A Peaceful Morning and the Elder's Return
I woke up, but my eyes were still closed. The warm body heat radiating from the person in my arms. The soft sensation tickling the tip of my nose. I carefully wrapped my arms around her, holding her close.
“Mmm…”
Beyond the smooth fabric of her nightclothes, I could feel Grace’s gentle curves. Slender and small, yet her full breasts pressed softly against my chest. It felt wonderful, but then I remembered her condition and shifted my position again, careful not to put pressure on her belly. Was this what it felt like to be a father? Lost in those idle thoughts, I finally woke up completely and opened my eyes.
“Leo…”
I had awakened on Grace’s bed in the now-familiar room. The first thing I saw was her face, resting peacefully on my arm. The happy expression she wore eased my heart and melted away my complicated thoughts.
Well, at least in terms of mood.
“Mmm…”
Her blanket had slipped down a little. My gaze lingered for a moment on the soft swell of her breasts before I pulled the covers back up properly and brushed her tousled hair back into place.
“Leo…? Are you awake now?”
“It’s still early. You can sleep a little longer.”
“Mmm… Really?”
I stroked her face as she tried to open her eyes at my touch. She must have liked the feeling, because she rubbed her cheek against my hand before grasping it with both of hers and drifting back to sleep. Watching her, I smiled too, greeting a peaceful morning.
It was a good morning to wake up to. But.
The two rings on my finger caught my attention.
Right. I’d gone and done it. Now what?
“How do I even handle this?”
“Big brother is coming back.”
That meant it was time for me to prepare as well. I started with my personal belongings, then gathered various supplies and the assets allocated to me. And that wasn’t all. I also had to prepare items for the knights and retainers who would be accompanying me.
“Thank you.”
“Not at all!”
Researchers, knights, soldiers, servants, and attendants alike. Following me meant leaving Franz behind, and leaving one’s homeland in this world was an incredibly rare thing. It was no exaggeration to say it was almost unheard of, except for adventurers or merchants. On top of that, I had to take responsibility for those who trusted me enough to follow despite the recent events.
Of course, the actual preparations were handled by my close aides—Chloe, Zeke, and the others—not by me.
So what was I doing in the meantime?
“Here are the documents on Müller.”
“Again?”
“They’re essential! Please read them thoroughly! Now, if you’ll excuse me—I’m quite busy!”
I let out a sigh at the growing mountain of paperwork. Chloe left with a stern expression after firmly reminding me to study, and I dropped my head. She was going through all this trouble because of me. The least I could do was not slack off.
The materials Chloe prepared covered everything about the Müller territory. They were the documents organized and compiled by the officials who had returned with my father. Since I would actually be ruling the land, I couldn’t ask for summaries. When I thought about the people following me and the work that lay ahead, I knew I had to memorize the fundamentals as the lord of a territory.
So even though I hated it, I forced myself to read and commit it all to memory.
The history of the Müller territory. Information on the Müller clan that had ruled it for generations. Data on Müller City, the capital. Population figures, the city’s layout and design, important buildings I needed to know, and the various factions operating within it. Farmland was crucial too, along with major local products, geographical features, relationships with neighboring territories, and the primary trading partners.
Sighing at the endless stacks of documents, I buried myself at my desk once more.
If I spent my mornings and evenings studying like that, the daytime was reserved for practical training.
“Follow me.”
“Yes, Father.”
I walked through the castle behind my father, who moved with the same strict demeanor as always. I was now doing what my older brother used to do. I never imagined things would turn out this way. It reminded me of that meme about a kid seeing soldiers—he’d been smiling, but…
“The family’s traditions are yours to decide. The household you will build in the future…”
“I’m the one who will build it?”
“Hmph.”
Don’t snort like that. It hurts to hear as your son.
“Our Franz governs through an extreme elite minority. The same applies to our knights. We judge everything with a strict eye. You could call it meritocracy. However, I don’t believe it’s perfect. I simply consider it the best available option, which is why we continue to maintain it.”
No tolerance for mistakes. A system that required overwhelming charisma from the one at the top, along with genuine competence to sustain it.
“The previous generation’s predecessor was apparently more flexible. On the opposite end of the spectrum, you have Boreng. As you know, Boreng maintains quite a free-spirited atmosphere. Whichever path you choose, whatever balance you decide to keep—it will be up to you to determine.”
“I see.”
The education differed greatly between being merely a member of the family and becoming its head. One lesson at a time, I trained under my father’s direct guidance.
Zeke and Chloe had also begun receiving instruction from capable retainers in their respective fields. Though since they were already working, they spent more time helping with my preparations than attending lessons.
And so time passed.
“Lord Leoric.”
While I was once again buried in my office, Chloe entered. Half of me dreaded the inevitable increase in study materials. The other half felt a spark of joy at the thought of even a brief break. I looked at her with a complicated expression.
“What is it? What’s going on?”
“Lord Aidan has returned.”
“……I see.”
I set down the pen I had been holding. Suppressing the sigh that threatened to escape, I turned my gaze toward the window.
The time had come.
Just because he had arrived didn’t mean we could talk right away. My brother had his own duties first. He would meet with Father, report on everything that had happened until now and the incidents in Müller, and exchange opinions.
While waiting for him, I was sitting alone in the garden, staring blankly into space, when—
“Leo.”
“Welcome back, Brother.”
The brother I hadn’t seen in a long time looked exactly the same. Sharp, well-defined features and a faint smile. He greeted me with his usual composure.
Hmm.
“You worked hard dealing with the Müller situation.”
“Not really. What did I even do? It was all Father and the knights.”
That’s what I said, but I’d heard he had gone out to the battlefield himself during the war. He had even faced off against direct bloodline opponents, apparently.
With a wry smile, Brother Aidan sat in the seat I had prepared. After I poured him some tea, all the servants and attendants quietly withdrew.
“You really haven’t changed.”
He took one sip of the tea I’d prepared, then frowned. I couldn’t help smiling. I’d known he would react that way, so I had prepared a different blend as well.
“I should have given you this one from the start…”
“It’s delicious. It’s a shame you don’t know this flavor, Brother.”
“Have you been reading novels again? Haha.”
For brothers from a powerful noble house, our relationship wasn’t bad at all. In fact, it was quite good. We continued exchanging light, meaningless chatter until suddenly Brother’s expression turned bitter.
“I was shocked by Father’s condition.”
“It’s my fault.”
I should have handled it faster. It was a cold way to think, but I should have dealt with the threat sooner—even if it meant using soldiers, adventurers, or knights as bait.
“No. Events like this are uncommon. Even with a large-class monster like the Black Wild Boar, you can never let your guard down. It’s said to be the weakest of its kind, but the moment you grow careless and get knocked down, it will trample you completely.”
Its enormous body. Its inexhaustible stamina. Its steel-like hide. Hunting it by exploiting its simple charging nature might result in casualties among soldiers or knights, but a noble could usually handle it with relative ease.
Even so, the Black Wild Boar was still a large-class monster. If you let your guard down and got trampled, a noble without exceptional defensive abilities had a very real chance of being crushed.
Brother spoke as if to comfort me.
“It can’t be called your fault. The moment you identified it as a large-class monster, you took action, didn’t you? You actually did well. Father’s injury came partly from carelessness, but the creature’s unique traits played a role too.”
The stealth type was a rare variant. Normally, once a monster grew that large, it required massive amounts of food, and stealthy movement had its limits.
Still, his words eased my mind.
“I’ve heard the general story.”
…Was this about Grace? He already knew?
My hand trembled as I lifted the teacup for another sip.
“They say you awakened to solar magic?”
Ah, that.
“It’s not a complete awakening, but something like this.”
I raised my hand. Golden power rose from my fingertips—something close to sunlight in color. Brother Aidan stared at it intently.
“Impressive.”
“It’s still immature. The consumption is actually worse than before.”
It seemed that even minor spells now used more power than they had back in Franz. Using the sun’s power naturally required even greater effort.
“Father said this is a critical period, so it can’t be helped.”
“That makes sense. I don’t know the details, but many attempts to obtain unique properties end in failure.”
And as those attempts accumulated, they became the family’s history and its strength. When a case like mine occurred in other families, two paths usually emerged: specialize the family’s existing magic, or become independent like me.
“It will be a difficult road, but if it’s you, I’m sure you can manage.”
“Thank you.”
His smile and familiar tone finally helped me relax. Maybe today would pass without any major confrontation?
“I heard Grace is pregnant?”
“Cough!”
Cough! Cough!
Brother Aidan’s sudden words caught in my throat. He widened his eyes in surprise at my reaction.
“Are you all right?”
“Yes, cough! I’m—I’m fine! Cough!”