Volume 2 - CH 35

Chapter 35-Backroom deals and new requests (Bran Crowder's point of view)

(TL:By Rafael)

"This is ruining our plans!"(Bran)

Wiping a scratch on his cheek in the carriage, he takes out his uncontrollable irritation on the knight who is riding with him.

If they were just a little bit better, we could have gotten the upper hand.

"It is unthinkable that you should be unharmed and I should be injured!"(Bran)

"I'm sorry, my lord"(Knight)

"But damn ....... Damn you, Reynise."(Bran)

I remember the look on my little hateful niece's face as she looked at me with cold eyes.

It must be the result of her lowly blood and environment that she is so defiant toward me, her uncle.

It would be better if she were at least as obedient as her mother, but she is a handful.

"it's  frustrating......, but I can't let this chance pass me by."(Bran)

After all, the other party is the second son of the Salmutaria royal family.

If we can get the amount of money indicated in the transfer, the Count Crowder family will not be troubled with money for some time to come.

I, too, will not be laughed at behind my back as the second son of a poor count.

For that reason, we must absolutely succeed in this takeover.

I was almost certain that the girl was Reynise, based on our preliminary investigation, but my face-to-face encounter with her confirmed my belief.

Her face, voice, and hair color are reminiscent of that maid, and her gray eyes are characteristic of the Crowder clan.

What's more, it has reached the point where it no longer matters whether the girl is really Reynise or not.

The ...... advance has already been received.

Even if the girl really has nothing to do with our family, we need to hand her over.

The most important thing to remember is that the "product" they are looking for is the girl, even if she is not Reynise.

The other party was only an adventurer, and there were any number of ways to get what we wanted.

Just as I was thinking this, the carriage stopped.

I let out a deep breath, quickly checked my appearance in the mirror on the carriage, and got out of the carriage.

I regret that things didn't go as planned, but it couldn't be helped.

Men wearing salmutaria kilts and armed with weapons look at me suspiciously as I disembark.

This large Salmutaria-style building, which is the center of attention in Duna, was prepared for one man.

Mastoma, the second prince of Salmutaria.

He is one of the candidates for the next king of Salmutaria who is vying for the right to succeed to the throne, and he is an eccentric man who seeks his achievements in "adventure."

That's why he is looking for someone like Reynise, who is an adventurer and so on.

"I am Bran Crowder, a messenger from the Counte of Crowder. Please convey this message to the Lord Mastoma."(Bran)

"Enter."(Guard)

The soldier, responding in a single word of Welmerian, opens the door and urges it open.

"You wait here."(Guard)

"...."(Knight)

Leaving the escort knights behind, we proceed through the mansion.

The inside of the mansion, uniformly coated in white plaster, is exotic, and the furnishings are different from those in Welmeria.

What is that strange, pungent aroma that lingers in my nose?

I hope it is not poisonous to Welmerians.

"This way, please."(??)

A lightly dressed man who speaks fluent Welmerian leads me through the mansion.

My eyes are dazzled by the jewelry and gold furnishings.

I wonder how much money he has spent on this temporary lodging for his adventures as a hobby.

Thinking about this, I proceed to the back of the house and arrive at a circular room with a skylight.

In the center of the room with a unique patterned carpet, there is a huge cushion-like sofa without legs, and the owner of the house is blowing water and tobacco  as if he is sinking into it.

Around him, a few fair-looking women were dressed in their finest clothes, looking raptured.

'Welcome, Bran,'  Now where are the things?"(???)

A dark-skinned hunk turns his expectant gaze toward us.

"I'd like to take a moment to talk to you about that. ......"(Bran)

"Now, I suppose it's time for the appointment to be due, right?"(Mastoma)

A sudden plunge from a good mood.

The second prince looks at us, radiating a chilling presence.

"She is  an adventurer, and she had a bit of a temper, and when I called out to her and told that Master Mastoma would like to meet her today, she shot me in the cheek with magic."(Bran)

"A woman would lay a hand on a man? The country of Welmeria is as dark and stupid as ever."(Mastoma)

The second prince sighs in a hearty, condescending manner.

"I think she's not educated enough, is she?"(Mastoma)

"Ha, ha, that's exactly right. Please wait a moment while we prepare as soon as possible."(Bran)

"Well, good. That girl has a use for me that other wives don't."(Mastoma)

The mastoma is saying something, but I am not in the mood for it.

The pressure is beyond a stomach ache, like gastric juices burning my throat.

"Hey, Bran."(Mastoma)

"Yes, Prince."(Bran)

"Can't you get the girls around Reynise as well?"(Mastoma)

"This......?"(Bran)

What is he talking about?

Aside from Reynise, does he mean the other women too?

"The money is three ...... times, no, five times as much. Without a family background, they can't be  queen, but there are uses for them too."(Mastoma)

"Well, that's ......"(Bran)

I am not joking.

If it was Reynise, we could claim that she has a duty as a bastard of the House of Crowder, but the other women were different.

We don't even know who they are, and even if we could, we wouldn't be able to force them. That would be like kidnapping.

As the second son of a count, there was no way I could do such a thing.

......No, wait.

The first thing I need to do is to get rid of that Yuki Ferdio guy somehow and get the whole party.

After all, adventurers are like managed vagrants. It's just a job for the jobless who are in need of money.

They don't have much backing, and with the power of the Crowder family ...... nobility, it's easy to get them.

The first thing I need to do is to find the right person to help me.

It's not uncommon for adventurers to disappear during a request.

"I'll do something about it. Please wait a moment."(Bran)

"Mm-hmm. Then step back."(Mastoma)

I was asked to leave with a gesture as if they were paying off an animal, and with some irritation, I left the second prince's mansion.

TL Note- Well looks like things are going to be a little..no much more complicated and this Mastoma prince reminds me of someone.