Chapter 149: The Nail That Doesn’t Get Hammered Down
Hmm…
I wonder if they can really tell?
That I’m always prepared to run away at a moment’s notice.
“When you elope at night, I will also accompany you, yes?”
The one saying that is Kaede.
No, it’s not just Kaede; everyone is saying it.
Apparently, if I run, they’ll run away with me.
It might sound like they’re saying it lightly, but in this world, “running away” is an incredibly serious matter.
I’ve repeatedly said things like, “The farmers in this world are treated like slaves…” but people from the modern era might think:
“Why not just run away?”
But the reality is, if you run away, it’s “game over.”
Whether you’re a warrior or a farmer, the moment you leave the land you were born on, you’re treated as a “drifter.”
In other words, you lose your human rights.
I’m sure everyone knows this already, but every country and village in this world is basically in a Midsommar state—a Custom Country, Custom Town, Custom Village!
Because of that, if you abandon the Custom Village you were born and raised in and go to another Custom Village, you’ll have to restart from the very bottom according to that village’s customs! That’s how it works.
So, whether you’re a farmer or whatever, if you flee the land of your birth, you lose your status and are guaranteed to be treated like trash. You end up in a position where you can’t complain no matter what’s done to you.
In a world like this, saying “I’ll elope at night with you!” means they’re willing to abandon everything to follow me. That’s the greatest form of love, isn’t it?
Incidentally, though.
This town of Midford is also properly a Custom Town, so having a child with someone from the town was a psychological requirement to become a townsfolk.
Frankly, I’m basically an ultimate lifeform. A being who lives forever has no need to produce children.
Despite that, the reason I got married and had a child was largely to gain social acceptance.
You know… that attitude of “If you don’t become part of the village bloodline, we won’t accept you as one of us!”?
Basically, having a child with Rosalinde means I’ve formed a blood connection with her family home, House Mortimer, and have been recognized as an official resident of this town.
And… putting that aside for now.
“Thanks, everyone. But I won’t run unless Midford is destroyed or something, so don’t worry~”
I said.
That’s how it is.
When all’s said and done, there’s probably no town easier to live in than this one.
I want to settle down here for a long, long time.
Is it because I could speak frankly with everyone? My small anxieties have vanished, and I feel like I can enjoy life more positively now.
I still don’t trust them, mind you, but maybe I can afford to reveal a little more of myself.
They must also be anxious not knowing what I’m thinking.
A certain amount of explanation is necessary.
Of course, I won’t neglect my preparations to flee immediately if something happens… but fleeing is likely a rare event, so perhaps I should allocate my resources towards making them happy.
For now, I should tidy up an unused room, furnish it, and renovate it into a room for my wife.
…Well, that’s for later, I guess.
There should be less than half a year until Rosalinde gives birth.
The most important thing to think about right now is the heavily pregnant Rosalinde.
I doubt Rosalinde is that kind of woman, but there are women in the world who complain after the fact, saying, “You weren’t kind to me during my pregnancy!” I need to take proper care of her…
While thinking such things, the party came to a close.
However, none of the girls went home; they all stayed put in my mansion.
Apparently, they really didn’t want to walk home in this damn cold, especially at night.
From my perspective too, I’d rather they stay the night. Even in safe Midford, the roads are dangerous at night. Specifically, thieves and slashers are common.
But… what would Rosalinde say? That’s the thing.
“It’s fine.”
…Is what she said, so they ended up staying over.
Wait, is it really okay…?
“Up until now, since I hadn’t had a child yet, I had them hold back.”
Hmm.
“Father told me, ‘Until you have a child, stay with Dru as much as possible.’”
Ah, so Count Missgancia pulled some strings.
The idea that you only truly settle down, or rather, “put down roots,” in a place after having a child there is common sense in this world.
Even the forward-thinking Count Missgancia can’t escape that way of thinking, that prevailing attitude.
It’s not about what Count Missgancia himself thinks, but about how others perceive it, right? That’s how these things work.
Count Missgancia is a charismatic old man capable of uniting a wide range of idiots, from delinquents who look like gangsters to money-grubbing merchants.
It’s just that I haven’t met them, but he has many Knight subordinates and retainers… well, people who are both relatives and subordinates.
In front of people like that… letting me do whatever I want all the time doesn’t set a good example.
His hereditary retainers are people who have served Count Missgancia for generations, since they were born… no, since before they were born, right?
And into that situation, he marries off the daughter he doted on the most to some unknown outsider from a different race?
It must cause immense disapproval.
The fact that he’s managing things smoothly while suppressing that just shows Count Missgancia’s political skills are seriously insane…
Gazing at the mansion’s living room, which was starting to resemble a girls’ room during a school trip, I let out a sigh…