Chapter 107 : Dealing With Aftermath

TL:SummerPeanut

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“Well done, you lot. If Red Lotus hadn't come along, we would have been pushed back in and a fifth of Mesalius territory would have been cut off. Especially Ike. It seems they weren't lying when they said you are the best in the history of the Lister Imperial School. It was worth the trouble to bring you all the way back from the labyrinth.”

I praised Red Lotus for coming to my rescue with open arms. I could see that Gysahl didn't look too good but that didn't matter.

“I'll give you guys some kind of reward. You'll have to think of something by the time we get back to Mesalius.”

When we returned to Mesalius and were having a banquet, Ike announced a piece of shocking news. He asked me to give him Edean, that is, to marry him. As for me, it's all the better. And of course, that is the case even for the House of Alistar. Year after year, the Mesalius territory is being pushed into a corner but with Ike, there's no problem.

But here, as expected, Gysahl intervened. He said he would allow the marriage but only if Gysahl married first. Gysahl is as prideful as ever. Well, I forgive him because he excels in his own way, but compared to Ike, he's...

I ignored Gysahl's words and accepted the marriage. But Gysahl was persistent in telling Ike and Edean when to get married. How dare you marry before the eldest son who is older than you! He was so insistent that Ike and Edean gradually became speechless.

“Even so, Ike is really strong. As expected of the strongest in the Lister Empire's School. As a member of the Lister Confederacy, I am proud too.”

“No... I am not the strongest, the number one is my brother who entered this year. And second place is also doubtful, though I should be in the top 5... This year's freshmen are too incredible. I also left the labyrinth for my brother's party Reimei. Perhaps they will destroy the dungeon core, you know?"

I didn't think it was possible, but Edean said.

“What you just said is probably true... We, the Red Lotus, have fought them before, but we lost because we couldn't force the little brother, Mars, to move a single step. At that time, it seemed like Mars was at a terrible disadvantage though."

Edean has a real eye for people. That's why Edean used to look down on Gysahl. Not only Gysahl. I think he looked down on the very existence of men.

But Edean has changed since she went to the Lister Imperial School. Her sharp edges of the past is gone. I thought that Edean must have finally found a man she approves of, and perhaps that man is Ike.

“Reimei huh... I'll remember that.”

When I said that, Edean interjected.

“I'm sure they’ll eventually become someone you want to forget but can't, you know?”

“All right. Tomorrow, I'd like you guys to head back to the labyrinth. It should be better for them too to have more firepower. I'll arrange a separate reward as well.”

“No, there’s no point for us to go. If you insist, we'll go but if there’s a magic beast that my brother can't defeat, we won’t be able to defeat it too.”

So the brother who could make Ike claim such is this incredible... Something about his reputation being so high makes me think it is suspicious on the contrary but... well, Ike says so, so we'll see how it goes this time.

“Father! We should go too! Do you not feel chagrined being made fun of by strangers?"

I knew Gysahl would get involved...

“What about this then? If Reimei doesn't come back by tomorrow, we'll go too. It's just my prediction but I believe Reimei will come back today or tomorrow."

While I was hesitating, a voice came from an unexpected place.

“Ike's judgment is correct. Lord Mesalius. You must educate your son well. He'll end up like me.”

Hey, who's this guy... He’s posing very high and mightily... I stared at the man suspiciously, and Edean…

“This man is Sir Dames. This man is the reason Reimei came here from San Marina."

In the end, as Ike and Dames said, Reimei returned that evening.

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

Currently in front of me, Count Mesalius and Gysahl are on one knee on the ground, hanging their heads. As for Gysahl, he is being forced to his knees by Count Mesalius.

“Sir Mars, please save Mesalius... and the Alistar Household!”

The point is that he wants to get on the good side of Karen’s father, the Duke of Fresvald, and get rid of the threat of Phantom through her. There's no way I can take a normal position with two people like that. I was in front of them, sitting on my knees.

Normally I would have liked to get down on one knee too, but I knew Karen would not allow that. So I sat like this.

Of course, everyone except the Reimei girls do not know what exactly it meant. But I had my head lower than both of them. Somehow I think the people around me are aware of my intentions.

“First of all, please don't appear like that toward me. If I force my sister-in-law's father to such a position, my character will be questioned.”

I desperately kept my head down and pleaded Count Mesalius. I’m sure the side galleries are wondering what on earth am I doing though.

Then Count Mesalius sat just like me. I had no choice so I decided to keep talking.

Incidentally, Gysahl seemed to be displeased but was forced to sit on his knees by glasses senior. The glasses senior was expressing anger towards the two of them but tears were welling up from her eyes.

“About the Count Mesalius Household...even I would like to keep things amicable. But even if Karen says something to Duke Fresvald today and gets through the current situation, I believe the same thing will happen again. When does Count Mesalius intend for the title to be passed on to Sir Gysahl?"

“I was thinking of letting him inherit it next year when Gysahl turns 20...”

“When did you decide on that? And did you inform the other noble families?”

“I only decided it this year. I informed the 12 Dukes that it is from this year too. Gysahl went round the 12 dukes with me.”

“Were there any dukes who were not welcoming of the idea?”

“...basically it felt like it wasn’t welcomed by all the dukes...”

Then Gysahl said loudly.

“That was because the other nobles were jealous of my talent and looks, of course!”

When Gysahl, with his bald head, said that, it was so surreal that I couldn't help but laugh. Clarisse was laughing out loud.

“Bastard! I'll have you disposed of for lese-majesty right now!"

Gysahl was furious and stood up but was immediately seized by Count Mesalius and glasses senior. Just now was my fault no matter what though...

“What do you mean, 'disposed of!' For god’s sake, lord brother! Think about the current situation a little! How did we even reach such a situation? I've been warning you for ages, haven't I? You wielded your authority and got into A class at the Lister Imperial School, or became a Knight Commander that didn't match your ability. Maybe it's your fault it turned out like this!"

When the glasses senior said above, Count Mesalius too added his two cents.

“Gysahl... you can take the rest of the day off... but I can't just return you back to a normal room. It pains me to say this but you'll have to think about it in the prison for the night..."

With these words, Count Mesalius called his guards and butler to take Gysahl to the prison.

Gysahl resisted with all his might and shouted but he seemed to have given up after being restrained by the Earth magic and Binding Eyes of the senior glasses.

“Hah... I'm hungry...”

Misha is amazing to be able to say such a thing in this kind of situation. Or maybe precisely because she reads the situation that she says that?

“Oh, I apologize. I'll have it prepared right now, just wait a bit.”

Count Mesalius said and tried to prepare a meal. I honestly wanted to get out of here as soon as possible, so I was hoping he wouldn't. Karen interjected him.

“That is fine. We still have things to do so we'll be taking our leave today. Right, Mars?"

Nice! Karen!

“Yes, I'm sorry, I really wanted to talk to you some more but I just got back from the labyrinth today and I wanted to clean up and finish the report to the school... Can I come back here tomorrow?"

“If that's the way it is, I won’t blame you. I'll see you tomorrow."

Count Mesalius bowed his head in reply. This person is kind of pitiful... I want to do something for him since he's going to be Ike's father-in-law.

When we left Count Mesalius's mansion, the members of the Red Lotus and Dames followed with us. I’m sure no one wanted to stay there.

“Ol us were in the middle of a feast too and are still hungry. Let's grab some bite outside together."

The members of Red Lotus nodded as Garl the dwarf said so. Ike and glasses senior also went along. And Dames too. Just when I wanted to talk to Dames too so I was glad.

First of all, right when we entered a place that looked like a fashionable restaurant, I said senior glasses.

“Sister-in-law. I apologize. For behaving like that towards Count Mesalius and Gysahl.”

“It's okay. It's their fault, no matter how you look at it. Besides, I've been telling my father and brother for a long time. My father is indecisive and in the end he only does what my brother says. I wish my mother had been here... But more than that, I was shocked that Phantom was commissioned by the twelve dukes."

Then Dames.

“I don't know which of the 12 dukes commissioned it. Is it the will of all the dukes, or is it the will of a few dukes? It could also be a quest from an external party unrelated to the 12 dukes."

“Karen, can I ask you something? Is it always like this forced when the 12 dukes abolish a senior nobility? No matter how you cut it, hiring an A-rank party out of the blue is a little... I think a warning should come first…”

“Well... I don't know much about it either... but as far as I know, there have been several cases in the past but I believe it was always because the party in question is suspected of betrayal. This time the request to Phantom was to control logistics and human flow, right? It's not assassination hence I don't think it's due to treachery...

But I can't imagine any reason to do so without a single warning. Maybe that person has a grudge against Count Mesalius or Gysahl. And we all know that Edean is no longer in the line of succession."

Karen's words made everyone ponder. Thinking about what else we could talk about... there were two things we had forgotten.

“Speaking of which, I have a present for my brother and my sister-in-law.”

I handed them the Salamander Lance and an earth jewel necklace. When they each received one, the glasses senior asked.

“Are you sure you want to give something that looks so expensive?”

“Yes. Our party doesn’t have an Earth magic user after all. It's very early but it's a wedding present...”

Then, the glasses senior laughed and said, ‘Thank you’.

“That's a great spear. I'll take good care of it. Thank you. Mars."

We played around a bit and had a pleasant meal as if the bad atmosphere we had just been in was a lie.

“Sir Dames. May I have a word? I don't mean to be rude like this, but you've made quite an impression on me compared to the old days.”

When I said this, Clarice also got involved in the conversation, looking interested.

“Indeed, he really changed. He doesn't look like someone who tried to kill me.”

Clarice's words startled those who did not know what was going on.

“If you're saying I've changed, it's all thanks to Sasha and Misha. I guess that means I've found my true master.”

Hmm. It sounds like there's more to it than that, but that's okay. Misha looked at Dames while smiling.

“Did you find out about the two people who were following us that I talked about before?”

When I asked Dames, the Reimei girls were startled.

“Sorry. I had no clue. Were there really two of them?'

Well, it is indeed impossible for Dames who is not skilled at detection...

“Perhaps I was mistaken. And one more thing? Would you not like to be Gysahl's trainer?"

When I said this, Dames looked very uncomfortable and said.

“I get angry when I look at Gysahl. It's like looking at my old self. If you want me to do something, tell Sasha. I can't and won't go against Sasha's word."

In the end, it’s decided to bring Gysahl to Regan.

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Author’s note:

Dames changed too much...

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