Chapter 2: The Mithril Mine and the White-Haired Vampire Again
1
Even if you become a nobleman, even if you become the owner of an overly magnificent castle.
Humans are creatures that don’t really change much.
“Everyone, dinner is ready!”
“Yay!”
The main residence of the Marquis Lohengrin’s frontier territory was truly a castle.
Not just any ordinary lavish castle, but an extravagantly luxurious one.
It wasn’t an exaggeration – it might even be larger than the royal palace where Toko resides.
Built atop a sheer cliff for defensive purposes, Lohengrin Castle was shrouded in a solemn and dignified atmosphere reminiscent of a fairy tale setting on misty mornings.
Of course, even the dining hall was splendidly luxurious.
A long, gleaming single-slab table with delicately carved chairs lined up in rows.
The walls displayed portraits of the successive Marquises of Lohengrin, and the ceiling was adorned with magnificent frescoes depicting a scene, perhaps from mythology, of numerous angels and demons in conflict covering the entire expanse.
I carried everyone’s meals into this overly aristocratic dining hall.
Ignoring the stately table lined with opulent chairs, I headed to the low dining table set up in the corner.
There sat Suzuha and Yuzuriha san, gripping their chopsticks in anticipation,
with the cool-mannered maid Kanade standing behind them, unable to hide her drooling.
“Tonight’s dinner is simmered mackerel in miso sauce.”
“Itadakimasu!”
Suzuha and Yuzuriha san exclaimed before digging in ravenously.
The low dining table suited the simmered mackerel perfectly.
“Your home cooking is the best as always, brother!”
“I wholeheartedly agree. And eating at this low table is quite nice.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. It makes me feel closer to you, which enhances the flavors.”
“I suppose we should eat properly at the dining table…but I’m just not used to it.”
Well, I’ve certainly had experience eating at aristocratic dining tables before. In fact, whenever I dined at Yuzuriha san’s place, it was always like that.
But when I actually had to transition from the familiar low table to the overly luxurious dining table in my own home,
the food somehow lost its flavor and appeal.
It was probably because
My intrinsic commoner nature rejected the aristocratic setting of my home’s dining area.
“But I’m sorry Yuzuriha san. There’s a proper table set up, yet I’m making you sit at this low dining table.”
“Don’t say such things. I absolutely adore your heartfelt home-cooked meals served at this low table. And…and…”
“And?”
“At the low table, I can see your face up close…ah, it’s nothing!”
Yuzuriha san’s face suddenly flushed red as she shook her head vigorously.
For a moment I thought she might have choked on a bone, but that didn’t seem to be the case.
And in this situation, there was one other person I was concerned about.
“Hey Kanade, won’t you join us for dinner?”
“…That is not permitted. Kanade is a maid, and maids do not dine together with their masters.”
“But I, your master, am asking you to.”
This always happens.
Kanade is a professional maid, and it’s common sense that maids don’t eat with their masters, according to her.
At first when I heard that, I tried to respect it.
I thought maybe Kanade prefers to eat alone, or that it might be tiring for her to dine with me, her master.
But you see…
When I saw Kanade glance at Suzuha and Yuzuriha san smiling brightly while stuffing their cheeks, even if just for a moment, there was a hint of envy in her eyes.
And after we finished our meals, Kanade’s back looked so gloomy as she ate alone.
Seeing scenes like that repeatedly made me think it would be better to just ignore the maid rules and have her join us for meals.
Sensing my intentions, Suzuha and Yuzuriha san also provided supporting fire.
“Brother is absolutely right. In fact, to not pounce on brother’s piping hot home-cooked meal placed right in front of you would be the highest form of rudeness. If you really don’t want it, I’ll be happy to eat your portion too.”
“I agree with Suzuha. Besides, a maid’s job is usually to serve, but there’s nothing to serve at brother’s dining table. So in that case, fulfilling your master’s wishes is also part of a maid’s duties.”
“…I understand. Then, may I join you…?”
“Of course!”
At my words, Suzuha and Yuzuriha san moved their bowls and plates to make space for Kanade.
However…
“There’s no need to move.”
“Eh…? Uwah!”
“Huh!?”
Rather than just approaching, Kanade smoothly slid right onto my lap.
“Wh-What are you doing Kanade!? Get off brother’s lap!”
“That’s impossible. It’s the most efficient way to follow my master’s order while not inconveniencing you two.”
“Is that really necessary, Yuzuriha san!?”
“Kuh…while it’s unthinkable for a maid to displace her master’s family for her own meal, still…!”
“But that doesn’t mean she can just sit on brother’s lap, right!? And Yuzuriha san, you’re a guest, not family!”
Ignoring Suzuha and Yuzuriha san’s protests, Kanade looked up at me from my lap and asked:
“Kanade is fine here. …No good?”
With those lonely puppy dog eyes, how could I refuse?
“I guess it can’t be helped.”
That day, the number of people at my family’s dining table increased by one.
Kanade completely relaxing on my lap was like a little cat, soothing me.
Though really, I needed that bit of comfort
given how dire the situation was for the Marquis Lohengrin’s frontier territory.
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2
One day, while Yuzuriha san and I were buried in paperwork as usual in the office, a guard came to announce a visitor.
“…A merchant?”
“Yes. He claims to have met the Marquis directly before and requests an audience. Shall I turn him away?”
“No, I’ll meet him.”
“Then shall I escort him to the reception room?”
“No need to bother with that. I don’t have the luxury of a prolonged audience right now. Could you have him come to this office instead?”
“Understood!”
Watching the guard hurry off, I let out a quiet sigh.
The current state of affairs was, frankly, dire for the Marquis Lohengrin’s frontier territory.
What was so dire? A complete lack of personnel.
While there were still military personnel, the civil officials managing domestic affairs were virtually non-existent.
And the cause of this situation could be traced back to one person.
“My apologies…it’s because I thoroughly purged your clan…”
Buried in paperwork across the desk, Yuzuriha san spoke dejectedly. She was the one who mercilessly struck down the previous Marquis and his entourage.
Apparently, the former Marquis Lohengrin had been skillfully embezzling funds and accumulating wealth illegally over many years. His clan monopolized all the key positions, using the accumulated riches to fund an attempted coup d’etat.
When their crimes were exposed, instead of cooperating with the investigation, they brazenly defied the royal family and Yuzuriha san.
As a result, Yuzuriha san eliminated the entire Lohengrin clan and their associates.
While this issue didn’t surface earlier when the Lohengrin territory was under occupation by the Uentas Principality forces after their withdrawal and my appointment as the new Marquis governing the territory,
the severe lack of civil officials to manage affairs became glaringly apparent.
“It’s true we lack personnel, but that’s not your fault Yuzuriha san. I wouldn’t want to entrust important work to the previous irresponsible embezzlers and their lackeys either.”
“But still…being saddled with these mountainous piles of paperwork alone might have made keeping them alive worthwhile…”
“No, no, no. If they were still around, they’d probably lose documents, forge them, or make me sign without reading anything. That would be even more troublesome.”
As I reassured Yuzuriha san while working through paperwork, the guard returned with the visitor.
It was indeed a familiar face.
“Um, the accessory shop clerk…?”
“It has been quite a while.”
There stood the clerk from the accessory shop that Yuzuriha had taken me to buy Suzuha a birthday present long ago.
Behind him was likely his apprentice, a young man whose hood was pulled deeply over his face.
The reason I clearly remembered this particular clerk, despite having only met him a few times, was because he had quite an intense personality.
For one, despite his well-dressed, distinguished elderly gentleman appearance,
he was an avid proponent of twintails.
“What brings you here today? Business purposes?”
“Why, I heard the rumor that you had become a frontier lord and reclaimed your territory. So I figured I should come do business in these parts as well. I’m just paying a courtesy call for now.”
“I see, I see.”
It is said that the key trait of a successful merchant is the ability to seize opportunities swiftly.
Whether the twintail-loving elderly gentleman before me qualifies as a skilled merchant remains to be seen. But I’m delighted that our territory is being recognized as an appealing prospect for merchants.
Merchants have networks amongst themselves.
So I would very much appreciate it if this twintail-loving clerk could spread word in the capital about the charms of my Lohengrin frontier territory to all the other merchants.
“In that case, I should properly greet you as well. But I apologize, I’m currently unable to rise from this chair.”
“Think nothing of it. A humble merchant like myself understands the situation a frontier lord finds themselves buried in paperwork.”
“Well, there is that…Oh, could you come a bit closer to this side of the desk?”
With a slight mischievous impulse, instead of explaining the circumstances, I beckoned the clerk over to my side.
Huff, huff, huff, I wonder what happened?
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