Chapter 2: New Encounters and New Templates
Part I
“By the way, what happened to Countess Reim and Yef’s siblings? And who will govern their territory?”
“The Reim family has a bad reputation and there are dark rumors about them. Therefore, they will be taken to a retreat without any chance for leniency. We expect that a formal notification regarding the territory will arrive for Ryoji-sama from King Marcel tomorrow.”
Ryoji, who was invited to Harrold’s mansion early in the morning, casually asked the butler about the Reim family while receiving tea. Upon hearing the butler’s response, he appeared impressed.
“You seem to know a lot, Butler. Also, is it okay for you to share such important information with me without the Duke’s permission? By the way, I didn’t even get your name.”
“I apologize for my rudeness. My name is Schwarz, and I serve the Duke. Regarding the information, I have received permission to share everything and was told “If you feel like talking, you’re free to say everything you want”. He knows I’m a fan of yours.”
Ryoji recalled the story about fans that Harold had mentioned at the training grounds and asked a question.
“Is the ‘cute fan’ that Harold-sama mentioned, you, Mr. Schwarz? I thought it was a girl for sure. What should I do? I prepared something cute with a black theme!”
“While it is true that I am a fan of yours, what the Duke referred to is my daughter. Come out, Kuro.”
From behind the curtain, a young girl shyly hid behind Schwarz but then peeked out, bowing her head slightly in greeting.
“Hey. You should properly greet Lord Ryoji.”
“It’s okay. Is it Kuro-chan? Nice to meet you. I’m Ryoji Uchino. I heard you’re my fan?”
“I like you because you’re strong and cool.”
Hiding behind Schwarz, Kuro responded to Ryoji’s question while he smiled at her, and took out a short dagger and earrings stored in black sheaths from the storage and handed them to her.
“I should have asked about her age before making these. I will bring something else next time, so if you want anything, just let me know?”
“Don’t worry. She looks five, but her actual age is fifteen.”
“What? Fifteen? She’s only half my height, no way!”
“Kuro, get into work mode.”
When Schwarz said that, Kuro began to hum something, and a light surrounded her body. The little girl who had been behind Schwarz transformed into a young woman, and completely changed her demeanor, kneeling gracefully in front of Ryoji to greet him.
“It is an honor to meet you, Lord Ryoji! I am so happy with the dagger and earrings! I will follow you for life!”
“Wait a minute! What do you mean by following me? For life? No, more importantly, why did you suddenly grow up? Huh? You did grow up, right? Is the girl from earlier now a young woman? Please explain!”
Kuro explained happily to the slightly panicked Ryoji. She was from a family of spies that had served Harrold for generations. She had become interested after hearing Ryoji’s stories. And, She was captivated after seeing him fight in front of the king. She still cherished a newspaper from when he conquered a beginner explorer dungeon. So, she had watched him from afar while he was engaged in poverty relief work. When she heard from Harold that she would get to meet him, she felt like she was on cloud nine.
“If it’s about Lord Ryoji, I can talk for five hours easily!”
“That’s intense! Intense! This feels too heavy! Isn’t this a totally different vibe from before?”
“Yes! I act like this when I’m working. But! When I meet someone at my job, I’m quiet, okay?”
“That’s true! But if you were working with this kind of energy, the other party would be confused!”
“Was it bothersome?”
Kuro looked up with her eyes sparkling and asked in a voice that sounded like she might cry. Ryoji scratched his head vigorously as he replied.
“There’s no way it’s bothersome! By the way, how do you usually act?”
“Kuro, return.”
“I’m embarrassed, so please don’t look.”
“Her looks and personality have changed too much! Schwarz-san, isn’t this a bit excessive?”
“As an assassin…… She’s convenient as a spy.”
“Hey, you were just about to say assassin, weren’t you?”
“You shouldn’t pry too deeply into a girl.”
“Ah! I don’t even know where to start with all of this!”
In the afternoon, Ryoji, who had been called by Elena to the Sandstrom Kingdom Sweets Promotion Research Institute, visited with Kuro. He was asked by Schwarz to take care of Kuro, and Harrold had told him he could handle her however he wanted, while Kuro didn’t let go of Ryoji’s sleeve, making it impossible to forcibly separate them.
Elena, waiting in the kitchen, joyfully ran over to Ryoji when she saw him. However, upon noticing Kuro hiding behind him, she asked for an explanation with a puzzled look on her face.
“…So that’s why she came along. When I mentioned it to Lord Harold, he said, ‘If you don’t like her, feel free to send her back.’ What should I do?”
“I’m troubled when you say that to me.”
“That’s true.”
“By the way, is Kuro-chan really fifteen years old?”
“Yeah. No doubt about it. Ryoji-sama, this snack is delicious. Elena will have some too.”
Elena and Kuro had quickly become more comfortable with each other, and the four of them, Ryoji, Elena, Kuro and the royal chef were discussing sweets. At the Sandstrom Kingdom Sweets Promotion Research Institute, which Elena directed, they were developing sweets aimed at the common people, putting the nobility aside.
“The two thousand honey lemon sables we distributed during our regional visits were well received by the children. I placed an additional order for about five thousand, but that should be okay, right?”
While Ryoji and Elena were talking, Kuro was trying various samples from the sweets-only item box entrusted to her by Ryoji.
“Ryoji-sama. This one is delicious. This one lacks sweetness. And, this one should definitely have more moisture.”
“I’ll pass Kuro’s accurate feedbacks to the workshop manager. When the new products are completed, will you taste test them again?”
“Sweets are a separate stomach. Anytime is fine. By the way, what’s this hard, sweet thing?”
“Oh, that’s konpeito. We can’t make a lot because we need white sugar. After all, white sugar is expensive. Ah! That’s right! I can separate it with magic!”
At the moment Ryoji was about to explain the ingredients for konpeito, he suddenly remembered something. He took out brown sugar from his storage, used an extraction skill to separate it into white sugar, and cheerfully celebrated.
“R-Ryoji-sama? What just happened? Brown sugar turned into white sugar? Does the head chef know anything about this?”
“Not at all. I have no idea.”
Ryoji looked apologetically at the confused duo.
“I’m sorry. I needed white sugar to make konpeito, so I thought I’d give it a try. And about making konpeito, you heat these grains as a core in a large rotating kettle, then keep pouring sugar syrup over them while turning. In my country, artisans take three weeks to make it by hand.”
“Really! It takes that much time and effort to make those sweets? That’s definitely for the nobility. Are there any sweets from Ryoji-sama’s country for the general public?”
“How about tamago boro? It can be made with flour, sugar, and eggs. Ideally, I’d like to use potato starch, though…”
Upon hearing how to make konpeito from Ryoji, Elena and the others were astonished as they gazed at the konpeito resting on their palms. They decided to market konpeito as a luxury item and learned the recipe for tamago boro as a sweet for the common people.
“I heard today would be quite hectic. Is it okay to come here?”
After parting with Elena, Ryoji and Kuro visited the Royal Magic Academy. They were supposed to discuss the management of the academy with the headmaster, Charlotte, and had already informed her that they would meet the next day.
“I’m sorry for dropping by suddenly after saying, ‘We’ll do it tomorrow.’ By the way, is the headmaster hungry? How about discussing it over a meal? It might cut into our break time, though.”
“That would be fine if it’s just occasionally. Could I ask you to prepare the food?”
“Of course.”
While Ryoji started to lay out easy-to-eat meals, soups, and drinks from his storage onto the table, he continued.
“By the way… could you introduce that girl over there?”
“Oh right. I haven’t introduced her yet. This is Kuro, and…”
As the food was ready, Charlotte looked curiously at Kuro, who was sitting next to Ryoji and eating, and asked for an explanation. After hearing the background from Ryoji, she commented with a smile while looking at Kuro.
“She seems like Ryoji-kun’s little sister.”
“No, I’m a candidate for Ryoji-sama’s wife, just like Elena.”
Kuro, feeling slighted by being called a little sister by Charlotte, quickly corrected her. Ryoji looked at Kuro in shock as he heard this.
“What! When did this happen! Wait a minute! Nobody told me about this! Does that mean Schwartz-san’s ‘Please take care of my daughter’ had that kind of meaning? What does it mean that Princess Elena is also a candidate for a wife?”
“Ryoji-kun is quite popular, isn’t he? Maybe I should throw my hat into the ring too.”
“I’m aware that Headmaster Charlotte is aiming for Professor Reynold.”
While the two were talking, Charlotte joined in with a surprising revelation from Kuro.
“W-W-What are you talking about──”
“Always attending Professor Reynolds lectures. Coordinating meal times with him. Making sure that the days off are the same. I’m capable of uncovering any information. I have more to share. Should I continue?”
With hidden information being revealed one after another, a bright red-faced Charlotte quickly changed the subject.
“Okay, then let’s not dwell on that and start our meeting. Regarding the transition to the three-year system that Ryoji-kun proposed—”
“She drifted. Well, it’s fine. Ryoji-sama, I’m feeling bored, so I’m going for a walk.”
Ryoji and Charlotte exchanged wry smiles at Kuro’s free-spirited demeanor and continued their conversation about the academy.
“And then, the crucial matter regarding Ryoji-kun. A directive has arrived from King Marcel “Have him graduate as a special exception.”.'”
“What? Graduation? It hasn’t even been a year yet, has it?”
Ryoji looked surprised at the sudden news of his graduation. Seeing his expression, Charlotte began to explain, also looking surprised.
“Huh? Haven’t you received the notice? It might have arrived when you returned to your mansion. It mentioned that Ryoji will be assigned to the former territory of Count Reim, which has been confiscated. Along with that, you will graduate and work as a special lecturer instead of a part-time lecturer.”
“Ah, I see. I’ll check when I get back to the mansion. By the way, what does ‘special lecturer’ mean? It’s impossible to manage a territory while being a lecturer! Count Reim’s territory is far away, too!”
“Don’t worry. King Marcel stated, ‘We will install the first teleportation magic circle developed by Ryoji and Reynold at the former Count Reim’s territory and the Royal Academy of Magic.'”
“As expected of King Marcel! He definitely intends to work me to death!”
As Ryoji’s shout reverberated around them, Charlotte’s teasing voice reached his ears.
“Will I be invited to your wedding with Princess Elena?”
“Just having Carena and Melta as fiancées is already enough!”
“Huh? I heard that in the royal capital, there are two fiancées and ten potential fiancée candidates, plus twenty mistresses. Surely none of them are inside the academy, right? The teachers will be angry!”
“There’s no one! There are no fiancée candidates or mistresses, either inside or outside the academy!”
“Ehh! That’s no fun!”
“Please don’t make fun of my life!”
Seeing Ryoji flustered, Charlotte laughed joyfully.
“”Welcome back, Ryoji-sama!””
“I-I’m back, I return, Carena-san, Melta-san. The weather is wonderful today.”
“Why are you adding ‘san’? And that’s a strangely awkward way of speaking, isn’t it? It’s not like your usual way of talking, is it?”
“Well, um, actually…”
As Ryoji left the academy and returned to his mansion, he opened the front door to find Carena and Melta waiting for him. Nervously entering the foyer, he considered how to explain things when Kuro, who had been hiding behind him, greeted the two.
“Ryoji-sama. Let me introduce myself. I’m Kuro, the candidate for a wife who will take care of him from today. Nice to meet you.”
“”Nice to meet you!””
“Wait! Eh! That’s not it… Huh?”
As Ryoji tried to hurriedly explain, Carena and Melta welcomed Kuro with bright smiles.
“Eh? Why are both of you welcoming her with such big smiles? Is it because Kuro is a child?”
“No, that’s not it. We’ve been informed by the butler Schwarz and that we understand the situation. For the time being, she’ll be living as fiancées just like us.”
Having received the explanation from Melta, Ryoji squatted down, wiping sweat from his forehead as he spoke to the two.
“That’s a relief. I heard that Princess Elena will also be a fiancée, so leaving aside that Sieve hasn’t given her answer yet, with Kuro included, that makes four. If Carena and Melta understand, then I can rest easy… Huh? Carena? Melta? Is there something wrong?”
“Princess Elena is marrying Ryoji-sama?”
“The talk of Elena’s marriage? Elena? With Elena? Why Elena? Huh? Elena? Has she made a move?”
“Carena, calm down. You’re repeating ‘Elena’ too much. I’m just hearing it from Kuro… Wait? Where’s Kuro?”
“She said she was going to take a bath and went to the back?”
“She ran away.”
“Ryoji-sama, there is a letter from the royal family for you.”
“Yeah, I heard from Principal Charlotte.”
Ryoji received the letter from Melta, verified that it bore the royal seal, and opened it.
“‘Dear Hero of Drugul, Ryoji…’ Oh! It starts off just like a normal letter, yet it’s so touching. ‘I want to sincerely thank you for the academy’s thorough cleaning and poverty measures, as someone who governs the Sandstrom Kingdom. I’m pleased to hear that the academy, which you’ve improved ventilation in, is expected to achieve further leaps forward. Moreover, I’ve received reports that the road improvements are progressing smoothly, ensuring the safety of the kingdom’s citizens…’ Wow, it seems I’ve been quite praised. Is this something honorable? What’s written on the second sheet? Is it about a reward? Huh?”
“What’s wrong?”
After finishing the first sheet and sharing his thoughts with Melta, he began to read the second sheet, freezing in silence. Noticing Ryoji’s expression, Melta tilted her head and asked, and he handed her the second sheet.
“Huh? Should I read it? ‘You thought the first sheet was an ordinary document, didn’t you! That’s sweet! As sweet as the pudding you provided, topped with ice and drizzled with honey! It was delicious. Next, I would like pudding ice cream. Oops, I got sidetracked. Now, to the main topic: this time, the reward is the former Count Reim’s territory and property. Additionally, the Royal family is providing a fund of 500 gold coins and a special reward of 3,000 gold coins. Furthermore, Elena Sandstrom will be dispatched as a special auditor. If you intend to lay a hand on her, be prepared! Elena says, ‘I am waiting for Ryoji-sama to come to my room.’ Daddy isn’t sad at all! Don’t mess with me! This is no joke! Why is this?!’ it says here.”
Melta, who read everything in one breath, continued speaking with an indescribable expression while returning a letter to Ryoji.
“The latter part is hard to read, but it says, ‘If you make Elena unhappy, I will do ○○.’ The part with ○○ is completely smudged and unreadable, but that smudged part is definitely tears, right?”
“Hey, Kuro-san. Where did you hear about Princess Elena being a potential bride?”
“Lord Harold and King Marcel were talking about it in front of me.”
“What?! They discussed such an important matter in front of you?”
“Lord Harold looked delighted, wearing a rather mischievous smile, while King Marcel had a pained expression on his face. Elena seemed happy.”
“You were there at that moment…”
—-Part I end—
Come Back Tomorrow for Part II
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