Episode 57: Invitation
By the time Missgancia returned to the town of Midford, it was already early summer.
Around June, in Earth terms?
Since it wasn’t an island nation, the humidity wasn’t too high, but the sunshine was strong and warm. If you were going out, a single short-sleeved shirt would be enough.
It was getting warmer, but not so hot that you could definitively say it was hot. Exercise was a bit much, but the sunshine and weather were perfect for hiking and strolling.
However, this sunshine seemed to bother Rosalinde, and she had a servant hold a parasol to protect her overly pale skin.
That’s right, Rosalinde.
It seemed she had come to me again the day after returning from the Royal Capital.
She came to my place on foot, with the usual Twin Guards holding her parasol.
…Yes, yes, her stamina is steadily improving. Good job!
“Hey! Dru! I’m here!” “Hmm, Dru, I came too.” “Dru-san! I’m here too, nyaa! It’s been a while, nyaa!”
Then, at about the same time, three familiar girls entered the scene.
“““Please forgive our rudeness, Princess.”””
And all three of them knelt and lowered their heads.
Rosalinde was a noble’s daughter; this was the correct etiquette.
Rather, it was strange that I was talking to her directly.
“Fufu, it’s okay, you know? I’m leaving the nobility, so… because I’ll be with Dru…”
Rosalinde replied to the kneeling three.
She spoke to them directly.
The three of them, confused, stood up and asked the Twin Guards and the servant…
“Um… is this okay?”
“Count Missgancia’s intentions and Rosalinde-sama’s wishes are as instructed.” “Besides, I’ve heard that the three of you are planning to become the master’s concubines. If so, there’s no problem with direct answers, at least in this situation.”
“…Dru, what did you do this time?”
I was being accused of a crime I didn’t commit by Shio.
“I don’t know! Somehow, I realized I was exposed as a Mage, made a direct retainer of Count Missgancia, targeted by Marlene, and engaged to Rosalinde!”
I, the pitiful me, spoke tearfully with an exaggerated reaction. I was hoping for some kind of mercy or compassion from the world…
“““Uwaa…”””
However, I just ended up being stared at in disbelief.
What’s with you guys? You like me, right? It wouldn’t hurt to be a little nicer to me, would it?
“Well, I’ve told them that I’ll run away in the middle of the night if things get too troublesome, so I don’t think I’ll be directly assigned any work.”
Well then.
Since we’re all here.
Rosalinde’s previous sightseeing date in the Royal Capital was interrupted…
“Today, do you want to… come?”
“Where to?”
“To a secret place.”
““““Waaah…!””””
Yes, that’s why.
I brought them to the ‘Orchard’.
…I thought.
Mages are feared, so if I keep hiding the fact that I’m already exposed as a Mage, my favorability will decrease.
Instead, it’s better to lure them with benefits, saying, “If you become my ally and cooperate in hiding my secrets, you’ll get these benefits!” I thought that would be more trustworthy!
After all, it’s better to lure people with benefits than to suppress them with force.
Those who are suppressed by force will always bare their fangs when given the chance. Like Poland, no matter how many times you erase them, they’ll revive and punch you. Humans never forget grudges, even if they forget favors.
…Ah, I see.
It’s the same as the Princess from before. Instead of suppressing with force, lure them with benefits. Coincidentally, I ended up acting like a politician.
So, the ‘Orchard’.
It’s the ‘Apex’ that legendary-level Mages reach.
Teleport to another dimension and create a world there. That’s the magic.
I’ve created a small otherworld about the size of four Tokyo Domes, with livestock, crops, a pseudo-sun, a pseudo-sea, and even a food chain.
Here, it’s farmland, a workshop, and a warehouse for producing Medicinal Herbs, everyday ingredients, and magical tools.
It’s a world like a paradise, a land flowing with milk and honey where all kinds of crops always bear fruit.
Honestly, it’s also a shelter where you can live forever just by holing up here, so if I’m ever really driven to the ultimate extreme, I can escape here and retire!…
That’s why I’m living so leisurely like this.
While explaining all this, I had everyone sit on the resting bench in the gazebo in front of the Orchard.
“Dru… where is this? The ‘Hall of Heroes’?”
“You can rest assured that you’re not dead, Shio.”
“No… but… this is amazing, isn’t it?”
“It is amazing.”
“…I thought, Dru, you were strong, but within the bounds of common sense.”
“Unfortunately, it seems I’m quite strong.”
“…Haa…! Yes! I understand for now. So, what’s the meaning of calling us here?”
“Ah, no, not much. Just to show off… and maybe go on a date together.”
“…Dru, if you’re so strong and rich, you could choose from a lot more than a girl like me who’s a Strider, right?”
“I only look at a girl’s face, figure, and personality…”
“Wow, a big shot~!”
That’s why.
I decided to show my four lovers (?) around the ‘Orchard’…