KR Translators:
・StarrySkySailor
・KawaiiKage
・ImmortalInk
・KingPotato
・SugoiSenpai
Chapter 8: Why Take the Long Way When You Know the Short Cut? (3)
“Ah, by the way……I will be away for a long time starting the first day of the week after next……”
“The week after next? So……the 15th. For what reason, and for how long?”
“Previously, the Empire dispatched a goodwill delegation to the Azot Kingdom……”
I talked about the size of the delegation, the duration, and various other matters. In my memory, it took about two months for the delegation, which was kicked out before the goodwill even began, to return.
Considering it takes a month to get to the capital of the Azot Kingdom, it means they were kicked out almost immediately.
The original schedule was three months.
From June 15th to September 15th.
The ultimate goal of the delegation is to announce the successful completion of the first phase of goodwill with the Azot Kingdom at the Founding Festival on September 20th.
After listening to the story, Levidian nodded. Then she spoke as if it were a matter of course.
“I see. Then it can’t be helped. I don’t like adjusting to my disciple’s schedule, but I can’t postpone training for three months.”
“Are you thinking of coming along?”
“Do you think I would refuse?”
“Of course not.”
When I received the Emperor’s letter of recommendation from my father, I already had the people to take with me decided in my head.
One person who is not family and one servant.
The servant is the maid Marlin, who is fated to die in two months. She dies after being hit by a runaway carriage while out shopping. To prevent the accident, it’s better to take her with me. More than anything, she’s been taking care of me since I was young, so she’s like an aunt to me.
And the one person who is not family is Levidian. She’s the person who can help me the most in the current situation, so why would I leave her behind?
“It would be an honor if you would come with me. Especially since you’re known as the Sword King, Teacher.”
“Ah, about that, could you just say I’m a swordsman from the Hall of Martial Arts? Seeing as nobles seem to be going as well, I get hives when I’m around them.”
A new discovery. The Sword King has a noble allergy. No wonder she didn’t receive a title until 10 years later.
By the way……Teacher, you seem to have forgotten something.
“I’m a noble too.”
“You’re my disciple before you’re a noble. Besides, people with a sense of nobility are annoying to deal with. Especially people like His Grace the Duke or your brother. On the other hand, Risel is fine.”
“Surely, you’re not saying I’m not noble at all……”
“No, that’s not it. How should I put it……You don’t have the laxity that nobles have. Especially after about three generations of inheritance, they become ingrained in the noble lifestyle, and you get people like your brother. On the other hand, Risel feels a bit more thoughtful. Plus, he’s upright. I can see that in his swordsmanship too.”
Heh, you can see that too? Her ability to see through a person through their swordsmanship is amazing.
She’s right.
The current me doesn’t have the same mindset as my brother or father.
In the past, I also thought that aristocratic thinking was the pinnacle of perspective on the world, but during the time I enlisted in the army and participated in the war, my thoughts underwent a drastic change.
More than anything, the biggest shock was the secret about me that I heard from my father right before participating in the war. Thanks to that, I went through a pretty tough time, but I got back on my feet and reached where I am now.
Naturally, my way of thinking would be different from my father’s or brother’s.
I smiled and bowed my head. I felt a newfound respect for her.
“Thank you for your kind words.”
She smiled brightly and spoke in a refreshing tone.
“No problem. So, you should probably stop thinking that you might be able to beat me someday. Maybe in 10 years, but right now, it’s not even a possibility. It’s good for your health not to even dream of such a thought.”
Respect deleted.
★⭐★⭐★⭐★
My father and brother are on an inspection tour of their territory, and I’m heading to the Azot Kingdom. Thanks to this, there are no men left in the house. Of course, some soldiers will remain, but among the family, all the men will be gone.
Relatives? My maternal family is doing well on their own, and my uncles are a bit far away from here. They are governing my father’s territory along with the vassals. Only my immediate family lives in our house.
I decided to choose substitutes for my mother and Sera, who would be worried. It just so happens that there are suitable candidates.
“So, wouldn’t you stay at our mansion during this time?”
“Me? Or him?”
“Both of you.”
My maternal family is the Lorand Marquisate. My maternal grandfather is the famous Marquis ‘Ventailican Ma Lorand’, known as the”Iron Wall”. My mother was his second daughter, and she has an older sister and a younger brother. The people I’m meeting now are the children of that younger brother, my maternal uncle.
‘Maerin Lorand’ and ‘Maed Lorand’, fraternal twins.
“Hmm. But are we two enough? I’m a woman, and Ed is young.”
“Eri-noona, you were only born 8 minutes before me, who are you calling a child?”
Ed made a sullen expression. This boy, who always complains about being the younger brother by 8 minutes, is fifteen years old this year.
As a result, these siblings are a year younger than me.
I chuckled and said,
“Anyway, it’s good to have a man in the house. And if you two come, naturally a few soldiers will come too. And Sir Vincent will be coming and going every day.”
“Oppa, I didn’t know you would mention that person too. I’m disappointed.”
Eri glared at me with her brown eyes and turned her head so much that her red hair came to mind. Sir Vincent is 18 years old this year, a young man who graduated from Knight School with excellent grades and earned the title of Knight.
The story of Sir Vincent offering his sword to Eri and vowing to be her knight when she attended his Knight School graduation party is famous even in social circles.
Since then, Vincent has openly expressed his straightforward feelings for Eri, making her the most flustered person at the moment. Thanks to this, the boys in social circles don’t try to approach her, and there’s a rumor that she becomes a wallflower at parties if Vincent isn’t there.
I smiled, thinking of him, my future brother-in-law. In the end, this picky but kind-hearted young lady will be moved.
“Why are you smiling?”
“No, it’s nothing.”
Eri looked at me strangely and then made a sullen expression again. Anyway, if Eri and Ed come to the house, the soldiers will be slightly reinforced, there will be a man staying at the house, and an excellent knight will be coming and going, so I can rest assured.
Ed smiled softly and looked at his sister before speaking on her behalf.
“Okay. I’ll talk to our parents and grandfather. By the way……I feel a little strange.”
“Huh? Why?”
“Well, this might be rude to say, but you usually don’t care about these things, brother. I thought that if something like this happened, Brother Theron would be the first to come. Ah, don’t take it the wrong way.”
“What, you’re right.”
I shrugged.
Certainly, the original sixteen-year-old me would have thought that my brother would take care of it. However, people’s thoughts change. Besides, I need to build relationships with these kids. They’re going to be big shots in the future.
Eri raised her teacup and suddenly said,
“I hate that oppa. I don’t know why he seems like he has nothing to do but be a noble.”
“He’s popular in social circles, though.”
“Well, I’ve had a few requests to accompany me to meet Theron-oppa. I refuse most of them, of course. Of course, I think if I become a Duke later, I should become like Theron-oppa. But, how should I put it, it’s like he has nothing else to do and no one to be with.”
“Hmm, I guess so. I can’t imagine Brother Theron not being the Duke’s successor. He treats me well, but it feels like he’s treating the ‘son of the Lorand Marquisate’, not ‘me’.”
Children’s eyes are pure. And their judgments are harsh. Certainly, unlike others, these siblings disliked my brother.
Oh, I didn’t mention it, but my brother is actually quite popular.
He’s intelligent, handsome, has a well-built body from moderate exercise, and has a good grasp of the Dukedom’s affairs that he’s learned from a young age. Moreover, he’s already the designated successor and the top candidate to become the next Duke. He’s extremely popular.
His aristocratic demeanor is admired by many. It’s so common that other noble families use the simile,”Like the eldest son of the Herduke Dukedom!”when teaching their children.
Come to think of it, these siblings and I are probably the only ones who dislike my brother. Since they were young, these siblings have been strangely sensitive and good at reading people’s feelings. Maybe because they only saw my brother when he was with me, they felt his dislike towards me and that’s why they dislike him.
In other words, they are the easiest allies I can recruit.
“Anyway, I’d appreciate it if you could come. It’s good to be indebted to the Dukedom.”
“Oh, are you trying to get out of it that way? It’s a debt to you, oppa, not the Dukedom.”
“Indeed, Eri, you’re sharp. So, what do you want? Ed, don’t hesitate and tell me too.”
Although it’s in front of others, Eri is straightforward and Ed is a bit hesitant. If you mix their personalities well and divide them into two, you’d get the personality of an average person.
Just like their personalities, Eri spoke confidently, and Ed spoke cautiously.
“I want the Azot-made ‘Gloria’ perfume. The second daughter of the Bring Count brought it to a tea party the other day and bragged about it. Then she boasted that her older sister was ‘specially’ chosen for the Azot delegation. Hmph. That annoying thing, I’ll show her.”
“I……want a sword made of Azatin steel. I wanted a new sword.”
Somehow, receiving requests that are like the epitome of a boy and a girl makes me want to laugh because it’s so cute. Especially in Eri’s case. The eldest daughter of the Bring Count will give up her authority a little later. I didn’t intend to, but I’ve given Eri a chance to stand tall. Haha.
I nodded to my two cousins. It’s a light debt, but since they asked, I should satisfy them properly.
“Okay, I understand. I’ll make sure to get you the highest quality ones. Oh, and before I leave, I’d like you to come visit and have tea while meeting my mother and Sera. Even though we’ve talked, they’ll be surprised if you suddenly visit.”
“Okay. Got it.”
“Yeah, I understand.”
I smiled contentedly and nodded. With this, I’ve made the groundwork for these siblings for now. Moreover, it makes me look like I care about the family, raising my value in the eyes of my mother and Sera.
The next 10 years.
It seems short, but it’s a time when I can do a lot. I need to make the most of what I can use and quickly discard what I can’t.
These two siblings will be my good collaborators in the future.
“Now, by the way. It seems Sir Vincent hasn’t come yet today?”
“Oppa!”
Eri raised her voice as if screaming, and Ed covered his mouth and chuckled.
I enjoyed a leisurely tea time, exchanging playful jokes with the siblings.
The warm sunlight was falling obliquely on the backyard.
I’ve taken care of the things that were on my mind for now.
★⭐★⭐★⭐★
Is all that’s left is to depart?
June 15th, 372nd year of the Imperial Calendar.
Bang━! Boom━!
Fireworks that sparkle and then release colored smoke went up. Those will be replaced with sparkling fireworks in 10 years. They had a magical effect. Hmm. I should network with the creator later.
It’s not disrespectful to the Emperor that I’m having such leisurely thoughts. It’s just that the Emperor’s congratulatory speech follows a similar pattern at any event.
“The fact that a delegation like this has been formed for the sake of goodwill between the two countries is something that I, myself, find meaningful. Originally, the Azot Kingdom and the Anopuri Empire……”
The next words are obvious. Because he said the same thing in the declaration of war that will happen in 10 years.
The Emperor will say this:
‘We should be brothers who can face each other while exchanging friendship, but the gap carved by long history is not so shallow.’ and so on.
“We should be brothers who can face each other while exchanging friendship, but the gap carved by long history is not so shallow. That is why this delegation is truly meaningful……”
I don’t remember all of that because I’m a genius.
The slogans the Emperor shouts externally whenever he does something to resolve friction with neighboring countries are already set for each country. He just changes the words a little to add the meaning of friendship or confrontation.
61 years old this year. ‘Betsmoreunu Merchei Anopuri’, the Emperor of the Anopuri Empire, is a truly ordinary emperor who has not built any particular fame or infamy, both domestically and internationally.
He’s the type who can be easily deceived, so various corruptions are rampant in the Imperial society, and the trend of catching them is also rampant. He’s an emperor who is so incompetent or competent that it’s hard to tell, as people openly say that the Empire hasn’t changed in the 30 years since he ascended the throne. I wonder if he even learned the art of being an emperor.
That Emperor lived for another 10 years and recited a modified version of the congratulatory speech he’s giving now as a declaration of war. I felt so unjustly wronged at that time that I somehow memorized it.
Thanks to that, the congratulatory speech I’m listening to now is incredibly boring.
I held back a yawn and rolled my eyes slightly. The delegation is lined up, ready to depart, listening to the Emperor’s speech.
The delegation is 200 strong.
Scholars, artists, and other entertainers are gathered, and diplomats and ordinary nobles like me are included. Overall, it’s a gathering of people with quite a bit of social standing. Although there are blacksmiths and such.
While listening to the Emperor’s speech with one ear, I turned my gaze to the person I should be most wary of in this group.
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