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After finishing the conversation with Siabel, I took a moment to organize my thoughts.

Things concerning the fief were more or less settled. Now, we could gradually proceed, making necessary adjustments while following through with what should be inherited.

I’m not one to spend money recklessly, but having a well-padded wallet isn’t a bad thing either. With the different kind of money from the knight order’s salary, I’d be able to enjoy the wealth of peace of mind, and I find myself looking forward to that.

Reflecting on our last conversation, I started thinking about how I’ve contributed to the Count’s House so far. Given the trust I’ve built with them, it stands to reason that they should take care of my fief as if it were their own. That had been said, after all.

Siabel’s voice had a certain sincerity that left an impression, so I figured it would be okay to trust her.

Additionally, there was something important to consider.

“I’ll put everyone on trial—”

It was a bold request to ask for assistance with the preparations for the trial. Yet, she had laid bare her family matters right in front of me. I even overheard her statement about throwing her own family onto the trial stand.

The self-deprecating demeanor she had maintained throughout was one thing. But when she said that, I caught a glimpse of her sharpness from the time we were up on the castle wall slashing at monsters. It had to be her true feelings showing.

“What am I even thinking alone?”

I dismissed the thought of how large the trial could balloon, and quickened my steps. Such matters had to be discussed with Shione. Pondering them by myself was utterly pointless.

So, when I met her, who had been eagerly waiting for me, I conveyed Siabel’s words exactly as I had heard, without altering even a single word.

“You’ve been thinking that all this time, huh?”

Shione nodded somberly at Siabel’s self-reproach.

“…Did she really say that?”

In the highlighted moment, I could see Shione’s shock.

“I heard it right.”

Her eyes had gone round, mouth agape in a goofy way.

As expected, Shione was fully immersed in her emotions, even exhibiting a cute reaction.

“Still, saying everyone would end up on trial made me a bit sad… but I don’t really want that much.”

“Then next time, it’s better if you, Shione, talk to Siabel instead of me. If you want it, you can do that.”

“Let’s do that. My sister always said she’d do it if I asked. At this rate, we might really end up dragging Mother in front of the judge.”

“…But even saying you’d involve the head of the family is surely just hyperbole, right?”

“……”

“Geez.”

Even so, I wondered how Siabel could pull in Ainel, the Sword Master and head of the family, without raising any issues.

But perhaps I underestimated the kind of personality Shione’s sister had. There was an unsettling thought that she might even wail on Ainel using the shield of family.

Shione’s gaze confirmed her sincere intentions.

“Anyway… I’ll have a chat with my sister separately. Other than that, she didn’t say much, right?”

Given what Siabel mentioned… it was basically just about fief management, and that was about it.

Ah, there was one more thing I almost forgot. A rather shocking statement, too.

“I brushed over it lightly, but… there was one other thing. Would you like to hear it?”

“Now that you mention it, I’m even more curious.”

If that’s how it was going to play out…

I told Shione, who had taken a sip of the tea Aheira had prepared, “She asked if you have any thoughts about marrying me.”

“Pfft…!”

“Since it’s clear you seem uninterested in anyone else but me… and I don’t have anyone else set up either. Rather than letting someone else have you, she suggested that it might be better to keep you tied to the Count’s House through marriage.”

A small trickle of liquid escaped her lips as she struggled to gulp down the tea like a poor girl drinking poison.

After straightening up, she looked at me with her palm wiping her mouth.

“Really…?”

“I don’t need to make things up in front of Shione, do I?”

Shione slowly straightened her posture at my reply.

She straightened her back and started fidgeting with her bangs for no apparent reason.

After she took a moment to tidy herself up, she started casting subtle glances at me.

“Hmm, so what did you reply to her?”

“Before I could answer, Siabel changed the topic. She just told me to think about it for now.”

“…You fool, you should have jumped at the chance to say yes.”

With the atmosphere shifting suddenly, Shione sighed heavily.

I hadn’t realized she could exude such a harsh glare with just her eyes.

As I shrank back under her genuinely burning scrutiny, she finally eased the tension with a single headshake.

“In that case… I should probably discuss an engagement with her. I think it would be much more fulfilling to help you get engaged than to rile up the family for trial.”

Ever since I became a baron, I had impulsively labeled several ladies as bitches in the letters of proposal that weren’t even coming my way.

With Siabel bringing up the engagement first, our Shione seemed to be determined not to hold back, solidifying her resolve.

“Why would it be a problem? We’ve done everything we needed to do already… isn’t there no reason not to get engaged?”

As Shione said, while it might seem like it would fit perfectly to create a whole Order of Knights, she felt that if it got too numerous, someone would get neglected. Hence, she thought having one daughter and one son would be ideal.

And simultaneously, she was casting sly fox-like glances my way.

“…What kind of expression is that?”

“Oh, it’s just that I’m excited?”

After thoroughly locking the doors, it might just be best to sleep at night.

*

After the additional conversation with Siabel wrapped up.

It seemed like the trial discussion had been well coordinated. Moreover, seeing that she hadn’t brought up the engagement with me again, it appeared that perhaps it was still too soon or the outcome hadn’t been too favorable.

So, we focused on the final preparations for the Special Mission Team, and at last, we were ready for the expedition across the Beltlin Mountain Range.

“Having done everything we could do so far, all that’s left is to bear fruits.”

Lately, with Diolia stepping up to spar with each member, we’d been wallowing in her ruthless training, sharpening our skills and senses. After surviving a bout with her, we weren’t scared of monsters anymore since we were practically living out a feast.

The priests’ Divine Power was also incredibly pure and vast. It truly seemed that our time spent at the Academy hadn’t gone to waste. Recently, Shione’s purification magic had also become even more sophisticated and refined.

Moreover, we were well supplied with potions for emergencies, serving as our vital lifeline. Thus, we were just waiting for the call to action.

“Ray, just like at the last victory celebration, everyone’s gathering again this time. Are you all set to make a good impression?”

“Of course. I’ve polished the metals of the armor and the captain’s gear until they shine, so it should sparkle.”

Today, as we marched onward with everyone’s hopes from the Count’s House, we prepared for the scheduled expedition ceremony.

After all, if the armor is going to get dirty rolling around in the combat zones, it better shine bright before we get there.

Diolia said we should present ourselves well as the captain and deputy commander. There were numerous moments where her insistence on cleaning touched on rebellious thoughts of mine… yet looking at my polished armor afterwards, I felt a sense of pride.

“Did you really do this all by yourself? That must’ve been tough.”

Shione, clad in her gleaming armor, questioned what I meant.

“Weren’t you also taking care of your own armor…?”

“I had Aheira do everything. I tried to clean it myself after seeing you and Diolia, but Aheira insisted on taking over.”

“Ah.”

I had not anticipated that Aheira would take care of Shione’s armor for her.

Since the princess had left, Aheira had been appointed as Shione’s personal maid. With Shione now providing for her father’s treatment expenses herself as he struggled with his health, perhaps Aheira’s demeanor had softened quite a bit compared to her previously icy expression.

Aheira was now diligently stepping up to support Shione.

“Of course, she still seems to maintain her connection with the head maid.”

Bronte had mentioned before that it didn’t look like their relationship was quite the same as before, so it was probably fine.

Since Aheira’s role had shifted to being Shione’s personal maid, I had witnessed how she strategically delayed or minimized interactions with the head maid when push came to shove.

Any maid worth her salt wouldn’t want to be neglected by our beloved Shione.

“Aheira, while you’re out on the expedition, can you stick close to Siabel and help her with her work?”

“Please trust me with this. I will make sure to be of help to you, Shione.”

“That reassures me. By the way, would you be able to check in on how my father has been doing lately?”

“They said thanks to Lady Shione’s support, the pain has subsided considerably. At this rate, we might be able to expect more than just a halt to his decline… they even seem hopeful for an improvement with this condition.”

“That’s a relief. It’s nice to see his face brightening up.”

“It’s all due to Lady Shione’s graciousness.”

It was evident that Shione’s accumulating funds and Sion’s connections had made things work out well.

By now, Aheira would look at Shione as if she were someone to be revered.

Aheira would pass on the information she gleaned while acting as an observer and witness alongside Siabel. I looked forward to the trial post-expedition.

So, after exchanging brief greetings with the maids and the others, the expedition ceremony commenced.

With the Special Mission Team taking the lead, followed by the expedition’s vanguard attached to the main body, it was evident that the overwhelming scale of our group had deeply etched itself into the memories of the fief’s people.

Leading the way on horseback, Shione drew her sword and shouted:

“From here on, we commence the expedition for purging and developing the Demonic Realm!”

Ah, Shione’s ears turned bright red.

 

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