Episode 38: Count Missgancia
Three days have passed since the moderately large adventure of taking down the Fortress Crab.
Having completely returned to my usual self, I decided to work hard at running the shop today as well.
Perhaps it’s due to the spring weather, but there weren’t many injured or sick people, and I finished by seeing five or six thugs and prostitutes…
Then, in the afternoon, around the time I finished eating, the doorbell rang.
When I opened the door…
“Whoa.”
“What do you mean, ‘whoa’? I am a Lord, you know. Honestly…”
The Lord had come…
Since he’s here, I’ll serve tea.
The tea leaves are homemade from the ‘Garden’.
The cups are simple white porcelain made with magic. Making dishes is one of my hobbies.
“So, what is it? If you have business, I’d prefer you summon me.”
The person I said that to was the Lord.
The Lord of this area… the Missgancia region, and the head of the noble faction known as the ‘Mercantilist Faction’.
Count Missgancia, Philip Zell Mortimer himself.
A middle-aged man with a beard and a sturdy build. Very noble-like.
The Mortimer family rose to nobility five generations ago, but even before that, they were a powerful local clan in the Missgancia area. Their combat abilities are probably quite high.
Hence, this physique.
A robust and valiant man who could pass for a warrior…
Well, nobles can’t survive if they’re not strong.
The chubby Viscount Gilmett I met before was a legal noble. Unlike nobles with territories, they don’t have land to protect, so they don’t get much criticism for being weak. Legal nobles are like bureaucrats.
But Count Missgancia is different.
He owns territory and is also a local governor. In other words, he’s also a military man and a general, so he can’t afford to be weak.
In terms of position, this person is a Count who controls multiple cities centered around Midford, and he has authority over and manages the entire Missgancia area… like a Margrave, perhaps?
The positions of nobles around here are quite complicated.
Apparently, they can hold multiple positions, like a Count who is also a general, or a Marquis who is also a local governor. I’m not a noble, and I don’t plan to become one for now, so I don’t really understand the strength rankings of these title cards.
However, it’s enough to remember that Count Missgancia is a noble with a large territory as a Count, and he is also a local governor. That is, he has authority equivalent to a king of a small country.
Such an important person shouldn’t come to such a shady apothecary near a bad neighborhood without any guards.
…No, there are probably a couple of them in front of the house. I can sense people. Count Missgancia himself is strong, and this is his home city, so maybe this is enough protection.
“Hmph, isn’t it you who always says not to summon you recklessly and disturb your daily life?”
“Yes, but… for the Lord to come in person…”
“I’ve been busy, and today was the only time I could spare. I didn’t have the luxury to summon you.”
Hmm.
“So? What’s the business?”
“I’ve come for a regular check-up.”
Ah, is it that time already?
“How annoying. Fine, I understand. Shall we do it then…”
“…You should be grateful you chose to reside in my territory. You’d be struck down for such impudence elsewhere.”
Regular check-up.
It’s like a health examination.
I secretly use magic to see through the body like an X-ray. I can even make a stomach camera with magic.
No stool or urine tests either. I can see inside the body with magic…
Basically, magic can handle everything.
However, I do use palpation and a stethoscope. Partly as a bluff, but also for double-checking?
“So, how is it? Lately…”
“Nothing much, as always. I just want to live here peacefully.”
“And my son?”
“He comes by often. He says presumptuous things like, ‘When I become Lord, please be my retainer!’ so I give him a little smack.”
“Hmm… well, that’s fine. From what I see, it’s like having an older brother with a large age gap. In any case, deepen your relationship. You are a Long-Lived Race, so you are destined to deviate from the human world eventually. Therefore, building a foundation before that is crucial.”
“I suppose so. I feel like Gerald is like a relative’s child. Even after you die, I think I could get along with him.”
Gerald… Count Missgancia’s son, and the young man scheduled to be the next head of the family.
He’s also the brother of Rosalinde, Count Missgancia’s daughter who came the other day.
He’s about eighteen years old, and I’ve known him since he was a child. We’ve been acquainted for about eight years.
He’s just a normal boy, so it’s not like that, but since he’s a pure child, I’ve been playing the role of “a mysterious uncle in the family who I don’t know what he does but gives me allowances,” and he’s become quite attached to me.
He’s scheduled to be the next head of the family, so I mustn’t forget to curry favor so I can stay in Missgancia in the next generation as well.
After all, I am a Changeling. A fairy’s replacement child.
I have the form of a human, but I am essentially close to a demon… therefore, I possess magical power and lifespan that are close to infinite.
I don’t die.
I can live until I get bored.
That’s why Count Missgancia says I should allocate resources to creating a place to belong… and I agree.
“How about my daughter?”
“Rosalinde? She often comes to disturb my work. I allow it because she’s a cute girl, but if she were ugly, I’d be punching her for the level of nuisance she causes.”
“Even though your treatment has made her better, her body is still weak. Even if we were to marry her off, her body wouldn’t hold up. She probably wouldn’t be able to bear children either. Besides, she hasn’t been taught much about socializing…”
“Hmm… if she gives birth here, I might be able to do something about it.”
“That would mean she wouldn’t be able to fulfill her duties as a noble’s daughter if she were away from you, wouldn’t it? I love my daughter. I don’t want to let her die needlessly.”
“That’s true. By the way, she’s been saying she wants to marry me, but what’s that about?????”
“There’s nothing strange about it. You may not be living in my castle, but you are treated as my guest.”
“Like Gaspard-jiisan and Roxanne…? But those two are…”
“I intend to give my concubine’s child to Gaspard’s disciple. Roxanne is… well, I’m giving her more money than the market price. I’m treating her accordingly, aren’t I?”
“Hee. But I don’t want to get married.”
“Well, you’ll definitely outlive your wife.”
“No, when I talk about that, I ‘store’ the children I like… No, that’s right, I will outlive them, but that’s fine. It’s just that creating a family is a hassle.”
“Hmm? Is it something like Roxanne?”
“That’s what it is. Well, since I’m allowed to do as I please in this city, I’ll do my job properly. I don’t need to force a blood relationship… Besides, I probably couldn’t survive in a city controlled by another faction, right?”
“That’s true. However, there are issues of control within the faction, and opinions from my retainers. You should know what means there are to resolve that smoothly.”
“Yes, yes…”
Ugh, I hate this.
Is it because he’s a noble? I feel like he’s trying to involve me in his… power battles?
No, of course, I understand that he’s being considerably considerate.
Even so, these kinds of conversations have been increasing lately…
My position and value have been rising recently.
Daily life as a noble in political intrigue battles? Absolutely not. Living with frayed nerves isn’t fun.
I have to be careful about various things…
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It’s New Year’s.
Instead of reading this, go see your parents.