Chapter 34
Chapter 34
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 34
Chapter Title: They Say That House's Escort Knight Wears a Ribbon on His Head (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
After returning to the castle, I spent a few days resting deeply. Had there ever been a time since becoming Sierra when I lounged around this leisurely? I slept in as much as I wanted, ate whatever I craved, took walks with Dalia, and even greeted Pippin, who was holed up in the library.
It would have been nice to live this idly forever.
"These are the matters postponed while you were resting. I've selected only the urgent ones."
The head butler placed a hefty stack of documents in front of me. Family affairs, celebrations and condolences, gifts to send, miscellaneous tasks, territory plans, budget proposals, and so on...
I'd dragged my feet on them using my illness as an excuse, but as I got into it, I adapted, and my pace quickened. I didn't want to work hard, but the soul of a Korean wouldn't let me slack off.
Momentum built as I tackled the work. Then the head butler slyly handed over a separately bound bundle of papers.
"What's this?"
"It's the list you requested last time."
The head butler twitched his mustache and whispered.
"It's the guest list from the funeral."
I hurriedly opened it, and sure enough, it was exactly that. It listed which families' members attended, what courtesies they showed, and what gifts arrived.
Many names in the long list had underlines beside them. I tapped my pen, wondering what that meant, then realized the head butler's insight and smiled.
"You remembered what I said?"
"Everything the Duke says is remembered, even down to a baby's babble."
Right. Looking again, I got it. How could I forget who those marked people were?
They were the nobles who had looked at Dalia and me with eyes full of contempt. The same gaze I'd received as a child.
"We should send thank-you gifts to the distinguished guests who attended the funeral despite their busy schedules."
Perfect timing, as some ideal gifts were due to arrive at the castle.
"Alberto. There were items coming from the village where the Sloth Mercenary Corps was, right?"
"A message just arrived. They're set to reach the territory checkpoint in two days. They had some trouble sealing them tightly."
"Good."
The magical beast incident in that rural village fell under my jurisdiction as the territory lord. I'd left the village chief and the mercenary who caused it in Alberto's hands.
I'd told him to handle their punishment 'severely' at his discretion and to collect the magical beast corpses as evidence.
This was what it was for.
"Magical beasts are hard for commoners even to glimpse, and lesser nobles who don't participate in subjugations can't get their hands on them. Since we've obtained a heap of such rare magical beasts, wouldn't it be good to share them?"
Recalling the game content, I picked out a few famous families. Even if they'd ignored me, outright revenge on them would be troublesome, so I sifted them out.
Those houses needed to be dealt with more meticulously later. Now wasn't the time.
"Camomile, Heliohelian, Ginger, Pride. Exclude these four families and send the magical beasts to the ones you marked. Put the corpses and blood in finely crafted glass vials, sprinkle the beast's essence on the lids, and send them off."
"The smell will be foul."
"Just plug your nose when tying the ribbons. Oh, and pick cheap ribbons. The cheapest ones that don't tarnish our dignity."
"As you command."
"We should include a simple postcard too. Sincerely."
I shrugged and opened a drawer, pulling out a bundle of ornate postcards. Still relying on the status window for writing, I needed practice for neat handwriting.
It didn't seem to please Alberto, though.
"Your handwriting has deteriorated a lot since your hand injury."
"Uh, yeah. Right."
Luckily, the injured hand was a godsend. Come to think of it, the game mentioned Sierra had beautiful handwriting.
"I'm not sure if I can write like before. It hurts just holding the pen a little."
I rubbed my wrist, pretending it ached. The wound had long healed, but my awkward handwriting wouldn't improve easily.
Alberto might notice my script differed from Sierra's old one.
To keep scribbling my way freely, I had to throw out bait like this.
"It can't be helped. It was my oversight not to foresee you'd suffer such an injury."
Alberto bowed his head as if dejected. It was pitiful, but I hoped his self-blame would blind him to my scribbles.
"Alright, then. Let's write messages full of my heartfelt sincerity."
Time to dust off my old part-time gig copying middle and high school Korean homework!
[To the distinguished guests who attended the Duchess of Gluttony's funeral. Shortly after sending my mother off, an unfortunate incident occurred in the territory. Great sorrow befell my sister and me, but thinking of you all helped us endure. We've resolved it cleanly and obtained spoils, so we present them as gifts to those who supported us.]
Pretty elegantly written, right?
After producing dozens of handwritten postcards blending sincerity and malice, I handed them to Alberto. These would accompany the foul-smelling magical beast corpse gifts.
"For the rest, it's a shame, but with no more beast corpses, we'll have to send perfume. Make it from the flowers currently in bloom, bottle it in elegantly crafted glass vials, and tie with luxurious ribbons."
"Understood."
Deciding on gifts for the funeral visitors lifted my spirits sky-high.
Magical beast corpse perfume. They wouldn't be able to toss it or keep it home—utterly awkward.
Magical beasts are treated as 'evil' that must be subjugated. Humans who feared them succeeded in driving the world-conquering monsters to one corner of the continent—the place now called the Hermit's Land.
Not content with seizing their territory, the imperial family is steadily encroaching on the Hermit's Land borders and interior.
Especially the Crown Prince Taimers, at the forefront of beast subjugations. Considering his immense prestige and trust from many houses, it's clear how reviled magical beasts are in this world.
To bring such a beast home—not even alive, but a dead corpse? Shocking.
But who am I? The sender is a duke—who would dare discard my gift?
If they ignored me and tossed it anyway, exposing a noble-only magical beast to the public would make them punishable. Magical beasts are special products handled only by nobles.
Imagining nobles stuck in that dilemma was delightful. Popping a dessert Dandel brought doubled the glee.
Maybe this is why Sierra gave me her body—she wanted revenge but was too indecisive, holing up depressed instead.
Whatever. My mood was this great.
"Ah. Living spitefully is too good."
Humming as I picked up another document, the sternly standing head butler beside me felt oddly nagging.
Checking his affection on a whim, I couldn't help but chuckle.
[♥♥♥♥♥]
Still max affection. He helps my spite, stays silent even hearing about sending beast corpses...
"Alberto, you wanted revenge deep down too, huh?"
The butler just twitched his eyebrows, not denying it.
I chuckled, but didn't want to bruise the proud old man's pride. I graciously changed the subject.
"What’s Pippin doing now? Still in the library?"
"Yes. He's buried in the magical beast compendium like he wants to be a scholar. And he's supposed to be an escort knight..."
"Let him be. You're by my side now, and there's no one who could harm me anyway."
Except the spy in the basement eating and sleeping.
"Pippin deserves some rest too. He's worked hard."
I said that, but inside I was a bit anxious. Pippin could rest. Yeah, he earned it. No immediate tasks.
But what about Manhole? My garden entrance, the Door of Death?
'Is this a familiar or the master?'
That Manhole Lid guy had recently been refusing my summons at will. I'd overworked it last time, but sulking like this? Trying to summon brought refusal messages in the status window.
Thanks to it, I couldn't practice necromancy skills, not even see ant undead. But the undead sent messages occasionally, so things weren't terrible. I didn't know the Door of Death's interior setup, but they seemed fine on their own.
[Sugar Lord's Message: Honey-sweet rest]
[Sweet Swarm's Message: Mother, no honey in sight]
I couldn't slack off either. I remembered Tenerife's words. Whether studying at the imperial library or whatever, she wouldn't teach necromancy until I got used to being a necromancer.
That meant I needed an excuse to go to the imperial palace.
"Alberto."
"Yes, Duke."
"If I recall, there's a magical beast subjugation next month. Hasn't the elder council met yet? As the Gluttony family head, I should attend such a meeting."
"There are rumors circulating. The palace will send envoys to each family soon. Probably next week."
"Preparations for the palace?"
"Done long ago."
The butler added somewhat reluctantly.
"Will you bring escort knight Pippin?"
"Of course."
Answering firmly, our eyes met. Seeing the old man's sparkling eyes peeking under white brows stirred worry.
Could I take our bookworm Pippin to the palace as is?
He'd be ignored. Pippin, or me for bringing such a Pippin...
"We'll have to spruce him up."
"Quite right."
"Have the church hold a small ordination. He'll be formally appointed escort knight with a bishop's benediction. That's when we'll confer his title."
"You truly mean to make that Pippin your escort knight."
"Naturally. Why else would I have brought him? To give Dalia a wooden block? No way."
I'd pondered when to formally knight Pippin, but it felt stuffy, so I shoved all the desk papers forward. Alberto paused, sighed deeply, and started tidying my desk.
"Still, better to handle nagging things quickly."
"Well, yes. Generally speaking."
"Send a messenger at once: I'll visit the church tomorrow. The one where we held the funeral. And find High Priest Horay. Tell him I want to meet him personally tomorrow."
"Understood."
"And I need to see Pippin. Right now."