Chapter 7: The Messengers from the Margrave
Letters from Margrave Huebner arrived so frequently it was sickening, and eventually, they escalated into outright commands.
What’s more, it seems he’ll even “graciously” prepare a carriage to pick me up. That damn bastard!
I still hadn’t managed to come up with an effective way to deal with Margrave Huebner’s commands.
My face, reflected in the mansion’s only mirror, grew more haggard with each passing day.
Today, too, a dull, haggard face stared back from the mirror. In normal times, I was reasonably handsome, but now, there was no trace of that left.
I met my own gaze, eyes as hollow as if it were the end of the world.
The end of the world?
Yes. The end of the world.
Cornelia is everything to me. For Cornelia’s sake, I would throw everything away. And yet…!
I even considered making an enemy of House Huebner. But if I did that, I’d just be crushed.
Has God abandoned me?
Well, that figures. I hate God with a passion too!
“Young Master…”
“I know. I’ll get ready soon…”
This haggard face. It’s like I’m a sick man, a specter. If I don’t improve my appearance even a little, Cornelia will worry.
As I watched my haggard self try to tidy my hair with a comb, it suddenly struck me.
―――Couldn’t I feign illness?
Right now, I’m merely haggard, but what if I had a face that clearly looked like that of a sick person?
And then, what if I told the arriving messenger that I’m too ill to move?
If need be, I could even say I inherited the illness of my frail father.
This might allow me to evade them the first time.
But what if they bring someone with a Healing Gift?
No, my father was a nobleman, however humble. They must have tried to cure his illness too. But his illness couldn’t be healed even by someone with a Healing Gift.
Could this work?
No, this is the only way!
“Old Man! From this moment on, I’m sick!”
“Yes…?”
“I’ll use illness to deal with the Margrave’s messenger. Tell him this: ‘Just like the late former head of the house, the Young Master is frail.'”
“I see! But… will they believe it?”
“From now until I meet the messenger, I won’t eat! I’ll cut down on sleep as much as possible too! That way, I should be able to deceive them!”
“But, Young Master…”
“No ifs, ands, or buts! Do you have any better ideas?”
“…”
“That’s your answer.”
From that day on, I abstained from food. I also cut my sleeping hours as much as possible. It was a silver lining that the time I saved allowed me to make progress dispelling the cursed item.
To think I was wasting that much Holy Power while I slept!
I’ll continue to cut my sleeping hours and hasten the dispelling of the cursed item. I must cure Cornelia’s Curse of the Evil God as quickly as possible!
However, my only regret is not being able to see Cornelia’s face. If I showed her a face like this, I’d only make her worry. No matter how painful, I must exercise self-control.
And so, one day, as I continued this lifestyle, the Margrave’s messenger arrived.
◇
“Greetings! Lord Baumgarten! You are to accompany us to the Margrave’s domain!”
The mansion door was opened without permission, and I heard the clanking of metal as people entered. They were probably Margrave Huebner’s messengers.
Good grief, barging in without so much as a greeting? They’re clearly looking down on me because I’m of lower rank.
“What is it?! Who are you people?!”
“We are messengers from Margrave Huebner-sama! Old man, take us to Lord Baumgarten at once!”
“Unless you prove your identity, I will not guide you to my master!”
“What did you say?!”
“Hold on, hold on. It’d be bad to kill him. This decrepit old geezer would probably die if we so much as hit him.”
Are these really messengers sent to a nobleman? Surely, they’re bandits or something of the sort? Is Margrave Huebner perhaps furious that his letters were ignored by a subordinate? Even so, his choice of personnel is atrocious.
“Here, old man, this is our proof. Even with that senile head of yours, you can recognize Margrave Huebner-sama’s crest, can’t you? Now, take us to Lord Baumgarten quickly!”
“Very well…”
I could hear the Old Man’s strained, anguished voice. This mansion is terribly drafty, after all. Conversations in the entrance hall carry all the way to my room.
The door clicked, then was thrown open with a bang.
“W-What are you doing?!”
“Just shut up, old man!”
“So, you’re Lord Baumgarten, eh? Still in bed at this hour? Don’t tell me you were cowering in fear?”
They have absolutely no manners. If I weren’t executing my feigned illness plan, I would have struck you down for your insolence, you know?
“Cough, cough… Messengers of Margrave Huebner-dono, I wish to obey the Margrave-sama’s command, but I am afflicted by illness… I apologize for not being able to be of service to the Margrave-sama… I have prepared a letter for him. I would like you to take it.”
“Huh?”
The pair of thuggish soldiers, who were messengers in name only, peered into my face.
“What d’you think?”
“His face is a wreck. Don’t think he’s lyin’, but… When’s this sickness gonna be cured?”
“Regrettably, much like my father, I am of frail constitution. I am always like this.”
“So, what do we do?”
“What d’ya mean, ‘what do we do’? Our orders are to bring that Bau… Lord Baumgarten. No two ways about it.”
“Please, wait. Cough, hack… I currently lack the stamina to endure a carriage ride. If I were to perish in the carriage, it would become a matter of who bears responsibility, would it not?”
“That’s…”
“I would gladly accept an honorable death in battle. But to lose my life to illness… that, I cannot bear. Gahack, Blehack…!”
“But…”
“Furthermore, if you remain near me, you might contract my illness. To bring harm to the Margrave-sama’s esteemed messengers-dono is something I could not…”
“H-Hey, is that true?!”
“W-We understand! We’ll be sure to deliver the letter to the Margrave-sama. Well then!”
The scum calling themselves messengers scurried away as if fleeing for their lives.
“Kuhuhuhahahahahaha! Did you see their faces, Old Man? They were terrified to their very core!”
“Goodness me, Young Master, you can be quite wicked. However, fufu… that was rather satisfying.”