Chapter 91
Chapter 91
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 91
Chapter Title: The Carmel Family (1)
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I arrived at my in-laws’ home as planned.
The distance was considerable, but by using a gate, it took less than half a day.
The Carmel Family.
The home of my future father- and mother-in-law.
I couldn’t help but feel a little nervous.
It would have been fine if nothing had happened, but that disgraceful incident where I acted like a scoundrel still weighed on my mind.
Well, now that I’m the Hero, they won’t treat me poorly, right?
More likely, they would give me a perfectly normal welcome.
My belief was rewarded, perhaps a little too excessively.
“Oho, my son-in-law has finally arrived! I’ve been waiting for a week. Ah, that’s right. I should call you the Hero now. What are you all doing? Hurry and escort the Hero inside!”
“…”
They welcomed me with an almost burdensome warmth.
My father-in-law was also the head of a great family, but he was a completely different man from my own father.
His was the typical behavior of a nobleman.
I could see traces of him having forcibly mobilized people just to display the prestige of his great family.
Of course, I couldn’t say that was a bad thing.
Noble events were inherently wasteful and needlessly extravagant.
Well, what did it matter?
The only important thing was that they were welcoming me…
“It is an honor to see you, sir. I am relieved to see you are as hale as ever.”
“You’ve changed so much I almost didn’t recognize you. You look ready to start a family.”
He said I was all grown up.
Maybe it was just my imagination, but I sensed he was urging me to tie the knot with Ceria quickly.
What should I do?
Would he be disappointed if I told him we were postponing the wedding?
“Let’s talk while the banquet is being prepared.”
“…”
His demeanor suddenly became quite serious.
It was clear he wanted to discuss the union of our two families.
I had expected it to some extent, but I hadn’t thought we would be having this conversation so soon.
I had no choice, even if I didn’t want to. How could I refuse my future father-in-law?
I followed him with Ceria at my side.
The butler would take good care of the rest of our party.
I was fine with all of it, but Aruru seemed to be desperately wishing for something.
*Ah, I want to be there too!*
*I want to see Jace getting pushed around by his future father-in-law!*
She seemed to be thinking something along those lines as she wagged her tail furiously, but I coolly turned my head away.
My little cutie.
Didn’t you kick me out too?
When we visited Aruru’s hometown, she had sent me away for a “family meeting.”
I had been so curious about how they would treat the prospective sister-in-law, their second son’s fiancée…
The current situation wasn’t much different.
If she were present, the atmosphere would become lively just by her being there.
It wouldn’t be suitable for a place where a serious conversation was about to take place.
A short while later.
I found myself sitting across from the master and mistress of the Carmel family in a luxurious drawing room.
*Ah, what do I do? This is so awkward…*
I was fine with Gerard and Martina because they were *my* family.
But my fiancée’s parents still felt very much like strangers.
The pressure of not wanting to make a single mistake.
As a sense of tension began to creep in, Ceria, sitting beside me, gently took my hand.
Her smile and warmth made me feel much more at ease.
Perhaps it was because he saw our affectionate display, but my father-in-law couldn’t hide his pleased expression.
“You and Ceria are still as close as ever.”
“Of course. I am always thinking only of your daughter. It’s no exaggeration to say she is my everything.”
“Good. Then when will you hold the wedding?”
“…”
I was momentarily at a loss for words.
Seriously, he’s throwing a fastball right from the start?
I sensed a strange sort of impatience from him.
Something’s a bit off.
He couldn’t possibly distrust me, the icon of reliability.
In any case, since the topic was brought up, I should just get it over with.
I’ll explain that we’re postponing the wedding because of this and that…
“We are ready to hold the ceremony as early as tomorrow.”
“—!”
Huh? Did I hear that right?
As if a fastball wasn’t enough, he was now jumping the gun.
Did he want a Hero for a son-in-law that badly?
Even so, I was already a fish in his net; he was being excessively hasty.
Just as I was trying to guess the reason, Ceria, as flustered as I was, quickly intervened.
“Father, forgive my impertinence, but I believe that is a bit too hasty. Because…”
She explained that her fiancé was going to be busy now that he was the master of the Holy Sword.
That we were only stopping by briefly and were scheduled to attend an Imperial event soon.
She also pointed out that with a war approaching, the timing was not right.
That should have been more than enough for him to understand, but my father-in-law’s reaction far exceeded my expectations.
“That’s all the more reason to move it up.”
“—??”
He cleared his throat and glanced at me furtively.
He seemed to be contemplating how to phrase his next words.
“I already think of you as family.”
He meant he was going to speak his mind frankly.
I played along, saying I also thought of him as a father.
“Alright. I’ll just be blunt. You are a much bigger deal than you think.”
“…”
I could feel his intense determination not to lose the best groom candidate around.
His precious daughter’s future was on the line, so I could only imagine his feelings.
I understand how you feel, but I already told you I only love your daughter, so why are you being like this?
“Just the fact that you are the heir to the Crodain family has countless people eyeing you.”
“Hmm…”
“And now you’ve become the Hero. The repercussions of that are bound to be enormous.”
He said that any family with a daughter would be going crazy over me.
He was already receiving glares from various families, practically dying of envy.
“Still, they send letters of congratulations, at least as a formality.”
—*I hear your future son-in-law became the Hero? Congratulations.*
The letters were probably something like that. It was a situation where he could shrug his shoulders in pride, and he actually did so.
“However…”
After reveling in his pride for a moment, his expression suddenly turned serious.
He narrowed his brow as if to claim he had a great worry, and continued.
“The Imperial family is the problem. They will definitely make a move on you.”
“Ah, about that…”
“Yes, it can’t be helped. Who could withstand the subtle pressure from His Majesty the Emperor right before their eyes? I understand completely.”
This man… the tempo of his speech was too fast.
Maybe he had picked up a bad habit from being the head of a family?
He spoke as if his thoughts were all correct, giving the other person no room to object.
“They’ll try to connect you with an Imperial Princess or another member of the royal family. Then what happens to my daughter? I can’t bear the thought of her being pushed to second place.”
“…”
*I can tolerate you taking on concubines.*
*You’re the heir to a great family, so it’s natural to have one or two more.*
*I can let that slide, but I will never yield the position of the official wife!*
My father-in-law frankly stated his position with that kind of sentiment.
He was already the type to get excited easily, but with his daughter involved, he was becoming unstoppable.
Then again, from his perspective, it was natural to be anxious.
Even for the daughter of a high-ranking noble family, the picture becomes complicated if the competitor is from the Imperial family.
Normally, Ceria, being his childhood friend and fiancée, would naturally take precedence, but considering the influence and prestige of the Imperial family, they had more than enough power to overturn everything.
Father-in-law, but you see…
Your premise is wrong from the start.
“I believe that my only partner can be Ceria.”
Even if the Imperial family persistently tried to persuade me, I would ignore them.
What do I lack that I should listen to them?
I have no desire to be suddenly paired with someone I don’t even know.
Even if I searched the whole world, I wouldn’t find a bride who could surpass Ceria.
Refusing the Imperial family’s offer might lower their favorability toward me, but…
That was something I could easily make up for depending on my actions.
“If you’re not careful, the Imperial family might view you unfavorably… Are you willing to risk that?”
He was worried it would hinder my activities as the Hero.
The look on his face was a bonus, as if he hadn’t known I loved his daughter that much.
Of course, the Empire’s support was essential, but that didn’t mean they were in charge.
It was a mutually beneficial relationship where we had to cooperate.
To face the Demon King, the existence of a Hero was indispensable.
The key would be to use that fact to take the lead.
“I just need to show them that I’m not to be taken lightly.”
“Wouldn’t that make them covet you even more?”
“I intend to declare firmly that I will devote myself to my duty as the Hero.”
“Hmm…”
*This confidence. This maturity…*
*As expected of my son-in-law, he is full of dignity!*
It was obvious he was revising his assessment of me upward.
“Yes, it seems I was too hasty. I know you are an upright man, but a parent’s heart is what it is, you know?”
*You’ll understand when you have a daughter of your own.*
He seemed to be seeking my agreement, so I quickly nodded my head.
“Yes. You are absolutely right.”
“The problem is that you’re too outstanding.”
“…”
“Now that you’re the Hero, there will be those who are jealous. If any problem should arise, the Carmel family, as well as our allies, will support you.”
There was no need to be surprised that he would unconditionally be on my side.
The Crodain and Carmel families had long been in the same boat.
“It is unlikely to happen, but should I ever find myself in a difficult position, I will shamelessly ask for your help.”
He looked utterly pleased as I finished speaking politely.
My future mother-in-law also smiled gently and offered some kind words.
“That unwavering reliability of yours is truly wonderful. I will be looking forward to your heroic deeds.”
Her gentle tone alone revealed her benevolent character.
Ceria’s graceful speech and conduct were clearly influenced by her mother.
The warm and friendly atmosphere continued.
I felt like I was finally starting to adjust.
A short while later, the butler announced that the banquet was ready.
Instead of getting up, my father-in-law looked at me and said.
“You go on ahead. I have something to say to my daughter for a moment.”
It seemed they wanted to have an intimate family conversation.
The topic would probably be about me… but I didn’t think it would be anything serious.
At most, they’d probably just ask how far we’d gone.
I followed the butler’s guidance to the reception room where the others were gathered.
“What did you talk about?”
The fox beastkin came running up and clung to me.
She flapped her tail back and forth as if to say, *Tell me quickly*.
My little cutie.
This is not the time to be concerned about that.
“Then what?”
A grand banquet is about to be held.
You should be thinking about how much you’re going to stuff yourself with today.
“Ah, ahh… I forgot about that important ritual.”
The girl drooled ostentatiously.
She had the happiest expression in the world; if nothing else, she seemed to be blessed with good fortune when it came to food.
I habitually stroked Aruru’s head and fell into thought.
I had visited my family and my in-laws, so all that was left on the schedule was the visit to the Imperial Palace.
In the original story, there were several options, and the protagonist chose one of them.
I recalled the walkthrough, but it was only a reference.
Since I wasn’t the original protagonist, variables were bound to pop up.
The Emperor, the supreme ruler of the Empire.
The fierce rivalry between the First and Second Princes.
The situation where countless nobles were engaged in factional strife centered around them.
What would happen if the spark known as the Hero was thrown into that crucible of chaos?
Just like in the original story, it was obvious a spectacular mess was about to unfold.
It was complicated in many ways, but there was no need to rush.
I would have to test the waters before deciding whose side to take.
Well, if it came down to it, I could always walk a tightrope.
I was in an advantageous position in many ways, so it didn’t seem like it would be difficult.