Chapter 114 The Frontier Young Lady
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
While Kento¹, the owner of the magic tool shop “Harvest”², was trembling at the passion of the “Wives Association”³, Tina Badcage⁴ was alone at the social gathering venue, desperately fulfilling her duties.
It was the first social gathering she had organized herself in the Royal Capital. She prepared the latest trendy dishes, dressed herself in a fashionable gown, and even had her silver hair styled in the current trend. She had reviewed the furnishings and renovated the interior so that she wouldn’t be looked down upon as a country bumpkin.
There wasn’t a single lie in the opening greeting she had rehearsed many times. She hoped this gathering would resolve the difficulties of many and allow the country to face its challenges in unity.
She was concerned about the noisy voices she had heard from beyond the crowd a moment ago, but according to her vassals, there was no problem. More importantly, she had to speak with the nobles who came to greet her and strike up conversations with the merchants.
”Oh! A contribution of food supplies is what I am most grateful for, noja! Hmm? B-But the price is a bit… What? I-I see, your territory also suffered a poor harvest and you are pushing yourself to provide this… H-Hmm, in that case, perhaps it is a fair price, noja…?” Tina said.
Just to be clear, she was not incompetent. On the contrary, her work performance was exceptionally excellent. She skillfully handled the surging sweet talk and petitions, recorded them, and made adjustments; she was already on the verge of achieving her initial objective: securing the lacking funds and supplies.
”Eh? You want fuel sent from the Badcage territory? I-I see, I suppose it is so, noja. Your territory has sent many soldiers and winter life is becoming unsustainable… Hmm, alright, I must do something about that, noja!” Tina replied.
On top of that, she was even looking after the vassal noble families and those who had suffered disadvantages during this recent incident. For the work of a single noble lady, it was nothing short of miraculous. This was not a job that could be handled by a typical young lady raised like a pampered flower.
”O-Oh! Financial assistance is a great help, noja! After all, money is necessary for whatever one does! In that case, with this money, the food from earlier… Eh? It is not a donation? A loan? I-I see, and the interest rate is… H-Hmm, it is certainly not a bad rate, but with my authority, a debt of this amount is…” Tina said, after a pause.
It was only natural. Since the time the previous King and Queen passed away and a rebel emerged from among their kin, her parents had given her a genius-level education so that she could support the Queen. Her teachers were the previous head of the house—Tina-jou’s grandfather—and retired civil officials and knights. her speech habits were inherited from those elders of the territory.
”Oh! You are the one who offered to provide weapons before…! My father was very grateful, noja! Eh? Next you want to provide food, but the road is blocked by a landslide… A-Alright, our territory is also at its limit, but we should be able to dispatch at least one mage. I shall contact you later…” Tina said.
Even if she could no longer obtain the conventional happiness of a noble lady, they wished for her to be healthy, proud, and a person respected and recognized by all. Carrying those wishes entirely, she grew up quickly. If one were to point out a flaw, it would be that because of love, she knew no malice, and because of immaturity, she knew not her own limits…
”Umu, umu. In that case, since we have enough soldiers, I would like to ask for support in food or money, noja! I will surely convey this contribution to Her Majesty⁵ and my father. I look forward to our continued good relationship, noja! Eh? A reward…? U-Umu, I shall properly ask about that as well, noja…” Tina said.
There were those whose consciences pricked at the sight of everyone ganging up on a single young woman to pile on various demands. However, business and territory management are not charities. They wanted slightly better conditions, slightly more profit for themselves. There were many who desired that even more than a resolution to the problem. Or perhaps, some even harbored unnecessary ambitions.
”W-Wait just a moment, noja! If that happens, after everything is over, nothing but debt will remain in my territory, noja! Since this is not a war of aggression, we cannot even hope for new territory or reparations… Eh? You suspect we actually intend to gather funds and supplies to invade…? T-That is preposterous, noja! That would be against Her Majesty’s will, noja!” Tina asked.
She understood that her father and mother, fearing the unlikely event of an outbreak of war, had sent her to the Royal Capital to escape. And that as an excuse, she had been given the role of soliciting requests for aid. That was precisely why she wanted to perform this job more than perfectly. Although she truly wanted to ride alongside her father and eat the same meals as the soldiers…
”Ah… U-Umu, it is fine, I am listening, noja. It is just for a moment, I wondered if everyone back north might be freezing in the cold right now, just a little…” Tina muttered.
During a brief moment of rest, she was caught by her vassals for letting her mind wander. She felt ashamed of her own inadequacy and tried to return to addressing the guests. She had decided in her heart that this was her battlefield.
”I am fine, I am fine, noja! I have grown used to dealing with those who demand the impossible, noja! The key is not to nod one’s head immediately on the spot, noja! Since the other party has a life to lead too, it cannot be helped. I, too, shall work hard for my territory and for my country, noja! Just like Her Majesty, my father, my mother, my grandfather, and everyone else…!” Tina said quietly.
In truth, she had planned to handle the work more smartly, with a cool face. Instead, she had ended up making her vassals worry. But at the very least, she would not let her smile fade. Remembering her grandfather, who always wore a fearless smile, she smiled. “Now, let us go forth.” Just as she whispered those words in her heart and fluttered the hem of her skirt—
”You! Have you no shame, trying to scrounge up petty cash from a young lady who could be your own daughter!” a woman shouted.
”Eh!? B-But you were the one who told me to be more aggressive in the first place…!” a man replied.
”Circumstances have changed! Come on, lower the price even more!” the woman snapped back.
From the corner of the venue, the voice of the manager of a small-to-medium merchant guild being scolded by his wife could be heard. What on earth was going on? While she was wondering that, similar exchanges could be heard from here and there.
”Lower the interest rate even more! There is no way Her Majesty would approve of such usury, is there!?”
”Hey, dear, don’t you think divine punishment falls upon wicked people? For instance, the existence of a hidden child being found out by the wife? That newly hired maid, she looks just like you, doesn’t she…?”
”You can provide more food than that! How much are you planning to hoard! That purveyor of ours, beat him into submission and make him spit it out!”
”Surely you wouldn’t let such trivial matters reach the young lady’s ears? If you did something like that, I might become disillusioned with you. Specifically, I might not want to share the same bed with you for about half a year…”
The social gathering venue was in utter chaos. Men were being thoroughly whipped into shape by their wives. The thick-skinned bravado they had shown during their earlier interviews with Tina-jou seemed like a lie. Some were even being physically swatted.
”W-What is this, noja!?” Tina asked.
Tina-jou and her vassals were flustered. Having just braced herself, she couldn’t react to the sudden turn of events and could only watch the scene. And as the confusion reached its peak, a man stepped forward.
”Silence! Will you not be silent! I shall take charge of this place! Line up one by one!!!” Dan Samoro shouted.
”Yes, that’s right. It doesn’t matter if you have titles like ‘Marquis’ or ‘Prime Minister’ if you’re useless, right?”.
It was Marquis Dan Samoro, the man who had pressed Kento earlier and ended up exposing his wife’s and daughter’s intimate affairs. Having been confronted by his wife, who had heard about the events at the “Wives Association,” he had been forced to step in like this. Tina-jou hurriedly moved to stop him.
”P-Prime Minister! I cannot trouble you to handle this, noja! This gathering was opened by me…!” Tina said.
”Do not let it concern you. I was originally ordered by Her Majesty to lend a hand in case of emergency. I intended to watch over things until the last moment, but now that the ‘Wives Association’ has moved, it cannot be helped…” Samoro replied.
”The ‘W-Wives Association’…?” Tina asked.
Tina-jou had no idea what was happening. She only knew that her job was being taken over. And that Her Majesty had been worried about her. It was frustrating and she tried to protest, but those among her vassals who had served for a long time understood the situation and advised her to “leave the rest to him.”
”If you insist, then watch from my side. Do you see? When organizing multiple interests, this is how you listen to their stories.”
From that point on, there was no room for her to interject. Marquis Samoro concisely drew out information and organized it one after another. He connected this side with that side and passed information between them. He was harsh with those beyond the reach of the “Wives Association” and handed down fair judgments.
It was the embodiment of the vision Tina-jou had first imagined—”facing this situation in unity.” No matter how much he was henpecked by his wife, the Prime Minister was still the Prime Minister (though Tina-jou, of course, did not know about that earlier disaster). It was the work of a man who carried the core of the nation.
”P-Prime Minister, I-I…” Tina muttered.
”Umu. Because you patiently organized the discussions beforehand, I only need to make corrections. This is your achievement, Lady Tina. Even compared to Her Majesty at the same age, you have worked quite hard.”
It was a sincere compliment, but to Tina-jou, it sounded only like a consolation. She clenched her teeth and looked forward, determined to learn as much as possible. Seeing this, Marquis Samoro added some grandfatherly advice.
”Above all, it was your keen insight to invite that man. It is difficult even for me or Her Majesty to move the ‘Wives Association.’ Even if it wasn’t intended, you should be proud.”
”Eh…?” Tina asked.
Marquis Samoro looked toward the corner of the venue with a somewhat bitter expression. At the end of his gaze was a man smiling fearlessly, flanked by two beauties.
”Kento-dono…!” Tina whispered.
In reality, he was standing there in a daze, thinking, “I can’t even laugh anymore,” at the rampage of the wives, and sweating profusely in his heart while apologizing to Tina-jou: “I’m sorry for ruining the social gathering…!” But she had no way of knowing his inner thoughts.
As a result, it seemed to her that he had helped her from a place beyond her knowledge. Above all, that smile looked exactly like the smile of the grandfather she respected.”
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Summary:
Lady Tina Duke Badcage works tirelessly to secure aid for her territory during her first social gathering in the capital. Despite her archaic speech and youth, she proves highly competent, though she is overwhelmed by the greedy demands of the nobles and merchants. Suddenly, the wives of the attendees (the Wives Association) intervene, scolding their husbands into offering better terms after being influenced by Kento. Marquis Samoro takes over the negotiations, praising Tina’s preliminary work and her ‘insight’ in bringing Kento to the event. Tina, misinterpreting Kento’s panicked smile as a sign of fearless support, gains a new level of respect for him.
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Character Insight:
Tina shows immense pressure to live up to her ‘genius’ education and the legacy of her grandfather, revealing a character who equates self-worth with being useful to her nation and family. Her archaic ‘noja’ speech isn’t just a quirk; it’s a shield of tradition she uses to navigate a world of greedy adults. Meanwhile, the ‘Wives Association’ serves as a chaotic but effective ‘deus ex machina’ that highlights the social power of the noblewomen behind the scenes. Kento continues his trend of ‘failing upward,’ where his genuine social anxiety is misinterpreted as profound, calculated confidence by those around him.
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Behind the Scene:
Tina’s speech pattern (noja-loli archetype) is a classic light novel trope, often used to denote ancient beings or characters raised by elders. The ‘Wives Association’ (Wives’ Association) acting as a terrifying shadow government is a common comedic theme in Japanese media, reflecting the traditional ‘housewife’ power over the family purse strings.
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T/L:
Notes:
• Tina Badcage – Silver-haired, red-eyed woman with a very formal, old-fashioned way of speaking, often ending sentences with ‘no ja’. She is the only daughter of the Duke Badcage, tasked with guarding the North for the Canaria Royal Family. She is described as a beauty. Her inexperience suggests a slender build, and her dress is likely formal and aristocratic, though not explicitly stated.
• 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.
• Soi – An old professor from Ajire seminary, the first to raise a question. Looks like wizardly.
• Suu – Secretary for the Royal Capital Beast-person Mutual Aid Association and a cat beast-person. Sample No. 19 in Kento’s report. She steps up as the first witness for the defense.
• Samoro – A middle-aged Marquis and Prime Minister with a lot of white hair, a magnificent mustache, and luxurious attire. He is a key figure in the court who has supported the Queen since her enthronement.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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