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467 – 「So I’m Better Than Nothing」

 

The Imperial Castle was extremely vast. The area covered by this building… no, calling it a building might be misleading. A structure? Anyway, the area covered by the Imperial Castle was incredibly large. I heard that it would take several days to walk from one end to the other.

Therefore, within the Imperial Castle, existed several dedicated means of transportation. These included things like trains and flying taxis. However, this time, our destination was a place that could be reached in a few minutes on foot without using such transportation.

「This area is still part of the Imperial Army’s district, right?」

「Yes. My family has held important military positions for generations, so we have been granted a private space in this district.」

「Like a vacation home?」

「It’s not as glamorous as that. It’s just a space intended to make it easier to be on duty at all times so we can respond immediately.」

「I see…?」

In other words, it’s a slightly luxurious private nap space set up at the workplace…? So, the Imperial Army was an abusive megacorporation all this time… No, It’s probably something different.

As I listened to Serena’s explanation, we arrived at a gate where a soldier who was clearly not of the Imperial Army was standing guard. How did I know he was different? For starters, the uniform was different. It was a uniform that had a ceremonial feel to it, it looked quite expensive with a lot of glittering decorations. You could say it had a sense of luxury.

「Didn’t you say it wasn’t glamorous?」

「If it were too shabby, that would be inconvenient in its own way… We will pass through.」

「Yes, please go ahead!」

We passed through the checkpoint, saluted by soldiers who appeared to be private guards of Marquis Holz House and stepped into the so-called private section of the Holz household.

「…You said it wasn’t glamorous.」

「By the standards of the imperial capital, this is quite modest, really.」

Serena sighed in response to my comment as I looked at the place curiously. The place was clearly luxurious: an antique-looking wooden floor with a pristine carpet, historic-looking lamps on the ceiling, expensive-looking furniture and paintings, and vases filled with what were presumably real flowers. It was undoubtedly an opulent place that made even high-end hotels look dingy by comparison. If this is considered modest, I can’t even imagine what a place she considers luxurious must look like. Would it be so dazzling that I couldn’t keep my eyes open?

「It has a calming atmosphere.」

「This is calming for you…?」

「Kugi, you’re quite the character.」

Mimi and Elma were taken aback and a bit exasperated by Kugi, who was leisurely wagging her tails. To think that at first, she was flustered by staying in a slightly upscale hotel… look at her now, completely unperturbed by this level of luxury. This mental fortitude must be thanks to the training to become a psionic user… No, maybe Kugi was just naturally like this. Yeah, that must be it.

「I heard Chris is already here.」

「Yes, it seems she has already arrived with her two guards. They should be in the reception room.」

With that, Serena walked ahead confidently without hesitation. This place must feel like home to her. Well, it’s situated within the military district, and she likely uses this private section often when staying in the imperial capital.

We passed a few maids as we headed deeper into the section, and Serena finally stopped in front of a door. She knocked three times.

「It’s Serena. I’m coming in.」

「Go ahead.」

A familiar voice came from the other side of the door. Following Serena into the reception room, I saw Chris. She stood up from the sofa and turned her gaze toward us with a smile.

「It seems the inquiry ended without any issues. I’m relieved.」

「Yeah, somehow. It felt like an invisible hand from way up high was involved though…」

I glanced at Serena as I said this. She closed her eyes and shrugged. It seemed she didn’t know anything about it, but her lack of denial suggested she had similar suspicions.

「Dad might know something about it. By the way, is that person Christina’s guard?」

「Yes. Edeltrud, please introduce yourself.」

「Yes, Lady Christina. I am Edeltrud of the Baron Krause House, a vassal of Earl Dareinwald House. Lady Serena, Lord Hiro, and everyone else, it is a pleasure to meet you.」

Chris’s female knight escort made a graceful bow as she introduced herself. She was a beautiful woman with dark brown, almost black, curly hair that reached her shoulders. She appeared to be human and seemed a bit younger than me… maybe quite a bit younger? Perhaps around twenty years old or so.

「A vassal… um, what was that again? Like a subordinate in a noble sense or something?」

「That’s about right. The Earl Dareinwald House is a local lord that owns multiple star systems. Underneath us are noble families that manage one or several of our star systems or support the administration of the Earl Dareinwald House. These noble families are called vassals. The Earl Dareinwald House acts as the leader and protects the vassal families and the vassals support us.」

「I see.」

So, the Earl Dareinwald House basically acts like a parent company, overseeing multiple noble families like subsidiaries? Well, I get the relationship between Chris and Edeltrud now. It’s like a subsidiary’s president’s daughter is accompanying the heir of the parent company as a bodyguard. As for Edeltrud’s fighting skills… well, honestly, they don’t seem very good. Chris might actually be stronger than her. This is probably because Chris has undergone more extensive physical enhancements, just my hunch though.

「Hiro-sama, sit here. Everyone else take a sit as well, please.」

「Thank you.」

Chris moved aside slightly and patted the spot where she had been sitting, so I obediently sat there. Hmm, the seat is warm. I can feel Chris’s warmth. Serena was about to sit next to me on the opposite side of Chris, but then she seemed to remember something and instead sat across the table from us. Oh, right. If Serena’s father is coming, it wouldn’t be appropriate for her to sit next to me. In the end, Mimi, prompted by Serena’s gestures, sat next to me, and Elma sat beside her. Kugi took the seat next to Chris. Even with five people sitting, this sofa still has some space left. It’s pretty comfortable too, as expected of a marquis’s household. They use good furniture.

The maids efficiently served everyone what appeared to be very high-quality tea. As we sipped our tea and talked with Chris about the inquiry for a while, there was a knock on the door.

「Come in.」

A moment after Serena responded, the door opened, and everyone except Kugi and me stood up. Wait, are those the correct manners here? I hurriedly stood up to greet the newcomer, and I noticed that Kugi had also somehow managed to stand up in the meantime.

「Hello, everyone. Nice to see you again. Please, have a seat.」

The person who urged us to sit was the one who had chaired the inquiry earlier. So, this man is Serena’s Dad. Before he could say anything, the maids promptly replaced all our tea. They changed the teacups and everything without making a sound or seeming hurried. Maids really are impressive.

「Although we met earlier, I didn’t introduce myself. I am Marquis Laurenz Holz, the head of the Holz House. It’s a pleasure, Captain.」

「The pleasure is mine. However, I must admit, I am not well-versed in the etiquette appropriate for interacting with a noble of your stature, Marquis. I will do my best to avoid any rudeness, but I ask for your understanding in advance.」

「Ah, there’s no need to worry about that. I am a military man myself. If I worried about such things, I wouldn’t be able to receive reports from my subordinates. While formalities may be necessary in official settings, this is a private occasion. Feel free to speak normally.」

「Thank you very much.」

As I bowed my head slightly to thank him, I secretly observed the smiling Marquis Laurenz Holz. He was a handsome middle-aged man with short-cropped blonde hair and blue eyes. He looked quite young—almost like there was no more than a ten-year age difference between us. His youthful appearance was probably due to the enhancement treatments that nobles receive, or some form of anti-aging technique… Nobles are really something.

After that, I introduced Mimi and the others.

「Uh…?」

「Well, I mean, she’s really the spitting image of her…」

Laurenz seemed a bit taken aback and was even sweating a little as he looked at Mimi. Well, she does look exactly like Princess Luciada. Given that she’s been more active publicly lately, it wouldn’t be surprising if the head of the Holz House had met her in person.

「Ahem. Well, the reason I called this meeting and gathered you all here is none other than to talk about the future of my foolish daughter.」

「Isn’t calling me ‘foolish daughter’ a bit harsh?」

「Serena, you literally stomped on every marriage proposal Hilde and I arranged for you, joined the military on your own, made a name for yourself as a brave commander, and even now, you have no known lover or significant other. For a typical noble daughter, your behavior warrants being called a foolish daughter.」

「…」

This is how you shut up someone, everyone. Serena was at a loss for words, her face contorting as if she had swallowed a bitter insect.

「While female officers in the Imperial Army are not uncommon, the elite female officers usually are assigned to the Imperial Guard. Yet, she specifically requested to be assigned to a dangerous frontier fleet and even used her achievements to form the Independent Mobile Anti-Pirate Fleet, engaging in bloody battles all over the Empire. Did you know, Captain? In the circles of Imperial nobles, my daughter is known as the ‘Mad Dog of the Holz House,’ the ‘Bloodstained Maiden,’ and the ‘Pirate Eater.’ These are hardly the nicknames an unmarried noblewoman should have.」

「That’s a bit hard to comment on.」

Honestly, there’s nothing I can deny here. I seem to recall stories about her beating down every potential marriage candidate she was presented with.

「Well, and then you came along. You might hold only an honorary title, but you are still a Viscount and have a good relationship with the military. Among the notoriously difficult Platinum Rankers, you are considered quite reasonable too. The fact that you played a significant role in quelling the rebellion of Earl Ixamal House with Serena, and you have worked with her multiple times before, shows that you are skilled enough for her to trust you.」

Here it comes. This is it. The ‘but’ is coming. I’m sure of it. He’s about to add some criticism here.

「It’s truly wonderful. I’m counting on you to take care of her from now on. Forming a connection with Earl Dareinwald House is excellent as well.」

「Uh, what? Oh, thank you?」

「You seem surprised. Think about it. Serena is beautiful and competent, but her standards are exceptionally high. At her age, not having a fiancé or even a marriage prospect is… well, you understand, right?」

The marquis looked at me with a troubled expression, seeking my agreement, while his daughter, blushing furiously, tried to smack him. This guy is deftly avoiding her blows without even looking, that’s really impressive, man.

「That’s why, from my perspective, I’m quite positive about this arrangement. My wife feels the same way. She’s relieved that someone capable of managing Serena has finally appeared. Of course, from the standpoint of the House’s head, you may not be the ideal match for my daughter. But you are a good one. It’s better than nothing.」

「So I’m better than nothing.」

「Yes, well, you’re not a formal noble. However, you have undeniable military accomplishments and achievements. His Majesty holds you in high regard. And…」

「And?」

「In the long history of the Empire, sometimes strange individuals appear, you could call them gifted nobodies or children of destiny, if you will. When they appeared, they became formidable allies or catastrophic enemies. Marquis Holz House has records of such individuals in its history.」

「Ah… I see.」

I glanced at Kugi, who looked back at me. I see, the individuals Marquis Holz is talking about are ‘them’.

「Therefore, you may proceed with your relationship with Serena. We will start by announcing your engagement first, I suppose? Currently, you’re married to Mimi-sam… Mimi-san, right? There are special provisions for couples when one becomes a noble after marriage. You can make use of those. The actual marriage will be in about two years, I think, we have to wait until Lady Christina comes of age.」

「I see… Wait, isn’t Chris already of age?」

I looked at Chris, who had a somewhat forced smile. She is definitely trying to play it off.

「If Lady Christina were a commoner, yes. But nobles come of age three years later than commoners. It’s mostly a formality, but having the next Countess Dareinwald pregnant before coming of age would be problematic.」

「…Chris?」

Chris turned her head away from me, avoiding my gaze. Hey, look at me when I’m talking to you!

「Well, two years will pass quickly. We’ll need that time to prepare for the wedding. Also, you need to greet Viscount Willrose House properly. The three families will need to collaborate to organize the ceremony.」

Laurenz watched us with a warm smile while I struggled to get Chris to look at me. Chris clung to Kugi, burying her face in Kugi’s chest, refusing to confront me.

Naughty girls who tell lies need to be punished. Kugi, stop protecting Chris by hugging her head.