Chapter 209 Father-in-Law ②
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The escort sent from the ¹Duke Badcage House was the same opulent carriage I had seen once before. As per usual, the vessel was far too grand to navigate the cramped town or street of the back alleys; instead, it remained stationed at the alley entrance, conspicuously drawing the attention of passersby.
”I-it is a most auspicious day today, and as for Lord Harvest…”
”Hey, why are you the one getting so worked up, Tina? What’s with the stiff formal speech…” I asked.
”U-um. I do not quite understand it myself, noja, but for some reason, my stomach is just twisting in knots…” Tina-sama replied.
Waiting before the carriage was the silver-haired, red-eyed ‘Noja-san’ herself—Lady Tina-sama. For some reason, she appeared even more high-strung than I was, despite the fact that I was the one supposed to be offering greetings.
Then again, introducing a… boyfriend? Fiancé? (I wasn’t entirely sure of her marital standing, so the title remained ambiguous) whom she had essentially snuck in while her parents were away was undoubtedly a monumental ordeal for her as well.
”Hey, don’t worry so much. No matter what your father says to me, I’ll keep bowing my head until he accepts us. I’ll do whatever it takes to earn his approval,” I said.
”Kento-dono…♡”
Seeing someone even more flustered than yourself has a way of steadying your own resolve. I put on a brave face to encourage her. After all, it would be far too pathetic to show a faint heart to a woman who had declared she wanted to bear my children.
Of course, I was privately quaking in my boots, but voicing my determination meant there was no turning back. Prompted by a blushing Tina-sama, I stepped into the carriage… or so I intended.
* * *
”You two certainly seem to be on intimate terms…”
”Hieee!” I yelped.
Seated right there was a dandy, silver-haired, red-eyed middle-aged gentleman. A sound more akin to a shriek than a greeting leaked from my throat. This is absolutely her father in the flesh! Why!? Why are you here!?
”F-father, this is Viscount Kento Harvest, noja. Kento-dono, um, this is my father…” Tina-sama said.
”N-nice to meet you, F-father-in-law…?” I asked.
”Mm. I have heard rumors of you from various quarters. It is an honor to finally meet you, Lord Harvest,” the Duke replied.
I wanted to personally commend my mouth for successfully weaving words together at all. However, my accidental slip of ‘Father-in-law’ might have been a catastrophic blunder.
Though he didn’t explicitly rebuke me, Tina-sama’s father—Duke Roost Badcage—observed me with the same crimson eyes as his daughter. It was a piercing gaze, one clearly intended to gauge my true worth.
”Um, I am truly sorry, Kento-dono, noja…. Just as I was preparing to leave the estate, my father simply climbed in…” Tina-sama whispered.
No wonder she was so incredibly tense…. I never imagined the Duke would personally come to collect a nobody like me. With legs trembling from the sheer pressure, I managed to sink into my seat.
”Forgive me. I simply wished to see the two of you as you truly are, without pretense. Furthermore, I am deeply indebted to you and your magic tools. Under normal circumstances, I would not have wished to summon you in such an unceremonious fashion,” Duke Roost said.
”N-no, given the circumstances, it is only right that I be the one to pay my respects…” I replied.
”I appreciate you saying so,” the Duke said.
His tranquil tone only served to amplify my dread. This man’s eyes weren’t smiling at all! Wrapped in an atmosphere as suffocating as the depths of hell, the carriage proceeded toward the Duke Badcage manor.
We must have exchanged some small talk during the journey, but my memory of it is a total blank. Only Tina-sama, shrinking away beside me, served as my emotional anchor.
Eventually, we arrived at the mansion. It was a place I had visited frequently enough to feel familiar with, yet here, I was about to be subjected to a further trial.
In the grand hall we were led to, the vassals of the Badcage family—specifically, the veteran retainers who had protected and raised Tina-sama since her infancy—were waiting with their sleeves rolled up, seemingly ready for a confrontation.
”My Lady, is this the man?” an old vassal asked.
”U-um. This is Viscount Kento Harvest, noja,” Tina-sama replied.
True to the lineage of the Badcage House, which had been entrusted with the defense of the North for generations, these men were impressively brawny despite their advanced years. Even the mage-like elder who had addressed Tina-sama possessed a level of intensity that set him apart from your average sorcerer.
I suspected quite a few of them had seen action in the previous war. They were the sort of seniors who showed absolutely no signs of physical decline.
To be honest, I was at a complete loss for what to do…. They were glaring at me with expressions that weren’t even trying to hide their hostility, looking as if they were about to demand, “Oon!? Just what do you think you’re doing to our precious Young Lady!?” It was a total bed of needles.
Ugh…. Where is Sebastian? Isn’t Sebastian here!? If the butler who usually receives me—the one who helped facilitate my secret trysts with Tina-sama—was here, I’d feel so much safer…
As I was mentally retreating, the mage-like old man approached me.
”Hmm…. He is a much more ordinary man than I anticipated, noja…”
He muttered this with a voice that sounded somewhat underwhelmed. It seemed less like he was speaking to me and more like an internal thought that had accidentally escaped his lips.
However, that particular speech pattern rang a bell. A mage-like elder close to Tina-sama. And that ‘noja’ dialect that lacked any sense of sanctity.
”Could you perhaps be… Grandpa Kario? The one who taught Tina-sama magic…” I asked.
”Oh! You’re familiar with me!? Forgive my late introduction; indeed, I am Kario, the Head Mage of the Badcage family, noja!”
”Ah, yes…. I’m Kento Harvest. During the war, Tina-sama was quite worried because she hadn’t received any letters from you,” I said.
”Mm, that likely occurred during the height of that ³Death March, noja…”
I don’t know why, but his reaction was unexpectedly mild, allowing me to finally relax my shoulders a bit. Before long, I could hear voices from the surrounding vassals like, “What, he’s just a normal lad,” or “I heard he was the architect of that ³Death March, so I was expecting some kind of monster…”
When they mentioned a ³Death March, they were almost certainly referring to the grueling production cycle of the ultra-compact magical weapon known as the ²PHZ (aka Pat-Hot-Z) that took place at the front lines.
The one who spearheaded that was Tania, the adventurer elf who had experienced a ³Death March at my shop. For these battle-hardened veterans to be this spooked… Tania, just what kind of hellish ³Death March did you unleash over there…?
I’d heard the general gist, and I could fathom how much effort went into crafting the ²PHZ with its requirement for high-level technique and time, but it seemed my imagination was still far too naive. I’m truly glad I made the call to end the war when I did…
Regardless, it seemed they had been just as apprehensive as I was. Perhaps their fierce glares had been a figment of my imagination; the veteran vassals now looked much more approachable, breathing sighs of relief. At that moment, a familiar face appeared. It was the Badcage family butler, Sebastian.
”Lord Kento, a pleasure to have you with us today. On behalf of all the retainers, we would like to host a modest banquet. Would that be to your liking?” Sebastian asked.
When I nodded at Sebastian’s proposal, he offered a rare, genuine smile that deviated from his typical butler persona and gestured for the maids waiting outside to enter. In the blink of an eye, the hall was transformed into a festive banquet venue.
And this wasn’t some stuffy aristocratic party. Instead of refined wine, beer was poured to the brim in massive mugs. There was also bottles of spirits that looked dangerously high-proof. The old vassals’ eyes practically sparkled at the sight.
Furthermore, in place of meticulously plated sautés or salads, there were whole roasted chickens and pigs. Delicacies that appeared to be ⁴Giant Bear paws and meat from unidentifiable monsters were piled high on enormous platters.
In short: meat, meat, and more meat. Accompanied by alcohol, alcohol, and more alcohol. It was a true revelry, the sort of feast one would never expect to see in the home of the kingdom’s highest-ranking noble.
”My apologies, Kento-dono, noja…. It might be a crude, frontier-style banquet, but this is the Badcage way. Once the men heard you were coming, they insisted on throwing a feast, noja…” Tina-sama said.
”No, I actually prefer this kind of celebration over a stiff party,” I replied.
”U-um. I see! Well, that is a relief, noja!” Tina-sama replied.
Though my heart had nearly stopped at the start, the mood had performed a total about-face into one of warm welcome. Above all, I was genuinely happy to be able to share a drink with the people who had raised and cherished Tina-sama.
That was why, at the time, I failed to notice. I didn’t realize that while I was laughing with Tina-sama, her father was watching me with an unwavering, silent intensity…
—
Summary:
Kento is shocked to find Duke Roost Badcage personally escorting him to the manor, leading to a tense carriage ride. Upon arrival, he is initially intimidated by the family’s rugged veteran vassals who protect Tina-sama. However, after identifying the Head Mage Kario, the tension breaks into a boisterous, meat-heavy frontier feast. Amidst the celebration, Duke Roost continues to silently scrutinize Kento’s every move.
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T/L:
Notes:
• Kento – The owner of the magic tool shop ‘Harvest,’ which discretely sells adult goods. He’s a former overworked, ordinary salaryman from modern Japan who was suddenly transported (isekai’d) to this fantasy world. He has dark hair and an unremarkable appearance, typically wearing a plain, slightly suspicious-looking shop owner’s clothes looks like Kazuma Satou from certain series. He has a minimal amount of magic power, enough to craft his specialty items.
• Roost – Duke of Badcage and father of Tina Badcage. He has long silver hair mixed with some white, a cool-headed expression, and red eyes. Despite a relatively slender build, he possesses a strong fighting spirit.
• Kario – An elderly mage serving in the Pikeaxe Fort, referred to as ‘Grandpa Kario.’
• Tania – An Elf adventurer who, despite her race’s reputation for low sex drive, is secretly quite passionate. She initially seemed ‘wasted’ (emotionally dry) to her friend Raika, but was easily introduced to the pleasure-items sold at ‘Harvest.’ She is easily embarrassed and attempts to maintain a dignified facade, despite her recent, frequent purchases. She wears practical but light armor over a simple cloth tunic and short pants, highlighting her grace and agility. Her primary relationship is one of friendly senior-junior with Raika.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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