Scary bitch.
Honestly, trying to squeeze out even what isn’t there.
Still,
I should take what I can get.
In any case, I’ll accept it gratefully.
&
One month later.
Those who were seeing rice seedlings transplanted and the paddies filled with water for the first time were unable to speak for a while.
Rows of green seedlings stood above the flooded field,
and whenever the wind brushed past, their slender leaves swayed all at once.
“I’ve never seen a method like this before. And I’ve farmed my whole life.”
“To use water like this…”
Someone asked cautiously.
“If this works… will things change for us, too?”
I did not answer right away,
but looked at the seedlings reflected on the water.
“We’ll make it work.”
It was brief, but certainty was in my voice.
At those words, everyone’s expressions brightened further.
Part of it was the hope that things would get better,
but much of it was also the excitement of doing “something new” for the first time in ages.
The same fields, the same crops, the same harvest.
It was the first variable to enter lives that had repeated the same way for decades.
These people were not simply laborers.
They were farmers with accumulated experience.
People who could adjust the water level, read the condition of the soil, and notice small changes before anyone else.
They should be able to prevent whatever variables arose going forward.
Or even if we failed,
they would study enough that the same failure would not happen next time.
“From now on, this place is yours to protect.”
I spoke while standing at the edge of the paddy.
“If results come, I will make sure you are rewarded.”
Their gazes gathered on me all at once.
“And you will be treated more specially.”
The looks in their eyes changed.
“Do not worry, Young Master.”
“We’ll protect this place!”
On top of that, I stationed soldiers to strengthen the perimeter and minimize outside access.
Today as well, I took off my shoes and stepped into the paddy.
Cold water wrapped around my ankles,
and mud dug between my toes.
It was a sensation a noble would likely never feel in his life.
Like that, I transplanted the seedlings one by one.
“Young Master, we can do it.”
Someone spoke cautiously,
but I paid it no mind and kept moving. Then someone muttered in a small voice,
“To think he still comes in himself and helps like that.”
“The Young Master is doing it himself! What are you doing? Move faster!”
At the old man’s shout, everyone’s movements quickened.
For some reason, the way they looked at me seemed to have changed a little, which felt somewhat burdensome.
Still, it wasn’t bad.
A gust of wind swept over the paddy, and the green rippled like waves.
This was only the beginning.
I was in the middle of transplanting seedlings for quite some time when it happened.
“Young Master.”
When I raised my head, a soldier approached and bowed.
“Someone has come from the Lin family.”
“From the Lin family?”
I shook the mud off my hands.
“Got it.”
The soldier hesitated for a moment.
“The thing is… they are already coming this way.”
When I turned my head, I saw a familiar figure at the edge of the paddy.
A woman in a light-colored dress was walking over, accompanied by a knight.
Her attire did not suit the muddy path at all.
“What are you doing here?”
It was Marsha.
Originally, she should not have been allowed to come here, but the soldier likely could not stop Marsha.
And it did not particularly matter.
“Working.”
Since nobles actually considered farmwork extremely lowly,
she frowned at the sight of me like this.
“Seriously… to think I, with a guy like that.”
She trailed off and shook her head.
“So why are you here all of a sudden?”
“Ah.”
She lifted her chin.
“I was on my way to a party and just stopped by.”
“Where?”
The corners of Marsha’s mouth rose.
“The Deharmont family’s party.”
A short laugh followed.
Ah.
I had forgotten.
I was invited too, wasn’t I?
Considering she had said she would invite me personally,
not going would be no different from damaging her face.
When I thought of Serafinlie’s personality, no matter how bothersome it was, I had to attend.
I immediately walked out of the paddy.
“When are you leaving?”
“Now.”
“Wait a moment. Let’s go together.”
Marsha’s expression stiffened, then soon turned into a sneer.
“You?”
She looked me up and down.
“To the Deharmont family’s party?”
“Yeah.”
“Do you have any idea what happens if a family that wasn’t invited tries to enter?”
Instead of answering, I brushed the mud off my legs and wiped my feet with the cloth set aside nearby.
“I was invited.”
“What?”
“Otherwise, I can just go separately.”
Marsha’s eyes wavered for a moment.
“Really? You’re going?”
Her voice lowered in an extremely subtle way.
“Don’t make trouble for no reason…”
“Why?”
I tilted my head.
“Are you worried?”
In that instant, her face went completely rigid.
“Ha! Me? Why would I be? Unbelievable. Why would I worry about you? What nonsense are you saying, really?”
Her words sped up.
“If not, then not.”
I shrugged.
“If not, then not. Why are you so disgusted by it? That hurts.”
“B-because you’re spouting nonsense!”
I started walking toward the mansion first.
A moment later, footsteps followed behind me.
“So.”
As we walked, I glanced back, and Marsha was following with her lips pressed tightly together.
“That can’t be the only thing you came here to say.”
Marsha let out a deep breath.
“Father and my brother are very angry.”
“So?”
“Go and apologize.”
A brief silence.
I stopped walking, looked at her, and gave a small laugh.
“So you are worried after all.”
“I said I’m not!”
Her lips jutted out in a pout,
then, apparently embarrassed by herself, she quickly composed her expression.
Only then did her outfit catch my eye.
A dress she had clearly chosen with care.
Though its decorations were not excessive, they subtly drew the eye.
She had certainly put quite a bit of effort in today.
“You look pretty today.”
I said it calmly.
“You’ll be popular when you get there. Try to hook someone decent.”
“Hmph.”
She turned her head away.
“I’ll handle my own business. And the stones I’m supposed to give you next month—I brought them in advance. That’s the real reason, so don’t misunderstand!
I didn’t come to see the likes of you!”
“I never said you came to see me.”
“…”
For a moment, she could not continue and pressed her lips together.
I gave a small laugh and lightly waved my hand.
“Then I’ll see you there.”
A moment later, I heard the sound of her stamping the ground hard behind me.
Marsha whipped around,
but after only a few steps, she glanced back this way once more.
Then she turned her head sharply again and continued walking.
***
The Marquisate of Deharmont.
As befitted a family that had succeeded through commerce, their wealth was blatantly on display throughout the territory.
Though it was not quite the capital, its scale was enormous enough to rival it.
Well-paved stone roads stretched straight through the streets,
and every shop had a splendid sign hanging above it.
Just by looking at the carriages and people passing to and fro, one could immediately tell how prosperous this place was.
There was even one thing here that did not exist in the capital.
A carriage parking area.
More precisely, it was a dedicated plaza for showing off carriages.
This space, built with an enormous amount of money, was in truth an extremely inefficient facility.
A vast plot of land had to be left entirely empty, and the maintenance costs were far from trivial.
Yet interestingly enough, the Deharmont family’s party was already beginning from that very place.
The nobles attending the party each decorated their carriages as extravagantly as possible when they came here.
Some even went beyond simply attaching ornaments,
and completely remodeled the carriage itself.
“Ohh. What is this?”
“Ha ha, I merely made a few light adjustments.”
The noble lightly ran his fingertips along the side of the carriage.
“What do you think? It is a newly released ornament. It was made from a material called ‘Sillian.’ Its defining trait is that when it catches the light, a subtle blue grain rises to the surface.”
“Oh… it certainly is different.”
The other narrowed his eyes and leaned in closer.
“The sheen is not excessive, yet it has dignity. And this line finishing… it does not seem like the work of an ordinary craftsman.”
“As expected, you have an eye for it.”
The noble smiled in satisfaction.
“They say that even in the capital, there are still only a few craftsmen who can handle it properly. The price is one thing, but even if you try to get it, it is not something you can obtain.”
“It is very impressive.”
A brief silence passed.
The noble maintained his smile and slowly opened his mouth.
“However… compared to mine, it is somewhat lacking.”
At the same time, the front cover of the carriage parked behind him was removed.
At a glance, it looked almost the same.
The difference was so slight that one would not notice it unless examining it very closely.
“It is a material called ‘Romalian.’”
“…!”
The expression of the noble who had been so relaxed a moment ago stiffened instantly.
“Ro… malian.”
He leisurely tapped the connecting ornament with his finger.
“If Sillian is suited to bringing out color and grain, Romalian is entirely different. At a glance, there appears to be no difference, but its strength and flexibility are far superior. On top of that, they say its luster deepens the longer it is kept.”
“…Good.”
It was only one short word, but his voice was slightly choked.
And what they were admiring was not even the entire carriage,
but merely one part of the decorative strap connecting the horse to the carriage.
Even so, cold sweat had formed on the forehead of the noble staring at it.
As if the sense of superiority he had held until just moments ago had been completely overturned by a single, extremely minute grain.
What absolute nonsense.
I got down from the carriage after passing by them,
and walked on together with Miles.
“Young Master.”
“Hm?”
“Is it true?”
“What is?”
“That you fought Cedric Lin and won.”
“I did.”
Why was he suddenly asking that?
I found it a little strange.
Miles was a knight of our territory, but he was not someone with much interest in us.
In my view, he was a person who had never really suited the profession of knight in the first place.
Rather than things like honor or loyalty,
he had a stronger attitude of doing only as much work as he was paid for.
In fact, when our family fell, he did exactly up to his role and left without hesitation.
Because he was that kind of person, I did not expect anything more from him either.
“Isn’t he a knight apprentice?”
Miles said in a low voice.
“And you won?”
“Apparently.”
I understood.
All I did every day was run,
so it would be hard to believe that someone like me had defeated a knight apprentice.
After thinking for a moment, Miles opened his mouth again.
“By any chance… may I take a look at you next time?”
Oh.
This was a little surprising.
I did see him as a worldly knight,
but that did not mean he lacked skill.
On the contrary, he was highly skilled.
If my memory served me correctly, after our family fell,
he became a free knight.
Then one day, a strange rumor had circulated.
A rumor that an unidentified free knight had defeated one of the kingdom’s top hundred knights.
Whether it was true or not had never been confirmed,
but it was certain that the rumor had drifted through noble society for a while.
I could tell that the free knight was Miles.
“Sounds good.”
Just having someone like him inspect me once would certainly be helpful.
But why was he only bringing it up now, after a month had passed?
Had he been debating it?
That thought crossed my mind for a moment,
but I soon shook my head.
In the first place, Miles was a man whose thoughts were hard to read, so I let it be.
A short while later.
The moment we arrived in front of the mansion, my mouth fell open despite myself.
Every time I come here, I can’t help but be impressed.
The mansion of Marquis Deharmont.
An outer wall lined with dozens of windows.
Tall spires and broad terraces.
And a massive domed roof in the center.
In terms of sheer scale, it was even slightly larger than the Belmardian mansion.
If the Belmardian mansion had an elegant atmosphere,
this place was openly dazzling.
It was no wonder people said they were the wealthiest family in the kingdom.
For reference, that dome.
It was entirely pure gold.