CH 267

–The road leading to Glasco territory.

Two men walked slowly through the area. One of them, Retzel, looked at the man walking next to him and spoke to him.

“You look like you’re having a great time. Did something happen before you joined me, Albatross?”

“Yeah, I met a party with a strange woman in a bar a while ago, and she was interesting! It’s been a long time since I’ve had a good drink with her.”

“It’s rare to hear an Albatross say such a thing. So who is she?”

“Well, she made me laugh. Yeah, she said they were going to Glasco. To pay off their debts.”

“I wonder if that’s okay. We’re going to Glasco now, and I don’t think it would be good for them to see our faces. You didn’t tell them your name, did you?”

When Retzel narrowed his eyes quizzically, Albatross tapped Retzel on the shoulder and started laughing.

“Ha-ha-ha, even I would use an alias! What, we only met for a day, a few hours only, so they wouldn’t remember me. Well, I’d like to see that woman again.”

“Well, I’d run the second it started to smell, though?”

“That’s just like you …… Now let’s get to work.”

Albatross could see the gate to the town of Glasco in front of him.

◆ 　 ◇ 　 ◆

We boarded a carriage prepared by a young man who was the gatekeeper, and we made our way to a house on a hill. The carriage was …… not a grand one, but a simple carriage with a makeshift top.

I have no complaints about that, but still–

“I didn’t expect you to be our guide as it is.”

When I asked the man in the driver’s seat, he shook his head and opened his mouth without looking back at me.

“Yes, yes, I volunteered to personally escort the minister from the castle. It’s such an honor.”

“I see. May I ask your name?”

“What? Oh, yes …… My name is Orff. Pleased to meet you.”

“Thank you. I’m Lars.”

“……?”

I smiled and returned to my seat. I saw him looking at me for a moment, tilting his head, but I didn’t care, and as I sat down, Makina approached me.

“Why did you call out to him? You even asked for his name.”

I said in a hushed voice and told her and the other two what I was going to do.

“No, it took them an hour and what resulted was this poorly built carriage, and it’s not often that a gatekeeper takes you to the lord’s mansion, even if you volunteered. Kruiz-san from Illuminate didn’t take us to the gate, did he? It was definitely not a welcoming atmosphere for the minister. You should pay attention to the tea that is served and the movements of the people around you.”

“So that’s it …… It’s amazing you understood that much.”

“♪”

As if to say I’m awesome, Sephiro shakes the branch in the cage and makes a flower bloom. Then Fath-san opens her mouth.

“I’m sure Lars is right. I’ve been in a situation like this before too. I think it was when I was invited by a nobleman who was trying to get me.”

“It’s true that Fath-san were young once, too.”

“That’s a lot of words!”

“Ouch!? …… Well, let’s keep our guard up, and let’s go.  I think we’ve just arrived.”

At the same time that Basleigh-sensei said this, the carriage slowly came to a stop. Orff escorted Basleigh-sensei off, and we followed suit. The old maid took us to the reception room and we sat down on the sofa.

“Please wait here.”

She said and stepped back. Orff stood next to the couch where we were sitting and waiting…… I wonder if this is what they told him to do, too?

I’m suspicious, but I don’t see myself doing anything about it, so I’ll let it go for now.

After settling in, I took a look at the room and found that the interior was normal for the size of the house. It’s no different from our house. The garden is well maintained, and I get the impression that it’s not as uninhibited as I thought it would be.

While I was thinking about this, the door to the reception room opened and three well-dressed people came in.

“Hello, thank you for waiting! I didn’t expect that the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries herself would come to inspect our territory. Of course, we know that you have changed ministers, Minister Basleigh! …… Oops, I’m late in introducing myself. My name is Zanbia, and this is my family. Go greet them.”

A good-looking Zanbia with only a beard smiles and asks the man and woman sitting beside him to greet us, and the woman opens her mouth first.

“I’m Sonia, his wife, Minister Basleigh. I envy you your position at such a young age.”

Her eyes are slightly downcast and she has a weeping mole. Sonia’s red wavy hair and open-chested dress gave her the appearance of a noblewoman.

Then the man started to speak–

“Nice to meet you, Minister Basleigh, I’m Varnish Glasco. I’m my father’s assistant, please make my acquaintance. Gufufu, who is that lovely young lady over there? Would you like to have dinner with me, the son of a nobleman?”

–This fat son of a nobleman started to seduce Makina without reading the atmosphere. But as I was thinking that he was dealing with the wrong person, Makina, as expected, opened her mouth with a cool face.

“No, thank you.”

“……!? W-Why!? To refuse my invitation is–“

“I can’t accept your offer because I have a lover. Lars there is my lover. ……”

And when Makina says that, Varnish’s eyes widen, and he looks at me, and he gets all riled up. 

“To refuse an invitation from me, something’s wrong with you! There’s no way he’s cooler than …… me!? A silky blond hair and a handsome face! He has a nice body and is what women consider an ideal man!?”

“Oh, hi …….”

As Varnish is baffled by the difficulty of giving a compliment in anger, the lord, Zanbia, coughs, forcing Varnish to back off.

“You should watch your mouth, Varnish. So, Basleigh-sama, what is the purpose of your visit to this territory ……?”

“Yes, it’s not that difficult. It’s just about the recent crop situation …… and the increasing number of Treants and monsters.”

“…….”

Basleigh-sensei smiled and tilted her head to the side lightly as she said this, and Zanbia’s eyes narrowed.

Now, who is doing what? The fat son seems innocent?

Thanks again for reading!

[Afterword Theater]

“An Upstart Aristocrat!”

No, he’s been doing it for quite a while now, though? Even though you seem to have forgotten that Basleigh was a minister.

“The Bird Headed Aristocrat!”

I think it’s a little different.