It’s Golden Week, so I updated on Saturday and Sunday.
This time it’s also a bit of a soap opera.
Slightly revised regarding taxes and rewards.
Margrave Melrose. He is the prime minister of the Kingdom of Claydale and also the head of the Shadow Unit.
…As I thought, he noticed. Although I denied it in his words, I felt that the exchange had convinced him. It can’t be helped. The moment I saw him up close, I felt that he was a close relative of mine.
Right now, I think he won’t resort to forceful measures because I’m still under the protection of the Princess. Even so, if he has a blood connection with me, he shouldn’t give up easily. If I admit it here, I’ll be dragged into fate again. …But, is it because I felt such a blood connection that I feel a little lonely?
Perhaps the Prime Minister had similar feelings, because after that, as if he had aged a little, he moved on to the story of the rewards for us, the Rainbow Sword, in a businesslike manner.
“The reward for you this time will be one thousand gold coins. Normally, you would have to pay 10% of this to the Adventurer’s Guild as a brokerage fee, but since you defeated an Elemental Dragon in the Empire, the story is a little different.”
One thousand gold coins… Even if this is divided among six people, it will be more than the amount a commoner earns in their lifetime. It can’t be helped that there is a brokerage fee. Most Adventurers are Free Citizens who don’t pay taxes other than tolls, so this will be in lieu of taxes for the reward.
However, since the tax for commoners is 40% to 50% of their income, Adventurers who explore undeveloped lands at the request of the country are treated quite favorably.
In return, the Monster Materials are a little different. The Prime Minister said that the story would change because of the Black Dragon’s materials that we defeated.
“We will buy all of the Black Dragon materials that you brought back, except for what you consume personally. The appraisal is not yet done, but it will be roughly 300 gold coins. If you had brought it back whole, the number of digits would have been different.”
“Don’t ask the impossible. Even the Empire’s army wouldn’t be able to recover it. We handed over the Magic Stone to the Empire, though…”
“We will compensate you for that to some extent. I’m sorry, Dolton. Thanks to your thoughtfulness, our debt to the Empire has been greatly reduced.”
“I heard about the response from Princess Elena. And as I thought, the Guild wants the materials?”
“It’s a rare Black Dragon material. The commercial Guild behind the scenes will definitely want it.”
The Adventurer’s Guild was derived from the mercenary Guild with funding from the commercial Guild. Therefore, all materials brought in by Adventurers are under the jurisdiction of the commercial Guild.
The brokerage fee is 10%, but 20% of the materials are deducted as a handling fee, and half of that is paid to the country as tax. The remaining 10% is for the Guild’s operating expenses, but the Guild’s staff receive wages from the commercial Guild, so that seems to be enough. In return, there are strict penalties for Adventurers who sell materials without going through the Guild.
In short, the Adventurer’s Guild is operated by the profits generated by the commercial Guild handling Monster Materials, including Magic Stones. Therefore, the commercial Guild wanted various profits from handling the Black Dragon’s materials, rather than the handling fee, half of which is paid as tax.
But this time, the Black Dragon was hunted in the Calfaan Empire, so the Kingdom of Claydale’s commercial Guild has no rights. We have already paid the tax to the Empire in the form of offering the Magic Stone, so all other rights belong to us.
“The Guild is demanding 20% of the materials in lieu of a handling fee. Honestly, even the state wants to secure them, so it will be a troublesome negotiation on which materials to hand over… but your share will increase, so is that okay with you?”
“Yeah, that would be helpful.”
The Prime Minister and Dolton had such a conversation, and it ended smoothly without any trouble.
Our reward is 1,000 gold coins, plus another 1,000 gold coins including the material costs as compensation for the Magic Stone we handed over to the Empire. The total is 2,000 gold coins.
We have secured some scales for our share, Feld has secured one horn, and Mira has secured one piece of wing membrane, so there is no problem. Originally, Princess Elena’s search was already over, and Elena asked me to look for her, but Dolton and the others originally came to look for me, so if there is not enough, I can divide my share of the reward among everyone.
“Also, those who wish will be granted a noble title. It’s just a nominal lower-class noble title without a territory, but Dolton and Viro will be forced to accept it.”
“I know.”
Dolton became a Baron, from an honorary noble for one generation. In the Kingdom of Claydale, a human nation, that’s the limit for demi-humans. Feld is a former noble, so he doesn’t need a title now, and I think Mira will refuse as well. Jesha looked a little greedy, but unfortunately she is not eligible.
On the other hand, the reason why Viro readily agreed to the Prime Minister’s words is because it has been decided that he will become a Shadow Knight.
“This concludes the matter of rewards. You were really helpful this time. Now, get plenty of rest. And Aria.”
“…Yes.”
When I replied to the Prime Minister who stopped me even though he said the story was over, he looked at me with a slightly pained face, and immediately turned a sharp gaze towards me.
“I want you to continue to guard Princess Elena. Her Highness is thinking of setting the deadline for that until His Highness the Crown Prince graduates from the Magic Academy, but if the Aristocratic Faction doesn’t all calm down by then, what will you do?”
Does that question mean that I should continue to stay in the castle, or is it an expectation? But, I have decided from the beginning.
“I will eliminate everything by then.”
“…I see. In that case, once the Royal Family hands over the recognition obstruction Magic Tool, I will allow you to be somewhat reckless as the head of the Shadow Unit. Fulfill your role.”
“Yes.”
Attract enemies as a decoy for the Princess. For that purpose, the Prime Minister has given permission for me to eliminate the enemies.
Even without permission, I would do it. But… that’s why he’s trying to protect me by putting it into words… that’s what it seemed like.
＊＊＊
The Magic Academy started at the beginning of this year, and by the time the Princesses who had fallen into the desert returned, summer was already coming to an end. The summer in the Kingdom of Claydale is not as hot as in the Empire, but the humidity is high. But, perhaps because there is a lot of greenery in the city, a refreshing breeze blows if you choose the right place, and you can feel a slight hint of autumn.
It was thought that the Magic Academy would resume immediately after Princess Elena returned, but in reality, there is still no prospect of that happening.
In the first place, many of the lower-class nobles who do not have a residence in the Royal Capital have returned to their hometowns. Even if they receive a notice of resumption via a long-distance communication Magic Tool, it would take more than a month for the local nobles to return, so it was not so easy to decide on a resumption date.
Another problem was that the winter holidays for the Magic Academy, which nobles attend, were long because the harvest was over, the off-season for farming had arrived, and the social world was becoming active.
Normally, it is customary for the children of nobles whose hometowns are far away to remain in the Royal Capital during the winter and spend their time socializing. However, lower-class nobles may prioritize their hometowns over the social world, so some nobles decided not to return until next year even if the academy reopened this time.
Even so, some nobles did not return to their hometowns and had already returned to the academy. These were the third-year students who would be graduating this year.
These nobles, who turned fifteen this year, need to graduate from the academy as proof of their coming of age. Lower-class nobles don’t care that much, but those above the rank of Baron, who are middle-class nobles, are eligible to participate in the graduation party held at the Royal Castle, and attending it is a kind of pride.
For this reason, middle-class nobles and above, and lower-class nobles who have been offered jobs at the Knight Order or government offices in the Royal Capital, were busy running around the academy to prepare for graduation.
“We are not completely unrelated… but.”
“How nostalgic,” Sera, who has become the official head maid of Princess Elena’s palace from this time, smiled nostalgically at Elena’s words that she muttered.
“Only students can participate in the party held at the Royal Castle.”
Graduating students can bring one person of the opposite sex as a partner.
In most cases, this is the student’s fiancé, and it is an unspoken rule to bring the fiancé as a partner, unless there is an illness or the partner is too young.
If a fiancé has not been decided, or if the parties involved want to dissolve the engagement, they can invite the person they are interested in, and if they receive a good reply, they can make that person their partner, but it is not known whether that person will become a fiancé due to family circumstances.
Of course, there are cases where a partner is not decided until the end, but in that case, young maids and butlers in the castle will escort them. Since those who work in the castle are often nobles, there were cases where they liked each other and became engaged.
“I heard that Sera-san received quite a few invitations from gentlemen.”
“My current husband was a junior who was not even in my sight at that time. Hasn’t Your Highness also received invitations?”
At Sera’s words, Elena smiled ambiguously as if in a wry smile.
Even first-year students like Elena and Aria might receive invitations from undecided third-year students when the academy reopens.
If one doesn’t have a fiancé, they can choose their partner to some extent, but for someone in Elena’s position, politics are heavily involved, so accepting an invitation isn’t easy. Generally, there’s a trend of making one’s fiancé their partner, so the surrounding nobles see them as the closest option.
“I heard that when Father chose a viscount’s daughter as his partner instead of Dandole’s princess, who was the leading candidate at the time, it caused quite a stir? It’s still ongoing, but if Mother had withdrawn from being his fiancé because of that, would Father have quietly drunk a poisoned chalice?”
Elena faintly smiled, using words that could be considered disrespectful even between a father and daughter if they weren’t in her private room. Sera quietly brewed more tea, as if she hadn’t heard.
Indeed, if Dandole’s princess had also declined, like the other rejected fiancées, the former King might have made the deceased Second Prince the Crown Prince. As Elena said, to prevent problematic royals from causing succession disputes later, such a thing could have happened in the worst-case scenario.
Now that Elena has decided to become the ruler, there’s a possibility that Crown Prince Elvan might face such a fate in a truly worst-case scenario.
The reason she laughed earlier wasn’t at her father, but at her own heartlessness for not stopping her pursuit of the throne for the sake of the nation and its people, even if that possibility existed.
(…This isn’t good.)
Sera realized that Elena’s spirit was reverting to its old state of fighting alone.
Currently, Aria is in the Royal Capital to repair her armor, which was damaged in the deadly battle in the desert. It’s necessary, so it can’t be helped, but Elena was in a similar state in the past when Aria went missing.
Even though she’s been praised as more capable than adults since childhood and has decided to become the ruler for the sake of the people, Elena is still just a thirteen-year-old girl.
Because the Crown Prince is infatuated with a viscount’s daughter and neglecting his duties, Elena has been taking on his share of the work.
This didn’t change even when Elena was sent to the desert, and she’s currently burdened with a great deal of effort, having just returned and having to deal with the work the Crown Prince, who went to the Dungeon, had piled up.
Many nobles and related individuals are visiting her for meetings, and just sorting through them takes a lot of time. There are civil officials who are her subordinates, but political decisions require experience, and even Sera, who is capable of it, feels that there are too many this time.
Normally, the Second Queen, her mother, would be the one to sort through them, but it seems she has no intention of doing so.
In such a situation, being separated from her only friend, even for a few days, has caused her inner fatigue to surface.
Even in such a state, Elena outwardly pretends to be the perfect Princess and successfully concludes her talks with the academy officials who came to discuss the reopening of the academy and the Graduation Party.
There were no more meetings scheduled for today, and Elena, with a faint smile, walked down the hallway, thinking she could finally rest a little, when she and Sera noticed a familiar face approaching from the other side.
“Oh, Clara. It’s been a while.”
“…Lady Elena, I am pleased to see you have returned safely.”
The person was Clara Dandall, Elena’s cousin and the Crown Prince’s leading fiancée. The reason she didn’t immediately show her face upon her cousin’s return was probably because the rift between them hadn’t been bridged yet.
(Even so… her impression has changed quite a bit.)
Sera, seeing Clara’s noble face after a long time, was wary with a mix of admiration.
Perhaps it was because she gained a Divine Protection (Gift) in the Dungeon, but Clara seemed to have lost the self-pitying sweetness she had before. But that wasn’t because she had grown, but because she seemed to be driven solely by a tenacious passion.
It would be good if she had a “healing” presence like Aria for Elena, but since her fiancé, who should be her source of healing, is infatuated with another woman, Clara is in an even more mentally strained state than Elena.
But more than that, Sera was concerned about the four maids she was leading. Noticing Sera’s gaze, Clara narrowed her eyes slightly and opened her mouth.
“These individuals are ‘escort maids’ newly hired from the northern lands. They will be of assistance to me.”
“That’s quite valiant.”
When Clara introduced them, the maids lowered their heads silently, and Elena responded with slightly barbed words to their demeanor and Clara’s way of speaking.
Clara mentioned “escort maids” in a place where people were present, even though it wasn’t an official setting. Of course, they weren’t members of the Shadow Unit, but they were probably going to be “combat maids” like Sera and Aria. To put it into words was like declaring that they might use their power in certain situations.
Elena also noticed Clara’s mental state and tried to caution her with her words, but with that one sentence, the aura emanating from Clara’s maids intensified, and Sera stepped forward to protect Elena in response.
Perhaps it was because of their loyalty to their master that their emotions came out so strongly. But Elena and Sera felt that the cause of those emotions wasn’t them, but something else.
Aria… even if she wasn’t there, her existence had a great impact on those who lived in the shadows.
And Elena was somehow bothered by the eyes of one of the maids… the eyes that could be seen through the long bangs that obscured her expression, burning with hatred.
Both Elena and Clara were speechless in the delicate atmosphere. Then, a cheerful voice that didn’t read the atmosphere was heard.
“Oh, what are you doing?”
But… contrary to the tone of her voice, the maids of Clara braced themselves at the smell of “death” that drifted from the aura emitted.
Gently undulating, glossy black hair…
Only her purple eyes, with their sickly pale skin and deeply shadowed eyes, shone brightly as she stared at Elena and Clara.
“Carla…”
As for the reward, everyone said it was reasonable or cheap, so I added some color to the material cost, making it a total of 2 billion yen.
Next time, Aria’s shopping.