At dinner, everyone was finally gathered, so I decided to ask Shiro and the others what they had been doing today. Meanwhile, the Margrave—under Emilia-sama’s instructions—was still signing important documents. It seemed his dinner would be delayed for the foreseeable future.
“Hmm… we rode in a carriage and went to lots of places!”
“We said hello to everyone!”
“We played with Kent-chan!”
…Right. That explained absolutely nothing.
Still, even if I asked Emilia-sama, there was no way she would tell me anything more.
“Madam, the former Margrave has returned.”
“Oh? That was quicker than expected.”
At the butler’s announcement, we learned that the former margrave had come back. Now that I thought about it… I hadn’t seen him at all this whole time.
Clack.
“I’m home!”
“Grandpa!”
“Haha, Ken-chan, were you behaving yourself?”
“I was!”
The room immediately softened at the cheerful exchange as the former margrave stepped inside.
The figure who appeared in the dining hall was, essentially, the marquis as an older man. Same face, same presence—just aged into a calm, seasoned middle-aged version of him. And like in any world, it seemed that doting on grandchildren was universal. The former margrave had Kent-chan lifted into his arms, rubbing his cheek against the child’s with clear affection.
“Emilia, these are the people you mentioned?”
“Yes, they are Shun and the others.”
“I see. My son has been in your care. His mother passed away when he was young, so I raised him alone. He ended up a bit… spirited, as you can see.”
Unlike his son, the former margrave was composed and very proper in his demeanor. He even bowed his head slightly toward us. So this was someone who had ruled as a margrave while also raising a child alone.
He carefully lowered himself into his seat with a quiet “oof”.
“During festival season, I travel around to meet the influential figures across the territory. Everyone gathers in the capital around this time, so I take the opportunity to hear petitions, requests, and also explain plans for the next fiscal year.”
As soon as dinner was served, he dug into his meal and began talking as he ate.
Even after handing over the title of Margrave to his son, he still seemed incredibly busy.
…So the chaotic energy we were dealing with now was, in a way, inherited.
“Then, how is my son doing?”
“He is currently signing documents. There is quite a backlog, so he will likely be confined to his desk for a few days.”
“Sigh… well, can’t be helped. I suppose I’ll accompany Emilia tomorrow for greetings instead.”
“Grandpa, I’ll go with you!”
“Haha, looks like I’ll be with you, Ken-chan as well.”
So the former margrave wasn’t going to help with the paperwork after all. In a way, I felt a quiet sense of despair wash over me.
When I glanced sideways, Sue and the others were wearing exactly the same expression. As expected, Shiro and the others were probably out walking around town, meeting influential figures.
Just as the conversation between the former margrave and Emilia-sama seemed to wrap up, I stepped forward.
“Excuse me, Sir. I apologize for the late greeting. I am Shun, an adventurer.”
“Mm. I’ve heard about you from Emilia. A very capable adventurer, it seems. I will be relying on you to keep my son in check for a few days.”
“Shun is even able to properly retort to the marquis himself, so there is no issue at all.”
“Hahaha, that is reassuring. Given his position, few people speak frankly to him. Though, he has always had a rather commoner-like temperament, so I doubt he minds much.”
And just like that, dinner continued in a calm, peaceful atmosphere. By the way—the Margrave never showed up in the dining hall that night.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeneijiworks.com
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