that Earl Terejia is preparing most of my birthday celebration. Recently, I''ve had more opportunities to see him working up close. I''m actually wondering if it should be considered abuse of the elderly because I can''t help with the work yet. I would be very troubled if he dies from overwork now¡­¡­


    In the first place, after he came here and became my regent, he''s worked so hard for the sake of stabilizing my domain in order to pass on to me later. I wondered if it was really necessary to work so hard to the extent of wearing out his body. I know that he''s a bit mercenary and calculating, but no matter what, Earl Terejia has been a great help in rebuilding and reviving the Cardia domain for me.


    I really wouldn''t know what to do if he were to be crushed under his workload.


    Having said that, I don''t have the ability to take over his job just yet, nor is there anyone else that can assist him, so all I can do for now is cheer him on, meaning other than obediently receiving the education he prepares for me, I have nothing else I can do.


    As for the education he''s gifted me, the thing that stands out the most is equestrianism. Recently on the continent, strategies revolving around the use of cavalry have been evolving rapidly. Warhorses specially prepared for military use have been improved as well, it''s because of the recent invention of the easy to use leather stirrup becoming widespread.


    Large scale infantry combat tactics have been established since seven hundred years ago, while riding a horse was originally allowed to only military commanders, the nobles have begun to study cavalry tactics and incorporate cavalry soldiers in order to improve their armies.


    By the way, it seems that battles up until seven hundred years ago used to be leaderless groups of people battling other leaderless groups of people to the death. What''s more, the icing on the cake is that the first recorded army in history had been organized over two thousand years ago by the ancient King Iruhan of Inyatolisk.


    Inyatolisk had been destroyed long before an actual organized military system became widespread seven hundred years ago, when the Ar Kusha Holy Kingdom invented a chain of command system for the sake of national defense which replaced the leaderless mob battles that had been common up until then.


    Well, enough gossip.


    Since the Axia Kingdom specializes in defensive war, that''s why the kingdom''s policy is to avoid war.


    To begin with, the sea is to the north and west of Axia, the southwest has the Amon Karan Mountains and the northeast has the Amon Nor Mountains that have become our national borders, so of course there would be little need for cavalry troops in the army.


    The current situation here in the southeastern part of Axia, is that the Yugfena royal domain, Earl Genas'' border domain, Earl Ruktoferd''s domain, and Earl Freche''s domains are the only ones that have small cavalry troops. For various reasons, it seems that the House of Lords has been planning the expansion of armaments in the Yugfena region.


    And in the Cardia domain, since its army had been practically nonexistent, it seems that it''s been approved for us to attempt training cavalry troops on an experimental basis.


    Earl Terejia having been so passionate about strengthening my domain''s army, probably was because he knew about the expansion of armaments in the Yugfena region and the approval for the Cardia domain to train cavalry troops. What a frightening person¡­¡­


    Right when winter had begun, the House of Lords had decided to provide my domain with three warhorses to start with. It was scheduled for thirty more warhorses to be deployed next year. And so, sixty members of the army, would be divided into two platoons, and half of them would be used as cavalry soldiers at any time.


    One of the three horses that had already arrived, a relatively smaller gelding, was for my training. The other two horses were given to the high ranked military officers Calvin and Agil, that had been chosen to lead the cavalry troops.


    The horsemanship teacher that had been prepared for me was a retired former cavalry soldier from Earl Ruktoferd''s domain, and if he had time Earl Terejia would also sometimes personally teach me the best he could. Training for Rashiok who had yet to mature also began so I could ride him in the future, but because his intelligence was extremely high it seems like very little training was necessary.


    "Alright, this is fine."


    It''s two days after the full moon in the first month of the year. After the end of the day''s riding lessons, Earl Terejia made a sign of approval. My sixth birthday''s celebration is about one month away, it seems that it will begin flashily with me leading my domain''s troops on horseback around the villages.


    I still can''t ride on Rashiok yet as of right now, so for this time''s celebration it seems that he will have to stay quietly in the mansion while the celebrations are going on.


    "Thank you very much."


    Even though he was so busy, Earl Terejia was very passionate about teaching me how to control a horse. He''s dedicating this much time to teaching me all in order so that my skills can improve enough to the point of adequacy by the time of my birthday celebration. Since I passed today successfully, I started thinking about things and my head naturally fell lower.


    Then, I felt a hand patting me on the head for one short moment. Ah, when I realized it and lifted my head, Earl Terejia''s back was already departing from my sight.


    When I returned to my room, Rashiok was laying on the floor by my bed relaxedly. Although I thought it was rare since he had always been playing by the pond recently, when I think a little more about it he does intrude here quite often too.


    "You, came in here without permission again¡­¡­ Huh?"


    Since this smart creature can easily open doors, I wasn''t surprised at all to see him here at first. But, something was different today. Something that seemed like his skin was flaking off was on the floor by Rashiok.


    "W, what''s this? Are you sick?"


    Rashiok himself seemed to have a nonchalant expression, but I wonder if he''s suffering from some skin disease. I immediately made sure that there were no abnormalities in his smooth, scaly skin. His glossy scales were unscratched and beautiful, and if it wasn''t for the layer of skin on the floor around him I''d think it ridiculous that he was sick.


    Because I had no idea what to do, I called for "Doctor" Kamil. It''s best if I ask about something like this from him as quickly as possible.


    "I came because I heard that Rashiok might be ill¡­¡­ Charlie, he''s just molting."


    After that, saying something about how worried the expression on my face was, he couldn''t hold his laughter in anymore and exploded into laughter, holding his belly and slapping his knees, what a rude fellow. Although I said that I''d forgive his irreverence before, why is it that this guy is always inciting my irritation to the maximum level.


    To the point of even slapping your knees, don''t you know the damage you''re doing to me, as I got angrier.


    But anyways, so it was just molting. I had completely forgotten about the fact that snakes and lizards would go through molting. Since the draconis is mostly wolfen, I had never considered that he would need to go through molting like a lizard. Come to think of it, he has become whiter recently.


    Since he''s been left alone to do as he liked in the garden these past few days, I hadn''t seen him closely recently, but now I remember that he did look a little different when seeing him from afar.


    "It''s fine it''s fine, this is evidence that Rashiok is maturing properly. A draconis will begin molting when its body begins to grow. Anyways¡­¡­ if the stories are correct, Rashiok will eventually reach over three times his current size. He might be too difficult to use when he''s that big, huh¡­¡­"


    Indeed, it was already impossible to find dogs that were larger than Rashiok was. The cost of raising him has to be outweighed by the benefits. It would be unreasonable for me to raise him only as a pet. Rashiok is currently now large enough for me to ride on him without any problems.


    "I wonder if it''s possible to create a draconis rider team, on the scale of a small squad."


    "That, would probably be very inefficient."


    "But if I''m able to fly on a draconis, I''ll be able to secure air superiority." S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Eh, huh? What is that?"


    Kamil tilted his head with a puzzled expression on his face, but I pretended not to hear him. Air superiority, is what I had just said, but truth be told I don''t understand the term all that well myself.


    My previous life''s memories were fading bit by bit. Maybe it''s because my father''s no longer alive, so I don''t really mind, but if I sometimes let a word slip out that people don''t understand, it could be a problem.

 Chapter 10 - 10

    Did you know that the foundations of basic military training are equivalent to marching training? During my three months of living in the barracks, I had trained in this for hours and hours every day. The amount was so unbelievable that I want to throw up blood at the very thought of how much it was every day¡­¡­


    "Oi brat, your eyes are dead."


    The relentless verbal abuse from Gunther marching next to me barely managed to reach me. I had gotten lost in thought during training for a moment, at his sound I quickly corrected my posture and improved my awareness.


    There''s still two full moons until my birthday celebration, I''m now working hard at training for leading the domain''s army. Since I had to pay attention to both my horse and Rashiok, if I let my attention slip for even a little bit I would fall off from my horse. Today I''m not riding a small gelding for practice, but a large stallion.


    I had to concentrate with all my might to keep the stallion in ranks with the marching soldiers.


    "It''ll be better if you loosen the tension in your shoulder slightly. If the horse thinks you''re scared, it''ll look down on you."


    "Yes."


    Earl Terejia who was supervising the march rode up to me and offered a suggestion. Even though his horse was so quiet, mine was completely restless and shaking his head about. Since it would still be the same even if I swapped horses with the earl, it''s simply a matter of my lacking riding skills.


    It''s only natural, since I think it''s ridiculous to expect a six year old to be able to control a warhorse in active service, but¡­¡­


    To lead, I have to often give my horse directions to turn left, right, or stop, further increasing the difficulty level. Soldiers were escorting me to the front, left, and right, and behind me were forty soldiers in rank and file. It was also hard to match their timing. I wish this was only a marching band.


    ¡­¡­I wonder why I suddenly remembered such a thing. I have no idea how memory recollection works.


    We arrived at our target location, and then began heading back towards the Mansion of Golden Hills in order to restock up on our water supply. Because we had already made three round trips, both people and horses were at their limits, when the earl dismissed us it seemed like everyone half collapsed, it was like we were all crawling back to the barracks.


    But even so we''re going to have to get ready for this all over again tomorrow, what actual soldiers do is really quite amazing.


    "Welcome back."


    I was greeted by Kamil who had left during our second round trip to run errands, and right when I entered the mansion, I heard the earl calling for me, saying "when you''re done cleaning yourself up and changing, come to the drawing room." S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    To be called to the drawing room at this time¡­¡­ There''s probably around an eighty percent chance that it''s a guest that''s come early for my birthday celebration. The other twenty percent is that the earl is having me greet his guest.


    I hurriedly wiped down my body, changed my clothes, and fixed my hairstyle as directed, then headed for the drawing room. Since my room had already been well prepared with a washbasin of hot water and a towel and clean clothes in advance, it was nice that I only had to move mechanically like a robot.


    "I''ve made you wait."


    "Ahh, perfect timing. The introductions were just finishing up."


    Kamil had been waiting for me in front of the drawing room, and after he checked my appearance, he knocked on the door to the drawing room. Eliza-sama has arrived, please enter, the door opened right after that short exchange.


    I was immediately ambushed by a strange sensation.


    Sitting across from Earl Terejia on a couch for visitors, was an elderly man who looked just like the earl. His clothes, facial expression, and hairstyle were different, but there was no mistaking how similar their features were. In surprise at how alike they looked, I couldn''t help looking him up and down.


    "Marquis, this here is Viscountess Eliza-dono. Lady Eliza, this here is Senior Marquis Rittergau. He is my older brother."


    The earl smoothly introduced his guest this way. Even though they were relatives and looked alike, I still felt like something was off. I felt like something dangerous I couldn''t see was in the air, perhaps it''s like this between noble relatives.


    "I believe this is our first meeting, Viscountess Eliza. My name is Radian Terejia Rittergau."


    "It''s an honor to meet you, Marquis Rittergau. Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Eliza Cardia."


    Compared to the earl who always had a stern look to his face, Marquis Rittergau had a nice smile that made him seem like a good-natured grandfather. ¨C I immediately noticed that his smile seemed to contain something terribly cold. His eyes weren''t smiling in the slightest.


    As if observing me, he looked over me from top to bottom with his sharp gaze, then he seemed to lose interest in me and looked over at the earl again.


    But anyways, so Marquis Rittergau had been Earl Terejia''s older brother. I wonder why I haven''t heard they were related before, as I pulled on my right cheek and thought things over.


    Senior Marquis Rittergau. A prestigious noble who was the prime minister of the Axia Kingdom, as well as the head of the Terejia family. An aristocrat who had been bestowed a name from the king.


    ¡­¡­So his younger brother had been the earl. It seems that my guardian has someone quite powerful behind him. Since the Terejia family is a large family with eleven branch families, I had thought that someone who would be sent here to the countryside would have been from one of the minor branch families.


    Even though he''s the younger brother of the family head, the earl didn''t set up his own family branch, nor does he have lands of his own despite being so talented, it feels like there''s something to be concerned about if that''s the case. However, I''m not going to simply stick my neck out and pry into the situation. What I should do is leave it alone, since my powers are limited.


    I don''t even have anything to do with the Terejia family issues to begin with.


    Yep, as I nodded to myself and decided upon that in my mind, I listened obediently to the Terejia brothers'' conversation. Everything they talked about was something interesting and not boring at all, but the fact that they talked about nothing important whatsoever is what''s fearsome about these elderly nobles.


    There was always a beautiful response to the previous person that wouldn''t offend, and there was no place for me in the conversation at all. However, it was very educational for my conversational skills.


    As the earl''s older brother, Marquis Rittergau''s age was considerably shocking in the Axia Kingdom, and his presence and demeanor were quite powerful. I feel like the upper echelons of Axian society are making the elderly work too hard. It seems that he''s visiting from the royal capital for two days, and that he''ll be returning tomorrow.


    Although I know that the prime minister probably doesn''t have much free time, wouldn''t it be better for his body to work a little less and relax a bit, I wonder. Although with the type of person he is, he would probably find that kind of thinking an unnecessary bother.


    ¨C That night. Marquis Rittergau, much like his brother had done before, approached me while I was standing by the window. The starry night sky appeared distorted through the thick panes of colorless stained glass.


    "Aren''t you cold, Viscountess Cardia?"


    Calling me "Viscountess Cardia" while I didn''t know his intentions, just that alone was to enough to make goosebumps run down my flesh and for me to fully tense up.


    "It''s no problem for me at all. Since I''m still a child, my body temperature is higher. If I get cold, I can just ask my maid to start a fire for me."


    "I would be thankful for that. My old bones are weak against the cold."


    Even though he said that, Marquis Rittergau showed no signs of intending to leave. I wonder if he has something he wants to discuss with me. Even though I''m only a mere child, does the super big shot Marquis Rittergau have something to say to me?


    I can''t conceal how tense I am. It''s better to let it show, rather than trying to pretend at being natural. Since I''m only a six year old child, he''ll probably think something like "she''s nervous about manners around the important adult." The marquis wasn''t looking at me though, but rather at the distorted sky outside the window.


    "¡­¡­What do you happen to think that the nobility is?"


    He asked me a question after remaining silent for a while. Nobility. In my previous life, it had no longer been important. My fate now though, is that my life is both supported by it and threatened because of it.


    So what is nobility, I wonder. What to do, how to do it, and what it is. I want to know about such things too.


    "¡­¡­¡­¡­I don''t know."


    Although I tried thinking about it for well over ten seconds, I couldn''t think of anything to say that sounded like it fit. After all, my current position is as if it''s floating in space. Like a ghost in society, no matter what I said, there was no weight or power to my words.


    "So you''re saying that you recognize your own ignorance? ¡­¡­How wise of you to know that you do not know. There''s so many countless people that do not realize the ignorance of their own knowledge."


    I also don''t know the answer to that question myself, is what I heard him muttering under his breath.

 Chapter 11 - 11

    It was finally time for my birthday celebration, right when my fatigue had reached its peak from preparing for it every day. Starting from today, for the next three days it''ll be hellishly busy until I can finally take a break.


    "¡­¡­Stop laughing constantly."


    Among the heavily exhausted mood in the air, there was one bastard who was cheerfully laughing. It was Kamil. He was holding his stomach, laughing at my outfit. It''s so annoying, I can''t stand it.


    "But! ¡­¡­Ha, hehehehe¡­¡­"


    What a terrible bastard. So annoying. His voice is infuriating, and even covering up the sound of my own thoughts. Because I''m so tired, even the small things are annoying.


    But, the reason why Kamil was laughing so hard was because of the irritating outfit I had to wear. Everyone thinks that I look ridiculous so I''m in a bad mood. I wasn''t able to choose my own outfit for the celebration, it was something the earl had picked out for me.


    My hair was coiled in a bun on top of my head, with casual accessories and I was in elaborate, formal knight wear and a mantle. No matter how you look at it, it''s an outfit for boys. Originally, as a respectable girl, I should have been wearing a circlet and bliaud.


    "There''s no helping it. It''s the custom."


    Earl Terejia who was next to me said so in a subdued voice. The domain lord had to personally tour the domain while he or she was still a minor for the birthday celebrations. And, for the celebration, the Axian custom for nobles is to wear formal knight attire. If he hadn''t been dead, my father probably would have been wearing this.


    Up until now no young girls had ever inherited the domain lord''s position, so unfortunately I have become the first ever example. Earl Terejia still dressed me in the customary knightly formal attire¡­¡­ I guess this means that my birthday celebration will be done as if I were a boy.


    It''s finally time for me to get on horseback and lead the marching troops. Indeed as Mrs. Marshan had said so before, leading an army really wasn''t for women. Also, riding a horse in a dress would be disastrous.


    With this taken into consideration, I really don''t see why Kamil had been laughing so hard up until now. He doesn''t think that this formal attire for boys is unfitting for me. Rather, it''s something more like it''s too fitting.


    "It, it''s perfect on you¡­¡­ Hehehe¡­¡­ Charlie isn''t cute at all¡­¡­ Hehe."


    ¡­¡­It''s reversed. It looked much better on me than expected. Is that really so funny? Well, there''s hardly any differences between boys and girls when they''re six years old, shouldn''t it not matter that much what they wear? I feel like I''ll never understand in my life just what is it that this guy finds funny.


    Our parade that had left early in the morning passed slowly through the villages. The people were quite different from the last time I had seen them, when they were filled with eyes that had wanted to kill my father and his retainers. Although they still seemed quite poor, it was a longs ways off from the unimaginable time when they were nothing but skin and bones with empty eyes.


    They''ve improved thanks to the earl.


    However, the number of villagers that seemed joyed at seeing me were rather limited in number, I saw quite a few people who didn''t even try to conceal how much hatred was in their eyes directed at me.


    I guess they still can''t forgive the fact that I''m a Cardia.


    I didn''t let it affect the smile on my face, and continued leading the parade as I had practiced in training. No matter which village we moved on to, there was a complicated mix of feelings directed at me.


    I thought back to when the earl had just constructed the barracks. Now, the soldiers'' murderous intent towards me had faded, their attitudes toward me had gradually eased up from the point of seeming to want to tear me apart with their eyes.


    Much like that time, the people are taking out their hatred of my father through me. The eyes say what the mouth doesn''t, is a phrase I suddenly remembered. Everyone''s bitter expressions testified to the veracity of that phrase, as they couldn''t forgive me for being the daughter of that cruel, unforgivable domain lord.


    However, at the same time, they also seemed to be at a loss for what to do, and had expectations. After all, it was unmistakeable that my guardian Earl Terejia had been the people''s savior. Therefore, the domain''s people saw not only my father in me, but also the earl. And, because two opposites overlapped, they were lost.


    For the domain''s soldiers to finally look out for me, it had taken three months before they got used to me. I wonder how long it''ll be for my domain''s people.


    They can''t see the work that''s being done in the domain lord''s mansion. I wonder how long it''ll take for my people to approve of me as the domain lord.


    Although on the surface it appeared to be glamorous, joyful revelry, on the inside everyone was actually fully tensed up. There was nobody else who was going to relieve the tension. Otherwise, there wouldn''t have been a point to the earl''s preparing this birthday celebration. I''m a bit amazed at my own wishful thinking, but I still think it''s something worth doing.


    The final village we were visiting, Shiriru village, had a strange kind of tension to it as expected, just like all the other villages. No¡­¡­ The atmosphere seemed to be heavier in this village, to the point where I could feel like murderous intentions were stabbing at me through the air.


    Because Shiriru village is the village that''s the farthest away from the area under direct control, reconstruction has been the slowest here. In other words, the benevolent influence that the earl had was very limited.


    Although the villagers had made a sparse runway of flowers along the parade''s path, their expressions seemed more like they were cursing rather than celebrating, it was severely depressing. With the hostility of the villagers, I felt so tense that it gnawed away at me. To them, their hatred towards my father is not merely a thing of the past.


    It''s to the point where it''s like a lump lodged in their chests.


    "¡­¡­You alright?"


    Kamil beside me was worried about me and asked how I was in a low voice, but I only shook my head slightly in reply. Even though the temperature was still chilly, I had a bad feeling about things and sweat was trickling down along my cheeks to my chin.


    "I''ll report to the earl. We need to take a break after leaving this village."


    "Sorry about this."


    Even though my response was an apology, Kamil ignored my ambiguous reply and headed for the soldier ranks in the front where the earl was. I was slightly relieved that Kamil had showed some concern for me, and my breathing had improved without my realizing it from the shallow breaths I was taking earlier.


    At that moment, there was a sudden commotion from the people lined up towards the right. Right when I thought something had happened and turned to look, half of my vision turned black from a shadow hurtling towards me.


    "Uu!!"


    Along with a dull thud, pain ran along my forehead from the shock of the impact. At dealing with something unexpected, my body swayed, and I unconsciously grabbed onto the reins.


    Ah, when I remembered it was already too late. Since I had suddenly pulled on the reins, my horse neighed and stood up on its hind legs. I was being shaken about so quickly that I couldn''t see clearly, and soon, my body was midair.


    My back slammed into the ground, knocking my breath out of me. I couldn''t breathe due to the impact, and along with a strong ringing in my ears, my consciousness was fading.


    A large number of people were shouting something. In my blurry vision, I saw lots of metallic silver from the soldiers glittering around me.


    What had happened. A rock had been thrown at me. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Who threw it. The villagers. Someone from Shiriru village.


    Due to a lack of oxygen, I was panting. The soldiers had drawn their swords. The strained tension from earlier had been completely cut. Both soldiers and villagers were panicking.


    Don''t kill them, is what I tried saying. Since I was out of breath, my voice wouldn''t come out. I dug into the dirt with my nails out of impatience.


    Don''t kill. Don''t kill anyone. If someone is killed now, a grudge shall remain. I could hear the earl''s voice repeating this many times, although it was muffled and distant.


    That''s right. Don''t kill anyone. If anyone is killed here today, all the work that''s been accomplished over the past four years will be destroyed in an instant.


    Did my voice come out or not. I don''t know anything else that happened, as I just kept saying don''t kill them over and over again in my mind with my consciousness fading.

 Chapter 12 - 12

    "- Eliza-sama!!"


    As if I had just emerged from underwater, my five senses suddenly became clear all at once. The first thing I saw was Kamil''s pale face, then it was the blue sky behind him. At the same time, I heard a dozen people making such a commotion that I couldn''t make out anything that was being said.


    My head hurts so much. It especially hurts if I move, I wonder if I have a concussion. It''s quite possible because I fell off of my horse.


    "¡­¡­Kamil?"


    "Nobody''s died, or even been injured. With the exception of you. It''s because a certain someone was moaning don''t kill them so much."


    He immediately gave me a straightforward report, probably trying to give me peace of mind. For now, it''s enough that I know this much. Kamil wiped my forehead with a wet cloth using his fingertips, and looked at me in silence. I felt as sluggish as if I had just been sprinting with all my might.


    I''ve been transported without me realizing it, I seem to be lying down on a flat stretch of ground close to the river outside of Shiriru village. Judging from the position of the sun, it doesn''t seem like all that much time has passed.


    On top of my heart still beating like crazy, even though I had slammed into my back, I couldn''t feel any pain there. Although I had only remained conscious for several seconds after the rock hit my forehead, but leaving the village in all that chaos¡­¡­ It probably took a minimum of at least ten minutes. I don''t know what happened during that time, but it seems like nothing big or shocking occurred.


    As if to surround me, soldiers were resting all around me. I could hear the high pitched shrieks of children, but it was too bothersome to turn my neck.


    "Ahh, Charlie is really such a blockhead."


    "What''s with that, suddenly."


    After he finished wiping down my wounds, Kamil abruptly sighed. In this incident, I wonder if there really had been something I''d done that I''d be called a blockhead.


    "You''ve been clawing really hard. This is going to hurt later."


    Kamil pointed at my left hand which he had just wiped as he said so. ¡­¡­Come to think of it, rather than pain, it does seem like there''s a sense of discomfort. I had probably used too much strength when I was digging into the dirt with my nails earlier. I really don''t have anything to say in response to being called a blockhead, because it was indeed a silly injury.


    "I''m going to go wash this cloth. Although the soldiers will be guarding you and you won''t be alone, you definitely can''t just do as you please right now, okay?"


    "¡­¡­Even without you saying that, I can''t even stand up by myself right now. I''ll behave and just rest right here."


    I watched Kamil leave with the cloth, and finally let go of my breath. With my back, fingers, and forehead, the pain was gradually subsiding, and since the chaos in Shiriru village had been resolved without a single injury, I was able to breathe a sigh of relief.


    When I had fallen off my horse, in combination with their accumulated fatigue and tension, the soldiers had completely lost their direction without leadership.


    If they had misused their military power and weapons, they might have affected others not connected to the person who had thrown the rock. If that had happened, the domain would have been endangered. Just because one of the villagers had thrown a rock, that would be no reason to indiscriminately attack the villagers under one''s domain.


    After four years of effort by the earl, the energy and willpower that father had sapped from the people was finally returning. However, the people still had a sense of distrust for the nobility, and especially since I was a Kaldia, their hatred for me continued.


    The people had survived the hellish man-made disaster wrought by my father, but it wouldn''t be strange at all if they had tried to take revenge on me and kill me, this territory is currently under a very fragile balance.


    Really, it''s good that nobody was killed. ¨C No, there might be one person that will be killed.


    On the other side of the soldiers that were resting, was a child who had been endlessly screaming and trying to escape from his restraints, causing a commotion. Even for the earl, he probably couldn''t predict a child''s actions. The rash behavior of children was supposed to be suppressed by adults, but not accounting for orphans had been his failure.


    By the time Kamil returned, my headache felt slightly better, and I was somehow able to sit up by myself. I stood up borrowing the strength of Kamil''s arm, and asked him to take me to the child who was crying and screaming. Although he frowned, Kamil lent me his arm without saying anything.


    The one who threw the rock at me had been an orphan from Shiriru village. The father was unknown, since the mother had gotten pregnant during "forced labor," and the child''s mother had been so upset about it that she had committed suicide soon after giving birth.


    I forced down my dizziness and nausea, and I looked straight into the child''s cloudy eyes. The child''s arms were being held down by soldiers, and was a thin kid in poor shape. The child''s malnourished body seemed even younger than me. In the child''s dark eyes, was unconcealable murderous intent and a desperate desire to break free from the adults.


    "Did you throw the rock, simply because I''m the daughter of a Kaldia? Or did you have some other reason?"


    "Why would there be any other reason!? It would have been better if you''d died as well four years ago!"


    The child shouted until even the voice became raspy and hoarse, sounding much lower than a child should. When I thought about how this was a legacy that my father had left me, I almost felt like laughing at the disgusting situation.


    In order to stop the raging child from resisting, the soldiers had pinned the child''s arms to the ground. Although the skinny child seemed like a withered tree branch on the ground, but there was no fear at all. How resolute.


    "What, you think it''s funny? You were only a baby back then, so you think whatever your damned dad did had nothing to do with you?" S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The child''s voice traveled low along the ground. It''s almost praiseworthy how clear the malice and murderous intent are. If it weren''t for the soldiers around, the glare indicated that there was a possibility of actually acting on it.


    "Is that really so?"


    "While you were drinking your milk and sleeping every day, how many people do you think died?"


    It should have nothing to do with me. After all, when I was two, I was being comfortably raised up by that disgusting excuse for a lord. If even that''s a crime, to the point of being hated where people think it would have been better if I had died, that''s so childish that it''s hilarious. Well, it''s as expected of a child who hasn''t even reached ten yet.


    In this world, the system of extending complicity for a crime to the criminal''s family members is used. For heinous criminals, the entire family would be executed, and even babies in different households, if they were nieces or nephews, would be included. Under that logic, it is indeed strange that I''m still alive.


    ¨C But, what of it. Since I''m currently alive as an exception to the norm, I have no intentions whatsoever of committing suicide because of drowning in guilt, or allowing myself to be killed by the people in my domain.


    "72."


    "¡­¡­¡­¡­Eh?"


    "From the time since I was born, I know about 72 people in this domain that have died. 23 died while being sent off as ''labor'' to other territories, 11 died of natural causes, and 6 have gone missing. What of it?"


    If the child really insists that the people that have died since I was born is my fault, I''ll just accept it for now.


    I had first recalled my previous life''s memories a bit before I turned one. Horrible things such as murder, everything rotten known to man were the foolish ideals here, I had spent a year watching the lives of the people being spent as if they were disposable consumables.


    After that is when I had found the poisonous hemlock by the edge of the pond close to the garden. The soup for the domain lord''s family had been placed in a corner of the kitchen for cooling after it was prepared, and there had only been two cooks left alive of the original seven in the kitchen, so sneaking in had been simple.


    The ingredients that father had collected for his own tasting, it was forbidden for the commoner cooks to even think of tasting them, and anyone caught would not be forgiven and killed.


    After I had obtained the poison, because I had hesitated about using it for so long, close to 40 more people died. That might be said to be my crime, but who''s going to know?


    "That''s, that''s!"


    "I''m alive. The fact that I''m alive means, I don''t want to die. Let me ask you back. Why do you think I still haven''t killed you yet?"


    I released Kamil''s arm that I had been supporting myself with, and pulled out his ceremonial dagger from his waist. Even though its thin blade was decorative, it was still sharp enough to slice through a person''s skin.


    In those cloudy dark eyes, I saw fear for the first time.

 Chapter 13 - 13

    "You probably haven''t even thought about the possibility of getting killed, right?"


    I grabbed the child''s hair and pressed it into the ground much like I would with an insect. After pulling away the hair and exposing the throat, I pressed the point of the blade against it.


    The child gulped down a breath. Even so the child kept glaring resolutely, how courageous for a child this age.


    "According to the words of the shrine maiden Xia Fema, sinners must be made to atone for their crimes with the appropriate punishment, in order to cleanse the soul of impurities. Then, how about if I immediately give you the death penalty here?"


    "¡­¡­If you''re going to kill me, stop acting so pompous and hurry up with it already. Something like that, would have been nothing at all to your mom!"


    Although the sentiment is admirable that the child was still so spirited while barking at me, it''s foolish.


    "- Put this child in the basement dungeons. It would be bad to spill blood during the festival."


    I returned the dagger to Kamil, and left the child''s line of sight. The child was somewhat clever and impertinent, but I know well now that this person''s just a simple child. Yes, and on the surface Kamil seemed obedient and respectfully lowered his head, and with his instructions the soldiers began tying the child up with rope.


    "What''s this! In the end, you couldn''t even kill me!"


    While twisting around and trying to escape from the soldiers, the child was still shouting. I ignored all of it, and called out to Kamil again.


    "Haul fifteen people from the village that have some relation to this child to the mansion. It''s fine even if they are children."


    "Yes."


    "Wh¡­¡­ What! The villagers have nothing to do with this!"


    The child suddenly went berserk in a frenzy, and I laughed inside. Once again I ignored it, and I indicated to the soldiers that they should carry it out immediately. Before long, I could no longer hear the child''s voice due to a cloth gag.


    "¡­¡­What do you intend to do with that child? Charlie."


    Kamil held out his arm without me having to say anything, but maybe it''s because he''s interested or something, he asked me that with an emotion I couldn''t quite identify in his voice.


    "I don''t know the answer to that question yet, since I haven''t decided upon it myself. For the time being, I''ll talk about it with the earl first. We can''t have the original plans for the birthday celebration get even more off track."


    While being supported by Kamil, I headed for the earl who was only a little off in the distance from us.


    The soldiers'' bodies seemed to be rather rigid, as I took his hand. After witnessing my exchange where I confronted the child, staring directly into the eyes, sharp gazes were aimed at me. They seemed to be somewhat frightened and on guard against me. Perhaps in their hearts they''ve gotten farther away from me again.


    However, this would have been necessary someday. I can''t always be seen by them as a child that they can be overly familiar with. I''m not a child that they can get emotionally attached to, it''s necessary to make them recognize and admit me as their lord that''s supposed to be their leader.


    ¡­¡­Since it seems rather difficult, I''m getting a little depressed. I''ve gotten carried away by the mood, I wonder if this is fortunate or unfortunate.


    The sun indicated that it''s now sometime in the afternoon. We''ve finally returned to the mansion, and the soldiers'' eyes were shining at the feast that had been prepared for them. The first day of my birthday celebration is supposed to be for the people. The afternoon had been marching around the villages, providing the people with food and drink, for the sake of the villagers.


    At night, to thank the soldiers for their efforts, there would be a banquet at the mansion.


    Considering the incident that had happened earlier in the day, it was decided to end the festivities immediately after the customary gift exchanging. It would probably be good for the soldiers as well to end things quietly without a fuss.


    They weren''t drinking wine and remaining sober like children, looking down on the ground with cold eyes, it was clearly as if water had been poured over the mood of the feast.


    With help from Mrs. Galton, I changed out of the tight, formal knight attire and back into a comfortable tunic and dalmatic. The dalmatic wasn''t decorated with high class accessories, but it had a complicated weave pattern. The people hate it when the nobility are too luxurious.


    In order to avoid unnecessary backlash, the earl had decided to not use jewelry to decorate my outfit, but spent more money on tailoring the cloth instead.


    After I finished getting dressed I supported myself against the door, and raised my voice to Mrs. Galton who was tidying up my formal wear. Recently she had gotten worse about trying to make me into her idea of a traditional girl.


    In her home region of Greenfield, the ideal girl was considered to be a housewife that didn''t go out and work, and she seems to be seriously trying to apply that type of education to me. Although I am a girl, but before that the education necessary for a domain lord should be much more important.


    "I''m going out for a bit. Remain here."


    "Eliza-sama, where¡­¡­ are you going by yourself?"


    I pulled away from the hand that Mrs. Galton held out in offer to me, walked briskly out and quickly closed the door behind me. As long as I got a little distance between me and Mrs. Galton, she''ll never find me. She''d never imagine that I''d be going to the basement dungeons.


    The basement dungeons here in the mansions, had been wastefully expanded immensely by my father. Its area was about equal to the entire first floor. Since the stones here in the dungeon have had their fill of blood in the past twenty years, the air down here felt dreadfully gruesome.


    The stone walls appeared slightly wet under the light of the candle flames, giving an appalling reminder that these walls have been coated in blood many times over. It seems that the rough stone walls have been used in the past to "grate" people with.


    The child was crouching in a small individual jail cell with clean stone walls. In this dungeon that''s always dark even when it''s daylight outside, it would whit away at anyone''s spirit. After all, human beings are instinctively afraid of the dark.


    "Get up."


    At my sudden line, the child''s face raised in response. The expression on the child''s face was exhaustion rather than the hatred shown for me earlier.


    "¡­¡­What did you come here for?"


    "I''ve come to see you."


    The child''s voice had no more of the spirit from the daytime, it was slightly bitter instead.


    "You''re going to be executed as soon as the festivities are over. As complicity for your crime, the village mayor who had hired you, as well as his daughter, and the woman named Marley whose house you''ve been living in, and her two children as well are going to be executed along with you."


    I forced down the bitter taste as I mentioned the punishment, and my voice came out colder than I expected.


    "¡­¡­What, why?"


    "You ask why? What you just did was attempted assassination of Arxian nobility, since I''m the Viscountess and lord of the domain here. Adding in the crime of treason, you''re now considered a heinous criminal. Surely you didn''t think that this would end simply as a child throwing a rock at another child?"


    The child who was hugging their knees in the back of the jail cell was now shaking and started moving. Slowly crawling towards me, the child''s glittering dark eyes seemed like that of a specter''s. The child gripped the iron bars of the cell tightly, and focused on me with a terribly calm expression.


    "Even though you know that you''re a criminal, you''re going to punish the people in your domain to preserve your honor?"


    ¡­¡­At that question which came from such a small child''s mouth, I was both surprised and found it laughable. What a precocious child. This child''s head was burning with a sense of righteous justice, but a lack of knowledge had invited misfortune.


    "Is dying that scary? Or is it painfully tough that you''ve gotten those around you involved? Or maybe both?"


    I tried my best to repress my slight smile as I asked. The child was glaring at me with eyes that wanted to shoot me dead, but for some reason I find it rather fun.


    "You caused all this with your own foolishness. Your punishment is in complete accordance with the law. Maybe I should take up my father''s hobby and take pleasure in harming the domain''s people."


    "¡­¡­What?"


    "A country''s laws, is there to protect its people. That would include the nobility as well. The nobility aren''t regular people, they''re the gears that move this country. ¡­¡­If foolish people forget that and try to hurt others, this country could be destroyed. Such as my father." S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Since this child hasn''t received any education, I don''t know if the true meaning of my words will be understood. I wonder just how impactful the ideas I borrowed from my previous life would be as a test. I didn''t say anything else, and immediately turned around and left the child in the dungeon.

 Chapter 14 - 14

    On the second day of my birthday celebration, a priest from the church would perform a ceremony to receive blessings. As soon as their plain horse-drawn carriage arrived in the morning, just like yesterday, today''s plans went out the window.


    "This is¡­¡­ Faris-dono¡­¡­"


    As soon as he saw the priest get off the horse-drawn carriage, Earl Terejia raised his voice questioningly. Faris? The priest that was coming today should have been named Almenes. Even more surprising, was how shocked Earl Terejia had sounded at seeing Faris and the earl respectfully lowering his head. They must be quite a high-ranking priest.


    Just before the priest bowed, our eyes met for an instant. The priest''s pupils were absolute pure black, it raised goosebumps on my flesh.


    The priest was dressed in white priest robes and a veil, with a black shawl on the shoulders, and was holding a sword and staff taller than their body in their hands, both age and gender were difficult to determine.


    The head of the staff was decorated with a triangular symbol that represented balance scales, and the circlet that was holding their veil had an ornament that resembled having a third eye on the forehead.


    The balance scales were meant to judge a person''s good deeds against their bad deeds, the eye was a symbol of how the Xia church could see through one''s sins, and the sword represented punishment and order, and the god Misorua would give blessings.


    "Siegmund. It''s been a while."


    The voice seems a little too low for a woman, but slightly too high for a man. The gender is getting even harder to determine. When Kamil took the person''s shawl for them, although he made a mockery of what a page was supposed to do, even though I could see the priest''s shoulder line, as expected I still couldn''t determine their gender.


    "What happened to Almenes-dono?"


    "Around this time of year, he''s been busy everywhere helping pray for the success of the spring festivities. Because of his accumulated fatigue, I''m replacing him today."


    Their skin and face still seemed young like a teenager''s, but their tone and attitude seemed like that of an old person. But why is it that there seems to be no sense of incongruity.


    The two of them walked towards the mansion in silence. The priest named Faris had closed their eyes right after getting off the horse-drawn carriage and greeting the earl, without paying attention to me. Since even the earl is allowing this, I wonder just how high-ranking this priest is.


    There were distinctions between priests, monks, and other clergymen. Priests are given their positions by the king, and would carry out various rituals for both the royal palace and temples, they belong to both the royal palace and the church.


    Since the earl is ignoring the fact that this priest didn''t even deign to greet me, a Viscountess, the priest must be at least at the level of a temple head or chief priest¡­¡­ Comparing it with noble ranks, at least a senior earl in rank. I wonder why such an important person would take the place of their subordinate and come all the way out here.


    "When will the ceremony be?"


    "It''s planned for noon."


    Faris walked with long strides, at a fast pace. It''s impressive how fast the priest''s walking considering the difficulty of doing so with the length of the robe''s hems, and that they''re not walking so fast to the extent of being rude. Since I''m a child, sometimes people forget about that and I can''t keep up.


    "Until then, is it alright if I take a look at the garden?"


    "¡­¡­Of course."


    Earl Terejia glanced at me. He probably wants me to return to the mansion first. If the priest wants to see the garden, it might mean that they have something to talk about. Otherwise, since the earl probably has more preparations to finish, it might be better though if somebody else had guided the priest.


    Because of his status, Kamil hadn''t said a single word this entire time, and we saw off the two of them to the garden.


    In the Mansion of Golden Hills, there is no prayer room. Normally, it should be found in every domain lord''s residence, but¡­¡­ Several generations ago the Kaldia family head seems to have destroyed it, but because records of that time were few, no details remained. Because such a thing happened, I''m also interested in knowing why we haven''t been excommunicated from the church yet.


    Since there wasn''t enough money to construct a new church here, the ceremony this time would be performed in a small church that''s in the area under direct control.


    The servants in the mansion had worked on cleaning here, so the church was nice and tidy. Inside, it resembled the chapels in my previous world¡­¡­ I think. It felt a bit western and religious somehow, is all I knew.


    Although I feel like it resembles a chapel, I actually don''t remember most of the features in detail. After having spent six years already in a completely different world and culture, my previous life''s memories were becoming vague.


    In the innermost part of the church was an altar. The altar was also decorated with a large sword and scales, and the symbol of the Ar Xia church, the third eye, was drawn on the tiles of the walls.


    To me who had almost nothing to do with anything religious in both my previous life and this one, I couldn''t help but feel like this was all very strange. Or maybe it''s simply because the distorted light coming down from the stained glass skylight was too dazzling for me.


    White cloth had been used generously for my own vestments. Since it had been made especially for this ceremony, there were no decorations and it wasn''t ornate, and the length of my skirt and veil were just long enough to drag on the ground. I did my best to put up with the weight while progressing to the altar. There, the priest Faris was waiting for me with a staff and sword in each of their hands.


    This ceremony was attended by very few people as most didn''t know the details, it was just the presiding priest, the person that would receive the blessing, the person''s guardian if they were a minor, and a non family member as a "witness," were all that were considered necessary for the good of the ceremony.


    Because it was considered necessary for a person to eliminate their sins in order to receive the blessings of the gods, the ceremony also included a ritual where the sins of the person being blessed would be judged. That''s why this ceremony was highly confidential compared to the others.


    The state church of Arxia is the Ar Xia church. The sects belonging to this religion, are collectively considered part of the Xia religion. A millennium ago, St. Ahar had created the Ar Xia Holy Kingdom, creating the Xia religion''s largest faction, the Ar Xia church, and since St.


    Ahar had been a direct descendant of the Xia church''s founder, the shrine maiden Xia Fema, it seems that they often called themselves the orthodox church.


    Common between all of the Xia sects, were the concepts of sin, punishment, and law. In all the Xia sects, the holy words that the founder Xia Fema had left behind, the "Sacred Code," was treated as the holy scriptures of the church. This book had contained an advanced law system that''s being used even today, and keeping order in society and living life with reason and ration is what Xia emphasizes.


    The priest tapped me on my feet, shoulders, and forehead.


    "And now I shall begin the ceremony of blessing. Daughter of Kaldia, Eliza, raise your face and know your sins."


    I raised my head according to Faris''s directions. The dishes of the scales on the altar, the left one indicated sins, and the right side represented virtues, it was customary for the nobility with their own territories to put the "Sacred Code" on the left side, and grains on the right side.


    ¡­¡­That''s why, when I saw what was actually there, my breath stopped for a moment.


    On top of a piece of parchment in the left dish, was a sprig of poisonous hemlock. On top of the bundle of golden wheat in the right dish, was another sprig of poisonous hemlock for some reason. As if hiding in its shadow, a withered, tiny flower was there as well.


    My heart was beating so hard it was painful. I suddenly choked, because I had forgotten to breathe. I felt a shock as if I had been hit in the head.


    "The scales are tilted to the right. This makes up for your sins. Confronting your own sins shall be your punishment."


    My brain felt completely numb, and Faris''s voice swirled dully around me. Earl Terejia softly tapped me on my back as I just kept staring at the scales in a daze, and finally I was able to breathe again after having my breath caught in my throat.


    A sprig of poisonous hemlock had been placed on both dishes. Its bright green color attracted my gaze.


    Since when was it known? Why was it known? Was it Earl Terejia who knew? Or was it the priest Faris that knew somehow?


    At the fact that somebody definitely knew about my major crime, my body trembled. As if my heart was filled with ice water, I felt my hands and feet turning ice cold first instead of my head which was still numb.


    "Never shall you forget your own sins. ¨C Now then, you shall receive Misorua''s blessings." sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 15 - 15

    When the ceremony finished and I was allowed to leave, I immediately collapsed onto Kamil''s arm. What''s this, said the earl in an incomplete sentence as he met my eyes. As I saw my reflection in his quiet eyes, I forced a sound out of my throat.


    "Since I''m still young, this ceremony really tired me out. I''m going to get some good rest."


    From behind me, Faris''s laughter seemed to catch up to my back and chase me. I felt an uncanny sense of fear, and even though I knew it was unseemly, I clung tightly to Kamil.


    The left dish of the scales represented my "sins." That piece of parchment had listed the names of the 72 people in my domain that had died after I was born. And, the leaves of that poisonous hemlock. The people that I had let down, and my own parents and siblings. If that''s my sin, I fully understand.


    Since I had told them I wasn''t feeling well, Kamil bid them goodbye for me, and set a quick course back to the mansion in order to get me some rest as soon as possible. I didn''t the ability right now to think of anything, and I clenched onto him so tightly that my hands hurt.


    My fingertips were turning pale from a lack of blood circulation, and my nails that I had injured yesterday from clawing the dirt were beginning to hurt.


    "Charlie, calm down."


    As if he could see something was wrong with me, Kamil tapped me gently on the back. That prodded me to loosen my grip on him. I should stop hurting my own body in vain just because I was in a state of confusion, but I was still filled with unpleasant feelings. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "¡­¡­I don''t know what Charlie''s sins are, but your sins have been forgiven, and I''ve ascertained that you''ve properly received the blessings. Come on, take a deep breath."


    Alright, it''s fine, as Kamil shook my hand gently, giving some relief to the bitter taste in my mouth that had been spreading. Simply seeing me as a mere child and protecting me, his sweetness at this time made me think maybe he wasn''t such a terrible fellow after all.


    Even though my sins are rather unforgivable, that priest had said that my sins were compensated for. The church is in charge of the justice system in this country, meaning my crime would not be called into question after what happened just now. However, there had been nothing related to repenting for my sins on the scales earlier. The atonement for my sins might not be over yet.


    Since I was clenching my teeth too hard and the grinding was beginning to hurt, it jolted me out of this train of thought. Kamil kept tapping my back to help me take large, deep breaths, and I changed my line of thinking.


    So the crime that I''m responsible for committing is now known, but it''s unbecoming that you''ve become so unsettled over this, Eliza Kaldia.


    By scolding myself, I calmed myself down, and went over everything in my mind that had frightened me.


    The ice coldness I had felt during the ceremony wasn''t that strange, it was my brain sending orders to cool down my body as my blood was beginning to boil.


    It doesn''t matter who that priest is.


    The problem is whether or not that priest intends to do something against me.


    Nor does it matter if everything about me had been exposed.


    No matter how much they know, it should be fine if I just act like a child and pretend to know nothing.


    "Kamil, let me down."


    My voice sounded ice cold when I spoke. Kamil who was just about to enter the vicinity of the mansion stopped his movements.


    "¡­¡­Charlie?"


    "Let me down. I''ll walk by myself."


    I looked at the shocked-seeming Kamil directly, and as if he was flinching from me, he slowly let me down from his arms.


    "Thank you for your trouble in helping me. Sorry for showing you such an ungraceful appearance."


    I looked at Kamil whose eyes were wide open and mouth was silent. Amongst the greenery, his red eyes seemed jarringly unnatural, and were glimmering with a color almost like blood.


    I suddenly woke up, and rose up in bed. The water clock indicated that the time was about midnight. I have no recollections of having changed into my nightclothes. In the end, the priest Faris''s horse-drawn carriage had brought me back to the mansion, and I had been so fatigued that I probably fell asleep then and there.


    The side table by my bed had a silver pitcher of water and a plate of fruit placed on it. I only drank the water, and got down from my bedsheets. Even though my floor is carpeted, the cold still started transmitting from my bare feet. Night in springtime is quite cold.


    I put on an appropriate jacket and left my room. I headed straight for the basement dungeon. Why I was going there, I didn''t even know myself.


    The chilly stone prison was just like a coffin. While my father had been alive, this had truly been a place for the dead.


    I had a sudden urge to destroy this dungeon, but I somehow managed to calm myself down. Even though there''s probably no need for such an overly large dungeon, and it might be better to get rid of it, right now I need to cooly evaluate my actions and not give in to impulses.


    The child was in the back of the same jail cell as yesterday, and was sleeping in a thick and old blanket. How relaxed even though they might die tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. After thinking so, I was finally able to smile a bit.


    "Whenever I come speak with you, I''ve gotten into the habit of becoming overly prideful."


    I could take a high-handed attitude against the child that''s been imprisoned by me, but I could only escape with my tail between my legs when my secret was discovered by the adults, my own shallowness and foolishness made me angry. My smile that had appeared changed to self-deriding laughter.


    I gripped the cold iron bars so tightly that it hurt, and listened to the child''s sounds of sleeping for a bit.


    ¨C The poisonous hemlock had been placed on both the left and right sides of the scales. On the same level as the sin of killing my entire family, having removed my wicked family was also recognized as a virtue. Even though my oldest sister had only been twelve years old, it''s pathetic that people wanted her dead already.


    And now, when I''m only half as old as she was, people are wishing me dead in the same way, I feel like that''s pathetic as well ¨C my self-derision now changed into self-disdain after thinking about it.


    And then, I thought about the withered flower that had almost been hidden. The priest had picked a flower that was used for graves, what a terrible person.


    How rude to have toyed with my emotions like that. Having such an important evidence placed in front of me, I''d gotten distraught. What were the goals of the priest who toyed with my mind, and the earl who had allowed it? In the cold, dark dungeon, my head remained cool.


    Nobody other than myself knows about what I''ve done, so that means they have some way of revealing past sins, does this means I have no way of escaping from the atonement? ¨C Well, if that''s what they want.


    I thought over the events in the church again in detail. Thinking about it now, it really wasn''t something to have gotten so shaken up over. I felt angry, embarrassed, and disappointed about how distraught I''d been.


    The earl was probably disappointed in me as well. The fact that the list of 72 people that had died was there, was definite proof that he had provided that piece of evidence. At thinking so, my shoulders involuntarily dropped in frustration.


    "I''ve found you!"


    A voice suddenly spoke up from behind me, shocking me and causing me to tense up. By reflex, I reached for the sword in my waist. Oh, this voice was Kamil''s.


    When I squinted towards the dark entrance to the dungeons, in the dull light provided by the candles was the person I had expected.


    "I mean, Charlie. Such a childish thing like running about outside your room at this time of night, if you were going to do it, couldn''t you have started at an earlier age? It''s suspicious because you''re long past that age now."


    Contrary to his words, his tone of voice was rather gentle.


    "¡­¡­You seem to be confused, since I am a child?"


    "A regular kid you know, should have ran around, laughed, and cried more. You never say anything, you''re very observant, always obedient, and the fact that you can suppress your own feelings is incredible."


    Kamil didn''t hide his own incredulous attitude as he kept approaching me. Am I going to be brought back? I instinctively gripped the iron bars of the jail cell even tighter. I still wanted to think about various things here for a little longer.


    But contrary to what I expected, Kamil stopped once he reached in front of me and simply put something on my shoulder. It was a slightly heavy woolen cloak that worked well during the winter. My clothes alone hadn''t been enough to keep out the cold, but with this the cold air could no longer permeate through the clothing and reach my skin.


    "If I''m bothering you, I''ll wait outside."


    Kamil suddenly chuckled. Why is it that, my throat suddenly hurt so badly.


    "¡­¡­No, you don''t have to leave, won''t you stay here with me for a little while?"


    I had to squeeze those words out of my throat, but when they came out they sounded so soft and faint.

 Chapter 16 - 16

    It''s the third and final day of my birthday celebration. In the halls that were normally empty, and the garden were quite a few people I didn''t know. They were nobles from neighboring domains, and various nobles connected to Earl Terejia in some way. Although I know their names, it''s my first time meeting them.


    I killed my family at an early age, and I hadn''t even gone out from the area under direct control until the day before yesterday, so I had no way of getting acquainted with other nobles. Having so many people gather here in the mansion, it''s the first time that I can recall.


    From my second floor window, I could see a deluge of various colors. Since I''m still a minor, the earl is taking care of greeting all the guests. The invited guests were waiting in the garden.


    "That young man over there is Viscount Henznaut''s only son. And, the person next to him in green formal knight attire is one of Earl Genas''s sons."


    "They''re about at the age of graduating from school. If it continues to remain peaceful, it''ll be beneficial for us to have good relations with them in the future."


    Kamil stood next to me and helped me by providing information on the neighboring domains'' nobles, since he had served as the earl''s guard before during visits to other domains, he recognized them.


    The nobles from the royal capital were mostly lower-ranked nobles and nobles without their own lands, and having their children accompany them might be normal, but the smaller border domains'' nobles often had commoners accompanying them instead.


    As a respectable noble from the royal capital, Earl Terejia who had a history of serving in the royal palace, whenever he visited neighboring domains, just like how he would have lower-ranking nobles serving him in the royal capital, he would bring servants along with him.


    And, because there weren''t all that many chances to visit the neighboring domains, it''s really convenient how Kamil had gotten to go along with the earl every time.


    Since it was plainly obvious, no matter how dumb Kamil was, since he was my retainer, the earl must have been trying to train Kamil and give him some experience. Today he''s left Kamil by my side as well, which was probably something done on purpose.


    And so, while looking at the nobles from the window, the earl''s servant Bellway suddenly came up the stairs. This man is capable of appearing unexpectedly at random. I wonder if it''s a requirement to be able to walk extremely fast as the earl''s secretary.


    "Eliza-sama, it seems that everyone has arrived."


    "Got it. I''ll be there soon. Kamil, get Rashiok."


    "Yes, Eliza-sama."


    In front of Bellway, Kamil didn''t have his usual attitude, and I left him in charge of leading Rashiok. An extravagant mantle cascaded down from his shoulders.


    Today, just like always, I was wearing formal knight attire, and today''s was less casual and more formal than usual. The only slightly informal part was my longcoat. However, my mantle was heavier than usual, and annoyingly, I would become winded if I moved my upper body too much, but there was no helping it. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It would have been better if I could ride a horse like on the first day of my birthday celebration, when I had to walk, I suddenly felt my vexation increasing. I reflexively raised my right elbow to try and alleviate some of the weight, but Bellway softly chided me, saying "bear with it, it''s only for today."


    "Formal ceremonial wear is really so heavy."


    "It''s actually lighter than a dress. It''s because the undergarments are heavier."


    "¡­¡­"


    Bellway talked about women''s undergarments like it was nothing, to which I couldn''t reply and remained silent, as we headed downstairs to the first floor. At that moment, my attention was involuntarily caught by the face that appeared around the corner.


    "Ahh, Eliza-sama!"


    "Mrs. Galton¡­¡­"


    My voice sounded fed up, and although I wanted to come up with an excuse, there was no helping it. There was an abundant amount of soft, sheer fabric in her arms, and she was also holding onto a gaudy dress.


    Because today is the first day where I''ll be introduced to all the nobles, she had implored for me to at least wear a dress on the occasion, and had appealed over and over to anyone and everyone without regards for who they were.


    "Eliza-sama, ojou-sama. Please, please reconsider, if you appear in front of all those nobles dressed like that, isn''t that just like you''re declaring that you''ll be working even though you''re a girl!?"


    "And is something wrong with that, Mrs. Galton?"


    I''m really fed up with her gender discrimination. Naturally, my tone became rather harsh, and Mrs. Galton shrank back slightly from my pressure. I bet that Bellway behind me probably has a scary face as well.


    "Without a doubt, I''m the lord of this domain. I have no relatives, and I can''t afford to leave everything about managing this territory to Earl Terejia for the entire remaining time until I graduate from school. He''s already quite elderly, I don''t know when I might lose his protection."


    I don''t have the free time to continuously listen to Mrs. Galton''s meaningless petitions. Especially right now, when important noble guests are currently waiting for my arrival. It''s very regrettable that my nanny who raised me was unable to discern the proper time and place for things.


    "If that happens, I''d have to govern this domain and its people entrusted to me by the king all by myself. That''s why I''m learning. That''s why I''ll be appearing in front of the nobles as I am. Or, is there a problem with that?"


    "That''s¡­¡­"


    Seeing that Mrs. Galton was lost for words, since I was in a hurry, I talked over her as I passed her by. She''s become more heated recently. Since I''ve grown and her duties as my nanny have been significantly reduced, I wonder if she''s feeling frustration.


    Whatever the case may be, if she doesn''t calm down a bit, she''ll become more and more isolated within the mansion. It might seem odd if I try to seriously confront her about her views, but luckily Bellway feels the same way I do and keeps her in check.


    I could hear the band beginning to play their music. I stopped for a moment at the hallway door, to go over my appearance once more. Bellway reached out his hand, and slightly adjusted the position of my scarf.


    "Your sharp words just earlier, were quite refreshing to hear. If Eliza-sama really thinks that, the earl-sama will be pleased to hear that as well."


    "¡­¡­Because I returned with an injury on the first day of my birthday celebration, I think it''s made me more irritable. Mrs. Galton''s actions, in her own way, are out of consideration for me and my future as well."


    "Yes, that''s true."


    Bellway didn''t smile as he replied, and he entered the hall without saying another word, so I followed him without hesitation. When the doors opened, brightness filled the entire hall as lights were everywhere despite it being noon. I glanced everywhere around me, but could not feel any fragments of favor from their eyes. Well, it''s nothing to falter over. After all, it''s common to first meetings.


    I got used to it even though it''s unpleasant. As expected of the guests gathered by the earl, there was no rude commotion to be heard from them at all.


    Since it''s like this, while I can''t completely put aside the issue with Mrs. Galton, I decided to give up defending her. It''ll be terrible for me later if I''m inattentive and make a blunder.


    Earl Terejia brought me around, and introduced me to the noble guests. Among the Arxian nobility, there are customs and manners that must be observed when introducing someone to one''s acquaintances for the first time. It''s that I''m not supposed to do anything as the guest of honor, and someone else shall introduce you to everyone. Meaning, I was limited from directly greeting people.


    I was introduced to nobles from domains we had dealings with, domains that we could build relationships with in the future, our neighboring domains, and nobles from the royal capital that the earl has known for a long time.


    Since Kamil had been teaching me prior to this, remembering their names was a relatively smooth process. Guests from important domains that we would trade with such as Henznaut and Rogshia would have to be treated courteously, while I had to pay attention to not offend those from nearby strong domains such as Genas or Jugfena, it was quite tiresome.


    Among them, there was a young man who strangely didn''t seem disagreeable to me. He seemed young, probably just a little past twenty years old. He had snow white skin that I''d hardly ever seen since being born in this world, rare silver hair, and deep blue eyes.


    He must be from northwest of the royal capital, only the people from west of the Albus Mountains have such a special coloring, and my eyes were involuntarily drawn to him. He met my eyes, and broke into a faint smile. At his complete seeming lack of bad intentions, I actually started to think he was suspicious and only nodded back.


    "Kamil, who''s that person with the silver hair?"


    When Kamil took a look at the young man I was indicating at, he seemed to be a little lost for a bit, until he finally replied in a voice lacking confidence in the answer.


    "¡­¡­I think that''s Margrave Molton from the Foshubari region."


    Foshubari¡­¡­ the most northwestern region of the kingdom. Since it''s rather far away, I only know the rough outline of the geography in that region. He''s really come quite a long ways just to visit this backwater domain belonging to a junior viscountess. It takes almost a month to come here using a horse-drawn carriage.


    As a margrave, I wouldn''t think that he has all that much influence in the palace, so I don''t know why the earl would have invited this man here.


    "Would you like to go greet him?"


    "¡­¡­Nah, it''s fine."


    Earl Terejia hadn''t introduced him. Rather than spending time on him, I think I should be paying more attention to other nobles.


    And so I drove that beautiful silver color out of my mind, and went back to watching Earl Terejia. The young man continued watching me for a bit. I could see him out of the corner of my eye, he was the only one in this venue who had something like a slight, soft smile at me for some reason.

 Chapter 17 - 17

    Because an orphan from Shiriru village in the Kaldia domain had thrown a rock at Viscountess Kaldia, and caused her to fall off her horse, several villagers were punished and had to take responsibility.


    The child that was the actual culprit in question was tied up in a jute sack and thrown into a river, while those that hired the child to do it, the people that the child was living with, and various other villagers associated were flogged in front of the other villagers. That was the rumor that reached the capital soon after my birthday celebration ended.


    The Kaldia domain has no particularly noticeable features about it.


    However, the scandal about the previous lord Orville Kaldia''s atrocities, and the family''s deaths by poisoning in which only the youngest daughter survived, causing Marquis Rittergau''s younger brother to have to become her guardian, were some of the biggest events to be gossiped about by the nobles in the past thirty years, the gossipy nobles in the royal capital with too much leisure time all had their attention on the Kaldia domain. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "- and that seems to be the current overview of the Kaldia domain in the royal capital."


    "Thanks for your hard work, Kamil. Although it''s within expectations, that they even know about the orphan incident means that the House of Lords really has nothing better to do than pay attention to what''s going on here. It''s depressing to think about that."


    The other day, when the earl attended a meeting at the House of Lords, as part of the earl''s retinue, Kamil had went along with him to the royal capital for the first time. Even though I''m a noble, I still can''t go to the House of Lords as I''m only six. But this means that the earl finally intends to take me to the royal capital soon.


    The House of Lords, is like a government agency, which all Arxian nobility with peerage belong to. It''s the highest level government body below the king, and it can do various legislative and administrative tasks apart from judicial ones which are left to the church.


    As an aside, thanks to the existence of the House of Lords, there were very few other places for Arxian nobles to socialize. Very little diplomacy or politics was actually conducted there, it''s simply become a place for nobles to have fun and show off their power, far from the church''s values of being contented with honest poverty.


    "So that means Charlie''s surprisingly delicate?"


    "What''s this about surprisingly, how rude."


    Kamil was just as imprudent as usual, and I began to massage the wrinkle between my eyebrows reflexively. I had said before that I would forgive his irreverence, and since I had memories of a previous life, I figured it would probably be easier to put up with Kamil''s informal attitude rather than the alternative, I was finally able to organize my feelings recently.


    I briefly summarized what I had heard from Kamil and jotted it down on a piece of parchment, sorted it away simply on my writing desk, and got up from my chair. The sunlight shining through the thick window panes felt so warm, it was making me drowsy. Recently the chill of spring had been fading, the long hours of sunshine in the summer were arriving.


    I laid my head on Rashiok''s belly while he was sleeping on the windowsill, feeling his smooth scales against my cheek as he breathed. Rashiok woke up with a snort of annoyance as his nap had been disturbed, but even so he stretched out a wing and covered my body. Before I''d realized it, his wings had become wide enough to comfortably cover my small body.


    Even though his wings had only been the length of Kamil''s arm when he came to this mansion, his growth rate is really quite something.


    "Charlie, are you sleepy?"


    "No, I''m just lying down for a bit. Let''s go see how Elise is doing before noon."


    ¨C The residents of the Mansion of Golden Hills changed immediately following my birthday celebration. My nanny was changed, two girls were welcomed as my companions, and Kamil got his own small room as well. However, one of the girls "was sickly and had to recuperate right after she arrived." ¨C That''s the story.


    "How''s the food, Elise?"


    "¡­¡­"


    In one of the innermost rooms of the mansion, I greeted the child that was lying in bed. Although I called her a child, she was actually three years older than me, and due to malnourishment she didn''t seem older than me at all. Although she was now receiving good care every day, there was still something wild about her black hair, and her shining dark eyes were glaring at me.


    The gloves that covered her fingertips and the dress she was wearing don''t seem to fit her image too well.


    "The cook Nathan was worried about you and even went to the trouble of making it for you himself. If you don''t properly eat your food, you won''t have the energy to strangle me, ''Elise.''"


    A jarring metallic sound resounded. From behind me, Kamil softly put a hand on my shoulder, hesitantly thinking to restrain me from something rash. On the bed of the dim room, the small child was trembling in anger.


    "¡­¡­So annoying. Besides, my name''s not Elise. I''m Ratoka."


    "No, that''s wrong. The orphan named Ratoka from Shiriru village has already been executed. You''re Elise Cherstoka, my playmate companion, and a girl belonging to the Mansion of Golden Hills."


    "That''s not it! ¡­¡­I''ll definitely kill you someday!!"


    This time her chains were making a loud jingling sound. I laughed at her high-spirited appearance as she shouted at me. You''ve gone overboard, Kamil indicated to me by squeezing my shoulder more firmly.


    "You, in the end, you''re just a coward who couldn''t even kill me!"


    "Well, I have no idea what you''re talking about at all. You''re such a precious companion of mine that''s come to visit my mansion, why would I have you killed?"


    In anger, the child threw a pillow at me. However, since it was filled with light feathers it had little momentum, and it fell silently to the floor before it even reached me.


    "Let''s ask Nathan to prepare something that''s easier to consume. Since she can''t even get down from the bed, let''s not make things too hard on her, right, ''Elise?''"


    "Shut up!"


    As I listened to her yell, I wondered if she was going to burst a blood vessel, as I left the dim room. I used a cheap provocation, but as long as she eats, then it''s fine.


    But next, just how long does Kamil intend to keep his hand on my shoulder? However, his hand did not leave on its own. When I looked at him to see what was going on, he hesitantly opened his mouth.


    "¡­¡­Um, you know, Charlie. Why''d you decide to specially place that child close to you? You really might be killed in your sleep."


    "It''s not that I''m specially keeping her close. I''m keeping her alive because her dark red eyes could be useful. You can fool people with hair color, but eye color is the one thing that can''t be changed. Even if she won''t become a trustworthy retainer, there''s plenty of ways to use tools."


    When I said that, I saw something that I''d never seen before in Kamil''s eyes. He furrowed his eyebrows while thinking something, but for some reason it didn''t seem like he was condemning me. What is this feeling, I wonder. Even though I probably should have known it in my previous life, right now the current me had no idea.


    A strong gust of wind must have blown outside the window, the leaves of the trees suddenly made a loud rustling sound.


    "¡­¡­If that''s the excuse you''re going to make to me, that means you don''t think you need to tell me."


    "Then, I didn''t kill her, in order to use her. Because I wanted her to acknowledge me, I placed her beside me. Are you satisfied now, Kamil."


    Silence enveloped the hallway. Kamil''s hand dropped from my shoulder, and I saw him clenching his fists tightly. It seemed as if he disliked me looking at him, and he averted his gaze. I wonder if he''s disappointed in me at this late hour.


    He can think whatever he likes, and we continued under this strange atmosphere. This wasn''t the only "Elise''s" room we were going to. As we walked on in unnatural seeming silence, something heavy suddenly landed on top of my head. It was loosely twirling around my hair, and I realized that it was Kamil''s hand.


    From his hand that seemed like it was comforting me, I finally remembered the emotion I saw in Kamil''s eyes earlier. It had been pity. Kamil had felt compassion for me. However, as for why he would pity me, I still have no idea.

 Chapter 18 - 18

    As I was about to open the door, I could hear coughing from the other side. Cough, cough, it was dry coughing caused by asthma, it was a subdued female voice. I didn''t enter this room rudely without announcing myself like I did with the earlier innermost room of the mansion, but knocked twice on the door first, and heard her say "please come in."


    "Excuse me for coming in. How are you feeling today, ''Elise''-dono?"


    The other "Elise''s" room was much different, with a bright and airy interior, but the sound of coughing continued. On the bed was a girl who was sitting up. There was a rather tall maid who was running her hand up and down the girl''s back, and she was looking this way.


    "Eliza-sama."


    "Good afternoon, Maya. How is Elise-dono feeling today?"


    "After coming to this mansion, she''s gotten a little better."


    In the meantime, the girl''s coughing reduced a little, and her breathing got slower as her asthma attacks stopped. Although a bit messy, the girl''s brown hair remained lustrous as her maid Maya brushed it for her, and the girl finally raised her head after the maid was done. It was completely unlike the bitter expression at seeing me that the other Elise had, she had a gentle smile.


    "My apologies, Eliza-sama."


    "No, it''s fine."


    Her name is Elise Sherstok, and she''s the Stadel domain lord''s niece from bordering north of the Kaldia domain. Although Viscount Stadel and I only greeted each other at my birthday celebration, he took a liking to the warmer climate in the Kaldia domain, and asked later if his sickly niece could come stay here to help her body recover.


    Elise''s father, Baron Sherstok had land usage rights into my territory along part of the Kaldia domain, and he agreed to sell those back to us in exchange for taking in his daughter.


    By the way, in Arxia, only nobles have land ownership rights. Even so, only nobles with peerage have their own lands, for example a viscount with his own domain, would have the authority to govern and tax the people that live there. A baron would only be allowed to use the land, so other than areas under direct control, he would have to rent out land to use.


    The Stadel domain is a small territory at the feet of the Amon Nor Mountains, it''s only known as a good place to avoid the heat during the summer, other than that it was just like the Kaldia domain in that it had no special products or noticeable features about it, the main difference being that there was a large difference in temperature.


    Viscount Stadel and Baron Sherstok had been looking for a warm location for Elise to recover in for many years, and since Earl Terejia is now in charge of governing the Kaldia domain, after consulting with him, we were the first to come to an agreement with them.


    Even diplomatically, because of my father, we had been isolated in all directions. There was no reason to refuse, and so we agreed to take in the other "Elise" and had her brought over here by ship.


    "If you ever have trouble with anything, please don''t hesitate to let me know immediately."


    "Since everyone here treats me so well, I''m having so much fun every day, so I think there''ll be no need."


    "That''s great to hear."


    Her voice was thin due to the asthma, but Elise was very mild-mannered and ladylike as she made conversation with a smile. We talked about the flowers that Maya and the gardener Boriswaf had picked for Elise this morning, and made other such idle chatter until I left the room, by the time I finally left, Kamil who had waited outside all this time seemed to have a strained expression.


    I beckoned him silently with my hand, and we headed for the domain lord''s office.


    After making sure we were far enough away from Elise''s room, without having to ask him, he began his report to me as we continued walking without changing his pace.


    "It seems that quite a number of refugees have reached Fort Jugfena."


    "The farmers with the Shiru tribe?"


    "There''s an emergency summons from the House of Lords for a meeting. Not just the earl, Charlie as well."


    ¡­¡­Me as well? Since Earl Terejia has all the rights to govern as a domain lord currently, to even be summoning me, I wonder if it''s finally time to gather troops at Fort Jugfena. An uneasy feeling started swelling over me, and I quickened my pace reflexively.


    In the domain lord''s office, Earl Terejia was busy putting away some documents, and his secretary Bellway was doing the same task with a serious expression on his face. There were several scrolls of blank parchment paper out, perhaps for emergency communications as several red homing pigeons were perched on the window. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Red homing pigeons have innate homing abilities and are known for their vivid red color, as well as being the best species of messenger pigeon. Normally white pigeons are used for everyday communications, but red ones are used during emergencies to be able to tell the importance of the message at a glance.


    By the way, these birds, although they''re called pigeons, they''re actually about double the size of the pigeons from my previous world, since the window frame didn''t have enough room on it, several birds were perched on the floor as well.


    "You''re here."


    "Yes. I''ve heard that due to the mass influx of refugees, the House of Lords has summoned us."


    "It seems that the Shiru tribe themselves aren''t that close to our borders just yet. That''s a relief for the time being. The House of Lords meeting is in four days. It means that there''s no need for haste just yet."


    Even as he said that, Earl Terejia hurriedly tied a piece of parchment to a pigeon''s legs, and sent it off. By reflex, Kamil and I both looked at each other in response to the contradiction between his words and actions.


    "Then, what''s with this situation?"


    "At this bad timing, Viscount Galbaito has passed away. He was unmarried and left no children behind."


    Ehh, a sound of surprise escaped from my throat. Viscount Galbaito''s domain borders Kaldia to the south, his territory had been between mine and Margrave Genas''s domain, he had been someone quite young who''d just graduated school recently. Although I had heard that he was sickly, he had just come to my birthday celebration recently and greeted me.


    Without minding that I was lost for words at this sudden turn of events, Earl Terejia continued the conversation.


    "The only person with inheritance rights to the Galbaito domain is Margrave Genas. Both his son and his nephew are currently in high-ranking positions at the royal palace. Now then, Eliza, what do you think will happen to the Galbaito and Kaldia domains?"


    I blinked at the sudden question. I get that Margrave Genas is going to inherit the Galbaito domain. That''s because the Galbaito family was originally a branch family of the Genas family, and Margrave Genas had been Viscount Galbaito''s father.


    Eleanor Galbaito had been Margrave Genas''s second wife, and so their child had been adopted into the Galbaito family and taken their name, but Eleanor and both her parents, the previous Viscount were already deceased.


    "It means that the Galbaito domain will be incorporated into the Genas domain. If that happens, then Kaldia will now border both the Jugfena royal domain and the Genas domain."


    "That''s correct."


    Earl Terejia nodded, and his eyes indicated that I should continue.


    "¡­¡­We''ll become the critical link in the supply chain against Rindarl."


    "That''s not all. This emergency meeting will probably decide if the refugees flowing in will be officially accepted by our country. If that happens, it''s almost certain that Kaldia will become the place to accept them."


    "If we take in the refugees, if that also leads to us extending protection to the Shiru tribe, it''ll mean our domain will become directly involved in war, is that correct?"


    Earl Terejia silently confirmed my assumption.


    "¡­¡­Is there something that even I can do?"


    "Of course. If we''re to be taking in refugees, preparations will be necessary. Because after the refugees, the Shiru tribe and Densel soldiers will be coming next. It''ll be impossible for Kaldia to remain uninvolved."


    I nodded at the earl''s words, while Bellway brought a large pile of documents out onto the desk. There were so many documents that it was scary to look at, but Bellway managed all of them just like usual with a smile.


    "Alright, Eliza-sama, please go over these documents here. They''re contracts on cooperation with the neighboring domains. From these, please find and jot down everything related to defense cooperation with each domain on the parchment sheets here, it''ll be a great help."


    "I understand."


    Right as I sat in my chair, I saw Kamil working on yet another large pile of documents. To have both me and Kamil working on this, as expected it must be quite the imminent situation. Thinking that conflict with the neighboring country would likely become reality soon, my throat became dry.


    End of Act 1, Part 1

 Chapter 19 - 19

    Act 1, Part 2


    Several chandeliers crafted of exquisite gold dangled from the ceiling of the great hall, even though it was crowded right now, looking at their luxuriousness, if there were fewer people here, this place would make a fine place for dancing.


    The House of Lords is located in one of the royal palace''s castles, the Arktoria Castle, and my mouth was wide agape at seeing how high the ceilings were. There were also stained glass windows with religious drawings and silver frames, giving various colors to the sunlight hitting the hall.


    This castle was only meant for national politics, and so because nobles are the ones who use this place the most, even the conference hall had such sparkling beauty and extravagance.


    "Is it that unusual?"


    "Well, a little."


    Earl Terejia''s voice from next to me brought me back to my senses. We''re not here to take in the sights, and I hurriedly refocused myself.


    "Marquis Rittergau has arrived. It will begin soon."


    The earl pointed at the innermost desk. When I looked over there, besides Marquis Rittergau who was just about to sit down, there was also the commander-in-chief of the kingdom''s armies, Marquis Rolentsor, the highest ranking noble, Archduke Dovadain, and various other high-ranking economic ministers and priests, all the prominent leading figures from the royal palace were there.


    Also among them were Margrave Genas, and the one in charge of Fort Jugfena, Earl Einsbark.


    I''m not sure exactly just how nervous I was, but my palms were becoming damp with sweat. Even though I had known it could happen, I had always felt it was only a concept, only now was reality rapidly setting in. Even after living in this world for six years, I still hadn''t gotten rid of my impression that "this is an otome game''s world."


    There was a quiet buzz around the hall before the meeting started. To me who was seated almost completely in Earl Terejia''s shadow, as expected, many curious looks were cast my way, it seems that "a child being in the House of Lords" was quite the news. It was different from the clearly disrespectful looks I had gotten at my birthday celebration.


    Finally the nobles quieted down, and the clanging sound of a bell was heard from the center. It was as if ocean waves had calmed down and become like a still pond. Maybe it''s because most of the stained glass was blue, so that''s why the sea was the first image I thought of.


    Maybe he''s an official of some sort, a man rose up from the seats in the center and announced the beginning of today''s meeting, and that there were two items on today''s agenda.


    "The first item, is with regards to refugees from the former Artolas Kingdom that are under temporary protection in the Jugfena royal domain, and what we should do with them. The second item, is going on military alert with regards to the conflict between the Shiru tribe and the Densel Dukedom''s army. Senior Earl Einsbark, please let us know about the refugees currently under your protection."


    "- At Fort Jugfena, there are approximately twelve hundred former residents of Artolas that are under our protection. We''ve loaned them tents to camp outside of Fort Jugfena with, and provided them with supplies from our stockpiles, but Fort Jugfena does not have enough food in reserve to keep this up for long.


    The number of people will probably keep increasing until autumn, and according to the refugees the women and children of the Shiru tribe are behind them and on their way. If another one thousand people arrive, our food stockpiles will be completely exhausted by the end of summer. We also don''t have enough tents. It''s already a situation where people are sleeping outside, exposed to the elements."


    Earl Einsbark was a tall, stocky figure in the prime of life, and his deep voice resounded throughout the entire hall, such as even I who was sitting in the back could hear him clearly.


    "¡­¡­That many people? As expected, it would have been better to expel them without offering our protection to begin with¡­¡­"


    Someone in the conference hall made the first comment. After that, a commotion began in the hall.


    "No, they''re also people that believe in the same religion as us. We can''t just abandon them."


    "Even so, that''s back when we were the Ar Xia Holy Kingdom! Arxia is no longer a coalition of smaller countries united by the Xia sect!" S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "When the Ar Xia church became the official state church, weren''t there independent noble lords incorporated into our territory at the time as well?"


    "That''s all from more than fifty years ago."


    "While that is indeed from more than fifty years ago, the Arxia Kingdom was established more than six hundred years ago, and we''ve never forsaken those that believe in the same religion as us."


    "But, if we intervene in Densel''s civil war, Rindarl will have a cause to go to war with us."


    At once, debates flew around the conference hall as I listened, while Earl Terejia looked around, and shook his head at me. I understood it to mean that he was disappointed in the arguing nobles.


    "It''s a dispute between the border nobles and the inner area nobles, is it?"


    "The inland nobles lack a sense of danger. However, with regards to Rindarl, it won''t only be the borders that are in danger."


    Indeed, it''s mostly Jugfena and Genas that would be affected first if war was to break out with Rindarl, while their neighboring domains would hardly be affected. Of course, we''d also be in Jugfena and Genas''s situation.


    "The ones that are watching out for our eastern neighbor Rindarl are mostly the northern domain lords, eh."


    The northern domain lords that I was referring to, were mostly the domain lords with territories bordering the northern sea. The northern nobles had paler skin as their characteristic, and even the children there sing that you shouldn''t provoke Rindarl.


    "Without having to cross the Bandishia Plateau, it would be easier for Rindarl to face the less steep Amon Nor Mountains. With their troops already camped in Remeshu, they could cross the mountains by land and invade us by sea, pincering us. Although Densel isn''t known for its ships, Parmigran is known to trade with its southern neighbors for ships."


    "Does this mean that there''s no way to guard against Rindarl?"


    "Defense spending has only been there in name for many years now."


    At the last piece of information that the earl had just mentioned, I nodded reflexively in understanding. With this, I finally understand the relations between the eastern Arxian nobles.


    The lords of the smaller domains surrounding the royal capital, which I''ll call the inland domains faction, have very little army strength, and they severely lack a sense of impending crisis. They were mostly former priest nobles that had their own small inner domains, since they have plenty of money, they believe that if we accept refugees all they have to do is help spend some money.


    They can''t even imagine that the entire country would be embroiled in war because of helping people. Unlike the royal capital and the border domains that have more foreigners gather there, the inland domains are as if time has stopped and they''ve stagnated. Almost everyone among them were clamoring for accepting the refugees.


    The border domains and the northern domains by the sea consider the influence of Rindarl uniting as their number one priority. Almost none of them agreed to accepting the refugees, if their own domains became a battleground, it would become necessary to invest all their surplus funds into land warfare or naval defense, they hoped that we could maintain a policy of non-intervention in the east.


    So of course, all of them would reject the refugees.


    At the midst of this issue were the Jugfena royal domain, the Genas domain, the border domains faction and the inland domains faction, but most were silent and waiting for the decision of the House of Lords. Of course the Kaldia domain was among those waiting.


    There were both merits and demerits to accepting the refugees, and since the House of Lords is the most critical location for making defense decisions, it''s a rule here to not speak up irresponsibly.


    The southern border domain lords have to maintain a different line of defense, so they''re the ones impacted the least. Because of this, they seemed almost indifferent to this issue, and remained silent while seeming to admire the conference hall.


    "In the first place, we''re not in the era of fifty years ago. The refugees have no land or money, and they speak a different language. Even if we decide to take them in, which domain would accept them!"


    One of the nobles got really heated up about the debate, and raised his voice in frustration. Everyone fell silent at his statement. Earl Terejia and I looked at each other, and he nodded quietly at me.


    I held in my trembling the best I could, and took a deep breath.


    "If it''s decided that the refugees will be accepted, then my domain can take them in."


    The voice I summoned wasn''t quite that loud, but it resounded clearly throughout the conference hall that had just fallen silent.

 Chapter 20 - 20

    All eyes were suddenly focused on me. My heart was beating annoyingly fast to the point of being painful.


    "¡­¡­What''s this?"


    The first voice that spoke up was from Marquis Rittergau. He didn''t hide the harsh tone of his voice. His attitude seemed so threatening, but I had to deal with my own fear.


    "If it should be necessary, then my Kaldia domain can accept the refugees, as I just said."


    I said it even more directly than earlier. After all, it would be Kaldia that''s the most likely to be forced to accept them anyways. If I said that we''d accept them ahead of time, then I can get more favorable terms.


    Marquis Rittergau didn''t respond, and only looked at me in anticipation. I felt stifled by the pressure, and heavy silence fell again. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    I counted to well above ten in my mind. During this entire time, Marquis Rittergau and I stared fixedly at each other. ¨C And then, finally, the low whisper of the nobles stirred the air of the conference hall.


    "- We should return to the main agenda now."


    "Y, yes. Well then, Viscountess Kaldia has nominated herself as a candidate for accepting the refugees¡­¡­"


    With my speaking up at that timing, it seems to have beneficial for moving things along in the House of Lords. There had been almost no chance of any of the inland domains accepting the refugees, and I had put forth a practical proposal.


    Although the northern nobles complained of concerns about Rindarl again, they were silenced by the priests talking about how the kingdom was founded with the precepts of accepting everyone in the Xia religious sects and the uproar it would cause if we didn''t take in the refugees.


    In the first place, the Densel Dukedom had already virtually been Arxia''s enemy already, so going to war with them wouldn''t be that big of a surprise to our kingdom.


    The border domain lords had already started a little on making military preparations, and at this rate the southeastern domain lords will probably go on full military alert status and receive the others'' cooperation.


    "Well then, starting next month, the Artolas refugees shall be moved to Viscountess Kaldia''s domain in groups of fifty. Food supplies shall be provided by the Henznaut domain as well as the various lords in the Greenfield region, Margrave Genas shall provide twenty tents, and any more necessary shall be loaned by Earl Freche''s domain, Earl Ruktoferd''s domain, and the Royal Army.


    We''ll be counting on everyone."


    In the end, other than the northern domains, most of the closer domains agreed to give some kind of support for the refugees. On top of that, quite a large amount of funds would be provided for us from the national treasury as well as the church.


    The southeastern nobles, mostly the inland nobles among them, since this would probably stimulate their own economies, had rather cheerful expressions, but in return the northern nobles who were outnumbered and had lost their cause were glaring at them resentfully. It''ll be better if this wound isn''t too deep and we can all cooperate later, is what I hoped.


    "Did the House of Lords meeting go well, Riliza-dono?"


    "It''s Eliza, Claudia-dono¡­¡­"


    Even though I was so exhausted after returning from the House of Lords, the first voice that greeted me upon returning was so carefree, someone with an unbelievable energetic voice. Outside the door of Earl Terejia''s accommodations in the royal capital, this girl was spinning a spear about cheerfully. She was a real beauty, and her long golden hair was sparkling in the sunlight.


    Even though I''ve corrected her so many times, she would always get my name wrong no matter how many times we spoke. At seeing the dazzling smile across her face, I felt as if it was adding insult to injury for my tired body and mind.


    "Oh, I do apologize. It''s just, I''m really bad with people''s names¡­¡­"


    "Yes, I know that very well."


    "Oh, okay. But anyways, did things go well at the House of Lords?"


    Oh, okay, her answers were so casual, she seemed to always have no worries whatsoever. It''s piling up even more on me! It''s certain that her energeticness has caused my spirit to suffer even more damage in hit points.


    This girl''s name is Claudia Rolentsor, she''s from that prestigious military family. She''s the other companion that''s staying in Kaldia with me alongside Elise Sherstok.


    Probably due to how she was raised, she''s been trained fully to become a knight and is doing it for real despite the rarity of it for women, while it had been rather difficult for me. Honestly speaking, it had been really tiring.


    By the way, this girl believes in doing everything fairly with the ideals of justice, believes in absolute integrity, and if it wasn''t for how annoying her personality was, I could say that she''s actually a really good person.


    "Even though they don''t speak our language, you''re willing to accept them into your domain, I truly admire Eliza-dono''s dauntlessness. Giving a helping hand to the weak without any pretension, such a wonderful just cause!"


    "Um, rather than that, Claudia-dono, why would you happen to be here?"


    Claudia welcomed me with an expression saying as if she belonged here, but when we had left the Kaldia domain two days ago, she should have remained back at the mansion. It takes two days for a horse-drawn carriage to get here, so why is she here?


    "It''s because Elise-dono wrote a letter to you. I rode all the way here to deliver it to you."


    As Claudia absentmindedly made that statement, I felt the pain in my head increasing. What does it mean that she rode all the way here, a distance that takes a horse-drawn carriage two full days. I don''t understand her. Even including my previous life, it''s my first time dealing with someone that''s so difficult to comprehend. I have no idea on how to handle her.


    "Well then, Eliza-dono, you''re probably tired from constantly sitting down in the horse-drawn carriage and at the House of Lords. I''ll loan you a spear, how about we loosen up your body with some spear practice?"


    It seems that she was concerned for me, but what''s with her proposal, I have no intention of exhausting myself into an early grave. As Claudia followed me to the garden in high spirits, no, uhh, she didn''t seem to hear my rejections.


    As a last resort, I looked at Earl Terejia to ask him for help, but he was just as tired as I was, and he only nodded as if to say to do my best.


    ¡­¡­There''s no helping it. I''ll just have to play along with Claudia for a little bit.


    Earl Terejia''s garden here was covered with stone pavement rather than grass. That Claudia found her way here, I wonder if that means she also knew the earl from before. Because the ground is made of stone, don''t swing your spear with full force here at me! But for some reason, when I said that to her, she smiled so happily, and nodded ambiguously at me.


    "Eluza-dono is six years old now. I''ve just turned ten. I''ve just started learning the spear recently, so I hope to live up to Terejia ojii-san''s and your expectations."


    "I''m not Eluza, it''s Eliza. I''ve heard that the Rolentsor family starts teaching the sword at the age of three, so why is that you''re only learning the spear now?"


    I wonder if something is fun about all this, Claudia''s smile didn''t slip at all, as she wound cloth strips around her hands. Since she has a custom-made spear for her, and there''s no leather binding on her spear handle, it seems that she has to do this in order to prevent her hands from slipping.


    "No, me and my older brothers started learning the sword at the age of two. I only started learning the spear after I turned seven."


    She started learning the sword at the age of two, this answer made my cheeks twitch involuntarily. As expected of the Rolentsor noble family skilled in martial and military matters.


    I warmed up for a few minutes according to Claudia''s instructions, maybe it was actually good for refreshing my body, my body definitely felt a bit lighter. I''ve been so busy lately, so I haven''t had much time to practice the spear, so this might actually be good.


    But anyways, Claudia appears to be even more skilled with the spear than I expected. This is the first time I''ve actually practiced the spear together with her, although I had heard about her prowess from the soldiers after she came to the mansion, her family has really knightly behavior and that they''re skilled in all sorts of martial arts is what I had figured.


    However, her skills with a spear, no matter how I look at it, seem to exceed even my teacher Gunther''s level.


    "How are they, my spear skills?"


    "They seem to be better than my teacher''s."


    "Gunther, eh. Maybe my family''s style is just too strong. If it''s alright with Eliza-dono, we can fight together!"


    While cleaning up after, Claudia still showed no signs of fatigue and was laughing happily. As expected, she''s an incomprehensible person. Whether it''s spear practice, or letting her stay in the mansion with me, I couldn''t refuse her either. Well, she nodded, and suddenly changed her expression.


    "I was wondering what to do if you had refused me. Since Terejia ojii-san had requested that I practice the spear with Eliza-dono, I''ve been trying my best on fulfilling my promise!"


    Could it be, could it really be that he had been the cause of my spear practice just now. I was dumbfounded by Claudia''s completely unexpected remark, and this time I completely lost all of my energy.

 Chapter 21 - 21

    "Eh, we''re staying here in the royal capital until tomorrow?"


    "Yes. Tomorrow, I''m to attend a tea party and meet some nobles to make connections. After all, we couldn''t even greet anyone at the House of Lords."


    "So that''s it. Then, I''ll wait for you guys here tomorrow."


    "No, you''re attending as well. You''ll be accompanying me as my retainer, is what the earl said."


    We were staying at the earl''s place, and we just finished a luxurious dinner served for the master of the house that had just returned after a long absence. Since Kamil didn''t have noble status himself, he hadn''t attended the meeting at the House of Lords earlier, and I had just informed him of our change in plans for tomorrow.


    The two of us had remained in the dining hall after dinner to talk, while drinking the tea that the maids had brewed for me. With the influx of refugees and the incident of Viscount Galbaito''s death, there were so many things that had to be done, I finally felt like I could relax a little bit for now.


    "So, this means that the earl is seriously trying to make me into Charlie''s retainer, right?"


    "What are you saying, at this late hour. It was probably decided from the time that you accompanied me at my birthday celebration."


    Kamil tilted his head slightly as if he had just realized it, but I was shocked at how late he seems to have recognized it himself. My birthday celebration wasn''t about unveiling me only, but also showing who was going to become my vassal in the future.


    "¡ª. Mmm¡­¡­ that''s so. Sorry, it''s nothing."


    Kamil slowly shook his head. It was as if he was trying to rid himself of his thoughts. "I''m sorry to have said something strange," said Kamil as he smiled, it felt like there was a mix of feelings, and for some reason my voice got stuck in my throat.


    "Kamil -"


    "Excuse me! Eija-dono, I''ve brought your letter!"


    The words that I was about to say were interrupted by a certain someone rudely rushing into the dining hall without even knocking. Even though it''s after eating, Claudia was like a typhoon and showed no decrease in her energy level at all, and she had charged straight into the dining hall. And what''s more, this time, she''s gotten my name completely off the mark.


    "C, Claudia-dono?"


    "I''m so sorry! Elise-dono''s letter that she entrusted me with, I forgot about it until now!" S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She headed straight for me and held out an envelope right in front of my face, and she rushed so fast that she ran right into the chair''s backrest. It''s good that there had been a cushion, but if this had been a normal chair, it surely would have left quite a bump.


    "T, thanks¡­¡­"


    "No, no, I''m being taken care of by you now, so something like this is nothing to me!"


    You''re declaring that this is nothing, but no matter how I look at it, it''s impossible for covering two days worth of distance on horseback by yourself all in order to deliver a letter to be considered "no big deal." As expected, I don''t understand this girl.


    As I received the letter, I could clearly feel my cheek twitching again. ¨C At that moment, I suddenly recalled a phrase from my previous life. That''s right, her sort of action is known as "ruining the mood."


    Kamil next to me had fallen into stunned silence at the sudden intruder. Oh yeah, come to think of it Kamil hasn''t talked much with Claudia before, and he probably didn''t even know that she was already here today. Uwaa¡­¡­ I had no room in my heart for squealing like that.


    "You''re having tea together after dinner? Can I join in?"


    Why does her expression seem so excited and sparkling at a few mere teacups on the table, I wonder. Just as I was about to sigh and say something, Claudia already flew off somewhere.


    "I still haven''t even said anything yet¡­¡­"


    "¡­¡­Eh, wasn''t that Claudia-sama? Why was she here? Come to think of it, how did she get here?"


    Kamil seems to have finally accepted the situation in front of him for reality, and finally spoke up in a rather confused voice. That''s¡­¡­ before I had time to explain the situation to him, Claudia returned here from the hallway. She had a mountain of sweets in her right arm, while her left hand was dragging along a maid with a teacup and saucer.


    In the end, we were forced to accompany Claudia, and drank tea until it was so late at night that we were reprimanded by the maids. Such a small child is still up at this time! is what the old maid said as she pointed at me glared at Claudia, maybe she knew Claudia from before as well, there was no mercy in her lecture.


    As expected, even Claudia slunk out of the room as if she had wilted, and I took my letter as Kamil and I returned to our rooms.


    It''s now late at night, but there''s still things I want to do before I sleep. I sat at the writing desk with a piece of paper, and opened an ink bottle in order to begin writing a reply.


    "Ah¡­¡­"


    Unluckily, there had been cracks in the film sealing the ink bottle, and the ink spilled. It got all over my right hand, the desk, and partially on the paper I had just brought out. I sighed as I wiped myself and the desk with a cloth. I couldn''t get the ink out of the paper, oh well, paper is used for writing on anyways.


    And so I finally began to read Elise''s letter, her handwriting was quite slender, I felt like I could tell how weak she was even through the way she used a pen.


    After beginning with a standard greeting that conformed to noble etiquette, she began talking about how she''s began walking around outside, what she''s seen, about herself, and her interactions with the people in the mansion. It was very Elise-like, nothing but gentle scenes with a peaceful heart.


    As I continued reading the letter, the topic changed to worry about me and how busy I''ve been the past few days.


    Unlike Claudia who moved about freely outside the mansion, the last time I had seen the sickly Elise had been on the day I received the news about the refugees. It''s only natural for her to be worried.


    It''s not really that good for a girl who''s supposed to have come here for recuperation to be worrying about me. Even a little bit of stress can cause her illness to become worse.


    I wrote an appropriate reply, and just in case I missed something, I checked over Elise''s letter again. There seems to have been a postscript written casually on the back of the letter, so I scanned its contents.


    P.S. I would like to meet Eliza-sama''s distant relative, Elise-sama. I heard from Bellway-sama that she also has a weak body like me. Since she''s also named Elise and is sickly as well, I''m really curious¡­¡­


    Just what exactly is that Bellway doing.


    I entrusted him with the care of the child locked up in the innermost part of the mansion, but I didn''t expect that he would make the mistake of allowing the person with the name she''s borrowed, Elise, to find out about her.


    Of course there had been a reason for me to go to the trouble of allowing guests, and then giving the same name to that child. It''s in order to not give accurate information about the mansion to the outside.


    Because she had a weak body, the original Elise would be limited from meeting people, and the child that was nominally sick and had the same name was also limited in the contact allowed to her. It''s because I want to limit the knowledge of that child''s existence as much as possible.


    With two sickly Elises in the mansion at the same time, if information ever leaks outside, it could be confusing to others. If it''s an ambiguous story, the information about the Elise that''s been entrusted to me will be mixed with that child''s information. That''s what I''m aiming for.


    Of course, there was no way I could let the original Elise know about it herself. But, it seems that the other "Elise''s" existence has already been exposed to her. This won''t be easy to hide anymore.


    ¡­¡­Elise and Maya, will be returning to the Sherstok domain after at most three years. During this time, as long as Elise remains in my demesne, and doesn''t leave the mansion, hopefully it won''t be a big problem.


    While praying that more information about that child wouldn''t become more widespread, I ignored Elise''s postscript. Since it had been written all the way on the back, a reply wasn''t expected.

 Chapter 22 - 22

    The sunlight was streaming down at the end of spring, on a neatly arranged assortment of sweets on the garden table, but I only listened to the female noble in front of me while occasionally responding to her.


    Sitting across from me, chattering away for the last hour was Senior Viscountess Daniela Felhi-Berendorf, aunt to Senior Baron Felhi, a financial minister of the palace, and she was a domain lord from the Artsbelf region northwest of the royal palace.


    "Anyways, that knight really couldn''t read the mood! Choosing something like earrings to give a woman, he really lacks consideration!"


    Since Earl Terejia was currently boating on the pond with the other male nobles, and other than the servants, only this woman was left with me, but her topics weren''t really something that would be meant for a six year old. I wonder if she''s actually saying all this to Kamil standing behind me who was being so still all this time like a statue.


    At nineteen years old, she was actually younger than her nephew Baron Felhi, she had gotten married at sixteen and became a widow last year when her husband passed away, and she was only interested in the romance gossip between men and women at the royal palace.


    Since her husband had passed away, she inherited his position and became the Viscountess of a small domain near the royal capital, but she left its management almost entirely up to her head steward, and it seems that she lives here in the royal capital instead.


    Having her dumped on me as my conversation partner without taking into consideration the difference between our ages, of course this had to be an episode from my entrance into the florid noble society. She started from which young noblemen were nice and handsome, and continued with who seemed to getting along with each other and who danced with who.


    And currently, she''s getting heated up after she reached the topic of recalling about various unfortunate men.


    "Ahh¡­¡­ Is it that bad to give women earrings as a present?"


    "It''s common sense for western nobles. Earrings should given from a woman to the man they love. For men, they usually only gift them to other men as a sign of true friendship."


    "I understand, so that''s how it was."


    What''s with this custom. A man giving another man an accessory as a sign of true friendship, seems like such a mysterious custom to me, so I replied reflexively with a perfunctory answer.


    "It''s a venerable tradition. In the ancient story about Ugaria''s knights, two men who shared an earring each would protect each other''s backs on the battlefield."


    What''s with this, I wonder if this was a roundabout way of expressing homosexuality back in the day for them?


    Two men sending accessories to each other, no matter how I look at it, I can''t see it as simply declaring true friendship to each other. When I nonchalantly checked Kamil''s expression as he stood behind me, he seemed slightly uncomfortable, and he didn''t really seem convinced either. It seems that my sense was most likely accurate.


    However, if there really are records of the country that came before the Holy Ar Xia Kingdom, Ugaria, then it does make sense that such a custom is present in western Arxia.


    Western Arxia has a strong sense for preserving traditions and customs from the Ugarian era. Since the Jugfena region has its own customs left by ancient times, probably the entirety of Arxia is like that as well.


    "That''s why, for a man to give a woman earrings as a present, is like declaring he doesn''t see her as a woman. If only he had ever been to the royal capital, of course he should have known!"


    As Viscountess Berendorf got even more heated up while remembering that man, I just replied is that so, and pretended to be taking her seriously. Right now, Earl Terejia is probably speaking to her nephew Baron Felhi about the main issue, and I was only speaking with her just in case.


    When the nobles returned from their boating trip, today''s tea party changed locations to a different house for dinner.


    Today''s goal was to get as much financial assistance from the kingdom as possible from the financial minister Baron Felhi and his noble colleagues, and since the earl had already contacted them about the issue via pigeon before, today we''re here to greet them as a matter of courtesy.


    In fact, it seems that we''re staying here for an extra day in the royal capital specially so that I can make some connections with the nobles in the royal capital. Since we had accounted for an extra day''s time while visiting the royal capital, this is no problem.


    "What happened?"


    "There''s no problem. Originally, I had loaned money to their fathers several times before as well."


    Earl Terejia unceremoniously returned with a nonchalant tone of voice. This earl, he didn''t simply have connections, he used debts from their parents'' generation to choose collaborators to work with this time, eh. Even I felt slightly chilly at his outstanding competence and abilities.


    For something he did a generation ago to still have such a large impact, noble society must be indeed completely interconnected. When I thought about how he managed to increase the budget for financial support from the kingdom for the refugees to 1.5 times its original amount, I carved how important these types of things were into my memory.


    The tea party during the day had been at Viscount Avon''s older sister''s house, and when we hurriedly joined the private dinner at Earl Trada''s house, we received a rather strange level of welcome for just Earl Terejia.


    Well, after all, Earl Terejia is the younger brother of Marquis Rittergau, who is the prime minister as well as the Terejia family head. While he''s in the countryside now, there''s still probably many people that want a good relation with him simply because of who his older brother is.


    As if to prove me right, Earl Terejia was immediately surrounded by people, while Kamil and I went around greeting the important nobles courteously, then Claudia joined us for some reason, and the three of us quietly had some food in a corner of this venue.


    "W, why isn''t Charlie wearing a dress and you''re in knight attire instead?"


    "There''s no time or money to get a complete set of dresses or accessories. Besides, in the House of Lords it''s been determined that the proper wear for minors should be knight attire."


    As we enjoyed the beef braised in red wine, I answered Kamil who seemed to be smirking for some reason with today''s excuse.


    In Arxia, males have priority for succession to the peerage, so there wasn''t even a precedent where an underage girl has succeeded to the peerage before. Normally there would be more relatives. In my case, since my father had done his best to eradicate all his own relatives apart from his children, I was in the unusual situation of ending up being the only person with inheritance rights.


    Come to think of it, although he''s my father, that person might end up in the history books as one of the most evil villains ever.


    So because of that, birthday celebrations for nobles with peerage had only rules for boys, and their formal wear was supposed to be knight attire for the same reason. And since I feel that wearing dresses is troublesome, it''s actually something I welcome.


    "How nice, Elise-dono. I''d also like to be in knight attire rather than my dress."


    "My name''s not Elise, it''s Eliza."


    This time Claudia had mixed up my name with Elise''s, and she was wearing a sky blue dress. She''s tall and slender with a good sense of style, she''s quite an eye-catching beauty. Since she usually liked to dress in men''s shirts and shorts to move about easier, today''s was a rare appearance for her.


    However, just like usual she had a mountain of food on her plates, and there was nothing ladylike about her.


    And so, we spent some time chatting and having light-hearted fun, but Kamil who had been laughing suddenly fixed his line of sight on someone.


    "¡­¡­Ah, he saw us, Charlie. Over there." S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Hm?"


    I looked over at the direction he indicated. Someone unexpected was standing there, what''s this, I turned around reflexively, he noticed me looking at him as well, and he smiled mysteriously just like before.


    It was Margrave Molton.


    His beautiful silver hair was shining brilliantly under the light of the chandelier.

 Chapter 23 - 23

    Just as I was beginning to get tired of the overly luxurious food at the dinner party and was getting a little drowsy, the nobles from farther away began leaving as well. While waiting for Earl Terejia who was still surrounded by nobles, Kamil, Claudia, and I remained in the corner and poked at what remained of the food. Although we had free time, we weren''t bored.


    There were so many nobles here that I''ve never met before. While observing their elegance, I learned who each of them were, as this was absolutely necessary in order for me to seriously enter their society later in the future.


    And so while I was quietly sipping my tea, Kamil suddenly froze up.


    "What''s the matter?"


    "Margrave Molton is coming over this way."


    He said so in almost a whisper as he kept his line of sight fixed on the margrave, and indeed Margrave Molton who had just been talking calmly with the other nobles from the royal capital was now walking leisurely in this direction. He was also looking at us, and our eyes met as if he had nothing to hide.


    As expected, he was smiling without seeming to have any bad intentions. Without any hesitation, he came to our location, and he encouraged the shorter man following behind him to step in front.


    I remembered the face of this man who seemed slightly troubled. He was introduced to me at my birthday party by Earl Terejia as a senior viscount who was a secretary at the royal palace. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "How do you do, Viscountess Kaldia?"


    "Greetings and how do you do, Viscount Gribell. Thank you very much for having taken the trouble to attend my birthday celebration."


    "No, it was my pleasure."


    As he nodded, the viscount''s expression seemed like he was seeing something strange. I wonder if it''s because I''m not talking like a child. Since it''s been so long since I was actually a child, even though I have some idea of what it''s like, it''s difficult for me to act like one. Because it''s easier than having to pretend, I''ve become like this now.


    However, because of this, the viscount now seems to be considering how to speak to me. It would be rude if he was too direct with what he really wanted without at least making some conversation first. As a result, he missed the timing for his next sentence and silence had fallen upon the conversation for a bit.


    "¡­¡­At my birthday celebration, thank you very much for the grape juice. I''ll have to hold off on trying the wine until I become an adult."


    "Ah, it''s fine. I''m glad that you were able to enjoy it."


    I managed to remember back to my birthday celebration in order to continue the conversation. Viscount Gribell had given me a set of both grape juice and red wine, since many other nobles had simply given alcohol, his consideration for me still being a minor had left an impression.


    Viscount Gribell had such a relieved expression when I continued the conversation. He glanced at Margrave Molton who was now behind him, then spoke up again.


    "Since it was from the Freche region, I felt that you''d enjoy it. My younger brother is currently serving Earl Garlof as a squire."


    "When you say Earl Garlof¡­¡­"


    "Junior Earl Robert Garlof is Margrave Freche''s younger brother. When my older brother was in school, he got to know Margrave Freche, which is why my younger brother got to serve Earl Garlof as an apprentice page, and now he''s become a squire."


    "I see, how fortunate for him."


    "Yes, yes. School is the perfect place for fated meetings. After all, studying together for three years, can cultivate deeper relationships. ¡­¡­Ah, come to think of it. Viscountess Kaldia, I''d like to introduce my friend from school to you."


    He''s finally gotten to the point, as I sighed mentally at how roundabout the conversation was, by all means, I consented. It feels like meaningless chatter accounts for eighty percent of talking between nobles. I haven''t really interacted with many nobles other than Earl Terejia, so I''m unused to this kind of interaction.


    "This is my friend from school, Margrave Molton."


    Viscount Gribell stepped to the side to make way for the man with him. The man bowed, and lightly shook his silver hair. As I saw his face from up close, I felt like he was really quite the handsome young man.


    "Pleased to meet you, Margrave Molton. I would like to give thanks to the gods that I was able to meet you here today. I apologize for my rudeness in not greeting you the other day."


    "All good, Viscountess Kaldia. It is I who should have apologized for not greeting you despite it being a celebration for you. I should be the one thanking the gods."


    I didn''t expect the major noble from the northwest, Margrave Molton to approach me so directly, and while I pretended to remain calm, I was actually in turmoil inside.


    It wouldn''t hurt to stay slightly longer in the royal capital to make some connections, but even though he had accepted the invitation to my birthday celebration, why is he only greeting me here at this late hour.


    Unluckily, right now Earl Terejia is quite far away and busy accompanying the other nobles. It couldn''t be, was he aiming for when the earl would be too busy to pay attention to me? I wondered what Margrave Molton wanted from me as he smiled gently, I wasn''t able to read his intentions. I was nervous to the point where I was about to break out into a cold sweat.


    "You don''t have to be so stiff around me. I have a son the same age as you. As a parent, I just wanted to talk to someone who was the same age as my son."


    Margrave Molton''s cheerful statement exceeded my comprehension capacity as I was being too vigilant and nervous.


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­Son!?


    I had been so high-strung that I broke myself.


    As Margrave Molton began talking about his son being the same age as me and being the right age for a playmate, and asked what kinds of things I was learning, I could only feel like as if it were an out of body experience, as I had lost all my energy due to my own feelings of how stupid I''d been.


    The reason for his mysterious smiles seems to have been because it was his way of encouraging children to work hard. That''s what I had detected at my birthday celebration. But it was natural I''d misunderstand since I hadn''t seen such an expression until today.


    In the end, it seems that Margrave Molton has a soft spot for children and he''s taken a liking to me. Since he''s come to the royal capital to do business with the merchants here and sell daily necessities, I got a promise from him to sell those to us cheaply.


    And since we needed to make many bulk purchases to help the refugees set up the foundations for what they would need to live in my domain, there''s no reason to turn down an offer to be able to buy things cheaply. When Earl Terejia was finally free from all those nobles, he seemed very pleased as well, so it seems that I didn''t do something unnecessary.


    "Come to think of it, even if Kamil didn''t say anything, Claudia-dono kept quiet as well."


    Claudia''s father has quite a low social status among the prestigious Rolentsor family. Even prestigious families will have nobles without peerage due to having too many people. For those like Claudia that won''t succeed to the peerage, nobles without their own lands often have to find governmental work.


    Due to the family''s status and influence in the military, it''s relatively easy for Rolentsors to find work for the Royal Army. Compared to me, Claudia''s social status is actually much lower than mine, but even so it could be useful to keep a connection to the Rolentsor family.


    "That''s because! I''m aiming to become a knight, so it''s different from you guys. Father told me that once I''m twenty, I''m free to enter the knights and do whatever I like, but since I have to do it with loans and I''m already mostly cut off from my relatives, it''ll actually be more like from when I''m thirteen. Shouldn''t you know this already?"


    Urgh, although Claudia was proudly puffing out her chest, I had to conceal how much her story actually troubled me. Looking at the current situation, there would probably not be much of a bright future waiting for Claudia by the time she turns twenty. Judging by both her age and personality, I don''t think she''ll be easy to marry off, either.


    However, for Earl Terejia to have gone to the trouble of bringing her here, with how strong her spear skills are, and the fact that she''s still a Rolentsor, I feel like maybe she can actually make it as a knight before she turns twenty.


    "¡­¡­Arxia has never had a female knight up until now."


    As if to answer the question in my mind, Earl Terejia secretly whispered that to me. I see, then she has quite a difficult path ahead of her. In that case, then the earl''s aim can only be one thing. Claudia will enter the knights, so that she doesn''t become a burden forever on this household.

 Chapter 24 - 24

    With so much going on, there was no time to leisurely take two days returning by horse-drawn carriage. Socializing should be something fun and relaxing? Socializing isn''t something so simple for nobles. While riding horses for the entire day and switching them once in a town on our way, I arrived back in the Kaldia domain on the same night in a terribly exhausted state.


    Of course, as a child I didn''t have the strength to control my horse for an entire day, so Kamil and Claudia had taken turns riding with me.


    "What happened while we were gone?"


    On behalf of Earl Terejia, his secretary Bellway had been in charge during our absence. Even after returning there was no time to rest our weary bodies, we had to immediately make large scale preparations for receiving the refugees we agreed to accept, although the earl was the one with the real power, and he immediately headed for the domain lord''s office.


    Claudia headed for the training grounds, I wonder how it''s possible for her to have all that excess energy¡­¡­


    Bellway reported that everything was the same and not much happened, and that there has been no particularly noticeable change for Elise and Maya who have moved in recently, or for the new nanny that''s now mostly in charge of taking care of Elise.


    "Then, about the matter of the ''ojou-sama¡­¡­''"


    Bellway gingerly began his report about why Elise had found out and written me that postscript. Bellway and the servants call that child "ojou-sama" so that it''s easier to differentiate.


    "My deepest apologies. The other day, when I went out, Elise-sama slipped out for a little bit."


    "I know. Elise wrote about that in her letter. Well, I have an affinity for deceiving people. From now on, if Elise ever asks about that child, send her to me. I''ll trick her well."


    As I expected, the main issue was about that child. For information control on the child in the future, I have to be able to control the earl''s secretary Bellway. Since this mansion has relatively few people in it and he''s the one in charge of keeping track of everything, letting Elise find out about her, this is clearly his fault. It''s a mistake that''s rare of him.


    As I instructed him about future correspondence, and was about to ask him if there was anything else to report, Bellway suddenly lowered his head deeply for some reason.


    "I''m truly, deeply sorry about all this. To have betrayed Eliza-sama''s trust¡­¡­ No matter how you punish me, I''m prepared for it."


    There was so much passion for his work in his voice. ¡­¡­As I looked at him bowing his head towards me, I felt it must be hard as well to be the earl''s secretary, and felt something like pity for him.


    Since Earl Terejia doesn''t like having more staff than necessary, Bellway actually does more than just secretarial work without complaint. He was often asked to deal with troublesome work, and he''s even lowering his head to a child that''s not even half his size, it must be quite the stressful job.


    Taking this into consideration, there''s quite a lot of emotional distance between me and Bellway. It''s also quite surreal to be looking up at someone bowing their head to me.


    "¡­¡­The one putting trust in you, isn''t me but Earl Terejia. There won''t be any punishment from me."


    Asking Bellway to take care of that child while we were gone, was because nobody else in the mansion had been qualified to take charge, and also because he''s already received instructions from the earl on the matter. Although I had indeed been the one to request Bellway on this matter directly, but that''s only because I''m the one taking responsibility for the care of that child.


    Saying something like he betrayed my expectations, but I had never really relied on him that much in the first place.


    As Bellway was lost for words, I confirmed the contents of his report. As if he was protesting my decision to not punish him, Bellway had an expression that almost seemed sad, quite different from his usual steely mask.


    Eastern Kaldia is still quite undeveloped, with a large unpopulated lake area. I plan to have the accepted refugees live there.


    They''re farmers, just like the people in my domain. Since there is no already established farmland to grant them, as newcomers they''ll have to do irrigation work for their own land.


    With effort that environment should be inhabitable for people, and it''ll be good for the domain as well since we lack fishermen, and setting the long-term goal as learning how to cultivate rice from other water-rich domains should be attainable as well. This project might continue on until the next generation, but even so Kaldia will be accepting the refugees because I can see future returns.


    The most obvious benefit would be the pumpkin. Among the refugees, they have pumpkin seeds with them for negotiating new land to live on. Because I''m worried about changing the ecosystem, I''ve put a limit on the types of new crops that the refugees will be allowed to cultivate, for now I''ll just use the pumpkins as a new crop type that the refugees brought with them.


    I was planning to use their potatoes as well, but it seems that because Kaldia has soil with high water content, that it''s not suitable for potatoes. What I remember from my previous life, is that pumpkins seem to be rather nutritious and would make a good crop. Since my domain only plants grain crops, hopefully adding pumpkin crops will help the people''s overall nutrition.


    Also, another great benefit would be expanding the labor force. Since people hardly ever move to the Kaldia domain from other domains, it''s hard for us to start big projects due to a lack of labor force. Because the citizens of my domain have their hands full with planting the crops they need to survive, this domain has basically stagnated.


    So even though I wanted to do something about the eastern lake areas of my domain, there hasn''t been any progress for several years. It''s because I''ve had to wait for a surplus in the labor force as everyone is currently busy with maintaining their fields.


    In that case, since receiving the refugees would mean having a large number of new citizens, I can think of them as a surplus labor force.


    There won''t be any disputes with my original citizens since they''ll be living at different locations, and since they speak different languages anyways it''ll be difficult for any types of disputes to arise. Since they can''t communicate, they probably won''t have anything to fight over.


    But, their children''s generation will definitely have to learn the Arxian language. I already talked to Earl Terejia about it, that we''ll be needing to teach those that are currently too young to join in the irrigation project.


    Also in order to incorporate the technique to raise rice as well, their children and grandchildren will absolutely have to speak the Arxian language so that everyone can be unified. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After all, they can''t keep being referred to as refugees forever. After we accept them, their new identity shall be citizens of the Kaldia domain. We should start calling them the new citizens, I''ll talk with the earl about that tomorrow.


    As I thought carefully over accepting the refugees, I was interrupted.


    "You happen to still be awake?"


    "¡­¡­Mrs. Hortensia."


    The woman who opened the door and entered seemed slightly surprised.


    In place of Mrs. Galton who was fired, she''s the new nanny, Mrs. Hortensia. There was no light illuminating the darkness, and I could only hear her sound.


    "It won''t be good for your body to stay up much longer."


    "I understand. I''ll go to sleep."


    "That''s good, then. You sometimes forget that you''re still only six years old."


    I was a bit startled at Mrs. Hortensia''s remark. It''s because she was right on the mark.


    "Even if you''ve matured early, your body hasn''t kept up with you. You should eat well, sleep well, and exercise well, so that your body doesn''t become weak."


    I understand, was my reply, and Mrs. Hortensia left the room after saying what she wanted to say.


    Mrs. Hortensia isn''t as annoying as Mrs. Galton was, but it''s difficult to grasp her personality, and that was my assessment of the new nanny that''s come here to the mansion.

 Chapter 25 - 25

    I woke up even though it was still dark outside.


    It wasn''t cold to the point where it woke me up, but it was chilly enough to chase away any drowsiness. Since I don''t like laying around in bed when I''m wide awake, I grudgingly got out from under my warm covers.


    When I looked at the water clock in my room, it was much earlier than I normally would get up. Since I hate the idea of catching a cold, I immediately put on my dalmatic.


    Since I hate having nothing to do, I decided to take a walk in the mansion.


    There should be no problem as long as I return before Mrs. Hortensia wakes up, I thought the same thing as before like on a certain morning so long ago.


    Rashiok who was sleeping beside the water clock raised his head. Growl~~, a whining sound came from his throat that indicated he wanted to be spoiled, and I took him with me on the condition that he promised to be quiet.


    Since the curtains haven''t been opened yet, the hallways were just as dark as my room. Since Rashiok has night vision and acted almost like a guide dog, helping me avoid obstacles, bringing him along was quite useful.


    As a domain lord''s residence, the Mansion of Golden Hills is considered quite small, so there''s not actually that many rooms. Since the barracks next door is actually larger, it makes one wonder which should actually be the domain lord''s residence.


    In order to manage the people in the eastern part of my domain, calmly taking things into consideration it might be best to build a new small city in the center of the domain, as I currently live in the western part of Kaldia.


    If war with Rindarl becomes actuality, we''d have to build a new military facility anyways. If results can be shown from us training cavalry troops, the House of Lords will surely support us and further strengthen our army.


    I kept my right hand on Rashiok''s belly as he trotted along, and I wondered if I actually knew where I was going, when Rashiok suddenly snorted. And then, as if he was troubled by something, he rubbed his nose against my face, and pushed against my back.


    By now Rashiok has matured, and he''s at the size where his mouth can easily chomp off my head with a single bite. I can really feel how big he''s getting, and when he stopped to look at me I gave him a gentle glance.


    I saw someone''s shadow, and I immediately hid in Rashiok''s own shadow. Since Rashiok is taller than I am, it was simple to hide completely in his shadow.


    "¡­¡­Hm, is that Rashiok?"


    The person walking down the hallway seems to have noticed Rashiok in the dimness. Rashiok growled softly in reply, and the person went into a room without paying mind to Rashiok. The voice was Bellway''s. After thinking about it for a bit, I finally realized that we''re close to Earl Terejia''s room.


    But, isn''t it still a bit early for the earl to be up? I had my doubts, and decided to remain here for a bit. After doing it once before, I''ve acquired quite the bad hobby of enjoying eavesdropping.


    From the earl''s room, I eventually heard the two of them talking in subdued voices. They talked about the plans for today, and the reports on the pigeons that arrived last night. Getting up this early, must be due to the dedication they''re putting in about the matter of accepting the refugees.


    I didn''t know about such a thing, because I''m still getting up at the same time as usual. Even normally, Earl Terejia overworks himself for his old age, and now he''s adding even more to his burden. I can only pray that he doesn''t collapse from overwork.


    I thought I understood Earl Terejia''s reason for rising early, and was about to return to my room.


    "Alright, so about Eliza-sama yesterday¡­¡­"


    Bellway mentioned my name, and I raised my hand to signal Rashiok to stop. I felt like he was going to report on my conversation with him yesterday, and I was interested in how he would talk about me with the earl.


    Bellway''s voice became even more hushed, he seemed to be whispering yesterday''s conversation to the earl. His voice was so low that it was difficult to hear him clearly.


    "¡­¡­I don''t trust the future master."


    Bellway''s voice seemed agitated as he returned to a normal speaking volume, and I could hear him clearly. The future master would of course be referring to me. I wonder if the earl intends to have his servants work for me in the future.


    Out of all the servants in the mansion, only Bellway was from noble society. Bellway''s father had been a titled knight, but since a titled knight was only an honorary position, it''s not something that can obtain peerage.


    Unlike nobles that can retain their nobility throughout the generations despite not having peerage, there''s a law that states once a titled knight dies, all their children will no longer be considered to have a noble''s rights.


    With people like this, if I lose Earl Terejia''s protection, I might suddenly find myself without any retainers.


    "You''re not the only one."


    Earl Terejia replied in a low voice that was like a sigh. It felt as if it sounded bitter.


    "She doesn''t trust me at all. She''s been using Kamil and the soldiers and maids to collect information on the villagers."


    ¡­¡­As expected, that was exposed. As the years passed and the number of people around me increased, for me to go and gather information without using any of them, that does indeed seem like evidence that I don''t trust the earl.


    Earl Terejia and I have a relationship of mutual benefit where we use each other rather than a trusting relationship.


    That''s why he had been in charge of rebuilding my domain, and why he had participated in the early stages of the refugee acceptance plan as well. He''s also using this as a chance to get rid of his own subordinates that are too troublesome to use and passing them along to me.


    What''s more, all the grain that the Kaldia domain produces, goes through the Terejia family, and is sold by merchants affiliated with the Terejias. This could be said that it''s an excellent monopoly deal for him. It''s basically like I''m loaning the domain to him until I become of age since he''s a noble without lands of his own.


    There were plenty of advantages to be had from this relationship for both of us.


    Since all the servants in the mansion were hired by and signed contracts with Earl Terejia, isn''t this evidence that he doesn''t need to build a trusting relationship with me. For future things, he won''t necessarily need me to do anything or require my trust to do what he wants.


    Something like my trust, I wonder just how much it''s worth. As I was furrowing my brows, Earl Terejia and Bellway''s conversation continued.


    "Then, Kamil also doesn''t trust her?"


    ¡­¡­Kamil, huh. I slightly ground my teeth. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He was originally a soldier-in-training from the army, and he used to have a life as a merchant''s son. I''d heard that his father died, but if things were so simple he should have inherited his father''s riches. While he was a soldier-in-training, he was selected to assist me, and just like that he''s always stayed by my side, but I don''t know the true reasons for it.


    What will they talk about, I concentrated even more on this topic. I''d definitely like to clear up some unknown factors.


    As I listened, the earl''s next words were over in an instant.


    "Ahh, that might be. If he knew that his father had been the merchant that poisoned the family he''s now serving, he might not be able to leave things as is."


    The merchant that had taken the blame for poisoning my father had been Kamil''s father.


    I immediately paled, and my head was spinning around. My vision was flickering, and I collapsed against Rashiok. I was beginning to break out into a cold sweat.


    That''s because, it''s my fault that his father died. I was the one who killed my father. But the one who was accused of and executed for the crime, was the merchant that had sold my parents the food for the party.


    It felt like my heart was about to burst out of my chest. And even though it was cold, I was sweating.


    ¡­¡­I had only heard that he was a villainous merchant. Although Kamil hardly ever talked about his father, I could tell from his expression that he still missed him.


    If Kamil ever discovers that I''m the true culprit. A chill ran down my spine.


    He might have been serving me all this time without looking for any benefits in return.


    Urgh¡­¡­ I couldn''t make a sound, as it felt like I was choking on some sensation. I feel terribly dizzy. My temple was aching in pain.


    I somehow managed to lift my trembling fingers, and poked Rashiok''s back three times. Rashiok understood what I wanted and laid down on the floor so I could get on him.


    As I somehow managed to endure the feeling of being sick while riding him and not throw up, Rashiok silently brought me back to my room.

 Chapter 26 - 26

    "Have Claudia join your domain''s army?"


    "Yes, rather than always being a freeloading house guest, have her join the army as a way of repaying my favor, and become my bodyguard. What do you think?"


    The weather had changed this morning, and right now it''s raining heavily. Despite the Kaldia domain being water rich, it doesn''t rain that often. As the rain made tapping sounds against the windows of the domain lord''s office, Earl Terejia blinked several times at my sudden proposal.


    "¡­¡­Once a little more time had passed and you''d gotten to known each other better, I was going to suggest something like that as well."


    "Then I believe, we can send Kamil east for developing the lands there?"


    If Claudia becomes my bodyguard, then I can move around Kamil who''s been my bodyguard up until now. Moving Kamil at this timing, it''s convenient because someone will be needed to take charge of constructing the village for the refugees.


    With an understanding of cultures other than Arxia''s and the ability to get along with others easily, Kamil who should have Earl Terejia''s complete trust would be the perfect person to take charge of constructing the village. Since I wouldn''t have a personal bodyguard if I send him off somewhere else, I plan to have Claudia take his place.


    Earl Terejia nodded repeatedly, and agreed as I expected.


    "Claudia-dono''s already hanging out at the barracks quite often. For the soldiers as well that had seemed a little down at my birthday celebration, having Claudia officially join them would probably raise their spirits."


    There were many soldiers that were deeply impressed with Claudia''s prowess with a spear. In the first place, the soldiers in my domain have a bit of an attitude of respecting the strong. That''s why there were no complaints about the young Gunther being an officer above the older veterans.


    And since most of them had been former bandits, Gunther included, they have very little resistance against women. There had been many women amongst the bandits, it seems there had been people following some strong women as well in the bandit group where the strong ruled.


    If I''m not mistaken, Claudia will definitely be helpful for me controlling my domain''s army.


    "I want to allow the refugees currently suffering outside Fort Jugfena to be able to become citizens of my domain as soon as possible. I would have no objections to having Claudia become my bodyguard and sending Kamil to be in charge. If it''s Kamil, with his skills, he would definitely be able to oversee it successfully."


    "Eliza¡­¡­?"


    As I summed up my thoughts on the matter, for some reason the earl suddenly seemed a bit confused. As if to peek into my mind, Earl Terejia''s black pupils looked directly into my eyes. I felt as if he could see straight into my heart, and avoided his gaze by looking at the window, while Earl Terejia shut his eyes, and seemed to be thinking about something for a while.


    "¡­¡­Nothing. Mmm, you''re right. I''ll immediately have a word with Claudia, and instruct Kamil to take charge of constructing the village."


    "Very well then. I''ll go and call Claudia-dono right now."


    I bowed, and exited the office. From behind me, I could hear him saying "you don''t look well, you should get some rest after this." I know that more than well about myself. After all, my stomach and head have been aching since this morning, and if I''m not careful I feel like I could throw up at any moment.


    Even Claudia was actually staying inside quietly on a day such as this when it''s raining so heavily, so I visited the room given to her, and she greeted me back in a voice that seemed to be much lower tension than usual.


    Claudia''s room had almost no personal possessions in it at all. When she came here, she had basically almost nothing besides the clothes on her back. Since her room is basically the exact opposite of Elise''s, it left an impression on me. The iron spear wrapped in cloth leaning against the wall was the only personal possession of Claudia who''s currently rolling around on her bed.


    "What would you happen to be doing, Claudia-dono?"


    "I can''t be any more bored than this. Usually it doesn''t rain this heavily, but today I''m stuck in the house with absolutely nothing to do."


    Claudia was the very personification of having nothing to do, and she was now sitting along the edge of her bed while kicking her feet. She had a totally dissatisfied expression as she complained about her boredom to me, and the way her lips were protruding made her seem like a little kid.


    "If you would like, I''ll have a maid prepare the items necessary so you can sew."


    I couldn''t help but tease her a little to get her back for her thick headedness, as I proposed something that would be very ordinary for most girls'' hobbies, sewing when it''s rainy outside. Although, I''m absolutely sure that Claudia won''t be interested in something like that at all.


    "¡­¡­That''s, could it be? Did you find out that I hate sewing more than anything else so you''re teasing me with such a suggestion?"


    "No, of course not."


    I figured that she would only reject me without noticing my intent, but I was surprised that it turns out Claudia absolutely hates sewing. I turned slightly red, and was rather shocked inside. Claudia''s surprisingly good at reading others.


    If this had been the normal Claudia that''s always high tension, not only would she not be able to read the atmosphere, she sometimes might not even notice what other people are saying.


    She had stopped kicking her feet, and now, with her lower lip slightly sticking out, just the fact that she''s stopped moving really makes her seem like a lady from a good family because of her elegant features. Usually I can''t see her like this¡­¡­ Somehow, it''s actually disappointing that I don''t see her like this more often.


    "Jokes aside, Earl Terejia would like to talk to you. Could you go to the domain lord''s office?"


    "Alright, let''s go!"


    Claudia seemed glad to have the chance to get up and move around, when I told her that she immediately jumped off her bed lightly. I wonder just where exactly that earlier bored appearance of hers went off to. The lady that I had seen earlier must have just been an illusion. She''s a girl that has to move, why did I allow myself to get fooled.


    And so Claudia briskly left her room, looked right, looked left, then looked right again. What is she doing. It''s not like traffic''s going to come down this hallway and hit her.


    "Erina-dono¡­¡­ Where''s the domain lord''s office?"


    ¡­¡­It seems that even in this small mansion, and what''s more, in spite of running around every day, it seems that she still doesn''t know where the domain lord''s office is. Now I''m feeling a little worried about letting this person be my bodyguard. She''s so foolish, there''s too much to even sigh at.


    When I think that after sending Kamil away to construct the village that I''ll be accompanied by Claudia every day, I felt an indescribable feeling at what I was going to put myself through.


    Even Claudia seemed to be a little embarrassed at least, her face was unmistakably turning slightly red. My indescribable feeling doubled in strength.


    "My name''s not Erina, it''s Eliza. I''ll take you to the office."


    "No, you only have to tell me where it is. Eliza-dono, please rest for a bit in my bed."


    "Eh?"


    "Your complexion looks terrible. Letting such a child do as she likes when she''s in such a bad condition, is against my code of chivalry. Now, go and rest. When I return, I''ll take you to your room." S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Claudia smiled widely as she said so and pushed me into her room, and she half closed the door on me, and gallantly went on her way towards the left hallway.


    She said and did something cool, but Earl Terejia''s office is actually on the hallway to the right. What a no-good girl¡­¡­


    This time, I deeply sighed, resigning myself to the fact that there''s probably nothing I can do about her.


    At the same time, I laughed a little. Mysteriously, my headache seems to be better than it was as well, that''s probably thanks to that no-good girl as well.


    As Claudia insisted, I threw myself onto her bed. Even though I had been feeling so terrible all morning, my consciousness easily retreated from me and I fell asleep.

 Chapter 27 - 27

    Knock knock, a sound came from the wooden door.


    "It''s Kamil."


    At hearing his muffled voice after the knocks, I felt a sick feeling in my stomach. My throat felt painful as if it had just been burned, and I couldn''t muster up a voice to reply. As he opened the door silently as to not make any sound, I reflexively closed my eyes and wrapped myself in my blanket.


    After falling asleep in Claudia''s bed, because of my bad condition I had been brought back to my room. I might have strained myself too much and tired myself out. Because I felt sick, I haven''t had anything to eat, and I''ve been sleeping all day.


    While Kamil checked to see how I was doing, he slowly approached me. It felt as if my heart was being gripped tightly and suffocating. Even though it wasn''t cold now, with every step that Kamil took, I could feel myself trembling.


    "¡­¡­Charlie?"


    Despite my brain ordering my body to pretend to be calm and answer him, my body had stiffened up and I couldn''t even breathe. I could hear my heart beating annoyingly loudly in my ears.


    Maybe he''ll think I''m asleep, Kamil touched my cheek with his fingers. Goosebumps ran down my body, and my body flinched without my permission.


    "Charlie?"


    I desperately kept my eyes closed. I don''t know what kind of expression Kamil is making, but I''m terribly afraid of seeing him. He might even be holding a knife in his other hand right now. There''s no way he''s trying to kill me right now, if he had known about it he would have done something to me the moment he met me, is what my logic was telling me, but even so I couldn''t stop my body from shaking.


    Without a doubt, I was afraid of Kamil.


    Kamil stroked my cheek with his fingers again. Tension and fear seem to have frozen my body solid, this time I didn''t react.


    I could hear the sounds of Kamil''s slow breathing. Even though he wasn''t moving, that alone caused my heart rate to go up. However, even the blood coursing through my body felt like it was freezing over.


    "¡­¡­It''s been decided that I''ll be heading east to take charge of constructing the village."


    Although he was talking, it sounded more like a monotone. He muttered it in a rather low voice.


    "The earl-sama said that he can''t leave this job up to someone he doesn''t trust."


    Kamil''s fingers that were touching my cheek moved to my forehead. He casually brushed aside my bangs, and traced his fingers across my forehead. I could hear him laughing slightly bitterly.


    "In a difficult time, you shouldn''t be making that kind of face. Eliza-sama''s so stubborn¡­¡­"


    Kamil''s fingers departed from my face together with his voice. Eliza-sama, at hearing him call me that I opened my eyes, but I only saw his back as he was leaving. My throat remained frozen until he left.


    My heart is now pounding hard for a different reason than earlier.


    How long has it been. His voice, calling me Eliza-sama like that, I feel like I''ve heard him call me that before. Although he should have called me that recently, I can''t seem to remember when. I felt a mix of many emotions, but for sure his voice had been reproachful.


    Without knowing why, tears starting flowing out, and were dripping down my face from the corners of my eyes. The back of my throat hurt badly.


    It took three more days before I was finally able to get out of bed.


    My body strength had dropped since I hadn''t been maintaining my body, and the maids prepared simple showers for me with hot water and washbasins. I didn''t even have the strength to visit the showers in the barracks.


    I used a wrung cloth to wipe my body with, and looked at Rashiok who was waiting beside me although he hadn''t come to visit me very much while I had been bedridden. I wiped his forehead as if I were spoiling him, and he laid down for me without me saying anything. Since Rashiok is heavier than a warhorse now, having a six year old ride on him was nothing.


    I stopped the maids who were hurriedly getting up. While Rashiok was still laying down and I was by his belly, he scooped me up with his wings.


    "I won''t say that you''re spoiled, but think about our difference in size."


    While talking to him and petting his neck, Rashiok made a "guruguru" sound from his throat. His voice seemed more reserved than usual, and I tilted my head in puzzlement.


    "Phoebe, what''s wrong with Rashiok?"


    "Um¡­¡­ What''s wrong, you say?"


    I asked the maid who was watching my exchange with Rashiok, but she looked confused and didn''t understand my question. I replied to her in exasperation.


    "He doesn''t seem that energetic."


    Normally, Rashiok doesn''t act that spoiled when others are around us. And what''s more, this time he scooped me up with too much force, this is the first time for him.


    "Could it be¡­¡­ because Kamil isn''t here currently? Ojou-sama was also bedridden for a period of time. Rashiok was staying in front of your room the whole time, I think he could be lonely."


    "¡­¡­Kamil, eh. I see, got it."


    I accepted the maid''s explanation, and slowly closed my eyes. After I received Rashiok from the earl, it''s always been Kamil and I that have taken care of him. Rashiok seemed to understand human power relations to some extent, and obeyed me more than Kamil. Since this is the first time that both of us have been absent at the same time, it can''t be helped that Rashiok would feel lonely.


    Kamil''s not going to be here at the mansion anymore. Rashiok made a lonely sounding cry.


    Even though I was the one who drove Kamil out, why is it that inside my chest it''s hurting. But, at the same time I definitely felt relieved. The contradiction in my own feelings felt so mysterious and sad.


    "You''re going to move that child to the barracks?"


    "Yes. I''m going to send everyone that''s connected to that child to the new village being constructed. I told Gunther that together with Claudia, those two are going to be your future bodyguards and that they''ll be in his care."


    After I dressed myself properly, the first thing I did was to visit Earl Terejia. Even though there''s so much work to be done, because I had collapsed so suddenly I haven''t been able to do anything. I also wanted to know what went on during the four days that I was bedridden.


    The first thing I heard was the report that "Elise" would be moved to the barracks. Indeed, right now we''re also moving out the soldiers to help with the first stages of building the new village. This is probably a great chance to hide the short-haired "Elise" out of sight as well as getting her some basic training.


    However, some among the army were probably present at the time when "Elise" had been captured from the village. I wondered how we would deceive them, but the earl simply shrugged.


    "She''s been kept here at the mansion for quite a while. It''ll be difficult for anyone to tell that she''s the same person as that malnourished, skinny, grubby child."


    "¡­¡­I see, indeed."


    Her messy unkempt hair had been cut for her, and Kamil had nominally carried out her execution. Attaching her hair to the jute bag that was tossed into the river to give the impression that she was executed, none of the soldiers from that incident at Shiriru village would be looking for that child.


    Her appearance has improved since her diet''s gotten more nutritious, and since a maid has been washing her every day, even her skin color is different due to all the dirt that had been piled on her skin. Indeed, the change in her is to the extent that she''s like an entire different person.


    "I explained to her that she''s going to receive military training as well, so she should put her spirit into it and work hard."


    Earl Terejia said it nicely, but judging by the expression on his face, it''s much more probable that rather than putting her spirit into things, it had only gotten her angry as she would resent him for how prideful he was.


    Because of what happened to her mother, to that child, as the former domain lord''s daughter, if she didn''t view me the same way as my father who had used his money for personal luxury and to exploit the people, then she wouldn''t be able to maintain her spirit anymore. That''s why obediently going through the same training I did, and changing her opinion of me is harder than even dying to her. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    If she can maintain her murderous hatred for me and return after going through training then that''s fine, or if she fails to make it through the training but changes her view of me then that''s fine as well.


    "It''ll probably correct her distorted views on nobles for her."


    As Earl Terejia nodded, once again I started thinking about what that would mean.


    I first understood it myself when I went to the royal capital, but the only nobles that my domain''s soldiers had ever known were my family, who were all rather extreme and crazy people. The soldiers themselves might not be aware of it, but they view me, Earl Terejia, and Claudia differently now from other nobles. They still basically have a hatred for nobility.


    ¡­¡­Well, it might turn out to be good for that child. Being around other people that compare me and Earl Terejia favorably to the other "normal" nobles that they know, it might become easier to change that child''s beliefs.

 Chapter 28 - 28

    Kamil has left the mansion, and so has that child who was secretly staying in the innermost part of the mansion, but daily life here at the mansion didn''t change all that much.


    Under Earl Terejia''s instructions, I would help him and Bellway with their work, and listen to Claudia tell stories about her time with the soldiers, and I would carefully manipulate Claudia so that I could control the army, my days became even busier than before.


    And so spring has ended and summer has begun, and phosphorescent moths known as rinkas have become active.


    "Hm¡­¡­ Is that a type of monster?"


    "That''s right. This year, we''ve received reports of increased monster activity in the Monster Forest from the Jugfena royal domain. ¡­¡­Also, it''s not just the magical beasts in the Monster Forest. We must also be careful of the monsters from the Amon Nor Mountains."


    "Ahh¡­¡­"


    As Earl Terejia informed me about the reports on monster activity, I could only listen incredulously.


    Monsters really do exist in this world. sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Since I hadn''t heard much about them, I doubted whether they really existed, but it does seem that once in a while monsters would attack people or their livestock. It''s always been a topic quite distant from me, but come to think of it, Rashiok''s species, the draconis, is also a type of magical beast.


    I don''t know the exact definition of a magical beast. Nor do I really know the specific differences between insects, animals, humans, and monsters in this world. In the bedtime stories that I''d heard from Mrs. Galton before, magical beasts are considered to be monsters that can use magic, but I''ve never heard of anything like magic or magical beasts in real life here.


    In fact, I''ve never even seen Rashiok using any mysterious powers like being able to breathe fire or control the wind.


    However, until I met Rashiok, I''d always thought that draconis were fictional, and I suppose that until this spring, I''d always been a hermit cooped up in my mansion that''s never gone anywhere before. Just like magical beasts, magic might really exist as well.


    "Come to think of it, I haven''t really heard much in detail about the Monster Forest before."


    Earl Terejia raised his eyebrow as he looked at me.


    "Yes, really. I''ve always thought it was only a name."


    "Didn''t Mrs. Galton tell you bedtime stories about monsters and magic every night?"


    Earl Terejia seemed to be puzzled as he asked me, but I tilted my head in return. Were bedtime stories really to be believed?


    "Yes, I heard them, but I thought they were all made up."


    After all, in Mrs. Galton''s stories, there were people like sages and paladins, and various paranormal phenomenon that could only be explained by magic. Since as far as I knew, they didn''t actually exist, I thought it was fiction. After all, I didn''t believe in monsters.


    What''s more, the new nanny, Mrs. Hortensia, doesn''t even tell bedtime stories like Mrs. Galton did. Since I''m still using the common sense from my previous world, it can''t be helped that I didn''t believe in anything until now.


    "I see."


    Earl Terejia nodded and made a complicated expression.


    "Call Mrs. Marshan over here immediately."


    Mrs. Marshan who was brought to the lord''s office by Bellway, had some kind of box under her arm.


    "I heard that you wanted to see me."


    I''ve been so busy lately, that I''ve had less time for Mrs. Marshan''s lectures recently. I didn''t really think anything of it since Earl Terejia had allowed it, but it''s been almost half a month since I last saw Mrs. Marshan, I''ve been feeling too lazy to study as of late for some reason. I wonder if it''s because I remembered just how much I had to study in my previous life.


    "Mrs. Marshan, please give Eliza-sama a lecture on magical beasts immediately."


    "I understand. Should I take that to mean that it''s alright to begin right now?"


    "Of course."


    Bellway must have already filled her in on the details, after a simple confirmation with the earl, Mrs. Marshan took me back to my room immediately.


    But anyways, I wondered just how important magical beasts and the Monster Forest were. For the time being, it still didn''t seem very real to me yet, so I didn''t know how much importance I should give to magical beasts. The children of other domain lords probably already recognize them as real, as I kept thinking irrelevant things, we finally arrived back at my room.


    Rashiok who was curled up in a corner of my room raised his head as if to say, what''s going on?


    "Mrs. Marshan, what''s in that box?"


    "It''s a book, Eliza-sama."


    The box was about the size of my jewelry box in the closet, so it seems to be the type of book with its own box case. Looking at the book and its leather bindings after it was removed from its case, it reminded me of a dictionary, and since there''s no printing technology in Arxia, such a book must be really expensive.


    "All domain lords for domains where there''s a possibility of monsters attacking are required to have a copy of this book, but taking into consideration Eliza-sama''s age, I have been taking care of this book until now."


    I nodded, as Mrs. Marshan immediately opened the book and handed it to me.


    "First, I''ll have to teach you about monsters. Monsters are creatures that have powers to cause mysterious phenomenon, which we call magic. Among them, we tend to call the ones that tend to attack people and livestock magical beasts. That''s because most of them resemble beasts."


    "I understand that a draconis would be considered a type of monster, but it wouldn''t be a magical beast?"


    I glanced at Rashiok who was lying quietly in the corner of my room as I asked my question, and Mrs. Marshan shook her head.


    "You already know that draconis mostly eat snow snakes, and since they have high intelligence and are relatively mild-mannered, they hardly ever attack humans. The only magic they can use is said to be magic that helps them fly."


    I see, I nodded again, and Mrs. Marshan went hmm¡­¡­ and tilted her head to the side as she was thinking.


    "¡­¡­Eliza-sama, have you seen a rinka before?"


    At Mrs. Marshan''s question, I couldn''t help but think of small moths that would glow in the dark like fireflies, as I told her I hadn''t. The way that fireflies would leave a trail of light behind them was quite a beautiful scene to behold.


    "Rinkas are full-fledged magical beasts. They usually gather by the hundreds and burn down trees with fire magic, and even though they''re a type of moth they''re immune to fire."


    Ehh¡­¡­ a comment involuntarily escaped my lips. That sounds quite dangerous.


    "The buildings in the royal capital all have an outer layer of rinka scales. After all, they won''t burn so it''s the best defense against fire. Anyways, they''re not considered that dangerous by themselves, but only in large packs."


    I kept nodding. Mrs. Marshan continued with her explanation.


    With Mrs. Marshan teaching me as well as using the records from the book, I learned about monsters, and when this crash course ended it was already time for dinner. Since the maids had brought us tea and snacks during the lesson, we had basically spent the entire day on this.


    For now, I''ll just sum up what I learned today.


    Each type of monster can use different types of magic.


    The Monster Forest is so named because only monsters live there with few exceptions. But, monsters actually live almost everywhere.


    Monsters have active periods, in which suddenly all of their kind will become active. There are reports that monsters with lower intelligence will behave incomprehensibly.


    Although there was also various other things that I learned, those seem to be the most important points. In the domain lord''s book on monsters, it mentioned that in case of monster attacks, of course the domain lord and the domain''s army would be responsible for defending the land.


    Even though it''s such a busy time, for monsters to be attacking, this is such an unwelcome event.

 Chapter 29 - 29

    I used four days to learn as much about monsters and countermeasures against them as I could, cramming it in, and Earl Terejia posted notices within the domain about countermeasures to put into practice against the fire moths.


    Due to the report that it''s now their active period, once it becomes autumn, with the dry season, the fire moths will become even more of a fire hazard. This summer, their numbers are about average, but last winter an unusual thing had occurred. Usually the fire moths disappear during the winter, but it seems that last winter they remained active and still attacked people''s villages.


    "Mrs. Marshan, there''s no mistake that salt water is the most effective thing at exterminating the fire moths?"


    "Indeed."


    "I would like to see this for myself. Please tell Bellway that I would like to have three fire moths captured for me."


    Fire moths, just like regular moths and butterflies, have scales that repel water. And what''s more, fire moths seem to be quite water resistant, so only using water would be useless.


    However, fire moths seem to be quite weak against salt. I don''t understand the exact reason, but I vaguely remember learning in science class during my previous life something about certain insects being weak to salt.


    Upon receiving my request, Mrs. Marshan left the room immediately. Normally, I''d be requesting Kamil, but he''s not here right now, and for now, even outside of lessons, Mrs. Marshan has taken over his duties. And what''s more, she would always follow me everywhere. It was necessary for a domain lord to always have someone by them to carry out their orders, is what Mrs.


    Marshan was teaching me, and I''m very grateful that Mrs. Marshan is more open-minded and accepting of different ways of thinking.


    "Salt, eh¡­¡­"


    To think it would be salt. In Arxia, salt is the cheapest among all seasonings, although it''s still fairly expensive among daily necessities. I intend to see if I can find something to substitute for it. For now, I''ll just think on countermeasures against the fire moths with salt water as the main weapon.


    Then, since we know that salt water can defeat the fire moths, we can have salt prepared to help defend the villages.


    It isn''t that rare for fire moths to cause fires, but since the trees native to here usually have high moisture content, the main thing to be concerned about are each village''s stockpiles of dried firewood.


    As for the forests in my domain, rather than using the soldiers on duty at the area under direct control, I''d prefer if it would be possible for the citizens in my domain to guard them instead. Right now, I''d prefer to avoid adding to the citizens'' sense of fear by sending soldiers.


    Fire moths are mainly active during the daytime. Even if it''s their active period, it''s highly unlikely for fire moths to be flying about at night. In my domain, since the moon is usually hidden by the Amon Nor Mountains, it''s quite dark at night. It seems that fire moths don''t have night vision, so they can''t fly around without any moonlight.


    However, since the villagers don''t have lights, night comes early for them. They end their day and go to sleep when the sun goes down. It''ll be necessary to organize patrols around the villages each day until it becomes completely dark at midnight, and find volunteers for that.


    ¡­¡­Organizing the villagers to protect their own villages, it feels almost like a vigilante corps. In this case, it might be for the best if I seriously try and establish a vigilante patrol.


    There''s also the situation with the neighboring country to the east, taking into consideration that Kaldia might be invaded by enemies, this might be a good chance to teach the people some basics of self-defense now. I''d like to make an organization with the villagers that would improve our cooperation and communication.


    I finished a basic plan for setting up a vigilante group system, and left my room for the lord''s office. When I knocked and entered, Earl Terejia who was working busily just like usual looked at me with a surprised face.


    "¡­¡­It couldn''t be, but are you already done with your work?"


    "No, I apologize. I''m here to see you because I would like to discuss the domain''s military regulations and information on the soldiers."


    The domain''s military regulations, at hearing this the earl raised his eyebrow. I told him about my plan for setting up a vigilante organization, as he listened with a dubious look on his face, and he pulled some pieces of wood out of his drawer for some reason.


    "What''s that?"


    "It''s a rough draft for a self-defense organization. I never would have expected that you could come up with something like this yourself as well."


    The earl seemed a little apologetic, and I nodded. This was the first time that I had come up with a plan for the domain entirely on my own. Taking into consideration my age and lack of experience, it''s no surprise that the earl also prepared something like this.


    Earl Terejia''s draft had the same idea as my plan, using conscription into the domain''s army to establish a new organization. Apart from that, he also had methods for cooperation between the new forces and the domain''s army, as well as setting up methods for faster communication in the villages, which I was still thinking about.


    "¡­¡­Then, we''ll try to make this a reality."


    "Once you''re finished with these, bring them over to me. Also, please submit your countermeasures against the fire moths then as well."


    Earl Terejia handed me military regulations and military service records, including of those that had already retired from the domain''s army, and I left the office just as Bellway arrived with a small cage containing three fire moths.


    "Eliza-sama. I was just about to go find you. I''ve brought three fire moths."


    "Ahh, thanks for your trouble. I''m sorry, but please bring that to the garden for me. Also, could you please prepare half a cup of salt water for me, as well as two cups of regular water. Lastly, please call the gardener Boriswaf for me."


    "Very well."


    I feel like I''ve crossed a point of no return and done something bad. I turned around to look at Bellway''s back as he was leaving, and I got a feeling like I was getting more efficient at using people. Before, Earl Terejia was the one giving orders to everyone in the mansion, but I''m going to have to get used to this from now as well.


    I returned to my room at the same time as Mrs. Marshan, and I looked at her arms which were filled with information documents and sighed. Since this was an urgent matter, I didn''t have to say anything.


    I placed the documents on top of my desk, and began drafting my plan against the fire moths. Supplying the salt water, and noting the locations where fire moths have been sighted.


    If there''s no other methods that can be as effective as salt water against fire moths, we''ll have to supply the salt water. That''s because the villagers don''t have enough salt of their own. What''s more, we might not have enough salt water to go around for everyone.


    I wonder if I can use poisonous herbs that won''t be enough to kill a human, and mix them into water and have it be effective on fire moths.


    While Bellway came to see me while I was writing, he stopped me when I rose my head and spoke to Mrs. Marshan instead. I see, he''s telling her that he''s done with the preparations I requested.


    When I finished writing for the time being, Mrs. Marshan probably noticed it and spoke up at that moment.


    "Bellway reported that he''s finished preparing the items in the garden you requested."


    "I understand. Let''s go."


    When Mrs. Marshan and I arrived at the garden, Bellway and the gardener Boriswaf were waiting for us. Under the earl''s instruction, Bellway will be remaining here to watch over what I do here.


    I told him directly that I intended to experiment on the fire moths to see what could kill them, and I left the more detailed explanation up to Mrs. Marshan. Boriswaf is here to help me carry out the experiment in my place. That''s because it wouldn''t be considered appropriate for me or Mrs. Marshan to be pouring salt water on fire moths and killing them.


    "First, I''d like to see for myself the fire moth''s reaction to salt water. Boriswaf."


    At my request, Boriswaf let one fire moth out with a practiced hand. I can see the fire moth quite clearly, and it''s at a close distance for my first time as well, this will make for an excellent observation. A fire moth is about as big as a swallowtail butterfly from my previous life, and its wings were a pale vermillion. With the lighting, it almost looks golden.


    It really looks like the golden light of fireflies at night, I wonder if that has to do with the pale lighting of the moon as well.


    Boriswaf held on to its wings, and dripped a little bit of salt water onto them. As a gardener, he would be experienced in getting rid of insects, so as expected he''s good at handling a fire moth.


    The salt water changed the wing''s color from pale vermillion to dark brown, and the fire moth was fluttering frantically. It was clear to see that it was in pain. I don''t know the biology of moths and butterflies too well, but even their wings were probably able to feel pain.


    "Alright, let it free."


    I wanted to see if the fire moth would be able to fly with damaged wings, so I ordered Boriswaf to let it go. Although the fire moth was set free, and kept trying to flap its wings, it seems that it wasn''t able to fly.


    When I look closer, there are tiny holes in the wings. It''s because of the salt water.


    "Butterflies and moths won''t be able to fly if even small holes are drilled into their wings."


    I nodded at Boriswaf''s information. This means that I don''t have to completely cover it in salt water, and now I should see if I can find something to replace salt water, or be even be more efficient. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 30 - 30

    Earl Terejia has approved of my plan to deal with the fire moths. Wooden pipes containing salt water would be issued, and a civil militia would be set up.


    Since there wasn''t enough salt water for everyone, we also distributed wooden pipes with poisons that would work on the fire moths. We also made sure to add sand into the salt water to make sure that the villagers wouldn''t try and use the salt water for their personal use. There was also the fact that we discovered fine grains would solidify the moth scales during the experiment in the garden.


    However, we weren''t able to find something that would replicate the effect of salt dissolving the wings and causing holes in them.


    Since there were more fire moths than could be taken care of by people, I used the idea of pesticides from my previous life, and instructed the villagers to spray salt water on the fields and near the entrances to the forests, so that the fire moths wouldn''t go near the crops. Although I don''t remember the details, I do seem to remember that salt can be used as a pesticide in my previous life.


    "I''ve received my first task from the earl! Starting today, you''re going to be learning the spear from me, Elida-dono!"


    "It''s Eliza, Claudia-dono."


    I had just finished the plans on dealing with the fire moths, and was working on documents regarding transporting the necessary goods to the villages, when I was ambushed by Claudia, and I was forced to stop working. Well, these documents have to be completed by the day after tomorrow, even though this is something that the earl asked me to do, I don''t absolutely have to finish them today.


    After all, refusals never get through to Claudia. Since it''s useless, I''ve learned not to waste my energy struggling.


    "Ahh, my apologies. Then, Eliza-dono, let''s go to the training grounds!"


    Claudia grabbed my wrist, and started dragging me around while humming.


    "The training grounds? For the soldiers?"


    "Yep."


    "I have a different training ground from the soldiers. Since there''s a wide empty space behind the house, I use that."


    Normally Claudia would forcibly use the soldiers'' training grounds and play there, but I don''t go there. After my three months of training concluded, I haven''t been back to the barracks or their training grounds. That''s because I''ve had to either show up in front of the citizens of my domain, or accompany nobles lately.


    With my own soldiers'' negative feelings towards me, I had to placate them, and get them used to me. I should have cultivated my relationship with the soldiers more, but after leaving the barracks, but considering my position, I haven''t been able to go back to the barracks.


    "¡­¡­I see. I wanted to show you the growth of that child entrusted to me."


    Even Claudia knew at least some common sense as a noble, and she nodded meekly. She doesn''t completely lack common sense, now I know she''s not completely unmanageable. As a house guest that''s entering my domain''s army, we''ve allowed her to freely go in and out of the barracks and use the training grounds there as she liked.


    "Ratoka, eh."


    "Yes, Gunther said she''s finally beginning the food gathering for herself this afternoon."


    At the same time that Claudia joined the army, Ratoka was placed as a soldier in training at the barracks, and she''s now going through the exact same basic training that I did. That is, getting beaten up all morning by Gunther, polishing tools and cleaning with the other soldiers in training until noon, and doing an endless amount of marching training after lunch.


    After that, she would have to forage for her own dinner by herself.


    "I''ve never hunted before until I came here, but it''s really so fun! The food I catch myself tastes amazingly delicious."


    Claudia seems to be getting excited over some memories about hunting. I felt a sense of danger, so I gently tried to pry Claudia''s hand off my wrist. She didn''t budge.


    "When I first went up against large beasts with my spear, I realized for the first time that this was indeed different from practice! In order to outmaneuver and defeat enemies with hostile intentions, I must train my intuition!!"


    As she shouted and rose her fist to the sky in a display of her determination, Claudia seemed to be sparkling. Probably without realizing it, her other hand was also raising mine to the sky and she was using all her strength to grip me with.


    It hurts. Someone, please save me. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Since that''s been decided, Eliza-dono, let''s immediately go do some special training behind the mansion!"


    I don''t know if it''s in answer to my wish, but Rashiok who was taking a walk nearby, approached Claudia and gently nudged her back with his front foot.


    "Noo, it''s an enemy attack!!"


    She performed a splendid high roundhouse kick, and I could even hear the sound it made in the air. Although Rashiok was able to duck it, if it had been anyone else from the mansion they probably would have taken a direct hit. Well, since nobody was behind Rashiok, luckily that kick didn''t blow anyone''s head away.


    "¡­¡­Oh, Rashiok! I''m so sorry!!"


    Claudia hurriedly began apologizing to Rashiok, and was breathing hard, and Rashiok met my eyes as if to say, really? This took Claudia about five minutes or so.


    Finally, with Rashiok coming along as well, the spear training behind the mansion began.


    Claudia had regained her composure on our way here, and with a very calm expression, she began teaching me the advantages and features of the spear.


    "Although the sword is basically the main weapon for nobles, in actual battles nobles use spears more often. Do you know why?"


    "Since the sword is required for ceremonies and rituals, nobles are taught ceremonial swordsmanship. However, in actual battles, the spear has longer reach, and being a two-handed weapon, the spear is more advantageous than the sword."


    "Yep, that''s it. Now that chain mail is the main type of armor, swords are rather useless. You have to pierce through it. For that, the spear is more suited to the task due to its shape. Of course, the difference in reach is critical in actual combat as well. When attacking from horseback, swords can be blocked even by helmets."


    I felt strange at seeing Claudia actually being serious, and nodded. It seems that there''s going to be a very high possibility of me actually being in battle in the future. Since I''ll be riding, I want longer reach.


    "First, you''ll have to remember the feeling of manipulating a rod-shaped weapon. Gunther''s spear practice probably only focused on thrusting the spear."


    For infantry with no knowledge of martial arts, they would only receive training on standing in formation and thrusting the spears for basic training. However, since I''m a commander, Claudia said that I need to truly master the spear and be able to use it for self-defense.


    I nodded at Claudia again. Since this has to do with improving my odds of survival, I''m going to take this seriously and learn the best I can.


    "Then, start with your form."


    "Yes!"


    Although I gave a spirited reply, three hours later I was regretting it slightly.


    When Claudia said to start with my form, she didn''t mean to start with the basic training that Gunther had me do before. The proper form was completely different from what I had been doing up until now, and that one word before training started was the only word I was able to get in, I was almost mentally exhausted to the point of being unable to speak.


    With three hours of practice swinging, my training concluded for today.


    ¡­¡­I had been slightly excited to learn martial arts seriously for the first time today, but my inner child was fully exhausted, crushed, and thrown away somewhere.


    End of Act 1, Part 2

 Chapter 31 - 31

    People were strung up on wooden stakes as the smoke rose around them, and I could only watch without diverting my eyes. Under the harsh summer sun, with the burning straw beneath them, the people that were in the process of dying could do nothing but scream and scream. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    There were other people that were truly enjoying the sight of the last moments of those thrashing about terribly on the wooden stakes. They would sometimes add oil to the fire or douse it with water, seeming to want to prolong the suffering of the victims.


    The screams would slow down and gradually stop as what used to be human turned black on the stakes. Before I realized it, there was a horrible stench drifting around me.


    At the same time that the heat and stench caused me to vomit reflexively, I heard the sound of raucous laughter next to me. It sounded so out of place at this type of location, that I couldn''t get it out of my head and it agitated me greatly.


    I couldn''t take any more of this, and all I wanted to do was crouch up into a ball and close my eyes and cover my ears, but because I was being held in someone''s arms, I couldn''t do so.


    Let me go, I desperately tried to say that but I wasn''t able to talk yet, and the adult arm was easily able to hold on to my baby body.


    Everything''s a blur. I feel like my head will break with how much it hurts.


    The summer heat, the hot air from the fire, the stench, they combined to choke me. My nausea was at the limit of what I could bear, and something traveled up my esophagus as I reflexively vomited. The smell of my own vomit mixed with the stench of burnt flesh and made things smell even worse.


    After staring at my own puddle of vomit in a daze for a bit, I slowly raised my head. I wanted to take a look at the person that was holding me. It was almost something instinctive, I''m not sure myself why I wanted to do so. But, after I looked at him, I regretted it from the bottom of my heart.


    He had beautiful long black hair, with eyes the color of blood, and he was smiling with an ecstatic expression as he looked back into my eyes.


    I realized that he was my own father, and I woke up from my nightmare in my own bed.


    In the stifling hot atmosphere of my room, I hurriedly wiped off the sweat dripping down my cheeks. Perhaps it was because of the nightmare though, my hands were cold, and I was shaking badly.


    Without even opening my curtains, I left my room. I wanted cool, refreshing air, but even outside it was hot. I''m fed up with this suffocating heat and humidity. I opened the window, and at least some fresh air came blowing in.


    It''s currently the hottest summer that I''ve experienced in the Kaldia domain.


    There''s been an increasing number of people getting heat stroke in the western part of my domain, we''ve been too busy dealing with that to set up the civil militia yet. Earl Terejia and I have been confined to our rooms dealing with how much work there is, but the servants forced us to get plenty of water and take breaks as well.


    The soldiers have begun returning from the eastern village construction project. The refugees have begun moving there in groups of twenty. Since there''s more water in the east, the climate there is milder and I heard from some of the soldiers that they wished they were still there.


    Kamil''s still not back at the mansion yet, it''ll be at least two months before things finish and he returns.


    I took off my nightclothes that were soaked in sweat, and put on a light tunic and dalmatic. Mrs. Hortensia should probably be helping with breakfast preparations, and she won''t be coming to wake me up. After I turned five, I didn''t need anyone coming to wake me up anymore unless I overslept.


    My neck felt sticky with sweat and uncomfortable, and I looked for a maid on my way to the dining hall. Since Phoebe and Isadora are the only maids here, it''s hard to find them during the morning when it''s so busy. I got lucky today though, I found Isadora just as she was taking the laundry back into the mansion.


    "Good morning, ojou-sama."


    "Good day, Isadora. Sorry, but please clean my bedroom today as well."


    Those nightclothes have to be washed before I''d wear them again, and my sheets were soaked in sweat as well. Getting a nightmare just because of how hot the weather''s been, I want to improve the comfort of my bed even if it''s only by a little.


    Maybe it''s the same for everyone else, the heat''s getting to them, Isadora just nodded and responded in a low voice.


    "I understand. Was there anything else you needed of me?"


    "After breakfast, I would like to wipe my body down. Please make the preparations for me."


    Isadora nodded again, bowed, then hurriedly walked down the hallway in a busy manner. Getting the laundry is a maid''s job, but actually washing it is the maidservant''s job. Without even needing to take my time and eat slowly, my room will probably be ready with a wash basin and towel.


    For once, Earl Terejia, Mrs. Marshan, and even Claudia were all there at breakfast at the same time. Since Elise always took her meals in her room, that means that other than her, just about everyone else was coincidentally in the dining hall right now.


    ¡­¡­Come to think of it, I haven''t visited Elise for a while. Recently Elise has been getting better, and she would often be out in the garden during the day, so there''s been no need to visit her room.


    Let''s go see her today.


    After I wiped myself with the towel that Isadora prepared for me, I arrived at Elise''s room, just when Maya came walking out at a brisk pace.


    "Ah, Eliza-sama."


    "Where are you going, Maya? It''s rare to see you not by Elise-dono''s side."


    Since Maya is Elise''s personal maid that she brought along with her, they spend most of their time together. It''s rather unusual to see her going somewhere else by herself especially during the day. Today, rare things keep happening.


    "Yes, the earl called for me today."


    "The earl¡­¡­ I see. I''ll take care of Elise for the time being."


    "Thank you very much. Sorry for the trouble, but please take good care of Elise."


    Maya seemed slightly relieved, and went off briskly again. Since Elise often has coughing attacks, she probably doesn''t want to leave her alone.


    And so I knocked on Elise''s door, and heard her saying please come in. Compared to when she first arrived here, it sounded much more energetic.


    "Elise-dono, pardon my intrusion."


    "Eliza-sama! Welcome."


    Instead of sitting on her bed like usual, Elise was sitting on a chair against the window. Her face was beaming and she was about to stand up, but I motioned her to stop, saying it was fine.


    "You seem to be doing well today."


    "¡­¡­Yes, thanks to this place I''ve become very healthy."


    She was smiling and nodding happily, and I approached her to see what she was up to. I stood next to Elise and suddenly felt slightly shy, as she was looking outside, I spoke up in a quiet voice.


    "Outside?"


    "Yes. From here, I can see the garden, as well as the pond on the other side."


    Looking at the scenery from here, she seemed instilled with energy, and she laughed. Ahh, I made a casual reply, and looked outside as well, and saw the garden and pond that Elise was talking about. It''s the place where I got the poisonous hemlock. Since the pond isn''t a place that the gardener''s required to take care of, there might even still be some there still.


    Although, when the soldiers were connecting the pond to the water tank for the barracks'' bath, they probably should have gotten rid of any poisonous plants already.


    Various types of colorful vegetation surrounded the water, looking at it from a distance made it seem quite pretty. In a well-shaded location, I squinted and saw a tiny grave. So one could also see that grave from here, eh.


    "¡­¡­You shouldn''t be going to the pond."


    "Of course, I know very well. Until I get healthier and more energetic, I won''t go out from the garden."


    I warned Elise as a reminder that the pond was dangerous, but I still saw a longing for the water in her eyes.

 Chapter 32 - 32

    The days passed by as reports came in about the fire moth extermination and how the eastern village construction was progressing. The other day, thirty warhorses from the Ruktoferd domain were delivered to us, so Earl Terejia''s establishment of a cavalry troop has become one step closer to realization, and other than that, not much has happened.


    Then, a messenger from the Jugfena royal domain''s army arrived at the Kaldia domain.


    The earl and I welcomed him in the mansion''s drawing room. The soldier was completely covered from head to toe in chain mail, with a tunic embroidered with the Arxia Kingdom''s coat of arms, a crown and the Sacred Code, covering his armor. I pulled on the earl''s sleeve carefully so as to not dirty it, and got "he''s a knight" as a response in return.


    I see, so he''s a knight. It''s okay to use knights as messengers.


    Knights are what we call nobles that have become military officers. To be more precise, knights are those that have officially entered the knights, and commoners that enter the knights can become titled knights as well. Since nobles without titles can become titled knights as well, entering the knighthood is basically a way to earn nobility. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Welcome to the Kaldia domain."


    "I''m greatly obliged for your welcome. I bring a message from the leader of the Jugfena Fortress Knights, Earl Einsbark."


    The knight entered without even sitting down, and remained standing between the chair and the desk. It''s some urgent business. Since he was still standing, the earl and I remained standing as well.


    The knight looked at the earl''s expression of anticipation, and solemnly began speaking.


    "About ten women and children from the Shiru tribe have arrived at Fort Jugfena. They''re currently under our protection."


    ¡­¡­At the knight''s words, I gently closed my eyes. The time has finally come, eh. It''s been two months since we decided to accept the refugees, the Shiru tribe has done well to escape from the Densel army.


    "According to one of them, there''s still forty more of the Shiru tribe that will arrive. They''re being pursued by a company of three hundred Densel soldiers. The Kaldia domain has agreed to take in the refugees, so will there be any problems in accepting them?"


    "There are none."


    When I answered, the knight looked at me in surprise. Mmm, although he glanced at Earl Terejia, the earl nodded and he nodded back before looking me in the eye. He''s a praiseworthy knight. Even when others know that I''m Viscountess Kaldia, they always treat Earl Terejia as the domain lord instead.


    "Very well then. Together with the one thousand refugees currently under protection at the fort, it shall be fine to send them here as promised?"


    "Yes, of course."


    The knight nodded at me, then he hesitated a little.


    "¡­¡­Viscountess Kaldia, Earl Einsbark would like to request for your aid in defending Fort Jugfena."


    I could see that he was troubled and perplexed in his eyes, and he was looking at me with a changed expression. He seemed to be feeling a sense of guilt, it''s very easy to see that he probably doesn''t want to involve children in battle.


    He''s honest about his feelings. And, he''s very ethical.


    I remembered that when Earl Terejia first taught me about the neighboring country, he had avoided looking me in the eyes.


    "I shall accept this request. I''ll take fifty soldiers from the Kaldia army and travel to Fort Jugfena."


    "¡­¡­You will personally?"


    It felt like he couldn''t help himself when he asked that question. Oops, said the expression on the knight''s face, as he looked at me with wonder and good will.


    His values seem similar to what I remember from my previous life. In this world, it was very ordinary for there to be child soldiers younger than ten, and it wasn''t all that rare for domain lords that were just past five years old to be in battle. I felt a strange sense of nostalgia as I firmly nodded in response to him.


    "¡­¡­I understand. I''ll inform Earl Einsbark. I shall excuse myself and take my leave now."


    The next morning, a messenger pigeon arrived from the royal capital.


    The message it brought was an order to dispatch troops from the Upper House of Lords. The Upper House of Lords is also commonly referred to as the "Imperial Court," it''s where representatives of the king and the House of Lords make various decisions.


    It''s similar to feudal governments that I learned about in my previous life, and it consists of the king, prime minister, commander-in-chief, royal priest, head priest, three judges, and five representatives from the House of Lords.


    "Viscountess Kaldia shall command her domain''s army and join the defense of Fort Jugfena¡­¡­ Even the royal palace went to the trouble of drafting such an order."


    There''s no doubt that this has to do with Earl Terejia''s actions and our acceptance of the refugees. Receiving a direct order from the Upper House of Lords, even three times in a lifetime is considered to be very rare. On top of that, it was also sealed with a royal decree from the king.


    I think a simple order from the regular House of Lords should have been sufficient, it feels that even the people in higher places are giving the Kaldia domain their recognition. As I looked at the order documents, I sat down reflexively.


    "How long are you going to rest and relax there when you shouldn''t have the free time to be slacking off, Aida-dono!"


    "It''s Eliza, Claudia-dono."


    "Mmm, my apologies. Well then, it''s time for you to issue a command for the army to move out already! Come on, hurry up."


    As I looked at the person in front of me, Claudia seemed to be overly excited and wasn''t even trying to hide it. This girl¡­¡­


    "There''s something I would like to talk about with you before that."


    "Hm?"


    I sighed as I began talking to Claudia. She tilted her head, and smiled with what passed for her serious expression. I already understand well after associating with her for several months that she''s always serious in her own way.


    But even so, this is a very serious topic, so I put on a serious expression as well.


    "I believe Earl Terejia should have already asked you to become my bodyguard in place of Kamil."


    "Mm! ¡­¡­ Hm¡­¡­?"


    ¡­¡­I wonder if me trying to have a serious discussion with her meant that I''m an idiot? Am I in the wrong? At Claudia''s confused response, I suddenly felt a sense of futility within me. Maybe I made a mistake from the very moment I decided to have her become my bodyguard.


    "¡­¡­ ¡­¡­ ¡­¡­ Oh, oh! Come to think of it, he did tell me something like that."


    Claudia struck her hand with her fist as she remembered, and I swallowed down my imminent sigh. It seems that she had completely forgotten about it up until now. It''s just that for once, she was able to read the atmosphere and went along with what I said.


    "Unfortunately, Kamil is currently unable to return from overseeing the village construction. There''s nobody else that can speak the language of the new incoming settlers, so there''s no one else that can take charge of the construction project."


    "Ahh, I see how everything is."


    Mmm, mmm, Claudia kept nodding and responding vaguely, but I wonder just how much of what I said she took in¡­¡­


    "Meaning, it''s not possible for Kamil to return and be my bodyguard, so if it''s possible, since I have to go to Fort Jugfena now, I would like to request Claudia-dono to become my bodyguard. Is that alright?"


    "Of course, no problem."


    She answered immediately with a delighted smile. I see, it''s no problem, then that''s good.


    "Then, until I return from the fort, I''ll be leaving you in charge of things here at the mansion."


    Claudia didn''t seem to have noticed the way I had worded my request, and say that she''d protect me during battle as well. I''m really glad that she didn''t say something like that. Claudia''s been entrusted to the Kaldia domain. If she happened to die or get injured in battle, it would become a major incident.


    "¡­¡­What!? Won''t I be unable to protect you during the battle then!!"


    "It''ll be less dangerous here at the Kaldia domain, and of course I can''t have Claudia-dono accompany me to the front lines of battle at the fort."


    "No~! I''m going to go along with you to protect you!"


    Wah, I hurriedly retracted my earlier statement on leaving her behind and made my escape, running for the domain lord''s office. I have to make a report to the earl on what just happened.

 Chapter 33 - 33

    Since Earl Terejia''s private army was assigned to the defense of the mansion, I had to summon thirty soldiers back from the village construction and take another twenty soldiers that still remained here. With this, I''ll have the fifty soldiers I promised to that knight.


    Together with Gunther''s orders, the soldiers marched in tandem with me overlooking them while riding my horse. Since soldiers-in-training will be leading the reins for me, compared to my birthday celebration, it''s a lot easier.


    "I thought you weren''t able to ride a horse¡­¡­"


    Claudia who was walking next to me muttered that under her breath. Since she had helped me ride part way on our return trip from the royal capital, she''s gotten the impression that I''m unable to ride by myself.


    "It''s not that I can''t ride, I just didn''t have the strength to control a horse for that long."


    "How weak. When we return, I''m going to instill some intensive training for physical fitness into you."


    I staggered a little at Claudia''s grandiose exaggeration and touched my temple as I felt a slight headache coming on. It''s not that I''m all that weak, I just have the strength of a six year old still.


    I went on without bothering to reply, and on my other side, Gunther arrived next to me. Claudia called out his name in such a bright voice.


    "Gunther!"


    "Yo, ojou-chan, and ''my lord.'' The march is going well."


    Agil was the one in charge of the overall marching, while Gunther commanded from the front. It seems that the longest serving soldiers have become a bit revved up, I nodded slightly at him, then tilted my head.


    "¡­¡­Um, what''s with calling me my lord?"


    "Ah? You don''t think it''s fitting?"


    Of course it wouldn''t be fitting when you suddenly change the way you address me. For the person who''s always called me "brat" up until now to suddenly address me as "my lord," of course I''m going to have a hard time adjusting to it.


    When I was living in the barracks with the other soldiers, at first they were calling me brat just like Gunther, but after they got used to me they were calling me Charlie for some reason, the same as Kamil. Gunther had stubbornly never changed his way of calling me, so that''s why I''m so shocked now.


    "You should be more happy like the brat you are that I''ve given you my recognition. Should I drop the honorifics?"


    Gunther was laughing delightedly at his own sarcastic remark, while I furrowed my brows. It feels like those words have completely overturned the nature of our relationship up until now.


    So far I really haven''t experienced what it''s like to be a noble and the domain lord, just the relationship between adults and children, instructor and apprentice, those are the only types of attitudes that Gunther has taken with me up until now.


    It''s really so sudden, I suppose there''s no changing Gunther''s view of me now.


    "You''re really not honest with your feelings."


    "That''s so true."


    "¡­¡­ Well¡­¡­ whatever, ¡­¡­ fine. Besides that, there''s something I want to talk about immediately. To have Agil be commanding up until now along the way, I wasn''t¡­¡­ informed of this."


    Gunther''s sarcasm with Claudia chiming in didn''t sound all that bad at all. I tried to start a serious conversation immediately while Claudia was being relatively quiet for her. When the question was brought up to Gunther, he shrugged and laughed. He''s not a very mature person. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Our path was planned out in advance. We''re really not going to pass by the village construction site?"


    "No. If we head directly east to the new village the Monster Forest will be on our path, as well as many ponds. We''ll resupply at Cyril village."


    "Yeah, yeah, I got it, I see, I see. At any rate, my lord probably just got into a fight of some sort with Kamil and doesn''t want to see his face."


    After leaving that remark, Gunther went back to the front of the marching formation. As expected because we''ve known each other for so long, he''s good at reading me. It wasn''t a fight though. It was one-sided, with me chasing him away.


    When we arrived at Cyril village to resupply and rest for one night, it was just like last time during my birthday celebration, the atmosphere was filled with tension. Maybe it''s because this place is far away from other villages, the heavy feeling of being unwelcome here was extremely uncomfortable.


    While feeling the sharp gazes of the villagers looking at me, I gave the order to resupply our water from the river flowing through the center of the village.


    The rivers flowing through the Kaldia domain all have melted snow from the Amon Nor Mountains as their water source. Since Cyril village is the closest village to the mountains, they can use the water directly from the river as a clean source of drinking water.


    I had my horse drink some water as well, wiped down its sweat, and fed it. The young boy novice soldier leading my horse didn''t have the strength to control him and lost control for a bit.


    "S, sorry, my lord."


    "I don''t mind. Don''t waste your strength talking and try to recover some strength. Tomorrow we''re doubling our pace."


    Next to the village, we set up tents where about thirty of the soldiers would be sleeping tonight. The soldiers were able to set everything up swiftly and give orders efficiently, it must be due to the soldiers that returned from assisting with the village construction.


    We''ve collected a large number of tents from the neighboring domains for the sake of the new citizens, and they''re used to camping outside.


    As I looked at the sight of me washing my hands in the river, and was able to get some rest for myself, the young boy novice soldier slowly came up next to me at a crawling pace, and sat down next to me.


    He seems slightly older than Elise. He wasn''t very tall, and he had a slender figure. He had fluffy, bouncy golden blonde hair. He looked at my hands in the river with strong curiosity in his eyes.


    "What are you doing?"


    "As you can see, I''m soaking my hands in the cool water."


    My hands were damp with sweat due to gripping my reins tightly as to not fall off my horse, so immersing my hands in the river felt really good. The river water that had melted snow as its source felt nice and cool in the summer heat.


    The boy novice soldier imitated me and submerged his hands in the water as well. Ah, it''s really cold, escaped his mouth as he smiled happily.


    "Ahh, I want to take a bath in this river."


    "Although it''s very hot, you''re not allowed to enter the river. You''ll get the water dirty. Soak a cloth in water and wipe yourself down with it instead."


    "Okay. ¨C Somehow, it doesn''t feel like my lord is actually younger than me. Rather, it almost feels like you''re the older one."


    I didn''t know what would be good to say to the boy who seemed like he was admiring me, so I looked back at the surface of the water. The boy next to me giggled. In this village of tense feelings, it gave a strangely calm feeling.


    "Before I entered the Kaldia domain''s army, the villagers were scared of my lord. When I actually saw you as well, I also thought that my lord was a scary person. My lord, it''s because you don''t laugh. But after talking with you today, I think it''s okay to not be so scared of you."


    "¡­¡­"


    "However, since my parents didn''t really struggle all that much under the despotic rule of the previous domain lord, I might be the only one that feels this way. ¡­¡­But, I think that people will still be scared of my lord if they don''t know how you really are. It''s such a waste. Ah, even though my lord has a cute face, it''s scary because you always have a grim expression.


    I think that''s a waste as well."


    Without even any context, he started a monologue on this topic for some reason, what''s more he even offered his unsolicited opinion, but somehow, I still felt mysteriously calm, and didn''t even mind that he was a bit meddlesome and listened to all of it. The summer heat around me was being blown away by the cool breeze coming down the mountains.


    It almost feels like Kamil''s talking with me. I wonder if it''s because this boy''s atmosphere resembles Kamil''s in some way?


    Finally, silence fell on the riverbank. For a while, the two of us merely listened to the sounds of the wind and the babbling river.


    Suddenly, there was a commotion from the village, and the sky turned slightly crimson. As I looked at the sunlight reflecting off the water with a tinge of orange, Claudia called for me.


    "Eliza-dono, it''s an urgent situation."


    On top of how rare it was for her to get my name right, Claudia looked more serious than I had ever seen her before. The boy novice soldier also looked at Claudia uneasily.


    "What happened?"


    "A monster has been discovered in the forest near the village. It seems similar to a gigantic rizer lizard. Anyways, please come to the tents first."


    While making her report, Claudia was already lifting me up onto my horse. Then, she jumped on behind me, and while turning the horse around she called out to the boy novice soldier.


    "Could you get some more details from the villagers? The person who discovered the monster should still be resting at the village hall."


    "Yes!"

 Chapter 34 - 34

    I sat down in the back of the tent on a cushion, and the soldiers gathered around me and sat down in a circle, cross-legged in western style. We left the tent flaps half open, so that the air wouldn''t get too stuffy. I stirred the cup of water that Claudia sitting next to me offered.


    Across from Claudia was Gunther, and next to him was the soldier named Agil, and they had tense expressions on their faces.


    By Claudia''s side were some men and women in dirty clothes, looking at us nervously with extremely unsettled expressions. They seem to be the leaders of Cyril village''s militia. There''s not enough men in this domain, even women have to be part of the militia. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Sitting down in the innermost part of the tent was Cyril village''s mayor, he was looking at me with a frightened expression. Due to the incident in this village before with the orphan girl, I see that the fear instilled in him for having him and his daughter flogged in front of the other villagers hasn''t faded.


    Sitting down in a place farthest from the center, was the boy novice soldier from before, looking around in puzzlement. It seems that his name is Paulo, and after being ordered by Claudia to collect information, he''s returned really quickly.


    "Paulo, report on the monster that the villagers saw."


    "Y, yes!"


    As expected, he wasn''t used to these sorts of gatherings, and Paulo replied with a high-pitched voice filled with nervousness. He met Gunther''s sharp gaze and squeaked a little, then swallowed his saliva several times to collect himself.


    "According to the villagers, while patrolling to guard against the fire moths, in the forest just north of the village, they seem to have seen a large creature they''ve never seen before that look similar to a gigantic rizer earth lizard. Because it seems to prey on sheep, it could be damaging to the village if we just leave it alone."


    A carnivorous gigantic lizard, eh. ¡­¡­Indeed, it doesn''t sound like we can just let it be. It''s been discovered too close to the village. It''s right next to the patrol route for guarding against the fire moths.


    And if it really turns out to be magical beasts, I''ll take measures against it described in the book on magical beasts.


    "Do you have a more detailed description of the monster?"


    "Yes. It''s different from the earth lizard, instead of scales, it seems to be covered in some sort of crystal resembling rock and ice."


    Then he went on to describe the more detailed features, and all I could imagine was a true monster. Since it snows year round at the Amon Nor Mountains close to here, there''s many monsters with ice magic, so it''s quite likely that it''s some sort of gigantic ice lizard. Once again, I was faced with the fact that there were actual monsters within my domain.


    "It''s probably an ice lizard known as a Radoshishiruka. It''s a type of magical beast with the magic to freeze anything it touches with its claws."


    "Mmm, it''ll be nice if we can catch one and preserve its meat for summer supplies."


    Gunther made a joke, but unfortunately it didn''t go over too well.


    "No, we can''t. Ice lizard claws contain poison, which will also attack whatever they freeze. We''ll have to get rid of it before it attacks the village."


    I concluded that the monster sighted in the forest was an ice lizard, and the village''s militia was to surround the forest with torches of fire. Ice lizards are weak against fire, and hate the heat. It''s very strange that such a creature would come down from the snowy mountains during the summer, but after all it''s difficult to understand the abnormal monster behavior during their active periods.


    "Claudia and I will remain outside the forest. Don''t forget to heat your weapons up with fire before attacking them."


    After our preparations were finished, we headed for the forest. Five soldiers carried buckets of red hot charcoal, for the sake of another ten weapon wielding soldiers.


    Even if they get injured against the ice lizard and are no longer able to go to Fort Jugfena, this number can be replaced by people from the village.


    Gunther led them with spear in hand, and the soldiers entered the forest in droves. The trees gradually hid them from sight, and soon I couldn''t even see their shadows anymore.


    "It''ll be good if they can finish this safely¡­¡­"


    Paulo standing behind me muttered that under his breath. He hadn''t entered the forest, and he had probably picked up on the anxiety of the villagers surrounding the forest with torches.


    "If you''re someone that believes in the path of military arts, then proudly believe in your companions, and wait for them without getting flustered."


    When Claudia chimed in with a calmer voice than usual, Paulo hurriedly straightened his back and turned to face the forest again. The silence caused the feeling of tension in the air to spread.


    Then ¨C the yelling of the soldiers could be heard from within the forest.


    Everyone couldn''t help but stare at the forest. A sense of urgency was transmitted along with their cries. Someone beside me audibly gulped.


    Mixed in with the soldiers'' screams, the sound of Gunther roaring resounded through the air. I could tell that they were struggling, and I clenched my sleeves tightly.


    "¡­¡­Hey, isn''t it getting colder?"


    I wonder who it was that mentioned it first.


    Imperceptibly, the air around us had begun to chill, and people were beginning to rub their arms as they detected the cold. Since it''s summer, everyone was wearing short sleeves, and they were trying to warm themselves up as the air had now gotten noticeably colder.


    At this moment, a mysterious sound came from the forest.


    It was a small sound that sounded like the cracking of a whip. When the sound began to repeat itself over and over again, the soldiers in the forest could be heard raising their voices in anger and confusion. Along with their screams, it sounded like hard objects were clashing with each other.


    Something strange is happening in there. It was completely silent outside the forest. Including me, everyone''s eyes were glued to the forest.


    "L, look at that! The forest is freezing over!"


    One of the villagers shouted that in panic. A commotion immediately began spreading.


    When I looked at the direction the person who had shouted was pointing at, the trees were really freezing over, encased in ice. Slowly but surely, the area of ice was spreading. The area being frozen over just kept increasing. Finally, from the forest''s direction, a voice could be heard saying the same thing.


    "Enough magic to freeze over the entire forest, eh¡­¡­"


    The cold air from earlier must have been caused by this. Whether Gunther and the others were still alright, I was quite anxious. Everything must be frozen solid around the ice lizard.


    The fact that they had leather armor instead of metal armor has actually helped out for once. If they had been wearing metal armor on top of their light summer clothing, they probably would have taken much more damage due to frostbite.


    Even if screams were coming from the forest, all I could do was listen to them.


    Then, Claudia suddenly jumped in front of me.


    Before I could even ask why, a gigantic lizard that was knocking down the trees in its path appeared in front of Claudia. The ice lizard had arrows stuck all over its body, and silver blood was flowing out of its injuries at a fast rate.


    "Wah! It appeared!"


    Behind us, the villagers were all screaming.


    "Paulo-dono, get back!!"


    At the same time that Paulo grabbed me and started retreating, prompted by Claudia''s voice, Claudia pulled out her sword from her waist. Her sword wasn''t very long, but she threw it with an amazing amount of force for such a slender wrist at the ice lizard.


    Thud, the sword made a sound as it pierced the ice lizard''s head. However, the gigantic lizard still didn''t perish. It opened its huge mouth and revealed a set of fiendishly sharp teeth, and eyed the obstacle in front of it, Claudia.


    "Claudia!!"


    I couldn''t help but shout out her name.


    Claudia''s long golden hair was beautifully spreading in the air. Its beauty seemed terribly out of place here, as I watched Claudia gracefully jumping and dodging. She escaped the jaws of the ice lizard, and with both hands, she stabbed her spear into the ice lizard''s neck.


    A larger, duller sound rang out than when the sword had struck the ice lizard. Claudia had used her own weight and momentum to be able to pierce through the ice lizard entirely.


    I snatched a torch from a villager standing close to me.


    "Claudia-dono, fire!"


    Despite the danger, Claudia grabbed the torch I threw at her with one hand. She heated up her spear stuck in the ice lizard with the torch.


    The ice lizard was wriggling violently. From where the heated spear pierced it, it was spouting white smoke that seemed very much like water vapor.


    "Keep going just like that!"


    Gunther suddenly appeared from the forest, and swung down his broadsword in his right hand at the ice lizard''s neck.


    Following him, more soldiers also appeared, surrounded the ice lizard, and swung their swords.


    A pool of silver blood spread quickly around their feet.


    Before long, the ice lizard finally stopped moving, and the soldiers finally collapsed down onto the ground.


    The corpse of this ice lizard that was covered in a spear, arrows, swords, and its own blood, was quite a sublime sight to behold.

 Chapter 35 - 35

    I mobilized the remaining soldiers and had them dismember the ice lizard''s corpse, and burn it a distance away from the village. According to their report, even its bones melted and nothing remained.


    The soldiers that had done battle with it suffered some frostbite, but it wasn''t too severe, and they were able to make gradual recoveries with application of warm water.


    After a night''s rest, as we were preparing to depart for Fort Jugfena early next morning, we saw several villagers heading our way.


    Gunther moved slightly in front of me as if to protect me. Claudia, who hasn''t been living in the Kaldia domain for that long, doesn''t know the political situation here and the villagers'' hostility towards me. Gunther remembers the birthday celebration incident here.


    The people who had come were the village mayor, a man and a woman from the militia that I saw in the tent yesterday, and two women I didn''t know. One of the women was still very young, and her facial features resembled the village mayor, so I figured that she was probably his daughter.


    She''s probably the one that was flogged along with the mayor for their complicity in inciting Ratoka to attack me. The other woman''s probably the woman named Marley that had allowed Ratoka to live with her.


    "What are you doing here!"


    Since the village mayor had brought along the two people punished with him for that incident, all the soldiers were alert and on guard. Their hostility towards the mayor was evident, and he stopped right when they spoke up.


    "Good morning. I would like to thank the domain lord-sama and everyone from the domain army for defeating the magical beast¡­¡­"


    "If that was really your intention, why''d you bring those two women along with you?"


    In front of the soldiers that had clearly threatening attitudes, the two people from the militia were trembling in fear. However, the two women behind them were looking down at the ground and seemed calm.


    Slowly and quietly, I reached for the hilt of the short sword in my waist. The people of Cyril village hate those of Kaldia blood more than any other village, and I don''t know what they might attempt in a fit of passion.


    "The child that was responsible for committing the crime of treason has already been executed. Why exactly have you appeared in front of my lord!"


    The soldier that had called out the village mayor on why he came here was gripping his spear tightly with his hands. Gunther, and even Claudia who had a puzzled expression, both had their hands on their swords as well.


    At that moment, the village mayor''s daughter raised her face. She looked at the soldiers resolutely, and she even looked Gunther, Claudia, and me directly in the eyes. I don''t know what she''s thinking, and I looked back into her eyes to try and read her emotions. Our eyes met for only a little less than two seconds.


    Suddenly, the girl kneeled and lowered her head.


    "!?"


    The soldiers were confused because they couldn''t tell what the girl was trying to do. The other woman, as if imitating the girl, kneeled as well.


    The village mayor and the two militia members silently moved next to them. The two women prostrated themselves before me.


    "W, what''s this¡­¡­"


    "Please listen, soldier-sama, these two¡­¡­"


    "We know very well our rudeness towards my lord. But, please, domain lord-sama, I beg you, forgive the two of us!"


    Interrupting the village mayor, his daughter implored me directly in a loud voice while still kneeling.


    This could be considered very disrespectful. For commoners such as villagers, they''re not supposed to directly address the nobility unless given permission. The girl might not know this however, and her voice sounded desperate for some reason, she sounded quite tragical.


    What have you done, was the expression the mayor had on his face as he looked at the two of them. His daughter''s actions seem to have been completely unexpected for the mayor. I could tell that he had a bitter taste in his mouth from his angry expression at his daughter deciding to do something on her own without his permission.


    I looked at the two of them bowing their heads towards me. Why did they seem that desperate, I wonder. I couldn''t see their expressions, and I couldn''t even analyze their tone of voice as neither of them had said anything since the girl''s outburst.


    "Gunther,"


    "You better not say something stupid."


    "¡­¡­but I didn''t even say anything yet."


    With a strained expression full of tension, Gunther interrupted what I was going to say. But, I''m really not the type to give orders without having thought things over carefully first.


    "Gunther, capture those two women and bring them in front of me."


    "Like I said¡­¡­ Huh?"


    "For their disrespect towards me just now, I said to capture them. They''re people that were associated with an act of treason, I don''t know what they could be plotting. Bring the two of them to me, and I''ll punish them directly."


    I suppressed myself so that my voice wouldn''t shake while giving my orders, and it sounded terribly dispassionate and cold to me. I wonder if it''s because a child''s high-pitched voice carries well and is easy to hear, I noticed the two kneeling women''s shoulders trembling. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Gunther looked at me with a dumbfounded look on his face. The soldiers surrounding me, the other two paralyzed villagers, everyone was looking at me with their mouths wide agape.


    A gentle wind blew past the grassy field, shaking the blades of grass. Zaa, the sound of whistling wind surrounded us.


    "What are you doing, Gunther. Your master is ordering you."


    While everyone was busy standing still looking at me, the next voice that spoke up was Claudia''s. Her favorite spear was in her right hand, and her golden hair was fluttering in the breeze as she weaved through the soldiers.


    Gunther hurriedly followed after her. The two of them held the two kneeling women''s wrists behind their backs, restraining them as they rose up.


    Claudia walked the girl in front of me without any hesitation. In comparison, Gunther couldn''t hide his confusion as he followed behind Claudia with the other woman.


    This time, the two women were brought in front of me and made to kneel again, but even so they haven''t made a single sound of complaint.


    "Did you know that you''re guilty of being disrespectful towards a noble? The girl with the red hair, you may answer."


    When I indicated for the mayor''s daughter to speak, her answer was an immediate no! And this time, her voice was shaking.


    "What is it that you wanted me to know so badly, I wonder. You may speak briefly. I''ll listen to it before I decide on your punishment. Raise your head."


    Even I felt that the words coming out of my mouth were so arrogant. However, by some miracle Claudia seemed to understand my true intentions, and she didn''t use too much force on the girl, and tapped her gently on the shoulder to encourage her.


    Although I had ostensibly called the two of them in front of me to punish them, my true goal was to listen to what they wanted. Even if the two of them really did intend to do me harm instead of wanting to apologize, I have the strongest two people in my army holding them down, so that should reduce the risk to me.


    It''s reasonable that Claudia, who was raised as a noble, would understand what I''m doing faster than Gunther did. Even though Claudia normally behaves the way she does, at certain times it feels like there''s such a gap in her abilities when she suddenly becomes competent like this.


    The two women raised their heads, and looked me in the face. Then, their faces turned truly pale.


    "¡­¡­, Domain lord, sama¡­¡­"


    Their voices were shaking so badly, that I couldn''t help but raise my eyebrow. They kept staring at me in a daze, their eyes were filled with fear, and they were biting their lips.


    "-That''s right. I''m Eliza Kaldia, your domain lord."


    Surely to the two of them, they must have seen my father in me. With my straight black hair that reflected the sunlight, and my red eyes the color of blood, I''m the spitting image of my father after all.

 Chapter 36 - 36

    "- What''s the matter. To have committed such disrespect towards me, it must have been because you had something to beg of me."


    I wonder what it could be that they had to beg of me when they''ve already committed such a crime against me before. Being confronted with the villagers'' stupidity right in front of me, my mind wandered off from the two women kneeling in front of me and what they had to talk about.


    Currently in the Kaldia domain, there''s no sacred shrines dedicated to the Ar Xia church. Since teaching the laws is considered the work of the church, and that villagers usually don''t hire teachers, I remembered that during my birthday celebration, it didn''t take place at a sacred shrine like it was supposed to, and villagers took the place of church officials instead.


    By the way, all the church''s sacred shrines in Kaldia had been destroyed by my father. His reason was that "they were too luxurious."


    At that time, there was an economic crisis in the domain caused by father, so he made a law banning extravagance. The domain''s citizens originally had modest dwellings and lifestyles to begin with, while those from the church had better stone dwellings, and were able to afford slightly fancier clothing as well.


    He probably chased the church out because the people''s lives had been so poor for several years that they could barely keep the roofs over their heads, and the church was calling attention to it.


    Using the excuse of rebuilding the domain, father had seized money, food, and people from the citizens, and the clergy from other domains were excluded from here so they couldn''t call attention to the terrible situation here, so education level is at a minimum. Basically if he kept outsiders out of the domain, the people here wouldn''t know any better.


    Well, this all happened fifteen years ago anyways.


    In order to help the new citizens assimilate, it''ll be best if I can get the church to return. Ever since this kingdom was founded, it''s been inseparable from the church. sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Please, I implore you. We''ll pay the fee for the incident that orphan caused, so please don''t take us away to become ''laborers''¡­¡­!"


    Interrupting my thoughts, I heard a heartrending cry. I blinked, snapping myself out of my thoughts, and looked back at the two women kneeling in front of me. What did she just say? Laborer¡­¡­?


    "¡­¡­I see, so that''s what it was about. I understand."


    The girl''s shoulders were shaking badly. It seems that my voice came out colder than I thought it would. However, although I understood why the two of them seemed so desperate and sad, I couldn''t help but feel a sense of disappointment now.


    Father would gleefully kill any citizens that committed crimes. On top of that, he would force entire villages to be responsible for criminals as well and have to pay "fees" or else be subjected to becoming a "laborer."


    "¡­¡­Could you stop thinking that I''m the same as the previous domain lord?"


    I sentenced the two women to travel along with us to Fort Jugfena in order to atone for their disrespect. Claudia did a simple check on their bodies, and she didn''t find anything like poison or a weapon.


    Since Fort Jugfena is likely to become a battlefield soon, the village mayor tried to appeal to me as I was going to be taking his only daughter along with me, but when I asked him if he wanted to take responsibility on her behalf instead, he quieted down.


    And so, although it was still dim and early in the morning, we finally started heading for Fort Jugfena again.


    "Have the two of them carry some of our things. Paulo, I''m putting you in charge of watching them."


    Today as well he was the novice soldier in charge of leading my horse''s reins, and I ordered him to go to the front and have the two women carry some light items.


    Since my horse isn''t going at a fast pace, I don''t really need someone to pull the reins for me. Although he was leading my horse in name, it was more like all he was doing was keeping me company and chatting with me.


    "Eh, ah, yes."


    At receiving his sudden order, Paulo looked at Gunther for a moment. However, when he saw that Claudia next to him was nodding, he went over to the front without saying anything.


    Again, Claudia was able to understand my true intentions quickly. Since the other soldiers have terrible attitudes towards the two women as they were associated with the orphan''s act of treason, I figured I''d have Paulo accompany them instead, and it must have appealed to her code of chivalry, because her eyes seemed to be sparkling.


    Because Claudia never hides her feelings, in a way, it''s actually more fun to be with her than anyone else. She''s not like a noble at all and allows herself to be swayed by her feelings too easily, but at the very least, there was no need to be on guard with her and look for hidden intentions.


    But, taking Claudia''s feelings into consideration, I won''t be able to take the two women to the actual forefront of battle at Fort Jugfena. It can be said that it''s a weak point if I want to use Claudia. Given the current situation, I can only leave things up to Claudia, and trust her to guard my life.


    I simply had the two women carry some light items, since Claudia''s an important person that I need to use until I''m able to safely return to Kaldia from Fort Jugfena. She probably understands that I can''t simply just send any other soldier to look after them. After all, Claudia and I are the only other females.


    We made camp tonight as we neared the border of my domain. Just like yesterday, the soldiers handily put up some tents, cooked some food with simple stoves, and put up a simple wooden fence around the area.


    Because we''re in the lake area, it''s terribly muddy. The soldiers washed their feet and shoes at the nearby lake, and hunted for some food in the surrounding forest.


    I remained at the tents. As long as there''s no urgent situation, it seems that the nobility are allowed to take it easy. Of course, the flip side of it is that nobles are supposed to work harder for the sake of everyone if there actually is an urgent situation.


    Just like yesterday, I sat down where a cushion and cloth had been provided for me on the ground, and I played with a rock that I picked up that I felt resembled a chess piece from my previous life, and Claudia waiting beside me began to pace about restlessly.


    When I followed her line of sight to outside the tent, it seems that the two women I had brought with us from Cyril village had lit up a fire in one of the stoves. They seemed to be much better at using the stoves than the soldiers, and it seemed like Claudia had something she wanted to say.


    "¡­¡­Claudia-dono."


    "Ooh, do you need me to do something?"


    "I would like some hot water, could I trouble you to get some for me?"


    I implied that she could go over to the stove, and a joyful smile blossomed on Claudia''s face. Since Gunther''s also guarding the entrance to the tent, it''s not much of a problem even if I send Claudia a slight ways off.


    "I''ll bring some to you right away!"


    Claudia flew out of the tent with so much energy. ¡­¡­When she returned later, it took a few seconds for her to realize that she had forgotten to bring me any water.

 Chapter 37 - 37

    The next day, unfortunately the weather worsened, and we continued towards the Jugfena royal domain while it was drizzling. We couldn''t tell the time because we couldn''t see the sun, and we had to proceed carefully so as to not go in the wrong direction with this low visibility.


    While everything was misty, we just kept following the path to the right, and we arrived in front of a forest that was much denser than the other ones in Kaldia. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It was said that a primeval forest once covered this entire area, and what''s left of it now has become known as the "Monster Forest." I could hear what sounded like the sounds of beasts and insects coming from the forest along with the sound of falling raindrops.


    "This place gives off a bad feeling¡­¡­"


    That voice came from one of the soldiers. Maybe it''s because of the rain, even though it was summer there was a chill in the air. The soldiers might all be tired as well, everyone kept marching on in complete silence.


    "Gunther, raise our speed to an extent that we won''t get lost again."


    "Understood. I want to get out of here as quickly as possible too. Even being outside the Monster Forest, makes my heart nervous."


    Even Gunther who was such a fearless person thought so, and this road had an eerie atmosphere to it. While holding on the the reins of my horse, I looked at the forest to my right. Due to the rain, its outline was dark and I couldn''t see it clearly.


    Although there''s still quite a distance to the forest, it felt like the Monster Forest was a looming presence, maybe it''s because the forest takes up such a large portion of my field of vision.


    Suddenly, I felt like within its grey shadows, a bloodstained red was spreading. When I blinked, it was gone already, I wonder if it was an optical illusion, since I couldn''t see it anymore.


    But while I was busy focusing on the forest, I heard a cheer from the soldiers in the front.


    "I can see it! We''ve reached Fort Jugfena!"


    At hearing that, all the soldiers cheered. On the other side of the drizzle, the shadow of the giant man made structure was vaguely asserting its presence.


    As we got closer to it, I was gradually able to make out the contours and features of the gigantic fortress. Fort Jugfena, is the only place where people live in the Jugfena royal domain.


    Rain was drizzling down on the fort made of polished black stone and metal, and it had towers spaced uniformly apart with the Arxian flag on top of them, with walls taller than the Mansion of Golden Hills I live in. Unlike the castles in the royal capital, there was absolutely zero decorative elements, but I felt that its systematic nature seemed supremely magnificent.


    The Kaldia army''s soldiers had never left Kaldia before, and even Claudia as well though she should be used to the castles in the royal capital, they were all staring at the black iron fort with mouths wide agape. I was no exception. In front of this overwhelmingly beautiful fort, the Kaldia army proceeded while being fascinated by it like fools.


    "Mm, Elena-dono, over there."


    Claudia who seemed to have the vision of a wild beast was pointing to the bottom of the fort. Her eyesight was even good enough to find one speck of grain in the large kitchen.


    "It''s not Elena, it''s Eliza."


    "Did I get it wrong again¡­¡­ I''m sorry. Please excuse me."


    I shortened my usual correction of her as I had mostly given up already, and squinted at the place Claudia was pointing at. Since my horse was still proceeding along in the meantime, when we got a bit closer I was finally able to see what Claudia was pointing at.


    "Are those¡­¡­ the refugees'' tents?"


    Surrounding the fort, completely different from the tent I used, were rows of simple tents meant for use by soldiers. They were spread out around the side of the fort as far as I could see.


    Even though it was raining, I could see people coming and going from the tents, not minding the rain. Then I changed my line of sight to our objective, the fort that took us three days of marching to get here. We stopped in front of the fort''s doors, and as my leading military commander, Gunther reported my arrival to the fort''s gatekeeper.


    In front of me were gigantic wooden doors kept behind iron chain mesh, I could truly tell that this castle was intended to be a fortress.


    Maybe the refugees can tell that Claudia and I are of higher status since we''re on horses, their lines of sight were all on us. All they were doing was gawking at us, there wasn''t much expression on their faces. There were those that kept staring at us silently, as well as those that lost interest and returned to their tents.


    They all seemed unhealthily skinny, I could tell that they all appeared to be exhausted and emaciated.


    I''m sorry, but right now I''m not here to welcome you. I put what I had just seen away in a corner of my mind.


    In the meantime, the gigantic door in front of me opened. Gunther gave the order for everyone to advance, and we slowly entered the castle in columns of marching soldiers. There was a row of soldiers on either side of us, leaving enough space for us to pass by between them. We passed them by as we entered the fort.


    The fort was brightly lit inside by torches, and we passed by some stables on the first floor where there was a wide space that many horses were resting at.


    "Thank you very much for coming over, Viscountess Kaldia."


    "I''m much obliged for your welcome. As promised, I''ve brought along fifty soldiers from the Kaldia army."


    We were being guided by soldiers from the fort, and the knight that had been the messenger to the Kaldia domain the other day arrived to greet me. I suppose he might be the one in charge of being our liaison. Today, since he wasn''t wearing a helmet and his hair was down, he seemed younger than before. If anything, I''d say that his current appearance matches his true age more.


    But, I don''t have any idea what his age is.


    "On behalf of my lord Earl Einsbark, thank you very much for your pure and noble knightly spirit."


    The man knelt and greeted me in a special knightly pose and ceremonial manner. He basically had his right hand touching his left shoulder. As expected of an actual knight, his movements were elegant and graceful.


    As for Claudia whose dream was to become a knight, her eyes were sparkling with excitement as she watched the knight carrying out his formal greeting. This is bad, this is her expression right before she loses control of herself.


    "I''m sorry about the inconvenience even though we''ve just arrived, but I wonder if my soldiers can get some rest now. Since we unexpectedly had to deal with exterminating a magical beast on our way here, they''re a bit tired."


    "Of course."


    The knight issued instructions to the soldiers that had been guiding us, and my soldiers went up to the second floor with them.


    Meanwhile, I ordered Claudia to bring those two women over here. Those two women that I brought along with me from Cyril village, when they first entered this stone and metal fortress, they were too frightened to even look at the refugees, and seemed to be at a loss for what to do.


    For now, I''m just going to say that they''re my and Claudia''s maids, and that tomorrow I''m going to have Claudia accompany them back to Cyril village.


    "So, just for tonight, would it be alright to loan a room to these maids as well?"


    "Ahh, there''s plenty of extra rooms. It''s no problem."


    The knight nodded at my second request, and then I continued speaking.


    "I still haven''t heard your name yet. I apologize for not asking up until now."


    "I don''t mind. I thank you for the respect you''ve shown me. Allow me to introduce myself, I''m Ergnade Einsbark. I''m the leader of the 1st Cavalry Platoon at Fort Jugfena. Since I''m in charge of being the liaison with you guys, I think we''ll be getting to know each other very well. I''ll be in your care."


    ¡­¡­Einsbark? This is an unexpected name that I''m hearing.


    Since he had been a messenger knight, I thought that he would be just a low-ranking knight, but to think he was a military commander. What''s more, since his last name is Einsbark, that means he''s related to the earl that''s the leader here. With such a high rank, he''s to be our liaison?


    I wonder what Earl Einsbark is up to, selecting such a person to be our liaison. Not knowing what that sly old fox, the cunning veteran knight Earl Einsbark could be planning or thinking, my habit of being on guard reared its ugly neck.

 Chapter 38 - 38

    Ergnade guided us to our rooms, and as soon as he carefully closed the door behind him and exited, Claudia couldn''t contain her excitement anymore and jumped on top of a bed.


    "Wah!?"


    At Claudia''s sudden, eccentric action, both of the women from Cyril village jumped. It was too sudden for them.


    Claudia buried her face in the sheets, rolled around, and wrinkled the sheets. Stop, you''re going to make a mess of my bed¡­¡­


    "Ahh¡­¡­ Being a knight, it''s so dignified and beautiful!"


    With her face still buried in the bed, Claudia made such a comment. I was amazed and speechless, and just looked at Claudia with a strange feeling. She really likes the idea of being a knight way too much.


    "¡­¡­You two, it seems that the room to the right of this one will be yours for tonight, so please stay there."


    "Y, yes."


    I don''t know whether I should say the two women were amazed or frozen solid, but I ordered them to their room, and sighed deeply as I was now left alone with Claudia.


    "Claudia-dono, your spear fell over."


    "What!?"


    Claudia, who seems to have returned to her senses, raised her face. At the same time, she saw her favorite spear that had fallen down onto the floor, then she saw me and my amazed expression, and she got off the bed, realizing the way she had been acting.


    "S, sorry¡­¡­"


    "Please fix the sheets properly."


    As I sat down on a chair in front of the desk by the window, I sighed again as I was tired, and stretched. As expected, riding a horse for three days straight to get here with a six year old''s body, I''m sore all over.


    After I took a glance at Claudia to make sure that she was fixing the sheets, I looked outside the window. For defensive purposes, the window had iron bars. On the other side of the glass, I could see the ramparts that were considered the national boundaries. It''s made basically the same way as this fort, and there was a gate that was currently shut on the tall rampart walls.


    On the other side of the rampart, is the Densel Dukedom. This place is on the frontlines of defending our country, seeing this for myself, I felt some tension as well. Something might happen at any time, just as I was bracing myself ¨C


    "Nooo, why can''t I get it nice and straight like the maids do!?"


    Suddenly, Claudia''s idiotic voice interrupted my thoughts. I couldn''t help but collapse on the desk, losing the strength in my arms to prop myself up.


    It seems that Claudia was struggling with the bed sheets, and because it wasn''t going well, she was getting frustrated. Before she could rip the sheets, I hurriedly stopped her and told her it''s fine. Claudia still seemed worked up and dissatisfied at the situation, and she turned and faced me, and spoke up seriously.


    "Erin-dono, please let me remain here and guard you after all."


    "It''s Eliza. No."


    "Sorry, I got it wrong again. ¡­¡­I think it was a good idea to say that those two were our maids. But if I''m not here because I have to escort them back, who will Eliza-dono leave things up to here in the meantime?"


    I wonder if it''s because she came in contact with an actual knight, she''s even more insistent than usual. However, it''s useless even if she begs me with those puppy eyes of hers. As Claudia stared at me with those blue eyes of hers, resembling a cat, she tried to overwhelm me with her feelings.


    "Of course I can leave things up to the soldiers, and I can take care of myself. Claudia-dono, you''re a guest that''s been entrusted to me by the Rolentsor family. You really shouldn''t be here at such a dangerous place. It''s the same for those two women as well. Since if they stay here they could be in danger, I''m requesting this of Claudia-dono."


    "¡­¡­I give up. Got it, I''m sorry. I''ve been too selfish."


    Claudia''s head was drooping down, and just like that she went and laid down on the bed. Because it was so rare to see her quiet like this, even though her being quiet was great for me, I couldn''t help but ask her a question.


    "Claudia-dono, why are you so enchanted with the idea of being a knight?"


    Like a spring, she suddenly bounced back up. A smile popped up on her face like she was blossoming, and she was looking at me with sparkling eyes. At the great change in her, I asked myself mentally if I had spoken prematurely.


    "Thank you for asking, let me tell you!"


    ¡­¡­And my answer was, I had indeed been too hasty.


    According to Claudia, who was actually acting somewhat embarrassed, she started from an episode in her early childhood about her having no talent in anything whatsoever, apart from martial arts and military arts, and wanting to be recognized by her immensely talented older brother.


    Her prowess in battle was indeed strong, so with her abilities, she would have a place in Arxian society. Her academics were terrible and she wasn''t eligible to learn territory management as a girl that wasn''t likely to inherit, but she was treated equal to boys with regards to military arts.


    Claudia proudly said that her parents had a saying, if you have the free time to be sewing, you might as well be strengthening your spear skills instead, it''s considered normal in her family, although it''s still rather unusual for an Arxian girl to possess such high combat skills.


    Her older brother, who was probably worried about Claudia''s lack of interest in anything girl-like and her lack of self-confidence, seems to have told her that she had the talent to become an amazing knight.


    It seems that he used to be cold towards Claudia because his younger sister had been better with the spear than he was, but in the end he seems to have managed to swallow his pride and encourage his little sister. It was an interesting story in its own way, I listened to it in silence, only responding occasionally to let her know I was paying attention.


    "My older brother is a splendid knight now! I admire him so much!"


    Claudia''s eyes were starry like those of a maiden in love, it''s just that what she was dreaming of was running around a battlefield, becoming a knight. In front of her overflowing hopes and dreams, I could only give a small sigh.


    "Come to think of it, Eliza-dono, don''t you have any?" S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Any what?"


    Claudia''s cheerful face looked at me expectantly, and she asked me a question with no context at all. This time she didn''t get my name wrong, how rare.


    "Do you have anything you''re aiming for?"


    "Right now, I''m aiming to become a great domain lord."


    "That''s not what I mean¡­.. Mmm."


    It seems that it wasn''t the answer she wanted to hear, and she furrowed her eyebrows as she was thinking.


    "That''s, um¡­¡­ Rather than what you want to be, is there something that you absolutely have to become?"


    "?"


    Claudia seemed to be trying her hardest to come up with the right words to say, but after not getting the response she wanted twice in a row, Claudia began clutching her head and muttering, trying to think of what to say.


    "Um um um¡­¡­ Uh, as an example, what does Eliza-dono want to do?"


    "Want to do¡­¡­ Right now, I want to help the new citizens adjust to their new village as soon as possible. After that, I want to get the church to return to the domain¡­¡­"


    "Isn''t that part of your work as a domain lord?"


    "Yes, that''s right."


    "But that''s not what I mean¡­¡­"


    Uuu, her muttering had changed to whining. With her face between her hands and a silly expression on her face, moaning and whining, she looked ridiculous, ruining her appearance even though she was a beauty. It felt like a travesty upon my eyes, so I averted my eyes and looked outside the window.


    "¡­¡­Other than things related to your domain, doesn''t Eliza-dono have anything you want to do?"


    After a while, Claudia finally managed to think of something to say. Other than things related to my domain¡­¡­?


    Mmm, as I went over the things I wanted to do in my head one by one, every one of them had to do with being a domain lord or being a noble. It was to the extent where I began admiring myself, for my lack of selfishness in not having anything I wanted to do for myself. Finally, Kamil''s face suddenly came to my mind, but I immediately got rid of him by shaking my head.


    "There''s nothing."


    "There''s nothing?"


    Claudia was seriously looking at me with an incredulous expression on her face. Wanting to get married to someone would be considered pretty ordinary, and among all the things that people wanted to do, for her that so single-mindedly wanted to become a knight, it might be a little hard for her to understand me.


    "¡­¡­You don''t have any desires?"


    "I don''t think that''s quite accurate, either."


    "Although I''m aiming to become a knight, I''d also like to eat boiled eggs until my stomach bursts, or be able to use magic like monsters can, I have plenty of wishes unrelated to me becoming a knight. Is there really nothing for you?"


    I tried to think of something specific, but I was still unable to come up with anything. I shook my head, and Claudia scratched her head.


    "Hmm, as I thought, you don''t have any desires."


    This time I didn''t deny it, and just shrugged. The fact that I''m not completely selfless, I know perfectly well myself.


    I have a wish as well.


    ¨C I want to be forgiven. Someone, anyone, in any way, even though I don''t deserve it, can''t I be forgiven, I''ve always been wishing for it.


    To have no desires, of course that''s not possible.

 Chapter 39 - 39

    As I passed the time chatting with Claudia, having nothing else to do, after quite some time passed Ergnade invited us to dinner. During this time, the drizzle outside was gradually slowing, and outside the fort''s windows, I was able to see the sun again.


    Although in the Kaldia domain, due to the Amon Nor Mountains blocking the sun, it gets dark quite early, but since to the east of Fort Jugfena is wide open plains, it''s plenty bright even during dinnertime.


    "Are you dissatisfied in any way with your room, Viscountess Kaldia?"


    "There''s no problems. Thank you very much."


    "I see. It seems that everyone from the Kaldia army is liking their rooms as well. They''re more disciplined than I would have expected. Usually, when we have armies from other domains coming here for the first time, they tend to complain about things here." S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As we walked down the hallway together, Ergnade tried to make small chat, although he seemed unfamiliar with it. While I made the appropriate responses, Claudia following along behind us was staring at him happily. Although I''m not obsessed with being a knight or anything, somehow I felt like following her example and observed him closely.


    He seemed slightly older than Margrave Molton, I wonder if he''s about Gunther''s age or so. Now that I look at him closer, his facial features, especially his nose, did indeed resemble Earl Einsbark''s, who I saw at the House of Lords before. His muscular back seemed almost like a pillar to me.


    Today he wasn''t in ceremonial dress, but in knightly attire instead, which was full black. It seems that the colors assigned to Fort Jugfena by the king were black and silver, although the only silver I saw Ergnade wearing was the knight emblem embroidered onto his cloak.


    "¡­¡­Those black clothes look very sharp on you."


    "Hm? Ahh. Indeed. I iron them every morning."


    Even though I was just paying him a vague compliment, Ergnade answered me with a deadpan expression on his face as he touched his own cloak. Then he grinned, and said somewhat proudly, "doesn''t it look cool?"


    He''s a bit mischievous, was my first impression of him.


    As we arrived at the dining hall for nobles, and I saw the painting decorating it, it made me think of Earl Terejia''s residence in the royal capital. The floor was carpeted, there was wallpaper on the walls, and there was even a bright chandelier hanging from the ceiling. There were velvety cloth curtains hanging from the windows as well, hiding the iron bars from view.


    In this dining hall, it was so ornate that it could cause one to forget that this was actually a fortress of black iron. The glittering hurts my eyes. Since the glare from the chandelier was annoying, I avoided looking at it as much as possible.


    Several people were already seated at the long table in the dining hall, including Gunther at the farthest end who seemed frozen solid. At the seat of honor was Earl Einsbark, with two men that looked like his sons sitting next to him. Everyone was wearing black knightly attire similar to Ergnade, it felt almost like a funeral, was the thought that flashed into my head.


    Although in actuality, Arxian funerals have white attire, not black, but I''m just recalling memories from my previous life.


    "Ahh, thank you for coming, Viscountess Kaldia."


    Earl Einsbark sitting in the farthest back stood up and held out his hands in a welcoming manner. Although just like the first time I saw him, he had the face of a strong knight in the prime of life, this time he didn''t have a strict expression like the one he had at the House of Lords, but rather a soft smile much like Ergnade''s.


    "I''m very grateful that you''ve brought fifty brave soldiers from Kaldia, so as a welcome, although it may not be much, I had this modest meal prepared for you. Please enjoy yourself."


    "I''m honored and deeply thankful for this feast that you''ve prepared for me."


    Earl Einsbark''s eyes were soft, almost as if he was looking at a grandchild. Ergnade guided me to a seat on the earl''s left, then guided Claudia to a seat as well before sitting down himself at a seat much farther down the table.


    "In order for us to live on, forgive us for the lives we take for this meal. All sins and virtues shall be judged by the scales of Xia."


    Well, I suppose this is sort of a more formal version of "let us partake in this meal" from Japan.


    It seems that in the neighboring country right next to us, the typical prayer before meals is "we are deeply grateful to the gods for this meal today." Since I wasn''t religious in my previous life, I''m deeply grateful myself that I wasn''t born in the neighboring country and have to say such a thing before every meal.


    "I''m very sorry to bring this up right after asking the forgiveness of the gods, but is it alright for me to introduce the people here to you now?"


    "Of course, no problem."


    As I nodded, Earl Einsbark pointed to the man sitting right next to him. His hair color was similar to Ergnade''s, albeit slightly greyer, and he was a middle-aged man that resembled the earl even more than Ergnade did. He nodded at me politely.


    "This is Volmar. He''s my eldest son, and the commander of the cavalry troops at Fort Jugfena. Next,"


    The man sitting next to Volmar had beautiful features, and smiled gently at me just like Earl Einsbark did. Compared to his family, he was the only one with delicate features, and I couldn''t help but think that he looked weaker.


    "This is my second son, Wiegraf. Although he''s a knight as well, since he''s not that skilled at martial arts, he''s a military strategist. He looks so similar to my wife, I wonder if it''s because of that?"


    Although he was laughing easily, I noticed that my jaw muscles had stiffened up a bit unconsciously. It seemed like that parent and child could joke around with each other easily, and I remembered the way that Ergnade was being mischievous as he guided me here, so I relaxed slightly.


    "Over there is Ergnade. He''s my third son, who cunningly contacted you before I did."


    "F, father¡­¡­"


    "I''m just joking. I''ve heard that Earl Terejia has become the guardian of a certain child, so I''ve been looking forward to meeting you."


    As Earl Einsbark said so, he laughed happily, ha ha! At the same moment, his eldest son Volmar who had appeared straightlaced up until now, burst out into laughter. Wiegraf and Ergnade snickered as well.


    At seeing them, this time, I relaxed myself completely. Claudia and Gunther who had also both been nervous and frozen up, had started laughing as well before I realized it.


    I had been worried that the Einsbark family might be difficult to deal with, but they seem like quite the peaceful family. Although the neighboring country''s invasion was still on my mind, that I don''t seem to be despised here for being that evil villain''s daughter, I felt a bit of relief.

 Chapter 40 - 40

    Gong¡­¡­ an echoing loud noise shook my entire body. The bell in the central tower of this fort was being struck. I sleepily got up due to the sound while yawning, as the purpose of the bell was to wake everyone up.


    There''s no water clocks here at Fort Jugfena, and the tolling sound of the bell is meant to tell time instead. After all, manpower would be required to maintain a water clock. Since there''s no maids or foot soldiers that are only required to do menial labor here, it would take too much to keep a water clock operational.


    The villages in Kaldia mainly use sundials rather than water clocks as well, but for the soldiers and knights, I think auditory information is probably more convenient for them than visual information.


    The first time that I heard the bell ringing, it felt so loud and discomforting that I had to plug up my ears, but I''ve gotten used to it quickly. Even I feel that it''s convenient now.


    It''s been exactly seven days since I''ve arrived at Fort Jugfena.


    I squinted through the rugged iron bars on the window at the rays of twilight shining through. Today''s dawn sky seemed strangely red for some reason.


    "Good morning, Viscountess Kaldia. Today, Earl Einsbark has granted permission for you to observe our training grounds."


    When I finished dressing myself appropriately and left my room, a man sharply dressed in black knight attire was already waiting for me. In addition to being my liaison, it seems that he''s also being my escort and guide, I''ve been seeing Ergnade and accompanying him together every day.


    "Good morning to you, Ergnade-sama. Permission to observe, is it."


    "Yes. The earl was wondering if you would like to see how we train our soldiers here."


    "I see, I''m thankful for his concern."


    After seven days, Ergnade''s chatting with me has become quite informal. The first day I arrived, he was addressing me with an overly stuffy, formal version of "you," but some time ago he''s stopped that and is now calling me "you" casually like when he first visited Kaldia as a messenger.


    He had sharp eyes, but they would soften at the corners and crinkle up as he watched me in silence. I got the same feeling from Ergnade''s grey eyes as I did from Margrave Molton back at the royal capital. It felt like I was getting cold from it, so I blinked and gently averted my gaze.


    We left the tower I was staying at and headed for the dining hall, where Gunther was waiting for me. On the other side of this tower, my domain''s soldiers were borrowing rooms in the barracks here, while I had been given a room in what was known as the "knight building." Since the "knight building" is supposed to be a living space for nobles, the commoner soldiers basically never come here.


    As one of my domain''s soldiers, Gunther followed those customs as well, and he was waiting for me in front of the door on the fourth floor that led to the knight building.


    "Good morning, Gunther. Thanks for your troubles today as well."


    "Good morning to you, my lord, and Ergnade-sama."


    As Gunther replied to my greeting, he glanced behind me, and almost as an afterthought he greeted Ergnade as well. Ergnade was following behind me with a face that basically said of course he should be greeted as well. I always eat at the dining hall for soldiers, and haven''t been to the place where the earl''s sons, the senior knights eat.


    I can''t determine with absolute certainty if Ergnade really has been assigned as my "escort," but for him to accompany me here to the regular dining hall probably does mean something of the sort along those lines.


    "Good morning, Gunther-dono."


    Ergnade made a short response to Gunther''s greeting. Exchanging simple greetings like this has been going on every morning while Claudia is absent, as she was currently escorting the two women from Cyril village back to their homes.


    After breakfast, Ergnade would help train me in using the spear. Since my usual instructor Claudia isn''t here right now, at first I thought I''d get tips from Gunther again and have him watch over my training, but it seems that Ergnade must be bored just being my escort as he said he''d help me train as well.


    Since having a senior knight that''s currently in active duty be my instructor is the best I could ask for, I bowed my head and accepted. Gunther''s role has subsided to only overseeing my basic physical fitness and foundational training.


    The spear skills that Ergnade was teaching me seemed to be a better fit for me, as Claudia''s spear skills were highly technical, and were not a good fit for me as I was still a child lacking in body strength.


    Ergnade noticed this, and using Claudia''s spear skills as a foundation, he trained me in spear skills that would be more fitting for me, especially as I might be using a spear on real opponents soon, unlike when I was training with Claudia. He emphasized attacking points that would cause the greatest amount of damage with my speartip.


    Ergnade mentioned that Claudia''s spear skills incorporated many elements from staff skills, and that these techniques had no wasteful movements to them and could definitely kill opponents.


    Usually Ergnade would bring two wooden spears out from the armory for our practice, but today he had taken out two unfamiliar weapons instead.


    "Viscountess Kaldia, I''m going to teach you some new moves today." S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "New moves?"


    "Yes, I''m going to teach you about halberds."


    Ergnade placed the weapons on the ground, and told me to take a closer look. Regular spears were made of wooden shafts with a sharpened cone-shaped metal head attached, as it was a shape designed to pierce armor with. It basically takes advantage of length to stab enemies with, designed so that even regular soldiers with no knowledge of martial arts can kill enemy soldiers.


    It''s commonly used by infantry soldiers.


    In comparison, the spear-like weapon Ergnade had brought out was a bit shorter in length. The halberd was a spear with an axe blade attached to the spear tip, with a somewhat triangular shape and a double-edged blade on both sides of the spear. One was real and the other one was wooden, probably for practice purposes.


    "Although it''s a bit difficult to use, but it''s a strong weapon once mastered. I''ve heard that the Kaldia army is mostly cavalry troops. Since this weapon works well both on horseback and on the ground, I think it''ll be good to learn."


    I see, I nodded as I passed the wooden halberd to him. It''s heavier as it comes equipped with an axe blade. What''s more, it shook a bit in my hands as gravity tugged down on its weight.


    "¡­¡­It''s almost lunchtime, so let''s end here."


    I had already become tired to the point where I didn''t have the energy to speak up when Ergnade finally said that, but he barely seemed to be sweating even though it was summer and he seemed refreshed. I had to use muscles that I didn''t normally use in order to just control this new weapon, and just holding it without shaking used up so much of my energy.


    As I tried to catch my breath somehow, just like Ergnade said, I heard a gong¡­¡­ sound from the bell that indicated it was now noon

 Chapter 41 - 41

    After I was able to get some rest and had lunch, Ergnade asked me if I wanted to go see the training grounds now. That''s when I remembered his comment earlier this morning. Come to think of it, it seems that Earl Einsbark had given me permission to observe their training.


    Currently, the Kaldia domain soldiers are also receiving training from the soldiers at Fort Jugfena. It''s so that I, Gunther, Earl Einsbark, and the soldiers can all work together better with each other, and we''re all getting as much training as possible before the Densel soldiers draw closer.


    In the southernmost part of Fort Jugfena, there was a building that was almost like a giant box which was the training grounds for the knights and soldiers. Since I''ve been receiving my training in the open grounds, I haven''t been there before.


    "¡­¡­Even though I didn''t even request it, the fact that Earl Einsbark has given me permission to see the training grounds, is it because he wants me to see how my soldiers are doing?"


    "Of course, that would be correct."


    When I tentatively asked Ergnade to see if I could receive confirmation, he nodded without any hesitation. Gunther had a bemused expression on his face as he usually didn''t see much of the roundabout way of conversation between nobles.


    "Then, I suppose I''ll have to go take a look."


    I felt like it would only be disadvantageous if I said I wouldn''t go, while Ergnade smiled ambiguously at my reply. It was as if he was smiling at a child making progress, or maybe it''s just a smile he directs at all children. I gently shook my head and ignored his smile, let''s end this topic here.


    The black iron fortress''s training ground was much more overwhelmingly rugged than I expected. I wonder if that''s why Ergnade went to the trouble of showing it to me from the ground up. Since I haven''t really gotten close to here before, this is the first time that I''m seeing the imposing profoundness of this box-like structure up close.


    This place is much taller than the four towers located in the corners of the fort, and I couldn''t help but raise my head and look at the ceiling, which caused me to almost trip and fall.


    "Uh oh. Please be careful."


    Ergnade had placed his hand on my back, supporting me, otherwise I would have hit my head against the stone floor.


    "¡­¡­I''ve shown you something unsightly."


    Because I''d forgotten that I still had a child''s body, I made a fool of myself just now. Embarrassment was easy to see from the expression on my face, and as if in response, Ergnade just grinned. I wonder if he''s having fun at my expense¡­¡­ as I thought about it, I got more and more embarrassed. Gunther didn''t say anything and just looked at me with a half smile as well.


    Although the training ground was lit up by lights inside, it was still dimmer than outside. It was built similar to an arena, and down in the center, soldiers were repeatedly practicing deploying in formations.


    My domain''s soldiers were wearing something metal on their hands, shins, and heads. It seems that it''s equipment from twenty years ago that the fort had on hand that''s been passed on to them as a gift to my troops, since nobody is using it now.


    In order to improve the quality of my domain''s troops, metal equipment will be required. It might be fine for them to use donated old equipment for the time being, but in order to maintain a cavalry squad in the future, the Kaldia domain is going to have to learn metal processing as well as deal with the increased maintenance costs.


    I''m going to have to attract a skilled blacksmith to my domain as early as possible. However, right now making sure that public order remains stable after accepting so many refugees as new citizens is a more pressing matter.


    "Viscountess Kaldia, what kinds of difficult things are you thinking about?"


    I heard Ergnade''s voice, snapping me back to my senses, as he had already finished descending the stairs and was in the center of the training ground. Gunther was also staring at me in amazement.


    "You seemed to be looking so seriously at the soldiers, almost like you were glaring¡­¡­ Do you think the training is insufficient?"


    "N, no. That wasn''t it."


    While inspecting their equipment, I had gotten sidetracked thinking about my own domain. I hurriedly shook my head and denied to him that I would think the training insufficient, while Ergnade merely tilted his head and remained silent.


    "It, it''s¡­¡­ because their movements have gotten so much better. I was wondering what type of training they''d gone through in order to polish their skills so much in so short a time."


    "Didn''t you come here to learn that? Let''s go, come on."


    Ergnade waved at me with a soft, wry smile. At the way he seemed, it triggered a vague memory in my brain. Although I wondered what it was, no matter how I parsed my memories, I couldn''t remember what it was.


    As Ergnade held his hand out for me as I descended the stairs, ahh, I''ve seen something similar to this scene in my previous life, is what I realized. My previous life''s memories seem so far away now, I felt a fleeting sense of loneliness.


    Before I realized it, my observation turned into training me on how to command, which continued until dinner time. Just like this morning, I was exhausted from everything, to the point where I felt like my head was spinning around when I finally was able to have dinner.


    "Oi oi, you alright there, my lord?"


    Gunther sitting next to me had a worried face as he shook me. I just sat there in a daze for a moment, until I finally noticed him and replied "I''m alright," and nodded slowly. It felt too tiring to talk very much. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "¡­¡­It doesn''t seem like you''re alright."


    Although he seemed relieved that I finally responded, he still didn''t seem to believe me probably due to the look on my face, and he pinched my cheeks. Stop it, I slapped his hand away, and he dropped his hand away from me.


    "I''m tired, can''t you leave me alone¡­¡­"


    "Well, that''s obvious to see. Can you still walk to your bed? You look like you''re about to fall asleep on your feet."


    "If she can''t move, then I''ll carry her there. No need to worry, Gunther-dono."


    Ergnade who was eating on my other side elegantly wiped his mouth with a napkin as he interjected himself into our conversation. I was starting to nod off at that point, and stopped paying attention to what Gunther and Ergnade were talking about anymore.


    While dazedly looking at their worried faces as they kept talking, I thought back to the memory that Ergnade triggered in me back at the training ground.


    "¡­¡­Ah, mom and dad."


    It reminded me of my parents from my previous life, and I accidentally said it out loud.


    Gunther and Ergnade''s surprised faces was the last thing I saw as I lost my consciousness. I''m at my limit.


    Falling asleep for the first time in this world in this manner, I could hear panicky voices around me, it felt like I was hearing both wonder and satisfaction.

 Chapter 42 - 42

    One morning, I didn''t hear the familiar low tolling sound of the bell. Kan, kan, I heard a high-pitched sound of metal being struck, and the sound was gradually increasing in volume. It was a daunting sound that enhanced tension, is what I thought. It must be a type of warning to inform us about something approaching.


    When I opened my eyes, it was still dark inside my room. Outside the window, it was still a blurry dark blue sky. It''s before dawn. The metallic sound was increasing in momentum, rather than stopping. I got off my bed with a buzzing sound inside me.


    Just as I had taken off my nightclothes and was putting on my tunic, there was a hasty sounding knock on my door. Rather than a polite knock, it sounded much duller, almost like someone was swinging their fist against the door. It was the first time I''ve heard such a knock, I couldn''t help but gulp.


    "Viscountess Kaldia, it''s me, Ergnade! Please open the door immediately if you''re dressed!"


    Ergnade who was usually calm was shouting anxiously from the other side of the door. It''s someone I know, but I only felt slightly relieved.


    "I''ll be right there!"


    As I hurriedly finished putting on my tunic and removed the bar from the door, Ergnade entered with great momentum. Even with the light from the torches in the corridor, it was still rather hazy inside my room.


    "Listen, it''s the Densel army. On the other side of the Great Plains, the Densel army has made their camp!"


    "!!"


    At the news of the Densel army making camp, I was so surprised that even though I knew it wouldn''t be visible from here, I couldn''t help but look out the window. On the other side of this fort''s walls, was the flat, wide Great Plains. I could only vaguely make it out.


    "The draconis here detected their scents. We''ll be sending out a reconnaissance unit once it''s sunrise, and prepare for battle. Where''s your battle gear?"


    As he was saying so, Ergnade rummaged through my room without my permission. In a box in the corner of the room, Ergnade found what he just asked, as he went through all its contents.


    "This it? ¡­¡­Alright, put it on. Let''s get going right away, Earl Einsbark is waiting for you."


    As I nodded, I felt like I was having an out of body experience. There was a tense feeling in my stomach, and my voice felt like it was stuck in my throat. By the time that I finally understood the situation and got ahold of myself, Ergnade was carrying me off in the opposite direction from where we usually went with large strides.


    There''s still quite some time before it''s dawn. The golden sun was just barely beginning to peek out from the direction of the Monster Forest, when Ergnade and I arrived at a room in the fort. It was a room that was sparsely decorated, just like the iron windows in it.


    "Has she arrived?"


    "Yes, she''s here with me."


    Ergnade let me off, and I staggered a few steps. Because I had been shaken a bit, I felt slightly dizzy still.


    "¡­¡­Are you alright, Viscountess Kaldia?"


    "Y, yes. I''m fine."


    Now that I no longer feel like I''m being spun around, I had no problem standing properly and bowing neatly. Earl Einsbark nodded as he seemed to check over my appearance, and motioned for me to take a seat over on the sofa. Ergnade and I both sat down across from Earl Einsbark. There was a table in between us, on which a map of the surrounding territory was spread.


    On the map, to the east of Fort Jugfena, in the middle of the Great Plains, there were toys that probably represented the enemy soldiers placed there. Also, there were pieces representing enemy forces to the north, in the Bandishia Plateau as well, although their intentions were currently unknown. This is probably about the Densel army unit that''s chasing the Shiru tribe.


    "We sent out a reconnaissance unit the moment that the draconis detected the Densel army''s presence, but currently we only know that they''ve made camp there and are unsure of their exact numbers."


    There was a tiny toy piece in Earl Einsbark''s hand. He placed it next to the pieces on the Great Plain. It seems to represent the scout unit he sent out. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "The draconis were unexpectedly helpful in locating them this early."


    Bastards, muttered Ergnade under his breath.


    As I looked at the pieces on the map, I was impressed with how everything was. In the name of chasing down the rebel Shiru tribe, they''ve made camp all the way here and pincered them. To chase less than 50 members of a nomadic tribe here, it''s such a grand undertaking. Even Earl Einsbark seemed daunted.


    At the very minimum, it seems there''s at least 300 soldiers chasing the Shiru tribe. For any more troops than that to be deployed here and camping right next to our borders, it would be quite daring of them, basically an outright declaration of war.


    Since the draconis were able to detect them, we were able to be on guard. So this represents the Densel army, I felt a terribly cold feeling as I stared at the pieces representing them.


    "¡­¡­It seems like the sun is up now."


    Earl Einsbark happened to look out the window and made that comment. Just at that moment, someone knocked on the door to the room, and a knight entered after he was granted permission.


    "Reporting in, the scout unit has returned! The Densel army numbers about 700, and it seems that they have siege engines in their camp!"


    "Unbelievable, does Densel really intend to declare war on our country!?"


    Ergnade stood up and shouted in anger. I looked at the map again. If Rindarl didn''t unite together, there was no way that Densel alone would have declared war on Arxia. As I thought about what it probably meant, I looked up and saw Earl Einsbark looking at me as if he was seeing something interesting.


    In the blink of an eye, he changed his focus away from me, and the earl stood up.


    "Tell Volmar to have the soldiers lined up in front of the fort''s walls."


    His voice was quite severe. I couldn''t help but straighten my back.


    "Yes!"


    The soldier bowed and exited the room. A moment of silence filled the room.


    "Viscountess Kaldia, prepare yourself and head to in front of the fort''s walls with Ergnade. If you have anything to tell me about your army first, I''ll listen to it now."


    "There''s nothing."


    Earl Einsbark nodded once, sighed heavily, and left the room.


    War is now imminent, a stone''s throw away from becoming reality. Although I was tense to the point of clutching my fists, I felt no elation at all, nor did I feel anything like fear yet. As I confirmed to myself how surprisingly calm I was, I nodded to myself.


    ¨C At last, this day has come. It finally happened on the morning of the 21st day since I''ve come to Fort Jugfena.

 Chapter 43 - 43

    The soldiers lined up in front of the fort walls silently checked their own equipment. Among the feeling of heavy tension, I kept staring at a map in my hands of the surrounding territory.


    The role given to the Kaldia army in the upcoming battle on the plains was defending the left wing formation, and to guide the Shiru tribe back to the fort safely before their pursuers arrived. The left wing formation consists mostly of a dense formation of spear infantry, and their main role was to ambush the Shiru tribe''s pursuers.


    In addition, a cavalry unit would head eastward through the Amon Nor Mountains towards the Bandishia plateau. It''s to help, and guide the Shiru tribe. They''ve been included in the refugees that we''ve decided to accept. For that reason, we have to go to the trouble of guiding them.


    The refugees currently at the fort are farmers, and also culturally similar to what''s considered normal in Arxia. If I can acquire the refugees'' leaders, the Shiru tribe, safely without incident, they''ll become indebted to me for shielding them from the pursuit of Densel which represents the Rindarl Union.


    In the name of protecting the refugees from persecution, the House of Lords has decreed that Arxia shall defend our fellow believers of the Ar Xia faith, and save any fellow believers that are under attack from other countries.


    Because he knows that very well, that''s why Earl Einsbark issued the order for the troops to move out.


    I thought it was unlikely that Densel would have expected us to shield and come to the aid of the Shiru tribe, but judging from the amount of troops they have, there''s no way they would have prepared so many troops just to chase the Shiru tribe. It''s made rather obvious since there''s no way they would need siege weapons to deal with the Shiru tribe.


    What''s more, they even have the Shiru tribe right in front of them and pincered.


    "My lord, here, your sword."


    I didn''t realize that someone was next to me, I raised my face in response when I heard myself being called in a soft voice. When I looked up, I saw Gunther holding a shortsword out to me.


    "¡­¡­Oh, uhhh. My bad, Gunther."


    I hurriedly received the sword from him, folded up my map and put it away in my waist pouch. I sheathed the shortsword and attached it to my belt. Since I already had a spear prepared standing next to me, I had completely forgotten to equip myself with a sword as well. I must have been too nervous.


    Although there will be actual military operations going on, this time the main role of the Kaldia army isn''t primarily focused on combat. But even so, the situation could always change at any time on the battlefield, and both for self-defense and to lead my army, I need a sword. I mounted my horse and began directing my troops with the sword as we marched.


    "Oh ho, you''re in the regular battle garb for nobles. When on my lord, it''s quite something to see." Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Since you''re a soldier, this must seem like a mockery to you."''


    "I think all this looks just fine on my lord."


    Gunther was being even more overly familiar and jokingly bantering with me than usual, I realized it myself and felt how out of character it was. ¡­¡­I''m about to be on a battlefield. When that thought came to my mind, my heart that had remained calm up until now starting suddenly beating fast. In order to slow down my rapid heartbeats, I consciously took deep breaths.


    "Sorry, Gunther."


    "¡­¡­About what. If it''s about the sword, I already heard it."


    This is my first battle with me leading my army. Since I''m their leader, I can''t allow myself to stiffen up and be overcome with tension. I should be thankful to Gunther for overstepping the boundaries between us with his daring words. It was good for relieving the tension, and taking my mind off that I was going into battle.


    And so I just kept watching Gunther''s back as he left my side and returned to leading the marching troops. He''s really someone that doesn''t spoil or go easy on me at all¡­¡­ Indeed, for the domain lord who''s just a child to not flinch on the battlefield, it''s probably something necessary.


    In the meantime, I heard a voice order "Form columns!" and the soldiers from Fort Jugfena who were all equipped for battle organized themselves standing neatly, making clanking sounds.


    "Are all preparations ready?"


    Volmar who was in front of the troops, glanced around at everyone as he raised his voice. Even though his voice wasn''t overly loud, it carried well, just like his father Earl Einsbark''s voice.


    All the soldiers and knights saluted him.


    He briefly informed the troops what I already knew, that the Densel army was right upon our doorstep, and to prepare for battle with the goal of protecting the Shiru tribe. When the soldiers responded affirmatively, Volmar stepped down, and in his place Wiegraf stepped forward.


    "The infantry and cavalry are to create a camp outside the castle walls. The center formation shall consist of the 1st and 4th Cavalry Platoons, as well as Igor''s squad, the right wing shall be the 2nd Cavalry Platoon and the rescue squad, while the left wing shall be the Franks squad and the Kaldia domain army. All archers shall man the castle walls.


    Averin squad, please take charge of the fort''s defense and protection. The 3rd Cavalry Platoon is acting as a detached force and has already moved out."


    The 3rd Cavalry Platoon that he just mentioned is probably the unit that''s meant to guide the Shiru tribe. Not counting the archers and the single squad we''re leaving behind to defend the fort, our battle strength is approximately 450 troops. While it''s quite a difference to overcome compared to the enemy''s 700 troops, it''s not so unfavorable that we wouldn''t be able to beat the Densel army.


    "Listen up, our primary objective is the protection of the Shiru tribe, not the eradication or retreat of the Densel army."


    The overall plan was to first march the army close to the Densel army''s camp, both as a threat and to directly inquire as to the meaning of their advancing army. If battle is unavoidable, the primary tactical objective is to be the destruction of their siege weapons.


    The 3rd Cavalry Platoon is to be responsible for meeting up with the Shiru tribe, and the Kaldia army is to become a detached force as well to guard the Shiru tribe once that happens, and the knights and soldiers are to retreat and battle defensively when contact is made.


    "A strategy based on retreating may be difficult to accept, but based on the situation I believe it''s not unreasonable. Don''t turn your backs on the enemy, and make absolutely certain to not break formation while retreating."


    As the strategist Wiegraf personally informed all soldiers of our battle strategy, I felt like I could feel all the soldiers holding their breaths.


    ¨C Come to think of it, Densel troops haven''t been so close to Fort Jugfena since the battle that occurred here seventeen years ago. Although I had learned that piece of military history from Mrs.


    Marshan, and Earl Terejia had hammered the neighboring country''s politics and aggressive stance against us into me, there had always been a part of me inside that had put it away in a corner of my mind until I confronted and confirmed it for myself. Fort Jugfena''s soldiers are well trained, and probably most of them are veterans that have experienced actual combat.


    ¨C But as for the Kaldia domain''s troops, it felt like there was a creeping sense of anxiety. More than half of my troops have never experienced actual battle before.

 Chapter 44 - 44

    Just like the neighboring countries, Arxia uses a conscription system to recruit soldiers, so most soldiers would originally be farmers that had only used hoes and plows up to now.


    In truth, the Kaldia army is mostly agricultural as well, as even the enlisted soldiers will have one month off each year to go back to their hometown and help with farming or the harvest, and they''re also the ones in charge of growing wheat on the land under direct control.


    That''s why, it''s not considered unusual for more than half of my soldiers to have never experienced actual battle.


    I shook my head a little to dispel the anxiety that was threatening to invade me.


    In my previous life, war had nothing to do with me, the concept of people killing each other on a battlefield had only seemed like a fantasy up until now. It''s still getting through my head that this is all real, awareness is setting in that my current reality isn''t quite so sweet.


    I chewed lightly on the insides of my cheeks, and used the pain to discipline myself. Maybe it''s because of the pain, it felt like I could organize my feelings faster than usual. I straightened my back as I rode my horse. Now that I was at an adult''s eye level, I could see the knights clad in black on the other side of the soldiers.


    "Eliza-dono!"


    Among the soldiers trickling out through the castle gate, Ergnade came running up to me.


    "Please be careful out there, Eliza-dono. I shall pray that the god Xia keeps you safe."


    "You take care as well. Your role is probably more dangerous than mine."


    After all, he''s in the center formation. On top of that, if battle starts, his role is to attack and pierce the enemy formation. It''s a much more dangerous job than mine.


    Ergnade smiled softly, and stroked my hair without messing it up.


    "I''m fine. I, and the people around me, we''re all prepared for death. However, I have no intention of dying in such a small skirmish."


    I didn''t say anything else, and I just kept staring at his face, to the extent of burning it into my mind. He finally struck his chest, really forcefully.


    "¡­¡­Take care."


    This moment finally stopped with great difficulty, and for a moment, Ergnade''s smile seemed to get deeper as he left.


    The soldiers quickly got into formation outside the fort''s walls. It''s to have the Densel army pay attention to us, is what our leader Earl Einsbark said to do. On the battlefield, the side with more information has the advantage. It seems that manipulating information so that the other side only knows what you want them to know is one of the basics.


    "Everyone, advance!"


    At Volmar''s command, heavy drumbeats began sounding in a steady rhythm. In accordance with its beat, the soldiers advanced.


    While being surrounded by soldiers, even though I knew it was out of place, I was impressed with the marching.


    During my birthday celebration march, I had kept thinking that I wanted to do it like a marching band, and as expected, thanks to the drumbeats, it felt like the soldiers were able to march much more in unison with each other. Even though my army had also been training since they''d come here, it seems that they have no sense of rhythm at all.


    Because the terrain here is all flat, it''s perfect for charging, and it probably won''t be too hard to hear the drums within a 200 meter distance or so.


    Before long, we arrived at the Densel army''s campground. Their 700 troops were already lined up in a dense mass waiting for us.


    "¡­¡­?"


    But the closer we approached to them, the more I felt that something was off. I squinted to try and see things better, and maybe my expression gave it away as well, Gunther who was standing next to me asked what was the matter.


    "I don''t know why, but¡­¡­ Something seems strange about the enemy. It might just be my imagination."


    "Ahh? ¡­¡­Hang on a second."


    Although I was unsure of what my feeling was, Gunther glared over at the enemy formation and thought for a moment in silence, then he suddenly raised his voice hurriedly.


    "Oi, there''s no horses in the enemy ranks. On top of that, most of their troops'' heads seem to be fluttering in a funny manner."


    When I heard that their heads were fluttering, the memory of a scarecrow from my previous life suddenly entered my mind. Whenever the wind blew against it, it would begin to flutter. What I thought next was, what a convenient thing to remember at this point in time.


    "¡­¡­This is probably a decoy."


    "What? Who, who''s the fastest in our army!"


    When Gunther bellowed at the soldiers behind him, my army all stopped in surprise and shock. As the soldiers froze up and and had thinking expressions on their faces, one skinny arm rose up from among them.


    "Yes! I''m quite confident in my speed and everyone says I''m the fastest!"


    The one who stepped out from among the troops as he said so, was the soldier in training, Paulo, who had the role of leading my horse when we were on our way to Fort Jugfena.


    "Alright, then I''m giving you an order. Head directly for the 1st Cavalry Platoon in the center formation, and give their leader Ergnade the message that ''The enemy army seems strange. There''s no horses present, and the enemy soldiers look like props.''"


    "What!? Sending someone like me as a messenger to the knights!?"


    Paulo raised his voice and he was wide-eyed in surprise, but maybe it''s because he knows the urgency of the situation, he left immediately at top speed. Watching him go, I felt like he wasn''t bragging at all when he said that he was the fastest.


    "What''s the matter, Viscountess Kaldia?"


    It''s probably because they were wondering why the Kaldia army suddenly stopped marching, the vice captain of the Franks squad traveling with us in the left wing came over on horseback to inquire.


    He''s a soldier that''s rather advanced in years with a white mustache and beard, and rather than fit, it could be said that he''s more plump.


    "Something''s strange about the Densel army, I believe that it could be a decoy." S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    There''s no horses, and the enemy soldiers'' heads were shaking unsteadily in the wind, much like scarecrows would. The vice captain listened to my explanation as he stroked his beard, but when I finished and requested that he report the situation to his captain, he began chuckling.


    "What¡­¡­"


    When the vice captain started suddenly laughing despite the tense situation, Gunther was struck speechless. He kept laughing without regards to the tension.


    "Viscountess Kaldia, you''re really such an adorable child. You remind me of my grandson."


    "Huh?"


    The vice captain has gone off on a tangent that I don''t understand at all.


    I couldn''t help but tilt my head in confusion, while the vice captain turned to Gunther and kept talking with a joyful expression on his face.


    "When being mixed in with only adults in a place like this, children will usually want to say things that make them stand out. You don''t have to take them so seriously."


    What''s with this guy.


    At his overly nonchalant attitude, Gunther and I were frozen in astonishment for quite a long time.

 Chapter 45 - 45

    "¡­¡­If you have the time to make light of this situation, then hurry up and go report to your captain already."


    Gunther finally managed to clear his throat and say something, I could easily tell that he was completely exasperated with and quite angry at the vice captain.


    The white-bearded vice captain only tilted his head slightly, and without saying anything, rode his horse unhurriedly back to his squad. Although he did stop by the squad captain to say something, judging by their behavior it seems that they won''t be taking my orders.


    I had ordered the vice captain to report on my analysis of the situation to his captain. Although I don''t have a specific position at Fort Jugfena, I''m still an Arxian noble, no matter if this is Fort Jugfena or even Densel land.


    "¡­¡­My lord, when we return to the fort, shall I submit a formal complaint against that senile old geezer?"


    "Do as you like."


    It was incredibly easy to see that Gunther was in a very foul mood due to what had just happened. I thought back to the time last year when I had just arrived at the barracks under Gunther''s care. ¡­¡­I was someone he wanted to kill. In a turn of events, he''s now serving right beside me and protecting me. I can''t even begin to describe just how much people''s hearts can change.


    ¨C Maybe, if I had given them a chance, they could have become good people as well. The family that I killed.


    I decided to get rid of the idea that they could possibly have changed, and seal the thought away in my mind. I had already decided long ago that it wouldn''t happen, when I made the decision to get rid of them.


    ¡­¡­Besides, now''s not the time to think about such things. Even though I was clenching my teeth, I noticed a rumbling sound that didn''t seem like it was caused by my teeth grinding.


    "¡­¡­Gunther, do you hear something?"


    "What is it this time? I''m not as young as my lord is, my eyes and ears aren''t as good as yours¡­¡­"


    He''s still in his upper twenties, and he''s already claiming age¡­¡­ But even so, he concentrated on listening for sounds without saying anything else.


    "¡­¡­Is this the sound of horse hooves?"


    "Can you tell what direction it''s coming from, Gunther?"


    "How would I know, do you think I''m a beast or something, you stupid brat?"


    I''ll ignore for now the fact that Gunther slipped back to his old foul-mouthed habits, given the situation at hand. It''s not like I have anyone else that would take orders from me. But anyways, it seems that he''s finally lost his patience with me because he thought I was treating him like he had the senses of a beast, and he''s gone back to his more familiar way of talking to me.


    Although we''ve been together quite a long time as he''s been both my teacher and my subordinate, I never would have thought that I''d be learning more about his personality in such a time and location.


    "If it was Claudia, I think it would be easy for her."


    "Don''t lump me together with that little girl."


    Well, that''s true, I nodded in acknowledgement, and kept listening for sounds. The rumbling sounds were getting closer to us, and now I could tell for certain that it was definitely the sound of horse hooves. But, I couldn''t really tell what direction the sounds were coming from.


    "My lord-!"


    Suddenly, Paulo came running back, having returned after I sent him off as a messenger to the central formation. Even though he''s only a soldier in training, he seems to be quite fit, as he''s not even short of breath.


    "You''re really so fast."


    "Thank you for the compliment. Um, Ergnade-sama said that he would like for my lord to come see him personally in the center formation."


    At hearing Paulo''s message from Ergnade, I furrowed my eyebrows. He wants me to leave my army for the time being?


    "¡­¡­Got it, I''ll go."


    Well, if he wants me to come to him then I must go. His rank here at the fort, and on the battlefield, is higher than mine. The fastest method is for me to go there by myself on horseback.


    "Gunther, take command for the time being. Paulo, get on and ride behind me. I''m going to take you along as a messenger soldier."


    "Whawhat, me ride my lord''s horse?"


    "Hurry up already."


    Paulo is one of the soldiers in training to become a cavalry soldier in the future. There''s no way that he''d have been allowed to lead my horse previously otherwise.


    He still seemed lost so I glared at him, and he finally hurriedly but smoothly jumped on behind me.


    There seems to be a state of confusion in the center formation, the soldiers all seemed to be terribly nervous about something. The atmosphere was even heavier than when we were departing from the fort.


    "Ergnade-sama, I heard that you called for me?"


    "Ahh, Viscountess Kaldia. I''m glad that you came over immediately."


    He brought his horse next to mine, and with an excuse me, he suddenly picked me up and plopped me on his horse. I was shocked at what he was suddenly doing, but from above my head, I heard him saying in a tiny voice that this was so information wouldn''t leak.


    Paulo suddenly had his hands full, controlling my horse by himself. He looked like how I did before my birthday celebration, all nervous on the horse.


    "Sorry about that."


    "It''s nothing, anyways, what did you want to say?"


    "The right wing has changed direction, and is now proceeding to deploy southwest. Just earlier we heard the sound of many horse hooves. There must be a large group of cavalry troops nearby. When I received your report, I wondered if the Densel army was up to a daring plan of some sort."


    We had headed directly east from Fort Jugfena to get here, so to be deploying our right wing southwest from here means that he''s worried about the enemy army invading our country from south of here. The elevation gets lower around here as it gets farther south.


    Because it can get quite sloped in certain areas, it may be quite difficult to find the Densel army immediately if they did take such a southern route. If the Densel army really has slipped west of us, the southern route is the most likely way they took. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Although we left some troops to defend Fort Jugfena and there''s the moat and gate, if they sent their full forces they could definitely overcome it. Even the soldiers that are usually on lookout are participating in the expedition today, the military presence currently at the fort is minimal.


    However, to take the southern route to the fort, they would also have to go through the Monster Forest filled with all sorts of magical beasts. That''s why we hadn''t been on guard for them taking the southern route.


    To safely go through that forest, it''s estimated that at least ten thousand soldiers would have been required.

 Chapter 46 - 46

    "I can''t get a good read on the enemy''s intentions. I think the Densel army must have realized that we left Fort Jugfena¡­¡­ But as for where they went after departing from their camp and leaving decoy scarecrows behind¡­¡­"


    "Indeed, it feels like they''re plotting something."


    In fact, I can''t think that it could be anything other than some sort of trap. We chatted while trying to get a good look at the Great Plains where their camp was, and Ergnade agreed with me that it could be some sort of trap.


    "¡­¡­I''ll command the knights and go inspect their camp. Everyone else, be on standby here."


    "Isn''t it dangerous to be doing nothing here while we still don''t know the enemy''s intention?"


    "That''s indeed the case, but we''re currently at the Great Plains with a wide view of everything around us. It should still be safe to just approach the enemy camp. You should return now to the left wing formation, and proceed with the original plan of having your domain''s army be in charge of protecting the Shiru tribe from any attackers on their tail once they are located.


    Could I ask you to relay the current situation to the Franks squad captain as well?"


    When I heard him mention the Franks squad, bitter feelings towards the vice captain of the Franks squad surged up within me as I recalled my recent encounter with him. There''s no point in passing along any messages to someone that won''t listen to you.


    ¡­¡­Him ignoring my orders in that situation, is a serious offense that will have to be taken care of when all of this is over. At the very least, he can be charged with disrespect towards a noble, I wonder if that white-bearded vice captain will still be able to retain his position at the fort after that.


    "I understand."


    I swallowed down my feelings and nodded. Then, I suddenly felt like I was floating again as Ergnade picked me up once more.


    "Good girl. Take care of yourself."


    He whispered that to me in a very kindly manner as he dropped me off back onto my horse. And so, once again I was now sitting in front of Paulo, the novice soldier, who had been struggling with controlling my horse by himself.


    I hurriedly took the reins as my horse neighed and reared slightly. As I took control and had my horse start heading back, I took a peek back in Ergnade''s direction.


    He was nowhere to be seen already.


    I headed for the Franks squad''s vanguard. Since the center formation''s troops had stopped moving, it seems like the other wings'' troops were slightly confused as to what was going on.


    "Is the Franks squad captain here?"


    Their vice captain had just come over to my army earlier, so I figured that their captain would most likely be leading their vanguard, but once again it was the white-bearded vice captain that came up to greet me. The vice captain smiled at me, and asked, "what''s the matter?"


    "It''s an order from Ergnade-sama, to stop marching your troops. The entire army is to be on standby for the time being. Anyways, where''s the captain?"


    "If you''re asking for the captain, he just headed over to the Kaldia army."


    "Wha?"


    Because I heard something so unexpected, I couldn''t help but respond in an embarrassing fashion. What exactly would the Franks squad captain want with my army? Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    I saw a glimmer of malice in the vice captain''s smile.


    "Just earlier, our captain noticed Viscountess Kaldia heading off somewhere. Since we can''t have an army without a commander, the captain headed over there to be the acting commander in your place. After all, it''s quite well-known that the Kaldia army is such a low grade, disorganized army that it doesn''t even have military ranks."


    "¡­¡­¡­¡­"


    With a child as his opponent, he was gleefully saying such base things with clear malice, not even trying to hide his intentions. Faced with his vileness, I could only feel that I don''t want to deal with him for any longer than I have to.


    "I think our army''s definitely a grade above from being under incompetent leadership that can''t even accurately assess the situation on a battlefield."


    Paulo who was sitting behind me suddenly butted in with his comment. It was really sudden and he said it quite forcefully.


    The white-bearded vice captain''s detestable smile finally disappeared.


    "What¡­¡­?"


    "Underestimating someone just because she''s a child, having a dumb brain, and the bad taste of making fun of nobility, I think it''s wonderful that there''s nobody like you in the Kaldia army."


    The things I wanted to say to the vice captain, Paulo said for me without worrying about any consequences, cheering me up greatly. It might be that he''s too tense from the possibility of encountering battle for the first time and he''s forgotten his place.


    I didn''t feel like accompanying the vice captain whose face was turning red for any longer, and I turned my horse around to leave. As my horse started galloping, it was a simple matter to put a lot of distance between me and the vice captain in a short amount of time.


    The vice captain, who had been quite slow to react, raised his arm up for some reason, which I didn''t see. Well, I would have been too annoyed to consider thinking about what he could have meant with that anyways.


    Well then, I wonder what my army''s been doing. According to the vice captain, his captain should be with my army currently. I wonder what kind of person the captain will be, why don''t I see for myself.


    "I''m really so sorry, I arbitrarily interrupted my lord in the middle of your conversation."


    As we left the Franks squad, Paulo sitting behind me apologized for his rudeness. Since I had found what he was saying hilarious, it had completely removed all my tension.


    "It''s fine. I was feeling like my ears were getting dirty just from listening to his filth."


    As we continued on our way, Paulo laughed raucously.


    "So that''s what my lord was thinking. As I thought, you seem even more mature than I am."


    When I returned to my army, my army was marching onwards, while I could hear Gunther angrily bellowing at someone.


    "Like I said, don''t just selfishly decide on your own to take charge! Viscountess Kaldia personally said that I could take command here!"


    "What''s the fuss about, Gunther?"


    As I covered my ears slightly to shield them from Gunther''s powerful shouting, I called out to Gunther.


    "¡­¡­Oh, ahh, my lord. Perfect timing. Could you get rid of this guy?"


    When Gunther turned around and looked at me, I could see that he had a really frustrated expression. Since Gunther reaches boiling point quite easily and is prone to using his fists when he gets angry, he''s really showing quite a lot of self restraint. It must be because of the rank of who he''s dealing with.


    "Ahh, Viscountess Kaldia. I see that you''ve returned, welcome back."


    Standing next to a frowning Gunther was someone who spoke up in an overly cheerful voice that seemed terribly out of place on the battlefield. Looking up at him, I saw a middle-aged, well-built man with a face that reminded me of a reptile''s. He must be the captain of the Franks squad.


    "¡­¡­Gunther, there''s an order from Ergnade-sama to have the troops stop marching. The entire army is to be on standby."


    I ignored the flowery language from the captain and directly gave Gunther an order instead, and Gunther sighed, saying finally as he took out his sword and raised it to give his orders. The captain''s eyeballs were moving about in all directions as he watched us.


    "Stop the marching!"


    All my soldiers immediately stopped marching. After all, the Kaldia army is quite small. One of the benefits though, is that commanding them is quite simple.


    The captain who had come here on the pretext of taking command because of the lack of command ability in the Kaldia army, had quite a bored expression on his face as he watched us.

 Chapter 47 - 47

    Maybe it''s because Paulo knew how tainted I felt from having to deal with the vice captain, he spoke up for me and told the captain "I think you can go back now."


    "There''s a message from Ergnade-sama for you. The knights will be taking charge of scouting the enemy camp, and the rest of the army is to remain on standby. We''re still to meet up with the Shiru tribe and make sure to protect them, but since we don''t know when we''ll meet up, we''re to be on guard."


    "That''s what''s going on?" was the captain''s response, and he hurriedly went back towards his own Franks squad after taking a good look in their direction. Half of his squad had already stopped marching due to receiving the order from the center formation and seemed to be looking over here at us, while the other half was still marching onwards.


    "¡­¡­Before making comments about command ability in other armies, learn how to manage your own squad."


    Gunther insulted the captain while I watched silently as he drew a line across his neck with his thumb, as the captain was running off, shouting "stop marching, you idiots!"


    "Well, that''s how it is."


    Gunther shrugged and turned around, and we headed back for our army that was lined up in neat and orderly lines. Originally though, we had expected that battle should have begun already at this point in time. It''s just a question of when we''re going to meet up with the Shiru tribe.


    We remained on guard at our current location for approximately one hour. Nothing had happened during that time and the plains were eerily silent, when we finally heard something abuzz from behind us.


    "What''s going on?" S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Gunther raised his voice, trying to figure out exactly what was happening. A soldier from the farthest column behind us answered him.


    "My lord! There''s clouds of dust rising from behind us!"


    At that same moment, I could hear what sounded like battle cries from the center formation''s army. Is it an enemy attack? It couldn''t be, from behind us?


    "My lord, please look at that!"


    Paulo grabbed my shoulder. When I looked in the direction he was pointing, what I saw was black smoke rising from one of the tents in the back of the enemy camp.


    "¡­¡­Fire?"


    I didn''t have a chance to think about it for long. Gunther was already raising his voice again.


    "Oi, they''re coming here!"


    The soldiers immediately stopped making a fuss, which was replaced by a feeling of high tension instead. Northeast of us, horses were kicking up quite a lot of dust. The soldiers in front of the horses had the flag of Fort Jugfena.


    "Raise our flags!!!"


    It was the 3rd Cavalry Platoon whose role was to guide the Shiru tribe here that was approaching us rapidly, and my army raised their flags as well. From our side, I heard "take your positions!" as well. The Franks squad was hurriedly fixing their crooked formation, and organizing themselves into a dense formation of spear infantry.


    The Shiru tribe and the 3rd Cavalry Platoon which consisted of knighted nobility were approaching us without reducing their speed at all. From what I could see, there were many men running on foot, followed by children on horseback. There were two to three children on each horse.


    One of their leaders who was holding a flag stopped in front of me, and asked, "would you happen to be Viscountess Kaldia?" I nodded saying I was, and he saluted me and began giving me a concise report of what happened with the detached force.


    "About the Shiru tribe, there''s overwhelmingly many more of them than we expected. They are the remnants of the Shiru tribe that helped their women escape to Fort Jugfena first and were left behind at the Bandishia Plateau. Their men are letting the remaining women and children use their horses, and their warriors are running alongside our 3rd Cavalry Platoon."


    "I understand."


    While we were talking, the horses with children on them started passing by me as well, and with bustling noises and metallic clanging, women soon followed. Behind them were armed knights, probably to protect them as a rearguard.


    "Our current situation here is that I''m afraid we may have fallen for Densel''s trap. The Densel army seems to have gone around ours and taken the southern route. Since I just heard battle cries from the center formation, it could be that they''re already engaged in battle."


    "Then, let us retreat back to the fortress by way of the Bandishia Plateau. Please leave leading the way up to me."


    Since that''s what I wanted to do as well, I nodded immediately in agreement with him. That''s when a man from the Shiru tribe who was on horseback came riding up in front of us. Although he had a bow in his hands, I noticed that his quiver was empty.


    "Oi, the last of us, those with no weapons, have all arrived now! What are we supposed to do now!?"


    He spoke fluent Artolan language. The only people who understood him were me and the knight though, Gunther and Paulo just looked at each other blankly.


    "We''re going back to our fort by way of the Bandishia Plateau! Since fighting has already broken out on the plains, we''re going to avoid that path!"


    As the knight answered, I saw an arrow flying in our direction from far behind us. I could hear vivid sounds of roaring and screaming. The pursuing Densel soldiers are close by. After the Shiru nomad who had used up all his arrows, injured stragglers kept trickling by us one by one. They smelled of blood and dirt.


    "Let''s go. It''s time to head for Fort Jugfena."


    "I understand. Viscountess Kaldia, please lead your army."


    I''m strongly worried about leaving the rearguard duties up to the Franks squad, but we can''t afford to stay here a moment longer. I mimicked Paulo and smoothly jumped up onto my horse, and took its reins.


    "Kaldia army, prepare to withdraw! Withdraw!"


    Many soldiers passed by my side, with their swords and spears at the ready. Among them were also some male Shiru tribe warriors on foot, having ceded their horses to their women and children.


    "We''re going to return to Fort Jugfena by way of the Bandishia Plateau! Begin marching!!"


    As my troops were withdrawing, the Franks squad was advancing. With metallic clanging sounds in the air, combined with horses neighing and people screaming, I could hear clashing sounds as we withdrew from our current location.

 Chapter 48 - 48

    The exhausted Shiru tribe were about 100 in number, and every one of them was trying their hardest to go as fast as they could despite their condition. Those that couldn''t run anymore would change places with those on horses, everyone was lending each other hands and shoulders for support, and with the 3rd Cavalry Platoon leading the way, we hurried back towards Fort Jugfena.


    Since we were mostly going uphill, people were reaching their limits. But even so, we couldn''t afford to slow down, because we could hear the sounds of battle from right behind us, scaring people onwards.


    Turning around to look, I could see the forces from Fort Jugfena fighting with the Densel army. Since they were battling at a lower elevation from us, I could see the whole situation quite clearly. The Densel army had indeed attacked from an unexpected direction, so the two armies'' positions were reversed.


    The Densel army was in between Fort Jugfena and our forces, coming under attack from archer fire, while our forces were between the Densel army and their camp where the tents had been set on fire. With both armies trapped between a rock and a hard place, having nowhere to run, it seems that it''s quite likely that it''ll develop into a scene of brutal carnage.


    I couldn''t help but squint to get a closer look at the battlefield. Even though it was still fairly far away and it would be almost impossible to find someone specific, I couldn''t help but look among the chaos for a speck of black.


    "We''re almost there, everyone please keep doing your best."


    Suddenly, one of the knights who had remained silent up until now suddenly gave some encouragement to the Shiru tribe. Although he was speaking the Arxian language instead of Artolan language, somehow his meaning seems to have been transmitted to them, and the Shiru tribe appeared to be relieved.


    It''s probably because the enemies haven''t been able to chase us up to here, and nobody has been saying anything until now, which gave them the sense of relief.


    "It''s just a little more until we reach the fort. Let''s get there, then everyone can rest."


    I called out as well to a child who was shakily just holding on, and patted him on the shoulder to give him encouragement. He was riding on one of the Shiru tribe''s horses and appeared even younger than me. Although I was born as a noble, I''m unfortunately already used to the pace of a marching army.


    Because we kept heading northeast, it was getting colder and colder. It''s because we''re getting closer to the Amon Nor Mountains. It''s a bit dark around here because the mountains are covered year round in snow clouds, giving it an eerie atmosphere. Even so, somehow the Shiru tribe quickened their pace.


    We finally reached a cave on the mountainside. Without any hesitation, the knights headed straight inside. The Shiru tribe, and the Kaldia army as well, followed them.


    It was dark inside the cave, and the air was stifling due to it being summer. It was still rather chilly though, and completely silent inside. Since several knights were vaguely lighting the way, we were able to at least see the direction to travel in. The lights the knights were using were probably light emitting stones created from the scales of the fire moths.


    They''re actually quite few and rare in number, and their effectiveness is about the same as the fire moths themselves. After traveling through the cave for a while, the knights paused in front of a stone door.


    "Viscountess Kaldia, we''ve arrived at Fort Jugfena."


    A happy expression appeared on the knight that was walking in front of me. His relief was obvious to see.


    "Wait a second, there''s no guards on the other side?"


    The knight''s relieved expression disappeared instantly when another knight raised his voice.


    "That''s probably because we''re currently in a wartime situation. Everyone is on lookout instead, also to prevent deserters as well. After all, it''s pretty easy to slip right across the border."


    "I see, so there was that as well?"


    I was listening closely to the knights'' conversation, but I wasn''t quite convinced how that would be a good reason to leave this door unguarded. Since this hidden passage leads directly inside the fort, it seems too important to not leave a single guard here at all.


    With an ominous feeling hanging over me, I spoke to the two knights that were having their conversation.


    "An incident may have occurred here as well. I think it''ll be good if we wait to ascertain the situation before having the Shiru tribe enter the fort."


    The knights looked at each other, then they nodded at me.


    "Alright, let''s have the Shiru tribe rest for a little while here. Half of the 3rd Cavalry Platoon and half of the Kaldia army shall remain here to guard them, just in case. The rest shall check out the situation inside the fort."


    "Understood." S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    I nodded in agreement with their plan, and one of the two knights came up close to me. He began speaking to me in a really hushed tone of voice.


    "¡­¡­Viscountess Kaldia, if it''s alright with you, would you join us for going inside the fort? There''s no guarantee that Densel soldiers won''t discover this cave and chase us down. If that happens, with the Shiru tribe here, things may get quite chaotic. We have the responsibility of defending you from enemy soldiers, but that may be quite difficult if there''s a chaotic situation."


    The knight had a serious expression on his face, and I looked up at him straight in the face in return. He looked so strict, that I couldn''t help but take a step back.


    I nodded in agreement, and without changing his strict expression, the knight began the task of dividing people into who would go and who would remain here.


    I let go of my breath, and loosened my stiff body. I had Gunther divide our army into two, and told him that we would be heading into the fort first to check the situation out, while the Shiru tribe got some rest.


    "Alright, everything is ready, so let''s go."


    One of the knights raised his voice, and everyone who was selected to enter the fort lined up in front of the door. It took several people to open the heavy stone door, and it budged with creaking sounds, along with causing a warm wind to blow this way.


    It was already dark before, and even after the stone door was opened it remained dark. While being surrounded by Gunther who was in charge of my personal protection and three other knights, I entered the fort, and we arrived at a large hall in the northernmost section of the fort.


    We came out of what had been disguised as an altar, covered with a gigantic tapestry embroidered with the Arxian national emblem.


    "¡­¡­It''s too quiet."


    Other than the sounds of our breathing, there was no other sound at all. I could clearly hear someone in my party gulping and swallowing their saliva, then it became completely silent again.


    "Let''s¡­¡­ let''s go upstairs. The archer squad should be there."


    The knight leading us said so, and we began heading upstairs towards the nobles'' building from the northern hall.

 Chapter 49 - 49

    The nobles'' building in Fort Jugfena is farther north than the knight building I was currently staying at, it''s where Earl Einsbark and his family usually live, and there''s extra rooms for the occasional visiting noble as well. When the earl and his sons had treated me to a feast to welcome me here, the dining hall had been in this building as well. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    On the first floor and the basement level of the nobles'' building, there''s also housing and rooms for the servants to use and work in. I had a room prepared for me in the knight building instead because my current bodyguard was Gunther who was a commoner, but for things like having my clothes washed, the servants would do that here.


    Currently, everyone from the nobles'' building should be in the basement. It seems that the basement''s supposed to be the shelter in times of war.


    Going through the completely empty nobles'' building, we arrived at the tower connecting it with the knight building. It''s a tower with a spiral staircase where no more than two people could possibly squeeze through at a time. It took a while for all of us to climb up, due to the lack of space. Maybe it''s because everyone is worried, our pace was quite fast, almost like trotting.


    Well, for the adults it was like trotting, but for me I basically almost had to sprint.


    The knight in front didn''t even seem to consider the possibility that this place may have been attacked, and he knocked on a door at the top of the tower. Behind this door should have been Earl Einsbark, his son the military strategist Wiegraf, and the bow troops equipped with greatbows.


    "¡­¡­Oi, why''s there no response!?"


    The soldiers were beginning to hit the door, getting very worried. Just as we opened the door, we heard someone shouting "Einsbark-sama!!" in despair.


    The knights hurriedly began moving out. Being caught in the flow, I was forced to go along with them.


    Sunlight was reflecting down on red liquid spreading out from the bodies of men clad in metal armor that were all slumped down on the cold stone floor. The floor was drenched completely red, and the entire place had an unbearable stench caused by all the blood, despite this being the outside of the tower, on the tower''s roof.


    It all felt like it almost wasn''t real.


    I could hear faint sounds of groaning coming from here and there. There must be a few people barely clinging on to life.


    When my Kaldia army followed the knights here and arrived, it seems that none of them managed to throw up at this scene. Everyone seemed tense, with their eyes burning at the terrible tragic scene in front of them.


    There were about forty archers that had fallen down in their pools of blood here, and the knights in charge of Earl Einsbark''s personal protection had fallen here as well. There were another thirty or so dead people that appeared to be enemy soldiers here, a trivial amount compared to their overall numbers.


    My intuition tells me that they''re Densel soldiers, because they aren''t wearing the tunics common to this region. However, I couldn''t see Earl Einsbark who should be dressed in black knightly attire, or his son Wiegraf anywhere.


    "Einsbark-sama, he''s not here! Einsbark-sama, Wiegraf-sama, where are you!!"


    The members of the knights began desperately searching this area. Earl Einsbark also serves as the leader of all the knights. Of course the knights would look up to and respect him. Wiegraf is the strategist. He would come up with the battle strategy, and the knights would carry it out, their very lives depend on him.


    I feel like the knights must have a very strong sense of trust in them to be able to rely on each other so much.


    While looking at this situation, the question of whether or not my own army would also desperately search for me like this popped into my mind. I don''t think I''ve done anything deserving of respect, nor do I think I''ve established a foundation of trust with them.


    My relationship with my soldiers is, I''m the daughter of someone they all hate, and I have to be on guard for them rebelling and killing me at any moment, since I don''t think it would be strange at all for any of them to want to do that.


    However ¨C I think that dying by betrayal would be for the best. Even if I died, nobody would get worked up about me.


    When I slowly blinked and looked back up at my surroundings, I saw an old archer leaning against the wall. The man laying on top of him had black hair with streaks of blue in it spilling out of his helmet.


    And just like these two laying on top of each other, so many soldiers have lost their lives. But somehow, the more I looked at these two, the more I felt like they were positioned as if to protect them from something.


    I wondered if it could possibly be, and I checked to make sure, they turned out to be Earl Einsbark and his son Wiegraf. They were both unconscious, but still breathing. I told the knights escorting me what I had noticed, and as they confirmed it for themselves, they sighed in relief.


    "It, it''s Earl Einsbark and his son Wiegraf-sama! They''re still living!"


    "What, really!? Where!!"


    "Right here! He''s disguised as an archer!!"


    The knights were making a big fuss as they gathered around us. My army and I allowed them to have this place to themselves, and took a step back.


    I turned to look at the wide Great Plains that could be seen from the fort. Just yesterday it had still been a lush green, filled with flowers, and after being trampled by people and horses today, there was hardly anything left worth seeing. Beyond that, I could see clouds of dust being raised in the distance.


    I could hear faint sounds of battle all the way from here, I wonder if it''s because of the wind''s direction. Or, I wonder if it''s because everything is too quiet at Fort Jugfena. The archers should have been packed on top of the tower''s roof as well, but not a single one of them was standing. They''ve probably all been defeated.


    "Charlie, can I have a moment of your time?"


    One of my soldiers called out to me. He was on the opposite side of the tower from me, looking at the direction of Arxia.


    "What''s that¡­¡­"


    The soldier was pointing straight below him. What should have been there was the refugees'' tents.


    However, what was there instead was an incredible amount of dead bodies stacked on top of each other. The very earth itself seemed to be stained red.


    "How could this happen¡­¡­"


    I couldn''t help but speak that out loud. I could feel myself almost choking.


    The refugees were people without any weapons or riches. Even so, the Densel soldiers killed all of them.


    This is just a massacre. Rather than hoping to gain something from this war, I''m wondering if they came here just in search of people to slaughter.


    I could feel my hand shaking against the cold stone wall.


    Why did they kill them all. Was it all just for pleasure? I bit my lip as I tried to bear the brunt of what I was feeling.


    A memory of red eyes flashed across my mind. I saw the cold yet beautiful face of my father with that ecstatic smile of his.

 Chapter 50 - 50

    I don''t have the time right now to be distracted by my vivid memories of father and his crazy smile.


    We were suddenly attacked.


    On the other side of the tower we were on that connected the nobles'' building and the knight building, the door to the tower that connected the knight building to the barracks was suddenly kicked open. With metallic clanging sounds, enemy soldiers drew their swords and came swarming like an avalanche, charging at the soldiers from my army closest to them.


    "Dominic! Igor!"


    Instantly, one of my soldiers had a fresh blood splatter down his back, while another one of my soldiers had a sword piercing through his stomach. My whole body felt like it was simultaneously flying into a hot-blooded rage, as well as trembling as if I was cold, bound by a strange feeling.


    Before I realized it I was shouting out their names. The voice coming from my throat sounded more heartbreaking than I''ve ever heard it before.


    "Richard, Wojciech!"


    My soldiers were attacking the ambushers that had cut down Dominic and Igor. However, they were surrounded by a greater number of enemies, and Richard and Wojciech were pierced through by swords as well. With their eyes still wide open, both of them collapsed on the stone roof. I saw them convulsing limply with blood running out of their bodies, until someone''s arm blocked my vision.


    "My lord, please get down!"


    The arm was Gunther''s. Under his protection, we retreated back towards the nobles'' building, and I put a hand on the hilt of my sword. Since overly long weapons would be useless indoors, I had left my halberd that Ergnade had taught me how to handle back in the mountain cave with the Shiru tribe.


    Like the wind, the knights appeared from behind me to jump to my defense. They began cutting off enemy heads with their swords, and piercing them through their chests in return.


    However, our assailants kept up their fierce attack. The assailants were equipped with slightly shorter swords than the average ones in Arxia, with extremely sharpened tips. It''s basically a single-edged weapon, strong at piercing, and easy to wield due to how light it is.


    It''s become a chaotic melee on the fort''s rooftop, with screams, death cries, and angry roars adding to the confusion. People on both sides were dying left and right, even falling off the fort''s roof to the ground far down below.


    At this ghastly scene, father''s howling laugh from long ago echoed in the back of my head. I felt like I was seeing the hell that father had created all over again.


    My knees were quivering, and my brain seemed completely numb.


    "My lord, please escape!"


    The moment that Gunther called out to me, an attacker came from my blind spot behind a pillar, flying at me. As I was jumping backwards, Gunther''s sword was already blocking the attacker''s sword. With the clashing sound of metal against metal, Gunther blew away his opponent completely. However, at the next moment another enemy was already attacking Gunther with a short spear.


    "Gunther!"


    I gulped. My body felt leaden. All I could hear was my father''s howling laughter in the back of my head. With the metal equipment that Gunther received from Fort Jugfena, he successfully deflected the enemy''s attack, then cut off the enemy''s head with his sword.


    "Get out of here already!"


    He roared angrily at me with worry in his voice. His voice sprang my body into action, and I finally took a step.


    The other knights charged with my protection were also fending off attackers coming from all directions. If even one of them falls it feels like we''ll be overwhelmed, alarm bells were now ringing in my head. Turning around, I saw some knights retreating back into the nobles'' building with the fainted Earl Einsbark and Wiegraf.


    One of them noticed my situation, and came running back over here with sword in hand.


    "Hurry up and get out of here!"


    At the same time that he was shouting at me, I was running there in a straight line as fast as I could.


    From the side, I saw a type of gauntlet glove I''ve never seen before reach out, and slice the knight running over to me in half. Together with the knight''s dying scream, blood splashed out on me in a long stream. My right ear was beating in pain from the loudness of his scream. Luckily at least blood didn''t splash into my eyes.


    I used the inside of my sleeve to roughly wipe off the blood on my forehead.


    I can''t stop just because I got splashed with some warm liquid. I slowed my running slightly so that I could change direction at any time. For the first time ever, I cursed at how young and weak my body was still, feeling just how much of a difference there was in physical capabilities between me and the knights.


    "Viscountess!!"


    Someone was screaming for me. I jumped sideways because I saw a reflection of light in the edge of my field of vision.


    Sure enough, I made a good decision. I heard the sound of cloth tearing, and felt myself being pulled slightly by the momentum of something passing by me. It seems that my cloak has been torn. My helmet fell off, making a banging sound against the floor. I still had my hand on the hilt of my sword.


    I jumped up again without even taking a moment to catch my breath. Something heavy bounced off against the ground where my face had been just one second earlier. I didn''t even dare to look back behind me, and kept running again.


    However, at that moment I started choking. Someone was dragging me by my torn cloak. He lifted me up into the air by my cloak, choking me.


    "Cough¡­¡­"


    I reflexively grabbed at the cloth around my neck with both hands feverishly. Even so, all I could do was swing helplessly in the air. Although I kept trying to scratch and kick the person holding on to me, it did nothing at all.


    I was getting dizzy and my eyes couldn''t see anything. Together with my vision flickering, my whole body was shaking violently. I was beginning to foam from my mouth, and it was dripping down my cheeks.


    "Having a brat on the battlefield, eh. It''s the same everywhere."


    As everything in my world was going blurry, the only thing I could still hear clearly was the coarse sounding voice of the man holding me.


    "How pitiful. That''s right, at the very least, I''ll let you have some fun before dying. All children love to dream about flying, don''t they?"


    As he said so, the man began laughing rather unpleasantly. Although I kept struggling ¨C


    I suddenly felt the pressure and pain against my neck disappear.


    "Ah," S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    My clothes were making annoying flapping sounds. My arms kept reflexively trying to grab onto something. All I got was handfuls of air.


    After I was thrown off the top of the fort, although it was ridiculous, I couldn''t help but think of the free fall amusement park ride I rode before in my previous life.


    At the same time, goosebumps were crawling up my flesh. I was rapidly approaching the ground, but my fear of death was completely dispersed due to the sound of my father''s howling laughter repeatedly echoing in my head.

 Chapter 51 - 51

    My voice wouldn''t come out. In the end, that might have been lucky for me because I kept my mouth closed.


    Someone grabbed me by my belly, and it felt like my internal organs would spill out. My vision was greatly shaking. There was very little pain.


    The first thing I saw was the ground sliding by me. Then I noticed the shadow reflected on the ground. It was the shape of a draconis, gliding on the wind.


    "You alright!?"


    Right next to me, I heard a very familiar voice. In a different way from before, I caught my breath again. Even though he shouldn''t have been here ¨C to be more accurate, I had him sent away ¨C how did he appear here at this moment in time? The inner corners of my eyes were getting warm, and I arbitrarily felt relief at hearing his voice.


    However, anxiety was also doing battle with that sense of relief. My face stiffened, and what came out of my mouth sounded ice cold.


    "¡­¡­You disobeyed your orders. You left your post without permission."


    Even though that wasn''t what I wanted to say at all. However, the words I wanted to say got caught in the back of my throat, and wouldn''t come out at all.


    "Honestly, Charlie doesn''t act cute at all."


    With a gentle wry smile, he pulled me up onto Rashiok''s back. Seeing his attitude as well caused my chest to tighten in pain.


    ¨C Kamil. Why are you here.


    "Are you alright, Erbetia-dono!!"


    From above me, I heard yet another familiar voice, coming from a red-winged draconis swirling and flapping about in the air. Its wings had a different colored hue from the reddish purple of Rashiok''s wings, but it was beautiful as well, sparkling in the sun. This is probably one of Rashiok''s siblings.


    "Claudia-dono?"


    On top of the draconis, I could see the stunning sight of Claudia and her beautiful blonde hair being buffeted by the wind. Maybe it''s because we haven''t seen each other for a while, she got my name ridiculously wrong. Who''s Erbetia supposed to be, really.


    Why are the two of them here, I wonder. As I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion, I noticed one more person behind Claudia.


    "¡­¡­Who''s that?"


    The face seems familiar, is what I thought. It belonged to a young man in his teenage years that was steadily maturing. His beautiful, dauntless features appeared slightly strict, and his cloak fluttering in the wind was unmistakably that of Fort Jugfena''s knights.


    His strict expression reminded me of Earl Terejia somehow. Maybe that''s why I''m getting a sense of deja vu.


    "We can talk later!"


    That''s the only thing he said, and the red-winged draconis flapped its wings and rose in the sky. Maybe they''ve already decided on some strategy, Kamil and Rashiok rose up as well. Being right next to them, I could hear the fluttering sounds of Rashiok''s wings.


    The two draconis soared lightly back up to Fort Jugfena''s roof. Both sides that were busy killing each other looked up to see what was going on.


    I wonder just what kind of balance sense she has, Claudia was somehow standing up on the red-winged draconis with her favorite spear in one hand, and bow and arrow in her other hand without falling off.


    She was smiling in satisfaction, her joy at the situation was so pure that it was chilling. Still, it didn''t remind me of father''s dreadful smile, maybe it''s because the emotion they''re putting into it are different.


    Then, without hesitation ¨C Claudia jumped off the draconis''s back. With weapons in hand, she landed gracefully in the middle of the battle taking place.


    With the loud sound that was caused by Claudia''s landing, a moment of silence descended over Fort Jugfena. It was still from quite a height that she jumped off, I wonder how she managed to do it without injuring herself. No matter how I look at it, I feel like the impact should have been too much for her to take.


    I wonder just how much this girl breaks the rules of common sense. Claudia seemed so out of place and surreal here, that she actually lowered the tension of the battlefield.


    Claudia inhaled and took a deep breath, and announced herself grandly.


    "MY NAME IS CLAUDIA ROLENTSOR. I''M DEEPLY INDEBTED TO VISCOUNTESS KALDIA, SO FOR THIS BATTLE, I''M HERE TO AID THE KNIGHTS OF FORT JUGFENA!"


    My eardrums were throbbing at her excessive volume. For the soldiers and knights standing closest to her, both enemies and allies were covering their ears as well.


    Rather than this being an otome game world, it felt more like a shonen manga right now.


    "GUNTHER-DONO!"


    Once again, Claudia was raising her voice incredibly loudly, and she tossed her bow and arrows to Gunther who was surrounded by frozen enemy soldiers distracted by her spectacle. Gunther who was the fastest to return to normal among them quickly dropped his sword and caught the bow and arrows.


    ¡­¡­A sword fell on an enemy soldier''s foot.


    "¡ªAghh!?"


    When the enemies realized what was going on, Gunther was already firing his first arrow. An enemy soldier was shot right between his eyes and dropped his sword on his foot.


    "That person, although he''s one of the finest among the army in both swordsmanship and the spear, his best weapon is actually the bow."


    While I was still processing what was going on, staring blankly at the sight in front of me, I heard Kamil speaking softly next to me.


    The enemy soldiers were being cut down in swathes by Claudia''s spear, making me wonder just how her slender arms could have that much power to wield her weapon like that. It was almost like her spear was dancing, and she even knocked out an enemy behind her with a blow to the solar plexus with the spear handle.


    She was taking full advantage of the weight of a metal spear and making it seem like it weighed nothing, blowing away all her enemies.


    My cheek twitched as I saw for myself what an unstoppable force she was.


    Suddenly, I felt Kamil holding on to my stomach with one hand. Rashiok was descending.


    With a roar, Rashiok scattered all the enemy soldiers in the vicinity as we glided on top of the tower connecting the nobles'' building and the knight building.


    "Get down!"


    Although it was a bit sudden and right after he said it, Kamil jumped off of Rashiok while holding on to me. I felt quite the impact, and my breath was knocked out of me.


    "Right now!"


    We had landed right next to the knights that were barely holding on while protecting the unconscious Earl Einsbark and Wiegraf. Kamil brought me to them while still holding on to me.


    "It, it''s Claudia and Rashiok and company!"


    "It''s alright, although the enemy is an annoying one, with their level we won''t be losing."


    Although the soldiers greeted us excitedly, Kamil responded back to them calmly. However, in my head I recalled the scene of Dominic and the other soldiers from my army dying.


    Kamil just said that "we won''t lose." He didn''t say that "nobody would die."


    However, this is a war after all, there''s no helping it. In battle, soldiers have the realization that they may die at any time, and haven''t I been leading them all this time while knowing that as well.


    I swallowed my saliva to help me breathe again, and finally felt like I was clearing my mind. sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Instead of wishing for everyone to live, I wished for victory. Only victory would give their sacrificed lives meaning.


    Because I know that, that''s why I''ve come here.


    That''s why, in order to connect myself to their feelings, I have to live as much as possible. At the very least, I won''t allow myself to be killed for revenge just because I let my guard down.


    I could feel an ice cold feeling reviving myself, and helping my body to recover its energy. I struggled free from Kamil''s arm holding on to me.


    "-Charlie?"


    "I can run for myself."


    When he reached his hand out to me in puzzlement, I casually dodged it. Even Kamil might try to kill me someday ¨C if he ever finds out what I''m guilty of.


    For example, even if he cuts me down right now, I''m sure it''ll just be written off as me having been "killed in action." If Kamil really wanted to kill me and get away with it, this war will be a golden opportunity for him.


    ¨C Kamil. Why have you come here.


    Once again, I asked myself that question in my mind, and I felt a piercing pain in my chest.

 Chapter 52 - 52

    The knights carrying Earl Einsbark and Wiegraf went through the nobles'' building and headed straight for the hidden passage leading to the cave. There''s probably nowhere else that can serve as a place to shelter nobles.


    Since it''s clear now that the enemy has taken over Fort Jugfena, without even knowing their total numbers or the route they took, hiding in the hidden passage that the enemy probably doesn''t know about for the time being is probably the best course of action.


    Mixing along with the knights, Kamil and I escaped as well.


    As we headed down a long corridor in the nobles'' building, I saw a wide space that was gaudily decorated. It''s the space that serves as an entrance hall to the nobles'' building, connecting the second and third floors. Since the first floor is for the servants, that''s why the entrance hall for welcoming guests to the nobles'' building is on the second floor.


    Because this is about the halfway point, after having escaped to here, I was finally able to loosen up slightly and slacken the tension in my shoulders. Although I didn''t actually run for that long, due to the abnormal feeling of being on the battlefield, the time felt unpleasantly longer than usual.


    After passing through this hall and the next one, that''s where the big hall with the hidden passage should be.


    However.


    "-Wait! Stop!"


    A knight running in front of us raised his voice to stop us. Everyone immediately got ready for battle. I also tightly gripped the hilt of my sword, and slightly pulled it out of its sheath.


    The tension in the air was so thick it felt almost visible. I did my best to sharpen my five senses as much as possible, to notice anything at all ¨C and I heard a light sound.


    "What''s there!?"


    "Be quiet!!"


    Someone had quite a sharp tone of voice. And with that, the knights fell silent, even hiding the sounds of their breathing as much as possible. The entrance hall of the nobles'' building instantly became completely silent.


    ¡­¡­Then, I heard a more horribly dreadful sound than I''ve ever heard before.


    It was a rattling sound, caused by something unknown. It sort of sounded like the sound a wooden instrument would make when you hit it. The rattling sound was echoing throughout the hallway.


    Something was in the next hallway. While being as vigilant as possible, some of the knights began advancing to determine the source of the sound.


    I swallowed slightly as I heard some more sounds. Then, I suddenly heard screaming.


    "-Run! It''s magical beasts! It''s baboons from the Monster Forest, Abijhanas!"


    At that moment, vulgar sounding laughter echoed through the hallway. So that''s what it was. The laughter came from a magical beast that sounded quite similar to humans. Everyone began running back at full speed, forgetting to even breathe.


    Magical beasts, why would monster baboons be here now at this timing. This is the worst.


    A monster baboon is one of the most brutal, ferocious, and intelligent types of monsters living in the Monster Forest. But, usually monsters from the Monster Forest shouldn''t be coming out on their own.


    We ran to the tower that connected the nobles'' building to the knight building. But the moment we reached the knight building, another knight that was leading the way screamed again.


    "It''s no good, the enemy''s here!!"


    "To the tower! Go through the tower to the third floor!"


    Once again we turned back, this time running back to the tower from before, climbing back up the tower that we had just run down a few minutes earlier. While the knights jostled each other as they climbed up the narrow spiral staircase, finally the last person came up and they put a bar over the door.


    "Hurry!"


    It''s obvious that a bar alone wouldn''t be much to stop the enemy. I could already hear the sound of a body hitting against the door, with a crushing sound resounding throughout the tower.


    It was a frightening sound that spurred us onwards.


    Just as I reached the third floor''s hallway, I could hear a dull thud behind me as the door was knocked over and crashed against the stone floor. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Hurry up, to the main hall!"


    I could hear some people chasing after us, but that was all I knew. I didn''t have the time to turn around and look.


    Since the knights were still carrying the two injured nobles, it would be very difficult to stop and counterattack the enemy here. I mean, in the first place, I''m not much better than baggage, same as the two unconscious over there, so the knights probably won''t ask for my opinion.


    Maybe the enemy doesn''t have bows, they weren''t shooting arrows at us, but other projectiles were flying towards us. It was getting to an extent where it was getting harder to run due to things cluttering the corridors.


    I ran as fast as I could so that I''d be a difficult target, but something like a plate crashed into the wall next to me and cracked, leaving some slight pain on my cheek as one of its shards scratched me.


    There''s nothing I can do at all about the fact that I''m still small and slow, and I was falling farther and farther behind, into the back ranks.


    Suddenly, someone grabbed my arm, and pulled me behind him. When I realized what was going on, it was Kamil who had changed places with me for some reason.


    Uwaa, a sound of surprise came out of me. However, it was drowned out by a boom. Everything in my vision became pure white as something exploded in front of my eyes.


    While carrying me, Kamil was running away from the explosion point as fast as he could. On the edges of my vision, I could see pillars of fire rising. I could only stare dumbfounded in blank amazement as the carpet and the curtains on the barred windows went up in flames instantly.


    Kamil covered me as much as he could, and I don''t know whether to say it was more like he was carrying me or dragging me, he ran with me in the opposite direction from the one where we were heading just earlier.


    I could just make out that the glass windows were cracking and shattering, with the pieces blowing outside. I could feel it getting hotter and hotter behind me. The woolen carpets are making it really easy for the fire to burn. My heart was beating so fast that I wondered if I would get a heart attack.


    What was that? A bomb? No way.


    I''ve never heard of such a weapon being invented here, and gunpowder''s not at that level here. Maybe it''s at the level of being able to create Molotov cocktails, but even those can''t explode. What''s more, until that explosion happened, I''ve never seen such a fire like that either.


    My body felt like it was floating. Kamil was lifting me up with one hand. And, I took a deep breath at what I saw.


    Kamil''s right arm that was holding on to me was badly burned and it was dripping blood. It must be from the bomb earlier ¨C did he protect me from the explosion?


    Come to think of it, there''s a dull, numb pain on my hands and feet and cheeks. When I looked down at myself, it wasn''t as bad as Kamil, but I was bleeding all over the place.


    It''s not to the point where my life would be in danger, and maybe it''s because my blood is actively circulating around, even though I should be hotheaded right now, my head was miraculously and terribly ice cold clear.


    As if fog was clearing, I remembered some previously blurry fragmented memories from my previous life.


    ¡­¡­That''s right, guns appeared in the Arxia Kingdom where this otome game had taken place. Although it was a muzzle loader type, I remember there was a conversation about using them to suppress magical beasts.


    Nothing''s happened in this world like the scenarios in the game, but if guns aren''t supposed to be considered rare in seven to eight years, then of course there should be gunpowder in this world. Even if Arxia doesn''t have such technology right now, maybe Densel does, or maybe it was obtained by the country of Parmigran as they trade on the seas with many other countries.

 Chapter 53 - 53

    Anyways, to think that monster baboons would suddenly appear in Fort Jugfena. When we passed by the third floor the first time, those monsters hadn''t been there in the entrance hall. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The timing, and the fact that they''re in the fort, everything is going too good for Densel.


    Suddenly, something occurred to me.


    When I first came to Fort Jugfena, I had seen a bloodstained red seeping out from the misty Monster Forest while it was hazy and drizzling. It couldn''t be. There shouldn''t be anyone that would go to the Monster Forest. Perhaps, it was Densel soldiers that were making preparations already so that they could invade us through the Monster Forest.


    On top of that, they must have had the ability to transport monster baboons here to Fort Jugfena.


    It doesn''t seem real. But, I can''t think of any other explanation. I can''t think of any other reason why there would be monster baboons here in Fort Jugfena.


    "Get out of my way!!"


    While still holding on to me with one arm, Kamil dove straight into our pursuers behind us. It felt like my heart was freezing over.


    I was wondering if Kamil wanted to kill me so much that he would be willing to die as well, fear, anger, and suspicion were all welling up within me. But it''s too late to escape from his arm now. The fire''s right behind me.


    Kamil dodged the slashes from the attackers closest to us, and just like long ago when he cut down the earth lizard, he killed someone with a single stab. The point of Kamil''s sword went in between the enemy''s clavicle and the soft fleshy part of his neck.


    As expected, that winter day Kamil had been trying to hide his true skills from me. My face was turning slightly pale.


    Kamil dodged the next attacker''s sword swing easily, and he even slit the throat of the man hiding behind him waiting to ambush us. He did all of this with a backhanded grip on his sword, and without even looking. Smack, I heard another soft sound and the splashing of some warm liquid.


    In an instant, Kamil killed three people like it was nothing. I could only watch what was going on in a daze.


    At the same time, I was so scared that goosebumps were crawling up my flesh. He has the skill to kill people so easily ¨C no, why does Kamil have the training to be able to specialize in killing people so easily.


    While repeating his movements robotically, Kamil kept dodging all enemies'' attacks and slicing their throats, and in less than five minutes, Kamil had taken out all twentyish pursuers by himself. There was so much blood that it was seeping into the carpet, and blood was splashing everywhere and making ripples as it dripped off of Kamil''s hair.


    A smell of iron mixed in with the smell of death, and my stomach started overturning and I began to hurl. Because I only had a light breakfast, at least there wasn''t much to throw up.


    After I finished throwing up, Kamil''s blood-covered left hand touched my back.


    "You alright?"


    As he asked me, he started running with me again. There''s monster baboons on the second floor, and the third floor is covered in fire, there''s no path to the hidden passage.


    It seems that he''s not going to kill me in those pools of blood, I wonder if it''s because he doesn''t have the time to as the fire is still coming after us, ¨C or maybe he just wants to get to the bottom of my identity first before killing me.


    On the other side of the flames, are the knights carrying Earl Einsbark and Wiegraf still okay? There was only one knight left behind on this side of the fire, but due to being seriously injured by shrapnel from the explosion, he had died in the fire.


    "¡­¡­Where are we going?"


    Why is it that, it feels so painful to just open my mouth. My hands and feet feel so hot. I feel like they''re burning in the fire. Kamil looked down at me and my expression that looked like it was about to cry. Whatever his facial expression meant, I''m too tired to even think about it right now.


    "Somewhere¡­¡­ Anywhere, that''s safe¡­¡­"


    Just as Kamil replied to me in a soft voice, in the distance I heard the booming sound of another explosion. It came from above us. It must be another explosive. Then, another explosion followed shortly after it. It seems that going up will be a bad idea.


    "¡­¡­Let, me down. I can, run on my own¡­¡­"


    I was muttering. Kamil either didn''t or pretended not to hear me, and he adjusted me in his grip as if to make me more comfortable, and increased his speed even more.


    We passed the tower, and went through the knight building all the way to the barracks. Since the enemies had kept coming from the south, I thought that we would get annihilated by enemy soldiers there, but contrary to my expectations there were few enemies, and Kamil disposed of all the enemy soldiers that weren''t wearing our tunics without a sound.


    The nobles'' building had stopped burning. After the carpet and curtains were burned up, there''s nothing else other than rough, sturdy stone corridors.


    Why had Kamil killed so many and brought me here, I wonder. As I thought, is he trying to kill me? But then why isn''t he killing me yet.


    I''m so tired, that I could only keep thinking about this in circles, but because my analyzation level had gone down so much I couldn''t even get an answer.


    As I heard some mayhem outside the window, that''s when it happened.

 Chapter 54 - 54

    Even though he didn''t put me down, at least Kamil brought me closer to the window.


    Outside the window, the castle door had been broken down, and waves of people were flooding in. When I saw soldiers wearing the insignia of the Densel army, I felt chilled to the bone.


    ¨C However, driving them like sheep, seeming like they were chasing and routing the enemy, were knights from the 1st Cavalry Platoon wearing our black tunics.


    The 1st Cavalry Platoon was in high spirits as they trapped the remnants of the enemy army against the fort''s walls. I witnessed Ergnade calmly strolling through the castle door, still dressed in black while surrounded by knights.


    I''m glad he''s okay.


    He''s in the back of the center formation of the army, and he''s responsible for coordinating the left wing, the right wing, and the mobile divisions to stop the Densel attack against us.


    Of course, his risk of dying in battle is quite high.


    Although he''s safe, there''s still risk as there''s nobody that could take his place.


    He taught me the halberd, he served as my escort at the fort, and just like my previous life''s parents ¨C it felt like he was taking such good care of me just like them, even though I''m just someone he didn''t know until he was ordered to be with me, even though I had locked away knowledge of how a family should feel like away in a corner in my mind ever since I killed mine, thinking there''s no helping it.


    Anyways, it seems that the battle on the Great Plains has been decided and things are turning back in our favor. I couldn''t help but let go of my breath and sigh. I''m pretty sure that it''s because I''m relieved.


    I finally allowed myself to relax and calm down a little.


    "-Please¡­¡­ help¡­¡­ me¡­¡­"


    I suddenly heard a faint voice, maybe it''s because I was able to calm myself down and focus more on my surroundings.


    It was a faint voice that I could barely hear on the wind. The first time I heard it, I even wondered if I was hearing things.


    "Pl, -se¡­¡­ he-¡­¡­ me¡­¡­"


    "Kamil, do you hear something?"


    "Hm? ¡­¡­Ah, you''re right."


    It''s the weak voice of someone crying out for help. As for whether it''s coming from an enemy or an ally, I don''t know.


    I don''t know where the voice is coming from, but considering the way this fort is built it can''t be far from us. It must be coming from a location close by.


    As I thought about the voice, either it''s due to my relief, or that my brain has gotten some rest and is no longer in such a tense state, it was much easier for me to think things through.


    "Let''s go take a look. If it''s someone we should help then we can help. If it''s an enemy we can just leave them be."


    "Charlie, that''s¡­¡­"


    Kamil hesitantly disagreed with me. However, my fear and distrust of Kamil was still strong in my mind.


    He hid his skill with the sword from me, and definitely deceived me about it. He also rushed here to Fort Jugfena for some reason without any orders of the sort.


    However, all these suspicions are also making me weary and heavy on my heart.


    I can''t trust him. But, I don''t want to doubt him anymore.


    If I''m alone with him, I get even more stressed out. Since today has been completely out of the ordinary with a battle going on, and precisely because I saw for myself just how skilled Kamil is, I really don''t want to be alone with him. I really want to get to somewhere with someone else around, so wanting to escape, I deceived him as well.


    Meaning, I simply can''t just trust Kamil right now. Even if he protected me from the bomb''s explosion with his right arm and got himself burned and full of holes. Whenever I''m alone with him, I can''t shake the feeling from my mind that he might point his sword at me at any moment.


    "¡­¡­Got it."


    It seems that Kamil felt there was no helping it, so he finally left the windowside. Then, he opened the door to the closest room.


    Nothing but silence greeted us in this room, there was only a simple desk and a bed inside. It doesn''t even seem like this place was disturbed, it seems that wherever that voice came from, it wasn''t from here.


    "Maybe it''s from the next room?"


    Kamil casually opened the door to the next room.


    There was nothing in the next room as well, and only dead corpses that wouldn''t move were in the room after that, we checked to make sure that none of them were still living. It took us a few minutes to check through all the dead people, then we headed on to the next rooms.


    Some of the rooms were locked. Just in case the enemy had stolen some keys and locked the rooms or some such, Kamil opened each of the doors with some sort of thin metal cylinder as a lockpick. At seeing yet another dangerous skill, I was quite shaken. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As we kept searching through the rooms, I could no longer hear the voice calling for help.


    "It didn''t sound that far away from us¡­¡­"


    "Maybe they''re unconscious, or they even could have died by now."


    "Even if that''s so, and there''s no helping it, Charlie won''t be satisfied until we look everywhere, right?"


    Kamil''s arm was shaking slightly as he kept holding on to me.


    I actually don''t care all that much if we find the owner of that voice or not. However, I can''t say that out loud right now. It seems that my lies are piling up more and more¡­¡­


    Since I remained silent without agreeing or disagreeing, Kamil also didn''t say anything.


    This is the last room. This is the room in the farthest corner of the barracks, and Kamil and I both listened closely for sounds.


    I can''t hear anything. Whether it''s calls for help, panting, moaning, or even scratching sounds.


    Kamil twisted the doorknob. He pushed the door open. I saw clearly into the room.


    ¨C There were signs that a battle had taken place in this room, but there was nobody in sight at all.


    "No one''s-"


    here, is what I was just about to say when it happened.


    I could feel the unmistakable taste of blood in my mouth spreading, and something shook my entire body. That''s what caused me to bite myself terribly hard and start bleeding.


    At the same time, there was a terribly harsh sound of an impact. Boom, and then I heard the sound of flesh ripping apart.


    Kamil''s body was slightly shaking. Urgh, I heard him moaning under his breath.

 Chapter 55 - 55

    Since Kamil''s shoulder was covering me, I had no idea what was going on.


    I heard the door slam shut violently with a loud bang ¨C then, from the other side of the door, I could hear some sort of raucous roaring laughter coming from a monster baboon.


    Kamil jumped to the next room over with me. He hastily tossed me on top of the bed, and I landed face first on the downy blanket. I immediately raised myself up on my arms, and saw Kamil piling up some furniture in front of the door. The dressing table, chair, a clothes box, a chest ¨C without saying anything, he was quickly stacking them up.


    I also seem to have bit Kamil''s finger just earlier when whatever it was happened. I wonder if he had let me do it on purpose so that I didn''t bite my tongue.


    Kamil was bleeding from his sides as he moved the furniture around. However, just as I was about to get up and move, when I took another look at Kamil, my body couldn''t help but stiffen.


    Just then, there was a tapping sound on the door. It started off soft at first, but kept getting louder and louder.


    I could hear an unpleasant rattling sound together with that eerie laughter from the other side of the door. Something was hitting the door now. It''s continuing to get even louder.


    Is it playing around, this monster baboon that''s causing these sounds. It disgustingly feels like as if it''s having fun toying with its prey that it''s chased and cornered.


    Soon, Kamil seemed to run out of energy and sat down with his back against the pile of furniture.


    I got up, and stared at Kamil again. He seemed to be shaking all over his body, and it seemed like his strength was leaving him.


    "K, Kamil¡­¡­"


    A pathetic, trembling voice came out of me. What am I trying to say to him at this point in time, me.


    That monster baboon must have been mimicking the sound of someone crying out for help, no matter how I think about it this situation is my fault that we''ve fallen for its trap.


    Blood kept flowing out of Kamil''s sides endlessly, seeping into the stone floor. He seems to have injured his internal organs, as dark blood was dripping out of the corner of Kamil''s mouth.


    I didn''t move even one finger. My brain was numb, and I couldn''t do anything other than stare at Kamil.


    Even though we were alone together, even in rooms filled with corpses, Kamil didn''t kill me. It''s my distrust towards him that''s led to this current situation.


    With those sorts of injuries, all he can do is wait for death. There''s such a large hole in his side, and his internal organs are injured as well with no way to give him medical treatment.


    The back of my throat was aching with something hot. My sight turned blurry, as lukewarm water started splashing down my cheeks from my eyes.


    Kamil merely smiled gently at me. It felt like my heart was being squeezed to pieces.


    "¡­¡­It''s fine. It can''t be helped, this is my job."


    Kamil opened his mouth and spoke to me in a weak voice. He kept coughing up horrific amounts of blood, and his body was trembling violently now. He''s shaking so badly, I''m pretty sure he''s realized his own situation as well.


    "You couldn''t, trust in me, right? As for the things I hid from you, to the best of my abilities, it was something that couldn''t be helped."


    As Kamil continued speaking in a piecemeal manner, the hitting sounds against the door were continuing to grow in volume. I don''t think I''ve ever been so annoyed in my life before. I want to listen to Kamil talking without having to listen over those sounds.


    "You probably knew that I''m the son of, the merchant, that, killed, your family."


    I couldn''t even nod, all I could do was listen to his words, forgetting to even breathe.


    "I''m sorry¡­¡­ that my father, killed, your entire family. That''s why, to make up for it, I wanted to at the very least, protect you. I mean, you''re really just a small child."


    In the middle, Kamil''s voice suddenly got even choppier, and he had gotten so passionate that it was moving me to tears.


    Do I want to cry and scream at the top of my lungs, or should I be begging Kamil for forgiveness right now, my feelings and regrets were swirling about inside me like a vortex right now.


    However, that as well, ended quickly and it felt like I was deflating like a balloon. The feelings that were bloating me just earlier were nowhere to be found.


    Everything is something that I''ve caused myself. Since everything is my fault, I think it''ll be for the best if I just honestly tell Kamil that I was the root of everything.


    "-No, that''s not it, Kamil¡­¡­"


    Before I realized it, I was slowly shaking my head. Since I wasn''t able to accept before that Kamil had no ill will towards me and wasn''t plotting against me ¨C of course he''d never forgive me. I know that I''m only telling him to selfishly lessen the burden on myself.


    My bad habit of clenching my fists as tightly as I could showed itself again, and my nails were digging deep ridges into my palms.


    "¡­¡­Char, lie?"


    Kamil''s voice was confused, and he seemed to stop himself from trembling as much as he could, to make eye contact with me.


    "I myself was the one who killed my family. Kamil, your father was falsely accused of it and executed for a crime he didn''t commit. ¡­¡­I''m really sorry about what happened."


    Kamil was looking at me wide-eyed in amazement, looking at me so directly that I really felt like averting my eyes. My body was completely tense. I couldn''t breathe.


    What will he say.


    Well now that I''ve said it, I''m regretting it.


    Why did I tell Kamil something about my treacherous self when he''s on the verge of death, I wonder. I must only be searching for my own self-satisfaction, pouring out my guilt to him.


    I felt like gouging at myself as I wallowed in self-loathing.


    Kamil quietly closed his eyes, and took a deep breath.


    "-¡­¡­Oh, so that''s what happened."


    Really, his voice remained so calm.


    ¨C Then, Kamil didn''t open his eyes. While trembling, I took a step. I got down from the bed, and crawled to Kamil''s side.


    "Kamil¡­¡­?"


    I hesitantly touched his blood-caked face with my hand, finding that his blood was already drying. It was frightfully cold, and I shuddered involuntarily.


    "¡­¡­I can''t, move anymore¡­¡­ ¡­¡­It can''t be, helped¡­¡­ Charlie''s¡­¡­"


    As if he found things really annoying, Kamil sighed deeply.


    He sluggishly lifted his hand, and hugged my head against his right shoulder. Although I was thrown a bit off balance by his body weight, and had to use a hand to support myself, I obediently let him hug me.


    Close by to me, it felt like the monster baboon was about to break down the door at any moment, the crashing sounds against the door had gotten so loud.


    However, for some reason I didn''t feel scared at all.


    More than that, I was more scared of how fast I could feel Kamil''s body warmth leaving him even touching him through his clothes.


    I slid my head down from his shoulder slightly, down to his left breast. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    When I heard that his heart was still beating feebly, I felt so relieved that I started crying.


    He''s still alive.


    Without even worrying about the crashing sounds against the door, I just listened to his heartbeat get weaker and weaker.


    ¨C Then, I couldn''t hear it anymore, and his hand against my head fell limp to the ground.


    Outside the door, I heard a terrible screaming sound coming from the monster baboon. The sound of people shouting echoed throughout the hallways. I think I heard Ergnade''s voice among them.

 Chapter 56 - 56

    "¡­¡­Densel has issued a statement saying that they have nothing to do with the incident that occurred at Fort Jugfena. It seems that they''re treating it as an isolated incident caused by exiled soldiers."


    Earl Terejia told me so in a quiet voice, and I was only half listening to him while thinking of other things.


    It felt foggy inside my head. I heard that Claudia was completely uninjured, that Ergnade and Gunther only suffered light injuries, and that the Shiru tribe in the hidden passage remained safe, but that did nothing to help clear up the fog.


    Although the enemy''s plan failed and we defended Fort Jugfena successfully, it was a difficult, close victory with many losses. Three entire infantry squadrons were wiped out, and all archers were dead as well.


    On top of that, the commander of the fort, Earl Einsbark, as well as his son Wiegraf, they were seriously injured, and twenty soldiers from the fifty soldiers I took with me to Fort Jugfena died in battle as well, costing me forty percent of my army.


    What''s more, the invading soldiers had likely focused on destroying Arxia''s lines of defense, the rampart alongside our border was smashed all over the place, and there were quite a few holes in Fort Jugfena and its walls as well, we''ve been dealt quite a blow.


    The Densel Dukedom is saying that all of this was a private war waged by exiled soldiers, thus having nothing to do with them. They only prepared a slight compensation for us by selling off the properties of those involved, and executing all the responsible parties and their relatives.


    It seems that the group of soldiers had been exiled after a political defeat, and that they had been from a group that opposed Densel uniting together with the Rindarl Union.


    While looking for a way to survive, they attacked Arxia thinking that the other three countries might reconsider letting Densel into the Rindarl Union if Densel was involved in a war with Arxia, that seems to have been their motive. Being worried about how relations between Arxia and Rindarl would be, Densel would prefer not to have bad relations with us.


    Well, that''s their excuse, but I''m sure it''s all just lip service and was plotted by them.


    Meaning, all Arxia got was the execution of the so-called anti-Rindarl Union members.


    Of course, saying such things, Arxia is quite angry and discontent as well. Not only did Densel attack us unprovoked, they even abandoned their own citizens and shifted all the blame to them, having the soldiers executed saying they were exiled political discontents.


    The ones who lost the most was us, as the Kaldia domain was supposed to take in the new Artolan refugees that had all died, and the Shiru tribe. Although Densel attacked Fort Jugfena unprovoked and without warning, since Fort Jugfena was on standard combat alert, damage could have been even worse.


    However, the northern Arxian nobles loudly blamed the harboring of refugees from a former defeated country that was enemies with Densel for causing this skirmish, it seems that there''s no way of stopping the world from viewing these things as having caused the skirmish anymore.


    "The House of Lords has made its decision on the matter, the battle that occurred will not be treated as an invasion by Densel, and it will be treated as a private war waged by exiled soldiers. This is in order to quell the anger of the northern nobles, so no matter how angry we are inside, we have no choice but to take it quietly and accept the paltry compensation money offered by Densel."


    For once, Earl Terejia didn''t even try to hide his irritation, but I didn''t really care. I felt like politics didn''t matter to me at all right now.


    Everything felt blank to me right now. My head was filled with fog and I couldn''t think clearly, I even wondered just what Earl Terejia was getting so angry about.


    "The church had openly called out for us to protect the Artolan refugees. None of them publicly opposed that back then."


    Since the church had openly proclaimed that the Artolan refugees and the Shiru tribe would be protected, anyone saying something otherwise could have been excommunicated and persecuted for being a heretic.


    Even more than being a heretic, it''s excommunication that would affect one for life. Since the Arxia Kingdom and the Ar Xia church are inextricably interconnected, being excommunicated would mean there''s no place for them anymore. This is even more so for nobles, they wouldn''t dare go directly against the church that''s in charge of the law.


    The issue of the church being in charge of the law aside, the Ar Xia church usually almost never involves itself in the country''s national affairs. This time had been extremely rare for it to act like that, is what I had thought at the time.


    My mind feels numb, I don''t feel like thinking any more deeper into these matters. Even though this is all something that deeply involves me, right now I don''t care about others'' expectations or feelings at all.


    "¡­¡­That''s all. Well, for now you can just take things slow and get some rest."


    Earl Terejia seemed to worry about me with his last comment, as he left my room. My nanny Mrs. Hortensia remained standing quietly beside me, as I pulled the cushion supporting my back away, and laid back down on my bed. Her expression was softly distorted, and her eyes were closed.


    I can tell that she''s pitying me, and the way I am now, I could only receive it without any sort of mercy on myself.


    I don''t even feel like I deserve to receive pity, and my usual dedication to work had disappeared without a trace. Without even trying to clear my mind, I simply closed my eyelids.


    Was it because I''m tired, I don''t even know. However, I do know for certain that I want to fall into a deep sleep.


    From the other side of my bedroom door, I could hear a slightly muffled voice.


    "She didn''t move at all again today?"


    "¡­¡­Yes. ¡­¡­It''s already been like this for one month. Eliza-sama''s not doing anything by herself at all, other than blinking her eyes and breathing."


    "I see. This is, no matter what, sad for a child as young as her¡­¡­ I''m sorry, but please keep taking care of her. Please don''t mind that you have to take care of her meals and body, someone experienced in these types of things is coming in a few days¡­¡­"


    ¡­¡­After that, I couldn''t hear what followed after anymore. The blurry words got lost in the fog, and disappeared somewhere into my mind.


    I''m so sleepy, is all I thought. That''s all I could think, and my consciousness completely sank into the depths of the fog. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    End of Act 1, Part 3

 Chapter 57 - 57

    Act 1, Part 4


    (Translator notes for anyone that missed it, turns out Ratoka is a guy that''s being forced to act as a girl by Eliza when in the mansion. Also, as a recap for anyone who''s forgotten some characters, Ratoka is the villager kid that threw a rock at Eliza and subsequently got arrested.


    Eliza faked his execution, and kept him as a potential body double because he looks similar to her, saying that their shared eye color, red, is very rare and impossible to fake, and created a fake identity, "Elise Cherstoka," for him to act as in order to spread misinformation and confuse any potential future enemies.


    This fake name is purposefully similar to another girl currently living at Eliza''s mansion, Elise Sherstok, who is a noble girl with a sickly body that''s currently recovering at the Kaldia mansion, since the Kaldia domain has a climate that''s well suited for her illness. Hopefully this summary helps anyone who''s forgotten the details, as these two characters haven''t appeared for quite a while.


    The next 10+ chapters will be told from Ratoka''s point of view, and it''s actually narrated in third person instead of first person, so hopefully I do a good job, as it''s my first time tackling the third person perspective.)


    ¡­¡­Ratoka smelled the faint scent of flowers, and opened his eyes.


    He still couldn''t get used to the feeling of these clothes against his body. He missed the familiar scent of straw, and he laid and rolled on the bed a bit before getting up.


    Since it''s not his usual wooden bed, but covered fully with soft cloths instead, it''s very uncomfortable for him. Well, due to that, he''s been getting up earlier than before, that might be the only good thing about it.


    Then, he sighed deeply. There was a single flower placed by the pillow, giving his entire room a sweet smell.


    This room is narrow and made of solid stone walls, and the loud snores of people in the connecting rooms echo loudly in his room as well. He pushed away the wooden board covering the window, and let the faint sunlight shine in.


    It''s a little before dawn.


    As the moon and sun changed places, the reddish tinged sunrise that only lasted for a short time each morning was the most beautiful time of day, is what he thought.


    He kept watching the sky until it turned completely blue. His mind which was still groggy until then, finally began functioning.


    When he remembered the face of the person that had taught him the beauty of sunrises, he felt a pain in his chest. She was a sister in training from the church that had been out on patrol. He only knew her for a short time, but, that''s exactly why he remembered her eye color, as clear blue as the sky, so clearly.


    It was almost time to get up, so he turned away from the window, got out of bed, and knocked on the wood and iron knocker installed in the middle of the barracks. The loud knocking finally interrupted that annoying snoring, and hauled the sordid men out of their dreams.


    "It''s morning, get up, you middle-aged men."


    "¡­¡­Oh, ohh. Morn''in, Ratoka."


    "All of you, would never wake up at all if I went easy on you, every morning¡­¡­"


    He''s already been here for two weeks. Whoever wakes up first in the morning is supposed to wake everyone else up with the knocker, but ever since he''s come here, he''s been the only person that''s ever woke everyone else up.


    This morning as well, the adult soldiers blew him away, and after falling down ten times, Ratoka reached his physical limits.


    Although this always happened, the uncouth soldiers would always stick around watching him, ridiculing him and laughing at him every time his sword got knocked out of his hand. Even more humiliating, today the soldiers didn''t even give him time to catch his breath as they hooted at him.


    The jeers today were,


    "Oi oi, how pathetic! Even Charlie was better than this when she was five years old!"


    "If you can''t even beat a five year old little girl, all you''re gonna be good for is harvesting wheat!"


    "That''s why, young master Ratoka is an ''ojou-san,'' I say!"


    That''s what was being said.


    Ratoka had been forced to the barracks by the earl, and the earl had told the soldiers to "give Ratoka the same training that Viscountess Kaldia went through," so of course the soldiers would compare him to that girl at everything, and since Ratoka wasn''t as good as her, everyone called him "ojou-san."


    Ratoka already had a complex about his rather girlish looking face, so calling him an "ojou-san," meaning lady, only increased his humiliation.


    "Shut up! I''m not the same as that Charlie bastard, this is my first time learning swordsmanship!!"


    Ratoka was so irritated that he shouted out at the soldiers, and they fell silent for a moment. Just as Ratoka finally thought he would get some quiet, the soldiers started laughing even louder than before.


    "Charlie you say, hahaha, she''s never even touched a sword before she came here to train with us!"


    At that retort, even Ratoka was unable to find a comeback. "Damn you all!!" He couldn''t find anything to say, so all he could do was curse at everyone in foul language.


    Nobles learn the sword starting from a young age. The young sister that had stayed in Cyril village several years ago had definitely said that to him.


    At first, he had thought that he should go through with and endure this sword training, but now he can''t take all the jeering anymore. Now that he''s discovered his skill level, his already battered pride is in shreds.


    More than anything else, he hates the person he''s being compared to. This girl they''re calling Charlie, the daughter of the noble Ratoka hates more than anything ¨C or more accurately speaking, the current domain lord.


    Seeing Ratoka''s face distort as he was unable to even express his anger and frustration properly, even the soldiers realized that they may have gone a little overboard, and they stopped laughing. That laughter that was so annoying had finally stopped, and it''s quiet now, but Ratoka was too angry to care anymore.


    "-Well, um, what is it. You shouldn''t hate our lord so much."


    Someone among the soldiers mumbled that, and some of the other soldiers also mumbled in agreement, and they scattered, as the atmosphere had gotten cooler.


    "-What is all this!!"


    Ratoka made a fist with his right hand and hit the ground in frustration, then he heard a voice colder than any he''d ever heard before.


    "You wake up so early, you damned brat. If you''re still that energetic, why don''t you practice some more with me for another five rounds?"


    At the same moment, Ratoka''s wooden sword that had been knocked out of his hand came flying down again and hit his stomach, causing him to moan.


    Even though he was only eight years old, Ratoka recklessly glared at his opponent Gunther. Gunther who had his foot on top of Ratoka''s head as he laid down on the ground, defeated, returned a sharp gaze back at him.


    "¡­¡­Sorry."


    Although Ratoka reluctantly apologized, Gunther''s gaze didn''t change at all. Gunther finally pulled his leg back a bit, and Ratoka hurriedly jumped up and retrieved his sword.


    He felt like Gunther was about to kick him, and he was right.


    Ratoka barely managed to dodge Gunther''s foot by a hair''s breadth, and Gunther tut tutted.


    "Come on, don''t laze around, let''s start already!"


    "Yes, Gunther-sensei."


    Ratoka nodded, and Gunther started attacking him again. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡­¡­It only took two attacks, before Ratoka was knocked over on the ground again.


    In the afternoon, he has to go forage for his own dinner. That''s the rule of this domain''s army.


    His physical strength was pushed to its limits to the point where he was throwing up, so of course it was impossible for him to do any hunting in his state of extreme fatigue. At least, that''s what Ratoka thought.


    He''s used to feeling hungry anyways. Sulking and telling himself that he was doing it out of defiance, Ratoka had never once gone out to forage for dinner.


    Instead ¨C


    "Ah, you''ve come today as well?" (Elise) (Translator note: going to use parentheses to show who is speaking for this section to reduce confusion, as Ratoka goes by ''Elise'' as well when in the mansion.)


    Still caring about what others thought of him¡­ he basically dragged his body through the shadows, as he glared at Eliza''s mansion, a symbol of the former domain lord he hated so much. Then, from a section of the garden''s complicated layout, he heard a soft voice from a window above him.


    "Elise-sama!" (Ratoka)


    When Ratoka looked up, he saw a girl meet his eyes, perched with her elbows on the windowsill from her room on the second floor. She looked delighted to see him, and laughed happily and elegantly.


    "Hehehe¡­¡­ How funny. You''re also ''Elise-sama,'' aren''t you?" (Elise)


    Although he still felt slightly bitter at being called that, he swallowed it down and smiled back at the girl. More importantly to Ratoka, he''s happy that Elise seems healthy and energetic again today.


    "Elise-sama, what shall we talk about today?" (Elise)


    "Anything. ¡­¡­But anyways, Elise-sama, I¡­¡­ when you address me, you really don''t have to add -sama." (Ratoka)


    Ratoka mumbled a bit, and finally uttered a tiny wish of his. Although he comes here and says that every time, Elise would always smile happily and say "sorry," but she never once nodded and agreed to his request.


    Well, his true wish is to actually have Elise call him by his real name, "Ratoka," but he''s strictly forbidden from telling Elise his real name.


    That''s why, at the very least, he hoped that Elise could address him more familiarly.


    Talking with a noble girl, he''s scared to ask her for anything more than that ¨C and he''s also confused, because Elise doesn''t fit his mental image of how a "noble" should be at all.


    He''s always believed that nobles were arrogant spendthrifts that never thought about commoners at all, that didn''t know how to do anything other than look pretty and make idle chatter. Although it was just the sister in training that had told him that, he''s never heard anything else about nobles, nor does he want to hear.


    Unfortunately, the now former lord of this domain, was even worse than the nobles she talked about, is what he had thought.


    However, Elise who always smiled gently at him, he couldn''t think of her as a typical noble at all.


    He felt himself idolizing her, believing her to be special, and Ratoka viewed her as sacred.


    However, the difference between nobles has him even more irritated. Every single day, when he''s in the barracks, he has to hear her name over and over again, that name he associates with everything bad about nobles, ¨C the girl that the soldiers also call Charlie, Eliza. He hates everything about her, that damned Kaldia daughter.


    What''s "Charlie" even supposed to mean, Ratoka had asked the soldiers this morning.


    Charlie. A name passed down in the ancient language of the Jugfena region. From even before St. Ahar created the Ar Xia Kingdom a millenium ago, he''s now a story told at bedtime about a legendary king that had ruled over the entire Jugfena region.


    What''s "Charlie" supposed to be.


    While he smiled at Elise, once again in the back of his mind, Ratoka spat at Eliza.

 Chapter 58 - 58

    Ratoka has been in the barracks for a month and a half now, and he''s gained enough strength to the point where he isn''t throwing up anymore.


    However, he''s still not foraging for his own dinner at night, he''s still going every day without eating any dinner.


    Today, his marching distance training was increased in length. Still, he''s expected to remain standing and finish all of it. His feet hurt so badly after it all, that Ratoka didn''t even visit Elise, and just crawled straight into his bed after training.


    Speaking of hunting for food ¨C he remembered the noble girl that recently became Eliza''s new bodyguard and companion. She''s a blond girl that Ratoka often sees hanging around the barracks after his training is over, twirling her spear.


    She''s more skilled than anyone in the army with the spear, and she makes it look freakishly easy to catch large animals when going out hunting. Because of this, the number of soldiers that call Ratoka "ojou-san" have decreased.


    As Ratoka observed her behavior every day, he found that she didn''t fit the image he had of a "noble" at all, either.


    "All noble girls, they want to wear a brand new dress every day¡­¡­" Ratoka heard the sister''s nostalgic voice in the back of his mind. Even though he hasn''t heard that voice in two years, he still remembers it clearly ¨C rather, he can''t forget it.


    Four years ago, when the former domain lord died, the Kaldia citizens'' lives slowly began returning to normal.


    Two years ago, it was right after the adults had finished planting rye in spring. During a time when nobody had enough excess yet to be able to care about others'' plights, suddenly a traveling group of sisters visited Cyril village.


    Of course, Cyril village wasn''t able to welcome the sisters due to its hardships. However, the sisters did not show any dissatisfactions towards the villagers, and remained calm while helping the villagers in their tasks, as their main goal was to travel from village to village while spreading a certain "story."


    ¨C That all the nobles, had forgotten the original work that nobles are supposed to perform. That the nobles were only abusing their authority, and enjoying luxurious lives. That what the nobles were doing was against the teachings of the church.


    One young girl from among the sisters kept telling Ratoka this "story" over and over again.


    While telling their "stories" about the nobles, the sisters would keep talking about the arrogance and extravagance of the nobles they''ve seen in their travels, and for the people of Cyril village that lived like they were in hell on earth under the former domain lord''s rule, of course they would believe it all. There was nobody that didn''t believe the sisters.


    As a result, even now, the Cyril villagers have put their blind faith in this group of sisters. This includes Ratoka, who understood less than half of their story. Even so, it could be said that he''s the one who believes in them the most of all.


    Ratoka still vividly remembers the young sister in training that talked to him. Everything that the girl told him about nobles, he believes as fact about all nobles.


    Because of his blind faith, that''s how Ratoka used to view nobles.


    At that time, Ratoka''s body was filled with injuries every day, as he spent daylight begging every day, and sleeping in the shadows of people''s houses at night.


    If he went home, he didn''t know what would happen.


    His mother had fallen mentally ill, and didn''t recognize Ratoka anymore.


    Ratoka had black hair just like the domain lord, and red eyes just like the domain lord. The similarity was too much and his mother lost her mind. In her confusion, she couldn''t even bear to look at Ratoka. Because of this, she lived in terrible fear of Ratoka.


    Ratoka was always alone in Cyril village. The other villagers all avoided him. To Ratoka, he didn''t know why his mom and the villagers hated and feared him so much.


    Ratoka doesn''t have a father. His mother had gotten pregnant with Ratoka when she was forced into sex service as a "laborer" by the previous domain lord.


    When her belly had gotten too big to do anything else and she was returned to her hometown village, Ratoka''s mother had already lost her sanity. She didn''t know where she was anymore, or who the father of her child was.


    Also, there was a rule from the previous domain lord that any boys that "laborers" gave birth to would be killed. If this wasn''t done, the domain lord said he would have the entire village killed.


    While the "laborers" was forced into sex service all over the place, the only common point was that they all served the nobility. ¨C Meaning, any children they had would probably be the scions of nobility. Girls were fine, but boys weren''t allowed to be born.


    So with fear of the punishment hanging over their heads, the villagers would be forced to make her give up her newborn child, if it was a boy.


    However, Ratoka''s mother was already out of her mind. Without even calling for a midwife, she gave birth alone.


    She ended up giving birth to twins. The girl had died in childbirth, but the boy was still living.


    Ratoka''s mother was hugging the baby girl''s dead body when she was discovered. And so, the villagers concealed the information about Ratoka''s birth from the domain lord. He led a discrete life in a small, run-down house with his mother until news of the domain lord''s death finally reached Cyril village five years ago.


    "Ratoka" is actually a girl''s name, probably meant for his deceased twin sister. Ratoka''s mother never did prepare a boy''s name for her son.


    After news of the domain lord''s death reached her, Ratoka''s mother got even worse mentally.


    Ratoka was no longer able to withstand the way his mother always abused him, so that''s why he escaped outside of his home.


    Then, he became more well-known in the village.


    Although the villagers had decided not to kill him as the domain lord would have wanted, just the circumstances of his birth alone made the villagers want to avoid him.


    Although his mother temporarily got better again for two years, she finally relapsed again. She had gone so insane to the point where she no longer recognized her son that everyone had taken great care to help her hide and bring up.


    Ratoka would just wander around the outskirts of the village every day and look at the ground listlessly. And while walking, Ratoka would think about how haggard and hungry he was getting. His mother, who had once been his entire world to him, was now trying to harm him.


    "-Why are you walking with your head down like that? You should watch where you''re going, or it could be dangerous, you know."


    The first time when he heard that clear and energetic voice, Ratoka didn''t think that she was talking to him.


    When outside his home, he felt like he was just a ghost to everyone. At that point in time, he wanted to interact with someone else more than anything at all.


    "-Hey, are you alright?"


    Someone tapped him on the shoulder, and he was so surprised when he turned around that his heart almost suddenly stopped. A girl that was only slightly taller than he was, was looking straight at him with eyes the color of the dawn sky.


    Ratoka opened his eyes that resembled the color of fire.


    The light coming in from the window woke Ratoka up out of his light sleep instantly. When he opened his eyes, he found that his room was being dyed a vermillion scarlet by the setting sun.


    ¡­¡­He must have fallen asleep right after the day''s training.


    He tried to work his mind that didn''t seem to want to wake up quite yet. He felt like he had just went to bed, so he must have fallen asleep. His body does feel a little lighter now, so he turned his back to the sunset.


    Outside his room, in the cafeteria''s direction, he could hear the commotion of soldiers having fun chatting.


    With the muffled sounds coming through the walls, and thinking about the relationships that others have with him, Ratoka bit his lip in frustration.


    He loves the dawn sunrise, and hates evening sunsets.


    Maybe it''s also because that he''s not with everyone else, while listening to others have fun through the wall, that he would recall such a lonely memory.


    Whenever he returned home to his insane mother''s run-down house, he would always have a mix of emotions that felt like muddy sludge in him, as he walked back slowly. Whenever he heard lively sounds from other houses of people having fun, even that was quite a blow to Ratoka''s weak spirit back then.


    Even if he calls for his mother she wouldn''t even look at him, Ratoka felt so jealous of others, sad, and mentally exhausted.


    Anyone is fine, talk to me about anything, see me, make me feel like I exist ¨C that''s what Ratoka desired back then, as soon as possible.


    And so, the first person to grant his wish, and would talk to him about various things on the nobility, was the young sister in training with reddish blue eyes the color of the dawn sky. For that reason, that''s why Ratoka believed in her blindly.


    Ratoka sighed deeply in an attempt to drive away his loneliness and old memories, and Ratoka looked up at the wall that was lit up by the setting sun.


    Dusk in the Kaldia domain lasts for only a short time. The vermillion scarlet that dyed the room earlier, was getting imperceptibly darker and darker.


    Rather than the color of the girl with eyes the color of the dawn sky, this color reminds him more of the red eyes of that daughter of the domain lord. And, her dead father, the former domain lord.


    Suddenly, he wondered about the color of his own eyes. Red eyes are extremely rare, and his eye color is the exact same shade as Eliza''s. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 59 - 59

    (Translator note: Since Igor, a soldier that died in the battle at Fort Jugfena, appears in this chapter, this means that these chapters take place before the battle in the story''s timeline. Ratoka was mentioned before as having been sent off to the army for training, after all.


    Rest in peace, Igor, we hardly knew you¡­¡­ Also, on the topic of arcs, I took a look ahead, and the school arc finally begins, in Chapter 143. Just for the curious that were wondering if a school arc would ever happen in this story.) Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Oi, you''re up?"


    A voice suddenly spoke up from the half-open door to Ratoka''s room, catching his attention instantly. Turning to look, he saw a sturdy-looking middle-aged man walk into his room.


    He''s also tall and on the thin side, and probably gives off the impression of being too weak to be a soldier, but he''s the longest serving member of the Kaldia army, that all the other soldiers look up to and go for advice.


    The soldier crinkled his crow''s feet wrinkles slightly at Ratoka. The light of the red sunset shone on him and he cast only a dim shadow.


    "Good, since I was about to come wake you up. Claudia-sama hunted some monster meat today. Right now, everyone''s cooking it up. You should come have some as well, that''s why I''m here to wake you up," the soldier invited Ratoka to eat. While still remaining on his bed, Ratoka just looked at him blankly.


    What exactly was the soldier saying, Ratoka didn''t understand. Although he understands each word individually, but he didn''t understand them together as a whole.


    "¡­¡­What''s the matter? Are you not feeling well?"


    He started worrying about how Ratoka was doing, and walked next to Ratoka''s bed. When the soldier reached out his hand with a worried look on his face, Ratoka shook his head hurriedly.


    "That''s, not it¡­¡­"


    The soldier watched Ratoka''s confusion for a few seconds. Then, he smiled softly.


    He suddenly picked Ratoka up in his arms, and started walking with him without saying anything. Ratoka didn''t say anything either. He was so frozen up in surprise at what was going on, that his voice wouldn''t come out.


    "I''ll bring you over."


    The soldier carried Ratoka to the cafeteria, where almost all the other soldiers were currently gathered. The barracks cafeteria was constructed with plenty of room, enough to hold one hundred people, but seemed slightly empty since there weren''t enough soldiers in the barracks to fill the cafeteria up.


    "Oi, as expected of the old man!"


    "Oh my, wow, to carry the ojou-san here in your arms, this must be the wisdom of age."


    "Hey, you shouldn''t tease children like that. If you keep treating him like that you don''t know what could happen, he might do something stupid!"


    While being carried like this, Ratoka heard all kinds of comments coming from around him, until a calm voice admonished the soldiers.


    ¨C Since he was so embarrassed, and couldn''t deal with it, Ratoka hid his face in the shoulders of the soldier carrying him.


    The soldier patted Ratoka in order to soothe him.


    All Ratoka could think about was that the soldiers would surely ridicule him for the state he''s in now. What will they say about him. They''ll probably say he''s just a small kid?


    However, contrary to his expectations, the soldiers didn''t make fun of him, and remained silent. Ratoka had definitely thought they would all laugh coarsely at him, and seeing all the soldiers so quiet like this shocked him.


    He lifted his head slightly, and took a look at the soldiers. Just then, someone offered him a skewer of cooked monster meat, and he couldn''t help but blink.


    "This is for you."


    The young soldier holding the meat out to Ratoka was averting his eyes, and Ratoka hesitantly finally took the meat on the skewer that was being offered to him. It''s also a bigger piece of meat than what any of the other soldiers have, which made Ratoka even more puzzled as to why he was the one getting it.


    "There''s no mistake, this is for you, hurry up and eat it. Since you haven''t been eating dinner, right?"


    Since Ratoka held the skewer for too long without eating even though his stomach was growling, the young soldier got impatient with him. Reflexively, Ratoka couldn''t help but hold up the skewer like a weapon. The young soldier immediately jumped away from him.


    "Man, there''s really no helping some people."


    While watching their exchange, the middle-aged soldier holding on to Ratoka smiled wryly.


    "Honestly. All of you, making such a big fuss over one brat."


    Hearing such words coming from close to him, Ratoka was getting more and more shocked. When he looked in the opposite direction, it was Gunther who just made that comment. Looking at him, Gunther had his usual scowl and was furrowing his eyebrows like usual.


    "Ahh, Gunther''s dirty mouth hasn''t improved at all since he was teaching Charlie."


    "Rather than improvement, I think it could be getting worse. Charlie wouldn''t give up no matter how much she was ridiculed, this brat''s not like that at all."


    Ratoka realized that the two adult soldiers were talking about him, and he hid his face. However, was the domain lord''s daughter also ridiculed by the soldiers like this during her training, he was somewhat surprised inside.


    Even though the ugly feeling of hatred would always appear every time he thought about her, this time he felt an entirely different type of emotion swirling about inside him like mist.


    That was what surprised Ratoka the most so far that day.


    That mist-like feeling, didn''t disappear from Ratoka''s mind that day, but rather kept increasing inside him. He still hates the former domain lord''s daughter. However, he''s also beginning to feel a mystery feeling towards her now that keeps increasing in strength.


    Also, the slight murderous intent he used to have towards Eliza was fading. Ratoka didn''t understand what was happening with his own feelings.


    Ever since Ratoka had monster meat together with everyone, the soldiers began saying positive things about Ratoka as well. It''s because it was the oldest veteran soldier that everyone respects had taken Ratoka out of his room to eat with all the soldiers. After the veteran soldier admonished everyone else, the soldiers'' treatment of Ratoka had indeed gotten much better.


    In the first place, the soldiers couldn''t help but keep comparing Ratoka to Eliza, mostly because they didn''t understand that Eliza was actually much more mature for her age and smarter than any normal child. So when Earl Terejia had Ratoka put into the barracks and told the soldiers to train him as well, of course they would treat him the same way, none of them knowing any other children.


    So even though the soldiers were clumsy and inexperienced with children, although they had treated Ratoka the same as Eliza up until now, they were learning that the two of them should be treated differently, which caused a rapid change in the soldiers'' actions and words that greatly confused Ratoka.


    It started from little things. Just greetings between the soldiers and Ratoka, even though everyone still acted nervous around each other at first.


    Ratoka remained in a state of perpetual confusion at all the changes around him. Each time he exchanged greetings with the soldiers though, his irritation towards them seemed to disappear bit by bit.


    It started with breakfast. The young soldiers sitting close to him in the cafeteria would make conversation with Ratoka. And, apart from Gunther still insulting him, the soldiers would begin giving him words of encouragement.


    They would complain about the former domain lord together, grumble about the severity of everyone''s training menu, tell stories about everyone''s hometowns and families, Ratoka gradually got to know the soldiers better.


    There were quite a lot of shocking stories that the soldiers had to tell.


    For example, a lot of them were former bandits, that hated the former domain lord just as much as Ratoka did. Since Ratoka couldn''t comprehend why they didn''t hate the domain lord''s daughter Eliza as well, he couldn''t sleep well at all on the night he first learned this.


    He heard all about how the soldiers had treated Eliza pretty terribly as well when she first entered the barracks. Ratoka learned that in fact, the toll it took on her body from Gunther''s training seems to have been even worse than what Ratoka received, and the insults were just as bad as well.


    "Oh, you''re here. Ratoka~"


    After marching training, Ratoka was sitting down resting in the shade of a tree, when he heard someone calling his name.


    "Paulo."


    "That was pretty tiring. You alright?"


    A boy with fluffy, wavy blonde hair sat down next to Ratoka. His name''s Paulo, and he''s the second youngest member of the Kaldia army, older than Ratoka by only a few years.


    Maybe it''s because they''re the closest in age, Ratoka talks the most with Paulo. Or rather, it could be said that Paulo''s extremely outgoing. This is actually the first time that they''ve talked during a break though, but Paulo''s relaxed attitude like this was just natural made Ratoka forget that fact and his self-consciousness.


    "I''m fine¡­¡­"


    Although he is tired from the training, he''s sitting down here more to get away from the heat. Since it''s the middle of summer right now, this is the hottest time of year in the Kaldia domain.


    When Paulo who was worried about Ratoka heard him complain about the heat, Paulo raised his eyebrows slightly. It seems that Paulo''s really strong against the heat, and even after the training was over, he thought nothing of it.


    "I see. Then, want to grab lunch together with me?"


    "Mmm¡­¡­ I want to cool off here a little bit longer."


    The sunlight coming down was so dazzling, that he was hesitant about stepping out from the shade. Ratoka''s skin is rather white and sensitive to heat, so he''s not good at dealing with it, so he''d rather relax in the tree''s shade compared to eating lunch. In the first place, he doesn''t feel hungry right now.


    "Oi you, you alright?"


    Another two people showed up, this time it was the oldest soldier in the army along with one of the younger soldiers walking unsteadily.


    "Calvin-san, Igor-san."


    Although Ratoka felt it was too bothersome to even open his mouth, Paulo greeted both of them for him. The soldier named Calvin is the one that held on to Ratoka and brought him out to the cafeteria that one time. The one trudging along slowly behind him is Igor, a young soldier who is Ratoka''s roommate now.


    They both smiled happily as they entered the shade, and held out some large cups to Ratoka and Paulo.


    "Make sure you guys stay hydrated."


    Ratoka silently took the cup of water.


    Paulo and Calvin are the two soldiers that Ratoka is the friendliest with now. It''s mostly because of age for Paulo, and because Calvin brought Ratoka out of his room to the cafeteria and defended him that one time. Well, Ratoka''s roommate Igor has been looking after him as well.


    Ratoka gulped down his water. He definitely feels a lot better now after drinking it.


    "Thank you very much."


    Ratoka lowered his head to thank the two people standing in front of him. Then, Igor reached a hand out to pull Ratoka off the ground.


    "¡­¡­If we don''t go soon, they''ll stop serving lunch at the cafeteria."


    Ratoka was almost about to reflexively say that he doesn''t feel hungry right now, but he stopped himself from saying anything. He definitely would have said that in irritation last month, but why weren''t those words leaving his mouth right now, he wondered.


    He looked at Paulo who was still standing in the shade. Even though Ratoka had said before that he didn''t feel hungry and to leave him alone, Paulo still insisted on having lunch together.


    Before, he probably would have just stayed here in the shade alone. After all, if he went to get lunch, he would just have to suffer through insults like "if you can''t move, want me to carry you?"


    For Ratoka, who had always wanted to interact with others, having to live together with others in the barracks and get along with everyone was slowly beginning to heal his spirit, and return him back to normal.


    Now that he''s actually being treated as a child of his age, he''s no longer taking things out on others, and the heavy feelings of hatred he had toward Eliza were beginning to fade.

 Chapter 60 - 60

    The author has also updated characters'' ages, so now we know that Eliza is 6, Claudia is 16 instead of 10 since I mistranslated her saying she was 10 years older as she was 10 years old in her introduction chapter, that Kamil is 12-15, that Earl Terejia is 73, Gunther is 26, Ratoka is 8, and Elise is 9.


    There''s also quite a lot of unintroduced characters on the character list again, which provides hints as to where the story''s potentially heading next. Seems like it could be politics and romance based.)


    Since the summer heat is getting milder now in the evening and Ratoka didn''t eat too much at lunch since he wasn''t hungry, Ratoka wondered if he should give hunting a try for once.


    He has no hunting or gathering experience at all. He feels that if he tries his best he should at least be able to get something, and although his thinking is rather shortsighted, for the first time ever, at any rate this afternoon Ratoka is about to go foraging.


    "Ratoka, what are these?"


    "This should be fine to eat if it''s cooked over a fire. ¡­¡­Ah, this red plant, I''m going to dig it up. Only its roots are edible."


    In the forest belonging to the area under direct control, Ratoka was carefully gathering plants.


    Since other soldiers also gather plants on a regular basis, the army has quite a lot of knowledge on what plants are edible in this domain. The Kaldia domain also has some plants unique to it that can''t be found anywhere else.


    By the way, Ratoka chose to gather plants for his first food collecting expedition. Since the army didn''t want to let him go by himself, for Ratoka''s safety Paulo was accompanying him, and they''ve entered the forest together for Ratoka to gather plants. Although Paulo did try to stop him, Ratoka paid him no attention as he''d already made up his mind.


    That''s because there''s some plants that only Ratoka knows as well.


    The sister in training that Ratoka knew for only a short time while she was staying in Cyril village, had taught Ratoka more than just about the nobility. Since Ratoka''s mother wasn''t working, Ratoka was always going hungry, so the young sister had taught Ratoka about various wild plants.


    Which leaves and fruits are inedible, which plants are poisonous, which seeds can be eaten and which can''t, there''s quite a lot of types of plants in Kaldia that are inedible.


    Knowledge of wild plants has been passed down over the generations by the sisters, as they''ve traveled through all the many different parts of Arxia, and they must know how to find their own food as many places are too poor to provide additional food for the sisters.


    "Ratoka, what are these?"


    "¡­¡­I don''t know. The ones I don''t recognize, it''s probably better not to touch them."


    "Got it. ¡­¡­I don''t gather plants too often myself."


    Paulo had been holding out some type of five-leaved plant to Ratoka, a plant he''s never seen before. Well, Ratoka only learned eight different types of plants from the sister in training, so he''s actually not that knowledgeable about plants overall.


    Although Paulo learned the poisonous plants since the army hammered that knowledge into him, he doesn''t know the rest of them too well. Ratoka didn''t have any detailed instructions given to him or knowledge on how to gather plants either, and on top of all that Paulo has to check Ratoka''s plants to make sure they''re not poisonous, so this has all been very time consuming.


    "Well, that''s how it is. ¡­¡­Let''s go hunting tomorrow, instead of gathering plants."


    Ratoka''s plant gathering with Paulo''s assistance had rather low efficiency. He understands that as well, but rather than saying it out loud, he could only softly offer an alternative. Paulo just nodded and smiled wryly at Ratoka''s words. Paulo also understood what Ratoka didn''t dare to say out loud.


    After they finally gathered a decent amount, Ratoka and Paulo returned to the barracks as fast as they could. Since Ratoka''s not used to foraging, the heat''s still making him more tired than usual and he''s barely able to move. They sat down in a corner of the cafeteria, and drank down some water for their parched throats while dealing with the plants they gathered.


    As he silently removed roots, stems, or flowers and other such inedible parts from the plants he picked, or performed other chores like hollowing the seeds out from the fruits, Ratoka was reminded of Elise.


    Come to think of it, he hasn''t been visiting that gentle girl recently due to the summer heat. His training has been increased to the point where he no longer has any extra strength to spare, on top of all this unending summer heat, he always goes straight back to the barracks after training to rest now.


    Now that he thinks on it, it was really sudden that he stopped visiting her. He didn''t tell her beforehand that his training was going to get busier, and the temperature has gotten higher as well, so Ratoka hasn''t been visiting Elise at all.


    Since Ratoka hasn''t shown his face there for a while, he wondered what she thought. Since it''s Elise, she''s probably worried about him. Maybe she''ll think that something happened to him.


    At the same time that he worried about what she would think, there was also some anxiety swirling about inside him.


    What if, she didn''t care about him at all. Ratoka''s hand that was busy dealing with the plants suddenly stopped.


    Whenever he visited, Elise would smile and laugh happily with him. She would look him in the eyes, tell silly stories, and they would laugh together.


    He''d always been alone in the village, and until Ratoka''s time in the barracks, Elise and Eliza were the only people to have ever looked him in the eyes.


    When he''d just come to the barracks, since the soldiers were endlessly insulting him, Ratoka would always avoid looking at them. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He decided to go and visit Elise. Some of the seeds he just peeled, he''ll take some over to her as a present too. Since he hasn''t been to see Elise for so long, he needs to make up for it somehow.


    He''s really scared of Elise coming to dislike him.


    He picked some seeds that had a slightly sweet taste to them, they''re the best tasting ones from among the plants that Ratoka knows.


    If Elise happens to like them, if she''s happy, then maybe she''ll come to like him more. While thinking such things, Ratoka carefully pared the next fruit.


    Meeting someone''s eyes normally, and having a nice conversation with them. It''s something that he''s never experienced before, something he''s always wanted but was so far out of his reach, being all alone by himself with no one to talk to, he never wants to be like that again. Even listening to insults, although not pleasant, is slightly better.


    Those were Ratoka''s desires from the bottom of his heart. He doesn''t even think life in the barracks is that bad now, because nobody from the soldiers tries to avoid or ignore Ratoka.


    Why is it then that, even though Elise is always agreeable and nice to him, why is he so worried about going to see her.


    Ratoka''s hand stopped again. He wondered again why he was so worried. He tried relaxing himself, in search of the answer.


    ¨C If possible, he wants someone to think about him. Since his mother''s no longer sane, she doesn''t even recognize him anymore. He wants something else in exchange. Anyone is fine. He wants to be the most important person to someone, although he doesn''t want to say that out loud.


    He just wants someone to worry about him.


    ¡­¡­He clarified his own wish to himself, realizing just how much he wanted it, and immediately after, Eliza''s icy expression came to mind for some reason, with unknown feelings that clogged his throat.


    Just what does she intend to do with him.


    Eliza stole Ratoka''s freedom and name from him. He has to go by a fake name at her mansion, and she basically forced him into the barracks as a member of her army.


    Just what is going to happen to him.


    Is he going to suffer a fate even worse than death?


    ¡­¡­To him, the worst fate possible would be to cut him off from everyone, leaving him all alone.


    At the very thought, he shuddered, feeling discomfort and fear all over his body.


    Ratoka shook his head to clear his feelings, picked up the seeds again, and immersed himself in simple repetitive work to keep busy.

 Chapter 61 - 61

    The next day, Ratoka dragged his heavy feeling body even though he felt exhausted and slightly sick, and brought some of the seeds he picked yesterday with him to meet Elise.


    The seeds Ratoka had were about the size of his hand, and they were pinkish in color. While they can''t be eaten raw, they''re really sweet and delicious if they''re boiled.


    Certain plants are good for recovering body strength when eaten, Ratoka remembered the sister that had taught him those words. Since Elise has a weak body, he thinks they''ll be perfect for her.


    While sticking to the shadows as much as possible to avoid the heat, Ratoka wondered if Elise would still be expecting him, since he hasn''t visited her in so long.


    However, when he arrived at the garden, he saw Elise looking down from her window with a dejected expression on her face, and his heartbeat increased rapidly.


    "Elise-sama!"


    He rushed towards her window and called out her name, and when Elise noticed Ratoka, her expression was one of surprise and joy.


    "Elise-sama!"


    The greeting he got in return was the exact same as his. Even though he used to hate it so much, maybe it''s because of Elise''s overjoyed expression, Ratoka didn''t even mind that one bit anymore. Although it''s annoying that Eliza changed his name on her own, when Ratoka thinks that it''s Elise''s name, he doesn''t mind so much anymore.


    "I''m sorry, I didn''t even say anything¡­¡­ and I didn''t come to visit."


    "No, don''t worry about it. ¡­¡­Since you haven''t been to see me, I was worried. I wondered if something happened to you¡­¡­"


    Her relief at seeing him alright was evident to see, and her dazzling smile caused Ratoka to feel a prick of guilt inside his chest. He made Elise worry about him, and that he also doubted whether Elise would worry about him, that was causing him to feel guilty, so once again he lowered his head and apologized.


    Then, he held out his gift in an attempt to make himself feel better.


    "Um, this. I gathered it for you."


    He grasped the seeds tightly while his heart started beating faster again. Since Elise''s room is on the second floor, he''s going to have to toss them up to her.


    What if she said she doesn''t need such a thing, his heart was pounding. After all, she''s still a noble. What if she doesn''t like these seeds, that even most commoners don''t bother looking at. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    While Ratoka was waiting nervously, Elise tilted her head in confusion. Then, to the shivering Ratoka, Elise asked a question in wonder.


    "Gathering? Er, what''s that mean?"


    It was such an unexpected response, that Ratoka''s brain could no longer process what was going on.


    "Ah, ¡­¡­Eh?"


    Ratoka could only reply in a goofy voice, and look at Elise blankly. Silence fell for a moment between them.


    She had asked, what''s that mean. That''s what he had heard, and although Ratoka took five deep breaths, he still couldn''t understand her question at all, which couldn''t be helped.


    Some things Ratoka would consider normal in order to survive as a child, however, normally nobles don''t make food for themselves, and on top of that, Elise has always been sickly and grew up confined inside, so Elise has basically no common sense about everyday life at all.


    ¨C Suddenly, giggling could be heard from within her room. At hearing it, Ratoka''s back became stiff.


    When Ratoka had been put into the barracks, he''d forgotten that he was told to not come to the mansion. Although it should seem obvious, the mansion is for nobles to live in. As a commoner, he basically shouldn''t even be allowed close to here, Ratoka began to remember that fact.


    That was another reason he stuck to the shadows in the first place when coming here, Ratoka just remembered. Although, there was no guarantee that someone else wouldn''t be with Elise.


    "What is it, Maya. Why are you laughing like that?"


    "¡­¡­Nothing, ojou-sama. It''s just that, I''m sure that your friend Elise-sama must be very shocked. Excuse me."


    While Ratoka remained completely frozen, Elise started talking again without paying it any mind. The other voice answered Elise calmly.


    "Various plants and fruits are edible, and can be harvested and picked, this is called gathering. When Eliza-sama was telling you stories about her time in the barracks, surely she mentioned this as well?"


    "Yes, indeed. ¡­¡­So that''s what gathering meant."


    Because she understood, Elise smiled happily in satisfaction and turned back to Ratoka. Ratoka instantly smiled in return as well, but he knew that his cheek was still twitching.


    That person in Elise''s room, must have already known of Ratoka coming to visit many times already. That person must have always remained silent every time he came to visit. He wondered if she was always listening to their conversations in secret.


    He had always thought that these nice, peaceful conversations belonged to him and Elise alone. And, Ratoka had also felt like there was something even sacred about it.


    Ratoka was ¨C at this moment, his cheek kept twitching, and complex emotions filled his entire head.


    Elise is a noble. Surely nobles must be accustomed to having someone else listen in on their conversations, it must be natural to them.


    She didn''t know what the word gathering meant, and this was normal to Elise as well, meaning to her, Ratoka hasn''t said or done anything bad at all.


    However, she had been so different from his image of a noble. That she really is a "noble" after all, he feels like he''s suddenly being confronted with that fact. An impression that still remains deep within Ratoka, of a "noble" that the sister with dawn-colored eyes despises.


    "What''s the matter?"


    Elise was looking down at Ratoka again, tilting her head in wonder.


    "-No, thing? I''m fine?"


    Their standing positions relative to each other by height, seemed as if to reflect the power relationship between them as well, and Ratoka gently looked away from Elise.

 Chapter 62 - 62

    Since he hadn''t visited Elise in so long, looking for a reason to tell her, before he realized it all Ratoka let spill that "training has gotten more difficult so I''ve been too busy to come," not being able to come up with anything else.


    A heavy feeling, like mud, was stuck in his chest.


    In Ratoka''s mind, three girls kept appearing and disappearing, changing places with each other.


    "Nobles are so terrible. While the villagers are in terrible condition, they live a good life, and play around happily every day." The sister with dawn-colored eyes and her faint smile was then replaced by Elise''s fleeting smile which turned into her sadly shaking her head.


    Then, after them, the icy expression of Eliza and her blood-red eyes, and the words she said to him from across the bars of his cell that one day, kept coming to his mind.


    "A country''s laws, are there to protect its people. That would include the nobility as well. The nobility aren''t regular people, they''re the gears that move this country. ¡­¡­If foolish people forget that and try to hurt others, this country could be destroyed. Such as my father."


    And so, they just kept switching and swapping, replacing each other in his mind, continuing endlessly, Ratoka''s mind was going funny.


    Of course, this would affect his ability to concentrate and his physical abilities.


    The wooden sword in his hands was knocked away with great force, and the next thing he knew Ratoka found himself on the ground. It happened so fast, that Ratoka didn''t understand what was going on until the pain in his back started setting in.


    "Oi, you''re not into it today."


    Ratoka remained blankly stunned for a while, before his voice crawled along the ground and reached a sullen Gunther.


    "It hurts."


    Gunther kicked him lightly in the head, then grabbed Ratoka by the back of his shirt and forcibly raised him off the ground.


    "What are you doing!!"


    "¡­¡­¡­¡­"


    Even though Gunther was being rather rough and bellowing angrily at him, all that he got back from Ratoka was a blank look. Gunther glared at Ratoka, and Ratoka flinched.


    "¡­¡­That''s enough for today."


    "Eh?"


    "Just do what you like until the marching training."


    Gunther left with only those words, and quickly departed from the training grounds.


    "¡­¡­What was all that."


    Ratoka''s wooden sword that was knocked out of his hands with great force, had flown farther than it ever had before.


    While Paulo smeared some medicine on his back for him, Ratoka just dazedly looked at the fields. He watched the wheat swaying in the light breeze.


    "What''s the matter today? You seem to be spacing out."


    "¡­¡­¡­¡­Mm? Ahh¡­¡­"


    Ratoka barely responded to Paulo who was worried about him, and couldn''t stop himself from thinking about the three girls that were still in his mind.


    Although he really wanted it all to stop and for the girls to go away, Ratoka himself did realize that it was all a manifestation of his own confusion.


    The girl that had taught him his entire sense of values.


    The girl most important to him right now.


    And, the person he hates the most.


    He didn''t know who to trust or believe in, Ratoka was completely lost in confusion.


    His emotions hadn''t matured yet. Since he had a twisted upbringing, that distorted his emotional development. Thus, his emotional maturity is even less than average for someone his age.


    Dealing with all these new thoughts and emotions, caused him great confusion.


    It just went round and round inside him but he couldn''t come up with any answers, so Ratoka, still with his blank expression, asked Paulo behind him.


    "¡­¡­Hey. Nobles are terrible people, right?"


    Many of the army''s soldiers had been forced into banditry because of the former domain lord, so they hate, loathe, and despise him. And, that should also extend to his wife and children. His wife had a mansion in the royal capital, and hardly ever stayed in her own domain, their children were fat and ugly, and they seemed to enjoy bullying and torturing the people in their own domain. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But, why does that not include Eliza, the only survivor.


    "¡­¡­What do you mean? Although the previous domain lord was indeed terrible, Earl Terejia has been helping us."


    Paulo replied after thinking for a little bit.


    "Claudia-sama is a really good person as well. She''s nice, very fun to be around with, and not arrogant at all."


    With Paulo''s words, Ratoka recalled the beautiful girl with long blonde hair. He''s never spoken to her, but he''s seen her around many times. She''s Eliza''s personal attendant and bodyguard, that''s all Ratoka knows. If he wasn''t obedient in the barracks, maybe he would have seen her more directly.


    "As for Eliza-sama¡­¡­ I wonder. I would definitely hate her if she was a terrible noble like her father, but she was brought up by Earl Terejia, and I think it''s good that she does think about her people properly. Claudia-sama says that Eliza-sama is a good person, and the other soldiers all give her their recognition as well, so I think I can say she''s a good noble?"


    Just as Paulo finished summing up his thoughts, he finished applying medicine on Ratoka''s back and stood up.


    "Well, if you''re anxious, come to see for yourself."


    "Eh?"


    Paulo said it very frankly, and Ratoka couldn''t help but think on his words. See for yourself, he said, but Eliza generally doesn''t come out from her mansion. Besides, since Paulo is also only a soldier in training, it should be almost impossible for him to get close to Eliza as well.


    "Don''t worry about it, it''s nothing bad. You just have to come with us when we deploy to Fort Jugfena."


    "¡­¡­Deploy?"


    It was such an unexpected word, that Ratoka could only repeat it dazedly.


    Fort Jugfena would mean the country''s border.


    It''s considered the most dangerous place in Arxia, bordering the unfriendly country of Densel, it''s a place where people must be prepared for death ¨C although Ratoka actually didn''t know those things, he did somewhat understand what it meant to have to deploy troops there.


    However, rather than that, more important to Ratoka right now was that Paulo would be leaving the barracks.


    "-Is there going to be war?"


    The words that finally came out of Ratoka, weren''t the ones he wanted to say the most. If Paulo is leaving, Ratoka wants to come along as well, but he couldn''t say it.


    In the worst case scenario, Paulo might not ever return again. And so, Ratoka couldn''t bring himself to say goodbye to Paulo.


    "No, I don''t think it''ll be to that extent. Because there''s some sort of uprising in the neighboring country close to Arxia, I''ve heard that we''re only heading over there to increase security. Our domain is going to take in some refugees, have you heard?"


    Ratoka had indeed heard about the domain accepting refugees. The soldiers that had formerly captured Ratoka, were now all living together with him and had told him about the refugees.


    "In our domain, because of the previous lord, there''s not enough population it seems? I don''t know whether Earl Terejia or Eliza-sama thought of it, but it seems that one of them decided to accept the refugees in order to help rebuild the domain and promote economic development. Having to take responsibility for that, that''s probably why soldiers have to be deployed to Fort Jugfena.


    Maybe some other domains also wanted to accept the refugees, some domains seem to have opposed it as well, either way, our domain won''t be able to sit things out."


    Without them realizing it, Calvin had come up next to them holding a plate of food, and entered the conversation. He seems to have brought Ratoka and Paulo their lunch portions, and sat down next to them.


    "According to Kamil, it was Eliza-sama that aggressively pushed for our domain to accept the refugees. Also, she was the one that came up with the countermeasures against the fire moths as well. That''s according to the people in the mansion. If that''s true, then Eliza-sama isn''t like the previous lord at all."


    As Calvin continued his story in an admonishing tone of voice, Ratoka only muttered "you don''t know that yet." Calvin simply agreed calmly.


    "That''s right. I don''t know what Eliza-sama will become like in the future. But right now she''s definitely working for the sake of the people. ¡­¡­Also, when she was here in the barracks, she tried her best with the difficult training every day. How hard this all is, you should know best, right?"


    Ratoka couldn''t even nod or shake his head at Calvin who was smiling wryly at him, and could only ask him a question instead.


    "Calvin¡­¡­ are you also going to Fort Jugfena?"


    Calvin had a blank look for a moment, then he nodded gently and smiled.


    "That''s right¡­¡­"


    The three girls had finally disappeared from Ratoka''s mind, but in exchange, he had a premonition that he was going to part with the name of Ratoka and the soldiers.


    He felt sadness, then a terrible sense of emptiness, Ratoka was lost for words.

 Chapter 63 - 63

    20 soldiers were recalled from the construction work for building a new village for the incoming refugees, while Earl Terejia''s personal troops would replace them, and Eliza would lead her domain''s soldiers to Fort Jugfena.


    Before the soldiers returned, Ratoka was returned to the mansion. Ratoka felt a lump in his chest at having to separate from Paulo, Calvin, and the other soldiers.


    Just like before, Ratoka had the room in the farthest back of the mansion, although this time he wasn''t confined like last time. The chains would no longer be used on him.


    When he returned, Bellway who he knew slightly immediately took him to meet two adults.


    One of them was Mrs. Marshan, who was introduced to him as the current governess and who would begin giving him a proper education. The other person was a tall, slender man, who was to begin teaching him the rapier. It seems that usually they teach Eliza as well.


    Although his time in the barracks had given Ratoka the foundation of what he needed for basic physical fitness, his studying and swordsmanship skills hadn''t kept up.


    Although he wasn''t throwing up like the time right after he entered the barracks, due to Ratoka''s mental fatigue and impatience with his learning not going well, combined with him wondering why he was being forced to learn all this, three weeks after he returned to the mansion, Ratoka was already sick of life there.


    Unlike at the barracks, Ratoka got to sleep in a soft bed, and received three good meals a day that were prepared for him. Even so, Ratoka felt that the barracks were better.


    At the very least, he was able to talk with Paulo and Calvin there every day. He was also allowed to be called Ratoka there.


    Now, he''s being swamped with work by the lessons given to him from his two teachers, so he barely gets to go out from his room, so he''s feeling lonely and fatigued every day. It was only natural and couldn''t be helped that Ratoka would feel this way.


    Even so, his teachers would keep telling him "Eliza completed these lessons successfully with hard work and effort," and feeling like he was being challenged, Ratoka kept working on his lessons.


    He believed what his two teachers were telling him since Calvin had also told him the same thing, that Eliza had started out knowing nothing just like she did, and that she completed everything successfully through only her own efforts. Anyways, basically Ratoka''s pride did not allow him to give up on things that she was capable of doing.


    Ratoka was also recognizing that nobles needed to work hard on learning many things, and he was realizing that his previous view that "nobles live a good life and play around happily every day" may have been mistaken.


    That''s why, Ratoka chased after Eliza. He wants to be able to do the things she can, and say "that was so simple, I didn''t even need to put in any effort."


    "Well then, Elise-sama, today I shall be giving a lecture on nobility and the law."


    "¡­¡­I''ll be in your care."


    At first, he was taught polite speech and etiquette, along with how to read and write words, and now he''s finally being taught subject matters, one month after he returned to the mansion.


    On top of the desk in front of him, Ratoka saw a rectangular object that he''s never seen before, and he touched it nervously.


    "Is this what''s called a book?"


    The rectangular object had many papers bundled inside it, filled with the characters that he had been learning, there was nothing other than the characters he was learning on the papers.


    There were no blank spaces, and no matter where he looked, even though he recognized the characters, he didn''t understand the meanings of the words at all. He had no idea what this book was about at all.


    "Do you understand the contents?"


    "¡­¡­No."


    "Of course. If you could read that all by yourself, there would be no need for lectures."


    Mrs. Marshan always had a perfect smile on, and her eyes felt slightly soothing. Although the amount he had to learn still made him feel a little melancholy inside, Ratoka happily listened to Mrs. Marshan beginning to teach him about the book''s contents.


    He didn''t have the free time to talk to anyone else out of classes, nor could he talk without permission even in the classroom, and he had to learn proper etiquette and language, Ratoka felt like he was almost drowning in his suffocation.


    He really, really wanted to be able to meet with Elise. Her gentle, calming stories had become of central importance in Ratoka''s heart.


    While learning from Mrs. Marshan''s lectures, his views on nobles were getting more and more shaken ¨C especially his view on Eliza, which he had once thought impossible to change.


    Arxia is a country that is ruled by law. Religion and law are inextricably intertwined in this country, it has been like this since its establishment.


    "Law" is considered so important, that its administrators and executors are the nobles. Law is supposed to bring about order, leading to a healthy society and people. Nobles are those that protect the law and order, that''s why "nobles" exist.


    The first shrine priestess, Kusha Fema, spread the "law" that she obtained from the gods, and was the founder of modern society. Later, her descendant St. Ahar created the guardian of the law, the Ar Xia church, along with the country Arxia that lives by the church''s Sacred Code of laws.


    Meaning, the current Arxia Kingdom is governed by "law" above all else. And, the "country''s" administrators are the nobles.


    Ratoka thought back to Eliza''s words that night again. "The nobility aren''t regular people, they''re the gears that move this country¡­¡­"


    Even the sister with the dawn-colored eyes had affirmed those things to him before. Although, she had said that the nobles had forgotten their duties to this country, drowning themselves in pleasure.


    But, if what she said was true, why were Eliza and him still learning all these things.


    The absolute views on nobles that the young sister had planted deep within Ratoka, were collapsing and loudly crumbling on itself within Ratoka, each time he had his lessons and learned more from his book. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 64 - 64

    Ratoka was finally mastering the basics of the rapier.


    Ratoka is a boy. As a typical young villager boy, he likes martial arts well enough.


    What''s more, he was even proud of himself, for being able to learn the rapier which ordinary commoners would never have the opportunity to do.


    Summer was ending, so the heat and humidity were subsiding, when Ratoka heard something that made him go "why is that" involuntarily.


    "Why was everything decided like this in the first place?"


    The person sitting across from Ratoka, Bellway, had just told him something without an explanation like he always did.


    "Your rapier training is going to end, and you''re going to start learning the spear instead today. Your teacher will be Claudia-sama, you''ll be learning at the training grounds, and your name with her will be Ratoka, not Elise. Also, any time that you speak with any of Earl Terejia''s private troops, please call yourself Ratoka.


    Because I''m in charge of you, please don''t give me any unnecessary trouble."


    Bellway finished what he had to say, and quickly stood up and left without giving Ratoka any answers.


    Even though he was allowed to use his real name for once with these people, Ratoka still felt some heavy feelings.


    Why was he supposed to start learning the spear, after he had finally begun to master the rapier after all that trouble. He couldn''t help but wonder about things over and over again with a heavy feeling in his heart, but couldn''t come up with any answers.


    In the first place, why was he even studying lessons for the nobles. Remembering that he had once thrown a stone at Eliza, Ratoka was becoming even more and more confused at her expectations for him.


    She would have him executed, she said. But instead, on the day of his supposed execution, she merely had him locked up, and cut off a small lock of his hair instead.


    He was provided with plain but a very ample amount of food, and was even allowed to go outside regularly. Every day, a towel to clean his body with and a hot bath was also prepared.


    Thanks to all this, compared to when he was in Cyril village, the skinny, grubby child that he used to be had completely disappeared, with his hair looking cleaner and healthier, his complexion looking much better, giving him a neat appearance.


    If the villagers saw him now, there''s no way any of them would recognize him. Everyone thought that he had been executed in that fake execution, and they had very little contact with him in the first place.


    All they might remember is the color of his hair and eyes. After all, because he looked so similar to the previous domain lord, everyone avoided him even after the previous lord had died.


    However, even though his appearance has changed so much, Ratoka couldn''t tell himself it was "great."


    He couldn''t abandon parts of his appearance or his name that his mother had given him.


    Even if his mother had gone insane. Even if his mother had hurt him.


    ¨C The girl''s name Ratoka, the long hair that his mother had him keep like a girl''s, both of those were proof to him of his mother''s love.


    Even though his hair used to be dirty and unhealthy, just changing it on him without his permission, and forcing him to use a different name for someone else''s convenience, stealing his original name from him, of course Ratoka would feel resentment inside at all of this.


    However, he was beginning to understand a little bit that this was all in order for allowing him to live on.


    ¨C Nobles are the executors of the law. The previous domain lord that had tortured his citizens was an exception, if there had been a real noble, any lawbreakers would have been the ones punished instead.


    Protecting and upholding the law doesn''t mean using it to one''s own advantage, it applies to everyone, from commoners, to nobles and even the royalty.


    That domain lord''s daughter, Eliza, must have known that. Even while knowing that, she had gone around the law and allowed Ratoka to live.


    He should have been executed according to the law, but even so, Eliza had broken the law and allowed him to live, this is such a serious matter.


    What''s more, Ratoka had been caught throwing a rock at Eliza, and had even told her he wanted her dead. Breaking the law to keep Ratoka alive, she gains nothing from it, and it could even be detrimental to her. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    People like Ratoka that resent the previous lord''s only surviving family member, Eliza, aren''t rare at all. What if someone else throws a rock just like Ratoka did, is she going to spare them just like him, he wondered.


    When he thought about all this, even though he still hates her, he saw a glimpse of a truly heavy burden on her tiny shoulders.


    Bellway took Ratoka to the training grounds that he hasn''t visited for a long time, and he saw some soldiers he didn''t know around the place. They weren''t wearing old battered leather armor like the domain''s army, but were wearing metal armor instead.


    "Bellway-sama, who''s this kid¡­¡­?"


    "He''s an orphan that''s going to become a soldier in training for the Kaldia army starting next spring. He''s going to begin learning the spear here. I was worried that he might get lost, so I guided him here."


    "I see, but surely Bellway-sama didn''t have to go to all the trouble of bringing him here yourself¡­¡­?"


    "Everyone else in the mansion just happened to be busy at the moment. It couldn''t be helped."


    The soldiers that he didn''t recognize came over to talk to Bellway. All these soldiers that Ratoka didn''t recognize, and on top of that Bellway was lying to them right in front of him, Ratoka felt something very shady was going on.


    "Since his instructor will be arriving soon, please prepare a section of the training grounds for his usage."


    Before he realized it, Bellway had already just about finished talking to the soldiers, and tapped him on the shoulder, causing Ratoka to shrug and turn around, looking at the direction he indicated.


    He had seen Gunther and the other soldiers use practice wooden spears before, so he wound some cloth strips around a wooden spear to pass the time, until he heard a cool mature girl''s voice saying, "are you Ratorika?"


    When he raised his head, he saw a beautiful blonde-haired girl. He''s seen her from afar a couple times before, it''s Claudia.


    "Um¡­¡­ It''s Ratoka."


    At Ratoka''s response, Claudia nodded to herself in self-satisfaction.


    "So it''s Ratoka, sorry for getting it wrong. I''m Claudia. Pleased to be in your care."


    "I''ll be in your care as well."


    "Ahh. Then, let''s start training immediately. Let''s start with twenty laps around the training grounds."


    At Claudia''s words that she said instantly without hesitation, Ratoka''s wooden spear that he was holding slipped from his hands with a noisy clatter.


    Twenty laps, that''s an amount that even the adult soldiers would have trouble with.


    By the way, the most that Ratoka has ever managed up until now has been eight laps. And, she wants twenty?


    "Alright, let''s start."


    Without paying attention to Ratoka''s reaction, Claudia was telling Ratoka to hurry up and start running. Even if he takes a light pace, Ratoka felt like twenty laps was still too unreasonable?


    Even so, Ratoka went along with Claudia''s demand, and ran completely out of energy after fifteen laps and could run or train no more, and his first day of spear training concluded earlier than expected.

 Chapter 65 - 65

    Many days later, although he was feeling fatigued, Ratoka managed to drag his heavy-feeling body to the training grounds again.


    On the short path from the mansion to the training grounds, Bellway had greeted Ratoka with a "you''re going?" and hadn''t said anything else.


    All the adults at the mansion are like that. They never chat about anything unnecessary. There''s only terribly businesslike brief exchanges, Ratoka felt no warmth from them at all.


    Although he had been lonely in Cyril village, his loneliness had begun fading while in the barracks, so now he''s gotten to the point where he can no longer stand being ignored.


    Just like yesterday, Bellway left him behind without saying anything, and Ratoka¡­¡­ sighed heavily.


    He wants to meet Elise so badly, and talk to her about anything at all.


    There were too many things he was thinking about spinning inside his head, it''s to the point where he can''t organize his thoughts or figure out what to do.


    That''s why, he wants to temporarily forget about everything.


    Although that was the wish inside his heart, he knew that it was very unlikely to come true. At the very least, he wants to be able to just make some casual conversation, changing his wish to something smaller.


    If nothing had changed about his life, his wishes would have never come true before. However, there''s now one more person around Ratoka than there used to be.


    Claudia is still a teenager that''s easy to get along with, it might be okay to make some silly idle chatter with her.


    When he thought about that, even though he was still tired from yesterday, some energy returned to him.


    Ratoka who was trying to console himself a little bit, suddenly looked around him. That beautiful golden hair was nowhere to be seen in the training grounds.


    Well, he''d gotten here a little early. He''ll wait patiently, and Ratoka sat down against the wall.


    However, after two hours passed, then another half hour, Claudia still never showed up.


    Although Ratoka did figure out that something might have happened, Ratoka still stayed there waiting for her by himself, as he had nothing else to do.


    In the end, Claudia never showed up to the training grounds. Since Bellway had told him not to make any trouble, Ratoka didn''t move from the training grounds. He didn''t know what was going on, nor could he do anything about it, all Ratoka could feel was anxiety.


    Everything about Ratoka was controlled by the nobles in the mansion, he couldn''t do anything by himself. The nobles have also told Ratoka nothing about anything going on.


    This is the first time that Ratoka''s been confronted with nobody telling him what to do. Feeling anxiety together with a strange sensation, at last Ratoka finally stood up, and headed for the exit of the training grounds. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Another thirty minutes had passed without anyone at all coming for Ratoka. He wants to take a look around to see what was going on with the abnormal situation¡­¡­ hopefully he won''t be scolded.


    While furtively walking along the paths, come to think of it, Ratoka realized that Earl Terejia''s personal troops that were usually hanging around here weren''t anywhere to be seen today.


    He felt more and more that something must have happened. Ratoka couldn''t help but increase his pace more and more, until he started running.


    He opened a door leading to the mansion, then suddenly turned around and flattened himself against the wall, as he heard many people''s voices.


    It seems that there''s a lot of people right now in this part of the mansion. While paying careful attention to his surroundings, Ratoka stuck to the shadows and took the path to Elise''s room.


    With his back pressed against the wall, Ratoka carefully peeked at the entrance to the mansion. Many of the missing troops from Earl Terejia''s army were gathered there. He also saw Bellway and Earl Terejia among them. This is the first time that he''s seen Earl Terejia in a long time.


    What''s going on, Ratoka held his breath as he surreptitiously spied on them. Everyone was looking up at the sky to the east, without any signs that they were going to go anywhere else.


    What exactly is going to happen in the sky over there.


    Ratoka, in his curiousity, looked at the sky as well. Other than the sunset, there was nothing. Only the reddish color of the sky that Ratoka hates.


    It all seemed slightly ridiculous, everyone was staring into the dazzling sunset. Then, finally, a small black speck appeared in the sky.


    Ratoka thought that it was a bird of some sort, until it got bigger and bigger as it approached, to the point where he could even see its shadow on the ground. It definitely wasn''t a bird, and he looked away from it, back at the group of people when they started making a commotion.


    "Look, isn''t that Rashiok?"


    "¡­¡­Ahh, that''s definitely Rashiok!"


    Ratoka tilted his head at what he heard. Rashiok? He seems to recall that name from a bedtime story that his mother used to tell him a long time ago, but can''t remember the details.


    Ratoka noticed that the people crowded around the entrance to the mansion were pointing at the black speck in the sky.


    Then, they must be pointing to that bird. ¡­¡­No wait, it''s not a bird. The black figure, although it spread its wings and was flying through the sky like a bird, it was much, much larger than any bird could be.


    That strange shape seems to be heading straight for here. As he kept watching it get closer, he noticed that there seemed to be a person riding on top the bird-like creature.


    What exactly is that.


    As Ratoka kept staring at the approaching creature out of sheer curiousity, as it kept getting closer and he was able to see it more clearly, he became completely lost for words.


    He could gradually make out, what appeared to be Claudia riding on top of the creature. And, he also noticed that Claudia was holding onto someone smaller in her arms.


    Her black hair was being illuminated by the evening sun, and wasn''t moving in the wind. Her arms were lowered and completely limp, and Ratoka felt himself turning pale reflexively.


    She''s carrying Eliza. Something must have happened to her at Fort Jugfena, for her to return like that.


    The moment he recognized her, Ratoka felt like his heart was being encased in ice. It was as if he was taking an icy shower in winter, his chest was so painful.


    She''s the girl that he once wished would die. But lately, just what exactly does he think of her.


    However, if she dies now, he''ll be troubled. Ratoka doesn''t belong anywhere ¨C only that girl has a use for him.


    Although it''s really frustrating for him to admit it, he had to face the facts. It was Eliza that spared his life, not Earl Terejia or anyone else.


    As Claudia and Eliza landed on the ground, Ratoka could only watch them while frozen over, with his eyes burning.

 Chapter 66 - 66

    Until the exhausted-seeming Claudia finally transported the apparently unconscious Eliza into the mansion, Ratoka''s body remained rooted like a stone.


    He was filled with chaotic, confused feelings inside him. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Only when Earl Terejia went inside the mansion as well, did Ratoka awkwardly start moving again.


    He doesn''t know when Bellway might come looking for him to pick him up. He can''t come up with any good excuses, so it''s best to avoid being scolded for going off on his own.


    He left at a quick pace, and returned to the training grounds.


    His heart was still beating painfully quickly. Eliza, Claudia, and the creature they were riding on, were all completely covered in blood. There must have been some sort of battle at Fort Jugfena. Even though everything had been completely normal this morning, he had no clue that any of this would happen.


    People that he didn''t know, were dying in a place he didn''t know, it was still quite a bad shock to Ratoka.


    What''s more, Eliza has returned, which means that the soldiers that went with her to Fort Jugfena should be returning soon within a few days as well.


    At thinking so, he lost all his strength in his shoulders. He tried his best to stand back up properly again, and succeeded right as he saw Bellway entering the training grounds.


    "I''m sorry, I forgot about you and left you here for several hours¡­¡­!"


    Bellway who walked briskly up to Ratoka, appeared to be a bit unsettled and impatient. He''s so different from his usual terse coldness, that Ratoka went wide-eyed in amazement.


    Bellway probably realized his own state as well, he cleared his throat to calm himself down.


    "Since Claudia-sama isn''t here right now, I''m terribly sorry that you came all the way out here and waited for nothing. I shall make certain that something like this does not happen again. Then, you can return for today."


    Bellway smoothly explained things away, and quickly turned around and left Ratoka, leaving him feeling terribly despondent for some reason. He just wants to hear something about what''s going on, an explanation rather than an apology.


    The feeling of loneliness was casting a shadow over his heart. Ratoka ploddingly followed along after Bellway in a downcast mood.


    Then, some time later, the remaining soldiers from the Kaldia army returned as well, led by Gunther.


    Ratoka watched them being thanked in the garden for their service, from a window in the mansion, knowing that he would get scolded if he was discovered.


    In the garden that was paved with bricks of various different colors, he saw what seemed like shadows on the soldiers'' faces, and they barely ate and were quite subdued instead of dancing at the party prepared for their return, drinking alcohol instead.


    As expected, with Eliza''s situation, they can''t just celebrate things.


    He wondered if she was injured, she''s still shut in her bedroom.


    While thinking so, Ratoka stopped looking at all the soldiers, and switched to looking for the people that took care of him in the barracks.


    Since Gunther really stood out, he saw him immediately. He was surrounded by a group of soldiers, and even so his rich russet brown hair was rather conspicuous. Something about him seems to be naturally charismatic, attracting others.


    For once, Calvin was sitting next to Gunther as well, relaxing.


    While the other soldiers had grim expressions, Calvin still had an unruffled, calm expression. Only the soldiers close to him seemed to have somewhat relieved expressions as well.


    Next, he found Paulo and stopped to look at him. He''s the shortest among the soldiers, but his fluffy golden hair is really eye-catching.


    Ratoka felt relief at seeing his friend healthy, and Ratoka started searching through the soldiers again.


    He wondered what happened to Igor. Igor was his roommate, and they got along pretty well, he kept looking for Igor''s face among the crowd ¨C and in the end ¨C he couldn''t find him.


    No matter how much he looked, he couldn''t find Igor and his ordinary chestnut-colored hair. He wondered if Igor was injured and was resting in the barracks.


    As he kept searching through the soldiers for Igor''s location, Ratoka suddenly furrowed his brows, feeling that something was off. What is it. Something seems weird.


    ¡­¡­While he kept looking at the soldiers, he realized what it was that he was feeling, and Ratoka felt goosebumps crawling on his skin.


    There are obviously fewer soldiers than before.


    There''s quite a few faces familiar to Ratoka that are missing.


    And, there were quite a few injured people down there at the party for them.


    Sweat soon covered the palms of his hands. He shuddered out of habit.


    They had gone to defend the country''s borders. And, their leader Eliza, had returned covered in blood. Meaning, it was probably a battle where people had died.


    Why had he thought that the shadows on their faces were related to Eliza''s situation.


    No wait, just like he surmised earlier, maybe the rest of them were simply in the barracks. The anxiety within Ratoka, swelled and swirled around inside.


    He kept looking at the soldiers from the window.


    At any rate, none of the people from the mansion are going to tell Ratoka anything about what went on with the soldiers. Then, he just has to go ask them himself.


    He has to learn if the soldiers he couldn''t see in the garden, were still alive.

 Chapter 67 - 67

    A night one month later, Ratoka softly opened the door to his room.


    The hallways were dark as the torches had been extinguished, and the only source of light was the stars shining through the windows.


    It was so silent, the even the sound of his own breathing sounded too loud to him.


    Ratoka softly sneaked out of his room, and held his breath as much as possibly while carefully proceeding down the dark corridors. Everyone in the mansion was sleeping.


    This is the second time that he''s sneaked out of his room like this.


    The night that the soldiers had returned, Ratoka had also sneaked out of his room to head for the barracks. However, he was unfortunately discovered by Bellway at that time, and he was ordered confined to his room temporarily and given a curfew.


    In the end, he hasn''t obtained any information, or been able to meet with Elise, all this time.


    This time, so as to not be discovered, Ratoka waited until much later at night, when everyone would be asleep, even the servants.


    His main goal is to be able to leave the mansion first, and he jumped out of a window on the first floor, rolling onto the ground.


    Summer''s already ended, and it was quite cold outside. While rubbing his arms to warm himself up, Ratoka hurried along to the barracks.


    Unlike the mansion, the barracks had lights lit even at night. Ratoka also knew that someone would be on duty, awake, at all hours. At the southern entrance, there should be a single soldier posted on guard duty for the barracks.


    Ratoka really wants to talk to someone and hear what''s going on, so that''s where he headed.


    At the southern entrance, as Ratoka expected, he saw the dim outline of a soldier standing there illuminated by the candlelight.


    Ratoka had been worried that it would be a soldier he didn''t recognize, so he felt some relief when he saw who it was. While he was confined for one month, the remaining soldiers that had been helping construct a village for the refugees had probably returned, so the person here might not have recognized Ratoka.


    Luckily, the person on guard duty here tonight was someone that had helped with Ratoka''s training before. While he wasn''t necessarily as close a friend as Paulo and Calvin, he wasn''t someone that made fun of or had a bad relationship with Ratoka.


    In order to not startle him, Ratoka slowly walked out from the dark night.


    "Who''s there!"


    The soldier immediately drew his sword. Ratoka could see the surprise on the soldier''s face in the dim candlelight, and once the soldier saw that it was Ratoka, he sheathed his sword again.


    "Ratoka¡­¡­?"


    "Yes, that''s right. It''s me."


    "You, where have you been? ¡­¡­More importantly than that, why are you here at this time of night¡­¡­?" sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The soldier couldn''t hide his confusion, while Ratoka felt the most relief he had in a long time. The only two people that even talk with Ratoka in the mansion are Bellway and Mrs. Marshan, and neither of them show any emotion in front of Ratoka.


    At seeing more varied expressions in front of him for the first time in a long while, Ratoka relaxed his shoulders.


    "Um, I''m being taken care of at a different place right now. It''s been a bit strict, so I couldn''t come visit except at this time. Also, everyone at the mansion, they don''t tell me anything¡­¡­"


    "Have you come to hear about what happened to us?"


    Ratoka nodded, and the soldier scratched his cheek like he was at a loss. Although he had put away his sword, it seems that he''s still maintaining a minimum amount of vigilance.


    "I saw you all from a distance when you returned. At that time, there were some people I couldn''t see¡­¡­ I was worried if they were injured, and I absolutely had to come find out. My roommate, Igor-san¡­¡­ is he doing alright? Has he returned?"


    So as to not appear too suspicious, Ratoka only asked the minimum of what he wanted to know. However, the soldier paled when he heard Igor''s name mentioned.


    The candlelight was flickering over the soldier''s face that had gone white.


    Ratoka clenched his lips and ground his teeth. The soldier''s reaction seemed to indicate that he must know what happened to Igor.


    For a while, both Ratoka and the soldier remained silent. The fall wind kept blowing on Ratoka. It made him cold, and his shoulders were shivering. The chilliness was a bit too much, and Ratoka was the first one to break the silence by sneezing. Then, the soldier finally seemed to come to his senses.


    "Oi, don''t catch a cold or something out here. You''re wearing such light clothes¡­¡­!"


    "¡­¡­I''m alright. Once I return, I have a warm bed I can sleep in. But, before I go back, please at the very least tell me what happened to Igor."


    Ratoka looked directly into the soldier''s eyes, and the soldier faltered slightly. The soldier bit his lips several times. Then, at last he sighed, and began talking softly.


    "Igor, that guy died. He died at Fort Jugfena. He was ambushed from behind and stabbed in the stomach¡­¡­ Richard, Dominic, Wojciech, Frederick, Joseph, they and more all died. Charlie¡­¡­ Eliza-sama, seems to have gone funny in the head because Kamil died as well. All she does now is sleep¡­¡­"


    All the names belonged to soldiers that Ratoka knew, and Ratoka felt like blood was draining from his face, and he touched his face with trembling fingers as he was beginning to feel dizzy. The soldier seemed to be quite down as he returned to his guard post at the barracks entrance.


    Ratoka couldn''t say anything, and just remained frozen there for a while. Although he had known that it was a possibility, being confronted with the knowledge that people he''d known had indeed died was still a big shock to him.


    On top of that, hearing that Eliza who controlled his very fate had gone funny in the head, this news made him unsteady on his feet.


    He felt terribly dizzy as he tried his best to make his way back to the mansion. The soldier saw him off with an anxious feeling as he watched Ratoka''s small back disappear in the darkness with an unsteady gait.


    Before he realized it, Ratoka somehow managed to return to his room. His brain felt numb. He was also extremely tired, and Ratoka fell asleep in his bed.


    Bellway was shaking him when Ratoka woke up. He was still lost and in a daze. His eyes felt slightly clouded and warm, almost painful. His entire body felt like it didn''t want to move, it was heavy.


    "Are you alright?"


    He heard a cold voice with no worry in it. Ratoka shook his head slowly to clear his mind. He didn''t really know if everything was really alright, but for now he has to clear his thoughts first and deny that anything''s wrong.


    "Is something the matter?"


    "¡­¡­No. Everything''s fine."


    Ratoka shook his head more strongly than before, and Bellway looked at Ratoka as if trying to pierce through him. It''s such a cold gaze, Ratoka involuntarily recoiled.


    "¡­¡­Come to think of it, I guess you''re still a child¡­¡­¡­¡­"


    Bellway muttered that to himself. Ratoka didn''t hear what he said, and just kept staring at him blankly.


    Ratoka met Bellway''s eyes again as he was furrowing his eyebrows, and Ratoka hurriedly lowered his face again, and missed seeing an expression on Bellway''s face that he''s never seen before.

 Chapter 68 - 68

    Ratoka quietly looked down at the girl sleeping in front of him.


    Her black hair was scattered on top of the white bedsheets. Her icy gaze and those red eyes resembling the setting sun, he couldn''t see right now. Her smooth white skin, was losing its luster. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Even though it''s already been a month since she''s returned from Fort Jugfena, Eliza has been doing nothing other than sleeping this whole time.


    The next night, right after Ratoka learned about Eliza''s condition from the soldier that returned from Fort Jugfena, he snuck out again, to Eliza''s room. According to what the soldier had said, Eliza was always stuck in this state. Although she wasn''t injured, it seems that a guy named Kamil had died at Fort Jugfena, which may have caused an injury to her heart instead.


    The fact that Eliza spends most of her time sleeping, Bellway had told him frankly that day. Since he hadn''t heard the full story from the soldier, he figured that Bellway probably found out that he met up with the soldiers and probably didn''t mind too much.


    Eliza also wakes up from time to time. She would open her eyes, and get up, but wouldn''t move. What''s more, she wouldn''t react to anyone voice, and she wouldn''t even walk. She won''t even make idle chat with anyone. Nor does she seem to react to pain.


    Even though she''s still alive, Ratoka felt like Eliza might as well have been a living corpse. She doesn''t show any emotions, she doesn''t talk, nor does she respond to anything.


    Maybe, it was her mind that had died, not her body.


    And right now, Ratoka just kept looking at Eliza for quite a long while.


    Ratoka was holding a silver knife in his right hand. Right now, there''s no one by Eliza''s side. And, Eliza can''t possibly resist in her current state.


    His brain still felt numb. He also felt a strange sense of something resembling elation.


    Spending time in the barracks, and spending more time in the mansion again, he''s learned many things in this time.


    That nobles are not all evil. That the young girl named Eliza, was properly carrying the burden of her father''s crimes, as well as her own sins.


    That Eliza was trying to allow him to live.


    Her way of life, resolution, beliefs, even knowing all these, there was still a reason that Ratoka had a knife in his hand.


    The fact that Igor and the others from the army had died, he blamed Eliza.


    The reason that they had to deploy to Fort Jugfena, was because Eliza had decided to accept the refugees. Calvin had said that Eliza was the one to aggressively push for Kaldia accepting the refugees.


    Even if she''s not as arrogant as the nobles he''s heard about, she still didn''t care enough for the lives under her, and as a result her soldiers died.


    He can''t forgive her due to his loneliness caused by the soldiers'' deaths, and he has nobody else to blame other than Eliza.


    Ratoka encouraged the hatred building up within him, and slowly raised his hand holding the knife as well.


    If he kills her, this time for sure he''ll probably die as well.


    There''s nobody here that would protect him.


    He''s scared of dying. But, the words he had spat at Eliza before weren''t mere bravado.


    He was shaking. His heartbeat was getting faster.


    Right now, inside Ratoka, a variety of emotions and memories were furiously flying about and changing places with each other.


    His hand holding the knife in the air was trembling. Even though he had come here without hesitation, he couldn''t figure out why he couldn''t bring down his weapon.


    His mother''s face, the rock incident at Cyril village, the dark feelings he had from Igor and the other soldiers'' deaths, the things he learned at the mansion, everything was jumbled together in his mind.


    "¡­¡­Urgh!"


    His trembling right hand with the knife, he gripped with his also trembling left hand.


    Even if he''s confused, it''s fine. All he has to do is make his hand obey, and swing down like he wants to.


    As long as he does that, she''ll probably die very quickly.


    ¨C But, even after a long time, he still didn''t bring down the knife. His hands were only trembling.


    He forgot to even breathe, nor could he do anything with his knife, as he watched Eliza continue to sleep, his vision began to get blurry from tears.


    He can''t keep this state forever, Ratoka thought.


    Then, he finally started gasping for breath, and remembered to breathe. He couldn''t say anything, all he could do was take deep breaths of fresh air.


    Then, at that moment, he suddenly recalled Elise''s gentle smile. It was such a sudden bright flash, that it felt like he could really see her before him, as an illusion.


    Suddenly, Ratoka collapsed on the floor, like a puppet whose strings had suddenly been cut.


    Clang, the knife fell on the floor with a light sound.


    His heart is pounding so hard¡­¡­ it even feels like it''s hurting his ears. Even though he''s not feeling painful or sad, for some reason he couldn''t stop the tears from coming out of him.


    Having enough hatred to lead to a murderous intent, Ratoka no longer possessed that.


    "Shit¡­¡­ Shit¡­¡­!!!!"


    In his frustration Ratoka tried to punch the floor, then he reached his hand out to Eliza. He grasped the cloth of her high quality nightgown, and shook her.


    "Wake up, you¡­¡­ bastard! You, even though you haven''t done anything for the villagers¡­¡­¡­¡­!!"


    Pitter patter, Ratoka''s tears were falling onto Eliza''s cheeks. There was no expression on her face, it looked almost like a doll''s, a fake toy of some sort.


    "Wake up, wake up!!! If you keep sleeping, I, can''t even bring myself to hit you¡­¡­!!"


    Even shouting at her with all his emotions, and shaking her as hard as he could, Ratoka got no response. Ratoka didn''t get anything he wanted, all he could do was continue crying and whining.


    At his powerlessness and emptiness, he lost even the energy to keep shaking Eliza. He collapsed on her bed, and simply kept crying for as long as his voice held out.


    All his invisible anxiety, all his emotions that he wasn''t able to organize, his stress, his loneliness, his resentment, everything had reached its limit, he vented all his anger and frustration towards Eliza all at once.


    Ratoka, after all, was still a child that wasn''t even ten years old yet.


    What''s more, since his mother had gone insane, he didn''t have a proper upbringing, and his emotional development had gotten distorted.


    Even though he''s older than Eliza, he''s much more of a child than she is.


    He just kept venting all his mixed feelings by crying, although for how long it lasted, Ratoka didn''t know.


    But, after he finished crying, he fell asleep on Eliza''s bed, just like a baby.


    Eliza, in her foggy state of consciousness, after the crying stopped, reached her hand out to him.

 Chapter 69 - 69

    A month of sleeping had definitely decreased Eliza''s strength and stamina. Her body didn''t move the way she wanted it to, and it felt heavy. Since it''s come to this, she actually wanted someone to lend her a hand, but there was nobody that did so.


    All she could do was support herself against Rashiok, and proceed almost at a crawl.


    And so, she arrived at a small pond close by to the garden. The poisonous hemlock that had killed her family was still growing greenly under the sunlight, and entered Eliza''s field of vision. Although there were also bright floral colors to be found here during the summer, right now it''s already past mid-autumn, and there were only drab brown and green colors to be seen.


    This pond has been minimally affected by humans. Without paying mind to that, Eliza walked around the edges of the pond.


    This pond was currently treated as a water reservoir only, and it was created long ago to complement the garden.


    It was built even before the mansion existed, from a time long long ago.


    That''s why, there were still traces of people from long ago left around this pond. The right side of the pond can be seen from the mansion''s garden, and various trees'' shadows fell across the pond water, and below the trees were some stones here and there. Eliza plopped herself down onto a flat tree stump.


    There was a slight sound as the water rippled slightly from the wind which was also swaying the grass, and other than that all Eliza heard was her own heartbeat.


    Although the air was chilly, thanks to Rashiok lying down beside her and warming her up, she quickly forgot the coldness in the air.


    As she sighed, Eliza stopped to look at a certain location. Her line of sight was directed at the base of a tree, where there was a polished stone that was a little less than half her height.


    It was a gravestone.


    Although there was no name engraved on it, nor was there a body actually buried under it, it was still a gravestone.


    Eliza reached out and brushed away the dust on the gravestone with her fingers.


    Rashiok had carried her to the mansion, leaving Kamil''s body behind, and this is the first time that she''s come back here to this pond. She hadn''t forgotten the person that this gravestone belonged to, it''s just that she had gotten tied down by all her emotions and feelings.


    "-It''s been a while. Sorry for not coming all this time."


    Eliza began talking to the gravestone in a small voice. Of course there was no reply. Since gravestones are meant for dead people, she didn''t expect any replies.


    "¡­¡­I let an important person to me die. All because of my own foolishness."


    Even so, Eliza kept talking to the gravestone, all by herself, alone. Even though her fingers were getting dirty from wiping the gravestone''s surface, she didn''t care.


    "Kamil¡­¡­ You''ve become such an important person to me¡­¡­"


    There was only the rustling sound of the autumn wind blowing through leaves in response. The sound echoed everywhere, while Eliza silently thought to herself for a little bit.


    "I had always thought that if I trusted people, I would be betrayed and lose my life, but now I know that I can''t live life without trusting in people. ¡­¡­Or maybe, I should say that I felt it would be better to die rather than be betrayed."


    After saying that, Eliza fell silent for a moment again. She lowered her gaze to escape the harsh glare of the sunlight.


    "¡­¡­Thanks to all this, I''ve remembered various things in my dreams that I''ve long since forgotten. Even though I have all these memories, just what has all this become¡­¡­"


    She was saying all these words with no force behind them. There was no intonation to her voice, and it was obvious that her voice sounded empty.


    Right now, Eliza''s heart is still being ruled by her thoughts of the departed. When Eliza had been woken up by Ratoka shaking her that much and shouting in her ears, she had actually been quite pissed, but right now she''s actually not that different from when she was asleep.


    After losing Kamil, it was like there was a big hole inside her, from which her emotions and feelings had fallen out of.


    "¡­¡­I''ve slept for quite a long time. I finally woke up because that boy shook me so much. I guess I should call him Elise. Kamil, you''d asked me just what I was doing before, giving him that name so similar to mine, someone he hates so much. It was so that I could create another girl named Elise¡­¡­ Just exactly what was I doing, I wonder. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Rather than something like that, I could have been doing better things¡­¡­"


    Eliza almost sounded like she was whimpering, and fell silent again. She recalled again the crying face of Ratoka when he had woken her up.


    Even if someone comforted her, or encouraged her, Eliza''s foggy world still wouldn''t clear up. Her sleeping all this time, had probably been a form of escape. At the very least, she didn''t suffer while she was asleep, she wouldn''t feel sadness or guilt or anything else. Even if it was deceiving, it was still a kind of peace.


    It was Ratoka''s explosion of emotions that had finally dragged Eliza out, forcing her to face reality again.


    Although Eliza had thought that Ratoka was pretty smart for his age, it seemed that he''s also a bit emotionally underdeveloped for his age as well. Maybe she has to change a little how to deal with him, but she couldn''t come up with any ideas currently.


    In her previous life, she had no experience in dealing with children whatsoever, and in this life, she also has nobody her own age as a friend either. She had no understanding of how children''s emotions were supposed to develop, and in the first place she herself lacked expressive emotions, so Eliza was completely lost on this.


    Eliza looked away from the gravestone, up at the sky.


    The blue sky hadn''t changed at all, whether Kamil was alive, or when he died, it remained the same.


    "¡­¡­Being born into an otome game''s world, I had thought that it would be more fun. I reincarnated as a noble girl villainess, but why did it turn out this way?"


    While muttering that to herself, she dragged herself over to Rashiok and climbed on his back.


    The only creature listening to Eliza''s monologue all this time was her draconis, who finally cried, "kuu-on" in return.


    End of Act 1, Part 4

 Chapter 70 - 70

    Beginning of Act 2, Part 1


    (This chapter returns to Eliza''s point of view.)


    I believe that games, books, manga, anime, TV shows, movies, all these things created solely for entertainment purposes are basically so that we can obtain some sort of catharsis. As an example, in my previous life, due to my younger sister''s recommendation, I tried a certain otome game.


    Helping other people from the heroine''s perspective, improving your character by raising your level and stats, and enjoying the drama between the characters.


    You can romance handsome, high-spec boys, or even, during that process defeat your love rivals.


    With it, you obtain a sense of superiority and satisfaction.


    In a medieval European fantasy setting, made of fluffy images, the heroine is able to meet male capture targets filled with various female ideals, although this was all very lacking in realism. Once again, this must purely be for entertainment purposes, as the characters'' archetypes were rather exaggerated and very shallow.


    The otome game was quite detailed, and it felt deeper than most stories. Just like the original meaning of the word catharsis, it might have been intended to purify the emotions of pity and fear through art.


    However, all I know is that it wasn''t the case for me.


    The heroine was someone that had come from the neighboring country, to go to noble school and look for a husband candidate from among the students, and she would romance them, that was the story.


    It didn''t depict anything about the brutality and filthiness of human beings, there was nothing in it obstructing people from obtaining catharsis.


    I looked around at the earth which was stained with blood. Dead bodies which were unrecognizable, were piled up like garbage.


    Military forces between countries had fought here. Humans had caused so much death and destruction.


    Why had they fought, why were so many lives sacrificed, the dead would obtain nothing.


    There was nothing such as celebration wine to be seen around here. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This was another side to the game world where the heroine was the neighboring country''s archduke''s daughter and had come to noble school to have fun and find romance. This type of scene had never appeared in the game, yet there were indeed pools of blood everywhere.


    There''s no such reason like people attempting to obtain catharsis here, there was only people killing each other, and dying. Or, there''s no story-like qualities here, only people fighting with all their strength.


    People aren''t very principled, it''s a world where people attack others based on their feelings and desires.


    Even though I know that, still, this world is nothing like the game settings at all, only the stage is the same while a war began, I got the ridiculous idea wondering if this was reality at all.


    I was simply scared.


    Is this world real or fake? Am I just dreaming?


    Indeed, my feelings of memories of a past life were fading.


    Why did I kill people for, I wonder. Why do people die, I wonder.


    Are people''s deaths meaningless, I wonder.


    I wonder if I would have been happier had I not recalled my past life''s memories. If I didn''t know the game''s story from my past life''s memories, would this war have not started, I wonder.


    Even if I think about it, I have no answers. That''s all I understand.


    I just keep telling myself that it''s probably for the best that I don''t understand anything.


    Is this world just a game world from my previous life, I wonder.


    Or, is this reality with breathing, living people, I wonder.


    I can''t decide if this is reality or not, even though technically this isn''t supposed to be something that I can just leave undecided.


    That''s why, maybe I have no choice but to accept, that I can''t make a choice between the two.

 Chapter 71 - 71

    In any society, it seems that there''s various different rites of passage.


    I''m at the head temple of the Ar Xia church, the Great Shrine of Misorua, which basically surrounds the royal palace here in the royal capital. I''ve been kneeling in the dark for some time, thinking about various things instead of the confession I''m supposed to be doing.


    In the Arxia Kingdom, this is a rite of passage for seven year olds, a turning point in one''s life. This is also the age at which one can be punished for one''s own crimes under the law. Meaning, I''m supposed to make an oath to follow the laws of Xia for the rest of my life, and I shall take the responsibility for being punished in accordance with the law if I break any laws.


    While commoner children can just go to wherever the closest church is and listen to a recitation of the contents of the Sacred Code, it''s different for nobles.


    I had to schedule a date beforehand with the Great Shrine of Misorua for the ritual, and perform a purification ceremony by myself in a dark room by confessing for half a day. After that, I have to recite a passage from the Sacred Code, and swear to protect and uphold the law in front of the god Misorua and the priests.


    At the same time, this ritual is also meant to formally induct me as a member of the Ar Xia church. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Before seven, I''m only considered an interim member. Well, there''s a very high proportion of children that die before reaching seven, and children aren''t considered to know right from wrong here until they''re seven years old.


    Thanks to various detailed memories from my previous life, I felt like everything religion related seemed really shady, and I didn''t believe in it at all. Spending half a day shut inside a dark room, I found this confession thing to be rather ridiculous, and I merely remained here in silence.


    Whether or not the god Misorua exists, I don''t care either way at all. Even if I belong to the Ar Xia church, whether or not I really believe in what they preach isn''t important at all. What''s important is keeping up appearances and going along with society.


    Six months ago, when I kept sleeping constantly for an entire month, I kept dreaming about things from my previous life.


    I recalled many things that I had once forgotten. But, rather than feeling like it was something that happened to myself in the past, it felt more like I was reading a book with someone else as the protagonist, or maybe a ghost whispering information to me.


    I''m currently Eliza Kaldia from the Arxia Kingdom, not a young girl that used to live in Japan.


    In the darkness, although I took a pious pose of reflecting on my past sins, I mostly spent the time saying my farewells to and making a break from my past life.


    After the time allotted for confession finally finished, I looked around the main hall of the Great Shrine for a while. My guardian, Earl Terejia had come along with me to the Great Shrine, but he has his uses.


    We''re finally supposed to be able to invite a bishop that can hold church rituals to my domain. To keep track of the bishop''s movements, for the necessary paperwork, and the conditions that would need to be agreed on, this is where the earl comes in.


    By the way, although the term bishop reminded me of high-ranking clergymen from my past life, here in Arxia it just refers to a much more general educator. Bishops are responsible for teaching reading and writing.


    A priest guided me into the shrine''s main hall. When I entered, I was struck by the extravagance and magnificence of what was before me. There were exquisite stone sculptures of unrivaled craftsmanship on wooden pedestals and there was also two fountains of flowing water by the main platform.


    The ceiling had large panes of stained glass in flower shapes, giving the inside of the church an amazing array of colors.


    On top of the a main platform was an altar to honor the remains of St. Ahar, and even more surprisingly there was a spring coming from it. The water flowing from it was enclosed by a circle of stones, and a coffin was placed in the center.


    "It''s amazing, isn''t it."


    The priest guiding me seemed to be quite proud of it all. I could only nod in agreement. Seeing such beautiful construction, I haven''t ever seen anything like this even in my previous life.


    I finally looked away from all the splendor, and started focusing on the priests here. The priest next to me watched me in silence. It feels like he might watch me like this for quite a while, to the point of boredom.


    Then, as I looked around at the fine details of the craftsmanship on the ceiling and floor, I heard a voice from behind me.


    "Oh my, aren''t you¡­¡­ the Kaldia girl?"


    It was a voice that sounded neither young nor old, neither male or female, a very mysterious voice. It sounded familiar. When I turned around, it was a person dressed in white priestly garments.


    "Priest Faris-!"


    "It seems that you''re about to swear your oath. Although, you have quite a terrible expression for someone going through their purification ceremony and confession¡­¡­"


    This is the priest that presided over my birthday celebration last spring, Faris had an ambiguous smile. Although I haven''t seen Faris in over a year, there''s no change in Faris''s appearance, and my cheek involuntarily twitched at this priest''s appearance.


    "¡­¡­Well, I guess it''s because you have to shoulder such a terrible burden when you''re still so young."


    Is something funny about all this, that you''re making snarky comments, and don''t touch my shoulder like that without permission.


    This enigmatic priest, I can''t tell what he or she is thinking at all, yet somehow Faris always seems like he or she can see straight into my heart, I felt extremely unsettled.


    "Head Priest-sama, please don''t tease Viscountess Kaldia so much¡­¡­"


    The priest guiding me remonstrated Faris. Priest Faris shrugged lightly, and headed for the altar.

 Chapter 72 - 72

    When I finally woke up last year in autumn after a full month of sleeping, I had a lot of work to catch up on even though I was still recovering. Now that six months have passed since then, things have finally settled down.


    Also, because of the battle at Fort Jugfena and me being asleep an entire month, the refugee acceptance plan has gone way off track. Originally, starting in summer, we were supposed to start by accepting 50 refugees in the first month.


    In the end, we were supposed to receive around 1200 new citizens, but because most of the refugees at Fort Jugfena had been killed, in the end Kaldia is only going to gain about 300 new citizens from the refugees.


    Also, as for the Shiru tribe, they were much more in number than what I had assumed. At first I had heard that there would be about 40 of them, but even if there were three times that number, with 120 of them, integration should still be reasonably achievable.


    However, in the end there had still been 300 of them hiding in the Bandishia Plateau that ended up joining me, a much larger number than expected. It''s quite impressive that so many of them were able to shake off such a large pursuing Densel force for over a month.


    Together, it''s 600 new citizens, but it''s still only half the original number of new citizens that were supposed to have joined. They were supposed to help in constructing the new village as well, but with this I''m going to have to redo my plans from scratch.


    After all, half of them are the Shiru tribe, who are nomadic, meaning they roam often and don''t stay in one location for very long, so they have very little knowledge in construction. And on top of that, they''re also not very well versed in agriculture and farming. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Having come west of the Bandishia Plateau to Kaldia, they''re going to have to adjust their lifestyles and construct homes for themselves. Usually it seems that they construct homes from the earth and stone rather than wood. Unfortunately, stone as a building material in Kaldia¡­¡­ is almost nonexistent.


    Since I don''t have the time or money, for now all I can do is supply wood as building materials. Also, I''m having clay prepared, to be made into bricks.


    Although I also hope to attract people to immigrate to my domain, it''s only a slight hope, first I still have to work my way through this current problem.


    What''s more, because the person in charge of overseeing the village construction was Kamil who passed away, there''s the issue of who to put in charge from now on. Finding someone from here that knows how to speak the Artolan language, so that mutual understanding can be easily achieved for everyone to work together, seems very difficult to do.


    There had also been 30 soldiers originally helping with the village construction, but 20 had been recalled to go to Fort Jugfena''s battle and there were only 10 working there still. Although I had mentally prepared myself that this may happen, due to the casualties suffered in that battle, now we no longer have enough surplus troops to send soldiers to help aid the construction again.


    In the end, I decided to move the village construction farther west, much closer to the area under my direct control in the Kaldia domain. It''s become that things are now moving ahead of schedule.


    Also, just because I was asleep for a month doesn''t mean that there was no paperwork to be done during that time, after the battle I had to repeatedly go back and forth between Kaldia and the royal capital, with no time to rest because too much work had piled up.


    ¨C The above just took me about thirty minutes to explain to Ratoka who was glaring at me. Finally, he spoke up with a sulk.


    "So, you''re saying you were so busy that you completely forgot about me."


    His voice, while calm, definitely sounded angry and cold. I feel like it might almost be better if he were screaming and yelling at me instead.


    "No, it''s just that I had a lot of work to finish before I could meet up with you, that''s what I just explained."


    "Is that something you say to someone you''ve barely talked to and left alone for almost a year?"


    While I haven''t talked to him much lately, his education has still been continuing, so his words have gotten more eloquent. His red eyes and even gestures are so similar to mine, it''s definitely caught my interest.


    "¡­¡­Even if you say I left you alone, I don''t have a use for you right now."


    When those words left my mouth, a vein started bulging on his forehead.


    "Or maybe, could it be, you wanted attention from me even though I''m younger?"


    "Do you want to get beaten up!!"


    "Whoops, be careful not to let disrespectful words slip out there."


    As I watched Ratoka, also known as "Elise," I couldn''t help but let out a laugh at his face turning red in anger and frustration. Being snarky towards him as a form of stress release, why did I develop this kind of habit, I wonder.


    I dodged his fist that was aimed at my shoulder, and I felt a nostalgic feeling like I was in the barracks, exchanging banter with the soldiers.

 Chapter 73 - 73

    "¡­¡­What exactly is this?"


    Maybe because I had been so stupefied, those words accidentally slipped out. I had just heard something so unexpected, that I just kept staring at Earl Terejia in a daze.


    "You''ll have to play together with Elise-dono."


    Earl Terejia''s calm voice crushed my feelings of wanting to escape. Once again, I took a good look at what was in my hand.


    It was an elaborate, beautifully made girl doll, but it was creepily deformed by an indescribable smile on it.


    I wondered just how much gold it would take to make those golden clothes the doll was wearing in real life size, as I admired the excessiveness of the doll''s extravagant clothing. After all, the amount of frilliness on it was dreadful to behold.


    This doll in my hand was a gift from the father of the noble girl currently staying here at my mansion, Elise''s father Baron Sherstok. The baron had even went to the trouble of gifting me a set of two dolls with different designs. This was the meaning behind Earl Terejia''s words just earlier, "you''ll have to play together with Elise-dono."


    Although Elise had come over to Kaldia in order to recuperate from her illness, in name she was also my guest and playmate. But up until now, we''ve never really played, and only visited each other. While Elise is indeed a bit sickly, it''s more of that I''ve simply been so busy that I haven''t been able to spare the time to accompany her.


    However, Baron Sherstok wouldn''t know such a thing. The baron is one of those nobles without land of his own, so he basically has very little to do with high noble society, and he wouldn''t know how busy I am or that I have zero interest in dolls.


    That said, giving a doll as a gift to his ten year old daughter Elise, this is a very common type of present. In the eyes of most people, I''m probably more of the odd one for not taking the time to play.


    Knowing my personal preferences on dolls, Earl Terejia perfunctorily left the office. Left alone, I glanced again at the glittering, sparkly doll.


    What do I do, with this. Am I supposed to play with it.


    I held its head, and kept wondering what to do.


    ¡­¡­In short, Elise is supposed to play with this, I wonder if I should find some playmates for her. I''d think that I don''t necessarily have to be the person playing with her.


    While thinking about passing that role on to Ratoka, I started playing with the thick skirt on the doll. Without a doubt, the doll''s costume was overly extravagant, and the embroidery was so fine that I could barely see the stitches connecting the cloth together. A golden rose was sewn neatly into the top of the skirt, reflecting the sunlight prettily.


    "¡­¡­Mm,"


    The more I looked at it, the more I felt like something was slightly off about the embroidery. I kept turning the doll around in my hands, and one part just seemed slightly different.


    I flipped up the skirt and checked underneath, and as expected the same type of embroidery was underneath it as well. While I tilted my head and wondered just what it was about this embroidery that seemed strange, I suddenly realized that it seemed almost like it was in the shape of letters of the alphabet. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    When I started trying to read it, although it was a bit difficult due to the tiny size and a lack of spaces, it seems that it was an actual message.


    "I see, so it was a secret letter."


    Earl Terejia read the message that I wrote down for him on a piece of paper.


    "It would seem that this rose is a sign to check for a hidden message. Since Elise usually doesn''t come out of her room while she''s recuperating from her illness here, it seems that Viscount Stadel must have developed these codes and hidden messages for her as a game."


    Elise''s uncle, Viscount Stadel, especially dotes on her as she used to be in such poor health that she couldn''t even get out of bed on some days. I had heard from Elise herself before that he always tried to think of fun things for her to do to escape the boredom of always being confined to bed, that didn''t require her to leave her room.


    Since Viscount Stadel doesn''t have any children of his own, maybe he''s pouring out all his affection for his niece. Also, probably due to Elise''s weak body, maybe he''s become a little overprotective. That Elise could grow up so innocently in such an environment, I felt a strange sense of admiration.


    "And, did you understand what was written there?"


    "Yes. If I add in punctuation and spacing, it''s not so hard. It''s a warning about the movements of the northern nobles."


    At hearing about the northern nobles, Earl Terejia frowned slightly in annoyance.


    "I hear that some extremist organizations have been gathering around the northern nobles'' leader, Marquis Nordsturm''s family lately."


    "How foolish. They''re trying to attack Kaldia politically, and make us return the money given to us for the refugees¡­¡­"


    The earl sighed deeply, seeming worn out.


    If I think about it calmly, I can organize my emotions. I''m thankful to Viscount Stadel for the information, although I don''t welcome bad news. It''s just that right now, there''s a shortage of labor in Kaldia.


    I recalled the malevolent gazes of the northern nobles last time I met them at the House of Lords, and the depressing atmosphere caused by them. While I haven''t verified the contents of this secret letter yet, I definitely believe that I can trust it.

 Chapter 74 - 74

    I''ve caught the attention of a troublesome opponent, I sighed mentally.


    The Nordsturm family is a major noble family from the north, and their current family head is Marquis Nordsturm. Three generations ago, they had also been married to royalty, so they still have quite the connections in the royal capital as well.


    Although they have a bad reputation from the fact that their power comes from the moneylending business, because of it very few nobles dare to go against them. What''s more, many of the northern nobles are related to the Nordsturms by being one of their branch families or through marriage in some way, so their influence in northern Arxia is even greater than that of the royal family.


    At one time, the north had been treated as the least important part of Arxia. There was the Amon Nor Mountains forming a natural barrier with the eastern countries, and there was nothing but rough sea waves on the northern border, both of these geographical attributes contributed to making the north a formidable natural fortress.


    It was a bad location for conducting trade on the seas. Although it''s possible to travel east to other countries farther down, a large section of the coastline bordering Arxia''s is controlled by Densel, or belongs to the Rindarl Union that opposes us. Their naval technologies weren''t very far advanced either.


    The earth was frozen over in many places, and even what wasn''t frozen over was very poor land for raising crops, so it was overall a very poor region.


    Because of that, the Nordsturm family has been the only noble family ever since Arxia was founded that''s ruled in the north. Because talented people would be placed in more important places to make use of their skills at governing, no aristocrats were ever sent to the north.


    Of course, ruling over the vast north would be impossible for only the family head, so the Nordsturm family divided the northern lands among its own family members, and starting from about one hundred and twenty years ago, their current governing system is basically a group of lords that all report to the leader of the Nordsturm family.


    For the Nordsturm family who has such power in the north to still have good relations with the royal family, it''s simply because of money. First of all, the Nordsturms are talented at making money in the north. Their most prosperous city is the city where the marquis currently resides, it''s a place where people and goods gather.


    Next, the north helps with the country''s military spending every year even though it benefits them the least. They also have vast sums of money stored away, and they''ve recently started lending money to their neighboring domains, and simply the interest on the loans were already more than sufficient already to cover all the north''s expenses for governing their territory.


    I remembered how Earl Terejia had taught me that a member of the royalty had gotten married to a Nordsturm as a political sacrificial pawn, in order to obtain part of the Nordsturm family''s wealth for the sake of the country.


    There are two royal families in Arxia, meant to be as a measure for keeping the throne out of the reach of any other non-royal family. A daughter from the current royal family that isn''t on the throne, the Melloart family, had married a Nordsturm in exchange for one third of the Nordsturm family''s wealth being donated to the national treasury.


    Earl Terejia had told me that it was a story he heard from his older brother Marquis Rittergau who''s working in the royal palace as the prime minister of Arxia, so it must be true.


    Their wealth had been reduced, and the Nordsturms also attracted the hostility of other nobles in Arxia with connections to the royalty. I want them to just take a break and ignore me, but it seems there''s no helping it.


    In the first place, the reason why I attracted their attention was because half of the entire defense budget financed by the north was allotted to only three domains, which were Kaldia, Jugfena, and Genas, the eastern border domains. Any funds that were not used for the sake of defense were supposed to be properly returned to the House of Lords.


    The northern nobles are taking it out on only Kaldia, meaning me, as Earl Einsbark who''s in charge of the Jugfena domain and Margrave Genas are too powerful for them to attack politically, so out of simple spite, or maybe picking on weaklings, they''re taking it out on me for being a financial beneficiary of their funds.


    "I''m actually relieved to see that gloomy expression of yours finally returning."


    As the horse-drawn carriage clattered and shook, Earl Terejia who was sitting across from me said so with a snort from his nose. Claudia sitting next to him also nodded in agreement.


    "At any rate, let''s settle this problem quickly. Jugfena and Genas have organized their own domains much faster and better than Kaldia, that''s because Earl Terejia has been deciding policy matters in my place up until now. For the Nordsturm family that isn''t well armed militarily, they would gain nothing from moving against all three of the Terejia, Genas, and Einsbark families at once."


    "The Nordsturm family should be aware of that as well. Still, saying something like moving against all three families, does this mean that you see a way to cooperate with the other families?"


    What I''m concerned about right now is, the factions other than the Nordsturm family.


    The Nordsturm family doesn''t actually have much power other than lots of money and the support of the northern nobles. That alone wouldn''t be a threat by itself. However, depending on who allies with whom, things could get a lot more troublesome. I think the problem lies in how the Nordsturm family utilizes their vast fortune.


    "If the Nordsturms seriously attempted it, do you think they have enough power to overthrow the current government?"


    Earl Terejia raised his eyebrows greatly at my question. Since the north regularly finances the other domains with their extra funds, decided through meetings at the House of Lords, it means they get more of a say in issues compared to the rest of the nobility. Meaning, they already control much of national policy.


    By the way, the House of Lords only consists of domain lords with the rank of viscount or higher, and court aristocrats with the rank of earl or higher. Lower ranked nobles are supposed to be represented by nobles higher-ranking than they are. It''s like how I used to not attend meetings at the House of Lords, as Earl Terejia attended them for me on my behalf.


    "I don''t think they would try something like that though, would the conservative northern nobles really rebel against a decision made by the House of Lords?"


    I answered my own question, and the earl nodded in assent. Although the northern nobles are conservative in a different sense from the court aristocracy, I think that they wouldn''t want to take any risks that would end up lessening their influence.


    Since the Nordsturm family currently seems to be gathering power right now, I definitely think it would be for the better if I think of something I can use against them first. It never hurts to be wary.


    Earl Terejia unexpectedly looked out the window. While watching the scenery pass by, he was probably thinking about something. Our conversation ended as well when the earl looked away. Because there''s many things to be worried about, both of us are probably thinking about things regarding the northern nobles that we''re going to have to deal with someday.


    However. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "¡­¡­The Nordsturm family''s time may be unexpectedly ending soon, to be replaced by someone else."


    Earl Terejia suddenly said that out loud after a while. Is this some sort of prophecy, once again I confirmed to myself that the earl is quite terrifying.

 Chapter 75 - 75

    The rocky, clattering horse-drawn carriage took two days to finally arrive at its destination. In the outermost section of the nobles'' living quarters in the royal capital, separated from the commoners'' quarters by a single fence, we stopped at a timeworn small townhouse. It was much shorter than the two story mansion that I live in, and I barely even need to lift my head to look up.


    "We''re here¡­¡­"


    A sigh slipped out from Earl Terejia. Then, he looked at me.


    "You, is this really fine?"


    "It''s just a place to stay at while we''re in the royal capital anyways."


    The earl shrugged, and looked back at the townhouse distastefully. This townhouse is the first thing that I''ve ever bought for myself in this life, meaning, it was also a bit small and narrow.


    After the battle at Fort Jugfena, although dealing with the aftermath of that battle was finally over, I''m still quite busy and have to go between my domain and the royal capital quite often. Since the House of Lords has regular meetings in summer and autumn, it''s a bustling social season at the royal capital.


    Most nobles with their own domains also have mansions in the royal capital, and this could be a good opportunity to deepen my network of contacts.


    Especially from mid-summer to autumn, there''s quite a lot of events that gather many people, such as social debuts for newcomers, dance balls, and church festivals.


    Of course, although Earl Terejia is already a very experienced court aristocrat, I haven''t even reached adult age yet, let alone made my social debut, so it should still be about a decade before those social events have anything to do with me.


    ¡­¡­Although that''s how it should have been, contrary to all that there was actually a mountain of invitations from various nobles piled up back home in the domain lord''s office. The reason was simply that everyone wanted to get acquainted with me to establish a useful contact for future negotiations.


    Because of the four eastern dukedoms combining to become the Rindarl Union, and the unprovoked attack from Densel, we were on the highest level of alert against them. Of course, domestic attention was also on the eastern domains that bordered the enemy, the domains of Kaldia, Jugfena, and Genas.


    The House of Lords was giving these three domains extra financial support, but now the system of payments to us was being re-organized, as some of the domain lords were now moving to have some of that money returned.


    Since there was so much attention on our domains, it''s also opened up new market opportunities for Jugfena and Genas, as well as Kaldia, for being the country''s first line of defense. Due to all the military equipment and facilities that must be made, as well as the large number of goods that the new citizens would need, that''s why so many nobles have all sent me their invitations.


    In short, every domain wants new trade opportunities.


    Although it was a bit of a superfluous rule, in Arxia there''s a custom that children that haven''t reached adult age yet shouldn''t attend social events other than ones that they''re hosting, as a matter of etiquette. However, because I''m a domain lord before I''m a child, there''s a relentless number of invitations being sent my way.


    Usually, it would be the reverse, where someone is a child before they''re a noble.


    ¡­¡­Because of my circumstances, I now have a full schedule of luncheon and evening meetings every day. It''s actually a bit hard on my body as I''m still quite young, but I won''t say a single word of complaint. I don''t have anyone to complain to anyways.


    So that I don''t always have to stay at Earl Terejia''s place whenever I visit the royal capital, I bought this tiny house on the very outskirts of the noble area.


    It does seem to be rather decayed, but well, because I don''t have to stay here for very long each time, it doesn''t matter. I don''t care about the outside, I''ve already had the interior fixed up.


    I sank myself into a non brand name, cheap, yet still well made sofa, and I looked at the exposed red bricks and wood that seemed to give a feeling of warmth to the plaster walls, I think I like it.


    "Elise, give me my schedule for tonight and tomorrow."


    "Uh, ¡­¡­ah. Tonight, you''re organizing documents in the office. ¡­¡­Tomorrow, during the day¡­¡­ The tailor is coming over to take measurements. Tomorrow evening, um, you''re attending Margrave Molton''s party."


    When I pestered Ratoka who had been forced to stand beside me in maid attire, he read off my schedule he was holding to me in a fluster. Recently Bellway had been teaching him various things he needed to know to attend to me.


    I mostly intended to make Ratoka into a personal maid, rather than a personal attendant, but if he knows how to do more things, that''s pretty convenient too. Although doing this does seem to have added to his dislike of me, but little by little, it feels like things have gotten more informal between us.


    "The day after tomorrow it seems that you have a Sacred Code study session at the church. Also, there''s luggage to be organized in the office still, what should we do?"


    "I''ll go after I''m done drinking my tea."


    "¡­¡­Your tea you say, but what about your maid?"


    "You''re so dense. That means you should go right now."


    "Ahh¡­¡­ So that''s it."


    Ratoka nodded, although he still had an expression that didn''t quite seem convinced.


    He turned around, and left while walking awkwardly, still unused to the heels and skirt he was wearing, and he passed by Claudia who was leaning against the wall next to the fireplace on his way out, sighing slightly at what he had to endure from me.


    She met my gaze and didn''t even try to conceal that she was laughing, still giggling as she shrugged her shoulders lightly at me.


    "¡­¡­What is it."


    "Nothing, I just thought that you''re having quite a lot of fun with him."


    Claudia had continued to remain being my bodyguard, but since at the mansion I would have other guards as well, this is actually the first time that she''s seen me interacting with Ratoka.


    "When Ellusia-dono is talking with him, you seem quite surprisingly lively. As expected, it must be because of something like you two being close in age?"


    "Well¡­¡­ I wonder. Also, it''s not Ellusia, it''s Eliza." S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Mm, I got it wrong again. Sorry."


    Somehow, I don''t think it''s because that I''m close in age to him. What''s more, why is it that I treat only Ratoka so casually, I can''t even say for myself why that is.


    "However, when I look at you like this, not only do you seem surprisingly lively, you also seem to be having fun, and even give off the impression of relaxing a little. How should I describe it¡­¡­"


    Claudia seemed lost for words, and began muttering to herself. It seems that she isn''t going to say anything else to me, so I turned towards the window to look outside.


    On the other side of the window glass was the sky tinted a shade of red. It gets dark later here in the royal capital than in Kaldia, it would have been completely dark at this same time in Kaldia already.


    What remained the same in the royal capital as Kaldia, was that the lights here were also candlelight as well. It''s too expensive to use anything else after sunset.


    Just like I declared earlier, I headed to the office as well after finishing my cup of tea. That said, all I''m going to do, is organize what''s on the desk so that it''s more convenient for me to use, and I finished immediately.


    When I looked back at Claudia I realized she was no longer talking to herself. She was looking directly at me with those sky blue eyes of hers, with a difficult to describe, somewhat wondrous expression on her face. I didn''t know what to say to that reaction of hers, so I couldn''t help but freeze up.


    I just stayed like that and blinked several times.


    "Ahh, that''s it! It feels like Eliza-dono is finally opening her heart, and calming down. When the person I''m supposed to be protecting isn''t wary, then I''m not wary either."


    Suddenly Claudia said that out loud with an extremely self-satisfied expression on her face, while I felt as if my chest was freezing over, even though I knew it was an illusion.


    "¡­¡­Eliza-dono, what''s that matter? It couldn''t be, did I get your name wrong again!?"


    "¡­¡­No, that''s not it."


    Even though my frozen muscles were protesting, I somehow managed to squeeze those words out of me. Her words had made me realize just what I was feeling, which really made me want to groan out loud.

 Chapter 76 - 76

    "Hey, it''s been a long time, Viscountess Kaldia. Thank you for coming today."


    "Thank you very much for inviting me here as well, Lord Molton."


    I had great difficulty as I was currently struggling with wearing a formal dress for the first time, as I greeted tonight''s host, accompanied by Claudia who was dressed in maid attire. The beautiful margrave that I met last year was standing in the back of the dining hall, and after he saw me, he stumbled quite a bit over his words.


    "It looks like you''re wearing a dress this time. It looks really good on you. While you looked quite cool and dignified in knightly attire before, you also really impress when you look feminine as well, and show off your strength."


    Margrave Molton gently gave his opinion of me in my dress. I''ve always worn knightly attire before when out in public, so this time I could definitely feel that I was the center of attention of all the nobles.


    "And how should I interpret that?"


    "I don''t mean anything bad by it. I''m not trying to insult you, I think it''s proof that you''re reliable."


    As typical of him, he was laughing happily, and his silver hair was shaking slightly. I feel a bit relieved that I can read his intentions so easily without any misunderstandings.


    "How''s Earl Terejia been doing lately?"


    With his work as my regent combined with all these daily social events, and two full days of riding on a horse-drawn carriage definitely seems to be taking its toll on him. Even I think that he''s been overworking himself, but still there''s so much work that only he can do. We definitely need to hire more people, there''s no doubt about that.


    Margrave Molton looked around at the table behind him, and took two wine glasses. Then, he poured a liquid that resembled white wine from a bottle.


    When I took the glass he offered me, I saw that he was apparently offering me apple juice. I couldn''t help but look up at him, only to see the margrave smiling elegantly at me. Out of all the social events I''ve been invited to, attending so many that I''ve lost count, this is the first time that someone''s specially prepared a drink suitable for children ¨C meaning me.


    I definitely believe he''s praiseworthy. It''s not just that he has a son the same age as me, he treats me with kindness and without any prejudice, even though I''m the daughter of the Kaldia family.


    My notorious father and family have left quite a dark stain on my name. They were considered apostates, the scourge of the nobility. Although it wasn''t a formal decision by the House of Lords or anything, the northern nobles and those in agreement with them definitely think so inside.


    We toasted each other and gulped down the contents of our glasses. It was refreshingly sweet with just a tinge of sourness to it, it reminded me of the apple juice that I liked to drink as well in my previous life.


    Margrave Molton pulled two chairs over for Claudia and I, and even served Claudia a glass of juice as well.


    It''s still a bit early for dinner, but there are refreshments and snacks. People are also resting here from the dancing they''re doing in the hall.


    Since the margrave pulled a chair over personally for me, it would be rude to decline to sit down. Claudia and I both sat down facing the margrave.


    "¡­¡­Come to think of it, I haven''t seen your personal attendant lately."


    He''s probably referring to all the times we''ve met before at other social events. The margrave looked at Claudia for a moment, then looked back at me.


    He''s asking about Kamil. The moment I thought about him, I recalled the bloody figure of Kamil in the back of my mind. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The sound that was made as Claudia put her glass down next to me was tiny, but I heard it very clearly. Margrave Molton''s beautiful smile disappeared instantly at my next comment.


    "He died at Jugfena."


    My voice was shivering as I said the words so directly. My lips were trembling ever so slightly.


    "That''s, ¡­¡­"


    The margrave probably noticed my emotions. His voice sounded a bit strained as well.


    "¡­¡­My apologies. Sorry for bringing up something unpleasant."


    He said it in a simple tone of voice and his expression was full of compassion. He probably saw a child similar to his son in me.


    I lifted my glass, and had another mouthful of juice. My throat had dried up without my realizing it, so I had a second helping, then a third.


    Suddenly, I felt pity for the margrave as well. I wonder if he''s realized now that children as young as his son are dying in war. And if that''s the case, just how sorrowful that life can be.


    "I shall pray that his kind soul obtains Misorua''s blessings."


    "¡­¡­Thank you very much."


    The margrave quietly raised his glass. For a moment, without saying anything, he merely prayed for the well-being of my former personal attendant''s soul.


    On my way back in the horse-drawn carriage, I merely looked out the window without saying anything. In my hands were some sweets wrapped up in decorative paper. Margrave Molton had given them to me as a present.


    "¡­¡­Are secret messages and codes typical for nobles, I wonder?"


    "Are they?"


    "No¡­¡­ it''s nothing."


    I couldn''t help but ask Claudia a question, but only got a blank look in response, which made me realize that it was useless to ask her, so I fell silent.


    The sweets were wrapped up in several layers of paper, and on the inside of the outermost layer, there was a message from Margrave Molton.


    It''s a custom to not tear up beautiful wrapping paper, so that it can be used again at a later date as a letter or message card. I would have noticed it sooner or later, but because I have a habit of sending a thank you message to people for inviting me, I found it immediately.


    The message was about people passing through Margrave Molton''s domain to go visit the northern domains. Some traveling church sisters were being strangely active, and were involving themselves with the northern nobles. Why did Margrave Molton tell me this, I wonder. Exactly what are these church sisters up to.


    Since I had very little information to go off of, it''s a bit frustrating. I sighed and looked outside the window at the scenery again. Claudia sitting across from me was in such an excellent mood from having gotten to eat all sorts of sweets at Margrave Molton''s party, that she started humming.

 Chapter 77 - 77

    The next day, early in the morning, I was already riding my horse.


    I''m riding east on a road leading out of the royal capital. Riding next to me was Paulo, as well as Ratoka who was dressed in girl''s clothing and wearing a veil, while behind me were Claudia and Bellway, sharing a horse together.


    Last night, Paulo had rode a messenger horse to inform me about a bandit group''s invasion from the neighboring country.


    They had been hiding themselves around the outskirts of the Monster Forest in the Jugfena domain, and they seem to have often invaded Margrave Genas''s domain, but there weren''t enough troops to guard the border against them.


    Under a pincer attack from the troops of both the Jugfena and Genas domains, the only place they could escape to geographically, was unfortunately the Kaldia domain.


    Thanks to Ergnade informing me of his plans beforehand, my troops were already spread out throughout Kaldia, and volunteers from the Shiru tribe were also on the lookout against the bandits as well. It''ll be good if we can capture them before any citizens are harmed¡­¡­


    I canceled the church activity that I was supposed to attend. The head priest was supposed to come as well, and I had really wanted to build some direct connections within the church, but there''s no helping it given the current circumstances. Hopefully I can make up for it if I return.


    Even so, I won''t be able to return to the royal capital for quite some time. Also, Earl Terejia has been feeling rather under the weather with his body in bad condition lately.


    At this time of year, many nobles gather in the royal capital. Marquis Nordstrom''s retinue is also here currently. During this time that I''m away from the capital, I don''t know what they''re going to say about me.


    It''ll probably be something disadvantageous to me that can''t be confirmed immediately by third parties, though.


    We passed by my original mansion, finally reaching the central portion of my domain deep into the night, where a new domain lord''s residence had been constructed. The supplies for constructing this new residence had mostly come from the surrounding mountains, as the Amon Nor mountains were directly east of here, and there was a river flowing down from them that provided water as well.


    This river, the Sera River, runs parallel to a river that''s on our western border, the Rukter River. Upstream from here is Cyril village. Also, on the eastern side of the Sera River, is a flat region filled with lakes and plains.


    "You''ve arrived, my lord."


    Just as I jumped off my horse, I heard the Artolan language from behind me. When I looked back, I saw a young man from the Shiru tribe running towards me, wearing a tunic with their unique designs.


    "Ahh, I just got back. How are things in Kaldia, Teo?"


    Teo ¨C this young man named Teomer, was the person directly chosen by the Shiru tribe to be their representative in all things related to me. He also happens to be the leader of their young warriors, so of course, I''ve talked to him the most out of anyone from their tribe.


    "Right now my forces are searching east of the Sera River for the bandits. I don''t believe they''ve crossed west of the river yet. The guys from the army are guarding the villages and the river. Those were Gunther''s orders."


    "I see. ¡­¡­It''s easier to track them in the plains. But since we can''t find them, they might have left our domain already. Maybe just like when the Jugfena soldiers were chasing them, they crossed over into the Genas domain again. ¡­¡­If only we could get into contact with the Genas domain''s army¡­¡­"


    I happened to glance at Bellway as I said that, but he shook his head. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I sent a messenger pigeon out, but¡­¡­ The reply I got from Margrave Genas''s wife was that ''each domain should take care of its own problems.''"


    Teo and I nodded without surprise at this. It''s very well known that Margrave Genas''s wife runs most of the internal affairs in the Genas domain, and that she hates Kaldia. Due to my late father''s insane hobbies, and the fact that I''ve inherited his looks and that the Kaldias have received the nickname of "the demon family," Margrave Genas''s wife doesn''t hide her distaste for us at all.


    Her disgust at how the biggest victims of my parents'' insanity were Kaldia''s own citizens probably led to her attitude towards the entire Kaldia domain. Although I don''t know the details, there''s also rumors that her father and my grandfather had been archenemies as well.


    "Teo, do you still have warriors available to move out right away at this moment?"


    "¡­¡­Ahh, half of them are still here, helping with the village''s construction."


    "Construction can wait until later. Summon all the remaining warriors here."


    Teo didn''t nod at me in acknowledgement. He stepped up to me, kneeled, and grabbed my shoulder. He probably didn''t hold back his strength at all, I could hear some grinding sounds coming from my tiny shoulder.


    I gritted my teeth and bore the pain. I didn''t even allow my cheek muscles to twitch in the slightest. I met Teo''s sharp gaze directly as he spoke.


    "I can''t agree to having the construction of our living quarters be delayed. Or are you saying, that the original citizens of your domain are more important than us, the newcomers? You''re the one who told us originally that you would treat us the same."


    Construction had already fallen far behind schedule. The original leader of the project, Kamil, has died. The refugee farmers that would have been numbers to help the construction have also been slaughtered, and the new construction overseer, me, had been out for some time. They''re using construction materials that they''re not used to, and getting used to living in an entirely new environment.


    To him, finishing the construction for his tribe is critically important. I also knew beforehand how passionate he was about this.


    Teomer is one of the leaders of the Shiru tribe. During his tribe''s long escape from the Denzer army, several of their leaders perished, so he had been chosen as one of their new leaders. Among his tribe''s eight leaders, he''s the only young one, but his age didn''t matter. Young and old, everyone in the Shiru tribe respected him, and pinned their hopes on him.


    I put my own tiny hand on top of Teo''s hand on my shoulder.


    "Teomer Terit, I''m also troubled by the fact that the construction of your tribe''s living quarters isn''t complete yet. ¡­¡­But, I wasn''t in the royal capital to play around. It''ll be no problem to stop the construction temporarily."


    Teo blinked slowly. In his stone grey eyes, a flame seemed to be flickering.


    "¡­¡­You have some sort of measures in place?"


    "I had a discussion with Lord Carson about hiring some carpenters. Next month, sixty carpenters will be arriving here, bringing their entire workshop. From furniture to more difficult things such as boats and bridges, they''ll be building those for us. They''re currently working on processing the wood to be used. I also asked them to prepare some spinning wheels and weaving machines."


    Indeed, I didn''t have the luxury of playing around in the royal capital at all. I don''t have the free time, or the right, to do such a thing. I continued speaking.


    "I know. I presumptuously said that I''d accept your tribe, but my original citizens have negative feelings towards me. Even so, I have the duty to protect everyone, which is why I have to make use of your warriors. ¡­¡­I may not be able to live the lifestyle of a warrior, but this is something I simply have to do out of my own pride."


    Teo''s hand on my shoulder completely loosened its grip. He looked straight into my eyes that were the color of blood. A blaze burned brightly in his eyes, feeling similar to when Earl Terejia was looking straight at me as if he could see through me. He could see himself reflected in my eyes.


    Under the urging of Claudia behind me, he finally got up. Then, he bowed deeply towards me.


    "¡­¡­I apologize for my rudeness. As my lord has commanded, I''ll summon all of the warriors in the village here. Let''s search westward."


    "That''ll be helpful. ¡­¡­Thank you."

 Chapter 78 - 78

    The torchlight was flickering on this dark, moonless night. This year as well, there were a few phosphorescent moths flying about. From the tiny hill, their light was all I could see that was moving.


    Teo had gathered the warriors, and we''ve already been searching for the bandits for half an hour. I borrowed a tent, and Ratoka went to sleep first in it. I''m getting sleepy as well, but since I''m still waiting on a report, I stood waiting outside the tent.


    Suddenly, I heard a loud flapping sound from above me, and I lifted my head to look at the sky. It seems that Rashiok detected my return somehow, it was his wings causing the commotion. The huge draconis now currently hovering in front of me, had already grown to be as big as a horse. He''s still far from reaching maturity, but his body''s already grown.


    Rashiok slowly lowered that beautiful body of his in front of me. He greeted me with a growl that meant he wanted to be spoiled, he must have not wanted to be left behind at my original mansion while I''m doing all these things here.


    "Thank you for coming to see me, Rashiok. I guess I didn''t promise a time I would be back by."


    His ears bent back just like a dog''s would. As I carefully petted him so that I wouldn''t accidentally scrape off any of his scales, he closed his eyes and seemed to enjoy it.


    "It seems that a bandit group from the Densel Dukedom has invaded us. ¡­¡­It seems that our neighbors just won''t give us a break. If only they would take Earl Terejia''s age into consideration and let him rest."


    Although I was using sarcasm, just like a human would respond, Rashiok snorted at my comment.


    Bandit groups. I slowly took over my time to think about them. They seem to be common in this world, and just a few years ago, they used to be a problem here in Kaldia as well. Well, most of them were pacified after my father died, with them becoming soldiers in the Kaldia army.


    Earl Terejia''s viewpoint was that they were more victims than aggressors due to my father''s despotic policies, and emphasized allowing them to make up for their crimes by joining the military. Some people still remain unaccounted for, but for now, there''s no major bandit problems in the kingdom of Arxia.


    Most bandits, only turned to banditry because they had no other way of making a living. Most of them were originally farmers, and it was hunger and poverty that forced them into banditry. With the way that Kaldia had been, where people didn''t have money, food, or even clothes at times since my father had taken everything from his citizens, it was only natural that bandits would appear.


    This time though, a bandit group has taken the trouble of crossing the border between countries to invade us. What''s more, the public peace and order is usually much better in Arxia than it is in Densel. At first, I thought that the bandits were invading for some strategic purpose, but it seems that they''ve only been pillaging and plundering.


    If they have some sort of purpose in mind, I wouldn''t know. It would be nice if I could come up with some clever method to capture them.


    ¨C Some of the tools in the deepest part of my mansion''s dungeon, I wonder if I should make use of them. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    I kept thinking about such matters while paying no attention to the flickering torchlight in front of me. A bandit group has invaded us from the neighboring country which we have bad relations with. The bandits passed through Jugfena without suffering any damage. I asked for cooperation from Genas, but was rejected.


    If I can just catch them, any information leaked about them as well as how I deal with them will be completely up to the discretion of Earl Terejia and I.


    In other words, trying to get information out of them is also the capturer''s job. For the second time, I thought about the tools I had placed into the deepest part of the dungeon, a relic of my father''s twisted hobbies, but unfortunately it looks probable that I might be the very one to bring them out again.


    I can''t exactly sell them, and I had kept them thinking that maybe I would have them melted down and made into weapons as they were made of iron.


    The memories of how to use them are still vividly etched into my mind, forced upon me as I was already self-aware with my reincarnated memories when I was one year old, without the ability yet to fully control my body.


    I also gained the knowledge of how to toy with people''s lives and spirits. No matter how disgusting I find it, I was born into the Kaldia family after all.


    Rashiok''s ears suddenly jumped up from their flattened state while I was stroking him, and he started watching the path to the hilltop I was on. After a little while, I saw some people riding up the hill on horseback. The person leading them was Gunther.


    "My lord!"


    Gunther and his subordinates got off their horses as they approached me, and kneeled. He chuckled a little at seeing Rashiok by my side, but his expression immediately got serious as he said "reporting in."


    "Gunther, what information do you have?"


    "The Shiru warriors that were searching along the borders found evidence of track marks along our Genas border, from when the bandits crossed over. The closest places to where they entered are Charon village and Nezu village, and there''s a report from Nezu village that a mother and daughter living together there have been missing since earlier today."


    As expected, the bandit group has invaded us, making use of the border with Genas repeatedly. If they cross the border, my troops won''t be allowed to chase them. How impudent, they''re making use of our internal political conflicts to their advantage.


    "Search for them. Have our most skilled trackers follow the trail for as far as possible. Take Rashiok along with you. Claudia and I shall go to Nezu village. Our first priority should be the safety of the missing mother and daughter."


    "Understood. I''ll leave three soldiers here to help protect you."


    Without waiting for anything else, Gunther jumped onto his horse and rode off. I had already finished giving my orders, so I didn''t mind. The sound of his horse''s hooves soon faded. After I rubbed his head a bit, Rashiok took off into the night as well almost silently.


    I had the three soldiers that Gunther left me ride by Claudia, and I got on my horse as well. I''ll just leave Ratoka here. I''m going to narrow the search area to the southeast part of my domain, and I also ordered all the Shiru warriors searching nearby to join me, as I headed for Nezu village.


    Being nomads, the Shiru warriors are extremely skilled trackers. When hunting, it''s said that no prey can escape them once they''ve caught up. It all depends on luck now if they''re still currently here in Kaldia or if they''ve crossed back over to Genas. I''m going to have to leave the fate of my two missing citizens, well, up to fate.

 Chapter 79 - 79

    October 11, 2016 ¡¤ by imperfectluck ¡¤ in Uncategorized. ¡¤


    Now that I''ve reached Nezu village, I can finally rest a little. Although personally I would prefer to not go to sleep yet as my mind is still sharp, my young body is telling me that it''s tired. It''s getting late in the night as well, so it''ll be difficult to fight off the desire to sleep. I borrowed a room in one of the mayor''s houses, as he also happened to be the biggest landlord in Nezu village.


    I fell asleep almost instantly upon reaching my bed, but I woke up quickly the next morning as well, getting up together with dawn.


    I changed out of my clothes that I hadn''t bothered getting out of last night, and wiped myself with a wet towel from a bucket provided for me last night. I used a cheap cotton cloth to clean my teeth.


    When I finished and walked out of my room, Claudia was sitting there waiting for me, and she greeted me.


    "Did you manage to get some rest, Ellusia-dono?"


    "It''s Eliza, Claudia-dono. Good morning. I''m feeling fine, strangely not tired at all."


    "That''s good to hear, Eliza-dono."


    Claudia, who had spent the entire night guarding my room, sounded a little less energetic compared to normal. She hasn''t been resting enough ever since we left the royal capital as she''s been entirely focused on being my personal bodyguard. I''m really going to have to make her rest a lot after this commotion is over and taken care of.


    ¨C In the first place, it''s a bit too much to ask her to be my only bodyguard. It was a bit easier when I was back at the mansion, but now that I''m currently out on the move, there''s a lot more things to deal with.


    When I went downstairs, the mayor''s wife had already prepared breakfast for me. When everyone saw me, a small sound of lamentation broke the silence in the hall.


    "Stop that."


    In front of something she didn''t want to see, the mayor''s wife put a quick stop to the lamenting. The mayor''s wife was a woman of more than 30 years old, but she wouldn''t even look directly at me. I properly thanked the mayor''s wife for hosting and feeding me, but she pitifully just kept trembling.


    Although she seemed like she was running as if to escape from me, I followed after her to the dining hall where breakfast had been prepared for me. There was no poison or anything unusual, just rye bread commonly found anywhere and egg soup, as well as some sausages.


    Since sausages are preserved food and the cattle industry hasn''t quite recovered yet in Kaldia, this is actually quite luxurious and they''re taking rather good care of me.


    I don''t know whether to feel happy or pained. But in any case, if they treat me well, I''ll treat them kindly in turn.


    "You seem ¨C to be quite calm." sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Hah?"


    "No, Ena-dono¡­¡­ Whoops, I mean, Eliza-dono, I can see for myself that you always worry yourself over your citizens."


    Ahh, how rare, Claudia noticed mid-sentence that she said my name wrong and corrected herself. Meaning, she thinks that I should be more worried, and more angry.


    Indeed, that would be normal. I believe that as well.


    I''m calmer than she believed I should be, due to the fact that all the Shiru warriors are on the move. My army and the Shiru warriors, will definitely catch the bandits and bring them before me. That''s what I believe ¨C or in other words, I trust them. I have to.


    "I believe Gunther and Teo will live up to my expectations."


    At my reply, Claudia blinked, then she smiled.


    When I left the mayor''s house, waiting for me outside were Paulo and the three soldiers that Gunther left in charge of my protection yesterday.


    "Good morning, my lord."


    "Morning. Anything to report?"


    "Rashiok''s discovered their tracks. He''s currently following them."


    Paulo answered with a lively voice. He had only been a novice soldier in training just last year, but it feels like all the soldiers that returned from Fort Jugfena have really matured. Speaking of maturing, Rashiok is now the size of a horse, it''s getting difficult for me who''s still quite short to get on his back. Being the intelligent draconis he is, he''s using his other abilities to assist me.


    ¡­¡­I stopped myself from getting lost in my thoughts and asked Paulo, "anything else?" He seemed to hesitate a little, before opening his mouth again.


    "Also¡­¡­ we discovered what we believe to be hair strands from the missing women."


    Women''s hair strands, eh. It seems that it was discovered on the side of the road. The rest can be left up to the imagination, the unfortunate plight of the women taken by the bandits. Since we''ve discovered their hair strands while tracking the bandits, it can mostly be confirmed that they''re responsible for kidnapping the women.


    It feels like I''m starting to see red.


    Last night I still had some doubts about what might have happened, but now it feels like some sort of anger is starting to flow up within me. It''s not irritation or rage, it feels like I''m boiling inside, but I don''t know what word to express it as other than anger.


    "Eliza-dono, your eyes are getting really scary."


    At Claudia''s comment, I noticed that Paulo seemed to be getting really scared of me. I wonder just how frightening my face had been. I''m still only seven years old on the outside, I didn''t think I''d be able to leave that much of an impression. I rubbed my eyes, and Paulo appeared slightly relieved.


    "Got it, tell everyone that they''re to pick up the pace and keep tracking the bandits."


    "Yes!"


    Paulo replied energetically and I saw him off, then I turned to Claudia.


    I took out some paper and charcoal wrapped in a bundle from the pouch under my belt, and began writing a simple letter.


    "Claudia-dono, I''m relieving you temporarily from your duties as my bodyguard. I want you to take Elise (Ratoka) from Sera River back to my mansion, the Mansion of Golden Hills. Give this letter to him."


    Claudia''s eyes were following the charcoal as I finished writing my simple letter, with her lips moving as she read what I was writing. The memo to Ratoka simply asked him to bring out the whip from the deepest part of the dungeon and bring it to me, as well as making sure the real noble girl Elise didn''t find out about this.


    That whip has drank the blood of many people, it''s not something that a sickly girl recovering from an illness should be witnessing.


    "In order for it to be not said that I''m the incarnation of my father, I''m going to have to consider how to use it."


    "I know you''re not like him."


    "Then, it''s fine."


    Claudia nodded slightly, gave some orders to the three soldiers remaining for my protection, then headed for the stables to get her horse.


    I was still seeing red in my vision, and boiling inside. Even so, my head still mysteriously somehow remained as cool as ice. It was as if I managed to remain frozen solid within boiling water.


    That''s why, I''m going to wait here. I''m going to wait for my soldiers, my citizens, my draconis to drag those bastards in front of me.

 Chapter 80 - 80

    October 18, 2016 ¡¤ by imperfectluck ¡¤ in Uncategorized. ¡¤


    Two young women that didn''t seem twenty years old yet, were dragged in front of me while frantically crying and screaming by my soldiers, they weren''t able to say anything comprehensible.


    "Thanks for your work, sorry but, could you guys get out of this room now?"


    I realize very well that my voice sounds quite raspy. The soldiers saluted me, then dashed out of the room like they were escaping from me.


    I suppose I had indeed only given my soldiers the order to bring the rescued women before me without going into much detail, so this situation can''t be helped. The women had been discovered together with the bandit scum that my soldiers recently captured, with plenty of signs of abuse.


    It would only be natural that they''d be scared of my soldiers and other such men as well right now, increasing their fear. I complimented myself on having the young women from the village prepare something beforehand a few hours ago. I had asked them to prepare a bucket of hot water to wash with and some clean cloths.


    "Go ahead and wipe down your bodies. After that, have a meal. It''s simple, but feel free to eat as much as you like."


    "Yes, domain lord-sama."


    The village girl who seemed to have a stronger will looked me in the eyes as she replied. The other girl just nodded her head in fright.


    Earlier today around noon, the bandit group had been discovered in a small cottage quite a ways north from Nezu village. Although the summer days are long, it''s already getting late as it''s dinnertime now.


    The mayor''s wife had food prepared for us. When we learned about the discovery of the bandit group half an hour ago, we hurriedly contacted the Mansion of Golden Hills and had fruits, vegetables, and bread from there brought over.


    Ratoka, Claudia, and the three soldiers protecting me took turns in bringing foodstuffs over from the mansion, but Ratoka wasn''t able to hide his dislike of having to make the trip between the mansion and Nezu village twice. Even with a veil, his distaste was plain to see.


    "¡­¡­Don''t pout like that. I''ll even praise you."


    As I said so, I gave that awkward child three fruits known as a rockfruit. This fruit is similar to loquats from my original world. In Kaldia where no edible fruits or berries grow naturally, fruits are considered a luxury. Of course, I didn''t buy these, they were given to me recently as a gift when I was making social connections in the royal capital.


    "Is this really fine?"


    "I told you that I would praise you, didn''t I? Besides, it looked like you really wanted to try these in the royal capital." sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As my servant in training, Ratoka got to attend several parties and banquets together with me, but servants were only allowed to drink some water and tea, and were not permitted to touch the food for nobles. I know that this child has always had his sight fixed on this sweet-seeming fruit.


    And so, Ratoka finally seemed to cheer up from his bad mood as he began eating, and I turned my sight back upon the two girls that were still weeping.


    Both of them seemed to evoke a feeling of pity that would make one want to protect them. Although it was easy to infer from the fact that my army found several strands of their hair, parts of their hair was pulled out here and there. It was also easy to tell that they were subjected to violence, as there were multiple black and blue bruises on their bodies.


    There appeared to be sword injuries and even teeth marks on their arms and legs. Their clothes were tattered, torn almost completely to pieces around the breast area, and their skirts were quite torn up as well. While cleaning themselves up, it only made the injuries and damage even more painfully obvious to see.


    I think it''ll be the best for them if I help them get some new loose-fitting tunics, clothes typical to Kaldia citizens. If they wear something tight with buttons or a corset like what''s popular further inland in Arxia, I think that the clothes would only scrape against their injuries and constantly remind them of the pain.


    Since they''re now in front of their domain lord, I''ll help them regain their senses, and I shared the food transported here with them.


    "Please eat. You''ll feel warmer after a meal."


    Helping them to clean their bodies, allowing them to eat their fill, having only women around them, that should help the two victimized women calm down. Their trembling finally eased as they looked around the room and saw that the only strangers were me and Ratoka, whom they believed to be a girl. At what I was about to do from now on, I started feeling a little melancholy.


    I need to ask them why the bandits had abducted them. I feel sorry for them that I''m going to be digging up their memories of the things that were probably done to them right after they''ve calmed down a little, but it''s my duty to do so.


    "¡­¡­Have you two calmed down a little?"


    I can''t really do much else for the two of them emotionally, I merely stayed here in the same room as them all this time to get them used to my presence. I have a slight feeling of self-loathing right now, but I also simultaneously took out some charcoal and paper.


    The two of them nodded nervously. They seemed like they were about to speak to me, but their mothers next to them shot me looks of disapproval. However, I ignored it and carried on.


    "What violence those people did to you, anything they said to you, please try to remember it all as clearly as possible."


    I didn''t ask them if it would be alright to ask. This is information that I need to hear immediately.


    The two young women instantly turned pale. It looked like they were trying their best to restrain themselves from crying again, as they relived their hellish memories.


    At that moment, the charcoal in my hand broke.


    I didn''t realize it until now, but it seems that I had been clenching it too tightly. As I took out a new piece of charcoal, I kept telling myself to calm down over and over.

 Chapter 81 - 81.1

    October 19, 2016 ¡¤ by imperfectluck ¡¤ in Uncategorized. ¡¤


    As for what I had done to the captured bandits, I had them gagged by stuffing cloths into their mouths, preventing them from biting their tongues to commit suicide, stripped naked to ensure that there were no hidden weapons on them, and also had their hands bound behind their backs and then threw them into that dark dungeon below my mansion.


    It''s quite damp down there, it''s dark and cold with no sunlight whatsoever, it''s definitely a place that puts great stress on the human spirit.


    When Ratoka was younger, he had spent three days down there, and he had emerged from it seeming quite haggard. Although he did recover his energy after just a few days.


    ¡­¡­Come to think of it, Ratoka retrieved the whip for me from the dungeon with no problems. Although there are a few lights down there, for him to have slept just like normal in the dungeon, that child might actually be more bold than I thought.


    The only thing I gave the bandits was one very large barrel of water, then I left them alone in the dungeon for two days. This way, they have to go to the bathroom right there, they''re starving, and they can''t even drink properly through the cloths in their mouths. It''s a method to increase the speed at which their spirits will break down.


    On the morning of the third day, I brought a bandit who seemed like he might be one of their leaders out of the dungeon. The bandit probably wasn''t able to sleep properly, he looked haggard and pale as he stood in the interrogation room of the barracks. Since I haven''t given him anything to eat for two days, he''s probably feeling dizzy and nauseous as well.


    "I''ll ask you this first. You have anything you want to say?"


    He had been roughly washed by my soldiers, and was allowed to wear his original clothes again that have been inspected already, but his hair and beard were still filthy and unkempt.


    "¡­¡­I have a very good understanding now of how you barbaric and savage Arxian nobles treat their prisoners. It''s been quite a valuable experience."


    He''s got quite the iron will. He''s perceptive as well.


    He went to the trouble of talking to me in the Arxian language, he didn''t look down on me for being a child, and he even noted that I was "Arxian nobility" on our first meeting. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "This dungeon was left behind by my late father, known for being the most cruel tyrant in all of Arxia. I couldn''t think of any place more appropriate for the cultured visitors from another country to relax and rest. I''m sure that you''re used to soft beds?"


    I smiled at the irony. Although barbaric and savage are meant by him as insults to me, I don''t think of it as such. I don''t think anyone from Kaldia would think that to be much of an insult either.


    The soldiers that were guarding the bandit all laughed in unison. Since they''re used to vulgar speech every day, they''re much more skilled at ways to insult people. In order to break the prisoners completely, I had to ban several behaviors, and I thought about stopping them, but it seems I was correct not to. The bandit''s face started turning slightly red at seeing everyone laugh at him.


    "Oh? So even you guys have soft beds? Let me guess, the Arxian nobles and the commoners alike, you all sleep on stacks of straw?"


    "Oh, so people in Densel must still sleep on stacks of straw. It seems that your culture must still be quite backwards, that must be really inconvenient. It was the right thing to do to have you guys sleep in the dungeon. After all, even the plain beds that commoners sleep in, are too good for you."


    At seeing my snickering, and being lost for words to counter me, the bandit could only curse me out in his native Ringwren language, "damned brat."


    My soldiers weren''t able to contain their laughter. Is it really that funny, I wonder. While I did order them to be "crass and vulgar" towards the prisoners, and they''ve followed my orders obediently¡­¡­ Although I think they would have done so without orders anyways.


    Well then, just with this trading of insults alone, I''ve found out quite a bit about this bandit.


    Since I had quite a lot of knowledge about various languages forced into me by Mrs. Marshan, I was able to know that the bandit was cursing me in the Ringwren language. Although he has quite an accent, he''s also able to speak Arxian ¨C this means that he''s had quite the social upbringing. The Ringwren language is what''s spoken in Densel and Planates.


    Despite the fact that he was cursing me, his pronunciation was very smooth, he''s definitely someone from the upper class of society.


    And no matter what, he''s not saying words I''d expect a bandit to say. However, the information I received from Jugfena was that "a bandit group has invaded our country." On what basis did Jugfena call this group a "bandit group," I need to confirm it.


    Well, I''ll organize the current information I have for now, and it''s about time to start the real interrogation, so I called out to Ratoka who was in the next room. Ratoka is wearing a veil today as well so that the soldiers don''t recognize him, but he probably has quite a distorted facial expression under that veil right now.


    "Bring that item I had you prepare for me here."


    "Yes."


    Ratoka approached me, and uncoiled the whip in his hand for me. This whip has many chains and knots to it like a flail, and the knots seem specially designed to cause people to bleed more. I remember that my father gave this whip to my former older brother as a gift on his sixth birthday. I suppose that if my father were still alive, he''d be giving me things like these as gifts too.


    Meanwhile, the bandit was looking at the whip with wide eyes of surprise. For the first time since entering this room, I saw his face twitch a little.


    "I''m going to ask you some more questions now. I don''t mind if you answer them or not, but¡­¡­ Well, there''s still eleven more people in the dungeon that can take your place. But, I''m not going to go get any of them until I''m finished with your interrogation."


    At hearing so, the bandit''s face started twitching more violently.


    "If it gets to the last person, I wonder if he''ll be almost dead of hunger."


    My soldiers kept laughing crassly. I guess it was an effective follow-up blow, the bandit''s face turned completely pale. I see, is there someone he really cares about in there, or someone really important that he can''t allow to die in there, I wonder.


    "You¡­¡­ You wicked heretic!"


    He started shouting at me in great anger.


    I see, so I''m a heretic. Well then, I absolutely have to hear more about this.


    It''s easier than I thought to get information from him, and I began to slightly feel like I may be enjoying this.

 Chapter 82 - 82.2

    "Alright, the first question may seem silly, but why did you guys come to Arxia?"


    The bandit glared at me without saying anything. Well, I''m not going to waste words, I ordered the soldiers to force him to kneel, and began whipping him.


    Sounds of pain began echoing throughout the interrogation room. Since his clothes are still on, that should mitigate some of the damage. Taking that into consideration, I whipped him another five times.


    He was gritting his teeth to deal with the pain, and wouldn''t even moan. As I expected, he''s not a simple bandit. There''s no way that a normal bandit who only invaded Arxia to pillage and steal should have a strong enough will to withstand torture.


    "Let me ask a different question. Where were you headed in Arxia?"


    "¡­¡­I''m not familiar with Arxian geography."


    I suppose he learned that he''ll suffer again if he keeps remaining silent, so he spat that out at me. I''m not impressed by his lie. I whipped him again.


    Dark red spots began appearing on his linen shirt. They were shaped like earthworms, marks left by the whip. It seems that his skin is beginning to tear.


    They''re able to skillfully make use of our internal borders, and escape from the Jugfena cavalry platoons, what a joke, saying he doesn''t know Arxian geography. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    I switched the whip to my left hand, and continued whipping him with all my strength. The whip made a sharp cracking sound in the air with each swing that mingled with the dull thuds of it striking flesh. The metal chains on it kept causing injuries instantly, staining his shirt red wherever it landed.


    He finally managed to moan something out. I saw several of my soldiers grimacing.


    "Urgh, n, no¡­¡­ North¡­¡­ We were going north!"


    "North?"


    "Y, yes. Since the southern and eastern domains in Arxia are along the border and on guard against other countries, and have stronger standing armies, we were going north¡­¡­"


    Whatever his reason, it''s true that they were heading north. The Amon Nor mountains run all the way through the northern and eastern parts of Kaldia and Jugfena. Even in summer, it''s very difficult to traverse through that mountain range. As for the bandits'' tracks, ever since the last time they escaped from the Genas domain, they''ve been heading directly north and have been avoiding villages.


    They crossed into the central portion of Kaldia from Genas, which happens to be close to the Amon Nor mountains. It''s true that they were taking the shortest distance north.


    ¨C They sure do have a good understanding of Arxian geography, don''t they.


    I begun whipping his legs rather than his back. His back seems quite swollen already. Pain from being whipped is different from other types of pain like being burned, the pain won''t fade easily, it will continue to hurt. People are quite weak to pain.


    "Urgh¡­¡­ Gah¡­¡­!"


    It must be humiliating for him to be tortured by a child. Every time I swung down the whip against his legs, he groaned.


    "Why did you abduct those women?"


    "To find¡­¡­ the exact locations of the villages¡­¡­"


    "If that was all, you guys went quite overboard."


    They definitely didn''t need to do what they did to those women if it was only to find out the locations of the villages.


    "¡­¡­Some of the younger ones, they wanted to use them as sex slaves and have some fun¡­¡­ Agh-!!!"


    My whip just happened to connect against his heel just then. It seems that it managed to tear off some flesh, he raised his voice in agony. Maybe he experienced too much pain all at once, he ended up fainting. Pain aside, this is to be expected. I did have him starved for two days to aid in breaking down his spirit after all.


    "Bring me some wine."


    I pointed to a random soldier and had him bring me some of the cheap, low-grade bottles of wine that I had prepared beforehand on a table alongside the wall to this room. There was a strange and heavy atmosphere in the room now after seeing my interrogation. The soldier gingerly handed me a bottle of wine with jerky motions.


    I poured the wine onto the bandit''s back. The alcohol began soaking into his blood. The man screamed as he woke up again.


    "The interrogation isn''t over yet. Before it ends, you''re not allowed to rest."


    When a person''s mind is in a haze, it makes it difficult to think clearly or come up with lies. Meaning, people under great duress are more likely to tell the truth once they can''t think straight anymore due to the pain.


    I swung my whip again, and his screams continued.


    It took four days for me to finish interrogating all the bandits. In order for them to not die before giving me all their precious information, I fed them just a little, but of course since I didn''t give them enough, they were tortured all the more by pangs of hunger.


    By the time I got through half of them, I was swinging my whip noticeably less times, it seems that I was using some muscles I don''t normally use very much, I definitely felt some dull muscle pain from my arms.


    Knowledge gained from my father on torture methods proved quite helpful, and I was able to draw out a lot of information from the bandits. Although I might learn more if I interrogate them more in a second session, for now I''ll just write down what I learned and send a report to Earl Terejia.


    ¨C As expected, they weren''t simply a group of bandits. Several of them seem to be highly educated. While Densel is indeed culturally behind Arxia, I can''t imagine that it''s so bad to where their nobles would stoop to being bandits. Meaning, there''s Densel nobility behind these bandits, or maybe something even higher.


    Taking into consideration that the first bandit I interrogated called me a "heretic," there might be some sort of religious entity involved as well.


    The religion that Densel believes in has a god named Revua at the top, with various lesser gods below Revua. So compared to the Ar Xia church in Arxia, they''re called the Revua church.


    I concluded that the first bandit may be a believer of the Revua church¡­¡­ And thinking along those lines, isn''t there also quite a good chance that they may have disguised themselves as bandits and invaded Arxia for some religious purpose?


    Also, I confirmed that their goal was to head "north." I had already sent out warnings several days ago to various northern nobles about possible danger, even to the Nordsturms that I don''t get along with.


    Even though they''re opposing the decision of the Hall of Lords, and view me as an eyesore to be dealt with ¨C the Nordsturms are an important noble family, that''s an unavoidable fact, and I''m sure even Earl Terejia would agree with me that I should send them a warning.


    Well, I''m only extending them that courtesy assuming that they will at least band together internally against external enemies. It''s a different story if the Nordsturms have some sort of dealings with foreign organizations.


    I have no evidence. But, I need to be vigilant.


    I finished my report, locked the drawer to my desk, and stretched my back. I winced slightly at my own muscle pain.

 Chapter 83 - 83

    October 24, 2016 ¡¤ by imperfectluck ¡¤ in Uncategorized. ¡¤


    It happened right after I finished my second round of interrogations. A messenger pigeon came to us from the House of Lords in the royal capital. The message stated that the bandit group that successfully invaded Arxia have been declared national enemies to be on guard against, and that they were to be taken into custody by the royal army under direct command of the king.


    "It''s fortunate that there''s still more than ten days before I have to take them to the royal army."


    "You do realize that they''re going to be taken into custody by the country?"


    Ratoka was reacting to the news in the letter. I had just commented on it, and he was asking me why I thought it was lucky. I nodded, and began my explanation. Although I have a ton of work, it''s summer, and the cloying heat is a distraction. I felt like a little change of pace by chatting with Ratoka.


    "Although they were captured in the end, they still managed to penetrate through our border domains and even reach further inland. That''s something that hasn''t happened since the great war in which the Artolas Kingdom was destroyed. Our defenses aren''t that light. At the very least, a simple ''bandit group'' shouldn''t be able to penetrate so far inland."


    "¡­¡­But, they did get that far."


    I emphasized that they weren''t a simple bandit group, and Ratoka lowered his eyes to look at the floor. It seems that he''s trying to organize the information he knows already with the hint I just gave him, despite his young age, he''s got quite a good brain that works fast. I have the habit of looking down whenever I''m thinking. It seems that he''s copied my habit.


    "Mrs. Marshan taught me that information about Arxian internal affairs isn''t very well known outside our country, especially to a hostile country we don''t have a friendly relationship with like Densel."


    "That''s correct."


    "Commoners would have even less access to information about Arxia. The only place in Densel where they would even see Arxians is in the palace at their capital, where Arxian diplomats stay¡­¡­ For that bandit group to know our borders in such detail, they may have a connection with the Densel palace. Come to think of it, some of them knew how to speak Arxian. Is there a noble mixed in amongst them¡­¡­"


    I nodded at each of his analyses of the information so far, when I suddenly realized that my lips were beginning to shape themselves into the form of a smile. The way this child thinks, while he did receive the same education as I did, he''s really so similar to me.


    Sharing information with him is a good way to confirm my own theories, it seems quite effective so far as Ratoka''s inferences overlap with mine, this is good. Now that I''ve noticed how smart he is, I''m going to make even more use of him in the future.


    "Of course the House of Lords doesn''t know that these bandits are highly educated yet, those nobles are probably of course more concerned with the path the bandits took as they invaded us, feeling suspicious about it. They want to be on guard against the neighboring country, and not let any future invaders get anywhere close to them."


    "Yes, sooner or later our country would learn about us capturing the bandits. That''s why I spent so much energy interrogating the bandits so much."


    Before they were taken away from me, to where I wouldn''t be able to reach them anymore, I wanted to squeeze as much information as possible out of them first. Ratoka nodded, saying "I see."


    I fell silent, and pointed to the bottle of water on the desk. I''d gotten thirsty after all this chatting. Maybe an attitude of serving has been ingrained into him, Ratoka poured a glass of water for me almost unconsciously. This apple mint water has a distinctive cool, refreshing feeling, it completely wiped away the feeling of summer for me. I felt recharged instantly, and continued chatting.


    "I suspect that there may be conspirators within our country aiding them. They knew too many details about our internal geography."


    "Conspirators, eh. Indeed, our diplomats should have no reason to teach the enemy about our geography. But, why is it that Arxia is going to all the trouble of taking custody of the bandits and moving them?"


    As expected, when it comes to the way that nobles think, Ratoka hasn''t learned enough yet and he still can''t come up with the reason. He stopped thinking about it, and asked me directly and politely. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "If they''re in a dungeon in the royal capital, the nobles can easily go see the prisoners. Since nobles are used to having people at their beck and call, of course they''d want the prisoners within their reach. What''s more, if the Nordsturms are involved like I''m worried about, it''ll be the most inconvenient for them more than anyone if the bandits remain here as our prisoners."


    "But, isn''t it dangerous to just obediently hand the prisoners over then?"


    "Who said we''re just going to obediently hand them over?"


    Eh, Ratoka froze for a moment. Then, he hit his hand with his fist after two deep breaths. He has a look of absolute disgust.


    "I see. You''re going to ''kill'' some people, just like you did to me."


    "You should be watching your vocabulary and acting more feminine, ''Elise.''"


    As I thought, he really thinks in a similar fashion to me. Yes, even if it''s an order from the House of Lords, I see no reason to give them all of the bandits. After all, I had the full authority to question them until this letter arrived. Meaning, even if I accidentally killed one or two bandits during the interrogation process, that was a possibility.


    "I''ve already decided who I''m going to have ''killed.'' The first bandit I interrogated, and one other, that blonde-haired man. ¡­¡­I have to take the rest of the bandits to the royal capital like they want. I''ll leave the preparations to you, Elise."


    I ended my chat with Ratoka there. Although I returned to my domain because of the bandit invasion, I can''t just keep them confined here indefinitely and stay here.


    Like I promised Teo, I still need to finish the dealings with other nobles about getting tradesmen from their territories to come help in our construction. I had just really wanted to draft up a more organized system of government while I was back here in my domain. There''s still several urgent problems I need to resolve about the construction though, so I have to take care of that as well.


    It''s the first time I''ve ever had to deal with the paperwork and procedures necessary for accepting so many new citizens, I''ve been incredibly busy with very little time to rest. As for the management work and rebuilding of my domain, I''m beginning to do more and more of it instead of Earl Terejia.


    Honestly, that earl¡­¡­ He''s already so elderly, and thinking about how I was still only seven, I almost wanted to cry a little.

 Chapter 84 - 84

    October 25, 2016 ¡¤ by imperfectluck ¡¤ in Uncategorized. ¡¤


    I returned to the royal capital, gave the bandits over to the royal army, and headed for Earl Terejia''s villa. I went to hear about what happened in the royal capital while I was away, and to report on what happened in my domain, an exchange of information.


    "Oh, you''ve returned?"


    "Yes, Earl."


    "There''s no mistakes in the report from the two female victims from Nezu village?"


    "The injuries on their bodies match what they say. The Shiru tribe members that helped in capturing the bandits can confirm this as well."


    It seems that Earl Terejia still isn''t feeling well, as the meeting was in his bedroom. Looking at the earl in his sleepwear more closely, I feel like he''s gotten a bit more gaunt since the last time I saw him. Even though I have grown a little as well, he used to always seem so big to me, and now looking at him he feels thin and small¡­¡­ He even seems brittle.


    "How is your body¡­¡­"


    "I''m just a little fatigued, it''s no problem. ¡­¡­As expected, the years are catching up to me."


    Normally, the earl and I would just dispense with the pleasantries and get immediately to business and work. For me to be asking how he is, I wonder if it''s because I''m seeing how old he is, lying down in bed. ¨C Well, it''s mutual, we both talk only about work.


    I don''t know if Earl Terejia sees me as his subordinate or his employer, but either way, asking him about how his body is or if he''s working too hard isn''t like me at all.


    "Is anything going on in the royal capital?"


    Well, I''ll cut to the chase with the topic of the earl''s body, and get to the main topic. Suddenly, the earl''s already strict-seeming face crinkled even further. Something major must have happened, my back felt stiff and tense.


    "Several days ago, the royally-sponsored religious festival took place."


    "I know about that. If it wasn''t for the bandit group incident, I was supposed to have attended that originally."


    "It''s an important social event that you happened to miss. This religious festival is the largest event of the entire season. But back to the point, the king made an announcement during the festival."


    It was an unexpected topic, I couldn''t help but blink unconsciously. Because the king personally announced it to all his subjects, it must have been something that affects the entire country. Even so, the king shouldn''t have the power to decide national politics all by himself.


    The king of Arxia has full authority for managing and governing over the country. But, there''s a limit to what any one person can do, and the governing system in Arxia is one where the king shares power with his lords. Recently in the House of Lords, there shouldn''t have been any topics that would require the king to directly make an announcement to the citizens.


    "It''s about the princes."


    "¡­¡­Ah, I see. If it''s a royal family matter, then the House of Lords would have no say in it."


    I finally got what was going on, and responded affirmatively. I''m still learning more about politics related to the church and royal family, so I wasn''t able to instantly connect all the dots this time.


    Just recently, I had learned from Mrs. Marshan''s lectures that there''s two areas of politics where the House of Lords has no right to interfere in. One area is diplomacy with foreign countries, and the other is the affairs of the royal family.


    Diplomacy is the realm of the king, the archduke''s family, and the Upper House of Lords, while matters about the royal family themselves are jointly decided by the royal family, the church, and the Upper House of Lords.


    "There''s currently several princes in the royal family, but do you know how many are in line for direct succession to the throne?"


    "Yes. Queen Dionesia''s son Prince Albert, and Princess Evaris''s son Prince Alfred, just those two, right?"


    When I asked if I was right, Earl Terejia nodded in confirmation like he was saying I did a good job at remembering.


    "Are you still in the middle of your classes on current issues within the royal family?"


    "Yes, that''s correct."


    "I''ll explain it simply for you, Queen Dionesia is the daughter of the duke of Planates Dukedom, while Princess Evaris is a princess from the Melloart family. Since the Queen and the Princess have roughly equal status within Arxia, it''s difficult to determine which prince shall become the crown prince."


    At the earl''s explanation, I thought back to the last time he taught me about politics. (TL note: Chapter 74, mentions the Arxian royalty.) With this much of an explanation, I can see where this is going.


    "Then, was the announcement at the religious festival about the selection of a crown prince?"


    "Correct. The crown prince was announced to be the second prince, Prince Alfred, son of Princess Evaris."


    "Prince Alfred? Not the first prince, Prince Albert?"


    It was different from what I expected, so I asked again to make sure. Earl Terejia nodded, so it seems that I didn''t hear incorrectly. I hurriedly tried to recall as much as I can from what I learned about Arxian politics so far. According to Arxian law, there''s indeed no different in status between a queen and princess. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But currently, there does exist a difference in status between queen and princess in reality.


    Princess Evaris is from the Melloart family, which is one of two Arxian royal families. Together with the current family on the throne, the Teal family, they''re direct descendants of St. Ahar, and they are treated as the same status as the archduke''s family, without holding any positions other than that of family.


    On the other hand, when Queen Dionesia married into Arxia from Planates for a political marriage, she didn''t have to relinquish her position in Planates. So she''s both a queen of Arxia, as well as the daughter of the duke of Planates.


    What''s more, there''s also the matter of the order the princes were born in. Arxia isn''t a kingdom in which the eldest inheriting is absolute, but it''s a custom. Since Prince Albert''s mother is of such high status, and he''s the first prince, he should have been announced as the crown prince.


    "Nobody doubted that Prince Albert would become the crown prince. Prince Albert is well known in the royal capital for being intelligent. Nothing''s lacking about him for him to not become the crown prince."


    "¡­¡­Then how did this happen?"


    "I don''t know. Because nobody knows, the royal capital is filled with tension and uncertainty at present."


    I see, I nodded, and began mentally organizing information. So the crown prince was decided upon as the second prince instead of the first, and the nobles that had supported the first prince to become king were probably quite shaken. ¡­¡­No wait, just this alone shouldn''t be such a big incident.


    Thinking about it some more, I didn''t take into consideration the first prince''s mother''s background just earlier.


    "Since we''re currently on guard against Rindarl, there''s quite a few nobles that feel animosity towards Planates¡­¡­"


    "That''s right. Currently, it wouldn''t be wise to provoke Planates though."


    Anyone should think that. Even if the king didn''t take that into consideration, the Upper House of Lords should have thought about it before making a hasty decision on the crown prince.


    "Well, it''s useless even if we talk about it. All nobles like us can do is watch and see what happens."


    Although I''m still confused, what Earl Terejia is saying is correct. There''s nothing I can do about things related to what goes on in the royal palace or in the royal family.


    "Well then, can you fill me in with more details on what you heard from those bandits?"


    There''s more important things to take care of first, like things related to my domain. And so I stopped worrying about the royal succession, as I changed the topic.

 Chapter 85 - 85

    Just as I had heard from Earl Terejia, the announcement regarding the crown prince resulted in a huge commotion. It was the hottest topic of conversation on every street corner. Of course, this also became an agenda at the House of Lords.


    "Has the royal palace given thought to the influence of Planates?"


    "With the situation unstable in Rindarl, why are we provoking the friendlier Planates?"


    "But if the Eastern countries unite into the Rindarl Union, they''ll become an even larger threat than the Densel Dukedom."


    "Rather, isn''t it dangerous to snub the Queen''s son, just because she''s from Planates?"


    "In the first place, there isn''t even a need to decide on a crown prince in such a rush. Prince Albert doesn''t reach adulthood until another four years."


    It became really chaotic as soon as the discussions began. While the House of Lords can''t directly interfere with the royal family''s inheritance issue, it can still indirectly influence it through the Upper House of Lords. The nobles got heated up instantly and immediately directed their bickering towards one of the representatives in the Upper House of Lords, Royal Earl Edna.


    On just what basis was the second prince gaining the position of crown prince?


    Royal Earl Edna answered everyone with a bit of confusion in his own voice.


    "Regarding the decision for a crown prince, I myself only found out about it from the royal family two months ago. Prime Minister Rittergau and all of us noble representatives opposed the decision. However, the church and every member of the royal family, with the exception of the queen, approved of making Prince Alfred into the crown prince."


    "Unbelievable. The royal family should know better than anyone how excellent Prince Albert is. The Melloart family aside, for everyone in the Teal family to support Prince Alfred as well¡­¡­"


    The one who had just spoken on how unbelievable it was, was Margrave Genas. Since he''s the lord of one of the most geographically important domains in Arxia, his statement actually carries more weight than that of a lower-ranking representative in the Upper House of Lords such as Royal Earl Edna.


    Faced with a rebuke that he himself agreed with, Royal Earl Edna seemed like a frog who was staring down a snake about to eat him. "Take it easy, relax," Earl Einsbark aimed to defuse the situation.


    Not only is he the leader of one of the border domains consisting of our country''s line of defense as well as the commander of Fort Jugfena, he''s also from a branch of the royal family with slightly less influence. It seems like one of his roles is to mediate matters between the royal family and the nobles.


    While glancing about at the dispute, Earl Terejia began quietly explaining the situation in Rindarl to me. Compared to the adult nobles, I have a glaring lack of overall knowledge, which is why Earl Terejia often gives me short lectures whenever we attend conferences at the House of Lords.


    "It can be said that it''s currently a critical time in Rindarl right now. The four dukedoms are under pressure to unite into the Rindarl Union, doing away with the system of the four dukedoms that are remnants of the old Rindarl Kingdom. It means that the dukedoms will disappear and they may unite soon."


    "Well, the four dukedoms surround our entire eastern border. But, what''s been suppressing their unity into one country so far?"


    "It''s been mostly just one matter. There is basically no difference in power amongst the four dukedoms. The matter of which among them would determine the central decisions, has been the biggest obstacle to them uniting."


    "They don''t have someone among them who is politically influential enough to become the leader of all four dukedoms?"


    I think it''s quite interesting to learn about and deeply analyze political systems here. In my previous world, there was a different system where it was only considered natural that the king was all-powerful and could decide everything.


    In the case of Rindarl, where the four dukedoms are having difficulties truly coming to terms over who gets to be at the top, I''m sure that it''ll probably just result in having a figurehead leader.


    "What will they do politically after they have created the Rindarl Union, I wonder."


    "Who knows¡­¡­ Will they make use of the noble system and royal power, I wonder?"


    "While that system can be quite flexible, it''ll probably also increase their own internal power struggles."


    "No matter the country''s political system, one of its biggest headaches has always been the matter of inheritance of power at the top. Just like Arxia currently," the Earl suddenly chuckled. He still appeared to have a pale complexion. He''d recovered enough to get out of bed, but not fully. It seems that he was somewhat straining himself just by attending today''s scheduled meeting.


    "If the Rindarl Union is close to being established, isn''t it definitely a bad idea to aggravate Planates right now?"


    "It''s difficult to say. It''s indeed true that amongst the four dukedoms, Planates is the only one with a friendly trade agreement with us. However, Densel is clearly hostile, while we have almost zero contact with Giograd and Parmigran. So if our relationship with Planates worsens, it''ll almost be inevitable that relations with the Rindarl Union would become overwhelmingly bad."


    Nothing about this is difficult for me to understand. All the nobles that are currently opposing Second Prince Alfred from becoming the crown prince are probably worried for the same reason. Since Margrave Genas'' domain borders Planates, it''s only natural for him to be especially worried about this topic to the point of paranoia.


    "But as some of the nobles were discussing earlier, the fact that her Royal Highness the Queen also retained her position as the daughter of the Duke of Planates has become a problem."


    However, the problems associated with First Prince Albert becoming our next king, I can''t infer them because my studies haven''t reached that point yet. While I tried to figure out the reason from what the Earl has told me so far, I couldn''t understand no matter how hard I thought about it. Well, it can''t be helped, I''ll ask the reason.


    As a fellow domain lord in charge of the eastern border''s defense, I''ll never be able to face Margrave Genas out of shame if I don''t learn why First Prince Albert wasn''t chosen.


    "¡­¡­So why, did they decide this?"


    "Hmph. Well¡­¡­ Succession rights for the Duke of Planates isn''t limited only to males in his direct family, any men that are his blood relatives can qualify. Although eldest sons do get priority."


    Rather than answering me directly, he gave me yet another response that would require me to consider the information and come up with the answer myself. That''s his usual manner of doing things. It seems that Earl Terejia strongly emphasizes training my logical reasoning ability.


    Since the Queen never gave up her position as the daughter of the Duke of Planates, that means she never gave up inheritance rights there¡­¡­ Right. That means, her son, Prince Albert can inherit in Planates as well¡­¡­?


    "Meaning, because her Royal Highness the Queen didn''t give up her position as the Planates Duke''s daughter, Prince Albert is also eligible to inherit, and can become the Duke of Planates. Is that it?"


    "According to the law of Planates, that is correct."


    "I see. That could indeed be quite a problem."


    If Prince Albert becomes the crown prince, Arxia would almost certainly become controlled by Planates in the future. It would only be expected that even Planates would use Prince Albert to its own advantage.


    There probably weren''t any issues when the Queen married into Arxia. However, there is now a looming presence known as the Rindarl Union that''s surfaced. It can definitely be quite dangerous for Arxia if the person who inherits the position and royal bloodline of King of Arxia also has close ties with enemies of Arxia.


    I''ve finally figured it out. My head feels refreshed. Now that I have no more doubts and can see the political situation clearly, I suddenly felt really bored listening to the nobles bickering over the succession, without knowing the truth behind the matter.


    As for what I think, what this all means, is that the royal family took the Rindarl situation into account when declaring a crown prince. After all, one of the first counter-arguments had been that neither prince was considered an adult yet, and there was no need to choose a crown prince so early.


    "¡­¡­¡­¡­Mm,"


    Then, suddenly, just like a flashback, a memory appeared from my sea of thoughts. It was a memory fragment that seemed like it was telling a story to me rather than actually belonging to me.


    (The heroine of the otome game is Emilia Rindarl, daughter of the Archduke of the Rindarl Union. She came to the neighboring kingdom of Arxia with the hopes of getting married, which is why she entered the noble school here¡­¡­)


    ¨C That''s right. That was the prologue to the otome game. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But even so, I won''t consider that to be a future set in stone. I also held a vague feeling of conviction that no matter how much the House of Lords disputed the choice of Second Prince Alfred as the crown prince, that they would not be able to overturn the decision.

 Chapter 86 - 86

    The season for social gatherings was finally nearing its end, it''s about time for the nobles to hire any staff they need from the capital and return to their domains.


    After they return to their domains, the harvest season begins. As for us, since the refugees brought us pumpkins this year, and the egg-laying chickens we bought two years ago have been maintaining a steady production, the food available after this year''s harvest should be slightly grander than before.


    Thanks to the women that survived the era of my father''s rule, we didn''t lose some of the traditional ways to make some egg dishes. To me, that''s a great relief. We''ve already lost some traditional recipes for meat and fish dishes due to a lack of supplies during that time. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡­¡­Thinking about it in reverse, I was able to take advantage of my family''s status when I was young, and a few recipes were preserved by us. As for killing my family, I have to believe that I did the right thing. However, I can''t deny that adding hemlock into that pot of soup that day was only an impulsive action at the time, due to me being tired of the situation I was in.


    That''s why, I always have to check to ensure I''m doing the right thing. Otherwise I wouldn''t be able to remain mentally resilient and keep my spirit going. I won''t allow myself to abandon the role of domain lord just because my heart falters.


    "-Oi, oi, are you listening?"


    I was startled as someone tapped me on my shoulder, and I looked up to see Ratoka with a bewildered look on his face. I had been too lost in thinking about my own emotional baggage to notice my surroundings, so I blinked once to return myself to normal.


    "¡­¡­Are you not feeling well?"


    "No, I just wasn''t paying attention because I was thinking about something."


    At seeing the look on that child''s face in front of me, I couldn''t help but laugh a little. Seeing me doing so, Ratoka furrowed his eyebrows slightly.


    "Get it together. What if you get assassinated, what would happen to me?"


    "I doubt that I would be assassinated here in the royal capital at least."


    "Hnn¡­¡­ But, you never know who might be planning something!"


    As for me, I don''t intend to go picking any fights, but until I''m able to fully rebuild my domain and make it into an iron defense as part of our country''s border, I suppose there will naturally be some danger. What''s more, there are also those that are angry at me simply because I received some of the country''s national defense budget.


    In any case, I took another good look at Ratoka.


    "¡­¡­What is it?"


    "Would you really be troubled if I died, I was wondering. One year ago, you were so energetic in saying that you''d kill me."


    "Y¡­¡­ You! Is there no limit to how evil you can be!?"


    With a sound of shock, Ratoka gave me a look of disgust. With the straight way he expresses his emotions, what a hot-blooded shonen protagonist he is. Also, I felt a sense of relief that I didn''t feel any killing intent from him anymore.


    "My bad, it was a bit much for a joke."


    "Honestly. ¡­¡­Ah, that''s right. To change the topic, I received a letter from the temple."


    "A letter?"


    Ratoka brought out a letter for me, and upon closer inspection, it was sealed with a seal that I''ve never seen before. It''s different from the church''s seal which I''m familiar with, it was shaped in the form of the letter F instead ¨C and only one person came to my mind, it had to be from that Chief Priest Faris.


    When I checked the other side just to make sure, it was clearly addressed to Eliza Kaldia. It seems that there''s no mistake.


    "Ratoka. Bring me a letter opener."


    A letter has arrived for me from a priest which I have no particular close relationship with. I sat down in a chair and wondered just what was in the letter, as I sat there staring at it as if it would help me see through it.


    I rapped on Ratoka''s back when his shoulder drooped in fatigue as he gawked at the extravagant white temple adjacent to the royal palace.


    "We''re going."


    "¡­¡­That hurt you know!?"


    When I put an end to his sulking with a sharp glare, I heard chuckling and guffawing sounds from Claudia who was a few steps behind me dressed in maid attire, as well as Gunther who was also acting as my bodyguard today.


    I almost always take Ratoka and Claudia everywhere with me wherever I go these days, but I wonder just why Chief Priest Faris specifically invited the three of them by name to come along with me.


    "Why was it these three people¡­¡­"


    I muttered that to myself as I stepped into the dazzling marble temple. That priest especially had no reason to know about Ratoka. Just when and where did the priest learn about it, I wonder if Earl Terejia had informed Faris since they seem to be good friends.


    "It''s said that Chief Priest Faris has the god''s own eyes."


    Maybe she heard me muttering to myself, Claudia started chatting about all the information she''s heard in town as she''s much more caught up on local gossip than I am, on that priest I know nothing about.


    "It seems that Faris-dono''s mother was from the Melloart royal family, while she herself was the daughter of a duke. There''s also a rumor that she used to be Earl Terejia''s fiancee, but that''s from a really long time ago."


    "¡­¡­Hah?"


    Faris is the daughter of a duke, and what''s more she used to be engaged to Earl Terejia when they were both much younger? That means that she''s probably within ten years of age to Earl Terejia. So she''s around seventy, give or take¡­¡­?


    "Yes, she has a rather strange background. You usually don''t see someone of such high status entering the church."


    "The degree to which it''s said her god''s eyes can see things, it''s impossible to do by the natural laws of the world. Maybe the church unexpectedly does actually have some sort of divine power."


    Since I was the only one among us who had ever met Chief Priest Faris directly before, Ratoka and Claudia felt no sort of shock at all at the approximate real age of the priest we were about to meet.


    Ratoka aside, if even Claudia doesn''t understand Chief Priest Faris''s "god''s eyes," this priest might really have some sort of mysterious power that I don''t comprehend. ¡­¡­Well, there''re very few monks and priests that interact very often within noble social circles, so maybe even a lot of them actually have some sort of divine powers.


    ¨C But anyway, god''s eyes, eh.


    I remembered back to my birthday celebration when I was six years old, to the scales that balanced my good and evil deeds that Chief Priest Faris prepared for me. Even though absolutely nobody should have known about it, my deepest secret was exposed. The other two people there at that time, Kamil and Earl Terejia, also shouldn''t have known about it.


    Even on the verge of death, Kamil didn''t seem to have known that I was the one who ended up inadvertently framing his father.


    As for the Earl, I wonder if maybe he knew everything. When I think back on it, that parchment with the list of people that died which appeared on the scale could only have been prepared by him. Neither of us have ever discussed it, but I can infer from it that he must have been informed of the ceremony''s contents beforehand.


    The remainder of the walk to the specified location inside the temple was done in silence. Although I do feel nervous about what Faris is going to say to me, about having my weakness in her grasp, strangely I didn''t feel the same sense of fear that I did last year.

 Chapter 87 - 87

    Shanak Temple ¨C this white temple standing adjacent to the royal palace gave this street of nobles an even more elegant and refined impression than the Grand Temple of Misorua just a little bit further down the street. Commoners also use the Grand Temple though, while this is the center of the street of nobles, so it''s mainly nobles, and in particular royals, that use Shanak Temple. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "That was fast. I thought you''d get lost."


    In the deepest part of the temple, there was a small church that usually wasn''t open to outsiders. Priest Faris who was waiting for us there, greeted us with the same inscrutable, androgynous voice that I remembered.


    The temple has the most complex interior structure that I''ve ever seen. We didn''t get lost though, astonishingly enough because Claudia led the way.


    "¡­¡­Is it some sort of wild natural instinct?"


    I heard Claudia chuckling slightly from beside me. Although I wasn''t exactly praising her just now.


    "Yes, her instincts are excellent. Alright, come over here and relax. Today, I just wanted you to have a long talk with the elderly person that I am."


    A suspicious smile that I couldn''t read appeared on Priest Faris''s face, as she indicated towards a chair for me to sit in. Since Claudia is playing the role of my maid today, she pulled it forward for me, and I sat down. Claudia and Ratoka sat down on a sofa placed by the wall, and Faris finally stopped smiling that creepy smile of hers.


    ¨C I wonder if she''s tired? She''s expressionless, and I really can''t tell that Faris is around the same age as Earl Terejia. No wait, that''s only assuming that Claudia''s earlier story about Faris''s background was accurate.


    "This is to be our third meeting now, young one?"


    "Yes, that''s correct."


    Faris stared right into my eyes as I answered her without any hesitation. What is this, I couldn''t help but draw myself back a little. She seems even more evidently eerie than before. Faris squinted at me, as if she was probing the depths of my eyes for something in silence.


    "¡­¡­You''ve absorbed and synchronized fast. I can barely see her anymore. Has it accelerated?"


    Faris suddenly muttered something under her breath.


    "-Eh?"


    It was so unexpected that I had no idea what she was talking about, but Faris ignored my reaction of surprise and continued as if she hadn''t muttered anything at all just now. It seemed like she''d returned to the state she was in the first time we met, with that composed smile of hers as she stared directly into my eyes. Then, the feeling I had earlier that she may be elderly suddenly vanished.


    Faris really does have an inscrutable gender and age, it gives her an otherworldly, mysterious feeling.


    "How''s Siegmund been doing lately? I heard that he''s been getting quite a lot more wrinkles on his face recently."


    Faris started the conversation as if it was a perfectly ordinary one, and I felt myself expelling my breath that I was holding.


    "He still hasn''t fully recovered yet. It would be nice if he would get healthy again."


    "Well, humans have limits, it''s only natural that they can''t win against old age. And he''s always been one to push himself unreasonably. Even though that''s not good for him."


    Faris seemed to chuckle from the back of her throat, and her lips curved slightly upwards in the faintest hint of a smile. I don''t know if the story about her once being Earl Terejia''s fiancee is true or not, but it definitely does seem that they have some sort of connection.


    "Work is just piling up so much. I would really like for him to make a full recovery and return as well, but¡­¡­"


    "Well, how will it turn out, I wonder. ¡­¡­We''ve already reached an age where it wouldn''t be strange for either of us to die at any moment."


    That seems to be a rather deep statement. I couldn''t help but take a deep breath at her use of the word "we." I''m sure that Faris is prepared for death at any moment. Regardless of how mysteriously young she may look on the outside, she''s accepted her old age ¨C along with death.


    "Are you feeling tired?"


    "No. However, I''m satisfied in life, I am. As for Siegmund, he worries over too many things."


    "If Earl Terejia suddenly passed away, I''m sure he would have many regrets."


    "I''ll bet."


    It''s nothing to laugh over, but it''s also nothing to get shaken over, this is just a solemn story, I think. Even though we''re talking about death, the atmosphere doesn''t seem all that heavy, I wonder if that''s thanks to Faris.


    "¡­¡­The gods will definitely bestow upon my soul the gift of eternal sleep. It will be a pleasure."


    Faris''s eyes once again seemed to probe into mine. Those words passed through my ear canals and reached my brain, without tugging on any emotions, and settled down within my heart.


    "If¡­¡­ Just hypothetically speaking. If your soul wasn''t allowed to rest after death, and was sent back to this world¡­¡­ What does Faris-dono think of such a thing?"


    Before I realized it, the question had already spilled from my mouth. Faris had a child''s look of innocence on her face for an instant, then the smile returned as if to brush away my question. It was a smile of loving kindness, while simultaneously being a smile of pity. It was a beautiful smile just like that of Saint Shanak''s, I was shocked inside that Faris could make such a smile as well.


    "The god Misorua does not have the power to revive a soul for a second life. There''s no good luck, bad luck, or destiny, everything is all coincidence. Use your own power to carve your path in life, grab what you deserve, and struggle, that''s all. To your life''s utmost limits."


    These words from an elderly person, they''re so heavy. However, I did obediently calm down. I nodded, and Faris''s saint-like smile changed instantly again. Even though it was just the slight inscrutable smile again from earlier, the change in expression was so abrupt that it left me stunned for a short moment. From behind me, I heard Ratoka who had been silent until now moaning faintly.


    "Well then, let''s cut to the chase and get to the main topic. I didn''t invite you here today to deepen your faith in the church, or to hear about how Siegmund has been doing recently."


    "Yes, of course."


    Probably neither of us have that much free time. There must be some sort of reason that she called me out here today, some sort of use she had for me.


    "In every organization, when lots of people gather, there will be differences in opinion, and even factions that appear. The larger the organization, the more apparent the differences will become. Well, it''s said that factions appear whenever three or more people gather together."


    ¡­¡­Is she talking about the House of Lords, I wonder. There''s still some small ongoing conflicts about the matter of the crown prince. Strangely enough, she felt like Earl Terejia whenever he was teaching me something, so I couldn''t help but change my attitude and prepare myself to listen.


    "It''s the same among the gods."


    However, Faris''s statement was so earth shattering and shocking that I was left mouth wide agape and frozen solid.

 Chapter 88 - 88

    "Before the Kingdom of Arxia existed in this world, kings and their retainers would marry those from the church, while their children and relatives would be left to the land and the citizens."


    "¡­¡­Really?"


    "Indeed, it''s true. Long ago, the church was responsible for recording the history of countries. Nobody is allowed to tamper with history, we are in charge of protecting history and telling history truthfully as it occurred."


    As Faris nodded her head affirmatively, I thought back to Mrs. Marshan''s history lessons. The origin of nobles, was said to be from when the king recognized his greatest supporters. Thinking back on it, although the lessons were vague, the greatest supporters must have been the church, there''s probably no mistake.


    But, considering the power of nobles versus the church today, I must say that it was at least a little hard to believe for a moment. The church is deep-rooted in Arxia, and it shares a common destiny with the country. However, their true power within Arxia is limited. As for their influence, it''s mostly in regards to their responsibilities as keepers of the "law."


    "Of course, it''s fine. The Sacred Code does not prohibit it. Order remains protected."


    However, this time I noticed Faris''s eyebrows becoming slightly furrowed for the first time. I''ve never seen this expression of hers before.


    "Currently, there''s some foolish people within the church. They''re disturbing the order and creating chaos, and guiding the country to a path of destruction, and they harbor strong desires and greed even though they swore loyalty to Misorua, the god of Law and Order."


    Faris declared so in a strongly accusing tone of voice, then she moved her line of sight to behind me. When I followed her line of vision, I saw Ratoka sitting there frozen solid. I understood very clearly that Faris was looking at Ratoka in particular.


    "¡­¡­Is there something the matter with my servant?"


    "Nothing in particular. However, I believe that your servant knows something about what I am currently discussing."


    Somehow Faris''s smile gave off a wretched feeling, and Ratoka seemed to shrivel up in fear.


    "Faris-dono, my servant was born and raised in a village here in Kaldia. Even in the royal capital, he never leaves my side. I doubt that he''s involved in any sort of plots regarding our country''s destruction."


    Even I find this difficult to believe, I don''t think there''s any reason for Faris to question Ratoka. However, as I covered for him, Ratoka''s complexion became even paler. Is it really just like Faris said, does he know something?


    My palms began to sweat with impatience. This is bad, I need to calm down. I subtly took a deep breath, trying not to attract anyone''s attention. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Of course, Viscountess Kaldia. I don''t believe that your servant is complicit in such a plot either. But, even so, he seems to know something about it?"


    Faris didn''t stop looking directly at Ratoka at all, and in contrast to my impatience, her voice remained relaxed. Without a doubt, Faris seems to be fully confident of it. No, maybe I should say she''s somehow confirmed it already?


    "In a place called Cyril village of Kaldia, there were some sisters doing supposed missionary work while spreading dangerous ideologies. It happened right in the domain you were born and raised in. Don''t you know something about this? ''Elise-dono.''"


    ¡­¡­Goosebumps are crawling on my skin. Just what and how much does this priest know? "Elise" as well as which village she came from, that''s information that I''ve kept as tightly under wraps as possible. Even if Earl Terejia has long associated with Faris, I doubt that he would tell Faris, a complete outsider to the Kaldia domain, about such things.


    How did this priest know? Does having "god''s eyes" have anything to do with this?


    "¡­¡­Urk."


    Ratoka seemed to choke while trying to say something. He remained completely frozen solid while his eyes kept darting between me and Faris. He kept gulping and swallowing repeatedly. He kept shaking all over, but finally straightened himself out.


    "- As for being born and raised in Kaldia, I believe that I should also be counted."


    Faris seemed slightly surprised, and returned her line of vision from Ratoka to me again. Her smile seems to have disappeared. I continued my words with a bit of a refreshed feeling.


    "It seems that Faris-dono already knows something regarding this issue of sisters in Kaldia that have been spreading dangerous sentiments under the guise of doing missionary work. Just what additional information could a child of the same age as me provide to you on this matter?"


    "¡­¡­Mmm. It seems that you place quite a lot of trust in your servant, Viscountess Kaldia."


    "Indeed. He is a citizen of my domain. How can I be a proper lord without putting trust in my own citizens?"


    Faris blinked several times, then seemed to start grinning. Is that so, she nodded, and her shoulders shaking in laughter helped to dissipate the sense of her overwhelming pressure.


    "What you say is quite right. However, I would sincerely advise you to not keep him by your side."


    ¡­¡­Sincere advice, she says? With what she''s telling me, as well as the way she''s saying it, I feel both uncomfortable and skeptical. Even when I frowned slightly, Faris didn''t change her expression.


    "He''ll become your weakness. If you can''t let go of him, you should watch him a lot more closely."


    Her voice sounded almost lyrical. However, my stomach felt much, much heavier than before.


    "¡­¡­I''ll keep your words in mind."


    My words sounded like they were crawling along the ground. I have nothing brilliant to say, no comeback. Why is it that this priest is so good at riling me up?


    "Don''t make such a scary face. Right now, you need to be even more cautious and vigilant than before."


    "What exactly does that mean?"


    "The sisters that were in Cyril village before, seem to be having frequent dealings with the Nordsturms currently."

 Chapter 89 - 89.2

    Strangely, somehow time went by uneventfully without anything happening at all.


    The commotion over choosing the crown prince gradually settled down as well after some time passed. The season for socializing has now ended, and all the nobles that were just so active in the royal capital have each returned to their own domains, since it''s difficult to keep a topic going forever no matter how controversial it is.


    Although I say that, it hasn''t calmed down completely yet. That commotion definitely caused factions to form within the nobility supporting either prince, especially with regards to nobles in the royal palace.


    Just like the other nobles, Earl Terejia and I also returned to Kaldia at the end of summer. There seemed to be no movements from the northern nobles that we remained on guard against, nor was there any contact from Faris about the activities of the sisters in the Nordsturm domain.


    With the usual high amount of work as well as dealing with the autumn harvest, autumn was almost over already before I realized it.


    "The snow should be arriving soon¡­¡­"


    "Ahh, is it already this time of year? One year sure went by fast."


    It''s now the last month of August, and the air in Kaldia has a chilly bite to it, snow should be arriving at any moment. Regardless of the calendar date, when snow arrives, that means winter is here.


    Ever since I''ve returned to the Mansion of Golden Hills from the royal capital, I''ve had virtually no time to even leave, every day has been hectic with sending out letters, compiling information and reports, writing documents, learn from Mrs.


    Marshan''s lectures, work with Earl Terejia, or practicing the bow and sword¡­¡­ Well, that''s how I spent every day, so it''s no wonder that an entire season passed before I noticed. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    I''ve been spending every day so habitually like this that I didn''t even realize how exhausted my body was until now, so I sighed lightly. It became a white mist that quickly dissipated in the chilly air.


    I''m currently wrapped in a thick woolen cloak, and riding east together with Claudia by horse. Before a full-fledged winter gets here, I need to check on the state of the village for the new citizens.


    "You don''t seem to have any ambition or aspirations at all right now, Alicia-dono. You''re probably feeling tired? You should take a rest and relax a bit at Teo''s."


    "It''s Eliza, Claudia-dono."


    "Mm, sorry."


    "¡­¡­I suppose you''re right. I am a little tired."


    I was so tired that I didn''t even have the energy to pretend I wasn''t as I nodded to Claudia. She also seemed to be slightly fatigued as she replied, of course you are.


    Ever since Earl Terejia started feeling unwell earlier this summer, he hasn''t gotten much better. Of course, I can''t let the work he usually does be not done, so I''ve gotten a lot more familiar with his work.


    No matter how hard I work, I can''t do everything by myself, so I''ve left all military work related to the domain up to Claudia, Gunther, and the oldest soldier in the army, Calvin. Unfortunately, Gunther and Calvin basically don''t know how to read or write, so all the documents are left up to Claudia.


    Also unexpectedly, Claudia has gotten quite busy as well, she''s basically taken over the role of army instructor from Earl Terejia. Not only does she teach the army personal combat techniques, she''s also sharp in tactics and strategy. It seems that she''s extremely skilled at everything military.


    It''s clear to see that both of us are overworked. It''s hard because I lack people I can use.


    "It''s hurts that ''Elise'' isn''t here right now¡­¡­"


    Even though I know there''s nothing I can do about it, I couldn''t help but let that comment slip out.


    "Well, he was brainwashed before. It can''t be helped."


    Claudia seemed to make an attempt at consoling me. "Elise" ¨C or Ratoka, I''ve been keeping him far away from the other Elise this autumn, as well as keeping him under surveillance. The Nordsturms seem to be connected to the group of sisters that planted anti-nobility sentiments in him in the past.


    They might find out about Ratoka''s existence and take advantage of him somehow to slip through a crack in our defenses. That''s why I''m on guard.


    I know. I was the one who came up with, and carried out the idea to confine him. Even so, I can''t keep a hold on my emotions.


    Is this, any different from what I did to Kamil?


    "¡­¡­¡­¡­"


    "¡­¡­Eliza-dono?"


    I shook my head to try and clear it of these dark emotions.


    "¡­¡­Nothing. On our return tomorrow, I was thinking about staying at Nezu village."


    "Ahh, those girls. It''s good that the wounds in their hearts are healing."


    Claudia nodded, and our conversation ended there. We traveled the rest of the way in silence.


    "My lord! You''ve finally arrived."


    At the entrance to the new village, Teomer was standing there and greeted us, waving his left hand. Claudia and I both waved our hands as well in greeting.


    "Hey, Teo. It''s been a while. How are the preparations for winter going?"


    "Long time no see. I see that you barely have any energy just like usual. As for winter preparations¡­¡­ It''s going well, is what I would have liked to say."


    Looking at him, Teomer''s skin seems to be considerably tanner than before after spending an entire summer in Kaldia. He used to be a little reddish, but now he''s closer to the color of wheat.


    "The irrigation work isn''t as far along as I expected."


    Teomer gave me a brief report as we entered the village gate. There''s no other villages close by to here, but we did have a wall built around the village for crime prevention.


    When I entered the village, I saw several inelegant stone buildings, with only the foundations built. Similarly, there were also only a few paths that had been paved with stone, and their own self-made nomad tents as well as the simple tents donated from other domains were lined up all over the place.


    This is the current situation in the village for the new citizens. I see six more buildings than when I was here last time and had to go to the royal capital. However, this isn''t enough for six hundred villagers to live in. Originally these buildings are meant for about five people to live in, and right now double that number is living in each building.


    Even so, there''s still about four hundred people still currently living in tents.


    "Right now, we''re having the children and elderly live in the ''buildings'' and our own tents, but¡­¡­"


    "It''s unreasonable to pass winter in Kaldia with only tents. Since you''ve taken all this trouble to become my citizens, I can''t have you all dying and going to visit Misorua in less than one year."


    When it''s spring in this area, melted snow from the Amon Nor mountains will cause the water levels of lakes and rivers to overflow and even flood.


    That''s why we have to elevate the level of buildings we construct here, and we''re doing flood control work at the Sera River and the surrounding lakes, but since there''s many people among the new citizens that aren''t suited for labor work like children and the elderly, in addition to the fact that they aren''t used to doing this type of work, it seems that things have been progressing slower than expected.


    On top of all this, this village is the farthest one from the Mansion of Golden Hills, as well as being located far away from other villages. It''s risky to have such an isolated and ramshackle village face the deep snow of winter in Kaldia by itself.


    "¡­¡­Alright. I''m sorry, but let''s have all the new citizens stay in the area under direct control for this winter."

 Chapter 90 - 90.2

    November 15, 2016 ¡¤ by imperfectluck ¡¤ in Uncategorized. ¡¤


    After confirming with Teo that his tribe would agree to spend winter in the area under direct control, there were no more big projects for the time being. I spent the rest of the day on listening to how people''s lives were, what basic necessities were insufficient, learning who was sick and injured, learning all the finer details to the best of my limits.


    Based on all of this, I need to decide on what needs to be purchased and what Lord Carson''s carpenters should work on first, next spring when they arrive. As soon as I get back to the mansion, I need to talk to Bellway about it all as well.


    For dinner, I asked them to make me whatever they usually ate, and for lodging I just asked to stay in one of their simple buildings with some other children. My new citizens that have very little concept of a nobility system and the difference in rank between commoners and nobles accepted readily.


    The meal that night consisted of pumpkins, boiled fish from the river, horse milk, some vegetables mixed with fish, and a cheese soup. The pumpkin''s texture was smoother than I thought it would be, and not as sweet as I expected, but still delicious. Although everything I described seemed normal, it tastes like they probably put cheese into every dish.


    Since they keep a small herd of goats, they must also have some way of obtaining citrus fruits for the acidity necessary in the process of making goat cheese. Now that wild fruits have been lost to Kaldia, even cheese is considered quite a luxury item.


    "So this is a pumpkin. How delicious! It''s a vegetable with such a rich taste!"


    "Indeed."


    Claudia seemed to really like the pumpkins. She took the second serving offered to her in silence with a stuffed mouth and an expression full of joy.


    Later in the evening, I listened to children the same age as me tell stories about fishing and hunting, and I think I strangely fell asleep for the first time in my life while chatting excitedly without having to think about anything difficult at all. I thought that it was actually just pure and fun. To the extent where I felt a little lonely the next morning.


    "My lord!? Wh, what¡­¡­?"


    When I returned to stay at Nezu village, the mayor''s wife was so shocked¡­¡­ Or maybe I should say she was terrified. Well, I guess I did visit unannounced, so it can''t be helped.


    "Ahh, sorry for surprising you. ¡­¡­I came to see those girls from before, I just happened to stop by here after a trip to the village for my new citizens."


    "Those, uh, girls?"


    I confirmed it again for the mayor who still seemed to be puzzled. After I nodded, they hurriedly tried to have those girls summoned right away, while I rushed as well to stop them.


    "C, call them here immediately!"


    "Wait, you don''t need to call them here to see me. I''ll go visit them myself."


    Those two village girls seemed to be regaining their energy despite a lingering fear of men. Although they couldn''t do any work in the fields or heavy labor, it seemed like they were maintaining the agricultural tools, making ropes, and taking care of some chickens.


    I didn''t have the time to chat with as many villagers as possible like in the village under construction, so after I asked some villagers about their winter preparations, I continued on my way back to the mansion. It''s already been five years since Earl Terejia''s become my guardian and begun enacting his policies in Kaldia, it seems that life is returning here little by little. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    I wonder if it''s about time that we can begin producing cloths and threads on our own again without having to rely on imports.


    It might be fine to purchase some goats from Henznaut domain next year. Or maybe if the new citizens'' goats do really well and increase in number, I can buy some from them. I have to revive technologies and techniques in Kaldia.


    With new citizens'' tents were lined up on a hill north of the Mansion of Golden Hills, I saw the sight of clear skies after the first snow of winter for the first time. Although Earl Terejia had told me about how it looked last year, I missed it back then. At that time I was busy with work as well as recuperating from my long sleep, so I hardly stepped out of the mansion.


    Now I can avoid having the new citizens being forced to deal with unfamiliar weather and an unfamiliar land all by themselves. There''s many elderly and children among them, and in a new land with different customs, they''ll reach a high level of dissatisfaction quickly if I don''t do anything for them.


    That''s not all though, there''s also benefits to having them here. The largest village in all of Kaldia, Claria village, which is located south of the area under direct control, seems to be interested trading with the new citizens as well as learning about their culture.


    Although Claria village is fairly close to the area under direct control, it happened to be the village least affected by my father''s rampage, and it was also the village where Earl Terejia''s aid reached first. A lot of soldiers in training come from this village, and the regular Kaldia army also has many soldiers with family members in this village, so anti-noble sentiments are quite weak here.


    Also, since there''s a lot of commoners from other domains that end up staying here if they visit Kaldia, it''s a place that''s also friendly to the new citizens.


    "Last year, we traded our pumpkins, livestock, dairy products, and cloths for things like bread, eggs, straw, rye, and so on. I think some people also got cooking utensils."


    According to Teo, it seems that bartering is something their tribe does often. As for some of the older Kaldia citizens that experienced life before my father''s despotic rule, it seems that cheese was what they wanted the most.


    It seems that there''s a few words in common between the Artolan language and some words from ancient times in the Jugfena region, so they''ve been able to communicate with each other at a basic level.


    "If possible, please actively trade this year. Claria village is well populated, and things of all sorts gather there, it also has a lot of contact with the other villages. It''s the most appropriate location for you guys to be accepted by the villagers."


    I also chatted with Teo about how his tribe was spending winter as I helped him corral the horses in a simple wooden fence that my soldiers had helped construct. Although the Shiru horses are smaller in size than my army''s horses, it seems that they''re quite compact and muscular all over with excellent stamina.


    Although they''re trained, they still have wild temperaments and it was a bit difficult for me to get through the fence as I wasn''t used to them.


    "But at the moment we can''t afford to sell any of our livestock, nor are we able to produce cheese."


    "¡­¡­I believe I can have lemons imported. Would you be able to make at least a little cheese? In exchange, how about providing you an additional ten goats in the spring?"


    At any rate, if I buy goats for my domain, the Shiru tribe would be the best at taking care of them anyways.


    I also intend to give some goats to Claria village and Nezu village where they already have the ability to take care of livestock again, but since I''m buying a new type of goat for the first time, I want to let the Shiru tribe handle the goats first and hopefully be able to pass down some techniques on goat handling.


    "Ten goats, eh¡­¡­ Alright, I''ll have a word with the other chiefs about this."


    "You''re a great help. Also, will you go and see the cavalry troops sometime this year?"


    "Ahh, that won''t be a problem. Also, you should be there as well, can you participate? How else will you lead if you don''t know how to handle a horse and form battle formations?"


    Although my newly established cavalry troops from last year are guided by retired cavalry troops from Earl Ruktoferd''s domain, the instructors return to Ruktoferd for the duration of winter. And so this time, I''m hoping to improve my cavalry''s efficiency by having the Shiru tribe that''s used to being on horseback year-round observe their training.


    It seems that there''s some fundamental differences in how to handle their horses.


    "Even though it''s winter, as long as life has stabilized for the tribe, it should be fine to have some warriors join the army¡­¡­"


    "Is that really fine? Aren''t they considered an important existence to protect the tribe?"


    "No, now my people are currently protected by you, not our warriors. Didn''t you also pick up the path of the warrior, in order to protect our pride?"


    Teo was grinning devilishly as he said so. Indeed, it''s as he says.


    "¡­¡­I suppose. There''s no problem with treating you as my private soldiers."


    "Use us well. You''re our King now."


    ¨CMmm??


    I heard myself being addressed as something that I''m almost sure I misheard, but I decided to ignore it. Maybe to them the position above that of their chief is simply their King. That''s probably all it is.

 Chapter 91 - 91

    As a traditional stone building constructed in my great-grandfather''s time, the Mansion of Golden Hills gets quite chilly in winter. In rooms without a fireplace, the cold feels like it can pierce down to your bones, and the floors and walls are icy cold as well.


    Of course, the dungeon with no functions for warmth installed in it whatsoever is even colder. While there are some small holes drilled in the dungeon leading to the ground for ventilation, it seems that the dungeon is actually even colder during winter than our storage facilities.


    There''s quite some strong wind drafts in winter, and the fires lighting up the dungeon were weakened significantly by it. I clasped my thick fur cloak tightly around my body as I descended deep into the dungeon, as I listened to the sound of someone rattling the iron bars.


    "What''s wrong, you''re causing such a commotion?"


    "Let me out of here! Please! I''ll freeze and die¡­¡­"


    The painfully distressed voice coming from the other side of the iron bars was one of the two prisoners I had secretly kept for myself and put in here earlier this summer, a blonde-haired bandit with a tall, lanky body. His light clothes didn''t do very much to ward off the cold, and he was shivering.


    His originally blonde hair was also changing to a muddy hue of dirty blonde, becoming matted with filth.


    "Shut up¡­¡­ Don''t do something like beg for your life¡­¡­!"


    From the adjacent cell, the other bandit, the first one I interrogated, was shouting weakly in anger with all his remaining strength. It seems that since he''s middle-aged, it''s taken a harder toll on his body. I wonder if the blonde bandit is shivering more because of the cold or because of everything that''s happened to the other bandit.


    When I just stood there silently without saying anything to either of them, the blonde bandit turned around and started yelling at the other bandit in frustration and impatience.


    "You shut up! If you want to die so much, go die by yourself!! I¡­¡­ don''t want to freeze to death here!"


    "You bastard¡­¡­ Have you forgotten your loyalty to our gods¡­..!?"


    "Who cares about that!!"


    The blonde man was smacking the iron bars. It seems that after being imprisoned for so long, his spirit was finally giving in to the cold of winter and the threat of losing his life. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Hey, I''ll tell you anything¡­¡­ Anything at all¡­¡­ Help me, please let me out of here¡­¡­ My feet, my feet hurt so much I can''t bear it¡­¡­!"


    His feet hurting so much that he can''t bear it, he''s probably talking about frostbite. Since I didn''t give them any shoes or socks, it seems that his feet developed frostbite first, before his fingers. It''s now been seven days since the first snow of winter, and temperatures have dropped harshly. His injuries have probably already undergone necrosis.


    "¡­¡­I see. Sure, it''s fine. If you tell me everything you know, I''ll let you out of there. I''ll also have your feet treated."


    I think I sound terribly similar to a cat right now. I can even feel myself licking my lips for once.


    "Really!?!?"


    "Of course. To be honest, I can''t afford to keep taking care of people that take too long to decide anyways."


    As the blonde man shouted in elation, the other bandit was moaning with an anger-filled voice.


    "What''s, this! How can this be!!"


    "You just shut up!!"


    "You bastard, are you this shameless!"


    I merely watched silently and observed as both men lost all their self-control and shouted angrily at each other. It doesn''t seem like they are acting. I ignored their continued arguing, and had my soldiers take the blonde bandit out of his jail cell.


    "Valon! Don''t go!!"


    Finally, the door to the dungeon closed, leaving behind the sorrowful cries of the remaining bandit. I told my soldiers that were helping the blonde bandit named Valon to stand to take him to the interrogation room in the barracks, while I went upstairs to call for Rashiok.


    On the third floor, I found Rashiok sleeping in front of Ratoka''s room. Why is he here, I wonder. Because I''m self-conscious about having Ratoka placed under house arrest again, I''ve been avoiding him these days. What I will say to him, what he might say back to me, it''s only natural that I have no idea what to tell him.


    On the day that I talked with Chief Priest Faris, I had Ratoka return to the Mansion of Golden Hills immediately without listening to any of his excuses.


    Last winter, after I woke up from an entire month of sleeping, Ratoka had told me in detail why he''d thrown a rock at me. The story according to Ratoka seemed to be that ever since his birth, his mother had gone insane and constantly abused him, and he also picked up a hatred of the nobility from the villagers, which developed into a killing intent against the domain lord.


    His story had never mentioned anything about sisters planting the seeds of anti-noble sentiments.


    That''s why I judged things to be dangerous. There''s many people gathered in the royal capital. I was worried about the risk of those sisters who seem to be connected to the Nordsturms somehow finding Ratoka again and "reusing" him in some way.


    Ratoka never mentioned the sisters since he didn''t have any suspicions towards their activities ¨C also, because Ratoka didn''t want to mention any of his memories involving his personal emotions. Meaning, there''s a definite crack in Ratoka''s spirit from which the sisters can slip into and potentially take advantage of.


    But even if I tell that to Ratoka right now, he wouldn''t be able to understand the truth behind my actions. All I can do is, keep away from him, and keep him safe and protected while also keeping him under house arrest.


    ¡­¡­Of course, this is just what I''m telling myself.


    It''s obvious that my emotions might not agree with what I''m doing. Honestly, I truly don''t want to do such a thing to him.


    Rashiok made a sound of surprise in his throat at seeing the look of self-loathing in my eyes. While draconis are highly intelligent, they don''t have as many complicated things to think about like humans do, so they express their emotions simply.


    If you don''t want to be hated by Ratoka, then just don''t do anything that Ratoka would hate you for, it''s just that simple, is what Rashiok''s eyes seemed to be trying to tell me.

 Chapter 92 - 92

    I intended for Rashiok to be there alongside me at the interrogation of the blond bandit Valon. That man isn''t used to the existence of such a large beast. Rashiok''s presence alone should be enough to terrify and fluster him greatly.


    However, Rashiok wouldn''t move from his position in front of Ratoka''s room. Since he''s much bigger than I am, no matter how much I pushed him, he wouldn''t budge. This rascal, I kept calling him various names mentally. I couldn''t help myself and suddenly remembered a wide variety of colorful and vulgar swear words from my previous life.


    I glared at the draconis laying there casually, taking up most of the entire corridor while wagging his serpentine tail back and forth.


    Will I have to give up on bringing Rashiok with me? I don''t absolutely have to have Rashiok with me at the interrogation. The bandit''s spirit had already been weakened by the cold to the point that he was begging for his life. I thought about it and figured I could also use various other methods if I had to return the bandit to the dungeon, so I let go of Rashiok and was about to leave.


    ¡­¡­At that moment, I fell flat on my face in the hallway. I''m feeling an intense pain and heat from my nose right now. Thanks to the carpet flooring, it didn''t hurt as much as it could have, but it still hurt. More importantly, there''s something else. There''s a terrible pressure on my back. I''m pretty sure it''s Rashiok''s front paw.


    I can also hear his breathing really close to me, so his face is probably close to me. He also seems to be holding onto the edge of my cloak so that I couldn''t stand back up, and he was the one who made me fall over, what a rascal.


    I raised my face a little and pressed my hand against my nose, feeling a warm liquid trickling down. My nose is bleeding.


    "¡­¡­¡­¡­Rashiok."


    I managed to utter his name the best I could with my face to the ground, but the weight on my back wouldn''t disappear. I grudgingly wiped my nosebleed a little with my sleeve rather than letting it drip. While my clothes are rather expensive, the carpet is even more so.


    Then, a small figure started coming up the stairs. It''s Ratoka, holding a book under his arm. What timing.


    "Eh¡­¡­ Huh?"


    Ratoka seemed to be more confused than anything else. Of course he would be. I could only imagine how different I looked from usual, with my nose bleeding as I''m laying flat against the floor with Rashiok''s paw pressing me down.


    "¡­¡­Um, what are you doing?"


    "What does it look like I''m doing?"


    Hearing the frustration in my voice, Ratoka hurriedly came over and knocked on Rashiok''s head a few times as he was still sitting on top of me. Then finally, the weight casually disappeared from my back.


    That bastard. Once again, I cursed at Rashiok mentally. So this was his aim to begin with.


    "Uh¡­¡­ For the time being, let''s stop your nosebleed."


    With an indescribable expression on his face, Ratoka opened the door to his room.


    There was a bed, a desk, a chest of drawers, and a bookshelf with some papers and books on it. In the year since this room had become Ratoka''s, nothing had changed except that there was now a bookshelf. It''s only natural since I haven''t given him any other furniture nor a salary.


    However, looking around the room while sitting on his bed, I couldn''t help but feel that his room seemed so wide and empty and a little cold, and I wondered if I should give him a sofa.


    "Here, a cloth to stem your nosebleed."


    Ratoka''s mouth was bent into the shape of the ¤Ø character as he looked to see how I was doing. As soon as he saw that I was still holding my nose with my tunic''s sleeve, he took out a clean cotton cloth for me from the first aid kit on his shelf and also opened the window in his room for me to get some fresh air.


    I obediently sat still for a while, and my nosebleed naturally stopped bleeding on its own. The pain from face planting is also fading. But if I leave right now, I have a feeling that Rashiok will do the same thing to me all over again.


    I was momentarily confused over what to say, but I ended up asking:


    "How is Elise-sama doing?"


    "She had a small seizure earlier today, and she''s now resting. Lately she''s been having seizures more and more often. Even though she''s been getting fevers less often than before, in this past year¡­¡­"


    Ratoka hasn''t had any work to do while Elise had been sleeping. He seems to be passing the time by reading books, and he just happened to have gotten a new book to read when he returned to his room.


    Like Ratoka said, when Elise first came here, she often did nothing but sleep as she lacked physical fitness and would always be getting fevers, but after staying a while in the more temperate climate of Kaldia, her physical condition improved and she was no longer bedridden like before. That''s why I furrowed my eyebrows at the report that her seizures have become more common again.


    "The doctor is examining the current situation, but it also seems like Elise herself agrees that she''s getting worse."


    "Please encourage her as much as possible. I''ll do what I can to visit her whenever possible as well."


    Elise''s seizures are also greatly influenced by her state of mind. If she feels weak mentally, she''ll have more seizures.


    "Please do that. Ever since you''ve put me here again, you haven''t visited Elise even once."


    "¡­¡­Is that so."


    It''s Ratoka that I wanted to avoid, not Elise, but since Ratoka is still in charge of dealing with Elise for me, I''ve been avoiding Elise''s room as well. I''ve been making the excuse to myself that I''m too busy with work to go see her, but actually I''m feeling quite guilty about not going to chat with her. When I just nodded without saying anything else, Ratoka just stared at me.


    "¡­¡­I can''t even be myself and I have to use someone else''s name, I''m not allowed to use my own." Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    His voice was strangely cold. I looked again at Ratoka in surprise. He seemed to be expressionless, nothing but ice.


    "Do you not even need me anymore?"


    He almost spat that at me, then he seemed to awkwardly deride himself.


    "¡­¡­The fact that you didn''t kill me, I know that I''m supposed to be grateful and not think about it. But I''ve always been wondering. Just why you went to the trouble of giving me an education, and keeping me by your side. It seems that you like me quite a bit. Are you just spoiling me?"


    "That''s not it."


    Despite me saying so, I was in doubt of myself. I could see what Ratoka is saying. Even I was slightly aware of it, that I had sealed off my emotions this past year.


    "I don''t think I''m wrong. I think you''re overlapping me with Kamil."


    My throat froze up. Even though I wanted to tell him to stop, I couldn''t say anything.


    "You''re just using me as that guy''s replacement."


    My head feels hot. Various emotions are running through me to the point that my hands are shaking. My vision is flickering.


    He knows. Better than I do myself, he''s seen into the inner workings of my heart better than I have.


    "-Ah,"


    A tiny sound escaped from the back of my throat. At that same moment, someone knocked on the door to Ratoka''s room.

 Chapter 93 - 93

    November 29, 2016 ¡¤ by imperfectluck ¡¤ in Uncategorized. ¡¤


    "Eliza, ''Elise.'' Are you both here?"


    "¡­¡­Earl Terejia? Yes, Eliza-sama is currently here."


    Since I was currently unable to respond to anything right now, Ratoka replied for me. A tired-looking Earl Terejia quietly opened the door and came in for some reason together with Rashiok. It seems like Rashiok is gently nudging Earl Terejia. Maybe that''s why the Earl appears slightly confused.


    "¡­¡­Is something, the matter. Earl Terejia."


    A terrible sounding voice came out of me. It seems that I''m still quite shaken. Earl Terejia turned towards me, and suddenly raised his eyebrow.


    "¡­¡­No, I want to know what''s going on as well. Rashiok brought me over here."


    "Rashiok did?"


    "That''s right. ¡­¡­Something like this happened before as well. The day of that battle at Fort Jugfena."


    Rashiok, the subject of our discussion, was merely sitting in front of the door. Is this to make sure that nobody can leave? I think he wants us to talk things out. While the three of us remained confused, Rashiok suddenly howled.


    We just kept looking at each other for a while. Finally, Earl Terejia was the first one to speak up.


    "Shall we just chat for a little while in front of the door like this?"


    Ratoka was licking his lips nervously. I also felt really awkward as well. We had just been talking about a topic which neither of us wanted a third party to hear.


    "I think that what ''Elise'' said earlier wasn''t wrong at all. Eliza, you have indeed been overlapping ''Elise'' with Kamil."


    It''s impossible for me to insist on that not being the case anymore if even the Earl is saying so. I can only admit to it. I nodded bitterly, while the Earl continued speaking.


    "I haven''t seen you too much these days recently, but I can still tell. You''re afraid of repeating the same thing with Kamil''s death all over again."


    ¨C I felt like my vision had just cracked into two pieces like a shattered mirror. Something that I didn''t want to know, didn''t want to hear, even more so than that I was overlapping Ratoka and Kamil with each other, was being said by Earl Terejia.


    "The same thing?"


    "Aye. You couldn''t place your trust in someone, and as a result he died. And now, you''ve become afraid of trusting others. Isn''t that right, Eliza?"


    As an old man, his gaze is quite sharp. However, there was no emotion expressed in his eyes. Not anger, not pity, nothing. I felt like all my strength left my body, and I collapsed onto the bed. I was afraid of meeting Ratoka''s eyes. I covered my eyes with one arm, and took deep breaths.


    "¡­¡­Yes. That''s right."


    Once again, I have no choice other than to admit this as well.


    "If even Claudia-dono didn''t notice anything, I didn''t think anyone else would. As expected, you know me very well, Earl Terejia."


    The earl didn''t reply to my words.


    "Even so, I didn''t even know it myself until you told it to me so directly. I probably didn''t want to see or think about it myself."


    Even though I know it''s unseemly, my voice was trembling. On the contrary though, I think it would be funny if I could speak normally right now.


    "¡­¡­What do you mean?"


    My shoulder couldn''t help but jump at Ratoka''s sudden voice. I wasn''t able to read his emotions from just his voice alone.


    This time I smiled at myself in self-deprecation.


    "I thought that it was meaningless to trust people, until Kamil died. Actually, it might be better to say that I was being unreasonable. At any rate, the earl meant the thing about me being unable to trust people."


    Ratoka was looking directly at me. ¨C In his eyes, I saw disdain.


    "Just like the earl said, in the end Kamil died because I couldn''t trust him. When we were confused by the baboon magical beast pretending to imitate a human voice, Kamil protected me and ended up dying. ¡­¡­But if it hadn''t been for me not trusting him, he probably wouldn''t have ended up dying."


    "¡­¡­Then, are you now thinking about doing the opposite and relying on people more instead?"


    "Ahh, that''s right."


    I nodded, while Ratoka closed his eyes. He''s taking deep breaths. He''s deeply furrowing his eyebrows, and I can see him clenching his fists tightly and attempting to suppress his emotions.


    "-Is that so."


    That was all he squeezed out of himself. It was such a cold voice. It made me feel like I was looking into a mirror, talking to a reflection of myself. His behavior where he''s freezing his emotions and that icy voice, it strangely resembles me.


    Suddenly Ratoka turned his back on me. Rashiok standing in front of the door stepped aside. Ratoka quietly left the room now that the path to the door was now clear. Earl Terejia who had remained silent while watching us let out a sigh. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "As always, being so difficult."


    "¡­¡­¡­¡­"


    "At any rate, since I was obviously summoned here for something, I felt like I had to speak up and say something about how I saw things, forgive me."


    "¡­¡­No need to say sorry. Please excuse Rashiok for his actions."


    At any rate, if the earl hadn''t spoken up, probably all three of us would have ended up leaving the room without saying anything. Maybe it would have come out of me someday if we had just continued waiting in silence, but neither the earl nor I have the free time for that.


    After Earl Terejia left the room, only Rashiok and I remained. Rashiok approached me and laid down at my feet. His ears and tail were drooping, and he was looking at me with a gentle expression.


    "¡­¡­I''m not angry at you, you know."


    Rashiok nudged my feet with his nose as I spoke those words lacking in any energy.


    "Oi! I thought that you were supposed to help me if I told you everything I know!!"


    The bandit in the interrogation room was crying and screaming. According to the soldiers, he had been shouting for all this time. It seems that at first he had tried to beat down the door, but since it was too painful to do so, now all he was doing was shouting.


    "Did he say anything useful?"


    I had asked Gunther and Claudia to take charge after I had him moved to the interrogation room. I was told by my soldiers that the moment he entered the interrogation room again, the bandit voluntarily started offering information on the bandit group''s goal.


    "¡­¡­It seems that they were going to meet up with a certain woman, in order to assist her."


    "A woman?"


    "It seems that her name is Diferis. She''s currently in the Ogren domain. It''s a domain located in the heart of the Nordsturms'' seat of power."

 Chapter 94 - 94

    When I interrogated the bandit Valon based on what Claudia and Gunther had just told me, it didn''t seem like he hid anything at all, there was nothing that seemed overly suspicious and he immediately told me anything I asked him.


    He said that he came to Arxia to fulfill a mission given to him by his church.


    He said that his mission was to meet with a woman named Diferis waiting in the Ogren domain, and to assist her.


    He said that some people in the bandit group, himself included, believed in the West Alfena sect of the Revua church, and that the church that had given them their mission was the West Alfena church.


    He said that the believers were nobles from the Densel Dukedom.


    He said that the rest were real bandits, hired by the nobles.


    He said that the woman named Diferis was making large amounts of generous donations to the West Alfena church.


    He said that he was told to go through the Kaldia domain in order to reach the Ogren domain.


    It''s been about half a year since I caught the bandits, but this is the first time that I''ve heard all these things.


    "What was Diferis going to have you guys do?"


    "Well, I don''t really know the details. I think it would probably be some anti-Arxian related activities."


    Anti-Arxian activities, eh¡­¡­ What I kept thinking about was of course, the suspicious movements of the Nordsturms, and those sisters that keep coming and going from their domain. Especially since those sisters are spreading anti-noble sentiments, they''re a dangerous factor that could undermine order in Arxia.


    I believe that Marquis Nordsturm''s wife is from the Ogren domain. It would be natural to consider the Ogren domain complicit in their suspicious movements.


    "Then, is the Western Alfena church intending to invade Arxia? Or perhaps destroy Arxia?"


    "Of course, to destroy it. Since this is an infidel''s country based on the Xia sect¡­¡­ Well, that''s what fanatics like my cellmate Remis believe in. I''m different. Well, my parents are believers, but I only joined the church for money. Since, I can make a profit.


    Just like Diferis, there are many both inside and outside of Densel that wish for Arxia''s destruction and will give us a great deal of funding."


    According to Valon, that''s why he was willing to talk now since he was afraid of dying, as he wasn''t a fanatic believer like the rest of them were.


    It seems that the other man still in the dungeon is named Remis. Well, since he''s going to be nothing but a frozen corpse soon, I no longer hold any interest in him.


    But anyways, all of this got me thinking. If what Valon says is true, the Western Alfena church is basically a church in name only, and is actually more like some sort of anti-Arxian terrorist organization or group. What''s more, it has many supporters.


    "If that''s the goal of your church, their supporters'' goal must be very easy to understand."


    "¡­¡­Ahh, indeed. Other than the fanatics among them, it''s mostly merchants that are donating money, as well as some nobles. There are some merchants that are aiming for control over regional products found in Arxia''s vassal states, and there are also many weapon and drug dealers. Also, the nobles want to expand their territories."


    Meaning, these people would benefit if war broke out. The merchants aim to profit from war, or to take control over some of Arxia''s vassal states, so they''re investing in a terrorist organization. Since their nobles want Arxia''s land, it''s also advantageous for them to invest in terrorists so that Arxia is already weakened before any actual war breaks out.


    ¡­¡­Also, nobles from my own country, the Nordsturms, might be involved in all this. It feels like some hot, passionate feelings are beginning to bubble up from within me, slowly coming to a boil.


    "But, if your church is up to such large undertakings, I would have expected the name to be a little more famous."


    "The Western Alfena church is only a small sect, a tiny church. Since the original Revua religion that it''s under is so large, it''s like they''re hiding under an umbrella."


    ¡­¡­Unlike the Xia religion in Arxia, the Revua religion has several major sects. However, since it''s structured so that there''s many small sects under each one, it''s indeed difficult to gather information on the smaller churches. None of the main churches should have a name containing either of the words "Western" or "Alfena." It''s impossible to investigate.


    There''s too many small churches to possibly find out about them all. It''s especially difficult to learn about one if it''s so small in scale that it''s only known to locals.


    While I was thinking in my mind without saying anything out loud, Valon also waited for me silently for a while. But while I was in the middle of my thoughts, I heard his voice again.


    "Do all Arxian children have such disturbingly high intellect?"


    "¡­¡­Well, who knows."


    "You don''t even look like you''re ten yet. If you had been born in Densel, it wouldn''t be strange at all if you were considered to be possessed by a demon and killed off."


    Well, if he had seen how I was when I had just been born in Arxia, he probably would have considered me a demon from an even earlier age. But anyways, he continued speaking.


    I noticed that I couldn''t help but furrow my eyebrows again. The Xia religion doesn''t have the concept of demons, but in the Romur Ringwall languages used in the eastern countries, it''s a commonly used word there. Due to my memories from a previous life, it''s a word that''s easy for me to understand.


    That''s why I had a reaction. Thanks to the standards of my previous life''s memories, I''d always considered the actions of the unscrupulous Kaldia family to be the "work of demons."


    "Demon¡­¡­ Eh."


    Then I considered the words I was about to tell this man. They''re definitely words that won''t put the Kaldia family name to shame, the work of demons.


    "I understand everything clearly now. I shall keep my promise with you."


    "-Really!"


    He seemed delighted at the news, while I smiled slightly at him in return.


    "Yes, of course."


    I stood up. At the same time, I had the two soldiers to the left and right of Valon restrain his arms, and force him down from his chair and kneel in front of me. I took a slender sword from Gunther who was behind me, and held its tip to Valon''s throat.


    "¡­¡­Eh?"


    His smile froze. That was his final word. My slender sword sliced above his clavicles, right through the soft fleshy part of his throat and exited close to his cervical vertebrae. Immediately after, reddish-brown blood started flowing from his mouth, and covered the floor.


    "I forgot to tell you, but you''re already dead now. Meaning, only dead people are going to leave my dungeon."


    His eyelids were blinking furiously and he kept sputtering blood, while his lips moved like he wanted to say something. No voice came out, but his lips were moving so tremendously that I felt as if he was being driven by demons. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Well, things are like this already. Eliza Kaldia was cursed from the moment she was born into this world.


    I had never intended in the first place to ever release any of the bandits. They hurt my people and committed crimes. It''s only natural that they should die in compensation.

 Chapter 95 - 95

    December 21, 2016 ¡¤ by imperfectluck ¡¤ in Uncategorized. ¡¤


    "Eliza-sama, it''s time for dinner."


    The voice surprised me. During this afternoon, I was staying in my room, working on finishing all the paperwork, but I seem to have gotten too absorbed in working. When I raised my head, I felt a dull sensation on my back and neck. It seems that I''ve been working for too long without rest.


    Since there''s a lack of sunlight during winter, I''m always using candles, and I noticed that it had almost burned all the way down.


    "Ahh ¨C thank you very much, Mrs. Hortensia."


    My new nanny, Mrs. Hortensia, was the person standing in front of the door who had called me. It seems that she came all the way to my room to call me as I wasn''t coming out. It was already completely dark outside, and she had a lamp in her hand. The lamplight was flickering, reflecting off of her eyes.


    "I''ll get going right now."


    After carefully putting my quill pen back in its pen stand so that the ink wouldn''t run or spill, I stood up. Mrs. Hortensia entered my room, and she began helping me put on my robe to replace my coat. While the inside of my room is kept warm by a hearth which had a heating system that could send warm air to my room through a central fireplace, the corridors didn''t have that system.


    "¡­¡­Eliza-sama."


    Just as Mrs. Hortensia helped me button up the last button of my robe, she suddenly started speaking to me. She had a relaxed smile, and was looking at me with a gentle look in her eyes.


    "Eliza-sama is a splendid person. You work your hardest to try and fulfill your duties as a domain lord."


    She took my hand and wrapped both her hands around mine. She still smiled softly at me when she saw my surprise, and she began talking slowly as if trying to persuade me.


    "But, before any of that, Eliza-sama is still a child. Even though you have the position of an adult, you shouldn''t treat yourself as if you were an adult."


    She was basically treating me just like a child.


    "¡­¡­I can''t do that."


    My thoughts were bitter as I muttered that out loud. Mrs. Hortensia''s words were warm and soft, just like a spring breeze. They suddenly invaded my dry, cracked heart.


    That was why, it was so bitter. It was scary. I felt like I wanted to get rid of this feeling that I wasn''t used to.


    A piece of firewood from my fireplace snapped with a loud crackle. However, Mrs. Hortensia never looked away from me at all, almost as if she didn''t hear it.


    "No. You must realize that you are still a child, and treat yourself accordingly."


    She was so direct with me. Even though her gaze seemed gentle, it was also strong. This was scary.


    "Eliza-sama. It is true that when Earl Terejia hired me, he did instruct me to treat you as an adult. However, you are still a child. I am certain that because nobody treats Eliza-sama as a child, that is why you are always so busy having to think about difficult things."


    "¡­¡­Stop, please."


    I could hear myself clenching my teeth.


    It was as if there was a voice screaming in the back of my head to not listen to her, to not let her say anything more. It was difficult to breathe. I felt as if I was being choked by something soft like cotton.


    "In this mansion, it''s an unfortunate thing that there''s nobody here who knows how to raise children. That''s why nobody knows how to just let Eliza-sama have fun and relax. Anyone that used to treat Eliza-sama as a child is no longer here."


    Mrs. Hortensia''s tone of voice was invading me with such warmth and affection that it was breaking me into pieces. This time she took her hands that were wrapped around mine, and placed them on my shoulders.


    This was no good. I couldn''t let this go on any further. The innermost part of my mind was screaming at me.


    I wanted to escape from here. Despite thinking so, I couldn''t move at all. Her arms enveloped me while I stood so still as if I had grown roots. It was as if her hands were made to mend broken objects.


    "At your age, you should still have the right to be acting spoiled to others."


    The words she whispered in my ears were like honey to me, giving my mind a sweet numbness. Just like warm milk, she had a sweet, gentle smell. My skin had been missing the warm sensation of human touch.


    I just let my muscles relax and leaned against her without using any strength at all.


    I considered myself as being strong-armed into this. This was an irresistible warmth. It was completely different worlds, inside and outside of her embrace.


    My eyes felt a little hot. The back of my throat hurt as well ¨C it was hot and painful.


    "¡­¡­Eliza-sama? Are you crying?"


    I was breaking down. At the same time that lukewarm water accumulated in my eyes and started spilling over, Mrs. Hortensia''s hands rubbed my back. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "¨CPlease stop."


    Even so, I still couldn''t allow myself to just keep sobbing shamefully like this.


    "Please let go of me, Mrs. Hortensia."


    At the same time as I said that, I pushed against her shoulders with my hands. Her look was one of slight surprise, then it changed to what I understood as pity.


    My heart was pounding. The feeling in my chest was so intense like it would burst at any moment.


    I covered my eyes with my sleeves, and stumbled backwards. Mrs. Hortensia didn''t try to hold on to me. When I lightly sat down with my back against my desk, I finally felt a strange sense of relief.


    "¡­¡­Please go ahead to the dining hall. I''ll come along shortly."


    I heard Mrs. Hortensia sighing gently.


    "I shall do as you say. But, please, never forget what I just said."


    With that final comment, she left only the sound of her footsteps behind. All strength left my body and I collapsed where I was sitting.


    My hands were trembling. I was shivering in fear at something other than that sweet temptation.


    Just why did I reject Mrs. Hortensia''s words just now, I wonder.


    These contradictory feelings of mine made me want to cry again, and I kept desperately grinding my teeth. Still, in the back of my head, I kept telling myself that it was just fine like this.

 Chapter 96 - 96

    Eliza-sama, feed those horses over there as well, will you?"


    "Got it, I''m on it."


    Children about my age are running about, pouring horse fodder into buckets. I had also joined these children, having added a large amount of horse fodder into a bucket I was now carrying, heading for the group of horses they indicated to me.


    The bucket is heavy, and the horses move about freely, so if I don''t act fast I won''t know which horses are the ones I''m supposed to feed. Although it''s winter, this is still work that will make you sweat. However, quite unexpectedly, this is quite enjoyable, even fun.


    "My lord, are you okay?"


    "Yes, of course."


    As I nodded to Teo who came to see how I was doing, I must have really looked just like a child to him. With a wry smile, he left without saying anything else.


    Ratoka, Earl Terejia, and Mrs. Hortensia had each in succession shaken me badly inside, so now internally I was a mess, as if a storm had just passed through me.


    Although it''s a little pathetic to tell anyone, but truth be told, I can''t take any more mental shakeups right now. Especially if someone else is like Mrs. Hortensia, and tries to treat me simply as a child, I''m terribly afraid that something within me will collapse and break down.


    Right now I''m feeling afraid of everyone living at the Mansion of Golden Hills. This phobia of trusting others has made even me realize that I''m currently a little mentally unstable. I''m also a little surprised at this little bit of immaturity inside of me.


    That''s why ¨C I decided to escape from there. Or in other words, I became a runaway of sorts.


    I absolutely can''t bring myself to ignore my work. That''s why, I only ran away to my neighbors'' tents, the new citizens that are currently passing their first winter on the nearby hills. In the morning I''ll still return to the mansion to do my work, but I only sort out and work on the documents with highest priority and importance, and leave promptly at noon. I''m actually only half a runaway.


    Originally during winter, my time during afternoons wasn''t spent on work anyways, it was my time to practice martial arts and train with the army, so it''s no problem to only work this much every day. After I''m done training at the barracks each day, I don''t return to my room at the mansion, and come back to the tents instead. S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Of course, I''m just escaping reality. I realize this quite fully.


    But even so, if the environment around me changes, some other things will change as well. It greatly reduces the chances of meeting someone I don''t want to deal with, such as Mrs. Hortensia and Ratoka. Hopefully this gives me a chance for my emotions to settle down. Well, time should solve all problems, including ones such as my age and my feelings.


    "Eliza-sama, have you finished over there?"


    When I somehow managed to finish feeding all of the horses that I was tasked with feeding, a girl about my age called out to me.


    It''s been almost two weeks since I started living with the Shiru tribe. I''ve been staying at the tent with only children, the same one as when I made my inspection before.


    "Ahh, it''s done."


    "Then that''s all for today. Let''s go get something to eat together."


    She grinned and held on to my hand, as we returned to our tent. When I first came here, I kept getting lost among all the tents that looked the same to me, so now the kids here have acquired a habit of having someone lead me by my hand through the tents so that I don''t get lost.


    "Here, wipe yourself with this towel. If you''re all sweaty you''ll catch a cold, so make sure to wipe properly, okay?"


    "I know. I''ll be alright."


    The children in the tent basically treat me as a "newcomer." The children find it amusing to help take care of me as I''m not used to life among the Shiru tribe.


    The older children aside, even the younger children behave as if they''re my older brothers and sisters, it''s quite interesting. It''s quite a fresh feeling to be taken care of for once, instead of having to take charge of others.


    With no worries, no cares, I really have this feeling of relief.


    I''m wearing some clothing typical of the Shiru tribe that was handed down to me. Usually tunics and dalmatics are the clothing most typical of the Jugfena region, and although there''s not much difference in the tailoring, the embroidery has much brighter colors than our region, and there are many animal motifs such as birds and horses rather than plants.


    I carefully wiped my entire body. Without her needing to tell me, wiping down sweat properly had been drilled into my bones during my first three months of training at the barracks. While their clothes are a bit different and possibly made from different materials than the clothes I''m used to, I''m already getting used to them.


    "Hey hey, what are you going to do today, Eliza-sama?"


    "Today¡­¡­ I have to go train with the army."


    When the sun passes the midday point, Gunther should be arriving soon at the entrance to this simple makeshift village to fetch me.


    "Ahh. So much work. Hang in there."


    I nodded at her encouragement, and crawled out of the tent. I was instantly attacked by the cold, biting air. Thanks to heat from a nearby fire, the cold didn''t pierce down to my bones, but it was still cold.


    When I covered my nose with my hand as it was hurting from the cold and watching my foggy breath in the air, the girl followed me out of the tent and put a long piece of cloth around my neck. Is this a scarf? Arxia doesn''t use this type of clothing.


    "Wrap this around your neck properly. It''s a serious matter if you get a cold."


    "Ahh, s¡­¡­ My bad."


    Sorry, is what I would have usually said, then I remembered that I was with children and changed my phrasing. To them, they only know simple ways to apologize. The first time I said "my apologies" to them, they all tilted their heads at me quizzically.


    "You should only say my bad if you really catch a cold. At times like these, you should say thank you."


    The girl seemed so proud of herself as she said so, and I laughed slightly. Since when had I forgotten how to do such simple things, I wonder? Just like she said, it''s certainly a strange thing to receive a scarf and apologize for it.


    "Thank you."


    "Mm, such a good child."


    The girl grinned widely and caressed my head. I was finally infected by her as well, finding all of this funny, and a smile appeared on my face.

 Chapter 97 - 97

    Huzzah, we''re slightly past the halfway mark of catching up to the author! Minor spoilers: the latest chapter is chapter 187, titled "Minefield of flesh and blood," so that''s quite something to (look forward?) to. Also, as a reminder, Eliza will enter noble school in chapter 149.


    And, anyone up for donating some steam games to me off my wish list for the winter holidays? They''re all on sale! Let me know on steam if so, my name there is the same, imperfectluck, same picture of Estelle the orange haired girl as well!


    Outside the window, snow is beginning to fall. Although I''m almost done with today''s work, the timing is still bad.


    I removed the item I was using as a reading stone to hold documents in place, and thought about the work I still had to do while examining the lump of glass in my hand. Beautiful glass like this with few impurities is a luxury item, much more valuable than something like window glass, that''s when I suddenly had a flash of inspiration.


    "Eliza-sama, what''s the matter?"


    "Ah¡­¡­ Nothing. Nothing''s the matter, Mrs. Marshan."


    I responded to her and nonchalantly placed the reading stone into my sleeve like nothing had happened. Luckily for me, she didn''t notice anything.


    As always, it''s still Mrs. Marshan''s job to teach me about my political work. Since there''s still much that I haven''t learned yet, it''s a reassuring thing to know that I can always call for her at any time I need to.


    She''s a talented teacher who has Earl Terejia''s recognition, she''s skilled in a wide range of different fields, and she has a sharp mind that always has a fast and accurate response for any questions I ask her.


    While she did tilt her head quizzically at me when I was busy affixing myself on my reading stone, but she didn''t pay it much mind, and returned her attention to the papers she was working on. It seems like she was reading essays written by both Elises. Mrs. Marshan is also in charge of educating all children at the Mansion of Golden Hills.


    I returned my line of sight to my own work. I still have a few remaining reports and applications from my army to go over, and I need to rewrite and simplify the most important documents as well as sign them. Also, in tandem with that, I need to write up purchase orders for what the military needs, and sign those as well.


    After all that I need to organize them and submit the documents to Earl Terejia. If there''s no problems, the contents of the documents will be carried out. I punched a hole through each documents and strung them together, finally finishing my desk work for today.


    "Are you finished?"


    Mrs. Marshan relaxedly pulled up the hem of her dress as she came over. Up until now, she''s never even once worn the dalmatics and tunics common to the Jugfena region. She always wore a simple, plain one-color dress with a proper collar.


    "Yes, there''s no problems. How about on your end?"


    "I''m finished as well."


    While Mrs. Marshan smiled elegantly, suddenly her expression clouded over as she looked at the papers in her hand. One of the two Elises, or maybe both of them, may have bad grades, I wonder. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Um¡­¡­ How are the other children you''re in charge of teaching doing? Are they properly learning under your guidance?"


    "Eh? Uhh¡­¡­ They''re mostly fine."


    Maybe it was a little too unexpected for her to hear me asking this question, she seemed to nod absentmindedly at me. However, she continued to remain out of character as she spoke again.


    "However, it seems like recently one of them hasn''t been taking what I say to heart¡­¡­ Although that one is still working hard, it seems like as if there are other distractions going on."


    "Distractions¡­¡­"


    I recalled Ratoka''s face from when we confronted each other on that day. A surprised expression, a worried expression, a bitter expression, a dark expression filled with anger¡­¡­ In just a short moment, so many different expressions were expressed across his face.


    I wonder if Ratoka was as emotionally fragile as I was right now, if he had been hurt by that day as much as I was.


    "As for Elise the viscount''s daughter, it seems that she''s been having seizures quite often lately, and her condition is poor. As for Elise the apprentice, maybe she''s been worrying about her."


    "¡­¡­I''ve heard about this as well."


    This is also a story that hurts to hear. Even though I had told Ratoka that I would go and visit Elise, all I''ve done instead is run away from the mansion.


    Even though Mrs. Marshan almost certainly doesn''t know about the argument between me and Ratoka, it seems like she''s detected something from my eyes. But in the end, I couldn''t say anything, and lowered my eyes to avoid her gaze.


    She probably wants to say let''s do something about it. If not that, she probably wants to ask what happened. But, she didn''t approach the topic at all.


    Mrs. Marshan is my governess. Among all the servants, only the governess will end up leaving for another household once her work here is finished. That''s why she never tries to have anything to do with any problem that residents of the Mansion of Golden Hills may encounter. The more people that are living here, the more obvious this has become.


    That''s why I deeply feel the irony of how I feel the safest next to her out of all the residents here.


    "W, welcome back, Eliza-sama!!"


    "I''m back."


    On days that I don''t have to participate in military training, I''ll return to the new citizens'' makeshift tent village to have lunch, and do the work that''s given to me here, before returning again to the mansion for martial arts training.


    "Eliza-sama, don''t you get tired from work?"


    "It''s started to snow, aren''t you cold?"


    "She''s gotten wet from the snow! Take her to warm up by the stove!"


    As I entered the tent, I was suddenly surrounded by children. While still busy chattering, one of them took me by my hand and led me to the stove in the center of the tent.


    "Ahh, I''m fine. I rode Rashiok here today."


    "Rashiok, he''s Eliza''s friend, the scaled flying wolf dragunia, right?"


    At Rashiok''s name, the children suddenly all got into a commotion. I did talk a little about Rashiok before with them, it seems that they remember.


    "Yes. In Arxia, we call him a wolf dragon, or a draconis."


    "Is he still here?"


    "Yes, he''s still here. He''s waiting outside the tent."


    Apparently the children seemed to be interested in the wolf dragon, and they cheered as I pointed to the tent''s entrance.


    "I want to see it!"


    "Exactly what I was thinking. It''s cold outside, can we have him come in?"


    "Yeah yeah!"


    Their eyes that were shining with curiosity, as well as their bright smiles made my chest feel slightly fuzzy and warm. How direct they can be is so dazzling, as well as enviable.


    It''s a way of thinking that I can''t have for myself. Even Ratoka who had a twisted childhood growing up, or the sickly Elise, seem so far away to me, sparkling in the distance.


    Claudia''s image overlapped with their appearance. She''s a girl that''s so direct in everything that it''s almost unbelievable she''s also a noble girl.


    Then, I finally realized it. When Claudia first came to my domain, I didn''t how to deal with her. At first, I was always exhausted because of the way she acted.


    In retrospect, that might have simply been me feeling a twisted kind of envy. I can never be like these children, or be like Claudia.


    I truly believe that it was a good thing for me, leaving the mansion.


    I envy them. However, I''m not like them, and now I can honestly admit to myself that I can''t become like them.


    Knowing myself clearly, this is definitely a requirement for me to be able to solve my own twistedness.

 Chapter 98 - 98

    I called Rashiok into the tent, and the children were all agog in amazement, but also excited as they surrounded him.


    "-Wow!"


    "It''s okay, he''s just like a horse or a sheep, he''s docile as long as you don''t do anything bad to him."


    I smiled wryly at the overwhelming excitement coming from the children at seeing a real live draconis for the first time, while I stayed by Rashiok''s side and stroked his nose. This is also the first time that Rashiok''s ever been surrounded by such a large number of children like this, but he just took it all in stride although he seemed a bit confused.


    "Eliza-sama, is it alright to touch him?"


    "Since Rashiok has scales instead of fur, you have to pet him gently."


    "O, ok."


    Several of the older children, gingerly began to start touching Rashiok gently in turn. They made sure to be extra careful.


    "Wow, his scales are glistening."


    "This is completely different from a horse!"


    Maybe they all now believe that Rashiok isn''t any danger to them, the other children began to reach their hands out to pet Rashiok as well. Since they''ve been dealing with livestock ever since they were born, it only took them a little while to get used to Rashiok. The older children have already petted Rashiok without incident, so the rest of them relaxed unconsciously as well.


    After that, they observed Rashiok even more closely with great interest, and some of them seemed to really enjoy the feeling of stroking Rashiok''s scales, while some of them stood off to the side after looking, with an expression of great satisfaction on their faces. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    I tightly grasped the reading stone in my pocket, and called out to some of the children who had finished with their interest in Rashiok.


    "Hey, do you guys know what shape snow is?"


    "Eh? Snow''s shape?"


    I couldn''t help but feel a little excited inside when I saw all of them having blank looks on their faces. All of them confirmed to me that they didn''t know the answer. Some of them asked if it was similar to grains of earth.


    "So you haven''t seen it, eh."


    "But how do you look at it? They''re too small, and look like grains."


    "I brought a secret tool with me today."


    And after saying so, I brought my hand out and opened my fingers. Calling it something like a secret tool, I tried my best to contain the laughter I was feeling inside, and I could feel my cheek muscles twitching as I held it in.


    "What is this? Wow. It looks like ice."


    "That''s not it. Doesn''t this look like glass?"


    "Hey, for some reason Eliza-sama''s hand seems a little weird."


    "Yeah. It looks bigger than usual¡­¡­ Ah, maybe this is what you can see snow with?"


    As I nodded to the child who seemed to understand what this was for, the children''s eyes began to sparkle with the light of curiosity.


    "I want to see snow!"


    "Yeah, I want to see as well. Shall we go outside?"


    The children all nodded to each other, and each of them began to tightly wrap their scarves around themselves. I thought that this might take them a while, but some of the girls that really enjoyed helping others had everyone''s scarves wound up around them in the blink of an eye.


    After they prepared themselves against the cold and everyone exited the tent, even though it shouldn''t be that late yet, the sky had already gotten quite dark and covered in snow clouds. Although it''s slightly dim, the snow piled up on the ground seems bright in comparison.


    This time, the children all surrounded me. I laughed a little as I remembered the way they had just surrounded Rashiok earlier, and I held out my hands to accept some snowflakes onto my mittens.


    Then, on top of the snowflakes on my mittens, I placed my reading stone. Well then, is the crystallization of snow in this world a hexagonal flower shape just like my original world, I wonder?


    Looking into the lump of glass on my hand, I saw a beautiful hexagonal flower, just like how I imagined.


    "I can see it!"


    As I held my hand out to the children, they looked at it with great interest, then suddenly there was a huge uptick in their excitement levels.


    "Wow! It''s pretty!"


    "What is this?"


    As the children raised their voices and made a commotion, I could see some adults peeking out of the tents nearby in confusion.


    "Well, snow is incredible. It looks like a flower."


    There was an expression of wonder on her face another girl commented, and I felt joy in my heart as well. As I expected, it looked like a flower.


    "Let me see, let me see! ¡­¡­Oh, it''s true. Is this what snow is shaped like? Amazing."


    A man who was watching from another tent came over and looked into the reading stone, and agreed with the earlier girl''s comment as he patted her head and praised her. Ahh, that''s right. Patting someone''s head while praising them will make them feel better.


    I remembered back to when I was having Ratoka work for me, we never even touched each other. Children should be praised more often and receive more affection, I realize my mistake now. As he patted some other children on the head as well, he put his hand down and looked at me in a bit of confusion on what to do.


    He seemed like he was hesitating on what to say, but then he returned his line of sight to the other children.


    "¡­¡­Don''t catch a cold out here now."


    And with a gentle chuckle, he returned to his tent. While I silently watched him leave, someone suddenly patted my head from behind.


    "Eliza-sama, you''re incredible."


    And with that, it was like a floodgate was opened and all the children came rushing over to pat me on the head as well. I''m being pushed around on all sides, I feel like a piece of food they''re fighting over.


    "Hey, it''s about time to eat!"


    When one of the children who had stayed with Rashiok called out to us, the children filled the entire area with cheers. Like always, someone was holding my hand and guiding me, but today there''s so many kids around me that I can''t even tell who''s holding on to me. They''re everywhere around me, and their warmth is much stronger than that of my mittens.


    "-Ah. Everyone being together, it''s so warm."


    Someone noticed this fact and said it out loud, and it was decided from then on that the children would move together in great clumps like this from now on.

 Chapter 99 - 99

    Life was peaceful as I spent time with the Shiru tribe children. It''s said that only during times like these when one''s heart is tranquil that one can explore their true inner self.


    Spending all this time with children my own age, I can now objectively observe my own strangeness. No, maybe I should say instead that I was forced to deal with my own immaturity and anxiety, even if I didn''t want to.


    I''ll admit it to myself. My spirit is still immature. As the days passed by, I felt like I was actually more immature than the Shiru tribe children. I was born as and have been living as Eliza to my current age of eight years old without having matured at all over this time. This may be because of the memories I''ve inherited about my past life by some sort of mistake, making me into a fake adult.


    Definitely, my sense of reasoning came with my memories. It''s a fact that I used my memories to establish my own personality, since Eliza''s original personality hadn''t been established yet.


    However, these are still just memories that another girl experienced before, it doesn''t feel like a personal experience. I''m going to separate myself from her will and her emotions. If I don''t do this, there''s no way that my spirit will grow and mature.


    And so within my ugly, twisted inner self, confusion was scattering about inside me.


    Ratoka treats me as an adult and his guardian. Earl Terejia gives me all the responsibilities of an adult. My heart remains too immature as of yet to respond to them.


    Also, there''s Mrs. Hortensia who tries to treat me like a child. If I take her gently offered hand, I would feel like I''d be shirking all my responsibilities. It would mean that I''d stop relying on my own strength alone. I definitely won''t forgive myself for my own sins.


    For someone who doesn''t even know herself, how can I accurately place trust in others? Whether it''s running away from the painful memory of Kamil''s death, or placing a false sense of trust in my previous memories, all of this is simply me acting shamefully.


    For me to have only realized all of this now, just how foolish can I be.


    It''s thanks to these children that I can now laugh at and recognize my own foolishness. They know that I''m the domain lord. However, they also know that I''m still a child as well, and gently remind me of that fact.


    ¡­¡­Well, while I''m accepting all of this, it''s still taking some time for all of my emotions to sort themselves out.


    I stayed with those children on that snow-covered hill for two full months. Finally the skies are beginning to clear up, and winter should be ending soon. This year is almost over.


    During a rare break when the weather was completely clear, a messenger pigeon came from the royal capital.


    "It''s an announcement from the royal family."


    Earl Terejia''s face was drained of all its color and his hands were shaking as he handed the message to me. It was indeed stamped with the royal emblem.


    I haven''t seen Earl Terejia or experienced such a painfully heavy atmosphere since the last time we were all together in Ratoka''s room, and I adjusted my shirt''s collar, trying to forget about that time.


    "What did the king say in it?"


    When I inquired about the message, Earl Terejia found it unusually difficult to speak. Normally his eyes filled with wisdom and suspicion would be peering over the contents of the letter. Almost as if he wanted to make absolutely sure of what was written there and to check its veracity.


    He kept me waiting for quite a while, but he finally answered in a much quieter voice than usual.


    "¡­¡­It''s been decided that Prince Albert''s going to enter a monastery."


    ¡­¡­Huh?


    The sound of creaky furniture seemed to fill the entirety of Earl Terejia''s office. I only started noticing the sound after what seemed like an endless amount of deafening silence.


    "Unbelievable, could that really be?"


    I couldn''t help but speak what the Earl was probably thinking already. It''s only natural. All I could think about was how unbelievable this was.


    "Does this mean that Prince Albert''s being exiled from the royal family?"


    "¡­¡­That is indeed what it means if he becomes a monk."


    Ridiculous. How could such a ridiculous thing happen? And why now of all times. Just losing the position of crown prince was already incitement enough for Planates before, and now this happens.


    And on top of all that, just why is he getting exiled from the royal family. Such a thing, it''s almost as if ¨C


    "Could the royal family and the Ar Xia Church be hoping for a war?"


    When I muttered those words out in a daze, Earl Terejia''s eyebrow immediately arched upwards.


    "Be careful what you say."


    I realized what I had just said, and I apologized for my misconduct. Even if it''s Earl Terejia, there are things I can''t say.


    Ever since the time of the Arxia Kingdom''s previous incarnation, the Sacred Holy Lawful Kingdom of Arxia, the Arxia Kingdom''s power has only been used to protect followers of the Xia religion. War only means defensive wars. Even threatening or provoking other countries, and declaring war, our kingdom finds this unacceptable.


    "Well, I meant to say that this will probably become a situation. By making Prince Albert completely ineligible to inherit the throne, this is dangerously pushing Planates, or I should say the Rindarl Union, into becoming even more hostile."


    The voice that ended coming out of my own throat sounded terribly cold.


    Well, it''s only to be expected. If Planates becomes an enemy country as well, as part of the eastern border defense line, Kaldia would be greatly affected.


    If war breaks out, I hardly have enough soldiers I can mobilize. I''d have to conscript the citizens into the army and onto the battlefield. It''s hard for the Kaldia army who''s already low on troops to recruit enough soldiers, so conscription is the only method.


    Are my citizens going to have to fight? For such unclear reasons? Am I going to have to force them onto the battlefield, even though I had decided to compensate for my family''s sins to them?


    "Calm down. Those in the royal court will probably be able to persuade the king. As one would expect, since nobles are in charge of their citizens, this is something they cannot ignore. Just like you."


    Thanks to the earl''s coaxing, I was able to calm down, at least on the surface. I just nodded back to him reflexively. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡­¡­However, inside me dissatisfaction and anxiety were swirling about like a tornado.

 Chapter 100 - 101

    Today''s lunch was pancakes, pumpkin stew, and goat yogurt.


    Arxia''s never had fermented dairy products before. The first time I ate them here I felt like I was eating something extremely "valuable," but I got used to them after eating them every other day here. Rye is ground into flour and provides batter for the pancakes, and they have a rather plain taste to them. I''m really fond of all this food because none of this type of cuisine can be found in Arxia.


    If only sugar could be added to this pumpkin stew as well, I''m sure it would gain a delectable sweetness.


    During the hustle and bustle of lunchtime, the children around me got to chatting about the schedule for this afternoon.


    "Hey hey, did you know that some of our parents are going over to teach the army how to take care of their horses today?"


    "Ehh, even I know how to take care of horses!"


    "According to Eliza-sama, people in Kaldia don''t raise horses very often. Just like the farmers'' children."


    The farmers'' children that they''re referring to, are the orphaned children left behind by the refugees. Since the farmers'' children have far different lifestyles and work habits from the nomad children, they live in separate tents, as under the current simple tent system that everyone here lives in, it''s impossible for them to live together.


    While the thought that the farmers'' children would probably need to know about horses for their lifestyles popped into my mind, the Shiru children all nodded in agreement with each other.


    Well, anyways.


    "It''s not the same at all. The Kaldia army is King Eliza''s warriors."


    Hearing this, one of the children sitting right behind me sharply raised his voice.


    "Those who can''t even become warriors are of a lower class, don''t group them together!"


    "Really, are you still going on about that, Athrun?"


    The other children all seemed to be tired about whatever this topic was and fell silent as the kid glared around at everyone.


    The kid named Athrun was a sullen boy with blue hair who was now looking downwards with a surly expression. While there''s a fleck of shadow in his eyes, there''s still an intense will emanating from his silver-blue irises. He''s one of those that usually doesn''t hang out with me, so I didn''t recognize him. I see, so his name is Athrun. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "By the way, although Athrun''s mother is from the Shiru tribe''s Jugar clan, his father was a farmer."


    The girl sitting next to me explained this to me in a small voice, probably because she noticed my attention was on Athrun. She snuck a surreptitious look at Athrun, then continued whispering to me hesitantly.


    "When we started fighting with Densel, Athrun''s father had wanted to become a Jugar clan warrior. But, we only allow those of Shiru heritage to become warriors. So in the end, his father wasn''t allowed to participate in battle, and both his parents were killed by Densel at the refugee camp¡­¡­"


    "¡­¡­I see."


    Well, I definitely think he has quite a sad backstory.


    Among the Shiru tribe, there are clear distinctions made between warriors and non-warriors. Those that are made into warriors are given 2 horses each from the Shiru tribe''s common property, and they also receive training in the spear and bow ever since childhood.


    Although the requirements to become a warrior differ slightly from clan to clan within the Shiru tribe, one thing they all have in common is that they only allow boys from the Shiru tribe to become warriors.


    The Jugar clan is a patriarchal clan. Since Athrun''s father wasn''t of Shiru heritage, he wouldn''t be able to become a Shiru warrior no matter how much he wanted to become one.


    Now I understand the basics of Athrun''s situation, but there''s still one thing I''m worried about. The girl who had just told me about Athrun was about to return to eating her meal, but I interrupted her to ask a question.


    "¡­¡­He said ''lower class'' earlier, what exactly does that mean?"


    From the flow of the conversation ¨C I guessed that it probably had to do with outsiders to the Shiru tribe, the farmers. However, I don''t feel that there''s such a large gap between the nomads and the farmers to make such a distinction.


    In fact, since they''re going to move to Kaldia and live here from now on, the Shiru tribe is going to have to abandon their nomadic lifestyle and take up an agricultural one. They don''t have the luxury of discriminating based on backgrounds against the farmers.


    "Ahh¡­¡­ Um. In the past, the Shiru tribe''s warriors were always considered the ''King''s Spears,'' the protectors of their chosen king, so it''s more glory and honor than the farmers, that''s what it is, I think."


    Although it seemed like the girl herself didn''t really understand her own explanation too well, I understood her explanation about "lower class" very clearly.


    The "King''s Spears" is a term from the former Artolas Kingdom, they represent the nobles, or ruling class of Artolan society. Meaning, social statuses have carried over from Artolas even after its destruction by Densel.


    I put down my bowl of pumpkin soup and stood up. From the edge of my vision, I saw the girl who was just talking to me blink in surprise. I didn''t pay her any mind, and I walked up to Athrun.


    Since I had suddenly stood up all by myself, of course all the other children gathered their attention on me. Since Athrun was still looking down at the ground, he was the only one that didn''t notice me, until I walked directly in front of him.


    "Athrun."


    At my voice, he snapped his head up. There was great surprise in his silver-blue eyes as he looked at me.


    "¡­¡­What?"


    "I happened to hear part of what you were talking about just earlier. What does ''lower class'' mean?"


    All Athrun could do was stand there and nod hesitantly. He seemed to have a confused expression, as if he himself didn''t know why he wasn''t able to answer me.


    "I never want to hear you using that term again. The Shiru tribe is now considered to be citizens of Arxia first and foremost, and no longer citizens of Artolas. In Arxia, the Shiru tribe is no different from commoners. All commoners have no distinctions from each other, and are only below the king of Arxia and then the nobility."


    I strongly emphasized the part that there was still someone above the Shiru tribe in rank, while there was no longer anyone below their rank. Although I still wonder if he really understood why I was remonstrating him, he did mutter "I got it" in the end while making a¤Ø shape with his lips.

 Chapter 101 - 102

    It seems that without me realizing it, the stories about me showing the shape of snowflakes and letting everyone at the Shiru children''s tents meet Rashiok have been heard by the farmers'' children. Well, I probably should have realized that it''s impossible to stop children from gossiping, and it''s fine, anyways.


    Come to think of it though, recently children have been sticking to me so much with me as the center of attention that it''s like I always have a flock of them following me around everywhere, so I have been thinking about setting some boundaries.


    "The Shiru children are hogging Eliza-sama! We want to play with her as well!!"


    "Eliza-sama''s living in our tent! There''s nothing wrong with anything!"


    "It''s unfair that only you guys get to play with the draconis!" S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Even if you say so, none of you came over to become friends with Eliza-sama until now!"


    "Why haven''t you guys ever called for us!? You''re just hogging Eliza-sama! Isn''t it more fun to play with everyone!?"


    "It''s not like I''m the only one with Eliza-sama, so how can I be hogging her! Besides, Eliza-sama isn''t a toy!!"


    A Shiru girl and a farmer boy were struggling to pull me in their direction from opposite sides, having an argument. Well, simply speaking, this is a children''s quarrel. Judging from their comments, it seems that the children are getting a little overly fond of me.


    Maybe I''ve done a bad thing. From their point of view, they might not want to let go of me when I have to leave them. But still, being tightly packed in by dozens of children every day, it''s an indescribable feeling and it''s causing me to break down. It''s, a bit crushing.


    "Then, it''ll be great if Eliza-sama can stay in our tent starting from today!"


    "Stop saying such silly things, Reka! Didn''t the clan leaders decide where Eliza-sama would be staying?"


    The farmer boy holding on to me by wrapping his arms around my stomach behind me seems to be a boy named Reka who speaks with a bit of a countryside accent. Since I haven''t interacted with the farmer children in the other tents at all, I don''t know him at all.


    The other girl who''s pulling me is a Shiru girl named Tira that''s currently in front of me with her arms around my neck; she''s usually in charge of helping take care of me. Although they''re bickering, it''s more like friendly banter, so I think they actually get along pretty well with each other. However, why are they getting so heated up with me in the middle?


    Is this where I should step in and tell them to stop arguing over me? I just tried to lose myself in thinking and ignoring reality in front of me, but I soon regretted it when my vision began to darken.


    I finally felt an icy sensation in my head, along with a painful throbbing sensation. Urk, my neck, my stomach, they hurt so much from being tugged on.


    Ahh, am I going to die here? Dying of suffocation thanks to a girl who''s only one or two years older than me pulling on my neck, or will I be crushed to death, or choked to death¡­¡­


    "Oi, you guys had better cut it out already! Reka, Tira! Eliza-sama''s turning pale."


    At that moment, a boy cut through the wall of children surrounding me, making me view him almost like a hero descending from the sky in the nick of time. He peeled both Reka and Tira''s arms off of me, and knuckled both of them on the head. He''s about the same height as Tira, and is shaking his silvery-blue hair. ¨C Oh my, this guy''s definitely familiar.


    "¡­¡­, Athrun?"


    When I muttered the name I learned the other day, he instantly turned his head towards me. On his face was a look of surprised innocence, shock that I remembered his name.


    "You¡­¡­ remember my name?"


    "Of course. Rather than that, thank you for helping me. It was getting a little painful."


    "It was probably a lot more than painful. You were turning dreadfully pale."


    I just looked directly into his look of surprise, and shrugged. It was indeed painful enough that I had prepared for death. Now that I look closer at him he smiled a slight smile which was somehow a bit mesmerizing, and then he gingerly started pulling me by my sleeve.


    When I noticed what he was doing, Athrun was getting angry with and scolding Tira who had calmed down and looked like she was apologetic, as well as a boy who''s exactly my height and a little shorter than Tira.


    Well, this boy seems to be the one from earlier called Reka. While his eyes were darting in every direction nervously, he apologized to me together with Tira.


    "I''m really sorry, Eliza-sama¡­¡­"


    "I definitely won''t do this again, Eliza-sama¡­¡­"


    With Tira and Reka''s apologies, the surrounding children seem to have regained their senses as well, and they all looked a little guilty as if they had done something wrong.


    Well, now that some of their eyes are watering up, erm, how to say it, now I''m starting to feel like I''m the one who''s guilty of doing something bad in reverse. Well, to begin with, it''s really because of my lack of thought in not stopping them.


    "N, no¡­¡­ I''m sorry as well to everyone. Even though I was showing off some rare things, it was unfair of me to not call the children from the other tents as well."


    I remembered Reka''s words from the argument just earlier, and I lowered my head in apology and self-reflection as well. If someone with a lot of new and interesting toys just made friends with a lot of other people but not with you, well, of course that would make you feel left out.


    The main causers of the quarrel in the first place, Reka and Tira, as well as Athrun looked at each other with looks of incomprehension as if they couldn''t understand why I was apologizing as well. And when they looked at me again, Tira stuck her tongue out at me mischievously, while Athrun had a wry smile and Reka seemed to be overjoyed with a big smile on his face.


    "The next time I come up with something fun, I''ll invite you guys along as well. I''ll talk to Teo and ask if I can stay in the farmer children''s tents as well. Will that be alright with you?"


    While Reka was looking overjoyed again as expected, he also turned around to look at all the other farmer children and nodded at them ¨C the ones that were complaining it was unfair ¨C then he turned back to me and replied "that''s great!" It seems that although Reka is slightly short, he''s probably one of the leaders among the farmer children.


    "I never would have expected Eliza-sama to apologize to us, but anyways if Eliza-sama wants to come play with us, that''s totally fine. We''ll make sure to get along with the Shiru children."


    As Reka grinned widely, Tira apologized as well to him as a leader among the Shiru children, and they made up at the end with a hug. Is this what making up with each other is supposed to be like, I wonder.


    Both of them had also lowered their heads when Athrun came to arbitrate between them. Just the other day there had still been some class struggles between them left behind from the time of the now defunct Artolas Kingdom, but it seems that these divisions weren''t deeply ingrained into them yet and that they''re children that listen to reason.


    Well, I could only smile wryly as I''m still a little older than they are mentally even though I''m roughly the same age as Tira and the others on the outside.


    "¡­¡­Reka. Um, can you stop using the term, ''Shiru children?'' For all of us, the Shiru tribe, or lower class, none of that exists anymore. All of us are now Arxians, and have become citizens of Kaldia."


    Athrun turned around and said that to Reka with a complicated expression on his face. It looked just like his expression from the other day. Did he understand my meaning, is he agreeing with me, is he carrying out my will?


    "¡­¡­Mmm. I got it, I won''t say that term anymore."


    I wonder if Reka was there as well on that day a few days ago, Reka took a glance at me then nodded joyfully.

 Chapter 102 - 103

    In this last month of winter, the snow is finally beginning to clear up little by little. There''s still a little while left until my eighth birthday''s celebration though, as the custom here is to celebrate it a bit after my actual birthday has passed.


    "Teo, how are things?"


    I was asking Teo to tell me the results of training the Kaldia army for three months on how to handle horses like the Shiru tribe does. With a serious expression, he checked each of the army''s formations, examining how they moved, commanding them by raising his voice and using hand gestures.


    "Agil and Calvin''s squads have excellent results. They have quick responses to commands, and their horses are orderly. There''s also no problems with Gunther''s squad. However, Locks and Renon''s squads are still a bit lacking. They need to get more used to horses."


    The members of Locks and Renon''s squads that he pointed out nodded in response, while stopping to catch their breaths. These two squads are composed solely of new recruits that have entered the army earlier this year in spring, so their horse handling is conspicuously much more unskilled than the other squads.


    Their training period as apprentice soldiers has just ended in fall, which is when they started training to become cavalry soldiers, so it can''t be helped.


    Anyways, today''s training is now over. I dismissed the soldiers, and dismounted my horse as well. Teo came up to me looking like he was thinking about something. He was also thoughtful enough to offer me a towel to wipe my sweat off with. While doing so, he also spoke his mind.


    "¡­¡­My lord, I have a proposal."


    "Hold on a minute. We also have something to propose to our lord."


    What''s going on, before I could even reply, another voice cut in from the side. When I looked to see who it was, Gunther, along with Calvin and Agil, were all heading over to speak with me.


    "Got it, I''ll listen to both proposals. Summarize them for me."


    I''ll listen to both proposals, then make a decision based on my best judgment. Teo and Gunther seem to have decided on who would go first based just on eye contact, and Teo gave his proposal first.


    "Well then. My recommendation is that the entire Kaldia army should be converted into cavalry troops."


    It''s a simple proposal. His reason is most likely the difference in skill level between the cavalry squads and the other half of the Kaldia army ¨C the infantry squads. As a new type of unit, I put the best soldiers into it.


    The soldiers that were judged to have abilities necessary for battling on horseback were incorporated into the cavalry squads, and as the domain lord I participate in and supervise their training every day. However, this has caused both the average skill level and morale of the remaining infantry troops to drop as they weren''t picked.


    In the first place, Arxia treats cavalry soldiers and infantry soldiers differently. Cavalry troops have stronger attack power and mobility, and since they also need special training in horse handling, they usually obtain higher ranks than infantry troops. In the royal army there''s also the title of knight, which can then lead to noble peerage.


    "¡­¡­And Gunther''s proposal?"


    "My proposal is, could you just let me be an infantry squad captain instead?"


    Uh, oh. I somehow managed to stop myself from making any sounds of surprise. Teo and Gunther were now glaring at each other. Well, it''s only natural, their proposals completely conflict with each other.


    "Gunther, is that really fine?" S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    More surprisingly, Gunther is asking to step down from the position of cavalry squad captain and become an infantry squad captain, which is basically like a demotion. Before creating cavalry squads, due to my father''s reign of tyranny causing bandits to run rampant and the army to become disorganized, the Kaldia army lacked a formal army rank system.


    As for the army''s leader, I had just put Gunther in charge before as he was the most skilled and obvious choice.


    Although Gunther wants to be the infantry squad captain, the Kaldia army technically doesn''t have this position currently. So if he becomes an infantry squad captain instead of a cavalry squad captain, his rank will technically go down and he would no longer be considered the leader of the army.


    "Ahh. I''m more used to fighting on my feet. You can just have Agil and Calvin lead the cavalry squads. Calvin''s also the longest-serving soldier as well as the oldest in the army, the other soldiers really believe in him."


    I do know that Agil has been constantly acting as Gunther''s adjutant before, but I haven''t paid as much attention to the older soldier Calvin up until now. When I observe him closely, as a soldier ¨C not to mention a former bandit ¨C he has quite a calm atmosphere about him as our eyes met.


    "Then, you think that the two of them should become commanders?"


    Since even everyone in my army gathered together is still less people than one division of an actual army, with so few people it''s simple to do ranks. At the top is me, the domain lord, and under me are a few commanders. Beneath the commanders are squad captains, and their adjutants. After that there''s only regular soldiers and apprentice soldiers in training.


    Since I''m now taking on the role of their leader, I have a different relationship with the regular soldiers and apprentice soldiers.


    "No, I''m saying the three of us should concurrently serve as commanders and squad captains in the army."


    "I won''t allow that. The roles of commanders and squad captains are fundamentally different. The commander is the one who gives orders, while the squad captain leads soldiers to carry out those orders. Doing both simultaneously isn''t possible."


    I furrowed my eyebrows and immediately rejected this idea of his. Commanders are usually in the back of the army, while squad captains have to lead from the front, it''s incompatible. In the first place, if a commander is in the front lines and gets engaged in combat and can''t give orders, the system of command would break down.


    Then the whole meaning of having army ranks in the first place would be lost.


    I know that this is a good timing to reorganize the Kaldia army''s system of command. I already informed Gunther about the message a while back from the king and how it was likely that relations would worsen with the neighboring countries. Both of us agreed that we should prepare for the possibility of upcoming battles.


    It''s been just a little over two years since I finished my military training in the barracks myself. I know that they''re no longer leading unruly lives like when they were bandits, they''re now used to living in an orderly and disciplined fashion, they carry and act out all my orders, and they have the realization that they''re part of the military now.


    However, as for making them into more of an actual army, the blunt reality is that there aren''t enough soldiers, nor do they have enough experience and education. The only person in the army with an education is Claudia, who''s serving both as my bodyguard and is in charge of dealing with all military documents, it''s obvious that there''s not enough people with the ability to do this work.


    When I looked at Gunther again after thinking about how to organize the army all this time to myself, he had a much calmer expression than I would have expected of him considering I flatly rejected his idea. Maybe he knew from the start that I would probably reject it.


    "In that case, we don''t need commanders until the size of our army gets a bit larger. The three of us can serve as squad captains. Just like before, my lord can be the commander of the entire army. After all, we don''t have that many soldiers. At any rate, none of the soldiers are leader material other than the three of us.


    If such a guy joins the army, you can consider making him a commander after giving him some experience."


    "¡­¡­Well, this sounds reasonable."


    In order for such a leader type to join the army, I need to put more effort into recruitment. I also reminded myself mentally to give Claudia an official army position soon. I took a glance at Teo, making another mental note to think about how to integrate the Shiru warriors into the Kaldia army system of command. And, I still need to take care of his proposal as well.


    "I don''t know if I have all the details, but Gunther wants to lead infantry still, right? In that case, consider my proposal unnecessary."


    Since I nodded and said Gunther''s proposal was reasonable, it seems that Teo is maturely withdrawing his proposal. Since Teo is still technically an outsider to the Kaldia army, this is also a reasonable action by him.


    "No, your proposal was useful as well. Thank you, Teomer. Gunther, wait a little while on reorganizing the army. I''ll think on it."


    I don''t really have the knowledge necessary to do something like reorganizing the army all by myself. When I said that I''ll think on it, I really meant that I''ll discuss it with Earl Terejia. Gunther probably knows this as well, and he didn''t have any objections.


    Before the snow thaws in spring, I''m going to have a thorough new system of command in place, and I also want to increase the number of volunteers joining the army as much as possible.

 Chapter 103 - 104

    I''m now completely accustomed to a lifestyle of moving back and forth between the Mansion of Golden Hills and the new citizens'' simple makeshift village, and I was just thinking about hurrying the construction of the domain lord''s mansion in the center of Kaldia at the end of winter.


    "Eta¡­¡­ Elle¡­¡­ Eri¡­¡­"


    I had just finished my work and was on my way back to the tents from the mansion when I started to hear a voice coming from above me.


    What''s this? I looked up at the window above me suspiciously, and I saw sparkling golden blonde hair framed by the blue sky.


    "Eli¡­¡­ Eliza-dono!!"


    "¡­¡­¡­¡­Yes, what is it?"


    I somehow managed to swallow my sigh, and responded to her. It''s been a long time since I''ve felt this familiar feeling of not knowing how to deal with her.


    Of course, this voice belonged to Claudia. The strange words I heard earlier must have been her mangled attempts to get my name right.


    "It''s been so long since I last saw you! I think it''s been over two months!"


    Claudia seemed to be excited to see me as she grinned widely and stepped onto the windowsill.


    "That''s dangerous, Claud-"


    Before I could finish saying Claudia-dono, I was interrupted, because the person herself was ignoring my warning and was hanging out the window. Of course, Claudia is preparing to jump from a second story window.


    I held my breath. It felt like my heart was going to stop beating.


    "Hm? Did you say something?"


    And with that, she jumped and landed with soft, lithe catlike movements, and stood there grinning at me with an idiotic expression on her face.


    I''m unable to close my wide-open mouth. Just what is she. She''s just impossible. Please get out of this otome game world and back in the shonen manga you belong to. Although, I would honestly be very troubled if she wasn''t here by my side.


    This sight was just too shocking for me, so much so that I was trembling all over. Even though I know it''s bad manners, I couldn''t help but vent by shouting at her.


    "JUST WHAT WERE YOU THINKING, JUMPING DOWN FROM THE SECOND FLOOR!"


    "Uwa!?"


    Maybe Claudia''s ears are extra sensitive, she grabbed them really tight after I shouted suddenly at her. Her sky colored eyes were looking at me wide and round with surprise, but I continued my words with a strong force behind them.


    "Please stop doing these things outside the realm of common sense. I thought that my heart was going to stop."


    "Eliza-dono¡­¡­"


    With a blank expression, Claudia muttered my name. Then, she seemed to get happy about something, an innocent, delighted expression lit up her face. Ahh, she really looks like a young child when she''s smiling like this. She''s too pure.


    "Got it, I swear to never do it again. I didn''t think that you would be that worried about me!"


    "Hah?"


    What''s this about me being worried for her?


    Some words I never would have expected to hear from her came out of her mouth, and this time it was my turn to have a silly expression on my face.


    "Weren''t you worried that I would injure myself?"


    The very atmosphere around us seemed to lighten as Claudia laughed happily. I tried to come up with some sort of response, but I just couldn''t think of anything to say to Claudia.


    "Umm, that''s¡­¡­ Just what exactly did I mean¡­¡­"


    I have a helpless feeling of wanting to surrender. Claudia was nodding to herself assuredly, saying "yes, that must be it" while striking her palm with her fist. She''s really in a world of her own¡­¡­ It''s been so long since I''ve been tired like this. It feels like I''m dealing with an incomprehensible opponent.


    "There''s a request from Elise-dono."


    I didn''t pay attention to what she said at all. I had a blank look of not knowing what was going on, but Claudia grabbed my wrist without minding that at all.


    What''s she doing? S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Ok, let''s get going!"


    Where to?


    By the time I finally realized what it was that Claudia had said, she already brought me to the room where Elise was recuperating at.


    "Ah, Eliza-sama."


    Elise seemed to be simply pleased to see me, but Ratoka who was there as well dressed in maid attire froze at the sight of me. Even though I also felt this was a very uncomfortable situation, for the time being I''ll focus on the noble girl Elise first and put everything else out of my mind.


    "It''s been a long time, Elise-sama. I apologize for not coming to see you for so long."


    Despite having some free time for myself since the beginning of winter, I do feel really guilty as I''ve been avoiding this place intentionally.


    "No, don''t worry about it. Eliza-sama is the domain lord and must be busy with all the work. Besides, didn''t you send ''Elise'' to accompany me in your stead? Just for that, you have my deepest gratitude."


    "That''s fine if that''s the case then. I heard that you''ve been having some more seizures recently, how are you feeling now?"


    Elise slowly took her gaze off of me to look outside her window, and showed a gentle, lonely expression. It made me a bit anxious, and it also made my heart tighten up in pain.


    "I¡­¡­ still am unable to go outside yet. But it''s okay, it''s still not as bad as before I came here."


    "Elise-dono¡­¡­"


    I suddenly got a flash of inspiration and wondered if this mild-mannered noble girl would have fun playing with the Shiru children. Even though she can''t run around like they can, it might bring her some comfort just to hear about their experiences and daily life.


    ¡­¡­It might be a good idea to think about who from the Shiru children I want to invite. I still need to talk with Earl Terejia, but on top of taking care of Elise, it''s my duty to help her regain her health any way I can.


    As I started mentally listing candidates in my mind, Elise began to talk about the fun times she had lately with Ratoka and her maid Maya. Since this is what she typically will always talks about, I definitely think that I can give my idea a try.


    "If me sending ''Elise'' over to you has helped Elise-sama to have even a little more fun, then that''s a great thing."


    "Yes. I''ve had so much fun. Thank you very much."


    At Elise''s innocent, charming smile, once again her purity gave my heart a terrible blow.

 Chapter 104 - 105

    "My lord wants to choose some children to go to the mansion to become playmates? ¡­¡­Honestly, I''m a little lost, what''s all this about?"


    Teo furrowed his eyebrows as he weaved some ropes on the floor. His face said that he didn''t understand what was going on.


    I already talked with Earl Terejia a bit about finding some playmates for Elise, and he had no problems with it, so now I''m asking Teo.


    "I suppose it can be a little confusing, but simply speaking, I want some kids to come over to the mansion to be friends with a girl that''s staying there."


    "My lord can''t accompany her? That''s why you need some other children to be her friends?"


    It''s exactly as Teo says. If only I could do it myself. However¡­¡­


    "I''m unable to go there very often. Also, there''s someone there that I find meeting awkward¡­¡­"


    As I thought about Ratoka, I felt a bitter taste in my mouth. I put him with Elise because I didn''t have anywhere else to leave him and it was a fact that I needed someone to help take care of Elise, but that still doesn''t change the fact that I myself have stayed far away from Elise.


    The main reason for the chasm between us, Ratoka saying I was using him as a substitute for Kamil, is still piercing and hurting my heart even now. Seeing Ratoka again, it felt like my heart was being mangled.


    Kamil, my citizens, the nameless gravestone, me¡­¡­ I can''t explain it well, but I think that Ratoka is currently a living embodiment of my traumas.


    He looks so similar to me. He''s a victim of my father''s persecution, which also caused his mother to go insane. Into the emptiness that Kamil left behind, did I really slowly put him there. All of these feelings were gathering up into me and shaping into disgust and guilt.


    Even now, I still can''t forget that time when he threw a rock at me.


    "¡­¡­Honestly speaking, I don''t have anyone truly close to me that I can trust now."


    I''ve gone off topic due to my emotions interfering too much with my thoughts. Thinking on how to fix my accidental revealing of my inner self, I decided to change the topic to a plan that Earl Terejia brought up the last time I spoke to him about playmates for Elise. Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "What''s this all of a sudden?"


    Teo tilted his head. His expression says that he can''t keep up with this sudden change of topic.


    "I need more personnel, and right now there''s not even any candidates. Not only is it me, Earl Terejia is also quite isolated as a noble, so I can''t count on him for this either."


    Kamil was the only one being educated to support me in the future, but he''s no longer here. Claudia''s useless at everything other than being a bodyguard, while Mrs. Marshan''s age is too far apart from mine.


    "¡­¡­Ahh, so that''s what it is. Meaning, having some playmates enter the mansion, they''re also candidates for becoming your closest aides in the future."


    Teo managed on his own to infer the connections based on what I said so far. It''s very helpful that he''s so quick to understand.


    "Living at the mansion will probably be for the long term. After all, Earl Terejia was the one who came up with this idea to help me find future candidates to assist me."


    Elise needs some playmates to keep her company, and I also need to raise some candidates to become my closest aides in the future, this is two birds with one stone. Well, this isn''t a bad thing for anyone.


    With the exception of their battle prowess, objectively speaking my new citizens are still much weaker in other areas than Kaldia''s original inhabitants. Regardless of the fact that my own original citizens aren''t really involved in making decisions in Kaldia, the new citizens will probably strongly feel like newcomers themselves.


    However, things will greatly change if they provide several of the lord''s closest aides. The domain lord''s existence still has an incredibly huge influence on the citizens.


    "¡­¡­I have to talk with the other chiefs before I can give you permission. In short, I can allow it as the leader, but you still need to ask the children in question themselves if they want to go to the mansion."


    "That''s fine."


    It''s unavoidable that people will dislike being ordered by their domain lord. After all, I''m asking children to become playmates for a noble guest of mine. It would be easier if I needed some adults to do a job, but since I need children, I''ve decided that it''s better to choose someone that will probably get along well with Elise.


    At any rate, they wouldn''t be living at this mansion all the time anyways. When winter''s over, I intend to return to the village under development with the new citizens, and after that it would be nice if I could come back to visit my summer mansion again on occasion if I have the free time.


    As for raising close aides, this isn''t something that can be rushed, so there''s no hurry.


    "And, who specifically do you have in mind?"


    "Tira."


    "That was an instant reply."


    "At the tents, she went out of her way to take good care of me. ¡­¡­Her assistance was incredibly helpful. As she''s both good at taking care of others and explaining things well, I think she''ll be perfect as a noble girl''s playmate."


    She''s been very patient with me who entered their lives so suddenly. And she helped me so much. When I think about it, my chest feels warm, and also a little clogged up.


    "Got it. I''ll talk with the other chiefs about this tomorrow."


    "I''ll leave it up to you."


    After our conversation finished, Teo went right back to making his ropes. Since I didn''t have anything else planned and there was only a little time left until dinner, I watched in interest as Teo made ropes as I''ve never seen this process before.


    While Kaldia citizens also know how to make ropes, I''ve never seen them during the process. Right now I''m really curious how it''s done.


    Several minutes passed in silence as I watched Teo work on his ropes, then he finally turned his attention to me again.


    "¡­¡­What are you doing?"


    "Watching you make ropes."


    "Ahh¡­¡­ How about I teach you how it''s done?"


    He didn''t say that being watched made it difficult for him to work. No wait, even if he doesn''t mind, it''s not like I really want to learn or anything.


    "For future reference, sure."


    Teo seemed to send me a warm look as he nodded and moved next to me. What exactly is that look supposed to be for?

 Chapter 105 - 106

    Snow has mostly stopped falling, and the sun is starting to show itself more often through the clouds, spring is almost here. Vivid yellow flowers began blooming in places where the accumulated snow was melting, warm winds were now blowing down the Amon Nor mountains, and the melted snow also caused some flooding along the Sera river as the dams weren''t completed yet.


    "Next year we''ll definitely be living over there for winter instead, right?"


    "It''s difficult to move in winter. I think the adults will definitely complete a dam by this time next year, though."


    "Hopefully we can all live in a proper village soon."


    From the small hill that my mansion sits on, I can see a fairly wide swath of the flat Kaldia territory. The three children that I decided to pick from the new citizens for Elise''s new playmates, Athrun, Tira, and Reka, were looking eastward and chatting with each other. I watched them from behind, and although it may have been unnecessary, I ended up joining their conversation at that point.


    "¡­¡­Some craftsmen from another domain are coming over soon to help us build furniture. The adults will have more work to do then as well."


    "Ah, I know about that! Eliza-sama hired them, right?"


    "Ahh, err¡­¡­"


    Reka turned around after noticing me and had a big smile. I nodded in embarrassment, but Reka and Tira took both my hands and were jumping up and down in joy.


    "I''m really looking forward to it! I wonder if Eliza-sama''s new mansion will be finished soon as well?" Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Usually Reka talks in a slow drawl as part of his accent, but maybe he''s a little overly excited today, his rate of speech has really picked up. Since Tira usually takes such good care of me like an older sister would, I''m more used to her excitement.


    "There''s still plenty of time for that, I think. Although it''s a small mansion, five years time is the standard."


    Although I don''t want to pour cold water on their hopes, I''ll still tell them the truth. Besides, constructing their new village is the number one priority for me, work on the new mansion can be delayed until that''s finished.


    Reka is clearly pouting now. He''s sticking out his lips, and his eyebrows are tightly furrowed.


    "Ehh~ Then, it''s fine even if we don''t finish that dam first. I don''t want Eliza-sama to not have a place to spend the winter. Hey, Eliza-sama, we can come back here again for next year''s winter."


    "Oy, Reka. Don''t bother Eliza-sama with your selfish requests."


    "Besides, even if we''re living here again next year, that doesn''t mean that Eliza-sama has to live with us?"


    "Aw¡­¡­"


    After being scolded by Athrun and Tira, Reka glumly fell silent. With a wry smile, I reached my hand out to his head, and although he was a little confused at first ¨C I patted him lightly on his hair a few times.


    "I''ll go and see you guys. As much as I can."


    "Really!? It''s a promise!"


    Children are really so simple, and their emotions change so quickly. Reka was instantly all smiles again, and with the momentum that came with his excitement, he easily jumped back onto his horse.


    "I''m going to go back first and help prepare lunch!"


    After saying so, Reka rode down the hillside so quickly that I didn''t even have time to respond. Athrun, Tira and I could only smile wryly at each other.


    Claudia looked quite improper as she was sitting on her desk used for work, swinging her feet. The early spring sunshine was shining down from the window behind her, so I couldn''t make out her expression clearly due to the glare.


    I was sitting in a chair directly across from her, counting the time pass by in silence. Claudia was the one who had called me over saying she had something to tell me. At least this time she didn''t jump down from a second floor window while calling out to me, so I suppose this is better. However, she''s been quiet for quite some time now, with her mouth bent into a ¤Øshape.


    I don''t really know what to say to her in this situation either. For once, she has a thinking face and she''s furrowing her eyebrows.


    The sound of the water clock indicated that the time just reached noon. Claudia raised her face and looked at me as if she just realized I was sitting here. She still seemed a little confused when she met my gaze, and greeted me hesitantly.


    "Eliza¡­¡­-dono? Er, Elena-dono? No wait, it''s Eliza-dono, I think I got it right. Um¡­¡­ There''s something I''d like to ask you."


    I want to applaud myself for not getting a sore neck yet, looking directly at her and waiting for all this time. I''ve been kept waiting for so long, what could this important thing that she has to say to me be?


    Come to think of it, Claudia''s finally been able to remember my name more accurately as of late. Ahh, I feel slightly dizzy from the mental fatigue of waiting so long¡­¡­


    With a slight sigh in my voice, I replied to Claudia.


    "Yes, what is it?"


    "Ah¡­¡­ um. Hopefully you won''t be angry at me."


    This is really rare, Claudia started in an apologetic manner before her main question.


    "This is from quite a while back, about the bandits we caught earlier last year. At that time, why did you do the dirty work personally?"


    Claudia was tilting her head, and her golden hair was making soft swishing sounds.


    I see, so it''s about that. She must know that my emotions are stable now. Probably, she didn''t ask me right after that incident out of consideration for me. As always, her intuition is like the wild instinct of an animal, she can detect my emotional state so well.


    "There were various reasons. I can''t explain it easily ¨C but if I had to say, I think I just wanted to kill him since he deserved to die."


    "What about the other bandit? Did he just freeze to death in the dungeon¡­¡­"


    "Ah, probably. I thought it was too bothersome to kill him directly. Him dying just like that without anyone knowing was quite convenient, really."


    Claudia nodded silently. She''s refraining from commenting further, and she may not agree with me, but she does understand my reasons. Seeing her reaction, a mystery popped up in my mind.


    Why was it that I always considered Claudia so useless?


    It''s something that I''ve only realized recently myself, but I can be quite selfish. Thanks to my previous life''s memories, I want to be treated like an adult, and while I acted as mature as I possibly could, I always relied on other adults, just like a child would.


    But when an adult like Mrs. Hortensia came along, and wanted to treat me as a child, and when it seemed like she would spoil me to her utmost extent, I was terrified and my spirit broke down.


    That''s why ¨C I liked having Kamil around. He was important for me. We were children together, we were fellow humans, we were friends, and I was also his lord, even now, his memories still pierce my heart.


    I couldn''t trust him, and I sent him away from me, so of course I would feel guilty about his death.


    And, Claudia meets the same conditions that Kamil did. She''s just as pure as the Shiru children, and she''s a person who I''m very grateful to because she accepts me as I am.


    So, why is it that I can''t see her the same way I saw Kamil? This is an incredible mystery to myself.


    "Got it. Sorry to have taken up so much of your time. I probably should have asked you much earlier."


    Her confusion just earlier disappeared like it never even existed, and Claudia was back to her cheerful self again. And just like that, she left the room.


    Then somehow, I managed to come up with an answer to the mystery in my head.


    Perhaps, to me, she''s neither an adult nor a child. Also, I probably see the Shiru children the same way.


    I still can''t decide whether or not I should call her my friend. Even though, I can now tell myself so easily, that Kamil was my friend.

 Chapter 106 - 107

    February 4, 2017 ¡¤ by imperfectluck ¡¤ in Uncategorized. ¡¤


    The skies are clearing, and the snow is melting. After the snow completely melted around the Mansion of Golden Hills, we returned to the village under construction. Nothing big happened this past winter, and I confirmed in the new village that everything was alright with the water sources and supply.


    "There''s a lot of garbage this year as well."


    Teomer was muttering to himself with a frown on his face. The stone path for the village under construction was still incomplete, with dirt exposed everywhere and dead branches and plants scattered about. It''s also quite muddy, and there''s even some fish lying around here and there, with a few of them bouncing up and down. I suppose this is all due to the recent flooding.


    "Well, the bright side is that this provides us with quite a nice supply of fish for the time being."


    Teo could only shake his head as he gave orders to his warriors to gather and wash the fish laying by the roadside. It was really muddy and they weren''t used to this type of food gathering, so it took about half an hour to collect and clean all the fish we saw.


    "I''ll also go wash myself in the river before returning. The temperature should be just about right."


    During winter, my new citizens had borrowed the bathing facilities in the barracks, but that facility only has hot water when it''s time to cook food. I think that something can potentially be developed to automatically adjust the flames and provide fuel as an upgrade to modernize the bathing facilities, but unfortunately Kaldia doesn''t have the means to do so.


    So unfortunately, my new citizens still don''t have their own place to bathe yet. This was one of Kamil''s plans that he left behind, but it seems like there''s still quite a while until it can be realized.


    ¡­¡­I don''t have enough money, time, or personnel. Maybe I should write down the ideas that I want to actualize but don''t have the means to do yet. There would be no meaning to it if I forget what I wanted to do in the first place if I have the ability to do so in the future.


    The next morning I had the Kaldia army help in gathering up the new citizens'' tents and belongings, and help transport it all by horseback. By noon, the hillside that had been full of tents was already well on its way of returning to its original state.


    "Somehow, it feels like I''m returning to a nomadic lifestyle."


    Reka next to me seemed to be having fun while looking all around him. Since the children aren''t of much help with the heavy labor and to not let them get in the way, I''ve gathered them here with me to help with the process of collecting the small metal parts that help bind the tents to the ground.


    Not only were the Shiru children with me, the farmer children were here as well, and even the children that usually stayed with their parents were here today.


    "Unfortunately, this is only for today. I''ll work hard and finish everything so I can come and visit you guys as much as possible."


    "If Eliza-sama works hard, you can really make it happen. Our King would never lie, right?"


    "Well, whatever a domain lord says is close enough to a proclamation. I can''t say things I''m uncertain of."


    I answered Reka while I continued to collect the small metal parts. After all, I figured I''d help everyone personally as well. Tira just happened to meet my eyes then as she was sitting in front of me, and she smiled at me. I kept pulling up the small metal parts that fastened the tents, carefully wiped the dirt off of them, and tied them into bundles by wrapping ropes several times around the parts.


    The new citizens prepared this rope themselves, just like Teo.


    "By the way. Sometimes you guys call me ''King'' instead of lord, why is that? The King of Arxia is the only King in Arxia."


    As I continued to work with my hands, I figured that now was a good timing to ask this question I''ve always been wondering about. I''ve been called "King" by them several times now, and it''s perked my curiosity.


    Although only other Arxian nobles can understand the Artolan language they speak, it''ll still be quite a bit of trouble if someone hears the children calling me their "King" and can understand it.


    "Eh? Mm, but don''t the people in your army also call you Charlie?"


    "Oh, do you know the meaning of Charlie as well?"


    Even now, I still don''t know why people kept calling me Charlie. Even though Mrs. Marshan is proficient in her language abilities, she didn''t know either, and Kamil started this trend of calling me Charlie that somehow spread to my entire Kaldia army. That''s why I figured that maybe Kamil was using a term from another language or he just made up a name entirely to call me by.


    That''s why I''m shocked that Reka, with his Artolan heritage, knew this word. I had thought this possibility to be the unlikeliest, but maybe it''s just that some ancient words have been left over here in the Jugfena region. The Arxian language in the Jugfena region and the Artolan language share an archaic root language. Of course, there are many similar sounding words between the languages.


    "Let''s see¡­¡­ We call you our King simply because that''s our term for the person ranked above our clan chiefs. That''s all."


    That''s all, he says, as he smiled as if he knew some secret I didn''t. I feel from his expression like he''s still not telling me everything, but I have no evidence to base this on, so I''ll let it go. When I happened to look at Tira though, she seemed to have listened in on our conversation as she had the same secretive grin that Reka did.


    "Ok, it''s time to get moving! Hurry up and move, Gunther will lead the way!"


    In the distance, I heard Teomer giving the order to move out. I had left Teo and Gunther to decide between themselves who would lead everyone on the way, and it seems that it will be Gunther. It seems that the two of them became quite friendly with each other over the winter training the army did. Is it because they''re close in age, I wonder.


    "Alright, we should probably get moving as well."


    Tira wrapped up the last bundle of metal parts with a small sigh in her voice. Looking around at all the other children, I also saw those that were disappointed like she was, as well as children that seemed really excited and were having lots of fun.


    Among all the children, I noticed that a certain silvery-blue head of hair that really stands out in a crowd was missing. He''s also one of the earliest to physically mature among his age group, so even without his hair color he''s easy to spot due to his height alone. But no matter how much I looked for him, he wasn''t there with the other children.


    "By the way, where''s Athrun today?"


    "Eh? Well, since he''s so big, maybe he''s helping some of the slightly older children."


    The children that are ten and older are helping the women gather all the cloths and bundle them together on horseback. I looked over in that direction, but I still didn''t see Athrun at all.


    "What do you need Athrun for?"


    "Nothing. I just got curious since I didn''t see him around."


    "Mmm. Oh, perfect, Athrun''s returning just now!" S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Reka pointed behind me, as I turned around and looked. Some children were leading a group of horses in this direction, and Athrun was among them.


    "Sorry to keep you waiting! We''ve brought the horses, so let''s begin loading!"


    A girl who seemed about fifteen years old was acting as their leader and giving orders. It was easy to tell at a glance that all the children bringing the horses here were several years older than the children I was with. Since our work is finished as well, they probably noticed and headed over to help us get started with the moving.


    During all this, Athrun came up to me and slapped me genially on my shoulder for some reason.


    "Eliza-sama, I have something I''d like to say to you."


    What''s this about? Is it something that I have to take care of right now? As I finished packing the tools in my hand into a sack, I turned around to face Athrun silently. As if he wasn''t saying anything so serious, he told me something without any hesitation.


    "I''m going to enter the Kaldia army starting today."


    ¡­¡­With such a simple sentence, it was like he dropped a bomb on me.


    "¡­¡­Huh?"


    Although he had told me he had something to say, this was more along the lines of a proclamation. I had no idea what was going on, so all I could do was blink and keep looking up at the much taller Athrun.


    "If I can''t become a Shiru warrior, I can at least fight for our King and the Kaldia army. That''s why, I''m going to join your army. Enter it, and stay there."


    Although I had indeed planned on recruiting new members for the army soon, it seems that my first applicant has shown up from an unexpected place. He''s a young boy with determined eyes and a direct gaze that look like he''s made a decision he definitely won''t step back from, so my face couldn''t help but put on a serious expression automatically as well.


    Then, I stood up and nodded as gracefully as possible.


    "I shall allow you to enter my army. I look forward to your accomplishments. ¨C Thank you for becoming my warrior."

 Chapter 107 - 108

    February 13, 2017 ¡¤ by imperfectluck ¡¤ in Uncategorized. ¡¤


    Now that the harvest season has concluded, this year as well I''m going to wear dignified formal red and black colored knight attire with silver adornments for my own upcoming birthday celebration. Earl Terejia suggested that I leave my hair down this year, but just like last time, I decided to leave it bundled on my head.


    Since my deceased father always kept his hair long and we look so similar, I want to avoid looking like him as much as possible, both for my own sake and to avoid my citizens seeing his shadow in me.


    Last year I didn''t hold my birthday celebration since I was in the royal capital officially entering the Arxian church in their religious ceremony, but this year I''m holding it again, as a good opportunity to see how things are in my domain.


    This year as well the celebration will last for three days, with a big feast on the first day in all the villages. Since this year''s parade by my army will also include the Shiru warriors who have become something like another personal army, it should be quite grand.


    We also started our recruitment process for the army, and about ten or so people from nearby villages with plenty of hands to spare signed up. They''re not going to participate in the parade because they still lack too much training, but that shouldn''t make any difference.


    Another reason why things will be grander this year compared to two years ago is that the economic situation in my domain is gradually recovering, so we made the parade appropriately grander as well. If the parade seems worse off even when people''s living standards are improving, then it would give the citizens unrest and uneasiness.


    That''s why, this time I''ll be riding on Rashiok for the parade. Also thanks to the previous incident where Ratoka threw a rock at me, this time maybe riding on an intimidating beast will prevent such a thing from occurring again.


    Rashiok''s finally stopped growing, and he''s a bit taller than a warhorse is. Since I''m still too small, I can''t ride atop him unassisted, so despite the fact that Rashiok didn''t like it, I used a saddle whenever I would ride Rashiok.


    "Things seem rather quiet this year."


    "¡­¡­Ahh, you mean the citizens?"


    "Is that so?"


    Gunther and Claudia were riding next to me and serving as my bodyguards, and since they''re quite experienced at this, I can probably trust their insights. Gunther has a face that says warrior written all over it, but Claudia just looks like a normal beautiful girl as long as she keeps quiet.


    Gunther seems to be much more relaxed this time around than during the tense atmosphere from two years ago, and while Claudia doesn''t know about the details from the last celebration, she was still carefully observing things and on guard just in case anything happened. Her instincts are like a wild animal''s.


    Maybe I''m spending too much time thinking about idle things, but they''re at exactly my eye level because Rashiok is taller than the horses they''re riding on.


    Just like the previous time, the citizens had created a path of flowers for us to parade through, and in the first village we passed through, Claria village, people saw us off with smiles. Since this village is the closest one to my Mansion of Golden Hills, it has the most visible amount of change from my influence.


    The people were smiling at me just as they did while interacting with the Shiru tribe earlier this winter.


    "Cheers to our domain lord! May Eliza-sama and Earl Terejia-sama always remain healthy! Cheers to our domain lord!"


    During our parade on the flower path, they kept calling out to me. It seems like the villagers are cheering for me. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "They''re cheering you on. Isn''t that nice, my lord ¨C oi?"


    Gunther who was laughing heartily suddenly stopped in surprise and his voice rose up an octave at seeing me. Somehow I managed to remain sitting upright and look forward, but tears were streaming down my cheeks. I think it''s lucky that I don''t wear any makeup yet as I''m still a child.


    "Oh, ah, after we leave the village, let''s take a short break."


    "We can''t have you parading in front of everyone with a crying face, after all."


    It felt like I could even hear them smiling wryly just from Gunther and Claudia''s words. They sound surprised, but also have heartwarming words for me at the same time. Maybe Rashiok understands my crying as well, he''s using his long, snake-like tail to pat me on my back. His ears keep flickering in a manner that''s pleasant to watch, and the sunshine is glittering off of his scales.


    There was no feeling of heavy tension in the other villages either, but it seemed like the villagers'' eyes were still looking for something in me. Life is getting better for them as well, but as the domain lord, there''s still some sense of distrust towards me remaining.


    Cyril village, the village last time where the rock incident occurred, had the heaviest remnants of an unpleasant atmosphere remaining. While I could feel a few glares directed at me here and there, most villagers in Cyril village just watched us silently as if this was a funeral procession.


    Two years have passed since I''ve begun actively taking part in my public duties. Since these villagers almost never see me though, it''s impossible for them to judge me since I''m never around. I''m willing to accept their harsh gazes.


    When we visited the last village on the parade route this year, Nezu village, everyone looked at me with an entirely different type of expression. There were those that were smiling gently at me, those with an expression of awe as they stared directly at me, there were a variety of reactions but they all seemed to be so warm.


    "My lord, hey, over there. Take a look."


    Gunther pointed to his right with such a happy expression on his face. When I looked in that direction, standing by the edge of the flower path in front of a group of girls, were the two short-haired village girls from before, waving their hands at me. They were wearing flower crowns on their heads, with dark red as the main theme.


    I was so happy at seeing them, that I couldn''t keep control of my expression anymore. My eyes and mouth couldn''t help but crinkle into a smiling face. While they kept waving at me, they also started shouting to me.


    "My lord, I wish you the best of luck!"


    "Happy birthday, my lord!"


    Suddenly, the villagers standing on both sides of the path cheered thunderously and threw something in the air. It was colorful and fluttery, and I could see that it was flower petals the same color as the flowers the girls were wearing in their hair, and the inner corners of my eyes couldn''t help but get hot again.


    I must be too young still, I can''t control my tear ducts at all.


    Being welcomed so endearingly by Nezu village like this, having so many people smile at me, it''s a little embarrassing.

 Chapter 108 - 109

    Beginning of Act 2, Part 3


    After being showered in flower petals by my citizens as blessings for my eighth birthday''s celebration, life has been going on rather shockingly peacefully and calmly. Ever since my fifth birthday''s celebration, my days have always been so busy, so it''s unbelievable how there''s such a long respite now, and another year passed by in a flash just like that. I''m now nine years old.


    As the horse-drawn carriage rattled and shook on the paved road, I took the time to reflect on how this past year went.


    Honestly, it was such a peaceful year. Of course, it also means that things have remained stagnant.


    The relations I have with the people around me haven''t changed at all in one year. I still can''t pass by Ratoka without having my heart twinge, and I still avoid Mrs. Hortensia as much as I can, so I keep my distance still from both of them.


    It might be more accurate to say that I had gotten so used to the new pace of things that I only noticed an entire year had passed after something unexpected interrupted this lifestyle.


    "It''s rather cool for early summer this year."


    Maybe it''s to free himself from the silence, Earl Terejia muttered a comment about the weather as he sat across in the carriage from me while fanning himself. Although the air inside the carriage is mostly enclosed within a small space, it doesn''t feel stifling, rather relaxing instead today.


    "Yes, indeed. It feels quite nice."


    Since I was also getting a little bored as well, I decided to join him in conversation and agreed with him. He glanced at me, perhaps sensing that I wanted to engage him in conversation, and he began talking about the recent situation in the royal capital.


    "When I visited the royal capital earlier this spring, I hardly heard any problems about the issue of the crown prince. As expected, it''s calmed down a bit since it''s already been two years since the crown prince was decided. Rather than that, it''s rumored that the end of the Rindarl Kingdom is finally near."


    "The Rindarl Kingdom, is it. Well, two years ago they were saying the same thing."


    "I guess it was going to happen sooner or later. Regarding the issue of the crown prince, last winter Prince Albert has completed the process of entering a monastery."


    Maybe he''s thinking back to last year, the Earl was now looking at the ceiling of the carriage. His expression seems like he''s eating some disgusting insects, the decision about forcing the first prince to enter a monastery is one that the Earl doesn''t comprehend even today.


    "There seems to have been a big commotion about that earlier last summer."


    Claudia who was sitting next to me spoke up as well. Just like last year, she''ll be serving simultaneously as my maid and bodyguard in the royal capital. Currently, the only ones that can serve as my attendants are Claudia, Ratoka, and Elise. But I won''t bring Elise along for the sake of her health, and since I still haven''t improved things with Ratoka, I left him behind this year.


    "About that big commotion. He might as well have said it straight that he was disinheriting the first prince. Just what is our King thinking, I don''t get it at all¡­¡­"


    Maybe he didn''t want to think about the commotion caused by the crown prince incident, Earl Terejia started complaining to us as if he wanted somebody to vent to. It must be hard on him that he still can''t understand the royal family''s thought process.


    Even if we don''t know the reason, even if we don''t agree with it, we have to obey whatever the King decides on. That''s the way things are in this country. However, there''s a big emotional difference for us, his subjects, between knowing the King''s intentions and not knowing what he wants.


    "Anyways, if there''s so many rumors about Rindarl floating around this year, we need to increase our guard along the eastern border. Now, just to iron out the details¡­¡­"


    "Earl Terejia, how about having a meeting with Earl Einsbark and Margrave Genas? If we can form a united front by ourselves, that would be much more effective than having to go through the House of Lords."


    "Of course that would be for the best, but the problem is Margrave Genas''s wife. It''s difficult to establish any relations with how much she detests Kaldia."


    With a heavy sigh, Earl Terejia covered his eyes with his left hand. When I noticed that he seemed to be getting pale, I took a good look at him.


    Seeing him like this, I can''t help but think he''s gotten so old now, even though it''s only been a little over four years since the night I first met him. Two years ago the earl''s condition got much worse, and I''ve been trying to take over as much of his work as I can, but even so he still has so much on his plate to deal with.


    Although he isn''t able to work as much as he did before, he still does an unreasonable amount of work for his age. He''s such a workaholic. It seems like he hasn''t been getting much sleep recently, and I''m worried about how he''s doing. It would be nice if he doesn''t suddenly die on me.


    "In the first place, we''d have to decide on what to discuss if we meet. I''m not an expert in military affairs. Einsbark is quite reasonable and easy to make dealings with, but it''s still going to be difficult to establish something like a united front." Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Earl Terejia started talking to nobody in particular, as if he just wanted to complain. Seeing this, I decided to look over at Claudia. As for military affairs, the Rolentsors are the most famous family in all of Arxia for this. Claudia seemed to understand what I wanted and held up the palm of her left hand to me as if to say, wait for a little while.


    Then, she put her hand on her chin and started thinking.


    Claudia doesn''t have a close relationship with her family though¡­¡­ Basically, she has zero contact with them. Her family name probably won''t be of any help.


    ¡­¡­Maybe I should have Earl Terejia help me establish a formal order of knights in Kaldia. I''ve been thinking about something along those lines as of late. There are two types of knights in Arxia, personal knights and those that serve the country. National knights are officially part of the Royal Army, and there are those within the Royal Army that are able to become knights.


    As for personal knights, nobles with the rank of Earl or higher are allowed to appoint members in their personal armies as knights with the permission of the House of Lords and the church.


    But, there are strict restrictions on becoming a knight, only a limited number can be knighted by each noble and they must pass an examination as well. Also, to establish a personal knight order, a minimum of two knights must be selected and pass the examination.


    Well, Claudia would probably pass the examination easily. Who should I pick for the other knight, though? In terms of ability, Teomer would be the best choice, but would he be willing? Among the three eastern border domains that received defense funding from the House of Lords, Kaldia is the only domain without its own order of knights. If we request to establish one, it will probably be approved.


    I need to discuss this with Earl Terejia and figure out the details. ¡­¡­Come to think of it, I discuss everything important with him. This is because I don''t have the ability to make decisions by myself yet.


    Indeed, if something happens to him, I''ll be really troubled. I need to think about what to do just in case something like that happens as well.

 Chapter 109 - 110

    Earl Terejia went ahead of me and returned to his own villa in the royal capital, then I arrived at my house in the capital as well.


    "Welcome back, Eliza-sama." S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The servants that were hired earlier this spring to take care of the house in my absence all lowered their heads towards me. Since I''m almost never here except when I visit the royal capital each summer, there''s only a bare minimum of servants that help maintain the house.


    I don''t have a memory that''s so good that I can remember their names with just their faces alone all at once in our first meeting, so I had all the servants introduce themselves to me and tell me their specific jobs. Since the nobles in the capital don''t care much to know about their servants'' details, I could tell that my servants were quite surprised.


    To me though, it''s only natural to want to know more about who''s working for me.


    Next, I introduced the people I brought along with me to the capital to them. Claudia who was riding in the same carriage as me, Mrs. Marshan who came along in a different carriage, my maids Phoebe and Isadora, as well as the cook Nathan.


    They''ve been serving me for five years already at my mansion, and I was worried about that this time my stay in the royal capital would be longer than usual and I wouldn''t be used to new servants, so I brought a minimum of servants along with me. The others all stayed behind at the Mansion of Golden Hills.


    The people around me haven''t really changed much at all in the last five years. The only servant that left was Mrs. Galton, my first nanny that got fired.


    "Sorry for coming on such short notice, but is the study available?"


    "Yes, Eliza-sama. Please use it however you like."


    "Then, I''ll take a break there and write some personal things. Please begin preparing dinner as well. Claudia-dono and Mrs. Marshan will be eating with me, so please prepare for three."


    "Yes, Eliza-sama. Understood."


    The elderly man that was employed as a servant here lowered his head towards me in a polite but distant manner. The other new employees didn''t seem like they had much of a welcoming atmosphere either.


    Well, since the Kaldia name is synonymous with evil thanks to my family''s actions, this is only to be expected. The Earl had originally only hired those that were unemployed for a low salary anyways. Earl Terejia also hired a female butler as the head of the new servants and to educate the new staff, but of course it''s impossible to train them completely in etiquette in such a short time.


    But still, Isadora. Please stop glaring at the new servants like that¡­¡­ Your smile looks scary, and your eyes aren''t smiling at all. She''s always so warm and friendly to everyone, this is the first time that I''ve ever seen this side of my maid Isadora.


    Under the direction of the female butler that Earl Terejia hired, while the new servants weren''t particularly friendly, they still carried out their duties properly. When I entered my study, there wasn''t a speck of dust to be found. This is actually a bit better than I expected.


    I went to the desk and took some envelopes and stationary out from the drawer. First I''m going to write a letter to Elise. Just like the previous two years, I''m going to exchange letters with Elise while in the royal capital.


    While I''m in the capital, my mansion back in Kaldia will become a rather serene place. I write to Elise so that she won''t get so lonely, even though this year will probably be different for her, but it''s become a habit already.


    I wonder if Elise still really needs me to keep writing to her. She now has the maid/attendant Ratoka, the new soldier in training Athrun, and her new playmates Tira and Reka by her side, so telling Elise in a letter that I miss her probably has less of an effect than before.


    Even though I usually almost never go to meet her, is something going to change now that Elise probably doesn''t need me as much as before? In an attempt to shake off this feeling of unease creeping into my mind, I rubbed my temples with my fingers.


    Alright, let''s get to writing that letter. First I''ll let her know that I arrived safely in the royal capital.


    Just like every time I come to the royal capital, my schedule is so full. Even though I arrived just yesterday, I have to attend a scheduled meeting of the House of Lords later today, with no time for me to rest.


    When I arrived at the royal Arctoria Palace together with Earl Terejia, just like always, a handsome lord by the name of Margrave Molton found me instantly. I''m impressed with his rugged handsomeness that''s been polished by the effects of middle age, honestly. As always, he smiled that innocent smile of his at me, and he bowed to the Earl, causing his elegant silver hair to sway slightly.


    "Greetings, Earl Terejia, Viscountess Kaldia. I''m glad to see that both of you seem to be doing well this year, like usual."


    "Greetings, Margrave Molton. You look just like how you did last year as well. How is your son doing?"


    "Ahh, thanks for asking, he''s also in perfect health."


    "That''s great to hear. Then, I have to get going¡­¡­"


    Margrave Molton and the Earl exchanged polite greetings, then Earl Terejia left me on his own as he went to go find his seat. All of us know already that Margrave Molton is more interested in me than Earl Terejia since he has a son that''s the same age as me, so it''s already customary that Earl Terejia will go off on his own to let us discuss things each time.


    "Greetings, Margrave Molton. Thank you for attending my birthday celebration this year as well."


    I bowed slightly deeper than usual on purpose, to let him see the back of my hair for an instant. Earlier this year at my birthday celebration in spring, he had given me a simple hair ornament decorated with a red jewel, which I was now wearing.


    For the first time ever since meeting him, I saw an expression of surprise on him, which managed somehow to remain elegant. It seems like a type of innocence, unexpected joy at seeing me wear the ornament he''d given me.


    "No, I should be the one thanking you, since I was merely returning the favor as you''d given my son a present for his birthday as well. But I''m really happy to see that you enjoy wearing it. Thank you very much, Viscountess Kaldia."


    His eyes seemed like he was looking at me like I was his own daughter, he took my hands and shook them, while my vision began to get slightly blurry. Maybe he''ll even pat my head.


    This is still the House of Lords though, he seemed to recall that it may cause an incident if he he is seen patting the head of another noble, even if I am a child, and he looked like he was doing his best to refrain from patting me, clenching and unclenching his fingers.


    Just last year I myself learned from the Shiru children the appeal of patting a child on the head, so I can understand his urge. I do have to say, there is an indescribable feeling that comes from being patted on the head, but it does feel nice.


    Then, he suddenly started whispering something to me without changing the smiling expression on his face at all ¨C


    "The Densel bandit group in the knight headquarters'' dungeon was all executed earlier this spring. I''m talking about the members that you caught before."


    ¡­¡­Just where exactly does he get his information from? He just told me some information that even Earl Terejia didn''t know, and he just walked off like that to find his own seat like nothing had happened. What''s more, he still retained his elegance and handsomeness.


    Honestly, I want to copy his elegance and coolness. Although he''s a man¡­¡­ should I really be copying his style. Well, usually I wear knight attire anyways, and I don''t think I mind being admired¡­¡­ It feels like I''m making excuses to myself though.


    But anyways, the remainder of that bandit group ¨C well, they were really agents working for Densel ¨C has finally been executed, eh. If they were executed, it means that they were no longer considered useful.


    Although there might not be much point, should I see if I can take a look at the knight headquarters'' official records? I think there''s at least an eighty percent chance that they''ve been erased from the records, though.

 Chapter 110 - 111

    March 1, 2017 ¡¤ by imperfectluck ¡¤ in Uncategorized. ¡¤


    As I expected, the agenda for today''s House of Lords meeting began with a discussion about the threat posed by the possible disappearance of the Rindarl Kingdom.


    It''s located in the center of the four dukedoms to the east, and has deep historical and cultural ties to the other countries that are trying to unite into the Rindarl Union, which carries the same name.


    So, of course the Rindarl Union would want to incorporate it into its territory if they succeed in uniting, but as a kingdom, compared to the dukedoms there are major differences between their societies and their laws.


    The Rindarl Union wouldn''t want to forcefully incorporate a country with such deep ties into their new country, as they would have to worry about the political repercussions of doing so.


    Since the Rindarl Kingdom is geographically located within the four dukedoms, it''s impossible for other countries to interfere in their affairs. Meaning, it''s almost certain that the Rindarl Kingdom will likely cease to exist and be incorporated into the new Rindarl Union in some way.


    So, to the Arxia Kingdom, what''s important to us is the question of when the Rindarl Kingdom will cease to exist, and when our neighbors will officially form the Rindarl Union. After all, it costs a lot of money to constantly have soldiers mobilized for border defense and remain on guard at all times.


    It''s only natural that Arxia would want more accurate information so that it can move only when necessary.


    "At any rate, it would be great if we could get more detailed information¡­¡­"


    The nobles were clutching their heads and complaining. Since Arxia of today is an isolationist country, it has too little information about other countries. Our ambassadors and just a few merchants are our only sources of information.


    Well, even if we don''t open our country''s borders, I still think that we should create some sort of spy network, but that''s just me. Well, even if we make one now, it''ll still be too late to find out the current political situation in Rindarl.


    Anyways, a spy network, hmm¡­¡­ There''s no such thing as too much information. Maybe I can set up some sort of spy network using the Kaldia army, it''s worth thinking about. No wait, I''d need to think about who even has the talent for this first.


    " ¨C May I say something?"


    While the nobles were busy making a fuss and I was getting lost in my daydreams about creating a spy network, a loud and clear voice rang through the hall and caught my attention as well as everyone else''s. It''s an elderly voice with a low baritone. This voice belongs to a noble that I''ve been on guard against for the past two years ¨C the major noble of the north and their leader, Marquis Nordsturm.


    "¡­¡­Yes, of course, go ahead, Marquis Nordsturm."


    The noble who was acting as the moderator for today''s House of Lords meeting was obviously surprised for a moment, but quickly regained his composure and gave Marquis Nordsturm permission to address everyone. The entire hall fell silent as if something major had happened.


    "I keep hearing everyone say that they would like more information about Rindarl. If everyone is okay with me, I have some personal resources and people I can use in Planates. Maybe I''m overstepping my bounds though, what does everyone think? Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡­¡­Eh. He has personal connections in Planates, he says. Wouldn''t he also have them in Densel, then? Mentally inside I laughed sarcastically at his arrogance and haughtiness. Since only I have information from the Densel bandit group that he''s probably connected somehow to them, anything he says is difficult to believe.


    Rather than information from Planates, information from Densel on their anti-Arxian terrorist organization would be much more useful, if he were really trying to help Arxia.


    "Oh, ohh. Of course, go ahead, that would make everyone feel at ease."


    However, it''s definitely true that the Nordsturms are well connected, especially due to the nature of their money lending business. On hearing that he had connections in Planates, the country from the four dukedoms that Arxia has the friendliest relations with, all the nobles gleefully latched on to his proposal.


    Having skillfully controlled the discussion in the House of Lords, I saw Marquis Nordsturm smile a dark, self-satisfied smirk, then he glanced directly at me for a moment. I saw malice in his eyes directed straight at me, and an expression as if to say everyone here was a fool beneath him, myself included.


    "Then, it is up to you, Viscountess Kaldia. May the god Misorua''s guidance be with you."


    A high-ranking priest from the Arxia church was currently lowering his head towards me. Right after the priest said this, Viscount Ogren who was wearing the Nordsturm emblem on his scarf smiled viciously at me without even attempting to conceal the nasty grin he had on his face.


    "¡­¡­Yes, I understand. I shall definitely do the best I can."


    I suppressed myself to the best of my abilities, and a surprisingly calm and neutral voice managed to come out of me. I feel like if I look in a mirror though, maybe I can see a throbbing vein that''s about to burst.


    I''ve been forced into something troublesome. What''s more, it''s a request from Viscount Ogren. Marquis Nordsturm is almost certainly behind this very troublesome request of his.


    After the end of this regular meeting of the House of Lords, I had to participate in a medium-sized dance party with Marquis Nordsturm''s unpleasant smile still fresh on my mind.


    As the first evening party of the new season, many people were present, and I got a bad premonition when I noticed Viscount Ogren heading in my direction together with a person that looked like a high-ranking church official.


    I should have listened to that ominous feeling, and escaped from them while I still had the chance. Now I know all too well just what that malicious expression Marquis Nordsturm had aimed towards me was, as something incredibly troublesome has been forced upon me unexpectedly.


    "So they used a high-ranking priest to order you to mediate a dispute between Viscount Ogren''s son and his fiancee, eh. They''ve pressed something so unreasonable onto you."


    While I was busy wallowing in regret at not running at the sight of them, Margrave Molton who had heard the story from Claudia patted me on my shoulder to console me.


    "At any rate, even if you escaped tonight, they would still send you an official letter from the church, with the same orders that you can''t refuse. Although, this is still a rather annoying task to receive at an inconvenient time. This is definitely something only dirty and underhanded people will stoop to."


    Margrave Molton dares to say things like that out loud. The "they" that he''s referring to, is of course the Nordsturm faction.


    "¡­¡­Well, you''re right. Dealing with a sixteen year old girl and her love problem, this is something completely different, even if I am also a girl, I''m only nine years old still, it''s ridiculous to be asking me."


    They even went to the extent of using a high-ranking priest to make this request of me so that I wouldn''t be able to refuse. Since the church has the power to uphold the law, when they ask me like this to help mediate a dispute in order to maintain order, a minor noble like me, a viscountess, has no right to refuse.


    Honestly, I''ve been saddled with something so bothersome during this terribly inconvenient period of unrest and turmoil.


    "Viscount Ogren''s son''s fiancee is the daughter of the Rogshia family, correct? If it''s the Rogshia family, they''re a noble family from the Greenfield region."


    Claudia was cool as a rock as she listened to our exchange while accompanying me as my maidservant, and she finally inserted herself into our conversation, letting me know about the fiancee''s background. As for the nobles in the Greenfield region, isn''t that the place where people ignore women''s opinions and wills almost entirely? That''s where my fired former nanny, Mrs. Galton was from.


    At such a busy time, I now have to go talk to a girl who was probably never brought up to think for herself for all her life, and change her heart. How meaningless. For women from that region, she probably had an upbringing where she always had to listen to anything and everything her father and grandfather had to say.


    "¡­¡­Anyways, for the time being we must set up a meeting with the daughter of the Rogshia family. Hopefully Earl Terejia can give me some advice as well."

 Chapter 111 - 112

    "Hey, you, isn''t that Claudia?"


    Right after I got saddled with something annoying due to the Nordsturms'' harassment, I heard a loud booming voice coming from beside us as I discussed things with Claudia and Margrave Molton. When I turned to see who the owner of the voice was, I saw a head of honey blonde hair glittering in the sunlight like a chandelier.


    He''s a young man with a cool demeanor that has gray eyes the color of stone, I could tell right away by his appearance that he''s definitely related to Claudia in some way. He''s almost certainly a close relative of hers.


    "Older brother!?"


    With Claudia''s surprised voice, now I knew for certain that this person was her older brother. Looks like I was right on the mark. Comparing the two of them, they definitely appeared so similar to each other.


    "What are you doing here?"


    "That''s what I should be saying, Claudia. Today''s party organizer is one of the leaders of the Knight Order, didn''t you know?"


    "I''m only attending as the personal attendant of a noble today¡­¡­ I see now. That''s why there were so many of my distant Rolentsor relatives at the party today."


    Margrave Molton seemed to be interested as he watched the siblings greet each other. It seems that since the Rolentsors are a military family, they don''t like to go to most social gatherings. Indeed, other than Claudia, I don''t know anyone from the Rolentsor family at all.


    "Then, is the one next to you your current master, Claudia?"


    "Ahh, she''s Eliza-do¡­¡­ Eliza-sama, sorry for the late introduction, but allow me to introduce my brother to you."


    She didn''t call me Eliza-dono like she always did, maybe she suddenly remembered that we were in public and she hurriedly corrected herself and used a more polite term. Maybe he''s used to seeing such things from Claudia, her brother just smiled wryly. I nodded at Claudia and she breathed in relief, as I exchanged knowing glances with her brother.


    "Eliza-sama, this is my older brother, Nathaniel Rolentsor. Older brother, this person is Lord Eliza Kaldia, my current master."


    ¡­¡­Ohh, she managed to say all that without stuttering. She''s not very used to using polite speech and she probably has butterflies in her stomach right now, but as expected she can do it when she tries. She was able to perfectly introduce Nathaniel and I to each other in a ladylike manner.


    "Pleased to meet you, Lord Kaldia. I''m Nathaniel, Claudia''s older brother. I work in the royal capital''s military police. It''s an honor to make your acquaintance."


    "Pleased to meet you as well, Nathaniel-dono. Thank you for taking care of your sister before this."


    I was going to bow to him, but Nathaniel suddenly stuck his right hand out at me. With a bit of confusion, I shook his hand. Then, with a wry smile on his face, Margrave Molton interrupted us.


    "Nathaniel-dono, I believe that your sister''s master is a lady."


    "Eh? ¡­¡­Ah!!"


    While I was surprised just now that he shook hands with me, Nathaniel seemed even more shocked right now, and he swiftly let go of my hand. In Arxia it''s the custom for men to shake hands with each other, while boys and girls are expected to keep more of a distance from the other gender during a first introduction. Due to the way I dress, he must have mistook me for a boy.


    "S, sorry¡­¡­ To think that I was so rude to a lady."


    "No, I don''t mind at all. I prefer to dress like this. I don''t mind being treated according to my clothes, either."


    Boys and girls are just supposed to simply greet each other on a first introduction. I felt sorry for Nathaniel who was apologizing for treating me like a boy because of how I dressed, so I told him the truth that I didn''t mind.


    We got some drinks from the party, and everyone''s calmed down and relaxed a bit. Nathaniel apologized to me once more, and I calmly and politely told him again that I didn''t mind, then he started speaking to Claudia again.


    "By the way, Claudia. Shouldn''t you be handing in your resignation to Eliza-sama soon? Are you still going to continue on like this?"


    Both Claudia and I were wide-eyed in surprise at his sudden question. Only Margrave Molton was able to keep a cool smile on his face as he watched us with interest in his eyes.


    "Eh, what are you talking about?"


    "You don''t even know what I''m talking about¡­¡­ Hey, you, didn''t you make a promise with father? If you aren''t able to become a knight by the time you turn twenty, you''ll return home and listen to his orders?"


    "¡­¡­Ahh!" S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As if she just remembered something, Claudia smacked her fist into her hand. That''s not the reaction I want from her though! She''s forgotten such an important thing? Although I probably shouldn''t criticize her for it. Now that I think back on it, she told me about this several years ago when I first met her, but I''d completely forgotten about it as well.


    I had just been thinking about creating a knight order in Kaldia, but I had thought that I''d be able to take my time. Now I have to establish a knight order as fast as possible, so that Claudia won''t be taken away from me.


    Honestly, this is the worst time possible for me to be saddled with an annoying burden by the Nordsturms!


    Even though I was mentally screaming inside, I also started calculating and planning out what I could do as quickly as I could in order to create my knight order. And of course, Claudia would pick at this moment to go off completely on another tangent and interrupt me.


    "Eliza-sama, is it alright if I go and greet the hosts of this party tonight!? I want to see if I can ask to become a knight! No wait, I won''t ask them to make me a knight, I just want permission to take the test!!"


    "¡­¡­Wait, wait, calm down, Claudia. You''re getting overly excited. Besides, you''re only a noble''s personal attendant. You don''t have the status to go and greet someone so high-ranked, please don''t try it."


    "No way!"


    Claudia was tightly gripping the hems of her dress, and she seemed like she was almost about to fly out of here. I prepared myself mentally to talk to her about this, now just how to do the persuasion.


    I absolutely can''t have a confrontation with Claudia in front of Nathaniel. If he reports it to their parents, it might be that Claudia will be forced to leave me even sooner. When I glanced over at Nathaniel uneasily, he was grinning like a cat, a smile that looked just like his sister''s, and it looked like he was having fun watching us discuss things.


    "¡­¡­You guys get along so well for servant and master. I''m glad that you were able to meet a master that complements you so well. You''ve even managed to remember her name properly."


    This comment from him hit me hard. All my feelings, that I can''t get in order, that are going out of control. Undoubtedly, Claudia''s older brother can see how we get along.


    Margrave Molton who was watching all this from behind us seemed to be chuckling with that wry smile of his stuck to his face all this time, while I just felt incredibly tired from everything.

 Chapter 112 - 113

    I finally left the evening party and met up with Earl Terejia in a horse-drawn carriage, and immediately consulted him about setting up a knight order. Claudia was too embarrassed about having forgotten her promise to her father that she didn''t join our discussion and was riding on another carriage instead, and Bellway was here instead to have another person in the discussion.


    "What''s this. You forgot this issue about Claudia-dono? A mistake due to inexperience."


    After I explained the situation to Earl Terejia, he seemed surprised for a moment, then his expression became very strict. Although I did expect his disappointment, I''m still a bit embarrassed that I caused him to be disappointed in me.


    "Yes, my apologies."


    "Eliza. Taking care of nobles from other families is a serious responsibility. It''s important to know each person''s circumstances. Remember it well."


    "I''ll deeply engrave it into my mind. ¡­¡­Sorry for the inconvenience, Earl. Bellway, my apologies."


    Honestly, even if the Earl didn''t tell me, I know that I''ve made a huge blunder. Claudia had promised her father that if she wasn''t able to become a knight by the age of 20, that she would return home and get married to whoever he wishes, and she''s 19 right now. I definitely do recall her telling me this before when I met her a few years ago. And yet, I still managed to forget it.


    I could feel the blood draining from my face so I lowered my head, and this time I noticed that Bellway seemed surprised as well. Well, come to think of it, we''ve had our disagreements. And now, I''ve gone and done something so unreliable. Of course he would be surprised as well, I started feeling even more down.


    "Eliza-sama¡­¡­"


    Bellway uttered my name with a slightly bitter tone of voice. I couldn''t help but raise my head again as a conditioned reflex. Now I''m deeply regretting the rift between us, the harsh things I''ve said to him before and how I''ve hurt him with my words.


    I''ve never apologized even once to him in the last three years. And honestly, even now, I don''t know how I should go about it.


    A momentary silence fell upon us. Maybe Earl Terejia wanted to stop the awkwardness, he picked up the conversation again.


    "Please raise your head. Anyways, we have to make a plan for establishing a knight order immediately."


    "¡­¡­Yes."


    "While I can apply for the establishment of a knight order for you, have you thought about the reason you''ll give for needing one?"


    "Yes. I''ll say that they''re for protecting and being in charge of the new citizens, to help them get adjusted."


    "¡­¡­Mmm."


    For personal knight orders, they are required to have a meaning to their existence and have actual work to do. The military''s role is to maintain order and defend the territory, but they can''t be in charge of the new citizens. The soldiers in the army are also recruited from ordinary citizens, so their social status is equal to that of commoners.


    However, being knighted by a noble for their personal knight order will raise the rank and social status of the knight as well as confer noble status. Meaning, knighting someone is a noble''s way of giving people promotions, and it also allows knights to help do work that only nobles are allowed to do.


    Only nobles with a rank of earl or higher can create knight orders though, so Earl Terejia will have to lend me his assistance.


    "To create a knight order, you need to have at least two qualified knights, though."


    "Claudia and¡­¡­ Teomer Terit from the Shiru tribe, is who I was considering."


    The Earl seemed a little lost at who Teomer was, but I really couldn''t think of anyone else as a candidate so I said Teo''s name in the end, and as expected, the Earl''s expression turned strict.


    "Teomer, eh. ¡­¡­But, it''ll be for the best if you don''t use a foreigner to help create your knight order."


    "As I expected, it was like that."


    "The House of Lords probably wouldn''t approve of it."


    Teomer is a new citizen himself, and the knight order''s establishment is meant to protect and take charge of the new citizens. Well, he can be added as a later member with no problems, but it seems that if he''s used as a founding member, my application for a knight order probably won''t get approved.


    "¡­¡­Then, how about myself?"


    Although a person can''t be both a knight and the same person that the knights are sworn to serve, technically speaking this knight order will be created to serve Earl Terejia, so on paper there should be no problem if I become a knight as well.


    Usually the domain lord will become the master of their own knight order, but since my rank isn''t high enough, I have to use the Earl''s name and higher rank.


    As for the test to become a knight, more important than combat capability is knight etiquette, that is to say, knowledge of how to behave similar to and around nobles. That''s why nobles themselves are always the most common to become knights. Also, there''s no restrictions on gender or age. I think that I should be able to pass it as well.


    Well, that''s what I thought, but this time Bellway shook his head with furrowed eyebrows as he shot down my plan.


    "It''s forbidden for there to be any sort of master-servant relationship between a guardian and his ward." S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "¡­¡­Ahh, that''s probably true."


    I suppose that even my idea wasn''t a blind spot in the rules after all. Since Earl Terejia is still my guardian right now, I won''t be able to become his knight.


    But in that case, I don''t have any ideas about any other qualified candidates. What should I do¡­¡­ Should I ask Bellway who''s very experienced in serving nobles to do it? Although he''s not nobility himself, he''s completely accustomed to being around nobility.


    And since he was qualified to become the Earl''s secretary, he''s probably still the distant relative of some noble family, just not closely related enough to have noble status, this seems to be likely.


    I kept glancing at Bellway while thinking this idea over, but the more I thought about it, the more unlikely I felt it was that Bellway would become a knight. If he had wanted noble status in the first place, he would have joined as a knight long ago, instead of remaining as a commoner and becoming the Earl''s secretary.


    So, he probably wouldn''t be interested and his combat capabilities are questionable.


    Once again, I lamented the lack of educated people in Kaldia. Right now we''re still focused on just raising the basic quality of life in Kaldia to get closer to the average in Arxia, and I have no resources to use on cultivating future useful personnel. I don''t have any idea right now, either.


    "¡­¡­I have someone that might work."


    Even though he still had a strict expression, this time the Earl offered up a suggestion.


    "You have someone in mind?"


    It was so unexpected to hear the Earl having a candidate, that I couldn''t help but lose control over my expression and my mouth was wide agape for a moment. The Earl nodded to me in return, and this time he asked me a question in turn.


    "Yep. I only have one candidate, but he''s still a candidate. He''s someone that''s not related to Kaldia at all though, is that okay with you?"


    A person that''s not related to Kaldia at all, eh¡­¡­ Well, since the knight order is technically Earl Terejia''s, the members don''t need to be related to Kaldia, it''s okay if they''re related to him as well. But since the reason for my knight order''s existence is to protect and take charge of the new citizens, I need to judge for myself what kind of person this candidate is.


    "Then, who do you have in mind?"


    "My grandnephew. He''s the grandson of my half-sister who was born from a concubine, so he''s a Terejia without noble status. You should have met him once before."


    I was very confused at him saying I should have met him before. Other than Marquis Rittergau, I don''t recall ever being introduced to any of Earl Terejia''s relatives before.


    "¡­¡­I''m very sorry, but when and where was I introduced to him before, I''m afraid that I can''t recall."


    "No, he was never introduced to you. You should have met him at Fort Jugfena."


    "At Fort Jugfena¡­¡­?"


    I''d met so many people at Fort Jugfena, was one of the Earl''s relatives among them? However, when I thought back to my days at Fort Jugfena, I still couldn''t remember who he was.


    "He was the one riding on the red-winged draconis."


    "¡­¡­Ah!"


    When he mentioned this, I instantly remembered. When Claudia and Kamil had arrived at Fort Jugfena and saved me, there had been two draconis, and there was a person I didn''t know who was riding together with Claudia. (TL note: Chapter 51, there was a character that was described, but never introduced or mentioned again until now.)


    I recall that he was a young man who looked quite similar to Earl Terejia if the Earl was younger. I had originally planned on asking about who he was, but then I lost myself sleeping for an entire month and ended up forgetting about it.


    "His name is Oscar Terejia, and he''s nineteen years old just like Claudia. Right now he''s an apprentice to Earl Einsbark''s eldest son, but since he''s still a Terejia despite not having noble status, he hasn''t been allowed to go on the front lines in the Jugfena knight order. He''s burning for an opportunity to prove himself."


    "I see, got it."


    "Would you like to meet him officially?"


    "Of course. I''m deeply grateful to you for introducing him to me."

 Chapter 113 - 114

    I immediately began the process necessary for preparing the documents for the upcoming arrival of the person critical to establishing my knight order, Oscar Terejia. My knight order application needs to go to the central office of the Royal Army''s headquarters stationed in the capital and I must submit some fees as well. Their office is also quite a grand place to behold.


    "I''m here on behalf of Earl Terejia. Please give me the necessary documents in order to apply for a knight order."


    Bellway had taken me here today and was over at the next window, taking care of what we came here to do, but since we went to the trouble of coming to the knight headquarters, I might as well investigate some other things also.


    "I would also like to ask a question. I may have heard a rumor that the bandits caught in my Kaldia domain have been executed."


    "A bandit group, you say¡­¡­ Oh, Kaldia domain? Could you be, Viscountess Kaldia¡­¡­?"


    The knight at the window who was talking to me had a tired, bored voice. I couldn''t help but furrow my eyebrows at his lack of manners. What have things come to if a knight working in the main headquarters has an attitude like this, sigh.


    I managed to hear the knight saying the word "torture¡­¡­" to himself quietly under his breath as he looked through some documents. My ears may be better than I expected.


    "W, what business do you have knowing these matters? The, the methods used to obtain information from them are classified as top secret. Where they are and what happened to them is also top secret."


    "¡­¡­Maybe you''ve misunderstood something. I would merely like to see the unclassified public documents available about the information learned from the bandits."


    "Oh, ohh, ahh, the public documents."


    While still talking so slowly like a sloth, the knight got the public documents for me. I think that this knight probably thinks I''m a torture maniac or something. I wonder if he''s seen the scars I left on the bandit group for himself.


    "Okay, here you are, the public documents available about the bandit group."


    I took the folder of documents he gave to me, and swiftly scanned through them. As I expected, I didn''t see Marquis Nordsturm''s name anywhere, but I did see a low-ranking northern noble''s name, Viscount Garmstead. Maybe it was impossible for him to hide all connections entirely, and this is just a scapegoat?


    Either way, I carved Viscount Garmstead''s name into my memory, then I returned the documents to the knight.


    "Thank you."


    "Oh, sure."


    As I returned the documents, the knight immediately filed them away again. His expression didn''t seem to have fear or curiosity, only boredom, and I decided to leave the window before I heard something unnecessary again.


    "Oh, my my. What a coincidence, I never would have thought that I''d meet you here, Viscountess Kaldia."


    Suddenly, a raspy voice greeted me. What a place to meet him in.


    "¡­¡­Greetings, Viscount Ogren."


    "Hmph, I can''t say that I''m feeling all too well right now. Unlike some barbarians, I prefer to avoid this type of place whenever possible."


    I merely laughed mentally at Viscount Ogren who was guffawing like an idiot. I don''t know what he''s here for, but his words have already revealed that he must be here for something that only he personally can do since he hates being here so much.


    "By the way, Viscountess Kaldia. How are things going with my request from several days ago?"


    "I''ve gotten in contact with the Rogshia family."


    "I see. That means, you still haven''t met their daughter yourself? Just what are you doing, you haven''t even met the person herself to take care of the problem!"


    Viscount Ogren seemed quite surprised, while I simply stared at him coldly in return. Maybe he was irritated that I would stand up to him, he gave me a look that said he was bored with me.


    "Well, I hope you''ll take care of things soon."


    He said that as if he had to get the last word in as I continued on my way. Although I must wonder, since he''s still a noble, is it really okay for him to reveal his emotions and thoughts so easily like that. He seems so easy to take advantage of. Well, he''s just a disposable pawn.


    But just for the sake of harassing me, Marquis Nordsturm wouldn''t dispose of this pawn on purpose, would he. He''s definitely inconvenienced me at a time when I should be busy with other matters, but I think that would be careless of him.


    "I''ve returned. ¡­¡­Eliza-sama, what are you been doing?"


    Bellway returned with documents in hand when he noticed me just standing there tilting my head while thinking.


    "Oh, nothing in particular. You''re finished?"


    "Yes. I''ve received all the necessary documents."


    "Then let''s go back to Earl Terejia''s place. Time is of the essence."


    "Tea party?"


    "Yep. There''s an invitation from the Rogshia family to see if you would like to meet their daughter officially at a tea party."


    "Is their daughter coming to the royal capital?"


    "She''s already here, as a first-year student in noble school."


    Ahh, I nodded in understanding. So this means that next year will be Feria Rogshia''s coming of age ceremony and debut party.


    In Arxia, people are considered adults at 16, and officially enter social circles then. Well, only those from the royal family or duke''s families are able to be well-connected instantly upon reaching adulthood, but it''s still a necessary process for all nobles. ¡­¡­Or to say, it''s basically a necessity for nobles to attend all sorts of these social events.


    That''s why even though I''m not an adult yet, I still need to attend so many of these as well.


    "Has a date been decided?"


    "Not yet."


    "Then¡­¡­ How about leaving it to Bellway?"


    "If that''s what you want to do."


    I nodded to Earl Terejia, while also catching Bellway''s look of surprise in the corner of my eye as he stood in the corner of the room. Then I turned around and faced Bellway directly.


    "Bellway, can I leave it up to you to arrange the date?"


    "Eliza-sama¡­¡­"


    Bellway looked back and forth between Earl Terejia and myself with a confused expression. I don''t know what the Earl''s expression was though, I couldn''t see his face from here.


    Bellway coughed slightly, then he looked straight at me again. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "¡­¡­Of course. Thank you, for leaving it up to me."


    "No, thank you instead. I''ll trust you to do it, Bellway."

 Chapter 114 - 115

    Bellway scheduled with the Rogshia family that our small tea party would take place soon, in the middle of the seventh month in this world. But before that meeting took place, a young man from Fort Jugfena came to visit me. He was Oscar Terejia, Earl Terejia''s grandnephew, and the person that I was going to request become my knight.


    Upon meeting him formally for the first time, I started out by apologizing to him for welcoming him in my house which was only a small townhouse. Now that I''ve met him again, just like I remembered, his strict gaze really does remind me of Earl Terejia, I think anyone meeting him for the first time would easily get nervous.


    "Thank you for coming, Oscar-dono. This is our first time being introduced to each other. Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Eliza Kaldia. I''m pleased to make your acquaintance, you must be tired from your journey, coming all the way from Fort Jugfena."


    "No, it''s my honor to be summoned by you, Viscountess Kaldia. I''ve heard that you need some founding members for your knight order that you''re establishing, so I''ve come all this way to speak to you."


    Much like his appearance, he seems to be the serious type, and his first greeting to me was rather stuffy and formal. Behind it all I could sense that he was slightly nervous, but because of that I felt a sense of kinship with him.


    "There''s no need to be so formal with me. As you can see, I''m just a child."


    I opened my palms to him as if I was playing, and Oscar''s eyes widened for an instant, then he smiled slightly like he just saw something funny. It also feels like his shoulders have loosened up a little.


    "As you wish."


    I pulled a chair over for him, and he sat down with a much more relaxed air about him than when he entered the room. I''m relieved that he seems to understand and get along with me so far. Since he''s going to be someone that I may have to interact with quite often in the future, in both Kaldia and social circles, it''s for the best that we get along.


    "I''ll get right to the point, and explain more in detail about my knight order. Earl Terejia is setting it up for me in his name, and the purpose of the knight order will be to protect and take charge of the new citizens in my doain."


    "My granduncle is setting it up in his name?"


    "My noble rank isn''t high enough. ¡­¡­Only earls and higher are allowed to create their own knight orders."


    I only remembered after I already said it that it''s not common knowledge that a higher noble rank is required to set up a knight order, so I hurriedly explained for his benefit. Because I''m receiving both a noble education and a domain lord''s education, sometimes I forget the differences in what''s taught in each.


    I''m going to appear in social circles in the future as well, but I have to remember to keep the conversation topics appropriate for whoever I''m speaking to. ¡­¡­From now on I need to be more careful.


    "But doesn''t that make my grand-uncle a higher rank and have all the power instead of you, the lord of the domain who''s supposed to rule the populace?" S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "No, it''s fine. He''s my official guardian, and because I''m still a minor, he''s allowed to take care of my domain lord duties for me. Also, I have to submit my consent as well when he applies for various things."


    "I see¡­¡­"


    It was only a simple explanation, but Oscar was already nodding in understanding. He learns quickly, how excellent.


    "Although, I should note that the knight order''s actual task will be to carry out my objectives."


    "¡­¡­What type of objectives do you have in mind, do you already know?"


    "Of course. The first thing that I must accomplish is, the new citizens can actually supervise themselves sufficiently through using the old system."


    "Doesn''t that¡­¡­ go against the social hierarchy?"


    The social hierarchy in Arxia is, as interpreted from a section of the Sacred Code, commoners are not allowed to govern commoners, and must be governed by nobility. If there''s a difference in status among the commoners, it''s considered a threat to the governing method of our country. Of course he would be puzzled, so I shook my head and answered him.


    "The old system that I''m referring to is where people will have to sign contracts with me as my vassals. They will simply be communicating my will to the other new citizens."


    Of course, the country won''t stand for anything that strains the current social hierarchy too much. The domain lords have the right to appoint the mayor for each village, and the entire right to command the soldiers recruited entirely from commoners lies solely with the domain lord as well. Of course, everyone knows that there are some unavoidable exceptions.


    That''s why formally encoded in our kingdom''s laws, nobles are also allowed to offer commoners contracts to become vassals. A vassal is defined as someone who serves their lord, and their primary job is to mediate between the lord and the citizens.


    In the past maybe the leader of the domain''s army and the domain lord would have been separate positions, but now after many years of passing down positions through hereditary bloodlines, they''re now one and the same.


    Although knights were also a type of vassal to begin with, after a long period of time it also became a special position that conferred noble status, so it''s changed into something else as well over time.


    "Ahh, vassals¡­¡­ I see."


    "Eventually, I would like to have all the leaders of the Shiru tribe become members of my knight order. They still lack knowledge about Arxia, but they''re in the process of learning and will definitely be useful in the future."


    I also told Oscar very simply that I needed the knight order established as fast as possible for the sake of human resources. He probably knows this already, as he just nodded without asking me questions about this.


    "Although the real reasons aren''t necessarily praiseworthy, on the surface the knight order is still going to be in charge of supervising and protecting the new citizens. Most of the new citizens only speak the Artolan or Rindarl languages, and of course they''re not literate either, so they don''t know how to read or write. I''d like to do something about this. Also, about their protection.


    For when it''ll be necessary, their defenses will need to be expanded."


    "Do you mean to try at increasing our defenses to cover our entire border?"


    "Your thought process is excellent."


    I could feel the corners of my lips raising up. Capable personnel are highly welcomed.


    Anyways, I''ve been talking so much that I''ve gotten thirsty. I rang a bell and gave instructions to the maid waiting outside the room to prepare tea for us. Then, for some reason, Oscar must have found something funny as he chuckled.


    "¡­¡­What is it?"


    "Nothing. It''s just¡­¡­ Even though you''re still so small, you seem like such a splendid noble."


    Oh, so he''s saying that my words and actions don''t fit my age. I nodded, and told him not to worry about it. This is a much better reaction from him than something like getting scared or disgusted, at any rate.

 Chapter 115 - 116

    There are eight different gates in the royal capital that connect the nobles'' district with the commoners'' district. In the center is the royal palace, then eight streets spread out from it like the spokes of a wheel, forming the noble district, and the gates are on the outside edges.


    My townhouse happens to be in the vicinity of the southeast gate, and the Rogshia family''s residence that I''ve been invited to today is close to the south gate. We''re closer neighbors than I expected, but unfortunately there''s many streets that aren''t wide enough for carriages, so I had to ride there myself by horse.


    Since I''m riding a horse, I put on my usual knight attire. Riding clothes for women in Arxia haven''t been developed yet, and wearing some formal dresses or skirts would range from impossible to incredibly inconvenient for riding.


    For maids and teachers, their clothes are softer and easier to move about in for the sake of their jobs, but clothes for nobles are so heavy and difficult to move around in. Honestly, it''s really so inconvenient¡­¡­ I''ll just wear what I like instead.


    "Well, aren''t we feeling quite casual today, Viscountess Lady Kaldia."


    And the result is, the servants of the Rogshia family got such a negative first impression of me. The Rogshia noble family is from the Greenfield region, which is a bit backwards in regards to women''s social standings. While Arxia is a bit slightly patriarchal, Greenfield exaggerates this to a another level entirely.


    So they insulted me with sarcasm, and I thought back to my time with Mrs. Galton. I must say though, it''s unbecoming to get angry over this degree of snubbing, so I slowly and elegantly tilted my head.


    "This is formal wear according to the law, is there a problem?"


    "This isn''t an official venue like the House of Lords. Don''t you think that it would be polite for women to wear clothes that make them look like women?"


    "Since I''m meeting your master for the first time, I believe that it would actually be more polite for me to wear such formal attire."


    Has he already run out of words to counter me with, the male servant just stood there silently with a look of annoyance. Behind me, I could hear Claudia who was wearing maid attire doing her best and failing to muffle her sounds of laughter. Since she''s a girl that wants to become a knight despite her gender, of course she would be also be against such fixed ideas about gender.


    The servant guided us into the Rogshia family residence, and on my way I only saw male servants inside. Even the work that maids would normally do, male servants were performing instead. It seems that rather than disdaining work that some would think are supposed to be left for females, they think it''s more important for women to not work at all. They must be very rigid in their beliefs.


    "Master, Viscountess Lady Kaldia has arrived." S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Ahh, welcome and thank you so much for coming, Viscountess Kaldia."


    The servant guided us to a reception room with a large window that allowed the room to be brightly illuminated. Outside the window I could see a garden, and the room was nice and warm thanks to the unobstructed sunshine.


    "Thank you very much for inviting me today."


    "Not at all, I should be the one apologizing, troubling you to come all the way over here for my family''s troubles."


    Viscount Rogshia had a soft smile, and his age showed through the many white hairs on his head, he seems to be a gentle person despite the atmosphere of this residence. When I took a seat, he immediately had his daughter, the problem child in person, called over.


    Compared to the servants'' attitudes, there''s a startling discrepancy with how agreeable Viscount Rogshia seems to be. It''s a strange and unsettling feeling.


    "¡­¡­Father, you called for me?"


    His daughter showed up soon after she was called for. She has light blue hair, which appeared almost transparent when bathed in the sunlight from the window. I think that she''s quite a cute girl. I know that she''s supposed to be 15 years old, but she has her father''s gentle demeanor, and looks younger than her age.


    "Viscountess Kaldia. This is my daughter, Feria."


    While putting his hand gently on her shoulder, Viscount Rogshia introduced his daughter to me. Maybe she didn''t expect to be introduced to a child much younger than she was, there was a look of confusion on her face.


    "Feria, this is Viscountess Kaldia. Go ahead and greet her."


    "O, okay. My name is Feria Rogshia, Lord Kaldia¡­¡­"


    Although she stuttered a little, her voice was clear. She looked directly at me, and I could tell she had a strong will. I sensed that she was probably the lively, active type of girl rather than quiet and obedient, and I mentally sighed.


    Her father seems to be a calm and gentle person, and at least he doesn''t seem adhere to the special customs of the Greenfield region just yet. Feria is probably a similar type to Claudia, the most difficult for me to deal with.


    "¡­¡­My name is Eliza Kaldia. It''s a pleasure to meet you."


    Honestly, how annoying. Even if Feria doesn''t want to be engaged to Viscount Ogren''s son and wants to cancel the engagement, it will be a daunting task to convince her father to say the words and break off the engagement entirely, with his personality and their region''s customs. Nor will convincing Feria to accept the engagement be any easier.


    Once again, I cursed the northern nobles that thrust such a troublesome matter onto me.

 Chapter 116 - 117

    I got saddled with such a bothersome task in the first place all because Feria didn''t want to get married to Viscount Ogren''s son. For Viscount Ogren who''s taken up the task of inconveniencing me, and Marquis Nordsturm who''s probably the one behind everything pulling the strings, this headstrong girl must have been a perfect opportunity for them to keep me busy elsewhere.


    Feria was sitting next to Viscount Rogshia in a ladylike manner, and seemed to be quietly observing me. Well, she probably doesn''t know the reason that I''m here yet. I don''t know the specific circumstances yet, but either way, she wants to break her engagement, and I''m here to stop her from doing that despite her wishes. If she knows my goal, maybe she''ll be on guard against me.


    Well, what should I do. How do I hear Feria''s story from her without raising her guard?


    First, maybe I can use a safer topic, like the relations between the various lords, to try and probe about her circumstances. I looked at Viscount Rogshia who was smiling calmly, Feria who wasn''t trying to hide her look of confusion, and Claudia who was waiting for me in the corner of the room. What story should I use to break the ice?


    My attention was suddenly attracted to a sight outside the window. In the garden that I could see through the large window, some seasonal flowers were swaying in the wind. It was a breathtaking sight, the colors and brilliance.


    "The Renvia flowers this year have really blossomed so nicely. Last year we planted the red and yellow varieties, but this year the flowers have mixed their colors, so it''s quite something to behold."


    It seems that Viscount Rogshia noticed my momentary lapse of attention, as he introduced the flowers to me. Although this isn''t a topic about the nobles that I was going to use, it''s still something nice and easy to begin with.


    "Ahh, Renvia flowers. You have such a wonderful garden, a lot of work must have gone into it."


    The Renvia is a type of plant with a spiral-shaped flower. While it''s very effective at brightening any garden, since its colors are so vivid, it''s rather difficult strike a balance and find complementary colors. The garden in this mansion''s backyard has at least ten different types of flowers blossoming simultaneously. I wonder if they have a truly skilled gardener here.


    "Yes, I''m glad that you enjoy it so much. ¡­¡­Feria, how about you give Viscountess Kaldia a tour of the garden?"


    At the urging of Viscount Rogshia, Feria agreed to guide me through the garden and she stood up gracefully. ¡­¡­For just a moment, I saw a sparkling accessory on top of silken stockings around her thin ankle.


    -Ahh, this is really going to be quite troublesome.


    Somehow, I managed to suppress my inner emotions somehow, and didn''t let them show on my face. In Greenfield, unmarried girls that haven''t come of age yet aren''t supposed to have metal accessories. This has been a long tradition in this area.


    Even though that''s supposed to be the case, I definitely saw a flash of silver on Feria''s ankle.


    Well, this probably means that this girl is having some sort of love affair with someone else even though she has a fiance. This is considered absolutely no good.


    "Lord, Kaldia-sama?"


    Feria was looking at me confusedly and there was hesitation in her voice. She was also holding out her left arm towards me as if she expected me to escort her, and I felt a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. I looked directly at her hand, then met her eyes. I ignored her arm that she held out for me to take.


    "¡­¡­Alright, I''ll leave it up to you to show me the garden, Feria-sama."


    An icy look appeared in Feria''s eyes for just an instant. It seems that because I called her name so directly, she probably considered me rude. She''s definitely mistaken about my gender. For boys and girls that meet each other for the first time, they would almost never call each other by the first name unless there''s a huge age gap between them.


    Especially in an annoying place like Greenfield with such backwards ideas about gender, these gender customs will be even more rigidly enforced.


    "Um¡­¡­!"


    "Yes, what is it?"


    "¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­E, escort."


    "I''m already nine years old, and I can walk by myself so there''s no need for an escort."


    My sarcasm was clearly irritating Feria and her face was turning red, so I snuck a look at her father, Viscount Rogshia. He still remained the same as always, with a calm and gentle expression on his face.


    This is bad, is what I was thinking inside. If only I had investigated more about Viscount Rogshia. Just in case, if he doesn''t happen to be someone from Greenfield originally, all the plans that I had thought up would be wasted.


    Even though I took all the trouble of learning the terrible sexist customs and habits of the Greenfield region''s nobles, if the person I''m really dealing with, Viscount Rogshia, isn''t familiar with Greenfield customs, everything I learned will have been for naught, I can''t use my original plans.


    "That''s not it, you should be escorting me. You said you''re nine already, right?"


    "Oh, my apologies. I''m very sorry about the confusion, but I happen to be a Viscountess, a girl. I didn''t take your hand out of the consideration that we would appear to be getting too close to each other for our first meeting."


    Unusually for Claudia, I could hear her sighing from behind me. She''s probably sighing because I''ve gotten off to such a bad start with one of the primary people I''m dealing with.


    "¡­¡­Girl, viscountess?"


    Feria was absolutely frozen in shock with her mouth wide agape, and I confirmed to myself that I was right about her having mistook my gender. Well, Viscountesses are rare to begin with in Arxia, and it definitely wouldn''t be allowed at all in the Greenfield region.


    "-But, then, those clothes¡­¡­"


    She finally managed to squeeze out a silly-sounding higher pitched voice than usual from that brain of hers which must be in so much confusion right now. In her eyes, apart from confusion, I could see that there was another, more complex emotion flickering about.


    It was probably, jealous envy. She didn''t feel sorry for me, nor was she disgusted with me, she wanted freedom like me, and once again I sighed in my mind. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The more I observe, the less Feria seems like anything a girl from the Greenfield region should be like. In this mansion, every servant is just like everything I''ve heard about Greenfield, with just about everything excluding women. The only people that don''t match, are Viscount Rogshia and his daughter Feria.


    Honestly, this is such a bother.

 Chapter 117 - 118

    (Translator note: for those of you that come from novelupdates and miss other posts, I recently posted some pictures from Eliza''s two light novels, here and here.)


    For the time being, since I''ve achieved my objective today of meeting Feria, I toured their garden for long enough to be polite, then excused myself and made my leave of the Rogshia residence as soon as I could.


    Viscount Rogshia and his daughter Feria are the complete opposite of all Greenfield customs. Thanks to all the strange contrasting things within the Rogshia mansion, I know now that I lack too much information.


    First, that sparkling accessory I saw on Feria''s ankle accidentally ¨C this is such a great piece of information that fell into my lap. I can already guess at why Feria wants to cancel her engagement to Viscount Ogren''s son.


    What it means is, Feria most likely has someone that she''s seeing romantically right now. And, she probably wants to get married to that person instead. That''s why she has to break the engagement on purpose.


    It''s all very simple to understand. But, anything related to feelings is complex to deal with, and I also felt rather angry inside.


    Marriages between nobles aren''t made just for mere status. While they are sometimes made for alliance purposes or power struggles, it''s mostly about trade.


    To go on a bit of a tangent, merchants in Arxia don''t hold all that much power. This is because most of the largest transactions are directly conducted between domain lords.


    When I arranged for the new citizens to get critical supplies such as food and materials from other domains, since most of these products can''t be produced in Kaldia on a large scale, Earl Terejia and I basically bought the products directly from other domain lords, before distributing them to my citizens.


    The largest merchants don''t have power because, they mostly deal in luxury and high-class goods, so their customers are almost exclusively nobles, and they''re kept completely under control by the nobility. Even the Sacred Code, our law system, decrees that regulating imports and exports is part of the domain lord''s work.


    This is probably all to prevent some merchants from disrupting the country''s balance if they have too much money and power.


    Alright, back to the main topic.


    One of the most convenient methods for doing trade between domains is to arrange a marriage. In the Greenfield region, it''s common for daughters to get engaged early, but on the other hand, it''s also known to be common to break engagements if someone comes along with better conditions.


    By the way, since this time I''ve formally had to accept a request from Viscount Ogren, I''m forced to take his side and actively work to preserve the engagement. It will be a big problem if I''m seen to promote breaking the engagement instead.


    Engaged families are also formally treated as relatives. There are various benefits to this, such as lower tariffs between the two domains, and relaxing restrictions on goods that are only allowed to be brought across domains in limited number.


    This is why the church went out of its way to order me to preserve this engagement. Their trade involves daily necessities, so if the engagement is canceled, it may directly impact some citizens negatively if they can''t get enough goods, and the church''s role is to preserve order.


    I''m angry because, Feria''s already at an age where she''s almost about to graduate from noble school, and she''s still ignoring all these things for her own selfishness and trying to break her engagement.


    While it''s clear to see that Viscount Ogren''s request to me is entirely meant to harass me more than anything else, and that he''s a nasty character, still. This engagement affects a great number of citizens'' lives in both domains.


    Domain lords'' income mostly come from taxes in their own domains. And I don''t know the specifics in this situation, but whenever an engagement is decided, usually it will come with many trade benefits for the citizens. And yet, this girl whose food, clothes, and shelter all come from the people''s taxes, she''s prioritizing her own love interests over that of her people''s well-being?


    Well, I still don''t know the full story yet though, so I shouldn''t be getting angry just yet, maybe I''m making a mistake.


    Viscount Rogshia''s behavior really caught my attention. Of course I told him in advance what reason I was visiting him and Feria for. He also knows very well that I was requested by the Ogrens to mediate, so that the engagement can be preserved. And yet, he just lets Feria do whatever she wants. From what I saw today though, Feria probably doesn''t know anything.


    She doesn''t know the consequences of breaking her engagement, nor does she know why I''m here.


    "Eliza-dono, I''ve brought you some drinks. How about resting for a little while?"


    When I returned home, I was about to begin investigating Viscount Rogshia by candlelight in my study when I was suddenly interrupted unexpectedly. When I looked to see who it was, I saw that it was Oscar, who was already being invited into the room by Claudia. There was also a maid with a tray in her hand behind him, who walked into the room gingerly.


    Come to think of it, I''ve never called any maids to my study before.


    "Ahh, thanks. Hope you don''t mind the mess here."


    "I don''t mind at all. Rather than that, what are you investigating? Is there anything I can help with?"


    With his nature of taking everything seriously, even worrying about me, I could only smile wryly. He had left with Bellway to go back to Kaldia immediately in order to take care of all the knight order establishment procedures. It would have been difficult to ask him to do anything else for me right away, and even if he could help, I would prefer it if he''d help Earl Terejia first instead of me.


    ¡­¡­Is what I had thought.


    Poke, Claudia gently poked my side. Stop it, don''t pinch me next. My muscles aren''t hard enough, and have many soft spots. What is it, when I looked at her, she mouthed "Kaldia army" to me under her breath.


    Kaldia army? Ahh, reorganizing the army. It wasn''t an immediate problem, so it didn''t come to my mind.


    "Mmm, sorry, Oscar-dono. There is one thing I would like your help with?"


    "Mm? Okay."


    "It''s not a great hurry, but I would like to leave you and Claudia-dono in charge of reorganizing the Kaldia army. There are some unique things about the army''s current system¡­¡­ You can hear the specifics from Claudia-dono later."


    Mmm, Oscar simply nodded and responded that he accepted. So this is one less thing off my mind, wonderful. I felt more relaxed already, and I took a sip of the black tea he had brought for me.


    "¡­¡­What,"


    My nose immediately felt such a strong, sweet, cool and minty sensation. Um, what''s this¡­¡­ It actually feels like I''ve smelled this already recently just today. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "¡­¡­Did you change the usual tea blend?"


    "Ahh, it seems that some Renvia flower petals were added today."


    Renvia flowers again. The flowers in the Rogshia mansion''s garden, where I chatted with Feria only about unimportant gossip, with a strange and uncomfortable atmosphere that was probably mostly my own fault. I must have been smelling these flowers at that time, so this is what Renvia is.


    Renvia flowers sure have popped up a lot today.


    "¡­¡­I''m sorry that you went to all the trouble of bringing this to me, but please just stick with the usual."


    I stood up as I said so, and Oscar was tilting his head at me quizzically, while Claudia who knew about everything that happened at the Rogshia mansion was grinning like a cat.

 Chapter 118 - 119

    Oscar''s come all the way from Fort Jugfena to become my knight, and it''s been about a month since he''s arrived, but before I realized it, Bellway''s become busy running all around Arxia setting up a meeting between the Jugfena region domains of Kaldia, Jugfena, and Genas, and on Earl Terejia''s end, there''s an astonishingly even greater amount of work to be done.


    I have to write the budget proposal for the knight order''s activities for the next two years, training plans, and regulations for future knights, all of these are things I must tackle immediately. Then I also have to create some new forms, design the garden for the mansion, make some proposals for new pumpkin recipes, decide the type of feed for the horses, and so on.


    The truly frightening thing is that somehow Oscar is managing to help me take care of all this work in between traveling so much between the royal capital and the Jugfena domains.


    How did this happen.


    I clutched my head. I thought that he was just a serious person before, but is he actually another unbelievable person like Claudia? The speed at which he goes about things is Claudia''s level.


    "Everything''s finally been completed."


    Oscar said so with such a proud expression on his face, but all I said was "I see" with a nonchalant tone of voice. It''s nice that his eyes are sparkling with eagerness, but I can also see fatigue in them. He''s overworking himself.


    "We''ve almost finished making the arrangements with the Jugfena royal domain and the Genas domain, the meeting with them should be scheduled sometime late this summer. It''s been agreed upon that we''ll all meet at Margrave Genas''s mansion."


    "Ahh, it went smoother than I expected. I''ll leave the follow-up to you. Even though you haven''t officially become my knight yet, it pains me that I have to ask you to do so much unrelated work for me¡­¡­"


    "No, I like doing these things."


    Meaning, he''s a workaholic. He must take after Earl Terejia in this, but unlike the earl, Oscar even enjoys working and has a strong sense of accomplishment when getting things done. I''ve only noticed this recently, but it seems Oscar has the same face that Claudia has when twirling her spear, whenever he''s working on something. I wonder what''s so fun about it all, but I won''t say anything.


    If it''s something I don''t understand about feelings, all the more reason not to ask.


    "It''s a great help that you finish your work so fast, but do remember take a break once in a while, and move your body about¡­¡­"


    Oscar''s eyes quite remind me of dead fish floating in a pond. I tried to suggest that he refresh himself, but,


    "Please do not worry. Whenever I have spare time, I train as much as possible together with Claudia-dono in spear practice."


    Even though he was smiling, I felt like the color of his eyes got even more stagnant. Of course I''d been referring to light exercise, and not the type of all-out training that training together with Claudia would entail.


    I swore to myself that I would stop interfering with Oscar and his reasons for liking to work so much. If I get too close, I''ll catch his addiction to working. I''m just going to pretend I don''t see anything.


    However, why is it that he still has the free time to train with Claudia even though he has that much work to do every day¡­¡­ I twisted my neck trying to think about it, but even though I felt like I would get a headache from overthinking all this, I couldn''t stop myself.


    Having a new capable subordinate join me is the best kind of news. Congratulations to me. Oscar''s been able to take over some of Earl Terejia''s work, so my hope that the Earl''s workload will decrease has finally come true as well. As expected though, I''m still short on personnel, and once again I realized through my fatigue that human resources are of vital importance to me.


    Outside the window, the sun is beginning to set. I lit a candlestick, and began calculating the tax income sheets for Kaldia that I had laying on my desk.


    In Arxia, we use a type of paper money called Arcs, but since Kaldia is mostly a closed domain with little outside contact, we use mostly a barter system. Trading for food and other goods with domains that are better off , as well as exchanging goods for cash, is all considered the job of the domain lord.


    I must collect the goods given by each village as tax, trade them for other necessary items with other domains, and anything left over after giving what''s needed to each village is my profit.


    In Kaldia, the domain lord''s share is currently 30%. This is a lower rate than most other domains, but it''s not a problem. In addition to the tax income, I also receive 60% of the sales revenue from selling the wheat crops raised by the Kaldia army. In eastern Arxia the land is less suitable for cultivating wheat, and rye is the main crop, so wheat''s price is higher.


    And as for a new source of tax income, I''m thinking about the pumpkins that my new citizens brought. Last summer, I tried cultivating pumpkins around the mansion, in Claria village, and the new Pioneer village, and it was a success, so this year I''m thinking about having two more villages begin to raise pumpkins. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    I didn''t want to start so big at first, because I would need to set prices and a system for the pumpkins, but starting next year I definitely want to add some more fields and begin fully developing.


    Wheat crops are limited by areas where they can grow and can''t be grown in the same field all during the year, but rye is a hardier crop that grows in more difficult climates and infertile lands for longer periods of time. Also, I think that I''m going to use crop rotation between wheat and pumpkins in order to prevent any major crop disasters one year from affecting the next year as well.


    I''m just an amateur in farming and only have my common sense to go off of, but I think it''s better than not doing anything at all.


    Besides crops, I also want to increase the number of livestock in Kaldia, since the Shiru tribe has taken the trouble of bringing livestock with them. I want to increase the number to where it''s feasible for me to start trading in dairy products. But there''s many things I need to consider first, in order to not place too much of a burden on my citizens.


    Last year, thanks to Lord Carson''s carpenters, life in Pioneer village has finally begun stabilizing. This year they''ve been greatly successful at making traps to catch fish in shallow water, so I also need to think about distribution methods for fish.


    Since we don''t have the means to preserve raw fish and transport it to other domains, this will probably have to be limited to sending raw fish to other villages.


    Although Oscar''s reduced my amount of work as well, there''s still so many improvement projects to work on for the domain. I used to write down whatever ideas I had on paper, and I''ve filled up six entire pages. I wonder just when it will be that I''ll be able to finish turning all of those ideas into reality.


    Earl Terejia''s age is also getting up there, so my work is increasing every year, but with the increase in living standards in my domain, it brings more work to me as well.


    One of the biggest problems is that few people are literate, so only Earl Terejia, Bellway, and myself, as well as Oscar who just joined us, we''re the only ones handling the entirety of the paperwork as there''s nobody else to do it.


    After I finished going over the paperwork, I laid down on my desk weakly, drained of energy. A groan-like sound managed to escape my throat without my permission.


    ¡­¡­Should I talk to my governess Mrs. Marshan, to see if she would be interested in a direct post under me as a civil official? Because she''s also nobility, she can register directly for a civil officer post. I can have her take on the simple tasks such as calculating tax income first, to decrease the overall workload.


    When I thought about how Earl Terejia might not be around for much longer, my stomach began hurting. It doesn''t matter who, but maybe I need to start searching for my next guardian. I don''t need help running my domain anymore, but as a minor I still need an adult around for various things.


    The root of all my problems is that I don''t have enough personnel¡­¡­


    Once again I sighed, and another groan escaped me.

 Chapter 119 - 120

    Knight orders are now considered a branch of the military, but in the past when our kingdom was established, knights referred to those who protected St. Ahar, or battle priests that fought in the military.


    That''s why even today, knights must have their knight cloaks sanctified by holy water in a church ritual, it''s a remnant from that time. I attended the ceremony, and from what I could see, the holy water is considered holy is because it''s water from the spring at the altar where St. Ahar is buried, which is also where the ceremony is taking place today.


    It''s a spring that hasn''t dried up even though St. Ahar died more than a millennium ago, so maybe there''s something special about it after all.


    Today is the day when my knight order will become formally recognized, so together with Earl Terejia, Claudia, and Oscar, we all headed to the Divine Temple of Misorua.


    Claudia and Oscar are wearing the uniforms of the Kaldia knight order for the first time today, and it looks better on them than I expected. They''re going to officially become knights, and their knight cloaks have white as the main color, they''re well fitting of the sparkling image.


    Especially Claudia, she looks so smooth and cool, almost as if she''s a handsome prince. Actually though, only the royal family''s knights are allowed to use pure white for their knight cloaks, so the cloaks I designed have silver and gold embroidery on them as well.


    Since this is a formal church ritual, I was in knight attire as well, but my cloak''s contrast with my eye color¡­¡­ Well, I''ve inherited my father Orville''s scarlet eyes. It''s so similar to the color of blood, I really don''t like it at all.


    "I think we''ve arrived too early."


    Earl Terejia looked at the water clock in the corridor and made such a comment, which Claudia replied to with her own idea almost instantly.


    "W, well then, is it alright if I walk around a little?"


    In a rare instance for her, her voice is shaky. She doesn''t seem composed, either. I suppose that even Claudia can''t keep calm on the day when she''ll finally achieve her dream that she''s had for so many years. She''s wanted to become a knight for so long, that when she finally put on her knight uniform this morning, she almost fainted.


    Of course, she knows that she''ll ruin the whole schedule if she actually faints, so Claudia managed to rebound upwards mid-fall and somehow stand up straight again even after falling backwards. ¡­¡­Is this a testament to her flexibility, I wonder.


    Oscar who also wanted to become a knight had such a proud expression as well, so I can really tell how badly Claudia wanted this.


    "Earl Terejia, I think it''ll be good for her if she gets a little breather first."


    "Mmm¡­¡­, you''re right. Let''s take a walk in the garden until the priest gets here."


    Although Earl Terejia widened his eyes in surprise at seeing how Claudia was acting, he merely shook his head slightly and gave his permission. I can tell that he also means for me to go along with Claudia, probably to look after her. I nodded, stopped leaning against the handrail in the corridor, and gently tugged Claudia''s sleeve. Claudia obediently followed after me, walking unsteadily.


    The central courtyard in the Divine Temple of Misorua serves as both a garden and a passageway. There are buildings north, south, east, and west of the central garden, but only the southern building is open to commoners.


    The northern building is where the priests and monks live and study, the eastern building is a major cathedral, and the western building has a smaller cathedral and places such as confession rooms and ceremonial ritual locations.


    "Even though it''s the central courtyard¡­¡­ There''s no flowers. What a strange garden."


    Claudia made a frank statement about the courtyard garden, and I commented "you''re right" in agreement. This garden consists only of shrubs and grasses, and although when looking closely you can see some tiny white flowers blossoming, it''s nothing even close to the ornamental flowers for admiring that you''d see in most normal gardens.


    Claudia walked around in circles for a while, then she squatted down in the shadows of some shrubs and sighed. This is even rarer, it seems that she''s not energetic because she''s too nervous.


    "¡­¡­Sorry, Eliza-dono. Could you let me be alone for a little while? I promise not to move from here."


    "Ah¡­¡­ I understand. But, just for a little while."


    "Thank you."


    Although I''m a bit worried about leaving Claudia alone when she''s feeling so much tension, I don''t want to go against her wish, so I made my way between the shrubs, and walked deeper into the garden.


    Walking deeper into the garden, I noticed the plants surrounding the garden as a sort of fence getting gradually taller. They seem to be some type of rose plants, but with no flowers. I''m not an expert in botany, but when I looked closer, I noticed some other plants that should be flowering currently in this season, but I couldn''t find a single flower.


    Just as I was thinking how strange it all was, I noticed many traces of scissor cuts on the branches. ¡­¡­Someone cut off all the flowers, no, maybe took them all for some reason. Well, I don''t know the story behind all this.


    When I looked up again to check my surroundings, I could hear the sound of footsteps crunching on grass from the north. Is it one of the monks that live in the north building, I wonder.


    Upon listening more closely, it sounds like he''s sprinkling water on the plants. Sometimes it sounds like he''s using an unreasonable amount of water though, so maybe he''s not used to the work yet.


    I thought about it a little, and looked back at the path I just took. It might be slightly too early to return yet, as Claudia had wanted some time by herself. Let''s do this instead, I tried walking as silently as possible and headed for the direction of the watering sounds.


    "¡­¡­Is someone there?"


    It seems like my efforts at going unnoticed have failed. The person asking me the question sounded like a young teenager, whose voice hadn''t changed yet. He sounds like he''s highly on guard against me. Why would a monk in the divine temple have anything to be wary about, I wonder?


    "I''m just taking a walk in the garden. Don''t mind me."


    At my answer, I could hear the tension disappearing from his voice.


    "¡­¡­A child?"


    Hey, aren''t you still a child yourself? I kept that thought to myself though, and as I went around the bushes, I suddenly saw the boy who was speaking to me.


    "!!" Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    I couldn''t help but stare wide-eyed in surprise. Even though this is my first time meeting him, I definitely know who he is.


    At that moment, for the first time ¨C


    I met one of the main characters from the otome game.

 Chapter 120 - 121

    I was only slightly shaken, though. Since we are in the royal capital after all, I''d already considered that we might meet one day.


    If I manage to stay alive long enough to get there, I knew already that I would meet the otome game characters in noble school. This is earlier than I expected, but it''s not a big deal.


    He''s wearing properly fitted monk attire¡­¡­ He''s in a white robe similar to a longcoat, and has rich black hair that''s clean and well cared for. I think he''s right before reaching teenager status, around 12 years old or so. He''s got unusual purple eyes that reflect the sunshine beautifully, like jewels.


    I don''t know his actual name, but in the otome game he was just called Alb. ¡­¡­It''s just that, there''s one big difference between the drawings in the otome game and the boy before me. Alb had a slightly disfigured face, he was a young man that wouldn''t leave a good first impression with his appearance. The boy before me has a very healthy face still.


    Just what is going to happen to him in the five years before he reaches noble school¡­¡­


    Alb isn''t his original name, it''s a new name given to him after he enters the church and becomes a monk. According to my memories, in the game''s character introductions, it says that his "monk name is Alb."


    ¡­¡­At least that''s what it said in the instruction manual. To tell the truth, I never met him ingame at all. As for why, it''s because I only played this game based on the recommendation of my younger sister, and I was only about to begin my second playthrough on another route when I died.


    So, that is to say, I don''t know what type of position Alb has, what his background or personality is like, nor do I remember most things my sister might have told me.


    Of course, he''s a living human being though, and there''s no evidence whatsoever that he''ll behave the same way as the ingame character, so this shouldn''t be a problem.


    I only remember one thing that my sister told me about Alb. He only comes into the story after Eliza is executed, but other than that I have no details about him.


    "¡­¡­A formal knight, uniform?"


    When he saw me, his first reaction was one of surprise, muttering to himself. I glanced over my uniform again, then returned my line of sight to the boy.


    "I''m here for a ceremonial ritual, to establish a knight order in my domain."


    "¡­¡­Oh wow, you''re a domain lord? This young?"


    "My father died quite early." S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    I gave only a brief explanation, but the boy was nodding, it seems like he gets what I''m saying. There are also other examples out there of children inheriting their father''s position as a domain lord when the father dies young, after all. ¡­¡­Well, that''s usually limited only to boys, though.


    When it''s a girl that''s left behind, usually it''s other male relatives that have a higher priority when it comes to inheritance.


    Normally most noble families will have many relatives. Even if not related by blood, those that marry into the family are also taken into consideration. However, there''s no precedent like the Kaldia family, where every family member was massacred and only left one person to inherit the title. Well, it''s troublesome to explain that much, and there''s no point, so I''ll just save my breath.


    "If you came here for a ritual, why are you here walking in the garden? Could it be, did you get lost?"


    "No. I arrived earlier than scheduled, so I simply thought I''d spend some time here."


    Even after learning I was a domain lord, meaning a noble, he didn''t change his tone of voice with me at all. He must be from quite a high ranking noble family. Since he''s one of the main characters from the otome game, maybe he''s even from the Melloart royal family.


    In Arxia where the church and the law are deeply intertwined, monks aren''t people that abandon worldly life, but rather they dedicate their lives to being enforcers of the law. In other words, monks don''t completely abandon their past lives and positions.


    That''s why I don''t find it strange even if he doesn''t change his tone of voice when talking to me. On the contrary, since he''s a monk, I should be using polite speech with him.


    "Oh, that''s fine then."


    After learning that I wasn''t a lost child, he smiled faintly. It would have been difficult to detect if I wasn''t looking directly at him all this time, it was such a minute change, but it still somehow managed to be expressive.


    "Are you taking care of this garden?"


    "Ahh. I just water the plants. ¡­¡­Although, I''m still not used to it, so I''m not very good. I recommend that you not go beyond the hedges there. You''re wearing such a nice knight uniform, it would be a shame to get it dirty."


    He gave me some advice while furrowing his eyebrows. Although his facial expression looked grumpy, I was able to accurately read his feelings. He has high expectations of himself and is unsatisfied with his own low quality of work. It was an expression that made me feel rather close to him.


    "Got it, I''ll turn back. ¡­¡­But not right now, though."


    "Why''s that? Is there some sort of problem?"


    "It''s, the knight that''s receiving the ceremony feels too nervous about it¡­¡­ and asked to be alone for a little while. I wanted to give it some more time."


    "I see. Then, I won''t water where you''re standing for the time being."


    "Sorry about the inconvenience, and thank you for understanding¡­¡­"


    He has a rather passive tone of voice. Somehow, it feels so similar to me, it sounds almost like a monotone. Maybe he noticed me observing him, he smiled faintly again. I gave a slight smile as well, but perhaps my cheeks only barely twitched, just like the boy in front of me. I feel a sense of affinity with him.


    "Since I''m not going back yet, I have some free time. Shall we chat?"


    "Chat?"


    I wonder if he minds, he fell silent after saying only one word. He stopped working on the plants and indicated with his hand for me to follow him. He led me to an open space with a plain stone bench that seemed like it was maintained regularly. He sat on one end of it, and motioned for me to sit on the other.


    ¡­¡­Well, it''s not considered proper etiquette for boys and girls to sit on the same chair. Or I should say it''s not good if anyone is watching, and I can still barely make the excuse that I''m still a young child. I was confused for a moment, then remembered other situations where people mistook me for a boy, and I sat down next to him without saying anything.


    I don''t really have the habit of making idle chatter with myself or with others, so I decided to ask him what topic he liked.


    "So, what would you like to chat about?"


    "Anything is fine. For example¡­¡­ oh, how about this. How about telling me about your friends? What types of things do you like to do with your friends?"


    When he asked me this question somewhat cheerfully, I felt like I had been struck by lightning.


    ¡­¡­A conversation about friends, but I have hardly any to talk about!

 Chapter 121 - 122

    With ambiguous, indescribable feelings, I decided to talk about Claudia.


    I could have talked about the Shiru children as well, but daily life with them is so far removed from the noble lifestyle, I felt like it wouldn''t be a suitable topic for the boy in front of me. Talking about Ratoka with how far apart we''ve drifted would be even more terrible. I''ve never had even a moment with him where I can use the term "friendship" to describe. So he''s out of the question.


    Then, the only other children around me are Elise and Paulo. ¡­¡­And although there''s a bit of a gap in our ages, there''s Claudia, and even Kamil.


    Kamil may have been the closest person to me I could call a friend up until the point where I started distrusting him. He sometimes praised me or made fun of me depending on the situation, and when we were alone together, we were equals. But, I''d feel uncomfortable talking about him with someone I don''t even know. Now that I think about it, I''ve never spoken about Kamil with anyone else before.


    I''ve never felt like talking to anyone about him before, either.


    Since Paulo''s a soldier in the Kaldia army, I don''t have much contact with him, and Elise is so sickly that I mostly only talk to her through letters, telling her stories.


    So, that means I''m only left with Claudia to talk about.


    She''s a noble girl that''s staying in my mansion as my playmate¡­¡­ When I told him this, I noticed that it didn''t feel strange at all to say it out loud. Even despite the age gap, I enjoy her antics.


    As for her daily life, she''s really enthused about swinging around her spear every day, she''ll talk to anyone despite whatever the atmosphere is like, she loves riding horses, and just generally running about everywhere, even jumping out of second story windows, that sort of thing.


    Although sometimes she will bother me, she always tries her hardest at everything she does, and she doesn''t act her age at all.


    Talking about all these silly things regarding Claudia, somehow it felt as if with her childlike innocence, she was actually younger than me.


    "She seems like quite an energetic girl, your playmate."


    The boy who was listening to me all this time seemed to be half smiling, he probably thinks Claudia is similar to my age or younger than me, since I didn''t mention her age.


    And after I just finished talking about Claudia, the person herself gathered her emotions together and came to find me. Unlike me, she''s incredibly skilled at switching gears quickly when it comes to emotions. She now looks like a handsome knight with no sign of tension at all, and the boy next to me seemed quite shocked at her appearance.


    He would probably never imagine that this handsome knight in front of him is that "energetic girl" he just heard about.


    "Is this the, new, knight that''s going to serve under you? This is so¡­¡­ How to say it, dignified¡­¡­"


    "This knight has always been the most skilled in my domain, and has been aiming for the goal of becoming a knight for such a long time."


    "Mmm, I see."


    The boy nodded. Has Claudia ever acted dignified before, I wonder, although perhaps her behavior is also that of a warrior''s, I always felt like she acted more like a cat than a girl her age. But I suppose she can be dignified as well.


    "I see¡­¡­ It''s great that your knight was able to have a wish granted¡­¡­"


    In a tiny voice, I heard him muttering that to himself under his breath. I felt it was unfortunate that I heard this, since he obviously didn''t mean for anyone to hear that. I didn''t really understand what he meant by it, so I glanced at him, and immediately regretted doing so. If only I hadn''t seen his expression.


    It seems that Claudia, with her sharper senses than normal people, heard him as well, as she also took a quick glance at him, before meeting my eyes and keeping her gaze fixed on me.


    "¡­¡­Shall we return?"


    I called out to Claudia, wanting to leave here in a hurry, and rose up from the bench. The boy also raised his face, and said "it''s good that you were able to find each other, see you later." I made an appropriate response, and hurriedly left the garden together with Claudia.


    "¡­¡­That boy had a terrible expression on his face."


    After confirming to make sure nobody was around, Claudia whispered that to me in a tiny voice. She was looking directly at the garden we had just left.


    Indeed, what a terrible expression it had been. His face had been empty, desolate, or maybe it was despair.


    He was probably a noble before with a high position, but he had been forced into the monastery before he could attend noble school, so he could no longer do as he liked, that''s probably the reason behind the expression on his face when he said how nice it was that my knight got a wish fulfilled.


    "He must have his own circumstances."


    I made that comment, and Claudia tilted her head as if she was thinking about it, then she nodded in agreement. Well, everyone has their own circumstances. Such as Claudia who''d always wanted to be a knight, even knowing how difficult it would be.


    She''s really lucky. Her parents allowed her to do as she wished until she reaches 20 years of age, I really need her existence by my side, Earl Terejia being able to set up the knight order for me, all these things led to her today being able to wear a knight''s uniform for the first time.


    He definitely isn''t a lucky one. And I''m sure that just like him, there are countless other "unlucky" people out there that aren''t able to fulfill their dreams.


    "¡­¡­I can''t do anything for him."


    I have my citizens. For someone like him who has barely any connection to me, I don''t have the spare time to worry about him.


    "I understand, Eliza-dono. Got it."


    Claudia didn''t say anything else and just nodded. She was looking at me with an earnest look in her eyes. Honestly, even though she''s clumsy in so many aspects, she''s also surprisingly astute in others. For just an instant, even though we didn''t exchange words, Claudia was perhaps acting more seriously than I was.


    I hope that her beautiful heart won''t be tainted by malevolence one day. -Yes, I think that I should protect it.


    "¡­¡­Oh right, I almost forgot." S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Hm?"


    Indeed, there''s something I haven''t said to her yet. As she tilted her head questioningly, I took both of her hands in mine.


    "Congratulations, Claudia-dono. You''ve always been such a great help to me. Thank you. I''ll be relying on you in the future as well."


    As my knight, but there were some things I still wasn''t able to say out loud, and I kept it in my heart instead.

 Chapter 122 - 123

    I''ve achieved my goal of establishing a knight order, but there''s still several major tasks remaining ahead of me.


    I''m talking about the meeting between the Jugfena region domains of Kaldia, Jugfena, and Genas, as well as the issue of Feria Rogshia''s engagement.


    There''s also some other points of concern. For example, the movements of the woman named Diferis and her terrorist organization described to me by the bandits a few years back, and their possible connections to the northern nobles. While Priest Faris had provided some information to Earl Terejia, there''s been no progress.


    The date for the meeting between the three Jugfena region domains has already been decided, so there''s just some various small matters that need to be taken care of before that. Other than that, it''s just waiting for the day to arrive.


    However, Feria Rogshia''s engagement is a special problem.


    The Ogren family is a northern noble family, and they''re quite close to the Nordsturms. I''m pretty sure that Marquis Nordsturm had Viscount Ogren request me on purpose, and I''m not enthusiastic about having to complete a task for them.


    Not only that, I have suspicions that they may be traitors to our country. This suspicion is because they may be connected to Diferis, who is working to undermine Arxia as a terrorist. But Diferis seems to be hiding in the north somewhere, and there''s no evidence to connect her to the northern nobles.


    Personally speaking, with my suspicion against them, I don''t want to help them arrange a marriage with nobles from the Greenfield region, so close to the capital.


    Should I crush this engagement, or should I fix it like I''m supposed to?


    Breaking the engagement will be a problem as well. If I merely break the engagement without being able to give a really good reason, this will severely affect my status as a noble, and Earl Terejia''s standing will suffer as well.


    How bothersome, this engagement involving the fates of the Ogren and Rogshia families. Both domains already depend on each other for trade. That''s why it''s so irritating that Feria''s only thinking about herself with her actions.


    And so, the days passed by as I gathered information on the other domains, looking for a method to deal with this problem.


    ¨C If only I could unlearn what I was just about to find out.


    "Hmm? Isn''t that Earl Freche''s youngest son?"


    Summer''s almost over, and I''ll be soon returning to my domain from the royal capital. I''m currently on my way to shop for a souvenir for Elise at a high class store. Claudia made a loud comment suddenly as she peered outside the horse-drawn carriage''s window.


    "¡­¡­Are you acquainted with Earl Freche?"


    "No, not at all. It''s just that his son is the same age as me, so I visited an evening party at the Freche residence once in the past."


    Somehow, I''m a little unconvinced at Claudia saying she was able to remember Earl Freche''s son even though she only met him once. For someone like her who''s so bad with remembering names, it took several years before she memorized who I was. ¡­¡­Sometimes, from the bottom of my heart, I truly believe that Claudia is an incomprehensible existence.


    I have no connections to Earl Freche at all, unless you count me getting horses and training from the Ruktoferd domain, which is part of the Freche region. Well, this is a good time to get to know more nobles, and band together against the threat of our neighbors. Thinking this, I decided to peek out the window as well to see what Earl Freche''s youngest son looked like.


    When I looked in the same direction as Claudia, at the shops along the street, I saw a teenage boy on the edge of reaching adulthood, and a girl holding hands with him walking with a delighted expression on her face. I wonder if she detected us looking, she just happened to look back directly at us.


    It''s a face I''m all too familiar with.


    It was Feria Rogshia, the person responsible for so much of my aggravation, foolishly enjoying a date in public with a boy that''s not her fianc¨¦, without caring about who might see her.


    "¡­¡­Lady Feria."


    I couldn''t help but utter her name in exasperation. I found it so unexpected, that Feria would do this in broad daylight.


    That girl, does she have the awareness that she could be cast out of noble society together with that boy? Or is it just the recklessness of youth, and she''s not thinking at all?


    Claudia''s expression turned serious as she met my gaze. After receiving my cue, she bounded out of the horse carriage''s window as lithely as a cat ¨C artistry in motion.


    My heart is pounding. Well, even though I''m sort of used to it now, it still gives me breathing difficulty. I feel like this may shorten my life span, but I''ve already given up on talking to Claudia about jumping out of windows. I suppose I have no choice but to get accustomed to this.


    I heard Claudia''s voice telling the servant to stop the carriage. As the horse gradually slowed, and the scenery outside the window stopped moving, this time I heard Claudia''s voice straight from above me, on the roof of the carriage.


    "-Hello there, please wait a moment."


    This road is rather deserted, so Claudia''s voice carried far. Several people suddenly appeared from the shadows. I''m guessing they''re probably Earl Freche''s son''s bodyguards. Although public order is quite good in the noble district, it''s still impossible for most nobles to go outside by themselves.


    ¡­¡­But anyways. I won''t make any assumptions about Earl Freche''s son, but for now it''s quite apparent that Viscount Rogshia doesn''t intend to restrict his daughter''s movements in any way whatsoever.


    This is getting more and more bothersome, this annoying task.


    The troublesome couple in question looked back at Claudia with expressions of shock on their faces. At seeing their faces pale in unison, I couldn''t help but chuckle slightly.


    Both of them should currently be students at noble school. There''s a rule that students who live in the dormitory aren''t allowed to leave without permission. Usually only the head of the household can give their children permission to leave¡­¡­


    Since they seem so flustered at us simply calling out to them, perhaps they''ve sneaked out of school without permission. Due to this situation, are they going to have to request me to keep it secret for them?


    "W, what is it¡­¡­"


    Earl Freche''s son seemed at a loss for what to say as he asked Claudia why she called out to them. Claudia has a stern expression aimed directly at Feria. ¡­¡­This is the first time I''ve seen such an expression on her face. Claudia''s temperament is usually simultaneously competitive yet gentle, but I''ve always thought that she held no negative feelings towards others whatsoever.


    "You''re Viscount Rogshia''s daughter, and Earl Freche''s son, right? Who else are you with?" S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "¡­¡­"


    "Are you lost? That''s no good at all. How about I take you guys to the noble school?"


    "N, ¡­¡­ no! There''s no need for you to go to all this trouble, when we don''t even know each other!"


    Blood seemed to be draining from Freche''s son''s face as he backed away from Claudia, and even hid behind Feria. Claudia kept that strict expression on her face, and shook her head saying she didn''t mind the trouble at all.


    "It will be evening soon enough, and we''re currently quite close to the noble school. -Also, my lord will definitely have some matters to discuss with Lady Rogshia here."


    Feria''s shoulder suddenly jerked upwards. I could see fear in her eyes, from Claudia''s imposing presence, as her shoulder started trembling. That''s when she finally noticed me as well.


    "Ah-"


    Now she was simply dumbfounded, and she sat down right where she was standing in the middle of the street. Freche''s son tried his best to catch her, but perhaps he simply isn''t strong enough, both of them ended up falling down. With a hup, Claudia made it look easy as she pulled both of them up again.


    "Yep, it seems like you two must be quite exhausted."


    Saying that to the two targets she''s captured, how wonderfully ironic she can be.

 Chapter 123 - 124

    "Well then¡­¡­ Can you tell us your story?"


    In my residence''s tiny reception room, Claudia and I, the two noble teenagers that we just captured, and Oscar, who''s also taken on the role of gathering information for me, were all crammed in together. It''s an overwhelming situation for Feria and Freche''s son.


    The young couple is so stiff, as if we''re threatening them or something. Feria''s face is ashen. ¡­¡­Well, although I''m calling them young, I''m actually even younger than they are, technically.


    "Without any companions, where were the two of you headed? Also, Lady Feria, you happen to have an engagement. You won''t exactly be praised for jaunting about on the streets with a boy. Do you have a permit showing permission from the noble school? I need to notify the school that I was able to protect you. Please let me confirm your permit."


    I held out my hand as if to say give it to me, that''s when Freche''s youngest son who had been chewing his lip all this time finally lifted his head with a glare aimed at me.


    "Why do we need to show you our permit? You''re saying that you protected us, but you''re just a child that''s not even in noble school yet, where''s the head of your household, at the very least I should be talking to someone ranked above you."


    Oh? Come to think of it, while Feria does know who I am, I still haven''t formally introduced myself yet to this boy.


    "My apologies for the late introduction. I am Eliza Kaldia. I''m currently the domain lord of Kaldia, from the Jugfena region. I have some business with Lady Feria and her father, so that''s why I''m acquainted with Lady Feria."


    "It couldn''t be. You''re the head of the house?"


    I nodded in confirmation, and the young Freche''s mouth was wide agape in astonishment. Then, he lowered his face again with a scared expression. Oi, you can''t show me a permit?


    "¡­¡­Lady Feria."


    It can''t be helped, let''s turn to Feria, she was biting her lips as well, although she opened her mouth to talk even as she was trembling.


    "I, I, was heading for my fianc¨¦''s place, the Ogren residence. The reason for going there is uh, er, private. ¡­¡­Um, this here is Cornell Freche-sama, my old friend, and he was taking the trouble of accompanying me to the Ogren residence." sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    For the time being, I''m going to ignore the part where she introduced Cornell Freche. Ogren? This is a name I never thought I''d hear Feria say, so I tilted my head.


    "Something private, eh. That''s why, you snuck out of school?"


    "¡­¡­Yes."


    Maybe she''s realized she can''t hide it anymore, she admitted that she didn''t have a permit to leave school and nodded.


    "I don''t know the details, but it''s about my engagement. I know that my fianc¨¦ is the Ogren family''s son."


    "I''m already aware. After all, I got acquainted with you in the first place because¡­¡­ The Ogren family asked me to make sure that the engagement with you proceeded smoothly."


    I don''t know what Viscount Ogren thinks about this entire situation at all, so I vented my frustration as I told her my purpose. Now that she''s told me directly about Ogren when she''s kept silent all this time before, I feel like there''s no need for me to hide my task given to me by the church from her.


    "Eh¡­¡­?"


    "Viscount Ogren went to the trouble of contacting the church, and asking me to convince you to go through with the engagement because it looked like you weren''t really interested. Well, neither him nor your father really matter to me, I was going to observe this rubbishy situation for a little longer, but."


    "Such a thing¡­¡­"


    Feria was covering her mouth with her hand as if she couldn''t believe what was going on. Maybe it''s an unconscious reaction, I saw her weakly grabbing onto Cornell Freche''s sleeve.


    "¡­¡­Please wait a moment, Lord Kaldia. I think you''re having a misunderstanding about the relationship between Feria and myself."


    Did he gain strength from Feria''s fingertips I wonder, Cornell Freche who had been drooping his shoulders all this time, suddenly cut in with a soft voice.


    It''s difficult to hear him clearly. I couldn''t help but furrow my eyebrows, I''ve wasted the time frame in which he was afraid. My place is no House of Lords, where even the small things can threaten and scare people. ¡­¡­Besides, I think that it would be a miserable thing to be scared of a child more than five years younger than he is. Quite pitiful, really.


    I would prefer it if he could stand up straighter.


    "A misunderstanding? So, what''s your excuse for sneaking out of school together with a girl that''s already engaged?"


    "That''s not it! In the first place, Feria''s engagement¡­¡­ Don''t get angry at Feria. Their, no, what that guy really wants is for their engagement to be broken!"


    He suddenly started shouting. Suddenly going from soft-spoken to shouting angrily in a show of unstable emotions, is he really okay, I wonder. I couldn''t help but start worrying.


    The following is the story that Cornell Freche told me.


    Originally, Cornell was a childhood friend of Feria and her fianc¨¦, Ista Ogren. They all grew up together, being neighbors in the noble district. The three of them hung out together, even after entering noble school.


    However, when Ista Ogren became a third-year student, and Cornell and Feria became second-years, the relationship between them changed slightly. The reason was because Ista liked a noble girl other than Feria. When Ista began spending more time with that girl, the natural outcome was that Cornell and Feria started being together more often.


    And after that, the relationship between them developed as I expected.


    During the time that Ista was about to graduate from noble school, the three of them had a talk with each other about their futures. Ista said that he definitely agreed to canceling the engagement with Feria, and that he wanted to get engaged to the girl he liked instead, swearing that he would return to the Ogren domain to persuade his father, Viscount Ogren, after graduation.


    "After he returned to the Ogren domain, we''ve exchanged letters three times, but it seems that persuading his father isn''t going well. However, this time Viscount Ogren summoned us to his residence, saying that after much persuasion by his son, he''s decided to think it over again after listening to all three of us directly."


    I listened silently throughout all of Cornell Freche''s long story that he desperately tried to explain clearly to me. He''s obviously not used to having to clarify things for others.


    ¡­¡­Just what should I say in this type of situation? Am I supposed to be surprised, or amused? Cornell and Feria looked at me with such serious expressions as I thought about what to say.


    "It''s well known within school that Feria and Ista are good friends as well as engaged to each other. That''s why, we can''t ask for permission to go out and let rumors spread in school, as it would greatly damage the reputation of both families¡­¡­"


    I wonder if he''s said everything he wants to say, after Cornell Freche finished his story, he lowered his head again. Is he trying to gain sympathy from me by acting modest?


    -I have no leeway to sympathize with him whatsoever, so I decided to pretend as if I didn''t see his action.


    I''m absolutely at a loss for what to say right now, and somehow I ended up glancing in Oscar''s direction. He had an expression that blatantly said his head was hurting from this situation. I wish I could let my emotions at this headache of a mess show on my face as well.

 Chapter 124 - 125

    "¡­¡­I see, I understand your situation now. I have several things I would like to say about what you just told me."


    I finally cut into Cornell''s story with a gloomy tone of voice, so Cornell and Feria were looking at me with surprise on their faces. I just made a decision to use this type of atmosphere¡­¡­


    "I''ve investigated various things about Lady Feria''s engagement. There''s still a few things I haven''t checked yet, but allow me to come to a preliminary conclusion based on what I currently know. Canceling the engagement between the Ogren and Rogshia families will be basically impossible."


    "¡­¡­What?"


    An expression of dissatisfaction started distorting Cornell''s face. Since explaining everything to him would be troublesome, I looked in Oscar''s direction. He nodded to me as he adopted a strict expression strikingly similar to Earl Terejia''s, and he began a detailed explanation in my place.


    "The engagement between the Ogren and Rogshia families involves a debt owed by the Rogshia family. About 15 years ago, the Ogren and Rogshia families began a deep relationship with each other when the Rogshia domain started a new business. At that time, the Ogren family made a loan as the beginning capital for the business.


    Also, the loan amount was so large, that the law required the two families become relatives through marriage as collateral, so the engagement between the son and daughter of the two houses was decided upon."


    This happened right around the time that Ista Ogren and Feria Rogshia were born. Viscount Ogren''s wife happened to be from the Greenfield region, and was a childhood friend of Feria''s mother.


    "I shall skim over the details, but suffice it to say that the business ended up in failure. In order to recoup their losses, both families took on further debts, and only in the last five years have they finally begun making a profit. However, the money that the Rogshias borrowed from the Ogrens, was in turn loaned to the Ogrens by the Nordsturms, the guardian family for the Ogrens.


    Well, simply speaking, the Ogrens were a middle man."


    "Such a thing¡­¡­ My father, has debts?"


    "Yes, indeed. Because of this reason, breaking the engagement will not be legally possible until the debt of the Rogshia and Ogren families is reduced to 3 million arcs or less. If the engagement is broken, it will result in bankruptcy, loss of noble status, confiscation of ruling rights, and the domain itself will be subject to acquisition by others."


    As Oscar calmly continued his summary, Feria''s face was growing paler and paler. I can tell that she''s despairing.


    The relations between various domains and the legal benefits of noble marriage should all be topics covered as part of a noble''s education, did she really never learn any of this I wonder. Well, it probably has to do with her spoiled upbringing, although I can''t say with absolute certainty.


    Conversely, Cornell''s expression was a sharp contrast to Feria''s, as he appeared to be thinking deeply about the situation. Well, since he''s Earl Freche''s son, I think just his wedding dowry alone will be around 5 million arcs simply for getting married. He''s probably considering the power of his family to intervene in this situation.


    "¡­¡­This is all of the information I have on hand. Since I''m not directly involved in this situation, this is all that I could find out."


    When I spoke up again, Cornell appeared to stop thinking, and met my gaze directly again.


    Not a bad expression, in my opinion. He''s able to face reality, and deal with a difficult situation without resorting to useless protesting. Should I say that this is expected of a border domain noble''s son? Honestly speaking though, I''ve always been living in an abnormal situation, and doubting everyone around me, it would have been nice if I had a more normal life like his instead.


    "How much is the debt owed by the Rogshia family?"


    "I don''t know the exact amount. Taking into consideration the increasing interest rate after five years, I believe that it will be in the realm of 15 million arcs."


    "15 million arcs¡­¡­"


    Well, it''s only an estimate, so in truth it may be more or less than this amount. It''s that information about loans can only be viewed by the lender and debtor, or those with a certificate of permit issued by the Ministry of Finance. There''s also some debts and donations that aren''t related to the Ministry of Finance, but that''s a story for another day.


    Cornell was furrowing his eyebrows deeply. 15 million arcs is an amount that can purchase a small domain. There''s no way that a student like him can come up with the funds so easily.


    "That''s 10 years of my salary. Quite an amount!"


    Claudia who had been silent up to this point, chimed in with an incredulous tone of voice. Now that Claudia and Oscar have become knights, their salaries are paid for by Earl Terejia''s personal savings and Kaldia''s tax revenue. Their salaries are about 1.5 million arcs a year.


    The knight orders managed directly by the kingdom pay out a higher salary than private knight orders. The knight order with the highest status in the kingdom, the Royal Bodyguards knight order, has an annual salary of about 3.5 million arcs. The border knights are paid about 3 million arcs per year, and if they rise in rank through promotions, the salary will increase.


    By the way, knights are among the highest paid for nobles. Their annual income is higher than the average baron.


    Silence fell in the room. Oscar whispered something to Claudia, and left the room.


    I just realized that the light outside is beginning to dim. Should I have some snacks prepared for these two guests of mine? At any rate, they won''t be returning to the school any time soon tonight.


    "¡­¡­There''s something I would like to ask."


    Although he looked like he was having difficulty finding a solution, Cornell finally spoke up again. Feria pulled on his sleeve anxiously, but he kept looking directly at me while ignoring her. When I asked him what he wanted to know, Cornell seemed hesitant, yet he was still able to speak in a firm tone of voice.


    "Lord Kaldia, what would you like to do about the Ogren and Rogshia family''s engagement? I would like to hear your true feelings."


    Such a foolish question. ¡­¡­Claudia next to me appeared to be stifling her laughter. I wonder if something about that question tickled the chivalric spirit within her.


    "Asking about my true feelings, I don''t think a question like this is something to be asking other nobles." S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After I said that with a sigh, Claudia was now making laughing sounds from the back of her throat like a cat. How noisy. In order to get rid of this annoying laughter, I think I''m going to have to answer his question, however reluctantly.


    "¡­¡­Honestly speaking, I couldn''t care either way about the engagement being broken or not. My domain gains nothing either way. However, due to the large debt, if the engagement is broken, it''ll set off a chain reaction leading to downfall and ruin. There''s nothing I can do about that."


    I don''t think it''s necessary to tell them about Diferis and the terrorists, so I''ll just talk about other things in the current situation.


    "Meaning?"


    "¡­¡­I''ve never heard of a single successful incident where a noble son was able to properly go through the procedures and break off an engagement."


    Maybe his prodding touched a sensitive spot in me, I answered him rather bluntly. Everyone in the room dropped their shoulders sharply. If Kamil had been in the room right now, I''m sure I would have heard him whispering to me "you sure aren''t honest."

 Chapter 125 - 126

    I made use of everyone I could, and drastically changed my planned schedule for tomorrow. I''ll go over the details later, but supporting Cornell''s plan that he came up with will be convenient for me as well. Although I want to break the engagement in some way, I still intend to keep the information about Diferis a secret.


    To begin with, it''s strange why Viscount Ogren would ask Feria and Cornell to see him and discuss things, when he''s always been so vehemently opposed to canceling the engagement.


    According to what Cornell told me, the girl that Ista Ogren likes is the daughter of a western domain lord, and that domain''s primary income stems from agriculture. Oscar gathered some basic information for me on that domain, but the conclusion is that there''s no way that domain will have enough money to cover the Ogren family''s debt to the Nordsturms.


    Meaning, there''s no way that Viscount Ogren asked for Feria in order to agree to cancel the engagement. Then, what exactly is he planning?


    ¡­¡­If something happens to Feria''s engagement at this current timing, it will probably be the Rogshia family as well as me that suffer from it. The Ogren family is being supported by the powerful Nordsturm family. Even if something happens to cancel the engagement, the Ogren family is in no danger of financial ruin given their backers.


    The biggest victim will be the Rogshia family as it will cause their downfall, and I''d be affected by the ripples of such an outcome as well.


    The Arxian nobility greatly dislike seeing the downfall of one of their own. Although legally I won''t be directly responsible, it''s actually a heavy responsibility that''s been given to me. If the Rogshias are ruined, the other nobles are sure to assign the blame to me. I won''t be able to avoid having my reputation in shambles¡­¡­


    So, did Viscount Ogren summon Feria at the instruction of Marquis Nordsturm? There''s a high chance that he''s merely working as Nordsturm''s chess piece for the sake of having Earl Terejia and I exiled from noble society.


    ¡­¡­Did Marquis Nordsturm anticipate that Feria would come without obtaining permission from noble school? Students inside the school are supposed to be isolated from the outside. Basically speaking, the students aren''t able to obtain information from outside, the only things they hear about noble society are what their parents tell them.


    But conversely, it''s quite easy for those outside to learn about the affairs inside the school. There are many servants working in the noble school. They''re an easy source of information.


    Even I''ve used my personal funds to hire two commoner women working in the lecture halls for information purposes, and Earl Terejia has more than a dozen sources himself.


    While the noble school itself has no direct involvement with politics, having knowledge about the future power players in the royal capital is still useful.


    Since I''m primarily focused on my own domain for the time being, perhaps it''s a bit early for me to have hired people inside the school already, but I want to be fully prepared for the time when I''ll have to enter noble school myself. ¡­¡­I''ve gone off a tangent here.


    Meaning, perhaps Marquis Nordsturm found out from sources in the noble school about Feria''s engagement situation, and it would have been quite easy for him to predict Feria''s actions if he had Viscount Ogren call her out to discuss the engagement. Things will be even easier for him if there are Viscount Ogren''s people around Feria.


    Because their two families are engaged, there won''t even be anything suspicious about it.


    I don''t know the exact reason that Viscount Ogren summoned Feria over. But, it seems to me that Viscount Ogren is making moves in order to destroy the engagement between their families. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    -The fact that I caught Cornell and Feria before they were able to arrive at the Ogren residence was quite a stroke of luck. But thanks to this I''m able to make a counterplay, and I''m not going to let this chance to turn everything around slip past.


    For the next three days, I was consecutively absent from meetings at the House of Lords, claiming I was ill. In the meantime, the items I had prepared arrived at my residence one after the other, and one of the items I had procured, an amount of fruit, began sending sweet scents wafting through my house.


    ¡­¡­It will be nice if I can gain the upper hand through this. Some things depend on other parties'' movements though, and I don''t know what may happen in the end.


    "Um¡­¡­"


    Feria who was sitting on the bed in the guest room, was looking at me with an incredibly awkward expression on her face. I lowered my cup of black tea, and asked her "what is it?" as I looked in her direction.


    "It''s about, my father''s business¡­¡­"


    "Ahh. Did you learn more about it?"


    "¡­¡­Yes. It seems that, he''s in the beeswax business."


    ¡­¡­Bees, eh.


    "Beekeeping seems to be a flourishing business in the Greenfield region."


    "Yes. I believe that my father raised bees also in order to join the beekeeping business. However, his bees didn''t produce any honey, so he probably was forced to change to raising bees for the purpose of producing beeswax."


    "Why do you think so?"


    When I asked for the reason behind this, Feria seemed to consider the answer for a short while, then she hesitantly began telling me the reasons that she came up with.


    "In my home¡­¡­ We go a little overboard with lighting wax candles everywhere. Also, for the past five years, I often received skin care cream from my father¡­¡­"


    "I see."


    Beeswax making, eh¡­¡­ However, I still have some doubts remaining. It''s reasonable to say that there''s a high demand for candles. But still, Viscount Rogshia''s business started out as a failure. And I''ve never heard anything about beeswax being a special regional product of the Rogshia domain before.


    ¡­¡­Something about all this bugs me. I''m really bothered by it, but I have no way to investigate it¡­¡­


    Besides, right now I have to focus on the opponent I have to deal with immediately, Viscount Ogren. I pushed away my doubts to the back of my mind for the time being.

 Chapter 126 - 127

    I heard a slight clinking sound. I stealthily walked to the window, and opened it almost imperceptibly. Through a tiny gap, I saw a man I didn''t know, who wasn''t one of the servants, paying close attention to his surroundings with a vigilant expression.


    Without a sound, I simply dug my nails into the fruit I was holding. The fruit''s aroma instantly escaped and surrounded me with a faint sweet scent.


    ¡­¡­Even though it''s summer currently, I''m going to have to hide in a small cabinet. It''s too hot. I don''t want to be drenched in sweat. Plus, it''s stifling. Nor is this something like hide and seek.


    From outside the cabinet, I could still detect the intruder''s footsteps as he furtively approached. Thanks to the sharp hearing I inherited from my father, I heard even the minute sound of him opening and closing the door.


    I bit into the soft flesh of the fruit I peeled with my nails. A sweet juice began gushing out. I spit it out into my palm. A terribly thick, fruity smell was emanating from it.


    Then, I finally crawled out of the cabinet. The drawing room in my house on Onboro Street was dead silent, just like usual. ¡­¡­Other than the window that I opened, none of the furniture was moved at all.


    I looked upstairs. Since I''ve left things there to reliable people, I probably have nothing to worry about. Even if I hear a commotion, there''s no need for me to rush.


    Thinking so, I began eating the fruit in my hand. It''s a sweet fruit similar to a peach from my old world, and it was effective at slaking my thirst.


    ¨C I heard some cacophonous clanging for a moment, along with a scream that sounded like it came from a beast. After I confirmed that the ruckus had died down, I stood up from the sofa.


    So, it finally happened. I don''t know what type of person the intruder is, but it seems he must have been the cautious type. Even though my residence is so small, he''s been taking his time and exploring room to room for almost an hour.


    I just happened to finish eating all of the fruit. I wiped away all of the juice on my hands.


    Even after I left the drawing room, it was completely quiet inside my residence. Although there were already few servants to begin with, in the daytime they typically go out to buy supplies and run other errands, so the house will be even emptier than usual. Especially since "I" went to the House of Lords today, the servants will prioritize their errands outside the residence.


    I slowly went up the stairs to the second floor. The guest room right above the drawing room just happened to have its door ajar. It''s the room I''ve lent to Feria for the past three days.


    I stepped into the room. The cup of black tea that I sent Feria seems to be broken, and shards were everywhere. Also, Feria was trembling in fear at the end of the bed, while the intruder wasn''t making a sound as he was currently being pressed down on the floor by two men, and a draconis.


    "¡­¡­Oi, you broke this cup. Weren''t you told to not break anything?"


    "Hey, I wasn''t the one who broke it. He did it!"


    Gunther made the last comment grumpily as he stepped on the male intruder with his full body weight. The man pinned to the floor was flapping his mouth, probably in pain. Wheezing sounds were coming from his throat, and he was salivating. It''s clear to see that he''s having difficulty breathing.


    With this method, his thoughts and actions are considerably restricted, and he won''t be able to kill himself by biting his own tongue. It''s very painful, not being able to breathe. Even if he wants to die, his body won''t have enough energy to allow him to do so.


    "Without letting him die, strip him naked and tie him up. Also, gag him so he can''t kill himself."


    "Got it."


    The person who replied this time was Teo, who''d gotten used to my preferred method of treating captives already when he helped me catch the bandit group.


    Finally, Rashiok who was also crushing the intruder under his massive weight looked at me proudly and barked. His tail was sweeping left and right on the floor, but being a draconis, his tail is more snakelike, so it didn''t send dust flying everywhere. Rashiok was the one that smelled the fruit scent as my signal that there was an invader, so he got Gunther and the others to be on high alert.


    Draconis are really such clever creatures.


    Since Teo and Gunther just came here, they might not know all the servants yet, and they might mistake one of them for an intruder. In order to deal with that, I decided to use the smell of fruit as a signal to Rashiok. Rashiok is able to detect the fragrance even from the second floor, so he can alert them to capture any invader.


    "I think what''s about to happen next will be rather unsightly, Lady Feria. Would you mind closing the curtains of the window?"


    When I asked that to Feria who was still pale and trembling, her shoulders jumped. Since I never told her about the possibility of an impending attack like this, it seems she''s badly in shock. All of this happened around her without her involvement, and her complexion looks almost as bad as the man on the floor.


    Then, she asked me in a soft voice: "yes, um¡­¡­ Can''t I just leave the room now?" Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You should just stay by our side. Because of this current situation, I''m worried about leaving you by yourself. I''ll just close the curtains myself. What''s coming next isn''t anything that unmarried women should see."


    Regardless of Feria who looked like she still wanted to say something else, I closed the curtains of the window personally. Right after I closed them, Teo mercilessly ripped off the intruder''s clothes.


    A small cry resounded in the room. Well, for a normal noble girl like Feria, she might not even notice the sound.


    As Teo tied the man as tight as he could, Rashiok continued to lean on the invader, causing him to breathe heavily. However, even through his hazy eyes and unfocused expression, I still saw confusion and surprise in them as he looked at me.


    It''s probably because he saw "me," together with Earl Terejia and my rather conspicuous two knights as escorts, at the House of Lords.


    A child with black hair and red eyes. This is definitely information that this invader would have on me beforehand.


    ¡­¡­Well, that child he saw earlier was just a fake though, the real me is still here and never left my residence. My prey fell right into my trap, it was a successful strategy. It was supposed to be a great chance for them to do something to Feria with the lord and all the servants gone¡­¡­ or so they thought.


    "My lord, look here. This man has a family emblem embroidered in his clothes."


    Teo tossed the invader''s clothes to me. I confirmed that the inner lining had the Ogren family crest on it, and Gunther and Teo nodded as well.


    "Indeed. Then, when you finish tying this person, put him in the winter storage room. After this, that Freche boy will be able to make his moves."


    "-Is it alright to just leave that kid alone? Without seeing what''s going on over there?"


    "As for ''Elise,'' she has her own task to fulfill."


    "Have you two finally reconciled? It seems like you''ve been on bad terms for two years now, such a long quarrel."


    "Ahh. -For a proper apology, I allowed ''her'' to slap me once. I figured, why not?"


    When I showed Teo and Gunther my left cheek which was swollen, they almost spat simultaneously in astonishment. "To think, that bratty kid actually just wanted to slap another child!" was Gunther''s response to learning about how I made up with Ratoka.

 Chapter 127 - 128

    Beginning of Act 2, Part 4


    I took Gunther''s advice and handed the invader over to the military police, making this into an official investigation.


    I considered the fact that the invader might have disguised himself as a servant, but his clothes are quite a standard type for those serving the lower-ranked noble families. These clothes are usually custom made to order, so there''s no way a rush job could have been done just for the sake of this attack. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Perhaps, knowing the high risks associated, he wore these clothes anyways thinking it would help him achieve his goal.


    But since the Ogren family''s crest was discovered sewn into the inner linings of his clothing, this can be treated as definitive evidence of Viscount Ogren plotting an attack, or even an assassination attempt on me.


    The next evening, the following involved parties, Viscountess Kaldia, Viscount Ogren, the presumed target of the invader, Feria Rogshia, and her father Viscount Rogshia, we were all summoned to a church located in the noble district for a trial convened by the judicial branch of the priests.


    This dispute between the lower-ranked nobles such as ourselves became such a huge commotion, that many other people got into an uproar as well, which caused the church to crack down upon nearly 100 illegal acts by the nobles in this short time period.


    For us three viscounts, there were three priests here today, including one judge priest, and they all had extremely strict expressions as they began writing the records for today''s trial.


    Viscount Ogren who was basically forced to come here after falling into my trap, still appeared calm on the surface. However, the hatred in his eyes was rather unexpectedly directed in Viscount Rogshia''s direction instead of mine.


    As for Viscount Rogshia, he was looking back in Viscount Ogren''s direction with a terribly cold look. I still don''t know the exact nature of their relationship, I could only feel like I was still missing some pieces of the puzzle as I glanced back and forth between them.


    Well, the actual target of the attack was Feria anyways, and I''m only technically involved because Feria was staying with me at the time of the attack. While watching sparks fly between Viscounts Ogren and Rogshia, now, how exactly should I play this out today? I thought about the hectic previous four days, and mentally went over everything that happened.


    The scenario we set up was that when Feria heard that her friend Eliza Kaldia had gotten sick with a fever, she came running from noble school in order to visit. Unfortunately, my illness had been contagious, and Feria came down with a fever as well. Since she was also sick, she just remained resting at my residence instead of returning to school.


    That was the "reason" that I created for Feria remaining at my residence. I sent messages to both the noble school and Viscount Rogshia informing them that she was "sick."


    I sent out three other messages as well that day. One was to the House of Lords, informing them that I would be absent the next day. Another one was to Earl Terejia''s residence, informing him of the current situation, my predictions for what was going to happen and letting him know about my upcoming plan. The last message was to the Kaldia domain.


    I summoned Ratoka, Gunther, Teo, and Rashiok to the royal capital.


    "-So, when Viscountess Kaldia returned to her residence from the House of Lords, you found out that soldiers from your army staying at your residence just happened to capture an intruder."


    The judge priest confirmed the situation on the day of the incident with me, and I nodded and said yes in affirmation.


    "Since you were present at the House of Lords during the time of the attack, you weren''t present while the attack was taking place. It seems that most of the servants were also outside for the time being, so it''s a good thing that nothing happened to Lady Feria."


    This is what the judge believes, but of course it''s all made up. Ratoka was the one present at the House of Lords, not me, and I was personally commanding at the scene itself which led to the capture of the invader.


    I snuck a glance at Feria, as she knows the truth of what happened. Yes, this is good, just keep quiet without saying anything unnecessary. And if all this manages to break the engagement to the Ogrens, she can marry Cornell Freche like she wants.


    "It''s time to ask you some questions, Viscount Ogren. The attacker was wearing servant clothes embroidered with the Ogren family emblem. Its authenticity has already been confirmed by our experts. It''s compelling evidence that you should also bear responsibility for this attack."


    "¡­¡­Indeed, the person who attacked the Kaldia residence was wearing servant clothes from my family. However, I have no recollection of ever hiring someone like that. If you check my employee ledgers in my residence, I''m sure you can find that out for yourself."


    Viscount Ogren was pretending to be hurt by this accusation. "I see," said the judge. I''m actually slightly impressed that Viscount Ogren already faked some documents in his residence, with only one day to prepare, in case of a search. Even if we search his whole house, it probably means that nothing strange will be found.


    Viscount Rogshia just kept glaring nonstop at Viscount Ogren. I suppose I should give him credit for being a noble as well, he seems like a completely different person from having that gentle demeanor when I first met him.


    "Besides, what reason could I possibly have for attacking my own son''s fianc¨¦e?"


    "I don''t know what you tried to do to my daughter, but I can certainly think of a motive, Viscount Ogren."


    At hearing Viscount Rogshia''s icy voice, Viscount Ogren''s reaction was almost comical as he took a defensive posture.


    "I myself intend to file an official complaint against Viscount Ogren as well. There was a serious problem with the business that we jointly ran together ¨C because Viscount Ogren intentionally started this issue. I''m certain that he must have been trying to threaten my daughter in order for me to not file an accusation."

 Chapter 128 - 129

    "What are you talking about, I don''t understand!"


    Viscount Ogren laughed off Viscount Rogshia''s accusation. Since he must have cleaned up his house of any incriminating evidence, he appeared supremely confident. His eyes were still sharp and he scoffed while he directly met Viscount Rogshia''s glare.


    "Exactly what have I done? I''ve dedicated myself to supporting your business over all these years as well. Plus, your business is even turning a profit these days -"


    "Viscount Ogren, please don''t interrupt. Give Viscount Rogshia a chance to state his accusation."


    Although Viscount Ogren was eloquently defending himself, the judge priest stopped him from speaking any further. Viscount Ogren stopped talking, and glared at the judge in annoyance. The military police member standing behind Viscount Ogren clanged his spear loudly against the stone ground as if to threaten him, and he finally became obedient.


    "Then, Viscount Rogshia. Please continue what you were just saying."


    When the judge urged Viscount Rogshia to continue, he seemed to realize as if he was about to do something truly frightening by making this accusation. His face was turning incredibly pale, and his shoulders were shaking. Feria next to him seemed puzzled by this, but she held his arm in support, and he finally opened his mouth again.


    "Yes. ¡­¡­I''m accusing Viscount Ogren because during the course of our partnership in the beeswax business, our beeswax showed poisoning symptoms."


    "Poisoning symptoms? Is that¡­¡­ really true?"


    For what the judge probably expected to be a small, simple trial, he must have never expected to hear a word like poison being thrown around. The judge''s face was full of shock and doubt.


    "Yes. Although weak, people started developing a dependency on the beeswax ¨C and Viscount Ogren was responsible for the manufacturing process. He signed off on our contract that he would guarantee the safety of the manufacturing process."


    As Viscount Rogshia finally began his case against Viscount Ogren, a perceptive military police member held out a cup of black tea for me while I was feeling like none of this had to do with me anymore. He drank a few drops of the tea himself first, as if to assure me there was no poison. As expected of military police in the royal capital.


    They''ve undergone excellent training, it was quite smart of him to do.


    Well then, as I elegantly sipped on my black tea, Viscount Rogshia''s story was causing the three priests'' faces to turn pale as he continued. According to him, they started producing the addictive beeswax five years ago, and the wholesale routes were left to Viscount Ogren.


    Apart from the addictive beeswax, they also produced ordinary beeswax for trading, and the production method for the two types of beeswax wasn''t really all that different, except that one was an addictive substance.


    "What exactly are the specific differences between the two types of beeswax?"


    "Well¡­¡­ roughly speaking, resin produced by the Renvia fruit is added to the production process."


    "Renvia? It couldn''t be. That plant isn''t poisonous at all." S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The judge priest was furrowing his eyebrows. Indeed, the Renvia flowers themselves certainly aren''t toxic in any way whatsoever. As a popular horticultural species grown in many gardens, any poisonous properties would have been discovered long ago.


    "Well, what happens is¡­¡­ When you mix the resin produced by ripe Renvia fruits together with honey and burn it, the smoke has addictive properties."


    "That''s certainly something I''ve never heard about before¡­¡­"


    "When the Renvia fruit is ripe, it will release a pungent smell that strongly affects the senses. I''ve been cultivating them so that we''ll always have a stockpile of ripe fruit ready to harvest any time we need to."


    "Ah¡­¡­ I see."


    Well, the judge priest most likely doesn''t have any experience with gardening, as he was only nodding ambiguously. On the other hand, the two priests probably have to take care of plants in the monastery, they were nodding more affirmatively.


    "Indeed, if what you say is true and you can prove that this manufacturing process creates an addictive beeswax, Viscount Ogren will be charged with fraud against Viscount Rogshia, and also narcotics trafficking within Arxia. I think that you wouldn''t be able to avoid drug charges either, though¡­¡­"


    "Please wait, I didn''t participate in such a thing at all! All of this is nonsense by Viscount Rogshia. I don''t have any specialized knowledge about plants. It''s inconceivable for me to have manufactured such a drug."


    Viscount Ogren''s insufferable voice loudly interrupted at this point again.


    "Also, you priests should know already! The fact that a few days ago, I secretly accused Viscount Rogshia of tax evasion. He''s just trying to cover his own crimes by blaming me!"


    "What!?"


    At hearing Viscount Ogren firmly accuse him, Viscount Rogshia who had remained calm up until now stood up from his seat.


    While continuing to sip on the delicious black tea that the military police member gave me, I gave a hand signal to Oscar who was behind me, as we may have to intervene in this chaotic situation soon.


    Adults are all liars, it''s impressive, really. About this entire incident, there were limits to what information I could gather with my own resources, so I had to rely on Earl Terejia''s information network, through which I learned all about the ugly truth behind the conflict between the two viscounts. It''s amazing how silver tongued people can be, lying with such straight faces.

 Chapter 129 - 130

    Both Viscount Rogshia and Ogren''s tales were full of exaggerations and lies. In the first place, both of them were in on creating this addictive substance together, purely out of the ugly desire to make profits in any way possible, and now that it''s been exposed, they''re both trying to make sure the other one takes the fall.


    Secretly creating drugged candles with beeswax, drug smuggling, tax evasion¡­¡­ Any argument they had on the surface about their children''s engagement was only camouflage for their secret activities, a deep swamp that I''ve been dragged into because I found what was truly going on behind what appeared to be a simple engagement conflict.


    How long is this farce going to continue for, I wonder.


    All the evidence that Earl Terejia helped me gather of their illegal acts, I modified the evidence so that it would benefit Viscount Rogshia, and I''ll submit it to the priests when they''re finished with their arguments.


    The fact will remain that Viscount Rogshia still has a large debt, but the person truly holding the key to Viscount Rogshia''s future prospects is Earl Freche. For the mere price of 20 million arcs, a paltry sum to him at least, Earl Freche will be able to acquire large amounts of fertile land in the Greenfield region and extensive beekeeping facilities.


    It''s good for all of us that Earl Freche accepted his youngest son Cornell''s plan to pay off Viscount Rogshia''s debt and essentially gain control of the Rogshia domain.


    The crookedness of the Ogren family surely must be connected to the main family behind them, the Nordsturms. Earl Terejia wants to find a concrete connection somewhere so that he can drag Marquis Nordsturm in front of the House of Lords, so this time I''m acting as Earl Terejia''s chess piece with this final objective in mind. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡­¡­It seems that the issue between the Ogrens and the Rogshias will come to a close soon. However, I felt an unexpected uncomfortable feeling in my ear, so I raised my head instinctively.


    "Is something the matter?"


    Maybe it was too much of a sudden movement, the priests that were coldly and calmly listening to the viscounts argue, and even the two viscounts that had been verbally sparring so viciously, everyone in the room''s attention was pulled to me. I could hear a high-pitched tone in the distance, increasing in volume, causing my ears to tremble slightly.


    "¡­¡­I think, there may be some sort of commotion outside?"


    "Eh?"


    One of the priests quickly signaled a guard standing in front of the door to this room, who opened the door.


    At that instant, all of us could clearly hear some sort of commotion. Also, there was some sort of strange sound in the air, almost like the rustling of leaves.


    Exactly at this time, guards from outside panickily rushed into the room, shouting "it''s a fire! There''s a fire near us! Evacuate to somewhere safe!"


    Everyone stood up in unison. If this is just a simple fire though, this other sound we''re hearing is still too strange.


    "Since this is an emergency situation, this trial will end for the time being. Everyone, follow me."


    One of the priests who looked absolutely ashen lead the way, while guards escorted both viscounts. Since Feria still looked lost about what was going on, I pulled on her arm. Since I gave a hand signal to Oscar for him to go fetch the documentary evidence against Viscount Ogren and we''re currently separated, will we be able to meet up later properly? He shouldn''t be that far away.


    ¡­¡­But anyways, what an inconvenient timing for such a ruckus. I hope that this doesn''t have a negative impact on resolving this incident.


    At a brisk pace, I walked out of the church temple for the trial. What I saw next made me doubt my eyes, and everyone was speechless.


    The sky itself was crimson. Although it was evening, the air itself appeared to be burning. From the direction of the commoners'' district, black smoke could be seen rising here and there, and sparkling fiery powder could be seen glittering everywhere in the air.


    "Are these¡­¡­ fire moths? It couldn''t be. Such an enormous amount?"


    Viscount Rogshia made that comment in a daze. Well, I felt the same way he did as I looked up at the sky.


    A crimson sky. There''s an uncountable number of fire moths swirling about, dancing in the sky.


    With their strange buzzing, wherever the fire moths swarmed like waves over the commoners'' buildings, a new fire would vigorously sprout. Screams are echoing everywhere. Everyone was lost for words at this abnormal situation.


    "Exactly what is going on here?"


    "At any rate, let''s evacuate from here¡­¡­ this area is dangerous."


    It happened right when the priest turned around. Suddenly a great force hit me, and my body struck a wall. Due to the shock of the impact, I couldn''t breathe for a moment. I limply fell down to the ground against the wall, as I couldn''t summon up any energy.


    "Nobody move! Don''t move!!"


    Someone is now pressing up against me forcefully on my back. It''s Viscount Ogren, who''s even louder than before and sounds almost hysterical. When I somehow managed to turn my head around, I also saw two unfamiliar men in black clothing removing their swords from the guards'' bodies that they just ambushed.


    Feria''s screaming pierced through the air. I also saw Viscount Rogshia collapsing to the ground without uttering a sound.


    "What is all this!!"


    Those were the last words that the judge priest ever said. Buzz, as the fire moths approached us, he met his end and was wiped out of existence instantly.


    This temple''s garden began smoldering as well. As the fire started spreading here as well, it reached the tunic of one of the dead guards on the ground. I could only watch the licks of fire expanding in blank amazement.


    "How excellent. All of you can just be burned alive by this fire!"


    Viscount Ogren''s screaming voice was overjoyed as he kept stepping on my back, and a moment right after I felt something cold on the back of my left hand ¨C


    "Uu, ahhhhhhh!!!"


    Sweat started trickling down my entire body as I was racked in pain and screamed instinctively. My left hand is so hot. It''s burning with pain. Viscount Ogren had taken a spear from one of the dead guards, and stabbed it through my left hand, pinning it to the ground.


    The viscount''s crazed laughter as he ran off even drowned out the sounds of Feria trying to struggle and escape the grasp of one of the black-clad attackers. The crackling sounds of fire, screaming, and the buzzing of the fire moths, at any rate I was surrounded by nothing but horrible sounds, and my left hand''s pain would soon become the least of my worries.

 Chapter 130 - 131

    I grinded my teeth, and grabbed the spear sticking out of my left hand with my right hand. It was difficult to catch my breath because of all the impacts my body had just received. I could hear unpleasant sounds as the fingers in my left hand began cramping terribly.


    It seems that at least the spear''s blade avoided piercing any of my bones. This is fortunate. If my bones had been broken as well, I would be even more sluggish and nauseous.


    I tried to pull the spear out of me. My palm was slippery with sweat, and it was difficult to get a good grip. Because of the fire''s close proximity to me, impatience and anxiety spread all through my body. If I don''t hurry, I''ll be burned to death¡­¡­ There''s also several people fallen around me.


    I could still see signs of life in the priest on the ground close to me. Viscount Rogshia is probably still alive as well. It''s too late for the others. Someone seems to have stuck a blade through the judge priest''s heart just to make extra sure he was dead, and both guards are dead as well.


    At the very least, I have to make sure this priest lives. If he makes it out of this alive, he can send Viscount Ogren to be executed. ¡­¡­Well, before all that, I have to solve my own urgent situation first.


    But, I don''t have the strength to remove a heavy metallic spear with only a single hand and the strength of a young child. I''m burning up with impatience. Just thinking about the possibility of the fire moths getting any closer to here sends chills running down my spine. I should be trying to calm down and catch my breath, but on the contrary I''m getting all heated up.


    The smell of burnt flesh caused me to recall unpleasant memories, and I felt disgusted. I don''t need additional reasons other than heat and pain to cause me to sweat right now. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Calm down¡­¡­ Calm down, me. How about I just take drastic measures, and try ripping the spear out of my flesh, even if it tears my fingers off? At the very worst, maybe I won''t be able to use my middle finger, ring finger, and little finger for the rest of my life, but that''s probably still better than dying here being burned alive. Plus, my left hand isn''t even my dominant hand.


    "-Eliza!"


    Just when I was thinking about sacrificing some fingers, how fortunate for me, I heard a voice calling for me from the sky.


    It was so unexpected for me to hear this voice, that I almost called him by his real name, but I managed to stop myself. I don''t want to get into another argument with him.


    "¡­¡­''Elise,'' I''m here!"


    Swoosh, the fire moths scattered. As Rashiok landed, a child with remarkably similar black hair and scarlet eyes to me rushed by my side. He looked at the spear stuck into my hand and his expression distorted, then he grabbed the spear handle with both hands and pulled it out of the ground.


    Blood is now falling to the ground with a pitter patter sound. An intense pain and numbness is causing my wrist to shake. I tore my cloak into strips with my mouth and right hand, and I had Ratoka help me tie the cloth strips around my hand and stop the bleeding, then I also had Ratoka carry the priest to Rashiok''s back as well.


    I had Rashiok carry Viscount Rogshia gently in his mouth, while the rest of us rode on Rashiok''s back as he soared through the air.


    I can hear the sounds of the wind blowing past us. Even though we''re flying straight in the middle of so many fire moths, none of them can approach us at all, probably because of the fact that Rashiok can control the wind with his magic.


    When I looked down at the royal capital''s downtown area, it was truly in a terrible condition. There were groups of people everywhere, trying to escape the fire moths through narrow alleyways. Fire and black smoke was everywhere, and there were constant screams of despair and anger.


    "You, how come you''re here?"


    "Rashiok suddenly¡­¡­ made me get on his back and flew off from your residence."


    Is that so, I nodded. Ratoka actually didn''t know what was going on. It was Rashiok that decided to move on his own. I would have preferred Teo or Gunther to Ratoka, honestly, but what most likely happened was that the moment Rashiok noticed something was going on, he probably just found the closest person and brought him here to me, so I can''t complain.


    I felt a bit relieved, and stroked Rashiok''s neck with my fingertips.


    "Oi, don''t move your injured hand."


    "The bleeding has stopped. I''m fine. It shouldn''t get worse unless I move my palm around."


    My tightly wrapped left hand had already stopped bleeding. I pushed the throbbing pain out of my consciousness and instructed Rashiok to land on the waterway. Since fire moths are weak against water, they shouldn''t be close to the waterway. There were many commoners that had escaped the fire moths standing in the water, shivering in fear.


    "Ratoka, take care of the injured people we brought. Don''t let them die. Especially this priest."


    I suddenly gave Ratoka an order, and removed the remnants of my cloak that was interfering with my movement, and pressed it into Ratoka''s arms telling him he could use it for bandages. Eh, was all that Ratoka could say, as I dropped him off on the high ground together with the two unconscious men.


    "Don''t leave the waterway. The fire moths won''t approach here."


    "Where are you going, with such an injury!"


    "Viscount Ogren escaped and took Feria Rogshia with him. I''m going after them."


    "What!?" I soon put Ratoka''s shouting behind me, as I ordered Rashiok to fly again. Once again I felt the wind''s roar, as well as the internal sensation of my organs floating.

 Chapter 131 - 132

    "Follow Feria''s scent, hurry!"


    They shouldn''t have been able to go far yet. With this much chaos, and how conspicuous they would be, they would probably be noticed by someone everywhere they go. Especially in the noble district.


    But, I don''t know the identity of the two men in black clothes, and I can''t be certain that Viscount Ogren and Feria are together. That''s why I want Rashiok to hurry as much as possible.


    Rashiok landed on a street in the commoners'' district where the fire was weak, then took off running down the street. Occasionally he pushed some packs of fire moths away with gusts of wind, and ran down an empty road.


    I finally realized that there was something strange about the fire moths'' movements. They were still gathering on the edges of Rashiok''s control over the wind in groups, but they weren''t moving in waves anymore.


    There''s something unnatural about all this, is what I think. The abnormal behavior of magical beasts has been continuing for the past few years. But, such behavior that clearly deviates so far from their natural behavior, shouldn''t happen unless it''s the prelude to some sort of calamity. All the knowledge I''ve accumulated about magical beasts is telling me something''s off.


    It''s absolutely impossible for the fire moths to cause such a major incident, based on their biological behavior.


    -Then, this incident must be the work of a human.


    I had a flashback to what happened three years ago. A magical beast that left the Monster Forest and entered a human structure, the monster baboon. It had seemed to get excited over human blood. But considering that beast''s original nature, that shouldn''t have been possible.


    Although monster baboons have high intelligence, it''s still a magical beast. Its inherent nature is that of an animal. In other words, for it to have been hunting humans that aren''t its food in a building that was currently burning goes against all the laws of nature. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    When something that cannot naturally occur does occur, the cause will almost certainly be due to humans. I don''t know how they do it, but there must be a person somewhere that has a technique to make monsters and magical beasts run rampant. As I got lost in my thoughts, Rashiok gave me a low growl.


    "You found them?"


    I unsheathed the sword fastened to my waist. It''s only a ceremonial light sword, but it will still suffice as a weapon.


    In a small plaza with a fountain, I saw two men dressed in black. One was carrying Feria on his back, and the other was vigilantly watching the surroundings while holding a spear.


    I could also see two shadows on the other side of the fountain. ¡­¡­Viscount Ogren was the only person I couldn''t see. But he wasn''t alone, there was the shadow of someone else there, presuming one of the shadows was Viscount Ogren.


    First I must consider, is it really necessary to rescue Feria? I can''t do anything if I''m worried about the fact that they have a hostage. -In my opinion, it''ll be difficult to steal her from them.


    "Go, Rashiok. It''s time to hunt."


    The man hurriedly swung his spear at Rashiok when he finally noticed us ambushing him, but it bounced off his scales uselessly as Rashiok bit into his unarmored arm. The momentum from the collision threw him into the fountain, causing water to splash all over.


    Simultaneously, I jumped off of Rashiok''s back, and I aimed directly with my short sword to pierce through the man carrying Feria.


    I''m not worried about the fate of the hostage, but I must bear the full brunt of my choices. This is a realization that I''ve come to after reincarnating.


    A strange sound spewed out from the mouth of the man whose shoulder I pierced through completely, causing life to leave his body, as I also peeled Feria off of him. Feria screamed as we hit the ground together rolling, and I used her to absorb some of the impact from hitting the ground.


    After all, since I''m still only nine years old currently, it would be difficult for me to do something like actually carry a girl that''s sixteen like Feria by myself.


    "Get down."


    Giving blunt instructions that get straight to the point has become my habit already. As Feria tried to get up while just looking at me in amazement, I stepped over to the person that Rashiok bit to death, and took his spear. Well, it''s a little heavy for me, but it''ll do.


    At that moment, I heard the sound of a heavy object falling into the fountain and water splashing again. On the other side of the curtain of water droplets falling like rain, two people were coming in my direction.


    "¡­¡­Well, well. Eliza Kaldia. I didn''t expect to meet you so soon. You''re really so similar to your father, who enjoyed killing people in such a garish manner."


    I heard a man laughing gloomily, which gave me an eerie sensation of familiarity, and when the water droplets stopped falling and I saw the man who had just been speaking, that''s when it hit me.


    I couldn''t do anything but stand there stunned.


    While his black hair was wet from the water, his dazzling scarlet blood-red eyes were exactly the same shade that I loathed to look at every time I saw myself in a mirror.


    For an instant, I almost thought I really was looking into a mirror. However, the clothes and hairstyle were different. Also, this person had the same crazed aura about him as a person from my memory.


    "¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡­¡­ F, father?"


    Is this some sort of nightmare that I can''t get away from, that''s come into the world of reality? As the man slowly turned his head towards me and I got a clearer look, he appeared more and more reminiscent of my late father.

 Chapter 132 - 133

    May 9, 2017 ¡¤ by imperfectluck ¡¤ in Uncategorized. ¡¤


    Clang, the spear I was holding slid down my palm and rattled against the stone ground. The sound brought me back to sanity, and I hurriedly gripped the spear properly again.


    This man who resembled my father to such a great degree, was rolling Viscount Ogren''s body with his feet quite casually as he approached me slowly.


    -The viscount. The sound I heard earlier of something falling into the fountain must have been him. He''s drenched in water, and I can also see a dark red color spreading.


    Was Viscount Ogren killed by this man I wonder, and just as I was realizing that my head still wasn''t able to get a grasp on this situation quite yet, Viscount Ogren''s right hand lifted up weakly and grabbed the hem of the blood-red-eyed man''s pants.


    "Why, you, Nor¡­¡­ dstur¡­¡­ do this¡­¡­ to me!"


    He''s having difficulty speaking clearly, but I was still able to hear him as he sent water droplets flying. I think he probably took a blow to his head. Too much information to process¡­¡­ rather than processing information that I can''t understand right now, it''s probably better to stop thinking about it entirely for the time being.


    Just now, what did Viscount Ogren call this man? Did he refer to him as a Nordsturm?


    "Melchior, is that the child? You two really do look alike."


    The chuckling sound of a woman I didn''t know cut through the air. The woman who had been standing behind the blood-red-eyed man stepped out in front, all while casually grinding her foot into Viscount Ogren''s head. The viscount groaned once, then fell silent.


    She''s a rather tall woman wrapped in a simple traveler''s cloak. I can''t tell the color of her eyes because most of her face is covered by a cloth, but going by her smooth tan brown skin that she exposed so casually on her belly and thighs, she''s definitely not from Arxia.


    "¡­¡­Just who are you guys?"


    When I asked who they were, they looked at each other. Then, they suddenly started laughing.


    "Listen up closely, little child. This man here is Marquis Melchior Nordsturm. He''s got a much higher rank than you. Don''t you think you should be showing a little more respect?"


    With her annoying laughter all throughout introducing her companion, the woman used a high-pitched tone of voice that almost sounded like she was singing.


    -Ridiculous. Marquis Nordsturm¡­¡­ Really? This man who''s obviously some relative of mine is a Nordsturm? Just the fact that his family name is Nordsturm is shocking enough, but he also has the high noble rank of a Marquis? Confusion and surprise is whirling through my head right now.


    In the first place, none of my relatives other than me should have survived. -It can''t possibly be, did I fail to kill one back then?


    I looked directly at the man again. I gripped the spear tightly with my right hand. While this man looked exactly the same as my father did, almost as if it were a photograph, there''s clearly a point of difference. It''s his age.


    I can tell that this man looks a bit younger than my father from my memories. I think he''s probably about fifteen years older than me. I can''t imagine him being more than twenty years my elder.


    "Don''t stare at me like that, Eliza. Isn''t this the first family meeting for us~? Isn''t that right? My sister. Or perhaps you''re my niece?"


    I got goosebumps on my flesh. So he''s acknowledged and knows that we''re related in some way¡­¡­ S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A strong feeling of disgust was welling up within my chest, and gathering at my throat. It feels like my insides are tossing and turning, and it was getting difficult for me to keep my balance, so I supported my body by leaning against the spear.


    However, I couldn''t bear the disgust and nausea any longer, and I leaned over and vomited right on the spot. It wasn''t just once, either, I vomited several times, to the point where I emptied my entire stomach and my body was cramping up.


    "Oh my, it seems I''m so disliked to the extent that you even vomited. Such a pity. I had always looked forward to meeting you though, since you''re the person my father pays the most attention to."


    His tone of voice was that of getting excited and having a lot of fun. Just this alone further increased my nausea. Things are swirling in my head right now. My father''s maniacal voice is forcibly coming back to me.


    Before I realized it, Rashiok had crawled beside me, and was barking at the two of them as if to intimidate. Suddenly a gust of wind blew, and both of them almost lost their footing.


    The cloth covering the woman''s face was blown away, and I could see her face clearly now. She had the distinct look of someone from the eastern countries, sharp features, and for some reason, the left side of her face was strangely distorted.


    It''s a chalk tattoo. It''s a complex pattern, while the right half of her face only had a cross of some sort drawn on it, which also spread to and was repeated again on her arms and legs.


    "Oh, wow. You have quite the exotic pet, little kid. I''m jealous~."


    The woman''s lighthearted tone of voice as if she was merely bantering resounded through my ears. I forced myself to swallow down any feelings of nausea, pursed my lips, and looked directly at the woman. When she noticed my attention, she smiled creepily again.


    "I''m so jealous, you should lend him to me. I want to have some fun, too~."


    Although she was empty-handed, the woman reached out to Rashiok with both her hands. Then, although I almost doubted my eyes ¨C the toxic purple tattoos on her body began glowing.


    "You may want to play, but we need to leave here soon, Diferis."


    "I know, Melchior. Just for a little while. Just let me play for a little while, until that little kid''s heart gets completely shattered into pieces."


    With signs of madness in her eyes as she looked directly at me, her smile was warping to an incredible extent. Exactly what is she planning to do? I increased my level of vigilance, and readied my spear.


    This man just called her Diferis. Meaning, this woman is the foreign church terrorist that''s infiltrated Arxia for so long.


    "Alright, let''s have a little fun with your pet, shall we!?"


    At the same instant that the woman was crowing with her annoying voice, that''s when it happened. Suddenly, Rashiok who was next to me emitted a scream, and fell down on the spot.

 Chapter 133 - 134

    "Rashiok¡­¡­!? You bastard, what did you do!"


    I aimed my spear directly at her neck in an effort to pierce her through. While Diferis did open her eyes and see me coming, all she did was tilt her head backwards.


    Before I was able to strike her throat with my spear tip, a sword interrupted me from the side, and I glared at the man who interfered. Using the momentum of my thrust, I turned my body around and the centrifugal force from my spear was threatening enough that both of them jumped backwards instantly.


    "Oh no, you''re actually surprisingly strong."


    "She''s merciless. There''s something messed up about her, that''s why she can kill people without any hesitation. It''s proof that she''s inherited more traits from her crazy father than anyone else."


    The man ¨C Melchior seemed to be delighted as he said those words, and even though my logic knows that he''s just trying to shake me mentally, it still had its effect and I could feel my brain going numb.


    Calling my father crazy, saying there''s something messed up about me ¨C shut up, even if he doesn''t say such things, even if it''s disgusting, I still mentally acknowledge it ¨C thinking so, I couldn''t help it anymore and began grinding my back teeth loudly.


    Let me analyze the situation. A two against one battle will be almost hopeless for me, but with Rashiok currently fallen down, I don''t have any other choices. I tried to regulate my breathing as much as I possibly could, so that I could calm down and stay in control.


    "¡­¡­You don''t need to glare at me with such a scary face, little kid. You have a different opponent."


    Dark red blood was flowing from her tattoos now, and Diferis''s distorted face was showing signs of pain while still laughing somehow. She was holding both her arms out to empty space. A demonic glow was tracing patterns in midair.


    With a rumble, the ground suddenly shook, then Rashiok behind me slowly stood up.


    "Rash-"


    I was interrupted before I could finish calling out to him, normally he should have replied with his typical bark, but this time his huge body came hurtling straight at me.


    "¡­¡­Rashiok?"


    I called out his name again in a daze, there''s clearly something wrong with him. He fell down to the ground again, moaning painfully while pawing the ground in front of him with his front legs. He''s frothing from his mouth, and his pupils are extremely dilated, as if he''s in a state of terrible excitement.


    Exactly what is going on here? Suddenly, my hairs all stood up on end, and I got a bad feeling about all this.


    "Hehehehe. Alright then, let''s begin playing with your cute pet~!"


    Diferis started her grating laughter again, and she began swinging her arms. It''s almost like she was dancing, while drawing ominous purple trails through the air.


    Rashiok stood up again, and turned towards me. I could tell from his eyes that he was no longer in control of himself, he was dripping slimy pieces of drool, and roaring at me.


    I saw nothing but white. I barely managed to dodge Rashiok charging at me, I was basically moving unconsciously.


    "Rashiok-"


    I could hardly believe what was happening, and I tried calling out to him again. Once again, Rashiok moaned in agony, and he rubbed his head against the ground as if to clear his head of any confusion. At this obvious act of resistance, Diferis''s mocking laughter became even higher-pitched.


    "As expected of a relative to dragons! It actually has quite some ability to resist!!"


    This woman who''s prancing around with blood coming out of her face and neck, dirtying her whole body, is such an incredibly distasteful existence. She''s incomprehensible, and of course, what humans can''t understand is usually frightening to them.


    This woman, she''s definitely controlling Rashiok.


    Could it really be? Is such an outlandish thing even possible? Being able to control the wills of other living creatures, such a thing ¨C although a little part of me inside still wanted to deny it, in the edge of my vision, I saw the fire moths still in the sky, dancing and spreading fires everywhere in the commoners'' district. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "¡­¡­You, can, control magical beasts?"


    Can she use magic, just like Rashiok who''s able to manipulate the wind?


    On my way to this fountain plaza, I''d already considered the possibility that the abnormal behavior of the fire moths was caused by a human. And, I also remembered about the monster baboon that appeared where it shouldn''t have been.


    At that moment, my vision was dyed pure red.


    I put all of my strength into my right arm, and threw my spear. It drew a black line as it flew, and pierced through the woman''s right thigh, causing a spurt of fresh blood to come out in mist form.


    Her cackling laughter turned into screaming. "Diferis!" Melchior lost his calm demeanor for the first time, as he called out to her.


    My lips are smiling, drowning in this brutal pleasure, that''s so heavy and dark, just like oil. When I traced my left hand''s fingers along my cheek, I noticed that I also had a terribly distorted smile on my face.


    Heh heh, some laughter escaped from me as well. It feels like my insides are boiling, it''s painful to the point where I''m wondering if my body is beginning to fester, but contrary to all that it feels like my head is encased in ice, I''ve never felt such a chilling coldness before.


    My ears are ringing harshly. I''m feeling wondrous, as if I''m floating and not connected to the ground. My murky emotions discharged themselves from my body by turning into a low-pitched laughter.


    I stepped on the head of the corpse which just happened to be close by, and pulled out my light sword that I had just stuck through his neck and shoulder earlier. At this time, Diferis also managed to pull out the spear from her own leg, and threw it on the ground with a clang. Her expression is painted over now with anger and humiliation, and she was glaring at me with hatred and murderous intent.


    I could feel my lips turning even further upwards.


    This woman, was directly responsible for Kamil''s death. At thinking so, my muddy feelings that I couldn''t describe just began overflowing. Even Rashiok''s suffering disappeared from my mind.


    "I will kill you."


    As my atrocious declaration echoed, I could feel my brain reaching subzero levels.

 Chapter 134 - 135

    As Diferis rose both her hands up again, I rushed directly for her with my short sword in hand. I aimed for her stomach, but just like I expected, a sword interfered from the side again. I heard the sound of someone clicking their tongue in impatience, before a metallic clang from our swords colliding drowned out all other sounds.


    I suddenly had the idea to stomp on the stone that the spear happened to be resting on close to me, causing it to bounce up into my hand. At seeing this, as if she wanted to escape, Diferis hurriedly backed away from me.


    "¡­¡­Urgh, this shitty brat¡­¡­!!"


    At the moment that Melchior jumped backwards and seemed to be rubbing his sword, Rashiok roared from behind me as he soared into the sky. I grabbed some mud in my left hand, and targeted for his eyes.


    I listened to my draconis crying painfully from having his eyes blinded in a surprisingly cold, detached manner. I aimed for a spot slightly away from his nose, and smacked him with the blunt side of my sword without hesitation. Some of his sparkling scales fell off in front of me.


    However, I wasn''t able to avoid his wing that struck my left shoulder. My arm started swinging loosely, and I definitely heard an unpleasant cracking sound from my shoulder.


    I was feeling sharp pain and numbness in tandem, and I also found that I wasn''t able to control my left arm anymore.


    ¡­¡­Has my shoulder been dislocated? It''s fine if it''s only a subluxation, but a complete dislocation will be quite bothersome.


    "Ahh, Diferis. I think you''ve really gone and done something unnecessary here-"


    As Melchior aimed for my leg with his sword, his voice was tinged with frustration. I kicked the ground with my shoes, jumping up as high as I could, and directly targeted his red eyes with my sword tip.


    He twisted his body and face as much as he possibly could, causing all the water still clinging to his hair to scatter about, and since his long black hair was swinging freely in front of me, I took the opportunity to attack whatever I could reach with the remaining force of my momentum.


    With a ka-shing sound, I sliced off part of his hair. Melchior''s face was painfully distorted as he lost part of his hair, and my short sword also managed to graze him on his ear.


    "Urk!!"


    He let out a shriek. I analyzed him coolly, as if I was a hunter who was observing her prey, and came to the conclusion that he wasn''t used to fighting. Also, he didn''t seem to have much killing intent towards me. So, they probably didn''t intend to kill anyone at this location.


    How convenient for me. If they''re still going easy on me, then it may be possible after all to kill them.


    "Melchior!"


    Diferis entered the fray again with a short sword in her hand. Compared to her more practical weapon, my short sword is ceremonial in nature, a rapier. I ducked the blade clearly meant to cut off my head, scooped up some more mud and aimed straight for the fresh wound on her right thigh.


    "Gah, you!!"


    With the next swing of her blade, she sliced directly at my left arm that was hanging limply. I completely ignored the threat, and flicked my rapier upwards, stabbing directly at her face.


    I heard her scream again. It seems that I''ve managed to cut open the left side of her face. As if she just realized for the first time she could possibly lose, she backed away and put as much distance between us as possible.


    Without any hesitation, I fell back as well, to take this chance to rest for a small moment after their combined attacks.


    Also at this time, I started tearing off the high collar of my coat with my teeth. I leaned my rapier against my left hand''s fingers, and now that my right hand was empty, I grabbed my left shoulder. I felt my joint that was clearly displaced and slowly, forcefully pushed it back into place with all my strength.


    The pain was even more severe than when it got dislocated, sweat started pouring out all over as if my body was a raincloud. Click, a loud and horrifying sound echoed throughout my body, and the pain when it popped back in made me white out for an instant.


    I had an awful feeling like I was about to vomit once again, and what little remained in my stomach came flowing up into my mouth. My throat was burning. I spat out the contents of my mouth quickly, and returned my sword to my right hand, in combat position.


    My breathing was so ragged, that I forced myself to take a deep breath. My body is wobbly. I wonder if I''m somewhat overdoing it.


    As for Diferis, she was also treating her injuries while keeping watch on me. I could see her hand trembling violently as she covered her left eye with her hand, and she was glaring at me furiously, like some sort of wild beast, panting uncontrollably. There''s zero sign of the mocking laughter from earlier.


    "Diferis."


    From behind Diferis, while holding a hand over his bleeding ear, Melchior kept his cool as he talked to her.


    "We''re just about out of time, we need to get going."


    The primal expression on Diferis''s face distorted momentarily. I wonder if they''re going to be late for something really important to them, she kicked the ground in frustration, then swiftly acted again. She shook those mysterious tattoos on her body again, and waved her fingers in my direction. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This time it wasn''t Rashiok that moved, instead it was the mass of fire moths still floating in the sky. Without being deterred by the fact that water was still everywhere after being splashed out from the fountain, the fire moths formed into a huge dark clump and flew straight in my direction.


    I splashed myself with as much water from the fountain as I could before they got here, then reflexively covered my face with my arms. Soon, I saw and felt nothing but fire moths all around me. I heard their wet wings crashing into me one after the other, then falling onto the ground. As I expected, because I''m still wet from being splashed, they aren''t able to start a fire on me.


    Although they can''t really do anything to me right now, as they''re mostly harmless when their fire magic is negated, and they die when they come into contact with water, there''s so many of them that it''s difficult for me to move.


    While I was being surrounded by the leafy sounds of the fire moths'' buzzing, I heard a girl''s high-pitched screaming.


    -It''s Feria. I couldn''t help it and mentally cursed myself. Even though she should have been close by still, right now I can''t even stretch out my hands, and I''m so covered in moths that I don''t even know which direction is which currently.


    "See ya, little kid!"


    In Diferis''s parting remark, I could detect anger, contempt, and even regret that she wasn''t able to stay.


    Finally, the fire moths all died off after coming into contact with the water on my body, and I was able to see Melchior and Diferis''s backs in the distance. I also saw what appeared to be Feria in Diferis''s arms.


    I swept away all the dead moths that had accumulated on my body, and used a coat from one of the dead men in black to wrap all the dead moths in. Then, I inspected my rapier. It has a dark aura about it now ¨C but I was interrupted by Rashiok who was glaring at me with bloodshot eyes, and frothing saliva was dripping everywhere from his mouth again.


    "Rashiok-"


    This time when I called him, he didn''t rub his head against the ground in confusion. As if he had gone rabid, just like a wild beast, he opened his jaws wide and jumped straight for me.

 Chapter 135 - 136

    It''s quite obvious that if Rashiok manages to bite me, I''ll die. I was calmer than I expected as my brain continued to work.


    I barely managed to escape Rashiok''s charging, by rolling on the ground. However, his snake-like tail came crashing into my left side at a frightening speed, and my light body was blown away.


    "Urk, oof¡­¡­!"


    My body was tossed and turned on the muddy ground several times, bouncing up and down. My body was making unpleasant rattling sounds. Even though I still hadn''t recovered from the impact yet, I got up again as soon as my body stopped rolling. I held my sword in front of myself defensively, and prepared myself for Rashiok''s next attack.


    My heart felt so dry, like it was splitting into pieces, a terrible feeling. When I wiped some of the mud off of my face with my left arm, I felt a stinging pain. My entire body was aching. ¡­¡­Now then, how can I make it out of this situation alive?


    Rashiok seemed to be in a bad mood as he watched me and shook his tail back and forth. Even though Diferis has completely left this location by now, he still isn''t returning to normal.


    Is this a complete brainwashing, then? For all sorts of magical monsters and beasts, making them ignore their inner natures, and giving them amnesia¡­¡­ It''s definitely not an ability that can be explained by anything other than magic.


    While I think that the concept of magicians is a bit ridiculous, I acknowledge that magic definitely exists in this world. The ice lizard that froze an entire forest, Rashiok and his wind magic, and the fire moths. While there are monsters and beasts that can use magic, there''s never been any evidence that humans can cast magic.


    "Rashiok, please turn back to normal¡­¡­!"


    Even when I shouted, Rashiok didn''t show any signs of reacting to my voice. He increased the volume of his roaring instead, and fixed his gaze upon me as if I was his prey.


    Am I going to have to kill him? Will I be able to do it?


    -Also, blades are ineffective, they''ll bounce off his scales easily, and I might injure myself. I either have to aim for his eyes, or his open mouth.


    When I thought about the possibility I would have to kill him, my mind already began to race on effective methods to kill my opponent. The sword will be ineffective. So, I should switch to the spear. Since Rashiok is so huge, I can''t let him corner me in a confined area. The spear is currently spinning around on the ground between me and Rashiok. If I jump for it¡­¡­ can I make it in time?


    I could feel my body rapidly increasing in sluggishness. I don''t have the confidence to say I can avoid his next charge. So, I''m going to have to go for the spear immediately.


    I made my decision instantly. I kicked the muddy ground so hard, that I almost tripped and fell. As if lured by my movements, Rashiok came running as well. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The mud on my shoes caused me to slip, so I grabbed the spear handle while tumbling on the ground. Just as I managed to right myself, Rashiok''s open mouth was already in front of me.


    Reflexively ¨C I used the long spear to block his teeth from chewing down on me.


    I myself was surprised at my instant reaction. The momentum from Rashiok''s charge pushed me back however, and my head hit the ground.


    Suddenly, I felt a pressure being applied to my left arm. Is he playing with his prey, like a wild beast?


    "Ah, ahhh!!"


    My throbbing shoulder caused me to scream in pain again, and I also saw my red blood flying out from a gash on my left arm. I heard Rashiok making a sound from his throat as if he didn''t want to do this.


    In addition to the pain, something else was making my vision go blurry. I wasn''t able to see Rashiok''s unfocused eyes in front of me clearly anymore.


    Damn it, why is it at this time, that my tears would well up¡­¡­


    Although Rashiok let out several sounds of reluctance, he wasn''t able to stop himself. Why must I fight with him in a life or death struggle? Even though I helped bring him up myself before he even opened his eyes. This beautiful beast, that was always at my side, am I going to have to kill him?


    -It''s impossible. I can''t do it. Even if I die, I don''t want to do it.


    My arm is trembling. The tears from my eyes rolled down and washed away some of the mud on me.


    Still, no matter what I feel, or how much I cry, it won''t help persuade this beast that''s lost its sense of reason to let me live. Even though I raised him up myself.


    In the instant that his teeth got stuck on the spear I was still holding on to, I kicked at Rashiok''s defenseless throat exposed in front of me with all my might. I surprised even myself with my half-unconscious acrobatics, as Rashiok wailed in pain and I used this chance to get a good grip on my spear again.


    Alright, let''s die. In this current situation, when your body collapses, it''ll probably crush me under it, and we can die together.


    However, my spear didn''t pierce his flesh like I had expected. Suddenly Rashiok began roaring thunderously, and his gigantic body took flight above me. I heard the sound of some object falling onto the mud. It was something big, that was beautiful and reddish-violet colored.


    It felt like as if my heart was being squeezed by a hand of ice. Rashiok was making sounds of agonizing excruciation, and I was crying for him as well.


    "-Are you alright!?"


    "¡­¡­¡­¡­Oscar?"


    An adult''s arm picked me up from the mud I was wallowing in. His usually serious voice was tinged with anxiety, and I finally said his name after catching my breath.


    "I thought you would die¡­¡­, no, my apologies, this happened right after I left your side."


    No need to apologize, I was the one who ordered you to leave my side to fetch the evidence against Viscount Ogren. I shook my head slowly.


    "How, is, Rashiok?"


    My voice was weak and choppy. My lungs feel bruised, and hurt terribly.


    "¡­¡­I cut off one of his wings."


    A wing. -I see. The sound of pain as Rashiok kept thrashing about in this bog-like area continued to increase in volume.


    "Rashiok¡­¡­ Rashiok!!"


    I wonder if the pain will be able to dissolve the brainwashing. It was a faint ¨C a tiny hope that I clung to as I called him.


    But, indeed, he responded to me. Through his roars of suffering, although it was weak, Rashiok did respond to me just the way he always did.


    "¡­¡­Rashiok,"


    In the end, that woman ¨C things happened just like she said it would. She put me into a situation where I had to kill Rashiok, no matter how much I didn''t want to, stabbing through my heart all over. Just like she said she would do, she successfully shattered my heart into pieces.


    However ¨C both Rashiok and I are still alive. I''m injured all over, one of his wings has been cut off, and yet, we''re still alive. Neither our bodies, nor our spirits, were broken entirely in this battle we were forced to fight against each other.


    The heart isn''t like paper or a piece of cloth. As long as the heart can still see hope, it can be mended again.


    Oscar wiped my tears for me as they kept flowing out. He also had the foresight to caress my cheeks, and soon his hand was replaced by Rashiok''s warm, moist tongue that still had life in it as he licked me.

 Chapter 136 - 137

    I washed all the mud off my body with what little water remained in the broken fountain, then with Oscar holding on to me, both of us got onto Rashiok''s now one-winged back.


    Rashiok and I are both at our limits. However, they''ve kidnapped Feria. Also ¨C that woman, Diferis, I want to kill her more than anyone else, in this chaos today while I have the chance.


    That woman''s ability is way too dangerous. I can''t allow her to get away, and there''s also the fact that she wants to kill me just as much.


    "Please, it''s unreasonable to push yourself any further!"


    "I know. My apologies, I''ll have to leave any fighting up to you, Oscar."


    "Anyone that would make you fight in your current injured state would have to be heartless."


    Then, Oscar continued speaking.


    "You''re not a knight, you''re the commander, and I''m not a civil servant, I''m a knight. That''s how it originally should have been. ¡­¡­I''m so sorry for my late arrival."


    Since Oscar was more accustomed to riding on a draconis than I expected, we were able to push our limits, and tracking down Diferis and Feria wasn''t that difficult.


    A black cloud of fire moths was swarming on top of the central area in the commoners'' district. There were fires everywhere, but dark clouds were also gathering right now above the royal capital. Are they intending to escape under the cover of rain? More than the dark clouds though, the sky was almost completely blackened by smoke.


    "If it starts to rain, their scent will be erased by the rain, and Rashiok won''t be able to track them any more¡­¡­"


    "We have to catch up to them before then!"


    As if in response to Oscar''s tone of urgency, Rashiok''s feet began kicking off from the building rooftops with increasing speed. Even though he lost one of his wings, his agility was still amazing to behold as he lightly jumped through the air. Even with the current situation, I have to thank Earl Terejia. He was the one who helped me meet such a splendid draconis.


    Rashiok uttered a low growl. I could already see the rooftop in question. There was a huge mass of fire moths above it, with a huge buzzing sound. Diferis was standing in the church plaza, and seemed like she was dancing while controlling the fire moths.


    Those toxic purple tattoos were drawing patterns in the air again, and the fire moth flocks acted as if they were puppets attached to strings coming from her hands.


    It was a fantastical scene to behold, one that couldn''t get any weirder. I shook off my body''s painful memories that it brought up in my left hand. Next to the dancing Diferis, I saw Feria sitting there listlessly on the ground. I lightly tapped on Rashiok''s neck.


    "Let''s go!"


    With my voice as the cue, he jumped straight for Diferis who was on a three-story building''s roof. For a magical beast whose natural habitat is the treacherous cliffs and the snow-covered Amon Nor mountain range, something like this is nothing.


    She must have noticed us descending upon her, Diferis''s expression suddenly changed and she backed away from where she was standing. I took this chance to make my next moves together with Oscar and Rashiok.


    Rashiok picked Feria up in his mouth, and instantly left this location. Oscar drew his sword and headed straight for Diferis, while I slipped behind one of the church''s statues. I suppressed an urge to cough from my weakened body.


    "So you came after all, hey, you''re getting really annoying!!"


    Shing, a sharp sound hung in the air after Diferis deflected Oscar''s sword aiming for her heart with a large knife. They traded several successive blows with their weapons, and Oscar could only stay on the defensive, having to block her dagger with his one-handed longsword.


    An incredible buzzing sound suddenly arose from the fire moth swarms, and this time they went after Oscar.


    This is the first time I''m seeing his combat abilities, and while he''s not bad, his movements are too inflexible. He''s definitely not a monster of Claudia''s caliber. His aristocratic swordsmanship is too ceremonial.


    However, as if representative of his steadfast nature, his style is extremely simple, it''s the very essence of consistency and reliability.


    "Now then, if you don''t want to become fuel for the fire today, dance for me as much as you can!!"


    Her high-pitched frenzied shouting was soon swallowed up completely by the deafening buzzing sound of countless fire moths.


    While Oscar has considerable ability as a warrior, there''s a limit to what he can do by himself. With fire moths everywhere in the air, flying irregularly, gradually he was no longer able to close the distance to Diferis anymore.


    "Ahahaha, come on come on, dance more for me!!"


    Her dancing increased in fervor. Also, the number of moths now flying near the ground around us increased even more.


    This time, there''s no convenient water source close by that we can use and blow up. Diferis seemed to be giving it everything she had, and sent a red wave of fire moths at Oscar.


    Impatience seeped into Oscar''s expression. Swish, he immediately cut off his knight outfit when it began smoking, and numerous fire moths kept trying to get close to him.


    I held my breath while staying in the statue''s shadow, and kept my gaze on everything occurring. It felt like I was watching an animated painting, as Oscar kept dancing with death with the fire moths trying their utmost to kill him.


    My role is to act as the eyes currently. I have to see what Oscar can''t. Just as he said, I''m not a knight, and he is.


    I removed all unnecessary actions and emotions, and made my mind into ice ¨C


    "To your right, Oscar! Aim for her blind spot!!"


    -As I expected, Diferis''s magic depended on her vision. Since I sliced her left eye earlier, it seems that it''s affected her eyesight quite considerably, although I doubt it was serious enough to make her go blind in that eye. When I observed her calmly and coldly, it appeared that the fire moth groups on her left side lacked precision in their movements.


    I think that her flashy dancing is misleading, whenever she attempted to control Rashiok, or gave some new orders to the fire moths, she had to have her target in her line of sight. Being able to exert some partial dominance and give some simple commands while letting the target be in auto mode, or manually controlling the target''s movements, it seems that her magic can work both ways.


    Diferis seemed surprised for an instant, and as if lured by my voice, she looked away from Oscar. She presented her back to Oscar, while she faced my direction, where I was hiding behind the statue.


    She pointed her fingers at the sky above me. All the glittering red fire moths in the area, immediately rushed straight for me.


    "Burn to death, you brat!!!"


    My vision is dyed pure black right now.


    I''m holding my breath. My body is in such a tense, excited state that it''s like I don''t have any energy.


    -You''re the one who''s going to die here, Diferis!!


    As a wall of fire moths approached me, a draconis wing opened up and blew them away with all its power. Woosh, the sound of the wind was strong. I was almost blown away as well, I had to desperately cling on to the statue.


    The sudden gale easily pushed all the individually light fire moths back in the direction from where they came.


    There was a wail of despair from Diferis mixed in with all the sounds, and ¨C just for an instant, it changed to a final scream of death.


    In the middle of the plaza where fire moths had scattered everywhere, Oscar''s sword had penetrated her chest.


    When he pulled his sword out, her tan body collapsed onto the ground. She was still convulsing slightly, and bright red blood was spreading out quickly.


    The fire moths were dancing in confusion, but as if attracted by her blood, they slowly started gathering to Diferis while she was on the verge of death.


    She finally stopped making any noise entirely.


    The smell of her burning flesh began to trigger nausea in me from my old unpleasant memories.


    -But, I won. I''ve definitely succeeded in having her killed.


    It''s, my, victory.


    sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 137 - 138

    The major fire disaster that occurred in the commoners'' district of the royal capital was finally extinguished with the help of the rain, two days after it began. The number of dead people was estimated at roughly 700 to 800, and the priests and nobles of the kingdom were making efforts everywhere to support the commoners.


    Also, as for a few nobles that unfortunately got caught up in this fire ¨C Viscount Rogshia, Viscount Ogren, and Viscountess Kaldia, who were having a trial at a church near the commoners'' district, the House of Lords was thrown into a state of confusion about their matters.


    According to the surviving priest''s testimony, he reported to the House of Lords through the church that Viscounts Rogshia and Ogren were under suspicion of illegal narcotics manufacturing, smuggling, and tax evasion, and that two unidentified men connected to Viscount Ogren attacked us.


    With that lead to go on, after being made aware of the facts, a large-scale undercover investigation was done by the church to root out corrupt nobles.


    Among those caught were nobles from the north and the southwest inland region of Evitonis, which caused a huge uproar because Evitonis is the sacred land that the church founder Kusha Fema came from, so it was a problem to find out some of the ruling class there was corrupt.


    With that as the catalyst, Chief Priest Faris from Shanak Temple forcibly conducted an investigation against all the church branches in the Evitonis region. The terrible news that the church, which should have been the guardian of the law, was also discovered to be corrupt during the course of the investigation.


    About half of the churches in the Evitonis region were declared excommunicated from the Church of Arxia, and with the charges brought against them of misusing judicial authority, many people lost their social statuses all at once.


    "So, the ones secretly pulling the strings behind the curtains were Marquis Nordsturm, and this Western Alfena Church?"


    "That''s correct."


    "¡­¡­Is all of this really true? That you fought a member of the Western Alfena Church which infiltrated Arxia. Not only that, your opponent had a mysterious ability to control monsters?"


    "The one who killed her was Oscar Terejia, knight to my guardian Earl Terejia. All of the dead bodies from our fight were taken by Chief Priest Faris of Shanak Temple. One of the corpses died due to draconis bites, please confirm it with Chief Priest Faris. As for her ability, there''s no physical evidence of it. Currently the church is investigating the dead bodies."


    Margrave Genas who was sitting directly across from me was stroking his thick brown beard as he asked me questions with doubt in his voice. Ergnade sitting in a chair by my side nodded with a hmm as if he was deeply interested in this subject.


    "Well, seeing Viscountess Kaldia''s injured state, I think there''s no need to doubt her words. As for her draconis'' wing, I completely believe what she has said. This Jugfena region domain meeting is a good chance for all of us to remove our internal disagreements and unite together, so I think continuing to ask if her words are true or false is insignificant."


    Ergnade who was here on the behalf of the Jugfena royal domain''s¡­¡­ no, I should say as the representative, backed me up in front of Margrave Genas.


    After such a major incident within the royal capital, big changes occurred in the domestic situation. One example of this was the heir to the Jugfena royal domain, Earl Einsbark''s second son Wiegraf, taking over for him in the political arena.


    For a domain where the position is usually appointed instead of inherited, this would usually become a huge topic of discussion, but thanks to the sudden change in the domestic situation, it''s been buried by other topics.


    From all the incidents that happened, there was parts where the church and the House of Lords intentionally withheld information from the public. Diferis''s existence, my involvement and fight with her, the reason for the fire moths'' abnormal behavior, basically most of the information about my involvement wasn''t made known publicly.


    I don''t know what their intention is, but Earl Terejia and I have already decided to conceal our involvement. The only exception is at this Jugfena region domain meeting. As Ergnade just said, this is the time to come together, so we should share as much information that may be relevant to border defense as possible.


    So I shared my knowledge about an unknown ability to control monsters, and the terrorist that infiltrated Arxia and the incident she caused, as this isn''t the place to conceal such information.


    Margrave Genas glanced over at my bandages. I barely got any sleep and rode Rashiok overnight to get here to this meeting on time, but according to my doctor, I need to obediently rest in my bed for an entire month in order to recover.


    I forcibly fixed my dislocated shoulder, I have a laceration in my arm, and I had a hole drilled through my left hand. I was told that continuing to fight in this condition would of course be impossibly unreasonable, and that scars and impediments using my left arm in the future may remain.


    It''s possible for it to recover full functionality with rehabilitation, but time and patience will be necessary.


    "¡­¡­¡­¡­This entire uproar, was caused by the Western Alfena Church sect from Densel. Meaning, this is a complete loss for our Arxia. She''s successively caused massive chaos within Arxia, and together with the loss in noble rank of so many people, the number of Royal Knights have greatly decreased. She''s successfully managed to greatly weaken our national power and combat capabilities."


    Margrave Genas sighed, and looked up at the sky. He was looking out the window to the east, and his wrinkled face showed signs of bitterness.


    "One fortunate thing among all this misfortune, was that my father had decided to reorganize the command structure at Jugfena right before the incident. The system of command at Jugfena isn''t under much chaos right now. Originally, my older brother Wiegraf the strategist, was in a position where he could command both the knights and the army.


    If you compensate for the loss of personnel, you can organize a new command structure quickly."


    "I believe that Earl Einsbark''s current age greatly exceeds that of the average soldier. -I''ve heard that the injuries he received a few years ago are affecting his strength, how is he doing¡­¡­"


    He''s referring to the defensive battle three years ago at Fort Jugfena which was smoothed over into nothing, it was a war in which Earl Einsbark wasn''t even able to swing about his weapons to his satisfaction. Earl Einsbark''s domain is technically a northern domain, and his position is conferred upon him.


    There''s a rumor going around that Earl Einsbark may be promoted to Marquis this month, and that the territory confiscated from the corrupt northern nobles will be given to him. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "It''s not as if resting is the only thing he can do anymore, so it''s not all that bad. My eldest brother Volmar is also doing his best to manage the affairs of the domain, so that takes some of the burden off him."


    "Ah, I see."


    Since the second son Wiegraf is becoming the heir and entering politics, the eldest son Volmar is helping with running the domain more now, and had to resign from the Jugfena Fortress knight order.


    Since currently there was a shortage of noble candidates and the House of Lords was busy dealing with the aftermath of the fire moth incident, the two older Einsbark sons that were both accomplished in their own right acquired power just like that.


    "¡­¡­I would like to propose that we proactively share information with each other from now on, how about it? There''s so much information coming from my Genas domain that it''s too difficult to sift through it all, so I think it should be fine for both your domains to assist me."


    Right after we finished talking about domestic affairs, Margrave Genas himself proposed that we share information. Ergnade and I agreed to this with no hesitation whatsoever.


    And so, the first Jugfena region domains meeting succeeded in strengthening our ties, and we decided that we would hold such a meeting again in the future.

 Chapter 138 - 139

    This happened right after our meeting concluded. Ergnade softened his strict expression, and beckoned for me to come over. Hm? When I tilted my head and followed him while puzzled, he leaned over and met my eyes with a deep gaze.


    "¡­¡­It''s only been three years, but you''ve grown so much, Viscountess Kaldia. In the past, I wouldn''t have been able to meet your line of sight unless I was crouching down."


    "Ah, is that the case? It seems like you haven''t changed all that much."


    "I''ve already finished my growth period long ago. The only thing that''s going to happen to my appearance from now on is that I''ll get older."


    His eyes were twinkling with mischief, although there were more wrinkles around his eyes than the last time I saw him. He''s beginning to resemble his father Earl Einsbark even more. More so than three years ago, the last time I saw him.


    "How''s Oscar doing? I heard that he became your knight."


    "You know him? I thought that he wasn''t one of your direct subordinates."


    "He has the blood of the Terejia family. He''s not someone that I should know nothing about."


    ¡­¡­Well, it''s indeed as he says. Although Oscar''s grandmother was born to a different mother, she was still a half-sister of Marquis Rittergua and Earl Terejia. With such a powerful noble family like the Terejias, it would be difficult to ignore Oscar''s existence, even if he was only a distant relative.


    "He''s a capable fellow. He''s similar to Earl Terejia, and quite efficient in his work."


    "He tends to get overly passionate about what he''s doing. Since you''re so overworked, it''s a good thing for you to have a subordinate like him."


    "Ah, well, yes."


    Ergnade sat down on a sofa, and motioned me towards a sofa opposite of him. If he wants me to sit, he must have something else to talk about. I obediently sat down across from him like he wanted.


    "I''ll get straight to the point. Earl Terejia himself requested something of me."


    "¡­¡­Does it have something to do with me?"


    Earl Terejia requested something from Ergnade. I was lost for words for a moment in surprise. To my knowledge, the Einsbark family and Terejia family aren''t deeply connected, but it wouldn''t surprise me if Earl Terejia had personal connections with them. However, for Earl Terejia to directly make a request to Ergnade, I could only think that it had something to do with me.


    Over the past few years, Earl Terejia''s body''s condition had deteriorated, and I faintly detected with him summoning his relative Oscar to aid me that perhaps he was also preparing to share more and more of his duties running the Kaldia domain with everyone.


    If he keeps overworking himself like that, I feel as if he may die within the year, and I''d actually prefer that he get some rest for himself so that I also know to prepare to find a new guardian. ¡­¡­Unlike before, I''m getting increasingly worried that something may happen to him at any time.


    "Yes, it mainly has to do with you. I''ll skip the details of his request. Basically, he wants to know if you would like to become my daughter."


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­Wha?


    I couldn''t help but furrow my eyebrows and I took a good look at Ergnade which told me he was being serious.


    Become his, daughter? Me, and him?


    "¡­¡­You''re thinking about adoption?"


    "Nope. Not adoption, but legally taking on my family name. This method ¨C it seems that you don''t know about it."


    Ergnade gave me a simple explanation, that taking on the Einsbark name wouldn''t confer any new legal responsibilities on me at all. He told me not to overthink it, this is quite simple, he said quite naturally. It''s just as if he was lending me his family name.


    -I can''t comprehend. What does he get out of all this?


    Is there something behind this proposal of his? But for the second generation of a major noble military family, to support a young girl from a small domain with a reputation for infamy, I could only think that they would receive unnecessary hardships.


    "Hey, I already told you this isn''t such a hard thing to decide. Taking on the family name isn''t for the sake of any benefits. In ancient times, it was a way to have even closer ties to people you really liked, that you considered family. If you happen to be unsatisfied with me, feel free to say no, but if you decide you like me then just go ahead and say yes!"


    "Ahh¡­¡­"


    "Well, don''t worry for my sake, I do gain something from this as well. Right now I''m currently under pressure from my family to have children. I''m not even married yet so it can''t be helped, and giving you my family name will give me a daughter, it''ll be good for me as well."


    It''s quite a common story, and it struck a chord with me. Ergnade''s currently twenty-seven years old right now. Now that he''s become the leader of the Jugfena knights, it''s probably expected of him to have children as well.


    "I don''t think that just because you take me in, that the voices wanting you to have children will disappear¡­¡­"


    "Oh, but there is a way to quiet them. Then maybe I should say that I don''t mind just giving you my family name, how about I adopt you as well, eh. I think that when people hear your name, they''ll fall silent. Your name is beginning to get known as a warrior. After this incident, probably even more so."


    As I tilted my head, Ergnade added the ambiguous comment that "you''re not just any simple child, after all." Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "By the way, hasn''t my father already talked to you about taking on our family name?"


    "Oh, no, not yet. You must be joking?"


    "Who knows," Ergnade just grinned like a cat as he chuckled, he was probably joking I suppose. And, without noticing, all the tension in my shoulders was finally gone. This warm, relaxing feeling, where Ergnade cared for me and always tried to relieve my tension, was just like I remembered it, without changing.


    "Since Earl Terejia went to the trouble of requesting you, I have no objections."


    "I see. Well then, from now on you''ll be known as my daughter."


    "Indeed so. Then, please continue to take good care of me from now on."


    "Well, nothing much will change, really."


    After a surprisingly and simple discussion for such an eventful matter, on that day, I acquired an adoptive father. When I tried calling him father though, apparently I got an incredibly strange expression on my face, so I think I''ll just continue to call him Ergnade.


    (TL note: Some readers with sharp eyes and rudimentary Japanese knowledge may have noticed from the LN pictures that it spoiled the fact that Eliza was named "Eliza Kaldia Einsbark" in the character pictures. Well, this is why! From now on, Eliza has a new name, Eliza Kaldia Einsbark!)

 Chapter 139 - 140

    When I met Earl Freche''s youngest son Cornell again, autumn was just about to end. It was around the time when the commotion over summer''s incidents was finally dying down.


    With only a minimal number of servants, I received Cornell in my plain drawing room and served him black tea, and we got straight to the main point after briefly exchanging pleasantries.


    "¡­¡­That thing you mentioned, is this it?"


    He brought out a cream-colored lump with a tense expression on his face. I took it from him, and handed it to Ratoka behind me who was wearing a veil. Ratoka confirmed the aroma for me, and tapped my shoulder. That''s the signal that there''s no mistake.


    "It seems that this is correct. Thank you for your troubles, Cornell Freche. With this, our deal is now complete."


    "¡­¡­I''m glad to hear that. This is a load off my shoulders."


    He rubbed his hand over his heart in relief, and kept anxiously looking over at the lump in Ratoka''s hands.


    "Um, is this really alright? I mean, that''s¡­¡­ it''s what caused such an uproar in the royal capital, right¡­¡­"


    "This is the addictive beeswax, so of course it caused that commotion."


    "I knew it¡­¡­"


    As I nodded in confirmation, his face paled. I told him that there wouldn''t be any problems.


    "Starting from tomorrow, this beeswax will become a ''controlled medicine'' that can be traded."


    "Controlled, medicine?"


    "Indeed. A licensed doctor''s prescription will be required, but any noble can purchase it. They must acknowledge that side effects may occur, and only take it according to a doctor''s instructions. Arxia has decided to regulate this drug and control its supply."


    In Arxia, there''s laws and a system preventing the use of dangerous drugs, any drugs classified as dangerous would be banned from being manufactured, sold, or taken. While there is a system in place for licensing doctors, the mortality rate remains high because the medical knowledge in this world isn''t that advanced yet.


    ¡­¡­By the way, Arxia''s average lifespan is still higher than the neighboring countries.


    Younger noble boys that aren''t heirs often go down the path of becoming a doctor, but there''s still not enough research and medicine available. If anything is recognized to be harmful to the human body, it doesn''t matter what type of effects it has, it will become regulated. Since medicine and drugs go hand in hand, so technological innovations in both fields have been slow to progress.


    ¡­¡­I haven''t done anything all that remarkable. It''s just that during the final dance parties of this season, I just talked to some adults about my own ideas. I had many opportunities to chat with nobles that lost some of their family members to drug addiction, as well as nobles that had domains where medicinal herb production was thriving.


    "Renvia flowers ¨C in particular its resin, it does have addictive properties, but the symptoms are light compared to most other regulated drugs. It doesn''t have much of an effect unless it''s used frequently and daily. Also, it has a history as a folk remedy for being a treatment for forest syndrome."


    "Forest syndrome?"


    "¡­¡­Ahh, you don''t hear about this disease much in the south. Forest syndrome is a type of respiratory problem caused by inflammation in the bronchial tract due to inhaling powder from a type of cotton butterfly monster that lives symbiotically with cypress trees. Since the north has many cypress forests, these butterfly monsters are very common.


    These butterflies avoid the scent of the Renvia flower, and its smoke seems to have easing, anti-inflammatory properties. I prepared a lot of information on its medicinal properties in advance, which I also gave to your father, and it was decided that this would be certified as the first regulated medicinal drug."


    I could tell that Cornell was confused as he only said eh, ah, and um, so I subtly moved my line of sight away from him. When I tilted my head, he looked down as if he was greatly relieved.


    "My apologies. There were probably many words you haven''t heard before, that you didn''t know the meaning of."


    "¡­¡­Ah, no. I wasn''t being considerate."


    In this world, medical knowledge is mostly only for experts, so medical vocabulary isn''t widely known. Many common words that I know because of my knowledge from a previous life aren''t typically taught even to nobles.


    Recently I''ve only been talking to nobles that are experts in medicine and pharmacology, so I''d forgotten to watch what I say. ¡­¡­This time was my mistake.


    "To explain things simply, the Renvia flower can be used as a medicine for some northern regional diseases. It''s easier to use after being processed as beeswax." S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You''ve made it quite a lot easier than your previous explanation."


    "If you want to know the details, ask your father. I''m sure that you''ll probably be deeply involved in the future as well."


    At any rate, this will become the main business of his future wife-to-be''s domain. More than anyone else, Cornell should go and learn some knowledge from Earl Freche.


    "Well, that''s true. -Then, this ends our deal. I''m deeply grateful for all your assistance, Lord Kaldia."


    "Not at all, same to you."

 Chapter 140 - 141

    Tap, tap, I knocked on the door. I heard the maid Maya replying "yes?" from inside.


    "Excuse me, Elise-dono."


    "Eliza-sama!"


    A smile bloomed just like a flower on Elise''s face as she called out my name. Today as well she was resting on her bed with the window closed, and her complexion didn''t seem well. It seems that she''s been having more seizures again recently, and she''s staying bedridden with a weak body.


    "I''m glad that you''ve been visiting so often lately."


    "Not at all¡­¡­ I just come by whenever I''m free. But, well, I don''t mind coming to visit Elise-dono once in a while, although this time I have another reason for seeing you."


    "You do?"


    Elise''s eyes were round, and she closed her eyelids ambiguously. She has an innocent smile, but it also seems like she''s given up. It''s definitely a hard thing to accept, having your illness get worse again when you''ve gotten better before. Although, her symptoms should still be lighter now than when she first came to my domain¡­¡­


    "Elise-dono, I have something I would like to give to you."


    "Yes? What is it?"


    As she tilted her head, when she saw the inscrutable person whose gender and age were both a mystery dressed in white behind me, her eyes became like round saucers in astonishment.


    "¡­¡­Oh, is this the girl?"


    Elise glanced over very interestedly at Priest Faris'' veil, and behind Priest Faris, Ratoka nonchalantly came in as well.


    "This person here, is Priest Faris. Priest Faris is a licensed national doctor, so I troubled this person to come see you today. Elise-dono, I also informed your father and uncle in advance already, so please rest assured."


    At the words licensed national doctor, Elise''s mouth went wide agape and a small gasp escaped from her.


    National doctors are extremely rare. The test to become one requires much medical knowledge, and the high test fee narrows the candidates down even fewer, and of the doctors that do take the test, fewer than half will pass.


    Basically, the national doctor''s license program was launched as a qualification to become a royal physician, and it''s basically not needed at the local level. As they''re required to handle the controlled drugs, their number will probably increase in the future, but currently there''s fewer than 50 licensed national doctors.


    "It seems to be forest syndrome. Would it be alright to ask you some questions about your illness?"


    "Ahh¡­¡­ Of course."


    Elise seemed confused at everything that happened so suddenly, but seeing me nod at her affirmatively, she was able to relax.


    "I''ll be in your care."


    Priest Faris inquired about how frequent her coughing was, how serious her seizures were, and when she would have them. Elise answered most of the questions, and occasionally her maid Maya would add some details as well.


    After Priest Faris finished the medical diagnosis, she wrote a medical permit that''s sort of like a prescription and handed it to me, giving her permission for Feria to burn the Renvia beeswax candle for fifteen minutes every day, in order to reduce her seizures and telling her to burn it especially during the seizures. As I took the permit, I asked "will this be alright?"


    "Repeat attacks are common with forest syndrome seizures. If your mind and body are weak, coughing will increase even if there are no cotton butterflies around anymore. Symptoms are also dependent on age, so they should lighten as she gets older and her body matures, so please make sure to keep a positive state of mind as much as possible."


    As expected of a holy person, I''m impressed that she can say such things as well. Just hearing this will convey a sense of relief.


    "Yes."


    "It''ll be alright, while the royal capital area does have more cypress trees than Kaldia does, cotton butterflies almost never fly near the noble district and the noble school. Most of the trees are basically outside the huge city. Your symptoms won''t worsen if you come to the royal capital."


    Pat pat, Priest Faris even patted Elise''s shoulder as if to comfort her, while Ratoka and I listened silently.


    It was only recently that I noticed Elise''s seizures would become more severe whenever she had to leave Kaldia. Since she''s about to turn thirteen years old, she''s going to be required to attend noble school next spring. I was worried about her having to leave this domain that''s beneficial for her recuperation, and of course she''ll have more pain as well if her seizures increase.


    And according to Ratoka, Elise was more attached to life in Kaldia than I believed.


    "¡­¡­Elise-dono. In the royal capital, it''ll be easier to meet with your father and uncle. I''ll also being living there during each summer. I believe that the winters in Sherstok were colder than Kaldia''s to begin with, so you should be able to handle the royal capital''s weather."


    "Eliza-sama¡­¡­"


    Priest Faris slipped out of the room without a sound. I walked up to Elise''s bedside near her pillow, to fill in the empty space where Priest Faris just was.


    Thirteen years old. In Arxia, this age means you''re almost an adult, and many laws will treat you equal to adults. However, this girl in front of me still only thinks that I''m an unreliable child.


    At this moment, I saw for the first time an expression from Elise that seemed like she was about to cry. This is despite the fact that she''s already been in Kaldia for three and a half years now.


    Elise would rarely let her anxiety show, because she didn''t want to worry her family. ¡­¡­Even though she has a great relationship with her affectionate family, it doesn''t mean that she doesn''t suffer. Maybe it''s impossible for someone like me who killed her own family personally to completely empathize with her, but it''s not a good idea for me to ignore emotions I can''t understand.


    My world is such a heavy one to bear. Pain and suffering are so close to me, much more so than in the world of the memories left to me.


    "¡­¡­In winter, I probably won''t be able to visit this domain anymore?"


    To Elise''s tiny little desire, I could only shake my head and answer:


    "I''m afraid not."


    Is that so, was her reply as her shoulders drooped in disappointment. Honestly, I wanted to say that I didn''t mind if she came over whenever she liked. Even though I haven''t visited her all that much, having a gentle, kind-hearted girl close to me where I can visit her any time I want, it''s a wonderful healing experience for my heart.


    However, it won''t come true anymore. There''s a high chance that she won''t ever visit Kaldia again in her lifetime.


    A formal protest has arrived in Arxia from the Planates Dukedom regarding the treatment of Prince Albert. When Prince Albert was forced into the monastery, it basically meant that he lost the right to attend noble school. For being born a noble, just what type of unfair treatment is it that he isn''t able to go the noble school that''s required by law to attend, this sort of protest. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The protest was a strong condemnation, and sharply criticized Arxia for the insult to the Planates bloodline. The disappearance of the Rindarl Kingdom could now happen at any moment.


    It''s a very dangerous situation, with the only potentially friendly country of Planates in the future Rindarl Union making a formal protest to us at this timing right before the Rindarl Union will be formed.


    ¡­¡­Everyone is concerned about the relationship with the neighboring country. Especially when I was at the meeting of the Jugfena region domains earlier, our domains made plans to increase our military armaments and prepared for the possible outbreak of war.


    I kept all of these matters to myself, and gently presented the box of beeswax I had in my hand to Elise.


    "This is what I was referring to earlier when I said I have something to give to you. I''ll be really happy if you accept it."


    "What''s this?"


    "A type of beeswax that''s also a medicine to treat forest syndrome. You must follow the law and Priest Faris''s instructions when using it, but there should be a beneficial effect for your seizures."


    Elise looked at the box placed on her knee with a look of amazement. Of course, medicine is rather expensive in Arxia. And for the Renvia beeswax which is now a controlled medicine, it''s probably going to be one of the most expensive to prescribe.


    "Whenever you''re feeling better, please come and visit my summer townhouse in the capital. It''s a bit of a small, ramshackle house, but¡­¡­ you''re welcome anytime."

 Chapter 141 - 142

    May 19, 2017 ¡¤ by imperfectluck ¡¤ in Uncategorized. ¡¤


    As usual for this time of year, thick snow was piling up outside yesterday. Today a light powder is falling soundlessly, further increasing the thickness of the snow.


    When I arrived at the dining hall for breakfast, Claudia was chatting with Earl Terejia, Bellway, and Mrs. Marshan about something, and she greeted me with an energetic "good morning!" when she noticed me. I greeted all of them as well, and took a seat after asking the cook Boswef to make me something in the kitchen.


    Maybe it was a coincidence, Oscar and Mrs. Hortensia came in right this time as well, along with Elise who was feeling better lately and her maid Maya.


    The dining hall at my Mansion of Golden Hills is now completely filled. Is this the first time that so many people have gathered here all at the same time, I wonder?


    Everyone in the mansion that has some sort of social status is currently here. I heard Earl Terejia muttering under his breath to himself about how unusual this all was.


    "¡­¡­Various different kinds of people have lived together in this mansion up until now. Looking at all this again, I think it''s all so interesting."


    As Oscar, who was the newest person here, made a comment, I mentally agreed with him.


    Earl Terejia, Bellway, Mrs. Marshan, Claudia, Elise, Mrs. Hortensia, and Oscar. Before I realized it, the number of people living here increased to be more than the number of family members I killed with poison before. ¡­¡­Thinking about it like this gives me profound emotions.


    Earl Terejia and Elise are going to leave this mansion next spring, however. Also, Mrs. Hortensia will probably also leave once I reach teenage age and a quasi-adult status, having finished her role as my nanny.


    Perhaps, the concept known as family was originally such that members will leave the household little by little. No, not all families are like this though. As someone with memories from a previous world, someone with the experience of killing all of her own family, I know better than anyone.


    As the snow fell in the dim light, Rashiok was rolling around on the snow excitedly. The snow from this morning is soft and easy to walk around in. My cold weather clothing, a woolen cloak, is exasperating to deal with though. It''s so heavy even though it only reaches to my knee, but when the hems brush against the snow, it absorbs water and becomes even heavier.


    As I expected, I really think that I can''t bring myself to enjoy winter.


    Maybe it''s a sign of my growth, I feel like it''s not as difficult to walk in heavy clothes as it used to be, but I dislike this sense of inhibited movement. I buried most of my face in my scarf, and I followed behind Rashiok without a word as he turned around in the snow.


    We descended the hill, and plowed through the snow-covered fields to reach Claria village. There were lights on in the village, but it was so quiet everywhere that you could hear a pin drop.


    This is typical of midwinter. Every house has its doors and windows tightly shut, they''ll add extra wood to the fireplace, and each family will quietly sit around the fireplace together, and not waste unnecessary energy. They might not be sleeping, but it''s really similar to hibernation.


    I watched everything in this peaceful silence for a while, and warmed my hands with a glass bottle of hot black tea. Rashiok kept bouncing up and down in the village square, which had no footprints other than his. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    I paid a visit to the village mayor''s house, and asked if there was anything that was worrying him or giving him trouble recently. The mayor nodded and told me there wasn''t anything at the moment, so I told him I''d come check things out again the next time it''s snowing weakly like this.


    I rode on Rashiok''s back and headed for the next village. I watched the scene of snow-covered trees passing by me silently, at a speed that would be impossible for humans. However, this is normal for a draconis, even with a human riding on his back.


    Pat pat, I stroked Rashiok''s empty right shoulder where there was now a missing wing. I laid myself down against him, and although I still think it''s cold, his remaining wing opened up slightly and blocked the wind for me.


    I don''t know exactly how it works, but it seems that the draconis manipulates wind magic using its wing as the starting point. This was something that Oscar knew already, and he taught it to me right before my battle with Diferis. That''s how I was able to plan for Rashiok to use his magic in his remaining wing to create a strong gust of wind.


    Some materials obtained from magical beasts'' bodies are able to retain a portion of their magic power, such as crystallized fire moth scales that usually act a source of light in this world. Of course, it can''t be used forever though, it''s just like a battery, it will run out of power one day.


    Rashiok''s wing that was cut off no longer has the power to control wind, but it''s been stored in a warehouse after being treated with preservative chemicals. It seems that the light and durable film of the draconis wing will be incorporated into my personal armor one day in the future when my body matures.


    I will use my draconis''s wing that was cut off, for as long as possible. I feel like I have an obligation, this is the least I can do.


    "Rashiok¡­¡­"


    Sorry, and thank you, neither expression managed to make it out of my throat, I ended up not saying anything at all. Rashiok''s long snake-like tail that moves freely stroked me on my left shoulder that I don''t move very much these days. Although we''re a human and a draconis, we understand each other better than anyone else.


    I''m glad that you''re here with me. I''m really happy that I didn''t end up killing you.


    I remembered another day just like this when I was outside walking in the snow, and I felt sentimental, thinking about the person who''s now only in my memories.


    Every time something happens, it feels almost like a little bit of me is being scraped away from the edges, it''s a gruesome idea that''s been sticking with me.


    For me to have changed to where I was happy just because we were alive, and being grateful that I didn''t have to kill Rashiok. A sigh containing self-derision escaped from me.


    How did it become this way? This world was supposed to be from an otome game. ¡­¡­And yet I''d gotten used to thinking that this dark way of life was normal. Just how did it get like this?


    All these oppressive emotions, swirled down into my chest as if they were snowflakes that wouldn''t melt. As I laid face down on Rashiok''s back, I took long, deep breaths, and exhaled until my lungs were empty.


    Author note: This chapter ends the childhood period of Eliza''s story.


    End of Act 2, Part 4

 Chapter 142 - 143

    Act 3, Part 1


    The Great Plains east of Fort Jugfena has witnessed warfare for the past six years.


    First, there was a small defensive battle that the royal capital''s practically forgotten about already, one which I participated in with my shabby domain army consisting of a mere fifty soldiers.


    Almost as if it''s a joke, it''s now known as the "hidden defensive battle," this skirmish has been buried in people''s memories even though it was my first ever battle. In theory, this battle was also the first battle to start it all.


    The Kaldia army currently consists of 250 soldiers. More than half of them are actually cavalry troops, which is extremely rare for such a small domain army, and when I turned 12 years old, we became incorporated into the royal knight troops'' left flank formation.


    -Eh, how odd. My army''s supposed to be a border defense unit, acting as logistical support from the rear, isn''t it? How did it become like this?


    The Densel Dukedom army of the Rindarl Union, numbers approximately 30,000. As for the Arxian royal army, it can mobilize approximately 48,000 people.


    The horde of people was so thick that the ground couldn''t even be seen, and the sounds of weapons clanging, screaming, dying, gunpowder, and horses filled the air.


    "Curses, what''s with that arrow! Its sound and power is causing the soldiers'' morale to drop, and the front lines of the central army are beginning to collapse!!"


    In the middle of the Arxian army, a Shiru warrior who served as our direct messenger from the general commander was pacing back and forth and shouting from his horse. In response to his thick Artolan accent, I replied that he should calm down.


    "The core of the central army''s formation consists of the top soldiers in all of Arxia. They''ll be able to fix the formation immediately. What''s more -"


    On the other side of where the infantry was doing battle, the sound of gunpowder was booming. This is the fifth battle already since the war has begun. Screams were piercing through the air, drowning out the roaring of our soldiers and causing the soldiers around us to visibly shrink back.


    -These new ''arrows,'' are they guns? I remembered back to six years ago when I managed to escape the fire caused by explosives at Fort Jugfena. If they were already researching explosives and gunpowder back then, it''s well within the realm of possibility that Densel managed to invent the weapon known as a gun.


    On a battlefield where swords, spears, and bows are supposed to be the primary weapons, if an unknown weapon suddenly appears that can kill instantly from a distance without any movements you can read, it''s only natural that the soldiers who witness what bullets can do will fall into chaos.


    Just seeing it won''t give them an understanding of how it works, they won''t know when it can attack, and they can only hope the armor on their bodies manages to protect them from this unknown scary threat.


    This is warfare in this world, it''s something that can''t be helped.


    "¡­¡­The northern flank''s attack has deviated from its planned location. Both the enemy army, and our ally army are out of our effective communication range. This will be too dangerous if this goes on."


    "I know, Oscar."


    Oscar beside me gave me his advice on the current situation, and I worked my brain to its utmost limit thinking about the next move to take. I must make a decision in thirty seconds, I can''t afford to take any longer than that.


    Right now, my 250 member Kaldia army that''s supposed to be acting as logistical and rear support, is camped out between the central army formation and the left flank, close to the front lines.


    Even with the enemy formation''s attack on the left, it''s more chaotic than it should be, and right now dust is gently blowing in the opposite direction, toward the right side. The fight is extending out far more than any of the Arxian royal army''s troop formations. I can hear the sounds of the chaotic melee right behind me.


    If we want to regroup and fix the formation, we''d have to retreat. However, the left flank army''s melee has already spread to behind us to block our path, so we''d have to take another route. And I''m not sure how it happened, but it seems that we also happen to be in an excellent position to strike at the enemy army central formation''s unguarded right flank.


    "¡­¡­It''s time to make good use of this chance that the enemy army has given us, let''s go cause chaos in the enemy troops that are using their new weapon."


    "Mmm, an interesting battle plan!"


    After I firmed my resolve and decided on a plan of action, Claudia who was next to me smiled in expectation of going to battle.


    "What are the new arrows like, Orben?!"


    "It''s a type of cylindrical tube, almost as long as a person is tall! It makes a huge sound, and any soldiers standing in front of it will be shot by it¡­¡­ It seems to fire invisible arrows!"


    I ignored Claudia''s overly excited voice that didn''t belong on a battlefield, and focused on listening to the Shiru messenger soldier Orben''s description of the enemy''s new weapon. As I expected, Densel''s new weapon is something I know of already, some type of gun.


    "What is the known information on the enemy unit equipped with this weapon?"


    "It seems to be a light infantry unit of about thirty enemy soldiers. After they fire their invisible arrows together, they return behind the cover of their heavy cavalry troops. Their heavy cavalry unit is a problem¡­¡­ they seem to be quite skilled at riding horses, like us."


    Similar in skill to the Shiru tribe, a nomadic group? The former Artolas Kingdom that was conquered and swallowed up by Densel, used to have countless nomadic tribes living in it during the past. Perhaps some of them are now working for Densel.


    "I think that their new weapon is probably unable to carry out rapid fire attacks like a bow can. It takes time and effort to reload that barrel weapon with new ammunition. That''s why they always have to take the trouble of retreating back into their formation. ¡­¡­The next time they appear, I''m going to aim for a surprise attack on them."


    "How do you plan to do this attack, do you have an idea, Eliza-sama?" S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "¡­¡­These long cylinders, are most likely weak to side attacks. I believe their cavalry troops are serving as the guards for that unit. It would be normal to think that Densel doesn''t want to lose the new weapons it just invented.


    Let''s use a light cavalry formation, and when they bring out their long-barreled weapons unit, how about immediately retreating and regrouping with the central army formation?"


    Almost all of my light cavalry troops are Shiru warriors. For their ability as a cavalry unit, they should be top class in all of Arxia. ¡­¡­I have confidence in them.


    "Mmm. It should work as an effective distraction. Claudia-dono and Gunther can lead our remaining troops, and enter the melee behind us to assist our side."


    "Oscar, I would like you to join them as well. Depending on the circumstances, be flexible with the strategy as you see fit. I shall join the light cavalry troops together with Teo."


    "That''s¡­¡­ Dangerous. I should be the one with the light cavalry."


    I shook my head at Oscar, and patted the head of the huge draconis I was riding on. Rashiok proudly raised his nose, and slightly opened his wing without a sound, causing a light breeze.


    "Do you remember who my partner is? If necessary, a draconis can run three times faster than a horse. What''s more, the enemy''s arrows are strongly destructive. This way, I can surely reduce the number of casualties."


    Oscar didn''t object any more. On the other side of the dust billowing about the field, I could see the enemy''s heavy cavalry formation opening up. There were a group of soldiers coming out from it.


    "Alright then, let''s go! Do your best to live to tell the tale!"

 Chapter 143 - 144

    I instantly arrived in front of the enemy soldiers before they knew what was going on. With a backhand grip on my halberd, I put strength into it as I slipped it through the wall of enemy spears.


    A rain of blood was falling down. As the vanguard, I''m now completely covered in blood, and the soldiers that were following me will probably get drenched in red as well.


    According to what my adopted father Ergnade told me, it''s perfect if you get drenched in blood. Just like he said, the gaudy appearance from being splashed red in blood sent enemy soldiers running away from me.


    As I remembered my teachings, I left things up to Rashiok''s momentum while slicing off the head of an enemy''s horse. A scream of anger that sounded like it came from the bottom of the stomach erupted from the rider on the now collapsed dead horse.


    I could see the shadows of the gun-holding soldiers hiding behind the heavy cavalry troops, and I raised my halberd in preparation. I felt the heaviness of the halberd for a few seconds. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This makes five killed already. The ones that escaped will probably get cleaned up by my soldiers following me. I could still hear the explosive sound of gunpowder coming from behind. It wasn''t the sound of a gun firing this time though, it was more like a gun jamming.


    Did one of their weapons explode I wonder, I suddenly heard what sounded like one of their weapons blowing up, then the thumps of several heavy objects falling to the ground.


    Please let it be that my soldiers didn''t get mixed up in it.


    Anyways, dense formations are weak to side attacks. Their cavalry troops should have been arranged to protect the flanks, but were they prioritizing the encirclement of the large number of Arxian troops I wonder, they were arranged at the end of the left and right wings of their formation instead.


    The Rindarl side probably took many things into account when protecting their gun unit, but it seems that they probably didn''t calculate for my army''s movements because we were supposed to only be a logistical support troop.


    "Go ahead and rampage, Rashiok!!"


    I turned my halberd against the soldier that came to try and stop me. Rashiok responded to my encouragement by roaring. The roar of a carnivorous beast has the power to instinctively cause people to shrink back in fear.


    Together with a windstorm, my draconis crashed into a wall of people. Any spears that aimed for Rashiok merely bounced off his scales, or were broken by the impact, while the wall of people and horses before us was scattered so easily.


    Ahhh, all the enemy soldiers were screaming. The heavy sound of all the horse hooves following me, turned into the screams of death. Metallic armor was left deformed, and an all too juicy crunch was heard by the sharp-eared among them.


    "Withdraw! Meet up with the main army!"


    I confirmed with a glance that behind me, the gun unit had been crushed as well. The enemy formation was in utter confusion. Their dense formation didn''t take a side attack into consideration, getting confused because of this degree of attack is pathetic.


    I rose my halberd into the air, and tilted it to the right. After seeing my signal, Teomer gave instructions for our soldiers in the back to withdraw as well. My superb light cavalry troops composed of mainly Shiru warriors instantly aligned their horses and started galloping together towards the right.


    When I passed the combat area where the left wing had extended to, Claudia was there ahead of me.


    "Go straight ahead! Now, we can pincer and surround the remaining enemy troops!"


    "Alright, do it!!"


    If she says this is the correct strategy, I made the snap decision to do as she suggested. As for the soldiers following me, Oscar speedily gave orders to each small team.


    The Arxian soldiers that had been fighting were able to get relief from combat, and the Rindarl soldiers were driven away as if they were a flock of sheep that was being herded.


    How many can I surround, I wonder? ¡­¡­Roughly two or three hundred? Is it possible to make a strong encirclement with the same number of soldiers? Considering I''m also using a mix of light cavalry. I''m just a low-ranked commander, after all.


    "Kill them all, don''t leave any small fry that are worthless as prisoners alive!"


    Stop it, screams were rising from the enemies. My soldiers ignored them as they circled them from the outside with their spears and killed them with the positioning advantage.


    The soldiers that were caught in a collapsed formation were helpless. The Rindarl soldiers on the inside had no ways to effectively attack, and were crushed by my soldiers on the outside. The enemy soldiers on their outside edges are pushed inwards, and cooperation with their fellow soldiers becomes impossible as their order falls into shambles.


    "This is a one-sided slaughter with the advantage of cavalry! Arxians are such barbaric brutes! Have you forgotten the spirit of chivalry or humanity!!?"


    As I killed a horse, the really muscular man who fell down was shouting that at me. He happened to roll right in front of me. This man noticed Rashiok, and looked directly at me who was the rider. I saw astonishment in his eyes, followed by a mix of hatred and contempt.


    "Get down from your horses and fight fair and square!! You coward, weak little kid!! If you have any pride as a knight, duel with me right here right now-"


    The man who was barking at me got an expression like he saw something inconceivable in his last moments. Then, he realized that the sword I threw at him had pierced through his neck, and gurgled up a fountain of blood in place of his shouting. Then he finally collapsed onto the ground, and he stopped talking forever more.


    "¡­¡­What''s this so-called cowardice on the battlefield? The only thing there is, is death."


    As I spat that out, I jumped down from Rashiok. I approached the man''s corpse, to retrieve my sword.


    When I noticed that his cloak was shining gold with the emblem of a high-ranked knight, I caught my breath. I am a domain lord, not a knight. Unlike this bastard, I wasn''t raised with the chivalric spirit to begin with. And in the first place, there''s no way I can acknowledge such a buff man shouting for a child to duel him as any sort of proper knight.


    I pulled out my sword, and I used my halberd instead to cut off his head. Since he does seem to be a high-ranked knight, at the very least it will be useful to take his head with me. I''m in the frontlines of battle, after all. There''s no such thing as too much reward money.


    I wrapped his head in his cloak and tossed it to my soldiers to keep for the reward money, but I couldn''t have known what it would end up causing at the time.

 Chapter 144 - 145

    ¡­¡­Just why is it that I''m standing here?


    Trying to escape the reality that I was right in front of the throne of the royal palace, I glanced over at some of the highest-ranking knights in the kingdom, Marquis Rolentsor and Earl Einsbark.


    His Majesty who was sitting there, I feel like he called my name just now, am I just hearing things?


    ¡­¡­Unfortunately, I didn''t seem to be hallucinating, as someone pushed me on my back. I staggered as I stepped forward, and just like that I was in front of the king.


    "Go, and kneel in front of the king."


    Ergnade who was right behind me was whispering to me. I proceeded the rest of the way by myself, being unable to return even though he was just a few steps behind me. I kneeled as I was told to in front of the steps to the tall royal throne, from where the king overlooked me. I met the king''s blue eyes for an instant before I looked down. Neither the king nor I had any expression of our feelings.


    "Viscountess Kaldia. During this battle, you''ve made a splendid meritorious accomplishment. For your glorious achievement, I would like to reward you."


    "¡­¡­Hearing so from Your Majesty directly, I''m grateful for the honor."


    While managing to squeeze out polite words required of me by etiquette, my voice sounded almost like a robot to myself, surprising me mentally with how calm I seemed to be. I''m in the presence of the person who holds absolute power over this entire huge kingdom, it''s a strange atmosphere in which was fresher than I expected.


    I understood that the king was the absolute representation of authority for both the church and the law in this country. I managed to drag this fact out of my mind somehow, as if I was a computer, although right now it all feels so far away from me.


    Arxia''s political system seems feudal at first glance, but the true situation is quite different. All of the actual power is held by the king, and he merely delegates power to his vassals. The royal domain system is probably the easiest to explain, it''s similar to a Count Palatine from medieval Europe.


    Those that manage it receive a high noble rank from the king, which wouldn''t be possible without the trust of both the king and the Upper House of Lords, and it''s supposed to be a title that isn''t hereditary.


    The main reason that this system has successfully continued for the past 600 years without decaying is thanks to the existence of the church. The moral character of everyone in this country is guided by the Ar Xia church''s Sacred Code.


    Committing a felony would cause you to be excommunicated from the church, and as for excommunication¡­¡­ those branded as heretics are savagely treated, almost inversely proportional to the modernity of the legal system for a fantasy world.


    Well, at any rate, law and religion in this country haven''t decayed, and it''s been an effective system for a long period of time now.


    I''ve gone off on a tangent. It seems that when my mind tries to escape reality, I can drift quite far off-topic.


    ¡­¡­But anyways, did I really have such a great accomplishment on the battlefield? Indeed, I managed to disable their unit with the new weapons. But its power and shooting range is limited, and once the army knows exactly what kind of weapon it is, I''m sure that such a chaotic response won''t happen again. And as for the enemy heavy cavalry unit, it wasn''t entirely destroyed. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As for what I did after that, is this about surrounding the enemies on our overextended left flank and annihilating them? While that unit was indeed annihilated, such a thing should have been accomplished by Ergnade several times already in the previous battles. Divide and conquer. It''s one of the most basic strategies in battle.


    Among the enemies killed, there was that muscular soldier that seemed to be a high-ranked knight, but I doubt his head would have such a high price attached to it if he was at the frontlines himself like that.


    Anyways, that was the only sentence the king spoke to me, as after that Marquis Rittergau, Earl Terejia''s older brother who''s still working despite his age, took over and read out my achievement and reward from some documents in an official tone of voice.


    Although, I don''t really understand what it is that I''ve achieved, since I wasn''t paying attention. I don''t have much military experience, and the only word that I really caught was head. I''ll have to ask Ergnade later about what he meant.


    In contrast though, the reward part was easy to understand. Basically, it was money, land, and ranking. ¡­¡­I don''t really want land or ranking though, I felt somewhat bitter about it. Right now, the new Pioneer village is just getting settled down in Kaldia, and my hands are full with the irrigation construction for the largely untouched eastern half of my domain.


    Even if I receive new, unsettled land from the Jugfena royal domain, without receiving any human resources to go along with the land, this has no benefits for me. They''re just giving me more land to match my promoted title.


    At any rate, although I still don''t quite understand why, I now have the rank of a lesser earl. How strange. Something like a promotion in noble rank shouldn''t be that easy to obtain¡­¡­ I guess it can''t be helped that I''m a bit confused, as too many unexpected things just fell into my lap.


    As for the otome game that''s supposed to begin when I enter noble school, that''s coming up soon, later in autumn of this year that I''m twelve.


    ¡­¡­But more importantly, one year ago, war between Arxia and Rindarl broke out, and it''s a fact that I played an important role in this particular battle.


    How is this battle going to affect the otome game, I wonder. I don''t want the war to expand even more, as I''d have less time to take care of Kaldia, and it might be devastated or fall into disrepair due to the war. I finally managed to bring my domain back to a civilized level similar to the other domains ¨C just how long did it take? It''s been ten long years.


    I absolutely won''t stand for my ten years of hard work to go to waste, so the next chance I get, I think I should remove even more of Rindarl''s soldiers.


    ¡­¡­After all, it seems that I have an affinity for combat.

 Chapter 145 - 146

    The king''s troops under his direct command joined the battle as well, and the scope of the lines of battle on the Jugfena Great Plains expanded even further.


    Even though it was clear that the Rindarl side just suffered a major defeat, it seems that they rejected Arxia''s request for them to surrender.


    Apparently, Arxia captured over 600 Rindarl soldiers in the last battle. At a rough estimate, they had maybe 4,000 casualties.


    Even with such a loss, and abandoning their captive soldiers to be executed, sending more troops at us again¡­¡­ I don''t know what Rindarl, or I should be more specific, the Duke of Densel is thinking.


    But at any rate, the reason why they declared war on us was supposedly because it''s a "protest against the unfair treatment of Rindarl noble blood," because of the exiling of the first prince, Albert, and his lost opportunity to attend noble school.


    Arxia is also being Arxia. Even though they could have nominally registered Prince Albert as a student at noble school and avoided the bloodshed of its citizens, Arxia didn''t do so.


    I can''t show any dissatisfaction to the king since he even sent his personal troops to the front lines, and since the Rindarl Union is a newly formed country, perhaps they don''t want to back down for the sake of their reputation, is what I think.


    ¡­¡­Although since I''m actually on the front lines, I can think whatever I want, but none of it will be of any help.


    As for the sudden change in the situation, which put my army in the midst of combat, without being able to contact our allies, the attack that I planned caused about thirty of my soldiers to be injured, and six have died. Although I know that losses can''t be avoided in battle¡­¡­ I hated myself, each of their deaths cut at me.


    From among the dead soldiers, they included some that slept under the same roof as me during my time in the barracks.


    "Then, Earl Kaldia and her army, as well as her knights, will be in charge of defending to the north of Fort Jugfena, on the corner of the Bandishia Plateau known as the Ritox Plateau."


    At the end of an overly long House of Lords meeting, when the overall commander of the Arxian Royal Army, Marquis Rolentsor, gave me my new command assignment, there was no way I could be happy about this even though I had no choice but to accept.


    "¡­¡­Understood."


    Since I received such an unwanted promotion¡­¡­ My Kaldia army, I suppose it''s Earl Kaldia''s army now, at any rate, is now officially being deployed to the front lines as well. Even though my light cavalry troops should have been well suited for the role of logistical and rear support.


    Ergnade gave me some information about this location in a low voice, telling me that the Ritox Plateau was a small plateau at the southwest of the larger Bandishia Plateau, and that it had a terrain which should be easily defendable by even a small number of soldiers.


    If he says so, then it''s probably true. It''s a good thing that Claudia''s distant relative seems to be a rational person when it comes to giving me a military assignment. Well, they''re probably going to be more reasonable than what I can imagine, given the few knights I do know.


    ¡­¡­Since I''ve received my orders, there''s no helping it, let''s take this chance to reorganize the command structure of my army so that no problems will occur. Since I''m going to be on the front lines, I can''t just let most things run automatically anymore like logistics, which was mostly helping the troops resupply.


    My personal messenger soldiers as well as strategist will be Oscar and his unit, Gunther will command my only infantry unit with no horses, and Agil will lead my heavy cavalry troops that we''ve been training ever since we were called to war.


    Teomer will lead my light cavalry unit that consists of primarily Shiru warriors, while Claudia will lead the unit with the fewest soldiers, the light cavalry unit made up of my domain''s soldiers. Claudia''s unit will be a mobile strike force, under my direct command.


    Perhaps it seems strange that the main troops under my direct command will be the mobile strike force, but since I''m riding Rashiok who has the best mobility of all, there''s no helping it.


    Besides, I''m not well versed in the strategies of warfare, so Oscar who has experience from his time with the Jugfena knights will be a more reliable leader for directing the infantry as he can come up with sound strategies.


    "Your job isn''t to mobilize and attack, but you need to prepare for defensive measures. Do you have anything in mind, Countess Kaldia?"


    Just as I being impressed with Marquis Rolentsor for his being reasonable, another noble interrupted my thought process with his disdainful attitude typical of a priest noble. He went to the trouble of calling me a countess, the female title for an earl, putting extra emphasis on that word, I suppose it''s a way to ridicule the knight attire I''m wearing.


    Even I think that it''s just lucky coincidence how I managed to get a promotion in noble rank, and since the Kaldia domain is well known for a bad reputation, this promotion was sure to earn the ire of some court nobles.


    Although Marquis Nordsturm has been lying low as of late, even now the northern nobles will still secretly say annoying things in the shadows, such as how the way I annihilated the enemy was evidence of my father''s cruel bloodline still alive in me, or that I was a demon girl who enjoyed bathing in blood.


    Well, it''s whatever, really. At any rate, I won''t have to see them very much anymore when I''m in noble school. They probably just want to say how useless my answer about defensive measures will be, the rambling of the weak with no power trying to attack me, although honestly, they know nothing about just how cruel my father had been.


    In strange contrast to the anger in my stomach, my mind was working at a high pace.


    Just then, a good idea appeared in my mind about how to decrease the enemy soldiers'' morale. I suddenly remembered a ridiculous story about how a European noble named Vlad the Impaler from my previous world was infamous for using the atrociously brutal method of impaling his enemies. As always, memories would just suddenly pop into my head on their own.


    "For my plan, can I ask that all of the prisoners taken that are scheduled to be executed anyways be given to me?"


    "¡­¡­The captured prisoners? Exactly what kind of strategy do you have in mind?"


    I took a glance around me, and all the nobles seemed surprised. The noble talking to me hurriedly said "well, I think you should ask the general commander about that," before turning around and returning to his seat as quickly as possible.


    What''s with that reaction?


    In keeping with the expectations of the nobility, without losing a single soldier ¨C I went to the trouble to think up such a wonderful strategy that will deal an incredible blow to the morale of the Densel army, which will almost certainly lead to their miserable defeat at our hands. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You have a terrible expression on your face."


    Ergnade beside me was laughing as he said so.


    "¡­¡­Is that so?"


    "I know perfectly well just how much you loathe Densel ¨C take the captives with you. This time, crush them utterly."


    Ergnade''s advice was usually merciless. It''s only natural that my actions on the battlefield would imitate him, as it''s all based on his teachings.


    The impression you give others is really important. Although I don''t mean important in the typical way, I want to leave a different type of impression.

 Chapter 146 - 147

    In the first place, the Kaldia domain probably detests the Densel Dukedom more than any other domain would. Many of my citizens were former refugees forced to the brink by Densel, having lost many friends and family members, and I myself was also almost killed by them, so it''s not strange at all that we would hate Densel.


    I''ll get to the point, though. Since we know better than anyone their lack of respect for human life, we''ll kill them as well without hesitation. That''s just how it is. If I see them, even if they try to escape, I will kill them. And since we''re now at war ¨C I''ll lure them out, then kill them.


    They''re just unlucky. They should have given up and surrendered.


    The extremely long battle lines extended far to the north and the south, the southern lines almost reached the Planates Dukedom''s territory, while the northern lines reached even the sea, localized small battles were occurring everywhere.


    Nonetheless, it''s unreasonable for us to go through the Bandishia Plateau controlled by Densel and cross over the Amon Nor mountain range, and the northern sea is filled with icebergs that come down from the mountains, making it almost impossible to navigate.


    That''s why the Great Plains is still the main location of battle, while most of the other defensive battles are concentrated in the Genas domain, the Jugfena royal domain, and the Red Forest near the Planates border. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The king''s personal army is participating in battle on the Great Plains. Even though we''re supposed to be fighting a defensive war, it seems that we''re progressing gradually and pushing the enemy back with our attacks.


    Being able to push the enemy back to their own borders when we''re the ones being invaded, strategically this is a major defeat for the enemy. It''s unclear to me what criteria Rindarl has for victory¡­¡­ Well, it has nothing to do with me anyways because I''m only a low-ranked noble with a small domain.


    "Oi, the fire arrows have been prepared, my lord."


    As always, Gunther was overly rough and casual in his speech towards me, and I observed the view beneath me from the high plateau. It was a horrible sight of about 100 people impaled on stakes.


    The prisoners¡­¡­ well, they''re getting executed. Although it was already decided on that they''d be executed, some of them died already from injuries suffered in battle before being impaled.


    "¡­¡­Honestly, you''ve really come up with something. My lord never did learn the elegance that most nobles are supposed to have."


    "I know full well that it''s something incredibly unpleasant."


    "Ahh. Well, five or six years back, I was trying to kill you instead of the enemy soldiers."


    At his lighthearted reference to how he was honestly trying to kill me back then, I couldn''t resist letting out a wry smile.


    "How about now? Do you still want to kill me?"


    "Now¡­¡­ well then. Whatever my lord is thinking about or what methods you use, I never think about it anymore."


    Heh, I chuckled a little. Then, while stroking Rashiok who was leisurely relaxing by my side, I looked over the horizon of the plateau.


    Northern Arxia was a barren land the same as the composition of the Bandishia Plateau, covered with reddish gravel, and at a glance one could tell that it was an inhospitable place. According to what the Shiru tribe has told me, if you go farther north and travel through the Amon Nor mountains, you can finally begin to find a few plants.


    Just those limited plants managed to support their nomadic lifestyle before.


    "¡­¡­Marquis Rolentsor, the general commander of the Arxian Royal Army is a fair man. Even to his enemies."


    "What''s this about?"


    I changed the topic so suddenly, that Gunther had trouble following me. As we chatted, Agil and Oscar arrived as well, but they just silently listened to me talk.


    "That is to say, he treats the enemies with the same honor and dignity as he does friends. Any prisoners that he captures, he will have their wounds treated, give them plenty of food and rest, and ensure that they have a clean bed in a warm dungeon."


    "They adhere quite strictly to the code of chivalry, the king''s personal army."


    "Is it really fine for prisoners of war to be treated so well? We still have to gather our own food these days, or else we face starvation."


    Agil spat in discontent, and I nodded in agreement.


    "Now that we''re on the front lines, we no longer have to gather our own food. Rather, food will be supplied to us. Food is being gathered from the inland domains that won''t face combat and transported to the front lines, and Margrave Genas is receiving a huge portion of it."


    "I''m glad to hear it."


    "The problem is just like Agil said, the prisoners are being treated too kindly. Shouldn''t there be times to use the carrot and times to use the stick? Just what are they doing, showing respect and kindness to the enemies that invaded our land?"


    In the past, Arxia''s wars were always like a whip. Arxia''s military might was so overwhelming, that enemies would always be crushed instantly, and Arxia was the strongest country on the continent.


    But, the war this time is different. The Rindarl Union definitely has equal military power to Arxia. It''s time for the whip to be updated.


    The scout began waving his signal flag to indicate that he saw enemy troops. Well, this means the Rindarl soldiers are coming. I picked up my halberd, and stood up.


    "¡­¡­Well then, how about, we become the new whip? Shall we try becoming a symbol of fear and hatred in Rindarl?"


    When Oscar made that suggestion, Agil and Gunther both looked at him.


    "That''s a good idea. I talked with the folks from Fort Jugfena before, the royal army should act as the carrot, while the others can act as the stick. The difference between two extremes will confuse the enemy, and surely make their morale vulnerable to target. This is all in order to end the war as quickly as possible."


    "Oi, wait a moment. Just what specifically should we do?"


    Gunther grabbed my shoulder. I looked straight into his eyes that were so close to mine, and answered him bluntly.


    "We will become to Rindarl, what Orville Kaldia was to you."


    I braced myself for him to hit me, expecting it for sure ¨C but it never came.


    When I gingerly looked up at him again, Gunther was snorting from his nose.


    "You took me too seriously when I said I never bothered with what you were thinking anymore, I think! You''ve become incredibly evil, haven''t you, shitty brat!"


    Just as I relaxed and let go of my breath, flick, I received a rather painful flick to the forehead. Surprised, I reflexively rubbed my forehead with my palm.


    Gunther muttered some things like "as always, your evil brain is surprisingly excellent, always thinking about things I don''t understand well," as he trudged back to his own infantry unit.

 Chapter 147 - 148

    Ritox Plateau is located in the lower mountainous region of the Amon Nor Mountains, it''s a strategic location that connects the Amon Nor mountains to the Bandishia Plateau, a place that can''t be avoided if you want to cross over.


    Just in case that the Rindarl army didn''t have enough information on our movements, I intentionally let the enemy scouts know we were here. It''ll be a great help if they move just as I expect, and see what I''ve prepared for them.


    Thanks to Rashiok''s nose and Claudia''s eyes, we were able to detect the enemy scouts earlier, but we didn''t do anything to them on purpose. After all, we wanted them to tell their army what they saw here and bring their forces.


    "Claudia, how is it?"


    "Mm, there''s quite a lot of dust rising. The Rindarl army is coming! It''s going to be a battle!"


    Of course, the only one who had sharp enough eyesight to see the dust clouds in the distance, was Claudia. Go back to the shonen manga world you belong in, I brushed away that thought that reflexively came up in me again, and I avoided looking at Claudia who was clearly getting excited.


    The Rindarl soldiers passing by under the plateau after a long march to get here were all staring in shock at a ditch in which there was a forest of impaled people. This would be the perfect opportunity to ambush them from above with arrows while they''re in a daze, but in order to further increase the effect of their fear and hatred in the future, I waited on purpose.


    I could see how shaken and confused the enemy soldiers were. Although their commanders seemed to be trying to restore order, maybe there were some captives in the ditch that the soldiers recognized, there was a surge of soldiers rushing for the ditch in a huge commotion.


    Eventually the effort of their commander went to naught, as the soldiers who were probably conscripted farmers judging from their equipment broke formation entirely and starting rushing for the ditch haphazardly in a mess.


    One of their knights riding on a horse with an expression like he''d given up on this rabble, was one of the first to approach the ditch.


    "Arxians!! This is too cruel! It''s overboard! Do you even have chivalry, or humanity anymore!!"


    I stood up and faced towards the knight. Then, from the high elevation of the plateau, I threw what was in my hand in his direction.


    At first, the knight was surprised that the one who stood up was a child, but when he saw what was rolling at his feet, his complexion instantly paled.


    It was the head of a young soldier. It was easy to tell from his facial characteristics and skin color that he must have been from Densel, and the head''s expression was one of dreadful fear and pain with eyes wide open in his final moments.


    "What a joke, talking about humanity when you''re trying to sneak into someone''s home like a rat!"


    While the knight was lost for words, I spat out some more choice words for him.


    "To begin with, you rejected our terms for surrender, and you were the ones who abandoned these prisoners to their fate. This is the foolish result that you bastards have brought upon yourselves, carve it into your barbaric heads!!" S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡­¡­This is no good, I''m not skilled at taunting the enemy. The fact that the captives were abandoned by their own country to their fate, even I feel that it''s rather pitiful. Since I''ve already decided that I should leave a terrifying impression in the enemies'' hearts, I really need to add more contempt to my voice so they won''t take me lightly.


    It seems that I don''t have the talent to become an actress.


    I wonder what that knight is thinking about chivalry on the battlefield now. He just kept staring at me dumbfounded, as if his entire code of morals had been shattered, and this time I started laughing.


    It seemed like he didn''t even notice the fact that the soldiers behind him were turning into a disorganized, out of control mob.


    "What''s the matter, rat? You don''t feel like fighting anymore? Then, just obediently watch from where you are. From now, let me truly begin executing the Rindarl prisoners."


    "What¡­¡­!?"


    I ignored him, and gave Gunther who was standing behind me the signal to begin.


    The Rindarl troops that had ignored their commanding knight who was just in a daze, and rushed into the ditch, suddenly heard the command of "fire!" from above.


    My soldiers suddenly stood up all at once on the plateau with the fire arrows we had prepared earlier, and all of them aimed their arrows into the ditch. It ignited the oil already smeared on the prisoners in the ditch, as well as the oil that was on the ground of the ditch as well.


    Sizzle, there was an instant uprising of a wave of heat. The captives that were still alive while being impaled, and the soldiers that rushed in to save them without thinking, all of them were burned alive as screaming began to echo throughout the plateau.


    ¡­¡­This was a reproduction of the worst scene I''ve ever beheld. Anyways, I judged that this would be the most effective method of planting nightmares into the enemies'' minds, so that''s why I decided to do this. Well, it''s probably even worse than what I remember my father doing, because the scale was much bigger this time.


    I could feel cold sweat running down my entire body, and my knees felt like they had no strength in them. As I expected, I felt terrible. I supported myself by leaning against my halberd.


    Everyone in the ditch was burning. The soldiers that didn''t rush into the ditch all seemed to be watching this spectacle.


    The amount of oil I used wasn''t all that much. The roaring flames are probably going to lose their momentum soon.


    Before the enemy has a chance to calm down and think, I''m going to completely break their minds ¨C it''s time to use my other, even more rotten plan.


    If the strategy I used in this battle becomes widely known, it''s probable that my father''s evil reputation will be completely replaced by my own. As expected of Orville Kaldia''s daughter, people will make sarcastic jokes about it, mixed with fear and disdain.


    "Rashiok, come to me!!"


    My most loyal servant, came up to me and rubbed my side.


    While it was still chaotic on the ground below, the screams were indeed dying down, and I brought out the tied young captive soldiers ¨C since soldiers are conscripted from the commoners, they have no value as prisoners at all, and Arxia was already planning to execute them anyways.


    They were about my age, and in full view of the remaining Rindarl soldiers, I started pushing them down to the fire pit below.


    When they fall, since they''re tied up and can''t stand, they''ll end up just rolling around in the flames. Or, maybe they''ll fall onto a stake and get impaled.


    "-Stop it!! Just how rotten can you be!!"


    I could hear a frenzied, angered shouting that was louder than the fire''s crackling. I instructed my archers to aim for that voice. It''s important to kill the intelligent, rational ones first. I''m going to assert my dominance over this battle from beginning to end.


    I shall toy with their emotions, and I''ve brought their soldiers down to the level of a mob. Then, the defeated soldiers that survive will bring the news of what happened here back to their country, and Ergnade suggested I let eight captives go free as well to bring the news ¨C about what I did to their captives in the name of warfare.


    Below the plateau, it was a living picture of hell. It was such a strange sight to behold, and with various complicated emotions mixing about inside me, what came out of my mouth was the sound of high-pitched laughter.


    End of Act 3, Part 1

 Chapter 148 - 149

    Act 3, Part 2


    As the word about what I did to the captives spread, it seems that my adoptive father Ergnade was quite successful in overwhelming and crushing the enemy troops.


    After several battles, Arxia was able to capture all the critical strategic locations in the Great Plains and the Bandishia Plateau, and the movements from the Rindarl side stagnated due to the precipitous drop in their soldiers'' morale, as well as worsening public sentiment in their country for support for the war.


    But, the Rindarl Union wouldn''t respond to attempts to negotiate a ceasefire or a truce, and the Arxian Kingdom decided to adopt a strategy of primarily defending its own territory without invading the enemy, so just like that, with winter arriving soon, the two countries were locked in a stalemate.


    After the successful routing of the enemies by Ergnade and his older brothers, my name was beginning to get famous as well in both Arxia and Rindarl, and the next thing I knew, I was summoned back to a special military meeting held separately from the House of Lords.


    Well, I can probably guess at the reason I was summoned, and so I arrived at the royal palace again right on the cusp of winter. For my achievements in battle, I was rewarded with gold, and an official second-tier medal with my family name engraved on it.


    The medal was rose red, engraved with the word Einsbark, made from a gemstone that remarkably resembled the blood-red color of my eyes.


    ¡­¡­This medal is one given to commoners or lower-ranked nobles for military achievements. In the medal system of this country, this one should be ranked fourth from the top.


    Also, the name engraved on this medal given to me says Einsbark.


    When I received land for my domain before, it was quite bothersome, but I wonder if Ergnade had something to do with it, like pushing his credit in battle on to me, he seemed suspiciously overjoyed compared to me.


    I don''t need to receive a second honorary reward like this, my head felt heavy. It''s not useful at all in preventing my citizens from going hungry, and the only thing it will do is increase the jealousy that other nobles have toward me.


    After returning to my mansion, one day in winter, I called Ratoka to my office. He now works as Claudia''s assistant, as well as helping Bellway and Mrs. Marshan run errands.


    As always, there was still a strange type of distance between us, apart from occasionally acting as my double, I usually don''t call for him much.


    According to Ratoka himself, he''s usually busy¡­¡­ and since Claudia often chats with him, she says that he''s grown up to look much more like a beautiful girl than I do, so I try not to have him near me. Maybe it''s because he lacked nutrition when he was younger, but even though I''m one year younger, I''m actually much taller than he is, which apparently also hurts his self-esteem.


    "You called for me?" Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Yes, I called for you¡­¡­ Elise. Before we talk, could you straighten your hair, it''s a mess."


    "Ah, it''s because I was just training together with Claudia earlier."


    After he finished fixing his hair, Ratoka once again asked, "what is it?"


    Apart from being my body double on occasion, sometimes when I bring him out of the mansion with me, he''s either a maidservant, or a steward, it depends on what the circumstances require. Therefore, we''ve prepared several wigs that can greatly change the impression he gives off, and his long hair was trimmed to shoulder length because it was in the way.


    "You know how noble children are required to go to noble school in the royal capital in spring when they turn thirteen?"


    "Of course. What about it?"


    "The rules there allow for servants to be brought. Well, I should say that it''s a custom for all nobles to do so."


    Ratoka seems to have understood what I meant, he was looking at me with a complex expression. It''s good that he''s so observant.


    "Please prepare for when spring comes and I have to go to the royal capital. While I''ll be at noble school for three years, I''ll still probably return to Kaldia quite often, so we don''t need to bring much luggage. As for clothes, please prepare servant clothing, military clothes, and the Kaldia knight order''s clothes."


    "¡­¡­Understood. Um, who else will be coming with us?"


    "Athrun from the Kaldia army, and the children named Tira and Reka from Pioneer village. I don''t think I''ll take anyone else. It''ll be quite inconvenient to take more with me."


    As always, Kaldia lacks human resources. I don''t know if it''s because I''ve become famous lately, immigrants have been slowly trickling in from other domains, I still haven''t decided how I want to help them settle in.


    There''s a law however that states you must live in a domain for one year to acquire rights as a citizen of that domain, so I won''t be able to consider recruiting from the immigrants until next year at the earliest.


    ¡­¡­I believe that my domain has already returned to a similar living standard compared to the other agricultural domains, and even with my lack of personnel, I''m still promoting the development of my domain.


    The average lifespan for commoners in this country is in the mid-forties, while nobles typically live to mid-fifties or mid-sixties.


    Because the generations change so quickly, I can''t afford to make any plans that are too long-term. I have to do what I can, while I can, so I always have a chronic personnel shortage.

 Chapter 149 - 150

    Noble school. This place is required by law for noble teenagers to attend from thirteen years to fifteen years of age.


    It''s the only general education institute in the country, and it primarily focuses on teaching the contents of the Sacred Code and national law, as well as economics, history, geography, ethics, social studies, and the neighboring countries'' languages, it teaches all basic academic classes, and you can even major in some of these classes and pursue research here.


    Although it''s an educational facility, it''s already normal for noble children to receive an education in their own household to some extent, it seems that this school was established by the church in order to give nobles a thorough education in the Sacred Code and on their own country''s history and development.


    That''s why, all noble children are required to live for three years in the dormitories here, and make connections with nobles the same age as them that will be their peers when they come to power.


    Other than winter vacation, permission is required from the head of the household in order to leave the school premises, and nobles that aren''t researchers, teachers, or students are also prohibited from entering the school grounds.


    Because of all this, the noble school that takes up a vast amount of land in the southwest portion of the royal capital, is almost on the scale of a small city, and it has its own unique society nicknamed "the second royal capital."


    On the day of the new student orientation ceremony, I headed for noble school together with Ratoka, Athrun, Reka, Tira, and a woman named Cornelia Heideman.


    Mrs. Cornelia Heideman is someone who works for the Terejia family in the royal capital as a housekeeper, and she''s acting as my guardian in lieu of Earl Terejia, bringing me to noble school. Maybe it''s that Earl Terejia, or perhaps, the Terejia family, they want to observe me and see how things go.


    We''re going to the school with so few servants and very little luggage because I already sold off my tiny residence in the royal capital, and had my things brought over to the dormitory already. I had my servants in my former royal capital''s residence head over to the dormitory, and dispose of any unnecessary household items.


    "Eliza-sama, what kind of place is noble school?"


    In our rented carriage headed for noble school, Reka was excited at first to see the noble school at first, but maybe he got tired of seeing the endless school fence, he asked me a question.


    While his command of the Arxian language is still poor, in just a few years he''s learned quite a lot and is quite chatty now. It''s different from a few years back, when he was a lot quieter.


    However, it seems that someone sent by a major family in the royal capital has a different opinion about his question. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Don''t speak to your master with such a carefree attitude."


    Before I could answer him, the cold Mrs. Heideman began scolding Reka strictly. It was so sudden that Reka, Tira, and Athrun all looked at her with surprised faces. Even Ratoka who''s had experience in various public events as a maidservant, had an expression of discontent on his face. I was confused for a few seconds as well on how to deal with this, before I said something.


    "¡­¡­Mrs. Heideman, I don''t really have any limitations on what they can ask me in private."


    "Then, please take care to change that. Servants being so casual with their master will be terrible for your reputation. People should be aware of their own statuses and behave appropriately."


    I know that already. There are some major differences in how nobles from the royal capital treat their servants in comparison with nobles with their own domains. Those in the royal capital like to keep contact with the servants to a minimum, and servants must not look directly into the eyes of nobles, this is all to maintain their so-called dignity as nobles.


    Indeed, for Earl Terejia as well, whenever he was in the royal capital he only had other young nobles following him around and doing his errands. For a family of such high status like the Terejias, they seem to have followers from the lower ranked nobles like viscount and baron families.


    Since nobles themselves aren''t allowed in the school, usually a lot of servants come from lower ranked noble families, most commonly distant relatives to noble families without enough claim to nobility themselves¡­¡­ noble children from families ranked earl or higher will surely have servants and followers like that.


    Although I don''t really feel like doing it, now that I''ve become a lesser earl, technically I''m supposed to accept the daughter of another noble family as an apprentice maid, something like that. But since I was only a Viscountess half a year ago, I have no connections for this.


    Besides, I decided it would be easier for me to take along people that know me better, so that''s why I brought along Tira and the others.


    At the very least, I need to have some servants that are trustworthy enough to know about and help me with the secret of Ratoka being my body double, so my childhood friends from the new citizens are necessary to me. Tira, Reka, and Athrun shall become my maid, servant, and bodyguard.


    "Then allow me to teach you, before being my servants, they''re first and foremost my retainers. ¡­¡­Ahh, I''m taking them as my servants because they have a deep connection to Kaldia."


    I bluntly told Mrs. Heideman that I trusted in their abilities. I took the trouble of bringing servants I wouldn''t have to be on guard against, it''ll be annoying if I''m forced to hire some servants I don''t know just to fit in with other nobles.


    It seems that Mrs. Heideman who works in the royal capital for the Terejia family doesn''t have a good grasp on the retainer system that''s usually used by domain lords. All she did was close her mouth after stubbornly saying "well, don''t say I didn''t tell you so," and it was easy to tell from her attitude that she was dissatisfied.


    "Earl-sama, we''ve arrived at the main entrance to the noble school."


    Just as the atmosphere was getting heavy in the carriage, the driver informed us of our arrival. The carriage that had already been decelerating, stopped completely. Mrs. Heideman got off the carriage without a single word, but her face was twisted somewhat unpleasantly.


    "Mrs. Heideman, please help me take care of the payment for the rented carriage. Since it''s my first time, it''ll be reassuring to have an adult along."


    Ratoka''s intervention finally relieved the atmosphere. ¡­¡­Perhaps I should reward him with his favorite fruit later. Because he saved me the trouble of having to deal with this troublesome person on my first day of school. No wait, am I being too nice?


    When I got out of the carriage, the school gate in front of me overwhelmed my field of vision. On a path paved with bricks, was a beautifully decorated arch which served as the gate. Behind it, I could see a white school building. Also, above it was a perfect blue sky, beautiful weather for orientation day.


    It''s quite a splendid sight. It''s not as glittery as the royal palace, it can be said that the noble school has a majestic and refreshing appearance befitting that of an educational institute filled with rich history and tradition.


    ¡­¡­However, this wonderful view was slightly ruined by the memory of a certain otome game''s cheaply drawn title and logo also set against the backdrop of this scene.


    Come to think of it, just what have I been doing, I shook my head, slightly disappointed in myself. I wasn''t even all that busy recently¡­¡­ I almost completely forgot about it because it had no relation to the battlefield. I only remembered it again now that I''m here.


    Although honestly, I wouldn''t care if I had forgotten, there''s only unpleasant memories, that might not even be useful for me.


    -This school was the main setting of that otome game.


    So, how much will the situations have changed? When I remembered back to poisoning my family, I smiled bitterly. At that time, I was more aware of what would befall me in the game, and I felt a stronger sense of hatred and fear.


    But anyways, how about now? Looking at this familiar sight even though I''ve never been here before, I gradually tried recalling what memories I could.


    Although I can still conveniently remember some things about my previous life, I never really cared too much about the details of the otome game, and didn''t think it had much value for me.


    ¡­¡­Well, it''ll probably come back to me if I see someone familiar, so I don''t need to try too hard right now. And besides, people are alive in this world, they won''t act according to the game''s script.


    It''s totally meaningless, trying to guess how someone would act based on something as two-dimensional as a game, although knowing what will happen in the future in some fixed game scenarios, could definitely be useful.

 Chapter 150 - 151

    "Oi, look¡­¡­ that''s Earl Kaldia. Black hair and blood-red eyes, there''s no mistake."


    "Ahh, is that the atrociously brutal earl that enjoys blood¡­¡­"


    In the hall filled with chatting students, I could hear some voices talking about me. Since I''m an earl and the second highest-ranking student in school after the crown prince, I''m attracting a lot of annoying attention.


    There are far more court nobles that live in the royal capital compared to landed nobles. Apparently in the "second royal capital" of the school, rumors about my infamy have spread quickly from parents to children.


    While observing the power balance that was subtly different from the House of Lords, I slowly walked around the hall, looking for anyone that seemed familiar.


    There''s supposed to be an evening party for welcoming the new students later tonight, and I thought about if I should attend, but being a recently promoted noble, I don''t want to attract unnecessary attention. And besides, I can feel everyone looking at me, saying whatever they like, and honestly, it doesn''t feel good.


    Although I was planning to leave after I found someone I recognized from the otome game, I wasn''t able to find anyone like that. ¡­¡­At any rate, I don''t really have anything to say to such a person regardless, apart from basic greetings, so how about I take my leave now? Just as I was getting tired of all the attention in the hall, someone tapped me on my shoulder. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Hey, Earl Kaldia¡­¡­ no, Einsbark. Congratulations on your noble title promotion."


    When I turned around, I saw an astoundingly handsome boy with blonde hair and blue eyes. I managed to suppress my surprise.


    "Crown prince Royal Highness¡­¡­"


    This person who was smiling softly at me was the crown prince of this country, Prince Alfred. With a dazzlingly brilliant smile, he held out his hand to me.


    I took his hand, and after a moment of confusion, I kissed the back of his hand. He greeted me when we haven''t even been formally introduced to each other yet, there''s no proper etiquette on what to do in this situation, but from his expression, maybe he had wanted me to shake his hand instead.


    I''ve seen him a few times before when visiting the royal palace, but this is the first time I''ve seen him up close and gotten a good look at his face. And now, I''ve remembered that he''s one of the capture targets from the otome game, and that he''s supposed to be the freshman representative who will give the opening speech later.


    Now that I''m seeing him directly, some hazy memories are coming back to me about the otome game, just like when I reached the school''s door.


    I recalled that the crown prince had a close relationship with the other capture targets, and when I looked at the people next to him, as I expected I was assailed with more familiar faces.


    It''s such a strange feeling. I''ve forgotten their names, but I remember some other basic information about them from the character list.


    According to my vague memories, these guys next to him are the sons of the archduke, and the grandson of the Arxian Royal Army''s general commander Marquis Rolentsor, they''re definitely people that will be in positions critical to the future of this country.


    They''re definitely going to be pillars of support for the crown prince in the future. ¡­¡­I wouldn''t be surprised if this school gets attacked by those with nefarious plans in the future. It feels like too many important people have gathered here as freshmen with me this year.


    I remembered the woman that invaded our kingdom, and set so much of the commoners'' district on fire, but I kept those unpleasant memories to myself.


    Well, it''s probably due to my high ranking that the crown prince took the trouble of coming to greet me, due to social status within this school. Of course, there are noble children here from higher-ranked noble families than I am, but according to the laws of this country they''re still treated as nobles without titles. Most students haven''t obtained their own noble titles yet, after all.


    I think there may be a few students here that have inherited a baron or viscount title, but I seem to be the only one with a title of earl.


    "¡­¡­I''m so happy to be noticed by Your Highness like this. It''s a great honor to be congratulated like this by you."


    "Mm, I''m happy to hear that we''ll be in the same class. I''ll be in your care from now on."


    I finally managed to eke out some polite words required of me by etiquette, and the prince smiled back beautifully.


    Ahh, this is¡­¡­ With such an excellent appearance, I believe I can understand why many people would be attracted to him.


    His excellent appearance is one of his qualities. The first prince Albert is known for his intelligence, but evaluations about his appearance say that he''s only average. The second and crown prince Alfred who''s in front of me now, however, has a matchless appearance that makes me doubt my eyes with just how fine he looks.


    The fact that he was in the same class as me, I expected that as well based on the game of course, and unlike the first prince ¨C his bloodline has no controversy, coming only from Arxian royal blood.


    "Hey, if possible, I''d like it if you weren''t so stiff around me. You''re not my vassal yet, you''re still my father the king''s vassal, and besides this place is just a school. I''d like to just be friends with you, how about it?"


    While I was busy thinking in silence and lost in this social situation I didn''t understand at all after too much time on the battlefield, the crown prince''s voice brought me back to my senses again. Maybe that''s why he seemed dissatisfied with my kissing the back of his hand, I must have been too formal.


    ¡­¡­If possible, I''d like to agree. If I''m able to say that out loud, how joyous it would be. He''s not just an otome game character, after all. However, I absolutely can''t allow myself to make friends with someone for such a silly reason.


    "I apologize if I''m being too formal. Your Highness will be the future king. I can''t allow myself to be impolite, please forgive me."


    "But, are you going to be so formal for three whole years? I think that it''ll just be tiring for everyone. Given our ranks, I think that we''ll be seeing each other quite often."


    ¡­¡­No, of course it won''t be too tiring. What is he talking about, this crown prince.


    Although I''m the second highest ranking noble in school after the crown prince, once I leave school, I''ll be just an earl again. What''s more, I''m an upstart inheritor. Unlike a higher rank like a marquis or a margrave, my social status isn''t appropriate for getting close to the crown prince.


    There should be some dukes'' daughters here as well, so I think he''d be better off going to find them instead. In noble society, people of different statuses hanging out together would only plant the seeds of useless friction. Even now, I''m still dealing with the annoying consequence of receiving that medal.


    Although I say this, my social status is much lower than the crown prince''s, so unfortunately, I''m unable to refuse his direct request.


    "¡­¡­As Your Highness wishes."


    In the end when I was forced to agree with him, the crown prince showed off his gorgeous smile again. It''s quite blinding, my eyes are getting dizzy, please stop it.


    "Thank you, earl. By the way, I was curious. Could you please tell me why it is that you''re wearing clothing for boys?"


    "According to the school regulations, students with noble titles are supposed to wear formal military attire."


    "Well, I know that, but still¡­¡­"


    I suppose it''s only natural for the crown prince to be confused with what I''m wearing. As always, I wore ceremonial clothing for males.


    This noble school has no school uniforms, and most noble children just wear their own clothing that they like. Especially the girls, it''s normal for most of them to dress up every day and accessorize because other nobles'' eyes will be on them. The majority of girls that aren''t engaged will desperately be trying to find a partner here at noble school.


    But just as how the crown prince was wearing the clothes of his knight order, I was also currently wearing the military uniform of the Kaldia army, because of the rule where nobles with titles must attend school wearing military clothes. This rule is meant to make their statuses stand out from the other students.


    "¡­¡­Is that rule really necessary for female students to follow?"


    "I am the first example of a female student with a noble title that this school has ever had, so it applies to me as well."


    Also, the reason why I''ve always been wearing this style, is still the same as before. Since there have never been any underage female domain lords like me before, there''s a lack of official rules regarding formal attire for girls. That''s why I''ve always been wearing knight attire or my military uniform whenever I attend social gatherings such as evening parties, I never change it.


    "These clothes are more practical than skirts, and I happen to like wearing this style as well. I''m glad that I don''t have to spend any unnecessary money on accessories. Your Highness has no need to worry about my clothes."


    "¡­¡­Um, ¡­¡­I see. It''s fine if you like it, then."


    The crown prince seemed even more confused as he nodded.

 Chapter 151 - 152

    "Oh hey, since we''re here, how about I introduce you to my friends?"


    "Alright, it''ll be my honor to meet them."


    "Everyone, allow me to introduce her to you. This is Lesser Earl Eliza Kaldia Einsbark. Eliza-dono, these are Archduke Dovadain''s sons, Viscount Grays and Baron Eric. And this is Baron Sieghart from the Rolentsor family."


    "As he just said, my name is Eliza Kaldia Einsbark."


    The lineup of handsome boys in front of me is quite an impressive sight. As expected of otome game capture targets. I suppose it''s typical since all of them are from powerful noble families with long histories. I vaguely feel like their faces are younger than I remember, but it''s probably because I''m meeting them a bit earlier than when the game started.


    "Mmm, so you''re the one we''ve been hearing about. When I heard about your military accomplishments, I was very surprised to find out you were a girl."


    "I know. Rather than knight attire, wouldn''t a dress look better on you?"


    Everyone around us seemed to be astonished at our gathering, and listening in while chatting about us.


    The boys introduced to me named Grays and Eric were chuckling impolitely while saying some inconsiderate things without even formally introducing themselves. The sons of Archduke Dovadain also have royal blood in them, they''re the crown prince''s cousins.


    Both of them have completely inherited their father Archduke Dovadain''s looks, and the two of them appear so similar that they could almost be twins despite me knowing the fact that they have different mothers. They had red shoulder-length hair tied behind them, with matching light gold eyes. In the game, they had looked like this as well.


    In the game I could have sworn that both of them were supposed to be high spec, but am I remembering things incorrectly? In a public place, right after the crown prince''s introduction, they''re directly being so disrespectful to me. I feel like their heads are rather empty.


    "You seem to resemble your father''s appearance greatly. It''s almost like you''re a living incarnation. ¡­¡­And as for the battlefield, you were quite lucky. I have confidence that our military is quite well-trained, and we would have won anyways. You managed to defeat a small unit that happened to have a high-ranked commander in it, this can''t be anything but sheer luck."


    Although I didn''t allow my facial expressions to move even one centimeter, I wasn''t able to dodge their malevolent verbal barbs.


    "She''s like her father, eh. I''ve heard about him, the infamous demon domain lord that raped and pillaged his own citizens, and devastated his own domain, right?"


    Maybe Eric has a sense for how to strike at weak points, he irritatingly added some more malicious information. I furtively glanced at my surroundings. The people around us listening in, seemed to be drowning me in an unpleasant, sinister atmosphere.


    The crown prince, and the other member of his retinue Sieghart who hadn''t spoken yet, were the only ones who seemed like they were thinking about how to stop Eric.


    If your father had died five years earlier, you wouldn''t have been born."


    "If I was born earlier, then there wouldn''t have been any problems."


    I sparred with him calmly. I predicted that my answers would incite him. Eric was shaking his head in irritation. It seems like my answers are getting under his skin.


    -I suppose that we''re now going to be more distant from each other.


    I know that Eric isn''t a direct descendant like Grays and Sieghart, and that his bad temper is most likely the result of his mother being a mistress. Even after graduation, the higher ranked noble children will still associate with each other, and maybe he''ll get left out, I think he''s just taking things out on me, how troublesome.


    Since Eric is an illegitimate child, he probably doesn''t have a job lined up for the future.


    "Eric." S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Eric was glaring at me and seemed like he was about to explode, when Grays stopped him by tightly clamping his hand onto Eric''s shoulder. He whispered something to Eric, and dragged him away.


    Well, although I''m supposed to have a higher rank, there was no respect for me at all. I don''t particularly want to worsen my relationship with Grays as well, but I''m probably going to have to deal with high-ranked nobles like the archduke''s family in the Upper House of Lords in the future. There''s nothing I can do about it, so I''ll just leave them alone.


    "¡­¡­My friend was rude to you."


    Sieghart awkwardly lowered his head towards me. Being the grandson of general commander Marquis Rolentsor, he had black hair and a sharp glint in his reddish-brown eyes. He has an intrepid face much like his grandfather, and he seems to have ambition as expected for a descendant of the greatest military family in Arxia.


    He''s also the tallest of the four boys, and is in the best physical shape, it was easy to tell that he''s a military noble.


    My name as well as the Einsbark name are both known as military nobles as well, but compared to him I feel like my body is dreadfully tiny. I guess the huge gap between us is because of gender?


    "Please don''t mind that. I seem to have hurt his feelings as well."


    As I shrugged my shoulders, Sieghart seemed to sigh in relief. I can see a resemblance to Claudia in his actions, it definitely feels like they''re related.


    "How has Marquis Rolentsor''s health been? On the battlefield, he took good care of me."


    "If you''re asking about my grandfather, you must know him well. While we did live in the same house, he hasn''t been there since the war began. It seems that he''s been quite busy lately."


    "Ahh, then he''s probably still dealing with the aftermath of the recent battles. There''s a lot of injured soldiers, and many captured prisoners as well. Not only that, the enemy has invented a new weapon. Since the war hasn''t ended either, he must prepare for the next battle."


    The royal army is commanded by the kingdom, while domain armies are personal armies. That''s why in war between countries, most of the fighting is done by the Royal Army and royal knights. Since Marquis Rolentsor has such a solemn personality, he''s probably taking the lead in doing the work. I thought about how Ergnade was quite busy at this time as well.


    "¡­¡­How about injured soldiers in the Kaldia army?"


    The crown prince who had been silently listening to us for a while asked a question in a soft voice. Maybe he already knows how many were injured in the Royal Army, he had a serious expression on his face.


    There weren''t many large-scale battles in the war ¨C most of the battles were between small forces, and what''s more, Arxia hasn''t been in any major wars for 600 years. The population has increased greatly since that time period, along with the number of children.


    "Fortunately, my army was almost unscathed on the battlefield. My army is primarily made up of cavalry troops¡­¡­ it''s a bit of a different configuration from the Royal Army which is primarily infantry."


    "Ah, that''s good to hear. You won your first battle, and your troops were almost unscathed? You must be a very reliable leader."


    The crown prince seemed to be happily praising me, but I felt my lips slightly twisting into the shape of a smile.


    "Thank you for the compliment."


    I see. He doesn''t know yet about the details of the first battle I participated in.

 Chapter 152 - 153

    Alright then. My school life began with a bit of an argument with the archduke''s son, but other than that there didn''t seem to be anything new or special about it.


    It''s because there isn''t much change to my daily routine no matter where I am.


    Oscar and Claudia send messenger soldiers with political paperwork for me to take care of on occasion, I''m confirming reports and giving instructions on the continuing irrigation work in my domain, I check the food production statistics of my domain and calculate the amount of food that we need to import¡­¡­ and for some reason Fort Jugfena is also sending me intelligence reports on Rindarl for me to peruse over.


    Something like an intelligence report, is only supposed to be read by the highest military commanders and the commanders of important strategic locations. It can''t be viewed otherwise unless the House of Lords approves of it.


    ¡­¡­I''m currently exempted from having to participate in battle because of attending school, so why is Wiegraf sending me detailed intelligence and the proposed battle plans for future clashes? Well, perhaps he''s just looking out for me since I fought together with him and his brother Ergnade, and all three of us helped to put together the plan for the display at Ritox Plateau.


    No, it could also be that he wants me to have as much information as possible, just in case I need to return to the frontlines for some reason.


    Because of all my work related to my domain and the current war situation, it''s difficult for me to concentrate on my studies. As for all my classes every day and how to deal with learning it ¨C it''s simple, I have a body double¡­¡­


    "Hey, today as well that bastard Eric pulled on my hair, and stepped on the hem of my cloak. I thought this was supposed to be an upstanding educational facility? Oh, and the teacher gave an overview of the lecture''s content. What''s going on?"


    "I want to hear more."


    Ratoka who just returned from classes was asking me in confusion about what was happening, although I only responded succinctly. ¡­¡­Although, hair pulling, stepping on the hem of a cloak, that Eric sure is immature. Is he a child? Well, he''s thirteen¡­¡­ uh, I suppose he is a child.


    "You want the details of the lecture? Um, it was a lecture about the Artolan legal system. Then, it was a comparison on differences between the laws of Artolas and Arxia, even though we both use the Sacred Code as the basis, we discussed why there would be differences, we analyzed its influence, and predicted about what would happen if we adopted some of their laws, things like that."


    "Comparing laws? What was the textbook used?"


    "The title was ''Observations on Differences in other Sects'' Laws.'' It''s a book from the church."


    "Ahh, I''ve read that book before. There''s no problem then. You''ve read it before as well."


    Yep, Ratoka nodded, as he told me some more details about the class. I know that it can be daunting for someone else to attend classes and do all the homework for me, but I''ve given Ratoka an education and training before so he can handle it. If I had to do these things in addition to my normal workload, it would be an unreasonable amount.


    Well, it''s not like I make Ratoka do it all the time, I still go and attend classes myself when I can, there''s just no helping it¡­¡­ Well, that''s what I told myself.


    But anyways, I glanced over again at his appearance. Even from an early age I felt like his facial features and all the colors matched mine so well, now that we''re both maturing his face resembles mine even more, to the point where even Claudia will sometimes get us mixed up.


    When comparing side by side, Ratoka''s face actually seems more feminine, and because he''s been by my side for so long, he can accurately imitate my expressions and reactions without any suspicion. That''s why I''m having him go to classes for me¡­¡­


    "¡­¡­What?" Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Has he been taking lessons from Claudia''s sharp senses, Ratoka noticed me looking over at him. I told him it was nothing as I took my eyes off him.


    It''s now one month after I''ve entered school, and I still haven''t discovered the person that I''ve been searching for. Since we''re still having only basic classes though, and we''re supposed to be stuck in class for most of the time, there''s no helping it that I can''t move around.


    It should have been easy to find the person I''m looking for just based on appearance, but every time I myself go to class I have to deal with the crown prince''s appearance being an assault on my senses with how brightly he stands out, so it''s quite a bother.


    Today when I went to class, just like always my eyes were drawn to the sight of his luxurious head of shimmery blonde hair glittering as it reflected the sunlight from the window. His terribly conspicuous appearance draws everyone''s attention at all times, whether he wants to or not. Maybe if I see him more often I''ll get used to it, and I''ll build up a resistance?


    I briefly greeted him and sat down in an empty seat. I don''t want to have to be invited by the prince to sit with his group by the time more students come and most seats are taken. It would be quite a bother, as I can easily imagine how much of a commotion that will cause with the other noble students if that happens.


    All of these classes have already been drilled into my head by Mrs. Marshan, so the only real reason for me to come to class is to have opportunities to get in contact with the crown prince and find out what he wants, this thought kept going around and around in my head.


    ¡­¡­I understand why Ergnade and the others would be concerned about me. I''m someone that can help the war effort. Besides, they gave me their family name, even if we''re not related by blood, we''re as close as real relatives. I can also understand how the Terejia family is keeping an eye on me because I''m the one who was raised up by Earl Terejia.


    However, I have no idea what the crown prince''s intentions are towards me. After I graduate from noble school, I''m going to return to my own domain. As someone who''s going to control the entire kingdom in the future from the royal palace, why does he try to keep getting border noble that''s only a lesser earl involved with him?


    Although I''ll have to tolerate it patiently for three years, dealing with other nobles isn''t something that I enjoy. I just want to stay by myself, I don''t want to affect my domain¡­¡­ Since I can''t go against the crown prince, I''ll just deal with the nobles here the best I can with my poor abilities and stay silent as much as possible.


    Crack, I put too much force into my hands as I kept thinking. Then, I heard a snapping sound from between my hands.


    "¡­¡­¡­¡­"


    I''ve done it now. I snapped my pen.


    Well, I did know that my pen was getting quite old and reaching the end of its lifespan. But, I still kept using it because it was still usable. It''s not like I have a superhuman grasping strength like Claudia does.


    But now, the problem is that I don''t have a replacement pen. While I was the one who broke it, I didn''t think that it was going to break this quickly, and I just stared at the remnants of the pen in my hand.


    ¡­¡­What should I do about the class? Should I try writing with just the top half? I still need to share class information with Ratoka, so I''d like to take notes on the teacher''s lecture.


    "Excuse me, Earl Kaldia."


    Someone quietly called for me from beside me, and I finally took my eyes off my pen. When I saw who it was, I reflexively let out a small gasp of surprise. The boy who was talking to me was the exact person I was looking for all this time.


    He looked like an exact younger copy of Margrave Molton ¨C despite that, he seemed to not stand out for some reason ¨C Margrave Molton''s son that he doted on so much sat down next to me.


    "Please, go ahead and use this."


    Why did I never notice him, with his distinctive silver hair. While I was frozen in surprise as if I was seeing something I couldn''t comprehend, he handed a brand new feather pen to me.


    "-Thank you. You''ve been a great help."


    Although I was thinking about looking for him and greeting him, now that the person I couldn''t find was sitting next to me, and I still couldn''t get over the shock that he had been in the same class all this time, my mind went blank and I could only respond foolishly to his offering his pen.


    ¡­¡­Although, with his hair color, and his face, why didn''t his presence draw my attention instantly, like his father or the crown prince?

 Chapter 153 - 154

    "You''re well acquainted with my father? Wow. Really?"


    "Of course. I get along quite well with your father. I even sent you gifts for your birthday celebrations before."


    As we walked together in the brightly lit hallway towards the school dining hall, I had a conversation with the person I finally found after all this time, Margrave Molton''s son, Jeff Molton.


    He has beautiful silver hair, and his eyes are a deeper emerald green compared to his father''s ¨C I''m still confused about how I could have missed him, seeing him up close now. Maybe the crown prince just stood out way too much, causing me to miss him.


    "¡­¡­Ah, do you mean those baked confectioneries?"


    "Yep. You have a good memory."


    "Every year, when they arrive, father will be so pleased, acting like it''s from one of his best friends. I always thought that it was from a noble in the royal capital though¡­¡­"


    "My domain doesn''t produce any local specialties. That''s why I buy sweets in the royal capital and send them over."


    "Ah, got it," Jeff smiled softly in response. Comparing his expressions with his father, they''re not alike at all. His gentle smile makes him seem like someone you can easily approach. It seems that while they look alike, many personality traits are different.


    As we got closer to the large dining hall, the number of students in the hallway increased. Jeff didn''t seem to mind, but for him to be seen associating with me and my bad reputation, I could sense everyone''s curious and distasteful stares.


    "¡­¡­Ahh, come to think of it, I''m sorry, but I have to do something in the library before lunch. See you later!"


    As we turned around a corner, I took this chance to come up with an excuse to leave. If we''re seen entering the dining hall together, it''ll attract too much attention.


    The Molton family isn''t one that has a particularly strong influence or reputation in the royal capital. The Molton domain is geographically located too far away from the royal capital, and Margrave Molton only spends a limited amount of time here.


    However, the Molton domain is one of the biggest producers of jewelry thanks to extensive gem mines, so they often earn money by trading in the royal capital. I''m sure that they would like to avoid causing any trouble in the royal capital if at all possible.


    Even if the merchants here already know what type of person Margrave Molton is, the school is an isolated environment and it''s difficult for me to calculate how much of a negative influence associating with me will be for Jeff.


    "Is that so? Ah, er¡­¡­ mm. Then, see you later, Earl Kaldia¡­¡­ er, Einsbark."


    Jeff tilted his head slightly as he said goodbye, which I''m sure the other students noticed. I accepted this, and waved goodbye to him.


    "You can just call me Kaldia, Molton. Otherwise it''s a bit easy to get confused with the other Earl Einsbark."


    "Ahh, that''s right. Hm¡­¡­ you can just call me Jeff as well. Molton sounds too much like my father."


    "Let''s do that then."


    He nodded as he left. It seems that his father and him are both similarly chatty. Even though he''s just as welcoming as his father, it gives me a strange feeling. So are their atmospheres similar after all, or am I just feeling nostalgia because of their similar welcoming chattiness?


    "-Oi."


    I heard a voice from behind me, and I reflexively turned around while holding my coat so that it wouldn''t get in my way. While turning around I also jumped back two steps, and I smacked away the hand that was reaching for my hair.


    I heard a small moan of pain from the hand''s owner. Because I couldn''t see him coming, he probably thought that this was a good chance to attack me.


    "¡­¡­Excuse me, Baron Dovadain. My apologies if I scared you ¨C it''s a habit from the battlefield."


    I barely managed to refrain from pulling out my sword, and I informed Eric about my habit In a steely voice. Honestly, if I hadn''t controlled my reaction a little, I probably could have sliced him in half. Gunther drilled my reflexes against ambushes deep into my bones.


    At any rate, I''m someone who was on the battlefield. Eric should at least take that into consideration. I can''t just kill the members of the archduke''s family however I like, though.


    "And, did you need something from me?"


    "¡­¡­Where are you going. Isn''t it lunchtime right now? Just what are you planning to do, going in the opposite direction of the dining hall, away from where everyone is? Are you planning to slice someone''s servant into little pieces?"


    I tilted my head at his voice filled with enmity and sarcasm. Just what does he mean, saying I plan to slice someone''s servant into little pieces? It''s such an unexpected comment, that I can''t tell if it''s a dark joke meant as some sort of greeting or if he seriously thought that was what I was planning.


    "I''m headed for the library. I thought that I''d see if they had any books on irrigation."


    "¡­¡­Irrigation? What is that?"


    "There''s lots of undeveloped land in my domain. Preventing floods, and creating a water transport system near rivers and lakes so that people can live there is what irrigation is." S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Oh. Aren''t you the hard worker."


    Even though I answered his question, Eric was still quite brusque and seemed frustrated. It''s bothersome to deal with him, so I decided to leave, when he stopped me again.


    "I''m not done talking with you yet!"


    "¡­¡­What else is there?"


    "Alfred seems to have a high opinion of you, but Grays and I don''t trust you yet! Know your place and don''t get too close to Alfred, you upstart lesser earl!"


    Know your place, doesn''t this kind of not apply to me? I know better than anyone the distrust and loathing that many nobles have towards me. I''m the one who''s confused on why Crown Prince Alfred is taking an interest in me.


    "As for whatever deep thoughts His Royal Highness may be thinking, I wouldn''t know, as I''m merely a lesser earl. However, since His Royal Highness can think for himself, and as he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, I''m sure he''ll soon learn more about social statuses just by spending time at this school."


    "Huh? What does that mean?"


    While Eric was still tilting his head in confusion, I merely said "sorry, excuse me now since I really need to go to the library," left him there just like that.


    What does it mean? It means that I know full well the difference in status between the crown prince and myself. Sigh¡­¡­ in order to put some more distance between the crown prince and myself, should I find an excuse to go back to Kaldia some time? I''m the head of the household anyways, so I can give myself permission any time I feel like it.

 Chapter 154 - 155

    (TL note: After checking it out, it seems that Jeff Molton''s first name was originally indeed intended to be Zephyr. Therefore, I''ve changed his name, even though he doesn''t appear in this chapter.)


    I held the tip of my rapier horizontally, pointed at the throat of the general commander''s grandson Sieghart. Although normally wider swords should be used in battle, as rapier techniques are mostly ceremonial.


    My opponent Sieghart set up an elegant pose with his rapier in front of his body, as someone who will surely enter the Royal Guards knight order in the future, he was probably educated in the finest ceremonial rapier techniques there are.


    "I''ll begin."


    "Please go ahead."


    Since rapiers are light short swords, it''s a high-speed duel. Even though Sieghart said that he''ll begin attacking, he took his time in testing my defense for openings, without going for direct attacks.


    No matter how light it is, you need to have adequate muscle strength in order to maintain the proper sword stances. If we keep dueling defensively, I''ll be at a disadvantage due to my limitations in stamina. Taking that into consideration, I began my offensive.


    I purposely crossed swords with him, and managed to avoid being hit by his next slash, using the momentum from our swords clashing to jump back. Clang, while our swords weren''t broken, there was a grating sound in the air while I almost lost hold of my sword from the impact, having to pull on the edge of my coat to find my balance again, as I put distance between us and fixed my combat stance.


    ¡­¡­As expected of the foremost military family in this country. There are no flaws in his defense whatsoever. It''s quite evident that he''s extremely skilled in handling his sword.


    "Beautiful moves, Rolentsor."


    "It''s all thanks to countless hours of practicing!"


    Turning on one foot, I avoided his sword which instantly came at me again, and blocked his attack with my sword. Originally in ceremonial swordplay, once you trade blows you''re supposed to draw back, but ¨C reflexively, I stepped forward into his bosom.


    "Wha!?"


    Screech, a high-pitched metallic sound was ringing. Even though Sieghart obviously had more muscle strength than me, I was pushing back his rapier with my own. I had the advantage in positioning, and he was forced just slightly off balance.


    I increased the speed of my movements even more, and I stomped down diagonally ¨C aiming straight for his feet.


    There was a pleasant sound as my foot connected against his, and the general commander''s grandson fell face forward onto the thick mat. Just as I was about to reflexively attack his wide-open back with my sword as he poised both his hands to break his fall, the instructor shouted "that''s enough!" at that moment.


    I threw down my sword, then I finally remembered that this was only supposed to be a practice duel, which caused me to really want to clench my head.


    -This is bad. I''ve gone completely overboard. Unconsciously, I moved according to the familiar movements of my training, but I shouldn''t have done that here.


    "¡­¡­Eh, huh?"


    Sieghart seemed to be terribly confused as he dazedly looked at me. "Are you alright," I asked him. While he didn''t shake his head, his head was bleeding slightly from what I did to him. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Still, I kept asking him if he could stand up, while he just remained sitting there in his daze, and I just repeated my question over and over while hurriedly extending my hand to him, and he finally took my hand and pulled himself up.


    "Sorry, I¡­¡­ are you hurt?"


    "No, I''m fine¡­¡­"


    The general commander''s grandson who was just slightly taller than me kept looking at me with a confused expression. I think he was about to say something, just when he opened his mouth, the instructor called out my name, with an "Earl Kaldia!"


    "Ahh, Earl Kaldia. What was that, that underhanded swordsmanship?"


    Listening to the instructor''s shocked reaction, I reflected on my actions that this was just as I expected. The training ground for the practice duel suddenly became abuzz with commotion when it was completely silent during our duel.


    "Swordsmanship is something that''s supposed to be elegant, beautiful, fair, and clean. It''s inconceivable that you, a noble, would use such a tactic suited for commoner soldiers!"


    "¡­¡­My apologies."


    This time was my fault. Normally I hold back when swinging my sword around. ¡­¡­The general commander''s grandson was too strong, I wasn''t able to help myself because he was the first one I couldn''t win against unless I used my full abilities.


    This mock duel between Sieghart and I, was originally intended by the instructor to be a demonstration of ceremonial swordplay, in order to teach the other students that hadn''t learned it before.


    If I win using tactics that aren''t a part of ceremonial swordsmanship, then it won''t be an example for the other students. Because my opponent only used ceremonial swordsmanship, I''m the one who broke a rule here. It''s completely considered my fault.


    "-Humph. As expected, cowardly methods befit the cold-blooded earl famous for killing unarmed enemies without even flinching. Doing such an ugly thing, winning with no pride or honor at all. Just like a low-class commoner."


    Eric''s voice instantly came ridiculing me from the side, when right after his rant Sieghart roared at him. "ERIC!!" Sieghart is someone who''s talented enough to know that my combat style is necessary on the battlefield, so he''s probably defending me because of it.


    "Eric, I can''t let this insult pass. Take your words back right now!"


    "Oh, um, Rolentsor, wait a moment. It was my bad just now¡­¡­ Please calm down."


    He tried convincing Sieghart in a subdued voice. I suppose this situation is bad for him. For someone who will likely be the future general commander in the future by the crown prince''s side to be seen shouting angrily at Eric like this in class, it will cause rumors.


    "But, your words just now were an insult to every soldier on the battlefield. It''s unforgiveable."


    "Even so, what he says is true. I used a style that wasn''t appropriate for this place, my earlier sword technique was indeed learned from commoners. It doesn''t change the fact that I used an underhanded technique during the duel. My apologies."


    I whispered that to Seighart so only he could hear it, but it was obvious for anyone that Eric had been ridiculing me. The commotion in class kept increasing in volume, to the point where the noble instructor was shouting "quiet!"


    The crown prince and Grays just happened to not be here today due to official business, normally they would be able to help contain the commotion.


    ¡­¡­Ahh, this is terrible. For Eric who was trying to "preserve honor in duels" to get shouted at by his friend Sieghart like that, his pride will greatly suffer. And now, nobody''s here who can help calm him down.


    "¡­¡­What are you talking about, Sieg! It''s because of dirty tactics, that you always lose!"


    Sure enough, when Eric''s temper flared up and he started shouting angrily back at Sieghart, I involuntarily leaned my head back and stared at the ceiling. I already knew that trying to reason with children was an impossible task, and that it would only lead to loud arguments ¨C this is something I know from experience.


    "¡­¡­¡­¡­What?"


    Now I heard Sieghart''s low voice filled with anger. I kept scolding myself mentally for my major blunder in not holding back being the cause of this gigantic mess.

 Chapter 155 - 156

    "My head hurts¡­¡­ I don''t want to go to school¡­¡­"


    "What are you saying, weren''t you the one who said I shouldn''t switch in for you for a while?"


    Ratoka was chewing his breakfast while talking, furrowing his eyebrows in puzzlement. Ever since that mock duel, I hardly ever had him substitute in for me. Based on the situation, I judged that it would be difficult for him to take my place.


    "Hey, you should eat your breakfast properly as well. Just what exactly happened? I''ve never seen this type of expression on your face before."


    "¡­¡­You''re being noisy. I don''t want to talk right now, Elise¡­¡­"


    I kept clenching my head, while Ratoka stopped eating, picked up a piece of bread and smeared some jam on it, and stuffed it into my mouth.


    "Hurry up and eat. You''ll be late for the next class unless you leave soon."


    ¡­¡­Urk. My head hurts. I don''t want to go to school. I mean, why do I need to keep going to classes I''ve already learned? Rather than doing something meaningless, shouldn''t I use my time more productively instead on my domain lord work?


    Am I the type of student to skip classes though? That thought kept circling around in my head as I listlessly ate my breakfast.


    "Good morning, Kaldia. Are you alright? You don''t look so good¡­¡­"


    "Ahh, Zephyr¡­¡­ Good morning." (TL reminder: Jeff -> Zephyr, see last chapter TL note)


    Zephyr sat down next to me and looked over with a concerned expression. I decided to go to class in the end, although I feel like I may feel worse if I don''t take a break soon. He often talks to me like this, even though his reputation may be affected. Lately I''ve been worrying as well if he''s suffered because of it, so as a result I''ve been chatting with him more often.


    "My body''s fine. I''ve just been dealing with too much lately, I''m a bit tired."


    "I see. Try not to overdo things? Um¡­¡­ it''ll be difficult for everyone if a domain lord collapses."


    "Ahh, thank you for your concern."


    He should also know the real reason why I''m not feeling well. However, I''m very grateful to him that he isn''t asking me to talk about it, it''s very difficult for me right now as it feels like my heart is being stabbed.


    "Good morning, Earl Kaldia, Molton."


    "¡­¡­Good morning, Rolentsor."


    "Good morning as well to you, Baron Rolentsor."


    Sieghart came over to us like it was the natural thing to do for him, his nonchalant expression saying he felt like he belonged, and I softly clutched my head again. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It''s been 10 days since that mock duel. However, after the argument between Sieghart and Eric on that day, they''ve been arguing each time they see each other every day now. Crown Prince Alfred and Grays still haven''t returned yet from their official business, so there''s nobody that can mediate between them.


    And on top of all that, the general commander''s grandson now hangs out with me every day as if to guard me from Eric.


    This is why my head hurts.


    For Sieghart who''s a member of the prestigious Rolentsor military family, he can easily make a connection with Eric who has royal blood from Archduke Dovadain who is the king''s younger brother, if they just talk it out, I''m sure they can go back to being good friends again and forget about their argument.


    The crown prince and the two brothers from the archduke''s family have a social status that''s far too different from mine, if at all possible I don''t want to associate with them, but the general commander''s grandson is a different story.


    I already get along quite well with several members of the Rolentsor family, and taking the future into consideration I think that I wouldn''t mind if I had a friendlier relationship with just Sieghart from the four capture targets.


    However¡­¡­ this situation is bad. Since I''m in the center of it all, it''s really bad.


    After that mock duel ¨C Sieghart forced Eric to apologize twice for his insults that went overboard. I also apologized myself, only to Sieghart.


    Of course, Eric became more distant from us after this incident. Then, Sieghart declared in front of the entire class, that he wouldn''t renew his friendship with Eric until he apologized sincerely.


    Even though Sieghart seems quite calm now, the way he''s dealing with this whole matter is¡­¡­ he''s just a stubborn child, although I can''t say that directly to him.


    This is terrible. ¡­¡­Because of me, there''s now a rift in the crown prince''s retinue. Right now it''s still only to the extent of a children''s quarrel, but when I think about how the story might be twisted by the time the crown prince returns¡­¡­ my head hurts.


    "Come to think of it, I think it''s about time¡­¡­ if it''s okay with both of you, I''d like to call you by your first names. Especially since I''ve heard that Earl Kaldia already has a good relationship with several other Rolentsors?"


    "¡­¡­Mm, ahh¡­¡­?


    "Or would you prefer if I just call you Kaldia like Molton does? In my opinion, I think that we''re friendly enough now where I''d like to be granted this permission."


    "Ahh¡­¡­ I suppose¡­¡­?"


    During my headache Sieghart kept bothering me about something, but honestly I didn''t really pay attention to what he said and just responded with something that seemed appropriate. Then I noticed how happy he suddenly seemed to be, which snapped me back to my senses with a bad feeling.


    "Is that so, thank you. Then I''ll be in your care, Kaldia. Is it alright if I also call you Molton then?"


    "Oh? It''ll be my honor, becoming friends with you. Go ahead and call me Molton if you like."


    ¡­¡­Wait a moment. This is a conversation about what to address each other as?


    Among nobles, what they call each other in private is a huge indication of their level of friendship. At first you''re supposed to address them by their proper name or title, they''ll use honorifics when they get to know each other, and when they become close friends they''ll start calling each other by name.


    Now I''m deeply regretting that I responded without paying attention. I hope that this won''t cause the fighting to intensify even further¡­¡­ and, when I noticed Eric glaring in our direction ferociously, my all too sweet dream was dashed instantly.


    Before the crown prince returns, I need to figure out how to manage Eric and Sieghart.


    ¡­¡­Ahh, my head hurts. I want to go back to my room and sleep.

 Chapter 156 - 157

    "We''re going out. Reka, Tira, please make the preparations."


    "¡­¡­Eh?"


    I got a reply from my guardian that I contacted for the first time after I came to noble school. After I confirmed the contents of Earl Terejia''s letter, I placed it in my desk drawer, and Tira who thought she would just prepare my school things like usual raised her voice in surprise.


    "Out? Does that mean we''re going outside the school?"


    "Yep. First we''re going to Earl Terejia''s residence, then the House of Lords, and after that will depend on the situation. Elise will come as ''Ratoka'' today. He''ll act as my personal attendant."


    "Understood."


    Saying that he''s going as Ratoka today, means that he''ll be wearing men''s clothing this time. With an expression that said he was tired of having to wear annoying maid clothes all the time, Ratoka quickly left the room to go change together with Reka.


    "¡­¡­Wait a moment. We''re going to the House of Lords as well?"


    "Arktoria Castle which contains the House of Lords only permits nobles to enter. You guys can just wait for me at the entrance. There''s no need to be so nervous, Athrun."


    "Nah¡­¡­ It''s not that I''m nervous. Are you going to be alright, taking us with you? Taking us Shiru tribe members close to the royal palace, won''t it be a problem?"


    "It won''t be a problem," I answered the anxious Athrun as I looked him over from head to toe. The Shiru tribe that originally lived in the plateau have slightly darker skin than people from the Jugfena region, but their facial features are just about the same. Besides, I wondered why Athrun thought it would be a problem.


    In my domain, I''ve successfully kept any negative feelings about the Shiru tribe under control. In fact, my original citizens have positive feelings towards them, as they''ve helped spread domesticated meat, milk, and dairy products in Kaldia. Even though we''re not in Kaldia now, there really shouldn''t be anyone holding such negative feelings toward the Shiru tribe here.


    And when the war with Rindarl begin, many Shiru members joined my army for the war effort, and the current atmosphere in my domain is that discriminating against them is taboo.


    Athrun''s line of sight moved to Tira standing behind me. Tira is the only pure Shiru kid among us, and it''s a bit evident that her skin is somewhat darker than the farmer''s child Reka and the half-Shiru Athrun.


    "Arxia has many people with darker skin. There''s plenty of people from the southwest with even darker skin than the Shiru tribe. Your features may be considered rare in the eastern part that we reside in, but it''s common for nobles'' servants to come from all over the place, so nobody will find you strange at all."


    "I see¡­¡­"


    Athrun nodded, but it still seemed like he wasn''t in full agreement. ¡­¡­Well then. In noble school, there''s very few people that know just where Tira and Athrun came from.


    Maybe those who are extremely well informed will figure out from their skin color that they came from the Artolan refugees that Kaldia accepted, but like I just explained to Athrun, it''s common in Arxia for there to be tan skin even darker than theirs. With no evidence, not counting children, any nobles with an education wouldn''t make a fool of themselves without proof.


    I turned from Athrun and looked at Tira. She was still smiling calmly and softly, but since Athrun seemed to be so worried, as their guardian I feel like I should say something about this. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Tira, in the end Mrs. Heideman is just someone from outside Kaldia. No matter what she said that day, don''t worry about it. You''re always my citizens first and foremost, and I won''t let even the Terejia family insult you guys. I don''t mind even if I have to issue a formal protest to Marquis Rittergau. I''m going to meet his younger brother today, anyways."


    "Oh, I didn''t mind it. Personally, I think that I can trust my lord, Eliza-sama more than anyone else, and believe what you say. ¡­¡­Um, you know, for us Shiru tribe, the word of an outsider is worth less than the baying of our livestock. That''s why, it doesn''t really matter what other people say."


    I nodded at Tira''s words. Servants usually have different ranking systems divided by gender. For Mrs. Heideman who was the head housekeeper, it must have been a blow to her pride when she learned that Tira who''s only my maid had a larger room given to her than what Mrs. Heideman probably had.


    Since the Terejia family has profited from the demands created by war, for them to send her for the purpose of disparaging the Shiru tribe couldn''t have been their intention. If Mrs. Heideman had been using the Shiru tribe as an excuse to attack Tira, it''s because she couldn''t find any other faults. Tira''s such an excellent maid.


    "¡­¡­Shiru women are so strong."


    Athrun finally seemed relieved as he muttered that. Ratoka finished changing and came back at this time, and just like that this matter was settled.


    I suppose I need to start paying attention to Mrs. Heideman''s movements, and judge based on the situation if I need to fire her. For the Terejia family to have saddled me with such a useless person, it''s a good chance that they''ve given me. The Terejia family isn''t a solid rock after all, maybe this will become a useful attack card in the future.

 Chapter 157 - 158

    It''s really been so long since I last saw Earl Terejia.


    "I haven''t come to greet you for such a long time, my apologies."


    "No, it''s fine. I was the one who should have been there for your school''s opening ceremony."


    The earl was casually resting on a couch, and it feels like his expression is just slightly less strict than usual after seeing me return here. Ever since he arrived in Kaldia to become my guardian, the situation had been so bad in my domain that it took up so much of his time, that''s why the earl that I usually see was always so strict.


    "I''ve heard that you''ve been feeling worse lately¡­¡­"


    "It''s just some light coughing. My family is making a big fuss out of nothing every time I want to get some bed rest for a day or two. There''s no problem."


    "Is that the case? I''m glad to hear it''s not serious."


    "Humph, everyone''s treating me like an old man at death''s door. Even though my older brother is still energetically working in the castle every day. Shouldn''t he be the one treated like me because he''s even more of a workaholic?" S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After my tenth birthday, Earl Terejia started staying in the royal capital for longer periods of time. And when I was promoted in noble rank, he ended his regency of taking care of Kaldia for me, and returned to his royal capital residence permanently.


    He has no children or anyone who will inherit his title, and lately he hasn''t been attending House of Lords meetings much either. Apart from doing some accounting for the royal palace which was his original work and the basis for his noble title, he''s mostly retired now, and spends his time enjoying himself in his mansion.


    "¡­¡­Well, it''s whatever. Anyhow, I hear that you''ve been caught up in a troublesome situation?"


    He still holds much information on the other nobles'' weaknesses, and even now many nobles in the royal capital will often come to consult him on various matters. As always, my guardian seems to have a little too much influence.


    Well¡­¡­ it''s exactly because he has so much information that I''m coming to consult him this time, though. Since my noble rank was promoted, I''m going to have more and more dealings with other nobles in the future.


    "Yes. Actually, Eric-dono from the archduke''s family is giving me some trouble¡­¡­"


    "It''s just like the situation you wrote me about in the letter? After I read it, I instantly disposed of the letter."


    I simply confirmed by nodding. Before I came to visit him, I gave him a report on the tangled relationships between me, the crown prince, and the three members of the prince''s retinue.


    Since I also wrote my personal thoughts about them in my report, it would greatly trouble me if someone other than the earl saw it, and the earl and I are now deeply connected and on the same boat, so of course he would never betray me and he shredded my letter. That''s what he meant when he said he disposed of it.


    "Yes. Also, I don''t understand why Eric seems to have such strong feelings of enmity toward me for the things I said. Although I did want to verbally attack him so that it would be easier for me to be distant from the crown prince."


    "It seems like you haven''t talked much to the Rolentsor boy or Grays yet? Especially Grays, you haven''t talked to him since the first day other than greeting him?"


    "It felt like an appropriate distance to keep from Grays-dono, it felt comfortable this way. Does it have to do with the archduke''s family education as well?"


    I don''t know what type of person Archduke Dovadain is, as he hardly ever attends House of Lords meetings. As the younger brother of the king, he''s a major figure in the Upper House of Lords, but from what I can tell, he almost never gets involved in politics.


    "¡­¡­The archduke''s family, eh¡­¡­"


    However, it appears that even Earl Terejia who''s spent time in the Upper House of Lords before doesn''t know much about the archduke. In a rare instance, he didn''t have much to say, and his usually strict face became even grimmer.


    I kept drinking my black tea as I waited for him to say something. While waiting for the earl''s information, I reviewed the facts I already knew about the archduke''s family.


    No matter how much of a child he may be ¨C even if Eric is only an illegitimate son, he''s still from one of the most important major noble families, and his behavior is too strange. Every time he behaves inappropriately, it makes me raise my eyebrows in wonder at just what kind of education he received in the archduke''s family, and he''s done so more than once.


    He''s the son of a concubine, with how much he resembles Grays and the way he acts, he probably received equal treatment to Grays. Then, his education shouldn''t have been all that different from Grays.


    Among the crown prince and his retinue, Grays is the only one who hasn''t spoken to me much. Does he already have his sight set on being the next archduke I wonder, it feels like he has an attitude where he doesn''t even pay attention to a mere upstart lesser earl.


    And, I feel like his attitude is to be expected. Sieghart being from a military family is an exception, but the crown prince and his two cousins that are the archduke''s sons shouldn''t be showing this much interest in me.


    ¡­¡­Since noble school has its own isolated society, it''s unavoidable that the crown prince and other nobles would pay attention to me since I have the second highest noble ranking.


    However, that only applies inside noble school, once we''re back in normal noble society, I''m still just one of many lower-ranked nobles. With regards to military noble families, the Rolentsors and the Einsbarks are much more accomplished than I am. The crown prince is being way too friendly with me for some unknown reason¡­¡­ but I''ll leave him alone for now.


    The mystery is in the difference between Eric and Grays. Being from the archduke''s family, Grays is distancing himself from me appropriately, but Eric isn''t doing so. But if they had different educations and were treated differently in their family, Grays and Eric shouldn''t be so close to each other. Even though one is the heir and the other a bastard son, they get along just like twins would.


    Since Eric is allowed to be equal to Grays, then why is it that their attitudes toward me are so different?


    ¡­¡­I really don''t want to stick my nose in other families'' household problems, but in order to manage Eric, so that nothing bad happens to me in the end, I''m going to have to learn more about whatever his bothersome family issues are.

 Chapter 158 - 159

    "¡­¡­How much do you know about the archduke''s wife?"


    Just as I was finishing the last sip of my black tea, Earl Terejia finally spoke up.


    "I''ve heard that Grays'' mother is the official wife, and Eric''s mother is a concubine, and that the archduke got married when he was still one of the possible heirs to the throne."


    "The archduke''s concubine Marleen is from the Provents family¡­¡­ which is a branch family of Marquis Zellutelutsviha''s family, and the archduke''s official wife Otelia is from Duke Zastin''s family. The archduke married them both at almost the same time, and again they almost simultaneously gave him two sons, Grays and Eric, in the same year.


    I don''t know in detail if his two wives get along well or not. Marleen almost never goes out in public."


    "Zellutelutsviha¡­¡­"


    "Marleen''s a princess of Zellutelutsviha. In order to deepen the relationship between the royal family and the independent Marquis territory, it was a common type of political marriage in order to increase friendship with Zellutelutsviha."


    In the Red Karan mountains, there''s a unique area in Arxia known as the independent Marquis territory. I didn''t know that Eric''s ancestry hailed from such a region. Well, unless Eric''s temper is because of a special type of mental disorder in Zellutelutsviha, I don''t see how this is very useful so far.


    "Also, from what I''ve heard, the concubine Marleen was originally treated the same as the official wife Otelia. That''s probably why Eric has a higher status than Otelia''s second son as well."


    Come to think of it, I received an invitation recently to Grays'' birthday party first, meaning he''s older than Eric. I didn''t pay much attention to it, since nobles typically send out a huge amount of invitations just for courtesy.


    Considering my current relationship with Eric, I really want to decline it, but¡­¡­


    "Was originally, does that mean it''s not the case anymore?"


    "Marleen passed away approximately five years ago."


    I looked at Earl Terejia as he fell silent.


    "¡­¡­I didn''t know about that. The concubine being treated equally to the official wife in the archduke''s family, as well as her having passed away, it''s not well known to many people."


    I would remember any knowledge about the royal family and the archduke''s family as it''s common sense to do so. If there''s something I didn''t know, it probably means that it wasn''t meant for a lower-ranked noble like me to begin with.


    "The archduke''s family held only a small private funeral for Marleen, and it seems that they only told the relevant parties."


    "I see, does this all have to do with Eric''s outrageous behavior?"


    "I can''t say with absolute certainty, but I did start hearing bad things about Eric''s reputation right after Marleen''s death. He lost his mother, he''s alone in a complex family situation, it''s conceivable that his personality may have become a little twisted in such a scenario."


    ¡­¡­As he said his personality may have become a little twisted, it felt like the earl was taking a very deep look at me. Well, in my case, my personality may have become twisted when I killed my parents, Eric''s case is probably a lot different from mine.


    "So the exact reason is unclear, correct?" S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "That''s all I know. It''s because I hardly have any dealings with the archduke''s family."


    After that, he stopped talking, and finished his already cold tea.


    It seems that if I want any more information than this, I''ll have to find it myself, eh. I do have the birthday party invitation coming up, so that''s a potential chance I could use. I''m going to have to adjust my schedule again¡­¡­ I suppose I should leave everything I don''t have time to handle personally to Ratoka.


    In the afternoon, just like I planned, I went to the House of Lords. Since there aren''t many people staying here during spring, the meetings usually aren''t as important. Usually what they do in spring is things like confirming the national budget, hearing cases involving people from the palace, stuff of this degree.


    I took the fact that the House of Lords usually doesn''t have anything important going on at this time into consideration when I decided to leave school to go and collect information today. Since the House of Lords is where nobles gather, it''s a place where I can gather information even if there''s no meeting today as some nobles will still be there.


    "Hello, how are you today, Earl Ruktoferd?"


    "Ohh, if it isn''t Earl Einsbark. How are you? How''s school life treating you?"


    "It''s a fresh experience for me every day. I''ve never had so many people of the same age around me before."


    The first noble that I saw and greeted was Earl Ruktoferd. His domain is one of the few that produces warhorses, and Kaldia''s first batch of horses was from the Ruktoferd domain as well. And since a retired soldier from his army was the one who helped teach my cavalry troops how to ride horses, I''ve known and had dealings with Earl Ruktoferd for a long time.


    "What are you up to today, then? I thought that there wasn''t anything on the agenda today about the Kaldia domain¡­¡­"


    "Actually, I wanted to consult with you about something today, Earl Ruktoferd. It''s about the Shiru horses that my domain took in¡­¡­"


    Although it hasn''t reached the extent to where I can export them, the number of horses in Kaldia have been steadily increasing every year.


    The Shiru horses are smaller than warhorses from Ruktoferd, and aren''t as suited for traveling long distances or pulling heavy carriages, but their lightness, ease of handling and top speed are excellent qualities for my light cavalry on the battlefield to become a mobile strike unit, and it seems that others have become interested in purchasing some from me lately as a result of my success in battle.


    Meaning, Kaldia could possibly become Ruktoferd''s business competitor in the future. The earl seemed slightly confused that I would consult him, but he politely said "alright, I''ll hear you out" as he led me to an empty resting area in the House of Lords.


    Honestly though, the Shiru horses are just bait to get the earl hooked in conversation, my true goal is to hear more from him about the eastern border''s situation since he regularly supplies the border with horses¡­¡­ After talking about horse breeding, I can steer the conversation in that direction.


    I talked with the earl about the possibility of breeding Shiru horses with his horses and creating a new breed of warhorse, improving the species slowly over the next fifty years, a grand plan to undertake.


    Of course, I was able to achieve my actual goal as well. Thanks to our conversation, I learned that the stalemate on the eastern border was still continuing, and that the royal army''s lower-ranked troops were slowly becoming disorderly.


    About 10,000 soldiers are basically occupying enemy territory now and remaining there. While Arxia is forbidding them from making any further attacks, they must always be on guard for ambushes from Rindarl, it''s a stressful situation for the soldiers.


    ¡­¡­It''s only a matter of time before our soldiers'' morale begins to drop as well. I shall inform Ergnade of this situation. He''s not a member of the royal army himself however, so I don''t know if he''ll be able to intervene effectively.

 Chapter 159 - 160

    After the incident, the corpse of Marquis Nordsturm, leader of the northern nobles, was discovered. This was also information that was concealed from the public. His funeral was carried out quietly in secret, and the nobles just know that his successor only inherited a low-ranked noble title for some reason.


    There were rumors that he couldn''t bear the disadvantageous evidence piling up against him, and that he committed suicide, but the truth was unclear. The new leader of the Nordsturm family was his eldest, and also said to be his only son, a young man with wheat-yellow hair like his father. Melchior disappeared during the incident, and hasn''t been found since.


    Eliza chapter 160 ¨C Like a board game


    The next day when I returned to noble school, "good morning," just as Zephyr greeted me, he was roughly pushed aside, by someone I hadn''t expected to see so soon.


    It''s Eric. He was glaring at me as if he had something against me, an expression that seemed like he was dissatisfied with something. ¡­¡­It feels a bit pitiful that I have to deal with opponents like him that are even shorter than me.


    Before I could even ask just what he wanted, I noticed Zephyr falling from the violent shove, about to hit a desk, and I reflexively grabbed on to Zephyr''s arm. I managed to catch him right before his head hit the corner of the desk.


    Maybe I pulled Zephyr too hard, this time he staggered forward. I was about to support his shoulder with my left hand, but my arm was still trembling from the impact so he slipped from my hand, so I had to catch him in my arms.


    Even though I do exercise regularly, of course I don''t have the strength to hold someone my size for a long period of time, but he was a bit dizzy and had trouble standing by himself. -Since it couldn''t be helped, I gently rolled Zephyr onto the floor.


    "¡­¡­That was dangerous. You almost hit your head."


    "T, thank you, Kaldia. You saved me¡­¡­?"


    Even though he thanked me, I feel like there was a question mark at the end of his sentence, is it because I ended up rolling him onto the floor? I made sure to do it gently so that he wouldn''t get injured, but I don''t quite recognize the expression he''s making right now.


    I pulled Zephyr''s arm again to finally help him stand up, then turned around and looked at Eric. He seemed rather shaken, and he stood there frozen. However, the moment he noticed me looking at him, he started moving awkwardly, and he slowly changed his expression to an apologetic one as he looked away from me and at Zephyr.


    "¡­¡­Uh, my bad, Molton. Um¡­¡­ because I wasn''t paying attention, you may have been injured."


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­What, was that supposed to be an apology? Is Eric a commoner or a low-ranked noble? It doesn''t seem like an apology that should come from the high-class archduke''s family that can have the most luxurious lifestyle, living off of the people''s taxes.


    As Zephyr was about to hurriedly say something like "not at all," I pulled on his arm and stopped him. Zephyr is the eldest son of a margrave. As a member of a higher-ranked noble family, he should consider proper noble behavior at all times. Since Eric obviously isn''t being very polite, there''s no need to be polite to him back, even if he''s from the archduke''s family.


    Zephyr seemed surprised as he didn''t say anything, and I coldly stared in Eric''s direction. Eric also wasn''t saying anything. I don''t know why, but his willful expression suddenly seemed to be at a loss for what to say.


    "-Kaldia, Molton. Even Eric''s here as well. What just happened?"


    With a dubious expression on his face, Sieghart arrived. That''s when Eric''s atmosphere of confusion suddenly vaporized.


    Eric turned around, and left the classroom just like that. He can''t deal with his emotions, so he ran away, is that what it was? He''s at a moody age, maybe something like that.


    And in the end, I didn''t even find out what Eric wanted from me¡­¡­


    "Um, there''s something I''ve always been thinking that I haven''t said before. Could it be that Eric just wants attention from Eliza-sama?"


    After I finished talking about what just happened, I heard a shocking comment from Reka, causing me to blink. I moved a piece on the chess-like board game I was playing with Athrun, then I looked over at Ratoka and had a simple exchange with him.


    "Did you understand what Reka was talking about just now?"


    "Nope, not at all."


    From the edge of my vision, I noticed that Tira was giggling, and even Athrun seemed to be looking at me as if I was a small child. It seems that only Ratoka and I don''t understand what''s going on.


    "When the two of you first met, didn''t you make him into your opponent?"


    "It''s because he was making fun of me. It seems that he''s disliked me ever since then, so I''ve continued to treat him that way."


    "That''s, why it is. He also wants to make friends with Eliza-sama, but doesn''t know how to do so. It''s probably because he didn''t have any friends to begin with. He has no idea how to become friends with Eliza-sama, nor does he know how to make up with friends after fighting."


    ¡­¡­That extremely rude behavior is the only way Eric knows how to communicate?


    "He tried to do something resembling an apology, correct?"


    "He has an older brother, right? Maybe he doesn''t know how to apologize for what he thinks are small things."


    As expected of children that had somewhat more normal childhoods, I got the feeling that Reka''s explanation was quite convincing.


    ¡­¡­Noble children have a special environment growing up. Besides, Eric probably had a more unique environment than most, since his mother died five years ago. I honestly hadn''t considered that it would cause his communication skills to drop so precipitously¡­¡­


    "¡­¡­By the way, I don''t have any intention of making friends with Archduke Dovadain''s sons, you know."


    "Eh, how come?"


    "Other nobles are already unhappy that I received rewards from the king, if I try to get closer to a powerful family like the archduke''s, it''ll increase their negative feelings towards me even further. I still want to limit my bad reputation as much as possible."


    "Mm¡­¡­ I see. You want to be friends! But because of the adults around you, you can''t make friends with children your own age, such a sad story¡­¡­"


    Athrun who was having difficult figuring what move to make next in our chess-like game finally moved his knight. When I attacked his knight with my archer, Ratoka whispered something in Athrun''s ear. Hey, giving advice isn''t fair. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Is that so? Even if I improve my relationship with Eric, I don''t feel like I''d have much to talk with him about."


    Tira joined our conversation as she poured some black tea for me. She also brought a small dish of confectioneries to go with the tea, so I took a baked good and placed it in my mouth, thinking about what she meant as I chewed.


    "Is Eric''s problematic behavior well known among nobles?"


    "Hmm. The other nobles probably know about it through the servants that work here."


    "What about the eldest son Grays, will Eliza-sama consider having a better relationship with him?"


    I nodded at this question. In Grays'' case, I feel like before the question of "do I want to make friends with him," there''s this huge gap in our social statuses that''s getting in the way.


    "Given the current situation, any noble would think that the archduke family''s power will be inherited by Grays, not Eric. In the first place, Eliza-sama was being cold to Eric in order to distance herself from the crown prince and Grays, right?"


    "¡­¡­Even if I make friends with Eric, I doubt that Grays'' opinion of me would change, and it''s really questionable if he''d be able to influence the crown prince¡­¡­ Nobles'' viewpoints aren''t that simple. No matter how bad Eric''s reputation or evaluation is, he''s still a member of the archduke''s family, and there will be some sort of backlash if I get close to him."


    "I see. Arxian nobles are so complicated, unlike the King''s Spears in the Shiru tribe."


    The former Artolas Kingdom was a country consisting of many ethnicities and didn''t really have a nobility system, but something similar to nobles in social status existed there. Among the citizens of Artolas, the Shiru tribe was one of the closest related tribes to their king. It seems that they often served the king directly.


    "I don''t know how complex it really is, but it''s definitely a different way of thinking. The Arxian king has absolute power as the symbol of royal blood descended from the first king of the Holy Kingdom of Arxia, Ahar Xia. He doesn''t choose representatives from the most powerful clans to serve him, it''s quite a different system from our King''s Spears."


    "Worshiping the bloodline as sacred, it''s so inconceivable. Even though we''re all believers in the Xia sect, why are our customs so different?"


    I shrugged my shoulders and dodged answering that last question. That''s a question for theologists, not for a domain lord that doesn''t even believe in this religion and only considers how she can use religion to her own advantage to help in ruling her domain.


    "Ah, Athrun. You''re in check."


    "Damn it¡­¡­"


    Athrun and Ratoka simultaneously groaned as I moved my knight to attack their king. They''re still so weak. The only person who I''ve never defeated in this chess-like strategy game is Claudia.

 Chapter 160 - 161

    Eliza Chapter 161 ¨C Outstanding margrave


    A margrave, this noble title is classified as a high rank in noble society. Margraves are usually given out as a title to nobles that maintain something critical to Arxia.


    For example, court nobles that work in the highest-ranking financial jobs, nobles with the most strategically important borders that need defending, or nobles with domains that produce a large amount of food eaten by everyone, or nobles with rare resources in their domain, these nobles will all be designated as margraves.


    So, nobles that are margraves obtain their ranks differently from nobles that are earls. Only a handful of high-ranked nobles have the title of margrave. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Margrave Molton has his title because of rare resources in his domain. His previous generations were only lesser earls, but eventually the Molton domain began to develop and produce various gems, including two really rare gems called Esmeralts and Vardalias in this world, which is how he obtained his title.


    "Thank you for coming tonight, Earl Kaldia. Usually I just stay by myself in my residence, and this is honestly just a tiny evening party, but I''ll be happy if you can enjoy yourself."


    "Of course, it''s my honor to be invited to your son''s birthday party, Lord Molton."


    The beautiful deep blue Vardalias matched his eye color on the jacket Margrave Molton was wearing, and as always, I found it difficult to believe he had a son the same age as me as he smiled brilliantly.


    A building resembling a castle was standing behind him. I can''t imagine what it''s like for him to sleep there by himself. It''s definitely a residence befitting one one of the few higher-ranked nobles. Its size and value completely outclass my former residence in the royal capital, as I was only a low-ranked viscountess back then.


    "¡­¡­So, why was it that you took the trouble of having me enter through the back entrance?"


    For some reason, he had me come through the back door of this wonderful mansion. The margrave smiled mischievously, which I thought was rather cute.


    "Actually, my beloved second son Lucius is the main character tonight, he''s quite a fan of yours. He''ll be entering noble school next year, and I was wondering if you could tell him some stories about it."


    And that''s what he said. I clutched at my head.


    Even though he often travels in and out of the royal capital, I don''t know whether to say that his actions are a little strange, or that he just likes going at his own pace¡­¡­ I don''t know how to describe it, this was just so sudden.


    His appearance and gentle personality are probably why the royal capital''s social circles treat him as an overly gaudy existence. He''s too sincere and direct. For a domain lord, his personality stands out too much.


    "I wish you could have informed me of this earlier. I didn''t prepare any presents for him, after all."


    "It''s fine, there''s no need. You are his gift, after all. Since it''s not a busy time for nobles, I''m just asking you to do a little baby-sitting."


    "I''ll be troubled if you just give me away as you please. ¡­¡­Also, any child that''s my fan must be an unusual one. My reputation should be infamous."


    While I casually chatted with Margrave Molton, he guided me to the room where Lucius was waiting for me. Even though my three young servants didn''t say anything, I could also detect their confusion as they followed behind us.


    I informed them beforehand that the margrave was a bit of a unique character, but they probably don''t realize just how different he is because they haven''t interacted with any nobles from the royal capital yet.


    A young child who seemed almost pale with nervousness was waiting together with his older brother Zephyr who was being a good brother and trying to calm him down. This child is probably Lucius. He also has his father''s silver hair, he''s got even clearer emerald-green eyes than Zephyr, but his face must resemble his mother, he looks almost feminine.


    "¡­¡­Ahh, Zephyr. I''m no good after all. When I think about how to do a greeting, my chest keeps hurting¡­¡­"


    "It''ll be fine. Lucius, you can do it. You''re much better than last year. Didn''t our tutor praise you as well?"


    "But brother, she always scolds me to speak more clearly like you, without stuttering¡­¡­ I can''t do it well. I think it''s impossible for me."


    "When you give your greeting, father and I will be by your side. That''s why you can calm down and not worry about things. Yep, take a deep breath, exhale, inhale, inhale, inhale-"


    Lucius continued to take deep breaths to the limit of what his lungs could handle, but then he began coughing, and he glared at Zephyr with tears in his eyes. Zephyr handled it with a cool expression and a mischievous smile, looking almost exactly like Margrave Molton from earlier.


    Zephyr and his father give off really different impressions, but their behavior is so similar. Shouldn''t it usually be the reverse?


    "Hey Zephyr, don''t get Lucius into a bad mood before he has to come to the hallway, you know?"


    Margrave Molton was chuckling with laughter as he spoke up. The brothers looked up and noticed their father, and froze solid when they saw me standing behind him as well. Well, I''m sure it would be surprising since their father suddenly brought me in unannounced through their back door.


    Besides, I had refused Zephyr''s earlier invitation to his place. It''s completely his father''s fault that I ended up coming here after all.


    I was a little lost on what I should do, but I ended up waving to Zephyr who was still frozen solid.


    "¡­¡­Kaldia?"


    "Good evening, Zephyr."


    "Eh, eh? What''s going on? I thought you said you had something else to do today?"


    "Ahh, yes, something else to do. It''s because I was invited by a certain jokester father, to apparently come and attend his second son''s birthday celebration, that''s why."


    Sorry, I can''t go, I had rejected his invitation a few days ago. Hey, don''t stare so seriously at me, even I didn''t know what your father was thinking. I''m confused as well, but with things as it is I can only go along with whatever Margrave Molton says now.


    "¡­¡­Father?"


    "Hm? I invited and brought over my friend, isn''t that something natural?"


    While Margrave Molton had this wonderful smile, I was amazed to the extent of wanting to hide my face. He''s such a no-good father, both spoiling his children so much and playing so many jokes on them.


    However, he seemed to have a proper trusting parent-child relationship with them. Even an outsider like me could tell that Zephyr wasn''t actually frustrated at his father''s harmless although tasteless joke, even if he looked a bit dissatisfied.


    Actually, I''m just a little bit envious of them.


    As an aside, Zephyr told me that his brother Lucius was quite sickly and couldn''t quite manage having a conversation with me, so I ended up spending some time chatting with Zephyr.


    Well, maybe it was better after all that I didn''t prepare a present. Seeing the current situation, he might have difficulties even with basic greetings.


    After Lucius got over his nervousness though, he was able to channel his excitement into a better direction, and he properly gave his greetings. The margrave seems to understand his children well and is skilled at dealing with them. I truly apologize for thinking he was a little strange. As expected of the outstanding margrave. He has such a way with children and their worries.

 Chapter 161 - 162

    "¡­¡­Mm, delicious. I never thought that I''d be able to taste fish and other seafood from the northwestern Fushobari region in the royal capital."


    "Is it good? I''m glad to hear that you enjoy it. As for the fish¡­¡­ chances to eat it are limited, as it''s a bit difficult to transport fish all the way to the royal capital. If you go closer to the sea, there''s even more delicious foods that you can taste there."


    "It must taste even fresher there."


    "Yep. Cut the fish into thin pieces, grill it, and season it with rume vinegar. It''s out of this world, how delicious it is."


    "Gerberries and oinocera oil also go wonderfully with fish."


    Rumes and gerberries are some strongly sour fruits that grow in the northern Fushobari and Ugaria regions, they can be made into fruit jams, processed into vinegar, or even cooked into fruit pies.


    "I see," I nodded, and I remembered a similar taste from my previous world, a drink called lemonade. Even though I can''t recall the specific game scenarios clearly anymore, my mind is coming up with such an insignificant memory now, it''s amazing how it works.


    Well, in my past life I had only played this game as a way to pass some time, it''s only natural that it would be easier to remember things from my daily life.


    "And, here''s a rume pie. You still have enough room to try it, right?"


    "Ahh, I''ve heard of it, but never tasted it before. I shall try indulging myself."


    "Okay," Zephyr gave me a slice of pie, and seemed to exchange an expression like he was trying to hold back his laughter with Lucius. Although I was a bit dubious, I placed the pie into my mouth, and chewed.


    "¡­¡­¡­¡­, ¡­¡­¡­¡­Nn¡­¡­!!"


    An unimaginably sour taste started spreading out in my mouth all at once. The sourness was stronger than anything I''ve ever tasted. It''s such a sharp taste. Well, it''s not so strong that it will linger on in my mouth, but it''s so acidic.


    At seeing my reaction, Zephyr exploded into laughter. Although I almost thought about glaring at him, I changed my mind, smoothed out my facial expression, and decided to pick up the remaining part of my pie slice. Since the pie was also considerably sweetened, once I got used to the sourness it was actually quite delectable.


    "Kaldia, what do you think? Is it savory?"


    "¡­¡­I was a bit shocked at how sour it was, but yes, it''s quite scrumptious."


    "Everyone who tries rume for the first time reacts just like how you did. I''m sorry, but if I told you how sour it was, you would have been mentally prepared and it wouldn''t have seemed as sour. That pie''s main flavor isn''t even the sourness of the rume, anyways."


    "Since young children are forbidden from eating rumes, everyone in the Fushobari region tries it for the first time around the time they become a teenager. I tried it for the first time myself just a few days ago, but unlike you, I gave a loud shout at how sour it was."


    "Ah, I see," as I responded, Lucius offered me some wine to wash the taste out of my mouth. It was definitely delicious, but I definitely felt a need to rinse the sour acid out of my mouth.


    ¡­¡­This, I have an idea. I absolutely have to make my double Ratoka try this. I won''t stand for being the only one to experience this sourness. Although, it was both sour and mouthwatering at the same time.


    "Zephyr-sama, Lucius-sama."


    A girl that seemed like she was a teenager held the hems of her dress and approached us at this moment. Judging by the emblem embroidered in her dress, she must be from a branch family of the Moltons. Zephyr and Lucius welcomed their relative warmly, and briefly introduced her to me. However, is her social status a bit low I wonder, I only learned that her name was Irche.


    "Alright then, Irche. What''s the matter?"


    "The master is in the main hall and has a message for you. He says it''s about time to come to the ballroom for the dance. After the pavane dance, the two of you are to go to the great dining hall¡­¡­ Especially Lucius-sama, since you''re the main character for tonight, please spend a little more time in the dance hall."


    Zephyr and Lucius were smiling ambiguously. ¡­¡­Um, maybe I''m not good at reading this expression, but doesn''t this mean that they think it''s troublesome? I see Margrave Molton hovering around the House of Lords every time there''s a discussion about jewelry taxes on the agenda as well.


    "¡­¡­Well, birthday celebrations are basically dance parties at this age."


    As I muttered my concurrence with Irche''s statement, Zephyr took my arm with a smile as if he had thought up of some good idea. Huh?


    "Earl Kaldia, please come attend together with us. Today there will be many beautiful young ladies gathering at the Molton residence tonight, so I would like use this chance to announce to them all that there''s already a girl that I''m taken by."


    "¡­¡­Very well. I''m saving myself for Rashiok, though¡­¡­ Jokes aside, I might as well go to the dance hall together with you. Since Margrave Molton went to the trouble of inviting me, I''d feel bad about staying in the dining hall for the entire time."


    I made a joke that came from the classical literature I had been reading recently in class. While socializing in the dance hall is a bit bothersome, Zephyr and Lucius should be more accustomed to it than me, and it might not be bad to go with them as their friend.


    Although come to think of it, aren''t those words that are usually said to a girl you intend to marry? I''m someone who always wears male clothing though, and I''ve never even thought about marriage.


    "Earl Kaldia, who might be this Rashiok person you speak of?"


    "Oh, he''s my draconis, a magical beast that I''m raising. Of course, I was just joking when I said I was saving myself for him."


    When I entered the dance hall together with Zephyr and Lucius, all the noble girls'' gazes gathered upon us at an amazing speed. I was being pierced by so many glares that I think I would have been dead if this had been a battlefield. In some ways, it''s scarier than armed enemy soldiers. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡­¡­Although they''re the hosts, I suppose I must acknowledge that Zephyr and Lucius were more popular with girls than I realized. At noble school, maybe Zephyr pales in comparison to the crown prince''s features, but his beautiful silver hair and azure eyes from his father probably cause him to be adored by many girls. Actually, it''s unusual for his appearance to be inconspicuous.


    Meaning, the crown prince just stands out by a ridiculous amount.


    In order to not be bothered by all the noble girls, I took half a step away from the others.


    "Uh, um, Zephyr-sama. Who might this be?"


    However, before I could get any further, I heard Zephyr introducing me. Ehh, why me? As the hosts, they need to use me to block this wall of flowers, are they that desperate?


    Zephyr ended up introducing me to the flock of girls as his classmate. I wonder if they know my infamy, the teenaged girls stepped back from me and some hid their faces with fans, but all the girls that appeared my age came closer to me for some reason¡­¡­


    "E, Earl Einsbark, could you dance one time with me¡­¡­"


    "No, um, please do me the honor of having this dance!"


    "Hey! Didn''t you girls say you were going to dance with Margrave Molton first!"


    "Earl, do you like the sarabande dance? I''m confident about my sarabande dancing!"


    Oof, I was pressured with invitations to dance from all sides, as I managed to take another half step. Then I was able to put one step''s distance between us.


    "As expected of the earl that everyone in the royal capital is paying attention to. You have so many other admirers, apart from myself."


    Lucius seemed to be pleased with all the adulation I was receiving for some reason. No, I think you''re the one that''s strange here for admiring someone with as bad a reputation as me. The reason why I''m a hot topic in the royal capital was because of my cruelty, there''s no reason to admire anything there.


    Look at this, these girls all have expressions like they''re on the battlefield, fighting over me. This is probably nothing more than nobles that want to make a connection with me for their own ends, no matter if I''m good or bad, just because everyone has been talking about me.

 Chapter 162 - 163

    One day, when my classes were over and I returned to my dormitory, I noticed that Reka didn''t come out to greet me from the servants'' living area. I noticed a young boy that was one of Zephyr''s servants rushing over towards me, does he have a message for me from Reka, is he busy with something?


    "Earl Kaldia¡­¡­! Your servant, he went to the upper-level section of the noble school¡­¡­!"


    He seemed out of breath, so first I told him to take a seat and calm down. I told him to catch his breath, so he obediently started taking deep breaths.


    "And, why exactly was it that Reka went to the upper-level section?"


    "¡­¡­Okay. He was ordered to return a book to the library in the upper-level section, or else¡­¡­ The one who ordered Reka was the son of the Innefort family."


    "Innefort¡­¡­ He''s a northern noble. Got it. I thank you from my heart, for your generosity in letting me know."


    After giving my gratitude to Zephyr''s servant who was still catching his breath, I headed for the upper-level section as quickly as my feet would take me.


    For school life, it''s common for servants to go around everywhere to assist in things such as classroom or food preparation.


    Of course, there are rooms just for servants, and there are some that go around with their servants at all times when they''re not in class, but the majority of nobles and their servants will move separately most of the time.


    Because there are many lower-ranked nobles that are friendly with their servants, it seems that it''s often the case that some nobles will hang out together with their servants as friends.


    Higher-ranked nobles typically don''t even notice the existence of commoner servants, so they wouldn''t even think of going around together with their servants, and they''re much less likely to have servants with them when going from class to class.


    And, even if all servants are commoners, there''s an unwritten rule that students shouldn''t give orders to other students'' servants.


    The classes are divided based on academic ability, and that''s supposed to be used to judge the students rather than noble rank in theory, but there''s always going to be those types from the higher-ranked nobles that enjoy things like harassing the lower-ranked nobles'' servants.


    ¡­¡­However, unwritten laws are unwritten laws. It''s just something that nobles set up out of respect for each other, but it''s not an actual rule that must be followed.


    As I kept heading in the direction of the upper-level section in search of Reka, I passed many horses on the wide school grounds.


    The upper-level section allows adult servants to accompany the nobles there. If Reka who''s just a child goes there, he''ll be treated as a commoner without the protection of his master. If he''s unlucky, he might encounter some nasty noble who will cause an incident.


    -As expected, after it became widely known about the conflict between Eric and me, factions started forming among the students. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The fact that the crown prince and Grays have been absent from school for so long is also a cause, but it also means I still have time to resolve this somehow before they return.


    Factions appeared because Eric and Sieghart were both originally influential members of the crown prince''s retinue, and I took the attitude that it had nothing to do with me, but I''ve already been caught up in the middle of it all.


    The current situation is that the Kaldia faction, including Sieghart, has a great majority, and the students in Eric''s faction are being excluded. For example, the seats in the cafeteria. Using the power of numbers, those in Eric''s factions are forced to sit in the corners and the seats for lower-ranked nobles.


    There''s no thought involved in this factional struggle at all. It''s nothing more than a noble power game, the desire to be better than someone else using the advantage of numbers or noble ranking. And for me whose name has been put onto this faction as the head, it''s something I really don''t want.


    After all, there''s no benefits in this for me whatsoever, but the negative feelings from those being bullied in Eric''s faction will all concentrate on me. And now, the end result is that they''re breaking an unwritten rule, in order to harass my servant. While cursing under my breath, I grabbed the reins of a horse.

 Chapter 163 - 164

    Unlike noble school which is compulsory education for all noble children, the upper-level section is for those that wish to continue their studies even further. There are three types of students there. First are those that are studying to become instructors themselves, or high-level civil officials. Some other students are studying research and development in various fields.


    And the last type is, those that are granted special permission to stay at school for an extra period of time, if they haven''t found anything to do as a noble yet.


    There are exams that must be taken for the first two types of students, but there''s none for the last category. And unlike noble school, the upper-level section doesn''t have a term limit.


    Of course, some people will actively search for jobs, especially within the royal palace, but noble society basically depends on your connections and achievements. Meaning, the third type of students in the upper-level section are those that have been mostly abandoned by their families, considered as too troublesome, and just remain at noble school.


    ¡­¡­Well, they haven''t truly been abandoned by their families, because they would have been forced into the monastery if that was the case, so these students still have some hope. And so, these students that remain here at the noble school''s upper-level section mostly have a rank of earl or higher.


    Anyways, the upper-level section has a group of students with reasons to be dissatisfied with the way their life is going. These students are considered problematic, to the extent where even the House of Lords has had discussions about them before. This is due to them often causing violent incidents against the servants of lower-ranking nobles.


    Students at noble school typically have very little contact with students in the upper-level section. While we''re all in the same school, the school grounds are so vast that there''s a great amount of distance between our dormitories and their section. Occasionally however, our servants and their servants might interact with each other.


    It''s difficult for lower-ranked nobles to complain directly about higher-ranked nobles. Especially if it''s only for what''s considered as a small matter, such as injuring some commoner servants.


    "Reka!!"


    I finally found Reka a little ways off the forest path between the dorms and the upper section, a place where nobody hardly ever went. This was the first time I''ve ever been thankful for having uselessly acute hearing. Thanks to hearing the soft sounds of people talking, I was able to find Reka through the maze of trees.


    Reka was lying on the ground, surrounded by some teenagers that appeared to be servants. He was wheezing in pain from his chest, and I also saw blood dripping down from his head. The teenagers around him appeared quite buff, and it was evident from their appearance that they were northerners. When they noticed me, I could see their strong contempt for me in their eyes.


    In the group of teenagers, only one boy was standing in front of Reka as if to protect him from the others, and he looked at me with no particular emotion in his eyes at all. His eyes are purple, a rare gemstone-like color. I feel like I''ve seen them before ¨C


    "Humph, let''s go."


    When I returned to my senses, it was already too late. The teenagers escaped into the woods and ran off. It''s going to be difficult to follow them on horseback, nor is there any meaning to catching just one or two of them.


    Besides, Reka who''s lying prone on the ground is more important. I jumped off of my horse, and I kneeled next to Reka, by the purple-eyed boy''s side. I called Reka''s name, but he didn''t respond. It seems that he''s unconscious.


    "Wait a moment, it''s better not to move him. I think he may have a concussion, because they were beating his head."


    The boy next to me spoke up, and I agreed with his assessment. I inspected his injuries, checked his breathing, and focused on ascertaining his current condition.


    "¡­¡­¡­¡­Eh, what''s going on?"


    "Reka, you''ll be alright. Don''t move yet."


    Fortunately, Reka finally woke up. As for what happened to him, Reka was much calmer about it than I expected, and I confirmed that he wasn''t in any confusion although he had a headache. I gave him an order to lie there for a little while longer and rest.


    Reka''s cheeks were red and swollen. As the purple-eyed boy said, it definitely seems like they were beating his face, which could have caused a concussion.


    "Just rest there quietly for a while. If your head keeps hurting, I can call for someone to come get us." Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "¡­¡­Nn, okay."


    He obediently laid there and slightly nodded, while I took off my coat and used it as a pillow for him. I was going to change out my coat soon anyways, so I don''t mind if it gets dirty. Even though I became an earl, I found it too bothersome to change my coat''s design, so as expected in the end Earl Terejia gave me a lecture about it¡­¡­


    When I stood up, the honorable purple-eyed boy who was waiting patiently for me spoke up lightly.


    "¡­¡­I never would have imagined that I''d meet you again."


    Although there was the shadow of something melancholy in his expression, he laughed gently. "Ahh," I nodded in response to him.


    I see, he''s ¨C the hidden capture target of the otome game, named Alb, whose settings and story I didn''t know, he must have been a student from the upper-level section.

 Chapter 164 - 165

    "¡­¡­So you''ve become a student. It''s good that you were able to leave the monastery." S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Yes, that''s so. I concur."


    I used words that would probably be safe to say, and he nodded. However, a tinge of darkness remained in his voice. He must still have a complicated family situation. Considering that he was forced into a monastery when he was only a child before, there must be some difficult unavoidable things in his life even after several years have passed.


    "¡­¡­I didn''t enjoy my life in the monastery."


    He suddenly added on that comment, and I nodded ambiguously.


    Well, of course it''s only natural. I don''t really know the details of life at a monastery, but much like my previous world, it''s an ascetic, austere lifestyle of giving up one''s desires and serving others. If he was forced to join the monastery, instead of going of his own free will, of course he wouldn''t like it.


    "Your servant, will his injuries be alright? It seemed like his opponents were also commoners."


    "His head has stopped bleeding, and I think he''ll be okay. No bones are broken either."


    Then I thanked him for helping my servant, and he smiled. While his smile was elegant, it also seemed lifeless and fatigued, he''s giving me the same impression as our first meeting. I couldn''t help but think about why he would feel that way, but unfortunately as I didn''t know anything about him, I couldn''t do anything about the bad taste I was feeling.


    It feels like his gloominess has increased since the time I met him at the monastery, and it reminded me of the heavy atmosphere when my citizens were all glaring at me when I first became their domain lord and met them.


    ¡­¡­However, he''s not one of my citizens. I cut away my growing sympathy towards him. I''m the lord of Kaldia. I can''t afford to care about others equally if they aren''t my citizens.


    I think the last time I met him was approximately four years ago. I''m a little relieved that I still think the same way, that my citizens are the most important to me.


    Well, the conversation''s died down. However, I want to have Reka resting for a while longer. I can''t leave here, I''m going to have to stay here until this boy in front of me leaves. I''m feeling an uncomfortable silence between us now since I cut away my sympathy for his situation, and I don''t know what to talk about as we barely have any connection to each other at all.


    "¡­¡­Did you enter noble school this spring? Or was it one year ago?"


    In the end, he was the one who spoke up first again.


    "It was this spring."


    "I see. Then, that''s quite a big deal. This year''s freshman students include an incredible number of influential students."


    "¡­¡­Ahh, that''s right."


    Well, I''m here right now in this forest precisely because of their influence, my voice came out softly as I was thinking that. Maybe he detected something from my tone of voice, he moved his line of sight from Reka directly to me.


    "What type of person¡­¡­ is the crown prince? Is he just like a royal priceless treasure that''s been protected in the castle for all his life?"


    He immediately looked aside again. It seems like he really wants to keep this conversation going. Maybe he has no intention of getting involved with the factions that have been forming recently, or perhaps it''s not well known in the upper-level section, he started out by asking a question about the crown prince who''s been absent on business for such a long time.


    Well then, how to answer him. I don''t know what his opinion of the crown prince is, so I''ll have to choose my words carefully.


    "¡­¡­He seems to be suited for the position of crown prince. No matter where he goes, he''s the center of attention. I think that''s a difficult quality to find."


    "I''ve heard myself that he''s by far the most handsome prince in the history of the royal family. But, I''ve never seen him at all, even once. ¡­¡­It''s difficult for me to imagine just what his appearance must be like. For example, I think that you as well also have an excellent face that would break the hearts of countless girls."


    Break the hearts of countless girls, just what does that mean? I didn''t think I had such an appearance that would cause such a commotion¡­¡­


    I don''t really get if he''s praising me or insulting me, it''s an odd feeling. While my appearance that''s inherited from my father may indeed be considered beautiful by normal standards, I feel like it''s far from the feminine beauty of women, and besides, I hate this face from the bottom of my heart, so I can''t think of it as an excellent appearance.


    "I''m nothing in comparison to the crown prince. The crown prince is skilled in every area, he''s an excellent person."


    Well, just like everyone else, my face with my father''s features is nothing compared to the crown prince''s handsome appearance. Looks, noble ranking, academic ability, the crown prince is top level in every aspect, he''s got a much better reputation than a certain infamous upstart domain lord.


    "¡­¡­I see, is that the case."


    However, he only tilted his head slightly, while the shadow in his purple eyes seemed to get darker.


    "Apart from the crown prince, there''s one other first-year student that everyone has their attention on. An excellent lady who even has the attention of the prime minister and king."


    "Lady?"


    I tilted my head. I''ve never heard of such a girl.


    "¡­¡­You''ve never heard of her?"


    "I''ve never heard anything like that at noble school. Is she someone from the royal family?"


    The boy shook his head saying no. Then, it must be the daughter of some duke''s family. If even the king and prime minister are paying attention to her, it must be a noble from the royal capital.


    "Maybe due to the crown prince, she doesn''t stand out as much in comparison. I heard that she was rewarded for her achievements on the battlefield, though¡­¡­"


    Achievements on the battlefield, so maybe it''s someone related to the Rolentsors. The war with Rindarl has been dragging on for quite some time, so there''s many people that have received accolades in battle, so I can''t narrow it down just with this.


    For women, there are some that will be in charge of combat strategy, even if they don''t personally fight on the battlefield. Both boys and girls in the Rolentsor family for example receive an education in military strategy and martial arts, so it wouldn''t be strange if this girl was from an excellent military family¡­¡­


    "Is the crown prince really more outstanding than this lady? The girl''s the same age as the crown prince, but will he stand for it if he loses to her in combat strategy? What do you think?"


    "¡­¡­Indeed. The crown prince was raised up to the position of heir over the first prince in an uncertain situation. Isn''t it natural to expect so?"


    I couldn''t help but avoid his eyes. I felt a chill running down my spine, and regretted saying what I did.


    Almost imperceptibly deep in his eyes, when he opened his eyes slightly, I noticed an incredibly dark emotion bursting out from within.

 Chapter 165 - 166

    "Eh, Reka will remain here? Why¡­¡­"


    "Claudia and Bellway are coming to give me a report on the current state of Kaldia, and they''ll attend Grays'' birthday party with me. Athrun, Reka, and Ratoka will take a day off to rest on that day. Tira will be with me as my maid. I''ll give her an extra vacation day later."


    I was making preparations for the archduke family''s evening party in three days, chatting with Athrun and Tira. When I told them that everyone but Tira would be resting, Tira appeared confused. She''s probably feeling uneasy about having to attend an evening party without her childhood friends.


    "¡­¡­Vacation?"


    Athrun tilted his head. ¡­¡­Ahh, come to think of it, there''s no concept of vacation in this world. Regardless of your social status, working is considered a part of life, and there''s no such thing as taking extended breaks.


    "I mean that you won''t have any work to do and you can use your time freely as you please. If you want, you can take a walk outside the school, or just relax in the dorms. Just, please tell me what you intend to do by tomorrow."


    Well, it''s not like they''ll have no work whatsoever¡­¡­ and honestly, I wanted to take Reka along with me. The evening party at the archduke''s family residence will be huge, and most students at noble school will be attending. Of course, this includes Innefort who was responsible causing the incident with Reka.


    Although Reka wasn''t injured seriously, the memory of many people surrounding and beating him still hasn''t healed.


    "Understood. I''ll let Reka and Ratoka know."


    I didn''t directly say out loud that it would be safer for the three of them to be together, but they seem to have realized this as they nodded. Especially if they want to go out and explore the royal capital, I definitely hope none of them goes alone.


    "As Tira is a maid, I think that she''ll be going outside of noble school for various things more often than Reka and Athrun in the future. I hope that she can get used to it with this opportunity."


    "Eh, but¡­¡­ Isn''t it unusual for nobles to bring servants along when going to a party for nobles?"


    "Well, it''s expected for those that become earls. Earl Terejia did that as well. Even if I haven''t been an earl for even a year yet, the ranking still trumps over the fact that I''m still a student and not an adult. And Claudia and Bellway are adults that come from noble families, so there shouldn''t be a problem."


    Tira nodded in understanding. She''s a Shiru girl, which already was a position of authority in her old Artolas Kingdom, but it''s still difficult for her to get accustomed to the Arxian nobles that just won''t shut up about noble ranking.


    As I am a girl, after I become an adult, I''ll no longer be required to wear this type of ceremonial male clothing, and I''ll be expected to wear dresses. When that happens, I can already guess at the shower of criticism that me and my servants will be receiving when I don''t change my clothing style.


    Men are the only ones in this society that are supposed to do jobs like bodyguards and combat positions, and noble girls are supposed to have female servants, with noble boys having male servants. That''s why, Tira''s education as a maid is more important than Reka''s. I don''t know how much longer I''ll be able to use Ratoka as my maid "Elise," he might grow to look less feminine one day in the future.


    Although, in noble school, I need to attend many almost exclusively male classes, that teach you how to be a proper domain lord, so Reka''s needed there, but¡­¡­ I can''t expect Tira whose work is to be my maid to do things like prepare my weapons or lead my horse for me. Although, Tira herself is superbly skilled at handling horses.


    I still have to consider appearances and what people will think to some extent.


    The archduke''s residence is on the corner of the royal palace grounds. It''s adjacent to Arktoria castle which is used for administrative purposes and the House of Lords.


    It''s less than half of Arktoria castle''s size, and is known as Dovadain castle¡­¡­ it was originally used as a place for visiting foreign royalty to rest at, but after the construction of Arktoria castle which could also serve that purpose, and the fact that Arxia stopped having diplomatic relationships with most other countries according to its isolationist policy, it''s a castle that was repurposed for the archduke''s family.


    Eric''s birthday is in autumn, while Grays'' is in spring. This is actually the first time that I''m visiting Dovadain castle, since I''m usually absent from the royal capital for my domain''s harvesting season, and I''ve been busy with the Rindarl war lately.


    Lebrecht, the third son of the Dovadain family, is Grays'' younger brother, but because Eric is older, Lebrecht is treated as the third son instead of the second. It''s clear to see that being close to the crown prince has its benefits for Eric, there are rumors in the House of Lords already that Lebrecht is highly likely to go abroad from Arxia in the future.


    Since Eric was already a part of the crown prince''s retinue even before entering noble school, it''s likely that he can become a king''s aide in the future, but Lebrecht doesn''t have that option. Although Eric is treated the same as a legitimate child, the chances of him inheriting the archduke family''s power are quite low.


    Even his cousin, the Crown Prince Alfred, is higher in the succession order than he is. And Lebrecht is second in the line of succession after Grays, so Lebrecht is basically treated as a backup in case anything happens to Grays, and everybody knows this. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Lebrecht-sama goes out in public even less than Eric-sama does, and this will be the first time that all three brothers will be appearing in public at the same venue."


    "Have Grays and Eric appeared together in public before they became teenagers?"


    "Yes. At the ceremony for the Royal Army last year, the two of them attended together with the crown prince."


    I nodded and said "I see" to Bellway, and thought a bit about Lebrecht. No matter how much I dug into my memories, I couldn''t recall hearing his name before from anywhere.


    According to my memories from the otome game, I only knew about "two sons" from the archduke''s family and didn''t see Lebrecht''s name. In the game, the only people from the archduke''s family that appeared were the archduke, Grays, and Eric, just these three people.


    If I take into consideration the game''s timeframe which is supposed to begin next year¡­¡­ it means that next year, Lebrecht should have become a noble school student together with us, but he wasn''t in the game.


    I can''t remember the details like what was in the game''s conversations or the names of all the characters, but¡­¡­ I''m certain that there wasn''t a character like Lebrecht in the game.


    Of course, I''ve met many important and influential people that weren''t mentioned in the game before, but Lebrecht is a special exception I need to pay attention to. He''s the younger brother of two of the main characters, Grays and Eric, and he''s someone who should be attending noble school soon, but for some disconcerting reason, he never went to school in the game.


    ¡­¡­I can''t stop myself from thinking about the game scenario even though my memories are hazy after so many years have passed, maybe I''m just an idiot.

 Chapter 166 - 167

    The party I''m attending at the archduke''s residence is on a much larger scale than any I''ve ever been to. Only the royal family would be able to host a larger party, but they''re usually more frugal, so the archduke family''s party is the grandest in all of Arxia.


    The venue where the party is to take place is so large that I feel my huge mansion back in Kaldia could easily fit into this huge courtyard, that has plenty of space for all the nobles to gather here in its hallways, its dining hall, salon, and even game room. ¡­¡­It''s a bit dizzying to think about, I believe just this place''s maintenance costs must exceed Kaldia''s annual tax revenue.


    These were all originally constructed into Dovadain castle as this place was intended to entertain foreigners that wouldn''t be taking part in Arxia''s evening parties.


    "Eliza-dono, they even have the incredibly rare Barcova meat here! As expected of the archduke''s party."


    "I know, but please act a little more restrained, Claudia-sama. Don''t forget that you''re supposed to be a maid here¡­¡­"


    This place is so large, that I haven''t seen any nobles I''m acquainted with yet. Bellway was scolding Claudia whose eyes were sparkling at all the food available here, while I had Ratoka bring an appropriate amount of food for me and I sat down in an empty area to rest.


    Before the time comes to greet the archduke''s family, there''s still a few things I need to take care of. I might as well fill my stomach while I''m at it. -I''m not used to this type of venue, my red eyes definitely won''t sparkle like Claudia''s.


    "There are waiters that will bring food to your table."


    Ratoka who was dressed as my male servant today, brought us back some juice and drank together with us. It seems that there are servants just for the purpose of being servers for tonight''s party so that the nobles can enjoy their food in luxury without having to move. If the master gives permission, it seems that they can even join the dance.


    The rules are quite different at a party of such a large scale. This is because most of the invited guests have brought their family members and servants tonight.


    In Arxia, according to law titled nobles and their close relatives are the center of legal relationships, for example before Claudia being my knight, she''s still a member of the Rolentsor family, or that knights'' daughters and younger sisters will also be recognized as nobility.


    Bellway''s from a noble background, but he''s from a branch family that''s too distantly related and thus doesn''t have noble status, and since several generations have passed in his family without a noble title, his family''s been deprived of noble status.


    These strict laws are in place to prevent the needless expansion of the noble class and diluting its worth, but it also complicates the relationship with servants in noble society. Considering that some servants are also the younger children of noble families, it''s impossible to prohibit all servants from participating in eating and drinking.


    But just because a servant is highly educated, it''s still difficult to tell if the servant is from a noble family. So that''s why, at most evening parties, servants are also allowed to eat and drink, as well as dance, while serving the guests at the same time.


    "Well, since Eliza-dono usually lets me eat whatever I want, this is just normal for me. We really have such a good boss, don''t we, Bernard-dono."


    "Ahh, yes, indeed so. Eliza-sama is such a generous person. By the way, my name is Bellway."


    I felt almost nostalgic listening to their interaction, as I began trying some of the food the servants brought to me. Ratoka also tried something he was interested in, sticking his silverware into the food, and it disappeared instantly down his mouth as he ate ravenously. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Considering the special task I''m about to have him do for me, I have to give him this kind of allowance. After we ate and drank whatever we wanted, I handed my glass of juice to Ratoka, and lightly tapped his arm.


    Ratoka stood up while continuing to eat, and took a step backwards. Then, he just happened to collide with a servant passing by, and both of them tripped and fell.


    They only fell on their butts lightly. The sound wasn''t loud, but the remaining juice from my glass splashed out from Ratoka''s hand with a splishing sound, onto the clothes of two people sitting on the marble floor.


    Bellway hurriedly jumped up and assisted in place of Ratoka with wiping off the juice. The servant seemed a bit stunned. Bellway asked the two people if they were injured, while making his face red with embarrassment as he kept bowing apologetically. Then, he roughly dragged Ratoka up, as Ratoka was still sitting stunned on the ground, looking at the servant.


    "This is all because you were way too careless. Making such a mistake like this ¨C how dare you stain our master''s name with mud."


    Because of Bellway''s loud scolding, curious gazes were beginning to look in our direction.


    "I, I''m so sorry -"


    "This is his excellency the archduke''s castle, don''t open your mouth without permission, you low commoner. -It was a mistake to have someone as stupid as you become a servant. You''ve caused the clothes that you were given to become dirty. Don''t show your face in front of me again, until these two nobles'' clothes, and your own have been cleaned of any stains!"


    He''s saying those words quite naturally. I used my deceased father as a reference for Bellway''s lines. His attitude of treating his servants like this without losing control of his emotions, always felt so harsh and uncaring, rather than just being cold.


    The servant seemed confused as Bellway kept apologizing and asking for permission to use the archduke''s castle facilities to clean the clothes, but he ended up showing Ratoka the way. Ratoka continued to fake being in a daze, as he disappeared from my line of sight.


    Now then, his communication skills have surely improved from a few years ago, so will Ratoka be able to achieve my goal today, I wonder.

 Chapter 167 - 168

    After quite some time had passed, it was finally time for the organizers and host of this party, the archduke''s family, to come out and greet everyone. Because there were so many guests, as an upstart lesser earl, I was fairly far back in the greeting order.


    "Greetings and salutations, Your Excellency the Archduke. It is such a great honor to be invited to your son Grays'' birthday party tonight. I would like to take this opportunity to offer a prayer to Misorua for your son Lebrecht-sama as well, and also the entire Dovadain family, for your continued good fortune."


    "I shall gratefully accept, Earl Einsbark."


    "It''s a joyous occasion that you are able to be here tonight for the sake of me and my brothers. We can all relax here tonight, free from the requirements of noble school. I hope that you will enjoy the remaining entertainment planned for tonight."


    The archduke had the same blue eyes as his sons and only briefly responded to me, while Grays took over the rest and lightly gave me a formal prepared greeting as required by etiquette.


    Eric who was standing a little behind them avoided my gaze and didn''t say anything, and the archduke''s wife sitting next to him also remained silent, while Lebrecht was sitting in the center gave me the impression that he was very uncomfortable being here. Because Eric wasn''t hiding it, it was obvious to see even though this was a public venue that there was some discord within the family. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Even after leaving from where the archduke''s family was sitting, I observed them for a while longer at a distance. As they greeted other nobles, it seems that all of them had some interaction with each other, except for the archduke''s wife, she never spoke to Eric. Even if there was something, she would only nod, and I could tell even at a distance that she had a tense expression.


    "-Oh, isn''t this Lord Kaldia, I mean, Earl Einsbark."


    Suddenly a voice interrupted my thoughts and a familiar face entered my sight. It''s Cornell, the youngest son of Margrave Freche. He was escorting his fiancee Feria Rogshia, and happened so see me so he came over to greet me. I was a bit surprised that Margrave Freche''s third son would be invited, but then I noticed some people that looked like Cornell''s two older brothers behind him.


    I recall that both his brothers should be barons. Which means, since Cornell doesn''t have a title yet, he should be here accompanying them.


    "How have you been, Earl Einsbark?"


    "¡­¡­It''s been quite a while, Cornell-dono, Feria-dono. Because it''s easy to get confused with the other members of the Einsbark family, you can just call me Kaldia like before."


    "I see, then I''ll call you Earl Kaldia. I didn''t think that I''d meet you here. I had been wanting to contact you recently."


    "What is it that you wanted?"


    If he wanted to contact me, I can only imagine that it must have something to do with their upcoming marriage. But just because of their marriage''s situation, I doubt that Margrave Freche would ask me about it.


    "Even in the Freche region, we''re well aware of Earl Kaldia''s achievements on the eastern border. -My father seems to be concerned about the assorted smaller southern countries. He wanted to contact and discuss some things with the Jugfena region domain lords."


    The assorted smaller southern countries¡­¡­ I tilted my head at the unexpected topic.


    Although Kaldia is on the eastern border, so I mostly pay attention to the situation with our eastern neighbors, in truth only the Genas domain separates Kaldia from the southern border as well. Although, the threat from the southern countries is much lesser compared to Rindarl.


    The southern countries are too small in size, even if they ally together, they wouldn''t be much of a threat to Arxia. Among those countries, there''s too many new countries appearing as well as old countries being destroyed due to constant infighting, that development is far behind there, and their soldiers, citizens, and resources are all exhausted.


    "Is there a country that''s suddenly become powerful, is that why he''s concerned?"


    "Ahh. Apparently, Rindarl is intervening in the southern countries'' wars. On Rindarl''s southeast border, some countries have become Rindarl''s vassal states."


    Intervention. It''s something that the isolationist Arxia would never come up with. In the first place, when thinking about national defense, it''s convenient for Arxia if other countries are constantly at war with each other, and it''s more advantageous if the southern countries continue to rise and fall, so there was no reason to intervene in their affairs.


    Although, in accordance to Arxia''s national laws and religion, Arxia doesn''t do anything to purposefully intensify their conflicts either.


    "If you have the spare time, I''d like to hear more details on this right away."


    "Got it. I can leave greeting the archduke to my older brothers, let''s go meet my father."


    "Wait a moment. The person who wanted to talk to me wasn''t you, it was Margrave Freche?"


    I''m shocked that Margrave Freche wanted to talk to me personally. I was even slightly impolite, forgetting etiquette in my surprise. But, Cornell nodded affirmatively, saying "father said that would be good for him."


    I don''t know how Margrave Freche would benefit from talking to me, but margraves have their own interests to consider. As long as there''s no disadvantages for me, it won''t hurt me to hear what he has to say.


    "¡­¡­Got it, let''s go."

 Chapter 168 - 169

    There''s no accurate map of the assorted southern countries. Countries'' borders change daily, along with the appearance or disappearance of new and old countries, it''s impossible to map completely.


    Margrave Freche handed me a current version map on what he knew about the southern countries, with some of the main countries marked.


    "This is the information that I''ve personally collected on the southern countries, but I''ve only shared it with Earl Ruktoferd and the Upper House of Lords so far¡­¡­"


    There were only four labeled countries. Jenhans, Nazric, Epadena, and Pactoshiki.


    ¡­¡­Seven years ago, Kamil shared with me that he was from Pactoshiki, a country which is in the southwest. Jenhans is a country directly south of eastern Arxia, Epadena was the largest of the southern countries, and occupies the southeastern portion of the continent. Also, Nazric had no land of its own on the map.


    "Recently at the end of this spring, Nazric lost a war with Epadena, and the country was subjugated. Using its momentum, Epadena''s swallowed up several small countries around it and has been expanding rapidly."


    Epadena''s current leader seems to be a conqueror fixed on expanding by military might. It''s said that as for the countries adjacent to Epadena, without caring about cultural differences or ethnicities, they''ve been conquering all their neighbors and incorporating their land into Epadena through force.


    Since several small countries on Rindarl''s southeast border have become their vassal states, does this mean that Epadena has been receiving aid from Rindarl? However, I need to make sure.


    "However, isn''t something of this degree common in the south?"


    Otherwise, countries wouldn''t come into existence and fall so quickly in the south. Conflict is endless there, borders keep getting redrawn, countries expand or contract, or a new country becomes independent and causes more strife. I need to find proof that Rindarl was involved, either directly or indirectly.


    "Indeed. But, something changed recently about Epadena''s strategy when invading other countries. ¡­¡­Epadena had been fighting their war with Nazric for four years, at a stalemate."


    Four years. ¡­¡­Four years, eh. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Claudia next to me whispered something to Bellway, and he got up. The two of them are some of the only literate people around me, and while they take care of a narrower range of responsibilities, they often deal with numbers. Maintaining our combat strength, daily operations and administration, the flow of money necessary for all this.


    It takes a strong country to declare war. If you want to supply combat lines far away from your country, you need even more resources.


    For example, human resources for leading the army and its soldiers, logistics, a source of weapon production, other combat materials and food sources, and you also need a stockpile in the national treasury that can maintain the state of any newly conquered country and help in assimilating them in an orderly fashion.


    For countries that are constantly in danger of invasion from one another, to the extent where the map is constantly changing, they shouldn''t have the ability to come up with such national strength.


    "So, has Rindarl intervened?"


    "Oh, you''re quite perceptive. Rindarl¡­¡­ or rather I should say, the Giograd Dukedom from Rindarl, they were trading weapons and resources to both Nazric and Epadena during the war. Perhaps I should say instead that Giograd was selling to both sides."


    So, due to the intense, long war, Giograd was able to make an enormous profit by selling weapons and resources to both sides.


    "How was Epadena paying for all this?"


    There''s still a huge gap between the economic strengths of Giograd and Epadena, to the extent where they couldn''t possibly be trading equally with each other. In fact, Epadena''s war with Nazric was at a stalemate for four years. Judging by Epadena''s size on the map, it shouldn''t be a country like Arxia that still has the strength to develop economically while remaining at war for so long.


    So just what has Epadena been using to pay their debts? Just as I had a bad premonition, Margrave Freche smiled sardonically.


    "¡­¡­By the way, Lady Kaldia, I don''t think that you''re as bad of a person as rumors in the royal capital are making you out to be."


    "What?"


    Just what is this sudden topic, I was completely surprised, while the margrave shook his head.


    "Your strategy in that one battle doesn''t seem like it''s capable of being conceptualized unless you know what true evil is. Judging you to be overly cruel, that''s just the incompetent inland know-nothing nobles that have experienced nothing but peace for too long."


    "¡­¡­Ignorance in nobles is unforgivable."


    "I know very well that they''ll cry just about anything. Anyways, back to the main point. What Epadena is paying to Giograd, is humans."


    Humans¡­¡­ My premonition came true, and I couldn''t help looking away from Margrave Freche for a moment.


    However, this makes it clear. Giograd''s objective for intervening in the south is slaves¡­¡­ in other words, they view the southern countries as a manpower resource.


    Buying and selling humans, this is considered a great evil according to the teachings of the Ar Xia church, and it''s a serious crime in Arxia. As for my late father, after ruining the economy in Kaldia with his despotic laws, he sent the unemployed citizens to other domains as "laborers," which he also used as a bribe to avoid paying national taxes.


    Although he managed to make it look on paper like it was just for labor, in actuality it was no different from him being a slave merchant. For this and all his other crimes, I would have ended up executed along with him when they were discovered, if I had never stopped him.


    Epadena''s basically doing what my father did. If they have nothing else to sell, sell humans.


    "Right now in Rindarl, the place that requires manpower the most would be Densel¡­¡­"


    When I muttered that, Margrave Freche''s gaze became even sharper as he looked at me, and his expression also contained pity.


    But right now, I don''t have the time to care about what his emotions are. I need to consider what will happen on our currently stalemated eastern border, if Giograd supplies Densel with their recently acquired slaves.


    "¡­¡­Is it something like that?"


    Although it''s in quite a roundabout manner, it seems that there''s a connection between the southern countries'' situation and our current eastern border defense problem.


    Currently the royal army is in charge of the battle against Densel. ¡­¡­Without any prior knowledge, I doubt that they''d be able to handle the inhumane tactic of using slave soldiers. The knights in the royal army care too much about chivalry, it''s a weakness for them on the battlefield.


    "Twenty days ago, an envoy from Pactoshiki came to the southern border of my domain for the first time in eleven years, and gave me detailed information about the southern countries'' situation. Epadena is now in the process of conquering Jenhans. It seems that even in the countries that have allowed Epadena''s military to pass through, quite a large number of people are disappearing."


    "Pactoshiki¡­¡­ that''s one of the few countries with permission to trade with Arxia. Considering that they even sent an envoy to inform us, does this mean that we have a friendly relationship with Pactoshiki?"


    "That''s correct. A little over ten years ago, an Arxian merchant group seems to have visited Pactoshiki, and contributed greatly to its economic development.


    They also helped spread the teachings of the Ar Xia church there, and although I don''t know what will happen since Pactoshiki is so far away, Pactoshiki has also sent us an official request for protection, as a fellow country that believes in the Ar Xia church."


    It seems that Pactoshiki''s main goal must be their official request, they must really view the development in the southern countries as dangerous if they''re requesting our aid when we''re so far away from them.


    ¡­¡­A merchant group that visited Pactoshiki a little over ten years ago, this can only mean that the merchant who was executed for my crimes must have been among them. Meaning¡­¡­ Kamil''s father.

 Chapter 169 - 170

    The nobles were already beginning to return home, and it was late at night with the moon high in the sky. In order to retrieve Ratoka, we left the party and headed for the back door. So that the door guard wouldn''t notice us, our horse-drawn carriage was parked a little ways to the side of the road.


    Bellway went back first. He needs to write letters on my behalf, to let some other places know about what Margrave Freche just told me.


    At the time that we decided on beforehand, Ratoka came out. Seeing him, Claudia silently moved to the coachman''s seat.


    "¡­¡­Thank you for your efforts, Elise. How was the result?"


    "I was pretty lucky. I think you''ll be satisfied with the information. ¡­¡­Why are you glaring at me?"


    Ratoka was beginning to sweat and his face was paling, while he pouted his lips in dissatisfaction. Why am I glaring, he''s asking?


    "You got lucky? Is that so. Didn''t I tell you not to overdo things and put yourself at risk, you idiot!"


    My voice came out much louder and angrier than I expected. However, I wasn''t able to contain the hot emotion boiling in my stomach and get it under control.


    Ratoka''s left arm was completely swollen. He probably has a broken bone. While grinding my teeth, I used a thick fan as a substitute for a piece of wood, and wrapped some cloth around his arm in a makeshift splint.


    "Who beat you, and why?"


    If he had been able to acquire the intelligence successfully, he probably wouldn''t have been beaten by the security for being a suspicious person.


    In the first place, I had him infiltrate the archduke''s family''s servants. I knew that there was some risk involved. ¡­¡­But the fact that Ratoka returned to me with a broken arm made my blood boil over.


    Normally, my anger should be directed at the people that dared to hurt a citizen of my domain, but right now my anger was being directed irrationally at Ratoka. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But, I still know that being angry at Ratoka is unreasonable. So I desperately swallowed and pushed down my anger, until it was only a quiet whisper of rage.


    "A, a male servant¡­¡­ Actually I shouldn''t have been beaten. It''s just that, there was a guy who was pestering the laundry woman that was my information source. So, in order to protect her, teehee."


    What''s with that teehee. Don''t make it sound like your injury isn''t a big deal. Ratoka''s expression kept saying that it was nothing to him, and even though I just desperately pushed down my emotions, now irritation was welling up within me.


    "Rather than such a thing, be happier. Although I got injured, what about the archduke family''s situation? The laundry woman was a maid back in the day and knew about it. I was able to investigate properly for you. You want to know, right?"


    "Such a thing, you say¡­¡­?"


    Even though his lips were so pale, he was still smiling, something feels off about his expression. And at the same time, I finally understood what emotion this was.


    "¡­¡­¡­¡­Got it. Report the information you obtained to me."


    "Like I said, you don''t need to be so angry. I even worked so hard for your sake."


    Both of our voices were tense. The atmosphere was filled with irritation as Claudia drove the horse-drawn carriage.


    "I''m not being angry now. I just said to give me a report. You may want to be praised, but unless you have results, your injury will have been in vain. Hurry up and tell me."


    As expected, Ratoka deeply furrowed his eyebrows. Due to my irritation, what came out of my mouth sounded five times worse than what I intended, I realized this.


    "Just what are you saying! What are you unsatisfied with!? Don''t joke with me!!"


    "¡­¡­That''s what I should be saying!! What am I unsatisfied with? You''re treating your own injuries too lightly!! You should be angrier, you should be in pain, you idiot! I said I wanted information on the archduke''s family, but rather than that, your body is more important!!"


    "What!? I''m important!? That''s¡­¡­"


    "You are one of my citizens! Listen up, for a domain lord, their citizens are who they should protect first and foremost!! You got hurt carrying out such an unimportant task, and you''re treating it as trivial!? You''re the one who should stop joking around, don''t just debase your personal value as a citizen of Kaldia!!"


    With the momentum of my anger exploding, I was ranting, and when I finished I noticed Ratoka''s eyes were wide open in astonishment and he was frozen solid. My head was cooling down now. Eh, just now, why was I so angry? Embarrassment, anger, confusion, and even masochism, all those emotions welled up within me, and I reflexively covered my mouth.


    I couldn''t help but look, I noticed that Ratoka''s mouth was trembling.


    "Y, you, did, did you really mean that¡­¡­?"


    "This is an order from your domain lord, forget everything you heard just now, get off the carriage, and run home."


    "Impossible."


    Now Ratoka''s shoulders were trembling as well. It feels like even a gust of wind could blow him over right now.


    Indeed, for me to have said the things I just did, I feel like there''s so much to laugh at. I mean, it''s such a slip of my character for me to say the things I really wanted in a fit of anger.


    But, I just couldn''t forgive Ratoka''s nonchalant attitude towards getting injured. And all the same, even if he returned without injuries, I wouldn''t be able to forgive myself if I wasn''t able to provide some security for him.


    "¡­¡­You, this is¡­¡­ This is what''s called trust ¨C isn''t it?"


    -I expected Ratoka to explode at me, but opposite from what I was prepared for, his voice sounded shaky and almost teary.


    Huh? When I hurriedly looked directly at him, he was wiping tears from his smiling face with his uninjured arm''s sleeve.


    "Sigh ¨C it took so, so long¡­¡­ Later than me¡­¡­. Honestly-"


    "Y, you''re noisy. ¡­¡­Shut up, Elise. Also, use neutral gender pronouns instead of male ones, to refer to yourself."


    With difficulty I managed to squeeze those words out, and all my emotions other than embarrassment had cleanly left me.

 Chapter 170 - 171

    Two days later, after a day of rest on an off day, I returned to noble school and greeted people around me as necessary, then I went to go greet Sieghart of my own volition for the first time.


    "Good morning, Sieghart. It''s a pity that I didn''t see you at the party two nights ago."


    "Ahh, good morning, Kaldia. Well, actually¡­¡­ I didn''t go to the birthday party at the archduke''s residence."


    The general commander''s grandson sounded weaker than usual. When I looked at the center of the classroom, Eric and Grays, who had finally returned to class after such a long absence, were glaring angrily in Sieghart''s direction.


    Ahh, I have to deal with this early in the morning. I really didn''t want things to become like this because of me, Sieghart and Eric should be getting along with each other originally.


    "¡­¡­I remember you said that you would participate, so what happened?"


    "The morning on the day of the party, my grandfather heard about what happened at school, and ordered me to stay at home and not participate in order to learn self-discipline. No, I should say that self-discipline was only an excuse. As a warrior, I must follow up on anything I say to the very end."


    Oh? I see, it''s a boycott.


    General Commander Rolentsor''s style is to never stand down and withdraw from anything that has been decided upon. And it''s evident to see from the Arxian royal army, that he has a firm hold over them and strictly upholds the code of chivalry.


    The commotion that began from my win in the mock duel using tactics considered underhanded, has now become a direct confrontation between me and Sieghart on one side, versus Eric on the other side. In order to resolve this conflict, it depends on if Eric can officially take back his insults to me in front of everyone, this has already become a matter of nobles'' pride.


    "I see, so that''s what the general commander has done¡­¡­ Then, Sieghart, I have something I''d like to request of you and your grandfather."


    "Request?"


    "Yes. I''d like to resolve this situation. Definitely before it gets any bigger and the archduke hears about it."


    "Wait a minute, the archduke? Just what exactly do you want me to do?"


    "Nothing that major. I''d just like for you to write a formal request letter, on my behalf."


    Sieghart furrowed his eyebrows even deeper, indicating that he didn''t know what was going on.


    "¡­¡­Kaldia, what are you plotting?" S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "What''s with that? Plotting, you make me sound like I''m up to something nefarious¡­¡­"


    "My bad, your expression just now made me think that you had some evil scheme in mind, though."


    Just what type of face was I making? I could have sworn that I didn''t allow my facial muscles to even twitch. Being a bit unsatisfied with myself, I couldn''t help but touch my cheek silently.


    I had Sieghart write a letter of formal request for Baron Eric Teal Dovadain to visit the Jugfena royal domain, as the representative on behalf of the royal family, the archduke''s family, and the House of Lords, in order to console the soldiers exhausted from the long, ongoing war.


    The official request letter to Eric was filled with formal, stuffy, speech, but that was the essence of the letter. Sieghart''s face kept twitching as he kept looking back and forth between the letter and me.


    "K, Kaldia¡­¡­ are, are you serious about this?"


    "Of course. I already received consent yesterday from Earl Einsbark who''s in charge at Fort Jugfena, as well as Ergnade who''s the leader of the Jugfena knights, in fact they think it''s an interesting plan and will help me with my goal."


    The grinning face of my adoptive father Ergnade appeared in my mind. Unlike for me, my plan had no benefits whatsoever for Ergnade and his brothers, they''re helping me mostly because they think it''s amusing.


    "Eh, but, Fort Jugfena is on the frontlines, right? How are we going to get the archduke to agree to sending his son Eric, even if Eric is only the second son, to the frontlines when Eric''s not even a military officer¡­¡­"


    "No, Fort Jugfena isn''t on the frontlines, right now it''s just a military base supporting from the rear. Recently the House of Lords made a decision, and supplies are being stored there. There''s a simple hospital that''s been set up there, so it should be the perfect place for a consolation request."


    "Ah, I see¡­¡­ But, will Eric go there obediently?"


    "He''ll go. ¡­¡­I can''t say the details, but at any rate the Upper House of Lords will have to send a person with an appropriately high enough rank as a commander to the front lines before the next battle."


    Although I immediately shared the information I received from Margrave Freche with the eastern border, the army will be able to prepare for things in advance, but it can''t make a move.


    There are three separate chains of command for the soldiers on the border currently. The first and largest group is the royal army commanded by Marquis Rolentsor. The second group consists of Earl Einsbark and his Jugfena knights and commoner soldiers stationed at Fort Jugfena. And, the third group are the border domain nobles'' armies, meaning Margrave Genas'' army and the Kaldia army.


    The only group that''s allowed to move independently and attack without direct permission from the king, is the royal army. Of course, during war the other two groups have permission to respond to and deal with any Rindarl attacks, but in other words they aren''t allowed to decide attacks on their own.


    Basically, not all of our forces are allowed to make decisions on their own to engage the Rindarl troops.


    ¡­¡­The laws regarding warfare are somewhat complex in Arxia, this is because Arxia primarily adopts a defensive strategy, but in times of war, there are provisions that also allow it to invade other countries. However, permission is needed from the king in order to attack enemy troops or territory, and we''re only permitted to invade countries that are currently attacking us.


    This type of law is in effect because Arxia views itself as a non-aggressive country, while leaving provisions in place to attack enemy countries if we are attacked first.


    The Sacred Code which is the origin of Arxia''s laws contained no mention of requiring the king''s permission. However, in order to not get involved in war and worsen the relationship with the neighboring countries, the non-aggression laws were enacted.


    ¡­¡­Currently, the enemy is about to use slave soldiers forcibly drafted from a defeated country. I expect that the morale of the largest group of our soldiers on the border, the royal army, will take a huge hit from this.


    In order to prevent this, even if only a little ¨C the king, or at least someone related to the king coming to visit and console the soldiers, it''s the most effective type of performance to boost their morale.


    Considering the scale of the battle, actually it should have been someone even higher ranked like Grays or the crown prince¡­¡­. But with the risks involved, the House of Lords was willing to compromise and send Eric instead, that''s how I got my proposal passed through even the Upper House of Lords.


    Besides, in the formal, stuffy speech words of the official request to the archduke''s family, I hinted at knowing the archduke''s family''s secret problems. Remembering the information that Ratoka brought back to me on the archduke''s family, I smiled to myself. Marquis Rolentsor hates scandals more than anything, and the archduke definitely wouldn''t welcome a scandal either.


    So of course, the archduke wouldn''t interfere with sending Eric to console the soldiers, he was basically forced into having to send Eric.


    Obviously, in order to console the soldiers and rally their morale, a speech must be prepared for Eric to give to the soldiers.


    I''m already a person that''s a part of noble society. I''ll settle this problem using nobles'' methods. ¡­¡­I''ve manipulated Eric into a situation where he''s going to be forced to swallow his pride and the insults he said against the soldiers.


    After Eric is dispatched to the border, I shall ask him to withdraw his previous remarks, and if he still doesn''t, it''ll become necessary for the archduke himself to resolve his own family''s situation. And besides, with this it should relieve some of Eric''s unresolved anger and maybe correct his personality issues, along with settling this entire problem.


    I see, I can understand now how it may have seemed like I was plotting something. But I was just trying to do what I thought was best for the security of Arxia, how odd.

 Chapter 171 - 172

    I don''t know the details of the exact procedures that went on in the Upper House of Lords for the approval, but it seems they agreed to dispatch Eric to Fort Jugfena without incident. Since time was short, the notice for Eric came immediately.


    For some reason I was also included in the request to go to the frontlines, and so I requested a break from noble school. Even if the enemy slave soldiers are defeated or captured, what should be done with them if they''re captured, should they be executed, it''s highly likely that it''ll cause Arxia''s soldiers'' morale to greatly decrease as Arxia doesn''t have slavery.


    ¡­¡­While I don''t want our main forces consisting of the royal army to lose morale, I don''t know how they''ll handle things, but I want to personally manage any slave soldiers that my Kaldia army captures, in the future.


    Maybe I''ll decide that I have the know-how to handle foreigners since I''ve absorbed the Shiru tribe into my domain already, or maybe I''ll decide to "dispose" of the slave soldiers and execute them immediately. Or, it could even be both.


    After I submitted a leave of absence notice to the Upper House of Lords, I was informed that I would be given a special examination to test my academic knowledge upon my return. In some ways, this resembles my previous world surprisingly closely.


    And so, I set out from the royal capital and headed for Fort Jugfena, together with Eric and Marquis Rolentsor, returning to the battlefield for the first time in half a year.


    It took two days to arrive at Fort Jugfena by horse-drawn carriage. I suppose it should be only natural that we''d rest at Kaldia which was on the way, right?


    For someone just recently promoted to an earl, to be visited by a member from the archduke''s family along with a marquis, this would normally never happen. Therefore, there''s only enough employees of at my Mansion of Golden Hills to maintain the place, there''s not enough people there to deal with these high-ranking guests.


    Bellway who was the current leader of the servants at the mansion, hurriedly hired some more people from the surrounding villages, and barely managed in time to make the arrangements to hospitably accommodate them.


    "¡­¡­This is unbefitting of my ranking, it''s such a small place."


    As always, the first words that Eric said were quite rude as he got off the horse-drawn carriage, but his tone didn''t sound like it was mocking anything, it sounded more reflexive.


    "Its owner probably didn''t think that she would receive a noble title promotion, by the next time she returned."


    "Ah, right. Then again, no descendant of Kaldia would want to believe that any ancestor of theirs would gain accolades through winning with cowardly tactics, now would they?"


    "Indeed, I have no idea what kind of children I will have, or if I will even ever have children. If I think that my children could be like the previous domain lord of Kaldia, I think that I''d never have children in that case."


    Of course, Eric''s not just referring to my father, he''s obviously talking about me as well. Just thinking about if my children would be able to kill people without flinching or batting an eye, it''s quite daunting to consider.


    Even though I made such a remark, Eric still sharply shrugged his shoulders and glared at me. It seems that my statement was unintentionally grating on his nerves.


    ¡­¡­Ahh. I see. It''s not strange for my self-deprecating comments to have touched Eric''s nerves. Since I learned from Ratoka that Eric killed his own mother, and is so distant from his stepmother.


    For our departure on the following day, my soldiers of the Kaldia army were also making their preparations, as they were coming along as well. From here on I''m no longer going to go by horse-drawn carriage, I shall be leading them while riding Rashiok.


    In the past three years, with the successful integration of the Shiru warriors into my army, as well as an increasing number of villagers that have signed up for military service, my army''s undergone some expansion and I now lead them while riding Rashiok.


    It''s been a few months since I went off to noble school, but Rashiok seemed to be doing quite well. His snake-like tail kept wagging, and he was light on his feet as he rushed to me. He had an affectionate expression as I stroked his neck, and his ears were twitching as a sign of pleasure.


    "I''m sorry that I haven''t been able to see you lately. I would have liked to take you to the royal capital as well, but that would have been a little¡­¡­"


    Even though he couldn''t communicate with me in my language, he desperately growled in return like he was trying to chat with me. Somehow it felt like I could understand what he meant, as I closed my eyes and continued stroking his neck.


    "My lord, you''re quite happy today for some reason, aren''t you?" sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Mm?"


    Just like the previous time we went to Fort Jugfena together, Paulo was leading my horse for me, as he chimed in with his peaceful tone of voice. Somehow, this all feels quite nostalgic. Paulo''s gone through puberty since then and is much taller than last time, but it seems that his personality remained the same.


    "Ahh, ¡­¡­at any rate there''s so many bothersome things in the royal capital. Although I can''t exactly relax and take it easy back in Kaldia, I wanted to come back here as soon as possible after finishing noble school. Rashiok is here as well."


    "It''s not just Rashiok, we''re here as well. Because whenever my lord isn''t here, we wouldn''t have the occasional fancy food, so we wanted you to come back soon. Ahh, I wish I was born two years later. Then I would have been young enough to attend to you in the royal capital together with Athrun, it''s such a pity¡­¡­"


    "What, you miss me just because of food? I''d like to distribute more abundant varieties of food throughout Kaldia, though. I hope this war gets settled soon so I can spend more time on Kaldia."


    "Please keep up the good work. But, remember not to push yourself too hard."


    Paulo hummed through his nose while making all these oh so casual comments, and he chuckled. In a horse-drawn carriage a little bit apart from us, I could sense the painful gazes of Eric and Marquis Rolentsor on us.

 Chapter 172 - 173

    Even though summer was just about over, when we arrived in the Jugfena royal domain, it still felt like the peak of midsummer. With the Amon Nor mountains to the east, hot air gets trapped in eastern Arxia.


    So of course, Jugfena will have higher temperatures than the royal capital, and while Kaldia is also warmer than the royal capital, it''s cooler than Jugfena due to the cold drafts that will sometimes blow down the Amon Nor mountains in Kaldia.


    "Hey. Thanks for your hard efforts in escorting them here. The Fort Jugfena knight order and I shall take it from here. ¡­¡­You had to come here earlier than I expected. I was hoping that you''d be able to enjoy your school life a little longer."


    Ergnade came out from the black iron fortress to welcome us. He probably has the position most suited for this task, as he''s the younger brother of the current Earl Einsbark with Wiegraf having taken over the title.


    "While the order did indeed come earlier than expected, there was no problem at all, as I''m always ready to move out at a moment''s notice. Ergnade, I thought you were on the frontlines¡­¡­"


    "No, I was called back here a while ago. There have been no movements recently on the frontlines, so things have been left to my subordinates, and I''m basically in command now of scouting and reconnaissance. I never would have imagined though that you''d learn about such major enemy movements from Rindarl, while in the royal capital." sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Due to being away from the battlefield, perhaps it was easier for me to notice their roundabout actions. Besides, it was Margrave Freche that gave me this critical information."


    "Ohh, Freche, eh. It seems that your network of connections is spreading at an astounding rate. The Rolentsor family, the Terejia family, the Moltons and the Freches, and my Einsbark family, the next one seems like it''ll be the archduke''s family."


    "It was just luck that we were in the same class. She''s just fortunate to have the opportunity to know so many people."


    Ergnade and I glanced over at Eric who was getting down from the horse-drawn carriage with a sullen expression on his face. He''s here primarily because he still wouldn''t withdraw his insults for the sake of his own name''s honor, so he''s in quite the bad mood. On top of that, he has to travel with me who he doesn''t like, so his mood was steadily worsening.


    "I see, he''s the one."


    "Yes, he''s Baron Eric Teal Dovadain, representative of the Upper House of Lords."


    Although the Einsbark family is deeply involved with the royal family and the Upper House of Lords, Ergnade basically almost never goes to the royal capital. This is his first time meeting Eric.


    "I guess I''ll guide him to my older brother. You should have your soldiers rest first. Just like always, we''ve left the second through fourth floors of the same southern building from before empty for your army. I''ll let you know when it''s time for dinner, so be ready."


    "Understood. I thank you from my heart, for caring about the well-being of my soldiers."


    "¡­¡­I think that I wouldn''t mind though if you started responding ''yes, father, thank you very much'' instead."


    Ergnade finished our conversation by making a joke and slapping me lightheartedly on my shoulder, but I just stared at him in silence. I remember the strange expression from the last time I tried calling him father.


    Even before entering noble school, I was at Fort Jugfena, so I''m already familiar with the layout of this place and the location allotted for our usage. There was no argument over who would get what room, and everyone picked their own places, being used to this fortress already.


    "Just like always, the fourth floor will be reserved for my lord, or should I say my lady, or young master, and me and Teo."


    "Ahh, you''ve taken the trouble of ensuring things. Thank you, Gunther."


    "Not at all¡­¡­ anyways, what should we do about Rashiok?"


    "Eh¡­¡­?"


    I took a look at Rashiok who was resting in the empty space between the fort buildings and its wall, which was where I was taught how to wield the halberd so long ago by Ergnade, Rashiok looked comfortable there for some reason and didn''t seem like he wanted to move.


    Because we''re currently in a state of war, I can''t expect other military troops to help manage my draconis, and as the person responsible for him, I should be the one taking care of him. Well, Rashiok had been fine on his own until I got called here to Fort Jugfena, but¡­¡­


    There was another draconis sitting there next to Rashiok. The other draconis was a bit smaller than Rashiok, has scales that were almost pure white, and its wings were a shade of vermillion. Well, since Rashiok seems to be larger than usual according to what''s in the books, I suppose this one should be about average size?


    From what I can tell, this draconis doesn''t seem to be one of Rashiok''s siblings. His siblings that were left here before at Fort Jugfena, should have similar colors to him, albeit with slightly different color tones on their wings.


    "Ah¡­¡­ Well, aren''t they just pairing up?"


    Seeing me observe the two draconis, Gunther spoke up hesitantly.


    "Pairing up¡­¡­?"


    "Probably. I don''t have any evidence though."


    Pairing up¡­¡­ Got it. Rashiok is already a mature draconis, it wouldn''t be strange if he finds himself a mate.


    I see, while thinking that, I looked away from the two draconis. When I think about how it could be his mate, I felt a little embarrassed to watch them any longer.


    "Come to think of it, speaking of finding a girlfriend¡­¡­ Gunther, how about your end? Even Teo informed me earlier this spring that he''d gotten married."


    When I mentioned what I just thought of to Gunther, he suddenly spat out his drink. ¡­¡­Did I say something so strange to that extent?


    He''s already quite a bit past the suitable age for marriage, but well, considering the fact that he''s working in the army, there''s no helping it. But, something that can''t be helped even more is that he''ll soon be approaching the age where it''ll be too late for him to get married.


    I don''t know his exact age, but he should be about 20 years older than me, roughly.


    So at an estimate, he''s in his early 30s¡­¡­ I see¡­¡­ (TL note: Cast of characters indicates that Gunther is exactly 20 years older than Eliza, so he''s 33.) Just as I was thinking that he''s already at the age where I should be calling him uncle instead of viewing him as an older brother, Gunther glared at me, muttering "mind your own business, brat!"


    "If you have someone in mind, please hurry up and notify me. I will help you get married as fast as possible."


    "What!? You''re annoying!"


    Gunther definitely seems to care about this subject at least a little, and another thing just happened to come into my mind. As for Claudia, just how is she doing in that regard? Expecting to hear anything out of her on this topic will be utterly useless, but according to her family''s wishes, she was intended to have found someone to marry in her early 20s, and she''s now 23.


    ¡­¡­When I return to Kaldia, I need to check on this situation as early as possible. As one of my most trusted retainers, her marriage is something that has to do with me as well, after all.

 Chapter 173 - 174

    When Ergnade called for me to come to the dining hall for higher-ranked personnel, Wiegraf was already waiting there for me, smiling and waving hello. Maybe it''s because I have a closer relationship to the Einsbarks, I was called before Eric or Marquis Rolentsor.


    "Eliza-dono. I''m glad to see you well."


    "Greetings, how are you doing, Earl Einsbark?"


    "Mm, I''m the same as always. It''s good that there haven''t been many injured soldiers lately. I''m also grateful to the Fort Jugfena knight order for helping bring my adopted niece here safely. Please, go ahead and enjoy this insignificant meal."


    He waved at me and indicated my seat, which was right next to him. My adopted child relationship with Ergnade should extend only to the two of us, legally. What''s with him, calling me his adopted niece. I''ve never even heard of such a term.


    I think that my thoughts may have shown slightly in my facial expression, as Wiegraf tilted his head with a hm? expression.


    "Don''t make such a face, you should just give up and accept being called an adopted niece by my older brother."


    As I sat on the chair, I casually avoided looking at him. Back when Ergnade first proposed that I become his adopted daughter, he made a comment that I wasn''t sure if it was a joke or not, asking if his family had discussed adoption with me yet. Then afterwards, letters indeed arrived from Wiegraf and Volmar for additional adoption proceedings, causing my cheeks to twitch just thinking about it. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    That was still back when I had no military achievements yet, so I declined politely, saying that there would be no benefits for them, but¡­¡­


    "I already receive plenty of protection from Ergnade, any more than this is¡­¡­"


    "Indeed. In fact, perhaps in a few years Ergnade may be the one receiving your protection."


    "¡­¡­Surely you jest."


    Although he''s the third son, Ergnade is the direct descendant of the now Marquis Einsbark who''s ruling over the northern domains given to him that was confiscated from the Nordsturms. On top of that, he''s the leader of the Fort Jugfena knights, a powerful position. For an upstart like me to reverse the power balance between us in just a few years, it''s inconceivable.


    "Ahh, okay, that was a joke. However, your name is now known far and wide, so I''ll be delighted if you contact me about adoption as well at any time. As long as it''s before you officially become an adult, even a secondary adoption is okay. After all, it''ll be too late if we wait another few years."


    Wiegraf was chuckling much like his father would have. ¡­¡­I think that those from the Einsbark family can''t help it, they love joking around too much to the extent where they even joke about serious matters.


    The atmosphere in the dining hall remained jovial, until Eric finally arrived. Apparently he must have been uncomfortable eating with people so closely connected to me, he only responded curtly to Wiegraf''s welcome.


    As I explained the situation at school between Eric, Sieghart, and me to the Einsbarks beforehand, Wiegraf and Ergnade were rather lukewarm in their attitudes toward Eric, but he didn''t seem to notice. Well, it''s better if he doesn''t notice. There''s nothing as troublesome as a child that''s throwing a tantrum ¨C I couldn''t help but think back to what happened with Ratoka several years ago.


    "¡­¡­no time to relax. There''s an immense enemy army of more than 100,000 soldiers, including at least 30,000 slave soldiers, that will soon be pressing up against our borders. That''s why I went to the trouble of returning here to the border, at top speed."


    Eric''s irritation level seemed to reach its maximum, right as we had stopped making idle chatter and were discussing methods to deal with the enemy slave army. Just as I was giving them the bad news, I glanced over at Eric, wondering if I had left him alone for too long.


    "Wonderful. Knowing the exact severity of the danger you''re dealing with, is one of the most important things on the battlefield."


    Ergnade was grinning as he made such a comment. Since I had given him such bad news, I didn''t expect that he would praise me. Eric was now looking at Ergnade with a blank expression of amazement.


    "However, the enemy soldiers haven''t arrived on our borders quite yet. According to our scout teams, it doesn''t seem like their reinforcements have already reached the frontlines. We use draconis that have excellent senses which can detect enemies from afar and read the wind. When the enemy''s troops amass and attack our border, we''ll be informed beforehand, so rest assured."


    "¡­¡­Draconis."


    Was it the one I saw? Eric''s face seemed to be distorting into a sullen expression again. He looked at me for an instant, and he furrowed his eyebrows even deeper. Does he have something against Rashiok? Although, Rashiok was by my side during our entire trip here, so I don''t think Rashiok has ever done anything to him before.


    Then, Eric suddenly changed his distorted expression into that of a smile as he spoke up.


    "If the draconis is such a useful beast, wouldn''t you also like one for a personal bodyguard, eh, Marquis Rolentsor? I was thinking this on the way as well, but a draconis seems like a suitable beast for the future king to ride. If its sense of smell can detect people from so far away, it must also be able to detect poisons and metals.


    As such, don''t you think it would make an excellent gift for the royal family?"


    I was speechless. I could sense the malice dripping from Eric''s words, this was a direct attack against me. Other than me, all the people here were closer to the "future king" than I am.


    ¡­¡­I see. So, he wants to separate Rashiok from me? I could hear the sound of my teeth beginning to grind unconsciously.

 Chapter 174 - 175

    "I see, indeed that may be the case."


    Marquis Rolentsor nodded. At seeing that the marquis obviously agreed with him, Eric shot me a triumphant look for an instant. I avoided his gaze, and looked at my spoon instead.


    "Then, shall we make an agreement about the next baby draconis you receive here?"


    "I believe that their breeding season is in spring. I don''t know when we''ll be fortunate enough to acquire another baby draconis, but I''ll make the arrangements."


    The next moment, Marquis Rolentsor and Wiegraf were making a gentleman''s agreement for a future baby draconis, while I could see Eric with a stupefied expression, as if he was saying "huh?"


    Well, he wanted to separate Rashiok from me by any excuse, but unfortunately for him, a draconis never changes its master. There''s no records in history of what a draconis may do if it''s forcibly separated from its master, as it''s never been done before, considering the fact that draconis are both extremely rare and powerful.


    "¡­¡­If it''s to be a draconis for royalty, I think a silver-white one would have a better appearance. While silver-blue is also a rare color, silver-white stands out more and complements the royalty."


    I remembered the white draconis that was getting close to Rashiok earlier today, so of course Ergnade and Wiegraf must also know about that draconis, as they were grinning. It feels like they must intend to plan on using that draconis instead in a future breeding plan.


    Whether or not one of Rashiok''s children will become a royal draconis is something I don''t know, after all, there were three of Rashiok''s siblings that were sent here to Fort Jugfena before, and two of them were female.


    Judging by the evidence that a wild draconis actually came here as well, due to the fortress being located at the feet of the Amon Nor mountains, the draconis here will have a much easier time finding a breeding partner, than Rashiok who usually travels around with me.


    Eric''s face showed that his mood was even worse now due to things not going his way, and everyone else was also showing cold expressions. Well, that''s just how things are. And when you think about it, a draconis with only one wing like Rashiok wouldn''t make a suitable gift for the royal family. Besides, I''m not sure Rashiok would enjoy that type of atmosphere either, being with the royal family.


    Apart from all that, even if it was allowed, it would only be the king or the crown prince that would receive a draconis, certainly not a second son from the archduke''s family born from a concubine who was sent close to the frontlines without much resistance.


    ¡­¡­Without letting others know, I sighed mentally. Although I didn''t intend to denigrate Eric''s status for the way he was born, I realize that it''s a fact of life in this world that your parents determine your social status from the time you were born, and I feel like it''s affected my way of thinking just a little.


    If I had been born a commoner in this world, then I would just be a commoner. But I was born into a noble family like the Kaldias, and the blood of that unimaginably evil family runs in me.


    Early next morning, before Eric''s scheduled speech for the soldiers, Fort Jugfena was already on full alert and combat ready at a moment''s notice. Before sunrise, enemy scout troops had been detected invading the border. Of course, Fort Jugfena didn''t have the luxury of just letting them do as they liked without responding, so our soldiers went out and captured all the enemies.


    "It seems that all the captured enemies have been branded with slave markings. Until we decide what to do with them, I''ll leave them here, is that alright?"


    "I can lend you our prison, that''s fine."


    "I see. Then, I shall borrow the key to the prison from you for the time being, and imprison them in the two-floor underground dungeon below the training grounds."


    I had that conversation with Wiegraf earlier this morning, and I was now holding on to a heavy key ring. While playing with the keys, causing a jangling sound, I took Gunther and Ratoka with me, to the underground dungeon where the slave soldiers were imprisoned.


    If the enemy scouts have arrived, their main army will be attacking at any moment. Ergnade and Marquis Rolentsor have already taken some soldiers to our most frontline position. I wanted to confirm the status of the slave soldiers as soon as possible before it was decided what to do with them.


    "Elise, Gunther, if you''re feeling uncomfortable, feel free to leave the dungeon immediately."


    After letting both of them know that they could leave if they wanted, I unlocked the heavy door and descended the steps down into the dungeon. I imagined a dungeon like the one underground in my Mansion of Golden Hills, but this one wasn''t in such bad taste. The walls, floor, and ceiling were all made of polished stone, although the air inside was a bit stuffy.


    The slave soldiers were locked together in a big jail cell in the back, and as we approached, some of them noticed and were looking at us.


    ¡­¡­There''s no light of life in their eyes at all. I reflexively looked back at Ratoka behind me. Back when I was talking to him while he was in my jail cell, he had those same eyes. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "What?"


    "Nothing¡­¡­"


    I turned my head back around, and began inspecting each of the captured slave soldiers one by one. They''re mostly silver-haired, tan-skinned children around my age, which are physical characteristics that you wouldn''t see in Arxia, they appear quite malnourished, and they were huddling close to each other with exhausted expressions. From among them, I noticed one who was observing me quite closely.


    Even when I looked directly at him, he didn''t try to avert his golden eyes, and I beckoned to him.


    "You there, come out front."


    After calling him, I regretted making him come out front, because when he stood up and I could see him more clearly, he was dragging his thin body as he supported himself with his hand along the wall. This slave soldier who seemed just a little bit older than me, was missing his right leg.

 Chapter 175 - 176

    "Ah¡­¡­"


    At almost the exact same time, Ratoka also noticed that the slave soldier boy was missing his right leg, and both of us exclaimed in unison.


    ¡­¡­Come to think of it, this is the first time I''ve met someone who''s missing an arm or a leg. I haven''t been on the battlefield for long enough, so I haven''t seen enough injured soldiers yet.


    The slave soldiers would have already been inspected for weapons before locking them up in here, but they were just wearing ragged cloths that were unable to conceal anything. Consider how thin and weak they all appear, I doubt that our soldiers would treat them violently.


    When they were captured, I heard that they put up almost no resistance, and I suppose that throwing an injured slave like this boy into a unit consisting of only young slave soldiers would be only natural. As I was thinking so, the boy who was now standing seemed to be in pain, standing up with great difficulty.


    "Do you, want, something?"


    His voice was listless and dry. While he had an accent, he was speaking in Arxian. I hid my surprise.


    "How and where did you learn the Arxian language? I recall that Nazric never had any interactions with Arxia."


    I answered him in the Nazric language, and it was easy to tell that the boy was stunned. Although his expression didn''t change much, his eyes indicated that my words stirred some emotions deep within him.


    For an injured slave soldier like him to be unreasonably forced to join a scout unit, it was evident that he was exhausted as would be natural, but I could also tell that he''s the type to suppress his emotions. Meaning, he''s the same type as me.


    "¡­¡­¡­¡­"


    He seemed lost for words, and desperately kept squinting his eyes. It would appear that he''s carefully considering his words. This is something that isn''t possible for ordinary commoners. Now then, just who is he? This boy.


    "¡­¡­I''m, probably not who you think I am. While Nazric indeed never had any direct contact with Arxia, it''s actively traded before with other countries that in turn trade with Arxia. For us smaller southern countries, the development of the huge northern country of Arxia could influence our very fates. My country Nazric desperately studied knowledge about Arxia. This information was drilled into us.


    I learned Arxian in class as part of that knowledge¡­¡­"


    I nodded in response to the flood of information that suddenly came pouring out of this boy who seemed only slightly older than me. As I took a step closer, the boy seemed to shrink back in fear of me. I thought for a moment on what to do, then I mentally snorted at myself because I had already decided what I should do already.


    I will do it just because I want to, although it could be said that it wouldn''t be very noble-like of me.


    Fortunately, this time it was very clear to me just what I should do.


    "Elise, go to Ergnade and report to him that I''m removing a prisoner from the dungeon. Gunther, please give him some of our provisions, and make sure he receives some food. Also, summon Oscar over to me."


    As I abruptly ended the conversation with the boy and gave brief, direct orders to my two subordinates behind me, I could tell that everyone here was looking at me with various feelings. In the captives'' listless eyes, I could finally see another emotion.


    Being surrounded by me, Oscar, Ratoka, and Claudia, the boy from earlier who may have been feeling pressured by all of us seemed to have calmed down after eating some food we gave to him, but when I asked him what his name was, he choked up again.


    He said earlier that he wasn''t who I thought he was, meaning that he wasn''t a noble or royalty after all, so why was it that he had so difficulty saying his own name? Seeing that I was furrowing my eyebrows, he hurriedly explained things to me.


    From what he told me, Rindarl forbade their slaves to use their names, and called them by numbers instead. If someone was found calling others by their names or using their own name, they would be punished severely.


    It''s an inhumane slavery system. I thought back to my battle at Ritox Plateau late last year. Considering the fact that I impaled and burned Rindarl prisoners of war to death back there, should I really be lecturing Rindarl about what''s inhumane?


    "Well? In the end, what''s your name supposed to be?"


    Ratoka interrupted from behind, saying he couldn''t believe such a ridiculous story, but I told the boy to ignore Ratoka, and with a bit of a bewildered expression, he answered that his name was Vanita.


    "Ok then, Vanita. I think you understand that I need to find out some information from you, so first tell me what you have to say about Rindarl, and how it was that you came to be here." S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "We¡­¡­ because I have some knowledge about Arxia, I was brought here. We were sufficient as scouts, and if we were captured and killed, I heard that it would lower Arxia''s morale."


    I also found out from Vanita that the scout unit consisted of slave children brought from various different places.


    And, everyone had some friends or relatives that were also enslaved, whose lives would be forfeit if a slave betrayed Rindarl. Before they departed, there was also a rumor spread around that a few of them were real Rindarl child soldiers infiltrating the slave unit, spying on them, so while the slave children were on their way to Arxia, none of them, including Vanita, had considered betraying Rindarl at that time.


    "Before you departed, do you know where their main forces were located?"


    "I don''t know the direction because there were no landmarks¡­¡­ I was brought to a building that they constructed with stone walls, and given instructions there. Before then, everyone had been together, with their family members and friends that are now hostage.


    After that, we were blindfolded, put on horses, and we arrived at some forest, then we walked all the way towards this black iron fortress that we could see from the forest."


    "What exactly was your group ordered to come here and find out?"


    As scouts, they''re still far too young, and as far as I can tell, none of them have even received any military training. Well, there''s the possibility that a few of them have been trained as scouts before, but either way, they should have been given some specific mission, instead of being sent here aimlessly just to lower our morale.


    Vanita took a good look at me. Then, with fear in his voice, he spoke up again.


    "¡­¡­Our job was to see if there was a black-haired, red-eyed child here. A demon that drinks people''s blood, we were supposed to find out if Earl Kaldia was currently at Fort Jugfena."


    His voice left quite a deep impression because he was clearly being serious, while Oscar, Ratoka, and Claudia suddenly looked at me.


    -After thinking for a moment, I shook my head slightly. For the time being, let''s trust this boy''s words.

 Chapter 176 - 177

    Rather than not trusting the information Vanita gave me about being a slave soldier, I didn''t trust what he told me about himself. Not minding the fact that my room was now dark, I kept thinking back to what he told me.


    Being chosen because he was a child who learned about Arxia before, it sounds like there''s nothing wrong with his story. But, even with having received some education before, his story sounded too logical¡­¡­ that''s just the feeling I got.


    There was nothing extra or insufficient in his story, and it was quite coherent. Such skills in story telling only come with training, he must be a person who knows how to apply his knowledge.


    Unfortunately, I know almost nothing about Nazric to begin with, but Vanita gave me a deep impression that he was more intelligent than he should be. I definitely need to confirm his story again from another child, but the problem is who to choose.


    According to Vanita''s story, the slave children were spying on each other, and that there was the possibility of real trained child soldiers from Rindarl mixed in with them.


    So, I need to carefully consider just who to ask questions of next. ¡­¡­But, I don''t have the time to leisurely decide.


    Since we''re now on active combat alert, and battle could begin at any moment, I have to command my Kaldia army, attend meetings with the other leaders, write reports on logistics and supplies, review information¡­¡­ in addition to that I have to pay attention to the actions of other nobles and the House of Lords, confirm and follow the royal capital''s orders¡­¡­ it''s almost enough to give me a headache, I have a mountain of work piled up.


    "Um, hey." Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    While thinking about what to do next, I heard Ratoka as he entered my dark room with a lit candlestick. When I looked at him to encourage him to go on, he seemed a bit lost on what to say. It was a bit similar to Vanita''s atmosphere from earlier today, but also somewhat different. Either way, Ratoka was being hesitant.


    "¡­¡­Um. Is it alright if I go visit the underground dungeon?"


    "You''d like to talk with the captives?"


    I didn''t think that it had that much to do with him, but I could also understand why he cared.


    "Ah, there was something, that caught my attention."


    I couldn''t help tilting my head at how vague he was being. Then, Ratoka spoke up again in a small voice.


    "Ah, no, um. It''s fine if you didn''t notice anything."


    "¡­¡­What was it that caught your attention?"


    I must have missed what he noticed, so I briefly ordered him to tell me. I don''t know if it''s because we''ve known each other for so long, or if because Ratoka usually doesn''t talk about this sort of thing with me, I feel like he''s being far too roundabout and needs to get to the point.


    "Um¡­¡­ I was wondering whether it would bother you if I talked to the prisoners. ¡­¡­Sorry."


    I couldn''t help but be speechless at what finally came out of his mouth after much hesitation. His hesitance, plus the apology that he felt necessary to add at the end, told me what I needed to know.


    ¡­¡­Ratoka has been immensely affected by my lack of trust towards others, and even now he''s being greatly influenced by me. As my body double, I share almost everything with him. Now I know that trust is a mutual relationship, accumulated over time, this is something that I''ve learned myself through experience.


    Because of his silly outburst in the horse-drawn carriage a few days ago, I foolishly believed that would clear the air between us of any remaining ill feelings. But he seems to believe that I still don''t trust him completely. Something which has been ongoing for so many years, wouldn''t disappear so easily, I see now.


    "-No, sorry. About that, I''m the one who should apologize."


    It felt like there was mud congesting my chest, as I chose my words as carefully as possible and said them directly, which finally caused Ratoka''s expression to become less tense.


    "R, ridiculous. Because you and I aren''t of equal status, it''s only natural that I should apologize if you don''t believe in me, and that you should be doubtful of me. ¡­¡­I know at least that much."


    Even while saying that we weren''t equals, as if I wasn''t there, Ratoka stole my cold cup of black tea from my hand and gulped it all down. Hmph, I almost wanted to snort and laugh out loud at his incongruous behavior.


    "Okay, go ahead. In fact, I was just wanting to give someone the order to go observe the prisoners. I''ll leave it to you, Elise."


    "Understood, ''my lord.''"


    Ratoka exited the room, as he addressed me by the title my soldiers usually did, a title that he normally would never use for me.

 Chapter 177 - 178

    In wartime, Arxia''s army basically has only one overall strategy.


    First, defend against the opponent''s attacks. Second, wait for the enemy army to retreat, be defeated, or annihilated, then counterattack. Third, quickly achieve preset goals, such as occupying strategically important locations. It''s quite a simple pattern, maintained by Arxia''s huge standing army.


    Well then, the enemy''s scouts have invaded our border, so Ergnade and Marquis Rolentsor already took some troops to the frontlines. However, the few soldiers that they took with them fall into pattern one, they''re squads that are meant for defending this fortress. Fort Jugfena''s main forces are still currently stationed here.


    Before Marquis Rolentsor finishes giving orders on the frontlines and returns, Eric is supposed to give a speech to the troops stationed here on behalf of the Upper House of Lords, and ¨C he has several other tasks he needs to accomplish.


    "Just what is it, you say I have work to do."


    When I informed Eric who leisurely came to my room like he had all the time in the world that he had work to do, he made an expression that indicated he felt it was bothersome. Since he''s asking what he has to do though, instead of outright refusing, it seems at least he hasn''t forgotten what he came here to do.


    "Consolations. There''s a makeshift hospital that''s been set up at this fortress to accommodate injured soldiers. For the royal army themselves, I''ve heard that it''s Marquis Rolentsor who''s personally consoling the troops on the frontlines, and he outranks even the archduke on military matters."


    "Mmm¡­¡­ Hey, why do you know? You have nothing to do with the royal army, right?"


    "No, because I''ve established a personal knight order, I have the position of an informal military officer in the royal army."


    The owner of a knight order isn''t included as one of the members. However, the owner will be registered in name only as a military officer in the royal army. This system is in place to remind us that personal knight orders belong to the country first and foremost, before belonging to any individual. It''s only a nominal job title, and doesn''t even come with a salary like a normal military rank would.


    ¡­¡­Although it''s supposed to be in name only, because of it I''m now basically being treated as Eric''s babysitter, and from time to time I''m also treated as a military officer similar to Ergnade and the others. While I''m also rewarded for my achievements, there''s something I still don''t understand.


    I had no intention of becoming a full-fledged military officer, so why was it that somehow people were treating me as one, without me realizing it?


    Well, I also know that Ergnade is rewarded handsomely for his achievements in combat, so I can somewhat understand. And for the Kaldia domain that''s certainly no economic powerhouse, reward money is always welcome.


    According to Arxian military law, informal military officers are basically treated like outsourced jobs. And since there''s no concept of outsourcing fees here, reward money isn''t paid by the military budget, but treated as a private expense instead.


    "This is an order from Earl Einsbark, that Baron Dovadain should finish meeting with and consoling the soldiers here before General Commander Rolentsor returns."


    "¡­¡­Ah, got it. I''ll go."


    Was he getting too bored these past few days, he listened to me easier than I expected.


    The makeshift hospital where Eric was to do his consolations, was just a simple extension of the medical office in the fort. Even so, it was also a place where many seriously injured soldiers had returned to from the frontlines, as Fort Jugfena was currently in the rear of the frontlines.


    "Urk¡­¡­!"


    Eric entered the nursing area with an unwilling, frowning expression, but the moment he stepped into the room, he caught his breath.


    Soldiers were all over the room ¨C no, perhaps I should say former soldiers. Many of them were missing an arm or a leg, or badly burned, it was clear to see that they were in excruciating pain.


    "Eric-sama, there''s no need to hesitate, please go and console each of them individually and ask how they are doing. None of the patients in this room will be able to fight on the battlefield anymore, and now they''re just waiting to be picked up by their own domains and families."


    The doctor informed Eric about the soldiers here, but Eric seemed frightened, as he backed away from the patients'' beds.


    "¡­¡­Urgh, ¡­¡­¡­¡­"


    The doctor and I shook our heads slightly at Eric''s reaction. While I had expected he would be shocked, it seems that the soldiers in this room were still too much for him.


    There are no lightly injured soldiers in this hospital. In the first place, the lightly injured wouldn''t need to return from the frontlines. The only ones here were those that were seriously injured, to the point where they wouldn''t be able to move or fight.


    Although I explained the situation here to Eric beforehand, because Eric lives a daily life with no bloodshed whatsoever, he has no way of comprehending the sight before him, even though he has knowledge about it.


    If it had been the crown prince or Grays here however, I doubt either of them would have been as shaken as Eric. They should have received an education to expect such things. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Now then, how will Eric go about consoling these soldiers? My job was just to bring him here, and in the end, I''m not connected to the royal army soldiers like he is, so I can''t replace him to console these soldiers on his behalf. Besides, that would completely destroy Eric''s image.


    ¡­¡­How annoying. Why is it that I have to do something like educate a boy that''s my age? Well, it was my idea in the first place to give him a taste of the real world out there to help him mature, so I guess it can''t be helped.

 Chapter 178 - 179

    June 14, 2017 ¡¤ by imperfectluck ¡¤ in Uncategorized. ¡¤


    Well then, it happened just as I was mentally sighing about Eric..


    "Eeeee!! Why, why is the vampire here!? Noooooo!! I don''t want to die, I don''t want to dieeee!!"


    Suddenly, a crazed shouting arose from the corner of the nursing room. I clicked my tongue at being called a vampire, while the doctor headed over to see what was going on. Eric was frozen in shock for a moment with his shoulders trembling, then he looked around the room aimlessly.


    "Please calm down, don''t get excited! Someone! Sedatives!"


    "No! No!! There''s so many, I don''t want to be the vampire''s bait anymore!!"


    "Why is the vampire back here!? I thought the vampire was currently at noble school!!"


    "I can''t even fight anymore! Stop it, I don''t want to kill anymore or die!! I can''t even fight anymore, I''m even missing a leg now!!"


    With the first scream getting everyone''s attention, subsequent screams arose all at once, and the room suddenly was awash in commotion. I detected many eyes on me, containing clearly negative emotions such as condemnation, contempt, and fear. The doctor hurriedly ushered me out of the nursing room, and like he was attached to me, Eric came following after.


    When I closed the door to the adjacent room in an attempt to block out the sound, I finally let go of a heavy sigh.


    Among the royal army''s soldiers, my infamous reputation is commonly known. They seem to be strongly emotionally opposed to me due to my methods of attacking enemy units and dealing with enemy prisoners, which runs directly contrary to their ideals of chivalry and benevolence.


    I hadn''t taken into consideration that my appearance would cause them mental trauma¡­¡­ even through the closed metal door, I could still hear the doctors and soldiers dealing with the panic that my appearance caused, and I unconsciously chewed my lower lip.


    For them, I''m a symbol of death, violence, and the battlefield. As the hubbub continued in the distance, my emotions felt like they were condensing into something leaden.


    "Baron Dovadain, my apologies. It seems that the place where you were to give your condolences has become chaotic. I shall let Earl Wiegraf Einsbark know that I''ll have some other person take you here again on another day, so you can return to your room now."


    Eric seemed unable to comprehend the situation at all, he just kept staring with a frozen expression on his face at the closed door leading to the nursing room as I talked to him. He finally looked at me when I finished speaking, with an expression of utter confusion.


    "T, that just now¡­¡­ what was that about? Why is it that, our own country''s soldiers fear you so much?"


    "¡­¡­The battlefield is a place that easily damages people''s hearts."


    While urging Eric to walk out of here with me, I decided to answer him. I had thought that it was necessary to educate him anyways, so I suppose this could be a good opportunity. When he visits here again to give his condolences, it''ll be better if he''s able to handle it better and come up with some words to say.


    "For enemies on the battlefield, it means that you''re fighting each other and trying to kill each other, which can create a sense of denial and mental suffering in humans. And as Eric-dono already knows, I''ve already killed many enemies mercilessly, even prisoners.


    The injuries those soldiers from earlier received caused them to have weak hearts because they don''t ever want to return to the battlefield again. So, without being able to distinguish between allies and enemies, anything that reminds them of the battlefield causes them to be terrified."


    "Damaged hearts¡­¡­"


    "Injuries and death don''t only happen to your body, it can also happen to spirits. For example, it''s incredibly common for a person to have a phobia of fire if they were burned before, and all living creatures fear pain that they understand the cause behind. In order to keep living, in order to not die, they fear getting injured."


    While giving a basic explanation of psychological damage to Eric, I also thought about my own citizens. The hellish life that they had under my late father''s rule, scarred their hearts deeper than anyone. Although it was necessary, what followed after with my and Earl Terejia''s rule amounted to what was essentially shock therapy.


    I felt a sense of regret that I wasn''t able to take better care of their hearts.


    "¡­¡­¡­¡­You."


    From behind me, Eric said only one word, with nothing else to go on, not even a question.


    "Me?"


    I had no idea what he was trying to say, and I tilted my head as I asked him back. Eric himself seemed unsure what to ask me, he was furrowing his eyebrows deeply.


    "¡­¡­You, um, well, didn''t personally kill those enemy soldiers, did you?"


    He finally ended up asking me a question in quite a roundabout manner. Even though the royal army also consists of commoners, their pride wouldn''t even let them consider a tactic like the one I used before. Since they''re not even in the same chain of command as me, they''ve never even participated directly in battle together with the infamously villainous me.


    "¡­¡­¡­¡­Are you really fine? Acting like nothing happened, even with something like that,"


    He trailed off with a whimper as I glared at him. While his words were cut off, I perfectly understood what he was trying to say.


    "They simply weren''t my citizens."


    I shrugged as I answered him. I didn''t mention if I was fine or not. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    I could sort of say that I was fine, but it''s also partially true that I wasn''t. Right now my feelings are sleeping deep within me, and unlike my citizens, maybe they''ll come up floating to the surface again at a time that I can''t control.


    End of Act 3, Part 3

 Chapter 179 - 180

    June 14, 2017 ¡¤ by imperfectluck ¡¤ in Uncategorized. ¡¤


    Beginning of Act 3, Part 4


    To the east of the Jugfena Great Plains, is a flatlands littered with small hills that look like floating islands from a distance, and castles are built as defense bases in those hills. Rindarl''s army has abandoned these bases after suffering some defeats, and we''ve been occupying them as our most frontline position, for just over eight months. Currently, autumn is almost upon us.


    Marquis Rolentsor left the defense of those bases up to Ergnade and the Fort Jugfena troops he took with them, while he returned to the fortress with the royal army soldiers that had been guarding the bases up until now.


    There''s the fact that we can''t just leave our most frontline position unguarded, but right now Eric won''t be any use in encouraging the soldiers, and it may be a bad idea to have the royal army soldiers continue with that task with their morale decreasing after such a long time stationed there.


    "The costs to maintain our frontlines are getting ridiculous. If it increases any further, we might as well just annex all of Densel and make it into our vassal state."


    When Marquis Rolentsor returned from the frontlines, he was complaining in dissatisfaction. The irritation from not knowing what Rindarl is thinking and being in a continuous state of war must be adding to his fatigue from having to have a meeting with us right after returning.


    It seems that with the considerable time of eight months having passed, the royal army soldiers at the bases added many modifications and paths in order to make life more convenient there. They''ve put enough investment into it to where it would be almost impossible to accept returning those bases to Rindarl in any sort of border and peace agreement with them.


    It would be a sad story, having to develop the enemy country''s infrastructure for them and then giving it back. That''s why, even though it wasn''t Arxia''s original intention, it might end up having to expand.


    "The economic benefits from researching the new weapons we captured should more than make up for our expenditures."


    "That''s just the thinking of a military officer without any citizens, Wiegraf. Even if we increase the number of new weapons, that doesn''t increase the amount of food. Since they can''t see the war for themselves, the interior nobles won''t agree to increasing our funding."


    I touched the metal tube in front of me that was approximately four feet long. It''s a gun. These were discovered abandoned in the bases that we captured.


    These guns are quite different from the weapons I captured in the battle where I got promoted to an earl as a result. The guns my army captured before were six feet long thin metal cylinders with what looked like ladders attached, but these have a much closer resemblance to the guns I remember.


    The enemy''s succeeded in significantly decreasing the gun''s size, and I had the chilling thought that it was now much easier to maneuver.


    "Well, we don''t have the right to talk about what''s in Arxia''s national interest, so we''ll have to leave these negotiations to the general commander. ¡­¡­¡­¡­Anyways. Compared to the last battle we fought at the Great Plains, they seem to have made additional improvements to this new weapon of theirs."


    The last battle, for me would be when I was defending Ritox Plateau. The enemy soldiers there only had conventional weapons, but it seems that guns made a reappearance on the Great Plains during that time.


    "¡­¡­They seem to use these stones."


    A white stone cut into a hexagonal pillar shape was attached to the side of the tube, also reaching inside the cylinder. The mechanism seems to have some sort of function similar to a gun trigger, and when you remove its clasp, the stone will vigorously retract inside.


    "Mm. It seems to be a device to trigger sparks for gunpowder. It''s very similar to luminescent lamps made from fire moth powder¡­¡­"


    "Fire moth powder lamps can only produce light, nothing else. It doesn''t have the ability to start fires." S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Wiegraf''s comment caused both me and the general commander to shake our heads again.


    "This is probably why we were able to capture a stockpile of these so easily. It''s likely that this mechanism is quite efficient already, but we aren''t able to make use of it because we don''t understand the principles."


    "In other words, we won''t be able to make use of this short-tubed fire arrow unless we build another mechanism for it to prevent fires. Although, speaking of mechanisms. We could use the other bigger version of this for reference."


    Apparently, it seems that Arxia is now calling this weapon short-tubed fire arrows, although I know it as a type of gun. It seems that several hundred years ago, there existed a simple cannon-like weapon that shot out large stones and other similar ammunition, which was simply called the "big tube" back then, which is where guns got this type of name from.


    Now, the technology on how to make the cannon has been lost, and I think that most people probably forgot about its existence, until the appearance of these short-tubed fire arrows.


    "Well, we have no choice now but to research it."


    "I concur, Earl Kaldia. This could be a wonderful weapon, depending on how we use it. I want to spread it to the royal army as fast as possible."


    I averted my gaze from Marquis Rolentsor who said that with sparkles in his eyes. It must be his personal interest, as a military person from the family obsessed with all things related to martial arts, weapons, and combat strategies.


    "More importantly, the most critical thing now is the formal speech from Baron Dovadain."


    Eric originally came here as a messenger from the king giving permission to do battle, and his primary purpose here is to give inspiration and encouragement to the soldiers. Although I called it a formal speech, it isn''t really something all that pompous.


    However, the problem lies with Eric.

 Chapter 180 - 181

    Today I took Eric to the makeshift hospital again, and I waited outside the door for him as I read Ratoka''s report on the prisoners.


    Just like Vanita told me, the slave children seemed to be suspicious of each other. There were some children that were so afraid of being ratted on by a spy, causing their friends and family to be executed, that they even committed suicide in our dungeon, their mental states were quite fragile.


    Given this situation, I suppose it''s highly likely there are child soldiers among them that are deceiving us. My memories of Kamil further increased my suspicions. It''s definitely possible that there are children just like him, that are capable of killing so many adults.


    "-Kaldia."


    Eric came out of the makeshift hospital and called out to me, so I put the report down.


    "Baron Dovadain. For being able to come visit and console the soldiers again today, I thank you on behalf of my adopted father."


    As I stood up and thanked him, Eric''s face distorted. Still, maybe he was thinking that it would be a bad idea if those inside the hospital heard my voice, he indicated with a chin movement that we should walk further down the hallway.


    "It doesn''t matter how many times you ask me, I won''t use my status as a royal to authorize an attack on Rindarl. When I return to the royal capital, I''m going to inform His Majesty the king and my father that we should offer a ceasefire and make peace with Rindarl."


    "-Please consider it again. Without Baron Dovadain''s permission, the Arxian royal army won''t be able to efficiently deal with the enemy''s slave armies. If the enemy uses their slaves as meat shields to attack us, then our army will¡­¡­"


    "Stop repeating yourself, it''s annoying. My answer is the same, we should retreat. Our frontlines should be pulled back to Fort Jugfena, no matter who our enemies are, we shouldn''t invade their territory, don''t you think?"


    In the past few days, Eric and I have been repeating the same conversation over and over again. -This, is the new "problem" with Eric I was referring to.


    "It''s contrary to our church''s teachings, using violence to forcibly take land and resources. But, just look at what''s happening at our frontlines. Not only have you guys forced the opponent''s armies back, you''ve also occupied Densel and Planates'' land, and now they want to defend their territory and take it back. And think about the toll it''s taking on our soldiers!"


    Eric was angrily motioning about as if he wanted to hit something. It''s somewhat different from when he was throwing tantrums at noble school, this was because of his self-righteousness.


    His face was changing color with how furious he was for the sake of others, and the slight self-loathing and self-denial that I could sense in him before was completely absent.


    ¡­¡­The impact from meeting those soldiers that were so psychologically damaged, was much stronger than I expected. I knew that he would be sensitive towards mental trauma, but I never would have thought that he''d make the leap from seeing injured soldiers straight to denying the fact that we were at war.


    "Baron Dovadain, you should understand that it will be difficult to relinquish those captured bases as it would hinder peace negotiations."


    "Humph, what are you saying. You''re the one who should understand, right? Such a thing isn''t necessary for peace negotiations. Isn''t Rindarl''s request simply to treat the first prince better?"


    "¡­¡­¡­¡­"


    That''s something that everyone in this war knows. I was speechless in response.


    "Summon First Prince Albert back from the monastery to the royal palace, and allow him to attend noble school. Cancel Prince Alfred''s crown prince position, and the cause of this entire war will disappear. For such a meaningless reason, sacrificing our citizens in a ridiculous conflict¡­¡­ Hey!?"


    Before Eric was able to continue his rant any further in the hallway, I suddenly dragged him into an adjacent room. Even if he''s a high-ranking noble like the archduke''s son, there are words that can''t be said. What he just said was a clear insult to the Upper House of Lords ¨C the highest decision-making body in Arxia.


    Although he''s from the archduke''s family, he''s still only the second-born son of a concubine, there are statements that can''t be taken back once they''re said out loud. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "What are you¡­¡­ doing!"


    "Calm down a little. Calling the decision of His Majesty the king ''meaningless and ridiculous'' in such a public location, you know what will happen if this is heard, don''t you?"


    I closed the door and covered his mouth, while coldly urging him in a whisper to remain calm, and reminded him that he was disrespecting the king. I forcibly made him focus on me, instead of the injured soldiers. Hopefully with this, his head will cool down somewhat and he''ll regain his senses.


    Eric stared at me as I talked, then he slowly nodded. The moment I took my hand off him, he quickly scampered away from me, putting distance between us.


    "My apologies for being rough with you."


    "No¡­¡­¡­¡­ It''s fine. I think I was¡­¡­ a bit carried away just now."


    Eric''s face was pale as he sat down on a nearby chair while breathing hard. He felt like a balloon that just lost its air, it''s like a hole just opened up in his emotions, and he lost his original shape.

 Chapter 181 - 182

    After I saw that Eric had calmed down somewhat, I pulled over a chair and sat down as well. Time is urgent, and this was a good chance. I have to be able to convince Eric either today or tomorrow.


    "I understand perfectly well, Baron Dovadain''s concerns. The things that you''ve said, everyone''s considered them, including me."


    "Then!"


    "However, what you''re saying is wrong. Since you''re from Archduke Dovadain''s family, you should be looking at the situation as a politician, not a knight."


    I used a rather forceful tone of voice with Eric, and while he looked surprised for an instant, his face soon stiffened again as he bit his lip.


    I want to sigh. From his reaction, I know what he''s thinking even if he doesn''t say it out loud.


    "¡­¡­¡­¡­Kaldia, you must have known all this already. That''s why you brought me here."


    I didn''t say anything in response to Eric''s question. I didn''t know how Eric would react, after he met the injured soldiers again this time.


    In the first place, I already achieved half my goal of resolving the conflict at noble school, when I succeeded in bringing Eric to Fort Jugfena. Eric will forced to officially retract his previous statement by me.


    In order for him to give condolences to the soldiers successfully, I had hoped that seeing the actual state of injured soldiers would galvanize him, and that he''d be able to gain some passion as he encouraged the soldiers.


    While passion was indeed injected into him, it went in the opposite direction I expected ¨C while being a politician, he also took a knight''s viewpoint, meaning he''s on the ordinary soldiers'' side.


    While being compassionate about the citizens, he''s not considering the benefits from Arxia''s standpoint, and he doesn''t even know the determination of the soldiers that are willing to stand on the battlefield, so that''s why he''ll only be able to say words without much substance behind them.


    "Even if you''re wrong, you''re not someone who will stand on the battlefield, and you weren''t born as someone who will become a knight. It''s a mistake for you to think about the battlefield from the viewpoint of a knight."


    For those standing on the battlefield, they must be prepared for the loss of their lives or their friends'' lives. Politicians must realize their own positions as well. They must be prepared to defend their citizens'' lives as well as their own, and have the resolution to use others'' lives for that purpose.


    I''m someone from both of those worlds, and unlike Eric, I''m flexible and can adapt to both a military officer and a politician''s roles. I continued lecturing him.


    "¡­¡­Death is scary to soldiers. So only those who are prepared to die can stand on the battlefield. Those whose hearts are broken, will retreat from battle. For the remaining soldiers whose hearts haven''t been broken, it''s considered an insult to run away from the battlefield. Baron Dovadain, after coming here, will you still insist on insulting those whose life is represented by their swords?


    Then will you escape back to the royal capital, and will you be able to show your face in front of Sieghart?"


    If Eric returns to the royal capital just like this, as I explained to Eric earlier, I''m certain that Arxia''s army will be unable to do anything to the Rindarl army that will use its slaves as a meat shield, and they would be forced to retreat from Fort Jugfena.


    That would mean letting go of all our previous victories. No matter how you look at it, it would be a clear loss for us. ¡­¡­And General Commander Marquis Rolentsor''s name and honor will bite the dust.


    When I mentioned Sieghart''s name, Eric''s expression became clearly distorted. He seemed almost about to cry, quite a childish reaction.


    -Well, from what I remember of my past life, thirteen should be considered quite young. And, I''m the same age as him. But in the common sense of this world, thirteen means you''re almost an adult. They''re treated almost equal to adults.


    That''s why, even though I realized that he wasn''t mature enough yet to handle things, I was different from him as I was a reincarnator.


    "You should know your own role."


    ¡­¡­If I try to think like a child, I feel like I can also sort of understand Eric. When I think about how he has no female role model in his life to look up to anymore, he seems pitiful, but just because I sympathize with him doesn''t mean I''m going to be friends with him.


    "You need to have at least a minimum amount of resolution, to be prepared before having come here."


    In this situation where it''s only the two of us in this room, it''s ridiculous to even try and conceal my feelings. I threw out those words forcefully at him.


    While Eric''s expression remained distorted like he was about to cry, he didn''t remove his gaze from me until the very end. I think that this might be the first time we''ve held each other''s gazes for so long.


    "¡­¡­Ahh, I got it. Just now, ¡­¡­and the thing with Sieg as well, it was my bad."


    Nevertheless, in the end he was honest with his feelings for once, and then he hung his head.


    As I was taking the despondent Eric back to his room, Paulo found me in the hallway.


    "Eliza-sama, Earl Einsbark is calling for you."


    "Immediately?"


    "Yes. He told me to inform Baron Dovadain as well. Our scouts have reported that Densel''s forces have moved out from their capital, and orders are for our royal army to return to the frontlines immediately¡­¡­"


    "Got it," I nodded, as I glanced sideways at Eric who was still looking down. He seemed to notice me observing him, and for a moment he turned around and looked back in the direction of the makeshift hospital, but he nodded affirmatively.


    sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 182 - 183

    When I took Eric to the conference room, Wiegraf and General Commander Rolentsor welcomed him as if nothing had ever happened between them, and began making preparations for the formal declaration of attack.


    Since bringing up the fact that Eric had refused to grant permission to attack before would benefit no one, and only us here know about it with me being the messenger between them and Eric, it''s treated as an open secret.


    Anyways, this troublesome problem has finally been resolved. As for the preparations for the formal declaration of attack, it''s not anything that I need to be involved in. I just have to wait for my next orders.


    In order to use our time more efficiently on other work and various matters, Ergnade and I left the conference room first since there was no meaning to us being there at the current time.


    "You still care about that in the end?"


    "¡­¡­So disrespectful, as expected."


    "Who might you be referring to, I wonder?"


    On our way to the training grounds, Ergnade laughed coolly as he walked next to me. I felt rather annoyed at his expression that said he wouldn''t give up on this topic, and I sighed.


    "I wouldn''t mind if you stuck a little closer to me, though. I wager I would have won the bet if that was the case."


    "Could you stop playing games about betting on people?"


    "If I remember to, let''s do that next time."


    Well, what he was betting on was most likely whether or not Eric would give in to me in the end. The players in their betting game were Ergnade, Wiegraf, and Marquis Rolentsor. Given their personalities and understanding of me, I believe that Wiegraf most likely won their bet. He used to be the strategist for Fort Jugfena, and he has a sharp mind.


    "Because Eric''s attitude didn''t soften at all after coming here, I thought that he wouldn''t be able to change. You were probably also able to cancel out his bad attitude towards you because of his loss of status, right?"


    "Well, it''s developed into a factional struggle, to the point where one faction completely overpowered the other."


    Ergnade means that Eric having come here also affected his standing with the crown prince. To put it simply, he lost favor.


    I want to have an appropriate political distance from the crown prince and Grays, as they will probably become the next king and archduke, and it seems that the general commander''s grandson wants to make friends and hang out with me, as long as it doesn''t cause me to get too close to the crown prince, I''m fine with that. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In that regard, Eric whose status is sort of low despite his noble rank is just perfect for acting as a barrier between us.


    Eric, who is the son of a concubine, started an entire factional struggle at noble school over a personal feud because of my mock duel with Sieghart, and in the end the royal army''s highest-level commander Marquis Rolentsor and Archduke Dovadain both learned about it and had to take action.


    This was clearly a black mark against Eric. Of course his social status and power would be greatly diminished.


    "Well, I found it unexpected that he would abandon his rigid way of thinking and change. I thought that you wouldn''t be able to break him, and that we''d have to enter battle without the ability to attack as we wished."


    I knew that full well. As a last resort, even if it caused the royal army''s morale to drop dreadfully low, I planned to have the Kaldia army and the Fort Jugfena troops slaughter the enemy''s slave soldiers acting as meat shields that the royal army wouldn''t be able to deal with. If it became necessary, I was also prepared to request reinforcements from Margrave Genas.


    Just as I was considering if I should call Rashiok and play with him, in a counterattack.


    "I wasn''t about to allow him to continue thinking the way he did."


    "Well, that''s just how it turned out. But, even though it wasn''t necessary, why did you make the effort to fix your relationship with him?"


    I formed my mouth into the¤Ø shape. He suddenly changed topics to this one, was this something he planned on asking all along?


    "¡­¡­I mean, I cared because I found it nostalgic, it¡­¡­"


    Just as I sighed deeply, Ergnade exploded into laughter. While he was laughing heartily, I glared at him with my eyelids half shut. That''s why I hated the idea of saying it out loud. I thought about summoning Rashiok and having him toy with Ergnade, to get back at Ergnade for this.


    That''s when it happened.


    From in the distance, we heard a low booming sound, together with the impact of the ground shaking. Ergnade and I both froze, and looked at each other.


    "¡­¡­That was from underground."


    "The captured children¡­¡­!"


    "I''ll go there first. You should call Rashiok to come with you."


    I nodded, as Ergnade ran off first while adjusting his black uniform. I''m going to go straight after him as well, but first, I went out of the hallway, and blew a high-pitched sound with my fingers in order to summon Rashiok.

 Chapter 183 - 184

    Rashiok came running over to me immediately. Then, I wondered if there was something wrong with my eyesight.


    Behind him, the pure white draconis was gliding beautifully as it descended. The light of intelligence was shining from its eyes, and she sat down next to Rashiok, as she stared at me. It seemed like she was awaiting my orders.


    I thought that a wild draconis would be unused to human beings. While I was confused, as if to reassure me, Rashiok made a gentle bark that sounded like he was saying it was alright.


    Could it be that, the white female draconis treated me as the draconis leader? Even though I was confused, I nodded, and gave orders to both of them.


    "Rashiok, first take me to Ratoka immediately. And¡­¡­ um, you, I would like for you to watch whether children are coming out around the fortress, could you do that for me?"


    Even though I know that draconis are highly intelligent, will a wild draconis understand my words, I wonder. Just as I was thinking so, it seemed that she indeed didn''t understand what I meant. However, Rashiok made some snorting sounds through his nose, in some type of communication with her, and she made a bark that sounded like an acknowledgment before flying up into the air.


    "¡­¡­You''ve obtained quite a nice girlfriend."


    Watching this scene in stunned amazement, I couldn''t help but make that comment to Rashiok. He made a head movement that seemed like he was saying "I know, right?"


    "Ratoka!"


    "¡­¡­Eliza?"


    Ratoka was on the path beside the underground dungeon. Rather than saying on the path, maybe I should say instead that he was buried in the stone rubble, from the collapsed walls.


    While each individual stone probably wasn''t all that heavy, it seemed his clothes were being restrained by so many rocks, that he wasn''t able to move and climb out.


    "Are you alright!?"


    "Ahh, luckily my head wasn''t injured at all."


    I jumped down from Rashiok, and randomly started clearing the stones off and freed him from the debris. I could see bruises on his wrists. While he said that his head wasn''t injured, it''s highly likely that his body is black and blue from the impact.


    "What happened?"


    As I asked him, Ratoka shook his head in response.


    "I don''t really know what happened. Just as usual, I was about to go check on the state of the prisoners and was heading to the dungeon, when suddenly there was a huge boom and the ground started shaking, so I reflexively crouched down on the floor and that''s when the walls collapsed. However, I heard the sound of the children. They escaped from the dungeon.


    It seems that they''re being threatened by someone, so they took action."


    A prison escape. ¡­¡­What''s more, he says they''re being threatened. I knew full well that I was currently furrowing my eyebrows deeply. Even though I finally managed to resolve the problem with Eric, now I have something even bigger to worry about.


    "By someone threatening them, are you talking about an invader?"


    "No¡­¡­ It was probably one of the children. If my guess is correct¡­¡­ it was probably the short-haired, petite girl."


    "¡­¡­It couldn''t be. Wasn''t that girl the youngest of all the children captured?"


    "Indeed. But, from talking with her, and watching her, I felt like she was older than she appeared. She''s probably about eleven years old. Even you were already wielding a spear on the battlefield when you were six, right?"


    In my case though, I had the assistance of memories from my previous life¡­¡­ although this is something I won''t say even to Ratoka, so I just shrugged. Anyways, Ratoka has been observing the prisoners for quite some time now. Let''s trust his judgment, and act on the belief that the short-haired petite girl was the cause of this commotion.


    "Ratoka, go to Ergnade and tell him about this situation. I''ll chase down the children. If you see Kaldia soldiers on your way, join up with them, and we''ll all meet up later."


    "Understood."


    "Rashiok, can I leave it up to you to track the escaped children? ¡­¡­¡­¡­It doesn''t seem to be a problem? Let''s go then."


    I split up from Ratoka again, as I returned onto Rashiok''s back.


    While holding on to Rashiok''s neck, I touched the sword buckled to my waist. Instead of a practical military sword, I was armed with only a ceremonial rapier and a dagger.


    Fort Jugfena is a military base currently in the back of the frontlines. Although I''m technically something like Eric''s escort, considering that this location was still quite far from the battlefield, I was only minimally armed, it seems that this was a huge mistake on my part. With such a big incident happening right now, I could only curse my carelessness.


    The rapier is a weapon that''s designed for piercing, cutting and slicing isn''t its specialty. In fact, my weapon''s blade was terribly dull and blunt. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡­¡­With this weapon, even if I don''t intend to, I may end up having to kill. And, my own personal safety will be at risk.


    Piercing is an attack pattern that leaves you wide open to attacks yourself. Unlike a spear that has a much longer reach, the rapier has only an average length.


    Also, ¨C I was concerned about the fact that the walls had collapsed.


    That booming and ground shaking impact was clearly the sound of something explosive. And, none of the captured children could possibly have hidden something capable of causing an explosion.


    Exactly how did they do it? Several days have passed by since they became prisoners. It''s hard to imagine that it was in their stomachs.


    Then, just how did they create such a huge explosion?


    Somehow, I had a terrible premonition, one that caused chills to run down my body.


    In my mind, I recalled the figure of the woman who made the impossible, possible ¨C that tan-skinned woman who had the ability to manipulate magical beasts.

 Chapter 184 - 185

    Rashiok ran at full speed through the fort''s narrow passages. On our way, we happened to encounter Claudia, and I picked her up. ¡­¡­Or rather, as always, Claudia did something incomprehensible like managing to jump onto Rashiok''s back on her own while Rashiok was at his top speed.


    "What are you looking for, Eliza-dono?"


    "¡­¡­The captured children."


    "Did they escape!? So, that means the ground shaking earlier was caused by them."


    "It seems that way."


    "Man¡­¡­ Even though they''re enemy soldiers, I don''t really like cutting down children. Normally I would use a spear to knock them unconscious, but in the narrow spaces of the fortress, there''s not enough space to wield a spear. What should I do? If I knew this would happen, I would have made the edge of my sword blade duller."


    ¡­¡­The Kaldia army has encountered child soldiers on the battlefield several times now. I always thought that there were quite a lot of them that ended up as prisoners of war before, was it Claudia''s handiwork S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Even if they''re child soldiers, no, even if they are, anyone that attacks my troops will be treated mercilessly by me. People getting injured or killed in the process of fighting is just standard in the course of war.


    I wonder if Claudia has only been knocking people unconscious so far, after all this fighting. I thought about it in surprised silence as my shoulders drooped, while Claudia who had no idea what I was thinking but sensed my mood asked me "Eliza-dono, are you feeling alright?"


    While she kept chatting on and on, I bit my tongue, and just as she finished, I accidentally bit my tongue too hard by accident. Indeed, I''ve never personally witnessed Claudia ever killing anyone.


    The escaped child prisoners seemed to be heading down an underground passage that I wasn''t familiar with. It''s an intricate underground passage system that spread out like a labyrinth below the barracks and training grounds here.


    Usually, the soldiers at Fort Jugfena don''t use these passages. Some of the passages have been crushed by falling rocks or disrepair, and it was forbidden to enter them due to the danger.


    The underground passages weren''t very high, the height wasn''t enough for me to ride on Rashiok anymore. While having Rashiok follow behind me, we hurried as much as possible while muffling the sound of our footsteps.


    "Are they really down in here? Aren''t some of the passageways blocked off?"


    "The children seem to possess some sort of explosives."


    "What are explosives?"


    "¡­¡­Weapons similar to the ''big tube'' (cannons) and the ''short-tubed fire-arrows.''"


    "Ohh, those! I see, short tubes aside, the big tubes are capable of firing huge rocks that can easily blow apart any stone walls or debris. ¡­¡­However, how are they using such a weapon?"


    Well, if only I knew, I''d feel less stressed. As I talked to Claudia while continuing to progress down the passageways, boom, there was another impact as the ground shook again. From the ceiling, some stone flakes fell.


    "¡­¡­Isn''t this a bit dangerous?"


    "Considering that this could easily trigger a full collapse of the tunnels, and that we don''t know when it could happen, yes, this is probably quite dangerous."


    "¡­¡­We need to hurry up and capture them. I''d rather not be buried under tons of rock."


    I thought privately to myself that Claudia would probably be alright even if she was buried under tons of rocks, but I kept that thought a secret.


    As we progressed forward, the deterioration of the passageway became more apparent.


    "They''re there¡­¡­"


    In the dim passageway, we could see the light shining off torches reflected by the children''s silver hair. It''s the escaped prisoners. They seemed to be hiding in the collapsed debris and looking around to watch the situation.


    "Tsk, this is a dead end."


    I heard the clicking of someone''s tongue as someone spoke forcefully and irritatedly in the Rindarl language. The voice belonged to a young girl. Because of how quiet the tunnels were, it was easy to hear her voice clearly.


    "Well then, what should we do?"


    When the girl turned around and talked to the other children, the slave children all began whimpering. If Ratoka''s report was correct, is this young girl the one that threatened all the other prisoners and brought them out? She was probably the one that caused the explosion somehow, but how does she keep several tens of prisoners obedient to her with that tiny body of hers?


    Does she have a collaborator?"


    "¡­¡­Hmm, Sharma. You''ll do just fine. Weren''t you complaining to Vanita just earlier how tired you were?"


    You''ll do just fine, what does that mean? We didn''t understand what she meant even though we understood the Rindarl language, so Claudia and I tilted our heads.


    However, it seems that those children understood perfectly well what that girl meant. In the flickering torchlight, it was clear to see that those words caused them to move about uneasily. Simultaneously, the piercing sound of children wailing echoed throughout the passageway.


    The crying girl named Sharma who was singled out by the petite girl was suddenly knocked against the wall somehow, and just as I was furrowing my eyebrows, wondering what occurred, that''s when it happened.


    The other children rushed out back in our direction. They abandoned the crying girl named Sharma that was pinned against the wall.


    "No!! No!!! Vanita, help, me!"


    Was she made unable to move anymore, the girl that had been screaming all this time suddenly fell strangely silent.


    Then, in the next instant ¨C pop, I heard an eerie sound of something liquid flowing. And then boom, an explosion occurred for the third time today.


    As Claudia and I remained crouching against the ground, we were still quite stunned at what just happened. It was dim and vision was poor. I wasn''t absolutely certain. However ¨C however, what just happened, was most likely.


    "¡­¡­Using a shorty like Sharma, even if I blow her up, the explosion''s power seems to have decreased, I guess I should have expected it."


    As the debris started settling down after the explosion, the petite girl started talking to herself, and my suspicions were confirmed.


    That girl was using the other children themselves, as explosives.

 Chapter 185 - 186

    It was such a repulsive sight that I felt nauseated. In order to help me bear the nausea, I held on to Claudia''s sleeve as she crouched next to me.


    As if she was a lithe predator, Claudia had a low body posture that seemed like she was ready to pounce at any instant. Her sky blue eyes were glittering in the darkness.


    ¡­¡­Claudia''s essence was that of a knight. She''s never personally talked with me about what exactly she does on the battlefield, but I know that she''s never strayed from her morals. Because of her chivalric code, she''s never killed any children whether they''re enemies or not, and unless I order an ambush specifically, she''ll only attack directly from the front as an honorable knight would do.


    Although Claudia has her knight''s chivalry, I''m going to give her the order that this girl absolutely can''t be forgiven.


    However, the only person with me currently is Claudia, and it''ll be troublesome for me if she rushes in recklessly without a plan. The enemy girl seemed quite vigilant, and she always moved with a minimum of three children around her. And since we don''t know the conditions for her to use that explosion magic, we can''t rush in due to the risk factor.


    "¡­¡­Can you bring Vanita here to me under the cover of darkness?"


    In a low whisper, I gave a command to Claudia. I felt like we should act as quickly as possible. The children had pulled back close to the immediate vicinity of the mountain of rubble we were hiding in. I think that if we act now, that girl might not notice if we bring Vanita back to where we''re hiding.


    Claudia didn''t make a single sound in the dim tunnel, as she used dexterous movements to ambush and drag one of the taller children back to where I was.


    "¡­¡­!? ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­!!?"


    Claudia had gagged him in order for him to not shout out, and I whispered to the frightened Vanita that it was me, for him to calm down. Vanita relaxed his body after finding out that it was me. And when Claudia released her hand from his mouth, Vanita inquired "why are you here?" in a low voice.


    "We came chasing after you guys." S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "There''s only two of you, how unreasonable¡­¡­ Please, you should return while you still can. I want to help you guys¡­¡­ But I don''t want to die here, in a place like this¡­¡­"


    At Vanita''s entreaty, Claudia and I looked at each other. He says he wants to help us, but he''s also saying for us to return while we still can.


    "¡­¡­That girl, Mefuri, I don''t know how, but she has the magic ability to explode us. Those explosions are powerful enough to blow up anything in close proximity. We still don''t want to die¡­¡­ Please, I''m begging you, don''t fight Mefuri¡­¡­"


    "¡­¡­¡­¡­Eliza-dono, Vanita has bits and pieces of human flesh and blood stuck to his body."


    I was momentarily at a loss for words.


    He''s begging me to not fight this girl named Mefuri, and in addition to that, Vanita was covered thickly in blood, and had the smell of burnt human flesh on his body, that probably came from the exploded girl. While the stench was disgusting and difficult to breathe through ¨C my head actually got cooler and colder.


    It''s as if cold water was being poured through my brain and started freezing over, that''s how much it hurt.


    ¡­¡­The scene that rushed with great momentum into my mind was my defensive battle at Ritox Plateau during the war with Rindarl, which happened less than a year ago. In order to prevent the enemies from invading through that chokepoint, I burned people alive, and threw child soldiers into the burning pit of impaled enemy prisoners.


    "Rashiok."


    My voice sounded ruthless and icy. Even though I was listening to my own voice, it felt so distant from me.


    Rashiok who was breathing quietly and hiding himself in absolute darkness, obediently poked his face out towards me. Vanita was just about to scream at the sight so I gagged his mouth again with my hand this time, as I rubbed my face against Rashiok''s nose. It was a cold and damp feeling, it strangely matched my brain that felt like it was freezing over in cold rage.


    "Can your wind magic handle the impact from that explosion?"


    I asked intending to find out if he could protect us from the blast, but Rashiok responded with a low growl. It seems that it would be impossible.


    After the loss of one of his wings, Rashiok was no longer able to fly in the air, and his wind magic was greatly weakened. His wind magic is only at the level of a slight breeze these days.


    "Then, can your scales withstand the force of that explosion?"


    Rashiok answered negatively again. Well, since that explosion could blow apart stone walls, this was to be expected.


    "¡­¡­Then, the last question. Is it possible for you to peel off those three children around her, faster than our prey can realize?"


    Woof, he barked softly and affirmatively. Certainly. Good child, I told Rashiok as I stroked his head.


    "What are you planning¡­¡­?"


    Witnessing my exchange with Rashiok, Vanita seemed dubious. His single leg made a slight sound as he adjusted his body. Behind him was Claudia, and as I expected, she had soundlessly unsheathed her sword.


    "I''ve decided. I''m going to capture the escaped prisoners¡­¡­ that''s my goal."


    "That''s impossible, stop it! We''ll all die¡­¡­ Unn!?"


    Vanita protested in a small voice and tried to grab me, but he was instantly knocked unconscious by Claudia.


    "Have a rest here. Perhaps, this might even save you. -I''m sorry, but I have no time to spare. And if you have to die, it might as well be here."


    Just as I finished talking to the unconscious Vanita, a heavy sound came from above and small sandy fragments fell from the ceiling.


    ¡­¡­That was the sound of horses. What''s more, it was several dozen, or even several hundred horses.


    -If I calmly analyze this situation, if there''s such a movement within the fortress at this time, it could only mean that something must be happening on the battlefield. Causing unpredictable confusion to us would be advantageous for the enemy''s attack. Our scouts had already reported to us that their troops had moved out.


    Going at a fast speed by horse, it''s half a day''s distance to the most frontline position from Fort Jugfena. Our royal army that barely just returned to the fort must be moving out again. This could only mean that ¨C war had fully broken out again, after a lull of eight months.

 Chapter 186 - 187

    Suddenly, the shaky children in the tunnel started screaming. Probably because she knew that an attack was coming at the same time as her planned prison escape, Mefuri was the only one looking at the ceiling calmly.


    Her attention wasn''t on her surroundings, and her vigilance level was somewhat reduced ¨C this is the best chance for an ambush.


    "Go!"


    I pushed on Claudia and Rashiok''s backs. One human and one beast¡­¡­ or should I say two beasts? They jumped out soundlessly from the rubble as if they were shot out of a slingshot.


    The sounds of the children screaming increased in level and kept echoing as the tunnel fell into complete darkness. While blocking my ears with the collar of my coat, I focused all my attention on what was happening in the darkness.


    I could barely make out the figure of Rashiok lightly tossing aside and gently throwing them against the wall in the commotion. I couldn''t tell what Claudia was doing.


    "Shut up!! My head hurts, so you bastards need to shut up immediately!!"


    Mefuri was shouting hysterically above the din. It seems that she was still childish in this aspect. As expected, her voice echoed in these tunnels, and I was able to roughly guess her position.


    Like this, I might be able to defeat her¡­¡­ But yep, it happened just when I was feeling a little relieved.


    Pop, there was an unsettling sound. Just then, one of the children that Rashiok lightly bit and was tossing away, turned into a small explosion by his nose.


    Boom, and since Rashiok received such an impact at a close distance, he started howling.


    The smell of burnt flesh spread wider within the tunnels. I realized that Rashiok had instantly distanced himself from the remaining children by taking huge strides.


    It was silent for a moment. And then, the children became more panicked than earlier, as Mefuri made her move.


    "¡­¡­Heh, ahahaha! Idiots!! You''re really idiots!!"


    The girl who was laughing in a high-pitched, sarcastic tone of voice moved around the area of the explosion. What is she intending ¨C why was she able to accurately create an explosion and injure Rashiok in the darkness, even though I know I''ll be at a disadvantage if I''m passive and let her be the proactive one, I can''t make any reckless moves until I understand her power first.


    "At the very least, even if I can''t see anything, I ''know'' the location of my own bombs!!"


    The girl''s tone was mocking as if she wanted to incite me, and popping sounds kept going off around her.


    And then boom, boom, with sounds of something exploding, small sparks lit up around Mefuri, and illuminated the shivering children that were clinging to the walls.


    ¡­¡­Is she unable to control the power of her explosions, and the power depends on the "material" she uses? S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    And the reason why the explosion that hit Rashiok wasn''t as powerful as the earlier ones, wasn''t because she wasn''t trying, like the ones that had enough force to blow apart stone walls, ¡­¡­but it was probably because the child''s body that was the "bomb" had already been torn to pieces before Rashiok tossed it.


    And in place of a light, she lit up countless small pieces of flesh and blood, and a horrendous sight now entered my view. Flesh and blood were blown everywhere, ¡­¡­the girl''s horrifying "magic" gave me an impression I''ll never forget.


    She definitely wasn''t using anything like bombs concealed in her stomach, she had the ability to freely explode body parts like arms and legs or any flesh, this was most definitely some type of magic power. Just like Diferis that I killed before, she has a power that''s beyond human comprehension.


    With the makeshift lighting, Claudia who had been concealing her presence made the first attack and attempted to ambush Mefuri, jumping out at her. However, Mefuri quickly noticed her presence, and lightly shook her right hand.


    I heard some slight popping sounds again, and Claudia must have detected danger as well, because she instantly jumped backwards right as the location where her feet just were exploded.


    "Is it really alright if you escape in that direction?"


    Pop. With a boom that rocked the air, the child standing closest to Claudia exploded. That child didn''t even have the time to scream.


    "-Urgh!!"


    Together with the exploding flesh and blood, Claudia was blown away by the explosion. -This is bad.


    "See, you were blown ¨C wah!!?"


    I hurriedly jumped out of the rubble mountain with my sword drawn, and slashed at Mefuri. She twisted her body greatly in order to dodge me, and had a look of surprise on her face for an instant as she looked at me, then she attempted to put distance between us.


    ¡­¡­As I expected, it seems that she herself was also vulnerable to her own explosions. In that case, it will be fatal for me to allow her to put distance between us. I pressed the attack and pursued her closely, while Mefuri retreated even farther back with an impatient expression on her face.


    "Stop following me!"


    Mefuri picked something up from the ground and threw it at me. It violently exploded in midair, and I was forced to retreat.


    "Rashiok!!"


    Rashiok''s wind magic answered my call, and managed to scatter away the pieces of flesh and blood from the explosion ¨C that most likely came from a child''s arm.


    "Take this-!!"


    At almost the same time as the flesh explosion, I threw my short sword into the bloody mist surrounding Mefuri, and it pierced into her shoulder.

 Chapter 187 - 188

    Although I was able to use my coat to cover myself and block some of the debris from the flesh explosion, I was still blown away and rolled several times on the ground in the tunnel. Some of my hair seems to have been singed, I could smell a nauseating burnt scent.


    I tried to catch my breath and recover my balance, but I couldn''t stop myself from a coughing fit and regurgitating what was in my stomach. My vomit scattered everywhere as it made splashing sounds.


    I was so dizzy that I could only crawl along the ground to try and hide in the darkness again.


    Meanwhile, Mefuri was screaming from the pain from my sword having pierced her. She was crying such things such as how unbelievable the pain was. Her high-pitched childish voice echoed throughout the tunnel and my head. The other remaining children shrunk themselves against the walls as much as they possibly could, as if to hide from her.


    She''s reacting this strongly to having a sword stuck in her shoulder. Is she actually not trained for battle?


    "-Rashiok, Claudia!"


    Because I''m currently in a state where I''m too dizzy to move, I can only rely on them. I twisted my body while breathing quickly to look at Mefuri who was in the light. Mefuri seemed to have completely lost control of her temper and was angrily yelling while attempting to peel one of the children off of the wall.


    "Hurry up and obey me!! Do you want to be exploded and die that quickly!!?"


    She was threatening the child with the sword that she removed from her shoulder, while looking around her uneasily.


    "¡­Hey, don''t get away from that wall!! This tunnel might collapse at any moment if she explodes that wall! Unless she''s willing to risk being buried alive, she can''t kill you guys!!"


    I endured my nausea and summoned my energy to shout that towards the children, while Mefuri angrily responded with a "shut up!!" in my general direction.


    -Aiming for Mefuri''s momentary distraction, Claudia suddenly attacked her soundlessly from the darkness and sent her petite body flying.


    "Wah!? You¡­ get off me!!"


    Did Claudia throw away her blood and flesh-covered clothes, she was basically in only her underwear, but every time Mefuri scratched at Claudia''s hair and arms, I saw the spark of tiny explosions.


    "Claudia¡­!"


    However, being the most competent knight I knew, Claudia didn''t even let out a groan. She bit her lips to endure the pain, and in a break between the small explosions, even while covered in blood she was able to grab on to Mefuri and throw Mefuri over her own back in a brilliant move.


    As Mefuri hit the ground, Claudia instantly had her sword against Mefuri''s throat.


    The underground passageway returned to dead silence. The remaining children seemed to be trembling while keeping as quiet as possible and observing Claudia and Mefuri.


    "-Normally, I use spears."


    Claudia began calmly talking to Mefuri who was still on the ground.


    "The Rolentsor family''s spears are so sharp that a piece of paper falling on the spear tip would be sliced in two. The swords we use are also the sharpest around."


    As Claudia talked, Mefuri attempted to do something with her right hand, but Claudia used her empty left hand to twist Mefuri''s arm behind her back. Claudia''s expression distorted as Mefuri screamed again.


    "However, I loathe the idea of killing children. That''s why I would appreciate it if you could give up without resisting. You should just sit there obediently and wait for my master to decide whether to kill you or not."


    "¡­W, what!? D, don''t joke with me ¨C Eek!?"


    Rashiok suddenly appeared on top of Mefuri unexpectedly as she was ranting. Claudia was still smiling calmly while holding her sword against Mefuri''s throat.


    "Well, I''m saying it for your own sake that you should sit there obediently. Because of my code of chivalry, I prefer to avoid doing anything to a child¡­ but this draconis here is just like my lord, even if you''re only a young girl, there won''t be any mercy for you."


    ¡­¡­Um, hey.


    Well, I suppose it''s just like she says.


    Just as I wished, Claudia was able to capture Mefuri alive, but I had a subtle indescribable feeling as I watched her begin to tie Mefuri up.


    At any rate, we''ve successfully captured the escaped prisoners with this.


    With Rashiok helping me, I stood up again in the tunnel that returned to darkness once more.


    The thick smell of blood lingered in the air. I felt like I could hear auditory hallucinations of the children that were still crying out in fear. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 188 - 189

    After tying up Mefuri''s arms and legs as well as even blindfolding and gagging her, we finally left the underground passage.


    We didn''t know the exact conditions for Mefuri to activate her magic yet, so I could only go off the example of Diferis who had to use arm gestures and her voice in order to activate magic.


    As for Mefuri''s explosions, although I inferred that preliminary preparations must have been necessary for her to be able to explode the children, I still didn''t know the details.


    Because I had accidentally touched Mefuri, along with the fact that we had to carefully keep a distance from the remaining children while returning in the dark and narrow tunnel, Claudia, Rashiok, and I were all exhausted by the time we returned to the fort.


    Again, while we didn''t know the details, it seemed that Mefuri could grasp the position of her "bombs" even without relying on her vision, a fact that gave us great pressure. I think that perhaps her sense isn''t perfect, as she didn''t notice the fact that we took Vanita in the darkness and then knocked him unconscious¡­ as Vanita could be one of her living bombs as well.


    "So, what are you going to do?"


    Without concealing the fatigue on her face, Claudia indicated towards Mefuri. I confirmed that the children hadn''t come out of the tunnels yet, and placed my hand on my neck without saying anything. Just in case Mefuri attempted to explode the remaining children, we had ordered them to follow along far behind us.


    "Persuading her will be rather¡­"


    Claudia seemed both unwilling to forgive this girl as well as being unwilling to kill her if at all possible.


    "She''s most likely not one of the slaves from Nazric. Her appearance might mean she''s from Epadena¡­ or, she could be someone from Rindarl originally that has southern blood in her."


    Maybe Claudia was unsure if what I said was accurate or not, she furrowed her eyebrows as she looked down at the bound Mefuri that she was dragging along behind her.


    Mefuri seemed to be recoiling in fear at our voices as she breathed raggedly through the cloth gag that was roughly stuffed in her mouth. ¡­Although she''s the enemy''s agent, with her young age Rindarl probably only taught her about how to use her ability. Now that she''s been defeated and has become our prisoner for real this time, she seems to have completely lost her calm.


    Although she''s still young and it would be typical behavior for her age, it could still be some sort of trap for me to lower my guard.


    "How pitiful."


    Claudia suddenly made a comment.


    Her heavy tone of voice was clearly because she expected this to end in Mefuri''s execution, but Mefuri wouldn''t know that. Mefuri finally stopped throwing a tantrum, and attempted to crawl closer to Claudia.


    ¡­The sight of her seemed so miserable. She was probably around eleven years old, covered in blood and tied with ropes, and was struggling like a dying insect to wriggle closer to the people that would probably end up killing her. Her trembling body and and shaky knees indicated her fear of us though, I couldn''t imagine that she could possibly be acting. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "¡­, ¡­"


    I think that I most likely had a terribly cold and ruthless look as I was looking at her.


    "¡­Indeed, it''s truly pitiful. It doesn''t matter what kind of magic power beyond human understanding she possesses, with how young she is it''s obvious that she''s just a chess piece whose fate is to be used and thrown away."


    "Eliza-dono?"


    Claudia seemed surprised as she looked at me. Mefuri who seemed like she was almost at death''s door also heard my statement. Perhaps she received a huge shock, she violently jerked her body.


    "This child was betrayed and abandoned. It would be normal for her to be executed if she was captured. For whoever sent these children here, the person in charge probably considered it nothing even if this girl died here as well."


    Mefuri kept shaking her head as if she didn''t enjoy hearing me talk. Her body language was shouting that she didn''t want to listen to this. However, it''s not like she has any options. Since she was the cause of all this, she no longer has the freedom to choose.


    "-Whoever sent this child here surely isn''t capable of rational strategizing. Wasting and allowing someone with such magic power to be killed like this¡­ Well, if this child had been my soldier, I would never have done such a terrible thing."


    Pitter patter, there was the sound of something liquid leaking out of Mefuri''s eyes and dripping to the stone floor even through her blindfold.


    As this incomparably pitiful young girl tried crawling towards my feet, I still looked at her with an expression of cold ruthlessness.


    -I''m perfectly aware that what I''m doing is attempting to brainwash her. She seems like the type who wouldn''t obediently answer my questions, so first I must use psychological attacks to break her spirit.


    Since she''s not an Arxian, I absolutely can''t trust her because I don''t know what morals she''s been raised with.


    If I can''t trust her, I can''t make use of her, so breaking her spirit is the best method I know.

 Chapter 189 - 190

    While taking Mefuri who seemed to have gotten more obedient along with us, for the time being I decided to place the rest of the escaped slave children soldiers into the barracks.


    The barracks at Fort Jugfena also has a room that can serve as an interrogation room. As the leader of the Kaldia army, I was informed beforehand on how to unlock it. In order to prevent its misuse, a simple but special method must be used to unlock the door, one that would be difficult for outsiders to figure out.


    My Kaldia army soldiers were awaiting orders in the dining hall. Since they were all gathered here, it meant that Ratoka must have done as I instructed and summoned them together, but Ratoka didn''t seem to be here for some reason.


    "My lord!"


    "I''ve returned, report the situation to me¡­ Gunther''s not here?"


    When I looked around, not only was Ratoka missing, Gunther was absent as well. Was he off together with Ratoka somewhere?


    "My lord, you''re injured? Come, let''s get that treated right away."


    "More importantly than that, Claudia''s injuries are worse than mine."


    "She got injured! What, it couldn''t be!"


    "Claudia-sama was seriously injured¡­!?"


    "So this wasn''t the blood from the enemy!!?"


    The soldiers were in a ruckus at seeing the state Claudia was in. I simply received a towel and began wiping the vomit and blood off of my body, but they made a simple makeshift bed for Claudia to rest on and placed her on it respectfully.


    When the blood covering Claudia was wiped away as well, I discovered that Claudia was in a worse condition than I thought. ¡­The skin on her fingers and wrists had been burnt by explosions. Her beautiful blonde hair was also singed in many places.


    Well, at least hair will grow back¡­ The skin on her fingers and wrists, that could be much worse¡­


    As I bit down on my lips, perhaps Mefuri who was behind us felt a disturbance in the air, her shoulders started trembling. Although she was still tied up, blindfolded, and gagged, she seemed sensitive to the people nearby her. I don''t know if it''s part of her magical powers, though.


    "House the captured child prisoners under our protection in three separate rooms. Claudia, please choose a unit for me to do this task."


    "¡­Then, the third unit."


    The army unit that Claudia designated split itself into three smaller teams, and took the remaining children to the three rooms picked for their temporary accommodation.


    "My lord, what about that girl?"


    "¡­She''s under my personal jurisdiction."


    Mefuri seemed anxious as the soldiers glanced at her. It seemed that she was still able to detect their gazes upon her, she was rather restless and unsettled.


    "Mefuri, this way."


    When I called her, she hesitantly and obediently walked in my direction. With her senses taken away from her, human nature would be that she was frightened of moving, it should be a stressful situation for her. Well, that was part of the reason why I had Mefuri blindfolded.


    "I''m going to ask you some yes or no questions. Nod for yes and shake your head for no."


    Mefuri nodded her head slightly. Being surrounded by soldiers seems to have heightened her feeling of tension.


    "Firstly, about your magic ability. You have the power to explode things, correct?"


    She nodded. The soldiers were in a momentary uproar at hearing this, and they all went on guard against Mefuri. Her shoulders were trembling as if she was frightened.


    "Are humans the only thing that you can explode? ¨C No? Then, humans and magical beasts? -Oh, still wrong?" Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mefuri''s ability seemed to have wider applications than I realized.


    "Then, animals as well ¨C what, it even includes plants?"


    She nodded in confirmation at those.


    She could even explode plants¡­ The more I found out about her ability, the scarier it sounded, I was shivering as well.


    "So you can even explode plants¡­ So I suppose you could even explode dead leaves, then?"


    That was just an expression of my admiration for the extent of her power, but it seemed that Mefuri interpreted it as another question. She seemed confused at how to respond, then shook her head.


    ¡­What part of that was she saying no to? ¡­She was unable to explode dead leaves? She was just exploding corpses and body parts earlier. What exactly was her power¡­


    "Is it that you can only explode living things, then?"


    She nodded affirmatively. I see.


    -After that, I kept asking Mefuri many questions and got a clear grasp on Mefuri''s ability by the time that the first aid treatment for Claudia was over.


    It seemed that the weakness of her ability was the condition to become something she could explode. To be able to explode something, she had to be touching it beforehand continuously for about half a day. Not only that, she could only do it to one living thing at a time, she couldn''t prepare two living things as bombs simultaneously.


    Among the remaining captured children, it seemed that there were only three left that could be exploded by her. Apparently, she turned them into her bombs without arousing suspicion by holding hands while sleeping with them.


    The explosion''s power would depend on the type and mass of what was used, Mefuri herself was unable to control the power. However, she had a sense for how strong the explosion would be.


    And, the greatest limit to her power was the detonation distance. In order to explode her bombs, the bomb must be able to hear Mefuri''s voice, and Mefuri must give a verbal command personally. Meaning, no matter how close Mefuri''s bombs were to her, if something loud drowned out her voice or if there was a soundproof wall between them, she wouldn''t be able to explode her living bombs.


    Even after exploding a living bomb, she could still explode the corpse''s body parts again, but that was limited by the facts that the explosions would be much smaller and Mefuri had to be within the body''s range.


    She also had the ability to sense the locations of her bombs that were close to her, as well as being able to sense the maximum range that she could detonate her bombs at, it''s unmistakable that her ability was powerful despite its limitations.


    "¡­Got it. Then, I shall have your bindings and blindfold removed. The gag shall remain, you should have no objections, right?"


    Mefuri nodded affirmatively.


    I drew my short sword so that I could kill Mefuri at a moment''s notice if need be, as I indicated to the soldier standing behind Mefuri to remove her blindfold first.


    ¡­But, hmm. Is this "good" enough already?


    As the blindfold was removed, her cloudy, muddy, murky eyes that seemed like they were dreaming were revealed ¨C I confidently looked down on her with my own eyes that were as cold as ice.

 Chapter 190 - 191

    While I was preoccupied with Mefuri in the underground tunnels, the combat situation that had stagnated for eight months suddenly changed all at once.


    At almost the same time as Mefuri''s escape from the dungeon, Densel''s army began a massive attack, marching out its entire army from its largest city, Eris. Their target was our small defensive bases that we previously captured from them, and our troops at the farthest frontline base which was on a hillside and named Fort Droyan were already engaging them.


    Unexpectedly, the Arxian army was ambushed even though they were expecting the enemy''s attack. At the second defensive base, Fort Droidas, which is located on a tributary of the Tave River, they detected an enemy platoon of ships arriving from the sea''s direction.


    The enemy''s naval troops seemed to be under a different chain of command from the Densel army. The Arxian troops stationed at Fort Droyan were caught in a surprise pincer attack and defeated. They no longer even have the option of retreating and abandoning their base, and have been encircled and are currently under siege.


    Currently on the battlefield, we were facing two of the enemy army''s units, with the forces stationed at Fort Droyan that were now under siege, as well as the relief troops from Fort Droidas and the third defensive base Fort Droitros.


    Our draconis scout teams were able to detect the enemy army''s march from a long distance away, so each base was able to smoothly prepare for combat and be on guard for battle.


    However, the main forces of the Arxian army, the Royal Army under the command of Marquis Rolentsor, had returned to Fort Jugfena to rest, and the new troops that Ergnade, leader of the Fort Jugfena knights, was bringing weren''t even close to arriving when battle already started.


    Fort Droyan''s remaining troops were mostly scout troops and guerilla troops, so they could only focus on defending their fort, while the relief troops from Fort Droidas that consisted of mostly cavalry troops which were getting bogged down forced to fight the enemy''s naval troops in order to attempt crossing the river.


    It would take Fort Jugfena''s forces at least half a day to reach where the fighting was, an extremely disadvantageous state for the beginning of Arxia''s battle.


    "¡­Will the enemy find out immediately about our troops organizing and moving out?"


    After I finished questioning and brainwashing¡­ I mean, persuading Mefuri, I headed to meet Wiegraf with one of the senior officers in my army as well as one of the cavalry squad leaders, Agil, in place of the injured Claudia.


    Even in a combat situation, Wiegraf seemed calm and composed and even worked on his other duties while explaining the combat situation to me.


    At a glance, the documents he was working on were about Wiegraf''s decision as the person with full authority over Fort Jugfena to temporarily move the rearmost Arxian base from Fort Jugfena and establish a communication base in the rolling hills, much closer to the area of combat.


    The communication base would be forcibly taking over one of Densel''s rural villages, an action that hasn''t been permitted by Arxian nobility that feared any action deemed as invasive. Well, considering that the battle situation has become quite ugly, I suppose that we''re just going to have to pretend that there''s no such order restricting us from doing so.


    "I don''t want to think about the possibility that there are spies among us Arxians, but¡­"


    Wiegraf seemed so relaxed even though he was currently perusing information on the roughly just over two thousand knights and soldiers stationed at Fort Jugfena, as well as the information on the Royal Army here which numbered over ten thousand.


    He glanced over at me for less than a second before instantaneously returning his gaze to the documents in front of him. He seemed to deeply trust in me.


    "¡­Ahh, more importantly, I have a message for you from Ergnade. He borrowed Elise, Gunther, and Oscar from your army."


    "Ergnade did?"


    I was quite shocked at the fact that he took some of my personnel with him without even asking me first, and Wiegraf sighed as if he had a headache.


    "Indeed. He said that he apologizes for it, but because of the current situation he asked the three of them to safely escort Eric-sama back to the Kaldia domain. Of course, some of Jugfena''s soldiers are with them as well."


    "Ahh."


    So that''s why he even used Elise who was really Ratoka, I finally understood. Even in our current circumstances, it would be necessary to spare some people to move Eric and ensure his safety. Since he referred to Ratoka as "Elise," it meant that Ratoka was currently acting as "Eliza" while escorting Eric back to safety.


    I wouldn''t actually be able to go back, as I need to stay here and command the Kaldia army. I have no reason to complain about Ergnade''s judgement, as he did what he decided was best during a chaotic situation.


    Although I don''t have any complaints¡­ Ergnade shouldn''t have known about Ratoka. The only people here that know of Ratoka''s existence are me, Claudia, and Gunther and Oscar that Ergnade happened to make use of.


    When did Ergnade realize? No matter how similar Ratoka looks to me, using him as my substitute isn''t an idea a normal person would come up with.


    At almost the same time as my doubt, I felt like I obtained the answer from the smile in Wiegraf''s eyes.


    "It''s excellent that you understand so quickly. Now then, shall we also leave Fort Jugfena? We need to make the preparations for the communication base as soon as possible." Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 191 - 192

    July 16, 2017 ¡¤ by imperfectluck ¡¤ in Uncategorized. ¡¤


    We took over and moved our rear communication base to one of Densel''s villages, named Clement village. The Densel farmers were all trying to remain as silent as possible as they trembled while watching our soldiers that had arrived from Fort Jugfena.


    ¡­I''ve heard that Rindarl has a law about treating the civilians of other countries fairly.


    To begin with, the Rindarl Union is made up of the countries that split up from the original vast former Rindarl Kingdom. Historically, this law has always in place to help assimilate the citizens of any conquered country into its territory.


    However, that law of theirs has nothing whatsoever to do with Arxia.


    Ever since Arxia became an established country in its current state, Arxia has become a major isolationist country, and it''s been six hundred years since Arxia has last had any wartime agreements with other countries.


    Just thirty years ago, there was war between the Densel Dukedom and the now destroyed Artolas Kingdom. According to the Clement villagers, armies from both sides occupied this village back then as well.


    That''s why some of the villagers still had memories from that time.


    Unlike thirty years ago where they would be assured of survival as long as they remained obedient, we had more soldiers this time, so they had less food as we needed to take their food to provide for our soldiers. It was a worse treatment than the previous war.


    Clement village had an atmosphere filled with anxiety and distrust at not knowing if they could believe their lives would be guaranteed even if they complied with our orders.


    The atmosphere felt so heavy, pressing down against me from all sides, that I was reminded of that day when I first arrived in Cyril village.


    "This isn''t exactly a pleasant atmosphere."


    As soon as Wiegraf finally got a chance to sit down and rest, as he''d been running around setting things up right after we arrived, he complained to me about the feeling in the air. He looked as if he was a drowning person pleading for assistance, and I nodded in sympathy.


    Although it was uncomfortable, my Kaldia army and I had already gotten used to this type of atmosphere thanks to prior experience. However, the soldiers and knights from Fort Jugfena, having no such previous experience in dealing with angry civilians, were quite shaken by it all.


    It won''t be good to expose them to such negative emotions for a prolonged period when we haven''t even reached the frontlines yet.


    "If something ignites the spark, do you think there could be an uprising?"


    "¡­You''re annoyingly right about the possibility,"


    "Although it''s a shameful story, in the past, I''ve been in a similar situation to this before."


    "Even though I don''t want to believe that you have such an experience since you''ve barely just become a teenager, it''s quite regretful that you had such a childhood, isn''t it¡­"


    Wiegraf muttered so as he clutched at his head. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    We''ve taken over the largest residence in the village as our strategy room, which was the village mayor''s house. From the window, I could see the area where the farmers were gathered together.


    Even before we made this village into our temporary rear communication base, the Arxian army''s been forcing the village to turn over most of their food supplies to us so we could use it as provisions for the front lines. It''s been eight months since then.


    All the farmers were working on their agricultural work while being guarded by soldiers, and their faces were grim while their eyes contained both fear and anger.


    "¡­This is basically the same as slavery."


    I stated it as I saw it. The Arxian Kingdom doesn''t recognize slavery. But right now, these Rindarl farmers have no guarantee of their lives, no freedom, and they must give all the food they produce other than enough for them to eat over to us¡­ Whether they''re called slaves or serfs, what''s the difference?


    I have no intention of sympathizing with the Rindarl citizens, though. They should have been informed already that they could convert to the Church of Arxia''s Xia sect when the occupation began in order to receive asylum.


    It''s just that these people have nothing to do with their country''s actions. Since their everyday lives are basically no different now from that of slaves, heavy feelings have been welling up within them.


    "Originally, for the war with Densel, Arxia had been intending to eventually release the Densel prisoners of war to Planates. But since Planates has declared their enmity towards us as well over the Prince Albert incident, Arxia will no longer be able to release the prisoners until the war is over. ¡­Only when the war is over will talks about the captured prisoners of war finally be possible."


    Wiegraf ended up responding to my sarcastic remark meant only as irony, as he took out and spread a map on the table after only such a short rest.


    When the war is over, eh. I see; indeed, I should try to help conclude this war as fast as possible.


    "If only this war could have been over already. For example, eight months ago."


    "Well, well. According to our beloved country of Arxia, it''s important for us to keep our non-interference policy for the so-called sake of everyone''s peace."


    Wiegraf didn''t even attempt to hide his irritation as he said so. He began arranging chess pieces on the map as red pigeons kept arriving for us with reports on the battle situation at the frontlines.


    I stopped watching the farmers outside and returned my focus to the table in front of me. It''s time for strategizing.


    "-Alrighty, I know it''s all quite sudden, but you''re going to have to get quite busy and move out again as well."


    It seemed almost ironical when Wiegraf took some red flowers from the flower vase in the house, bent them, and placed them on the map as a marking.


    The place where he marked for me was ¨C farther east of the rolling hills where the current frontline battles were taking place. It was the capital of Densel, its largest city as well as the home base of the entire Densel army, the city of Eris.

 Chapter 192 - 193

    According to Wiegraf, this battle plan had been thought up by Ratoka.


    Wiegraf even went to the extent of joking that he wished Ratoka was still here with us instead of on his escort mission. He mentioned how he couldn''t afford to overwork me as I was just one domain lord in this entire war, although his tone of voice indicated that he clearly wasn''t being serious.


    While Wiegraf doesn''t resemble his younger brother Ergnade that much in physical appearance, he gave me a comment of "haha, wasn''t that quite interesting?" while grinning just like Ergnade would.


    Well, I didn''t get the joke. He also told me that this battle plan was nicknamed "the five Earl Kaldias," which I didn''t know how to respond to either.


    "The fact that the enemy army sent out scouts just to confirm your current location means that they consider you a dangerous existence. For you to suddenly appear on the frontlines when they don''t expect it, that''ll give a huge blow to their morale more than anything else."


    Well, he may have a point. Considering the slaughter that I masterminded at Ritox Plateau, I''m quite aware of my own infamy. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    I''m not familiar with how much knowledge Rindarl has of Arxian internal affairs, but they must feel uneasy at not having seen me for the past eight months.


    In this world, it''s very rare to have a system where all the noble children gather together in one place to receive an education. Considering the fact that Arxia is an isolationist country, the fact that I went to noble school to study shouldn''t be well known abroad.


    The strategy of the mischievously named battle plan was simple. I shall ride the white draconis that''s taken a liking to Rashiok, while Rashiok and his other three draconis siblings already in the Jugfena army will each have a knight disguised to look like me riding them.


    Taking advantage of our aerial mobility and their lack of knowledge about us, we''ll ambush the enemy''s capital Eris and its navy stationed on the Tave River, aiming to cause chaos to the enemy.


    With me on the white draconis, I shall head directly for Eris together with the three Jugfena draconis, while Rashiok will head for the Tave River navy as he can''t fly. After attacking Eris, we''re to head for the Tave River as well. It seems that I''ll be taking on the entire enemy army stationed in Eris as well as their navy while on the white draconis.


    ¡­I''m a bit concerned about riding on the white draconis that''s still a wild draconis, but most likely I''m the only one that she''ll allow to ride on her due to her viewing me as Rashiok''s leader. I don''t think that I''m necessarily being asked to do something unreasonable, but I still have my doubts.


    Since we''re a half-day''s distance from the battlefront by horseback, this fixes the problem of not being able to get there on time, but I wonder what will end up happening.


    "Vedwoka, please stop here."


    While observing the circular city that spread out below me, I stroked the neck of the beautiful white draconis beneath me that was obedient but seemed restless. I named her Vedwoka after the name of an ancient god from the Jugfena region just like Rashiok.


    As I expected, she definitely didn''t allow anyone other than me to even approach her, but she did end up obeying my orders to separate from Rashiok.


    I could already feel from her the same type of trust and intimacy as how Rashiok acted around me, so I accepted her long snake-like tail that was stroking my face. It''s said that draconis use their tails to express many emotions, such as pounding it to express dissatisfaction or disagreement as well.


    As usual, the sun had set long ago in the direction of the Amon Nor Mountains. We watched the night sky gradually brighten as we flew over the buildings that the other Jugfena knights flying with me and I had marked as targets. The sunrise was to be our signal to begin our attack.


    When we saw the bright edges of the sun peeking over the mountain''s summit, we each lit a matchstick and dropped it into a large cloth sack we were carrying filled with sawdust. Then, we each made sure that they were burning heartily by swinging the bags around with the ropes they were attached to.


    Now then, it''s time for the Densel citizens to wake up to a roaring fire instead of the morning sun like usual.


    As the sun continued to rise, our draconis dived in unison.


    I cut the ropes attaching the sack to Vedwoka''s belly, so that the burning sawdust within that had previously been soaked in oil fell down upon Densel''s capital city, Eris.


    "I''m counting on you, Vedwoka."


    At my signal, Vedwoka began mightily flapping her wings. With assistance from her wind magic, the flames suddenly spread everywhere.


    Most people in Eris were still asleep at this early hour, so this fire spread quickly and quietly without them realizing.


    I gave the next signal after confirming that all the fires we set were now at a level which wouldn''t easily be put out.


    "¡­Alright, it''s time to go to our next location. We have to make some time to properly go and greet the Densel army stationed at Eris. Although it''s a bit of a bother to do so."


    Although I know that Vedwoka wasn''t raised by humans so she doesn''t understand the Arxian language, it''s my habit from riding Rashiok to always talk to him.


    Vedwoka was still able to understand my intention though, so she flew up once more into the sky as I began to hear the explosive crackling sounds of the city that was built mostly of wood burning, as well the screams of the soldiers who finally realized what was happening at the crack of dawn to Eris.

 Chapter 193 - 194

    ¡­And that was what happened during my attack on Eris. Let''s go back to the time of the strategy meeting.


    "Tomorrow morning at dawn, the attack on Eris will commence. This attack will completely be the independent decision of me and you, and perhaps it''ll even be our final battle against the enemy invading army, so that''s why I decided to act on a large scale this time. You can even go ahead and think of it as my treat!"


    Me and you, so Wiegraf says, but his rank in the military is much higher than mine so this should really be called his independent decision. I see, we currently don''t have the time to discuss with the general commander who''s currently at Fort Drofy or with the royal palace back in Arxia''s capital, so this can only be a pragmatic independent decision.


    "Each draconis heading to Eris will be equipped with a large sack the size of approximately two or three adults, filled with sawdust drenched in flammable oil. We''re going to target its military facilities as well as the castle of the lord of Eris. We''ll use the draconis'' wind magic to spread the fire as much as possible."


    ¡­Indeed, this is indeed on a rather large scale. Wiegraf was talking calmly yet happily about such a strategy, so I strongly felt his resemblance to Ergnade. And now I''m learning that the former strategist Wiegraf also views my infamy as an excellent weapon to be used against the enemy.


    Although technically we''re supposed to receive permission first from the highest-ranked nobles in order to attack an enemy city, if we carry out this operation using only me and the Jugfena knights, the legal risk will be almost zero. It''s certain that we''ll be scolded for taking an independent action, but it won''t be a big deal as long as we don''t get the royal army involved.


    That''s why it''s okay for me to do this by only borrowing the Jugfena knights'' assistance.


    No matter how much criticism I receive, as long as we deal a critical blow to the enemy to the extent that they won''t want to fight us anymore, I''m prepared to do anything in order to finally force a peace treaty out of them. I think that just about all our soldiers in this war also think this war is bothersome and tiring as well.


    ¡­I''m no longer mad at Mefuri who''s completely surrendered herself to me now, but to the enemy country of Densel that sent children to Arxia as living bombs, making Claudia receive terrible injuries in that underground tunnel battle, Densel definitely makes my blood boil. Although I do realize that their ordinary citizens probably had no part in all of this.


    "Eliza, after setting fire to Eris, and making sure the enemy knows you''re the one who did it, you''re to move immediately to Fort Drofy. Meanwhile, the other three fake Earl Kaldias will continue spreading chaos and terror in Eris. When you reach the battlefront at the Tave River, that should be right when the enemy will find out there''s something going on at Eris¡­"


    "And so my appearance at the Tave River will send the enemy into even further chaos, is that it?"


    "I''m sure that their fear will be multiplied several times over, I''m looking forward to it. Now then, about attacking their navy¡­"


    As Wiegraf continued speaking while grinning, he turned to look at Mefuri for the first time who was sitting obediently in the room with us.


    "So that you won''t be bothered with too much work to do after the war, I''m going to have to trouble you with a lot to do for the time being. You should at least work off the costs it''ll take to repair all the walls you destroyed, don''t you think?"


    As Wiegraf tilted his head slightly, Mefuri nodded silently a few times in affirmation.


    Of course, draconis have characteristics similar to wolves, as they''re wolf dragons. For instance, they seem to have endless amounts of stamina, almost as if they don''t know fatigue.


    ¡­But I could only smile wryly as Vedwoka was the only one who could do such a thing, so I took a small nap on her back as I arrived at Fort Drofy by myself while Vedwoka flew high enough that we would go unnoticed by anyone on the ground.


    Until the signal to begin the next part of our attack, I''m to wait at Fort Drofy. We''re waiting for the message from Wiegraf that the enemy''s realized I was behind the attack on Eris, and meanwhile I met up with my Kaldia army that had also arrived at Fort Drofy while I was burning the city of Eris and replenished my energy with some food.


    After I quietly asked about Claudia and Mefuri''s conditions, and updated myself on the latest reports on the combat situation, I was surrounded by my own soldiers that had been with me for so long as soon as I went to the dining hall.


    Everyone was calling me Charlie for some reason like the old days, and as if I was still a novice apprentice soldier, they tried to stuff me with food as if I still needed them to look out for me. Even the members that weren''t from my army seemed to be addressing me as Charlie instead of Earl Kaldia.


    "Hey, eat this as well, Charlie."


    "¡­No, I''m fine. If I eat anymore, I''m going to have a stomachache before battle."


    "What are you saying, you used to eat anything and everything you could get your hands on in order to not starve! How could you get a stomachache!"


    "This is a different matter, about my stomach''s capacity." sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    While making pointless idle chatter with the my soldiers that have increased in number over the years, I thought about how I hadn''t chatted with them like this for several years.


    It''s still similar to my bantering with Teomer and Gunther, but I hardly ever talk to the normal members of the cavalry and infantry squadrons these days. ¡­And as for the newer members of my army, they''ve probably never even had a chance to talk to me.


    I felt a sense of nostalgia almost as if I was a novice soldier back in the barracks again. Through that nostalgia, there was also a throbbing sense of pain.


    This atmosphere reminds me of the days when Kamil was still with me.


    I''m going to use this pain of mine just like the oil on the sawdust from earlier.


    It''s just perfect for right before battle.

 Chapter 194 - 195

    The Rindarl soldiers surrounding Fort Droyan seem to have finally noticed that there was something different about the color of dawn in the direction of Eris today. A report just came in for us now that it''s morning that there seems to be a commotion in the enemy army on the other side of the Tave River.


    Well, of course. This much is only natural.


    After all, the Rindarl army was making use of a large number of slave soldiers. The enemy was making use of slave soldiers as literal meat shields, filling the moat with them, as well as forcing them to be the first to climb over the fort walls using ladders.


    The slave soldiers would have almost zero morale to begin with, and if the Rindarl soldiers controlling them fell into disorder, it would greatly shake their entire army''s chain of command.


    It seems that there''s already a large number of slave soldiers that are escaping and surrendering to Arxia, so it should only be a matter of time for us to break the enemy''s encirclement of Fort Droyan.


    It''s clear that the enemy armies across the Tave River from us are being commanded by nobles from Densel for the army and Parmigran for the navy. Although our forces at Fort Droyan are fewer, they''re skilled at archery and swordsmanship, and they''ve been holding out the best they can with the terrain advantages that come from fighting a defensive battle.


    Rindarl''s main strategy seems to be focusing on keeping Fort Droyan suppressed so that they can move the bulk of their main forces across the Tave River, using Eris as their main base to launch attacks from.


    Wiegraf observed that their intention was most likely to shift enough soldiers for their attack on Fort Droyan to keep up a constant attack, day and night, fatiguing our soldiers there and keeping them suppressed. It should also be clear to the enemy that Arxia''s soldiers'' morale has declined as well due to having to constantly be in a state of war on the frontlines for the past eight months.


    From the standpoint of crushing the enemy''s strategy, ambushing Eris which basically served as their logistical supply base would have the absolute best effect. Next, we''re going to aim for the enemy''s confusion upon hearing the news and crush their navy on the Tave River. If we succeed, that will deal a fatal blow to the Densel forces.


    ¡­It takes time and money to build navy ships. It also takes quite a considerable amount of time to train personnel to crew their ships. And, the ships and personnel are from Parmigran.


    Before commencing my attack, I received a personal message from General Commander Rolentsor stationed at Fort Drofy through a red messenger pigeon.


    It basically said: "annihilate the enemy on the Tave River. Destroy all their ships. Make the Tave River flow red with their blood."


    I couldn''t help but exclaim out loud how dangerous this all sounded, which caused Mefuri who was waiting by my side to glance at me.


    We commenced our attack as soon as we confirmed the enemy was in confusion from receiving the news about Eris so as to not miss our opportunity.


    Once again, I''m separating from my Kaldia army, and heading for the embankments of the Tave River with only Rashiok and Vedwoka. My rank in this battle will be as a guest commanding officer under Ergnade who''s also leading his Jugfena knights from Fort Droitros in order to join this attack.


    When the horn blew to signal the start of our attack, our knights that were organized into their formations charged the enemy troops that were waiting for us by the edge of the Tave River. According to reports from our previous fights with them, whenever we approached the Tave River, three ships would appear soon and begin firing their "short-tubed fire arrows" (guns) and normal arrows at us.


    As soon as we confirmed their ships'' arrival and that they were equipped with those "short-tubed fire arrows," our knights began running sideways while shielding themselves. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Rashiok, let''s go! It''s our turn!"


    The Jugfena knights made a path for me and my draconis in their formation. As Rashiok and Vedwoka rushed through the path and jumped out from the front row, I heard a huge uproar from the enemy army.


    The incoming projectiles of bullets and arrows that almost immediately rained down upon us were all blown away by the wind magic of the two draconis. The strong gusts blowing in from the side seemed effective enough to even neutralize the bullets of their primitive guns.


    ¡­It seems that Vedwoka''s wind magic is even stronger than Rashiok''s from before he lost one of his wings. It''s a little regrettable that Vedwoka can''t understand complex orders like Rashiok can, nor will she allow anyone else other than me to ride on her. Unfortunately, I didn''t have enough time to raise and train her for such purposes.


    "It, it''s Kaldia! It''s Kaldia of the crimson eyes!! It''s the dragon-riding monster who drinks blood and eats human flesh!!"


    A draconis would naturally draw attention in the midst of our warhorses. Especially all the more so that we were charging at them.


    Rather than approaching the Rindarl army''s dense formation of spears that was waiting for me, I had the two draconis suddenly make a sharp change of direction. Since the enemy here is composed of only infantry and archers, it''s quite easy for us to flank them and charge them from the side with the high speed and maneuverability of the draconis.


    "Devour them, Rashiok! It''s hunting time!!"


    In response to my voice, both draconis howled. The enemy was clearly taken off guard by our speed, and unable to change direction quickly enough, they collapsed under our attack as screams rose around us.


    Rashiok dexterously avoided the enemy spears as he forced himself into their formation. Bracing myself for impact, I didn''t even have to swing around my heavy halberd as I used the momentum from Rashiok''s charge to slice through everything in my way.


    Rashiok''s huge body was also capable of crushing several people under him at once, and desperate screams resounded every time that Rashiok jumped up then crushed more enemy soldiers under him anew.


    Now that the enemy was in total chaos, the Jugfena knights took this opportunity to refresh their attack. They took advantage of being on horseback to have their warhorses trample over Rindarl soldiers, breaking bones in the process. Other enemies would be speared to death, and a mountain of enemy corpses instantly started piling up.


    "Ahhhhh!!"


    Even in such a situation, of course there were still enemies that were able to calmly try attacking me with their spears or swords, but there was too much of a difference between the reach of my halberd and their weapons. Combined with Rashiok''s speed, I was able to easily crush enemy skulls with a force not possible by human hands alone.


    Splitter splatter, blood was gushing out everywhere almost as if it was grape juice, sending the enemy soldiers closest to me into an even more terrified frenzy.


    And so, just like that, the two draconis and I successfully passed through the enemy''s army.

 Chapter 195 - 196

    It''s now past sunset, and night has fallen upon both sides'' camps on the Tave River. Tonight, the moon was conveniently hiding behind the clouds, causing darkness to come earlier than usual.


    I was sitting on Vedwoka''s back, gently opening and closing my right hand as I watched my lightly equipped Kaldia army head downstream for Fort Droitros from Fort Droidas. I seem to have overexerted myself using my halberd earlier in the day using the aid of Rashiok''s momentum. I returned to Fort Droidas after that battle, and noticed that my wrist was throbbing. I must have strained it slightly.


    Although that may be the case, it''s not at the extent where I can''t move my hand, so I''m going to have to go back on the battlefield just like this. Well, unlike during the daytime, this time there''s no substitutes that can take my place. After all, I''m supposed to be the commander of the Kaldia army. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡­For the past several years, my soldiers have been involved in the construction of the village for Kaldia''s new citizens, as well as my new mansion that''s become the new center of Kaldia domain. Considering that I''ve been on guard against the possibility of war with Rindarl, my army''s swelled up to a size that''s disproportionate for the small domain that Kaldia is.


    Kaldia domain remains a poor one though, and I can''t afford to keep an army that doesn''t work for its pay. Until we have sufficient food resources to abolish the longstanding tradition of going out to forage for your own food at night, all our resources must be put into development and agriculture so as to prevent my budget going into the red.


    And to be honest, the members of the Kaldia army are more skilled with hoes and axes than swords and spears, but at least almost all of them have experience working with rivers. They often go to the lakes and streams, searching for food through fishing and other means.


    Wiegraf already seems to have taken their experience in the water into account. My Kaldia army''s numbers are probably just right for carrying out this secret operation we''re about to do next.


    ¡­By the way, the secret operation to ambush the enemy''s ships was why my Kaldia army has switched to saws and axes from their swords and spears.


    My Kaldia army stopped a little ways from their navy''s position, and six excellent swimmers from my army began slowly approaching their six large ships by swimming through the Tave River.


    The enemy''s huge ships belong to the country of Parmigran. They were towing along some smaller ships with infantry soldiers on them. The big ships appeared to be acting as a logistical supply station for food, arrows, and ammunition.


    For Rindarl, or perhaps I should say for the Densel Dukedom, they don''t seem to have any more forces other than what we already knew about. As evidence, these ships of theirs didn''t head downstream even though the battle turned disadvantageous for them.


    They''re probably in the situation of having to wait for their soldiers in Eris to recover and head out. The Densel nobles leading their troops from the ships are probably desperately trying to get prepared for tomorrow morning.


    I saw that my soldiers had reached the bows of the enemy''s large ships. Each of them swung their axes around several times, waiting for my signal. I also signaled for them to wait with my sword, and waited for a signal from Fort Droidas.


    "¡­It''s almost time. Mefuri, how are you feeling?"


    When I asked Mefuri who was sitting in front of me, she only responded by nodding with a frightened expression on her face.


    "Don''t make such a scared face. Tonight will be your glorious first battle on the Arxian side."


    Mefuri nodded again. However, her expression remained tense. She''s probably afraid of her betrayal being discovered by Rindarl. In any case, she''s currently at a turning point in her life she won''t be able to go back from.


    "Take your mind off it by thinking of something else. That''s right, how was today''s food? We''re on the battlefield, so provisions are a bit rough, but I think it didn''t taste all that bad. The amount wasn''t much though, but that can''t be helped."


    "It, it was amazing, yeah. Also, eating so much, it, it was the first time for me."


    "Is that so? -Ahh, I see. ¡­I don''t know what type of person was looking after you before, but now I know that he was a bastard that didn''t give you children proper meals. Listen up, Mefuri. What you just ate was nothing more than coarse grains.


    Without a doubt, the food situation in my domain is the worst in all of Arxia, but it''s vastly improved over the past few years thanks to my constant efforts in improving the situation."


    I made sure to add plenty of compassion to my voice, as if I was saying ''I would never allow any country to do that to you ever again.'' Mefuri''s eyes began to well up with emotions.


    "You''ve seen my soldiers already, right? What do you think about their equipment? You can tell that it''s much poorer in comparison with the other knights. My domain is a poor one. However, it definitely should be a much better standard of living than whatever your old life was like. As proof, do you see a single soldier of mine that''s skinny to the point of being malnourished?"


    As I used a calculated emotional appeal to firmly bring her over to my side, Mefuri''s face began distorting as if she was about to cry. I wondered if she was remembering back to some painful memory, since her shoulders were trembling.


    While stroking Mefuri''s back, I confirmed that the lighthouse at Fort Droidas was lit up. This was the first signal.


    "¡­Alright, Mefuri. It''s time to use your power. Vent your anger on those that used you like an animal. Be reborn as an Arxian and a believer of the Xia sect, and bring Misorua''s judgement down upon those that would take from others."


    I feel almost as if I''m playing the part of a demon who''s trying to deceive a child, but well, in my opinion, Rindarl was definitely the side that was in the wrong.


    The wind brought sounds of a commotion''s beginning to me. The Arxian infantry suddenly began their assault on the enemy''s small fleet.


    The countless torches they held illuminated the night and revealed the blood that was still on the ground from the earlier battle.


    Rindarl obviously noticed Arxia''s assault beginning, and their ships that had remained quiet up until now suddenly became bustling with noise.


    Their commanders'' panicked voices overlapped with the sounds of their soldiers getting off the ships. I had been waiting for this opportunity, so I signaled my soldiers waiting near their ships'' bows to begin.


    They were equipped with hand axes. Of course, such a weapon would be unable to break through the ships'' hulls. It would surely take a long time for them to make a large hole in any ship''s hull in an unstable environment like the water.


    But, a hand axe was more than sufficient to make a tiny dent or hole in which to place something in.


    After my soldiers returned to me and confirmed that they all successfully placed their objects, I incited Mefuri to truly commit her first act of betrayal.


    "Do it, Mefuri. Bid farewell to Rindarl!"


    "¡­¡­Ah, ahh, ahhh, ahhhhhhhhh!!!"


    A loud voice filled with despair and anger rang out from her throat.


    It sounded as if she was trying to shake off the fear and hesitation at betraying her home country.


    It sounded as if she was venting the anger and frustration from her heart that she couldn''t form into words.


    Pop, I heard that eerie sound once more from the water, as the six ships'' bows were grandly blown away in simultaneous explosions.


    "Go, my army!! We have direct orders from the General Commander of Arxia! Annihilate the enemy on the Tave River! Destroy all their ships! Make the Tave River run red with their blood!!!"

 Chapter 196 - 197

    August 14, 2017 ¡¤ by imperfectluck ¡¤ in Uncategorized. ¡¤


    The scene was such that I couldn''t find any words to describe it other than one: trampling.


    Screams and roars of rage mixed in with the sounds of battle. Even though this was a battlefield, sounds of crying and begging for help pierced through the skies.


    The Arxia army mercilessly slaughtered all Rindarl soldiers camped on the riverside, regardless of whether the enemy was armed. Of course, the Fort Jugfena knights led the charge.


    Just like earlier this morning, the royal army followed behind the Jugfena knights and trampled over everything remaining. It seemed almost as if we were working on cultivating a field for agriculture.


    By the way, the situation where I was resembled that of what was happening on the riverside. After blowing sizable holes in the enemy ships with Mefuri''s power, I took the opportunity to personally attack the enemy ships, vandalizing and destroying everything I could on their ships. I either killed those that were too late in escaping from me, or knocked them into the river.


    Once I rampaged enough on a ship so that it was no more than a wreck that couldn''t even float, I would move on to the next one and repeat the process. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Once I completely destroyed all six enemy ships, I left the river and went upstream.


    "Alright, start pouring."


    "Yes!"


    Wiegraf''s large-scale battle plan didn''t end with the mere destruction of the enemy ships. We poured all our prepared materials into the river. Due to a difference in density, the liquid soon coated itself over the entire river. Oh, just to clarify, we poured flammable oil onto the river.


    We quickly dismantled all the barrels to allow the oil to pour as fast as possible into the river, and thus our preparations were complete.


    "It''s finished? Everyone, get back then. Fire arrows, release!!"


    The soldiers aimed for the broken barrel pieces floating in the river. The Kaldia army had no training whatsoever for shooting at moving targets on a flowing river, but some of the better archers among them were able to hit at least a few of the targets.


    After the fire was ignited successfully on the barrel pieces, it quickly spread over the coating of oil on the entire river and bathed the river in fire.


    This was only to be expected. For my soldiers who had never witnessed the sight of fire burning on top of water before, I could hear them exclaiming shouts of "wow!" and "amazing!" despite the fact that we were still on the battlefield.


    ¡­Following this, the remainder of the battle in the night was absolutely one-sided.


    The enemy ships that were already mostly rubble burned into nothing but ashes. The few remaining survivors of the Rindarl army that weren''t able to escape were all throwing down their weapons and waving white flags.


    They''ve completely lost all will to battle. Even for the damned Rindarl army that''s so persistent in not surrendering, I suppose that this battle where they were backed up against a burning river and lost almost everything was too much for them.


    By the way, I could hear cheers from the Arxian army shouting "we have the divine protection of the god Misorua!" all around me. My soldiers were finally celebrating.


    "We''ve won! With this, the war will finally be over! We can carry our victorious lord home on our shoulders!"


    Agil who was standing next to me kept shouting jubilantly as if he wasn''t feeling any fatigue at all from the constant battling today all morning and all night.


    ¡­Personally though, I don''t think I contributed all that much to this battle or the conclusion of the war if it happens. My soldiers were enjoying the pleasure of victory right now though, so I kept silent and let them have their fun.


    After all, this battle''s entire strategy was overseen by Wiegraf, and he prepared everything necessary for it. While I may have carried out his strategy successfully without inconveniencing him, my soldiers were the ones who did most of the grunt work.


    Although this war caused me to become infamous, I doubt it would actually influence the outcome of the overall war. It''s only to the extent of making me into a more useful chess piece and increasing the number of tactics we can use.


    Even if I wasn''t present at this battle, I think that Ergnade and the Jugfena knights are far more frightening than I am, and even Marquis Rolentsor and his personal knights participated in this battle. The pressure and fear that the enemy felt probably would have been the same.


    ¡­Well, to be honest, I think I do feel just slightly relieved as well.


    I knew that I had probably gone somewhat overboard. I shall never forget my fear of losing my humanity, no matter how long I end up living.


    However, as I thought about my original goal of "ending the war," I still felt a sense of refreshment at witnessing the Densel troops finally being completely broken of their will to fight anymore.


    Although, I knew that I was already 80% similar to the enemy as it currently stood.


    "Shall we return to Fort Droidas now, Milord?"


    Calvin who was leading a unit to protect our extra supply of oil barrels in case we needed them asked me in a soft voice.


    "Ahh, sure." I nodded in response as I stroked Vedwoka''s neck as a reward for her patience with all my soldiers around her. I felt like I might as well walk together with my soldiers for a change, so I was about to dismount from her.


    At least, that had been my intention.


    But suddenly, Vedwoka''s body that had been relaxed suddenly filled with tension as she snapped her silvery-white snake-like tail back to her body, causing my entire field of vision to be massively shaken. The next thing I knew, Vedwoka had suddenly flown up and away from this location.


    "Eek!"


    Vedwoka''s movements were so sudden that I was unable to figure out the draconis''s intentions. Mefuri who was still sitting behind me shrieked as she clung on to Vedwoka''s neck.


    Something huge entered my field of vision, flying at a tremendous pace straight for the place where Vedwoka and I had just been.


    Ahh, so she was trying to avoid that ¨C I realized that through the headache I had from being shaken around so unexpectedly.


    "Agil!! Calvin!!"


    That''s when I realized that "the huge something" landed right next to their feet.


    A sonorous birdsong rang out, its elegance and melodiousness seeming terribly out of place on the battlefield.


    A mysterious and beautiful giant golden bird had arrived here ¨C that was all that my confused and battered mind was able to comprehend.

 Chapter 197 - 198

    Author note: Here''s a celebration POV chapter for having reached 200 chapters! (Cast of Characters and Glossary count as chapters in the Japanese raw.) This story has continued for such a long time successfully! The second half to this chapter shall be at Chapter 250. Well, this story doesn''t have too much relationship to the main storyline. I hope that you all will be able to enjoy it anyways.


    Please wait for the conclusion of the extra chapter!


    Earl Siegmund Terejia''s POV (80 years old)


    TL note: remember that Earl Terejia''s older brother is the prime minister of Arxia. Earl Terejia is currently having a dream about 60+ years in the past, in his childhood.


    Today''s the day that my older brother Radian Terejia is supposed to visit my residence instead of staying at the House of Lords like he typically does. Normally my residence had a quiet atmosphere; only today was my residence lively and bustling.


    It wasn''t particularly that my older brother liked my servants, but it was something more like he was able to relax and work more efficiently in my residence that had only serious people residing here with nobody interested in "having fun."


    Due to my strict upbringing from my late mother, I wasn''t able to say anything about it. However. I still minded the fact that there was a commotion from my servants during my typical free time that I used for reading books.


    Of course, those serving the Terejia family would never cause a commotion during work. If anyone was to take a walk in my residence, they wouldn''t find a single servant engaging in idle chatter at any time.


    ¡­However, that didn''t change the fact that today, I could hear muffled voices coming from all over.


    I let out a sigh as I closed my book. While it was a sign of my immaturity even at my age to be distracted by sounds, I had no choice but to give up on reading since I was unable to concentrate no matter how hard I focused.


    Apart from reading, the only other activities I typically do are walking around my garden or studying. I really dislike wasting my time idly, but today I''ve been sitting for so long at my desk while accomplishing nothing. Perhaps it would be better if I move my body around in an effort to improve my mood.


    Thinking so, I saw a dizzying sight as soon as I entered my garden. Someone was in it already, having a one-person tea party act.


    Well, for a moment I tried to pretend like she didn''t exist, but she called out towards me saying "greetings, am I bothering you?" It was impossible to ignore.


    "¡­What''s with that, saying greetings."


    I couldn''t help but let my displeasure seep into my voice. Despite this, the person in question tilted her head slightly with a smile as if she was about to eat someone, saying "hmm? I don''t seem to be welcome. Have I done something?"


    She was acting so casual.


    "First, remember that this is supposed to be my residence. Second, right now it''s still quite early in the morning. Third, I recall that you were supposed to be present at my older brother welcoming at the noble school. ¡­Why are you here, Amanda?"


    Although I had a slightly irritated tone of voice, this childhood friend of mine definitely acted her teenager age as she completely ignored my attitude and casually stated "well, how about taking a seat for the time being?" as she gestured towards an empty chair with her chin.


    This was just how she was, she wouldn''t have a proper conversation with you unless you were sitting across the table from her. As soon as I sat down together with my long-time acquaintance, she began pouring tea for me as if she was one of my maids. I didn''t feel like relaxing at all, however.


    "And so? About my older brother''s welcoming?"


    My older brother''s welcoming should have been scheduled to be right in front of the noble school. It''s still possible to make it on time if she leaves right now, but I felt it was unreasonable for me to have to worry about whether or not she''ll manage to be there on time.


    After all, she herself didn''t appear to be any hurry. She was simply drinking tea so nonchalantly.


    "Amanda. You''re my older brother''s fianc¨¦e. Why is it that¡­"


    Even though I put as much of a criticizing tone into my voice as I possibly could, Amanda didn''t even raise her eyebrows while smiling towards me mysteriously.


    She wasn''t looking at me, she was watching me.


    Amanda had the bad habit of looking at others as if she could see through them. Most people ¨C including my older brother that was engaged to her ¨C found this creepy. ¡­Well, Amanda and I have tried to point out and fix each other''s bad habits, but no matter what I said, she never seemed to do anything about or understand why this habit of hers was a bad one.


    "Just exactly what are you thinking?"


    Not knowing what she was thinking, I could only swallow down my apprehension as I averted my gaze from Amanda''s eyes.


    At any rate¡­ It was useless for me to do anything about her.


    -Honestly, I''m always so useless at everything important.


    I was always someone who could hear all the noise around me, but for this person I didn''t care for, I couldn''t see beyond her outer appearance. Although I say that, this childhood friend of mine is also someone who completely can''t read the atmosphere.


    "¡­Ahh, I can hear so much today¡­"


    Amanda finally opened her mouth with a distorted smile filled with fatigue and her tone of voice seemed pitying.


    I glared back at her. She was the only one I didn''t want pity from. I wouldn''t allow it.


    She seemed momentarily surprised by my glare, but the next instant an amused smile appeared on her face.


    I sharpened my glare even more. This was in extremely bad taste, being amused at someone feeling uncomfortable.


    "No, that''s not it. I was amused at your thoughts."


    "¡­I don''t get what the difference is supposed to be."


    "Well, it seems that you believe they''re the same. However, there''s a huge difference to me."


    My childhood friend was strangely mature, and she often spoke in a roundabout method used mostly by adults. While I wasn''t put off by it, I wasn''t interested in her way of speaking either. As for why she became like this, I have no idea.


    Although, perhaps I was the one who empathized and understood her the most.


    "As for Radian, don''t worry about it. Marquis Terejia himself told me that greetings would be unnecessary."


    While saying so, Amanda picked up a baked pastry from the dish in front of her.


    "What? Have the plans changed? I didn''t hear about that¡­ Still, even if this is your fianc¨¦''s home, I think it''s considered a problem for you to be indulging yourself here so early in the morning."


    "Heh heh, what''s done is done. Besides, this is the last year. Starting next year, we''ll be noble school students as well."


    She deftly split the baked pastry with her fingers. "You want one?" I took the pastry half she offered to me with an indescribable feeling.


    Next year will be noble school. ¨C Come to think of it, that means that we won''t be able to have tea like this anymore with just the two of us. Starting from next year, only my older brother will be allowed to do this. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    I''m perfectly aware that right now this was only implicitly permitted due to the facts that I''m her fianc¨¦''s younger brother, that we were both still minors, and that no outside prying eyes were here at the Terejia residence.


    ¡­Originally speaking, even sharing sweets with her like this wasn''t something that we were supposed to do. But thinking that I could only do something like this now, I couldn''t help but accept the sweet that my childhood friend offered me.


    I heard a chuckle from Amanda at this. I only saw her smile for a brief instant, even though she involuntarily let it out because of me. I could only give her a sidelong glance at this.


    Suddenly, I jolted awake. As expected, the familiar figure of my childhood friend dressed in white priestly attire was beside my bed.


    "¡­Amanda¡­?"


    "You''re awake?"


    I gave a sigh at hearing how weak the voice that replied to mine sounded.


    Although we''re the same age, I have to take a nap like this every day to have energy through the evening. I can''t compare to her who''s still so energetically coming to visit my residence like it''s her own all the way from the temple.


    "I came to visit you. I''m more relieved than I thought I would be, since you seem so energetic, Siegmund. I had thought that you were nearly bedridden."


    "It was just for a mere ten days, not a big deal. Besides, if you visit me so frequently, everyone will think that I''m nearing my deathbed soon."


    "Aren''t the Terejia family servants quite excellent in doing their work?"


    My childhood friend chuckled familiarly while saying something so bothersome. She still seemed indescribably young as if time had stopped for her, but when she smiled like that, wrinkles still emerged.


    She sniffed her nose at letting out that unexpected comment coming from her.


    "Isn''t it in bad taste to be amused at a woman''s wrinkles?"


    "Ah, yeah. That''s right. My bad."


    "¡­Heh heh, no, I was just joking. Somehow, things felt rather nostalgic. You used to say that name so often in the past in your mind. ¡­Amanda, wow. That''s quite an old name I haven''t used for decades, what you were calling me just now.


    She seemed to have a distant look on her face. I wonder if she was reminiscing about the past.


    Thinking back to the dream I just had about our childhood when she was still Amanda, I muttered that just about everyone would have twinges of nostalgia when reaching senior citizen age.


    "That''s just the nature of elderly people."


    She seemed to be rather happy as she sniffed and the wrinkles on her face appeared again with her smile.


    Although she just joked with me that it was in bad taste, but truthfully, I still felt that it was a good thing that my childhood friend still showed at least some signs of aging.

 Chapter 198 - 199

    Vedwoka was roaring in an effort to intimidate the golden bird. She also whipped up a painful gust of wind that was slightly too strong for my body to handle, but the majestic beast ignored it with an unruffled expression. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "-Kaldia army, keep your distance! Help anyone near you that''s injured! But, don''t approach too close to that large bird even to rescue anyone!!"


    In order to stop myself from panicking, I shouted orders in as loud of a voice as I could possibly muster. My soldiers that were just as shocked as I was at the huge bird''s sudden appearance regained their senses at hearing my shout and obeyed my orders to keep their distance from the golden bird.


    Despite me telling them that they shouldn''t get close to the bird, they were still dragging and carrying away the soldiers that had lost consciousness for various reasons who were closest to the giant bird. Well, the rescuers were the ones who weren''t affected too much by the bird''s descent, and I suppose it wasn''t *too* close in proximity to the giant bird.


    "Injured soldiers retreat first! Archers, prepare for combat! ¡­Rashiok! Please help me protect everyone!!"


    The first thing on my mind was to prepare for in case this golden bird was an enemy. For such a gigantic bird, the only soldiers in my army that would be able to do combat with it are those equipped with long-distance weapons, my archers.


    Following my orders, my soldiers quickly ran for the nearby trees'' cover. The golden bird merely tilted its head and watched them disinterestedly.


    I wonder if the golden bird didn''t chase the small humans moving around it as it descended due to its bulkiness. Its physical structure didn''t seem suited for chasing smaller prey like us humans. Or was it that it simply wasn''t interested in the soldiers?


    However, once Rashiok went out with his one wing spread out protectively to cover the soldiers, the golden bird was no longer able to ignore him and Vedwoka who was still roaring intimidatingly. The golden bird screeched piercingly as well.


    This seems almost like a battle between magical beasts. Although I knew that this wasn''t the time or place to be thinking such a thing, I couldn''t stop myself from thinking this as I straddled Vedwoka.


    ¡­That''s why I was so relieved in spite of the situation when I heard someone speak up from where she was sitting on the golden bird.


    "Calm down, this is just my pet. I didn''t come here to be your opponent."


    The voice sounded rather melodious. Although her voice seemed calm as well while telling us to calm down, the mysterious part was how her voice managed to transmit its way across this great distance.


    On the golden bird''s back between its wings, I saw a speck of gray with green mixed in at the top.


    She was slightly older than me¡­ I think this girl was around 18 years old or so. She was wearing light-colored church clothing like a church sister would, seeming completely out of place on this battlefield. She was looking all around her, but she stopped and smiled when she fixed her line of sight on me.


    A chill ran down my spine.


    At first glance, she seemed to be smiling calmly and gently. However, I also saw enjoyment of other people''s suffering there ¨C this expression is one I know far too well, no matter how much I detest it.


    I think it''s the expression I hate more than any other in this world. If only I hadn''t gained so much experience with this expression right after I was born¡­ more accurately, I wish this type of emotion didn''t even exist in this world in the first place.


    "¡­If it was up to me, I''d really like to kill you here and now, but I shouldn''t. I''ve come for a different purpose today, you see."


    It almost seemed like she was talking to herself as she looked down at me with a cruel look in her eyes. She then looked slightly adjacent to me, at Mefuri who was currently clutching on to me.


    The mysterious girl''s expression changed to one of utter coldness and contempt.


    I heard the sound of Mefuri whimpering from behind me and felt her trembling in fear.


    "Archers, fire!!"


    Well, no matter what this girl said, it didn''t change the fact that she appeared to be an enemy.


    Even if her aim was just Mefuri, it didn''t change the fact that she nonchalantly scattered so many of my soldiers around like they were bowling pins.


    Although she speaks the Arxian language, and there''s still too many unexplained things like how she came to be here, I won''t show mercy to anyone that came to this battlefield which was no place for civilians.


    In accordance with my order, multiple arrows released everywhere from the surrounding woods, all aiming for the golden bird.


    ¡­However, the golden bird shot out several of its feathers, and knocked all the arrows away.


    "Useless. Human weapons won''t work on my pet here. That''s why you should just obediently hand the traitor over to me."


    The girl didn''t change her gently smiling expression and pointed straight at Mefuri as if she was saying "alright?"


    I responded with nothing but silence. I didn''t feel like getting angry at this girl who had the power to cause Mefuri to tremble in such fear, nor did I feel negotiating with this girl who had basically invaded my army by herself.


    -This situation gave me the same feeling as when Melchior Nordsturm, who stunningly resembled me so much, appeared in front of me several years ago and claimed to be a living relative of mine. A warning was ringing in my mind to ignore any words that this girl said and to kill her as soon as possible.


    "¡­I find it difficult to imagine that there will be a good outcome for you if you try to protect that girl¡­"


    "There''s no helping it." The girl seemed to say that to herself.


    At that moment.


    The golden bird looked up at the sky and screeched again, but the next thing that happened was difficult for me to comprehend. Black clouds instantly appeared in the clear sky, and a lightning strike came down straight for Rashiok.

 Chapter 199 - 200

    When the white streak hit Rashiok, he screeched loudly in pain as if he had been hit by a gunshot.


    I was unable to make a single sound.


    I was in shock as if the world around me had stopped moving, like I''d received a blow to my own head.


    Even though I didn''t intend to believe in the Xia Church, did this count as evidence that I''d begun accepting their teachings?


    In this world, the thunder from the skies was supposed to be something only the "gods" could control.


    For an enemy giant bird to be able to control it was difficult for me to accept. My head felt like it was going numb.


    "Rashi¡­"


    I heard the sound of something rattling. What was this continuous irregular clacking noise? I reached out to touch my own face for the source.


    That''s when I finally realized. I was trembling with such severity. This sound had been coming from my upper and lower teeth constantly gnashing against each other. ¡­Compared to where I was touching my face, my hand was actually trembling less.


    "Have you changed your mind now?"


    The enemy girl''s calm voice seemed to envelop the entire area. I began breaking out into a cold sweat.


    I stubbornly stopped myself from looking down at Mefuri who was in my arms. If I did, I felt as if I would perhaps release her to the enemy.


    But no matter how much I worked my head, I couldn''t come up with a good idea on how to get out of this situation without handing Mefuri over.


    No, it was likely possible that if it was only me and Mefuri, that we would be able to escape, but I wasn''t willing to make such a sacrifice of my soldiers just for Mefuri''s sake.


    I kept opening and closing my mouth meaninglessly.


    Mefuri was now looking back up and me.


    ¡­Then, I came to the sudden realization that she had already been touching both me and Vedwoka for almost half a day already. My unsightly impatient expression met Mefuri''s currently blank eyes.


    "Or perhaps it''ll be quicker if I just burn everyone here, including you. What should I do? Do you want to stay by this child''s side? If not, could you please kill her personally for me? There''s no need for the light of this child''s life anymore in this world, you know?"


    The enemy girl was saying that so lightly almost as if she was singing.


    I took a deep gulp.


    Die. Only the conviction that I wanted the enemy girl to die was whirling around inside my mind like a tornado.


    Was I going to have to sacrifice Mefuri?


    I felt as if my mouth was going completely dry.


    But, abandoning Mefuri wasn''t an option. The moment I said something like that, there was the possibility of her blowing me up.


    I myself was the one who inflated and encouraged Mefuri''s "fear of being abandoned" in order to get Mefuri onto my side. How ironic that I myself had no path of retreat thanks to my own tactic.


    It seemed as if I had only the two choices of keeping my word to Mefuri and protecting her while risking being struck to death by lightning from that giant bird, or breaking my promise to Mefuri to never abandon her and most likely end up getting exploded by her.


    However, no matter what, I had no intentions of dying here.


    It was as if I heard a tiny voice whispering into my ears. ''-I like you as well. I don''t want to kill you. That''s why, no matter what happens, live. Do not die, I will never allow such a thing-''


    It was a curse.


    ¡­Or perhaps it could also be called a promise that hurt my chest to the point where I thought I would have a heart attack.


    From my stomach and below, I felt so hot as if I was boiling, yet my head remained perfectly cool and colder than ice.


    Although this mixed sense of icy and burning rage wasn''t new to me, somehow my brain was working even better than it normally would at this point in time. There was just one thing I had to do.


    "¡­Mefuri. I have a question for you. You-"


    I averted my gaze from the girl gazing at us with a sarcastic taunting expression and whispered my question to Mefuri in a low voice only we could hear.


    Mefuri opened her eyes wide in surprise at my question. Finally, she nodded almost imperceptibly.


    I let go of a huge sigh as I placed my hand on her shoulder. At the same time, I slowly withdrew my short sword from the scabbard on my waist.


    I saw the girl on the huge bird narrow her eyes joyously as she looked in our direction.


    I met her gaze, and glared viciously in return ¨C and had Vedwoka suddenly jump up into the air.


    "¡­Eh?"


    The girl didn''t even have time to react with anything other than an expression of shock to the supple draconis flying up instantly with a powerful jump.


    I kept rising and rising. For just a split second, I met the girl''s glance at the exact same eye level, before I passed her swiftly by in height.


    My blood-red eyes were so similar to the color of sunset during dusk. Just like during the battle where I set fire to an entire river, I currently had an expression similar to my deceased father''s.


    I sliced my short sword horizontally. With a *shing!* sound, I suddenly felt less weight on my head.


    I let go of my bundle of tied hair and dropped it towards the giant golden bird.


    "Do it, Mefuri!"


    Mefuri responded to my order and shouted out murkily in a grating sound that was the exact opposite of the golden bird''s sonorous singing.


    Pop, I heard the familiar activation sound of her magic.


    My hair that I sliced off of myself exploded on top of the giant bird''s head.


    "Kyaa!?"


    The girl and the giant bird screamed together simultaneously. The giant bird that had suddenly received an unexpected attack to its head flew up to the sky in a frenzy and scattered blood around everywhere.


    "Vedwoka, devour!"


    Vedwoka matched her altitude with the giant bird that was currently flying around haphazardly in a frenzy. Assisted by the magic power to control the wind that Rashiok formerly possessed as well in the past, Vedwoka dived through the air and sunk her fangs into the giant bird''s throat.


    "Screech!!"


    Everything happened in just an instant. The giant bird violently thrashed its body around, twisting and turning so much that I was extremely jarred as well from the centrifugal forces.


    Before we crashed into the ground, Vedwoka righted herself and flew up again, while Mefuri and I did our best simply to hold on.


    Although I expected it, the explosion''s power was still too small for my satisfaction ¨C probably because I hadn''t been in contact with Mefuri for a sufficient amount of time yet. It seemed like we still didn''t manage to do enough damage to the giant bird, as it also succeeded in righting itself midair and appeared to finally calm down.


    There was no more time for us to escape now.


    -Damn it!


    "Ha. Ahh, I see. That''s how it is. That''s your choice, eh. Diapetal, cast divine judgement down upon them!" sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The girl''s loud voice sounded from above me, and the huge bird crowed once more towards the sky.


    It all happened so fast that I had no time to react whatsoever.


    My field of vision was filled with a light so bright that I had no idea what was happening to me.

 Chapter 200 - 201

    ¡­¡­


    ¡­¡­¡­I couldn''t see or hear anything.


    I couldn''t even feel which way was up and which way was down. Nor did I know if I was currently still in the sky or on the ground.


    Even in such a state, my senses gradually returned to me, and I noticed that I was collapsed on the ground.


    I was painfully lying face-down against the ground.


    Not even mentioning the fact that I was ingesting a large amount of dirt and sand, I could only keep my mouth open weakly like a caterpillar''s crawl as I breathed into the dirt. It was so difficult to breathe that I felt like I was drowning, even though I wasn''t in the water.


    Before attempting to breathe again, I finally expelled the remaining air in my lungs, and then somehow managed to start breathing somewhat normally.


    I breathed to confirm the situation. If I tried inhaling as much air as my lungs wanted, they would instead expel the air back out of me again.


    ¡­It seemed that I wasn''t dead after all.


    Although my body seemed to be intact even if it was in throbbing pain everywhere, my hands and feet wouldn''t obey my orders, and I was unable to lift them.


    Had I taken a direct hit from the enemy''s lightning? The ground I was collapsed on seemed to have been blown up by the thunderbolt, with the rice plants scattered about everywhere.


    "Honestly, this is why I opposed leaving things up to an outsider."


    What?


    As if I was submerged in water, the voice sounded fuzzy and distant from me. If it wasn''t for the current situation, I probably would have missed it and dismissed it as background noise.


    When I dazedly managed to twist my head, I saw some people standing by my side.


    There were two people wearing white cloaks. I was unsure as to their identities.


    When did they-?


    "¡­What''s going on here, I wonder? Why did you get in my way? Wasn''t I dealing with this child for you as you wanted?"


    I could hear the blurry voice of the enemy girl from earlier who wasn''t even trying to conceal her irritation. Unless I concentrated, her voice sounded so distant as if it was just one voice out of many in a crowd.


    "It''ll trouble us if you damage a valuable Flowerless Fruit simply to deal with a wilting weed. Just imagining the potential loss¡­ Well, since you had your power stolen by demons, it''s something you wouldn''t understand. Flowerless Fruits are incredibly rare, you see."


    "¡­Exactly what are you talking about? Flowerless Fruit?"


    The girl''s voice lowered after hearing something mysteriously difficult to comprehend.


    "It''s something that the gods have taught us. If you don''t know, then that means there''s no need for you to know."


    This strangely high-pitched voice seemed to be coming from the other person wearing a white cloak. How passionate the voice sounded in tandem with the strange tone caused goosebumps to run down my flesh.


    "Since it''s come to this, it''s fine to just forget about dealing with the traitor. It would be a waste to damage the Flowerless Fruit''s sprouts just to deal with a wilting weed."


    "Exactly what''s going on? Weren''t you guys the ones who wanted me to kill the traitor in the first place?"


    "Ahh, ignorance is truly such a frightening thing. Even if we gathered ten rotten seeds that can''t germinate such as yourself, all of you together wouldn''t compare to Flowerless Fruit that has sprouted. Ahh, if only we had known about this Flowerless Fruit''s existence sooner¡­"


    "Guariere, don''t reveal too much information. The Flowerless Fruit is listening. ¡­Well, even if she listens, she probably wouldn''t understand anything."


    With a swish, one of the two people wearing white cloaks kneeled down beside me and looked into my face. "Red eyes," the person muttered to him or herself under their hood, and a nasty smile appeared on the person''s face.


    Suddenly, there was a sensation of heat as if there was a fire in front of my eyes. The white-cloaked person named Guariere held down my head as a burning sensation entered my body through my nose.


    What exactly was this? What was going on? Even though there was clearly no fire, why was there the sensation of fire?


    "Stop," I weakly managed to moan, but the white-cloaked person ignored me. Not only that, the fiery sensation amplified even further in magnitude, causing great anxiety within me as I was unable to escape. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    My ears began ringing strongly, and my fear kept increasing at the abnormal situation.


    "Get away from Milord!!"


    At this moment, I heard voices from afar. Since one of my ears was pressed against the ground, I could feel the trembling in the earth from my soldiers rushing over towards me.


    At hearing Rashiok''s rather weakened roar among the hubbub, I let slip a sigh of relief.


    "We''ll have to stop now. Guariere, it''s time for us to leave."


    "To be satisfied when I''ve only finished with her face¡­ No, I shall leave things up to the guidance of my god and my teacher."


    Due to the constant ringing in my ears, I had to strain my utmost to listen in to their conversation.


    Far before my soldiers could reach me, I saw the giant bird flying away through my field of vision that was still hazy.


    The two white-cloaked people watched the bird fly off, then both glanced down at me. Due to the glare of the sun, I was unable to make out their faces clearly.


    "Glory to our god."


    Both of them muttered that in unison with fanatical voices.


    And then, suddenly ¨C as if something had gone wrong with my eyes and they were just my imagination ¨C both of them instantly disappeared right in front of me.

 Chapter 201 - 202

    "Kaldia!"


    In the Kaldia domain, in front of the domain lord''s residence.


    I had finally withdrawn from the border together with the royal army''s troops and arrived back home when a voice called out to me. Looking up, I saw Eric who was vigorously waving towards me from a third floor window. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Even though he had only left several days earlier, it felt as if I hadn''t seen him for several months with all that happened.


    I reflexively wondered if I should wave back at him, then remembered that I was currently bandaged all over for my injuries, so I barely raised one hand just for the sake of appearances.


    In place of me, Rashiok and Vedwoka who were flanking my sides both howled in greeting. I could only smile wryly at the startle it gave the horse I was riding on.


    "I''ve returned, Baron Dovadain. My apologies for having left you alone."


    "Honestly! You put me here and went off to the battlefield by yourself, and now you''re coming back all beaten up like this!! Are you an idiot!?" I could only accept his typical insult-filled greeting with a subtle expression.


    Eric who came out to greet me first when I entered my mansion was staring at my now shortened hair and arm that was currently in a splint.


    It was easy to tell that he was worried in his own way, and I expected that my appearance didn''t seem congruent with the fact that everyone was now in a post-victory mode.


    By the way, Ratoka who was acting as "me" while escorting Eric was glancing over at me while mixing in with the other servants in maid attire. Ratoka had pretended to return to the battlefield after escorting Eric here, but secretly stayed behind in order to take charge of Eric''s protection and other needs with Eric never finding out the truth that I hadn''t escorted him to begin with.


    "Whoa!? K, Kal, Kaldia! You, your hair¡­!!"


    It seemed that Eric had finally noticed that my hair under my hood had parts of it chopped off and now reached only my shoulders. I only shrugged lightly in response to him who was pointing at my hair with a finger that was trembling.


    Arxian nobles, regardless of if they''re male or female, prefer to keep long hair. Although there''s still some teenaged noble boys that prefer to keep short hair, most of them also keep long hair to separate themselves from commoners that would be unable to maintain the upkeep for beautiful long hair.


    The royal males and nobles that enter the monastery are typically the only exceptions. Well, I suppose that my shortened hair will be stared at with curious eyes by everyone once I return to noble society. I also felt that it was inconvenient how I was no longer able to tie my hair up as I could before.


    Ever since cutting my own hair short, I''d been avoiding mirrors.


    ¡­I''m almost the same age now as the "Eliza" from the otome game. I felt a sense of loss at the timing of losing my hair which I kept long and tied up in a ponytail on purpose to differentiate my features from the Eliza in the game as much as possible, even if we had the same face.


    However, with my hair this short, I felt now that I didn''t resemble my father as much as before. This was the only good part about losing some hair.


    "Well?" Ratoka who was helping me change my bandages tilted his head questioningly.


    "¡­The cartilage in my wrist is cracked. I have injuries and scrapes all over my body. My left ear''s eardrum seems to be torn. For some reason, only my face seems to be fine, so you won''t need any strange injuries for you to continue acting as my double."


    After I finished informing him about my situation, he let out a deep sigh.


    I glanced over at his left hand then quickly averted my gaze. There was the trace of an ugly three-year old scar there.


    ¡­His scar was at the exact same location as mine. Normally, we both kept our scars hidden with gloves, but his had appeared by itself without me knowing about it. Three years ago, the now deceased Viscount Ogren had stabbed a spear through my left hand, impaling it against the ground and leaving me with a deep injury.


    Ratoka must have purposefully given himself a similar injury to match mine as my body double without me even requesting it of him.


    Ratoka never talked about it, nor have I mentioned it. I felt that there was no need.


    I never gave him such a command. But if he gave himself such a wound, I have nothing to say.


    "¡­Well, isn''t that a pity. I wouldn''t exactly have looked forward to injuring myself again if you had injured your face."


    Ratoka had never brought up the topic of injuring himself out of his dedication to me before. I decided to respond to his sarcastic joke with one of my own as thanks.


    "Aren''t you happy anyways to be told that you look cute as a maid?"


    "No, of course I''m not happy!"


    "Ahh, well, I''ve always heard that whenever you take my place, there''s comments like ''Eliza-sama seems much cuter than usual'' and so on."


    "Shut up, you''re annoying! Stop pointing out what people don''t want to hear!"


    At Ratoka''s forceful retort, I suddenly couldn''t help but chuckle. It felt like a heavy weight I had been carrying in my chest was finally beginning to dissipate.


    I managed to come back alive ¨C that weight had been from my resolve at possibly facing death on the battlefield.


    "Sigh¡­ Anyways, I understand about your injuries now. So, what happened after that? ¡­Are the captured enemy children prisoners alright?"


    The gentle air in the atmosphere gradually started cooling.


    Ratoka''s eyes held no expectations as he asked me about the children. Nor were there any signs that he had given up on them. I merely saw trust in me at whatever I decided to do to the children I had been chasing after in the tunnels when Ratoka and I separated. I slowly shook my head.


    "Four of them died. As for what happened ¨C let me give you a detailed explanation. Ratoka, do you still remember the incident from three years ago?"


    "The fire moth incident in the royal capital?"


    "Yes. Just like that time, a force beyond human understanding ¨C a person who could use magic just like the magical beasts appeared."


    Ratoka remained silent in response to the beginning of my tale.


    I told Ratoka everything that happened after we separated. About the fight in the underground passageway, about the war, about the giant bird''s attack, and about how the mysterious two people in white cloaks appeared and presumably spared me.


    As I told the story, I felt grateful ¨C perhaps I should be grateful to the Xia Church''s god, Misorua, that I was still alive to tell the tale.

 Chapter 202 - 203

    For the newly emerged large country known as the Rindarl Union that was only a year and a half old¡­ Well, more technically, it was mostly a war with the Densel Dukedom of the Rindarl Union.


    Since the Rindarl armies had suffered massive losses on the Tave River, together with the rebellion of their slave soldiers during their attempt to siege Fort Droyan, and the fact that their farthest frontline base as well as Densel''s capital Eris suffered a complete loss of all supplies kept there due to fire, Rindarl finally offered their unconditional surrender.


    Peace negotiations were still ongoing, and it seemed that my neighbor Margrave Genas'' army was in charge of escorting and protecting Arxia''s peace ambassador to Densel''s capital. Arxia was now already circulating stories of how Rindarl finally understood Arxia''s true military might, that it was no joking matter to mess with Arxia.


    Since I had to recuperate from my injuries, I returned to the royal capital much later than the royal army did, and returned to the noble school that still appeared the same as before I headed for Fort Jugfena. Anyways, at the school now, just about all the students avoided me even more than before, most likely because of stories they heard from their parents.


    Well, due to having fought again on the battlefield, stories about my infamous reputation and wicked plots that I used during the war may have spread even further.


    Well, all those changes were trivial ¨C such as how my head now felt lighter with less hair than before.


    "Kaldia! It seems that Grays and Alfred are returning to school today. It''s been quite a long while since we saw them last, hasn''t it? Don''t you think we should go greet them?"


    "¡­¡­¡­¡­His Royal Highness and Grays are most likely tired from their civic duties. I''m sure that they would be bothered by our greeting."


    "Nah, rather, if you go, I''m sure that Alfred will be saved from having too many people swarm around him. Let''s go!"


    And so, Eric pulled my arm towards the crowd that was already beginning to form.


    After Eric returned to noble school and had a few conversations with his father the Archduke, he''s remained like this all the time.


    Did he misunderstand something and believe us to be friends now? Where did his unwillingness to associate with a low-ranked Earl like myself disappear to?


    I thought that Eric wanted me to keep my distance from the crown prince due to my negative reputation, why did it become like this? I only had one long talk with Eric back at Fort Jugfena that I can recall. That was it. Was that the cause? Doesn''t this seem like too much of a change?


    What''s more, Eric was sent off to Fort Jugfena in the first place as a way to punish him for starting that scandal with Sieghart and to distance him and me from national politics. Well, if his relationship with me improved slightly due to it, it was not a problem ¨C that was within my calculations.


    But instead, not only was Eric not removed from the crown prince''s inner circle, he seems to be acting far more familiar with me than I expected and is even encouraging me to interact with the crown prince now¡­ For a lack of better words to describe it, I felt like I was missing too many pieces of the puzzle.


    From what I heard, the rebellion of the enemy slave armies at Fort Droyan seemed to have come about due to the speech Eric ended up giving to the royal army.


    After he was touched by visiting the mentally injured soldiers in the makeshift hospital at Fort Jugfena, Eric finally gave the royal army formal permission to attack as well as inspiring and encouraging the knights for their honorable service to Arxia.


    Due to his speech, the knights at the frontlines of Fort Droyan avoided combat as much as possible with the enemy slave soldiers, and in some cases even actively protected them ¨C which apparently led to the enemy slaves'' great rebellion.


    And as a result, all the troops at Fort Droyan returned almost unscathed.


    Thanks to this being recognized as Eric''s accomplishment, while Eric did leave the crown prince''s side for a time, Eric ended up performing tasks such as giving inspiring speeches to some of the most powerful knight orders in Arxia, working on veterans'' benefits for retired and injured Arxian soldiers, and other such civic duties.


    In fact, it could be said that Eric had gotten closer to the center of national politics as well.


    I could only smile helplessly at Eric telling this was all thanks to me. I did not plan for it, nor did I expect it.


    Why did things become like this? Really, why did things become like this?


    But right now, I didn''t want to deal with Eric''s minor bothering of me. Although I can''t say that we were friends just because of this one thing ¨C it was an indisputable fact that I was able to rest peacefully and recuperate from my injuries before coming back to noble school thanks to Eric''s assistance.


    Since I owed him this favor, I couldn''t treat his minor bothering of me as an evil action.


    "Alfred! Grays! Ah, Sieghart''s here as well!"


    Eric pushed his way through the crowd as he dragged me along after him. I could see that the crown prince and Grays had shocked expressions at seeing the two of us. The general commander''s grandson, who was most likely here to greet Prince Alfred and Grays, glanced warmly in my direction.


    The crown prince was able to quickly return to his usual smile as he greeted me with an "it''s been a long time." With that, I no longer had the option of escaping as it would be a breach of etiquette, so I could only greet him in return. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Your Royal Highness Crown Prince Alfred, and Viscount Dovadain. It''s been so long since I''ve last seen your esteemed presences. It''s better than anything that you''re both doing alright."


    "You as well, Kaldia. I heard that you were quite active in the war against Rindarl. Apparently you suppressed Densel''s capital city Eris, and destroyed all the enemy''s ships on the Tave River."


    "That was all thanks to Earl Wiegraf Einsbark''s strategy."


    "I also heard that you declined most of the rewards. It does seem like your style, but¡­"


    "¡­I don''t need any more increase in noble rank or additional territory. I''m terribly afraid to receive such things."


    Even the rank of an Earl was too high for my tastes, so I definitely didn''t want a promotion. And as for land, I didn''t even have enough time or personnel to develop what the Kaldia domain already had, so I wanted land even less. Even if I received such things, they would only be a burden and attract even more envy from other nobles that I wouldn''t want. The only thing I wanted was money.


    Well, personnel as well. And also food supplies, and materials to be used in construction and so on¡­


    "Anyways, you seem to be getting along quite well with Eric now. That makes me relieved."


    "I apologize from the bottom of my heart for making Your Royal Highness worry about such a trivial matter."


    "Don''t mind such a thing. I''m just happy to see my friends and companions getting along. But, is everything alright?"


    With that question, the crown prince tilted his head. Was everything alright? He was probably referring to the political and reputation balance and repercussions for me. Since he''s probably heard stories about me as well, I suppose it''s only natural that he would be worried.


    "-In being able to act together, I think that it must be Misorua''s guidance that someone like me was able to become friends with Eric-dono. Although I say this, the grace of Misorua''s guidance has already exceeded what my body can handle. It would be arrogance on my part to desire more, like trying to force a bent nail to straighten with a hammer."


    Although my words were polite and formal, I basically told them rather bluntly through this that ''while Eric and I have resolved our disagreements, I don''t intend to do anything beyond my ranking by associating with all of you.'' The crown prince and Grays'' expressions stiffened ever so slightly at this.


    "¡­I see. You''re as humble as always. Then I as well shall pray to Misorua for an opportunity to become closer with you."

 Chapter 203 - 204

    Finally, winter came before long.


    After the final winter semester exams, there was winter vacation, and all the students typically either returned to their residences in the royal capital or back to their parents'' domains.


    Before any of my classmates could see my returned test results with the teacher''s comments that I had received the highest marks in the entire grade, I hurriedly destroyed all my test papers. While waiting for my horse-drawn carriage''s arrival to come pick me up, Zephyr and I chatted a little in my free time.


    "You''re going to be returning to the Kaldia domain?"


    "Yeah. I still have lots of work to do as the domain lord. If it wasn''t for that, I wouldn''t want to return."


    "Surely you must be joking. You''re always so serious, Kaldia, that the truth must be you really want to return to clear up all the accumulated work."


    Zephyr chuckled at his own joke, while I merely shrugged as my lips relaxed.


    To tell the truth, I actually didn''t have too much work piled up, as I took care of it already while I was recovering from my earlier injuries. Even though I hadn''t been in Kaldia for most of the past year, letting work pile up was something that I absolutely wouldn''t allow. I would always take care of it even at school, so it couldn''t pile up.


    Zephyr seemed to understand this as well, so it was probably just a casual joke by him.


    "How about you, Zephyr? Are you going to stay in the royal capital?"


    "I''m also going to return to the Molton domain this winter. The journey is so long that it''s rather bothersome, but my younger brother Lucius is waiting there for me. Also¡­ when Lucius becomes a student at noble school next year, I think I''ll have less chances to go back to my home."


    There''s still two more years left before we graduate. Perhaps Zephyr was planning on not seeing his homeland for the following two years, as there was now a wistful nostalgic expression in his eyes.


    "¡­The Molton domain is really beautiful. The white Amon Albus mountains are near, so the rocks are also white, plus there''s a colorful variety of wildflowers. I would love for you to visit me, and although it''s annoying for me to admit it, visit my father as well as you''re one of his best friends. It''s really far from the royal capital though, so I suppose it would be difficult for you to accept?


    Even if I don''t go back for two years after this, I''d still like to show you around there sometime after we graduate from noble school."


    I smiled as widely as I could while listening to Zephyr.


    "The war is finally over. In two years, I think my domain will mostly have recovered fully. That''s why I think it would actually be nice to take a nice relaxing vacation somewhere at that time. The first place I''d want to visit¡­ I think a close friend''s domain sounds like a great idea."


    "Wonderful! That sounds like the best vacation plan ever! Will you take me along with you?"


    "¡­I don''t mind, but how many months do you intend to spend on the trips between the Molton and Kaldia domains, then?" S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Zephyr seemed shocked at my comeback and fell silent for a moment. Then, we broke out into laughter almost simultaneously.


    The other students around us that kept a good distance from me all seemed to glance at us with annoyed expressions, but I paid them no mind and continued laughing together with Zephyr.


    Even now, I can barely believe that I''m able to enjoy myself like this, laughing at a joke and having fun together with a classmate of mine. I never even considered the possibility when I first walked through the school gate here for the first time.


    The number of people I could relax myself around were so limited in number. Apart from Zephyr, there were only Ratoka, who knew almost all of my secrets, and Tira, Reka, and Athrun from the Shiru tribe, the children I lived together with in my childhood.


    Despite the fact that we were both nobles, Zephyr seemed to have become someone I could relax and have fun with just like Ratoka and the others even though I''ve barely known him for that long compared to the rest. How inconceivable.


    ¡­As expected, was it because Zephyr''s way of talking and joking seemed so similar to his?


    Even though I could no longer remember his voice clearly, it seemed that bits and pieces of him still remained piled up in the bottom of my heart.


    It was almost time for the heaviest snowfall of the year in the Jugfena region when Arxia''s peace ambassador to Rindarl finally returned.


    With the peace treaty finally having been completed and signed, the royal capital was incredibly lively this year even though winter was usually its quietest season.


    Despite the fact that the royal army''s victorious return had already caused a huge commotion, there was actually a second round of invitations sent out for yet another victory celebration. I could only smile blankly at this in amazement.


    Arxia had set out many conditions for Rindarl to follow in order to achieve peace.


    Slavery was banned. Rindarl receiving immigrants from the southern countries was banned. An upper limit was set for Rindarl''s military expenditures. Furthermore, a tariff was established for Rindarl to trade with the southern countries. A large amount of compensation money was paid to Arxia by the Rindarl Union''s ambassador to Arxia.


    Apart from these, there were also countless other conditions that we obtained.


    Apparently in Arxia''s "Royal Palace," the new prevailing way of thinking was that now with a country like the Rindarl Union that was as large and powerful as Arxia existing, having a non-interference policy was no longer feasible for Arxia.


    Even with conservative voices in the House of Lords strongly against the changes to Arxia''s isolationist policy, Arxia still pressed through successfully with these demanding peace conditions that were basically akin to pushing down someone''s head against the ground.


    In the long history of Arxia, this was the first time that we had ever "controlled" what was considered a heretic society.


    Only a single Rindarl citizen came to Arxia together with our peace ambassador. This was information that probably even Earl Terejia didn''t know yet.


    Another one of the peace conditions had been for Rindarl to send a royal hostage to Arxia. The name of the girl chosen for this purpose was Emilia Yuriel De La Rindarl.


    She was both the princess of the former Rindarl Kingdom, and the daughter of the current Rindarl Union''s Archduke. She was the only daughter of the Archduke from the former Rindarl Kingdom that had been set up as the puppet government leader for the four united Dukedoms-


    ¨C And she was also the heroine of a certain otome game in my memory, who potentially was a person that could wildly influence my fate, and cause my life to completely go off its tracks.

 Chapter 204 - 205

    Intermission arc


    Snow thawed early for this year''s winter.


    The heaviest snowfall finished before we entered the last month of the year, and the already fallen snow began melting. The ice covering the western lakes had already become thin enough for us to restart fishing ahead of schedule.


    In this season, I can take the afternoons to slightly relax after taking care of the seasonal trivial domain lord work.


    When I entered noble school, I distributed part of my work as the domain lord, so now I''m finally able to take things a little slower. ¡­Well, after returning to noble school again, I''m going to need to study for my classes, so my free time will disappear quite easily.


    Nevertheless, it''s all thanks to Oscar that work has been continuing at such high efficiency, as he was able to allocate every task without any needless waste. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    There''s also the remaining work from Earl Terejia on continuing to improve the quality of life in Kaldia domain as the domain lord''s work. However, Oscar''s quite skilled at sorting out all the work.


    Most importantly, Oscar worked together with the Ar Xia Church''s bishops that I hired several years ago to teach the young soldiers in training in the Kaldia army that were still children so that they could eventually help me with document work in the future.


    Even if these children wouldn''t be able to read difficult sentences, as long as they knew basic math and the necessary vocabulary, the number of people who would be capable of doing deskwork in the military would increase dramatically. Besides, if any of them are forced to retire from the army in the future due to injuries, they''d have a job to fall back on.


    I was slowly beginning to try and solve the problem of the personnel shortage in Kaldia. While this spring vacation was rather slow and relaxing, I could still feel the changes happening within my domain.


    Tira and the others told me to relax as well and took me out of the mansion. I was completely wrapped in the Shiru tribe''s anti-winter clothing as I stepped out into the garden which still had leftover snow. This newly constructed domain lord''s mansion had a much larger garden than the one at the Mansion of Golden Hills. The space was used exclusively for the two draconis.


    "Ah, Eliza-sama."


    "¡­Mefuri."


    A young girl was sitting in the corner of the garden and seemed like she was trying to hide herself as she was trembling. This was the former disposable Rindarl child soldier I brought back to my domain, the magic user Mefuri who still had many mysteries surrounding her.


    "Why are you in such a place¡­"


    Although the snow has stopped, it was still technically the end of winter and snow remained on the ground. The temperature outside was certainly not suitable for having fun outdoors.


    "Because Eliza-sama and Claudia-sama were both busy with work. I came here to see the draconis."


    Mefuri seemed troubled by the fact that she was discovered outside of the room. I didn''t know what to say in response, and could only look at her face that was reddened due to the cold.


    Ever since I brought Mefuri back with me, she had remained this way. She would only talk to me, Claudia, and the two draconis Rashiok and Vedwoka, while avoiding all contact with everyone else.


    In addition to Mefuri, Vanita and the other former child slave soldiers of Rindarl were also now under my guardianship and living together in my mansion. I could understand that she most likely didn''t want to see them. She had brought it on herself however, and I couldn''t help her.


    While I did give Mefuri a private room of her own, whenever Claudia or I wasn''t around her, she would always come out to the garden to be away from others.


    I would have preferred for her to remain indoors and not shiver outside in the cold like this, but considering her past as well as her mental condition, there was no way I could just force her to stay in her room.


    "Before you catch a cold, let''s go back into the mansion."


    In the end, this was all I could say. However, this time Mefuri looked up at me with her murky eyes as she laughed thinly and shook her head.


    "Only if I can stay in Eliza-sama''s room. I''ll even endure it if there''s other children around."


    "¡­Mefuri, please listen to what I have to say. I still don''t intend to make you one of my close aides yet as you''re too young, but even so, nor can I just ignore a child that keeps running away from the mansion to shiver outside in the cold."


    "¡­¡­"


    Mefuri began pouting as she continued to look up at me.


    "You seem to be troubled, Eliza-sama."


    That comment from Mefuri seemed to contain joy for some reason, which caused me to reflexively furrow my eyebrows.


    "You don''t want to go back to your room. If staying there is no good, how about going to the village? And, you should dress a bit warmer. How about having Athrun go together with you?"


    "Warmer clothes, are you talking about the Artolan style?"


    Mefuri was the one who furrowed her eyebrows this time at hearing what I suggested. It seemed that she didn''t have a good impression of the Shiru tribe and the Artolan people.


    I didn''t know where Mefuri was from out of the four dukedoms that made up the Rindarl Union, but all four dukedoms had a bad relationship with the former Artolas Kingdom. Since they were at war with Artolas just over a decade ago and wiped the entire kingdom from the map, perhaps the relationship between Artolas and Rindarl could be said to be even worse than that of Arxia and Densel.


    As someone who was probably born around that time, Mefuri was likely raised by someone that gave her negative feelings towards Artolas.


    "This style is much warmer than the cloaks typically worn by commoners in Kaldia. That''s why in the last few years, we''ve begun to produce them for everyone. Ah, there are some differences in the patterns used, though."


    But as I went on about this topic, Mefuri''s expression of obvious prejudice became even stronger.


    "¡­No. I don''t need it. Nor will I go to the village. I''ll just return to my room after all."


    After glaring in disappointment at the Shiru clothing I was wearing for several seconds, Mefuri stood up and said that as she ran off back to the mansion.


    As I watched her back disappear, I thought to myself that I shouldn''t leave her alone too much. Whether it was because of my methods that were basically brainwashing, or her own dark past, Mefuri was too unstable. It was far too dangerous for someone who had powers beyond human understanding to be unstable.


    Just as I was deep in my thoughts thinking about what to do, something jolted me when it touched me on the cheek and gave me quite a shock.


    "¡­¡­Oh, what. It''s you, Vedwoka. You surprised me."


    Before I realized it, she had come up beside me and was nuzzling me with her cold nose. Rashiok had arrived as well, and we all seemed to be getting along well with each other as they stood with me in the middle.


    "Just what should I do," I muttered to myself. Rashiok could only respond by nuzzling my face as well.


    While stroking his cold and smooth scales, I could only sigh to myself.

 Chapter 205 - 206

    Even though it was now peacetime, various things would still happen. My headaches weren''t limited only to Mefuri trying to isolate herself from everyone.


    "Eliza-sama, a letter has arrived from Claudia-sama''s family."


    "¡­I''ll read it."


    Just as I was finishing up the office work for this morning, Mrs. Marshan who was in charge of Tira, Reka, and Ratoka''s studies brought a letter to me.


    This is the second time that I''ve received a sealed letter from the Rolentsor family since returning from the battlefield.


    Of course, the content was about the only point of contact I had with them ¨C it was with regards to finding a marriage for Claudia.


    Claudia who''s ten years older than me will be turning 24 years old on her next birthday which is in the summer.


    ¡­As for the age of 24, even in the royal capital which is more lax on marriageable age, it''s considered to be nearing the end of an appropriate age to get married in this country. Since we were in a rural domain like Kaldia with mostly only commoners, I had been putting this off¡­ but in my defense, there was nobody I could think of in this domain that I could put together with her in a "marriage."


    Ever since she successfully became a knight before the age of twenty so that she wouldn''t have to obey her parents and get married to whoever they wanted, she herself has probably never even thought about the concept of marriage since then.


    But in the end, she was still a noble daughter herself, and there will still be people interested in getting married to her.


    After I returned from the battlefield at the end of autumn, I had written a letter to Claudia''s father. I asked him if he had any ideas about helping Claudia to get married.


    However, what Claudia''s father believed was that I, since Claudia was a knight now officially serving me, or Earl Terejia since that was who she was serving on the surface, should take the responsibility for her marriage issue.


    Unlike the case of where noble daughters would often temporarily work as maids in other noble households, Claudia working as a knight for me was probably a job she viewed as permanent in nature, completely leaving her home.


    The ranked knights of personal or national knight orders are considered to be permanent jobs unless they withdraw of their own volition. Since these knights will receive titles of their own, they can be thought of as new heads of their own branch families.


    But even so, they still have parents. As for Claudia''s parents, when Baron Rolentsor saw that the war was over and peace had arrived, he wanted Claudia to settle down and get married so that she could enjoy the "average" happiness of life.


    His letter to me even included veiled criticisms of the fact that Claudia had gotten both of her hands injured while fighting for me. If it wasn''t for the fact that she had succeeded in becoming a knight, I was certain that he would have loudly protested because of the custom about how unmarried girls shouldn''t have their bodies blemished or something like that.


    ¡­Even though I''m someone who personally killed her entire family with her own hands, I can still understand the happiness of having your own family that you can spend time with.


    The girl from my previous life was able to spend her last days before death peacefully thanks to her own family. Even if I didn''t have the exact same feelings as that girl, I understood that she had what was considered an ideal family. That''s why I also hoped to give my citizens the same type of peaceful family lives.


    While Claudia technically wasn''t one of my domain''s citizens, she was one of my closest aides that served me faithfully. I was filled with conflicting feelings of just allowing Claudia to continue down her favorite lifestyle of hot-blooded battles, but also wanting her to be able to enjoy a peaceful life.


    That''s why I now had the urgent matter of thinking about how to have my upcoming discussion with Claudia.


    "Anyways¡­¡­ sigh. For the time being, I should hear what she thinks first."


    As I finished reading Baron Rolentsor''s letter and folded it up neatly, I couldn''t help but let a sigh escape from me.


    Did Claudia herself want to get married? I was quite doubtful of it.


    And if she told me that she was willing to get married, just who should I help her get married to?


    Of course, she would have to get married to a noble that was approximately equal to her in status.


    On top of that, she probably wouldn''t want to end up leaving Kaldia, it was impossible for her to act like a typical noblewoman and settle down at home, and due to the fact that her personal combat prowess was astonishing, it would have to be an individual who wouldn''t have a complex about most likely being weaker than she was.


    And as for my personal wish, I hoped that whoever she got married to would be able to rein her in to a certain extent. And I needed a person who wouldn''t mind having to move to the Kaldia domain.


    Not to mention, it needed to be a person who didn''t have any conflicts with the most important families connected to me, the Terejia, Einsbark, my own Kaldia, or the Genas (my most important neighbor) families.


    Even if all of the above was satisfied, there was one biggest problem of all remaining ¨C honestly I wasn''t even sure if this problem was surmountable ¨C Claudia herself would have to be willing to marry this person.


    ¡­Was there even a single unmarried male in this world that managed to fulfill all of these conditions simultaneously?


    "Mrs. Marshan, could you please pass along a message to Claudia for me, please? I would like to have lunch together with her today."


    Even though all these things were weighing on my mind, I decided to set up a time to discuss this with Claudia and deal with this issue.


    Mrs. Marshan agreed to pass my message along. Now then, let''s finish off the last bit of my work and get ready for lunch.


    There was only one final stack of documents remaining, and I unrolled the papers as I prepared my stamp.


    These were a rare type of document, being marriage notifications regarding my citizens that were planning on getting married for this year''s spring.


    Spring always had the most marriage applications, which made me wonder if it was because they had the most time to prepare to get married in winter. This year, it seemed that there were twenty-six couples planning on getting married.


    The first time that I stamped my approval for the citizens'' marriage applications was when I was seven years old. Compared to then, my citizens are getting married at a much higher rate than before. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    And so, I stamped my approval on each marriage application that the villages had mailed to me.


    That''s when¡­


    "¡­Hmm? ¡­¡­¡­¡­Ehhh?"


    My hand couldn''t help but stop when I suddenly saw the name "Gunther Pavel" written on one of the marriage documents.


    ¡­¡­What, what was this?


    Gunther was getting married? That guy didn''t mention anything on this topic at all while he was at Fort Jugfena with me! Even the other Kaldia army members didn''t bring this topic up at all!

 Chapter 206 - 207

    Gunther''s marriage does bother me but Claudia is more important now.


    I did sign the applications and approve them but put them into the drawer without putting them out as finished, approved application.¡ª-I did tell Gunther that I would affix the seal quickly but there was something I needed to confirm.


    I decided to have a proper simple meal for lunch¨Cwell, although it was not that simple but that''s the image I get when I compare it with breakfast and dinner.


    I do want to avoid carelessly upsetting Claudia. Worst case scenario, she might even stop talking to me. Although that probably won''t happen.


    Even though I want to confirm her will, her family is saying *that* after all. If possible, I want her to easily accept the marriage¡­ But even if she did accept, the problem of finding the partner would still remain. Well, it''s not like I don''t have any means of finding such a person, though.


    Claudia, who did not yet know of her family pestering me for the marriage, happily came to the sudden lunch meet.


    I took a seat facing her, apologized for the sudden meet and we started eating.


    "It feels like it has been so long since we have had lunch like this in the mansion."


    "It has been quite a while, after all. Thank you very much for protecting my territory as a knight this year. I wanted to express my gratitude to you for fighting in the battlefield and for capturing those kids."


    On Claudia''s hand, the scar she received from the underground passage still remained. It doesn''t seem to cause any hindrance in using the spear but it is painful to look at.


    It isn''t a scar an unmarried woman should bear. Now if I were a man, to take responsibility for the scar, I probably would have to take her as my bride¡­ Well, putting that aside, all the problematic things might have been settled at once.


    "A knight''s scar is something like a decoration. You don''t need to worry."


    She said indifferently, tore a bread with her scarred hand and ate it.


    She didn''t even try hiding it with a glove like me so that is probably what she really believes.


    "It really helps me when you say that¡­ However, when I think that it might ''cause problems in your marriage¡ª"


    As I said that, trying to probe into the matter, Claudia declared that,


    "Ahh, that probably won''t be a problem either. I don''t have any intention in marrying into a house which does not honor me being a knight, after all."


    She is too gallant. From the looks of it, does she not think of marriage at all?


    In my mind, the letter Claudia''s father had sent kept making a round trip with amazing momentum. A father''s love for his daughter can be very overwhelming.


    "Even still, bringing up the topic of my marriage¡­ Taking this chance when the war is over, are you planning on finally getting me married? Or did my father send an impolite letter regarding the matter?".


    With an expression which looked like she was enjoying herself, Claudia launched an astoundingly sharp comment.


    ¡­Ah, that is true. She was quite clever in terms of aristocratic matters.


    Being read like a book just because of a single word, I was left astonished. Due to her usual dumb speech and conduct, I had forgotten but she has quite a skill of reading into people''s thoughts. For some reason she displays quite the sharpness when the matter is faced towards her. Well, it is not on purpose¡­¡­ Right? I would like to believe so.


    "No. Teo sent out a notification for marriage earlier, right? And so that made me think of stuff. I would like to ask without beating around the bush but, what are your thoughts about your marriage, Claudia-dono?"


    Saying so that the fact that her father was actually pestering me about her marriage is avoided, I directly went into today''s topic. It would also be a pain if the topic gets carried away while I am beating around the bush.


    But Claudia wore a puzzled expression to my question and slightly tilted her head.


    "¡­Did I, perhaps say something odd?"


    "Hmm. Were you not planning on getting me married with Oscar using this chance? Or rather, I had totally thought that was what Earl Terejia was planning when he recommended Oscar to the Kaldia Order of Chivalry."


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..Oscar?


    I ended up staring into Claudia''s sky-blue eyes dumbfounded for a while there. She glanced back with a smile.


    On the inside, I felt like sweat was coming down my forehead like a waterfall.


    That''s right. There is Oscar. How could I totally forget about his existence? I completely omitted him as Claudia''s husband candidate.


    After all, it''s the Oscar who shows even less interest in marriage than Claudia. Maybe the impression he left on me made me think that if needed, he might go and marry someone of his own choice.


    "However, I don''t really have any objection but¡­ there is a condition."


    Claudia started speaking while cleanly piercing her fork into the dessert. Before I knew it, her plate was almost empty. What is with that eating speed? She might be hiding a talent for battle dinner or something.


    "A condition, you say. What would that be¡­.?"


    I asked while revising my loose posture. Exactly what kind of condition is she talking about?


    After all, the very moment when someone is taking Claudia as their wife, the general things people want from wives are far from plausible. What more does she want to add on top of that, I wonder?


    "That is¡­."


    Claudia started speaking with a serious expression. *Gulp* I held my breath.


    "The person who will become my husband must win in a battle against my elder brother."


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Alright then, let''s start sending letters to all the relatives at once. I guess I will confirm with Oscar for what it matters as well."


    There hasn''t been a single moment before where I wanted to be praised for my ability to stop myself from slamming my forehead into the table. After all, that is the kind of condition she had which made nervousness seem completely ridiculous.


    Seeing my exhausted expression, Claudia replied ''Hmm¡­?'' with a puzzled expression yet again.

 Chapter 207 - 208

    Oscar, eh? ¡ª Upon hearing the name, I recalled that I did think he was the perfect match but, now that I think about it properly, he too has his bothersome circumstances.


    After lunch with Claudia, I went straight to catch Oscar and confirm his situation, or more precisely, the Terejia family''s situation.


    Oscar, who I had officially appointed as the landlord''s assistance when I had entered the school, had always been working here and there.


    He has been doing all sorts of work like handling the papers which I approve and Ratoka sorts, having discussions with important people like the bishop, the head of the Shiru family, looking over matters needing attention in the villages and what not¡­


    Although he is supposed to be titled a knight, he has been making Bellway work relentlessly and at this point, he probably does more territorial jobs than me, the lord of the territory.


    What on earth are knights? After the Terejia family put on pressure, although I was the one who ordered it, I left Oscar in charge of the territory in my absence. By the way, when I had returned, the tax collection was perfectly done.


    Really, what on earth are knights?


    Despite all that, he spars with Claudia once every two days and also doesn''t miss the combined training with the territory army ¡ª I really don''t understand how¡­ It is at the level where you would doubt if he was using clones or something¡­


    ¡­And well, so, he has now become an existence whom you must call out to if you happen to find him¡­ Otherwise you''d end up having to hunt around the whole territory for him.


    Just when I was about to go to his office to deliver some papers and cards, I happened to find him there coincidentally and, in turn for helping him with the register, he agreed to talk with me. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    If I had let this go, I am not sure when I would get the opportunity again. Well, if I were to consider his mysterious movement speed, if I had left a memo in his office, he would have probably come to my office the next day, though.


    And when I began to tell him to finish the registry calculations fast so that we could talk about his and Claudia''s marriage, he nodded like he had known and explained what Earl Terejia had in mind.


    In short, that is what they wanted but they still hadn''t talked about it with the Viscount Rolentsor''s family. Assuming that Claudia wouldn''t settle down before the state of affair with the neighboring country calmed down, they had not yet officially talked about it.

 Chapter 208 - 209

    He asked a odd question which I didn''t quite understand but it seems like Oscar doesn''t really object to this marriage either.


    Well, they live in one of the area under the territory lord''s mansion and don''t really go out into the high society, so noble, lady-like skills will probably not be demanded from Claudia. In fact, if you just think about it in terms of income, she might just be an amazing wife¡­¡­ Probably.


    For now, I guess it is alright to think that there will not be any impediments to the marriage as long as no problems arise from Oscar''s side ¡ª the Terejia house.


    If that is the case, then as I thought, the problem is¡­


    "¡­.And that''s what she said.."


    "Ah¡­. I see¡­"


    When I told him about the condition Claudia spoke about, Oscar wore an indescribable expression.


    I was probably making a similar face, as well. If someone were to look at us, they wouldn''t think we are talking about marriage at all.


    "A duel¡­ eh. That too against Natarnael-dono who is renowned for his strength among the Imperial Knights."


    It seems like Claudia''s brother had been promoted to the Imperial Knights before I knew it. He was supposed to be in the military police squad maintaining public order so that is quite the promotion. He might have also joined the king''s army.


    "Do you think you have a chance at winning?"


    "Impossible. The Imperial Guards are the best among the elites. If it was a death fight, it would''ve been different but when it comes to royal court sword skills, I do not hold a candle against him."


    Oscar flatly declared. Remembering the blunder at the school last year, I couldn''t help but wear a bitter smile.


    But still, this is bad. Who would have thought the biggest obstacle to this marriage would be one of Claudia''s relative, when the one asking her to get married is her father.


    "However, the situations have changed since that promise. How about discussing the matter with Natarnael-dono?"


    That is true. Her brother wouldn''t want his sister to be unmarried, now would he?


    I nodded and decided to advance this marriage talk seriously.


    First, I decided to send a letter to Earl Terejia.


    When I handed over the letter to Paulo, who had now become a veteran messenger soldier, and told him to go deliver it to the capital, he looked crestfallen and hung his head.


    "Hm? What happened? Did you request for a vacation or something?"


    When I was about to go and check whether the request papers were checked or not, Paulo panickedly shook his head left and right.


    "Ah, no¡­ it''s not like that. Just that there is a girl I am getting along with recently¡­ Ah! No! It''s not like I am neglecting this job for that or anything!" Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡­..Looks like there is a person who is enjoying the post-war peace here too. (?)


    I should better think about the marriage rush and the surge in birthrate which would accompany that. Well, since the quality of life now is very different from the previous world, I probably don''t need to think about it that deeply¡­. Probably.

 Chapter 209 - 210

    After entrusting the letter to a soldier, I returned to the office and pulled out Gunther''s marriage certificate from the drawer.


    The number of people who can write are limited so the person who wrote this is probably not someone related to them but the village mayor or an expert. Gunther''s parents'' house is already gone and he doesn''t belong to any village now so naturally this certificate was probably delivered from his wife''s village.


    After confirming the name of the Neza village''s mayor at the end of the document, I decided to immediately verify the matter. Can''t possibly keep this marriage certificate on hold for so long, after all.


    And as I was going, I thought I might as well take Mefuri along with me as she seemed free. I went to the room she was supposed to be in.


    "Mefuri. I came to deliver the laundry¡­.. Ah, Eliza-sama."


    I encountered Vanita along the way, who was calling out to Mefuri with his awkward Arkshia language while knocking on the door.


    Looks like he was helping the maids. I didn''t really ask him to do anything specific so he is apparently doing it voluntarily.


    "Vanita?"


    For just a moment there, his face distorted very awkwardly but then he stepped back a few steps to let me stand in front of the door.


    Mefuri was particularly avoiding Vanita. To be honest, I didn''t think Vanita would be thinking of meeting Mefuri either but it seems like I was wrong.


    "¡­..Mefuri, it''s me. I am opening the door."


    I did knock and call out to her but as Vanita was with me, she didn''t reply. Without paying it any heed, I opened the door to find Mefuri in front of the open window, staring at me.


    Well, from the looks of it, she doesn''t have a weapon so even if Vanita tried to enter she probably would''ve only tried to escape. Seems like she doesn''t plan on causing a ruckus.


    "Seems like Vanita came to deliver the laundry."


    "¡­..Put them in front of the room. Vanita doesn''t want to meet me either, right?"


    What are you doing, the victim is trying to meet half way and you, being the wrong-doer, are rejecting?


    "Mefuri, go out and take your own laundry yourself from Vanita."


    Enduring my urge to sigh, I ordered her clearly. With a frozen expression, she sluggishly moved away from the wall.


    And then she timidly took her laundry from Vanita, who was idly standing in front of the room.


    ¡­..is that really avoiding contact? It would have been one thing if Vanita was the one avoiding, but why is Mefuri the one avoiding?


    I hear her magic gets more and more broken the more time you put into it. She can''t possibly turn the other into a bomb from just the trivial contact from everyday life.


    Vanita was watching the assailant, Mefuri, be extremely frightened, with an indescribable expression.


    Sighing in my mind, I thought about what I could do about these two. Mefuri and Vanita will have to live together in this mansion for the next few years. I was planning on giving them some sort of a job or educating them once they get used to living here but it won''t start if they don''t even meet face to face and keep avoiding contact.


    ¡­..Alright. This might be a bit forceful but I need to change the situation.


    "Vanita. Do you have any plans after this?"


    "Eh? No, I don''t, ma''am." S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 210 - 211

    Kaldia''s Budding Spring ¨C Part Seven


    The face of the woman called Nadje was somewhat familiar to me. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Upon attempting to drill further, she had initially responded with a blank expression, and had then adopted one more aligned with confusion. She had nevertheless offered me a bashful smile and ushered me into her home.


    It was an odd feeling. Apart from the small children and region soldiers, there weren''t many people who were willing to come into contact with me and not even wince.


    "Just what happens to be the issue? Do you have some sort of business with me?"


    "Yes, Nadje. About that¡­"


    The Village Chief was decent enough to be the one to explain things to her. With him treading on glass, it only served to make me feel all the more awkward. Thanks to his input, however, it was much easier to evoke a change in Nadje''s reactions as lent an ear.


    When asked of her relationship with Gunther she grew a bit embarrassed, but was still frank in her admission that she pined after him while still being somewhat wary of me. But her somewhat calm demeanour disappeared the second the Village Chief decided to ask about the marriage registration, almost as if shattered.


    "Eh¡­ Mr. Gunther and I¡­ Marriage? Huh¡­ What?"


    The wheels in her head seemed to stop turning about halfway through, and the Chief and I turned to look at each other. The girl herself was supposed to be at the very centre of the issue, but she didn''t seem to have an inkling of what had happened. It was fairly obvious that there was no subterfuge mixed with her bewilderment.


    ¡­ Which meant that the one we should be asking was probably her father.


    The marriage laws of Arxia differed, depending on the region. The new laws passed down by Earl Terejia and I stated that the two parties to be wed were required to allow the village they willingly lived in to act as a sort of mediator, a place where they would whip up the marriage registration contract.


    Both parties would sign said contract, and it would have to be submitted to the lord of the lands.


    Before the laws were revised, however, any laws concerning matrimony had been based off of aristocratic conduct. The agreement needed for a marriage was not to be between the two parties concerned, but rather between the Lord and the acting father or guardian of the would-be bride.


    "Village Chief, exactly who was the one to request the marriage registration?!"


    "Come to think of it¡­ It was Nadje''s father. I¡­ I''m truly sorry, I appear to have been lacking in my review¡­"


    "Not at all. A parent can act as a default proxy for their child. There''s no reason to fault you over what happened at the time of registration."


    That really wasn''t the core of the issue; that lay more in the fact that Nadje''s name had been signed into the registry. If Nadje was really unaware, then that meant it had been forged¡­ and that whoever forged it would have to be confronted by the law itself.


    "Um¡­ What¡­ What should I do¡­?"

 Chapter 211 - 212

    Kaldia''s Budding Spring ¨C Part Eight


    "Uuuh¡­ Right, that''s it. Gunther, there''s something I wanted to ask you¡­"


    With both hands around the now moving snow snake that had sprung from the bag, I decided to resume the conversation.


    He would probably want to understand the bizarreness of the situation as soon as he could. Gunther responded in the positive, with a small ''Sure'' and a nod. Wishing to avoid beating around the bush any further, I decided to cut straight to the point.


    "Thing is, someone handed in a marriage certificate with your name and Nadje''s inside."


    "¡­What?"


    At that moment, Gunther''s voice and tone had gone soft and low. I could see both Nadje and the village chief twitch back a bit as they restlessly peeked over to Gunther.


    Just as I was about to warn him that it was best not to make expressions that dangerous, Rashiok''s head ¨C its owner still fixated on the snow snake ¨C grazed against my side, and my back became recipient to the thrashings of a rather long tail. It eased the atmosphere a bit, admittedly.


    "¡­ Yes, I thought this was more of a one-person ordeal, but I really can''t have falsified documents stamped with the seal of approval, can I? I had it looked in to."


    Gunther did not give a single response, and instead let the bag slung over his back ungraciously drop to the floor. A heavy silence took over the house. Gunther was giving off oddly intimidating vibes. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The space between his eyebrows wrinkled as he fell into a deep silence, and Nadje could only barely open and close her mouth, again and again.


    "¡­ Exactly what do you mean by ''falsified''?"


    "In the Kaldia area, it''s necessary for both the man and woman meant to marry to be willing. The very thing that shows that willingness is their combined signature. Nadje, on the other hand, doesn''t know about the certificate and is therefore unwilling. I mean that we have a document with a forged signature on our hands."


    "I see¡­ Look here, boss¡­ You think I could talk this over with Nadje for a little bit?"


    Gunther was madly scratching away at his scalp, almost as if his head itself was in pain. The oppressing air dispersed, and the others let out a breath of relief.


    Possibly due to the dissipation of tension, Rashiok''s head began shoving against me repeatedly and forcefully, almost as if to tell me that we''d done enough here. Nose pressing against the snake that drooped from the palm of my hand, the thrashing against my back became even more violent

 Chapter 212 - 213

    Kaldia''s Budding Spring ¨C Part Nine


    The snow snake has a unique and smooth texture. The closest thing it can be compared to would maybe be the gray layer between the salmon''s body and skin? Though the former has almost no smell and the taste isn''t as strong¡­ I almost never ate salmon though.


    "Mmm, tasty¡­." Mefuri unintentionally murmured as she felt the soft texture.


    Immediately after, I added a few herbs to the snake soup to change its taste, their citric feeling was quite refreshing¡­ She took her time savoring it.


    Vanita had a troubled expression as he looked back and forth between me and Mefuri while holding his bowl, though he stopped staggering with Mefuri''s words, and took a sip of the liquid.


    "Y-yummy¡­!" He proclaimed after a small wait.


    He murmured with an absurd amount of amazement. Could you please avoid being so expressive about it when talking about good food?


    The snow snake is an excellent ingredient that can be much tastier than a rabbit if cooked properly. Well, it''s not a very common meal, so it''s understandable.


    "Mefuri, could you share the herbs?" I extended my hand to receive them.


    Vanita watched while Mefuri gave them after a moment of staggering, I wanted him to taste the snake by itself, so it would be meaningless to have added the herbs from the start.


    "T-thank you." Vanita said after I passed them to him.


    As he received the herbs, Vanita kept on looking back and forth between me and Mefuri. After some hesitation, he tried talking to her.


    "¡­ Back when you grew up, was it common to eat snakes in the place you lived in?"


    Mefuri seemed to be panicking at his attempt to start a conversation, she directed me a pleading gaze, but I couldn''t help her, as I didn''t know where she came from in the first place.


    Considering the dark color of her skin, it is unknown rather she really is from Rindarl or not.


    When I brought her to live here, I heard about what kind of life she went through while growing up, but I don''t know any details.


    What I know is essentially that she was brought up as a spy, learned magic whenever possible, and had the knowledge of how to escape through mountains and forests drilled into her head.


    When I shrugged my shoulders to her plea for help, Mefuri resigned herself to it, and bit by bit started putting an answer together.


    "I don''t know if other people ate it, but whenever I got hungry, snake was the first thing I went after¡­ It was easier to catch than other types of meat."


    That is certainly true, it''s the same reason I ate snakes in the first place.


    "I started eating other types of meat recently, but¡­ I think snake is the tastiest."


    "¡­ Is that so?" sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Vanita nodded awkwardly. Well, it''s hard to feel at ease when hearing about Mefuri''s past.

 Chapter 213 - 214

    Kaldia''s Budding Spring ¨C Part Ten


    Gunther and Nadje finished their talk at about the same time we finished eating and tidying up.


    While Nadje was very embarrassed, Gunther unsuccessfully hid his own embarrassment behind a frown. A tall man came together with them and apologetically bowed to me.


    "It was not done with bad intentions." He said.


    "It is no worry, rather, did you reach an agreement? What should be done about the marriage registration?" I replied.


    "About that¡­ They just sanctioned it."


    "Oh¡­ Ahn¡­ Congratulations on your marriage Gunther."


    It took me a while to reply because it was too much to take at once, I didn''t expect them to accept it.


    Gunther curtly replied with a "Hmph." and then, as if he couldn''t hold back any longer, began to briefly explain the circumstances. The tall man occasionally opened his mouth to supplement a few parts of the story, apparently he is Nadje''s father.


    Apparently, Gunther planned to marry Nadje from the beginning. The one that was unable to get the consent was Nadje.


    Nadje is scared of men, even now she is only able to talk to those she is close to.


    Nadje''s father ended up worried about Nadje because Gunther was the only man close to her, but he was from the military, and constantly moved back and forth from the capital, it wouldn''t be surprising if Gunther had extramarital relationships.


    Her father felt that if she got closer to Gunther, Nadje would be completely unable to get over her fear, so he talked to Gunther last winter and gave him an ultimatum that if he wasn''t willing to take her hand in marriage, then he should never get close to Nadje again.


    ¡­ I felt pretty overwhelmed, he protected his daughter way too much.


    Gunther being Gunther decided to propose her, I wonder how much he cared for the surrounding opinions when doing that, however, it seems like he got a good reputation on the village on recent years, as the man that was part of the military and rescued Nadje in the past.


    "¡­ Do you think you can just marry a girl like that whenever you want? Nadje is poor." Her father had said.


    Gunther got somewhat shocked at that and scratched his head, he completely forgot this kind of ruling existed as he hadn''t really planned on getting married before he met Nadje. As a show of good faith though, he signed a marriage certificate in advance, so as to let them marry once things were ready.


    What they didn''t expect however, was that Nadje''s mother, who didn''t know how to read but knew how a marriage registration looked like, found the certificate signed by Gunther, and immediately got delighted as she had already given up hopes on Nadje getting married.


    She immediately made Nadje sign it, who also didn''t know how to read, so had no idea what she was signing, and brought the signed paper to the mayor.


    Which led to the situation of both Nadje and Gunther being completely clueless about the Marriage registration being sent to me.


    ¡­ What can I say? It seems like a story straight from a drama, put them on some fancy clothes and they should be able to make comedy opera with this.


    Well, if the people involved agreed to it, then the problem is settled. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Gunther is going to discuss when to hold the marriage with the whole family now, so I decided to go back to the Lord''s Mansion.


    With this Gunther''s matter is solved, but there is still one troublesome marriage to take care of.


    "¡­ Are you alright? You look tired, but happy." Vanita asked, and I nodded in return.


    With how much I have been moving around, and needing to deal with this opera-like marriage, of course I would be tired, but marriages are a happy occasion by nature, especially Gunther''s, which is my direct subordinate and also my former teacher.


    It was only natural for me to give him my blessing.

 Chapter 214 - 215

    Kaldia''s Budding Spring ¨C Part Eight


    "Uuuh¡­ Right, that''s it. Gunther, there''s something I wanted to ask you¡­"


    With both hands around the now moving snow snake that had sprung from the bag, I decided to resume the conversation.


    He would probably want to understand the bizarreness of the situation as soon as he could. Gunther responded in the positive, with a small ''Sure'' and a nod. Wishing to avoid beating around the bush any further, I decided to cut straight to the point.


    "Thing is, someone handed in a marriage certificate with your name and Nadje''s inside."


    "¡­What?"


    At that moment, Gunther''s voice and tone had gone soft and low. I could see both Nadje and the village chief twitch back a bit as they restlessly peeked over to Gunther.


    Just as I was about to warn him that it was best not to make expressions that dangerous, Rashiok''s head ¨C its owner still fixated on the snow snake ¨C grazed against my side, and my back became recipient to the thrashings of a rather long tail. It eased the atmosphere a bit, admittedly.


    "¡­ Yes, I thought this was more of a one-person ordeal, but I really can''t have falsified documents stamped with the seal of approval, can I? I had it looked in to."


    Gunther did not give a single response, and instead let the bag slung over his back ungraciously drop to the floor. A heavy silence took over the house. Gunther was giving off oddly intimidating vibes.


    The space between his eyebrows wrinkled as he fell into a deep silence, and Nadje could only barely open and close her mouth, again and again.


    "¡­ Exactly what do you mean by ''falsified''?"


    "In the Kaldia area, it''s necessary for both the man and woman meant to marry to be willing. The very thing that shows that willingness is their combined signature. Nadje, on the other hand, doesn''t know about the certificate and is therefore unwilling. I mean that we have a document with a forged signature on our hands."


    "I see¡­ Look here, boss¡­ You think I could talk this over with Nadje for a little bit?"


    Gunther was madly scratching away at his scalp, almost as if his head itself was in pain. The oppressing air dispersed, and the others let out a breath of relief.


    Possibly due to the dissipation of tension, Rashiok''s head began shoving against me repeatedly and forcefully, almost as if to tell me that we''d done enough here. Nose pressing against the snake that drooped from the palm of my hand, the thrashing against my back became even more violent


    "It is, of course, best for the two parties in question to talk it out. Had some measure of ill will or malicious intent been involved, then we''d be going about this differently. But I''m, in essence, an outsider. Actually¡­ even if that was the issue, I''d still have to apologise and leave this seat. Hold on, Rashiok. Don''t push me.


    Stop."


    Now I was forced to speak while stumbling about like some half-wit, and Rashiok was to blame. Nadje and Gunther said nothing as they looked my way, but then simultaneously burst into unsure smiles.


    Now outside the house, I decided to quickly deal with the snow snake. For my travel companions mostly, since they seemed to have time to kill.


    Adamant on the simplistic choice of skewered, grilled meat, I decided to borrow the village''s bonfire and improvised further by using a branch as a make-shift spit.


    I asked Mefuri to step on the end of its tail, restraining the snake so that it couldn''t writhe about any longer. I then used my short sword to cleanly lop off its head.


    "W-Wooow¡­"


    Seeing the decapitated snake still wriggling and writhing about, Vanita backed away, looking rather taken aback.


    Mefuri and I turn to one another. Mefuri appeared to be of one mind with me, seeing snakes as a type of animal clearly meant to be eaten. Looked like my own thoughts really came across.


    "Mefuri, could you do me a favour and borrow a pan and some salt from that house over there?"


    Snakes were much more delicious as a soup. Snow snakes especially.


    "Understood."


    Mefuri, having already seen the Village Chief''s wariness towards me and therefore able to extrapolate the more minute details, gave me an obedient nod and ran to the nearby house.


    Vanita threw me a glare that screamed, ''But I could''ve gone too!''. I deliberately ignored it. Why? Simply because Mefuri, once she realised that she was too little to carry the pot by herself, would come back soon enough.


    Mefuri, her gaze dancing between Vanita and I as I preoccupied myself with chopping up the snake, eventually adopted a somewhat reluctant approach and spoke to Vanita.


    "Um¡­ Vanita. I can''t really take the pot, so¡­ D-Do you think you could help me out?"


    "Huh? Oh¡­ Sure."


    Well, it looked like my original plan to bring the two of them outside with me and have Mefuri start talking to Vanita out of her own accord had been a success.


    My protective gaze lingered on their backs as they raced for the house. Then Rashiok invaded my field of vision.


    "¡­ I get it, I get it already."


    Heaving a sigh, I tossed half of the snake''s head and body into Rashiok''s mouth. And here I''d thought that I could skin it, at least¡­ Well, its worth was bound to sink quicker than it did during winter anyway, so I supposed I could let it get eaten this one time.


    Making use of the pot Mefuri and Vanita carried over, I removed the bones and entrails of the snake and threw it in along with salt and water.


    Letting a thick tree branch fall in the meantime, I broke it up to pieces and chiselled out its insides to make a sort of utensil. I''d decided to make spoons while I was at it, and had even prepared my short blade.


    "¡­ Excuse me."


    "Hm?"


    "How can be used to that much if you''re a domain lord? Do the nobles in Arxia train to infiltrate foreign forests or something?" sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    There was a rather pure perplexity underlying Mefuri''s question as she presented some herbs that looked like they might add some taste to the meal.


    "Ah¡­ No, not really. There was just a time when I lived in the barracks of the region army for a while. The region soldiers back then just sort of made their own dinner from what they found."


    I had hesitated for a brief moment before responding, unsure of how to answer. Then I realised that there wouldn''t be much in the way of deception, and decided that I might as well explain to her the bit about my past where I''d been an apprentice soldier of sorts.


    "I didn''t really have a lot of stamina back in the day either. Couldn''t even protect anything right. I think I ate pretty much anything that could be eaten. The regions just happened to be pretty poor at the time too.


    So, snakes aside, the meat of animals like squirrels, rabbits, and birds were handed over to the populace¡­ It wasn''t easy to keep up the spirit to take ingredients back to the barracks and cook them either, so it was pretty inevitable to make the tools on the spot and eat there."


    "Oooh¡­"


    I''d spoken with a tone of fond reminiscence, but now it wasn''t just Vanita who turned toward me with a distasteful expression; Mefuri did the same thing.


    ¡­ Vanita, with a mind forged by a higher education was once thing. But when Mefuri, who''d probably had to go through the same things I had did the same, I couldn''t help but feel a little put-off by the whole thing.

 Chapter 215 - 216

    Kaldia''s Budding Spring ¨C Part Nine


    The snow snake has a unique and smooth texture. The closest thing it can be compared to would maybe be the gray layer between the salmon''s body and skin? Though the former has almost no smell and the taste isn''t as strong¡­ I almost never ate salmon though.


    "Mmm, tasty¡­." Mefuri unintentionally murmured as she felt the soft texture.


    Immediately after, I added a few herbs to the snake soup to change its taste, their citric feeling was quite refreshing¡­ She took her time savoring it.


    Vanita had a troubled expression as he looked back and forth between me and Mefuri while holding his bowl, though he stopped staggering with Mefuri''s words, and took a sip of the liquid.


    "Y-yummy¡­!" He proclaimed after a small wait.


    He murmured with an absurd amount of amazement. Could you please avoid being so expressive about it when talking about good food?


    The snow snake is an excellent ingredient that can be much tastier than a rabbit if cooked properly. Well, it''s not a very common meal, so it''s understandable.


    "Mefuri, could you share the herbs?" I extended my hand to receive them.


    Vanita watched while Mefuri gave them after a moment of staggering, I wanted him to taste the snake by itself, so it would be meaningless to have added the herbs from the start.


    "T-thank you." Vanita said after I passed them to him.


    As he received the herbs, Vanita kept on looking back and forth between me and Mefuri. After some hesitation, he tried talking to her.


    "¡­ Back when you grew up, was it common to eat snakes in the place you lived in?"


    Mefuri seemed to be panicking at his attempt to start a conversation, she directed me a pleading gaze, but I couldn''t help her, as I didn''t know where she came from in the first place.


    Considering the dark color of her skin, it is unknown rather she really is from Rindarl or not.


    When I brought her to live here, I heard about what kind of life she went through while growing up, but I don''t know any details. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    What I know is essentially that she was brought up as a spy, learned magic whenever possible, and had the knowledge of how to escape through mountains and forests drilled into her head.


    When I shrugged my shoulders to her plea for help, Mefuri resigned herself to it, and bit by bit started putting an answer together.


    "I don''t know if other people ate it, but whenever I got hungry, snake was the first thing I went after¡­ It was easier to catch than other types of meat."


    That is certainly true, it''s the same reason I ate snakes in the first place.


    "I started eating other types of meat recently, but¡­ I think snake is the tastiest."


    "¡­ Is that so?"


    Vanita nodded awkwardly. Well, it''s hard to feel at ease when hearing about Mefuri''s past.


    "What about you?" She asked.


    "Eh?" He replied.


    "What kind of things did you eat?" She pressed on.


    Vanita staggered when being asked back, I''m amazed he didn''t expect it, his surprise seems a bit exaggerated.


    He seemed unsure on how to reply, it''s understandable though, as Vanita still has things hidden even from me.


    I didn''t question him about this kind of thing because I found no opportunity to do so, but perhaps my lack of probing is what made him talk so little about himself?


    "Ah, I¡­ I had to study a lot of etiquette, so I ate a wide variety of meals to remember how to handle each of them¡­"


    Judging from his expression, I''m pretty sure he ate his fair amount of luxurious meals, which obviously led to an awkward silence when it was said right after Mefuri talked about how she had to struggle to fill her stomach each time.


    ¡­ This kind of atmosphere ruins the snake''s taste.


    "Maybe your positions will be reversed in the future."


    I couldn''t help intervening into their talk, they both turned towards me with confused looks on their faces.


    "I''m still thinking on how you two will spend your future in here, but you''ll probably go to the lord''s manor, Mefuri in particular would only make use of lessons in etiquette, as she already knows basic survival skills. Vanita on the other hand might receive education in the army."


    They both trembled and started exchanging looks with one another, and with this, I dropped my eyes back to the bowl on my hand.


    ¡­ Well, those are the most likely possibilities anyway, while I have no intention of mixing those two with the slave children, both Vanita and Mefuri will probably live in the same place, I can''t let them continue being scared of one another.


    The children were all gathered from completely different places, so the death of others didn''t create a grudge between them, only fear.


    However, that fear wasn''t the only thing to move the children, many of them followed Mefuri voluntarily, as they had no trust in Arxia, the possibility of escape would make them move regardless of Vanita. Considering this, it is pretty likely that he would be taken to the place she was supposed to bring him to.


    I won''t say they should interact as if nothing of that happened, but they need to be able to make minimal conversation at least.


    At the moment, both Vanita and Mefuri don''t have much in terms of personal achievements, but I have hopes they''ll step up to the task. When spring comes, the river thaws and starts flowing again, but we can never know if it will lead to a valley or a fertile land.


    ¡­ I must be getting influenced by the spring, I never wanted work as a matchmaker like this. I would never had to worry about it if I was still looking for snakes every day.

 Chapter 216 - 217

    Kaldia''s Budding Spring ¨C Part Ten


    Gunther and Nadje finished their talk at about the same time we finished eating and tidying up.


    While Nadje was very embarrassed, Gunther unsuccessfully hid his own embarrassment behind a frown. A tall man came together with them and apologetically bowed to me.


    "It was not done with bad intentions." He said.


    "It is no worry, rather, did you reach an agreement? What should be done about the marriage registration?" I replied.


    "About that¡­ They just sanctioned it."


    "Oh¡­ Ahn¡­ Congratulations on your marriage Gunther."


    It took me a while to reply because it was too much to take at once, I didn''t expect them to accept it.


    Gunther curtly replied with a "Hmph." and then, as if he couldn''t hold back any longer, began to briefly explain the circumstances. The tall man occasionally opened his mouth to supplement a few parts of the story, apparently he is Nadje''s father.


    Apparently, Gunther planned to marry Nadje from the beginning. The one that was unable to get the consent was Nadje.


    Nadje is scared of men, even now she is only able to talk to those she is close to.


    Nadje''s father ended up worried about Nadje because Gunther was the only man close to her, but he was from the military, and constantly moved back and forth from the capital, it wouldn''t be surprising if Gunther had extramarital relationships.


    Her father felt that if she got closer to Gunther, Nadje would be completely unable to get over her fear, so he talked to Gunther last winter and gave him an ultimatum that if he wasn''t willing to take her hand in marriage, then he should never get close to Nadje again.


    ¡­ I felt pretty overwhelmed, he protected his daughter way too much.


    Gunther being Gunther decided to propose her, I wonder how much he cared for the surrounding opinions when doing that, however, it seems like he got a good reputation on the village on recent years, as the man that was part of the military and rescued Nadje in the past.


    "¡­ Do you think you can just marry a girl like that whenever you want? Nadje is poor." Her father had said.


    Gunther got somewhat shocked at that and scratched his head, he completely forgot this kind of ruling existed as he hadn''t really planned on getting married before he met Nadje. As a show of good faith though, he signed a marriage certificate in advance, so as to let them marry once things were ready.


    What they didn''t expect however, was that Nadje''s mother, who didn''t know how to read but knew how a marriage registration looked like, found the certificate signed by Gunther, and immediately got delighted as she had already given up hopes on Nadje getting married.


    She immediately made Nadje sign it, who also didn''t know how to read, so had no idea what she was signing, and brought the signed paper to the mayor.


    Which led to the situation of both Nadje and Gunther being completely clueless about the Marriage registration being sent to me.


    ¡­ What can I say? It seems like a story straight from a drama, put them on some fancy clothes and they should be able to make comedy opera with this.


    Well, if the people involved agreed to it, then the problem is settled.


    Gunther is going to discuss when to hold the marriage with the whole family now, so I decided to go back to the Lord''s Mansion.


    With this Gunther''s matter is solved, but there is still one troublesome marriage to take care of.


    "¡­ Are you alright? You look tired, but happy." Vanita asked, and I nodded in return.


    With how much I have been moving around, and needing to deal with this opera-like marriage, of course I would be tired, but marriages are a happy occasion by nature, especially Gunther''s, which is my direct subordinate and also my former teacher.


    It was only natural for me to give him my blessing. sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 217 - 218

    The budding spring at Kaldia Domain ¨C 11


    It was by the time when the snow has melted and wild flowers has started to bud when Claudia''s brother, Nathanael, arrived at Kaldia.


    After some greetings, I escort him to the village of the new citizens, which can also be seen from the current domain lord''s mansion we were in.


    After a while of walking on a suddenly vibrant street while being followed by curious gazes from the citizens,


    "¡­¡­.Hmm, I see. So this is the village that the people from Artolas made. Still, I can''t believe that such splendid village can be establish in just a few years¡­.., it''s truly amazing"


    Nathanael stated as he looked back at the road we just passed with fascination.


    "Indeed, it''s one of the things Kaldia is proud of. Because despite of being unaccustomed to their new environment, everyone still did such a great job."


    I nodded with a hint of embarrassment.


    In order to retain my composure, I put all efforts to ignore the fact that a girl who was weeding the field on our side suddenly stood up and run elsewhere. Ugh¡­. I''m sure this will spread all over the village now that I''ve been heard¡­.


    "I heard that many of the excellent troops of Kaldia helped with the construction, is that true?"


    "Hm¡­. ah, yes. The army was included in most of the construction"


    Kaldia''s military was used in developing this village in the first place. After that, soldiers from the Shiru tribe also became part of the construction.


    Even now, the military would be the first one to move if there''s any expansion or rebuilding, or even cultivation and irrigation works within the domain. That''s the reason why the construction skills of Kaldia''s army are high.


    ¡­¡­Most of the men who came from Artolas belongs to the Shiru tribe. Since people such as the Sellion farmers lives outside the Bandishia plateau, they quickly received Dansel troops attacks. That''s why many men sacrificed themselves in order for the women and children to escape.


    This is one of the main reasons why the Shiru tribe remained as the usher for the new citizens, though it''s also partly because of their influence during the time where Artolas still existed.


    "It''s a nice village. Not because it has a great view but because its people are all in good shape"


    "¡­¡­Thank you"


    I sincerely expressed my gratitude to him who was smiling happily as he let out a praise.


    I really think that he is indeed a sincere and outstanding person. It''s not like I was doubting it, since he''s the person that Claudia look up too and completely trust.


    Rather, It''s because he''s like that, that''s why I think so.


    I cannot predict what will happen to his awaiting duel with Oscar.


    Whether he will win, or not.


    All I can do is to watch and see for myself.


    I can''t help but feel nervous.


    "Now then, let''s proceed with the match"


    Back in the domain lord''s mansion, after the introduction of Oscar was over, both of us swallowed the urge we''re feeling as Nathanael remove his top as he states those words.


    This feeling of exhaustion, it''s completely the same with Claudia. As expected of siblings.


    "¡­¡­ excuse me but, how about having lunch first? you still haven''t taken a rest from walking around the village"


    "Ah, there''s no problem. Also, my movements will become dull if I eat so it''s better to finish some light work out first"


    Light¡­¡­ Light? Did I not mention that it''s a duel?


    I clearly stated in the letter that it will be a "duel".


    And of course, a duel is a serious match. It doesn''t just have a high risk of injury, there''s also a possibility of death involved.


    Above all that, Claudia''s engagement is at stake here. I can''t think of it as some light workout¡­¡­


    While feeling uncertain, Nathanael nonchalantly laughed at me.


    I currently have a confused expression on my face, as if wanting to ask what''s so funny


    Beside him was Claudia who has the same expression. Upon this, mine and Oscar''s shoulders dropped as we gave in.


    "¡­¡­¡­¡­I understand. We shall finish that first then. I was thinking of using the courtyard as the ground , is that alright with you?


    "Yes, of course. It won''t take long so no need to worry."


    I saw Oscar as he casually wrap around my back. The sword he was holding furiously shakes as he grips on it.


    Well, It does sound like he''s being looked down upon. It''s the same as saying " Fighting with someone like you won''t take long"


    But probably, no, surely Nathanael didn''t mean any harm. don''t feel like he''s looking down on him.


    ¡­¡­I''m sure that Nathanael is also aware of their difference in strength since Claudia guaranteed his way of making prediction and it''s accuracy


    Although I didn''t think that he was the kind of person that difference to his opponent, even though he doesn''t mean it


    Just what in the world is he thinking¡­¡­?


    My stomach started to get heavy as I feel more and more nervous. When I was about to unconsciously wrap my hands around it


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­I noticed Claudia who''s currently preparing her spear and gauntlet. The hands that were about to wrap to my stomach almost held my head instead. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "¡­¡­um, Claudia¡­¡­ What are you doing?"


    "Hm? What do you mean?"


    "Uh¡­¡­. Why are you picking up your weapon even though we''re about to begin their duel?"


    "¡­¡­¡­¡­£¿Why, you ask? Aren''t Oscar and I going to duel with my brother together?"


    ¡­¡­¡¢¡­¡­


    ¡­¡­¡¢¡­¡­¡¢¡­¡­


    ¡­¡­¡¢¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡¢¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­


    Wait a minute.


    What did she say?


    It''s my first time hearing that.


    Look. Oscar, who probably feels the same way as I do, looks completely drained!


    Even though the duel is about to begin, what are you gonna do about this!?

 Chapter 218 - 219

    "¡­..Do you have anything you would like to say?"


    That scene was just too unreal and surreal ¡ª said Ratoka later on, after witnessing from the sides. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    I was standing with my arms folded, taking a daunting stance, in front of 3 men who were kneeling on the ground.


    It goes without saying that the culprits behind this incident are Oscar, Claudia and Natanael.


    "U-Umm¡­ I am sorry! It was just too fun synchronising with Oscar to exchange blows against brother¡­"


    "I am sorry¡­ I guess I got a little too excited going seriously all out for a while there¡­"


    "I am sorry. I felt like I would die if I hadn''t blocked or deflected their moves."


    "I understand. Oscar, you go to the dining and set up a table before us."


    I couldn''t really keep him here, making him feel responsible for this situation as he already looked like he was dying so I let him go early. Well, for Oscar, I guess I can''t help but feel kinda¡­ sorry.


    After seeing Oscar go into the mansion after bowing, I shifted my vision towards the Rolentsor siblings, who were dripping cold sweat. Then, I looked towards the courtyard¡­ or the place which was the courtyard, the place which hadn''t even been a year old after being made.


    It was made with Rashiok''s playing ground or my training place in mind so it isn''t like there were any decorations there.


    There isn''t¨Cbut, however¨C


    What must you do such that it turns out like this? (I feel like they might have thrusted their spears with full force) There were cracks, ground collapsing, and in some places rising too¨Cit was a complete wasteland.


    The tiles laid out in the back were smashed to pieces, the terrace was covered in a cloud of dust¨Ceven the refreshment lawn was in a terrible state.


    If you don''t call this a disastrous scene, what would you call a disastrous scene?


    ¡­Or rather, what is this? Is this really something a human can produce? Oscar did quite well to even stay alive in the midst of that stormy fight. Even with just that, I feel like he did quite well.


    It was a dreadful fight.


    It was supposed to be a courtesy duel in terms of the Imperial sword or spear technique. And in reality, it was in fact not far away from that standpoint¡­ Although I can''t really come to terms with it.


    "Ummm¡­ Eliza-sama?"


    "What is it?"


    "Are you angry¡­?"


    In response to Claudia''s question, I just pouted disappointedly.


    Although she asked with a taciturn expression, if I were asked if I was angry or not, I feel like my answer would be a bit different.


    Even more than that, I am astonished by the Rolentsor siblings to be able to create such disaster¡­ Is it because I am feeling it is very irrational?


    It feels like the good ol'' scenes from the Shounen mangas.


    However, I can''t really be sulking about it all the time.


    After letting out a sigh, I called them by their names, ''Natanael-dono, Claudia-dono''. They straighten their backs to the limit, as if they were flicked.


    "¡­..I plan on holding the ceremony for Claudia-dono''s wedding here, in this courtyard."


    ""We will clean this place up with all our might!!""


    In response to the synchronized reply by the siblings, I again let out a deep, de¡ª¡ªep sigh.


    Well, with this, I guess the first part of the spring has come to an end.


    Good grief¡­ or rather, feeling kind of relieved, I let out yet another breath, different from a sigh this time.

 Chapter 219 - 220

    Tick, tock.


    Tick, tock.


    There was a grandfather''s clock of the latest trending style lying inside the room. The sound of its pendulum reverberated in the air.


    Outside, the sky was unfortunately still cloudy. The room was slightly dim, making gloom envelope this moment of waiting. Every single person in the room naturally kept being silent, as if the air was telling them to hush down. Sometimes, there would be signs of someone chewing on snacks or sipping black tea, but that was it.


    The rest of them would just sit down on the sofa in the room and stayed silent, waiting for that moment to arrive.


    Tick, tock.


    Tick, tock.


    ¡ªand then.


    "Gentlemen, it''s a successful birth! They''re healthy, glowing baby boy twins! The mother is all safe and well!"


    Someone quickly stepped through the corridor, and along with a knock, he shouted from the outside without entering the room. He soon left to go somewhere else, only leaving the sound of hurried footsteps which grew fainter by the second.


    Their seats rattled as everyone in the room stood to their feet with vigor. However, even though they wanted to open the door in order to go to their lady''s side at once, somehow, nobody made any move. While I wondered the reason for that, I was just about to call Ergnade''s name.


    "Twins¡­¡­"


    While wearing a dazed blank look on his face, those words were spilled from his mouth along with a moan.


    "¡­¡­Ergnade?"


    Father''s condition looked strange. No, it wasn''t only Ergnade. The other three people waiting in the room, the senior Earl Einsbark, Volmar, and Wiegraf, were also wearing the same utter shock look in their faces while being at loss for words.


    It was a precise mouth gaping empty look in their faces while the grandfather clock resounded. And then, as if to drown out that sound, a dazzling light shone through the window in unison with a thunderous roar that even shook the floor in tremor.


    Paralyzed by the thunder and lightning that crashed very close to them, they finally exchanged looks with grim expression and pursed their lips.


    ¡­¡­Just how could there be twins? A dangerous bewilderment hung in the air.


    "¡ªLet''s go."


    With Ergnade''s stiff voice, I exited the room and followed him. My own bewilderment deepened by the seconds. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    When the spring ended, just before I turned to my second year in the college, I got invited to the earldom of the senior Earl Einsbark. The reason of that invitation was to ask for my blessings for the sake of a safe delivery for the child of my father Ergnade, and I intended to agree to that invitation.


    When I was nine, Ergnade took me in, and it had been five years since then. He couldn''t have a child on his own, so he had been treating me like his real daughter, but finally, after avoiding the pressure from his blood relatives, he could finally obtain his dearest wish: a legitimate child.


    As for me, who was only a person he treated like his child, wishing to attend to congratulate him was something that was beyond my position. However, the Einsbarks had a lot of things that they owed to me, so no one refused my presence.


    ¡­¡­I couldn''t be an adopted child of the family, but I was treated well by everyone in the Einsbarks, as if I was a part of them, as if I was a part of their noble house. It was weird.


    Well, that issue aside, being allowed to grant my blessings to Ergande''s child made me feel sincerely happy, so I unhesitatingly rushed over.


    However.


    After giving birth, Ergnade''s wife wailed in anguish as if it was the end of the world, while the male Einsbarks engage in deep talk with sorrowful look in their faces.


    Even though the long awaited child and the mother were both healthy, as soon as they arrived in this building, the high anticipation and joy that they expected took a complete flip into despair and pessimism.


    Incidentally, the newborn twins were already carried by the midwife from the royal capital to another room. They had been made to sleep after their first bath, but most nobles didn''t partake in that gesture. Thus, it wasn''t strange that the newborns weren''t around in this kind of moment.


    In my previous life''s memories, one would expect a recently born baby to be sent directly to a nursery for the newborns.


    "Ergnade¡­¡­, Lord Father?"


    Because I couldn''t keep up with the situation, there was no other choice for me but to call him by his name.


    "¡­¡­ng, ¡­¡­ah, yes. My apologies, Eliza."


    Ergnade seemed to have only now realized my presence. He exchanged discreet look with his parent and brothers, and as if trying to include me in that circle, he folded his arms and signaled me to come every now and then.


    ¡­¡­Am I really going in there? Me? Even while shaking my head in exasperation inwardly, I still came closer to their side just like I was told to. Ergnade explained the situation straightforwardly with grief in his voice.


    According to him.


    "The truth is, in our Einsbark house, twins are taboo."


    "Taboo?"


    "¡­¡­For generation after generation, when twins were born, one of them would be buried. Especially when the twins were both boys¡­¡­ It''s harsh."


    "Oh, no,"


    Don''t tell me, was what I wanted to say. I never heard a tendency of avoiding twins except for anciently recorded times in history. My direct older brother and sister had been twins. Setting aside that characteristics, being born in Arxia meant accepting those extremities as well. ¡­¡­There was no comparing to my birth situation.


    "It was a story from a long time ago, but¡­¡­, Einsbark house was once ruined. The legitimate twins both competed for the seat of family head, and it created a catastrophic civil war for the entire family. After that, twins were regarded as taboo. Of course, I strongly believe that we don''t have to adopt that kind of evil practice. But, even so¡­¡­"


    Ergnade''s face distorted unpleasantly as he cut his words short.


    For him, who had always been a cheerful man, to show that kind of expression¡ªI never wanted to see that in my whole life.

 Chapter 220 - 221

    00-2 Einsbark Family


    "¡­¡­Outside this family, no one could have foreseen this. If there''s no child, the wife will be divorced and a new one will be found and escorted in. There are a bunch of like-minded people who think it is fine to speak like that."


    Volmar groaned with undisguised rage.


    ¡­¡­The Einsbarks didn''t have that many branch families, but they had many blood-related aristocrats, and then it seemed they grew to be close with each other.


    The Einsbark house was the current Imperial Guard house, as well as a prestigious family with many members holding a prominent position in the order of chivalry. However, once, it was a family which served the royal family and the sacred order of the temple instead of being loyal the kingdom.


    As a sacred order, it served as a private order which belonged to the temple for more than a century, and when the imperial army was reshuffled, the order of imperial guards was established along with the sacred order''s demolition.


    At that time, the Einsbark was a noble house, but it hated to expand. Almost every child would be strictly disciplined and trained during their childhood. The scions who exited the House of Lords would join the sacred order, and only returned to their secular life when they had to become the family head. Even now, most of them would become monks.


    The Einsbark family would only keep that utterly imbalanced power.


    In the case of the formation of the order of imperial guards, most of the Einsbark family members who came from the sacred order and became imperial guard would choose to obtain their own name and grew independent with their new lives.


    This was caused by the lack of main-branch family divisions, originally, as it was their tradition to crown the most excellent member of the house who became a knight of the sacred order, as the family head.


    Since that was the case, the prestigious families of the imperial guard who bore the same blood with Einsbark house could be considered as Einsbark''s branch families, but the Einsbark''s family head would only become a figure head among them. Despite being blood relatives, they bore different names after all. Therefore, as peer nobles, they were equal.


    Even inside the Einsbark house, they would freely speak and pressure the family members¡­¡­


    In order to keep the Einsbark family from being affected by most of the high society, it seemed that there were many intermarriage between the blood relatives. Consequently, even if they separated, as blood relatives their connection wouldn''t fade either.


    And then, there was the most traditional custom in order to keep the Einsbark as the one with the highest standing in the society, which was to strengthen their leverage by marrying their own blood relatives. Deciding things according to that kind of hierarchy, especially around the royal family, was as if they had fallen into someone''s careful plan who was expanding their influence.


    They kept telling Ergnade''s wife that she couldn''t do this and that to the babies, but it looked like other reasons also came into play here.


    ¡­¡­The twins taboo this time was also the same.


    The twins were born at the same time. Moreover, no one could tell which one was the first-born. At the very least, in Arxia, the distinction between the families and houses were left to their own customs.


    "¡­¡­I see. If the twins'' presence are known in this kind of situation, there will be a second internal war of the family¡­¡­ no, there will be mutual bloodshed. For the sake of determining which one would inherit the position of the family head in order to defeat the other families."


    Ergnade was the third son, but he had his own territory that kept expanding even now, so he was expected to have his own unique peerage and territory in the future. Coincidentally, as the reward for Wiegraf''s meritorious deed in the previous decisive war with Rindarl, he obtained a peerage of a lower Earl as the special consultant for the royal army.


    It wasn''t a position that would land him a job, but becoming the kingdom''s earl and working in the chivalry order would ensure that his peerage would be able to be inherited in the family. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Yes. Moreover, ever since Father obtained this fief, our blood relatives have only moved more aggressively. Us three brothers luckily didn''t marry with the blood relatives or the families in the Imperial Guards, but still."


    "¡­¡­so, those blood relatives are planning to usurp the Einsbark house, aren''t they?"


    "That''s correct. ¡­¡­That''s why I have to make my stance without choosing a method that will allow such a thing."


    Earl Einsbark''s words drowned the expression of everyone in the room.


    Not choosing a method that would allow such thing, in other words¡­¡­. to avoid the bloodshed, the twins must be assassinated, was it? Einsbark family only had a few people already, and those people settled their restlessness. Protecting their own selves should be easy, but they had an overwhelming lack of time to protect the small lives of the twins.


    The scope of the assassination most likely included the mother as well. Protecting four lives at once wasn''t plausible.


    Finally understanding the severe degree of invoking the taboo of the twins, I went into a grandly¡ªmost likely, just as grand as Father''s¡ªdeep frown.


    "¡­¡­Fuh, causing you to make that kind of expression. I''m sorry. You''re dragged into the problems of this house."


    Ergnade smiled wryly. I shook my head at his words.


    "I don''t mind it. I''ve received a lot of things from you, so until the very end, I wish to remain as your daughter. ¡­¡­For that reason, knowing that the children of my benefactor are in peril, even as someone without blood relation¡­¡­ no, it''s because I''m not related in blood that I feel my gut seething this much."


    "It shouldn''t be like that. You''re thinking about this situation as someone whose relatives just gave birth to children, am I right? I''m happy for that, and I''m, sorry for that, too. That''s what I''m saying. You are someone I consider my daughter, but I can only give you more unnecessary concern."


    "It''s a given, though. Because if Ergnade has children, they will be my brothers."


    That part wouldn''t change even without their blood running in my veins. ¡­¡­all the blessings that I had received in Einsbark family were countless. They became the shield in my back, stood their grounds by my side in the battlefield so I would get the rewards for my merits, and then, they included me to deal with this matter as a part of their family.


    As someone who killed her family with her own hands like me, I never though that I would be blessed with another family for the second time.


    ¡ªHold it. Brothers, ¡­¡­Family?


    Something flashed in my mind.


    "¡­¡­, That''s right."


    Those small words that I let out without noticing made all of their heads turned to my direction. I became startled and had to duck my head, but I still explained to them what I had in mind nonetheless. If this was needed¡­¡­ I started my speech like that. More than heavily anticipating eyes, they looked apologetic and resigned. My eyes must have mirrored theirs as well.

 Chapter 221 - 222

    00-3 The Chaos in Kaldia''s Residence


    "Haa?! Making a baby''s cradle within 10 days?!"


    Within the workshop where the sound of saws, nails, and hammers striking could be heard, the chief''s loud voice that sounded like a roar was raised, drowning out the other noises.


    The silence that didn''t even last for a moment occurred, and the excellent craftsmen who guessed the conversation during that time hastened their working speed. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Five years ago, the whole workshop migrated from the territory of Carlson as a new carpenter craftsmen. The workshop that consisted of 60 staffs at that time got new employees bit by bit as there were villagers who sought for jobs there, and now there are almost 100 staffs working there.


    "That''s right! After that, please also do sleeping basket, washbasin, and clothes containers, and the others!"


    I yelled out loud as the sound of their operation increased.


    Even if it''s usual for me to visit this place, I feel like I''m standing in the battlefield. No, it''s not like the aura feels that dangerous to that extent, but the way I hold the conversation back and forth feels completely like the time of a battle.


    "Oi oi oi, what''s up, what''s up with that?! What kind of a rushed work is that, you son-of-a-bitch?!"


    "Please!"


    "If you''re requesting for it, then we''ll do it! We can''t refuse the request from the lord!!"


    The muscular chief replied vigorously, and his body built didn''t seem like as if he was making a fine woodwork.


    "I''m saved!"


    "And, just when the hell did you take a bride, my lord?!"


    "¡ªAh-, not yet¡­ no, I''m a woman, though not quite satisfactory!"


    When I reflexively yelled to give my answer, the sound of laughter bursted out from within the workshop. The chief laughed very loudly as he held his sides with laughter at the words ''though not quite satisfactory''. He then put me at ease when he told me that the building time could be finished within 3 days.


    There are also many other things that need to be prepared.


    "Bellway, I''m sorry for troubling you with the preparations for the move, but I want you to arrange for a wet nurse within the royal capital and the territory. Negotiate the wage up to 15 silver coins per month. After that, I want to hasten the migration to the royal capital to three days. Leave the arrangements for the house over there to Elise¡ªaah, that''s right, Elise.


    Arrange the vacant room facing my room as if there will be someone using it, together with Mrs. Hortensia in the morning. Use the maids and have Tiara and Mefuri help you. ¡­Luca! Sorry, but please bring this pouch to the women of Gairuju village. Get the needle and yarn to sew clothes put intise of the pouch.


    Aslan, convey a message to the military base. Increase the guards who will accompany the journey to the royal capital to five people. As much as possible, choose the people who have little brothers or little sisters."


    I instructed Bellway, who was treated more like of a housekeeper rather than working a mere secretary''s job, to prepare the necessary arrangements; made Ratoka arrange the interior of the current house, and order the people who had nothing to do like Luca and Aslan to move this and that.


    I feel bad for giving them a large quantity of work to do in addition of being originally busy with the preparation for my enrollment to the academy, but it can''t be helped as it''s something necessary to do.


    "Eliza-sama, what kind of matress and other things should be prepared in the new room?"


    "The matress and curtain will be the ones used by Earl Terejia. The tapestry should be brand new, and I don''t care about the rest. I have already asked the workshop to deal with the furnishings. In the afternoon, the villagers will come to help deciding their colors and shapes, so I''ll be counting on you until that time."


    "Understood."


    Mrs. Hortensia had a bewildered expression, but she bowed without asking anything and quickly went away.


    I finally caught my breath after I finished issuing instructions at one go, but immediately, Gunther entered the entrance hall and said, "There''s something I would like to discuss with the lord¡­"


    "Ah? What is this? I came here as Aslan called me out, but what kind of fuss is happening here? Is the lord bringing a bride over?"


    Gunther who saw the chaotic situation inside uttered the same thing as the workshop''s chief. I replied back to him, "The one who''s going to take a bride should be you, shouldn''t it?"


    Well, the lord''s residence right now is indeed in a condition where one can say so.


    This spring, besides Oscar and Claudia''s safe and sound marriage, Gunther is also holding his wedding ceremony in this mansion while inviting all of the army members under the reason of, "This is how I can reward your allegiance up until now." And that was how the mansion residents who were still in the middle of tidying up got even busier than they were.


    Incidentally, there was also a christening ceremony for the newly arrived members of the village just the other day.


    Finally, as soon as I felt like calming down a bit after arriving at the royal capital, I added two more carriages to depart to the royal capital 10 days later¡ªnaturally, there are some necessary preparations to be done¡ªas absurd as it seems, since the lord is heading out, there was quite a hectic uproar. There was no right and wrong about it, though.


    "Don''t make fun of Nadje."


    "Then, I won''t tease Nadje. And then, anything else?"


    "Ah-, that''s right. I saw the lord''s white-bellied green pigeon during the patrolling. It shouldn''t be in the office during this period of time, right? That''s why, I thought that I ought to tell you."


    "A pigeon?"


    That''s the white-bellied green pigeon used for any contact requiring a hurried response¡­ If we are to compare its movement speed alone, it can be used for communication at a speed even faster than the most excellent red carrier pigeon.


    Just where was it from? I instantly went upstrairs and when I entered the office, there were certaintly some bright blue feathers of a dove left on the plate.


    I picked up the sealed letter right next to the feathers¡ªand I opened my eyes wide at it.


    "¡­The royal family''s seal?!"


    Everyone knows of the Arxia nobility, but it was the first time in my life that I saw the symbol in a letter for myself. I tore open the sealing wax that contained the royal family''s seal.


    [There is an imperial edict for Countess Kaldia. If you would please quickly go and pay a visit to the royal palace.]


    These excessively simple sentences were written in its content that I opened in a rush.


    After unintentionally crushing the letter with my hands which were under pressure and tossing it away, I dashed up to the stairs and ran down with all my power.


    "¡­And that''s how, I apologize, but I need to go to the royal capital earlier than the initial plan."


    "Haaaa?!" The residents of the lord''s mansion who were in a chaos raised their voices which were close to screams, but it couldn''t change the royal''s order.


    "T, that, I understand, but¡­ In regards to the additional arrangements, how should we proceed with them from now on?"


    Bellway, who correctly understood the importance of the royal''s order even more than everyone else here, regained his composure in an instant and inquired me to give the instructions on how to proceed with the work smoothly even in my absence.


    "I will leave the preparations for the necessary things to Mrs. Hortensia, and the preparations to load the items along with my luggage to Bellway."


    "Me?"


    "That''s right. ¡­It can''t be helped for things to turn this way. There are some circumstances with details that I can''t divulge, but¡­ everyone here is a part of my own body. I will put my trust that you won''t leak this story to the others."


    I could hear the sound of someone swallowing their own saliva.


    Since there might be the risk of assassinations and the others entangled in the story, I tried making it as clear as possible that I would be making this public much later on, but¡­


    "¡ªI am going to adopt a child."


    "What?"


    "I repeat, I''m going to adopt a child."


    There was a momentary silence.


    Followed by, "Whaaaaaat?!!" This time, there were clear screams full of chaos.

 Chapter 222 - 223

    01 It Felt Like An Unexploded Bomb Was Pressed


    Despite not even a month left before the spring break from the study institution ends, since a letter has arrived from the royal family with the content of, "Hurry and visit the castle," I must quickly reach the royal castle as soon as possible.


    Yes, such is the duty of a noble.


    In order to carry out that duty, it''s a matter of course to use an animal whose legs are the fastest.


    Therefore, it was decided that I would ride Rashiok to the royal castle accompanied only by Claudia who was completely useless at the preparation and arrangements. Naturally, I want to retaliate for this very abrupt summoning. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡­We advanced on the highway where people made way for us, and the people around the normally crowded road all voluntarily avoided our way.


    It was an unprecedented pleasant journey, but as I heard continuous screams here and there, as I thought, I should refrain from riding Rashiok to the royal capital as much as possible¡­


    "Please go on ahead, Earl Einsbark."


    The audience room''s door was opened, and we were urged to enter.


    Just what on earth is going to be discussed? Though I understood that it was a royal call, I had never expected that I would be officially summoned to pay an audience to the king.


    If such an opportunity comes to a low-class noble, then it would be some necessary courtesy ceremonies for things such as giving rewards for triumphal return or giving medal of honor, and so on. More or less, I have experiences in all of them, but¡­ for the current situation, I do not have any clue at all.


    For some reason, even though there was the king''s imperial command this time, the venue wasn''t the Arktoria castle that was usually used for political affairs, but we used the living room of the Farudaru palace which was the royal family''s castle.


    The Arktoria castle''s dazzling audience room was originally made in order to hold audiences with the state guests, and it costed the amount of gold needed to hold a small-scale evening party just to use the room.


    Deep inside that audience room, there was His Majesty the King sitting on a throne that was made similar to a tiered platform, and beside him, there was Archduke Dovadain, and Marquis Rittergau stood just beneath the platform. Looking at how the three people, who are responsible to make decisions in the imperial court, are all here, I felt a mysterious chill. It was a keenly dreadful hunch.


    Because I didn''t want to be considered disrespectful, I carefully paid my attention to His Majesty who was sitting on top of the platform, stepped forward, and kneeled down.


    "Eliza Kaldia Einsbark has just arrived and humbly offers her presence to answer your Majesty''s summoning."


    "You have come. You may raise your face, Earl Einsbark. There is something that I would like to ask you to do."


    Though I was a little bit bewildered at his directness to cut straight to the important matter, I did as I was told and raised my face.


    Once I raised it, something entered my line of sight for a moment. It felt like something that you couldn''t see¡­ or I felt like it was an existence that I didn''t want to see. Looking at the dress that''s colored like the hanging banner behind the throne, the moment I realized it, I was foolishly too late.


    Why would the otome game''s heroine be waiting for me along with the king?


    "Let me introduce you. This is Emilia Yuriel De La Rindarl, the daughter of the Archduke of the Rindarl Union, our neighboring country, who''s staying in our country as an exchange student at this time. I would like to depend on you to ensure that Emilia-dono won''t feel any discomfort within the study institution."


    Uhm¡­ that, does that mean that he would like me to look after the heroine? However, wasn''t that role given to those four people in the game¡­?


    My future vision of the two years ahead that I had roughly decided was smashed to pieces in my mind.


    Or more precisely, I don''t understand the meaning. To purposely choose me, who''s famous for my ill reputation throughout the Rindarl army.


    It is still unknown whether Emilia (the heroine) knows about me, but in case that she knows about me all along, then my first impression would be bad.


    ¡­Or was it the purpose all along?


    To choose me would be equal to humiliating the hostage princess of the defeated country¡­, like that.


    I have never thought of Arxia to deal with Rindarl in this kind of way, but since the hatred for Rindarl has been growing stronger within the nobles, then the likelihood won''t be nonexistent.


    "I''m Emilia Yuriel De La Rindarl. Pleased to make your acquaintance."


    Emilia stepped forward in regards to the king''s words, then gave out her name with a voice that wasn''t able to conceal her anxiety, and gave me her salutation. It was Arxia-styled salutation, ¡­though still quite unrefined.


    I quickly repaired my grimaced expression that was produced reflexively. Among all of the people within the imperial court right here and right now, I''m the one with the lowest rank. For me to receive such a respectful bow from her, who''s another country''s archduke''s daughter, regardless of the speculation behind it, it doesn''t look very good.


    When I reflexively turned my gaze towards Marquis Rittergau, he lightly nodded. Is that it? I even have to look after her¡­ etiquette?


    "¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­I humbly accept this official appointment."


    After a silent period, I managed to squeeze out those words. Well, I have no choice other than squeezing those words out.

 Chapter 223 - 224

    02: A Visit From the Crown Prince


    "What''s the matter, Lady Eliza? You don''t look well."


    Claudia, who had kept to the antechamber and awaited my arrival, approached me as she spoke. I had intended to maintain a false air of composure, considering that I was still in the castle grounds, but she saw right through me. It wasn''t surprising; we''d known each other for a good while.


    "¡­The thing they asked me to do just happened to be a little worse than I expected."


    "You don''t say. Well, what is it?"


    "I have to play guardian for some noble girl in another country."


    "¡­Well, that''s definitely something. I may not have the head for politics, but it''s obvious that there''s some ulterior political motivation behind this."


    I respond to her words, tinged with a rather sympathetic tone, with a nod. Then I allowed myself a good sighing session. There were other titbits I could consider legitimate factors, such as my own social status within the academy, or even, quite possibly, that there was some stronger influence at play.


    I had good reason to suspect that the motive behind having me act as Emilia''s guardian wasn''t just relegated to the reason I''d thought of earlier on a whim.


    The girl came from a country that had suffered defeat during war. To top it all off, her country was the one who instigated the battle in the first place. The idea that Emilia would be on the receiving end of ever-growing animosity in those learning facilities wasn''t at all improbable.


    I wasn''t entirely sure which was worse; my own bad reputation or the ill will that had piled up on her. But in any case, keeping Emilia close by should prevent anyone from hurting her. After all¡­ the sordidness of my reputation was accompanied by a good dose of fear.


    And here was the long and short of it. I was essentially given the incredibly arduous task of protecting Emilia, while simultaneously making sure that I didn''t appear to be too comfortable around her.


    ¡­All of this was making my head hurt. While I wasn''t supposed to stay at this learning institution for too long, this was all making me want to go full truant.


    "Lady Eliza. While I don''t wish to impose when you''re busy making faces, there''s someone coming over."


    Claudia gave me a nudge, and I rushed to bring my furrowed brow and scowl back to normal. I would have been in a tight spot if anyone caught me looking sour after taking orders from the King.


    "Aah, there you are. Thank goodness I caught you."


    Sure enough, the person who peeked his face through the entrance to the antechamber was a resident of this castle. It was none other than Alfred, the crown prince himself.


    "An honour to see you, crown prince. What appears to be the matter?"


    "Well. There''s just something I have to tell you¡­"


    The crown prince, who had managed to get this far with a solid smile, suddenly held his shoulders and slowly fell into a crouching position.


    "Your Highness!"


    I rushed over in a panic, noticing how pale he appeared. He was even covered in cold sweat.


    "Sorry¡­ I just¡­ rushed over¡­ so I¡­"


    "Please, your Majesty. Rest a while."


    I was a bit astounded that he kept trying to maintain a smile on his face, now that it was white as a sheet. I offered him my hand. When I helped support his back, I could feel him shivering. It looked as if his knees were entirely bereft of strength, and he remained unsteady in his stance. I wondered if he had come down with some kind of cold. The weather had definitely been colder as of late.


    Well, I certainly didn''t have it in me to just leave him there. I decided to bring him somewhere warm¡­ And, as poor luck would have it, there were no guards close by.


    "Clau¡­ Actually, never mind. For my discourtesy, Sire, I will apologise in advance."


    I was close to asking Claudia for help, but I changed my mind at the last second and hoisted the crown prince up on my own. I was, at this point, completely uncaring of what rumours might spread if someone happened to see us like this. But Claudia was a newly-wed. I couldn''t let her go through that.


    I also didn''t have the leisure of carrying the crown prince as I would carry my own luggage, so I just held him so that he could lie. I was, in other words, carrying him bridal style. I was sure that there could be little more humiliating than this to a crown prince undergoing puberty, but¡­ well, I had no other options. He''d just have to live it with.


    "K-Kal¡­ Kaldia!"


    "Your Highness, whereto should I carry you?"


    While the crown prince definitely didn''t appear to be all that heavy, he was far more thin and delicate in my arms than I''d have guessed. He was almost frighteningly light.


    Elize, whom I''d been living with until a few years ago in the Gold Coin Hill mansion, springs to mind when the blood recedes from his fingertips and they go cold.


    "I can walk¡­ I can just walk, alright¡­?" Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You ask too much of me, Sire. I may carry you now, but I doubt I can forever. I will be quick. I fear I don''t have the discipline to carry someone close to my age for too long¡­"


    "R-Right¡­ the greenhouse, then. Can you bring me to the greenhouse?"


    "Of course, right away."


    I noted his request and made my way immediately. It didn''t really matter how light he was; in the end, I still couldn''t carry him forever.


    "I''m sorry, Kaldia."


    I didn''t know if the crown prince had simply given up, but his eyes went dead as he quietly grabbed on to my shoulders.


    It was then that I decided that Claudia, who was belly-laughing behind us, would be getting no desserts that night.

 Chapter 224 - 225

    03: A Greenhouse Like a Birdcage


    While I was grateful that I was being told the way to the greenhouse, the paths that led deeper and deeper into the castle served to put me a bit on edge. There was, at least at this time, no one else who patrolled these ways. That, however, did little to abate the wide-eyed stares of the guards that roamed the distant balconies and passages.


    I realised that I only had myself to blame, but my regret was already overwhelming me.


    "It''s just¡­ a little further. I''m really sorry, Kaldia."


    At least the crown prince was starting to look a little healthier, most likely thanks to my own suffering. A faint tinge of red crept back into his colourless face, rendering it only somewhat pale, and his cold sweat had begun to recede.


    At long last, we reached the outskirts of a courtyard located in the furthest depths of the castle. Glass walls formed a structure not too dissimilar from a gigantic birdcage. This building was familiar to me.


    It was something I''d heard of in passing, through simple gossip at the House of Lords. This greenhouse and the park therein had, allegedly, been erected in the honour of Alfred''s birth, then offered to him and him alone, a den for his own privacy.


    This meant that I was no longer in the Faldarl Palace itself, but a place that served as a sort of royal villa, built adjacent to it¡­ this was a place none were meant to enter, apart from the royal family. It was, then, of little wonder that so little of the castle servants and guards wandered about here.


    The crown prince, still in my arms, pointed towards the entryway, telling me something to the effect of, ''Please, go in.'' Though not without a shortage of awkwardness to his tone.


    Since I had already come all this way, I was really in no position to just drop the crown prince off here and make my way back. I obliged, setting foot into the greenhouse, then laid him down on a couch in a spot that had been arranged to act as a room.


    "Thank you. This really helps¡­"


    "No need for thanks, Your Highness. I''ll call for the palace physician right away."


    "¡­No. No need. This happens all the time. I always feel better when I''m here; I''ll be fine. Sorry about all this. Just give me a moment, then I can make us some tea.


    We can talk more then."


    The crown prince laughed, told me not to make such a face, then poked me between the brows. I''d been furrowing them this whole time, it seemed.


    The crown prince had collapsed back there. This wasn''t something I could just brush off when he told me he was fine, at least I didn''t think so. But the prince had gone so far as to refuse that his physician be brought to look him over, and had asked me to indulge him further by engaging him in conversation. I could do little but obey.


    If the prince''s hue had still been the way it was before his collapse, then I would have turned on my heel, regardless of his sentiments, and called for the royal physician. But there appeared to be truth to his words; he was looking better by the minute.


    "It''s always been like this, you know. This isn''t a chronic disease or anything of the sort, but¡­ it comes and goes. The smell of the plants in here clear it up, for some reason. That''s why there''s a room in here; it''s been prepared for me specifically."


    ¡­What, this huge birdcage?


    He was right. The furnishings of this place were all things you would have brought into your own private quarters. A draped bed, a sofa, a table, a writing desk, a washbasin, even a closet were available in this place.


    "Sometimes, when spring, autumn, or winter come around, I just plain live here. No one comes here otherwise, not unless I call for them¡­ I can just come here whenever I want my peace. It''s perfect for that."


    I saw what he meant, and nodded my head. If I were in his position, a crown prince to a whole country, I''d love to have some privacy in my life. He likely lived a life where he was always accompanied, even watched over when he was asleep.


    It was perfectly reasonable to want some time away from everything every now and again, even someone from an entirely different line of nobility could wrap her head around that. In a place like this; where everyone was an outsider looking into this birdcage, it was permissible to want for some time alone.


    "And, would you believe it, even Grays has never been in here. Not once."


    "Interesting¡­ I didn''t know that." S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Well, if this place really was supposed to be meant for his use alone, then people like Grays or even Eric certainly wouldn''t be belligerent enough to make their way in here uninvited. I nodded, for no particular reason, really, and the prince chuckled a little. Well, he was recovering quickly. That meant I finally had the opportunity to ask him what it was he wanted to talk about.


    "Actually, you''re the first person I ever let in here, Kaldia."


    "Oh, alright. Huh?"


    I was starting to lose track of our conversation. If even Grays, who was by far the closest to the crown prince, hadn''t come here, then that much was to be expected. What was he trying to say?


    "Hmmm¡­ Well, I supposed it doesn''t matter."


    The prince laughed, a little perturbed. Even though I was the one who had reason to worry.


    About half an hour later, the prince took it upon himself to pour the two of us some tea. I was honoured, I really was, and since we were far from peering eyes, I, having no reason to object, gratefully accepted it.


    "Well then, let''s move on to the real subject. I asked Father to prepare this for me."


    The prince pulled a small, folded piece of paper from his pocket. It was just a duplicate, he told me as I unfolded it and began reading, curious what it might have to do with me.


    "¡­Concerning the dormitory transfer¡­?"


    I had absolutely no recollection of sending this sort of application, but there it was, a form of approval stating that Eliza Kaldia Einsbark was eligible for transfer regarding the dormitories of the educational institute.


    "That''s right. I''m sorry I have to spring this on you, but I hear that transferring abodes is an utter necessity. The legal procedures were taken care of this morning; I''d gotten my hands on the documents earlier and come back as fast as I could to show you. Unfortunately, I was a little too hasty and had another fit. I thought I could ease some of your burdens if I was quick enough."


    "I can''t thank you enough for your sympathy, Your Highness."


    He was right; letting me know of the transfer in advance was a huge relief to me. Still¡­ what kind of situation had I gotten myself into if a royal mandate had to be issued for this?


    I looked back to the prince, thinking to myself that he may have an inkling as to what was going on, but he could only offer me a smile that came off as somewhat forced.


    "Kaldia¡­ There''s no one here ¨C pardon, there''s no one here apart from your attendant. You can act a little less formal, you know. There really isn''t much to be had from ranks, not in this place. Don''t you think so?"


    Oh, so that was what he meant. I''d gone through something similar when I was enrolled into the institute. He was telling me that, since there was no one here watching us, the two of us could reach a sort of compromise on the matter.


    "¡­Thank you for your consideration, Sire. Does this work better?"


    "I still think that''s a little stiff, but¡­ Sure. I''m so sorry, I keep trying to get you to indulge in my whims, don''t I?"


    "Not at all."


    I shook my head from side to side, and the subject of the crown prince began to hold just a little more weight in my mind.


    For one thing¡­ He was born as the prince to this country, and likely raised in a manner that must have been befitting his status. But if so, why was he so quick to apologise at every given opportunity?

 Chapter 225 - 226

    04 New Home


    "We''re here."


    The place where the crown prince''s horse stopped was at a dead end at the back of the street around the dormitory house area with refined stone paving laid out on the road. The square with a water fountain was blocked by the other buildings, yet the black mansion''s presence was so emanating as it stood towering over its surroundings.


    It seems to be my new dormitory house.


    It''s a two-storied building with half wooden frame structure resembling a small castle, and if one were to include the high attic part, then it would seem like a three-storied building. It is about the same size as the golden hill mansion.


    "This¡­ is it¡­?"


    "Yes, this is it. It seems to be called as Gerda''s mansion."


    "Gerda''s mansion?"


    "Yes.


    Us, the royalty and our attendants are living in an imperial villa within the educational institute which is different than the dormitory house district, but¡­ 160 years before that, there was a royalty called Princess Gerda who hated to live together with the other royalty¡­ or rather, I thought that she didn''t want to divide her life within the academy and with the other nobles as much as possible.


    And that was the history on how this mansion was built."


    In front of the crown prince who helped me to proceed with my transferal procedure to the dormitory house, I tried to suppress the cramped laugh that was about to rise for a moment with all my power.


    Even the dormitory house that I previously inhabited, taking into account that it was the next tallest building after the crown prince''s resident in the current academy, it was excessively huge and elegant. Furthermore, it was also spacious and luxurious. There''s no way I didn''t have any facial cramp.


    "¡­Well, there was a slight resistance as to how this building was able to be used by the likes of general students and the likes of you."


    The crown prince smiled bitterly as if to soothe the situation.


    I wonder just which part of me was considered not the same as the general students? Isn''t it just how I took a temporary absence from school in order to carry out my duty as a noble and my obligations towards the territory and the country¡­? At the very least within the educational institute, I''m supposed to have done almost nothing that could cause a blunder.


    With the exception of my confrontation with Eric.


    "For the time being, won''t you take a look inside? If there are more necessary things, then we will take charge to provide them."


    "Huh? ¨CAh, no, so you won''t be just in charge for the transferal procedure and boarding expenses?"


    "Obviously. Since you''re required to move to this dormitory house due to our one-sided circumstances, so that''s a matter of course, right?"


    The crown prince''s strained laugh intensified even further. S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    When I took a look at the interior, Gerda''s mansion''s structure was such a wonder. Except for the kitchen, dining room, entrance hall, and the employees'' rooms, the interior was perfectly divided into two buildings.


    According to the crown prince, there seemed to be a structural alteration of the building several ten years ago when a duke''s children, which were a pair of a male and female twin, enrolled here.


    Going back to what the crown prince said about if there are more necessary things¡­ The interior of Gerda''s mansion''s furnishings, everything was of a high-grade goods prepared by the royal family''s purveyor. Aside from the baggage prepared, there was nothing else that needed to be prepared.


    ¡­This was originally a mansion arranged for the sake of the royalty, huh? My head has been hurting ever since earlier from the difference in money sense. I think I will be pretty depressed if I were to accidentally damage or break the things here.


    "Will I really be living here¡­?"


    To be frank, I felt like wanting to say, ''please spare me'', but such were the words that spilled from my mouth reflexively in front of the crown prince who was guiding me around.


    "Sorry, it was such a sudden thing."


    "No, I didn''t mean to reproach Your Highness Crown Prince, the royal family, and the other upper house of lords. However, this is way beyond my position¡­ Aren''t you going to explain it to me soon? About why I have to move to this mansion?"


    Because the crown prince was moving around, I postponed asking about the reason, but I should be hearing about it soon, right?


    So I thought and decided to cut and carry it off, and the crown prince turned his gaze out of the window for some reason.


    "That''s right, I think it will come soon."


    ¡­What''s coming?


    At the exact moment I got suspicious of it, there was the sound of a carriage coming closer. The voice gradually slowed down and stopped at this mansion''s carriage porch. A little while later, a knocking sound could be heard.


    "It looks like they''ve arrived."


    ¡­Like I said, who is it?


    The crown prince only answered, "It''s faster for us to meet them," and went to go down to the entrance hall.


    There was no way I would let the crown prince to be the one to welcome the guest, so I gave a signal to Claudia to overtake him and open the entranceway.


    ¡­Ah, I see.


    It was certainly like what the crown prince said. It would be faster for us to just meet them. There was no need for a complicated explanation.


    There, Emilia stood with an uneasy expression.


    "U, uhm¡­ how do you do, Your Highness Crown Prince¡­ and Earl Einsbark?"


    Towards Emilia who hesitantly said her greeting, I sighed in my mind. More or less, since her status on paper was an exchange student, she''s supposed to take a more dignified attitude. At least her attitude shouldn''t appear to be withering in all directions, since it could make Arxia to be falsely accused of treating her unjustly.


    "How do you do, Emilia-dono. ¡­You''ve ever met with Claudia before, haven''t you? There is no need for introduction anymore, right?"


    Whether it was because of Emilia''s stiff attitude, the crown prince tried to affirm it anxiously. Although Emilia nodded, the crown prince turned around to me just to make sure of the situation, and I nodded at him.


    And I softly whispered a frank confirmation to the crown prince.


    "¡­The king''s order was to make sure that she won''t experience any kind of discomfort in the educational institution, right?"


    The crown prince slightly nodded and affirmed.


    In other words.


    It seems that I will have to live under the same roof with Emilia.


    Since the interior was divided to two parts, so rather than living a life together with her, it feels more or less like sharing a room or sharing a home with her, but¡­


    "How did it turn this way¡­"


    I whispered my complaint so that nobody could hear me.


    Despite the fact that I just adopted a child this year.


    Aah¡­ come to think of it, I also need to think of a name for that child. Thankfully, the Einsbark household members wanted me to be the child''s godparent.


    I deviated my thought to that topic so that I could completely escape from the reality.

 Chapter 226 - 227

    05 Royal Library


    The dorm had been separated into two sides with Emilia being assigned the side that was formerly used by a women. It was also decided that her servant would share the space with her, not only as a guard but because Emilia had not brought any handmaidens with her when she came to Arxia.


    It would be necessary to make arrangements for Emelia''s handmaiden as well¡­ But the fact she was underage was a bit of an issue here, and it was not possible for her to come until Spring vacation had ended at the school. She would have to stay with Emilia as well. Fortunately, there were the two others, Tira and Ratoka who also acted as her handmaids.


    Well, Ratoka would inevitably stare at her with her dewy eyes.


    Until our belongings arrived from Kaldia, Emilia would stay at the Archduke''s villa and I decided to stay at the residence that I had been until now. In the meantime, I packed in order to be able to move to the new residence from there, all the while thinking of a name for the orphan.


    I am trying to think of a name that does not have a Jugfena ring to it.


    Names in the Einsbark family have historically been taken from bishops and priests¡­ Generally speaking, the names were mostly from religious figures who had been revered as saints. I don''t know where the name Ergnade derived from, but this applied to both Volmar and Wiegraf''s names.


    However, borrowing the names of saints was considered rather unusual in Arxia, and it was nearly unheard of among those in high society. And so this naming convention was considered as a distinct feature of the Einsbark family.


    But I had taken in the child in order to protect its existence from their relatives, so I could not give it a name that would give voice to suspicion.


    However, at the same time, one day¡­ When I considered that the child might one day return to the Einsbark house, I felt that I could not give a Jugfena specific name either. This was because the Einsbark family were not from the Jugfena region.


    In that case, it was necessary to use the royal capital as a basis for choosing a name. Settling with a standard Arxia name would be the most preferable then.


    ¡­But, unfortunately, I was not very bright when it came to such matters.


    "¡­Mrs. Heideman, I''m sorry to disturb you, but I need you to ready a horse for me."


    "Of course. Where will you be going?"


    "To the Royal Library."


    I had no books near me that I could use as a reference for finding names, and I was not educated enough to be able to think of the kind of words that could help me. And so I took the safe course and decided to do some research.


    The Royal Library was located in the western corner of the school grounds, specifically, it was just inside of the gate that faced the center of the town of nobles. It was not only the largest but also had the highest number of books of any facility in all of Arxia.


    Students of the school were allowed free access, and could even borrow books on the condition that they would not be taken outside of the school grounds. Those who were citizens of the royal capital were also allowed access after paying an annual fee. This was why the school remained open even during Spring vacation.


    There was also a modest reading room within the school itself, that was more than enough to find information pertaining to my studies, and so I had not bothered to go to the library until now.


    ¡­I had vague memories from the game about certain events occurring here, and so I had been somewhat avoiding it. Though, I didn''t exactly remember what kind of events they were, specifically.


    But it was wholly unlikely that there would be any books about names in the reading room, and so I had to give in to this irresistible force guiding me here.


    I finished identification at reception and quickly grabbed a directory of nobles and several dictionaries that looked useful, and then moved over to the reading area where I took a seat.


    Any likely names I found in the directory I would then look up in the dictionary. As long as I was offering a name to someone else''s child, I wanted it to be a name thats meaning had been carefully considered.


    As I continued in this for a while, the libraries visitors started to increase and the building had become rather loud before I knew it. But I paid it no mind and continued to immerse myself in my work.


    "¡­.Ah!?"


    Apparently, I had been a little too immersed and had been unconsciously stacking books atop each other at random. The moment that someone had passed by, two or three volumes had shifted and then fallen loudly to the floor.


    "I, I am so sorry."


    I frantically picked up the fallen books. I shot a quick look at them, but they appeared to be undamaged.


    I breathed a sigh of relief and raised my head, my eyes catching the other person who had frozen with surprise by the sound of the falling books.


    "¡­Ah, um, no. I should be sorry, it was all my fault. Are the book alright, Lady Einsbark?"


    The person who stood in front of me was none other than Emilia, who now wore an expression that combined a wincing embarrassment and a worry for the condition of the books.


    I see. So she was the reason for the earlier commotion.


    I wasn''t sure about the underage students, but by now Emilia''s face was starting to become known among everyone else at the school. But then again, she was living quite openly at the royal castle and the archduke''s house, so that was to be expected.


    "La-lady Emilia. What a pleasant surprise to meet you here¡­ Please forgive my blunder. And do worry about the books."


    "No, it was my own carelessness¡­ I think that maybe the hem of my skirt got caught on it."


    As soon as Emilia said this, a nobleman who happened to be sitting at the same desk as me quickly looked up in our direction.


    This was unfortunate.


    What Emilia was now wearing was not a Rindarl style dress with a straight skirt, but an Arxia dress which had a hoop under the skirt to give it some volume.


    It was clear that Emilia had not really been thinking, but you couldn''t blame a bystander for thinking that her words implied that, ''Arxia dresses were difficult to move in.'' sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Well, well. That is most troublesome¡­ But they do not have such basic lessons for ladies in this school."


    "Huh?"


    I purposely said this as if to push her away. Emilia''s eyes widened a little as her confusion deepened.


    The nobleman who appeared in the corner of my vision seemed to have been satisfied by this, as he returned his gaze to his book. The reason that there was a curl in his lip was probably due to the fact that he felt I was being a little harsh on Emilia.


    "¡­It must be quite hard to have to live wearing such unfamiliar clothing. I will have some dresses that are closer to the Rindarl fashion prepared for you at the house."


    This time I lowered my voice and whispered so that only Emilia could hear me.


    I understood her, because I did not wear dresses very often myself. With Arxia dresses, even ones worn during the day were extravagant and used corsets, making them very difficult to move in until you grew more accustomed. The biggest issue was that the space between your body and the hem of the skirt was completely different, so you were constantly bumping into other things.


    "Uh, oh?"


    Emilia looked at me with an uncertain expression. She had stopped here a little too long now, and I could see several pairs of eyes were now being drawn towards us. Most of them had faces that twisted in contempt as if something about all of this was not amusing to them.


    ¡­Oh, well.


    "What book were you looking for?"


    I should quickly have her borrow the book she was after and send her back before this led to any kind of incident.


    I was thinking this as I stood up, but Emilia''s eyes widened once again, uncomprehending.


    ¡ªI felt that this might have been the first time I saw her with an expression that fitted that of an Otome game''s heroine.

 Chapter 227 - 228

    06 ¨C I Just Don''t Understand Women


    I didn''t think there''s much more I can say in regards to the way the lectures separated men and women, but it still bore mentioning that both the garb I wore and the ruling title I''d been bestowed with allowed me to be subjected to lectures and training that would, normally, be reserved for the opposite gender.


    Much like last year I was, of course, not playing the escorted but rather the escort.


    It didn''t really matter whether this one of Earl Terejia''s lectures ¨C who had incidentally wasted no time in predicting this situation ¨C or whether I was simply interacting with the educational facilities¡­ now that I''d come this far, I was sure that I''d be given an exception and allowed this sort of behaviour, even once I''d reached adulthood. I''d enforced until now and I''d continue to do so.


    Oh, well. The disagreement with Lindharl had already been settled anyway. Once I graduated, I would be little more than a regular member of the ruling nobility and would only have to show myself at the royal capital every other summer or so.


    There was little room for escorts in the House of Lords, and while Kaldia''s demands for procurement had notably ceased as of late, I very much doubted that there was still some noble benevolent enough to extend an invitation to some evening party.


    I was fairly certain that I wouldn''t have to go out of my way to find the sort of clothes appropriate for someone fresh into adulthood or that I''d have to force any befitting conduct.


    In any case, the overall useless, more masculine disposition which had only seen use once, namely upon receiving the invitation to the Moldon family''s evening feast, was finally of benefit to me. It was more than effective for playing the assisting escort to Emilia, who looked rather uncomfortable in her Arxian dress.


    "You can use this book here to get an overall understanding of what we covered during our lectures last year. I doubt you''ve had the chance to become particularly familiar with either royal law or sacred doctrines, Lady Emilia, but this should make for a fine introductory manual. Oh, and it''s best if you take this dictionary with you.


    Even we Arxians have trouble with the more technical terms, learning them can be quite the handful without a lecturer''s guiding hand. I don''t think this is the best substitute, but it should be enough for the time being."


    I pulled Emilia along with me as I chose textbooks practically at my own discretion, hoarding them all in my free arm. Emilia didn''t seem to have much confidence in her capacity for study, and had come to the conclusion that it would be for the best if she could peruse what we''d discussed in the year prior.


    Actually, now that I thought about it, I recalled that there were several bonuses that allowed for one''s stats to be improved upon. Stats like refinement, wisdom, charisma¡­ what else was there? Battle prowess? No, no it was stamina. I vaguely recalled that the special event for the commander-in-chief''s grandson had given plenty of room to level it up.


    They weren''t only essential in winning over certain characters, but if memory served, they also allowed for an increase of hidden parameters that affected things like public opinion and even grades.


    The lower they were, the harder it was to trigger random events, and the more challenging it was to increase the affection of whatever character you had your eye on¡­ I only had the faintest memory of my little sister telling me these things back in my world, but the information was definitely in some distant corner of my mind.


    That said, while the setting of this world was most definitely reminiscent of the game, the world itself wasn''t purely built on the loose foundation of gaming mechanics.


    If any kind of ability could be increased purely by completing some kind of action, then something so simple it could be expressed as a straightforward numerical value could hardly be called true aptitude. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It was just too much to assume that a culture built entirely on social strata evaluated skills as such, and it was just as ridiculous to presume that one''s good will towards you would be increased simply through continuous interaction.


    "Thank you so much¡­ Oh, I''m ever so sorry, Lady Einsbark. I realise that I must be quite the handful¡­"


    Emilia''s apologetic nature only showed itself once we''d finished collecting all the books we needed.


    It was clear to me that she was fully aware of the reserved glances that darted her way from every nook of the library. She was even more aware of the fact that she was a visitor from enemy lands.


    Both the polish and structure of Lindharl''s royal court had been cemented only recently, and it was apparent that they differed from Arxian norms. It was fairly asinine to begin with, thinking that a kingdom that was hundreds of years old and had always followed royalty and nobility would even be comparable to the royal court of countries that were only a fourth the kingdom''s size.


    It was then fair to assume that Lindharl, what with its much smaller hold over territories and with it being on the brink of destruction, offered a lifestyle that was far simpler when posed against the lives led in the royal castles of Junus and Freche.


    If that was all true, then there really wasn''t much reason for her to not feel out of place. It also meant that there was little point in criticising her for blunders born from simple ignorance.


    "You were sent to a different country with different customs. It''s only natural that there would be a few things you don''t fully understand just yet. I will help you, and do my best to make sure that this cultural divide won''t cause you further grief."


    I''d already been given the royal decree, in any case. I knew that I had to see this through, and mentally prepared myself for the worst. Whatever I''d said was less for Emilia''s sake and more for my own, a measure meant to reassure me.


    "Then¡­ I''m truly thankful. I really am putting you through a lot, aren''t I?"


    The girl had yet to grow out of her apologetic shell, but I could nevertheless see the faint traces of a smile beginning to form.


    "No need for that, just following the king''s orders."


    It would just become more and more troublesome if she kept apologising with every other breath. I wasn''t offering her my help purely out of altruism, after all. There was no need for her to be so overly appreciative.


    At the time, those were the words that ran through my head when I spoke up.


    "O-Oh, I see¡­"


    Regardless of my intent, Emilia seemed to suddenly retreat back into herself, her head lowering itself just a tad.


    Well then¡­ I wasn''t quite sure, but I had a hunch that I''d said something wrong.

 Chapter 228 - 229

    07 ¨C Final Days of Spring Break


    I spent the next ten days that preceded the safe arrival of that carriage from Kaldia celebrating the fleeting peace.


    I had little else to occupy myself with, after all. Nothing apart from slowly and selectively transporting my things from the old dorm to the new and cleaning up the place, at least. And even then, my role consisted of little more than ordering around servants.


    Since there was a rather scant number of my possessions that necessitated personal input and instruction, every last thing I owned had been moved before the ten-day period even had the chance to see itself out.


    With that avenue exhausted, I attempted to assist with the cleaning. But then Lady Heidemann glared me down with all the ferocity of an ogress, and that was the end of that.


    I considered that there might be a chance that I''d only spent these days so listless and with nothing to do ever since I''d been tossed into the military''s base of operations.


    Going out wasn''t much of an option, seeing how I wasn''t particularly warm to the idea of running into walking nuisances or being subjected to the disagreeable glares of nobles I didn''t even know by name. Instead, I let myself be at the mercy of one of the greatest luxuries of all time by holing myself up in my home and just lazing the days away.


    Well¡­ there was only one thing I couldn''t get away from, and that was training with Claudia, who never really knew what to do with an abundance of spare time.


    The horse-drawn carriage had departed from Kaldia at the precise date it was expected to, and had taken three days to reach the old dorm. Since this place had made it a valid option for several years that carriage horses could be procured in exchange for money, one could forgo moving between stations and simply leave the matter at that, showing favour to leisure.


    "What¡­? What''s all this, then?"


    Dumbfounded and in a home bereft of both possessions and servants, Ratoka muttered in solitude. I having spent the time waiting for the carriage sunbathing in the salon and dozing off as I did, a result of my day-long indulgence, finally opened my eyes.


    I offered an explanation, going into detail how royal rule had mandated I be moved along with my possessions and servants, and was promptly met with a resounding, ''That''s something you should''ve told me earlier, you moron!'' It goes without saying that Ratoka took the opportunity to give my head a good thrashing.


    I carefully assemble what excuses I have, keeping in mind how my plans wouldn''t have changed even if I had been more informative, and how I couldn''t find the people who''d usually send the message, and how there was a good chance they wouldn''t find their target anyway, but that just led to another boff to the head.


    "Our ruler sure can''t get her head out of trouble, huh?"


    I took the chance while we unpacked to explain the royal decree to my associates. What I''d just heard had been muttered by Athrun, accompanied by a sigh as he unfurled the rug and spread it over the floor. I could only assume that he thought the noise might help obscure his voice, but there was nothing my sharp ears couldn''t pick up.


    "Oh, that reminds me. Athrun, I want you to guard Lady Emilia on academy grounds. Tira''s her handmaid, by the way."


    Athrun spun around, shock evident in his expression, and I merely offered a shrug in response. I hadn''t said that just to get even with him, of course. Being in the academy required a fairly young chamberlain. If I had to choose people now, before I could call for a new batch of attendants, then it was only natural I''d pick the two of them out of the lot.


    Emilia wasn''t like me, who only needed to take along Reka whenever I walked about; she was meant to take lectures specifically tailored for women. She''d need a handmaiden.


    Under normal circumstances, I''d have set up Ratoka and Tira as attendants, but Ratoka was a special case in this situation. I thought it would be best if he didn''t get too close to Emilia. Both Ratoka and Athrun were perfectly capable of playing the guard, but excluding the former really only left me with one choice.


    "Guess that means I''ll be your attendant¡­"


    Ratoka muttered, showcasing displeasure, and Reka sidled up before offering a lukewarm smile and a series of consoling pats to the shoulder.


    Strange. Ratoka and the three childhood friends had only come to know each other last year, but they all appeared much more close-knit that I''d expected them to be. Then again, they were the only ones around here who were familiar with Ratoka''s personal history and current peculiar circumstances. Not to mention that they were in the same age group. It was one of those situations.


    The ones where a shared secret just helped a group grow closer together.


    "Now them, Lady Emilia will be here come tomorrow. All the rooms here are ready, including yours. You can take a look later."


    "Aye, aye!"


    Reka responded with nothing but obedience, and the others soon expressed their own acknowledgement, following his lead.


    On the day that followed, we ushered Emilia into the dorm. It was full of life now, a stark contrast to the ten days that had led up to this moment.


    The servants had spent the early hours of the morning scampering about, only now getting to whatever unpacking work they''d decided to postpone the other day, fervent in their preparations to welcome the archduke girl from the neighbouring country as if she meant the world to them.


    I for one had spent the morning getting my appearance fine-tuned to perfection by Lady Heinemann''s capable hands, was told, rather harshly I might add, to act like the lady of the house and just do nothing. I was reluctant, but I still went to look over the written reports that had come in from my territories.


    ¡­There was just something about sitting by and doing nothing whole everyone around was fussing about even the smallest things that kept me from relaxing. I brought the now-cold cup of tea to my lips, feeling as if I was trying to cheat myself out of the natural sigh that was about to escape them.


    It was just before noon that something finally happened, blowing away my boredom.


    "I''m sorry you had to wait so long, Lady Emilia."


    I could finally get to work when Emilia stepped out of the carriage, at the exact time I''d expected her to be here ¨C yes, I considered our interactions a workload on their own terms ¨C and adopted the best, brightest aura I could conjure, smiling in an effort to show just how happy I was to welcome her.


    "Lady Einsbark¡­"


    Almost in opposition to me, Emilia looked on with a heap of discomfort that I''d gotten all too used to by this point. She looked as if she was drawing much too close to her journey''s end.


    I watched over her because the king had ordered me to. The minute I''d made that clear to her, she''d become completely unable to swallow down her despondency.


    Well, I supposed it didn''t matter how she felt about it. I wasn''t about to change my attitude now, after all. I had no doubt that, had it not been for that royal decree, I wouldn''t have even considered getting into contact with her in the first place.


    But since that hadn''t happened and I had indeed been ordered to do just that, I didn''t have the slightest intention of straying from the path the royal court had entrusted me with.


    Bearing all that in mind, I offered my hand, an invitation to escort her about. Emilia''s hand overlapped with mine, and while she bore the same looked a lost child might have had, she didn''t bother putting any strength into it. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 229 - 230

    08 ¨C The Opening Ceremony (Part One of Three)


    "Lady Emilia. Your hand, if you would."


    I made sure to leave the carriage first, then reached out my hand to escort her. The garden that came prior to the hall was teeming with festivities, and no sooner had I made my move then did I feel stares from all around us. To Athrun''s credit, he never so much as fidgeted when he protectively moved behind me.


    The stares rose in tune with the commotion when Emilia descended from the carriage. She flinched back in turn, freezing in her tracks, and I reassuringly whispered that she shouldn''t pay them any mind.


    The opening ceremonies for the registered students took place Schtelt Hall, considered to be the most historical area in all the academy grounds. It was located opposite to the intersection between the building itself and where the newcomers held their own ceremonies.


    Today was the one day of the year when every student, not excluding the older ones of course, could get together. The result was a sea of unfamiliar faces. There was a strict divide between the occupied learning facilities that made to separate first years from the older students, so this day made for the academy''s true debutantes.


    As far as politics were concerned, it was obvious that most students who had little to no affiliation with the ways of diplomacy had never been made privy to Emilia features.


    I sharpened my ears for the hushed conversations held between the distant but plentiful stares that came at us from all sides, and it became immediately clear that they mostly revolved around matters of who Emilia was, confusion as to my newly short hair, and murmurings that went something like, ''Isn''t that you-know-who, the one with the really bad reputation from Kaldia?''.


    Of course, I had no way of being sure that none of those present knew about Emilia, and therefore couldn''t deny the possibility of there being anyone who might wish her ill. I simply feigned ignorance, not once letting up in my vigilance.


    Emilia, who timidly stood by my side, slowly looked around and let out the breath she''d been holding.


    "Lady Emilia, why don''t we go to the gardens? The gardens of Schtelt Hall might be the most distinguished in all the kingdom, but only students and teachers may see it for themselves."


    As far as I knew, neither the Archduke family''s villa nor the roads that led to the castle boasted such a grand-scale garden. This probably marked the first time in Emilia''s life that she saw gardens that spread this wide. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    I didn''t want her to make some huge mistake while she was so overcome by worry and fear, and I certainly didn''t want to deal with the hassle that would spark. I had called out to her to give her some chance at relaxation, and Emilia, in turn, recoiled a little.


    "Well, that''s¡­"


    "Come on, let''s go. We have more than enough time."


    She was likely far from gleeful at the idea of approaching the staring crowds. But there wasn''t a doubt in my mind that those stares would continue to follow her in the future. I came to the conclusion that I had to do what I could so that she could get used to the looks, and so I ignored whatever she was about to say, took her by the hand, and pulled her along.


    We wandered through the gardens, and both the stares and whispers only grew. Emilia was supposed become aware of them, though only in moderation. To see that through, I brought her attention to some deeper subject matter as we slowly walked about, hoping that it would be enough to keep her from overthinking the situation.


    The tension began to lift from her shoulders, and she stared with great intrigue at the many flowers that lined the gardens before she stopped moving.


    "It''s so pretty¡­"


    The thing that had so captivated her was a bed of beautiful purple flowers in full bloom which caught the light of the sun and reflected it in a glowing collage of reds and blues.


    "Ah, yes. They''re called violet tears. They were brought over here from the western province of the kingdom, all the way from Ugalia. Its unusual mixture of colours is said to be the result of an uneven petal surface. The unevenness is supposedly so minute that it can''t be seen by the naked eye."


    That was the extent of what I knew about the iridescent flowers. I''d only been able to speak of the things that had clung to my memory, simply by virtue of their rarity, and once I was done, I saw that Emilia grew more and more spellbound as she continued to stare.


    "¡­Do you like them, perchance?"


    "I do. Very much so."


    My question had been fairly nonchalant, but Emilia''s unexpected answer was delivered in a voice so honest and innocent it was as if it had just flown out of her. She barely even seemed to notice the fact that she''d responded.


    Well¡­ if she was that enamoured by them, there was no reason why I shouldn''t bring some of them over to our living quarters. Not being able to find relaxation in your own dorm was, after all, far too detrimental for her psychological well-being. I had to move quickly if I was to make her feel more at home.


    I began cooking up the best way to inform the stewards under the dorm''s employ and left Emilia to her own devices, and soon enough¡­


    "Ah, there you are."


    The voice behind me came just as I thought it was high time to go to the hall. I turned around and saw Eric waving our way, his smile wide and cheerful. He had, according to the multiple letters we''d sent to each other during winter, continued his rather energetic lifestyle in recognition of the royal troops'' services, despite the holiday.


    His bearing appeared much more majestic than it had been the last time we''d met, though I wasn''t entirely certain that it was all due to the aforementioned way he''d spent his time.


    "Baron Dovadain. It''s a pleasure to see that you haven''t changed."


    "Why, thank you. Though I have to say, you''ve certainly changed a little since we last met¡­ Well, might I have the honour of greeting Princess Emilia?"


    "Yes, of course."


    He''d asked me first, just as common etiquette demanded, and went to greet Emilia with a strong air of formality. It was considered in good manners to never speak to an escorted woman until one had done so with said escort.


    I took half a step back from the scene, then checked our surroundings. Now that it had become clear that the unknown girl at my side was acquainted with the archduke household, the commotion had increased even further.


    At that point, I thought that I''d gathered sufficient attention that would put Emilia in the spotlight. Her social status, just as her position, should be common knowledge amongst those around us. If I wanted to garnered even more of their focus on Emilia before her name became known, then what followed would be just perfect.


    "Lady Emilia, Baron Dovadain. This is a good time, I believe, to head for the hall."


    I''d waited until the two had covered the preliminary stages of their interaction before speaking, and Eric, giving me a light nod, was the first to step forward. In the face of the imposing and growing authority of the Archduke House, the students made yet more distance between themselves and us.


    They were so far away now that their mutterings became muddled and unclear, even to my hellishly sharp ears. I was thankful that the unwanted whispers could no longer reach Emilia, especially now that her nervousness had been alleviated with the help of the purple tears.


    ¡­Had Eric actually gone out of his way to lend me his support in this escorting role I was so unused to? Now that I thought about it I recalled that, in the game, this was the same year he would take the mantle of council president for the students'' neighbourhood council.


    Last year, Eric''s general appearance had made me doubt this information''s validity. But looking at him now, I was more than ready to believe that could be the case.

 Chapter 230 - 231

    09 ¨C The Opening Ceremony (Part Two of Three)


    "Ah, Lady Kaldia, Lady Emilia. You''re here."


    "I''m pleased to see you''re doing well, Your Highness. You as well, Viscount Dovadain, Sieghart."


    Just before where I''d moved with Emilia under Eric''s guidance was a stage, located in the deepest section of the Schtelt Hall. The crown prince was there wearing his usual smile, and alongside him was Grays, who looked on with little warmth to speak of, as well as Sieghart, who lightly raised his hand in answer to my superficial greeting before exchanging pleasantries with both Eric and Emilia.


    "Well then, let''s go over our plans. We have welcomed Lady Emilia as a transfer student to this academy as a symbol of the peace between us and the United Kingdom of Lindharl. We have to make this clear to the other students."


    We all nodded at the crown prince''s words. I could faintly feel the tension creeping back into Emilia, but knew that there was nothing I could do for her now. In the days that would come, she would have to stand in front of the masses so many times she might get sick of it. There was nothing I could do but allow her to adapt to such a notion.


    "Grays will escort Emilia to the middle of the stage, while Kaldia will take on the role of her guard. She will, for this purpose, wear the ceremonial rapier and follow her. Eric and Sieghart may stay close to me and for protection. Not much of a change from the usual."


    "Here, Kaldia. The sword."


    I accepted the rapier Sieghart held out to me and carefully placed it at my hip. The awe-inspiring and elaborate craftsmanship that had been put into the thing was enough to make me balk at the idea of wearing it, even if it was only for a short while.


    "The blade''s been shattered, but don''t let that stop you from drawing it if something happens, Kaldia."


    The crown prince''s nigh outrageous words came the second the belt had been fastened around my waist.


    "Albert, please. That''s a little too much, even for a joke¡­"


    Grays had spoken up, less due to forethought and more on instinct. He wasn''t wrong, I was willing to give him that much. Even if the crown prince had meant to lighten the mood with a small, passing jest, he''d certainly put far too much weight into it.


    Every child born of noble standing attended this academy. It was only reasonable that the guards would be aware of the gravity of such a situation, and that they would spread all throughout the grounds. There could not, by no conceivable means, be given room for more than a petty squabble between students.


    "Oh no, Grays. I wasn''t joking. The king himself has ordered that Princess Emilia be guarded by Kaldia, after all. Do not think of her as a mere decorative bauble. And we should always have a plan ready for emergencies, wouldn''t you agree?"


    With a light shake of his head, the crown prince had completely denied any reason for reprimand. The conversation was teeming with restlessness and further hidden implications, but no one could find the words to counter what he''d said.


    "You jest, surely. This is the academy. I sincerely doubt we''ll have to deal with any emergencies ¨C"


    "You might have a point. But nevertheless, what bears mentioning must be mentioned, regardless of where one might find oneself. Isn''t that so?"


    The grim expression that warped Grays'' features was immediately recalled by the man himself. I had a feeling that he didn''t want Emilia, who was now observing this development with wide eyes, to see his expression. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Pardon. That was too forward of me."


    "Don''t you worry about that. You did nothing wrong. Kaldia¡­ are you ready?"


    "Of course, Your Highness."


    I nod at his voice, which seemed more of a reminder than anything else. I couldn''t say that I''d completely rationalised the crown prince''s thought process, but at the same time, I knew that I was no longer allowed to show even a sliver of emotion that Grays had displayed.


    "Your Highness, the ceremony is about to begin. Please, come this way."


    "I''m coming."


    The crown prince gave Grays'' shoulder a light tap as one of the instructors called him over, then turned to me for a split second and gave me a smile. When he passed by me, he spoke again. I could hear the faintest whispers of an apology.


    He didn''t wait for me to turn around. Instead, he simply rose to the stage with Sieghart and Eric at his side. The only thing he''d left in his wake was a feeling of uneasiness.


    "Lady Emilia. This way, if you would. We should still have some time left, so please, take a seat."


    Grays wasn''t looking our way, and I seized the moment to sit with Emilia upon the couch that was so close to the wall until we were called.


    "Excuse me, but¡­ what happens now?"


    "I wouldn''t worry about it if I were you. I''m sure that His Highness just doesn''t want me to get too lax. This academy is a place where all noble-born children of this kingdom come together, be they from the castle or the archduke house. The security is as strict as you''d expect.


    His Highness simply means to make me realise that I''ve been asked to protect you, Lady Emilia, and that I have no reason to grow lazy regardless of where we might be."


    Knowing that it was best to relieve her of any misgivings, I offered her an explanation that presented the prince''s words as a mere wake-up call, though I had a strong inkling that that wasn''t the case.


    The relationship shared by those in Arxia and those in Lindharl was beyond sour. Though we had achieved peace largely through our control of the lands, Lindharl and Arxia had never merged, the former being left with some semblance of governmental autonomy and international influence.


    Voices that expressed their displeasure with this would spring forth, undoubtedly so.


    Above all was the issue with the family circles of nobles that had seen no profit from the ordeal, the same nobles whose utter disgust for Lindharl was so bordering on the irresponsible that one would be foolish to turn a blind eye to them.


    Provided that the kingdom''s treatment of her remained outside of the nobles'' sphere of knowledge, then today was surely the day any ill will towards her might reach its peak, though only once she''d confirmed her status.


    As for the rapier, I wouldn''t have to return it to the crown prince''s hands until this ceremony was completely over.


    Though I refrained from letting out a sigh while in Emilia''s and Grays'' presence, the mere thought of what was to come was a heavy burden. While I was still standing guard, I remembered thinking of nothing but the fact that I wanted to go home.

 Chapter 231 - 232

    10 ¨C The Opening Ceremony (Part Three of Three)


    I''d always thought that I knew what it was like, that I knew what awaited me when I stood on a stage and looked down.


    Anyone who ruled over some extension of territory would, naturally, run into many situations wherein they found themselves talking about some subject or another to a whole group of people.


    Those people were, however, generally nothing more than soldiers and villagers. In others words, those beneath the ruling class.


    Put anyone of higher note in their place, and suddenly the situation felt much heavier. I briefly wondered if the crown prince, Eric, and even Grays had to go through this all the time, and Emilia¡­ well, she would probably have to suffer through this for the rest of her days.


    These were the children of noble families. There was a clear distinction to be made between them and the common masses, both in their positions and the awareness they held. With their refinement and level of scholarship, it wasn''t a stretch to say that they were the children with the most ''awareness'' out of any social strata.


    These children would, in the near future, be polished and refined into the cogs that made the wheels of this enormous kingdom turn.


    The wavering and flexing of the emotions and willpower they expressed was nothing to sniff at.


    It wasn''t my intent to belittle or write off any of my subjects. It was simply that I could grasp the clear differences splayed out in front of me.


    It struck me then that the only ones able to watch them being shaken by waves of bewilderment without so much as a twitch to their expressions were the same people that stood atop all of them. And I¡­ I was meant to be of those who would raise Emilia up to that very position.


    When the title she held finally left the crown prince''s lips, the crowded halls began to ripple and stir in a loud ruckus. The expressions I could see from the stage were, to put in one way, harsh. I could see that people weren''t even willing to accept the simple truth that she existed, and let out a small sigh in lamentation.


    The atmosphere hadn''t been quite so thick with impending danger back in the game. I noted that I still had to keep Emilia away from any instance or manner of battle, and that I had no idea just how much different it would be doing so in the game and doing so for real.


    As far as her perspective was concerned, the only thing that she knew for certain had changed was the state of war itself; two countries had become friendlier with each other and had come to make an arrangement for peace as equal as could be managed. That said, it was peace born from the complete defeat of one side and an imposition made upon the other.


    The reasons behind the distaste were, more likely then not, due to the abhorrent and inhumane tactics Lindharl had employed towards the end of the war. They had intervened in the disputes of other lands, solely to hunt and gather slaves, and had even mobilised them as soldiers. It was the manner in which they operated that had the most profound impact on what would come next.


    If only they''d abstained from doing as such, then Arxis-Lindharl relations would have been somewhat more mellow. They wouldn''t have festered into the seething distaste it was now.


    "Her Ladyship Emilia is a symbol of peace. Our kingdom has bonded with Lindharl, and to prove that our new alliance is just and true, Her Highness will join us in the spread of knowledge. In other words¡­ you may consider this a diplomatic event."


    The crown prince paid no mind to the state of the hall, indifferently and matter-of-factly sharing with them what needed to be explained. The unsure air from before made shifted into a tense one, especially for the older students and those that had come from the more affluent houses upon their realisation that there had been a change in the diplomatic relations of Arxia itself.


    The kingdom of Arxia, which until now had been a single whole, wasn''t alien to the idea of forming allegiances with large neighbouring countries.


    And of course, if people were able to do the same as Emilia, namely to leave and enter other countries, then even more instances would present themselves wherein Arxians could enter another countries, either for observation or with the prospect of invasion.


    Diplomatic matters would no longer be relegated to those under the archduke family, surely. It was clear that those capable of being guided in such issues of political intrigue would be the nobility of our generation.


    "The tragedies that have torn our two lands apart have been tied back together, all through peace. Now, as two lands that stand equal, we will act as virtuously and without shame, just as our nobles should. I must ask that you all remember to act in a way befitting the gravity that comes with diplomacy."


    The crown prince''s words held a strong, rigid ring to them. It was at odds with his usual, gentle demeanour.


    The silence was incomplete and peppered with distant whispers, and the chilling atmosphere around us that reached to the depths of the hall itself was a good fit for a spring night. Even when the crown prince closed his mouth and ceased his speech, no one seemed willing to move just yet. It was almost as if they had been frozen in time.


    "¡­Sir Dean. I believe that I''ve said what I must."


    "Ah¡­ certainly, yes. Oh¡­ tell the orchestra to begin playing."


    Finally, at the invitation of the slightly awkward crown prince, the dean allowed the opening ceremony to begin. Music swept from stringed instruments, as if meaning to untangle the forcibly congealed air we found ourselves in, and the crown prince guided Emilia to the centre of the hall, where room had almost frantically been made by the students.


    The first melody and dance, considered the highpoint of these nightly gatherings, was often reserved for the highest sponsoring authority to dance. As this party had been sponsored by the academy itself and therefore eschewed any such status, it wasn''t at all off-putting that the crown prince and Emilia would bear the burden.


    Realising that my true role would only now come into play, I steeled my nerves. An exchange of looks between Sieghart and myself was the signal. We split of into two groups, careful to draw as little attention as possible, then moved close to the walls to follow after the crown prince. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Emilia moved in tandem with the thrum of the music, the hem of her dress matching the large steps she took and gracefully sliding and fluttering across the floor. The pale yellow of her dress could almost be mistaken for white, and only the lower fringes of what she wore was in the purple-and-blue colours that made up the flag of her homeland, like the sky at daybreak.


    Just as I''d thought, it grabbed people''s attention. There was some cheer, though it was reserved and fleeting, but the overall impression remained softened.


    ¡­The reason I''d imposed the image of the Emilia I''d found in the game onto reality as I had, I thought, was to make her story progress as closely as it had to its plot. It was a selfish wish on my part, and I could already feel the first hints of guilt pooling in my chest.


    It was guilt at being one of the reasons that had driven Lindharl so far into a corner that they had been forced to resort to the inhuman tactics that now made them so despised¡­ or perhaps it was guilt at being the largest reason for it. I felt guilt at the selfish desire that all the responsibility and burden would shift to that one, powerless girl.

 Chapter 232 - 233

    Even though it was the opening ceremony, there were no rituals.


    And because the headmaster and the teachers don''t have any more right than what''s needed, the general vibe of the opening ceremony was a bit different than the previous era. And although it was called a ceremony, it was basically just an evening party; a place for socialising.


    The crown prince and Emilia finished dancing without any problems and the ones among the students, who wanted to dance surrounding the hall, came advancing to the center, changing places with the ones who had already finished dancing. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As an unspoken agreement, it was decided that the official families would dance starting from the 2nd song and so Erik and Grays chose a suitable partner and participated.


    The crown prince entrusted me with Emilia''s escort and disappeared into a corner of the hall with Sieghart.


    He probably plans on staying back until the tension in the atmosphere loosen ups a bit.


    ¨COr possibly to rest a bit. His pale face I saw at the royal palace crossed my mind for a moment.


    "Emilia-sama, shall we rest a bit?"


    Maybe from nervousness, Emilia''s face had also turned pale when she returned.


    It is understandable. The reservedness, hostility and unpleasant feelings towards her from the students is much more direct and bare unlike those from the adults. On top of that, this was her high society debut and her dancing partner was the crown prince. It was probably the most overwhelming few minutes of her life mentally.


    She also seemed a bit dazed, so I grabbed her hand and took her to the next hall.


    It was a space filled with couches and tables prepared for meal and break, and when we made our way towards the table, the waitress there guided us to the second floor.


    Although the second floor was a bit narrow, the seats were much wider and it was made like a terrace from which the two halls could be seen.


    Is this what they call a VIP seat? Either way, I am very grateful as an escort.


    Tira and Reka, who had been standing by at a corner of the hall after changing place with a waitress, and Ratoka, who was wearing a uniform of an attendant, all three came to tend to us and were worried seeing Emilia''s dazed expression.


    They also snuck a glance towards me, asking if she was okay. Hmm, well, she did do her best but she isn''t quite okay and so I brought her here.


    "¡­..Tira, please bring warm, black tea with milk."


    "Yes, Eliza-sama."


    She disappeared into the staircase quickly.


    And in the meantime, Ratoka and Reka promptly prepared the tables and a light meal.


    "¡­.Um, Kaldia-sama."


    And while looking at all this uninterestedly, finally Emilia opened her mouth, although her voice was almost inaudible. Seems like she calmed down a bit.


    By the way, I made her change the way she calls me, thinking that she might enter the high society even as a student since she is an archduchess now.


    The name Einsbark generally means Volmar. Although there is a difference in the lower and higher class, you wouldn''t normally refer to their name when calling them and so in my case, while it is different when I am talking one-to-one, I am known as the Kaldia count in the high society.


    "Did I not make a mistake somewhere? Maybe due to the nervousness, I can''t really remember much after his Highness Alfred''s greetings¡­"


    Seems like Emilia is in the ''my mind is blank'' state.


    Although she had just told me that, as if she just became aware of how severe an archduchess not being aware of her surroundings in a public place is, her expression just got more and more grim. Well, she was stiffened from the start, though.


    Now then, how shall I pacify her? I glanced towards Ratoka and he glared back, while jerking his chin, as if to tell me ''Do it. You do understand, right?''.


    Haa¡­¡­¡­ are we really doing that?


    Going back a few days in time.


    After finishing the arrangements in my new hostel, when I welcomed Emilia, there were only 10 days of spring break left.


    As I had too much free time on my hands, I decided on improving Emilia''s behaviour and had already built up some trust between her.


    When it was decided that Emilia and I would be living together, I had planned on calling Mrs. Marshan to the capital as Emilia''s private tutor but Mrs. Marshan was quite a capable tutor in the territory and so couldn''t be moved that easily.


    Either way, Tira, Ratoka and I taught her all the required manners and etiquettes for the opening ceremony.


    ¨CWell, it would have also been quite simple to make someone from the royal family or archduke family be her private tutor but letting someone completely unknown into the house would be a bit bothersome.


    And naturally, Emilia mastered the general etiquettes very well.


    We prioritized specially on the dance.


    In case of greetings, as she is a woman, it is more or less fine if she just stays silent but that wouldn''t do for the dance. There was also the problem of dancing types being different between Arxia and Rindall.


    As a result, Emilia was able to learn the Arxia dance quite well for a hasty preparation but¨C


    "Hey, can''t we do something about the way we handle Emilia-sama?"


    "Ha?"


    Ratoka suddenly came saying yesterday night, while preparing my hair for the opening ceremony.


    "No, just that¡­ you and Emilia-sama aren''t really in sync, are you?"


    That seems to be Ratoka''s impression after having seen Emilia and me up close for the past 10 days.


    "There''s no need to be in sync either, is there?"


    "No, I actually think there is a need."


    He ended up discarding what I had to say instead of letting me do it so I stayed silent. When it comes to this, he wouldn''t move until I hear what he has to say. What a stubborn guy he has grown to be.

 Chapter 233 - 234

    "I get it. I get it reaaaally well that if you were a man, you would have been so unsociable that people would feel like punching you."


    Ratoka said, folding his arms and looking down on me with an imposing pose. To which I reflexively ended up trembling a bit.


    After all, even though there''s a smile on that girl-like face, no matter how I look at it, Ratoka was clearly angry.


    This is what I get after talking about all the conversations I had with Emilia when Ratoka wasn''t there.


    "¡­.Was there something that made you angry?"


    This conversation is supposed to be about how to deal with Emilia, not about Emilia and definitely not about Ratoka who wasn''t there, so I have no clue what he''s angry about.


    "There is. You don''t understand a woman''s heart, at all!"


    "I am a woman, though¡­¡­"


    "Shut up! You might be a female but at the moment, you''re no woman!"


    He declared.


    Eh, what? That is¡­ a difference in the heart''s gender or something? I am pretty sure I identify as a woman, though.


    Seeing me perplexed, Ratoka retracted his anger and, instead, sighed like he was utterly exasperated.


    "¡­..Seriously talking here. You should stop taking feelings towards yourself in a twisted way already."


    Seeing how seriously he said that, I interrupted him by raising my hand.


    "Prepare some tea and sit down. I will listen to your warning since you''re ''another Eliza''."


    Ratoka nodded like he was relieved. And then, smiled bashfully and smacked me on the head lightly.


    To think I would be smacked by him.


    ¡­The last time my head was patted was probably when I ran away to the Cil family''s tent. Maybe because I was stiff as a child back then, I was patted quite frequently.


    Ratoka went down to the kitchen to prepare tea. Feeling weird just sitting there ''cause there were just two of us, I also went down to help.


    We were using garden tiger moths'' hardened scales as a luminous stone ¡ª which is supposed to be very rare ¡ª without frugality, and so when you pull the string hanging on a side of the entrance, all the lights light up at once for about an hour every other hour.


    And so, you would normally transfer the fire to a candlestick while it is on. Ratoka and I transferred the fire to the stove and lit a fire, heated the water and brewed tea, and also took a few white bread from the storage while I was at it and put some smoked meat and vegetables in it. It''s an impromptu roll sandwich.


    I left a signed note for the cook to handle the clean up and left the room.


    "¡ªCouldn''t even think about this before."


    Ratoka muttered while arranging the food on the table.


    "About what?"


    "About everything. When I had met you, it was impossible for me to even imagine this."


    I didn''t know how to react to his weird laugh.


    But remembering him smacking my head earlier, it is true that I couldn''t have imagined before that our relationship would get so close. And of course, we couldn''t really ask for white bread for dinner at that time in Kaldia territory.


    Ratoka''s expression loosened up a bit and he sat on the other side. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "¡­.You are, you know, how do I put it, well, not stubborn but you have this strong thought that you''re like this."


    He started out with confidence, not even confirming. I stayed silent and urged him to continue.


    "To be straight forward, the thing that I, the ''other Eliza'', thought is that you''re not thought to be as bad as you think. Do you know that?"


    I stayed silent this time as well.


    Not thought to be as bad¡ª?


    "No matter how things were before, without a doubt, you changed our, the Kalidia residents'' lives, as fast as you could. Of course, I know it isn''t something you did by yourself. But, everyone knows that you did what you had to do¡­¡­ I was able to understand that much so there''s no way other people can''t, right?"


    Shrugging his shoulders, Ratoka said casually.


    ¡­¡­ Well, that is true. After all, the one who threw a rock at me is the guy in front of me. Although the residents didn''t really have the energy nor willpower to resist back then, it is also true that Ratoka was a part of the anti feudal lord extremist party.


    "Of course, I understand that the residents have forgiven me and acknowledged my efforts but¨C"


    "Wrong!!"


    Before I could finish, Ratoka smacked the table and shouted.


    "You''re a step ahead of that! The residents love you, you know?!"


    "¡ª"


    "There''s no mistaking it!"


    I still didn''t say anything. But I decided to stop for the time being.


    "You do this thing, where you try to guess others'' feelings from the situation and stuff, right? To be honest, that''s a bad habit, you know? You should start looking eye to eye with everyone and directly feel what they are feeling. If you don''t, that would be just sad for the residents who love you so much. Believe in them. They are your people, right?"


    ¡­¡­


    ¡­¡­¡­ I couldn''t say anything back.


    The words I was going to say had also vanished once he told me to believe in them.


    "¡­.Got it."


    As I slowly but firmly nodded, Ratoka also nodded. But then his expression changed to one of embarrassment.


    "¡­¡­.ah¨Cwe went off topic, didn''t we? By a big margin."


    ''As I thought''¨CI sighed exasperated. What we talked about now was important but we were supposed to talk about the stiff relationship with Emilia.


    "No, it''s not like it isn''t related at all¡­"


    Ratoka said while chewing his food, then swallowed and continued.


    "In other words, well, right, this also goes for Emilia-sama. You''re probably interacting with her considering the situation and what not¡­"


    "You are trying to tell me to consider her feelings too and have a better relationship, right?"


    As I completed his sentence since he was getting sluggish at the end, Ratoka''s expression became sour.


    Really, this guy''s expression changes so much. It tires me just looking at him.


    "¡­I understand that you have to show that you''re not treating her that well to mitigate the tension inside the country but there''s no need to be that aware of it, is there? After all, you are pretty brusque even if you just act normal."


    "Pretty brusque even if I act normal."


    "And so, if you were to just act normal towards Emilia-sama in front of the people, your attitude towards her will be a bit more sincere."


    "Sincere."


    ¡­¡­I somehow feel like I have heard such a conversation. Yea, like in a corner of a classroom, discussing what a guy student has to do to make a good impression on a girl¡­¡­.


    "After all, that girl, she has no one else to rely on, right? But that is because she has no other choice, not because she wants to."


    Ah, I see.


    Ratoka is seeing his past self in Emilia.


    It is certainly true that it''s rough when everything you know changes when you enter a new environment and you have no one to rely on emotionally.


    "I understand. I will consider her emotional instability and will work towards earning her trust."


    ¡­¡­.I did understand but, let''s see.


    How shall I change this situation, where everyone thinks I am interacting with her because of my duty towards the king''s orders?


    Looks like Ratoka could also tell what I was thinking as he also started thinking and then clapped his hands together as if he had thought of something.


    "Ah, right. For now, if Emilia-sama does something well, just pat her head and compliment her."


    "Ha?"


    "No, like, I also talked with Aslan and the others and I think that child hasn''t yet been a ''child'', you know?"


    Pat a country''s archduchess'' head?


    Seeing me doubt what I heard, Ratoka just casually said ''you won''t be doing it in front of others so it should be fine''.


    No¡­¡­ is that really okay?


    And while I was hesitating, this time he came scolding me saying ''you wanna earn her trust, right?''


    No, but still, you know¡­¡­


    And as such, Ratoka has been urging me silently to pat her head since this morning. Which also ended with me hesitating and him giving me a glare.


    Am I really going to do it?¨CEvery time I waver like that, the pressure from Ratoka''s glare just keeps increasing. It is true that it might be quite natural for me to compliment her dance and pat her head while at it.


    I panicked.


    I somehow feel like if I do that, I will have done something irreversible. It isn''t anything more than what my intuition is telling me but¡ªNo, wait a minute.


    Flag.


    Such a word suddenly popped up inside my head.


    What was it¡­ I am pretty sure it was something related to otome games.


    If so, I think it would be better to avoid it.


    However, to make better of this situation, I must do something.


    So that the conversation doesn''t feel unnatural, I had to reply immediately to Emilia¨Cand in a situation like that, I felt my brain working at a really high speed.


    And so, about the measure I worked out.


    "Hmm, let''s see¡ªEmilia-sama, would you mind if I forced a dance on you?"


    "Eh?"


    "Next dance, with me. ¡ªIt would be most easy to understand if you were able to do it like practice."


    So that she doesn''t misunderstand and relaxes, I told her with as much of a gentle expression as I could.


    After turning into a quasi-adult, I have only participated in these evening parties a few times in knight''s formal dress and so I have never really danced in a party like this.


    I had also told Emilia before her that I didn''t have my debut dance even though I acted as her practice partner.


    Now if only this Emilia understands that I have the intention to work even without the king''s order.


    Now then, about the partner''s reaction.


    Emilia vacantly looked at me and then started turning red.


    Umm¡­ it''s hard to tell if she is happy or not¡­ Will Ratoka accept me doing this instead of what he said?


    "I-if you are fine with me¡­!"


    Hearing her excited voice, what I did understand was that I must teach her how to hide emotions properly.

 Chapter 234 - 235

    "Doing a debut dance to open your heart to the archduchess after being scolded by your attendant? To think one of the few heroic figures of Arkshia would be manipulated by women."


    "I won''t lend you the note if you are going to ridicule me, Sieghart."


    "Now, now, don''t sulk, Kaldia."


    I pushed aside the feathers of the quill pen with which he was trying to tickle my cheeks.


    "But it was a target for attention¡­ is that okay?"


    "Well, there''s not really a problem¡­"


    Or so it''s supposed to be. At least for me.


    On the day following the opening ceremony, at territorial business administration class.


    Being trapped in from both sides by Zephyr and Sieghart, who were also taking the course, I was casually conversing about pointless things with them.


    I haven''t felt this in a while¨Cever since last year. Well, this might be a bit late as a year has passed, but I enjoy these talks with my school friends. Although my conversations with Ratoka and Tira and the others are also quite casual but they don''t have that feel of talking to a friend.


    From the second year in the academy, they start giving specialty subject lectures after noon.


    It is a general rule for direct sons of feudal lords to study territorial business administration or law and home economics for the noble daughters.


    On the other hand, sons or descendants who do not possess a land¨Cin other words, the parents of whom do not have a count rank¨Cstudy law or economics pursuing a government job or study military studies, commercial science or global sociology. Girls normally aim to be a teacher or a court lady and even home economics or economics depending on their fiance¨Cmeaning they don''t have many choices.


    Special examples would be from the dukes'' family or the royalty, as the crown prince, Grace and the archduchess Emilia are studying global sociology and Erik taking military studies lectures.


    I guess I would also fall in the exception section.


    "That reminds me, Sieghart, is it okay for you to not take any military study lectures?" S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I have been told quite a lot about wars and battles by my family, you see. The eldest son of the family must properly study territorial administration studies¡­ otherwise we can''t manage this land we received from the his majesty, the king, after all¡­"


    "Ah¡­ I see¡­"


    All three of us ended up giving a distant look while nodding.


    Although it wouldn''t be weird if the Rolentsor family started saying stuff like all their residents are soldiers or ''farmers soldiers unite!'' and stuff, it actually seems like their territorial management is going quite steady, as because of the calm climate and blessed soil, they have a great source of income from the high quality agricultural products.


    Seems like the current feudal lord has been working hard at it.


    "What about you, are you fine not taking it?"


    "Yeah. I am prioritizing the territory first."


    "No hesitation, huh? Even though you did enough work to be recognized as a hero, are you not interested in the rank of a military officer?"


    Hearing Zephyr''s words, I wondered about the path to becoming a military officer for once.


    As I had selected territorial business administration studies without a second thought when selecting courses, I didn''t really think about the rank of a military officer.


    "Nope. I don''t have any intention of commanding any army other than my territory''s and I also don''t plan on moving them from the territory unless needed."


    Well, at the end, no matter how I looked at it, it was a no-no.


    In the first place, the reason I was able to achieve such merit in war is because of the highly special combination and abilities of the horsemen and military engineers of the Kaldia territory and the special trust we have among us.


    If I lose them, I would be nothing more than a young girl. I don''t even have experience as a military soldier and neither do I think I am gifted with the talent.


    "What do you mean by you don''t plan on moving your territory army from the your territory?"


    "The territory army now has too many functions for the territory to reorganize, you see. Although it is because the education hasn''t quite caught up yet, besides from the military police who uphold the public order in the territory, we are also taking in residents who have nowhere else to go.


    For the land''s development, flood control, soil preparation or periodic thinning of forests and afforestation. Even patrolling for monsters and suppression beside doing postal services. We are also doing agricultural work in the area directly under the king. If they are mobilised from the territory, each and every aspect of the administration will be delayed¡­¡­"


    As I answered, I felt a weird sense of discomfort and looked to my left and right. Zephyr and Sieghart had an indescribable expression on their faces and looked behind me.


    Don''t tell me¡­¡­


    Overcoming my desire to escape the reality so that I don''t have to turn around, I slowly turned around.


    "Yo, nice to meet you. That was a very nice and simple explanation, thank you. I might need you to help me with some lectures sometimes. After all, there aren''t any more appropriate teaching material for territorial business administration than this."


    Seeing that smile and obsidian colored eyes, I felt like laying my face down on the desk.


    I have seen those eyes way too much already.


    Mark Terejia¡ªthe instructor of this territorial business administration course slowly looked at me, blinked and said ''nice to meet you'' once again with a smile.


    ¡­¡­ Although I had been extremely naturally answering the questions, what am I doing, talking about my inexperience and explaining the pre-developments to my territory like that?

 Chapter 235 - 236

    The lecture ended without any setbacks¨Cwell, even though I say that, today''s lecture was just about the course details and outline¨Cand so, after parting with Zephyr and Sieg, I headed towards the meeting place with Emilia.


    The specialized lecture hall, used for the special courses starting from the 2nd school year, was located on the left side and was mainly called the left-wing. We had used the right-wing during the first year and the dining hall, lecture halls and reception halls were between those two wings.


    They made the two wings with their appearances in mind and how they would contrast each other, so the structure was fundamentally same. However, because of the small differences between the two buildings, I ended up getting a bit perplexed and took a longer route to the lounge which ended up taking a bit more time.


    The lounge, which was an open area facing the hall, was supposed to be a place which wasn''t used by many people from what I heard but when I reached there, I discovered that there were several female students other than Emilia there.


    And so I unconsciously stopped talking and ended up hiding in the shadow of the wall¡­¡­ It was because it looked like the girls were surrounding Emilia, who was sitting on the couch.


    The students going through the hallway also gazed that way from the distance while passing by.


    "Oi, what happened?"


    "Shh, quiet."


    Stopping Ratoka and Leka who were confused by my actions with concise instruction and gestures to close their mouth, I observed the situation from behind the wall.


    Those girls seem to be from a different class than me as I don''t recall any of them. But if so, then I can''t think optimistically that these girls would surround me or Emilia and talk happily.


    Judging from Aslan and Tira standing at a corner of the lounge looking irritated and worried, it seems like my impressions are not wrong.


    From the looks of it, it didn''t seem like a big argument broke out yet.


    Their conversation was quiet and didn''t reach all the way to the hallway, so even if they just say that they started talking after spotting a new face, it would also work since, from the distance, they looked calm.


    However, my excessively good sharp ears caught a portion of the conversation.


    " ¡­¡­¡­ like I said, misunderstanding¡­¡­ saying it¡­¡­¡­ That¡­¡­¡­ dancing with you¡­¡­¡­¡­ For that situation¡­¡­¡­ for you it is¡­¡­¡­¡­"


    "That''s right. You¡­¡­¡­¡­ princess of the enemy country¡­¡­¡­¡­ impudent¡­¡­¡­"


    "I am sure¡­¡­¡­¡­ complicated that¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­"


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­


    ¡­This is, perhaps¡­


    ''Don''t go having some sort of misconception just because the crown prince chose you as his dance partner!'' or something¡­¡­


    It can''t be that it is¡­¡­


    In other words, this situation¡­ is it that a villain event is happening to Emilia, the heroine¡­ or something?


    But, the villain is supposed to be Eliza Kaldia, me.


    Using Emilia to better up or take advantage of the crown princes. Gaining rights in the capitals and craving for more, being atrocious and greedy to meet their needs¡­ that is supposed to be the ''Villain woman'' of this otome game.


    ¡ª-No. This world isn''t a game. The human society doesn''t move according to scenarios, it moves with people''s thoughts, belief and feelings.


    Emilia is a former princess of the enemy country. It was more than obvious that many nobles would have an ill feeling towards Emilia as she can do as she pleases by the crown prince''s side.


    My reasoning denied the impulsive thought.


    Even though I have known this for years, maybe because the game''s timeline was this timeline or maybe because Emilia is close to me now, I end up thinking of the game''s scenario whenever something happens.


    If I am going to take advantage of remembering what happens in the game in a certain scenario, that is great. It is also good to admit the differences between reality and the scenarios for that.


    However, I should stop being manipulated by it at this point.


    After all, I also know that all the choices I have made up till now are a big reason we are now dissociated from the scenarios.


    "Ms. Eliza, what happened? Are you fine with not saving her?"


    Even though Leka urged me with a small voice, I hesitated for a moment.


    It is true that it would be easy to get rid of those girls if I force myself in there¡­¡­


    After hesitating a bit, I stepped out from the shadows such that only Emilia notices me and not the other girls.


    And like that, I stood near the hallway wall and quietly watched over the situation.


    If these girls can''t even comprehend her status as she officially came to Arkshia and surround her like this, it just goes to show their level of education and family background.


    I don''t need to lend a hand to her when it''s even presumptuous for girls like these to talk to her in the first place.


    In fact, I could use this situation to show that Emilia is being treated coldly.


    I don''t plan on forsaking her but I also don''t want to pamper her more than needed.


    Let''s see what you''ve got.


    Emilia immediately noticed me. Her gaze shifted from the girls to me and she tried to hide her agitation with her folding fan.


    It isn''t like she is estranged from human subtleties and thoughts. In fact, Ratoka had been saying that she was especially understanding of human spite and because of that she gets nervous and timid really quick. Also that if he were to choose, he would say that she resembled me.


    As of that moment, Emilia has only been feeling perplexed by me so I was wondering what was exactly going on¡­


    She gazed towards me just for a moment.


    ¡­Ah, I know that look.


    It''s the look she has when she is trying to see through someone.


    In response to that, I just slightly squinted.


    Telling her to get it done quick.


    As a result, it seems Ratoka''s analysis was better than mine.


    It seemed like my thought was conveyed more or less as Emilia looked agitated once again.


    Her light rose-colored eyes restlessly wandered. She was keeping up her appearance on the surface so I will give it a passing mark.


    However, it isn''t that Emilia doesn''t have the guts.


    Otherwise it would have been impossible for her to dance to two songs without much interval in between with the crown prince in front of that many people.


    She suddenly closed her eyelids, as if she had given up or let go of something.


    And then¨Cshe just raised her left hand elegantly.


    And then held it out towards me.


    I reflexively felt like laughing out loud.


    Her gesture just now meant ''Escort me''. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It is something I taught her.


    It is also something which would look arrogant if any of those other girls do it and is only permitted for someone of the highest class in a social platform.


    And of course, the person of highest class in here was Emilia.


    I didn''t think she would do something like this but if it is something she did to take revenge on me as I just stood and watched, then it was quite delightful.


    The girls looked puzzled seeing her raise her hand like that and then looked at the direction of the hand¡­ in other words, towards me, which made their expressions stiffen.


    I intentionally didn''t look at them at all and advanced forward to take her hand respectfully, also as an apology.


    "Wha¡­¡­"


    One of the girls surrounding her was exasperated, as if feeling that she was made fun of.


    Just before her shaking lips opened to abuse,


    "Good day to you all."


    Emilia said as calmly as possible, which made the girl flinch.


    ¨CAh, now that I think about it, the heroine (Emilia) might have been like this. If I were to say, she was of a cowardice nature, was easily tensed, introverted and didn''t have self-consciousness as a duchess¨Ca girl with little confidence.


    However, she can strengthen her resolve when needed. And when she does, her resolution is clean.


    That was the kind of heroine she was.


    ¡ªSaying she resembles me, what a misunderstanding, Ratoka.


    I don''t have such hidden pureness like her.


    All I have is just feelings of guilt, coldheartedness and ruthlessness.

 Chapter 236 - 237

    For the next few days, I stayed near Emilia in such a way that anyone would understand we were walking together.


    That was because there was a need for me to spread the fact that I was escorting Emilia because, after many people witnessed that incident of Emilia being surrounded by those girls, there were many other girls the next day who were glaring at her without even trying to hide it.


    I was also bathed with angry glares from the girls who were hostile towards Emilia but, in the end, it''s just a few glares lacking any murderous intent from some powerless girls, so there was no need to be afraid.


    By the weekend, the students'' restlessness also calmed down and all the fuss inside the academy subsided.


    Now then, since it was the first holiday of the year, I left the dormitory with Emilia and Tira and the others and met up with Oscar and Claudia who had come to the capital within a day, as usual, after which we all attended the House of Lords.


    It wasn''t only the academy which had started moving inside the capital in this new year. As there were a lot of meetings this year to deal with the post-war situation, it didn''t quite feel like the opening meeting but today was the first official usual meeting.


    As it was the opening ceremony of the regular meetings, the big hall upstairs was also used with the House of Lords.


    "Count Kaldia has arrived!"


    As I finished up with the reception and entered the hall, all the gazes in the hall gathered on me. I looked around and greeted them and headed towards Count Einsbark first, while receiving return greetings.


    "Ohh, Ms. Eliza."


    "Count Einsbark, I am glad to see you as healthy as you were when we met this winter."


    After greeting the Count, who called me out cheerfully raising a hand, I also greeted Weigraf and Volmar who were there beside him.


    Ergnade was not there. He''s probably acting as a proxy for the counts of the royal territory at Jugfena fortress. He probably cannot maintain doing all these simultaneously as his wife just gave birth recently.


    "I heard that you were selected as the duchess of Rindal''s escort inside the academy?"


    Weigraf came naturally bringing up the topic right away. With a gentle smile on, he couldn''t hide his enjoyment.


    "Yes. To be honest, I am very honored for the role."


    "You''re the most suitable for it."


    I wanted to lightly dodge the topic but Volmar cleanly cut off my escape route.


    "Eris and Tave''s heroic Count Kaldia. In addition to personal military prowess, you have excellent subordinates and there is nothing about your ruling power in your territory that can be criticized and, on top of that, you know your bounds and do not try to extend your powers to the capital. You''re a female and only next to the crown prince in rank in the academy.


    There''s no one more appropriate for the role other than yourself."


    I just fixedly gazed at him as he kept listing the details.


    In the first place, titles like heroic and what not only came to be because of him. Distributing bothersome titles, forcing showy fights which will become the hot topic, he just keeps doing as he pleases.


    "Now, now, don''t be mad. I like hearing about my youngest child''s progress."


    "¡­..Count Einsbark, I do not remember becoming your adopted child, though¡­¡­"


    "Don''t worry about it. It''s similar, isn''t it?"


    ¡­¡­Well, I guess you could say that.


    I guess I have no choice but to stay silent since Count Einsbark said so.


    But on the other hand, it seems like those 3 decided to leave me be, seeing the wrinkle in between my eyebrows and shifted their gazes towards Claudia and Oscar, who were standing behind me.


    "Oscar, it has been a while since I have seen you like this. I heard you have married Ms. Claudia."


    "Yes, Mr. Volmar."


    "¡­..Even still, nothing seems to have changed. There''s no point in teasing then¡­¡­"


    I agreed with Volmar''s exasperated voice in my heart. Oscar and Claudia really haven''t changed a bit after their wedding. Even though Gunter, who got married in the same period, had such a lax expression on his face¡­ what exactly is this difference?


    "I gave my word to my wife that we will prioritize our master as a knight, so."


    ¡­¡­¡­Me, eh?


    I see.


    I didn''t plan on butting into their marriage but this is¡­¡­ I suppose I might have to talk to him after this.


    If Claudia were to give birth to a child, now would be the best time as the war with Rindal is over and I am also enrolled in the academy at the moment.


    It will also be easier for the adopted child if there''s someone close to his age. If it''s those two''s child, then it''s that child''s destiny to become my adopted child''s follower.


    Weigraf and Volmar kept their mouths shut with an indescribable expression on their faces.


    Those two¡­ or rather, all three of the brothers, including the youngest, are prioritizing their life as a knight at Jugfena fortress while leaving their wife or child at the capital.


    "¡­.Ahem. By the way,"


    Weigraf hurriedly changed the topic as it was heading towards a painful direction.


    "Are you aware? Count Nordsturm, who had stayed indoors for many years in his territory for self-restraint and mourning seems to have returned to the capital this year to attend the House of Lords."


    "Count Nordsturm?"


    The large fire at the lower part of the capital is still fresh in everyone''s memory.


    The news of Marquis Nordsturm sheltering an assassin from Denzel dukedom and the heretic order from the church who joined hands with them and then getting assassinated had shaken the royal court for some time.


    And so, naturally, the Nordsturm family was charged but after taking into account that the influencer and current head of the family had already died, the punishment was shortened to a huge fine, confiscation of a part of land, decreasing rank and 5 years of penitence. The duke''s only son inherited the remaining rank and property.


    "¡­.Ah, speak of the devil. He is here."


    Weigraf''s gaze shifted towards the entrance of the hall. Following him, I also turned to look that way and saw a tall and slender man on the other side of the imperial guards.


    His face was disturbingly similar to his father. But maybe because his expression didn''t have any vigor, the impression he gave off was much different.


    "Count Nordsturm has arrived!"


    And with the imperial guard''s shout, the hallroom fell silent.


    And behind Count Nordsturm, who had entered the hall staggering, a shadow of one man followed.


    I felt trouble breathing.


    ¡ª-And the hall room was filled with commotion. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The three from Einsbark family grabbed me from behind and pushed me to the wall and stood in front of me as if to hide me from that man.


    The man who was behind Count Nordsturm looked exactly like me¨Cthe man I faced on the day of the huge fire, the man who called himself my brother, Melchior.

 Chapter 237 - 238

    hapter 238 Not even a skirmish


    I expressed agitation only for a moment but immediately forced it in.


    That man just glared, with disappointment in his face, standing across the three other men.


    Why? Why here, at this time? Why show up now?


    While my head tried to calmly read his thoughts, the bottoms of my stomach were burning up with emotions.


    ¡ª-You have some guts, appearing in front of me carelessly.


    Diferis. How can one forgive someone who cooperated and worked alongside that woman?


    As if he did not care the slightest about the nobles making a commotion surrounding them, Melchior looked around the hall. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    And then, suddenly fixating his glance this way, he wore a slight grin and looked slightly doubtful.


    ¡­¡­¡­That strange atmosphere eerily resembles my father''s, which still remains in my memories. He even looks of the same age, making the unpleasant feeling even worse.


    "Is that the one which came up in the talks four years ago?"


    "Yes."


    I answered Weigraf by moving my lips as little as I could.


    I shared the knowledge of Melchios'' existence at the Jugnefa Three Territory meeting. Other than that, I also reported to Count Terejia but he didn''t make it public.


    On top of that, it was during the time when the Kaldia territory was unstable. If possible, I wanted to bury his existence itself¡­


    "What will you do?"


    The next question was from Count Einsbark.


    Not only am I grateful to them for hiding my agitation from the public eye there, knowing that he still wants to support me made my heart a bit lighter.


    They are being cordial. Well, of course, they also wouldn''t want me getting dragged into anything bothersome as I am adopting Ergnade''s son.


    ¨CNo.


    I was scolded by Ratoka for this way of thinking.


    This is¡­ kindness. I should just accept it, without being uncooperative.


    "¡­..Thank you for your consideration."


    Even though the situation is like this, I was also surprised at how soft my voice came out.


    I panickedly focused my energy again, thinking that it sounded a bit too lax. Since I didn''t know what Melchios and Nordstrum were planning, it wouldn''t be a good move to let loose.


    After all, Melchios has that appearance. Just by being there, he can drag me in as someone related to the incident.


    "About that man¡­ it is vexing but, we know nothing."


    "Nothing, eh?"


    "Yes. His status is officially under Nordstrum. Now that they have concealed that incident, we can''t interfere, can we?"


    "Right. However, if that''s the case, you alone will have to deal with all the troublesome stuff from now on. Will you be okay?"


    Even Volmar''s muttering easened the burden on my heart.


    Even though I have such little connection with him. Really, just how much will they accept me?


    "There''s no need for us to flinch."


    And that is why, I must have them rest easy.


    Saying that in my usual demeanor, I came out of hiding behind their back.


    I noticed Melchios'' eyes open a bit wider. Unfortunately, I haven''t been brought up that poorly to be shocked that easily by such a surprise attack.


    "¡­.Even if that man were the Kaldia family''s illegitimate child, what can he possibly say to me, the current head of Kaldia Einsbark family?"


    And when I smirked, saying that, the 3 from Einsbark family also smiled.


    "I see, certainly, that is something you have won yourself."


    "His Majesty has given me this honorable full name. It would be disrespectful to have my illegitimate brother call himself that."


    "In the first place, most of the property belonging to the Kaldia territory now are the assets you won in the battles yourself. Even if it were your actual brother, there''s no way he could inherit any of it."


    In response to their rapid succession of positive comments, I couldn''t help but give a wry smile. Their daring smiles¡­ no, our daring smiles¨Cmust have looked quite arrogant.


    When looked at it like this, they might actually suit being my relatives just fine.


    Maybe seeing how little I reacted, the hall''s commotion also died down.


    It seems Melchios was also planning to just observe this time as he immediately withdrew to an anteroom.


    Now then¡­¡­ This has turned into a situation where I have to make a move. I should be getting over these situations with ease too.


    Since he has shown himself here, it will turn into a game of balance between the nobles. The people supporting him are either people who still think of me as someone from the dishonorable Kaldia or that I am not suited to be the landlord and the head of the family since I am a woman and still a minor.


    As I pondered there with cold thoughts going through my head and acted like nothing happened, I could feel nostalgic, stabbing glances from the surrounding.


    Ah. Right, as I thought, I am more used to this.


    Having them think of me as weird is better than having to shoulder too much.

 Chapter 238 - 239

    Akuya


    Before long, while the not so many attendees for today gathered around in the general hall, dinner was set on the annex hall next door.


    The seats had been arranged so that members of the Terejia house were set at the foot of the table, well away from those of the Einsbark house.


    Well, regarding my family name, despite having received my full name from my father, I''m officially under Earl Terejia''s guardianship. As long as we don''t go public on the matter of the adopted child, my position will remain under the protection of the Terejia house until I am accepted as an adult.


    On the other hand, the adoption of that child will have strong public repercussions. Given the risks of a possible assassination attempt, we must carefully choose when to go public about it.


    ¡­ About that child, and about Emilia¡­ besides them, there are two other important things that we should pay attention to. The possible blood relation with that "brother" over there, and the appearance of that spy from another country and her parasite of a companion.


    My head has grown heavy for quite some time. I seriously pray to God that they don''t cause any further trouble.


    "¡­ Oh, Countess Kaldia! So that seat was yours?"


    Just as I had sat down, I had to resist the urge to sigh as I was called out from the person sitting right across me.


    As I took a glance upon that person, I found a lady wrapped up in a full dress, which is a very unusual sight here, smiling elegantly at me.


    ¡­ I remember seeing her before. I also remember hearing that voice¡­ Certainly, there is a lady in the peerage that I have exchanged words with before, and that is¡­


    "Lady Berendorf?"


    "You do remember! I''m happy! Even though you were just a little girl when we met."


    Was that during my first trip to the Royal Capital? I met that woman when I accompanied Earl Terejia on his personal social life affairs. If I remember correctly, the men had gone on a trip, leaving us women behind to distract ourselves from boredom by drinking tea together¡­ or something like that.


    At that time, she was but a 19-year-old girl who loved to chitchat, but now she has completely turned into an adult. The boisterousness and eagerness of her face and tone of voice had changed and calmed down to match her age. Her smile had become more graceful, and it is with this grace and that she was smiling at me with her whole face.


    "It''s been a while. To think that I would get to meet you here of all places¡­"


    Despite being a lady of nobility, up until now, she hadn''t shown her face in the House of Lords. After becoming a widow, she had written up her succession to the peerage. Feeling anxious about being in command as a lord herself, she entrusted the management of her territory to her steward.


    Also, she must have been asking another nobleman to act as her proxy when attendance to the House of the Lords was necessary so far.


    "Hoho! Actually, I remarried last year, you know?"


    I turned my view to the man sitting next to Viscountess Berendorf. He seems to be about the same age as her. If they''re sitting here, could it be that they are from the Terejia house?


    The Viscountess poked the man with a folding fan, who then turned his attention to me. For a moment, his glance seemed scared, and after a slight nod, he remained there, looking downwards. Apparently, he didn''t feel like having a talk.


    "Hey, Vaine¡­"


    As one would expect, the Viscountess Berendorf had warned his husband about his attitude, but that didn''t matter to me. I suppose there is no need to agitate such a frightful person any further.


    "It''s okay, Viscountess Berendorf. Moreover, congratulations on your wedding."


    "¡­ I offer my gratitude for your generous spirit, Countess Kaldia."


    The Viscountess placed her hand over her chest and let out a sigh of relief, seemingly unburdened of having to care for her husband. Turning again to face me, her eyes wandered around as if searching for the door back to the topic.


    "I have heard rumors, but you have really grown into a really beautiful lady."


    And just like that, for some reason, after she had earnestly said those mysterious words of praise, I spontaneously replied with a "Huh?" with a stupid voice. Until now, I''ve never had such flattering words like ''beautiful'' said to me before.


    Or rather, were those words of disgust, as if I had obtained the feminine beauty of someone that''s approaching adulthood everywhere but in her body?


    "Oh, don''t you know? The schoolgirls down at the nobles'' school are so completely fascinated with your good looks and your devilish charm that some rumors here and there began to sprout. They say you''re like some kind of vampire that came straight out of a tale!


    "¡­ Huh?"


    Wha¡­ Whaaaaat!?


    I cannot understand this at all¡­ or should I say, I don''t want to understand it. My head feels faint as it refuses to accept it.


    In the battlefield, enemies and allies are familiar with the use of the word "vampire" since they both use it against each other derogatorily. It would mean that I''m some sort of monster that plays with her victims, and then mercilessly slaughters them in order to drink their blood.


    By no means should there be any implications about me doing anything such as deceiving another woman and ''drinking her blood''! There cannot be anything like that¡­! S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Oh my, you do have no self-awareness whatsoever, do you? You slow lady¡­ I wonder if your military spirit is indeed too strong¡­"


    Viscountess Berndorf let off a sarcastic laugh as if she was shocked.


    "¡­ You must have misunderstood that rumor, it has to be about someone else."


    "It''s a shame, but there''s no misunderstanding. That rumor is definitely about you.


    ¡­


    ¡­¡­..


    No, no, no! How did it turn out like this? Honestly!

 Chapter 239 - 240

    Viscount Valendolf gazed at me with interest for a while as I remained quiet with all the bewilderment and astonishment whirling around in my mind. Before long, she broke the silence, saying, "That reminds me¡­", since she couldn''t bear it any longer, considering how talkative she is.


    "Rumors have already started to spread, you know. At the anteroom a while ago¡­"


    With a clink sound in my head, I felt my mind changing gears.


    That was because the topic she brought up was something that needed to be dealt with and was far more comprehensible than some feelings from ambiguous strangers.


    "Count Nordsturm''s companion, you mean?"


    "Yes. You know them?"


    The viscount couldn''t hide her curiosity and bent forward. In response to that, I just slightly shook my head.


    "No, not at all. As it was recorded in the family tree that all other blood relatives of this family were dead, I had not even considered the possibility."


    I said out bluntly because the crowd was literally straining their ears to eavesdrop.


    Judging from the fact that it is turning into a rumor so quick, it can be said that this attracted that much attention.


    "Ara. From the way you said that, are you thinking he is possibly a blood relative?"


    "He looks that similar. I think it is more realistic to think that he''s an offspring of the previous generation or the generation before that rather than just an accidental resemblance."


    I shrugged my shoulders and let out a sigh. Even though my appearance in the mirror is also detestable to me since it resembles Orville.


    "I agree. Then, will you welcome that person as a blood relative?"


    I felt the surrounding eyes gather at once.


    For just a moment there, the chatter died down.


    "Yes, under the preface of his origins¡ª"


    ¡­.Such curiosity towards a poor countryside territory.


    Now that the war is over, even if they get involved with my territory, it will not connect to any profit. Their interest is merely for juicy gossip, and nothing else. And it''s because I know that that I feel stumped. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "¨Chowever, if count Nordsturm or he himself doesn''t wish for it, then I won''t do anything. If he does join my family, then he will have to obey or even serve an underage family head. As such, since there is no evidence to prove his connection, I have nothing else to say to him."


    I declared, clearly, such that everyone could understand, that I do not intend on giving up my position to anyone.


    As I just simply stated the facts, the surrounding people had already understood and lost interest.


    ¡­.I see. I guess having a good reputation isn''t all bad.


    Up until now, most would have just thought like ¡ª "but she''s a kid", "but she''s a girl", "that Kaldia daughter is cunning". And what now? It seems my words are falling into their ears much easily now.


    Of course, a group of nobles were frowning but there''s nothing to be bothered about. Stirring animosity or them laying bare their discomfort isn''t anything new.


    ¡­There''s no need to be frightened about something I am used to.


    Along with the cold feeling in my heart, I suddenly realized that I was evaluating people''s hearts like that, and let out a sigh.


    "Well then, as decided in the interim meetings held until winter, we will begin developing diplomatic relations with the country which we have friendly relations with from next year. Rindall Union Dukedom''s counter will be count Juunas'' territory and southern countries'' counter will be count Freche''s territory. We will allow the people permitted into the country to be active in the authorized wards.


    Is that okay?"


    In response to the facilitator''s question, the House of Lords answered with silence.


    All dispute had already been boiled down and there was no one who would voice their displeasure at this point.


    That agenda was the last one. The House of Lords was done and the nobles started exiting the reception room in a crowd.


    Although the anterooms were also a kind of social meeting place, as there were a lot of people, many rooms were becoming empty.


    I don''t know what Melchior did after exiting the anteroom but he didn''t show up at the room Oscar and the others were in. No change could be seen between the two as they met up. Seeing Weigraf calmly walk behind me, I gave a slight strange expression.


    "The meeting ended without any problems. Let''s return to the dormitory."


    I also added that I had some things to talk about after returning to the carriage, to which both of them slightly nodded.


    When I glanced back, Weigraf had already changed his direction towards his attendants.


    I see.


    ¡­I guess I need to think of a way to say my thanks.

 Chapter 240 - 241

    Akuya 241


    Blood Relative Problem


    After returning to the dorm, the first thing I did was send out a few pigeons.


    And then, I got updated on Emilia''s manner lessons from Mrs. Heideman while I was away, sent the revised education programme to Marquis Rittergau to approve and then called Ratoka after clearing out everyone from the room.


    Ratoka, who was desperately dealing with Mrs. Marshan''s matter which was brought by Oscar and the others, entered the room with looking tired and asked ''what is it?'' with a weird expression.


    I was at a loss for words for a moment.


    I wasn''t sure how to bring this up.


    Even though I had gotten used to the unpleasantness of my blood relatives, I realized at this point that maybe Ratoka had not.


    "Ah¡­¡­ Um, calm down and listen to me. It''s about the person who might be your father¡­"


    At the end, I ended up saying it with a deep tone.


    "¡­¡­.ha? ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­Eh, ha?"


    He looked like a half-asleep cat who had just slipped from a high place.


    Finding Ratoka''s blood relatives was one of the things I entrusted to Oscar in secret. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He doesn''t look as alike as Melchior does but similar enough to pass off as a substitute. Although the tone details are different, the hair and eye color are the same¨Chair color aside, red eyes are quite rare.


    "Orville Kaldia¨Cmy father, was attached to his blood relatives¡­ especially the ones who looked similar to him. He isn''t the type of man to abandon you if he knew about you nor the woman who gave birth to you.


    Ratoka nodded as if he felt sick.


    I guess it is only the natural reaction if he is told that the chances are high that the previous landlord who traumatized him when he was young is his grandfather.


    It wouldn''t have been weird even if he lost his composure. Well, I decided to tell him about it because I didn''t think he would lose his composure.


    ¡­¡­¡­Although it might have been bad telling him about my birth. Well, I guess it would have been a hideous talk no matter how I went about it.


    "You didn''t look too alike when you were young. The reason why you started looking alike as you grew up is¡­ well, because you''re a guy."


    "Don''t you think that is contradicting with my looks?"


    It seems he was surprisingly doing fine as he replied impertinently.


    "However, after knowing about Melchior''s existence, I think the possibility should not be ignored. And so, I had Oscar investigate where your mother had been sent for ''work'' but¡­"


    "Oi, don''t leave me hanging."


    "Well, our primary form of information collection was interviewing so it took quite a while before the burden on the people lightened but¡­"


    As I continued with a serious tone, I could see his eyes become still.


    ¡­¡­Seems like he is¡­ okay, eh?


    We have sure gotten strong, huh?


    "¨CI don''t know how Melchior will recognize you. To begin with, it''s unclear if he even wanted to have you. However, going forward, you might encounter him."


    "Yeah, I understand."


    Ratoka slightly nodded.


    He nodded so easily¡­ does he really understand?


    Just when I was about to give him the look, his expression changed to a serious one and he continued.


    "He''s your enemy for the time being, right? If so, then he''s my enemy as well. And that''s fine."


    He finished saying as if it was only natural.


    "I see."


    Well then, the talk is over with that.


    Just when I was about to say that, I suddenly realized that there was something I still hadn''t talked about.


    "Ah, that reminds me, this kind of confirms that you''re my nephew but¨Cdo you want to take on the Kaldia name?"


    "Wha?"


    "What, you didn''t think of it?"


    Ratoka froze for a few seconds with his mouth half open.


    Then, after blinking a few times, he said ''that means¡­'' in a low voice.


    "¡­..If that''s so¡­¡­ I am¡­¡­"


    It seems this was more shocking to him than the fact that he has Orville''s blood in him.


    His mouth opened and then close again. I could see that he was slightly shaking.


    "I am¡­¡­ in form, your¡­¡­ adopted child then¡­¡­?"


    "Yeah, I guess that''s how it would be. With a bit meddling with the age, it will be like you''re my adopted child and nephew."


    "¡­¡­I, absolutely, refuse¡ª!!!"


    Ratoka roared and then smiled a little.


    We both are still childish in these aspects, huh?


    "¡­Oscar. Leave the adoption papers I arranged for another year."


    "Yes."


    Seeing off Ratoka as he went back to his task, I gave a small instruction to Oscar who came in later.


    It might be necessary later. And it also might not be necessary. Well, I don''t really mind either way. It would be a little inconvenient not having a double but that''s about it.