Volume 5 Chapter 28 The Father and Daughter of the Marquis Gilman House
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
It had been several days since Otto fled. Once the Knight Order Commander, Günther, realized he’d been played, he immediately recalled the knights assigned to the Hero Party. I sat in on the subsequent interrogation, and after piecing together the full story of Otto’s expulsion, I went to report to my father.
Fritz, the head of the Marquis Gilman house and the current Prime Minister, is a portly man with a perpetually pleasant demeanor. Between his affable personality and his legendary sweet tooth, he is known publicly as “The Candy of Maultasche”². I am his seventh and youngest child. My personality and my choice of weapon have earned me a different moniker: “The Lash of Maultasche”³. Naturally, I am the counterpart to my father’s “Sugar.”
As Prime Minister, his competence is beyond reproach. He maintains a perfect bird’s-eye view of the political landscape, and his directives are always surgical. He is the glue holding the kingdom together, masterfully balancing the King, the other Ministers, and the feuding nobility.
By day, he handles the state’s affairs at the Royal Castle; by night, he manages the Marquisate from our estate. While he delegates much of the administration of our vast lands to his children and the house steward, there are burdens only the Patriarch can carry. It is a grueling schedule, though one he claimed for himself.
At fifty-one, my father has three wives and seven children, ranging from his thirty-two-year-old eldest to myself. His eldest grandchild is already ten. While all seven of his children are highly capable, I am the one designated as the next Prime Minister and the next head of the Gilman house.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
”Who is it?”
Even within the privacy of his own home, my father maintains his “Sweet” persona. He isn’t exactly subservient to the help, of course, but he stays in character just in case of an unexpected guest.
”Father, it’s Martina.”
”Enter.”
Once he confirmed it was me, I was granted entry.
”Is this the report on the investigation?” Fritz asked.
”Yes,” Martina replied.
As I stood before him, the “Sugar” persona he’d been projecting through the door evaporated like mist. People think my father loves sweets, but in truth, he’s indifferent to them. It’s all part of the performance. He was once known as the “Ogre Prime Minister,” a man of such fierce temperament that he made even my current self look mild by comparison. The common gossip is that he mellowed out in his old age because he dotes on his youngest daughter – an image we both take great pains to maintain in public.
In reality, we have simply divided our labor. He remains the same cold, calculating strategist he has always been; he just stops acting when we are alone.
(How did we reach this arrangement? To be blunt, I was a prodigy. Even as a child, I possessed a natural gravity that compelled others to follow. When I was seven, having already mapped out the personalities and limitations of my older siblings, I approached Father with a proposal for our “division of roles.” He hesitated at first, but after interviewing my siblings and realizing my assessment was flawlessly accurate, he agreed. Thus, in public, he is the doting father and I am the quiet daughter, but in private, we both know exactly who we are.)
I glanced at the mountain of candies on the table – the props for his next “guest” – and began my report.
”Regarding the fugitive Otto – we have confirmed he has crossed the border into the Empire.”
”As I feared…” Fritz muttered.
”Otto’s behavioral issues were noted, but we considered them negligible compared to the headaches caused by the Sword Saint Shouta, or the Holy Knight Takumi. It seems Hero Souta agonized over the decision to expel him in total isolation, so the accompanying knights and handlers were kept in the dark. Regardless, we should have broken Otto’s spirit and trained him properly while we had the chance.”
”He was obedient enough until the expulsion, wasn’t he?” Fritz replied. “I don’t hold you responsible, Martina. However, we must secure a leash on Hero Souta. He needs a handler, and he needs one now.”
(I had met Otto when the Hero Party returned briefly. He hadn’t changed much since their departure: groveling, servile, and desperate to curry favor with the powerful. From a management perspective, those types are useful. He clearly viewed me as his superior, but his attempts at fawning were so overfamiliar they bordered on the repulsive. During one particularly vacuous rant, I looked him in the eye and asked, “I wonder, do you actually have a point?” and watched with amusement as he crumbled into a stammering mess. It was pathetic.)
”And what of Shouta the Sword Saint and Takumi the Holy Knight?” Fritz asked.
”The same as always. I gave them a stern warning when they returned, so they’ve supposedly ‘improved’ slightly,” Martina said.
”And we still haven’t found a ‘chain’ for Hero Souta?”
”We’ve tried. We sent female knights to get close to him, but before they could even make a move on Souta, they were intercepted by Shouta, Takumi, or Osamu. Even when we used agents disguised as common town girls, they were snatched up by the others before Souta even noticed them. Unless we neutralize those three, getting a handler close to Souta is impossible.”
”We can’t afford to lose their combat power yet,” Fritz sighed. “I suppose the best we can do is continue to probe his preferences. We’ll need him under control for the post-subjugation era.”
(Hero Souta remains obstinate about refusing a personal caretaker. He seems to view anything s*xual as ‘unclean.’ His upbringing in his previous world – some nonsense about ‘self-reliance’ – makes him difficult to manage. Most would see his independence as a virtue; to us, it’s a headache. If we don’t have a leash on him, he becomes a massive risk if our interests ever diverge.)
”What about Osamu the Sage? And Ren the Saint?”
”No major issues so far,” Martina replied.
”Have we made the demand for Otto’s extradition?”
”Yes, but the Empire refused.”
”Make sure they don’t set foot in that dungeon while they’re in Lacroix,” Fritz warned.
”I’m already on it.”
(One of our highest state secrets is the ‘Protocol for Killing a Hero’ – or more accurately, ‘How to Kill the Strong.’ The core of the strategy is simple: never let them develop resistance to status ailments. No poison resistance, no paralysis resistance, no sleep resistance, and absolutely no debuff resistance. We provide the Hero Party with elite knights and a limitless supply of high-grade potions to ‘support’ them. The public sees it as protection; the reality is we are ensuring they never have to develop natural immunity.)
”Have you decided what to do with Günther?” Fritz asked.
”Yes. We’ll keep him in his post. It’ll put him and the entire ‘Meritocrat Faction’ in our debt.”
”The ‘Traditionalists’ will howl. Do you have a plan for them?”
”The groundwork is laid. I’m dispatching knight detachments – specifically those from the Meritocrat Faction – to the Traditionalist lords’ lands to handle their monster problems. That should quiet them down.”
”I’m supplementing the knights with B-Rank and C-Rank adventurers,” Martina added.
”Good.”
”That concludes my report.”
”Very well… Ah, Martina. This isn’t official business, but… have you given any thought to finding a husband?” Fritz asked.
”…If a man worth my time appears, I wouldn’t be opposed. My body will be fine for a few more years, at least,” Martina replied.
”…I see. I suppose, in the worst case, we could look at the Hero Party?”
”Souta or Ren wouldn’t be the worst options. Shouta, Takumi, and Osamu are absolute trash, though. Their souls are rotten.”
”I’ll keep an eye out,” Fritz said.
”I’ll be waiting,” Martina said.
(The Demon King dies in two years. Add a year for the engagement and two for the wedding… that puts me right at the edge of social acceptability. Domestic nobles are a lost cause, so I’m in no rush. And if some peasant has the gall to call me an ‘old maid’ in the meantime… well, I’ll just have to break them in, won’t I? Hehehe…)
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Summary:
Martina Gilman reports to her father, Marquis Fritz, on the aftermath of Otto’s defection and the state of the Hero Party. The chapter reveals the Gilman family’s true nature as cold political manipulators who maintain public personas to consolidate power. They discuss strategic plans to ‘manage’ the Hero Party by intentionally preventing them from developing status resistances, ensuring the Kingdom can neutralize them if necessary.
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Trivia:
- Martina’s mention of ‘breaking in’ rude peasants foreshadows her future interactions with Otto or other antagonists.
- The ‘Protocol for Killing a Hero’ highlights the Kingdom’s deep-seated distrust of the very Heroes they summoned.
- The mention of Lacroix and the Poison Swamp sets up a future location where the Heroes’ lack of resistance will become a critical plot point
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Character Insight:
The relationship between Martina and Fritz is built on mutual respect for each other’s ruthlessness. Fritz trusts Martina as his successor because she mirrors his ‘Ogre’ roots. Their dynamic shifts from ‘doting father and daughter’ to ‘Prime Minister and Successor’ the moment the door is closed.
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Lore And Worldbuilding Context:
The world utilizes a system where ‘Transferees’ (summoned people) can reach B-Rank adventurer status even if they aren’t part of the main Hero Party. Politics are dominated by a friction between the merit-based ‘Ability Faction’ and the bloodline-focused ‘Traditionalists.’
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TL Notes:
Martina’s alias ‘The Lash of Maultasche’ serves as a direct thematic counter to her father’s ‘Candy’ alias, reinforcing the ‘Carrot and Stick’ (Ame to Muchi) political metaphor commonly found in Japanese literature.
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Glossary:
Notes:
• Günther – Commander of the Maultasche Kingdom’s Knight Order, he wears polished silver armor etched with the royal crest, a stern gaze and a scar across his left cheek. Trusting yet authoritative, he can open the Sealed Vault and mentors the Hero’s Party, serving loyally under Martina and the King while wielding healing magic.
• Otto – Heavy Warrior, once the 52‑level tank of the Hero Party and a doctor‑degree holder, now a creepy 50‑year‑old mind trapped in a youthful body. He dons bulky armor and a stern face, is narcissistic, status‑obsessed and manipulative, obedient to Shouta and Takumi but tyrannical toward Ren and staff, pretends to mentor yet is a nuisance. Expelled from the Hero’s Party, he is delusional, sociopathic, and cares only for his own advancement.
• Gilman – Legitimate heir of the Gilman Marquisate and the next Prime Minister. Level 27. Possesses a hidden sadistic streak and high combat ability. Uses a whip for discipline. Daughter of Fritz Gilman. A beauty with sharp sanpaku eyes and a slender but curvaceous build. Acts as the instructor for the summoned individuals.
• Fritz – Fritz Gilman, also known as ‘The Candy of Maultasche,’ is the 51‑year‑old Marquis and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Maaultasche. Plump, he wears expensive, refined attire. He has three wives and seven children, presenting a doting, sweet façade while secretly a cold, fierce strategist formerly called the ‘Ogre Prime Minister.’ He summoned the Hero.
• Martina – Martina Gilman, seventh and youngest child of the Gilman family and daughter of Fritz Gilman, is known as “The Lash of Maultasche.” A prodigy and designated successor to the Marquisate and Prime Minister, she presents a quiet public persona but possesses a fierce temperament. She instructs summoned beings, wears high‑slit cheongsams, and rivals the Home Secretary who secured Yuko’s apprenticeship.
• Shouta – 17‑year‑old silver‑haired, sharp‑eyed former Student Council President and kendo captain, now Sword Saint Hero of Slash and Lightning wielding Beacon of Hope. He leads the Hero Party, travels with handlers, is coldly pragmatic and shuns caretakers. Also the Hero who expelled Otto and allegedly gave him secret orders.
• Takumi – Teenage Holy Knight in modest armor, summoned as Level‑1, once a delinquent from the ‘go‑home club.’ Arrogant, over‑familiar, hedonistic and hot‑headed, he serves as the party’s tank. Beaten by Martina, betrayed by his girlfriend Sakura, and now part of the Hero Party.
• Osamu – An 18‑year‑old reincarnated graduate now serving as a Sage of the Hero Party. He sports thick hair and a modern, salary‑man look, once led Araya’s team and died in a wreck, now wielding high‑level Fire, Wind, Water and Earth magic. Harsh and reputation‑obsessed, he’s an acquaintance of Otto from their prior world.
• Ren – Second‑year high‑schooler reborn as a Saint, healer and buffer for the Hero Party. Cynical and observant, he wears a plain school uniform with a faint halo, draws on MMO tactics, and rejects caretakers like Shouta. A Saint from another world, he joins the Hero Party, nursing resentment toward Otto’s forced mentorship.
• Martina Gilman – Martina Gilman, seventh and youngest child of the Gilman family and daughter of Fritz Gilman, is known as “The Lash of Maultasche.” A prodigy and designated successor to the Marquisate and Prime Minister, she presents a quiet public persona but possesses a fierce temperament. She instructs summoned beings, wears high‑slit cheongsams, and rivals the Home Secretary who secured Yuko’s apprenticeship.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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