Chapter 1: Sutrena Flourishes

Nazelbart was busy working at the fortress, running all around the building from morning until afternoon. Even after he’d returned from Polpystan, his workload hadn’t decreased.

Haaah, time goes by in a flash.

It was already well past noon. First thing in the morning, he’d had to issue instructions on manabeast countermeasures, then discuss the acceptance of new residents and the education of personnel into government officials... In any case, he had no time to rest.

“Things are still better than before, but new work keeps on coming...”

As Nazelbart walked, deep in thought, he heard two sets of light footsteps approaching.

“Oh, elder brother!”

“Lord Nazelbart!”

Paul and Ryuk, the rookie government officials and Sutrena’s rising stars, ran up to him with smiles on their faces. They’d graduated from a Polpystani school with excellent grades, and were now employed in Sutrena, as promised. Their seniors at work were currently showing them the ropes, and the two of them had good reputations in the fortress. There were plans to dispatch them to the latest addition to Sutrena’s territory once they gained a little more experience.

“Have you gotten used to your work, you two?” Nazelbart asked.

Paul and Ryuk nodded, eyes sparkling.

“Yes! Everyone is awfully kind to us!”

“It’s easy to concentrate on work in this peaceful environment.”

“I’m glad to hear that. Talk to me if any trouble comes up,” Nazelbart said.

“Thank you very much!” the two of them cheerfully replied in unison.

“Are you working on manabeast countermeasures, elder brother? If I’m not mistaken, Sutrena periodically experiences large-scale disasters involving manabeasts...” Paul said.

Nazelbart nodded in response.

“Yes, it’s an annual thing, but we need to take proper measures. It would be best if we could stop the manabeasts’ rampage at the root, but no method to accomplish that has been discovered yet.”

Nazelbart was still investigating the cause. Connie and the other manabeast exterminators had been assisting by conducting ecological surveys, but no results had come so far.

“U-Um...” Ryuk timidly muttered from next to Paul. “I’ve heard that the current approach for taking measures against manabeasts is mainly biological. How about examining the problem from a historical perspective? You might be able to figure something out from old documents or other evidence, just like in the big hopper incident.”

During Nazelbart and Agnes’s visit to Polpystan, manabeasts called big hoppers had caused serious damage in the Duchy of Masroono, where the two of them had been staying. As their name implied, big hoppers resembled grasshoppers, insects that lived in Polpystan, but they were about as big as a ten-year-old human. They were usually docile and considered pests to fields, just like regular grasshoppers. They were easy to spot thanks to their size, and because they were timid and passive, they were apparently easier to exterminate than grasshoppers.

However, when they surpassed a certain population density, they exhibited polyphenism. Their bodies became black with orange stripes, and they turned into ferocious manabeasts. They demonstrated an insatiable appetite and could even attack humans depending on the situation. Furthermore, their bodies emitted toxic purple mana which polluted the ground, making it barren.

“I see. That’s a valuable suggestion.” Nazelbart placed a finger on his chin and started thinking about Ryuk’s idea. It’s a good one, but Sutrena doesn’t have many people well-versed in history. In the first place, academics aren’t as prevalent here as they are in Polpystan.

The situation would likely change if the educational institution Agnes had suggested became a reality, but for now, the education level wasn’t that high.

“Ryuk, are there similar cases in Polpystan where manabeasts go berserk during the new moon?” Nazelbart asked.

“From what I know, once per year, the area near the river along the north border suffers large-scale damage because of manabeasts; the situation is similar to Sutrena’s. And this is a recent example, but it seems that other manabeasts later ran wild in the areas ravaged by the big hoppers. The annual large-scale rampage also happens during a new moon, though not the same one as in Sutrena...” Ryuk explained.

“This year’s damages are concerning.”

“They are. According to my father, Duke Masroono and Prince Valen are dealing with the issue. There has been no precedent for this, so what will happen next is yet unknown. Hopefully manabeast attacks won’t turn as violent as they did before. Moreover, the weather in the Duchy of Masroono this time of year is stormy... That’s another concern.”

Nazelbart nodded. The same was true for Sutrena. The water of the ocean to the west heated up, turned into an updraft, and eventually transformed into massive clouds that developed into storms. Those storms were liable to cause serious harm to Polpystan’s northern regions, or to Sutrena in Desnim’s south. It was impossible to predict a storm’s path before it occurred. Fortunately, there hadn’t been any major damage since Nazelbart took up his post as margrave, but there apparently had been many incidents of devastating storms before that, all recorded in past documents. At present, it was unclear whether any large-scale storm would occur this year or not. However, they still had to take proper countermeasures. An employee with weather forecast magic should be able to predict if a storm was imminent and what its trajectory would be.

“For now, let’s investigate the connection between the big hoppers and the new moon manabeast rampage. We’re a rural area, but the damage Sutrena suffers is worse than in other rural territories. Ryuk, I’ll reduce your workload, so could you look into the manabeast rampages from a historical perspective?” Nazelbart asked.

“Yes, of course. Please leave the investigation to me.” Ryuk was a history buff, so he looked Nazelbart in the eyes, then nodded.

How reliable. Nazelbart was looking forward to the promising Paul and Ryuk further improving and becoming valuable assets.

As the three of them were talking, one of the boys’ superiors called for them. It would be wrong of Nazelbart to keep them any longer.

“Well then, good luck with your work.” Nazelbart informed the boys’ superior about the task he’d assigned to Ryuk, then headed straight back to his office.

I want to at the very least be by Agnes’s side when she gives birth, so I need to take care of as much work as possible while I still can. There was a limit to how much work he could do, but he couldn’t leave his wife alone when she was feeling uneasy about her first delivery. He believed that he should be able to provide her with emotional support as her husband, so he worked his hardest to do as much as possible in advance to make time for the fateful day.

***

I stepped on the grass, which was wet with morning dew, as I leisurely meandered through our faintly misty garden. It was early in the morning, with no sounds of people about, but I occasionally heard the chirping of birds. I, Agnes, looked around, taking in the clean air that filled the area.

Mmm, what a nice morning.

Sutrena, located in the southernmost part of Desnim, only had two seasons: a dry one and a rainy one. From the royal capital’s perspective, it was currently summer, but we were in the second half of the dry season. It was a bit hot during the day, but the weather was more comfortable than in the rainy season. The rainy season, with its constant drizzles, made me drowsy.

After walking for a bit, I came across large sunflowers. They were a variety with edible seeds that Lord Nazel had started planting this year. Incidentally, it was also possible to extract oil from their seeds.

They’re beautiful...but also imposing!

The garden of our vast estate had been considerably renovated and was much more pleasant to spend time in. Although we still didn’t have a professional gardener, the people of Sutrena liked taking care of plants, so little by little, various people had joined forces, and the previously wild area that was our garden was improving. Everyone freely remodeled the garden, like planting their favorite flowers in empty spaces, or pruning trees into perfect circles. In the end, the garden had become beautiful, so no one really minded how haphazard the process had been. The people of Sutrena were rather lackadaisical; perhaps the unique southern climate was responsible for their attitude. I hadn’t exactly been methodical before, but I was aware that ever since coming here, I’d grown to be less bothered by the small stuff.

Strolls are really enjoyable.

I’d arrived at the stream running through our garden. I could see my reflection on the clear water’s sparkling surface as it reflected the gentle sunlight. I was in the last month of my pregnancy, and my belly was now so big and heavy that I couldn’t even bend down.

I’m sure the baby will come out in just a little while.

I gently rubbed my belly. I could feel the presence of the baby inside it more strongly than before. I turned to the right, harboring both anticipation and a little unease. I was sure that my overprotective worrywart Lord Nazel would come looking for me soon.

And it’s not just Lord Nazel, but Kelly and the others too... They’re all overprotective. Maybe they simply don’t trust me?

I slowly headed to the manor, passing through a flower bed with giant orange hibiscuses in full bloom.

Sutrena was surrounded by abundant forests, and its population had been rapidly increasing lately. The noble ladies we sheltered in our estate had also started to proactively venture out and excel in various fields.

“Heave-ho.”

I continued laboriously walking across a path sandwiched between more large sunflowers, when I saw Lord Nazel approaching from the opposite direction. He also noticed me and approached at a quick pace before gently supporting me. His arm wrapped around my shoulders felt warm and made my heart beat faster.

“Why did you come outside on your own, Agnes? I was worried about you. What if you collapsed somewhere along the way, or the burden on your body became too much and you couldn’t return?”

“As I always say, you worry far too much, Lord Nazel. A little exercise is necessary to preserve my stamina and prevent any muscle decline. According to a book for pregnant women, moderate exercise can also lead to a safe delivery.”

“I understand the logic behind it, but my concern for you is a different matter... Whoops, this isn’t the right place to have a conversation. Come, breakfast is almost ready. Let’s go back together, Agnes.”

When he asked in such a gentle voice, I couldn’t turn him down. Although he tended to be overprotective, I could clearly tell that he was worried about my health above all else.

“Yes...” I replied.

We slowly went back the way we’d come while looking at the overgrown sunflowers. As the sun gradually rose in the sky, the sunlight became stronger.

“It’s about time, isn’t it?” Lord Nazel suddenly muttered while looking at my belly.

“Yes, indeed—if things go according to the doctor’s forecast, that is.” The delivery date depended entirely on the baby’s mood; we couldn’t predict exactly when it would happen.

“I’m happy about the birth of our child, but I’m worried about your body.”

“It’s perfectly fine according to the doctor. He also said I’m in great health.”

“Yes, so let’s go back inside quickly to keep things that way.”

I hadn’t gone that far, so we reached the manor’s back entrance as we talked.

“Will you be having breakfast on the terrace?” Our chef, Mather, had apparently come out to the back after getting breakfast all ready.

“We will. We need to get Agnes’s special seat ready,” Lord Nazel replied.

At his word, our estate’s newest maids, who’d gathered here from all across Desnim, started carrying a large chair to the terrace with great effort. The town’s craftsmen had built and gifted me a soft, sturdy chair for my pregnancy. They’d later sneakily built a “Statue of the Pregnant Margravine,” but the chair they’d given me was incredibly comfortable, so I’d kept quiet.

Before long, Marilyn, our head waitress, started lining the table with delicious-looking dishes. Our breakfast was meant to ensure my health during pregnancy, with vegetables harvested from our garden as the main ingredients. Lord Nazel and I enjoyed Mather’s cooking; her skills improved with each passing day.

Once we finished our meal, my head handmaiden Kelly brought over a letter addressed to Lord Nazel from King Bertrand.

“It just arrived via mountbeast postal service.”

The mountbeast postal service was one of the national projects recently implemented by King Bertrand. It was a service for express delivery using swift pegasi and wyverns. Thanks to it, letters could be delivered relatively quickly even to Sutrena, despite its distance from the royal capital. Furthermore, the king was currently considering establishing a shipping service. He would gather people with storage magic like his own and have them transport goods using the mountbeast postal service. Storage-type magic often preserved the objects inside in their original states, so it was expected to be invaluable for transporting perishable goods. If the shipping service was established, we would be able to freely export violaberry pies, one of Sutrena’s local specialties.

Lord Nazel accepted the letter from Kelly and started reading it on the spot.

“Let’s see...” Lord Nazel scanned the letter’s contents and looked a bit surprised, then passed it over to me.

“Huh? I may read it too?” I was perplexed, but I still took the letter. I took a long, hard look at it and soon learned the happy news. “Queen Latriche gave birth, and to twin princes, no less? Oh my, what a joyous occasion. What would make a good congratulatory gift?”

Although it was hard for news from the capital to reach us here in Sutrena, the capital itself was surely in a celebratory mood right now. Lord Nazel was also nodding with a gentle smile.

“Let’s inform everyone in Sutrena about the princes’ birth,” he said.

“Yes!” I agreed. I returned the letter to Lord Nazel, thinking that I’d like to meet the princes one day. “Thankfully, it seems that both Queen Latriche and her sons are in good health.” After all, giving birth was a risk to the mother’s life. “Oh?” I noticed that there was another letter inside the white envelope. “What could it be?”

Lord Nazel took the second letter out and frowned as he read it. It seemed to contain completely different information from the previous one, so I started worrying...

“Is something wrong, Lord Nazel?”

“I’m unsure whether I should let you know,” he replied with a sullen expression.

“Then please tell me. I’ll be all right.” Lord Nazel often treated me like a delicate noble lady, but I knew better than anyone that I was a fairly tough person, and that toughness only increased year by year.

“All right, I’ll tell you. According to this letter, Robin has escaped. It seems that he somehow managed to get out of the Sempli Convent.”

“What?!”

“At present, a large-scale manhunt is taking place around the Sempli Convent. Good grief, he’s as troublesome as ever.”

“I hope they catch him soon.”

“That area is nothing but mountains, so I doubt Robin will manage to escape with his stamina.”

At any rate, the Sempli Convent was far from here. We prayed from Sutrena for Master Robin to be recaptured quickly.

Now that we’d finished breakfast, Lord Nazel started his usual preparations to leave for the fortress.

“Agnes, I’m going to the fortress to report on the princes’ birth and prepare for this year’s manabeast extermination.”

“Yes, take care. It sure is a busy time. I hope that we come out safely without any major damage this year as well.”

“It’s going to be all right. After all, you’ve cast some wonderful magic on me.”

My magic was a rare kind called absolute reinforcement. Not only could it make matter more durable, but it could also make living things more sturdy, strengthen plants and make them grow faster, enhance and purify the soil, and so on. There were still many things we hadn’t uncovered about my magic, but this power had saved me time and again.

“In any case, it’s almost time for the new moon when the manabeasts run amok, isn’t it? I have the same thought every year, but time really passes quickly,” I said.

I thought back to the damage caused by manabeasts when I’d first come to Sutrena, and the manabeast extermination the year after that. In Desnim, there were several times each year when manabeasts became highly aggressive because the mana that filled the air became unstable.

This doesn’t happen in other regions, but there are many manabeasts in Sutrena, and it’s easier for them to become violent, so it’s a dangerous time.

This event mainly occurred during the nights of the new moon, and among them, the new moon around this time of year coincided with a noticeably larger manabeast outbreak than the rest. This phenomenon was apparently also confirmed in Polpystan, but no method to prevent it was currently in place, so the only option was to kill the manabeasts that lost control and went berserk. Here in Sutrena, the manabeast population was high, and until Lord Nazel took up his post here, it’d suffered serious damage every year. However, ever since we’d come here, there had been zero casualties, thanks to the reinforcement of buildings and defensive walls and using our manor as a shelter. After the first year’s events, though, Lord Nazel had forbidden me from going to the scene of the manabeasts’ rampage.

“The manabeast exterminators have gotten more powerful, and I’ve also gotten stronger and sturdier lately, so the damage only keeps decreasing,” Lord Nazel said.

“I still feel worried.”

“I can’t get injured thanks to you, so I’ll be all right. Lately, if I carelessly bump into a pillar, it ends up getting a dent.”

“I’ll adjust the strength a bit,” I replied after a pause.

Lord Nazel was speaking the truth. After Lord Nazel had gotten stabbed by Lord Davier’s subordinate in the aftermath of their decisive battle, I’d reinforced his whole body with my magic. I’d been so engrossed in saving him that I didn’t remember what I’d done or how, but the dying Lord Nazel had made a miraculous recovery and ultimately survived. His body had most likely become tough enough to nullify the poison. Perhaps because of the magic I’d cast on him back then, his body had become much more robust than before and didn’t get injured in the slightest.

But I don’t want anything that horrible happening to him again, so it’s better for Lord Nazel to be all sturdy. For now, he doesn’t seem to have any problems other than the dented pillars. There should be nothing to worry about if I’m careful about that hiccup. There were apparently no other drawbacks, so I’d definitely like him to remain invincible like that.

“I’m off to work, Agnes.” Lord Nazel moved close to me, leaned over, and gave me a peck on the lips. It had become routine before I’d even noticed... No, he’d shrewdly made this goodbye kiss a routine.

“Mm... Take care.” I got out of my chair and saw him off, without doing anything that would burden my body.

More and more new work kept coming his way, so Lord Nazel was always awfully busy.

On top of the manabeasts, he also has to deal with the possibility of storms.

In Sutrena, a storm would sometimes occur during the start of the rainy season. There hadn’t been any major damage ever since I’d moved here, but the weather apparently tended to get stormy during the transition from the dry to the rainy season. I’d heard that when storms did occur here, buildings collapsed because of the strong winds, rivers overflowed and caused flooding, and there were landslides as well as lightning strikes. Some time ago, Lord Nazel began implementing flood control measures to keep the rivers in check, so future flood damage should be less severe than in the past. But at the moment, it was difficult to protect areas of low elevation, places near mountains, or ones buffeted by the wind. We wanted to gradually take more countermeasures, but we lacked the manpower.

Whatever we tried to do, our labor shortage was always an obstacle. Fortunately, Paul and his good friend Ryuk, who’d both graduated from Masroono National School in neighboring Polpystan, had recently started working as government officials under Lord Nazel. I could only pray that they would become fully qualified workers as soon as possible, and start helping Lord Nazel and the people of Sutrena. The two of them currently lived in the dormitory for single men near the fortress. I’d invited them to live in our estate, but Paul had declined.

“We’re already grown men. Living on our own will be a piece of cake!” he’d said, eyes brimming with confidence.

However, since Paul was my brother, he often visited our estate; Ryuk frequently accompanied him. I knew why they were really visiting: Kelly. Paul and Ryuk were enamored with the reliable, older head handmaiden. But she was the same as ever, still oblivious to the youngsters’ advances.

They’ll need to push much harder or she just won’t notice. I hoped that Kelly, who’d declared she only lived for her work, would also find a wonderful lover. I’d casually asked Kelly what she thought of them, but she apparently saw all of them, including Connie, as nothing more than little brothers. They all still had a long road ahead of them.

As for me, I need to make steady progress on the school’s construction. A school where anyone could gain knowledge and become a government official was currently under construction in Sutrena. At first, the former noblewomen who’d escaped to our estate would teach general education, while staff members called from the fortress would teach various courses related to their work. From there, I wanted to gradually add specialized subjects, such as lessons on becoming a craftsman. If people could acquire all kinds of knowledge or skills at school, our labor shortage would be at least partially alleviated.

Since Lord Nazel had left for the fortress, I decided to do whatever work was in my power and leisurely headed to an empty room.

Let’s see, we’ll need to open up the manor as a shelter again during the storms and manabeast outbreak. People’s reception to the idea has been unexpectedly favorable... We needed to make preparations to turn the manor into a shelter for our people again this year. But my due date was approaching, so I couldn’t push myself too hard.

“Lady Agnes,” Kelly called out from behind me as I was thinking about my work. “Your due date is near, so please refrain from working from today onward. It would be terrible if something happened to you.”

“It’s not such a big deal. I’ll take a break right away if I get tired.”

“Please refrain from any work. The available maids have already been instructed regarding the matter of the shelter. You mustn’t overdo it in your condition.” Kelly wouldn’t budge an inch; I felt intense pressure from her. It honestly seemed like I couldn’t win.

“All right...” I couldn’t argue against her at all and had to back down in low spirits. Starting today, I would be taking some enforced rest.

As my peaceful everyday life continued, with all my free time, I started getting into reading the romance novels that were popular among the estate’s maids. I’d more or less already finished reading the books about animals I’d been interested in. Many of our maids could read, as a good number of them had come from noble families, and even the commoners could learn how to read and write from them. The maids had suggested romance novels for me to enjoy myself indoors, and even Lord Nazel had approved, saying that it was better than me going outside alone while pregnant.

The maids had brought me a great variety of novels. There were fairy tales with princesses aimed at children, stories of noble ladies’ innocent first loves, heartrending romances of commoner women falling in love with young noblemen, and so on. The story I was reading at the moment was about a bewitching married noblewoman called Vietta. The interpersonal relationships in it were pretty ugly.

As Kelly brought me a cup of herbal tea, she suddenly stared at the title of the book I was reading.

“Lady Agnes, that book...”

“Oh, this? It’s apparently a romance novel that’s popular among the maids. I’ve only read the first part so far.”

“That’s an erotic novel. Please take a closer look at the cover. By the looks of it, you haven’t checked it at all, have you? I warned the maids not to bring such novels to work. Did this one get mixed in among the rest? The maids who’ve come from a noble background seem to enjoy extreme reading material, perhaps as a reaction against their repressive lives back home.”

“This book’s an erotic novel? I had no idea.” I’d simply been reading the stacked books one after the other from the top. I closed the book and took a look at the cover. “Um, The Fallen Bewitching Villainess Drowns in Pleasure? Whoa!” Yes, it did sound like that kind of title.

I timidly opened the book again and peered inside. I checked a part that was probably the climax, further than where I’d read so far.

“Hmm. ‘The emperor’s bony fingers caressed Vietta’s ripe red...’ Eek! It really is an erotic novel!”

“Let’s stop reading aloud, Lady Agnes. I’ll return this to the maids.”

“Yes, thank y— Ugh!” I was about to hand the book over to Kelly’s outstretched hand, when I suddenly felt a throbbing pain. Was it because I’d shouted so loudly earlier?

“What’s the matter, Lady Agnes?!” Kelly rushed right next to me with a start.

“Kelly... My belly...kind of hurts.”

“Hold on...” Kelly’s expression turned grim, like she’d just realized something. “This probably means... Please wait here, Lady Agnes. I’ll call the doctor right away.”

“Urk...”

Kelly moved swiftly and ran to bring the doctor over. Meanwhile, the maids came into the room and started making some kind of preparations before my very eyes. They brought over hot water, towels, and a bunch of other things.

“H-Huh?”

The doctor and midwife also rushed over, and Lord Nazel, who’d been working at the fortress, even came back riding on Dunk. That was when I finally realized what was happening to me.

Lord Nazel ran into the room and fretted over me, looking all worried.

“I hurried back when I heard that you went into labor. How do you feel?” he asked.

“My belly has been hurting all this time.”

“Those must be the contractions. If only I could take your place,” Lord Nazel whispered sorrowfully while grasping my hand.

“The sentiment is enough.” It was obviously impossible for Lord Nazel to give birth. But when I looked at his gentle amber eyes, as he tried his utmost to reassure me, I calmed down a little.

From there on, I endured the waves of contraction while Lord Nazel and the doctor watched over me, until my water finally broke and it was time for the baby to be born.

“Agnes, I’ll be right outside. Call for me right away if anything happens, okay?” Lord Nazel looked reluctant to part from me as he followed the doctor’s instructions and left for the hallway. On his way out, he picked up the book lying on the bed and took it with him.

“Ugh...” As I bore all the pain, I suddenly realized that the book he’d taken with him was that erotic novel. Oh no! I hope Lord Nazel doesn’t notice the title. What if he thinks I’m into that kind of literature? I was worried, but this wasn’t the time for that, and I couldn’t move in the first place; I was being assaulted by intermittent pain. Ugh! It’s all gonna work out! I cast the smaller problem aside and took the deepest breath I could.

“You’re doing great, Lady Agnes. Keep it up, just like that.” The robust, elderly, experienced midwife gave me words of encouragement. “You need to time the pressure on your stomach with the waves of pain.”

“Hngh!”

“Do your best, Lady Agnes!” Kelly also cheered me on while helping the midwife.

Some time later, I gave birth.

“Good job, Lady Agnes! Congratulations, it’s a healthy baby boy,” the midwife told me with a smile after delivering the baby.

“Waaah! Waaah!” The baby’s cries echoed inside the room. He sounded very energetic.

“Urk, thank goodness...” I was exhausted and couldn’t move a muscle as the midwife showed me my crying son. He was a tiny, wrinkled, and loud baby, but when I realized that he was my son, I was filled with love. “He’s adorable...” I gently reached out and touched my baby.

“Your delivery was the easiest I’ve witnessed in my career, Lady Agnes. It was even your first birth! I’m truly glad both you and your baby are perfectly healthy,” the midwife said.

“I thought that might be the case. My belly hurt, but he came out relatively smoothly. When my mother gave birth to Paul, it took her much, much longer.”

“But you still mustn’t push yourself too much for a month after giving birth, Lady Agnes. Please get some proper rest.”

“Precisely!” Kelly said, nodding vigorously next to the midwife.

Looks like I won’t be able to work for a while. Slipping past Kelly’s surveillance was next to impossible. Moreover, Lord Nazel and the maids would definitely join in and come after me.

As I was deep in thought, Lord Nazel came into the room, having heard our baby’s cries and being unable to wait any longer. Kelly had just finished wiping my sweat.

“Agnes! Are you all right?!”

“Lord Nazel... Yes, I’m fine.”

“I’m glad everything went well, but you certainly don’t look fine. Listen to what Kelly and the others tell you and stay put for a while.”

“Urk...” Now even Lord Nazel was warning me. Am I that unreliable? Every last one of them was overprotective!

“Lord Nazel, the baby is over there. He’s being given his first bath right now.”

The baby was crying as the midwife gave him his bath. After the bath was over, the midwife wrapped him in a new towel and showed him to Lord Nazel.

“Here you go, Lord Nazelbart. It’s a cute baby boy.”

“Thank you.” Lord Nazel looked at our baby with an indescribable expression, like he was overcome with emotion.

Perhaps our baby had gotten tired from crying, because he started dozing off. I shifted my gaze to him with a smile.

“So, about his name, will we go with what we discussed together before?” I asked.

Lord Nazel and I had already thought about our baby’s name. We’d agreed that if it was a boy, we’d name him Solis, and if it was a girl, we’d name her Luna.

“Yes, we will. It’s a boy, so we’ll go with Solis.”

The moment Lord Nazel spoke the final word, our baby squeezed his legs tight, perhaps recognizing that this was his name. However, he still looked sleepy. His eyelids were gradually closing.

“Solis,” I gently called out to our baby. Lord Nazel was also tenderly looking at his son. Our baby... Our newborn was placed in a small cradle, and he started sleeping soundly next to me.

Although his plump cheeks and chubby body stood out, he was apparently a baby of average size. The doctor had also examined him and concluded that he was healthy and didn’t have any problems at the moment.

I was filled with a warm emotion and stared at our boy for a while, when Lord Nazel exclaimed an Ah! like he’d just remembered something.

“That reminds me. This is about the book I found in your room, Agnes.”

I was startled and averted my eyes from Lord Nazel. I’d completely forgotten about the erotic novel he’d cleaned up.

“I thought it was a romance novel, but when I looked at the cover, it turned out to be an adult book... Kelly said that she’ll return it to the owner and took it away. So you like those kinds of books, huh, Agnes?”

“I-I don’t! A maid just gave it to me by accident. It wasn’t something I wanted. I’m most certainly not into that kind of story! I only read through the first part, where Vietta takes part in the emperor’s fiancée selection! I never made it to the dubious scenes!”

“So you really were reading it, weren’t you? I only saw the cover... I’ll work hard to meet your expectations from now on. For now, I think I’ll ask to borrow the book next time.”

“Work hard doing what?! And you don’t need to read it!”

It seemed like there was a misunderstanding brewing inside Lord Nazel, but it was only at times like this that Kelly was absent and wouldn’t return for some time.

***

After I’d safely given birth to Solis, I spent most of my time lying down and resting. Lord Nazel, ever the worrywart, constantly came to check up on me. It seemed that he brought his work from the fortress home.

“Is your body feeling okay, Agnes?”

“Yes. Moving is still difficult, but if I rest properly, I should be back to normal soon.”

“Take a good, long rest,” Lord Nazel emphasized. I was apparently totally unreliable. “Oh, that’s right. Arrangements for your wet nurse have been made, so I’ll introduce you once you’ve settled down.”

“So you’ve found someone to serve as my wet nurse?”

“It’s Henry’s wife, Mrs. Holly Billket. She’s of noble birth, and she’s had three children so far. Her baby was born six months ago, so Henry said that she can work as a wet nurse.”

“Huh? Mister Henry’s wife? She’s never come up in conversation before, but it sounds like she meets the criteria perfectly.”

Mister Henry was a very trustworthy person, and also the third son of a viscount house that lived in the capital. I was certain everything would be fine if we were dealing with a member of his family. His house wasn’t that far from our estate either.

“We can trust an acquaintance’s relative, and it seems like his wife has also been fully up to the task since the topic came up. But she did say she was worried because she’s never worked before.”

In Desnim, there were some noblewomen who worked as handmaidens to practice for married life, but there were also many who didn’t gain any social experience while they were unmarried and weren’t used to working. I also fell under the latter category.

“She will have the maids’ support, and if any problems come up, we’ll try to grant her requests as best we can,” I said.

Since we’d finally found a wet nurse, I wanted to provide her with the best environment possible. Some wet nurses in Desnim worked under poor conditions; that issue was particularly serious for commoners. Many employment contracts required the prospective wet nurse to leave her children at home. Of course, those mothers would have to stay at the noble’s manor overnight for work, and the children they’d left behind at home would die if there was no one to breastfeed them in their place. But there were apparently some women daring enough to swap their child with their employer’s.

She’ll be coming over to our estate, so I want to welcome her in the best way we can. Of course, she’ll be allowed to bring her own child with her, and she won’t need to supervise Solis around the clock. I decided to pick out some experienced maids who seemed suited to child-rearing and ask them to support Mister Henry’s wife.

“That’s a good idea. I believe Mrs. Billket knows how to deal with children, but let’s assign a few people to help her out, just in case. Also, her third son is still an infant, so it seems like she’ll be bringing him along. Her other two children might also show up in the estate,” Lord Nazel said.

“They’re more than welcome.”

It sounded like things were going to get really lively. Many people in our estate were fond of children, so the Billket children should be welcome here.

***

Several days later, Mister Henry’s wife, led by Kelly, came to see me while I was still recovering. She was a beautiful woman with long, gently waving hair of a faint platinum blonde color. She had refreshing light purple eyes.

“Nice to meet you, Lady Agnes. My name is Holly Billket.” She had an absent-minded smile and bowed softly and politely.

I was sitting on a soft sofa for one person, so I stood up to greet her.

“I’m Agnes Florescruz. Thank you for going out of your way to come here.”

From what I’d been told, Mrs. Holly was thirty years old, two years younger than Mister Henry. She looked like a fragile, ephemeral woman, but she had three children, the youngest of which was still breastfeeding. Her light violet outfit further reinforced her delicate, fairylike aura.

Does she like cute clothes? Or are those perhaps what Mister Henry prefers?

Her mannerisms were more like a young girl’s than a married woman’s, and she had this air about her that made you want to support her.

“I’ll be taking care of Solis too, but I believe there will be times where I won’t be able to attend to everything. I’ll be entrusting my son to you.”

I looked at Mrs. Holly, then shifted my gaze to Solis, who was sleeping soundly. She followed my eyes and looked at him too.

“Oh my, he’s adorable. Please leave him to me.”

Mrs. Holly had also brought her children to the estate. She’d be taking care of Solis with the help of the maids, but of course she would be looking after her own kids too. There were some noblewomen who left everything to their wet nurses and wouldn’t meet their own children for months on end, but I wanted to be involved with Solis as much as possible.

“I’m glad that you seem to be a nice person, Mrs. Holly. Incidentally, why did you decide to accept this job?” I asked.

“Because I’ve always been in the house ever since coming to Sutrena. I felt like trying something different. But since I was raised in a noble house, getting an ordinary job would be difficult... I wanted to start something new, but I was puzzled about what I could do alone here in the frontier. Then my husband told me that I could safely work here at the estate.”

“So that’s what happened. Mrs. Holly, if you want to continue working even after your term as a wet nurse is over, please come talk to me. We are currently looking to hire educated people, regardless of gender.”

“Educated, you say?”

“Exactly. You see, we’re building a school here in Sutrena, and we’re searching far and wide for people willing to be educators, in everything from fundamental subjects to more specialized ones. People of noble origin have undergone at least a minimum level of education.”

“But is someone like me really fit to teach at a school?”

“I won’t force you into this, of course, but we’ll also be adding education for children, so it would help a lot to have someone who’s used to dealing with kids.”

“Children’s education? So our children will also be able to attend?”

“Yes, of course. To start with, we’re thinking of having the children’s classes focus on basic subjects, and if the kids manage well in those, they’ll be able to join the adults in more specialized classes.”

“My, how wonderful. There are no private tutors in the frontier, so I’ve been homeschooling my children. But my oldest loves studying, so I wanted him to get knowledge on a variety of topics.”

“He’ll be welcome.”

There was someone who needed a school right in front of me. We’d first started considering building a school as a way to reduce our skilled labor shortage, but I felt a little happy knowing that what I’d done had value for others as well.

“I’ll think about the option of becoming an educator. But first, I will take good care of Lord Solis as his wet nurse.”

“Please and thank you!” Until I recovered, Mrs. Holly would be Solis’s main caretaker.

I need to get back to normal soon. After Mrs. Holly left the room, I steeled my resolve while leaning back against the sofa.

After that, Mrs. Holly started working in our estate, in a semi-live-in job. Mister Henry and their kids similarly had semi-live-in roles, and they often enjoyed meals here. The maids’ children and Mrs. Holly’s children quickly got along, and I could see them having fun together in the garden.

What a heartwarming sight.

Mrs. Holly was also a heartwarming person. She was a very beautiful, gentle woman, but she could be a scatterbrain at times, causing amusing incidents.

Today, too, Mrs. Holly was acting curiously. I happened to be passing by as I was walking down the corridor, and I popped my head through the doorway to peek into the room she was in.

“Um, are you looking for something, Mrs. Holly?”

“I am! I’m sure I left the babies’ spare diapers somewhere around here.” She was holding the very diapers she was desperately looking for in one hand.

“Mother, what are you holding in your right hand?” A voice suddenly came from behind me. It was Mrs. Holly’s eldest son, who’d apparently come back inside after he’d finished playing. He passed by me and promptly entered the room to point out what was in his mother’s hand. He seemed used to advising her.

“Oh dear, silly me.” Mrs. Holly smiled gently as she noticed the diapers in her hand. Now that she’d found them, she could properly change Solis and her baby into clean diapers. Her eldest son looked like a sensible person, and he apparently helped his mother from time to time.

“Lady Agnes, I’ll be looking after my mother now, so everything will be all right.”

“Th-Thank you.”

While Mrs. Holly was deftly changing the diapers, I observed her eldest son.

It could also be because he’s Mister Henry and Mrs. Holly’s child, but he really feels like a young noble. Mrs. Holly was apparently the daughter of a count who lived in the capital, while Mister Henry was the third son of a viscount who also lived in the capital.

In Desnim, only the eldest son inherited his father’s peerage, so Mister Henry had become a government official through his own effort. Since he was a noble’s son, it looked like he hadn’t had that much trouble getting this job. However, he’d reprimanded his superior for acting out of self-interest, so he’d been demoted to a post in Sutrena. Lord Nazel had once told me that back then, when the former queen had held great authority, the work environment inside the royal palace had been poor.

With this and that, the newlywed Henry and Holly had taken along their two little sons—the second one only an infant at the time—and begun living under the harsh circumstances of Sutrena. Mister Henry had spent every waking moment working an unfamiliar job in an unfamiliar land. It had apparently taken Mrs. Holly, who’d still been raising her kids, some time to get used to life here. After all, Sutrena was rough in every aspect; some people were suited to this place, and some others weren’t. Mrs. Holly, with her naturally gentle and friendly disposition, had accepted everything, and it seemed that she was now thoroughly enjoying her life in Sutrena.

Will I also be able to become a strong mother like Mrs. Holly? I admired her strength to accept everything head-on.

As I was staring at Mrs. Holly, her eldest son, and the babies, another voice came from behind me.

“Lady Agnes, walking around so frequently is bad for your body.”

I turned around and saw Kelly, who’d apparently been searching for me, standing there with a composed expression.

“I-I was a bit bored, so I was taking a walk. I’m always lying down, after all.”

“That’s certainly true. I shall discuss it with Lord Nazelbart. According to the doctor, your recovery is particularly fast.”

I headed back to my nearby room alongside Kelly. After she consulted with Lord Nazel, I was allowed to go for short walks, but my complete return to normal was still not in the cards.

***

A month after giving birth, I was finally past my postpartum convalescence. I’d been wandering around the manor more to see Solis, making the overprotective Lord Nazel worry. Even now, when I was visiting his office, he was looking at me with concern.

“Agnes, I’m sure you’re aware, but you still can’t go outside for long periods of time or lift anything heavy.”

“Yes...”

Lord Nazel had said that he was worried about me and wanted me to rest for a little longer. However, he was fine with me taking short walks in the garden or handling tasks that weren’t particularly burdensome.

Today, we would be getting Solis’s magic appraised. Since both Lord Nazel and I possessed a lot of mana, we’d come to the conclusion that it was better to get him appraised early, since there were apparently cases of infants unconsciously using powerful magic. Lord Nazel had sent a letter regarding the appraisal to the church in the western part of Sutrena, and he’d arranged for Emilio the appraiser to visit us.

As a magic enthusiast, Emilio had been deeply curious about our child’s magic, and after Lord Nazel sent him the letter via mountbeast postal service, he’d immediately jumped into a carriage to come to our estate. Emilio got motion sickness on mountbeasts, so carriages were his sole means of transportation. He apparently got a bit sick when riding in carriages too, so he was currently resting in the drawing room.

“I think Emilio should be feeling better now. Let’s go, Agnes.”

Lord Nazel supported me as we headed to the room Emilio was waiting in. Mrs. Holly would be bringing Solis over; the two of them were already there once we arrived, along with Kelly.

Solis was growing nice and healthy, and he seemed in a good mood as he moved his chubby arms and legs around. His eyes were wide open, their color an amber similar to Lord Nazel’s. His hair was growing out little by little, the same silver color as mine, making me excited for his future. Compared to before, he seemed to be more plump, and he was also more active and awake for longer periods of time.

“You’re such a good boy, Solis.” I gently reached out toward him and he tightly grabbed my finger. “How adorable.” Solis couldn’t speak yet, but I had a feeling that he recognized me.

“Lord Nazelbart, Lady Agnes, it has been a while,” Emilio greeted us.

“Yes, it really has. Oh, and congratulations on your engagement, Emilio,” Lord Nazel replied with an invigorating smile.

A short time ago, Emilio and Miss Sonia had finally gotten engaged. They’d obviously been mutually in love since the beginning, but they were both reserved people, so even though they’d been working in the same building, neither of them had confessed, making everyone around them anxious. However, Emilio had recently mustered the courage and proposed to Miss Sonia, who’d naturally agreed, and the two of them were now officially engaged. This was wonderful news. I also congratulated Emilio, and Kelly promptly walked up and handed Lord Nazel a congratulatory gift he’d prepared. Lord Nazel then handed Emilio the awfully large package. I didn’t know what was inside it, but since Lord Nazel had picked it out, there was no going wrong with it.

“O-Oh dear, thank you for this wonderful present.” Emilio seemed much obliged as he bowed his head and thanked us. “N-Now then, let us promptly begin Lord Solis’s appraisal.” Emilio gulped and looked toward Solis.

Lord Nazel nodded.

“Yes, please go ahead.”

“If you’ll excuse me.” Emilio approached Solis, then gently raised the baby’s tiny right hand and placed it on his forehead. During appraisals, the person getting appraised would place their hand on the appraiser’s forehead.

A little later, Emilio moved Solis’s hand away from his forehead.

“My goodness!” As Emilio raised his head, I somehow got the feeling that his eyes had started to sparkle. Had he seen some unusual magic?

“So, what kind of magic does Solis possess, Emilio?” Lord Nazel asked.

“O-Oh, yes. It’s soil.”

“Soil?”

“Pardon me. To be more precise, it’s soil manipulation. To put it in simple terms, it’s like Lord Nazelbart’s magic but for soil. It’s a magnificent magic that can dig up soil, create it, change its properties, and ultimately return anything to the soil! It’s a wonderful power crucial to Sutrena’s future!” Emilio started talking about Solis’s magic with great vigor. He was as much of an enthusiast about magic as ever.

“I see, so it’s similar to mine.” Lord Nazel looked a little relieved.

There were some suspicions that my magic, which could reinforce anything, was identical to the saint’s, so he must have been worried about it getting passed down to our son. In my case, I could make sure to use my magic discreetly, but children sometimes used their magic unconsciously and without any ill intent. If that were to happen, there was the possibility of Solis getting targeted and exploited by evil adults.

Soil manipulation is also a relatively rare and valuable magic, so we still have to be careful, though. Anyone would want to get their hands on rich soil.

I thought back to the time I’d reinforced Polpystani soil.

Would it be similar to that?

The magically reinforced soil had purified the poison that had been contaminating it—yes, purified it. If Solis could manipulate soil and produce the same result, he would also possess a power similar to purification.

Hmm... If you search for them, aren’t there actually quite a few people with powers similar to the saint’s? Even if the magic’s name was different, there might surprisingly be other kinds of magic that could in some sense perform healing or purification.

I looked outside through the open window and saw Torre and Paul, who’d come to the estate to hang out, working out side by side in the garden. For some reason, they got along well and often trained together outside. They were currently doing handstand push-ups.

“You’ve grown well, Mister Paul! The results are clearly visible!”

“No, I’m still far from reaching the beauty of your muscles, Mister Torre!”

“You only need to remain diligent!”

“Yes, sir! Hmph, hmph, hmph!”

The two of them resumed their push-ups at a terrifying speed, and I caught myself unconsciously staring at them.

Whoops, not now. The intense scene outside grabbed my entire attention. I had to focus on Solis’s appraisal at the moment.

“For now, we’ll have to wait and see about Lord Solis’s magic until he gets a little bigger. Though it varies from individual to individual, most people start using magic around the age of three.” Emilio looked at Solis pleasantly.

“There’s a high chance that Solis will become the next margrave, so it’s fantastic that his magic can be useful for managing the territory. If he combines his magic with mine or Agnes’s, we might be able to do even more things than now,” Lord Nazel said.

Solis, who couldn’t understand what we were talking about, smiled cheerfully while repeatedly opening and closing his mouth.

Chapter 2: A Fugitive Running Through the Mountains

Having been broken out of the Sempli Convent, the usually talkative Robin was currently hiking without uttering a word. It had been about a month since his escape. Day in and day out, it had been nothing but mountains, mountains, and more mountains. He was thoroughly fed up.

After Robin’s escape, the Convents had sent pursuers after him all at once, and that had only been the beginning. After the Convents, the royal castle and nearby territories had also dispatched soldiers to search for him.

Good grief; they’re so persistent. It’s hard being popular.

The man in the black hood who’d taken Robin out of the Sempli Convent also kept silently walking through the mountains. They were here because the searchers trying to recapture Robin had focused on towns, not the wilderness. At first, Robin had made a fuss, asking to leave the mountains because hiking was tiring, or saying that he wanted to finally mess around as a free man. However, the man in the black hood had stubbornly stopped him. If they had taken even a single step inside a town, they would most certainly be in shackles right about now.

The mountain trails were steep and poorly maintained. This place was harsh on Robin’s feet, since he’d spent most of his life in a city. He’d inevitably ended up walking rather slowly. However, Robin believed that he could keep walking thanks to that annoying training in loincloths. Otherwise, he’d have likely collapsed from exhaustion by now.

“Maaan, I wanna see some girls. At this point, I’m fine with any woman at all,” Robin complained as he slowly took step after step.

The man in the black hood, who’d been walking ahead, returned to Robin’s side. He removed his hood, revealing the face of a young man with light-colored hair.

If only he were a girl. The young man who’d called himself Defi was most certainly male, with a disagreeable yet handsome face. He’d said a lot of things about himself during their escape, but the only information remaining in Robin’s head was the man’s name and gender.

“Robin. We were supposed to be at the border by now, but...we’re way behind schedule. Can’t you walk a little faster?”

As they walked, the distance between them became wider because of the difference in their walking speeds, and Defi would have to go back every time. Robin could tell that Defi was inconvenienced, but there was no way he was going to make a concession.

“No! Way! It’s always trees, grass, rocks, and more of the same! I have no idea where I’m even walking right now; it’s honestly exhausting.”

“We’re currently in the vicinity of the County of Nasi. If I remember correctly, that’s where your son lives. The terrain will get less hilly soon, so we should be able to move faster.” However, Defi’s explanation was pointless, as Robin had always skipped his prince consort studies and didn’t have the faintest idea where the County of Nasi was, nor was he the least bit interested in his son.

“Hmm. Say, can’t we go down to any towns yet?”

“Unfortunately not. We’ll continue along this trail and reach the border. We can’t use any magic that stands out either. For now, we’ll use the river that flows along the border of Sutrena to get to the ocean—”

“Sutrena?!”

Defi was standing in front of Robin and recoiled in shock at the sudden reaction.

“Yes, we will be passing through the southernmost part of Sutrena. Why did you suddenly shout like that?”

“It’s nothing.” Despite what Robin had just said, there was obviously something on his mind. Naaazeeelbaaaaart! Hatred for his archenemy blazed in the depths of his heart. There was no way he’d remain calm when he heard that they’d be passing through Sutrena. I won’t let this stand. I’m definitely getting revenge on Nazelbart. His resentment was completely unjustified, but Robin believed that he was the victim and was dead serious.

This was Robin’s first time visiting Sutrena, but he was certain that they were carelessly living carefree daily lives. And that was exactly why he wanted to retaliate.

I don’t have any authority right now, so I can’t destroy Sutrena, but I should be more than capable of harassing Nazelbart. Robin was an awfully petty man, and he continued laboriously walking along the mountain trail with just his desire for revenge fueling him.

Their trip fell more and more behind schedule. Because they’d had to trudge along steep mountain trails to avoid public notice, it had taken them more than twice as long as originally planned, and they’d only just left the mountains and arrived at the river along the national border.

“Phew! I’m pooped! I wanna take a bath!” Robin was covered in sweat and filth. This situation was unacceptable for the former prince consort who loved to be clean. He tottered toward the river and arrived at a spot with a great view. There was a steep cliff before him with a wide, massive waterfall flowing down. “Eep!” Robin got frightened of the terribly high elevation and scurried away from the waterfall. He obviously didn’t feel like washing up here.

However, Defi approached Robin and uttered something unbelievable.

“All right, let’s descend the waterfall.”

“What? Are you insane?!” They wouldn’t come out in one piece if they fell from this high up.

“We can get down by going along the edge of the stream. There’s a boat anchored at the bottom, so all we need to do is go down this river and then out to the sea. My compatriots will come pick us up with mountbeasts and a large ship just before we reach the ocean.”

Robin looked at the waterfall, which roared as it plunged down the cliff with great momentum.

If I get caught up in that, I’ll be a goner. There was a truly terrifying amount of water.

“You’ll be fine if you’re simply careful. If you’re afraid, you can hold my hand while we descend,” Defi said nonchalantly, probably trying to encourage Robin, but his words were no comfort at all.

“No way! The slope is way too steep!” Were he to fall by any chance, there was a high probability that he wouldn’t survive.

“It will be okay, Robin. Just calm down. The weather is starting to turn bad, so if we don’t get out of here quickly, the water level will rise and we really will get washed away.”

“Nooooo!” Robin squealed as he slowly made his way down the fern-covered stream. His shoes got all wet as water soaked into them. His hands were covered in loose moss as he placed them on the rocky surfaces to support himself.

Ugh, this is so filthy. I really can’t. He had no other option since this was the only way forward, but he honestly felt like completely giving up.

It took a significant amount of time to slowly get down the waterfall, and Robin finally made it to the edge of the waterfall basin. Water was splashing everywhere, even a significant distance from the shore, and small droplets flew high into the air like mist. When he surveyed his surroundings, he saw a boat moored in the shade of the rocks in front of him, keeping it hidden.

“That’s the one? It’s in an unexpectedly easy place to spot.”

“People seldom come by here, so it’s the ideal place to hide a boat. The opposite shore is Polpystani territory, so I’d like to avoid entering it if possible... But once we go out into the ocean, we’ll be in the clear.” Defi seemed to want to sail down the river.

Robin, however, frowned.

“We’re in Sutrena now, right? In other words, the home turf of that pesky Nazelbart. We’d best be careful. They might even be waiting for us downstream.” He agreed that they shouldn’t cross over to Polpystan, but felt Defi underestimated Nazelbart’s diabolical cunning.

“We’ll only be going down the river. Aren’t you overthinking this?”

“No, Nazelbart is really meticulous and persistent. He’s one crazy guy who’ll take proper measures to deal with even a tiny abnormality on the edge of his territory.”

Surprisingly, Robin was right this time. Nazelbart had indeed stationed soldiers farther down the river to stand watch.

“Please give it up, Robin. Come on, we’re...going...?” Defi had grown impatient and went to grab Robin’s shoulder.

However, Robin picked up the rope that tied the boat to the rocks, untied it, and threw it into the river.

“Huh? Hold on. What are you...”

After untying the rope and kicking the bow of the boat downstream, Robin turned around, while the boat swiftly drifted away.

“Sorry, but little ol’ me always comes first. You should get to know Nazelbart a little better.”

“Robin?! Why did you kick our means of transportation down the river?! Now we need to walk all the way to the ocean!” Defi said in a panic.

Robin ignored his companion and ran into the forest along the river by himself.

“I’ll choose a surefire method of escape! See ya!”

“Hold on, do you know the way to Myzahn? And even if you do, you can’t get there alone... Agh, dammit! I need to catch him and take him to Myzahn by any means necessary!” Defi rushed after Robin, who proved bizarrely fast at running away.

“We’ve secured the boat!” multiple deep voices shouted from downstream, just as Defi was hurriedly entering the forest.

“There’s no one aboard! Robin isn’t here!” another voice reported.

“See? I told you so!” Robin said as he looked back at Defi from a distance.

“You have to be kidding me...” Defi was in shock as he kept chasing after Robin, who seemed to have grown completely accustomed to the mountain trails. I’ve had enough. No one told me Robin is such a troublesome guy...

Robin was now serious, and he ran with such agility that he was like a completely different person from when he’d kept complaining. Why hadn’t he displayed this speed from the beginning? Why did he only show it off during a time like this?

“Robin, according to the map, this way leads to the center of Sutrena. There are settlements there, so it will be dangerous for us.”

“I know at least that much. But if I’m running away, I need to give Nazelbart a nice surprise.”

“Huh?! What do you think you’re doing?!” If they went near civilization, there was a high risk of Desnim figuring out Defi’s identity. He very much wanted to avoid anyone learning that Myzahn had been involved in Robin’s escape. “Dammit, now that it’s come to this, I have no choice but to call my comrades waiting in the ocean.” He really wanted to just fulfill his own role and be done with this, but he couldn’t be selfish. Completing the mission was the number one priority.

Defi whistled, and a large hawk swooped down from the sky. He quickly wrote a message on a piece of paper and tied it to the hawk’s leg.

“I leave this to you.”

The hawk replied with a short cry and flew up into the wide sky. A white dove cooed as it flew leisurely next to it, then turned around and headed in the direction of the settlements, as if going after Robin.

***

Light pink petals were fluttering in the air of the central town of Sutrena. I was dressed up and stood holding on to Solis’s stroller. Lord Nazel was by my side, also very presentable and stylishly dressed. We had the fortress behind us and the public square in front of us. The people of Sutrena were gathered in the square for Solis’s first public appearance. I felt all warm inside when I thought about how everyone here was happy about Solis’s birth. Solis himself didn’t seem to have any idea what was going on and stared blankly at the sky.

“Come here, Solis. Let’s say hello to everyone.” As I picked up Solis with a Heave-ho! cheers of joy suddenly erupted from the crowd.

“Lord Nazelbart, Lady Agnes, congratulations!”

“Lord Solis is adorable!”

Some sculptors in the front row were also roaring with excitement. I got the odd feeling a mother-son statue would soon appear around town.

Lord Nazel took Solis from me and held him high so everyone could see, earning more cheers from them.

“I’ll take it from here,” he said.

Like Lord Nazel told me, I stepped back a little. Some time had passed since I’d given birth, but I’d still been told to avoid straining myself as much as I could. Behind me, Mister Henry, representing the fortress staff, Mrs. Holly, our wet nurse, Father Emilio, and Miss Sonia were standing in wait.

Solis wasn’t the bashful type, so he remained composed even when Lord Nazel raised him high. He didn’t cry no matter who was looking at him, so everyone at the fortress doted on him too.

After Solis’s public appearance, we rode on mountbeasts and quickly returned to the estate. Lord Nazel headed to his office to finish the rest of his work. Solis was still little, so he needed plenty of time to rest, but even when we arrived at the nursery, he still looked full of energy. He was very popular in the estate and all the maids liked spending time with him. Kelly, who had prepared several baby outfits, was focused on getting Solis changed out of his formal clothes and into comfortable nap clothes.

As I was gazing at Solis, a maid brought over mail addressed to me.

“Thank you. Oh, it’s letters from Queen Latriche, sent via mountbeast postal service.”

Queen Latriche was incredibly happy to learn about Solis’s birth. The first letter also talked about having our children meet once they were a little older.

I can’t wait.

“Hmm?” I cheerfully started reading the second letter, but its contents were disturbing. It said that Master Robin hadn’t been captured yet, and that a foreign country—very likely Myzahn—might have been involved in his escape. They’d apparently come to that conclusion based on the fact that a suspicious man had been spotted in the royal capital. Perhaps the person who’d helped Master Robin escape had been there to scout the city.

Myzahn was a country to the west of Polpystan. The two countries had been at war in the past, and their relationship was still poor. Even now, things remained tense along their border. Myzahn’s relationship with Sutrena was so-so, but King Bertrand had taken a Polpystani princess to be his queen, suggesting Desnim as a whole favored Polpystan, so it was unclear how the situation would develop. What business could that country have with Master Robin?

Could they actually be after Master Robin’s “sacred” magic? If I remember correctly, the Polpystani saint was the deciding factor in the conflict between Myzahn and Polpystan. It wouldn’t be strange if Myzahn also had someone who wanted a saint on their side, like Polpystan has Duke Masroono.

According to Emilio, Master Robin’s magic wasn’t particularly powerful. However, he could use two special magics—mental recovery and psychosomatic purification—which combined with his charismatic personality to produce impressive results influencing others. I’d also been under the effects of his magic before, and I was keenly aware of how terrifying it could be. It probably had poor affinity with my magic, which could only reinforce physical properties.

Master Robin’s magic is also similar to the saint’s, like her recovery or purification. Like I’d thought, if you searched for them, there really were an unexpected number of people with magic resembling the saint’s. Even if their magic wasn’t clearly recovery or purification, it wouldn’t be strange if its effects were ultimately similar. Ryuk’s great shield only covers a small area, but it’s kind of like a barrier. Perhaps the saint had been able to use several types of magic at once. In the end, I never got to read the documents about the saint during my time in Polpystan, so there’s a lot I don’t know. Will I get the opportunity to see them in the future?

I continued reading the letter while pondering the mysteries of the saint. The queen’s message also warned that there was a good chance that Master Robin would be passing through Sutrena during his escape. A large river flowed in the southern part of Sutrena, which served as the border with Polpystan, and it also led to the ocean to the west. Queen Latriche predicted that Master Robin would likely go along the river to get to Myzahn via the ocean, because no one resembling his description had been spotted in any town, so they’d started considering that it was very likely that he’d been secretly moving through the mountains to the east. At first, they’d anticipated that it would have been impossible for Master Robin to cross the mountains, so they’d deployed the soldiers around towns, but he’d never shown up. Therefore, the mountain trails had been the only remaining possibility.

I should also inform Lord Nazel about Master Robin, although he may have already received a similar message from King Bertrand.

I left Solis in Mrs. Holly’s care for now and headed to Lord Nazel.

“Lord Nazel,” I called out. We bumped into each other in the corridor, just as he was leaving his office. He had a frown on his face, but his expression softened the moment he saw me.

“What is it, Agnes?” he asked in a gentle voice.

“Well...Queen Latriche sent me a letter about Master Robin.”

“You don’t need to refer to that guy so formally. I also received a letter from King Bertrand. If he’s going to pass through Sutrena, we need to capture him here before he escapes abroad. Goodness, why does everything keep happening in Sutrena? My subordinates reported that they discovered a suspicious boat on the edge of the river, so it’s safe to assume the king’s prediction was correct. I’ve posted lookouts just in case.” The troubled Lord Nazel let out a short sigh.

“I will lend a hand, although I might not be of much help.”

“Thank you, Agnes, but I’d like you to stay somewhere safe. Your body hasn’t completely recovered yet, and above all else, I don’t want to have you face-to-face with Robin. I’ve already dispatched soldiers to the area around the suspicious boat, so everything’s fine.” Lord Nazel was worried about me because Master Robin had sexually harassed me before. “While I’m away, stay in the estate and look after Solis.”

“Of course!”

“I’ll be going to the fortress to hold a meeting about Robin’s case. It’s hard to have that discussion after today’s celebratory mood, though. Nothing good ever happens when that guy is involved... Why did he have to escape at a time like this?” While it didn’t show on his face, Lord Nazel was truly incensed. After giving me a tight hug and a farewell kiss, he got on Geni, who’d approached him eager to go out, and flew to the fortress.

I’d come to the garden to see Lord Nazel off, so I decided to take a walk since I had a lot I wanted to think about. As I strolled through the garden, which was adorned by various flowers, including the still-lively sunflowers, I arrived at the field where numerous vegetables were planted. Thanks to the improved crops Lord Nazel had developed, the field had been growing bigger year after year. In one corner that didn’t get much sunlight, there were plants with huge leaves that looked very similar to the umbrellas people used on rainy days. Those were actually taro leaves, and upon closer inspection, they had started wilting a little.

“It looks like they’ll be ready to be harvested soon.” In the capital and elsewhere, taros were harvested in the fall, but in Sutrena, they grew rapidly during the rainy season and became ready for harvest during the dry season. In other words, it was now time for harvest.

“Maybe I’ll try digging one up as a test.” I picked up a shovel from the storehouse and stuck it into the ground. I kept carefully digging deeper and deeper, until a large clump of taros came into view. A big tuber was in the center, with many smaller tubers sticking to it. “Looks like another abundant harvest this year.”

As I washed off the dirt from the tubers in the nearby stream, I heard Dunk’s footsteps drawing closer. She was quite the glutton, and she’d come here for the freshly dug vegetables. From out of nowhere, she’d sensed that I’d been digging up tubers, and she’d approached acting all nonchalant. What a schemer.

“All right, fine. I’ll remove the stems for you, so wait a—”

But Dunk acted faster than I could finish speaking, snatching the clump of tubers from my hands and starting to eat it. In the blink of an eye, she mercilessly devoured every last bit of both the big taro and the smaller ones.

“They’re delicious fresh out of the ground, huh?”

Dunk replied with a lively neigh, and I gently patted the bridge of her nose. She often took Lord Nazel to the fortress on her back, but since he’d instead gotten a ride from Geni today, it looked like she had too much time on her hooves.

“Dunk, were you perhaps being considerate of Geni?”

She neighed in what sounded like affirmation.

Lately, Geni had been on good terms with the wyvern we’d taken from Lord Davier, which was being kept in a mountbeast stable here in town.

The reason he wanted to go out today was to go see her...right?

Lord Davier, heir to the House of Addamsgomes and enemy of Lord Nazel, had staged a rebellion and gotten arrested to take responsibility for his actions. He was currently exiled to Peppel Island, the same place as the former princess, Mia. As a result, he’d had to leave his mountbeast behind, as there’d have been no point in isolating him on a deserted island if he could simply fly away. However, there were few places that could take care of a wyvern near the capital, where Lord Davier had been living, so Lord Nazel had taken her in and arranged for her to stay in a mountbeast stable here in Sutrena.

Lord Davier’s wyvern had been in low spirits at first, but she’d been regaining her spirit little by little lately. This was likely largely thanks to Geni’s influence, who’d sometimes visit her stable, since he was a bright and carefree individual. When he’d gone to see his parents, he’d started interacting with Lord Davier’s wyvern, and they now seemed to be getting along great, making it hard to believe that they’d once been enemies.

“Thank you, Dunk.”

Dunk looked toward the field and urged me to give her some carrots too.

“All right, all right, I’ll pull them out for you, so just wait a bit.”

After I pulled out the carrots and washed them, Dunk greedily ate them, leaves and all. It looked like she still had room for more.

Let’s see, what other vegetables do we have...? Oh yeah. The giant taros are also growing well. I turned my eyes to the plants growing next to the taros, which looked similar but had slightly bigger leaves. As the name implied, giant taros were in the same family as taros. This was a variety whose roots didn’t turn into tubers, but the stems were edible instead. Once you peeled the outer skin, you got a crunchy vegetable. They have a mild yet delicious flavor. I was quite fond of them.

Giant taro stems were also called green zuiki, while taro stems were called red or white zuiki, and were also edible. While red zuiki came from taros which naturally had red stems, white zuiki was made by intentionally growing taros with little exposure to sunlight. If you removed the skin and dried the stem, you got dried zuiki, which could be easily preserved. You just needed to put it in hot water to cook it. Unlike fresh zuiki, it had a chewiness to it. There were various cooking methods for taro depending on their astringency, but the giant taros harvested weren’t very astringent, so it was said that they could be cooked simply by soaking them in water.

Zuiki were eaten in foreign countries, but they were still largely unknown in Desnim. They weren’t even popular in Sutrena, but I wanted to promote their use from now on. At present, our chef Mather was cheerfully searching for more delicious ways to prepare them. Mister Henry, who visited the estate to see Mrs. Holly, would stop by the dining room to excitedly try the new dishes.

I hope Sutrena can become a rich place filled with all kinds of food.

I was going to peel the skin from the giant taros before giving them to Dunk, but she started munching on them with the skin on.

Will she be all right? Aren’t they too tough to chew like that? I was worried, but Dunk devoured the giant taros one after the other without a care in the world.

After giving Dunk some attention and clearing the uncertainty in my head about Master Robin and the saint, I turned around and went back to Solis. My baby had gotten very chubby recently, but it was only natural since he only ate and slept. According to the doctor, he was growing quite well, so I was relieved. I still had my concerns, like the whole Master Robin situation, but I renewed my resolve to protect my son.

“Get stronger!” After using my absolute reinforcement on Solis at the same level I used it on Lord Nazel, I made every effort to reinforce the estate’s defenses. You could never be too careful.

Great, this will prevent any minor injuries. It was difficult to perform my duties as the margravine and raise a child at the same time. I want to spend more time with Solis, but I also want to make progress on my work; there are too many things I want to do... The construction of the school, in particular, had to move forward as soon as possible. Our staffing shortage wouldn’t solve itself.

During my pregnancy, I’d entrusted everything I could to anyone available. Fortunately, the maids from noble families were interested in establishing the school, so they’d helped out with its development. At first, I’d thought about building the school in one corner of the estate, but that would have meant a large number of people coming and going, so we would instead use a somewhat large vacant house in town. It was close to the fortress and in a safe neighborhood.

The school would have a high school division for training students to immediately go into the workforce, and an elementary school division for teaching fundamental subjects. The high school division would also allow students to choose their own specialties. I wanted to eventually build research institutions and trade schools too. Aside from the school for training government officials, there were also plans to establish a school in a different location to teach the common folk how to read, write, and do math. As there seemed to be high demand for it, we were considering building such schools in multiple locations.

There were many women who aspired to be teachers among the noble ladies we’d taken under our wing, so I intended to entrust them with that responsibility. The number of maids in our estate had been increasing again, and we had a surplus... Young noblewomen from all across Desnim came to seek refuge in our estate. Recently, we had even been getting men and commoner women, though we still had a higher ratio of women overall. I couldn’t turn any of them away after hearing their unfortunate circumstances...so the number of maids just kept increasing.

The men became independent relatively quickly, but it was hard for the women to find employment. That was because many of the women lacked social experience and knowledge because of their upbringings, and because up until our parents’ generation, women in Desnim didn’t really work much. Therefore, compared to men, women had trouble finding employment, though things were different in a rural area like Sutrena. In Desnim, teaching was one of the professions that even women could enter easily.

It will be great to see the talented maids growing independent as teachers. People were treasures. Many of them were gathering together, finding their own futures, and becoming independent. Sutrena’s future was bright.

“That’s why we have a lot of women in this estate, so I’m a bit worried when it comes to Master Robin.” Master Robin was...quite the philanderer. I’d hate for anything to happen to the women we were so carefully looking after.

We need to be vigilant around the estate. There are soldiers guarding the area, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.

I found Torre, who was voluntarily patrolling deep in the garden, and called out to him. When I was in the estate and had no need for a bodyguard, he either worked out or patrolled the garden like this. Today, he was together with Paul, who’d apparently been temporarily assigned to the estate from the fortress. Since Paul and Ryuk were new hires, they were often entrusted with errands, like delivering messages, and they frequently came and went from our estate. Paul looked up to Torre, so he’d probably seized the opportunity to talk with him.

“Torre, have you received any news about suspicious individuals?”

“No! It looks like that darn Robin hasn’t been found yet. However, from what Mister Paul told me when he arrived earlier, they found a suspicious boat in the river. I was about to inform you, Lady Agnes.”

Next, Paul started talking as he stood next to Torre.

“Elder sister, it seems that a suspicious boat was recovered from the river. Robin was nowhere to be found. However...” As he spoke, a white pigeon suddenly popped up on his shoulder. He was Paul’s dear pet, a carrier pigeon named Pidgy. “Pidgy received a letter from the people at the scene and delivered it to me, but...he’s acting a bit strange and won’t calm down. I believe he has something more he wants to tell me.” Paul looked concerned.

Pidgy had his white wings spread wide and kept chirping fervently while looking in a certain direction.

“Hmm...I can’t tell what he means.” Unfortunately, no one here spoke pigeon.

Perhaps finally losing his patience, Pidgy took off from Paul’s shoulder and started hovering in front of him. It looked like Pidgy really did have something he wanted to tell him, and it seemed that Paul was interpreting his actions the same way I was.

“Pidgy looks panicked. Perhaps he’s trying to warn us of impending danger.”

As Paul muttered that, a bush in the garden started rustling.

Is it Dunk? I can’t see her anywhere, though. She was pretty big, so she was easy to spot anywhere.

Torre stepped forward cautiously.

“Please seek safety just in case, Lady Agnes.”

“Yes, I understand. Be careful, Torre. Let’s go, Paul.”

“I will accompany Mister Torre! You should be aware of my skill, elder sister.”

Paul was certainly strong. I’d been secretly reinforcing him with my magic, so he’d grown even stronger recently.

“Don’t overdo it, okay? If anything happens, run back to the manor immediately,” I told him, then started crossing the garden to reach the manor. We were in the back of the garden, but this spot was far from the manor’s back entrance. I’d most likely get inside faster if I headed for the front entrance. I ran to the front door as fast as I could. The overprotective Lord Nazel would scowl if he saw me running, but getting to safety was more important than resting my body right now.

I’m almost there. As I was getting close to my destination, another bush started rustling ahead of me. What? Is it a manabeast? I quickly came to a halt. It doesn’t seem to be Geni or Dunk... Those two would have been visible thanks to their large bodies.

Unfortunately, Torre and Paul were still deep in the garden.

What do I do? For now, I can only ignore the sound and run to the manor’s entrance. But before I could do that, something jumped out of the bushes—something with pink hair.

“Little birdie!”

“Eek!” I screamed at the sudden voice. I timidly turned to look and saw a very familiar man; I could never forget what he looked like. He seemed a little weary, his hair had grown longer, and he had a little facial hair, but...

What is he doing here?! It was none other than Master Robin, who’d gone missing after escaping from the Sempli Convent. Now that I thought about it calmly, he was the only one who called me “little birdie.” I quickly avoided him as he jumped out toward me.

“Master...Robin? Why are you in my estate?” I asked, still shocked.

His mouth formed a slightly mean, alluring smile, just like the one he’d worn in the past.

“I ended up here a bit randomly, but this was always my destination.” Perhaps Master Robin was the danger Pidgy had been trying to warn us about. “As I was running through the forest in the direction that looked inhabited, I saw a horse hitched near the highway. I borrowed it and headed for the house that looked the biggest.”

“Horse thief!” I immediately denounced him. How could he just steal someone’s horse? As usual, he nonchalantly committed outrageous deeds. It’s surprising, though, that Master Robin even can ride a horse. I thought he hated any and all forms of exercise.

“Calm down now. I let the horse go around there, so forgive me, ’kay? ♪” Master Robin chuckled.

“You have to retrieve it and return it to its owner later. Horses are people’s precious property.”

“Hmm... Don’t care.”

I had no idea what his goal was here, but there was one thing I had to do. I took in a deep breath, expanded my stomach, and shouted in the loudest voice I could.

“I found Master Robin! Come capture him!” I should have been loud enough to reach Torre and Paul on the other side of the garden, but also the people inside the manor and the soldiers on patrol.

However, Master Robin acted faster than any of them.

“What lovely chirping, my little birdie. But you’re wasting your breath.”

I sensed that Master Robin was about to use his magic. I hurriedly fell back and put some distance between us. A moment later, I heard light footsteps approaching.

“Lady Agnes!”

“Ah! Kelly!” She must have been nearby. Upon hearing my voice, Kelly came running from the manor along with the guards. She looked elegant as she calmly ordered them around.

“Please capture him. I will take Lady Agnes somewhere safe.”

The guards roared as they lunged at Master Robin all at once. They were very intense.

“Everything will be all right now, Lady Agnes. Before rushing over here, I had a maid contact Lord Nazel. Miss Holly has taken Lord Solis to safety in the center of the manor, just to be prudent.”

“Thank you, Kelly!”

“Think nothing of it. Let’s return to the manor, Lady Agnes. It’s dangerous he—” Kelly suddenly stopped as she sensed something and looked toward Master Robin in surprise. She felt an unusual aura about him.

This feeling is a sign that he used his magic. I also picked up on the anomaly and kept a close eye on Master Robin.

All of the guards came to a halt, staring off into space. That behavior was unthinkable for well-trained soldiers like them.

They’re in the same state I was that one time he used his magic on me. Master Robin’s magic left a person’s heart vulnerable, making them bare their thoughts for a short time. When under its effects, anyone would end up in the same state these soldiers were in. It was like being in a dream, with your consciousness feeling hazy, leaving you unable to think normally. It was a very dangerous magic.

“I’m not the same guy as before. Now, I can also use my sacred magic on guys, not just cute ladies. I’m not scared of some soldiers.”

He called his own magic sacred. For some reason, Master Robin was very boastful.

“I really hate doing this, you know. When I use my magic, we subtly share senses, so these guys’ consciousnesses entered mine. It’s repulsive... Moreover—” Master Robin suddenly stopped mid-sentence. I was curious about what he was going to say. “Well, whatevs. Anyway, I’m not the same as before!”

He said it twice...

Master Robin then started approaching us to use his magic on us.

“What are you after?” I asked as I retreated with Kelly.

“To see you, of course, my little birdie.”

“Please don’t lie to me.”

He didn’t consider me a threat at all. My magic was publicly known as just matter reinforcement, and perhaps he was aware of that fact. But even with my absolute reinforcement, I doubted I could easily fight against Master Robin’s magic, since it affected the mind.

“Little birdie! Let’s take an ocean voyage together!”

“I refuse,” I replied immediately. I didn’t understand why Master Robin was acting so bizarrely, but there was usually an ulterior motive behind his actions. He had an unjustified grudge against Lord Nazel, so he was probably trying to take me hostage to get back at him or something.

His way of thinking is still the same despite his time in the strict Sempli Convent. He’s neither repented nor grown as a person. It was sad that someone so selfish could exist. But despite what I thought, Master Robin would probably never change his mind.

***

Nazelbart was busily running around the fortress corridors as usual. After all, they didn’t have nearly enough people. Even when he solved one problem, other things to work on kept coming up one after the other. Not to mention the annual manabeast rampage and storms. Sutrena was still in need of an endless number of reforms.

Amid all that, one of Nazelbart’s subordinates ran up to him.

“Lord Nazelbart! We have received a new report regarding the suspicious boat!”

“Have you figured out the owner’s identity?”

“No, but it looks like it isn’t from our country... It could be foreign, from either Polpystan or Myzahn.”

“If I remember correctly, those two countries use the same type of boats.”

“Yes. We are currently identifying which one it belongs to.”

“Thank you. Keep up the good work.”

As that subordinate hurried away, a different one came running down the hallway.

“Lord Nazelbart! The weather forecast results are in! It seems that there will be a storm on the same day as the manabeast rampage this year! And the storm will be much larger than usual too...”

“What?!” Nazelbart reflexively shouted. This was terrible news. “If we only take the same countermeasures as in every other year, we will likely suffer heavy damage.”

“Ever since you came here, Lord Nazelbart, damage has dramatically decreased thanks to the reinforced protective walls. However, even though it’s a small number, some manabeasts occasionally overcome the walls... That’s my sole worry.”

“Yes, it’s exactly as you say. This year, we should make multiple shelters, using sturdy buildings in the town center, the fortress, and my manor as the main locations, and have as many people take refuge as possible. It will also help against the storm.”

“Yes, sir! I will confirm which buildings we can use!”

As Nazelbart was devising countermeasures with this subordinate, yet another one came rushing over.

“Lord Nazelbart! I have created a map of areas prone to flooding! Please look over this.”

“Thank you.” Nazelbart accepted the map, then handed it over to the subordinate he’d been talking to earlier. “Evacuate everyone from these areas.”

“Yes, I will also issue an evacuation notice in other dangerous areas.”

“We should also have the shelters actively accept anyone who isn’t confident in their home’s sturdiness. The buildings Agnes and I reinforced before should be fine, but even so there is still a chance they’ll be damaged by a landslide or something similar.”

After Nazelbart finished giving them instructions, his two subordinates left quickly. They were also awfully busy.

“Lord Nazelbart!” This time, Henry came running. He was short of breath and looked dizzy. “We’ve received a letter from King Bertrand a-about...Robin’s escape... Urk...”

“Are you all right, Henry? I’ll read the letter, so you should rest here until you catch your breath.”

Henry placed a hand on the wall and started regaining his breath. Nazelbart was concerned about him collapsing on the spot.

The beleaguered frontier lord was about to read the letter when he saw Ryuk running toward him from the other end of the hallway.

“Oh, there he is! Lord Nazelbart! It’s terrible! At the estate, Lady Agnes has—”

Nazelbart rushed out without a moment’s hesitation, still clutching Bertrand’s letter.

***

As I was trying to get away from Master Robin, who was approaching me step-by-step, I heard the sound of twigs snapping. When I turned in that direction, I saw the gigantified Torre looking down at us from a short distance away. Paul and Pidgy were flying side by side around his face. He must have run here from the other side of the garden.

“Elder sister!”

“Lady Agnes!”

Torre, Paul, and Pidgy hurried toward me. They were all out of breath, with the exception of Pidgy. When Master Robin saw them, he furrowed his brow visibly.

“Ugh, it’s the gorilla and...who?”

“Curse you, Robin! I’ll avenge my parents’ pitiful fate!” Paul rushed toward us with his usual unique flying style. Because Master Robin had tempted our parents into getting involved in his crimes, they were still being kept in the capital’s prison. There had been a lot wrong with our parents, but they’d have lived honest lives if they hadn’t come across Master Robin.

But...father and mother aren’t dead, Paul. I scrutinized Paul’s melodramatic choice of words in my mind. Our parents were alive and well in prison, and were apparently causing trouble for the guards with their unreasonable demands. But despite their faults, they’d both been concerned about Paul until the end. And Paul was likely also aware that our parents had loved him, no matter what path he’d later followed in life. That’s why he’s so angry.

In all his rage, Paul flew so fast that his glasses were blown away.

“A macho little birdie?! You’re cute, but also look pretty ripped,” Master Robin shouted as he looked at Paul’s bare face.

Perhaps sensing something disturbing about Master Robin, Paul got startled and distanced himself a little. He seemed somewhat scared.

“I-I’m a man! Don’t look at me with those wicked eyes!” Paul had a muscular physique, but his face looked similar to mine or our mother’s, so he could pass as a girl. He’d even cross-dressed to take my place and helped me out once. But it seemed that he was actually a bit concerned about his feminine face.

Various complicated thoughts were rushing through my mind as I stood up for Paul.

“Paul is my precious little brother! You’ll pay if you do anything weird to him!”

“He’s a guy? Darn, what a shame. If only he were your little sister instead.” The moment Master Robin learned that Paul was a man, he lost all interest in him. What had he been planning on doing if Paul were a woman? Master Robin was a really dangerous person to deal with. Perhaps sensing that things had turned unfavorable for him, he quickly turned around. “I can’t get myself caught yet. For now, I got to see how things are around Nazelbart, so I’ll have to postpone my payback.”

“Don’t run, Robin! I’ll avenge the fallen Liliane!” The gigantified Torre mercilessly swung his right arm downward at Master Robin! Lady Liliane, Torre’s former fiancée, had also strayed from the right path because of Master Robin’s instigation. It went without saying that Torre held a grudge against him.

But Lady Liliane is also still alive, Torre. As with Paul, I found myself scrutinizing Torre’s choice of words in my mind. Incidentally, Lady Liliane would be discharged from prison soon.

“Whoa!” Master Robin nimbly dodged Torre’s giant arm, then approached it after it made a small dent in the ground and placed his own hand over it. “There.” The moment he said that, something strange happened to Torre: He stopped moving and just stared blankly at the sky.

That was...Master Robin’s magic. It seemed that Torre had fallen under the effects of mental magic, just like the soldiers earlier.

While Paul and I were distracted by Torre’s condition, Master Robin started running toward the estate’s exit. Around that time, the guards who’d been affected by his magic finally started coming back to their senses.

“Please go after the suspicious man who ran that way! That’s Master Robin, the erstwhile fiancé of former Princess Mia; he escaped from the Sempli Convent!” I ordered them.

“Understood, Lady Agnes!” The soldiers started running in the same direction as Robin.

“Just in case, please make sure you don’t get too close to him! His magic affects the mind!” Kelly added.

Following our commands, the soldiers remained cautious of Master Robin’s magic as they chased him out of the estate’s premises.

“Capture him!” they shouted. Some of them were even riding pegasi, so I felt reassured. There was no way Master Robin was getting away.

“This way, Lady Agnes. It will be dangerous outside for a while,” Kelly urged me, so I returned to the manor.

“Is Torre all right? He may still be under the effects of the mental magic...”

It looked like the gigantification magic’s time limit had passed, so Torre was now back to his normal size. He was a short distance away, still absentmindedly staring up at the sky. Kelly approached him and pinched his cheek.

“Master Torre? Please come back to your senses.”

“Huh...? Miss Kelly?” Torre’s eyes gradually focused again. It seemed that Master Robin’s magic had worn off. “J-Just what was I... Where did Robin go?”

“Robin ran away. The soldiers are currently pursuing him. You were affected by his magic, Master Torre.”

“What a blunder! You have my sincerest apologies, Lady Agnes!” Torre was shocked that he’d fallen under Master Robin’s spell so easily.

“No need to apologize, Torre. I’m just glad you’re safe.”

But Master Robin’s magic was a poor fit against people like Torre who attacked directly. Back then, Master Robin moved slightly closer to Torre before using his magic. Maybe he can only use his magic after getting somewhat close. In that case, that would also explain why he had avoided using his magic on men before.

“Thanks to you, Master Robin didn’t lay a finger on me. Thank you for coming to my rescue, Torre. The same also goes for you, Paul, Kelly.”

As we were talking, I noticed a pink wyvern flying above us. It seemed that Lord Nazel was coming home atop Geni.

“Looks like my message reached him,” Kelly muttered in relief behind me.

“Lord Nazel has returned home, so I’ll be safe now. Just in case, you should have a doctor take a look at you, Torre. I don’t think there should be any aftereffects, though.” I’d been affected by Master Robin’s magic once before, but after its effects had run out, nothing had been really wrong with my body. I believed the same would be true for Torre, but it would be terrible if something were to have happened to him.

Torre nodded obediently in response.

“Paul, isn’t it about time for you to return to the fortress? You came here to deliver a message, right?” I asked.

“No, I’ll be heading straight home after this, so it’s fine. I’ll leave after saying hello to my brother-in-law.”

As I talked to Paul, I looked up at the sky and saw Geni gliding down before gently landing close to us. Lord Nazel then lightly jumped down from his back. Once he noticed me, he ran up to me in a panic.

“Agnes! I’m sorry I didn’t make it in time!” Lord Nazel hugged me vigorously.

“I-I’m all right. Everyone protected me.”

Since I was flustered, Paul stood at my side and gave a concise explanation of everything that had transpired; he was really capable.

“And so Robin escaped,” Paul concluded. “The soldiers are currently in pursuit.”

“Thank you, Paul. I understand the situation now,” Lord Nazel said.

“Well then, I will be returning to the staff dorms, so I leave my sister in your care.”

“Of course. Take care.”

Paul gallantly ran out of the garden with Pidgy in tow. These days, every time I met my brother, he’d grown into an even finer man.

After we saw Paul off, Lord Nazel kept me in his embrace, his lovely brow knitted in worry.

“You must have been scared, Agnes. I never imagined Robin would show up here and try to lay his hands on you, of all things.”

“Please don’t apologize. None of this was your fault, Lord Nazel. I never expected this either; I was completely taken aback.”

“I’m so glad you’re safe,” he said as he tightened his arms around me.

I could feel the tension slowly leaving my body. Only now did I finally realize that my mind had been more strained than usual. Having Lord Nazel by my side put my heart at ease. I also put my arms around his back.

“For now, let’s go somewhere we can take our time to talk, Agnes.”

“Okay...” As I replied, Lord Nazel gently picked me up; this was my first bridal carry in a while.

“You have my deepest apologies, Lord Nazelbart! Robin managed to slip away under my watch! This was the greatest blunder of my life!” Torre shouted.

“You protected Agnes and the others, didn’t you? There’s a high chance that Robin went on his guard the moment he saw you, then escaped because the situation was no longer in his favor. You did a great job,” Lord Nazel replied.

“Lord Nazelbart... You give me too much credit...” Torre stood stock-still as tears began to form in his eyes.

Lord Nazel turned to Kelly next.

“Thank you for contacting me, Kelly. I want to get Agnes some rest, so I’ll take her to my room.”

“Understood. Please leave any matters inside the manor to me.”

Kelly saw us off as we went to Lord Nazel’s room, where he softly lowered me onto the sofa. Perhaps everything that had happened with Master Robin was to blame, because I could somehow feel that he was more restless and uneasy than usual.

“Lord Nazel?” When I looked up, he was kneeling on the floor and our eyes met.

“I’m sorry I let you go through such a terrifying experience, Agnes. My ineptitude is to blame.”

“You don’t have to keep apologizing. Today’s events were the result of various unexpected circumstances piling up. They were most certainly not your fault! Thank you for coming home for my sake,” I emphatically stated as I brought my face closer to his and had him stand up. To begin with, he’d rushed straight here right after getting the message at the fortress; it was impressive that he’d managed to fly to the estate in such a short amount of time. I was painfully aware that Lord Nazel was constantly worried about me.

“You’re so kind, Agnes. Thank you,” Lord Nazel said as he softly kissed my brow.

I felt as bashful as usual, and I tightly held on to his shirt as I continued the conversation.

“Master Robin could use his magic.” His magic should have been sealed when he’d been sent to the Sempli Convent.

“Yes. Someone must have broken the seal on his magic. I need to look into that too.”

“I don’t know how Master Robin’s magic was unsealed, but he’s changed the way he uses his magic.” I told Lord Nazel how Master Robin could now use his magic without hesitation. “Before being sent to the Sempli Convent, Master Robin was always very particular about who he used his magic on, and only ever used it on young noblewomen. Apparently, when he uses his magic, he subtly shares senses with the other person.” I explained what Master Robin had told me.

“Did he really say that?”

“Yes. He uses his magic differently now. Rather than using his psychosomatic purification to erase someone’s worries and have them grow dependent on him, he takes advantage of the fact that a person’s consciousness becomes hazy the moment his magic is cast on them.”

Lord Nazel nodded with a serious expression, perhaps thinking back on Paul’s report.

“So that means he can now use his magic immediately, regardless of the target.”

I urged Lord Nazel to sit down on the sofa too, and I moved next to him.

“In other words, he’s still taking advantage of one of the effects of his magic—the absent-minded state it puts people in—to leave his enemies defenseless and escape in the opening that creates,” Lord Nazel continued.

Everything he’d said was correct, so I only offered a quiet word of affirmation in response. Then another thought occurred to me.

“It looks like Master Robin came to our estate on his own initiative, but I think he probably has an ally. It would be difficult to make it all the way here from the Sempli Convent alone.”

“We found a boat in the river along the border, but it doesn’t seem to be of Desnimer make. A foreign country may be behind Robin’s escape.”

“You suspect foreign involvement?”

“Yes. Polpystan and Myzahn are the closest possibilities.”

Polpystan was south of here, right across the river, while Myzahn was southwest of Polpystan. To get to Myzahn from Desnim, you’d need to either go through Polpystan or sail across the ocean to the west.

“Robin’s magic is special, but he can’t get abroad on his own. He definitely has a collaborator,” Lord Nazel said.

“This spells trouble,” I added.

“Yes, his magic is extremely bothersome. It’s strange that he wasn’t taken into protective custody when his magic was appraised.”

Whenever an appraiser discovered a unique magic like Master Robin’s, they reported it to the church and royal palace. Magic that affected the mind was exceedingly rare, so people who possessed such magic were apparently often taken into protective custody because of it. I hadn’t known this before because I’d grown up in the House of Evantail, which was indifferent about magic, but in Desnim, everyone who possessed valuable magic was taken under protection, not just appraisers.

“The kind of people who are well-known for being protected are appraisers, like Emilio, mana sealers who work in places like prisons, and sealbreakers, who are their exact opposite,” I said.

Mana sealers sealed the magic of criminals when they were arrested, while sealbreakers undid the seal once those criminals were free again. Although it was a rare kind of magic, a certain number of people who possessed it appeared in every era. That was why, here in Desnim, it was recommended for people to get appraised at a young age, before their magic manifested. If their magic was determined to be rare, they were secured as valuable personnel, or taken into protective custody to make sure they didn’t abuse their magic. Then they were educated in suitable establishments on how to safely use their magic.

Sutrena used to be the only exception, since it didn’t have an appraiser until recently. However, ever since Father Emilio had come here, more and more people had been seeking to get their magic appraised. It seemed that no new rare magic had been discovered up until now, though. Emilio is remarkable at his job, so his reports are reliable.

Lord Nazel remained deep in thought this entire time.

“Even though Master Robin’s magic affects the mind, he still wasn’t taken into Desnim’s protective custody?” I wondered.

“I don’t know in detail either, but according to my investigation, Robin was apparently considered a refugee, so there’s a good chance that he wasn’t appraised in early childhood like a typical Desnimer. His mother was apparently a foreigner,” Lord Nazel said with a somewhat troubled expression.

Refugees were people with no fixed address, who wandered from country to country. Even Desnim had cases of refugees or fugitives with complicated circumstances drifting into the country and settling down here. However, those people were usually impoverished and often lived in poor conditions on the fringes of towns. They weren’t seen as proper citizens, so Desnim didn’t protect their livelihoods.

“Oh, I see,” I replied.

“Yes, Robin was apparently born and raised in the red-light district in the capital’s slums.”

“He’s Baron Levbition’s biological son, right?”

“Yes, which means...you know. The baron was a client of Robin’s mother, and he adopted Robin after her death.”

It seemed that Master Robin’s life had been full of ups and downs. And after using countless young noblewomen as stepping stones to rise through high society, he’d finally met former Princess Mia. I believed that was when he’d gotten his magic appraised at last.

“In the royal palace, Master Robin’s magic was considered sacred, right?” I said.

“Yes, former Princess Mia spread word about it being sacred to assert her own legitimacy. People who can use two kinds of magic are rare, and his magic really did have an element of purification and recovery to it. Not to the same extent your magic has now, though.”

Master Robin had gotten famous as someone who possessed magic similar to the saint’s. Since he’d had the backing of the former queen, who’d held tremendous authority at the same, and former Princess Mia had also insisted his magic was sacred, no one had looked deeply into Master Robin’s magic. That was why he’d been able to abuse his magic, and many young noblewomen, like Lady Liliane, had fallen victim to him.

“It’s still unclear what the people who unsealed Robin’s magic are after, but it’s probably his magic. Both Polpystan and Myzahn want to get their hands on a saint, like Duke Masroono, who’s obsessed with finding one.”

Duke Masroono was a Polpystani noble and Queen Latriche’s uncle. He wasn’t a bad person, but his admiration for the saint could be a bit too much. It wouldn’t be surprising if people from a foreign country had their eye on Master Robin’s power for their own goals, just like Duke Masroono had tried to win me over hoping I was a saint.

It really is very likely that either Polpystan or Myzahn is behind this. Those neighboring countries had been at odds with each other since long ago. Although the previous saint’s efforts had temporarily put an end to the fighting, it seemed that Myzahn hadn’t given up on invading Polpystan yet. Which means that... Desnim had completely gotten dragged into their mess this time.

“Haaah, this had to happen when I’m already so busy. Give me a break,” Lord Nazel said.

I reached toward my tired husband and gently stroked his head. His reddish hair felt smooth to the touch.

“Are you tired? You look a little pale,” I said.

“Perhaps I am.” Lord Nazel closed his eyes and let me do whatever I wanted to him. He really must have been exhausted. “I currently have to devise countermeasures for the manabeast rampage and storm, and now there’s Robin’s escape on top of all that... Of all places, he’s loitering around Sutrena, and there’s even suspicion of foreign involvement.” It was unusual for Lord Nazel to look so burdened. We were working on ways to resolve the staffing shortage, but there were still many matters he had to take care of himself. “I’m worried, so I think I’ll take to the field... Oh, I haven’t even read King Bertrand’s letter yet.”

Lord Nazel stood up to leave, but I didn’t fail to notice that he staggered a bit.

“Lord Nazel, your body won’t last at this rate. Please get some proper rest.” Even he would be in trouble if he couldn’t move when he really needed to. “Our soldiers are all searching for Master Robin and any collaborators, aren’t they?”

“Yes. I’ve already issued orders for them to search for anyone suspicious from the riverside to the ocean. Sutrena has many personnel who can ride mountbeasts, who are a great help at times like this.” Lord Nazel took a letter out of his pocket and quietly scanned it. His expression was a little grim.

“Does it say anything important?”

“Yes. It’s about the person who helped Robin escape.”

“And?”

“A foreigner was apparently sighted in the town closest to the Sempli Convent. They say he looked like a Myzahni.”

Myzahnis tended to have somewhat darker skin than Desnimers, probably because they lived around the desert.

“The north of Desnim is a rural area similar to Sutrena. It’s obviously strange to see a Myzahni there. They will probably try to escape to the ocean, so I need to send more people to patrol the coast...” Lord Nazel said.

“The ocean... True, the only ways to get to Myzahn from here are either through Polpystan or by crossing the ocean.”

“Considering the distance, it’s hard to imagine that a Myzahni would return through Polpystan. There might be some Myzahnis who could enter Polpystan, but it would be difficult with Robin in tow; he’s far too conspicuous, in a bad way.”

“Their two nations are hostile, so they’d be in danger if they were discovered. Master Robin probably wouldn’t quietly follow along either.”

The two countries were in conflict in all sorts of ways, so it was very possible that a Myzahni wouldn’t be shown any mercy. Crossing the ocean was the safer option.

“Lord Nazel, I will contact the fortress in your stead.” I went out into the corridor and asked Torre, who’d just finished his visit to the doctor, to deliver the message to the fortress. “And that covers it. If you feel like you can move fine, please pass this on to Mister Henry. Lord Nazel is overworked and can’t move, so he’ll be resting today to be ready for the future.”

“Understood! I’ve been given a precious chance to redeem myself, so I’ll carry out this duty without fail! And you don’t need to worry about me, I’m perfectly fine now!” Torre got on his pegasus and headed to the fortress.

I returned to the room and told the unwell Lord Nazel that Torre would be informing Mister Henry of everything.

“Now let’s just wish the soldiers success,” I said.

I went back to the sofa and sat down next to Lord Nazel again, then pulled him closer with both arms. I was a bit nervous when I thought about what I was going to do next.

“What’s the matter, Agnes?” Lord Nazel was confused as I pulled him to me and he fell down, his head landing right on top of my thighs—this was a so-called lap pillow.

“You may still be thinking about going back to work, but I can’t allow you to take to the field in your condition. If you collapse, there will be no one to take command during important times.”

Lord Nazel still looked ready to charge out at a moment’s notice, but after looking at me in surprise, he seemed to resign himself to his fate and stopped resisting.

“I can’t fight against the appeal of your thighs. They feel far too nice.”

And so, he’d apparently decided to stay put. I was worried about how this would turn out, but he accepted my suggestion in an instant. However, it seemed that he didn’t like being the only one on the receiving end, so he went for a bit of payback. I felt him gently rubbing against my thighs, and got so surprised I yelped.

“Eep! Lord Nazel, you aren’t allowed to nuzzle your face against my thighs.”

“Mm... Don’t wanna move.”

“Whoa! You aren’t allowed to rub them with your hands either.”

“Mm... I’m not stopping.”

“Yah!”

Lord Nazel did as he pleased with me, but it seemed that fatigue took over before long, as he started sleeping peacefully. And so, the two of us spent some alone time as a couple for the first time in a while.

Chapter 3: Madam Bumpkin and the Foreign Spy

Defi, with Robin in tow, was desperately running down a rough path. The ground had gotten all muddy because of a heavy rainfall.

“Good grief, because of your detour, our escape from Desnim is in jeopardy. Argh, what do we do if we get caught?”

They single-mindedly moved through a warm forest in Sutrena. Because of the unique climate and terrain of this specific area, the plants growing here were completely different from everything they’d seen so far, and it was also really hot...

Despite Defi’s warnings, Robin was as unconcerned as ever.

“We’re gonna be fiiine. We’ve almost reached the ocean, right? And once we’re out at sea, you’ll have everything under control, won’t you? You worry too much about all the tiny details,” Robin arrogantly admonished the quiet Defi while jogging sluggishly in high spirits. No one knew how many times this routine had been repeated. Even Defi, who took pride in his patience, was feeling dizzy.

“Robin, what will you do if Sutrena’s soldiers catch up to us because of what you did?! Weren’t you wary of the margrave?”

“Huuuh? I gave the soldiers the slip a while ago. They’ll be wandering this forest for some time. And that darn Nazelbart never showed up in the end, so maybe he doesn’t have time to deal with us. Laughable.”

“I hope you’re right, but you’re the one who said that the margrave is a dangerous guy.”

As they kept running, they could smell the seawater ahead of them. Robin sounded elated as he realized they would soon be able to escape abroad.

“See? The ocean is right there. We can get away without any worries!”

“Ah, wait a second, Robin.” Defi chased after Robin, who’d suddenly started running much faster.

They pushed their way through the trees, until the view suddenly opened up ahead of them. They could see the river joining the ocean, and the vast blue sea stretched out endlessly before them. Unfortunately, there were thick clouds hanging in the sky, and the weather was taking a turn for the worse...

Haaah, we came to Sutrena during an annoying season, Defi mused. I’d even heard that there hadn’t been any large storms in recent years.

Sutrena, located in the southern tip of Desnim, had a dry season and a wet one. It was currently the end of the dry season, making the weather unstable. The sky was often covered in ominous clouds like these, and they could even develop into storms in some cases. According to Defi’s judgment, the weather wasn’t just turning bad; this was clearly the precursor to a storm.

However, Robin was leisurely gazing over the ocean like he was on vacation.

“It’s the horizon. I’ve never seen the ocean before! Wooow!” Robin frolicked like a child on the white sandy beach that extended into the sea. He was already an adult, so his behavior looked rather immature.

Hmm? What’s that? Defi noticed several mountbeasts and his allies who’d come from Myzahn in a thicket by the coast. It looked like they’d been hiding while waiting for him and Robin. Thank goodness. We’re saved. Defi ran up to them and gave them a summary of everything that had happened so far. He’d contacted them in advance, so the conversation went smoothly.

“And so, we are being pursued. It’s only a matter of time until they find this place too, so let’s depart quickly.”

“Roger!” Defi’s Myzahni allies replied. They each started preparing their pegasi to take flight. It was impossible to fly straight to Myzahn on pegasi without rest, but they had a ship waiting for them midway. Their plan was to let their mountbeasts rest on the ship as they sailed back to their country.

“Robin, please get on that pegasus. I’m not very skilled at handling mountbeasts, so I’m not confident I can ride tandem.” Everyone had their strengths and weaknesses. Defi was known for his dexterity, but handling a mountbeast was a different story. Mountbeasts always moved in ways Defi couldn’t predict, so it took everything he had to ride alone.

Robin looked blatantly dissatisfied when he was prompted to get on a pegasus.

“Whaaat? Little ol’ me can’t ride a mountbeast, you know. They’re really scary, so I don’t wanna get on them. I mean, we call them mountbeasts, but aren’t they just manabeasts in the end? And riding one myself is honestly creepy.”

Mountbeasts weren’t yet common in Desnim, and even in Myzahn, only some people could ride them.

“A pegasus is basically a horse. You’ve ridden a horse, haven’t you?” Defi said.

“It’s! Not! The! Same!”

Defi was annoyed as he kept talking to the grumbling Robin. He honestly wanted to just kick him down on the sandy beach.

“Robin, you’ll be riding with one of my associates who’s skilled at handling mountbeasts. You just have to sit behind him and everything will be all right.”

“Huuuh? Are you telling me to cling to some dude while we fly? I don’t swing that way. Don’t you have any chicks here?”

Robin was complaining even at the last moment, annoying Defi even further. He was just trying to do his job and follow orders, but he’d gone through numerous dangerous experiences because of Robin.

“Never mind that—get on already!” The moment Defi said that, many birds suddenly flew into the sky from the forest behind them.

Defi and the others shuddered as they felt something approaching.

“Our pursuers from Sutrena are here!” one of them shouted.

At the same time, mounted soldiers rushed out of the forest. Some of them were riding pegasi, with the rest of them on horseback. Infantry followed them. They were still some distance away, but Defi’s group couldn’t safely escape like this.

They arrived much faster than I anticipated. These soldiers seem really skilled... Just like Robin said, Sutrena’s margrave must be very capable. Defi broke into a cold sweat.

“Robin, please quickly get away with my comrade. I’ll act as a decoy and buy you time.”

“Hey, wai—”

Defi forced Robin onto a mountbeast and gave his allies the signal.

“Now!” he shouted.

His allies knew what he meant and simply nodded silently. They also understood that this was the optimal choice, and no one wanted to take on the duty of staying behind in a dangerous location.

“Please go. Take him to the boss! I leave this to you!” Defi said.

The ocean was stormy, but mountbeasts could fly and also create barriers with their mana, so they could mitigate the weather’s effects on them.

Defi looked around him and shouted again.

“You can still escape. Hurry!”

His comrades’ mountbeasts started flapping their wings and all took off into the gray, cloudy sky. Defi then heard an angry roar behind him. He thought it was one of Sutrena’s soldiers...but the voice had actually come from one of his allies.

“Please come back. It’s dangerous that way!” the man shouted.

Defi wondered what was going on and turned to look, but his eyes went wide in surprise. Surely enough, Robin was the one causing trouble. He’d arbitrarily leaped down from the pegasus and was trying to get on a boat that was moored on the beach.

What is he thinking?! Defi was baffled. This can’t be happening! Is he insane?!

Robin was clinging to the boat as he argued with Defi’s allies.

“Why? There’s a boat right here. I can just use this to escape.”

“This is an emergency! We can reliably get away on the mountbeasts. It will take too much time to set sail.”

Defi’s ally and Robin kept having a nonsensical argument in front of the boat. Defi was honestly astounded. He wanted to believe this was a dream, but unfortunately, this ridiculous scene was his reality.

In the meantime, the soldiers from Sutrena caught up to them. They got down from their pegasi and gave chase on the sandy beach.

“It’s Robin!”

“After him! We’ll definitely capture him for Lord Nazelbart’s sake!”

All of Defi’s hard work up to now had gone to waste. All the time he’d spent on preparations and the hardships he’d gone through were now worthless. Only a gradually growing feeling of emptiness was left.

“Dammit, the mission failed. We at least need to get out of here ourselves!”

Defi’s comrades gave up on trying to take Robin with them and took to the sky. In a sense, they were right in their decision; they couldn’t afford to let themselves get caught.

“The suspicious men are running away! Split into two groups and go after them!” one of Sutrena’s soldiers shouted as he saw their enemies retreating.

“Yes, sir!”

Defi’s enemies also took flight, but they were few in number, and his allies had a solid head start. Given that the weather was also poor, he believed that his allies would all be able to get away, but he was still uneasy.

“Haaah...” Defi sighed as he watched his allies retreating and stood on the beach alone. He’d already given up on making it out of there himself.

Oh man, what am I even doing? This may be my job, but putting myself in danger to let my allies escape is still crazy. I have nothing to gain from what I just did... This is the peak of grunt mentality. Well, the mission’s a failure anyway, and there’s no way I can go back to my country. Defi was sick of being a perfectly convenient subordinate and felt like complaining in his mind. And to top it all off, I failed my mission and couldn’t send Robin back home. He’d gone through all that trouble, and now his capture had come so suddenly that he just felt apathetic. To begin with, it wasn’t like he was exactly fond of his current job. If anything, it was a major pain and he’d rather quit. But I can’t just quit that easily... Argh, this is so annoying!

As soon as Defi’s magic had been appraised as release at a young age, a messenger had come from the higher-ups and he’d been taken in by them. From there, he’d started his life as a sealbreaker, spending his time by undoing the seals on people’s magic. The main people he’d used his magic on were criminals after their release from prison.

But then he’d gotten the attention of the king’s younger brother. The prince possessed sealing magic, so he’d needed the release magic of someone like Defi in order to use his own magic as he pleased. Even if a person with sealing magic stopped actively using it, the seal on someone affected would still remain, so a separate person with release magic was necessary. Therefore, Defi had been used for the prince’s convenience. Their two magics were a special pair, and Defi currently worked as one of the prince’s assistants. It was honestly a very heavy responsibility for a commoner like him, and he’d rather have had a more relaxing job.

Nowadays, I’m even made to act as a spy, nothing like my original role. Argh, I’m being overworked! This working environment is too exploitative! I really want to quit. I want to leisurely pass the time at some low-responsibility job! Although he’d complained in his mind, he’d stayed working in the same job until now out of habit. It was extremely difficult for Defi to escape since the prince had his eye on him. It was a major pain, but it was easier to just obediently obey. Grr, I so want to quit my job. But this was how he truly felt as he let out a sigh from the bottom of his heart.

***

“Lord Nazelbart! The soldiers have arrested Robin and the Myzahni! The two of them were captured at the beach!” Early next morning, one of Nazelbart’s subordinates reported to him as he was working in the still dimly lit fortress.

Nazelbart had been walking down the hallway but stopped and turned around to face the messenger.

“Give me the details.”

It was very unlikely that only one person had come to pick Robin up for a journey across the ocean, but the soldiers had only captured two people, including Robin, which meant that the rest of them must have escaped.

“The soldiers got caught up in a storm along the way and lost sight of the other perpetrators.”

“I see. I appreciate the report. The weather in Sutrena is unstable and stormy this time of year. I’m glad everyone made it back safely,” Nazelbart replied with a smile, but his thoughts were anything but calm. “In any case, it’s great that they brought Robin back. I’ll think about how to deal with the other captive. I need to call Emilio and have him appraise his magic, just in case.”

Nazelbart wondered if they would have been able to capture everyone at the beach had he also joined the search party. He regretted that he’d been feeling unwell at the time.

No, if I think about it rationally, standing on the front lines while feeling ill might have instead held back my men. Either way, I couldn’t have done anything more back then.

Nazelbart had deployed his limited number of soldiers to various locations, placing a relatively high number of them around the beach where Robin had been most likely to pass through. He lamented that if the weather had been better, they would have been able to capture everyone, but shook his head to drive away the pessimistic thoughts.

There’s no point in crying over spilled milk and fretting about what we could have done. We only have the future ahead of us. He had to quickly do what he could at this moment.

“I want to meet the Myzahni and ascertain his objective. Where is he right now?” Nazelbart asked the subordinate who had remained standing at attention.

“He’s currently being interrogated at the prison in town. Oh, also, Lady Agnes came to the fortress with gifts earlier. We’re grateful for how kind to us she always is.”

“Agnes came here at this hour?” The sun had only just risen; Nazelbart was worried. He wanted to go and see her right this moment. It didn’t matter that he always saw her at home or that there was no point in flirting at work. As her husband, he always wanted to be with her if she was there. However, there were also things he had to do.

As Nazelbart was about to head to the prison, feeling terribly bitter, his subordinate suddenly spoke up.

“Oh, Lady Agnes!”

The startled Nazelbart spun around, thinking it was a joke, but the smiling Agnes really was there.

Ah, when she walks around with that defenseless smile, I fear that strange men will approach her.

Agnes had been gradually returning to her normal physical condition lately, and she had become more active. She spent a lot of time with Solis, but she was apparently doing her best with her work as the margravine today.

“Here I am. Lord Nazel, are you going out somewhere soon?” Agnes was as cute as ever in her outdoor clothes. Had she gotten changed for her visit to the fortress, perhaps?

“I was planning on heading to the prison. The captured Myzahni is there, so I thought I’d go check up on things.”

Agnes blinked repeatedly as she opened her mouth to speak.

“Oh, I see. May I go with you? I’m curious to see what that Myzahni is like. I also have things I’d like to ask him.”

“You’re so full of curiosity, Agnes. But I don’t want to let him meet you. I don’t think you should go out of your way to see him.”

“I’ve already met Master Robin, so I might be able to notice something about his cohort.” The look in Agnes’s eyes was the one she showed when she had no intention of giving in. And Nazelbart was weak against her determined expression. It made him want to grant her wishes to the best of his ability.

“It’s fine if you’re just going to observe,” he said hesitantly.

“Thank you very much!”

Nazelbart was soft on Agnes, so he yielded in the end. After all, he couldn’t ignore his wife’s adorable requests. Besides, she could sometimes resolve things from a different perspective than his. She’d helped Nazelbart in unexpected ways time after time. And this time, they were dealing with an unarmed prisoner. There wasn’t any danger, so it should be fine for Nazelbart to bring her along. Also, he was simply delighted to go out with Agnes, even to prison.

Nazelbart had come to the fortress on Dunk today, so he called her over and the two of them rode on her back. Dunk was a large, sturdy mountbeast, so she could handle the weight of two people and remained calm. She cheerfully ran across the sky alongside the pegasi carrying Nazelbart’s subordinates and Torre, who’d come along as Agnes’s guard, and they all soon reached their destination.

They were at the men’s prison on the opposite side of the detention facility for female prisoners, where Liliane was being held. The facility held a variety of criminals who’d committed crimes inside Sutrena, from minor to major. The Myzahni they’d captured this time was a special case, so he was kept isolated in a separate building. Incidentally, Robin was being held in the building for male felons. The prison grounds were bleak, with square, stone buildings evenly spaced in neat lines on the leveled ground. It was deserted outside the buildings.

“Agnes, the building we’re headed to is that way.” As Nazelbart’s wife was about to head off in the wrong direction, he took her hand and stopped her.

Nazelbart had never actually told her, but Agnes tended to be a bit directionally challenged. The blame most likely lay with her upbringing in the House of Evantail. It must have been the result of her barely going outside, except for the fiancé hunts her parents had sent her on. If left alone, she would confidently head in the wrong direction. There were no issues when she was flying across the sky on Geni, but letting her go walking alone was worrying.

“Let’s go together,” he said and picked her up. He hadn’t been able to do this very often during her pregnancy, so he hoped it was fine now.

“Eep!” Agnes yelped in surprise. “Lord Nazel?!” Despite being flustered, she let him do as he pleased; she was a very kind wife, after all. Moreover, Nazelbart wasn’t exactly displeased as she clung to his neck to remain stable.

Nazelbart stepped into the plain yet sturdy rectangular building, then headed down the hallway. The inside of the building was kept bright and clean, because Nazelbart had taken measures to improve the prison environment. Sutrena’s economy had grown, leading to increases in government revenue that had reached even places like this one.

After walking for some time, Nazelbart arrived at the cell where the Myzahni who had been captured yesterday was being held. Since this building was meant for special criminals, there were only a few cells in total. He gently lowered Agnes onto the floor, and now that she had been freed from the bridal carry, she trotted closer to the cell.

“Hello,” Agnes called out to the prisoner with no hesitation; she was a bit too straightforward in Nazelbart’s opinion.

The captive was a young man around the same age as Agnes, with soft-looking gray hair and light blue eyes. He had the tanned skin characteristic of Myzahnis, and he was apparently named Defi according to the interrogation report. He was most likely the man who had been spotted in the town near the Sempli Convent.

“I heard that you were brought here from the beach. Are you feeling okay?” Agnes asked as she crouched down in front of the cell.

Defi nodded in response. He was being docile, perhaps sensing that Agnes bore him no ill will. He didn’t seem to be particularly injured; the soldiers had transported him properly.

“It seems that your plan to take Master Robin with you failed. He isn’t the kind of person to act as others want him to, so breaking him out must have been difficult, right?”

As Nazelbart listened to her words of sympathy, he mentally agreed with her. It was dangerous to consider Robin a regular person, especially now that he was invincible since he had nothing to lose.

Though it’s too late to warn the Myzahni now.

“It would seem that you have a general understanding of the situation.” Defi raised his head and glanced at Agnes before replying in an apathetic tone. Though his words were polite, he also came across as somewhat defiant.

Without some spine, he wouldn’t have been able to drag Robin this far. When Nazelbart considered what Defi had accomplished, it was clear that he was quite capable.

“Why did you try to take Master Robin away? Was it for his magic?” Agnes asked.

Defi examined Agnes closely.

You can doubt her all you want, but she has no ill intentions, Nazelbart thought. She was honest through and through. He was wary of Defi, ready to act at any time to ensure nothing happened to his precious wife.

“I was simply ordered by my superior to go and get Robin. I don’t have the right to decide what would happen to him, so...I can’t fully answer your question,” Defi replied as if he didn’t care in the slightest, perplexing not only Agnes but even Nazelbart. He made it sound like he was a child on an errand, only doing what he’d been told. Didn’t he have a mind of his own?

“I-I see...” Agnes responded, a bit turned off.

“Please go ahead if you have any other questions. A grunt like me wasn’t told any important information, but I can still answer if you’d like.”

Nazelbart was also taken aback by Defi saying something like that.

“I hate torture. I want to quickly give you all the information you want and take a break. I value myself above all else. I have no idea what’s going to happen from now on, and I’ve been working nonstop, so I want to rest now,” Defi said apathetically again after seeing how the other two reacted.

“Um, I don’t think they were going to torture you.” Agnes looked at Nazelbart in confusion, who nodded firmly to reassure her.

Robin had once shaken Desnim itself, so helping him escape was a serious crime, but punishing Defi was difficult because he was a foreigner. For now, they could only keep him locked up here until negotiations with Myzahn concluded.

The rest of the job is on the king’s side, so my role will be to support his people and investigate and defend Sutrena. From the looks of it, it seems like it will be fine to leave the job of extracting information to someone else. Although things might have been different when Nazelbart had been the future prince consort, he shouldn’t have a seat at the negotiating table with Myzahn now. Probably. That was what Nazelbart believed, what he wanted to believe, and what he wished for. I’m starting to feel terribly uneasy though.

Nazelbart was about to ask Defi a question of his own, when he heard noise coming from the building’s entrance.

“What could it be?” he wondered. When he turned around, he saw one of his subordinates who had been waiting outside running up to him. Like usual, I’m constantly receiving messages. Nazelbart could take this in stride at this point, but for some unknown reason, he had a feeling that this report was going to be a hassle.

“Lord Nazelbart! It’s an emergency!”

“What is it?” Nazelbart asked after a short pause.

“P-P-P-Prince Leonardo has come to the fortress!”

“That’s strange. We didn’t receive advance notice from the capital about him visiting.” It seemed that Nazelbart’s intuition had been on the mark. He tried to refuse any trouble coming his way from the capital, so it was possible that Prince Leonardo had deliberately avoided contacting him so that he wouldn’t get turned down. You’ve been studying, huh? In any case, there was nothing to be done now about Leonardo’s visit. It was best to ask him why he was here.

“Very well. I will go meet with His Highness. What about you, Agnes?”

“I will stay here and talk to Defi for a little longer.”

Nazelbart had been certain that she’d come with him to the fortress, but it seemed that Agnes had other plans.

“I’m worried.” Nazelbart called for Torre. He wanted to force Agnes back to the estate, but he also didn’t want her to think of him as a narrow-minded man by being too pushy. So in the end, he gave in again. “Take care not to be late, Agnes.”

“Yes, I will be home before it gets dark.”

“I leave her in your care, Torre.”

“Understood, Lord Nazelbart!”

Nazelbart was worried about Agnes, but Torre would be with her, and there were many guards in the prison, so nothing unusual should happen. For now, he decided to return to the fortress.

What business does the prince have at such a busy time? Leonardo was the king’s younger brother, so it would be wrong to make him wait long, though Nazelbart would have personally preferred to just ignore him.

Once Nazelbart arrived back at the fortress, he found Leonardo waiting for him in the drawing room for special guests, with Henry keeping him company. Leonardo seemed a little uncomfortable, perhaps because he was worried about the fact that he’d suddenly visited without prior notice. If he realized dropping in out of the blue like this was wrong, Nazel grumbled internally, he shouldn’t have done it in the first place.

“Oh, Nazelbart!” Leonardo stood up once he noticed Nazelbart and greeted him with his best forced smile.

What kind of greeting is that? The premonition of trouble Nazelbart had gotten before coming here grew stronger.

“Greetings, Your Highness. Have you come to take custody of Robin and the Myzahni?” Nazelbart asked, hoping that he was right. If he just needed to hand over Robin and Defi and let the country handle the rest, he’d feel relieved and the burden on him would lessen. However...

“Please help me. A situation I can’t handle on my own has arisen,” Leonardo pleaded as he looked at Nazelbart with puppy dog eyes.

The silence was palpable. Nazelbart’s bad feeling had been right on the money.

Leonardo looked grim as he spoke gravely.

“My brother ordered me to represent him in the negotiations with Myzahn, since he can’t leave the capital...”

King Bertrand had already been informed of Robin’s capture via mountbeast postal service. Leonardo must have received this order from his brother as soon as that news had arrived.

“Will that be your first diplomatic job? It will make for a good experience,” Nazelbart replied.

Even though Leonardo looked unreliable, he was the king’s brother, and had received tutoring in various subjects from Nazelbart himself. He was by no means incompetent. However, he’d completely avoided government affairs in the past, so he certainly lacked experience. He was likely aware of that himself and lacked confidence because of it.

That’s all the more reason for him to gain new experiences.

“You will be fine, Your Highness. You should be able to handle the negotiating table. We’ve captured a Myzahni here, so for now, please try including his extradition in your negotiations.” Nazelbart didn’t leave any room for backing down.

However, Leonardo remained uneasy and looked at Nazelbart with imploring eyes.

“Ugh, I beg you, Nazelbart, come with me.”

“I’m just the Margrave of Sutrena. Won’t I be out of place at a diplomatic summit?”

“You’re the contributor who captured the Myzahni spy, and you also have a deep connection with Robin. You should attend the meeting as someone intimately familiar with the situation.” Leonardo’s argument was sensible, but in the end, he simply didn’t want to go to the negotiations alone.

“Your Highness, you aren’t my student anymore. You need to handle diplomacy properly as the king’s brother.” Although Nazelbart had spoken as his former teacher, Leonardo still looked sullen.

“Please, Nazelbart. Come with me, just this once.” He was unexpectedly persistent. “Besides, I want to appoint Sutrena as the location for the negotiations. This is the southernmost part of Desnim, so it’s the closest to Myzahn, right? Peppel Island or one of its surrounding islands is technically the closest Desnimer territory, but a penal colony is no place to conduct diplomacy. Please understand that I don’t want the foreigners who broke Robin out coming anywhere near our country’s heartland.”

Even more trouble was suddenly dropped onto Nazelbart’s plate. It was certainly true that Sutrena was farthest to Desnim’s south and was separated from other territories by a deep forest, so it could be a good location to welcome the Myzahni envoys. The territory had been steadily developing lately thanks to the tenacity of Nazelbart and everyone else.

This is certainly the most suitable location, but to think he’d use Sutrena as the negotiation site to draw me out... It seems that he’s learned plenty about this kind of strategy. Leonardo was using a method Nazelbart had taught him in the past. I shouldn’t have taught him that. Nazelbart would honestly have preferred the negotiations with Myzahn were held in the capital. On this occasion, even Peppel Island is fine with me. Anything goes as long as it’s outside my jurisdiction. Sutrena already had its hands full, what with the upcoming storm, manabeast rampage, labor shortage, and Robin’s capture.

Nazelbart turned his gaze to Leonardo’s subordinates, who were standing behind their master.

“What about your subordinates? Even without me, you should have someone who can join you in the negotiations.”

“Aren’t you more used to it, though? You were involved in all kinds of diplomatic work when you were engaged to my sister, so you’re well-informed regarding foreign affairs.”

“Your Highness, may I kick you out?”

“Wait, wait, wait! Of course, I’m not asking for your help for free! Sutrena will receive appropriate compensation!”

“Like what?” Nazelbart prodded Leonardo in a monotonous voice.

“We will provide you with monetary aid! And send over more appraisers! And it will take time, but we will build a highway connecting Sutrena to the capital!”

“I see.”

It looked like Leonardo had given the matter some serious thought. His proposal of generous assistance for Sutrena was appealing. More funds never hurt, and having Emilio as the sole priest wouldn’t cover their future needs. And since most people couldn’t ride mountbeasts yet, it would be helpful if there was a highway to the more settled regions of the country. Geographically, Sutrena was currently isolated.

Sutrena can certainly employ more personnel, so could this be worth it if we obtain the funds and know-how? Nazelbart hadn’t intended to take on this troublesome task, but his heart wavered. Leonardo wasn’t Nazelbart’s former student for nothing—he knew just how to handle his former teacher.

After spending some time in thought, Nazelbart started speaking in a serious tone.

“If you do everything you just said, I will accept. I would also like to be provided with personnel that I can freely command for a limited amount of time—specifically, strong knights who can be useful during a disaster. Oh, and I will need all of this in writing.”

Perhaps Leonardo had somewhat anticipated an answer like that, because he sprang up joyfully.

“I’d expect no less from you, Nazelbart. You added a few extras, but I had faith you would agree! All right, I’ll proceed with what you asked for.”

Leonardo had come to Sutrena with his subordinates, so Nazelbart assigned an area in a corner of his manor to them to provide them with a place to stay. Fortunately, the previous margrave had built a large manor, so there were plenty of free rooms.

I’ll have the prince and his men do as much work as possible. The problem is whether Myzahn will sit down at the negotiating table... With those thoughts in mind, Nazelbart started preparing for the day of the negotiations.

***

A month had passed. I, Agnes, was living in my estate in good health, with the help of everyone around me.

Solis had been crying a lot lately; indeed, he bawled his eyes out on a daily basis. When I asked Mrs. Holly about it, she told me that this was just how babies were, but I was troubled because he just wouldn’t stop crying. The maids tried to comfort me by telling me that he was just in that kind of phase. I hoped he would enter his non-crying phase as soon as possible.

“Waaaaah!”

Even now, Solis was inside his crib in the nursery, swinging his arms and legs around as he cried loudly. He was even kicking his cradle violently. It was currently noon, but he’d been crying like this during the night too. Mrs. Holly’s baby boy was so quiet, though.

I started talking to my son to soothe him.

“There, there, Solis...”

“GWAAAH!”

“Whoa!” When I tried to comfort him, he started screaming even louder. It was a bit of a shock.

Solis was kicking around so fiercely that he’d even knocked his blanket away.

“What do I do? Nothing I try works.”

I was feeling flustered, but in contrast, Mrs. Holly was calm and quiet.

“Lady Agnes, as I already told you, babies are just like that. Don’t worry, he’ll stop crying so loudly before long.”

“Ugh, so that’s how it is, huh?”

“Yes, so you can just relax.”

There was still so much I didn’t know about raising children.

Mrs. Holly’s youngest son was sleeping peacefully in the crib next to Solis’s. He had incredible willpower to sleep amid all this noise.

“Lady Agnes, isn’t it about time for you to leave? I’ll take care of the rest.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Holly.” I hurriedly finished my preparations and headed to the prison with Torre.

It seemed that Prince Leonardo, who was currently in Sutrena, and Lord Nazel were steadily progressing in their negotiations with Myzahn. All that was left was to see if they could obtain anything else from Myzahn.

In contrast to his appearance, Lord Nazel is very strict when it comes to things like that.

In any case, it was great that Master Robin was properly locked up.

Will they send him back to a Convent strictly for men? That should be ideal for the peace of the country. I didn’t really want to speak ill of people, but Master Robin was too dangerous to women. We couldn’t let him be a bad influence on the noble ladies of various places whose lives had finally calmed down.

With various thoughts swirling in my head, I entered the prison and headed to Defi’s cell.

“Lady Agnes, I will be waiting behind you while you two talk.” Once we arrived, Torre stepped back a little and stood in front of the wall, where he started keeping watch.

“Hello,” I promptly called out to the bored-looking Defi.

Defi looked at me with exasperation and sighed extravagantly.

“You came again? You’re quite eccentric for a noblewoman.” At first, he’d addressed me politely and respectfully, but after meeting several times, he’d come to talk to me as casually as he did now. It was probably because he wasn’t being considerate of me anymore.

Or maybe he’s just gotten desperate after getting caught. I didn’t mind however he addressed me, so I thought it was fine as long as it was easy to talk to him. It seemed that this was how he normally spoke.

“Lady Agnes, the deep-fried taros you brought me the other day were delicious. We don’t have that tuber back home. The giant taro soup was great too.”

“Really? I’m glad to hear that.”

We had become friends who taught each other about the culture of our respective countries. Since Sutrena was on the southern border of Desnim, it was necessary to know about foreign countries. I also studied at home, but books couldn’t measure up to firsthand information. Therefore, I took the opportunity to learn all kinds of things about Myzahn from Defi. Since I was asking about topics that didn’t involve the classified information he had to deal with, he answered without any real hesitation.

“Defi, I called a priest to have your magic appraised today.”

“Huh? I already told you about my magic, didn’t I?” Defi said in dissatisfaction, probably because he didn’t want his personal information revealed.

But this appraisal was necessary. It made sense for me to oversee the appraisal, partly because everyone else was busy, and partly because I was close to both the appraiser Emilio and the imprisoned Defi.

“Yes, from what you told us, your magic is release. It’s the only magic that can undo the sealing magic used on prisoners and the like.”

“Right. Also, sealing magic doesn’t work on someone who can use release magic. But release magic is physically harmless, so it can’t help me escape when I’m inside a prison cell. It’s like having no magic at all.”

“You make it sound like you’re dissatisfied with your magic.”

“Well, yeah. People with release magic are special, since they can release their own magic even if it was sealed. But that’s the only thing this magic can do...it’s completely useless. I can’t break out of confinement like this. I’ve honestly always wished I had some other magic. If I at least had sealing magic, I could use it for self-defense.”

“Magic is an innate ability, so you can’t change it either.”

In fact, many people felt that their magic wasn’t what they’d hoped for. Those born with special magic like release had their entire future decided for them the moment their magic was discovered. According to Defi, that was something that happened not just in Desnim but in Myzahn too.

Emilio, who possesses the invaluable magic of appraisal, also apparently had a hard time before coming to Sutrena. I thought back to when Emilio had first come here. Despite his powerful appraisal skill, being a commoner, he had been exploited and overworked by the corrupt church for the longest time.

Right at that moment, one of the prison staff came to inform me that Emilio had arrived at the prison, and he soon entered the building. He had orange hair, dark gray eyes, and an effeminate face. He was the representative of Sutrena’s priests and possessed high-ranked appraisal magic. He’d once worked under inhumane conditions in the capital, but he now spent his time leisurely while fulfilling his duties, mainly staying at the church on the western part of Sutrena.

“Thank you for coming, Emilio.”

“My apologies. I arrived late because I came by carriage.” Emilio scratched his head while smiling awkwardly. Riding on mountbeasts gave him severe motion sickness, but riding carriages on land was apparently fine. Although he seemed a bit pale, he wasn’t so unwell that it would hinder his job.

“You don’t need to worry. The motion sickness you get from mountbeasts is debilitating, right? And the medicine that’s supposed to prevent it doesn’t work on you, does it?” I said.

“Indeed. It is quite the conundrum.”

Some medicinal herb varieties that only grew in desolate land could be found in Sutrena. There were people known as pharmacists who made a living by picking those herbs, drying them, and selling them as medicine. One of our maids had come from a family of such pharmacists. However, the effectiveness of medicine varied from person to person depending on their constitution and lifestyle.

“Now then, who should I appraise today?” Emilio asked.

“This man right here,” I said, pointing to Defi. “He’s pretty much told us what kind of magic he possesses, but we wanted to confirm it just in case.”

“Please leave it to me. Wow, I rarely get the chance to appraise a foreigner, so I can’t wait to get started. Heh heh heh heh.”

Defi had an uneasy expression as he looked at Emilio’s eyes shining. He looked at me—the one who’d called Emilio here—suspiciously.

“Is this guy okay? Is he safe?” Defi asked.

Perhaps because of his line of work, Emilio was extremely interested in other people’s magic. When this magic enthusiast started talking rapidly, he tended to go on and on, but there was no denying his skill.

“Don’t worry, Defi. Emilio possesses the highest kind of appraisal magic. Please relax and let him appraise you,” I told Defi.

Meanwhile, Emilio was thinking about getting to appraise a foreigner and smiled quietly while mumbling that he was looking forward to it.

“Heh heh, well then, let’s start Mister Defi’s appraisal. I’m actually currently researching how common different types of magic are from country to country. I’d be happy if you could cooperate with me.”

“What do you mean ‘cooperate’? I’m being forced into this.”

Emilio disregarded Defi’s complaint and quickly started appraising him in the cell. He took each of Defi’s hands in turn and placed them on his forehead.

“Your magic is...” Emilio started, then suddenly opened his eyes wide. “Th-This... This can’t be! Absolute release?! I-I-It’s extremely rare! Release is already rare on its own, and this is even absolute! Getting to meet another person with absolute magic is like a dream come true! Aaah, what should we do, Lady Agnes?!”

I tugged on Emilio’s sleeve to return him to reality, as he seemed about to depart for another world from overexcitement.

“Calm down, Emilio. Defi’s magic is called absolute release?”

“Ah! Th-That’s right! It’s an incredible magic. Release magic is commonly known for being able to undo the sealing magic placed on people, but his magic doesn’t stop at only that!”

“Can you give an example?”

“From what I can tell with my magic, it can release more than sealing magic. It could override mental magic like Master Robin’s, or make Mister Torre’s magic stop early and return him to normal size. It could even undo your magic, Lady Agnes. Still, Mister Defi possesses an average amount of mana, so he’d have trouble against multiple opponents, and he’d be defeated by someone with more mana than him. Oh, he can probably also release locks and the like... Since his magic is the absolute kind, I believe that he can release things in various senses depending on his imagination.” The magic enthusiast Emilio spoke quickly and seemed to be enjoying himself.

I looked at Defi in surprise.

“So this means that Defi can unlock his cell? He could easily escape then.” Up until now, we’d thought that Defi’s magic was simply release; he’d been locked in here because we and he had been unaware of its true nature. But now that he knew his magic was actually absolute release, he could use it on his cell’s lock, so we couldn’t just leave him like this.

“I think it should be fine if you tie him up with rope. Since there won’t be any magic or a lock, he shouldn’t be able to release anything. Oh, but maybe he could release the knots? This would be worth researching.”

“I’m not going to run away, so please don’t tie me up!” Defi shouted, his face now pale after he’d listened to Emilio.

Despite his assurances, we had to do something about him.

“In that case, we’ll have people with high mana keep watch over him. Let’s also include some soldiers who are skilled in martial arts,” I said.

Just like Defi said, there was a low chance he’d go to all the trouble of running away. He was already acting pretty apathetic to most things.

But that doesn’t mean we can keep things the same...

If by any chance Defi did run away, it would cause trouble for the negotiations with Myzahn, so I wanted to avoid that.

“I’m sorry, Defi. Lord Nazel is doing his best to have you returned home in about one month at the latest. And so is Prince Leonardo.” Master Robin was one thing, but there was no point in keeping Defi in Desnim, so we planned to return him to Myzahn.

But there is a chance that our side will reverse its decision now that Defi’s absolute release has been discovered...

Instead of replying, Defi just sighed for the umpteenth time.

“Say, Lady Agnes. Turns out my magic isn’t just ordinary release, right? That’s not what they told me back in Myzahn, though.”

“Emilio could identify it because he’s first-rate. He has high-ranked appraisal magic, after all. He has a lot of experience, and his skill in appraisal could be called the best in Desnim.”

The precision of appraisal magic varied from user to user. In my case, the magic I’d thought of as matter reinforcement had been identified as absolute reinforcement. It seemed that Defi was a similar case.

“That’s great, isn’t it? The scope of what you can do has widened,” I added. It would be a problem if he used his magic right now, but I hoped that after returning to his country, Defi, who had been disappointed about his magic, would find life a little easier.

“Isn’t the scope a bit too wide, though? If it really can do all that, it’s a terrifying magic.” Defi still looked perplexed, as if he couldn’t believe it.

“That depends on the way you use it. Your magic can bring salvation to people suffering under the effects of wicked magic. This might actually make you seem like a saint.”

No matter how benevolent a magic might seem to be, if its owner used it for evil, it would be considered wicked. Master Robin was the perfect example. His magic had certainly brought relief to people filled with worries or suffering mentally. If he had solely used his magic to help people, right now, he might be appreciated by everyone as someone resembling the legendary saint.

Master Robin discarded that possibility himself, though.

That was why I hoped that Defi would walk a different path from Master Robin.

“Comparing me to the saint is kind of an exaggeration. According to an ally who infiltrated Polpystan, the power of the saint spoken of in documents was...how do I put it, much more incredible.”

“Documents? Are you perhaps referring to the ones in Masroono National School?” It seemed that Myzahn had already acquired information on the Polpystani saint.

“Yeah, exactly. It’s not really a secret or anything, but it was written that the saint who once lived in Polpystan was a genius at magic who could use three kinds of magic: healing, purification, and barrier. But back when she was alive, the word ‘saint’ apparently didn’t even exist. It’s a title later given to her to praise her achievements. She’s been excessively exalted nowadays, though.”

“Yes, that’s right. The word ‘saint’ was made later...” She must have been truly incredible to have had an entire new word made for her.

“So it seems that anyone with similar achievements across history has come to be called a saint now. The people they discovered all happened to be women, so they came up with the word based on that. I wonder what word they would have used if they had been men.”

As Defi was talking, Emilio also joined in.

“I see, I see. In other words, women who achieved great things only came to be called saints later on. In that case, the type of magic a saint possesses isn’t necessarily always the same. But we can’t know for certain since there are no records left. However, on the topic of their similar past achievements, we can’t rule out the possibility that the saint’s magic just happened to be a kind that more easily manifests in women... I’m so excited! I want to look into it right away!” It seemed that Emilio was very interested in the saint’s magic. He started talking fast and immersed himself in his own little world.

“Hey, this guy just keeps rambling on and on. Is he really okay?” Defi asked.

“He’s always like that. He’ll be back to normal before long, so let’s just leave him alone,” I replied.

“Yikes...” Defi had an inscrutable expression. “In any case, Lady Agnes, you’re far too nice. You’re even kind to the guy who broke out one of your criminals, not to mention you told me what hadn’t been discovered about my magic yet. Is it fine for you to do that? Won’t it damage your position in Sutrena?”

“Oh no, it’s fine. I don’t want to antagonize Myzahn.”

“Don’t you wonder what will happen if Myzahn attacks Sutrena? Or if I ‘released’ the magic of everyone in Sutrena and made it useless?”

“That’s impossible. Sutrena won’t fall just because of you alone going against it,” I replied after a moment of thought. At the end of the day, we had Lord Nazel and many powerful staff members who fought manabeasts on a daily basis. Also, I could reinforce everyone’s bodies to make them extra tough, reinforce their recovery rate, as well as reinforce buildings, swords, spears, tubers...

Our wyverns and Dunk are also strong.

I believed it would be fairly difficult to break through our forces. At the moment, we weren’t lacking for food, and with Lord Nazel and me here, we had the major advantage of rapidly producing crops. Ideally, though, there wouldn’t be any conflict in the first place.

“Besides, although I do have my reservations about Myzahn...when we talk like this, I can’t see you as a bad person,” I said. Rather, I believed that Defi wanted to escape from his job in his home country. Perhaps that was the origin of his apathy.

“That’s a bold statement. Does your confidence come from some kind of secret plan, Lady Agnes? Do you know a way to turn everything around or something?”

“It’s not really a secret plan. There’s just a limit to how much a single person can do with their magic. Even if you tried to release everyone’s magic, you’d collapse from mana depletion.” I simply smiled. “Defi, either way, you will soon be able to return to Myzahn. Lord Nazel is in the middle of negotiations to send you home. I know it’s uncomfortable, but please don’t be opposed to us having people watch over you for just a while longer. No one will harm you.”

Defi nodded reluctantly.

“I honestly think that my country will just abandon me...”

“I don’t think that will happen. You’re skilled enough that they assigned the breakout of Master Robin to you, right? I believe you’re incredible for managing that despite your magic being, as far as you knew, just release. I’m sure Lord Nazel would want to recruit someone as capable as you, even without knowing about your absolute release. The same goes for me, of course.”

I checked the position of the sun through the window. It was about time I should return to the estate. Emilio looked like he still wanted to listen to Defi, so I decided to let him stay here until he was satisfied; Defi seemed a little displeased, though.

But I’d like him to return to the church once it’s time. I believe Miss Sonia will be worried over there. The two of them had just gotten engaged, so I wanted to avoid getting in their way as much as possible, and had thus scheduled today’s evaluation so that Emilio could get home early. But at this rate, it looks like they’ll still be talking by evening... I had to leave now, so I told the soldiers here to call out to Emilio once it was time for him to depart.

“Well then, I’m going home now.” I bid farewell to Emilio and Defi and opened the front door to leave along with Torre. As I stepped outside, I saw Lord Nazel, who’d apparently just arrived, and looked up at him in surprise. “Huh? Lord Nazel?”

“Hello, Agnes. I heard you stood witness to Emilio’s appraisal today. Thank you.”

“No need to thank me. I want to be helpful to you.”

“It seems that you’re also actively taking care of Solis, so I’m worried that you might collapse from overwork this time.”

“I’m fine! I’m very robust, after all.”

Lord Nazel didn’t seem to believe me and looked anxious as he held my arm.

“Even though you’re so slender?”

“My physique is average for a Desnimer. I’m even a bit taller than average too.” I wondered what I looked like in Lord Nazel’s eyes. He was still overprotective even after I’d given birth.

“Even so, as your husband, I can’t help but worry about you.”

“I was just about to go home, so you don’t need to worry any further.” I struggled to somehow reassure Lord Nazel.

“Then let’s go home together! I’ll hear the result of the appraisal directly from you.”

“Eep!”

Lord Nazel picked me up, called the wandering Geni over, then got on. He embraced me tightly from behind as I sat in the front. Torre got on his pegasus and followed after us with practiced ease.

“You come here so often that I might get a bit jealous. I don’t doubt your feelings, but there’s no guarantee that he doesn’t have ill intentions toward you.”

“I’m married with a kid, so I doubt that’s true...”

For some reason, in Lord Nazel’s mind, I was always this beautiful wife popular with all men; he was quite biased toward me.

“Agnes, being married with a kid doesn’t mean people won’t still try to court you,” Lord Nazel told me with an extremely serious expression. Although he excelled at everything he did, when it came to me, he went completely off the rails.

“Um, Defi and I don’t have that kind of relationship. Besides, Torre, the prison staff, and the soldiers are also with us.” In order to reassure the jealous Lord Nazel, I first told him what had taken place today. “And so, according to the results of Emilio’s appraisal, Defi’s magic, which had been thought to be release, was identified as absolute release. Defi also looked like he was hearing this for the first time. I was planning on telling you everything about this back at the estate.”

“Did that really happen?”

“Yes. It seems that Defi has always been troubled about the type of his magic, and based on his behavior, he doesn’t sound satisfied with his life in Myzahn. Oh, on an unrelated topic, he told me about the literature on the Polpystani saint. I was also planning to tell you about that back home.”

“So you even talk about those kinds of things now. Thanks to you, it seems that we’ve been able to build a good relationship with the Myzahni spy, so I’m grateful. I still feel worried, though.”

I had no idea how far Lord Nazel had thought about the negotiations with Myzahn and how Defi would be treated. I’d be glad if my actions helped him even a little.

“I’m happy if I was useful.” That was what I’d hoped for.

“On the topic of the negotiations with Myzahn, the date of the meeting has been set for one month from now,” Lord Nazel continued while still hugging me close.

“Oh, is that so? Since it will take place in Sutrena, I can also participate.” As I was the Margravine of Sutrena, the site of the negotiations, I couldn’t be absent.

“But Robin will also be there, so I don’t really want to put you at the forefront too much...”

“Since it will take place in a month, Solis will also have grown much bigger. He’s become able to hold his head up by himself recently, and he’s swinging his toys around.” Solis played in a rather wild way, waving his toys everywhere or throwing them around. I was delighted that he was growing up healthy.

“Babies sure grow up fast. I also go to see him every day, and it seems that he can properly recognize people. I think he remembers me too.”

“I’m sure of it. According to Mrs. Holly and the maids, Solis is growing up rather fast. I guess the speed can vary between individuals.”

“In any case, it’s great as long as Solis is healthy. Aah, now I want to go see him.” Lord Nazel was a doting parent, and that was another wonderful thing about him.

“Once we’re home, let’s go check up on him together.”

“Great idea. Though he might be asleep at this hour.”

As we were talking, we reached the sky above the estate. Our field had plenty of vegetables growing in it and looked so small from up here. The flight from the town center to our estate was very short. After thanking Geni for bringing us here, Lord Nazel and I went to see Solis together.

Chapter 4: Stormy Sutrena

Today, every member of the estate had been in a great hurry since noon, working their hardest to ready the building or check on the safety of the garden, because a large storm was going to hit Sutrena tomorrow. Every year, Sutrena’s weather turned stormy during the change of seasons. However, this year’s storm was going to be a little...no, much bigger than usual. One of the fortress personnel who possessed weather forecast magic had predicted it, so it was definitely true. The townspeople had already been informed of the storm and were taking individual precautions.

And the night of the new moon when manabeasts rampage will also be tomorrow. Who could have thought that two disasters would hit on the same day...

Just like when we had prepared for manabeast rampages in the past, the manor, fortress, and sturdy buildings in town had been opened as shelters that anyone could use. There was a system by which people could use the nearest shelter depending on where they lived. This way, the damage from the storm and manabeasts should be kept to a minimum.

Sutrena has a smaller population than other territories, so this will somehow work out.

Some people were already coming and going from our manor, bringing in their supplies for when they’d take shelter. I’d reinforced the manor, so it was probably going to be safe. Prince Leonardo was also staying here. I’d made Geni and Dunk’s stable in the garden much tougher with my magic, and I’d also applied magic on major buildings in town; anyone who lived far from the estate was supposed to take shelter there.

“Agnes...don’t you think the reinforcement of the mountbeast stable is a bit excessive?” Lord Nazel asked me.

“No, that’s not true. Actually, I still want to use more of my magic,” I replied.

The two of us were discussing building safety as we hurriedly walked down a corridor. At the moment, we were busy dealing with all the people coming to the manor.

The storm is a heavy blow when we’re already so busy... Things are going to get tough.

Right now, the two of us were giving the maids instructions. When I looked up at the sky through a corridor window, the pitch-black clouds made me feel uneasy.

“The sky has gradually gotten darker,” I said.

Lord Nazel put his arms around me from behind and embraced me to protect me in my nervous moment. I felt reassured knowing that I wasn’t alone.

“Like the forecaster said, this year’s storm is certainly a big one. This is a first for the two of us,” Lord Nazel said.

“Yes. I’ve already used my magic, but will things be okay?”

“I believe that you can definitely protect everyone with your magic. After all, that’s what you’ve done up until now.” Lord Nazel took my hand and looked at me with trust in his eyes. When he gazed at me like that...I felt overwhelmed by the weight of the responsibility.

“Should I reinforce the air around the estate too?”

“The...air?”

“Well, it’s a matter of how I feel about it... Like if I wished that the air would get stronger and defend against lightning and stuff, maybe...” There were many things I didn’t know about my magic, but it obviously couldn’t reinforce the air too. Still, it would be wonderful if something happened like in a fairy tale, and the reinforced air protected us from the storm. Besides, even if it didn’t end up having a tangible result, I felt like reinforcing the air would give me a bit of mental relief. I needed some composure at the moment.

“I guess that’s fine, if it makes you feel better. But take care not to exhaust your mana. If you collapsed, I’d lose my mind.”

“Okay...”

It would be terrible if Lord Nazel went crazy; a crisis would befall all of Sutrena. My duty was certainly a serious one.

“Well, for now, get stronger!” I left the manor through the rear entrance and headed to the empty garden, where I shouted with all my might. Then...something unbelievable happened near me. A thin, hard membrane of air charged with mana stretched out in a dome, enclosing the entire estate.

“What is this? It looks like glass...” I looked up in confusion at the massive membrane covering the garden.

“Agnes, isn’t this your doing? You actually reinforced the air with your magic...” Lord Nazel said.

“Huh? Is that even possible? I only did it for my peace of mind.”

The two of us walked to the edge of the estate grounds and took another look at the hardened air membrane. It really was there.

“It’s like a barrier surrounding the estate. It’s certainly strong. I tried throwing a rock at it and it didn’t break,” Lord Nazel said.

Silence fell between us. The suspicion that my absolute reinforcement was the same as the saint’s magic grew stronger again. Especially now that Defi had told me how saints were only called that posthumously, based on the magnitude of their achievements and the type of their magics.

“It’s all right, Agnes. No one will notice the membrane of air unless they’re close to it. Even when you’re this close, you need to look carefully to notice it, so perhaps it would be best if you only created it during the storm. I’ll cover the windows with my magic, and no one will go outside, so they won’t realize it’s there.”

“All right, let’s do that.”

The membrane was transparent, so no one would notice it unless they got close to it and touched it...probably. Lord Nazel used his magic to cover the windows with plants. In addition to helping conceal my reinforced air, they would also protect the windows from breaking if something came flying into them during the storm. Next, I reinforced Lord Nazel’s plants. Incidentally, I’d already reinforced the windows themselves too; they were currently tougher than steel. Our manor was practically a stronghold now.

I’m sure it will be fine. I applied my magic to Lord Nazel’s, so we’ll definitely overcome the storm.

Meanwhile, Kelly and the maids looked busy as they ran around in the manor.

And so, we somehow managed to finish all preparations before it got dark. With a sense of relief, we headed to Solis’s room together, where he was sleeping soundly with Mrs. Holly and maids watching over him. Mrs. Holly’s youngest was also sleeping peacefully.

“Thank you, Mrs. Holly. You can stop for today, so please go look after your children.”

Mister Henry’s family had also taken shelter in the manor along with their pet dog. Since our manor had such a pointlessly large number of rooms, we had rooms set aside for people bringing their dogs, cats, manabeasts, and so on. However, since Mister Henry was also Lord Nazel’s assistant, he had been assigned to a private room with his family so that he could act quickly in case of emergency. He was already busy giving directions inside the shelters... It didn’t look like he’d be able to rest tonight either.

“Lord Nazelbart, Lady Agnes, you still have work, right? I shall look after Lord Solis and my children,” Mrs. Holly told us with a gentle smile.

I felt a little guilty but also grateful. After all, Lord Nazel and I had been planning on continuing our work while taking turns carrying Solis.

“Thank you, Mrs. Holly.”

“No need to thank me; my kids are reliable.” Mrs. Holly picked up the sleeping Solis and giggled as she smiled gently again. A maid picked up Mrs. Holly’s son and they left the room together.

Lord Nazel and I decided to patrol the manor again. No major problems had occurred so far, and I could only pray that nothing would happen beyond this point either. However, just as we were about to finish our patrol, something did happen. The maid who had helped Mrs. Holly carry the babies earlier came running up to us in a panic.

“Lord Nazelbart, Lady Agnes, it’s terrible! Lord Solis—”

We told the out-of-breath maid to calm down and listened to the rest of her story. I had a bad feeling about this.

“Lord Solis was abducted by a suspicious man. Mrs. Holly tried to protect him and was also taken alongside him...”

“What?!” I cried in horror.

“So where did the culprit go?” Lord Nazel asked the maid for details.

“He took the two of them and ran out through the back door.”

“In the middle of this storm?”

“Yes. I apologize for being unable to stop him. I was affected by dubious magic, and before I knew it, the two of them had been taken away.”

“Dubious magic? What was that man like? I doubt it’s the case, but...”

“He was a young man with drooping eyes. He had light pink hair and gave a frivolous impression. He also referred to himself as ‘little ol’ me.’”

As far as I knew, there was only one man who fit that description.

“It’s Robin!” Lord Nazel’s expression turned stern in a heartbeat. “Can you give us more details on the situation?”

“Y-Yes,” the maid replied nervously before telling Lord Nazel everything she knew about her encounter with Master Robin. Apparently, Mrs. Holly had frantically stood up to Master Robin to try and protect Solis, but she had also been affected by magic like the maid. But even caught in a daze, she’d asked Master Robin to at least go with him, so she’d been taken along to take care of Solis.

“Thank you for telling us. You must have been scared. I’m glad that at least you are safe,” I said to comfort the maid as she quivered in guilt; Lord Nazel also nodded.

“This kidnapping wasn’t your fault, so don’t feel so worried. We will search for the culprit, so take care of the Billket children. They must be feeling afraid without their mother,” he said.

“Understood!” Her eyes burning with a sense of duty, the maid quickly headed to the room Mrs. Holly’s children were in. In times like this, it helped to have a specific job to do.

“I hope Solis and Mrs. Holly are safe,” I said.

Master Robin didn’t look like he could take care of a baby. In the worst case, he might unintentionally endanger Solis’s life. In that regard, I felt relieved that Mrs. Holly was with him, but she was also quite the beauty, not to mention quiet and kind. Even though she was married, it was unlikely that Master Robin would ignore such a lovely woman.

I’m worried.

It seemed that Lord Nazel was thinking the same thing, as he had a grim expression.

“I need to inform Henry. We’ll form a search party immediately and then go after Robin,” Lord Nazel said.

“I-I’ll go too.” I couldn’t just sit still in the manor in this kind of situation. Besides, my magic could help everyone make it safely to the destination. I can of course reinforce their bodies, but if I reinforce the air as well, I can defend against rain and lightning too...I think. I was afraid of lightning, but Solis and Mrs. Holly were irreplaceable. Yes, I can’t afford to be frightened now. My precious son’s life is on the line. I mustered my courage and looked ahead.

“It will be dangerous, so you can’t come, Agnes. Robin might come after you again. His magic is troublesome, so you won’t be able to put up a fight if you fall under its effects. I don’t want any harm to come to you, however little.”

I had firsthand experience with how frightening Master Robin’s magic was. However, I wasn’t the only one in danger; every member of the rescue party would be at the same risk, and the kidnapped victims were in even greater danger.

“I want to rescue Solis and Mrs. Holly. Please! I will be useful to you.” I gripped the hem of Lord Nazel’s clothes and showed my intention to resist. If he didn’t take me with him, I was prepared to follow him on my own.

“Agnes...?”

“Lord Nazel.”

“Haaah...” Lord Nazel looked sullen. “Even if I say no, you’re just going to act on your own, aren’t you? Your magic can let you get through the storm safely.”

“Urk...”

It seemed like he’d seen right through me as he stared at me and sighed.

“Your strong willpower is one of your merits, but it’s an inconvenience at times like this. I suppose it would be better to take you along rather than have you acting alone.”

It looked like I was close to getting permission to accompany them, so I felt delighted. I just needed one more push.

“Thank you very much! I love you, Lord Nazel!” I hugged him tightly. It seemed to have worked, because he now had a very troubled expression.

“Haaah... You’re the only one in the world who can make me do what you want, Agnes.”

“So that means...”

“You can come with us as long as you don’t leave my side.”

“Yay!” It looked like my plan had worked.

Lord Nazel hugged me tight as he started quickly giving instructions to his subordinates, telling those we passed by about going after Master Robin. He mobilized every armed soldier in the manor to conduct a large-scale search for Solis and Mrs. Holly. We first gathered information about Master Robin, both inside and outside the estate. When we started asking questions outside, people who’d taken shelter in the fortress reported that they’d witnessed a suspicious man who matched Master Robin’s description.

“A short time ago, I saw a man moving through the public square on horseback in the middle of the storm.”

“I also saw him. There was also a woman on the horse. They went that way.”

“I heard a baby’s cries mixed in with the sound of the rain.”

According to the witnesses, the man who was likely Master Robin had last been spotted near the town center. The storm was severe, so it seemed that he hadn’t been able to go far after leaving the estate, especially since he also had a woman and baby with him.

The storm might actually be in our favor.

We followed the eyewitness reports and started searching through the town center.

***

Sutrena’s night sky was even darker than normal under the storm. Amid the slanting downpour, Lord Nazel and I were flying across the sky on Geni’s back. He was riding behind me, holding me and gripping the reins. Wyverns and pegasi weren’t liable to be affected by the night of the new moon when manabeasts went on a rampage. Lord Nazel had created a wall of plants on both sides and above, wrapping Geni up and protecting us from the rain. Unfortunately, my magic that reinforced the air repelled even the rain, so in the end, we only used it for emergencies.

Sutrena’s soldiers were also flying through the sky on their pegasi. Their coordinated movements were superb. Ever since Lord Nazel had come here, the quality of Sutrena’s soldiers had definitely improved. Mister Henry was also riding on the same pegasus as Torre and searching for Mrs. Holly. His face was even paler than usual. I’d secretly reinforced the bodies of everyone present.

I doubt there’s a high chance of anyone getting hurt, though.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t also defend against Master Robin’s magic. My magic worked on things’ physical aspects, not psychological ones.

“In any case, the weather really is terrible,” I told Lord Nazel.

“That’s true. Are you all right, Agnes? Are you cold?”

“It’s a bit chilly, but we have Geni’s barrier, so I’m fine.”

When mountbeasts flew in the air, they created a barrier in front of them that negated air resistance. It was difficult to completely block the rain, but the barrier made our flight a little better.

However, my words didn’t get through to Lord Nazel.

“That’s terrible! You’ll catch a cold!” He was in a panic as he wrapped his coat around me, completely covering me.

Now we were wrapped up together inside his coat; it was so warm...

“We’re almost there,” he gently encouraged me.

Just as I was feeling all warm inside, the sound of thunder rumbled nearby.

“Eek!”

I was scared of thunder because of childhood trauma. I had been locked in my family’s storage room during a rainy day, and the terrifying experience had left lasting effects on me. Lord Nazel knew about this, so he hugged me close to protect me.

“It’s all right. Geni has his barrier out and I’m also protecting you with my magic.”

I used both my hands to tightly grip the hand Lord Nazel was holding the reins with.

“Yes, I’m Solis’s mother, so I’m okay. I can’t be scared of something this trivial.”

“Every single thing you do is adorable. If we weren’t in this kind of place, I could give you so much more attention...”

The beautiful voice whispering in my ear made my heart skip a beat despite the situation we were in.

“Lord Nazel, please look in front of you and steer Geni.”

Geni’s flying tended to be a bit shaky, but he was unaffected by the storm thanks to his barrier and kept flying ahead rapidly.

It seemed that the townspeople had safely evacuated, as there was no one out in town under the heavy rain. It also looked like there hadn’t been any damage caused by manabeasts so far. I was relieved for now.

But amid all this, there was a single big private residence with its lights on that looked out of place.

“That’s strange. This district is in danger of flooding, so all of the residents should have evacuated to the manor... Let’s go check it out,” Lord Nazel said.

“Yes!” I replied. If there were any people who hadn’t evacuated in time, we needed to take them to the manor, and if it was Master Robin, we had to arrest him.

Lord Nazel and I, as well as Torre and Mister Henry flying next to us, started descending toward that residence.

“Agnes and Henry, stay behind me, just in case,” Lord Nazel said.

“Y-Yes, understood.”

With Torre—who was holding the lantern—and Lord Nazel taking the lead, we headed toward the building’s entrance. The mud from the road stuck to the soles of my shoes.

“Good evening! Excuse me!” Torre knocked on the door several times, but there was no reply. “That’s strange. Is there no one here?” Even when he called out, there was no response.

But I can feel something like a person’s presence. There was undoubtedly someone inside.

Next, Torre started turning the doorknob.

“It’s a little early, but maybe they’re asleep... Oh, it looks like the door is unlocked,” he said.

“It’s an emergency. Let’s go in.”

Once Torre opened the door, we heard a baby crying loudly inside. I got startled and looked far to the back of the building.

Solis?

Whether this was my son or not, we had to get the baby out of this house. This area was in danger of flooding, and there was also the possibility of manabeasts attacking.

There was no one in the room right in front of us, but light was coming out of a different door.

Over there! Unable to contain myself, I rapidly headed deeper into the house.

“Agnes?” Lord Nazel hastily took the lead and opened the door.

Inside the lit room, a crying infant was on the couch, with Mrs. Holly and Defi sitting next to him, both of them restrained. The two adults had old shackles on their arms, which were the same kind we had in our prison.

Those restraints are in such poor condition that there should have been discussions on replacing them. In any case, this was a shocking sight. But for now, I’m glad we found everyone. It seemed that none of them were seriously injured.

However...why was even Defi here, when he should have been in prison?

In fact, he’s also restrained, but he can unlock the shackles with his absolute release, right?

As I stood surprised at the incomprehensible sight, Defi shot me a meaningful look. Since he was also restrained, it didn’t look like he’d been involved in Solis’s kidnapping.

What does this mean? Is something on his mind?

I felt perplexed, when I noticed someone’s presence nearby. I hurriedly took a step back, and Lord Nazel unleashed his magic at the same time.

“Whoa there.” The person targeted by the magic instantly dodged it and moved back, then stood next to the couch Solis was lying down on. Solis started bawling even louder. Even though he was a baby, perhaps he realized that the person next to him was dangerous.

“Oh no, noticed little ol’ me already? You really are one nasty guy, Nazelbart.” As expected, the voice belonged to Master Robin, who’d broken out of prison. He combed his light pink hair upward and looked at us in an easygoing manner. He didn’t seem particularly worried even though he was outnumbered.

“How did you break out of prison, Robin? Your magic should have been sealed.” Lord Nazel’s voice was deeper than usual. Just like me, he was angry that his son had been exposed to danger.

“It was easy. There were fewer prison guards because of the storm, so I took advantage of that to steal the keys from the man on watch. I grew up in the harsh red-light district, so I’m confident in my sticky fingers! As for my magic, I went to the separate building where Defi was and threatened him to release it. Thanks to Defi being such a good boy, there was only one guard, so security was lax. Well, it was unexpected that he resisted, but when I took the guard hostage and threatened him, he easily used his release on me. I’ve gotten stronger from the harsh training at the Sempli Convent. With a surprise attack, I can even defeat a powerful opponent!” Master Robin kept talking without any overt hostility in his voice.

“So why did you also drag Defi all the way here?” Lord Nazel asked Master Robin while observing the bound Defi.

“Because I need him to escape Desnim. He was being disobedient, so I ended up restraining him. But if I take another hostage, like this beautiful woman here, he’ll listen to what I tell him.” Master Robin glanced at Mrs. Holly. “She’s apparently the baby’s wet nurse, but a young, beautiful wet nurse also gets me going.”

I was speechless. His thoughts were as vulgar as always.

I was worried about her, and it looks like he had his eye on Mrs. Holly after all.

A cold aura was also emanating from Mister Henry behind me. As he was a devoted husband, he must have been infuriated.

I calmed my nervous heart and observed everyone in order.

It looks like Master Robin doesn’t know about Defi’s absolute release. If he did, he wouldn’t have left him as is when he can remove his own restraints. If we have one advantage, that’s it.

We might be able to somehow capture Master Robin, and even if that proved too difficult, if we bought some time, I believed that the rest of the search party would eventually come running.

If we can surround him, not even Master Robin should be able to get away. He was standing right next to Solis and looked at Lord Nazel with triumphant, challenging eyes.

“Well, anyway. Nazelbart, you can’t act with your son held hostage, can you?” Master Robin had a cheerful smile as he took out a knife from his breast pocket and pointed it at Solis. “If you value your son’s life, you’ll obey my orders.” He grinned and seemed convinced that Lord Nazel couldn’t defy him.

Lord Nazel and I were shocked when we saw a blade turned against our dear son.

What a despicable man! How could he do something so horrible?

“P-Please stop! What has that boy even done?” Mrs. Holly, still restrained, looked pale as she pleaded with Master Robin.

“It doesn’t matter what he did. The important thing is that he’s Nazelbart’s son,” Master Robin replied.

Lord Nazel’s expression turned even grimmer.

“Robin... Do you think you’ll be able to make it out of here safely on your own? You must realize that the other soldiers will soon come here and you won’t be able to escape.”

However, Master Robin didn’t look the least bit agitated.

“Hmm? That depends on you, doesn’t it? Sure, if you let your son die and attack me, I’ll get caught right here and now. But you can’t really do that, can you?” He was completely right.

“What do I need to do to save Solis?” Lord Nazel asked after some hesitation.

“Oh, you finally feel like listening to me?” Master Robin’s eyes lit up once he judged that his demands would be heard. “Let’s see. Don’t move from that spot, Nazelbart. No matter what happens to you, you’re forbidden from resisting at all! Even if you get stabbed, for example.”

Lord Nazel would probably be impervious to stabbing since I’d reinforced his body with my magic.

Poison doesn’t work on him anymore either, so I guess that Master Robin can’t actually harm Lord Nazel, can he? Incidentally, I’d also reinforced Solis’s body. He was currently a strong baby impervious to blades. But even so, I couldn’t help but feel worried about him.

It seemed that Lord Nazel thought the same, and he’d decided to prioritize his son’s safety over his own. He quietly looked at Master Robin.

“I understand, Robin, so turn your blade away from Solis. I won’t offer any resistance.”

“No way. I can’t feel safe, so I’m only going to release the baby after I use my magic on you.” Master Robin looked triumphant as he approached Lord Nazel and attempted to use his mental magic. Even the powerful Lord Nazel would likely fall into a daze if he was directly affected by Master Robin’s magic. Was Master Robin planning to take that opportunity to stab him?

Perhaps his plan isn’t just to hurt Lord Nazel but also to humiliate him.

When someone was asked a question in that mentally vulnerable state, they could be led to divulge their true feelings, just like that time I’d been under Master Robin’s magic. That was surely not Lord Nazel’s original intention.

Wh-What should I do?

Master Robin’s magic, which affected the mind, and mine, which physically reinforced things, were like oil and water.

“Take this, Nazelbart! Expose your embarrassing side and then fall by my hand!” Master Robin, convinced of his victory, raised his hand to use his magic. However, nothing happened. Solis’s loud cries were the only thing you could hear in the room.

Lord Nazel nonchalantly looked at Master Robin, who was starting to get shaken and was visibly flustered.

“What? My magic isn’t working? Nazelbart?” Master Robin tried using his magic again and again but kept failing, leaving him clearly confused.

Huh? Master Robin’s magic failed? Ever since getting out of the Sempli Convent, Master Robin had been using his magic without hesitation, and I’d never seen it fail. But if his magic isn’t working here... I found that odd and looked around the room, until I made eye contact with the bound Defi, who gave me a slight nod.

Ah! Is that what’s going on? Defi was using his absolute release to negate Master Robin’s magic and help Lord Nazel out. It seemed that this was his first time using his magic like this, as he looked truly nervous.

“Is this your only demand, Robin?” Lord Nazel asked undaunted.

“Ugh, what’s up with you? Why aren’t you spacing out? This is weird!”

“Give up. You didn’t notice what was around you—no, you didn’t even try to see, making this your defeat. You made the wrong decision.” Judging from his words, it seemed that Lord Nazel had deduced the role of Defi’s magic in this situation.

“Wh-What?! How dare you get so cheeky with me, damn Nazelbart?!”

“Now!” I cried. The panicked Master Robin wasn’t looking around him, so I took advantage of his carelessness to run to my crying son. “Solis!” I dove onto the couch where he was lying down and picked him up, while he was still being threatened by Master Robin’s knife.

“Ah, my hostage!” Master Robin panicked.

Then, together with the nearby Mrs. Holly, we slipped past him and rushed back to Torre. Master Robin hadn’t put fetters on Mrs. Holly, perhaps because he’d assumed she had no intention of resisting, or because he’d believed that he could somehow manage by using his magic. As a result, she had been able to stand up and escape.

“There, there, you must have been scared. Everything will be okay now,” I said as I hugged Solis tight. I was so scared, I was trembling, but losing my son was a million times scarier.

“Torre, remove Mrs. Holly’s shackles,” I whispered sharply. “Master Robin should be unable to use his magic at the moment thanks to Defi; that’s why Lord Nazel hasn’t fallen prey to his mental magic. I’m sure he will be fine.”

“Y-Yes, ma’am! Hmph!” Torre swiftly destroyed Mrs. Holly’s shackles with brute strength.

Mister Henry hugged the now-free Mrs. Holly.

“Are you injured, Holly?”

“No, I’m not, dear. Both Lord Solis and I are unhurt.”

Now that we’d rescued Solis and Mrs. Holly, Master Robin started getting even more shaken.

“My plan to eliminate Nazelbart and run away...” In his panic, he reflexively raised his arm, and his knife slipped out of it, flying toward Mrs. Holly.

“Watch out!” I cried. I hadn’t reinforced her body; she’d be in danger if she got stabbed. I can’t make it in time! I looked at her in desperation. Not even Lord Nazel could stop this.

However, the knife pierced right into Mrs. Holly’s body...then cleanly came out the other side, falling to the floor.

“Hmm? What?” I was confused, unable to understand what had just happened.

“Holly’s magic is called slip through. It’s a rare kind that allows her to pass through walls and such. I believe she just used it,” Mister Henry explained.

“Wow!”

Apparently, Mrs. Holly had used her magic the moment the knife came into contact with her, letting it slip through her.

That’s an incredible magic! I felt like the magic enthusiast Emilio would be delighted to hear about it.

I’d been incredibly worried, but I was glad that Mrs. Holly came out unscathed. Defi was the only hostage left now.

We all moved away from Master Robin so as not to get in Lord Nazel’s way. Master Robin kept trying to use his magic on Lord Nazel over and over, growing more panicked as it was secretly nullified by Defi, who was feigning ignorance.

“Come on, why?!”

Now that the hostages had been freed, Lord Nazel mercilessly used his plant magic to go on the offensive. Green vines slowly spread out and twined around Master Robin. He struggled to break free, but he was no match for the countless vines. They gradually covered his entire body, eventually turning it into a green lump. I could hear him shouting something in there, but I couldn’t make out the words.

“Phew, it’s finally over.” After safely capturing Master Robin, Lord Nazel picked up the knife from the floor, then destroyed the shackles and fetters on Defi, the one who’d helped by negating Master Robin’s nuisance of a magic.

Defi seemed a bit exhausted, probably because he’d been treated roughly after initially resisting.

“Are you all right?” Lord Nazel asked.

“Y-Yes. My apologies. I removed the seal on Robin’s magic for the second time. If I hadn’t given in to his threats, your son wouldn’t have been abducted,” Defi replied, looking full of remorse.

“You protected the life of the man keeping watch on your cell, right? Besides, you also negated Robin’s magic and protected me, so I don’t blame you. In the end, both Solis and Mrs. Holly came out fine,” Lord Nazel said in a gentle voice.

Defi had also had the option of willingly helping Master Robin, secretly lending him a hand, and the two of them returning to Myzahn together. For a spy, perhaps that might have been the correct course of action. However, he hadn’t done that.

“Thank you, Defi. Thanks to you, Lord Nazel and everyone else was saved,” I said.

“Lady Agnes?” Defi looked at me in bewilderment. It seemed that he was expecting us to blame him. “I...just didn’t want to be a hindrance to you. Lady Agnes, you were kind even to me, the Myzahni spy who helped Robin escape. I’ve never been treated that way even back home. This time, I just happened to be able to trick Robin because he still thought my magic was ordinary release.”

“That’s your undeniable achievement. I truly thank you.” I clutched Defi’s hand in both of mine.

“Whoa, Lady Agnes!” Defi shouted in a panic, looking embarrassed, then I heard Lord Nazel loudly clearing his throat behind him. “I’m all right, so you should go be with your husband and son,” he said after hurriedly moving away from me.

Like he told me, I carried Solis in my arms and moved to Lord Nazel’s side.

A short time later, Mister Henry and the rest, who were near the room’s entrance, were looking toward the doorway and told us that reinforcements had arrived. There hadn’t been any opportunity for us to call the other soldiers over, but Mister Henry had apparently turned this house pure white using his color change magic, and the soldiers who’d spotted it found it strange and came down to check. The white color had made it stand out even during the night.

The situation was already under control by the time they arrived, but at least we could ask the soldiers to carry Master Robin.

“Now, everyone, the storm will get more and more intense from here on. Let’s quickly return to a safe location,” Lord Nazel instructed. The manor and the prison were among Sutrena’s “safe locations.”

We got on our mountbeasts and left the residence. I carried Solis in my arms and got on Geni with Lord Nazel. Geni didn’t seem to feel the weight of having a baby added on his back. The rain and wind were as severe as before, but Geni flew safely, showing concern for Solis.

“Thank you, Geni. You’re so kind,” I said, to which he replied with a happy noise.

Solis had exhausted himself from crying and was now sleeping soundly. Mister Henry and Mrs. Holly rode behind the soldiers, while Defi was behind Torre.

It was decided that Defi no longer needed to be imprisoned, and it would be best to keep him away from Master Robin, so he would be living in the estate until the day he would be handed back to Myzahn. Although it would be more like house arrest...

Master Robin had his magic sealed again and would be imprisoned again. He kept screaming and resisting on his flight to the prison, but he quieted down after a brawny soldier put him in a joint lock. After the negotiations with Myzahn, Prince Leonardo would take him back to the capital.

“To be honest, I’d rather they took him back to the capital right away,” Lord Nazel muttered in a tired voice, and I agreed. I didn’t want to go through such a terrifying experience again.

Geni continued flying in the stormy night sky, and we made it from the town center to the estate before long. Kelly and the maids greeted us, and we headed straight to the bath to warm our cold bodies. Solis had conveniently just woken up too, so he was taken to the baby bath, which he wasn’t very fond of. After coming out of the bath, I met up with Lord Nazel and Solis again in the living room. Lord Nazel was checking the situation outside through a gap on the plant-covered window. Everyone seemed to be asleep by now, so I used my magic to reinforce the air around the estate.

“It seems that the wind and rain will be the strongest at dawn. Let’s rest a bit while we can. We did everything we could,” Lord Nazel said, and I nodded in affirmation.

“I’m sure that we’ll still be busy after the storm has passed; rather, we’ll be even busier. I’ll sleep with Solis in a separate room. Please get a good night’s rest in the bedroom, Lord Nazel.” I turned my attention to the sleeping Solis.

“Then I’ll go with you.”

“But Solis might start crying in the night. You might be unable to sleep...”

“Don’t worry. I feel calmer when I’m with you two.”

We took Solis along with his cradle and moved to the bedroom. Our baby was sound asleep. I could hear the sound of the wind from beyond the window, which Lord Nazel had covered in plants as a countermeasure against the storm.

“I wonder if Geni and Dunk are okay. I’m also worried about the vegetables in the field,” I said. I’d be shocked if all the tubers ended up getting blown away.

“You reinforced the stable so much that it’s even safer than an ordinary house. The mountbeasts can also create barriers, so I think they won’t be bothered even during the storm. Besides, you reinforced the air around the whole estate earlier, didn’t you? The vegetables are also protected.”

“I hope so.”

If our people’s fields suffered damage, we intended to distribute our vegetables for food. Therefore, it would be ideal if as many of them as possible still remained after the storm.

A flash of light shone through a gap in the covered window and thunder rumbled in the distance, making me reflexively shrink into myself.

“Come here, Agnes.” Lord Nazel, who knew about my fear of lightning, spread his arms wide and called me over.

I did as he said, and when I walked close enough, he took me into a gentle embrace. That alone relaxed my mind a little.

“We need to wake up early tomorrow, so let’s go to bed soon,” he said.

“All right.”

We moved to the bed side by side. More lightning struck, and the thunder echoed, shaking the entire manor.

“I wonder if the loud noise will startle Solis and wake him up,” Lord Nazel said.

“He seems to be sleeping peacefully for now.” To think he could still sleep even under these circumstances... He was much stronger than I was.

Lord Nazel wrapped me up in an embrace to reassure me. Listening to the sound of his heartbeat made my stiff body gradually relax from the relief.

“It’s all right, Agnes. Your magic will protect everyone.”

“Lord Nazel...”

Soothed by his gentle, beautiful voice, my consciousness drifted into the land of dreams. Solis might have taken after me in his ability to fall asleep so easily...

***

Early the next morning, I was wide awake after a refreshing night of sleep. My mind felt perfectly clear.

“Good morning, Agnes.” Lord Nazel was also awake. He embraced me tightly again, but I quickly held him back. Once Lord Nazel started fawning over me, there was no telling how long he’d be at it.

“L-Lord Nazel, let’s confirm the situation outside first.”

Lord Nazel skillfully got up while holding me in his arms and looked through the window. The wind was still howling outside. The lightning had stopped, but the sound of the rain was intense.

“It looks like we still can’t go outside. That’s frustrating,” Lord Nazel said.

“If anyone went out during the storm, there would be a risk of additional harm.” People working in agriculture had been notified to absolutely not go and check on their fields or canals.

But this really is a difficult problem in Desnim.

In many territories, farmers often worked together in groups to manage the canals and pathways around their fields, so that everyone’s work could progress smoothly. For example, Sutrena had people in charge of the canals, the equipment, and the pathways. There were other roles too, like people in charge of resolving disputes between farmers, or those who promoted new enterprises. These duties rotated every few years, so everyone ended up undertaking various tasks.

As one might guess, in Sutrena, the people in charge of the canals or other duties had been known to go to the fields during storms out of a sense of responsibility. They weren’t simply checking on their own fields out of curiosity. I felt really sorry for them. If they went out, people unaware of the situation criticized them for going to the canals when it was dangerous, and if they didn’t go, their fellow farmers criticized them for not doing their jobs. Since they’d have to continue farming in the same fields in the future, being ostracized by their peers would be a death sentence.

Therefore, many people ended up going to check on their assigned locations even in the middle of a storm. There had also been cases in the past when people had been asked to do so by their superior, so they’d had no choice but to go and check on that person’s field and canals. In those cases, accidents had occurred, such as people slipping on mud and falling into canals. And so, although the measures were a bit drastic, in preparation for this major storm, we’d dispatched fortress personnel to each farming co-op, and declared that going out on patrol in Sutrena during the storm was banned, with a punishment for violators. In exchange, we’d told the farmers that they’d be compensated in case of any damage, such as their fields being submerged, so they’d reluctantly agreed.

In Sutrena, tasks like patrolling during a storm tended to be assigned to young people and newcomers to the farming industry, who were in a weak position and found it hard to refuse, or kind and good-natured people. It would be a true shame if anyone died as a result. And so, the administration of Sutrena had taken responsibility for the complete prohibition. Anyone who asked someone to go check on the fields and those who did go would be fined. Anyone who forced someone else to go out would be detained. So far, we hadn’t received any reports of people getting into accidents at the fields or canals, but the real challenge started now.

“Let’s go, Lord Nazel.”

“Right.” Lord Nazel got out of the bed, a bit reluctant to part from me. “Oh, Solis was awake.”

I followed Lord Nazel’s gaze and turned toward our son, who I’d thought was asleep.

“You’re right. His eyes are wide open.”

Solis seemed to have quietly woken up. He had a puzzled expression, perhaps bothered by the sound of the storm.

“Buh!” Solis made a noise once he noticed us. I had no idea what he was trying to say, but he was adorable.

“Let’s take Solis with us.”

“Dah!”

Lord Nazel picked Solis up and we moved through the manor together. The maids who passed us by smiled sweetly at Solis. The pure and innocent boy was loved by many of the people who worked in the estate. The three of us took a look around the shelters, but there didn’t seem to be any particular problems.

“The shelters look fine. Let’s have breakfast while we can,” Lord Nazel suggested.

“Sure. Things will get difficult after the storm,” I replied.

“Buh!”

Since it was still early morning, we simply filled our bellies with bread and soup, and I quickly finished feeding Solis too. He seemed to be in a good mood and stayed quiet inside his cradle.

When I looked outside, it seemed that the wind had picked up, and the rain kept pouring.

A short time later, Mrs. Holly finished getting ready and came over, so I left Solis with her. Since there was nothing to do during the storm, her sons would apparently also be helping with Solis’s care today.

The sound of the wind eventually stopped, and you could barely hear the rain anymore.

“I think the storm will pass soon.” Lord Nazel looked like he was going outside through the back door to check on things.

“I-I’m going too,” I said.

“It’s dangerous, so no,” he immediately replied.

“I’m worried about Geni and Dunk.”

“I’ll go check on the garden, and if everything looks all right, I’ll call you.”

It seemed like I couldn’t go with him right away; I accepted his condition. I secretly peeked at the garden through the door Lord Nazel exited from.

The trees are still in one piece, and it looks like the garden isn’t wet. In fact, it isn’t even raining at all... This is a very strange phenomenon. Perhaps the heavy rain we’d heard yesterday had been the sound of the rain hitting the reinforced air, or rather, the pseudo-barrier I’d created. It seems that the wind we heard was also the sound of it blowing outside the air barrier.

From the look of things, there were no areas that had been damaged by the storm; everything was unscathed.

Oh my.

Even though it was right after the storm, there were no signs that it had passed through here at all, which was truly unnatural. I’d done it to protect our people, but it seemed that reinforcing the air itself had been overkill.

As I panicked, Lord Nazel returned after finishing his tour of the garden.

“Well, there weren’t any problems at all. Both the field and the mountbeast stable are safe. Dunk even went out on her own and started eating grass.”

“I’m glad, but...”

“Yes, the problem is how we’re going to cover this up.”

The people who’d come to take shelter weren’t allowed outside until everything was confirmed to be safe, but the current state of affairs was extremely suspicious.

“For now, you should return the reinforced air back to normal.”

“O-Okay!” I undid the reinforcement I’d applied on the air surrounding the entirety of the estate, including the garden. The next moment, the blocked rain started falling down and hit my cheeks. I hurried to get under a tree and take shelter from the rain.

“It’s still raining, so if the entire garden gets wet, we should be able to cover this up... Let’s pretend that there was miraculously little damage thanks to a string of incredibly convenient coincidences,” Lord Nazel proposed.

“I’m glad the rain hasn’t stopped yet. But it looks like we’ll have to wait some time for the whole garden to get soaked.”

While we were talking, Dunk walked over while munching on grass. She seemed lively.

“Let’s keep the garden off-limits while we’re confirming its safety. I’ll take Dunk and go check on things outside the estate,” Lord Nazel said.

“Take care. Please leave the people in the shelters to me. Once puddles start forming in the garden, I’ll send them home, assuming conditions remain stable.”

Lord Nazel intended to supply plant residences to the people whose homes had become uninhabitable after being damaged by the storm. They would be able to live in them free of charge until their homes were repaired.

If I train this power, I might be able to protect houses and fields all over. It would be a problem if I got found out, though. Just like Master Robin, I might be kidnapped by people from countries after the saint’s power, like Polpystan or Myzahn. In his case, though, Master Robin had chosen to go with them. Using my magic certainly posed some difficulties.

Perhaps noticing my presence, Geni also trudged over. He was big and also had wings, so it seemed that it was a little difficult for him to get through the passage near the back entrance.

“I’m so glad you’re okay, Geni.”

Geni yawned drowsily. It seemed that he’d been sound asleep in the stable during the storm.

Just like Solis, Geni is also the type to fall asleep easily, huh? I approached him with a smile.

“You’ll get wet if you stay out here, though I don’t think it would bother you.” After all, he’d leisurely flown in the middle of the storm, and he jumped into the pool to his heart’s content during the rainy season. He could also create a barrier at will, and it didn’t seem like he minded getting wet.

Oh yeah, I should also check the state of the damage from the sky. I got on Geni and circled around the estate. I could see the town clearly from here. Some trees were broken and some fences had collapsed. It seemed that the storm really had been of a larger scale than usual. I hope everyone’s safe.

I landed in the garden and checked the ground to find that enough water had gathered that it no longer looked unnatural. Now it looked like the ordinary aftermath of a storm...I hoped.

“We should be good to go now.” I went back inside and told the people in the shelters that the storm had passed and it was safe for them to go outside now. “Please be careful of collapsed buildings and broken trees. If you can’t stay in your home because of flooding or other reasons, we will keep the rooms open so you may take shelter here again. Take care not to push yourselves too far.”

Everyone looked relieved to hear that the storm was over and they hurriedly left, probably because they were worried about their homes. I made sure to see them off.

There hasn’t been any damage inside the manor. Thank goodness.

After I finished inspecting the manor, I put on a raincoat and went outside again, where I decided to go help Lord Nazel. I called Geni, who was loitering around the back entrance, and we took to the sky together. My guard Torre also followed behind us.

“I shall assist you, Lady Agnes! My gigantification magic will be useful in the rebuilding efforts.” Torre had lost some of his confidence after the incident with Master Robin, but I was happy to see that he had recovered.

“Thank you, Torre. Your help is more than welcome.”

As we were soaring through the sky, Geni suddenly changed direction. I was surprised since he’d never done anything like this before.

“What’s wrong, Geni?”

He replied with a shrill noise as he looked at the mountbeast stable right below us in the center of town.

“Are you worried about that stable?”

He replied with a similar noise.

“Torre, we’re making a small detour.”

I landed in front of the stable with Geni. I’d reinforced this building with my magic, so it hadn’t collapsed. But the floor was a bit flooded... The water reached up to my ankles. At that moment, I came across the elderly mountbeast caretaker and Connie carrying out some equipment that had been soaked in water; they were surprised to see me.

“Lady Agnes? Why are you here?” Connie asked.

“Geni’s worried about this place. I was also concerned, so I decided to stop by. You’ve got quite a mess on your hands, don’t you?”

Connie made a sullen expression.

“This place is still on the better side. The water level is even higher at the residences farther down the hill. Fortunately, there were no injured people or weakened mountbeasts... Wait, Geni?!”

Hearing Connie’s scream, I looked at Geni, and he was trying to enter the stable of his own accord.

“Hey, Geni? Could it be...” Was he worried about his parents? Both his father and mother lived in this stable.

As Connie went to stop Geni, my wyvern’s parents came out of the stable. They both looked like they could move with no problems. Lord Davier’s wyvern also came out from farther in the back. The wyverns brought their big faces together and checked each other to see if they were all right. Four wyverns all in one place made for a stunning sight.

Geni sounded relieved as he moved away from the stable and moved to the open area within the stable grounds that we were in. The other wyverns also went outside and started moving around as they liked.

Lord Davier’s wyvern made a noise as she spread her purple wings. Then, Geni approached her and they started moving their wings together.

“Those two are really close. That’s a wyvern pose showing deep affection,” Connie said as he watched them.

Geni’s parents were also pleasantly looking at the two other wyverns.

I see, his parents officially recognize their relationship.

Torre and I left Geni here for now and decided to walk to the fortress since it was nearby. We left the mountbeast stable, crossed the town’s public square, and reached the fortress where Lord Nazel was.

“Lord Nazel!”

“Oh, Agnes.” He was just coming outside and ran up to me when he saw me. “You’ll get cold if you walk in this rain. You aren’t like Torre and me, who are robust from our time in the knights.”

“I’ll be fine, it’s just a drizzle. I’m also wearing a raincoat.”

“No. For now, go inside.” Lord Nazel said all that, yet he was also getting wet; he was so overprotective.

Torre got surrounded by fortress staff who asked him to remove a fallen tree. He sure was popular.

“Help everyone with your magic, Torre. I’ll look after Agnes,” Lord Nazel said.

“Understood!” Torre rushed out to town along with the fortress staff.

“You come this way, Agnes. See, your body really is cold.” With my raincoat now off, Lord Nazel took me to his office in the fortress. Many people were absent, so there was no one else in the room. Lord Nazel had me sit down on a sofa. “Wait a moment. There’s a room with a kitchen nearby, so I’ll make you some hot tea.”

“Then I’ll go make the tea.”

“I can at least make some tea. You just sit here and I’ll also bring you a towel.” Lord Nazel didn’t give me a chance to reply and left me on the sofa as he went out. He quickly returned carrying a tray with tea and a towel. He put the tray down on the table and started carefully wiping me down where I was wet, like my hair and sleeves.

“U-Um, I can dry myself.”

“It’s fine.” Lord Nazel embraced me closely to restrain me, then started diligently taking care of me. He seemed to be in a good mood.

“What about your work, Lord Nazel?”

“I’ve finished my part for now and I’m waiting for a report. I’ll need to go outside again, so let me replenish my Agnes reserves while I can.”

What exactly were “Agnes reserves”? I wondered what he meant, but I also felt like I shouldn’t probe too deeply into it.

In the meantime, Lord Nazel finished wiping me down, gave me a kiss on the brow, and stood up to get me a cup of fragrant milk tea.

“Th-Thank you very much.”

Lord Nazel smiled in satisfaction.

While I did like Sutrena’s black tea, I was also fond of milk tea. In Desnim, it was generally said that the tea leaves used for milk tea were of inferior quality that couldn’t be used for plain tea. In other words, it meant that those leaves were of such poor quality that they couldn’t be drunk as they were, so it was necessary to cover their taste using milk.

When we’d first moved to Sutrena, we couldn’t afford any luxuries, so I’d often drunk milk tea. However, that hadn’t bothered Lord Nazel and me much, and we’d concluded that milk tea was also delicious, so we still enjoyed it from time to time. Of course, nowadays, all kinds of black tea were available in Sutrena, so they didn’t use tea leaves of inferior quality at the fortress.

I took a sip of the black tea, and the pleasant aroma filled my nose, while the mellow milk spread through my mouth. Perhaps there was also honey in it, because it had just the right amount of sweetness.

“It’s so sweet and tasty.” My body also warmed up. I hadn’t realized it until then, but it turned out I had been cold, just like Lord Nazel said.

“What a great job perk. Just seeing that look on your face made coming to work worth it.” Lord Nazel still did his job properly despite saying things like that.

After finishing my tea, I spoke with Lord Nazel, who was smiling gently.

“I came to help you. I thought my absolute reinforcement would be useful in the rebuilding efforts.”

“Thank you, Agnes. Your turn will come once things out there calm down a little more. We have problems with flooding everywhere at the moment... Oh, looks like the rain stopped.” Lord Nazel raised his head and looked outside through the office window. The earlier drizzle had completely stopped now.

“If it stays sunny like this, will the water drain?”

“Most likely... Perhaps thanks to the storm, there was almost no manabeast damage, which is a lifesaver.”

This had been the first storm of such severity in Lord Nazel’s time in Sutrena, but there had been similar ones several times in the past too. Moreover, the damage back then had been incomparably more severe than now. Lord Nazel had also taken flood control measures, so the consequences this time had only reached this extent. So far, we hadn’t received any reports of injured or dead people.

“We plan to leave our manor and the other shelters open. There are people whose homes were damaged, so we are planning on having them gradually move from the shelters to plant residences until reconstruction is complete,” Lord Nazel explained.

It seemed that there was an opportunity for the plant residences to come into play. Since Lord Nazel first came up with them, they’d been improved in various ways, and some were now of the opinion that they were more comfortable than regular houses.

“Having a place to live is indispensable, after all,” I said.

“Once we have the necessary budget and manpower, we need to take more measures against upcoming storms.”

“Manpower... Manpower, huh?”

“Yes, manpower...”

It seemed that this was where we always ended up. Sutrena’s labor shortage was a serious problem. I could only pray that the storm hadn’t damaged the places that we were planning on using for school classrooms.

Some time later, one of Lord Nazel’s subordinates came and gave a report on the damage suffered by fields, cattle, mountbeasts, and the like. When I heard that, I turned to Lord Nazel.

“Come to think of it, the mountbeast stable in the town center was also flooded. If it’s also okay with them, could we temporarily shelter the mountbeasts in our garden? Geni was worried about his fellow wyverns.”

“Good idea. If a plant residence mountbeast stable is okay with them, I believe we can quickly arrange a place with a roof for them.”

It felt like our garden would get full of wyverns and pegasi, but the mountbeasts’ health was an important issue. It wasn’t good for them to keep staying in a damp place.

“In areas where the water won’t drain, I think I’ll deal with the problem by growing plants that have high water absorption through their roots. We’ll also enlist the help of people with magic suitable for drainage.” It seemed that Lord Nazel’s magic could also be used for absorbing water. How convenient.

“Then if you find any places in need of reinforcement, please leave them to me!”

“Thank you, Agnes.” Lord Nazel grinned as he gave me a kiss on the cheek, then again, and again, and again...

“Ah, h-hey, Lord Nazel, um...” I could see one of his subordinates outside the door, unsure whether he should come in. “Um, well, er...”

“Yes, yes, you’re so cute, Agnes.” Fortunately Lord Nazel was sober, and he also noticed his subordinate standing outside. “Looks like I need to get going soon. Come with me.”

“O-Okay...”

Lord Nazel led me by the hand and took me outside the fortress.

Urk, this is so embarrassing.

And so, I went around town looking all flushed, following Lord Nazel as he took the initiative in aiding with the town’s reconstruction, and using my magic to reinforce anything that needed it. Thanks to his plants, the water left all over town was quickly drained, and I was also able to help.

Torre was also a major help with tasks like clearing debris. Since he could only stay gigantified for three minutes at a time, it seemed that he was taking breaks while using his magic time after time. When he’d first come to Sutrena, he could only use his gigantification up to three times per day, but it seemed that he’d also grown; he’d already transformed for the fifth time. Was this the result of his daily muscle training?

Paul, who could move in the air, was apparently useful in detailed reconnaissance while working together with his partner Pidgy. His coworker Ryuk was also helping out by using his magic to move obstacles out of the way.

“It seems that we’ll be busy again for a while.” Lord Nazel had a forced smile as he looked up at the sky.

As we continued working, the weather became clear before we knew it, making the large storm feel like it had been just a dream.

Chapter 5: Sutrena’s Tense Conference and Season of Love

An envoy came from Myzahn a short time after Master Robin’s escape. Moreover, it was the king’s younger brother, Prince Rivage Myzahn. It seemed that each country had sent its king’s younger brother to participate in this conference.

Prince Rivage was wearing a gaudy outfit embroidered with golden thread, and he gave off a dignified and intimidating air as he entered Sutrena’s central town surrounded by a large number of subordinates. He was a tall, handsome man and had the same skin color as Defi. His long, glossy black hair hung down his back to his waist. Coupled with his traditional Myzahni outfit, which had a long, feminine hem, it was easy to mistake his gender from a distance.

Prince Leonardo, who’d been put in charge of negotiations, was petrified from the stress. I was feeling a bit worried.

“Save me, Nazelbaaart!” As expected, he was whining and relying on Lord Nazel in his time of trouble.

Prince Rivage didn’t seem to mind what was going on with Prince Leonardo, as he approached with a leisurely gait while the hem of his clothes trailed behind him.

“It’s nice to meet you, Prince Leonardo.”

“It’s nice to meet you too, Prince Rivage.” Prince Leonardo somehow managed to reply in a monotone voice.

Lord Nazel backed up Prince Leonardo by flawlessly—as always—guiding Prince Rivage to the conference venue. The negotiations would be held in the largest conference room in our town’s fortress. It was the most spacious and ideal place for negotiations in Sutrena. The King of Myzahn’s younger brother had traveled to Sutrena by boat and was transported to the fortress via mountbeast. He was the one who’d given the order for Master Robin’s breakout, so Sutrena didn’t have a favorable impression of him.

The air is a bit tense.

This was the critical moment that would decide whether we could maintain a friendly relationship with Myzahn or not. I was starting to get stressed like Prince Leonardo.

I admire Prince Rivage for maintaining his composure under these circumstances. He was kind of brazen, I supposed... Anyway, he was incredible in a number of ways.

At the fortress, Prince Leonardo, his subordinates, and Lord Nazel, who was reluctantly attending, took the lead in the discussion. Wearing a hooded outfit that Kelly had prepared for me, I followed Lord Nazel and quietly slipped into the venue. I was also worried about Defi, who we were planning on handing over to Myzahn, so I’d asked Lord Nazel to let me attend. I didn’t want to obstruct the negotiations, so I quietly chatted with Defi in a corner. He was the main topic of this discussion, so he would have to occasionally join the main conversation. The rest of the time, he would be waiting here with me.

“Lady Agnes, this has been bothering me for a while, but...why does your face look like that? Your thick makeup kinda makes you look like a ghost,” Defi said.

“It’s a measure to repel Master Robin,” I replied after a moment.

During this discussion, Master Robin would also have to show up once as evidence. Of course, he would be attending with his mana sealed and under strict surveillance. Master Robin had been constantly making passes at me up to now, most likely because I was Lord Nazel’s wife. Every time that happened, Lord Nazel’s mood had taken a nosedive, and his expressions of love toward me had become more intense. This time, I had taken measures in my own way to make sure that Lord Nazel could stay calm throughout the conference.

“I’m on the edge of the room and don’t stand out, so it’s all right,” I added.

“Well yeah, but...once you notice this face, it will constantly be on your mind. There won’t be any room left for diplomacy. How did it end up like this?” It seemed that as a foreigner, Defi wasn’t familiar with the rumors surrounding the infamous Lady Bumpkin.

“I come from the House of Evantail, a family that yearned for the good old times. When I still lived under their roof, I always looked like this.”

“What? Are they insane?! I feel like this will haunt my dreams...” Defi looked dejected, like he was imagining a nightmare.

As we were talking, Defi’s name was called from the center of the room.

“Damn... I have to go.” He walked to a conspicuous spot in the center with heavy steps.

Now by myself, I quietly paid close attention to the conversation between Lord Nazel and the rest. Continuing his conversation with Prince Leonardo, who could finally speak normally, Prince Rivage turned to the matter of Defi’s treatment.

“I would like to turn Defi, whom we’ve captured, over to you,” Prince Leonardo said.

Prince Rivage shook his head with no hesitation.

“That won’t be necessary. You may get rid of Defi as you please.” Perhaps because of the situation we were in, Prince Rivage replied in a very dispassionate manner, and I hated to say this, but I didn’t sense an ounce of kindness from him.

Isn’t he being a bit too casual when it comes to his own subordinate, especially the one entrusted with the important job of taking Master Robin to Myzahn? I felt alarmed at how easily he could speak of “getting rid of” Defi, like he was an object.

I nervously observed how Defi was doing. He stood in the very middle of the spacious room, and though he was silent, he wasn’t confused. He seemed calm, as if he had somewhat already known that he would be treated like this. If anything, he’d looked more shaken when he’d seen me in my Lady Bumpkin getup. Perhaps he had more or less anticipated Prince Rivage’s decision. Defi had said he’d always wanted to quit his job. I felt like I’d caught a glimpse of a part of the reason just now.

From the looks of it, even if he were able to return to his country, he probably wouldn’t be treated well. In the worst-case scenario, he might even be punished.

It was true that Defi had failed his mission, but someone with release magic shouldn’t have been a spy in the first place. He’d been given a job he couldn’t quit, taken advantage of, entrusted with a mission of heavy responsibility, then easily cut loose when he failed. That was the kind of world Defi had been living in.

Is that the reason he’s always so apathetic?

Based on our interactions, I definitely thought Defi was quite capable of doing his job. He’d hated the task assigned to him, but despite only having release magic, he’d made it all the way to Desnim unaided and had successfully broken Master Robin out of imprisonment. It was just that, in this particular case, the person he’d been dealing with—Master Robin—was just too horrible.

I can easily imagine Master Robin pushing around Defi. He’d even made Defi a victim of his scheme to abduct Solis. Nothing got through to Master Robin; he was beyond anyone’s control.

The offer to hand Defi back to his country had been refused, and he returned to the corner of the room where I was waiting.

“Defi, well...I don’t know what to say...” I felt lost as I started talking to him, but he smiled like he was already over it.

“Maybe he saw through me—how my heart is no longer in Myzahn. Well, I’m just glad I wasn’t eliminated in advance.”

“Huh...?”

“You know, to use my death to gain an advantage in the negotiations... That’s something he would normally think of.”

In short, Myzahn could have had Defi assassinated and falsely blamed Sutrena for his death; as a result, Myzahn would have to give less in reparations as an apology for the incident with Master Robin.

“I suppose he probably valued me enough to allow me to live for now... Perhaps I’m thinking too optimistically, but it might even be Prince Rivage’s way of showing kindness,” Defi continued. Somehow, I also thought that might be the case.

“But even though you complained back in Myzahn, you worked your hardest and achieved results, right?” I said.

“Well, yeah; that was my job. But even though I wasn’t executed, if I hadn’t met you, Lady Agnes, I’d probably be apprehended again the moment Sutrena tossed me away, and I might well have lost my life at that point.”

As someone with release magic, Defi’s life had already been decided the moment his magic had been discovered. He’d have to bear the duty of using his magic in service to his country for his entire life. He’d simply carried out the tasks he was assigned without any real hopes for his future. It was hard for me to imagine Defi’s way of life. He was facing a different kind of suffering than the people born into the House of Evantail.

Back when Defi had been imprisoned, he’d told me a little about his work in Myzahn. His main job had been going to the prisoners Prince Rivage instructed him to, secretly unsealing their magic, then taking them to the prince. In addition to Master Robin, Prince Rivage had also brought in other people with rare magic from various countries.

The prince had someone with the incredibly rare absolute release right next to him...yet he didn’t realize. If Prince Rivage knew about Defi’s true ability, he would definitely not let him go. We weren’t going to tell him, though.

“You are now officially free from Myzahn. Things are looking bright,” I said.

“Stop joking. I have nowhere to go and I’m not a citizen of Desnim either. Rather than bright, I’d say there are dark clouds on the horizon,” Defi replied.

“Don’t you have anything you want to do, Defi? I believe you’ll be set free after this. Sutrena doesn’t yet have the leeway to keep extra prisoners. We quickly release the ones who seem like they won’t cause problems.” Normally, Defi would have stayed imprisoned for some time, but we knew he had no intention of committing another offense. And since he possessed absolute release magic, successfully imprisoning him for a long period of time would be a real burden on Sutrena.

“I don’t know if there’s anything I’d want to do because I’ve never thought about it. I know what I don’t want to do, but I can’t come up with the opposite.” Defi had probably given up from the start, thinking that it was pointless to hope for anything. There’d have been no point in imagining something like that when he couldn’t become free.

“I see. Then if you don’t mind, how about coming to our estate?”

“The margrave’s estate?”

“Yes. I believe you can do anything as you are now, so you can stay with us until you find something you want to do. We’ll even pay you if you work for us. I’m sure Lord Nazel won’t be opposed to the idea. You saved him from Master Robin, after all.”

“Isn’t this...too convenient for me? I might harm your estate’s people with my magic.”

“You’d have nothing to gain from hurting anyone, would you? I doubt you’d put in all that unnecessary effort.”

“That’s true, but still...” Defi was lost in thought and seemed hesitant. It didn’t sound like he was opposed to coming to our estate, but I felt that he was conflicted about whether it was really okay for him to do so. “Are you sure about this?”

“Of course. You’re more than welcome.” I smiled to encourage Defi, but perhaps because of my Lady Bumpkin makeup, he groaned and recoiled.

In the meantime, the discussion had reached its final stage, and Master Robin entered the room escorted by soldiers. Despite the situation he was in, he complained that it was boring with only men around him, and he looked around restlessly, until his eyes turned in my direction.

“Hmm? Is that little birdie?” But when he saw my face after I removed my hood, he was utterly shocked. “Nooo, it’s Lady Bumpkin?! Why?!” Even though he was farther away, he recoiled even more than Defi had. His reaction was too honest.

The anti-Robin countermeasures are working, though I have mixed feelings about this.

It seemed that Master Robin had completely lost interest in me, and he didn’t turn to look at me again. This should help with Lord Nazel’s frustration.

All that’s left is to watch over the discussion.

For the time being, Prince Leonardo was able to quietly continue the conversation.

“Therefore, Robin’s magic isn’t the saint’s. Your spy told us that you’re searching for someone who could be the saint, Prince Rivage. However, I will tell you the truth on this occasion. Robin’s magic is slight purification and recovery that can only soothe the mind a little. Because my older sister Mia once went around exaggerating about his magic, baseless rumors spread in various places. We have also been troubled by them.”

Master Robin intentionally put people in an absent-minded state when using his magic, which he abused to toy with people, but his magic was actually meant to put people at ease somewhat. The healing aspect of his magic might closely resemble the saint’s magic, but he was no saint.

“To begin with, if Robin truly was the same as a saint, we wouldn’t have locked him up in the Sempli Convent. Even if his personality is rotten to the core, we would have thought of a way to make more effective use of him,” Prince Leonardo said.

“Huh? What a cheeky prince. Who the hell do you think you are to ‘make more effective use of’ me?” Master Robin spluttered indignantly. However, his complaints were completely ignored. Prince Rivage wasn’t interested in Master Robin anymore either.

The discussion continued, with Master Robin making a fuss and everyone ignoring him, and it was decided that everything would be settled with reparations from Myzahn.

“Then the reparations will be as written here...” After arranging a detailed agreement, Prince Rivage promptly headed back to Myzahn. He stayed indifferent and showed no hint of kindness to the end.

The storm had already passed, so transportation using mountbeasts was easy now. The Myzahnis would be able to cross the ocean without too much trouble.

With negotiations over, Prince Leonardo left the fortress and returned to the estate with us. He looked dejected and exhausted, and Lord Nazel was cheering him up. I’d gotten changed out of my traditional attire and listened to their conversation.

“You were impressive, Your Highness. You were able to progress the discussion even without me taking the lead,” Lord Nazel said.

“But...you helped me here and there, Nazelbart,” Prince Leonardo replied.

“That was my role. But I think this was a good experience for you as you take on a diplomatic role for our country.”

Prince Leonardo looked a bit thoughtful for a moment before nodding.

“Yes, you’re right. I built up some resistance.” It was great to see that Prince Leonardo had grown up from the timid man who relied on Lord Nazel for everything. “Incidentally, about the Myzahni spy, if he has nowhere to go, then we—”

“We plan to take him in here in Sutrena.”

“But that will burden—”

“We’ll take him in,” Lord Nazel repeated with a grin.

The two of them knew that Defi’s magic was actually absolute release.

“Nazelbart. Since Defi was the one who helped Robin escape, I believe that it would be best for him to be under the country’s control. So I’d like to take him under the royal family’s care.”

“I refuse. It looks like Agnes also wants to take him in, and Defi himself probably wants to stay here too.”

“If you do that, don’t blame me if Defi steals Lady Agnes from you. They seemed to be getting along pretty well during the confer— Grmgh!”

“Shut up.”

Lord Nazel created a carnivorous-looking plant which gobbled up Prince Leonardo’s head. It didn’t seem to have injured him, but his voice got muffled and was no longer audible.

A struggle for Defi has casually started. Even though he’d originally worked for Myzahn, it seemed that Lord Nazel and the prince both wanted someone who not only possessed a rare type of magic but had also proven himself highly skilled.

“Then let’s have Defi himself decide,” Lord Nazel suggested with a smile after freeing Prince Leonardo from the plant.

Defi, who’d been brought along with us, had been quietly watching over them, but he started getting nervous when he was suddenly asked for his own opinion. He’d never had the opportunity to voice his true feelings before, so he got perplexed when he was put in this kind of situation. I’d suggested that he could stay in Sutrena during the meeting, but I hadn’t received a firm answer from him yet.

“Lord Nazel, it looks like Defi’s troubled. How about giving him a little time to think about it?” I proposed.

“You’re so kind, Agnes.” Lord Nazel turned to me with a smile and embraced me. “Oh, of course you aren’t just kind, but also cute, intelligent, brave, virtuous—”

“Hey, Nazelbart. Come back to reality.” Looking a bit weirded out, Prince Leonardo stopped Lord Nazel as he started going out of control. “Also, I need to return to the capital, so I can’t leisurely wait for Defi’s answer.”

“I wanted to prioritize Agnes’s suggestion, but...I guess there’s no other choice.” Lord Nazel freed me from his arms and addressed the confused Defi. “Defi, according to the earlier discussion, you are now a free man. However, as the margrave of this land, I can’t immediately let you go unchecked. In other words, I need you to decide, right here and now, where you’ll stay for the time being. To be more specific, your two options are Sutrena or the capital.”

“Yes...” Defi nodded, looking like he’d readied his resolve. “I understand how both of you feel. The kindhearted Lady Agnes made a lax proposal, but I expected to remain under surveillance from now on as I stayed in Desnim.”

I looked at Defi with my mouth hanging open. Lord Nazel gave some gentle support to comfort me.

“That’s one of the great things about Agnes. There aren’t many women who would be kind even to a foreign spy. Besides...”

Prince Leonardo sensed that the conversation was about to get derailed again, so he hurriedly interjected.

“So, Defi, do you want to live in the capital or in Sutrena? In either case, you won’t be imprisoned as long as you don’t commit any crimes. If you pick the capital, I will take care of everything for your daily life.” It was a generous offer.

However, it seemed that Defi’s mind was already set, as he turned to face Prince Leonardo and started speaking apologetically.

“I am terribly grateful for your offer, but I’d like to remain in Sutrena with Lady Agnes.”

I looked up at him in surprise.

“Defi...”

“That’s my decision, Lady Agnes, so...I look forward to our time together.”

“Yes, yes. Of course, you’re welcome here.” I nodded at Defi with a smile, then looked up at Lord Nazel and Prince Leonardo and shared my opinion with them. “Um, there’s something I’d like to tell you...” The two of them quietly waited for me to continue. “Well, up until now, Defi’s life has been decided for him as someone with release magic, and he only spent his days doing what he was told. That’s why he’s so confused now that he’s suddenly free. I don’t know how long it will take, but I want to take responsibility and watch over him until he finds something he wants to do of his own volition and acts of his own will.”

He’d been finally given the chance, so I hoped that he would slowly discover a new way of life for himself, just like the many people we’d taken under our protection and employed in the estate. Of course, I was aware that my way of thinking was totally idealistic. But at the very least, I wanted to help the people within my reach, just like I’d been treated well after being disowned.

“Very well. If that’s what Defi himself wants and Lady Agnes has no objections,” Prince Leonardo said with a hint of regret as he reluctantly gave up on recruiting Defi.

“Don’t focus only on Defi,” Lord Nazel said in his beautiful, alluring voice as he took me in his arms again; that statement had come out of nowhere.

“Nazelbart is usually outstanding, but he loses his mind whenever Lady Agnes is involved.” Prince Leonardo shared a very reasonable impression as he watched Lord Nazel about to take me away.

Next, he gave a cold look to Master Robin, who was pointlessly making a fuss.

“Robin. You will be imprisoned in the Sempli Convent again, since there are no other suitable locations where women are prohibited. However, you will be under stricter surveillance than before.”

Upon hearing his verdict, Master Robin started struggling frantically, like he was making his last stand. However, the soldiers captured him since he couldn’t use his magic and forced him onto a mountbeast for his return.

“No mountbeeeaaasts! Put me in a carriage!” He kept whining until a soldier told him to shut up and knocked him unconscious. It immediately became quiet after that.

“Thanks for everything, Nazelbart. I will repay you later,” Prince Leonardo said.

“I’ll be looking forward to it.” Lord Nazel flashed him a pressuring smile.

“Urk...” Prince Leonardo was pale as he bid us farewell and left Sutrena.

With Robin in tow, the rest of the prince’s entourage also left for the capital, and calm everyday life returned to Sutrena.

And so, our estate got a new member: Defi. But what I hadn’t expected at first was that he apparently wasn’t the kind of person to just sit around doing nothing now that he was free. He helped with odd jobs around the estate, like carrying objects, cleaning, or gardening. I was grateful since we were short on male laborers, but I was worried because it felt like Defi was moving further away from his original objective of finding something he wanted to do.

Even today, Defi had been absorbed in pruning garden trees since morning. The gentle morning sun shone down on his light-colored hair that stuck out of his hat. It was actually sunny today, an unusual occurrence in the rainy season.

I called out to him from behind.

“Um, Defi? You aren’t our servant, so you don’t need to work like everyone else. We aren’t even paying you...” At first, I’d thought that it was fine if Defi did what he wanted, but he worked so hard that I’d gradually started feeling guilty.

However, Defi knitted his refined brows and objected.

“But you’re letting me stay here for free, so I won’t be able to calm down if I don’t do at least this much.”

“It feels like we’re exploiting your labor, so as the margravine in charge of the estate, it bothers me. Setting aside the expectations of Lord Nazel, who has his eye on your magic, I didn’t invite you to our estate to work you to the bone.”

“What... I don’t dislike playing around with trees, though. I’ll go water the field next.”

“H-Hold on a second.” Nothing would change like that. I racked my brain for an idea. “Defi, if you want to work that much, how about working as our butler or gardener until you find what you want to do? We’ll pay you a good salary, so how about saving for the future?”

“But...”

“If you don’t want your activities to be restricted, I can pay you on a piecework basis with deferred payments. For now, how about I pay you for the work you’ve already done?”

“You don’t really need to do that.”

“Let me pay you.”

“If you insist, Lady Agnes, I don’t have any objections...”

“Then it’s settled.”

I made a promise with Defi, albeit kind of forcefully. It seemed that he hadn’t found his own objective so far. However, he was more lively than when I’d first met him. I wished that his future would be filled with hope.

And so, Defi became our estate’s provisional butler. He was very popular with the maids, perhaps thanks to his attentiveness and good looks. Thanks to his experience as a spy, he easily adapted to life in our estate. I was looking forward to seeing how Defi’s life would change from now on.

***

After the long journey from Sutrena and an interrogation at the royal palace, Robin was returned to the Sempli Convent in the northeastern part of Desnim. As he passed through the thick stone gate and entered the Convent grounds, he was greeted by similarly hard, gray cobblestone paving at the entrance. It was as if it reflected his mental state perfectly.

“Heeey, Master Robin!”

Robin reluctantly moved forward, urged by the soldiers who’d brought him here, when he saw Lubhuta, who’d apparently been waiting at the entrance, happily running up to him.

“I’ve been waiting, my comrade!”

“Count Lubhuta...” Since when were the two of them comrades? Robin didn’t want to be lumped in with such a pervert; he felt dejected, oblivious to his hypocrisy given his past behavior. “I didn’t want to return. I was finally enjoying my freedom with a liberated mood... Damn that Nazelbart,” he muttered softly.

Hearing Robin’s whisper, the sharp-eared Lubhuta moved closer. His face was exuding intense pressure.

“Master Robin, we’re roommates. Next time, definitely invite me on your outing too! I also want to get out and see some young ladies!”

No matter how fiercely Lubhuta complained, Robin would never bring him along on any hypothetical future escape. He felt like it would only cause trouble for him.

I’ll probably be sent back to my old room now. Ugh, I’ll have to be roommates with old man Lubhuta again? His snoring’s so loud.

As Robin was deep in thought, the demonic monk in charge of the Convent appeared; he’d apparently heard Lubhuta’s loud voice. This man had the largest build among all the monks here, and he approached Lubhuta and Robin with his sturdy shoulders squared.

“Lubhuta and Robin, you two will no longer be roommates. Putting you in a shared room will slow down our response in case any trouble occurs. Therefore, Robin will be moved to a special room.”

“What kind of room?” Robin asked.

“A room that will prevent a situation like the last one from happening. Just know that there will always be someone watching you.”

“Hmm?” Robin was taken to a communal room where many people could live together. “Whoa, why did you bring me to this kind of place?”

“Robin, you were originally shown consideration because you were a baron’s son, and you were roommates with Lubhuta because you were both nobles. You were constantly dissatisfied, but you were still treated fairly within the Convent.” But because of the consideration they’d shown him, Robin had tried to escape, so he would now be sharing a room with the commoner monks; that was what the demon monk wanted to say.

At that moment, all of the monks returned together. They were all wearing loincloths, so they were probably returning from tonight’s martial arts training. They were drenched in sweat and the room Robin was inside instantly filled with their masculine stench.

Urgh... Robin groaned in his mind.

“Hey, I’m leaving him in your care starting from today. Train him thoroughly like before,” the demonic monk called out to them.

“Yes, sir!” the monks all replied with their deep voices.

Eeeek... You’ve gotta be kidding me. I’ll have to live here?! This wasn’t a joke. Rooming with Lubhuta would be much more preferable than this.

“Hey, Robin, let’s go take a bath together.” One of the men put his thick, log-like arm around Robin’s slender shoulders in a friendly way. The arm was sticky and glistening with sweat, so the moment it touched Robin, he got goose bumps and cried out in a pathetic manner. “Let’s hang out naked. I’ll treat you so nicely that you won’t even think about running away again. We’ll have a heart-to-heart.”

A different man had a towel in hand and looked ready to accompany Robin and the other monk.

“We’re all brothers. We have nothing to hide from each other.”

“Nooooo!” Robin cried as the men picked him up and forcibly carried him to the bath.

“Off we go!”

“And away!”

“Onward!”

“Heave-ho!”

“Charge!”

Each monk gave a different shout of encouragement originating from their own birthplace in Desnim, and they started walking while tossing Robin in the air. The rest of the men followed one after the other and headed to the bath together. Robin wanted to run, but there was no escape. At this rate, the bath would become crowded, and the men would inevitably stick to each other as they were packed together in the bathtub.

Come on, I don’t wanna touch dudes’ bare skin! Robin already got enough of that during his martial arts training in a loincloth.

“H-Help...me...” But there was no one to listen to Robin’s plea.

***

Ten days after her parole was announced, Lady Liliane arrived at our estate, wearing a modest, pure white dress and carrying a single suitcase. She hesitantly greeted Lord Nazel and me; she would be working as a maid here for the time being. Her main job would be assisting Kelly, the same duties that Miss Sonia from Hihime had once undertaken; Kelly had been awfully busy lately, after all. Our estate was truly lively with more people joining it, and each one was happily performing their duties, but Kelly had her hands full since she was the one managing everyone. I’d always been thinking that I’d like to appoint an assistant for her if someone suitable came along.

Miss Sonia was highly competent in all kinds of work, but Lady Liliane also received strict education since her childhood, and I hear that she excels in different aspects than Miss Sonia. If I were to sort their abilities, Miss Sonia has great practical skills and is well-versed in clerical work, while Lady Liliane is incredibly well-informed when it comes to noble culture, etiquette, and social interactions. She was a different type of worker, but it was still reassuring to have her in our home right now.

“Thank you for joining our estate, Lady Liliane.” I’d visited Lady Liliane many times during her captivity, and had talked to her under a guard’s supervision. I hadn’t gone to see her as frequently as Torre, but I believed that we’d gotten relatively close.

“Lady Agnes, I’m a commoner now, so please call me by just my name. As I said during our meetings, it would set a bad example.”

“That’s true. I’m sorry... Then, once again, thank you for joining our estate, Liliane.”

“The pleasure is all mine. Thank you so much for providing me with a place to work, Lady Agnes, Lord Nazelbart.”

Although Liliane had once committed a crime, I believed we could trust her, which was why she’d been invited to our estate. Master Robin had taken advantage of her when she’d been cornered, and she’d been imprisoned for attempting to assassinate Lord Nazel. However, because she had been unsuccessful, had originally been against committing any crimes, and had later cooperated in exposing Master Robin’s misdeeds, her sentence had been a bit more lenient. She’d also shown exemplary conduct during her incarceration in Sutrena, which had factored into the decision to parole her.

“I think Torre is going to be noisy, but tell me right away if it becomes a problem. We’ll give him a warning,” Lord Nazel said.

“Thank you very much. But I’m grateful to Master Torre. He came to see me time and time again during my prison term, and was concerned if I had any problems.”

“Yes... It seemed like he visited almost daily. I’m really sorry about that. I told him that he was going too far and tried to stop him, but...”

It was just as Lord Nazel said. I’d also pointed that out to Torre in the past, but he hadn’t stopped. Even on rainy or stormy days, he hadn’t failed to visit Liliane. He’d gone to see her in the prison’s visiting room no matter what.

“I was confused at first, but before long, I also got used to it somewhat. Meeting him became part of my daily routine.”

Liliane’s senses have gotten numb to it, I thought as I quietly listened to her. Perhaps it hadn’t been intentional, but Torre’s strategy of frequently visiting his loved one was working.

“Come to think of it, Master Torre also proposed to me. We are no longer engaged, yet he seriously proposed to someone like me. What is that man even thinking?”

Despite everything Liliane was saying, I noticed that her expression wasn’t exactly displeased. Her cheeks were also faintly pink.

Could it be that Liliane also seriously loves Torre? In that case, I didn’t think that other people should interfere. Lord Nazel and I looked at each other and decided not to take the topic any further. If Liliane wasn’t suffering because of Torre’s intense love, it was all fine.

And so, Liliane peacefully joined our estate during her parole. She was welcomed by everyone without any problems. Torre repeatedly proposed to her without feeling discouraged, so I figured we might hear an announcement of their engagement before long. I continued watching over the two of them while waiting for the day I could hear the auspicious news.

***

After that, I continued supporting the reconstruction of Sutrena and also started working on the school’s management as it made progress, so my days were awfully busy. It was difficult, but the time was fulfilling.

Solis also grew rapidly, and he had finally become able to crawl on the floor. He moved very quickly despite being a baby and would escape out of sight if you took your eyes off him for a moment. I always saw the maids chasing him near the nursery. It seemed like he was enjoying playing tag. But it was a huge help that everyone was looking after him for me. With the cooperation of the maids, Mrs. Holly, and her children, they were somehow able to safely watch over Solis.

Right now, Solis was happily playing with Mrs. Holly’s children in the nursery.

“Goo!” Solis energetically swung around a potato plushie then threw it.

“Bwah!” The plushie hit me right in the face then tumbled to the floor. To think he’d throw a tuber. Maybe he takes after me. I had mixed feelings as I watched over my son giggling and playing around innocently.

Solis picked up a sweet potato plushie next and started waving it around, when Lord Nazel came back from work.

“I’m home, Agnes.”

“Welcome back, Lord Nazel.” I got up from watching Solis and walked up to Lord Nazel.

Lord Nazel smiled at me and looked at Solis swinging his plushie around. With perfect timing, Solis let out a cry before throwing the sweet potato plushie into the air.

“He’s just like you,” Lord Nazel told me. It seemed that he’d had the same thought that I did.

Solis was still happily playing; it looked like he enjoyed throwing tubers.

“That reminds me, Agnes. The town’s school was completed today.” It seemed that this was the reason Lord Nazel had come to see me.

“Yes! The only damage the school suffered during the storm was flooding on the first floor entrance, after all. Repairs and cleanup on the flooded areas have finished, so it seems like it will open as planned.”

The long-awaited school in Sutrena had been repaired and was now operational. It was finally going to open. Full-scale lessons would start once the dry season began, and until then it would be on a trial basis. During the trial run, we could deal with any unforeseen problems as they occurred.

The school cafeteria served lunch, and students could eat there quite cheaply. It was also a place for researching new cuisine, and the tuber dishes were of course recommended.

Incidentally, I was the school’s chairwoman! I was a bit anxious since this was my first time managing a school, but I was going to do my best and aim to be like Prince Valen, the chairman of Masroono National School, since he was managing being the chairman while also being a prince.

With the reconstruction efforts getting on track and Lord Nazel having some free time for the first time in a while, we decided to have some tea in the garden together with Solis. Solis was still little, so he couldn’t sit in the terrace chairs, but if we used his stroller, it would be the same as what we usually did. After some thinking, we laid out a blanket in a spot that wasn’t under the rain and spent our time there, making this a picnic right by the manor. Light rain, like fine threads, was falling on the garden this afternoon. Solis looked somehow happy about his first picnic in the garden.

“Goo, gah!” He sounded cheerful as he crawled all over the blanket.

We were currently in a part of the terrace with nothing else around us. We had a roof above us, so we weren’t getting wet despite this being the rainy season.

“Ah, don’t leave the blanket, Solis.”

“Dah!” Solis didn’t sit still for a second. Even now, he was curious about the grass and dirt and went to touch them. There wasn’t anything around us that could injure him, but he would get wet under the rain, so I reached out to bring him back, just in case. “Buh!” Solis protested in his own words and slapped the ground in front of him.

“Uh-oh, his hands got dirty.” I wiped Solis’s hands with a piece of cloth while looking at the muddy ground.

If I reinforce it, will Solis not get covered in mud even if he touches it? Or will the soil improve just like last time? During our trip to Polpystan, I’d once used my magic on soil which had become barren as a result of contamination from the big hoppers’ mana. I’d innocently tried using my magic, telling the soil to get stronger, and all the contaminated parts had vanished completely, being replaced by soft, fluffy soil where plants could grow extremely well. This soil is muddy, so maybe it will become dry. I tried holding my hand over the soil.

“Get stronger!” As I uttered those words, something incredible happened. The muddy soil hardened into a solid form. I did think of the soil becoming dry, but this change is far too different from the one that happened last time.

Solis leaned forward again and cried in joy when he saw the soil in a different state than before. Then, as if to copy me, he started moving his hands over the ground.

“Dah, dah!”

“Oh you, Solis.” I held Solis’s hand to caution him, when I suddenly felt something strange. “Huh? This soil is...fluffy.” The hard soil around Solis had instantly turned soft and fluffy, just like it had in Polpystan. All the soil around the terrace had originally been of a light color and hard, so it wasn’t like it had returned to its original state. Instead, it had turned into soft black soil, like the kind you’d find in a forest.

“Wait, did Solis do this?” I looked at the garden’s transformed soil in disbelief. The ground from where we were sitting to the end of the terrace looked completely different. “Lord Nazel...”

“That was Solis without a doubt. I can’t believe he can use magic before even turning one. Also, maybe the change that happened before in Polpystan...”

“Yes, perhaps it wasn’t my magic but Solis’s power while he was still in my belly. The magic I used just now only made the soil hard.”

Usually, children first started using their magic once they were a little older than this. Even the earliest magic use typically came after turning one year old, and the average age was three. Solis was an exception among exceptions to have used his magic before even being born.

“This must be the soil manipulation Emilio mentioned. It’s incredible that it can even purify the soil, but I’m a little worried,” I said.

“It’s apparently like my magic but for earth instead of plants. The ability to completely change the soil’s properties is nothing but incredible. This could also be similar to the saint’s magic. However, Solis is still not even a year old. His soil manipulation isn’t necessarily limited to purifying the soil and improving its quality, so until we understand everything about it, it might be better not to carelessly bring him close to the field.”

“If the field’s soil changed in a weird way, the crops might become unable to grow in it.”

“Yes... It would be an issue if the soil turned into sand, rock, or clay.” Lord Nazel was exactly right. “When I was a kid, I once filled the garden of our ducal estate with mushrooms. I was little so I don’t remember what happened back then, but there was apparently an uproar.”

“How wonderful. I’d love for us to grow mushrooms in our garden too. They should thrive in the rainy season.”

“Oh, sure. Wonderful? But if you say so, then let’s make some space for cultivating mushrooms in our garden.” Lord Nazel was always soft on me, and it seemed that plans for mushroom cultivation were steadily progressing in his mind.

For now, we decided to let Solis play in the garden in areas other than near the field.

I continued enjoying my time with Lord Nazel and Solis, until I heard Torre and Liliane from the direction of the manor’s rear entrance. We could clearly hear their voices even mixed with the rain, and Lord Nazel and I looked at each other.

“Liliane! P-Please marry me!” Torre was proposing to Liliane, something we’d already heard countless times. Even Lord Nazel had an expression that seemed to say, Oh, this again?

Torre would propose to Liliane at every opportunity and get rejected every time. Liliane felt guilty about everything that had happened so far, and although she showed signs of caring about Torre, she hadn’t responded positively to his proposals. It was like she thought of this as her punishment for the crimes she’d committed. It seemed that this had remained the same even now that she’d been released from prison. Torre and Liliane’s relationship had loosened up compared to the beginning. In fact, Liliane seemed to also be opening her heart to Torre, which was exactly what made their relationship so frustrating to watch. At first, I’d made it a rule not to interfere, but I’d gradually started wanting to help them out.

“If only she’d just get married already and stop caring about the fact she tried to stab me. I was fine in the end, and her testimony against Robin helped us out,” Lord Nazel leisurely muttered.

“How about you just tell her that?”

“I’ve casually said it, but she stubbornly denied it, saying ‘That won’t do. This is my problem.’”

“Oh dear. But that is to be expected.” Liliane was very strong-willed, or rather stubborn. But I also felt sorry for Torre, whose proposals kept getting turned down because of her guilt. Even though the two of them have such good chemistry. That was what made this so frustrating. Wasn’t there anything we could do about it?

“Aah, goo...” Solis’s voice called me back to reality from my thoughts. It looked like he’d gotten sleepy this time. He was in a crawling position with his eyes drooping.

“Oh, I guess it’s about time for Solis’s midday nap.” Lord Nazel picked up Solis, who was about to lose his balance. Solis was a calm boy and not shy at all, so he simply dozed off in Lord Nazel’s arms. “He fell asleep. How adorable.”

“He really is.”

“When I hold him like this, I realize just how wonderful family is.”

“Me too.” This was because we were fortunate enough to have met each other. There were families like the House of Evantail too, though...

“It’s none of my business, but I think Torre and Liliane would make a wonderful family.”

“Yes, I feel like those two will make for a great couple that cherishes each other. If there is some special impetus that will convince Liliane, will Torre’s proposal be successful? It may be difficult to convince her right now, but...I feel like things would turn out well with just one more push.”

“I agree. But unless it’s some overbearing method, like an order from above like in our case, I feel like Liliane will keep refusing until the end.”

“Should I try ordering her like Princess Mia did with me?”

“No.”

While we were talking, Torre and Liliane came walking toward us. The two of them were talking while looking at each other, until they finally noticed Lord Nazel and me.

“Lord Nazelbart! Lady Agnes!” Torre cheerfully started walking up to us, and Liliane came running. But as they advanced while looking ahead of them, they both lost their balance together in a certain spot.

Ah! That’s where Solis changed the ground with his magic! It seemed that the soil had become so soft that they’d ended up tripping. The culprit, Solis, was sleeping peacefully, unaware of what was going on.

Liliane screamed as she collapsed onto Torre. He quickly tried to support her, but one of his legs sank into the earth, so they collapsed to the ground together face up. I doubted they were injured since they’d fallen onto soft ground, but Torre’s position made it look like he’d been pushed down by Liliane. Liliane came to her senses first and looked desperate as she apologized to Torre amid her confusion. As for Torre...with Liliane leaning on him and having pushed him down, he was frozen in bliss, his face red as a beet.

“Wh-What happened?” I said in surprise.

When Liliane saw us, she started apologizing in her confusion.

“M-M-M-My sincerest apologies! H-How immodest of me.”

“I understand the situation, so calm down, Liliane,” Lord Nazel told her.

However, Liliane remained flustered. She’d undergone a strict education as a noblewoman, so she was completely unaccustomed to the opposite sex. Even when she’d gotten close to Master Robin, they had apparently not done much more than talk and hold hands. The same was true when it came to Torre. Liliane probably couldn’t maintain her presence of mind in a situation like this.

“Yes, you don’t really know what to do here,” I said, earning a firm nod from Liliane.

My education at the House of Evantail had given me strict instructions when it came to dealing with the opposite sex. There were countless rules about social interactions with men, such as only speaking to them while maintaining at least a certain distance, or having no contact besides greeting them. I hadn’t taken those rules all that seriously since I’d been opposed to my house’s policies, but apparently Liliane had been more affected; it seemed that most of those rules were still in her head.

After thinking about it, I came up with something good.

“Liliane, I’ve come up with a great idea.”

Liliane looked at me as if seeking salvation.

“Now that things have turned out like this...you should take responsibility and get married to Torre.”

“Agnes?! What are you saying?!” Lord Nazel looked astonished.

“It’s perfect, isn’t it? You two are mutually in love, after all.”

Liliane stood up as she listened to my suggestion, clearly confused as her eyes darted around restlessly.

“But that would be an inconvenience to Master Torre,” she said.

“It would be no such thing!” It seemed that Torre was back with us after his consciousness had flown away into a world of happiness. He properly replied to my suggestion of their marriage and Liliane’s words.

“But Master Torre...” Liliane, now standing, looked down guiltily at Torre, who was sitting up.

“Just like I’ve said again and again, I want to get married to you, Liliane! If you don’t hate me, I’d like you to take responsibility and be my wife!” Torre’s loud voice was undoubtedly echoing across the entire estate.

Oh, he’s taking advantage of my suggestion. That wasn’t like him at all, but he must have been that desperate.

“I love you, Liliane! Please marry me!”

“Responsibility, I have to take responsibility... Ah, but...”

Maybe they needed one more push.

“You love Torre, don’t you, Liliane?” I said.

“Well...”

“This is important. Please answer me.” I leaned forward, and Liliane nodded her head in resignation.

“I do...” Her voice was tiny, but she did reply.

It seemed that Torre, whose ears were sharp when it came to Liliane’s voice, also heard her, and his eyes started tearing up with joy.

“Then you two should hurry up and get engaged. This is an order from the margravine,” I said.

Liliane was the one who looked absent-minded this time.

“Umm, illicit sexual relations before your wedding are forbidden in our estate. Come to me for advice only if things aren’t working out between you two,” I emphasized to her as she stood frozen. I was a bit forceful, but this was fine. “We’ll return to the manor then.” Lord Nazel and I headed back inside with Solis. The maids would clean up the blanket we’d laid out and everything else.

When I discreetly looked behind me, Torre and Liliane were discussing something, both of their faces flushed red. From the looks of it, nothing bad was going on.

“That was quite a forceful statement coming from you, Agnes. I was honestly surprised.”

I looked up at Lord Nazel with Solis in my arms.

“I tried imitating Princess Mia, but I was actually quite nervous...”

“I think it was perfect for those two. Besides, no matter how you behave, you’re nothing like former Princess Mia. After all, you did this for their sake. Good job.”

I gently leaned against Lord Nazel.

***

Some time later, Solis became able to stand up while holding on to something. Right now, he was practicing walking with me in the nursery. Lord Nazel was also next to us.

“This way, Solis. Yes, you’re doing great!”

“Buh!”

I was crouching a short distance from him, and Solis was trying his best to walk over to me.

He’s so cute...

I smiled as I beckoned the toddling Solis over. Lord Nazel was observing us with a relaxed smile of his own.

“Looks like Solis will be able to walk soon,” he said.

“Yes. He still falls down on his back halfway through, but his walking has become steadier.”

“Dah! Buh! Gah!” As if to affirm this, Solis made some happy sounds. He continued practicing how to walk for a while, but he likely got tired, as his eyes soon looked drowsy.

I picked Solis up and moved him to his cradle.

“Good night, Solis.”

Solis fell asleep easily, and he quickly dozed off. He resembled me in this aspect.

“Since Solis is asleep, how about we spend some leisurely time together for the first time in a while?” Lord Nazel suggested.

“O-Okay...”

We left Solis to the maids, and the two of us headed to our bedroom. Once we were inside, Lord Nazel embraced me tightly.

“Um, Lord Nazel...”

“It’s been a while since I could monopolize you like this, since I’ve been busy with work lately, and we’ve been looking after Solis together. Of course, Solis is simply adorable, but I’ve been wanting to spend more time with you too.”

“After Solis was born, we also had the problems with Master Robin and the storm, so things have been difficult.” Once I was released from Lord Nazel’s arms, I urged him to sit down next to me on the sofa.

“Agnes...”

“Lord Nazel.”

As we gazed at each other, we both went in for a kiss.

“Mm... Mm? Mnh?!”

However, Lord Nazel’s kiss was deeper than I expected. He must have noticed my unrest, yet not only did he not let go of my lips, he even grabbed my arms and pinned me to the sofa. He was definitely doing it on purpose.

“Mmh! Mgh!”

“You’re so cute, Agnes. Really, really cute...” Even though he hadn’t had any alcohol, Lord Nazel was talking as if he were drunk.

I had no idea at the time that the maids working at our estate were gossiping about how we were going to be having our second child soon.

Side Story 1: Wyvern Love

“Daaah!” Solis could crawl so fast that the panicked maids had to jog to chase after him. He moved his arms and legs skillfully, maneuvering quickly to weave through the narrow paths between pieces of furniture.

“Oh dear, Lord Solis. Let’s get you changed.”

“Buh!”

“Please stop!”

Even today, Solis was cheerfully crawling around the nursery. It seemed that he disliked getting changed. I rolled up my sleeves and joined the rest in the attempt to capture Solis.

“Hmph, it’s far too early for you to evade adults. Mrs. Holly, we’re going to flank him!” I said.

“Yes, leave it to me.”

Mrs. Holly and I approached Solis from opposite directions.

“You can’t escape anymore, Solis.”

“Eh heh heh, Lord Solis. Let’s change your diaper too while we’re at it.”

“Boo!” Solis loudly booed us two immature adults. I felt like we were somehow understanding each other, but at the same time weren’t.

For now, we safely captured Solis thanks to our pincer attack and changed his diaper.

“Phew. Thank you for everything you always do, Mrs. Holly and all you maids.”

“Oh, it was nothing; this is our job. Once you catch Lord Solis, he stays obedient,” Mrs. Holly replied.

“Lord Solis is a relatively easy baby to raise, truly,” said one of the maids with many years of experience, though it could have been pure flattery... “He’s been crying less lately, and he’s usually in a good mood. He always puts us at ease. He also gets along well with Master Pilia.”

Pilia was Mrs. Holly’s third son, an obedient baby who slept easily and was the same age as Solis. He was apparently fairly quiet, and the two of them could be seen crawling side by side.

Mrs. Holly worked together with the maids to look after Solis and her own children. I often had to go out to various places; I could do my job as the margravine thanks to them.

“Are you going out now, Lady Agnes?” Mrs. Holly asked.

“I am. Maintenance on the mountbeast stable in town has finished, so the mountbeasts we’ve been sheltering in our garden will be returned there. I’m going to help out.”

“Oh my, take care.”

Mrs. Holly and the maids saw me off as I left for the garden. Lord Nazel had used his magic to create stables out of plants, where the mountbeasts, including Geni’s parents, could take shelter. There weren’t only wyverns but also plenty of pegasi. Even Geni, who should have been in his own stable, had moved in together with Lord Davier’s wyvern. Ever since the mountbeasts had been brought here, Geni had been spending a lot of time with her. He’d often visited her at the stable in town to begin with, and the two of them were close. It seemed that Lord Davier’s calm wyvern was also opening her heart to Geni.

“Geni... Hmm? Doesn’t his skin seem kind of darker?” Geni’s skin was normally a light pink, but it was dyed a deep, gaudy pink at the moment. “Th-This is...a premonition of love!” I remembered a page about wyverns I’d once read in a field guide. When wyverns courted a mate, their body coloration temporarily became darker. “Oh, Geni. So you like her.”

When I looked closely, Lord Davier’s wyvern was also a slightly darker shade of purple.

“Looks like their love is mutual.” I felt warm inside as I gazed at the two wyverns.

But she will be returning to the mountbeast stable in town today. I felt a little sorry for them since they would be living apart. Can’t they live here together? Wyverns were clever manabeasts.

After being defeated by Lord Nazel, Lord Davier had been sent to Peppel Island, a solitary island where criminals were exiled to. Since leaving the island was forbidden, he hadn’t been able to take his wyvern with him, since they’re capable of flight. Therefore, she’d ended up falling into Sutrena’s custody. Although she’d adapted considerably to her new environment, she probably still had complex feelings about Lord Nazel, so she’d been entrusted to the mountbeast stable in town. However, when I watched her frolicking with Geni, I felt that it might be okay for her to stay with us.

There weren’t any particular problems while she was taking shelter here either.

I approached the purple wyvern.

“Hey, would you like to live here with Geni?”

The wyvern looked at me curiously and replied with a questioning noise.

“If you’d like, I’ll try talking it over with Lord Nazel and the stable staff.”

She replied with another noise.

While we were talking, Geni casually joined the conversation. He clearly wanted to live with her. The purple wyvern went along with him and also slowly moved her head up and down. It seemed that she was saying yes.

“Very well.”

I went to discuss the matter of the wyverns with the staff who’d come to pick up the mountbeasts. As a result, I easily got approval for them to live together. Lord Nazel, who’d come to check up on things, also said it was fine. Apparently, if two wyverns were compatible, there was a good chance of them having a kid. Wyverns were precious in Sutrena, so it was desirable to increase their population.

I immediately went to tell the two of them that they could live together.

“Starting from today, you two can live here together. We can’t have you living in a temporary stable forever, so we’ll expand Geni’s stable so that both of you can live in it.”

The wyverns replied with sounds of excitement. It seemed that I’d somehow managed to get through to them. The two of them happily flapped their wings; the wind pressure was incredible.

A wyvern baby, huh? I’m looking forward to it. What are their eggs like? Judging from how those two got along, perhaps it wouldn’t be long until we got to see their offspring.

And so, our garden gained yet another inhabitant. Incidentally, Dunk looked completely unconcerned and was just single-mindedly eating grass next to the field.

Side Story 2: Life on Peppel Island

The weather on Peppel Island was as tranquil as usual. It got stormy out in the ocean, but the climate in the vicinity of the island was mild all year round.

Mia was quietly reading a book on the beach, sitting under the shade of a tree on a handcrafted chair she’d brought. That was about all the entertainment that could be found on this island. She was currently reading a book from Davier’s house. Technically speaking, the house wasn’t his, but since he was the current inhabitant, that was what everyone called it. Davier was a calm man with firm convictions. He was a bit too distant for Mia to call him a childhood friend, but perhaps because they knew each other’s past, she felt at ease when she was with him.

And when I’m really in trouble, he always manages to help me out. Mia looked at her suntanned right leg; a conspicuous scar ran from her thigh to her calf.

Not everyone on this island was born and raised here. It was a penal colony, so people who’d committed relatively serious crimes were occasionally brought here. The most recently arrived inmate was a soldier who’d assaulted a noble in the capital. The fact that he’d been forced to do his job under the orders of a malicious noble had been taken into account, so he’d been exiled instead of executed.

However, that soldier had been dissatisfied with the decision to send him to Peppel Island. He held a grudge against the country and the royal family, so he’d turned a blade against Mia, a former member of royalty. It was quite a nuisance considering she had already been removed from the royal family. Fortunately, the islanders had subdued the soldier, but Mia had been terribly injured and on the brink of losing her life because of the excessive bleeding. When everyone had been about to give up, Davier had treated Mia’s injury and saved her life. Luckily, she hadn’t been cut in a vital spot, so she could still walk using a cane, while managing the lingering pain from the injury.

Mia didn’t know the specifics of what had happened to the man who’d attacked her. Davier had told her with a smile that she didn’t need to worry about it, so she believed that he’d dealt with the man appropriately, just like he’d always handled problems back when he’d lived in the capital. Mia hadn’t seen the ex-soldier around the island ever since.

Davier is strong. He’s known as an intelligent and gentle young man here on the island, but he’s skilled enough to compete with that annoying Nazelbart. In other words, he wouldn’t lose to some criminal sent to the island.

As Mia was lost in thought, she heard a cheerful voice nearby.

“Oh, Mia, ya were here?”

Mia glanced up to check and saw one of the islanders: Largo, the daughter of the island’s toolmaker. She was the one who’d made Mia’s cane.

“Do you need something from me?” Mia asked.

“Yah, some weird thing washed up on the beach, and I thought ya might know somethin’ about it, so I came to ask.”

“Something ‘weird,’ you say?” Mia stood up, wondering what it could be.

“Is yer leg already fine, Mia?”

“Yes. Davier has forbidden running, but I don’t have any problems walking slowly. I will need to use a cane for a while, though.”

“Then it’s faster if I show ya. This way.” Largo took Mia down a path overgrown with tropical plants. The sunlight was intense. “Mia, seems that ya can walk just fine normally. Davier’s just too worried about ya.”

“Y-You think so?”

“Yah, when other islanders have gotten injured, he’s been more...relaxed. But when ya were bleedin’ and passed out, Davier got paler than I’d ever seen him.”

“Really?!” Mia’s heart pounded loudly. Without meaning to, she suddenly became very conscious of Davier. He’s just fussing about me because I used to be the princess, that’s all. At the moment, she had no value as royalty.

Mia calmed her heart and picked up the pace. Soon, she could see a broken boat washed up on the beach.

“That’s it! It’s different from the usual ship,” Largo pointed out.

It was certainly unlike the ship that regularly delivered provisions to the island. This boat was smaller and had a different design.

“Did a fishing boat go astray, perhaps? There’s no one on board...” Was it a civilian fishing boat? Mia wanted to get Davier’s opinion too. “I’m curious about the details. I’m going to ask Davier.”

“Gotcha. I’m gonna search through the boat with my buddies. There could be somethin’ strange aboard. If we find anythin’ nice, we’ll get your share too.”

“Thank you,” Mia replied after a pause.

As usual, Largo was brimming with curiosity and cheerfully ran up to the boat. It seemed that to the islanders, this wrecked boat and the ship that regularly came by were the same.

Mia turned back and headed toward Davier’s house. She walked along a narrow, sunny path toward the mountain. Large red flowers, each the size of an adult’s palm, were in full bloom on both sides of the road. After walking for a while, she suddenly heard a rustling sound from a nearby thicket. Then, something plump jumped out toward her with great force.

“Eep! What was that?” Mia screamed and jumped back. Was it one of the island’s animals? Her right leg hurt from the sudden movement.

It turned out that several large caterpillars had jumped out of the thicket.

They aren’t ordinary caterpillars... Are they manabeasts?

The plump caterpillars were about as big as a child’s arm. Although Mia could tolerate them better than when she’d first come to this island, she still loathed bugs—especially oversized bugs that looked like manabeasts.

“Eeeeeek!” Mia’s scream echoed across the entire island.

The startled caterpillars all spit threads at Mia to intimidate her. Perhaps because they were large, their threads were significantly thicker than those of ordinary caterpillars. The sticky threads fell onto Mia, who screamed again and fell on her backside. The caterpillars were probably panicking too, as they never stopped spitting their thread. At this rate, Mia would end up completely covered in thread. Even if she wanted to stand up, her cane had fallen out of her hand and rolled away, so she couldn’t grab it. Despair overtook her.

What should I do? Will I end up getting turned into a cocoon? The sheltered Mia had no idea what to do at a moment like this, and she was left paralyzed. She unconsciously shut her eyes. I’m done for! I’m in such a state of shock, I feel like I’ll pass out...

But the next moment, someone’s hand grabbed Mia’s shoulder. She was forcefully pulled back and away from the caterpillars. Her fading consciousness started gradually becoming clear. She then saw someone standing between her and the caterpillars.

“Y-You...”

Davier was the one protecting Mia; he must have come after hearing her scream.

“I was really surprised and rushed over. Just what is going on here?” he asked.

“These caterpillars suddenly jumped out in front of me. So...” Mia started explaining while clearing away the countless threads on her body.

“You were surprised and both sides panicked?”

“Exactly.”

Perhaps Davier’s intervention was fortunate, as the caterpillars also seemed to calm down, slowly crossed the road, and left. His magic allowed him to control any kind of small animal, and in the process, he could even communicate with them to a certain extent. Mia had been unaware that insects also counted as small animals... She suspected that Davier could use his magic to escape from Peppel Island, but he had no intention of leaving. King Bertrand understood that, so ever since passing his verdict, he hadn’t interfered in Davier’s affairs.

Davier nonchalantly turned around.

“Those were fat crawlers, harmless caterpillar manabeasts unique to Peppel Island. They turn into large azure butterflies.”

“Come to think of it, I’ve seen large butterflies on this island.”

“These manabeasts only eat leaves from the island’s trees or weeds; they don’t cause any harm to humans,” Davier explained, “but they’re timid, so they spit their thread when startled.”

“They were too large for maggots.”

“They’re manabeasts, so it’s only natural that they’re bigger than ordinary insects. Heave-ho.” Davier placed his hands under Mia’s arms and pulled her up to her feet. He then picked up the cane she’d dropped.

“Thank you,” Mia eventually said. With Davier always taking care of her, her heart felt unstable. Her feelings for him were clearly different from the time she’d been smitten with Robin.

Before coming here, I only had eyes for Robin’s good side and didn’t notice his selfish behavior... No, I tried not to notice, because I was afraid to admit it. If she’d accepted the truth, the reality that she hadn’t truly been loved and had instead been just a convenient pawn for him would have become clear. And she’d hated that thought.

When Mia had been in love with Robin, she’d constantly been jealous and had no peace of mind. Even though she’d loved him, she’d always been in pain. The only times she’d felt even a little calm had been when Robin used his magic on her. However, it was different with Davier. When she was with him, she felt at ease even without doing anything.

“Are you injured, Lady Mia?”

“I’m all right. Thank you for helping me.”

After Mia had pointed out that Davier had been calling her “Your Highness,” he’d switched to “Lady Mia.” She’d told him that he didn’t need to be so formal anymore, but he’d adamantly refused. His weird sense of virtue might have been at work again.

Davier looked at Mia with worry, even though she’d told him she was fine.

“Oh yes, a wrecked boat washed up on the beach, but I can’t tell where it’s from...” Mia said.

“That’s unusual. Let’s go take a look.”

By this time, the islanders might have already scavenged anything of value that had been aboard the boat. They acted on their curiosity and seemed to think that everything that drifted here from the outside world was a blessing to them.

“But before that...” Davier stared at Mia. “Let’s do something about the way you look. You’re covered in fine thread from head to toe.”

Mia didn’t say a word. It definitely looked like she needed to get changed and wash up. It was really unpleasant, but since she was going to be living on this island, she had to get used to it.

“Haaah, I suppose I have no other choice.” Mia chatted with Davier as they headed to her house together. She took the hand that he naturally offered to her and started walking on the unpaved path. She used her other hand to hold her cane.

Perhaps Davier found himself unable to stay indifferent to Mia walking unsteadily, because...

“Excuse me,” he said as he picked her up.

“Wh-Wha—” Mia stammered.

“At this rate, it will already be dark by the time you get home.”

“I’m not that slow!” Mia protested as they continued down the path with the bright red flowers.

Birds were chirping and insects were buzzing all around them. Peppel Island was the same as usual: a fully rural and remote place.

The overall food variety on the island had increased. However, when it came to actual cooking, self-sufficiency was still the standard, so the food Mia ate every day was far from the cuisine prepared by the first-class chefs of the royal palace. Both Mia and her mother were terrible at cooking. As expected, Davier was the one who could prepare the most decent dishes. However, he was whimsical, so he only cooked when he felt like it. He probably realized that if he casually cooked for them every day, his home would become a dining room for Mia and her mother. It seemed that Davier wanted the two women to be independent, yet he would freely lend a hand when they were really in trouble.

What an incomprehensible man. Still, Mia liked Davier significantly more than Nazelbart, who was incomprehensible in a different way. Of course, she’d never say so in front of him. I’m sure Davier doesn’t want that either. I’m selfish, with a prior relationship, and even have a child... She couldn’t expect as much as before. However, Mia felt the most natural in front of Davier, and she’d started to think that this life was surprisingly not so bad.

Side Story 3: Sutrena’s Taro-Throwing Contest

Sutrena would be holding a taro-throwing contest as a part of a regional revitalization initiative. People would compete to see who could throw a taro the farthest without using any magic.

This will end with Lord Nazel’s overwhelming victory, won’t it? Or so I thought, but he wouldn’t be participating because he was one of the contest’s organizers. In that case, things might not be so unfair. Still, Torre is really strong too.

The contest would be using pink taros that had been improved for throwing. They were the kind I’d originally carried with me for self-defense. Pink taros weren’t inedible, but they were really hard and tasted earthy, so they weren’t that enjoyable. Until now, I’d only seen Polpystan’s big hoppers eat one of them in its entirety.

However, I’d intentionally asked Lord Nazel to produce a large amount of this variety. I’d have felt guilty making throwing weapons out of ordinary tubers that we used for cooking, but since these particular pink taros weren’t meant for consumption, I could throw them without reserve. They were tough, had uniform shapes, and could be preserved easily. Even if they fell on the ground, they wouldn’t start budding on their own. I could also easily apply my absolute reinforcement on them. They were truly the perfect self-defense tubers.

These pink taros had originally been created so that I could walk around with them in my pocket, but recently, the maids had also started carrying around their own self-defense tubers. Some time ago, reinforced yams had been used for self-defense, but pink taros had become very popular with women lately because they were easy to carry, readily available, and also looked cute. Lord Nazel had made them pink because he thought I would look cute carrying them around. He’d tried several colors, but pink had felt the most fitting.

The pink taro boom had started in Sutrena when the people had seen Furla, a manabeast exterminator, using them aggressively, so they’d asked our estate about them. Since then, pink taros had started being sold to the general public too. Former maids who had become independent as merchants sold the self-defense tubers in town. These women had great communication skills and excellent business sense, so sales were apparently increasing. Recently, even Kelly had been keeping self-defense tubers in her pocket. Incidentally, Liliane’s magic was really powerful, so she didn’t carry any tubers around. Although she appeared ladylike, she was actually quite the bold young woman.

With this and that, the day of the taro-throwing contest approached. There were divisions for men, women, and children. The crowd favorites were Torre for the men’s division, and Furla for the women’s division.

Will Solis be able to participate once he’s a little older?

I wasn’t going to participate, but I was scheduled to throw a tuber during the opening ceremony to liven things up. This was also part of the margravine’s work. I wouldn’t be using my absolute reinforcement this time, so I doubted I would throw it very far. Lord Nazel had just told me about this when I visited the fort.

“Heh heh, I can’t wait to watch Agnes throw a taro.”

As a matter of fact, Lord Nazel was the one who’d arbitrarily planned for me to participate in the opening ceremony. It was blatant abuse of his authority, but for some reason, the people supported his decision, most notably the sculptors.

“What do I do if I throw the taro in the wrong direction?” I asked.

“That’s also fine. I think you’re also cute when you throw tubers off course.”

That’s fine? What Lord Nazel considered acceptable became more incomprehensible to me with each passing year.

And so, the day of the taro-throwing contest finally arrived. Lord Nazel and I were on standby in the waiting room. The plaza in front of the fortress was being used as the venue. Paul and Ryuk, two of the staff, had been called in for live commentary. They’d probably been assigned to the position because they were newbies.

Will those two be okay? Neither of them strike me as the commentator type. I was feeling nervous.

The opening ceremony was held, and then I moved to the center of the plaza to throw my taro. I held it at the ready, feeling a little nervous.

“H-Hup!” Although I should have thrown the taro straight ahead, for some reason its trajectory ended up diagonal.

“Uh-oh! The taro flew toward the fortress! Elder sister, you were off course!” Paul’s merciless commentary was clearly audible.

Eeeep!

It seemed that the taro I threw really did go in the wrong direction. I could see Lord Nazel grinning with a relaxed expression in the audience.

“U-Um... That is all. This concludes the opening ceremony!” Paul boldly brought the proceedings to a forceful end.

I returned to Lord Nazel in low spirits.

“You were simply adorable,” he said with flushed cheeks. His strange words of encouragement didn’t bring me any comfort at all.

Next up, the men’s division for those aged ten or older began. The participants split into groups and took turns throwing taros. They were all giving it their best. And then, the lanky Mister Henry went out.

Will Mister Henry be okay?! And hold on, he’s participating?! It seemed that he was taking part as the representative of the fortress in Lord Nazel’s place. The taro he threw was predictably unsteady, but he got surprisingly good results.

“He’s currently in second place!” Paul and Ryuk in the commentator seats were also excited.

Mrs. Holly and their sons, who’d come to cheer on Mister Henry, were delighted. Incidentally, a veteran maid and Liliane were watching Solis at home today. Although Liliane had returned as a handmaiden, it seemed that she was still reluctant to appear in front of a large crowd. Her wedding had also been a small one attended by only a few acquaintances from Sutrena. In any case, that was how Mister Henry’s entire family was in the audience.

“The next group is the last one in the men’s division.”

Cheers erupted from the audience. Torre, the crowd favorite, appeared. He rotated his arms as warm-up and readied his taro, then...

“And he threw it!”

Torre’s taro flew forward at incredible speed. His control was also great.

“As expected of Mister Torre! It’s a new record! He jumps up to first place just like that!” Paul’s commentary was passionate along with more cheers from the audience. “Torre is the victor of the men’s division!” The audience gave a grand applause.

Next up was the women’s division. The participants took turns throwing their taros with fluid movements. Furla was considered the crowd favorite, but since this contest didn’t allow her to use her magic that made objects float, her record wasn’t that impressive. I could hear her screaming in frustration even from a distance. Mrs. Holly joined the contest without me even realizing, and I was surprised to see that she achieved a relatively good result. And perhaps because she was used to handling tubers, our chef Mather also did great.

“Time for the next group!”

Lord Nazel and I looked toward the next participant. Lo and behold, it was Kelly’s turn.

“Do your best, Kelly!”

She readied her taro with a serious expression, then threw it straight ahead with perfect form. It was a good ball, er, taro throw.

“Miss Kellyyy!”

“You’re incredible! Magnificent!”

“It flew really far!”

“You’re so dashing!”

“You’re the best!”

Paul and Ryuk shouted in turns. Their commentary had a lot of their personal feelings mixed in and showed blatant favoritism.

Kelly, the dark horse, jumped up to first place and subsequently held on to her position and came out the winner. By the way, Mrs. Holly and Mister Henry’s eldest son won the children’s division. I was surprised that so many people I knew had won. Each winner received a trophy modeled after a taro, as well as a small amount of prize money.

And so, the taro-throwing contest came to an end with great success. I saw the sculptors discussing a “Statue of the Margravine Throwing a Taro in the Wrong Direction,” which had me really worried... I felt sure Lord Nazel would give permission for its construction... At the moment, there were margravine statues all over the central town of Sutrena, and although I’d shuddered at the sight at first, I’d gotten used to them by now.

“Now then, Agnes, I need to take care of various things after the contest,” Lord Nazel said.

“I’ll help!”

“No, it’s mainly manual labor like putting back all of the equipment, so I’ll be having the male fortress staff take care of it.”

It seemed that I wouldn’t be of much use. I was wondering whether I should go home, when Lord Nazel said that he’d come up with a good idea and smiled meaningfully. At times like this, he was usually thinking of something worthless. That was what my past experience and intuition were telling me.

“I want you to be by my side while I give out orders,” he said.

“Can you really call that help?”

“Of course. My motivation and efficiency will shoot right up. Also, please tell me if you notice anything from your perspective.”

“But...” I looked around me wondering if this was okay, but the staff welcomed me with open arms, saying that Lord Nazel was really kind when I was there. But as far as I know, Lord Nazel is always kind. As I carefully observed his face, he noticed my gaze and I made eye contact with his amber eyes.

“You’ll make me blush if you stare at me like that. I suppose I should have you make up for it and do a bit of work,” he said and hugged me from behind. He still gave his subordinates precise instructions while doing that.

“Um...does this really count as work?”

“Of course. I feel really soothed right now.”

Lord Nazel’s behavior had been getting more and more extreme lately. However, not only was no one stopping it, but it was officially recognized and even welcomed at this point. The staff members passing by thanked me and gave me a thumbs-up before leaving. Lord Nazel didn’t let go of me the entire time.

“Gosh, Lord Nazel. Will you please stop— Eep?!” As I turned around while still in his arms, I saw Lord Nazel’s handsome face right in front of me. And it seemed that he was slowly getting closer. “Mnh...” By the time I realized, he had already snatched a kiss.

I-In this kind of place? I was worried that we were standing out, but it seemed that the staff continued working while avoiding looking at us. Apparently, anything went if it increased Lord Nazel’s efficiency.

After that, until all of the work settled down, I spent my time glued to Lord Nazel as he dealt with the cleaning up.

Afterword

Hello, this is Ageha Sakura. Thank you very much for purchasing volume 6 of Lady Bumpkin and Her Lord Villain!

As you may have noticed from looking at the cover, there’s a cute baby in this volume! Yes, it’s Agnes and Nazelbart’s kid! Kurodeko drew him absolutely adorable! In the web novel side story, I wrote about Solis being a little older, but here he starts off as a proper baby. Even at the age of zero, he’s showing a promising future just a hair’s breadth away from danger. He’s still a baby, but I’d like to gradually develop his individuality.

I don’t have any children, so I wrote this volume while researching about babies and trying out many different things. I gathered information from various sources, like looking up things online and asking people with kids, but I apologize if I got things wrong. It might be a bit late to bring this up now, but I’ve been researching a lot of things since the pregnancy in volume 5. It was difficult to have Agnes go on long trips or do anything reckless while she was pregnant or with a little baby, so I was worried about how I’d have her play an active role.

Robin returned this time, and he’s grown up into a slightly wild guy with a stubble. He’s been mentally and physically jostled by the men in the Sempli Convent, and he’s grown just a bit stronger. Defi, the one helping him escape, is an outstanding, handsome guy—setting aside his lack of motivation. This was essentially his debut, but the frontispiece and illustrations were so cool that I couldn’t help but smile. Also, Mia and Davier ended up like that in the side story, ha ha.

The first four volumes of the manga adaptation of Lady Bumpkin by Narina Nanaura are currently on sale. It’s a great manga, so I hope you give it a try too!

Once again, I’d like to express my sincerest gratitude to the editor in charge for all the help (and I’m sorry as always). With the introduction of the baby, I started wondering how I should move Agnes around and froze up, so I’m truly grateful for the help. I’d also like to thank Kurodeko for always drawing uplifting illustrations, the designer for their amazing work, everyone involved in the publication and sale of Lady Bumpkin, and all the readers for purchasing this book. Thanks to all of your support, Lady Bumpkin has finally reached its sixth volume. I thank you from the bottom of my heart!

I hope that we meet again.

Ageha Sakura