I had paid my respects to my parents, so next it was the other family members' turn.
My uncle and aunt were away from the capital for a while due to their schedules.
For now, I introduced her to the household members and the servants as best as I could.
In the midst of it all, my younger siblings seemed awkward at the idea of gaining a sister-in-law.
But they'll have to get used to it. It's not like I can remain a bachelor forever.
Besides, there's one now, but later there will be two?
"There's quite an age gap between you and your siblings, isn't there?"
"I've been so busy playing the role of a big brother, a mother, and now even a father. I'd be glad if Polia could help out."
"Wow. Is this why you proposed?!"
"Of course not."
The greetings within the household were finished, so now it was time to step outside.
Among them, the first place I headed to was, as expected, my godfather's.
I waited for him to get off work and then headed to his mansion at the right time.
Perhaps he had already heard the news, for my godfather wasn't greatly surprised.
"Puhuhu!"
Instead, he burst into a laugh full of mischief.
And it was a very loud, cheerful guffaw at that.
He had brewed the tea without even drinking it and just kept. Kept laughing.
"Puhah! Kheuheu! Ahahaha!!"
"Just how long are you planning to laugh?"
"How could I not keep laughing! Wouldn't you laugh if you were me? That little runt suddenly bringing a woman he intends to marry before his godfather? Ahahaha!!"
It was a good thing this was my godfather's mansion and not his ministerial office.
If it weren't, all eyes from the Ministry of Finance would have been on us.
Polia and I would have been sweating buckets and reading the room.
"Just a few months ago, you said you might take a steppe tribeswoman as your wife."
"You know how it is. Imperial nobles must take an Imperial citizen as their first spouse no matter what."
"I know. I do, but I naturally assumed she'd be from the Central region. Ah, don't misunderstand—I don't mean to look down on the North. Rather, she's a far better lady than the strange folk of the Central region."
My godfather looked at Polia, who sat beside me nervously.
His gaze was full of goodwill. He looked at her as if she were truly his daughter-in-law.
"So this is the poor lady who boldly accepted a proposal from this brat who didn't know anything."
"Hold on. Why is only Polia the poor one? This was a completely unexpected turn for me too. No, and besides. There's nothing pitiable about it from Polia's perspective in the first place, is there?"
"You little rascal. A man who came as an inspector suddenly proposes, so she was too surprised to refuse and followed him all the way here. That's why I can't stand these scheming men."
"But Godfather, you're a man too, aren't you?"
"Can you compare yourself, still a child, with me, who is married with children?"
Wow. How cowardly to drag me over something I didn't even do.
I tried protesting my innocence again, but my godfather wouldn't listen to a word of it.
Completely ignoring me, he struck up a conversation with Polia.
"This brat may seem decent at first glance, but dig deeper and he has many sloppy sides."
"I'm sorry to say this right after meeting you, but you'll have to look after him well."
"Fortunately, they say you're smart, so please stop him when he does something foolish."
"Lately he's been acting high and mighty and doing whatever he pleases—it's driving me mad!"
"Godfather. Are you having a hard time these days?"
"Be quiet. I'm talking to Polia right now."
"It's because you're saying things you don't usually say."
Despite my words, my godfather kept asking Polia this and that.
Whether anyone had given her a hard time for being from the North.
Or if she had approached with some political motive.
If this brat ever puts on airs using his family name, come find me at once.
I'll take responsibility and beat him into shape. And so on.
If anyone heard this, they'd think it was a forced marriage by abduction.
At first I had felt wronged, but now it just made me laugh.
As I listened, both my godfather and Polia seemed to be enjoying themselves.
The tense demeanor had vanished, and they were laughing with each other.
Only then did I realize. Ah, he was trying to make her comfortable.
The title of godfather or Imperial Minister of Finance was a burden in itself to Polia.
Before that could weigh on her, he had quickly lightened the mood.
"I've already visited my parents."
"Of course."
"You'll have to go to the North when you have time."
"I've already told them everything."
"You should still visit from time to time. His Highness the Crown Prince mentioned the sentiments of the northern people, but even putting that aside, a husband who doesn't care about his wife's family cannot be called a husband."
"I never knew you were such a model son-in-law, Godfather."
It was only after that interrogation—which had lasted nearly an hour—that...
"Your name is Polia, right?"
"Yes. Please feel free to call me that."
"Then Polia, you should call me Godfather comfortably too. If you're going to be this brat's wife, you have the right. Anyway, this fellow has been running around doing all sorts of things lately because there's no mistress of the house. Keep him centered."
"U-um. Actually, I came here because there's a lot I want to do! It's not like I came just thinking about marriage...."
Nothing is confirmed yet, but I'll probably become an external consultant for the Ordnance Bureau.
Without any prior study, she cobbled together a gunpowder cart.
Going forward, there will be much for Polia to do regarding gunpowder weapons.
And not only that? She might have talents in other areas as well.
Having lived only in the North, Polia must have felt stifled.
I hope she can unleash it all here. And get married while she's at it.
"Of course. Polia should do what she wants. What this godfather means is, watch him closely. Responsibility toward your existing family and house is all well and good, but when a man must care for the fence that is his wife and children, that is when he learns to cross over into a new realm."
"I think I understand what you mean."
"Don't think too hard about it; it simply means I'm entrusting him to you. Though I'm his godfather and he's like a nephew to me, I always felt sorry that I never properly looked after him."
I couldn't agree with that. Just think of how well he had treated me all this time.
He was the one who carried my young siblings on his back when our mother passed away.
When my father passed, he was the first to run to my side and comfort me.
I learned much from him. I received help in many ways. He is a true godfather.
"No matter how much of a godfather I am, I can't compare to real family. I'm so grateful that Polia will fill that void."
He said that although the beginning was somewhat strange, he hoped we would become a good couple.
He said that the two of us could become as beautiful a couple as any.
As he spoke, tears welled up slightly in my godfather's eyes.
*
A few days later. As expected, Polia became an external consultant for the Ordnance Bureau.
Hessen, the chief of the Ordnance Bureau, had seen everything right beside her.
It seemed he had spoken in detail about Polia immediately upon returning to the bureau.
Thanks to that, I didn't hear of any rejection from that side.
From the start, they were in a situation where they needed even one more smart person.
With war breaking out in the North, the Ordnance Bureau had no time to rest.
In contrast, I entered a rest period without any separately assigned position.
After diplomatic duties, and then inspector duties—I had moved around a lot.
If I added up all the schedules spent purely on "travel," it amounted to nearly a year.
It wasn't for no reason that others told me to take care of my body.
More people died while traveling back and forth than one might think.
"That's why I'm on break. What about you, Sedrun?"
"The inspector was right. A standby order was issued, and it seems I'll be deployed there soon when they newly organize an army to send north."
At first, because of the merits Sedrun had earned and because he knows the North well.
They had tried to appoint him as a deputy commander in charge of the Left Army.
But Sedrun flatly refused. It fell through.
"Isn't the position of deputy commander quite high? It would help your future career as well."
"A deputy commander can't do anything. You just pass down orders as they come and that's it. Rather than take such a position, I'd much rather be a suitable field commander who can somewhat lead soldiers. I'd be too frustrated to stand it."
As expected of the man who had beaten the barbarians with speed and daring.
He had strongly requested the field, caring nothing for career advancement.
In the end, his request was accepted, and he became a commander leading the cavalry.
"When do you depart?"
"We'll need at least three months to finish all preparations. On top of that, going back north to survey the field and allow the soldiers to acclimate will take about the same amount of time."
"That should be enough. While the Ordnance Bureau works on developing new gunpowder weapons, that is."
"Well. Honestly, I'm not too pleased about it."
"Sedrun, didn't you witness the usefulness of gunpowder weapons more closely than anyone?"
The reason the cavalry who fought alongside him could overwhelm the barbarians despite being volunteers.
It was because the barbarians' momentum had already been broken by the gunpowder.
Clearly he had benefited, yet his expression and mood were not good at all.
Was he perhaps worried that his merits would be stolen by gunpowder?
But if he were such a person, wouldn't he have taken the deputy commander position from the start?
"They may have been useful in defensive battles, but this preparation is for offense. From that perspective, the weapons used then were too sluggish. They can't keep up with the momentum of an offensive."
"Mmm. That's true."
"I acknowledge the shock and terror that gunpowder brings. But being large and heavy makes them unsuitable for attack. Please make sure to convey this fact to that Hessen fellow. Weapons must not only be powerful but also portable."
This is why you must listen unconditionally to those in the field.
The basics I had forgotten, my heart momentarily stolen by the formidable thing called gunpowder.
It mustn't be powerful alone. Ease of movement is also necessary.
And an opportunity to present this before many people came swiftly.
That they wished to hear the inspector's opinion on the current northern situation.
I had been called to a meeting presided over by the Crown Prince.