**Chapter 88: A Gathering at the House of Marquis Rosemary**
“Wow, something so interesting happened! I wish I could have joined in!”
That evening, in the drawing room of the House of Marquis Rosemary, Viola expressed her disappointment as they discussed the day’s events. The room was filled with members of the marquis family, and Rest was seated on the sofa, flanked by his two sisters as usual.
After finishing a monster extermination in Valerie County, Rest had been challenged to a race by a group of young magicians. He dashed across the ground and soared through the sky, arriving at the marquis’s residence with a time difference of over three hours from the others. The young magicians, including Nick, who had issued the challenge, faced considerable reprimands for their poor performance.
It was only natural. They had dared to challenge a man whom the daughters of the House of Rosemary had taken a liking to, and whose worth had been recognized by the head of the family, only to suffer a humiliating defeat.
“The young magicians seem to be quite lax! I shall personally train them!”
This outburst came from Airishu Rosemary, one half of the household’s leadership. As the mother of the beautiful sisters, Viola and Primula, she was a striking beauty herself, but her personality was that of a fierce warrior. She was not one to tolerate the shortcomings of the young men associated with the marquis family.
“Ah… please go easy on them. They didn’t mean any harm,” Rest interjected, recalling how the young magicians, including Nick, had come to apologize to him after their late arrival.
“I’m sorry for being so cheeky!”
“We were outclassed, Young Master!”
Having been overwhelmingly defeated in the race, Nick and the others had no choice but to acknowledge Rest’s superiority. They realized that he was indeed a worthy match for the daughters of the House of Rosemary, a man deserving of such beautiful companions. Their manner of address had shifted from “you” to “Young Master,” earning Rest their respect.
“That is a separate issue! Under a fierce general, there are no weak soldiers… The House of Rosemary does not need weak magicians!”
Airishu crossed her arms, her expression resolute. While it was unfortunate for Nick and the others, it was clear that they would be subjected to rigorous training.
“So… Father, has the issue in Valerie County been resolved?” Primula asked.
“Yes, there are no problems,” Albert, who had been seated in a rocking chair, nodded in response.
“We managed to exterminate most of the Locust Imps that had been plaguing Valerie County. While we may not have eradicated them completely, there shouldn’t be any issues for the rest of the year.”
No matter how many magicians were mobilized, completely eliminating monsters was impossible. The Locust Imps would eventually multiply and wreak havoc on the fields once more.
“The House of Valerie has a vast grain-producing region, but their distance from the central area leaves them lacking in military strength. In that regard, our interests align, as we have many magicians at our disposal. We must maintain a good relationship moving forward.”
Nobles could be categorized into central nobles, who thrived in the royal court, and local nobles, who remained within their territories. The House of Rosemary belonged to the former category. Although they owned land, Albert held the position of Chief Court Magician and was well-regarded by the king. The House of Valerie, on the other hand, was more of a local noble, only appearing in the royal capital during festivals and focusing on managing their territory. While local nobles might lack political influence, they often found themselves quite wealthy due to fewer opportunities to spend money at court. However, this also meant they had fewer chances to hire capable personnel, resulting in a lack of military strength.
“As the head of a noble family, you must interact not only with vassal families but also with other nobles. Rest, you must keep this in mind.”
“Yes, understood,” Rest replied, nodding. Having lived as a commoner until now, he knew he would eventually need to acquire such diplomatic skills.
(I suppose I should seriously consider joining the Student Council…)
Establishing a connection with the second prince, Andrew, would be beneficial as he prepared to marry into the marquis family. The Student Council also included Celestine, the daughter of the Duke Crocus, providing a potential avenue for connections with the Crocus Duchy.
“If Rest is joining the Student Council, I might as well join too. I’ve been invited by Celestine,” Viola chimed in.
“I want to join too! Celestine-sama asked me to join as a secretary…” Primula added, looking up at Rest with hopeful eyes.
Rest had known that the two had been interacting with Celestine even when he wasn’t around, but it seemed they had also received invitations to join the Student Council.
“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” Rest asked, a bit exasperated.
“If we said we were joining, you would have no choice but to join too, right?” Viola teased.
“I thought I should wait for Rest-sama to decide before responding…” Primula said shyly.
“Ah… I see.”
So they were being considerate of his feelings. Rest felt a wave of gratitude wash over him, nearly bringing him to tears.
“More importantly… we’re staying in the territory until tomorrow, right? Let’s go shopping in town!” Viola suggested eagerly.
“Didn’t you just go shopping today?” Rest asked, raising an eyebrow.
“What’s wrong with that? Shopping two days in a row is different from going alone!” she retorted.
“Oh, I want to go too! Rest-sama, you don’t mind, do you?” Primula chimed in, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
With both of them asking him to join, Rest found it impossible to refuse.
“Of course not,” he replied, nodding in agreement and accepting their invitation to go shopping together.