The Unbalanced Chamber
The room was filled with rather ornate decorations, yet the overall atmosphere felt gloomy. It was a strangely unbalanced space.
Upon arriving at the bedroom where the lords of Muller had resided for generations, I took a slow look around. I scanned the area thoroughly, but there were no hidden compartments or secret passages—well, aside from the standard hidden escape route that every castle possessed.
“It feels remarkably austere,” I muttered.
The flashy furniture seemed to have been brought in recently. Removing those pieces revealed the true character of the room. So the successive lords of Muller had favored this sort of taste? I’d heard they possessed strong martial inclinations, but still…
Then why had the eldest son turned out like that?
“Ah… ah……”
“Eek, are you two okay?”
The moment Charlotte and Neria entered the room with me, they clutched their heads and staggered. What was wrong with them?
“What in the world is this tasteless room?!”
“Kyaaaaaah!”
“It’s a bit weird, sure, but is it really that bad…?”
To be honest, it did have a certain vulgar charm. Maybe the eldest son had simply never gotten around to redecorating. The room’s base design was old-fashioned and archaic, with dull, somber coloring throughout. Yet every new piece of furniture that had been added was garishly bright, creating a jarring mismatch.
“To think we have to let Young Master sleep in a place like this! If Lena finds out, we’ll be fired on the spot! Dismissed immediately!”
“Kyaaaaaaaaaah!”
Watching the two of them scream and flail about, it was clear that from their perspective, the room was utterly unacceptable. In matters of interior taste, I supposed I should trust their judgment over my own.
“We need to clean this up right away!”
“We must open the storage right this instant!”
Their eyes burned with determination as they rolled up their sleeves. Even though evening was approaching, they looked ready to work through the night. Honestly, I didn’t want to sleep in this room either. Since they were doing this for my sake, I should find some people to help them.
Ah, that’s right. There were two people standing right outside the door.
—Clatter!
“Hey.”
My original escort was Chloe, but she had recently become the representative of the young knight faction and was swamped with duties. That was why these twins now handled my protection whenever she was unavailable.
“Lord Leoric!”
“Finally!”
Ugh, men could be so gross. These two were already extremely masculine in appearance—large builds, thick facial features, square jaws, and bulging muscles. It was almost repulsive. Though when they looked at me with those glistening, puppy-like eyes, they did seem a little—
No. Not cute at all. Not even close.
“Help these two out, will you?”
“Pardon?”
With a sharp tap, the two of them stepped forward.
“You know Charlotte and Neria, right? These are the twins, children of my wet nurse. Just do whatever they ask.”
“Um, Lord Leo? We’re supposed to be guarding you…”
“It’s fine. This place is safe. Besides, we have an agreement, don’t we?”
“…Chloe will kill us if she finds out.”
“Just explain it to her nicely, okay?”
I waved them off. I had no idea why Chloe got so angry about these things.
“Tell them to move some luggage. If it’s not enough, call for more help.”
“Yes! Understood! For the honor of the Franz family—! No, for Lord Leo’s dignity!”
“We’ll change everything!”
Whoa, they didn’t need to go that far. If they started a massive renovation project at this hour, there wouldn’t be anywhere to sleep tonight.
“Just organize the absolute necessities for now…”
“Let’s go!”
“You two! Follow us!”
Completely ignoring my words, the pair dashed out the door, dragging the twins along with them.
“……”
Even in their haste, they maintained proper decorum while running. Well, this was Muller territory—there were plenty of servants and attendants here. Since we’d only just arrived, it was best to avoid giving anyone any excuses to criticize us. Come to think of it, even the guide who had shown us around earlier had looked rather uncomfortable. It seemed the people here were already aware of how tasteless this room was.
“…That’s surprising.”
“Is it?”
Someone was watching from the corner of the hallway. It was Triana. She stared at me with an expression of pure astonishment.
“What’s so surprising?”
“Lord Leoric…”
She paused mid-sentence, her lips parting slightly before closing again.
“You’re more human than I expected, my lord.”
“That’s just when I’m working. You think I want to live like that all year round? Ugh, who would want to be a lord if it meant dealing with that hassle every day? I’d rather quit.”
“……”
Her eyes widened into perfect circles. Was it really that shocking?
“And what surprises me more is the state of this room. What the hell is with this unbalanced mess?”
“…I have nothing to say about that. It was that damned man’s taste.”
Apparently the room was even worse than I thought. When I pointed it out, she averted her gaze, unable to argue. Calling him “that damned man” made it clear just how much she despised him. After all, her peaceful daily life had been ruined because of him.
“If he had been given a little more time, the entire castle’s atmosphere would have changed.”
“Ugh. No hope at all. My older brother doesn’t have this kind of taste—did he simply refuse to use this room?”
“Lord Aidan said he was only staying temporarily and used a guest room instead.”
He didn’t have to do that. Or maybe… he just really didn’t want to sleep here either.
“Lord Leo.”
“Chloe?”
It seemed the twins had contacted her. Not only Chloe but also Zeke had arrived. Both of them turned their gazes toward Triana Muller. Well, casual chatter didn’t seem appropriate anymore.
“So, what’s the matter?”
After taking a deep breath, she spoke. The former lord, Trowin Muller, wished to meet with me. I stroked my chin.
“The previous lord?”
“Yes. My grandfather, Trowin Muller.”
The former lord and former head of Muller. Trowin Muller. Since he had fathered children late in life, I’d heard he was quite elderly now. The Muller brothers were already older than my brother and me, so their grandfather would certainly be of an age worthy of that title. The former head was currently resting in a small villa with an attached garden within the capital of Muller. My brother Aidan had never met him personally, though our father had once. I’d been told there was no particular need to pay him much attention, but it would still be proper to meet him.
“Alright. If today works for him, I can go see him.”
Technically he should come to me since I was the current lord, but even I couldn’t bring myself to say that to an ailing old man. It would prick my conscience.
Unlike the old-fashioned grandeur of Muller Castle’s inner keep, the overall atmosphere of the estate was rather warm and pleasant. The vast lands and the farmland they supported created a landscape that reflected the sunset beautifully—perfect for stirring sentimental feelings.
“……”
I could feel Triana Muller’s gaze flicking toward me from the opposite seat in the rattling carriage. If she had something to say, she should just say it.
“Did you have another matter to discuss?”
“……Well.”
Triana hesitated. Was it about that, after all?
“You asked your father to help you reclaim Muller’s castle and lands?”
“……Yes. That is correct.”
She twisted her head slightly as she answered my direct gaze. For a defeated clan member to make such a request was almost laughable.
“You do realize how absurd that sounds, don’t you?”
“……Yes.”
At my pointed remark, she simply nodded. Chloe and Zeke, seated beside me, frowned as they looked at her. Her complexion grew even paler under their stares. There had been justification. There had been a formal declaration of war. As the daughter of the second son faction’s Tirus Muller, she might feel some sense of injustice, but—
“To beg even at the cost of your dignity. Why?”
“……It is for my father, my lord.”
Triana knelt inside the carriage. It could not have been a comfortable position, especially for someone whose body had not been strengthened by mana. Yet she bowed her head with a rigidly determined expression.
“What my father pursued. I wish to preserve the traces of the life he lived.”
“Hmm. Traces of your father’s life, you say.”
It wasn’t just his daughter that he had risked his life to protect. The honor of the entire Muller clan had been part of it. The name he had clung to with such desperate hope. For his daughter, preserving her father’s name and honor—things destined to fade with the passage of time—was her one and only wish.
“Hmm.”
Even a father who respected nobility would not have given her a definite answer to such a request. It was that heavy a favor. Preserving the name might be one thing, but asking for the land to be returned crossed the line. It was only natural that both my expression and the others’ darkened. Seeing this, Triana continued.
“I do not ask for much. All I want is this city.”
Wait, wasn’t this city the capital of the entire territory?
“I know very well that Lord Leoric is not someone who would be satisfied with such a small fief.”
“Um… huh?”
Hold on. Did I just hear something strange?
When I looked at Triana’s face, she was staring back at me with complete seriousness.
“You who have obtained unique mana—indeed, the power of the sun itself. There is no way you would be content with this land. This territory is little more than fields and farmland.”
No? That’s not right?
“Those of us who follow you, now that you have obtained solar mana, have already steeled ourselves. No matter what lies ahead, we will carry out our duties faithfully.”
“Um, Triana?”
What was this atmosphere?
“So even if it is a story for the very distant future, after you have conquered countless lands—”
No. I said no. What the hell is she talking about, conquest?
I glanced at Chloe and Zeke. Hey, can someone stop her?
“Hmm.”
“Hmmm.”
…Why are you two nodding along?
“Please, grant us this city of Muller as a token of Grace in return for the loyalty we offer…!”
Triana bowed deeply. Chloe and Zeke nodded as if it were a perfectly reasonable suggestion.
—Clatter!
As the carriage continued toward its destination, a heavy, awkward silence settled over us.