It feels like the end of a long story.
Even though I had only heard the news.
Eri Limery was quite an eloquent speaker and storyteller.
It was as if I could vividly experience the events that had unfolded in the empire during my absence, as though I had been there myself.
So, that’s what happened.
Raul was captured by the Great Continent, and the party members suffered a humiliating defeat? No way.
Those guys were unbelievably strong monsters, weren’t they? The difference in skill was so vast that I often felt out of place around them.
And yet, they were defeated by just one of the Four Heavenly Kings?
“How could something so absurd happen? I thought they’d be fine even without me… No, I actually believed they’d thrive even more, especially after meeting a proper hero.”
“The true hero is none other than Lord Victor!”
Eri Limery said, kneeling politely.
“Hero! Please, return to the empire! Princess Irene is desperately waiting for you. No, it’s not just Irene. Humanity needs you, Hero.”
“Well…”
Honestly, I didn’t want to go back to the empire.
Who would want to return to a place where they were summoned without permission and then treated like dirt? It was the emperor of the empire who cast me out in the first place.
Now, they want me to come back? What is this, a joke? I’m not a toy.
“I’ll refuse. Sorry.”
“!! Lord Victor! Are you really thinking of abandoning humanity… abandoning us?!”
“Humanity isn’t in a state where it’s on the brink of destruction just because I’m not around. The Demon King isn’t storming in right this second…”
“Everyone is waiting for you!”
“Enough!”
Scarlett intervened.
She grabbed me and pulled me behind her, then spoke.
“Victor doesn’t like it. Victor is already a vassal of our kingdom. No matter how much you’re a knight of the princess, you can’t just take him away.”
“…I see. Countess, I serve the princess. Though I’ve been instructed not to disrespect Lord Victor, I have not received such instructions regarding you. If you keep obstructing me, you’ll see what happens.”
“Go ahead, try it! How is it that the people of the empire think so highly of themselves? Do they think we, the nobles of other nations, are beneath them? Off with you!”
“…You’re an arrogant little lady.”
“Yah!”
“Wait, enough from both of you.”
I intervened as the two were about to clash, particularly with Eri.
“Limery, was it? For now, Countess Volanshepor is my… mistress. If you want me to respect you, you must respect her as well.”
“What?! A hero like you should never be a servant to anyone! A hero should be one of the three great powers, equal to the emperor or the pope! Such a being…”
“I’m not a hero right now. Anyway, if you’re not going to listen to me, then I can’t listen to you either.”
“…Tch.”
Eri Limery lowered her angry glare.
“Understood, Lord Victor. Scarlett… was it? I will show proper respect to the Countess as well. So, will you return to the empire with me?”
“No.”
“That’s impossible!”
“For now, I’ll stay in this village of Rudin. You won’t be dragging me off by force, will you?”
“That’s not an option.”
“Then don’t force me. I’ll stay here.”
“So… what am I supposed to do?”
“Figure it out. Leave, or stay.”
“I… I can’t leave! I can’t return empty-handed without any results! I’ll stay here!”
“Well, that works out. We’ve been short on help anyway, so let’s work together.”
“…Huh?”
And so, Eri Limery ended up working alongside me at the Volanshepor estate.
It wasn’t exactly heroic work—she helped with farming or assisted in administrative tasks—but she was quite capable.
Aside from constantly bringing up the idea of returning to the empire, she was someone who wouldn’t be a burden to have around.
It was just the three of us—Eri, Scarlett, and me.
We managed to lead Rudin village quite successfully for a time.
Since it was a small village, as long as we solved the food issues, there weren’t really any political difficulties.
The new village chief, Roze, was also quite competent, making collaboration easy.
It was during one of those peaceful days when Scarlett spoke up, her expression somewhat worried.
“Victor.”
“What’s wrong?”
“I got a message from my older sister.”
“Older sister?”
Now that she mentioned it, I had heard before that Scarlett was the third daughter of the Count, and that she had two older sisters.
“My eldest sister, Brunhilde, wants to meet you. She’s curious to know what kind of person you are to have received the title of baron. She wants to confirm your qualifications herself.”
“Really?”
I felt a bit tense.
Meeting the family of someone you know is always a nerve-wracking experience.
“Do I really have to meet her?”
“Yes.”
Scarlett said firmly.
“My eldest sister is the practical head of our household. I can’t defy her orders… I’m sorry, but you’ll have to come with me.”
“Then what about Rudin village?”
“I’ll leave it to Limery.”
“Well, that works.”
We entrusted Eri Limery with the duties concerning Rudin village for the time being and headed toward Grimoire Kingdom’s capital, Greensity.
Inside the carriage speeding toward the city, Scarlett repeatedly cautioned me.
“Brunhilde, my eldest sister, is really sharp-tongued and intimidating. You’d better be careful. If she dislikes you, she could strip you of the title I gave you.”
“Ugh… I really don’t want to lose the title I’ve already been given.”
“That’s why I’m telling you to be careful and play it smart.”
“Play it smart, huh…”
In some ways, that’s the hardest advice to follow.
…
Anyway, we eventually arrived in Greensity.
While not as grand as the empire’s capital, it was still an incredibly bustling city.
The streets were crowded with people, and carriages were constantly crossing each other.
At the center of it all stood a massive palace that overlooked everything—the royal palace of Grimoire Kingdom.
“Let’s go over there.”
“Huh? That’s the royal palace, isn’t it?”
“My sister works there.”
“Excuse me, may I ask what your sister’s position is…?”
“She’s the Minister of National Defense. Left Minister of National Defense, Brunhilde Volanshepor.”
The Minister of National Defense…
I didn’t have good memories associated with the title of Minister of National Defense.
<This isn’t going to work.>
From the moment I was summoned to this world, I had an ill-fated connection with the Minister of National Defense.
A person named Zero, when looking at me through a monocle, would shake his head in what seemed like pity, as if I were beneath his notice.
With that single sentence, my evaluation was sealed.
After that, I was never able to shake off the reputation of being incompetent. It’s a bad memory.
“But… Left Minister of National Defense, you say? Does that mean there’s a Right Minister of National Defense too? Does this country have two Ministers of National Defense?”
“Yeah. The Right Minister of National Defense is Count Kralus. He used to be a commoner, but he bought a noble title with a huge fortune, and now he’s even reached the rank of Duke. You could say that Count Kralus and Brunhilde are political rivals. In a way, it’s part of the king’s strategy.”
“I see. By appointing two Ministers of National Defense, the king prevents any particular second-in-command from rising to prominence, right?”
“! Exactly! Wow, you’re sharp! I only realized that after Brunhilde told me.”
“It’s something that happens often in history.”
I tried to show off my knowledge as a history major.
“With that level of insight, you’ll definitely win Brunhilde’s favor. You’re amazing, Victor! I can trust you!”
“Hehe… Please, don’t flatter me too much. It’s embarrassing.”
“Let’s go, Victor. To the royal palace!”
In front of the palace, we encountered a guard. The soldier, easily over 2 meters tall, asked about our purpose. Scarlett answered.
“We’ve come in response to a summons from Left Minister of National Defense, Brunhilde. I am her younger sister, Countess Scarlett Volanshepor.”
“Ah, Countess, I see. And the person beside you…?”
“My retainer. Baron Victor Evans.”
“Baron…? I’ve never heard of such a baron before.”
“He’s a newly appointed noble. Is there a problem?”
“…No problem, but… may I ask if you have received the official seal from His Majesty the King?”
“None of your business! Move aside!”
“As you wish.”
The guard stepped aside as Scarlett instructed but threw me a subtle sneer as he did.
It seemed he didn’t want to acknowledge me as a true noble.
“Is the king’s seal really necessary? To be considered a noble?”
“Not exactly. It’s not like I’m a duke or marquis. A baron can be appointed directly by a count.”
“Hmm~”
“Of course, if the king’s formal approval is granted, the authority becomes much greater.”
Scarlett added that last part with less confidence.
I didn’t press the issue any further, and we proceeded to the office where the Left Minister of National Defense, Brunhilde, was working.
It seemed like Scarlett was more nervous than I was.
“Y-You open it? Be careful not to make a mistake in front of my sister!”
“…You should be careful too, my lord.”
The door swung open with a loud creak. A large woman with a fierce expression, sitting in a chair, glared at us.
“Ah, Sister… I’ve arrived…!”
“Is this the Victor you’ve been talking about?”
“…Yes!”
As expected from the Left Minister of National Defense, Brunhilde.
I could feel an intense, fiery aura emanating from her.
I tried my best to maintain composure and spoke calmly.
“I am Baron Victor Evans. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“A baron? Ridiculous. Someone like Scarlett, half a count, doesn’t have the authority to appoint a baron,” Brunhilde said sharply, cutting me off.
“From now on, I will personally assess whether you have the qualifications to be a servant of our house. Remember this—no lies will pass in front of me. I have a way of determining whether you are capable or not.”
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