“By the way, when and how long is this?” I asked.
I am very curious about the identity of Margrave Frumwelk, but if I have forgotten it, I cannot remember.
And maybe Alexia isn’t even trying to dig deep into it. After all, the main reason is preliminary preparations and rehearsals for the wedding of the princess, and the acquaintance between me and the margrave is trivial when viewed as a whole.
So then, let’s put aside what we don’t understand.
It’s a bad habit of mine to think too much, but frankly, it doesn’t really lead to anything new or better. So I decided to cut off that train of thought and ask about the details.
“It’ll be next month,” Alexia said. “It will take about 10 days each way, so if you include the length of stay and other things, I think it will be a business trip of around a month.”
“A month, huh…?” I asked.
My honest impression is that it’s a bit long.
Of course, we are going to the territory ruled by Margrave Frumwelk, so it can’t be close to Baltrain. It’s not a place like Bidden Village, which has become a rural area as a result of a number of circumstances overlapping, but it’s genuinely at the edge of the border. I myself have not had much experience of going out, so I can’t help but feel a little uneasy.
“I don’t have the right to refuse, but I can’t give an immediate answer, emotionally… There’s also Miu to think about,” I said.
And the biggest concern wasn’t my lack of experience, but Miu, who lived with me.
If you just look at the period of one month, it’s the same as when I went home to Bidden Village last summer. However, as expected, it would be impossible for Miu to accompany me this time. Although she is my ward on paper, she is a complete outsider from the point of view of the Knights and the Margrave.
Furthermore, this time there was also a secret order from the royal family. The option of taking her must be ruled out from the beginning.
If that happens, the question of what to do while I’m gone will come up.
No, well, she’s not exactly a child either, so I think she can live her life without me. The Magician’s Academy is also open, and I have money, so it shouldn’t be a problem for her to eat.
“…I won’t go so far as to tell you to be particularly strict, but at that child’s age, wouldn’t there be fewer problems?” Alexia asked.
“No, hmm… that’s certainly true, but…”
While I was troubled, Alexia came up with an extremely reasonable opinion. She is right.
Maybe it’s a kind of overprotectiveness There are many people around Miu’s age who are splendidly independent.
Above all, she seems to have lived by herself until she struck a connection with me and Lucy. As long as she has the money, she won’t pickpocket again, so I shouldn’t worry too much.
“Anyway, I want you to let me talk to her at least once. I won’t take any time at all.”
“Understood,” Alexia said. “However, it would be helpful if you could put in a bit of haste.”
“Yeah, understood.”
In the end, I couldn’t make a quick decision on the spot, and this story was taken home for the time being.
No, it’s a situation where you have to make a quick decision. Again and again, I don’t have the option to refuse. But what can I say, this is my selfishness. It’s an emotional part, not a rational one.
As I said, I’m not going to spend time on it, and in the first place, when I get home, Miu will be there, so we should be able to talk about it by the end of the day.
There are two main actions I can take from here.
On the premise of going to Frumwelk territory, either leave Miu as is or ask someone else to look after her.
There is currently no option to refuse unconditionally.
I honestly don’t think of it as a possibility, but even if Miu vehemently refuses, it can’t be a reason for me to decline the invitation. I’d like to see Miu whining, though.
In other words, I have no choice but to go. After that, it becomes a personal story about how much you can convince yourself to leave.
So, I would like to proceed with the conversation by accepting the invitation from a margrave, but what worries me is about Miu during that time.
Since it’s about her, you’d probably say that she can handle herself for about a month. However, I feel a little reluctant to leave Miu alone for a long period of time without any groundwork around her. And I can’t take her with me this time.
…… It can not be helped. Should I use the special Lucy Diamond?
Even when returning to Bidden Village, I had considered the possibility of Miu turning down and relying on Lucy. As a result, she ended up following me when I went home, and I didn’t play that card, but she can’t do that this time.
Even if there is room for discussion as to whether or not to leave Miu at Lucy’s house, there should be no loss in talking to her. If it turns out that Lucy cares about her, I will travel to the Frumwelk territory without worrying about the aftermath.
The biggest problem is whether or not Lucy will accept it.
But I also have confidence in Lucy’s unreasonable behavior until now, so I’m going to push it somehow. The reason why I don’t like being forced on other people when I’m the only one who has to take care of myself is that it doesn’t quite work from my point of view.
Lucy is unconventional, but she’s not insane, so I’m thinking about it to the extent that I can understand her actions.
“… But, it was a little surprising.”
“Hmm? What?”
When the conversation was settled down and I was thinking about the future, Alexia suddenly spilled that out.
“I was wondering if you were going to refuse me, say that you’re unsuitable for this job,” Alexia said.
“Ah… yeah, well, I feel like it’s a heavy load. I am a commoner,” I said.
“If you say that, I’m also a commoner, aren’t I?” Alexia said.
“Hahaha, that’s true.”
The current image is too strong to forget, but she was originally a merchant’s daughter. In other words, she rose from a state with little or no political backing to the rank of the Knight Captain of a country on her own merits. It’s an incredible breakthrough. Her parents must be very proud of you.
“But… even if there was a right of veto, I think I’d still go. It’s not like the princess is a total stranger to me.”
“Ah, that… that is true.”
It is true that the burden feels heavy. To be honest, my real intention is to not get involved in national and diplomatic issues.
However, I decided to stop feeling like I didn’t deserve it. Regardless of the circumstances, if my power is needed, I should respond to it. The humility of someone like me leads to denying the power of Pops, who I surpassed.
In fact, no matter what, I think it’s useless if you don’t keep your feelings like that. It’s a change of feelings around here, or maybe the things I feel have changed somewhat.
“Speaking of which, how are your parents doing, Alexia?”
“Ah, yes. They’re still flying around various places.”
“That’s a relief more than anything.”
Since her origin story came up a little, I will veer a bit toward her parents while chatting. It seems that they are still in good health.
Merchants generally don’t stay in one place for long. Of course, even if there is a base somewhere since the essence is to buy things at low prices and sell them at high prices, they will naturally move around various places.
In the process, they happened to be in Bidden village, and there was Alexia as a young girl. Now that I think about it, it was the beginning of a very strange relationship. Now it has gone around and full circle, and it’s a ridiculous relationship for me.
Well, no one knows where the talent is sleeping. It is to the extent that the size and brilliance may become vaguely visible only after trying to polish it.
In the first place, if talent is determined by birth, there will be no Alexia, Selena, or Thyssel. I might have inherited it from Pops and Ma.
""
“…Did you change a little, Master?”
“Ah, you think so?” I asked. “Well… I guess you could say I have.”
I’m going to spend my time as usual, but lately, I’ve been getting poked at because of this kind of thing. I think Sir Henblitz also told me that.
It would be a lie if I said that there had been no change in my duel with Pops. But well, that doesn’t mean my personality will suddenly change, and my personal feeling hasn’t changed much. I am trying to change my mind.
Even so, when I look around, it seems that I have changed as well. I don’t know for myself, but I wonder if something objectively looks different. I don’t know much about it, so I can only give vague answers.
“Fufu, I think that’s a very good thing.”
“I’d be happy if that’s the case.”
Alexia drops a few words. There’s a gentle smile on her face.
Well, maybe it’s a good change. At least I feel like I’m less backward than before.
“Wait, can I take some time off soon? I have to go back to the training ground.”
“Yes, the main point is over, so it’s alright.”
Chatting with her is really comfortable, and I feel like I can’t help but stay longer. However, she can’t just slack off in front of the Knight Captain, so let’s go back to her original duties.
“Maybe tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, I think I’ll be able to give you an answer.”
“Yes, we are waiting for you.”
I would like to talk with Miu during the day, and if possible, I would like to talk to Lucy as well. Lucy is weak in the morning, so it might be just right to visit her after she’s instructed her in the Order.
If you want to immerse yourself in research, I think it’s better to go to bed early and wake up early for better health and sharper minds, but I won’t go into too much detail. She herself said that she has her own rhythm of life.
If I go to Frumwelk territory, I will not be able to train the knights during that time.
Let’s do our best again today so that we can stop worrying in that sense.
