Chapter 43: Pale Moon’s Lord
And so, it was decided that we would head to the Royal Capital.
To ‘Royal Capital Geolia’, that is.
For a moment, I thought about calling the girls from ‘Blue Comet’ as escorts, but well, that would just be asking for trouble, so I decided against involving them.
Shio and Margot would probably follow me into the jaws of death without a second thought, but dragging them into political quicksand would be pointless. If I needed help in that area, the only ones who’d be useful would be the ‘Guardian’s Shield’ bunch.
Besides, Count Missgancia probably wouldn’t allow me to parade around with some vulgar female adventurer of dubious origins.
Well, of course, Count Missgancia, despite his appearance… or maybe not? Anyway, he’s a gentleman, so he wouldn’t say such a thing to my face.
But the thing about nobles is that they have to consider “how they’re perceived by others.” It doesn’t matter if they’re actually good people, or that it’s what’s on the inside that counts.
If you go around saying things like “Status and appearance don’t matter! Everyone is equal!” in this world, you’ll get your head chopped off for lèse-majesté, so reincarnated folks, take note!
So, for the journey to the Royal Capital, I was accompanied by a group of sturdy soldiers.
We were traveling with Count Missgancia, his old mage advisor, and the Count’s three sons.
“…Why is she here?”
“Oh, I’m being treated like I’m unwanted. How amusing, no?”
…For some reason, Count Missgancia’s daughter, Rosalinde, came along.
Why?
“You see, Dru? I was bored.”
“I DON’T CARE! Then stay home and be quiet! Traveling will just make you sick again, right~?!!”
“But, since Dru is here, I’ll be healed right away.”
“…Ah? Is that what this is about, Count Missgancia!”
I cursed at Count Missgancia, who was probably in the carriage ahead. I raised my voice, knowing he probably couldn’t hear me from that distance.
This was probably Count Missgancia’s version of “parental love.”
Rosalinde had been confined to the house since childhood due to illness.
Thanks to the surgery, she had recovered to some extent and could go outside, but her frail constitution made long journeys difficult. Sightseeing in the Royal Capital was out of the question.
But if I was by her side the whole time, it would be a different story.
If I could monitor Rosalinde’s condition, she could go to the Royal Capital, and there wouldn’t be any major problems.
Count Missgancia knew this, so he brought his daughter along as if it were an afterthought.
It’s hard to tell from his stern face and gruff attitude, but that old man dotes on Rosalinde…
Come to think of it, even though he has an eldest son and other daughters, he keeps alive a daughter who is sickly and can’t bear children. Even among nobles… no, precisely because they’re nobles, it’s common in this world to get rid of such a person, calling them a “disgrace to the family.”
Considering that, the fact that he cherishes and keeps her alive, relying on unorthodox medicine and paying a great deal of money and taking great risks to heal her body… he must love her very much.
Rosalinde is the child of Count Missgancia’s beloved third wife, who died of illness. Apparently, she was an incredibly beautiful and eccentric woman… so Rosalinde must resemble her.
“When I asked Father, he said it was okay~. Father is so kind, isn’t he?”
And so, it was decided that I would be taking care of Rosalinde during the journey.
I won’t forgive you… I’ll kill you, Count Missgancia…! (But I can’t)
And so, on the way.
I had Zephyr pulling the covered wagon.
Zephyr is a magnificent black horse named after my beloved car from my previous life.
Well, it’s not exactly a horse since it’s a magical familiar I created, but anyway, it’s a horse.
I was sitting in the driver’s seat of the covered wagon, controlling Zephyr…
Next to me in the driver’s seat was Rosalinde, who had been foisted upon me.
And on either side of the wagon, two horses were walking.
On each of those horses were Laurence and Lulaiya, the young Twin Swordsmen who were Rosalinde’s guards.
If I did anything to Rosalinde, these guys would probably do something about it.
Of course, if I tried to use violence, they’d kill me, but if it was sexual harassment, they’d give Count Missgancia a “favorable report.”
They also seemed to be trying to get me and Rosalinde together.
I can hold Rosalinde and be gentle with her, but I don’t want to get married. It creates responsibility.
Having a wife is wonderful, lovely, and fun. I understand that, but my aversion to fulfilling responsibilities outweighs the joy.
Why am I so eager to escape responsibility? It’s probably because I believe that “responsibilities should be fulfilled.”
That probably sounds strange, but please hear me out.
Responsibilities should be fulfilled.
Everyone should pay the appropriate “responsibility” for the power they have, the happiness they’ve obtained, and the wealth they’ve acquired.
To eat delicious food, you need a lot of money.
To maintain a good family, you need a lot of work.
To gain a high position, you need a lot of effort.
Everyone should do that.
I have a sense of duty, a moral obligation.
But that’s beside the point.
“Tax evasion” should be possible.
To eat delicious food, you need a lot of money. But you can use coupons, shareholder benefits, or have acquaintances treat you cheaply, you can manage it well.
To maintain a good family, you need a lot of work. But you can hire maids or nannies to reduce the burden of housework, or rely on your parents to take care of the children, you can manage it well.
To gain a high position, you need a lot of effort. But you can make connections with people in higher positions and have them promote you, or buy your way into a position, you can manage it well.
I’m managing it well.
I wanted a family, a beloved wife and lover. So, I bought slaves, educated them, and made it happen.
I want to do good work. So, I’m cozying up to lords and nobles and enjoying the benefits of connections.
I want to live a good life without hardship. So, I secretly hide my magical abilities that could change the world and make myself happy.
In other words, marriage is out of the question because it creates a definitive responsibility. There’s no way to escape it. There’s no way to manage it well.
…Actually, it didn’t go well in my previous life.
…Conversely, Rosalinde.
If you were officially removed from the nobility and became a freeloader at my place! Then I would totally accept you.
I don’t want you to marry into my life as a noble, and have to deal with the troublesome political stuff with Count Missgancia.
Personally, I like Rosalinde…