Chapter 255: Benefactor(2)
Chapter 255: Benefactor(2)
Hearing my father’s venting—if you could even call it that—left me feeling more stunned than guilty.
I had asked Lina to handle things, but since she’d already warned me it might not work, I thought I was prepared for any outcome.
But look at the results. Not only was the Empire requesting me as a guide, but Helium and Albenheim had joined in as well.
Actually, Cecile wasn't the problem. I had already told her what happened between Hiriya and me, so she likely made the request to protect me.
The issue was Albenheim—specifically, Arwen. I had never told Arwen about that incident, yet she had sent a formal request for me to be her guide.
I wondered if Cecile had dropped a hint, but she had no reason to do so. Cecile usually didn't look upon Arwen with the kindest eyes.
That left only one possibility: Arwen had requested me as a guide for purely innocent reasons.
In other words, unlike the last exhibition, she planned to visit our territory 'officially.' Arwen’s attendance was bound to cause a massive stir.
After all, excluding the publisher, Musk, Arwen was the only public link to Xenon.
Musk was just an ordinary publisher, so people could try to pressure him. However, his primary motivation was money, and since the Xenon Chronicle was essentially a money-printing machine, he had no reason to reveal my identity to anyone else.
Even if he were threatened, he would likely just scoff, using the massive influence of the Xenon Chronicle as his shield. I also liked the loyalty he had shown, so I had dropped hints in my letters that we were on friendly terms.
For these reasons, it was difficult to touch or bribe Musk. He was already getting exactly what he wanted from the Xenon Chronicle, and anyone trying to mess with him would have to face the formidable shadow of Xenon.
But Arwen was a different story. She was the Queen of Albenheim—the ruler of a nation.
Given the nature of an exhibition where crowds would flock, people would undoubtedly pester her. Unless a country practices total isolationism, 'diplomacy' accounts for more than half of its governance.
Since Arwen was known to be connected to Xenon, other nations wouldn't just pressure her; they would practically shower her with tributes. They would be desperate to stay on her good side.
‘I wonder how Hiriya will react.’
Would she remain indifferent, or would she be anxious and scramble to show her best side?
Even if the requests were made at a national level, they wouldn't all be moving in one giant mob. Each country would likely have one representative accompanying me.
I rolled my eyes, lost in thought, before asking my exhausted father a question.
"I think I know who’s coming from Helium and Albenheim. Who did the Empire and the Kingdom request?"
"From our Empire, Princess Lina is coming. From the Ters Kingdom, it’s Princess Hiriya."
That much was expected. But my father’s next words caught me off guard.
"And the Empire requested only about two hours of your time, citing that you need your own time as well."
"Two hours?"
"Yes. So you don't have to worry about losing your entire day."
Hearing that, I couldn't help but admire Lina’s tact. Since the Minerva Empire had shown 'consideration' for me, the other parties would be forced to follow suit, however reluctantly.
It was a classic move in image-making. Honestly, no one would have complained even if Lina had ordered me around as she pleased. She was the Imperial Princess, and I was merely the son of a Baron.
At least, that was the case on the surface. In a world like this, people would have accepted it without a word.
However, by showing consideration, she was likely to create a positive impact on her image. It would paint her as a noble who cared for others.
And those who didn't follow her lead? Their reputations would suffer by comparison. This was especially true for the Ters Kingdom, which was in a fierce rivalry with the Minerva Empire.
I smiled inwardly at Lina’s wise move and spoke up.
"That’s a relief. Are those all the people who requested an invitation?"
"For now, yes. Though they said two hours, it will realistically take over four. It’ll be difficult to take them all around at once, after all."
As my father said, taking everyone at once was practically impossible. It could even lead to verbal spats if I wasn't careful.
However, Lina and Hiriya had to be taken together. If Hiriya tried anything unnecessary with me, Lina would need to fulfill her role as my shield.
Most importantly, there was one crucial piece left: Mari’s choice.
Mari was publicly known as my fiancée, and we had already spent our first night together. For all intents and purposes, we were practically newlyweds.
This meant Mari could also take on the role of a guide, but that depended entirely on her choice.
Mari had always loathed politics, but wouldn't she be willing to step up if it helped me? I planned to ask her the next time she visited the mansion.
"I understand. I should start preparing in advance."
"Before that, let me ask you one thing. I can understand the other countries, but I’m curious why the Ters Kingdom requested you as a guide."
Come to think of it, I hadn't explained the situation to my father yet. It was too complicated to put into a letter.
It was also a bit embarrassing to say out loud. The whole thing was like a soap opera from my past life.
It was an incident born from Hiriya’s inferiority complex toward Adelia, and I had been dragged into the mess for no reason.
"Well, you see, what happened was..."
I slowly explained everything that had transpired. Perhaps he had already vaguely guessed that Adelia was an illegitimate child of the Ters royalty, as he initially accepted the news calmly.
However, as the story progressed, my father’s expression shifted subtly. By the time I reached the conclusion, he looked as if he had just heard something utterly bizarre.
To be honest, it was absurd even for me, the person involved, so I could only imagine how it sounded to him. My father blinked his bright golden eyes a few times before letting out a hollow laugh.
"Good grief... It’s such a common story that it’s almost anticlimactic."
"This is a common story?"
"Have you ever heard the saying, 'If I can't have it, I'll destroy it'?"
How did my father know that phrase? As I stared at him, dumbfounded, he waved his hand dismissively as if it were nothing.
"It’s a sort of maxim that often pops up in the romantic dramas of the nobility. Using people for revenge is a very common occurrence."
"..."
"But to think you’re the one it’s happening to... it leaves me with mixed feelings. And it’s not just any noble, but royalty. You’re going to have quite the headache."
My father clicked his tongue, looking genuinely worried. Having chosen to accept a Barony despite being eligible for an Earldom, he knew the dark side of the nobility all too well.
If that was the case, surely there was a proper solution? I asked him tentatively, a hint of expectation in my voice.
"Then, is there a suitable way to resolve this?"
"None."
"..."
"It’s not because your father is incompetent; there really isn't one. The only way would be for Sir Cross and Princess Hiriya to become friends, but..."
My father trailed off and shrugged. It was a gesture that said, 'You know what I mean without me saying it, right?'
It simply meant it was impossible. Hiriya harbored an inferiority complex toward Adelia and had even been humiliated in a duel; things had already reached a point of no return.
Adelia, being the magnanimous person she was, would probably accept an apology if Hiriya offered one, but the probability of that happening was near zero.
Of course, there was one other way besides that. My father likely knew it too, but he was probably keeping it as a very last resort.
‘If she really crosses the line, I’ll have to reveal it.’
So far, Hiriya hadn't crossed the line. She occasionally dipped her toes over it, but she hadn't stepped over completely.
If rumors started spreading that she was trying to steal a man who already had a fiancée, her image would undoubtedly plummet into the abyss.
Furthermore, her father, King Friedrich of the Ters Kingdom, was known to the public as a romanticist.
Friedrich himself would desperately try to stop Hiriya from crossing that line. If he didn't, it would deal a massive blow to both his own image and the kingdom's.
"So, try to stop seducing every woman you meet. I didn't raise you to be that way."
"I wasn't... seducing them."
"Let’s see. The young lady of the Rekilis Duke’s family, and the one from Helium..."
"I’m leaving now. Good luck with your work."
Before my father could start listing names one by one like my mother, I hurried out of the office. I felt his gaze on my back but pointedly ignored it.
It was good to be out of the office, but now that I was out, I had nothing to do. It was hard to write since Gartz hadn't brought the typewriter yet, and it was an awkward time to start reading a book.
I thought about going to talk to Kate, but I figured the conversation would just turn weird, so I scrapped that idea immediately.
‘Maybe I should go inspect the territory?’
Since I was going to be a guide anyway, looking around the territory wasn't a bad idea. In fact, it would allow me to check the details I might have missed.
Having made my decision, I headed toward the main gate. Adelia was likely being held by my mother to have her measurements taken, so there was no need to look for her.
I could just submit the maid uniform design later today. With a light heart, I stepped outside to inspect the territory.
Creeeak—
As I opened the front gate and stepped out, the sun was high in the sky, shining brilliantly. Judging by the intensity of the light, it seemed to be around noon.
Our territory had distinct seasons, so it was annoyingly hot when it was hot and brutally cold when it was cold. In other words, the sunlight wasn't just warm; it was stinging.
Since the concept of UV rays didn't exist here, there was obviously no sunscreen. One had to avoid the sun with wide-brimmed hats or parasols.
Still, it wasn't like there were no options at all. If you protected your skin with mana or divine power, you could prevent it from burning.
‘Though it doesn't stop the heat.’
This damn hair of mine. It was already heavy because it was long, but combined with the heat, it just felt sticky and unpleasant.
The only saving grace was that the humidity wasn't very high. It was much better than being in a sweltering steamer.
Shading my eyes with my hand, I looked around the rapidly developing territory. Originally, the scale of the territory was that of a small village, but it was already growing into the size of a city.
The dwellings of the original residents, which had been simple like thatched cottages, had been completely overhauled. It wasn't just a renovation; it was more like the buildings had been torn down and rebuilt from scratch.
In addition, the single blacksmith shop had grown in size, more shops had opened, and most notably, the number of inns had increased.
A cultural city was, in essence, a city for tourism, and naturally, the proportion of tourists was very important. An increase in the demand for inns was essential.
Finally, infrastructure could not be ignored. A tourist city, in particular, had to prioritize public safety and hygiene.
Hygiene was a problem that would soon be solved, as Helium had offered their support, and the same went for public safety.
It might seem a bit funny to discuss public safety when two whole temples were being built, but even minor crimes couldn't be ignored.
Once the exhibition began and tourists started flocking in, the rate of petty crimes like pickpocketing would naturally rise.
‘The problem is that it’s hard to prevent...’
Petty crime often depends more on civic consciousness than on policing. Moreover, thieves with nimble fingers were likely to see the exhibition as a golden opportunity.
As I walked down the peaceful streets, I noted a few points for improvement in my notebook. I was still regularly using the magic pen I had received as a gift from my father.
"Ahem. Ahem."
"Hm?"
While I was busy writing in my notebook, the sound of someone clearing their throat reached my ears.
I paused my pen and looked up. Since the person was shorter than me, I didn't even have to tilt my head back much.
The first thing I noticed was the man's build. It wasn't a physique earned through training, but rather a frame built on eating and sleeping well.
Next was his jovial impression, combined with somewhat extravagant clothing. It was rude to say, but in many ways, he reminded me of a pig.
I was puzzled by the man's sudden appearance, but I closed my notebook and waited quietly. Since he seemed to have business with me, it was only right for him to speak first.
Soon, despite his greedy appearance, the middle-aged man politely clasped his hands and asked me in a respectful voice.
"Excuse me. Are you perhaps from the Maishal family?"
"Yes. I am Isaac Ducard Maishal, the second son of the Maishal family."
Judging by his manners, he seemed to be a commoner rather than a noble, but he clearly looked wealthy. His appearance was far from ordinary to begin with.
After hearing my introduction, the middle-aged man nodded and spoke in his characteristically polite tone.
"It is an honor to meet a member of the Maishal family. My name is Musk Grid. I am a man who runs a small, humble publishing house."
"Ah."
I let out a small exclamation upon hearing his name. There was no way I wouldn't know the name Musk.
He was the owner of the publishing house that had signed the copyright contract for the Xenon Chronicle, and the man who had kept my secret all this time. I had heard he was moving the publishing house to our territory, and it seemed he was nearby.
‘He looks like a villainous boss, but he’s surprisingly decent.’
This was my first time meeting Musk in person. Since he had kept his word and prevented my identity from being discovered, I couldn't help but feel well-disposed toward him.
I put on a genuinely welcoming expression and reached out my hand. It was a handshake offered with various meanings, including gratitude.
"So you are Mr. Musk. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you."
"The honor is mine."
Musk also wore a professional smile as he accepted my handshake. His hand was thick, but perhaps because he took good care of himself, it felt soft to the touch.
After the handshake, we continued with some small talk.
For the record, I skipped the question of how he knew I was a member of the Maishal family. With red hair and golden eyes, how could he not know?
"By the way, Mr. Musk, what brings you to me?"
"Ho ho ho. It’s nothing much. It’s just..."
Musk trailed off, then asked me in a cautious yet sly voice.
"Since this is my first time in this territory, I was wondering if I could ask you to be my guide?"