Chapter 65 As Father Told Me Directly
Glen started hitting on Fiona.
Suddenly, the harem members - or rather, the 4 party members - gathered around Glen, raising their voices.
"What's with you, Glen? You're going to cheat on us again?"
"You're flirting right in front of us, like always."
"You're going to get hurt if you don't calm down."
"This calls for punishment!"
Despite the members' light but scolding tone, Glen didn't flinch.
"Hahaha" he let out a carefree laugh,
"Sorry, princesses. I'm not looking down on you guys, I swear? Ah! That's right! Why don't we deepen our bond today, with Fiona included, just the 6 of us? What do you say?"
The last "what do you say?" was directed at Fiona.
Glen had a bright expression, as if she thought it was a great idea. She didn't look like someone who was trying to cheat. Strongest, indeed.
On the other hand, Fiona was――
"........."
Her eyes were wide open in surprise, looking at Glen and the others as if they were incomprehensible.
It seemed like Glen had exceeded Fiona's capacity.
Glen continued to speak, piling on the words to Fiona.
"Maybe this is your first time doing something like this with someone of the same sex?...I see, so it's natural to be scared. But――."
And then, Glen placed her hand on top of Fiona's hand, which was on the table. After that, Glen started stroking the back of Fiona's hand, saying――
"Don't worry, I'll be gentle. And I'm confident I can make you feel better than any man. Are you interested? In the pleasure of women together?"
"...No, not interested."
Fiona pulled her hand out from under Glen's, rejecting her in a thin, mosquito-like voice.
"Don't say that, princess. How about just trying it once?"
"...No thanks."
"Is that so...? Too bad... Then, how about just having a meal together?"
"...No."
"I've already booked our accommodations, and I thought you'd help me out, right?"
"...That's..."
"It's not bad to deepen our friendship as fellow explorers, don't you think?"
"...Uh..."
"Golden Pavilion is famous for its delicious food. Do you have a favorite dish, Lady Fiona?"
"...Yeah, so..."
"――Fiona."
I couldn't help but interrupt Fiona, who was getting flustered.
If I were a guy, I'd give her a cold stare and reject her, but this is Fiona's first time dealing with someone like Glen, and she doesn't know how to handle it.
"If you don't like it, it's better to clearly refuse. Don't be pushy, okay?"
"――U, yeah. That's right."
Fiona nodded firmly and turned to face Glen with a resolute attitude. Then she declared,
"No. I won't go."
"Ah... that's too bad. Well, let's deepen our friendship with Lady Fiona after we defeat Nord safely."
"......"
Fiona silently turned back to me, gazing at me with a dim, unlit expression. I could tell what she wanted to say. She's frustrated that she clearly refused, but Glen doesn't seem to give up.
Or maybe, just maybe, this is a rare case where she's asking for help.
She looks like she's at a loss, unsure of how to handle the situation.
I can see the words "Do something" in her eyes.
I called out to Glen, who was standing on the other side of Fiona.
"Then, I'll go with you at that time."
"...Master Gale."
It was the first time Glen looked at me.
She slightly furrowed her brow, looking troubled, and said,
"...Maybe you want to join in? Sorry, but I don't get turned on by guys..."
"...Who said that?"
This guy, she just doesn't get it.
As I seriously wondered how to shut her up,
"Ms. Glen, that's enough. You're being too pushy, and it's annoying."
Lady Eva arrived just in time.
"Lady Eva, it's not like that. Please call me Glen."
"Fiona has a prior engagement with me, you know. Would you mind excusing us?"
Lady Eva completely ignored Glen's words.
Perhaps due to her resolute attitude or because she was considering her own position, Glen finally shrugged and backed off.
"No choice, then. Let's invite her again another time, shall we?"
"Sounds good. ——Well, Fiona, shall we go?"
"Yeah, okay... Thanks, Eva."
Fiona stood up, overwhelmed by Lady Eva's swift and smooth conversation.
It seemed that Lady Eva really did have a promise with Fiona, and as she turned to leave, she said,
"Aaron, I'll be staying at Eva's house tonight."
"Okay, got it."
In other words, it seemed that she wouldn't be using the atelier today.
I nodded in response, and for some reason, Lady Eva's face turned red as she said,
"Mr. Aaron, may I... borrow Fiona for today?"
"Okay, do as you like."
I didn't think she needed my permission.
"Well, tomorrow is the big battle against Nord, and we can't afford to tire Fiona out... and Mr. Aaron, please be patient..."
"......Okay, I understand."
I wondered what she meant, but it seemed that Lady Eva wanted to give Fiona a break. She must have misunderstood that I was planning to push Fiona to her limits without giving her a rest.
"No, I was planning to give her a break today anyway?"
I'm not that cruel, after all. I made sure to reassure her that it was okay.
"Well, in that case...may I borrow Fiona without hesitation?"
"Please do."
"...I'm not your property, though."
"Come on, Fiona, let's go."
Lady Eva took Fiona, who was muttering in dismay, and left.
As we watched the 2 of them leave the meeting room,
"Hmm, I see. So that's how it is. I guess the rumors were true after all."
Glen, who had moved to the seat where Fiona was sitting, said with a disappointed tone.
Rumors, huh? It's probably about Fiona becoming my apprentice as a Wooden Swordsmith.
"I'm not going to give up easily, though."
"No way, just give up. You got rejected, after all."
It's pointless, but I'll give her some advice anyway.
Then Glen looked at me with a surprised expression.
"Huh? That's unusual for Master Gale. I thought you weren't interested in others, but I guess Missy Fiona is special, huh?"
She asked with a teasing tone, so I'll give her a clear answer.
"Of course, that's obvious."
She's my only disciple, so it's only natural she's special.
So I'll make it clear.
"Don't get too close to her."
"Hehe, saying that just makes me want to get closer."
Someone please stab this guy already. The sooner the better.
As I thought that, I gave her a suspicious glance, and Glen just shrugged and said "Just kidding."
It seemed like she was satisfied, so the conversation was over. I stood up to leave.
"Alright, I'll head out too."
"Wait a minute, Master Gale."
――And for some reason, Glen stopped me, so I turned around.
"What is it?"
"Well, you actually received a letter from my father. It seems he didn't want anyone to see it, so one of my family members delivered it directly to me."
Glen's father, by the way, is Margrave Lorentz, who rules over one of the 3 countries surrounding Necronia, the Urmut Empire's border region.
He's a huge wood sword enthusiast and one of my customers. In our industry, he's even called the "Wood Sword Lord."
Anyway, due to my connection with Margrave, Glen and I have known each other for years. Well, to be specific, his father was friends with Lion, who was already acquainted with me, and Glen came to meet me out of curiosity.
Margrave calls me "Master Gale," and for some reason, Glen started calling me that too.
But Glen herself isn't a wood sword enthusiast at all.
So, even though I've known her for a longer period rather than Fiona, our relationship isn't that deep. Before I joined the ≪Labyrinth Conquest Team≫, I was recognized more as a Wooden Swordsmith than an explorer, wasn't I?
It's no mistake that my connection with Lion is deeper than with Fiona. When Lion was active, we explored labyrinths together and he taught me various things.
To me, Lion is like a mutual acquaintance through someone else.
"A letter? From the lord...no, from Margrave?"
Glen bringing me a letter from Margrave isn't unusual. Although Margrave treats her as a disappointing daughter, she has a certain status in Necronia and is useful as an explorer, receiving requests and such. Sometimes, Margrave asks her to deliver letters or wooden swords, and she does various tasks.
But, after becoming an Expert explorer, such tasks stopped, it seems. Still, she occasionally brings letters when she returns home, since her family is close to Necronia and she visits often.
However, what does "don't want to be seen by others" mean?
Glen hands me a letter from the Storage Ring, answering my puzzled expression.
"This is it. My father told me to deliver it directly."
"...Do you know what's written inside?"
As I receive the sealed letter and ask, Glen shakes her head in denial.
"No, I don't know. But I heard it's a response to a request from Master Gale."
"A request?"
I don't remember asking Margrave for anything.
While puzzled, I put the letter away in the Storage Ring. The questions will be answered once I read the letter.
"Well, anyway, I received the letter. Thanks."
"You're welcome."
I thank Glen and leave the scene.
* * *
When I return home, I immediately read the letter from Margrave.
Inside, it started with a seasonal greeting, and it was written that the "Silver" he had bought recently had arrived safely. After lavishly praising the excellent quality of "Silver" a few times, he heard from Mr. Tyler that I had made a new wooden sword, and then he asked if the material for the new sword was still available. After that, he wrote a carefree and casual letter saying he wanted one too.
It seems like he wants to get his hands on it before it's officially sold. He wants to get a mount from a fellow enthusiast.
"A mount... well, it's like being a noble."
I muttered in amazement.
Wanting to get something that others don't have before anyone else is like a noble's habit.
"――Or rather, if it's just this kind of content, wouldn't it be better to just send it normally...?"
I thought, and then I noticed that there was another letter left.
When I read the last letter, I saw that it started with a "P.S.".
"......I see. So Mr. Tyler asked Margrave to investigate."
I remembered hearing from Mr. Tyler that the labyrinth materials that could only be produced in [God's Remains Labyrinth] were being sold in distant countries. He had asked someone to investigate who was selling those materials at the auction.
Mr. Tyler had used his connections to ask various people for help. One of them was Margrave, and it seemed like Margrave had used their own information network to investigate the auction seller.
From the apparent seller, many people, including the merchant guild, had profited from the auction, and the money had flowed into one of the [Four Great Families of the Seals]. The letter clearly stated which family the money had gone to.
When I saw the family name, I felt a strange sense of satisfaction.
Just because the auction funds are flowing, it's not proof that this house is the mastermind. They could just be selling off materials they've been stockpiling from the past, and that's it. Even if it's suspicious, they can still talk their way out of it. So, even if I share this information with the other 3 houses, they can only strengthen their guard and surveillance, but they can't corner them as the mastermind.
There's another problem, too.
Is the entire house moving as one under a single will, or is only a part of it secretly moving?
But――
"As long as I know who to be clearly cautious of, it's a gain..."
I'll report this to Lady Eva later.
And I owe Margrave a favor for investigating this, don't I?...I'll make another "Jadeite" and give it to him later. He must have been hinting at that in his letter.
I decided on that, and then I looked at the letter again.
The part I re-read was the last part.
It said:
"――I think I can guess why you asked Mr. Tyler to investigate this. However, for your own safety, don't dig too deep into the [Four Great Families of the Seals]. Don't provoke them. Please be careful..."
"...What does this mean?"
Why did Margrave write [Four Great Families of the Seals] in the letter instead of the house's name?
At that time, I didn't understand the true meaning behind it――.
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