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Chapter 2 - Searching for a Residence[]
writer:Yamaguchi Noboru      update:2022-07-07 16:13
  At the countryside Tristania of the Kingdom of Tristain……, a corner past the Rosroll Forest.

  Wales was an estate agent running a business in Tristania, his customers all either rich entrepreneurs or nobles. Today, he was scratching his head in frustration. Though he dealt with nobles, the estates he handles were not "territories" and had nothing to do with titles. They were mere "lands" any rich merchant and aristocrat could purchase, which very much explains why when today’s customers appeared, he was overjoyed. However one looked at it, these customers must be one of the top nobles of this country.

  If someone as famed as them became his customers, sooner or later his shop would also rise to fame accordingly.

  If he was able to make a successful deal, this customer may very likely introduce other new customers. Imagining how big his business could become, Wales actively searched for all sorts of estates.

  But, this master and servant……

  "This isn’t my cup of tea"Both hands crossed in front of her chest, criticizing Wales’s estates, was the third child of the Valliere family, Louise Valliere.

  This morning, around 8 a.m. they came to Wales’s office. Without much ado, they had asked "Introduce us to a house,"describing how their future home should be made for two, how it wouldn’t matter even if it were smaller. It looked like it was a pair of young lovers trying to avoid the eyes of the world, preparing a temporary residence before their marriage.

  Couples seeking refuge because of their difference in statuses like them were common. According to their situation, Wales quickly picked out a few estates for them.

  But, it seemed like their dream house had still yet to show up. The third lady of the duke’s family, this pinked-haired beauty could not stop her grumbles against any of Wales’s suggestions.

  "What’s wrong with it? Tell me."Asked the frowning servant of Miss Valliere, a black haired teen. Just by the looks of his clothing, it was obvious that he was not any teen. From the silver coat of arms of a Chevalier, he must be the legendary knight of a civilian’s background - co-captain Hiraga Saito.

  Because of his civilian background, he was by far a much easier customer to communicate with. So far, he had shown much interest in most of the houses suggested by Wales.

  "This place isn’t so bad, is it?"

  In contrast, every time he’d say so, Miss Valliere’s eyebrows would spring into action. Using either the color of the exterior wall, or the worn out structure, how the room faces a bad direction, even going about how the trees planted in the gardens aren’t good enough and so on so on, she found all sorts of reasons to send him off.

  Wales was also a person with his own dignity. As he took them to the last house possible, it seemed quite unreasonable that they would even complain about this one. Well, Wales was definitely in for a surprise"Young m’lady, what don’t you like about this one? The one who designed this house was a famous architect, Sir Rosa Venturini. Under the invitation of an artistic noble, he designed every single inch of this building!"

  It was true that this house was filled with an artistic atmosphere, compared to the other buildings they have seen so far, this one certainly looked very outstanding.

  Piled into a hemispherical shell with stones, at the center were a grand staircase and a courtyard. In the courtyard grew an enormous tree, running through the entire house.

  Its walls were decorated with flowerbeds, planted with all sorts of flowers. The entire house seemed to be cut out from part of the forest itself.

  "Incredible, how should I say it, it feels like it is merged with the nature itself. This sure is incredible"Saito praised while nodding. Wales nodded affirmatively towards Saito’s words.

  "Isn’t it? As expected of the Highness’s knight, you see things differently! For this one, you only need 10,000 Ecu, it’s the absolute exception out of all exceptions! Houses better than this one, you won’t be able to find any throughout the entire Kingdom of Tristain!"

  He’s got a point, Saito thought, trying to urge Louise"Take a look, no matter from which angle this looks very nice, doesn’t it?"

  "You’re annoying, I ask you, how is this good? Which part of it looks good. This entire building is a vase"

  "That’s what makes it interesting"

  With a displeased look, Louise sighed."Are you dumb? Choosing a home just because of this reason alone, it’s no wonder you have such bad taste!"

  "What?"

  Seeing them fight, the black haired girl behind them suggested"Well well, calm down both of you! Since we’re here to search for a good home…… let’s not fight, OK?"

  "How annoying, how does this have anything to do with you anyway?"

  "Of course it does, as I’m the caretaker, it’s my duty to help you choose carefully right now"Countered the black haired girl with a calm expression. Seeing this incident, Wales began to worry.

  From the looks of it…… the only reason this pinked-haired aristocrat was unhappy was because of the black-haired girl. The more she praised the house, the worse Miss Valliere’s expressions would look, eventually complaining here and there, such as how the color of the wall looks bad. If the teen knight comforts, her mood would take another turn for the worse. Seeing how the pattern had cycled many times, Wales was becoming very frustrated over this.

  "Saito! Come and look! This kitchen, is so big, hurray~~~~!"she screamed happily. Saito and Siesta began wandering around the house for more.

  Behind them, Louise kept a gloomy expression for the whole time."……although I said I didn’t need maids"

  Just like last night, Siesta followed them in broad daylight. If Louise complained to Saito, he would then say "where could you find a better helper than Siesta?"

  Certainly, on closer inspection one would realize it was almost impossible to find a maid quicker and more efficient than Siesta for housework. Moreover, the idea of not hiring a maid at all was incomplete to begin with. There were jobs that could not be handed to a male after all.

  Rather than hiring an unknown maid, Siesta was certainly a better choice.

  On the other hand…… these things could not be decided with reason. The bright colored future Louise had originally imagined began to turn grey.

  "Incredible, I never knew a stove could be so big! This way we can cook anything~~~~! Would you like to make your order, Mister Saito?"

  "Well…… as long as it’s made by Siesta, any food would taste great"

  Louise gritted her teeth to the degree where she could rip her handkerchief into shreds. What was this! This was like a conversation between a newlywed couples! Who exactly did he want to live with~~~~?!

  Feeling as if she lost very badly, Louise began to fight. After searching around herself, Louise discovered an excellent item.

  "Hey——, ahem, ahem ahem"

  "Hmm? What’s wrong?"Saito noticed this side. Keeping as calm an expression as possible, Louise pointed to a corner of the ceiling.

  "This is an excellent chandelier don’t you think, as expected of something built by an artistic noble, an avant-garde design, but you can feel its elegance through its simplicity"Louise nodded with a straight face.

  "……but that’s only a basket used to dry vegetables"Siesta chuckled, making Louise go red all the way to her neck.

  "Please Louise, don’t joke around, even I can see that it’s only a basket"

  "Ha, if the job was given to Miss Valliere, I’m sure we’ll never be able to choose a suitable house"

  "Nobles don’t have much common sense, it can’t be helped"

  Finding it hard to swallow, Louise swung open a trapdoor on the floor"L-look, there’s a basement"

  "A storage room, I guess?"

  "Possible. Say, Saito, shall we take a look around?"

  "Nah," Saito swiftly rejected, soon turning back to Siesta’s presentations. With the choice completely in the other’s hands, Louise was out of ideas and snuck into that storage room, sitting down and hugging her knees.

  "Look, Mister Saito! This is the ultimate oven! It’s the newest product! Look how much effort they spent even on the vents!"

  "Although I don’t really get it, if Siesta says so then it must be very incredible!"

  Hmm——hmm——hmm——hmm.Louise hummed a song alone, but no one heard it. Suddenly in front of her eyes, something popped out.

  "F-frog——!"Louise who had always had a genuine dislike for frogs panicked, unconsciously casting spells. The house was quickly filled with surprised cries and smoke……

  After the smoke have finally cleared, Wales told them"My deep apologies, but it would be impossible for me to suggest a house that is able to satisfy Miss Valliere"

  "Then, in the end you didn’t find a single thing?"The shopkeeper Scarron sighed. After Wales had completely given up, to clear up their gloomy emotions, Louise and the rest came to Tristainia’s "Charming Fairies" inn.

  "That’s what happened, all because of her, saying only selfish things. In addition, even magic was used. Just the repair bill alone was 200 Ecu," Saito complained grumpily.

  Louise hung her head in shame"I-it’s not completely my fault either"

  "And? Exactly what kind of house will you be pleased with?"Saito asked exhaustedly from the bottom of his heart.

  Actually, all she wants is for the maid to be gone, but directly saying so would mean admitting her own defeat.

  With no choice, Louise began listing one by one, saying how the position of each room should be like, where the sunlight should reach, so on so on.

  Standing next to Scarron, Jessica nodded from watching Louise."In short, Louise feels uncomfortable living with Siesta, right?"

  Instantly the atmosphere froze. Well, that was to be expected. Realizing so, Saito couldn’t help but turn pale. It felt as if the thing he feels most guilty about has been placed under the spotlight.

  On the other hand……, he had always felt that Louise and Siesta had an understanding on this. After all, the one he likes is Louise. Plus, even after clarifying it with Siesta, Siesta was still willing to be a maid…… Siesta completely sees his charming points, the way she feels for him has already surpassed love……

  Just by looking at Louise and Siesta, in addition to the embarrassing atmosphere, one can feel the cold chilly air hanging between them.

  \r \r \r

  "Recently your relationship with each other seemed to have improved"Saito mumbled casually. Scarron patted Saito’s shoulders and said"Saito-kun really doesn’t understand the heart of a woman~~~~ well, this has been the way it was from the start"

  "Eh? Eh? Eh eh?"

  Scarron continued, wiggling his waist"After purchasing a house, that’s when your real life begins, isn’t it? Cute little Louise wants to settle down, but so does cute little Siesta"

  Saito noticed how both Louise and Siesta have been staring at him for some time.

  Wincing their eyes, they seemed to be appealing on something.

  What do you plan to do?Questioned their looks.

  Which would be the best way out of this……?

  Only recently had Saito begun to sense Louise being attracted to himself, explained perfectly why he had no desire to consider the feelings of girls other than Louise. Of course, every now and then his body acted on its own accord……

  As for Siesta, he liked her a lot too. But this kind of fondness was completely different from the one he felt for Louise. Yet even so, Siesta never complained. Just considering the things she had done for him, he could not thank her enough.

  If she said she wanted to become Saito’s maid, Saito would not be able to refuse, no matter what. If he did, it would feel as if he had forsaken an important thing that defines him as a human.

  All sorts of thoughts tangled in Saito’s mind, refusing to let Saito reach any conclusion.

  Looking at the three of them like this, Scarron clapped his hands"If that’s so, then let’s solve it using the adult’s way"

  "The adult’s way?"

  "Mhm. If this goes on, we’ll never produce any result"

  The three of them blushed in embarrassment.

  "I would suggest Saito-kun buy a house all by himself, live with cute little Louise, hire little Siesta, then all’s solved"

  Siesta’s face glowed brightly; Louise’s eyes shot daggers; Saito face palmed.

  "Why does it always end up like that!"Louise yelled. Scarron answered Louise coldly"Say, little Louise. Saito-kun is a national hero right now"

  Louise had also noticed this. Even right then, outside the shop was a band of people fighting to get a glimpse of the "heroic charisma"…… even earlier on their way to town, they were often stared at in the same way by other pedestrians.

  And all of those looks were aimed towards……

  From the visiting crowd, a middle-aged female jumped forward and knelt in front of Saito.

  "Eh? What! What’s going on!"Saito flustered.

  "Excuse me……, you must be the co-captain of her majesty’s Water Spirit Ondine Knights, Sir Hiraha……"

  "Erm, it’s Hiraga……"Hearing Saito’s response, the visiting crowd boiled. Enthusiastically. Feeling a natural sense of fear towards this disturbance, Louise and the others shuddered.

  "Being able to meet you in person, I’m so, so touched~! Although commoner, you made so many great achievements! You are our pride! Please, you must must must name this child!"

  Behind this hysterical female, an apparent businessman also jumped forward and forcefully shook Saito’s hand. The crowd began to list Saito’s achievements.

  "The retreat of Albion"

  "His active performance at the Tiger’s Highway!"

  "And then he defeated hundreds at the Lelion river! After hearing fantastic stories about you, we Tristania citizens could not be more proud!"

  "Well, it was only around ten……"

  "It’s already difficult enough! Defeating ten nobles! But now you’re a noble yourself!"

  Looked like other than Saito’s activities, various pointless chatter was also included. Now that Louise thought of it, if he was well known throughout the Gallian nobles, it wouldn’t be so surprising if Saito’s heroic stories were spread around Tristainia.

  Before this, Saito’s name had already been well-known from his performance at Albion. The war with Gallia could only make him even more famous.

  Saito shook his head, too embarrassed to know what else to do. The treatment he already got at the Magic Academy had evolved to a city-wide phenomenon, no, perhaps even a country-wide phenomenon.

  With a low voice, Scarron whispered to the Louise who was pushed away by the crowd.

  "Little Louise, do you understand now? Saito’s popularity is now sky high in Tristania, he will barely be able to walk alone on the streets"

  "How, how did he suddenly turn so popular……"

  Ahem, Scarron coughed, pointing towards the poster on the walls of the inn. It was the advertisement of the Tarbes Garbo’s Troupe. Louise examined the repertoire with round eyes.

  "……Albion’s swordsman?"

  On the poster was a picture of a man holding a sword, facing a bunch of scary looking Albion soldiers. The man was dressed in leather, handsome looking and tall. He looked like somebody somewhere, but not so much in other places.

  But, this…… unless……

  "Since we have a chance, why don’t we all go and have a look?"

  Louise nodded with cold sweat on her forehead.

  "Cruel ruthless Albion army! Come at me!"

  Watching the opera on the stage, Saito and the others were wordless.

  The black haired actor with a sword was facing a dummy dragon and actors dressed up as nobles.

  "There are 70,000 enemies! I am alone! But God and Founder Brimir will never abandon Tristain!"

  Saito muttered quietly"There’re only 7 of them"

  "How do you suppose they put so many people on stage"Scarron calmly replied.

  "To save our kingdom, our dearest Queen sent me here! Swordsman of the wind, Hiraha Saigo!"

  "Swordsman of the wind"

  "His title changed!"

  The actor portraying Saito waved the sword in his hand, using it to block the attacks of the dummy dragon and the enemy actors, then defeating them one by one.

  For each enemy defeated, the audience burst into wild cheers. On closer inspection, most of the audience were commoners.

  During this process, a basket carrying the diva slowly descended from above, singing the song of praise about the swordsman

  "Hero of Tristain~~~~~~~

  My hero~~~~~~"

  Accompanying the song, was the fight one would expect to see in talent shows.

  "Such overly swordsmen drama……"Saito expressed his thoughts in sorrow.

  "Although this play has been under heavy criticism from critics, it is very popular in the hearts of us citizens"

  Even this kind of lame story content could not stop the wild cheers from the audience.

  Everyone was chanting "Swordsmen Hiraha" in unison.

  Saito buried his face deep into his scarf. Without his sword and with his black hair hidden, no one would recognize that this was the real Saito.

  Siesta looked at the play, then looked at Saito, her face full of admiration.

  "There’s Mister Saito! Look, look look. Ohh…… my Saito, finally appeared on stage!"

  "That’s not me…… it’s someone else……"

  "Waa, that’s soo cool! That’s what you looked like when you defeated the Albion army……"

  Siesta took no notice of Saito’s words, deeply mesmerized in the play.

  On the stage, swordsman Hiraha finally defeated the enemy captain. Seeing this, the heated audience all stood up, whooping.

  "Bravo——! Swordsman Hiraha! Bravo——!" echoed throughout the theatre. Usually, stories about achievements of a swordsman wouldn’t be allowed to be on a stage as large as this, only performed on small puppet theaters or plays on the streets. Most likely, this only passed the test since this swordsman "Hiraha" is based on a national hero.

  Overwhelmed by the audience’s enthusiasm, Louise muttered simply"In-incredible……"

  It was as if he was as popular as the Pope himself. In fact, in the eyes of a peasant, Saito’s fame preceded even the king himself.

  "Hey, take a look on that side"Scarron pointed to a corner of the audience. There, a large number of females stood blushing. Their excited voices could be heard all the way to Louise and the others.

  "Incredible……, a mere swordsman being able to take down the enemy captain. Too bad it’s only a story."

  "What are you talking about! The hero for this story actually exists. Thanks to him, the army of Tristain was saved."

  "I even heard that he received a medal this time in Gallia."

  Really wanting to be with that kind of person, the girls all nodded dreamily.

  Louise shivered. No…… she unconsciously acknowledges Saito’s achievements at Albion and Gallia. Only after seeing it happen in person does she realize how she had ignored these things.

  "Do you understand now? Whether or not you hire a maid, nothing will change. Nowadays, the number of ladies who have their eyes on Saito are as uncountable as flies around a pie. He did, after all, make all of these things happen, he even became the co-captain of a squadron."Afterwards, Scarron tuned down to a low voice"Not only so."

  "Eh?"

  "Look over there."

  Right where Scarron indicated with his head, was the balcony seats on the second floor reserved usually for grand nobles enjoying operas.

  From the gaps of the curtains, one could see how unpleasant the noble’s face looked. As a noble, watching how a knight of a commoner’s background defeated a noble, even if enemy, must be painfully boring.

  Louise couldn’t help but laugh.

  "I know, right? Do you understand? Popularity also brings unhappy people like them. Randomly hiring an unknown person, who knows what will be mixed into your food. That’s how the brother of the Gallian king died, in case you forgot. That Earl Oscar died from poisoned bread. For someone like Saito, a trusty maid like little Siesta is definitely needed. What you need is a true friend who can report to you any suspicious activities from the people you’ve hired."

  Louise finally understood the reason why Scarron insisted they hire Siesta.

  True. As admirers increase, so do enemies. From now on, Saito and Louise couldn’t let their guard down while defending themselves against these enemies.

  "Shopkeeper Scarron is right"

  Drawing death just because of some stupid jealousy would be a hell of a way to die. Thinking so while watching the Siesta crying out hysterically along with the rest of the crowd, Louise suddenly felt how important this ally is. If it’s her, no matter under whatever circumstances, she would never betray Saito.

  While Louise kept adjusting her thoughts, she could almost read Saito’s thoughts on this play modeled after him.

  Wow, I’m slowly becoming famous…… I wonder what would my family and friends on Earth would say if they saw this?

  Surprised, or happy……?

  After the opera ended, with his head completely covered in his scarf, Saito hurried out of the theater. Louise and the others surrounded Saito, cautiously watching their surroundings. Just like how celebrities are treated, from the situation Saito is in currently, it was as if he was a star back on Earth.

  Around them, civilians who have just finished the opera could not hold back their enthusiasm, still chattering about the opera.

  Hurriedly leaving this place, arriving on the streets……

  "Oh my! If it isn’t Louise!"A familiar voice called out. Turning their heads around, they instantly recognized Guiche in his brand new Chevalier cape. Beside him were the rest of the Water Spirit Ondine knights.

  Best not to make a fuss around here. Just as she was about to push Saito and leave this dangerous area, Guiche closed the distance between them, smiling"Hey hey! Where are you going! There’s something I want to ask! Where did Saito go? That guy, I haven’t spotted him since this morning!"

  Pushing his glasses up his nose, Reynard whispered"Louise, tell us if you know. We must hurry. But don’t get shocked! We found a pretty amazing castle!"

  Hearing that name, it began to draw some of the people’s attentions. Bad! Although in the show they used some weird name Hiraha Saigo, or was it Hirama? Anyhow, it still sounds similar to Saito.

  Saito pulled his scarf even tighter, covering almost his entire face. Meanwhile, Louise began to shoo them away"D-don’t know, I don’t know that kind of guy……"

  "What are you talking about? Don’t tell me you lost your memory again? Lemme remind you? You know, the retreat from Albion? The man who replaced someone to stop the army?"

  "Sh-shut up!"

  More and more citizens began to gather. Unfortunately, Guiche was the kind of teen whose excitement grows with the size of his audience. A 100% match. Still not knowing how widespread Saito’s legends already were, he began his speech, waving his hands exaggeratedly"Not only that! He single-handedly fought on the Lelion river! The first to come forth was the so-called undefeatable Duke Socarton! But Saito couldn’t care less! Easily chasing Duke Socarton all over the place, beautifully slicing his staff in two!"

  The crowd began to heat up. Mistakenly believing that their reaction was because of his charisma, he puffed up his voice"The second opponent had good skills! But we, as the Water Spirit Ondine Knights…… wah, ah!"

  Louise sprang towards Guiche, clamping his mouth shut."You, enough"

  "Huh? What’s wrong! How’s it bad to talk about that guy’s achievements!"

  That’s right that’s right, the crowd booed. Just as Siesta, Scarron and Jessica were about to bring Saito away from these dangerous grounds…… an amazingly sharp-sighted Malicorne found the hidden Saito.

  "Oh heey! You were here all along Saito! Why hide your face? Such a weird fellow!"Then he ran to Saito, unwrapping his carefully concealed face. The gathered crowd turned wild like a thunderstorm.

  "Th-this gentleman, is the co-captain of the Water Spirit Ondine Knights, Hiraha Saigo?"

  "Right you are," Malicorne nodded. The people crammed towards Saito like a flash flood. The disturbance caused in the "Charming Fairies’" Inn was incomparable to this one.

  "Pl-please bless us!"

  "Please touch my hand!"

  "What’s going on?" asked Guiche, still completely clueless about Saito being popular to the degree where they have made him into an opera. Saito was engulfed by the incoming wave of civilians.

  "Oi! Where, where are you touching! Stop!"

  Somewhat surprised, the Water Spirit Ondine Knights also joined in the crowd amusingly."Wahahahaa! Popularity ahoy! Say, Saito, you haven’t used the ransom you saved yet, right? Stop looking for tiny little dollhouses, let’s get a castle! We found a pretty good one! A piece of land as large as 60 Allubon, it’s an ancient castle with quite some history! They even claim there’re ghosts or something, but those things are nothing in front of our bravery!"

  "Don’t want those kinds of castles! Besides, I already split the money with you guys!"

  "It’s only 2,000 ecus! Tell you what, take your wallet out!"

  "Wait…… I earned that……oof! Waah!"

  Trapped in between the castle-hungry Water Spirit Knights and the "Hiraha" chanting crowd, Saito’s situation became too difficult for anyone to save. Things the way they were, no one would be able to stop it. It was like being dragged into a tsunami.

  Louise watched this scene, shocked; Siesta watched with fascination; Jessica and Scarron stood by chuckling to themselves.

  "Hey! What’s with the disturbance! Disband yourselves at once!" Cried out a team of cavalry from the other end of the street.

  "Or what! You should back off!"

  "Say what?" The leading female knight drew her sword."We are her highness’ Musketeer Corps! Disobey and I’ll have you all arrested!"

  Just the mention of her highness’ personal Musketeer corps was enough to quiet even a crying baby.

  Even though their members were made up entirely of young females, none of them felt that they should be looked down upon. Due to their ferocity, they became widely known almost instantly.

  "Good! Take them all to the Shelbourne jail!"

  Hearing the word Shelbourne plus Agnes’s thunderous bellow, the citizens scattered without a trace.

  Seeing Saito kneeling on the ground coughing, Agnes said"Oh, it’s you guys. Perfect."

  "Thanks for helping…… eh? Perfect?"

  Agnes dismounted her horse and handed Saito a scroll.

  "Perfect so that I can hand this to you. So you were at Tristania. Sure saves my time"

  "What’s this?"

  Saito gulped. On it was the seal of the royal family of Tristain.

  "Her majesty requests me. Immediately, at the palace."

  From Baka-TsukiJump to: ,

  Chapter 3 - Henrietta’s Melancholy, Louise’s Anxiety, Saito’s Promotion[]

  Henrietta was sitting at her desk in deep thoughts. She wanted to forget everything that happened back in Gallia, but could not let go. The Vittorio who gains everyone’s trust, his true nature, and his betrayal…… no, not betrayal, but Henrietta’s own misconception about him.

  Then, there’s the Gallian King who turns out to be a void user. That darkness was as if a well with no bottom, his pure black heartedness…… Joseph’s despair, even for just a tiny little touch, would…… Henrietta’s heart almost broke into dust…… Magic combined of profound void and elven primal, its power was far more incredible than imagined…… Being able to completely survive without a scratch, now that she thinks of it, it’s a miracle.

  But now he’s dead. Which in other words, means that one void user is missing, simultaneously crushing the ambitions of Vittorio. His grand scheme of claiming the holy lands back……

  "Headache…… fighting with elves, must have gone mad."Henrietta mumbled under her voice.

  Everytime she remembered the giant fireball she saw on that ship, Henrietta would shiver all over. The crystal made from elves’ primal magic…… and Vittorio was planning to fight with people who can produce that kind of horrifying magic!

  Since the void user is already gone, surely Vittorio would give up on his "crusade" as well.

  "……The king is dead, the Pope’s ambitions crushed."Only after did these broken sentences seep out of her mouth did she finally feel some comfort in both body and mind. Like trying to get drunk, she used that peacefulness to blind her consciousness. Once again, Henrietta began considering the post-war issues of Tristain. If it were not for these tasks, she would eventually become a prisoner of that heavy cloud of despair…… or so she feels.

  What comes next would be……

  First she must hold a meeting with the new Queen Charlotte as soon as possible. Henrietta still remembers how not long ago Queen Charlotte was still a student of the Magic Academy.

  Why did someone as logical as her suddenly agree to take the throne?

  Romalia’s eyes and ears were all over Carcassonne back then, so only formal congratulations have been given to the new power. Charlotte’s real intentions must be known as soon as possible.

  A puppet under Romalia control? Or……, is there any other conspiracy?

  Henrietta wants to understand Queen Charlotte’s unreserved, honest thoughts. To do so, she must first be frank and open with Henrietta. These things…… just by Henrietta’s own power are impossible to achieve.

  There needs to be a person to act as a bridge between them.

  Henrietta was already clear that she had the perfect candidate for this diplomat. Everytime she remembers of him, there would always be mixed emotions. Not long ago in Gallia, he saved her yet again.

  On that ship, he was the one who stopped Joseph from casting the spell. Henrietta bit on her lips.

  "It’s hard to be unmoved if he saves me every time from the most undesirable situations just like that."

  But is he not Louise’s lover already?

  "Thoughts like these could not be more desecrated……"

  Not only so, she made a promise with him that from then own, she would only display her empress’s side……

  But…… as soon as the war ended, as long as some sort of peacefulness exists inside her, these burning emotions will most definitely revive. The small hotel in Tristainia, under the shade of the curtains in the Magic Academy, the kisses which happened on those days still burns her lips……

  In the midst of all urgent matters, only these thoughts managed to keep Henrietta herself. Why? Henrietta asked herself.

  Most likely because…… she never firmly executed what she promised, so Henrietta thought. Not because they did not already consider their own feelings, her own status as Queen, and their relationship as friends, but because it is impossible to extinguish the burning flames that lights up from the ashes.

  Given enough time, those warm memories will definitely be recalled again. If, by then, there is no room for me in his heart…… then I will give up. Forget all which happened.

  But, will I?

  The image of their kiss surfaced. Henrietta smiled, the smile of a delicate and beautiful woman. That smile gave off an irresistible enchantment. Mixed with her gracefulness and glamor, it could bewitch every man in the world.

  "Back then he was head over heels for me."After saying so, Henrietta blushed. She then urgently surveyed her surroundings. It would be bad if the expression she made just now was seen by someone else.

  In addition, she now feels an overwhelming sense of shame towards her imagination. As a Queen herself and him being the co-captain of her knights, if such a rumor was spread, the effects would be disastrous. Scandals are hard to dispel.

  On top of this, he is her best friend’s lover……

  Henrietta clutched her chest and muttered, as if trying to resist trembling."Turns out I am no different from gossiping women on the streets or ladies in the palace……"

  At this moment, someone knocked on her door. It was different from the way Agnes would usually knock. Henrietta flashed a slightly surprised look, then quickly responded with a "Please come in."

  The door opened and in came Queen Mother Marion and Prime Minister Mazarin. A rare sight for both of them to be visiting together.

  "If there are things you need, I could have came to you immediately,"Henrietta said. The old but ever so beautiful Marion shook her head. Despite the fact that she was already in her forties, her appearance was just as dazzling as ten years ago. Her appearance had changed little since then.

  "It’s nothing of importance. You are the Queen right now, it is of my duty to come to you for these matters."

  "Matters?"

  How rare of Queen Mother to come see her for help. Marion looked at Mazarin standing still like a servant. After seeing him nod, Marion first kissed her daughter’s forehead."You seem to be thinner these days. Have you eaten well?"

  "Yes, Mother. I eat some fruits at night. It helps keep me awake."

  "Then you’re overworking yourself. You are too diligent. I suppose you turned like this because you want to manage everything personally."

  What is Mother planning to do? In which manner should she respond? Just as she was pondering like so, Marion suddenly revealed her true intentions."Get married, Henrietta."

  "Eh?"A response of surprise.

  Marriage? Me?

  The more doubt she showed on her face, the more firm Marion became."You have to choose a suitable husband."

  "But……"

  This time, Mazarin spoke"The Queen Mother is correct, your majesty."

  "Getting married…… first of all, am I not Queen?"

  "Mhmm, which means he would become King. Of course, he would need to have a suiting title beforehand…… Listen, Henrietta. You act too extreme sometimes. You’re young, you sometimes lose control. This is what I am worried about. Are you not afraid of causing danger to yourself?"

  Henrietta assumes she is referring to how she headed to Gallia alone some time ago. With a bit of strong emotions, she replied"But, that’s why I only brought one knight to accompany me to Gallia. Even if something went wrong, the only casualties would be us."

  "What I am worried about not only includes you. What do you think a country without its king would be like? A never ending battle…… a civil war! I do not want Tristain to become just like Gallia, brother taking the throne then niece takes it back…… If even family could become like this, between power wielding nobles, I can daresay it will turn out even worse."

  Henrietta remained silent. Her mother was considering what would happen if one day she is gone.

  "Not only as a mother I am worried about your own safety, but as Queen Mother, Queen Mother of Tristain, I have to warn you. In case anything happens, give birth to a heir. This is what you have to do as the leader of the kingdom."

  "From now on, I will definitely take good care of myself."Henrietta replied with an attitude implying "please take this matter back". Marion sighed.

  "Prime Minister of the State, this would be difficult for me to say, could you convey it for me?"

  "There is another objective to your majesty’s marriage."

  Henrietta’s expression turned into slight confusion. Objective…… what originally should be a pair of lovers getting together, why would the word "objective" be here?

  Regardless, she did not ridicule Mazarin’s strange choice of words. Henrietta was not a child anymore. She realized that her marriage had no purpose other than achieving political gains.

  "Please continue."

  "Then, forgive me for being so direct…… please do not get angry at this! Your majesty’s policy has induced a certain amount of dissent within some of your subjects."

  "And ’some’ points to?"

  \r \r \r

  "This I do not have information on. My informant kept his mouth very shut, naturally this implies he could hear very far, one may believe. I could not agree more so."

  Henrietta sighed."So? Why do I have to get married?"

  Marion could sense the irritation in her tone, therefore spoke with a disciplining voice"You have done a lot of unprecedented things already, not only did you venture into enemy territory, but also……"

  Mazarin walked behind Marion."Very often use a team of knights with peasants."

  Henrietta’s face turned faintly hotter."If there were more people who could trust me, things wouldn’t have turned out like this. Besides, do you know how much they have done for the country?"

  As if instructing a naughty little child, Marion continued"This is not about the amount of contribution. Those so called ’old’ left-winged nobles, compared to anything else, value tradition far more. This is the thing that’s supporting their beliefs."

  "Then I shall be the one to break the flawed tradition."

  Mazarin coughed, then turned back towards Henrietta."Exactly that attitude of your highness, has caused a considerable amount of unrest within the nobles."

  "Then bring those people here in front of me. I shall personally ask them, during the battles of Albion and Gallia, what have they done!"

  Marion strengthened her voice"You wish for your throne to become unstable just like Gallia?"

  "That is not of my intention. I…… I just want everything to be fair."

  "If, you really think that way, we should first start turning enemies into friends."

  "Enemies? Enemies you say? Of whom are these ’enemies’ refering to?"

  "Enemies not only include those on the battlefields. In the court, there are enemies who will approach you smiling. Your highness should be already well aware of this. I dearly hope your highness will listen, for I only make opinions which help nurture your highness’s growth. Very regretfully, there are too few loyal companions that may be trusted. Exactly since the war has ended, you must therefore recruit more allies. Especially the ’old’ nobles who have been supporting the country to date. It is of much importance to bring them to your side. In politics, their assistance is indispensable."

  Being cornered by the both of them, Henrietta hurried Prime Minister Mazarin with an attitude crying "amuse me"."……I understand. Since our topic is already here, do let tell me of your plans. Who should I be married to?"

  "There are a few candidates."With a "slam", Mazarin piled a stack of documents onto the desk. Henrietta randomly chose some and began flipping the pages, her expressions growing darker as the number of pages flipped increased.

  "Earl Ariel, Sire Ladomar…… even Earl Harold. These people, aren’t they all useless crap!?"

  The family backgrounds of these people just named were perfect and had no flaws, but none of them can be deemed as useful.

  "Useless, exactly. If they had more ambition who knows what they will plan to do."Mazarin said as if introducing the coup de grace.

  To suppress the unrest between the nobles and getting married to one of them…… What Queen mother and the Prime Minister wanted was, in other words this exactly. The two of them are right in a sense.

  "Other than this, there is…… about your highness’s special grant towards co-captain’s rise in title."

  Henrietta was suddenly reminded of her weakness and hesitated."Cough, cough cough…… Is there an issue? Considering the number of things he has done in Gallia, a reward of that amount is by all means necessary."

  "Bearing the insignia of a duke on his shoulders, seems to be a rather heavy burden."Mazarin commented as if sighing, fidgeting with his mustache.

  "What are you talking about? Considering the amount of things he has done for our country, it is the bare minimum that he should be……"

  "You are mistaken, Henrietta. The Prime Minister is merely worried about his safety. Granting a peasant the title of duke in such a short period of time, how much jealousy do you think he would be subjected to? Like what this wise man said just now, there are enemies in the court who approach you stealthily."

  The sudden realization was a blow to Henrietta"That’s……"

  "Whatever you do, remember not to over do it, do you understand? And, don’t forget about that as well."Only saying so much, Marion watched Mazarin take his leave. Henrietta also took a bow and kissed the back of Queen mother’s hand.

  "You are doing very well. Just, don’t you forget, always be wary of your surroundings. The tasks of a King, all ends up in distributing and organizing, nothing more, nothing less. If things aren’t done carefully, you will only cause disputes everywhere."

  By the time Saito and the others arrived at the Palace it was already 7 o’clock at night. With Agnes leading the way, Louise and Saito headed directly to Henrietta’s office.

  On the other side of the door Henrietta seemed rather anxious. Every muscle of her tired, she sprawled over the chair. Despite so, as soon as she caught a glimpse of Saito and the others, her expressions immediately brightened, as if finally finding someone she can be true to.

  "Welcome to my office. Come, take a seat. Although to welcome a national hero, this certainly does seem a little simple……"

  Saito looked around. Certainly, Henrietta’s office was close to being empty. Except for desks and chairs, the rest are only bookshelves and candles, nothing more. Ever since all the furniture had been sold, it seems that there has been no changes made. Calling over servants, Henrietta instructed to bring forth red wine and delicacies prepared beforehand."I am really sorry, unlike the welcoming of the new Queen that Gallia had, this is hardly a comparison…… Right now we are really lacking money in the treasury. When I suggested having a small party in the courtyard, the finance minister was already pulling his hair out."

  "We, we could not be more honored!"Louise exclaimed hurriedly. Saito also said exhaustedly,"Something as simple as this is perfect. I’ve already had enough of the crowd."

  "Oh? Why is that?"After inquiring such, Agnes reported a rather fascinating and weird event about the disorder they’ve just had.

  "Ho! You are saying there is now even a drama about Saito? Seems like you have become a new celebrity already, I am very proud of you."Henrietta laughed.

  "This really isn’t anything funny. I can barely walk down a street in a straight line."Just as Saito was complaining with a rather displeased voice, the food were delivered. Though said money was tight, the food was nothing less than extravagant. Looks like even Henrietta agrees that a quiet place like this would be the best to express her gratitude towards Saito and Louise.

  As the red wine and food are constantly emptied and refilled, soon the topic turned towards the war of Gallia.

  "That was a horrifying fireball……"

  Henrietta stuttered, unable to contain her feelings. Louise and Saito also began remembering the simply enormous fireball, then exchanged painful looks. One wrong step back then and they would have all been burnt to ashes in that devilish fire.

  "A war with elves capable of harnessing such unimaginable magic, such foolish actions will never happen again in history."Henrietta concluded.

  "I also think so", Louise nodded her head.

  Henrietta gently put down her wineglass full of red wine. The smile on her face had already disappeared. Looks like they have arrived to today’s main topic. Saito and Louise both sat up straight.

  "Right now, our most urgent matter is to prevent Gallia from being controlled like a puppet by Romalia."

  Considering the same thing, Saito and Louise both nodded."I can’t imagine Tabitha could have done that sort of thing."

  "Me neither. She is a friend of yours, right? That alone is enough to be described as trustworthy…… yet still, inexplicable things can happen to the contrary of everyone’s expectations."

  "Then…… what are we to do?"

  "I want the both of you to act as my Gallian diplomat."

  Looks like what Henrietta is considering, is for them to act as the channel between Tristain and the Gallian Queen Tabitha. Certainly, there could not be a better choice other than them.

  "Will you be able to handle it?"

  How could there be any objections when the Queen has already suggested so. In fact, this was the work they were looking forward to.

  "We happily agree."

  "Perfect. And here I was concerned about what to do if you had refused. Well, I can’t let you relax just yet. The first task shall be attending the celebratory party of Gallia’s new coronation, basically."

  After flashing her bright white teeth, Henrietta peacefully said"Next, before we get to Louise…… about the matter of Saito being a diplomat, I find your name too short."

  "Really? And I thought Saito Chevalier De Hiraga was already long enough."From the perspective of a Japanese, that is very long indeed. It would definitely cause a lot of trouble for people making autobiographies.

  "That’s because Saito is originally a peasant," Louise concluded as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

  "According to me, I believe we should lengthen that name just a little bit more."

  Henrietta’s words made Louise widen her eyes. Not suspecting anything, Saito replied in confusion,"Eh? What? Lengthening the name like Hiraga Edmond something?"

  "Y-your highness? That, that means…… That is, that, which, that……"Louise’s face turned red and was then drained of blood, her mouth opening and closing like a fish gasping for air. The impact of the news has made her mind disconnect with her body.

  "That’s right. Granting him lands."Lands, only after hearing this did Saito inadvertently sprayed red wine over the table."What? What? Did you say lands! Lands!!"

  Henrietta nodded affirmatively.

  "Near the west side of Tristain, there is a piece of land called Ornières. Unfortunately, it is only a small 30 allubon sized land……"

  30 allubons…… Saito stayed silent to conserve power for calculations inside his head. That’s almost about 10,000 square metres of land! Since ancient times, in the modern day Japan, how many people are able to own such a large piece of land.

  "Small? Not small at all! That’s, that’s too wasteful!"Saito defended, but Henrietta’s expressions remained calm.

  "Oh? Aren’t you searching for a residence anyway?"

  Reminded of this topic, Louise blushed, Saito was even more frantic.

  "What are you talking about! Sleep, wake up, stand, sit, eat, our room is more than enough already! I really don’t need a land large enough to build a hotel! Just imagine cleaning the place!"

  "With exception of cleaning, can’t you give your people the rest of the tasks?"

  With the questions being solved one after another, Saito quietly whispered to the Louise beside him,"People?"

  "You really are thick headed, being granted lands means that you are the lord of those lands, you are the master of the castle."

  "Master of the castle? M-me?"

  "I also agree that this status seems out of place with you."So that’s what Louise was thinking about. Guiche became a Chevalier while Tiffania and herself became priests. Although she knew that the most contributing person, Saito, would not go unrewarded, this was entirely out of her expectations.

  In addition, Saito being a landlord would seem just like a crude joke.

  "Why would it seem out of place? If I were to really repay Saito’s contributions, this hardly seems even. In fact, I even originally considered giving Saito the rank of a Duke……"Then, as if considering it seriously, Henrietta sank further into her seat.

  "Duke! That’s too much of a waste!"

  "Therefore, I do not plan to put Saito in a position which draws jealousy easily. Let’s forget it this time. But still, this plot of land is rather valuable indeed. Although small, its actual revenue reaches as high as 12,000 ingots. There are vineyards at the bottom of the hills nearby, producing more than a hundred barrels of red wine a year."

  Just the numbers were enough to make one faint. Although not exactly sure in actual value, already it seems like Saito has just become a billionare. 10,000 ingots were eye-popping already, not to mention a value higher than that. Each year!

  "It’d be impossible for Saito to manage lands!"Louise said. Henrietta shrugged as if not a problem,"Oh? Couldn’t you just hire a manager? You could always live somewhere else and just leave all the tasks up to the manager. There’s lot of nobles who do it this way as well. In fact, I could introduce you to some excellent officers I know."

  If Henrietta says so, then Louise has little left to counter. Certainly, numerous nobles give their lands to someone to handle, live in Tristainia and focus only on the fields of politics. As a matter of fact, there are plenty of nobles who have never set foot in their own lands. All they had to do was to set up a trusty manager, then sit back and wait for the money to roll in……

  "There’s a mansion you know. After graduating, wouldn’t it be nice to live there. Anyway, how does taking a tour first sound?"

  Louise nodded to Henrietta’s suggestion. Looking to her side, Saito was already in the clouds, mumbling broken sentences."I am…… master of the castle…… what to do. What to……"

  Louise kicked the Saito drifting off to la la land."Ow!"

  "Her majesty is with us. Watch yourself."

  Saito calmed down and tried thinking straight. Regardless of what’s said, lands is still…… Even just the title of Chevalier, Saito has already find it hard to bear……

  Is this really okay?Saito questioned himself. He wasn’t the only one who did all the work; what about the Water Spirit Ondine Knights, Tiffania, even Louise…… Romalian generals, soldiers, everyone put in their own efforts, whether it’s a large or small effort. A war cannot be achieved by one person alone.

  Of course, Romalia is another country. Louise should have been rewarded too, but…… it feels as if he was the only one commended for his actions, or so he thought."Hmm-, I just don’t feel worthy of it…… at least give something more to my mates, would that be possible?"Saito said. Henrietta seemed even more uninterested and added,"If so, then why don’t we take a share of your salary and give it to the knights, what do you think? As for how much exactly, I’ll leave it up to you."

  Being answered so, Saito have even lost his chance to refuse. He looked at Louise, who gave him a "you’re hopeless" nod.

  "……Alright. But, is this really fine?"

  The numbers does seem a little overwhelming. So far, his yearly salary is around 600 ingots. That is a large amount already……, 12,000 ingots is far beyond imagination.

  Henrietta stopped her hands in the middle of dining and turned towards Saito."If I am not able to do as little as that, it would dictate my conscience. Compared to other things, not repaying a debt is the thing I can least tolerate."

  For a short moment, the eyes of Henrietta and Saito met. As if pressured by her looks, Saito turned his face away."I understand. I will gratefully accept it."

  "Please do. Afterwards I will send someone with the documents over."

  The dining continued……, but Louise mind was somewhere else.

  Saito’s lands? Really?

  There are two types of nobles. Feudal nobles with lands and those who serve the government through politics. Although in name both kinds are nobles, in reality, there’s a mountain of a difference. Politicians and generals only relying on salary seldom have much money. Even merchants on the streets are more likely to be richer.

  But, as for nobles with lands, endless riches can be made. Most certainly, a couple dozen percentage of tax is imminent. Still, the revenue is humongous.

  In short, Saito became an overnight millionare. Reminded of the words of innkeeper Scarron, Louise started to become uneasy.As soon as popularity rises, so does the people unpleasant to you.Just the fact of being praised as a hero on the streets have caused quite a number of nobles unhappy…… imagine how large of a jealousy would there be when the news of being granted lands spread?Have your highness considered about this?

  At the same time, another sort of unease rose.

  Don’t tell me…… her majesty……Then shook her head. Didn’t Henrietta once say to her ,"Loneliness, little people of whom I can trust, this is certainly a great distress" those sort of words?

  Therefore, this time there should also be no meaning other than "repaying a debt". Certainly, Henrietta didn’t seem to have any other sort of meanings behind this.

  But…… is that really so?

  No matter how close their relationship, it is impossible to know what is really in the other’s mind.

  "If only I knew of her inner thoughts."

  Eventually, she unconsciously came to that.

  Louise shook her head.Is Henrietta not my best friend? If I can’t trust even my best friend, what am I doing here?

  Anyhow, Saito’s future has never seemed brighter. Throughout the long history of Tristain, a peasant boy being granted land is unprecedented. At least in the long history Louise is informed of.

  As Henrietta have once described - a hero whose name will be passed on forever, this not a cliche anymore.

  The more Saito seems to be shining, the more lonely Louise seems to be.

  "A Saito like that, am I really fit to be with him?"

  A legendary void user…… yet unable to use those spells with ease.

  Unlike someone like her, wouldn’t a more superior woman be fit for Saito?

  Considering what she has and what she does not, Louise felt as if she was the most unspectacular, smallest creature in the world.

  "What’s wrong, Louise?"

  Noticing Henrietta looking at her with a worried expression, Louise lifted her head"N-nothing! Boy, this red wine tastes excellent!"In panic, Louise raised the glass in front of her.

  "After graduating, do you plan to get married?"

  Louise stood up from her seat to immediately voice,"Eh? No, impossible! There’s no way that’s going to happen!"

  "Is, is that so?"

  "From the looks of it…… there’s no need to get married just because we’ll live together…… it’ll only be an extension of the situation now. Isn’t that obvious."

  Hearing so, Saito drooped his shoulders out of disappointment.

  No, I don’t mean that was what Louise wanted to say, but her thoughts just a while ago has stopped her from comforting so.

  An awkward silence began to fall upon the room and the three of them stayed still.

  Am I really the girl fit for Saito?

  Can I make Saito happy?In the midst of this dense atmosphere, Louise continued contemplating these questions.

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