A month had passed since then. The aftereffects of the intense battles had long since faded, and now my days were filled with lordly duties during the day and studying at night. If Dee came back, I’d have sword training in the mornings as well. Dee and Espada were really pushing it—soon enough, I might just snap.
Today, as I soaked in the bath, trying to relax my tired body and brain, I thought to myself.
"Ah, the bath really is like a cleansing of the soul..."
Wait, was it supposed to be "washing the soul"? Of course, getting clean is the most obvious part.
As I pondered these thoughts, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed through the bathhouse. This was the exclusive bath for Van-sama at the lord’s manor. What a ruckus. Could they not keep it down?
I was still soaking in the tub, gazing toward the entrance when the door was swung open, and Kamshin rushed in.
"Van-sama!"
"Kamshin, you pervert."
"Huh!? S-Sorry!"
I teased him playfully, and Kamshin panicked, quickly apologizing before running out. Now that I thought about it, Kamshin was pretty serious most of the time.
"Just kidding! What’s up?"
I called toward the open door. Kamshin returned quietly, looking a bit flustered.
"...You surprised me."
Kamshin, for once, was pouting and complaining. I couldn’t help but feel a little guilty.
"I said it was a joke! So, what’s the matter?"
He immediately shifted back to a serious expression.
"Yes. A messenger from His Majesty’s army has arrived with news."
"A messenger? Wait, is it more ridiculous orders like rebuilding the fortress city or something?"
I frowned, half-expecting more unreasonable demands. Kamushin shook his head.
"No, if that were the case, I would have sent him away immediately."
"No, no! Don’t send him away! It’s a messenger from His Majesty, right? In cases like that, you need to show understanding, make excuses, and stall until it blows over..."
I tried to impart my wisdom on Kamshin about how to handle these kinds of situations. However, Kamshin didn’t respond to that and continued with the news.
"The contents of the message were that we’ve won the battle against the Yellenetta Kingdom."
"...Huh? Won? Do you mean the battle at the border? Or did we manage to defend Murcia Fortress successfully?"
I asked, surprised, and Kamshin shook his head before continuing.
"No, it seems that the Yellenetta Kingdom requested a ceasefire, and His Majesty refused. When His Majesty declared that they would march toward the capital, the Yellenetta Kingdom proposed a conditional surrender, which His Majesty accepted after negotiations."
"Wow, so they surrendered. They tried to go on the offensive with the Shelvia Federation, but it seems they failed, and that led to this, huh?"
I was surprised but understood that surrendering was a wise choice. If they had continued fighting, the capital of the Yellenetta Kingdom would have suffered devastating damage, and the royal family and many high-ranking nobles would likely have been executed. It was the kind of outcome that could have been avoided with surrender.
"Alright, let’s go hear the full report."
I was eager to hear the details, so I quickly left the bath, dried off, and changed.
Till had prepared clothes for me, but they were more extravagant than I expected. With the Mary Trading Company and the commercial guild bringing goods, even in a frontier village, some rather sophisticated outfits had started arriving. Naturally, Till had gotten a few pieces for herself, and now, she was eager to dress me in something flashy.
Though I didn’t particularly enjoy wearing flashy clothes, I couldn’t argue with her. This time, the outfit she prepared for me was a noble-looking outfit, made from a rich blue fabric with silver embroidery.
Since I couldn’t walk around naked, I reluctantly put it on and headed out.
"Please wait here," Kamushin said, leading me to the guest reception room. The door was already open, and Till was bringing in a serving tray.
"Oh, Van-sama! Have you finished your bath?"
"Yeah, the bath was great."
We exchanged a few words as I turned to face the person waiting in the room.
I froze when I saw who was there.
"...Yardo-niisan and Sesto-niisan?"
Upon hearing their names, Yardo, arms crossed and frowning, snorted and narrowed his eyes.
"...You sure are in a good position, Van."
"What do you think the messenger from His Majesty was about..." Sesto started to say, but Yardo shot him a harsh glare.
"Shut up."
Yardo’s low voice made Sesto fall silent. Something seemed off between the two of them—like there was an invisible wall between them.
Curious, I sat down on a nearby sofa and spoke.
"Thank you both for your hard work. Were you allowed to return to your domain earlier than the others? That’s good to hear."
I said with a smile, but Yardo slammed his fist onto the low table, clearly angry.
"Are you mocking me?!"
"Ah!"
At Yardo’s sudden outburst and the forceful slamming of the table, Till nearly spilled the tea she had been arranging. It was a miracle that she didn’t.
After checking to make sure Till wasn’t too frightened, I turned my gaze to Yardo.
"...I wasn’t mocking you. But why are you so angry?"
My voice lowered involuntarily, but I tried to remain as calm as I could. Yardo clicked his tongue and shot me a cold glare.
"You used the fortress city as a base, and you must have all the information from the battlefield."
Yardo muttered with an almost probing tone, and I shrugged, raising my hands in a gesture of surrender.
"No, no. I’ve been pretty busy, so I didn’t get much of a chance to hear the reports from the battlefield."
I said nonchalantly, and Yardo snorted, a hint of a smug smile on his face.
"His Majesty is fighting on the front lines, and you were too busy? Do you realize how disrespectful that sounds? We’ve fought bravely, and you might think you contributed by building walls with some strange magic, but that doesn’t make you a true participant in the war. If you have any pride as a noble, you should refuse any rewards or honors His Majesty offers you..."
Yardo continued to complain, and it was clear he was frustrated at not being able to do as much as he had hoped during the war. I could tell from his tone that he was feeling disheartened by it. I couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly, watching him vent.
At that moment, I heard a loud sound from behind, like something hard crashing together. I turned around, surprised, and saw Till glaring at Yardo with a look of irritation.
"Yardo-sama. Excuse my boldness, but..."
Till started, and Yardo turned toward her with a menacing look.
"What did you say? What do you want to tell me?"
Yardo’s voice was laced with anger, and I almost stepped in to say something, but Till quickly responded.
"Yardo-sama, you made it sound like Van-sama has been leisurely staying in Ceat Village, but that’s not the case at all. Van-sama went to the Fertio Marquisate and repelled the large armies of the Shelvia Federation and Yellenetta Kingdom. And he did that while the Marquis was gravely injured in the battle..."
"What? Father was gravely injured...?"
Hearing Till’s words, Yardo stood up in shock, while Sesto widened his eyes. The two of them looked surprised, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off between them.
"Huh? I thought the Yellenetta Kingdom hastened their surrender because we formed an alliance with the Shelvia Federation. Was that not the case?"
I asked, half-jokingly, but Yardo didn’t answer me.
"What do you mean my father is severely injured? What’s his current condition?"
Yardo fired off questions rapidly.
"Huh? The Marquis is fine. He’s back at Centena, continuing to protect it."
I answered, and Yardo paused for a moment, then sat back down on the sofa, crossing his arms.
"...I see."
He let out a long sigh in response, while Sesto clicked his tongue in disappointment. Sesto usually stayed in Yardo’s shadow, rarely standing out, but at that moment, I began to feel that he might be a more dangerous person than I had thought.
For me, though, it was clear that outside of Murcia, the entire family was my enemy, and perhaps Sesto was the one I needed to worry about the most.
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