Chapter 260 Answer Check
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
After that, we arrived at Denarl without any issues and made our way to the Viscount Hedmar’s mansion.
When Diana opened the carriage door and I got out with Zora, Diana climbed back up to the driver’s seat to stop the carriage and disappeared with it to the side of the mansion.
While waiting for Diana to return, I admired the Viscount Hedmar’s mansion with Zora.
”It’s a beautiful mansion.”
”Well, it’s a noble’s mansion, so that’s to be expected. What are you talking about?”
”Yeah, but I have to say, some nobles go overboard decorating their mansions just to show off their wealth, and it ends up looking ridiculous.”
”Oh, I’ve heard that kind of story sometimes, but isn’t that more about nobles from other countries? I don’t really get the impression that the empire’s nobles do that kind of foolishness.”
”Foolishness… well, there are some in the empire too, especially those who own mansions in the imperial capital. They have other nobles’ mansions to compete with, so they keep making theirs more extravagant. It’s kind of a tourist attraction, really.”
Well, since non-nobles would be suspicious if they wandered around the noble street, they couldn’t really do any sightseeing.
As we were talking about this, I saw Diana, who had gone to stop the carriage, running towards us.
”Sorry to keep you waiting. Has the guide not arrived yet?”
”Not yet. They should have already been informed of our arrival.”
As I wondered why the guide hadn’t shown up yet, the front door opened, and 2 people came out of the mansion.
Those 2 were the Viscount Hedmar and his wife, and I instinctively straightened my back at the unexpected welcome from the master of the mansion himself.
”Welcome to my mansion, it’s been a while.”
”It’s been a long time. I never expected to be welcomed by the Viscount Hedmar.”
”What are you saying? When I visited the frontier settlement, Neil-dono was welcomed in the same way.”
Of course, the head of another household wouldn’t leave the welcoming to the servants when they were visiting.
On one hand, I thought that as the legitimate son, it wouldn’t have been a problem to leave the welcoming to the servants, but perhaps that thought showed on my face, as Viscount Hedmar added more words.
”There’s no need to be so cautious; I simply came to greet you directly because I was bored. Besides──.”
Viscount Hedmar’s gaze shifted from Zora to the lady standing next to him.
”It was my wife who suggested we welcome you, and she won’t interfere with this matter, so would it be alright for her to join us?”
”I don’t mind…”
So that’s it; probably, the lady didn’t intend to welcome me as much as she wanted to greet her child who was returning home for the first time.
The fact that she only wanted to join us was likely because Zora was there, and while I had no problem with it, I wondered how Zora felt.
When I glanced at Zora, she met my gaze for just a moment before snorting.
”Don’t worry about me; I don’t mind either.”
”Then let me guide you to the reception room.”
Having received consent, Viscount Hedmar turned on his heel and entered the mansion, and we followed him.
However, as soon as we stepped inside, Zora tilted her head.
”What’s wrong?”
”I just noticed that the stairs and door knobs are quite high for Mire’s mansion.”
To me, the size felt perfectly normal, so I hadn’t thought much of it, but now that she mentioned it, I realized that for a petite place like Mire’s, the stairs and knobs were indeed high.
Just then, Viscount Hedmar answered.
”This mansion was inherited from the previous lord, so it’s natural that the size doesn’t match.”
”Aren’t you going to make any adjustments? It must be inconvenient like this.”
”The knobs aren’t out of reach, and we don’t need to go upstairs… this mansion is too big for us.”
I sensed a hint of melancholy in Viscount Hedmar’s words.
I figured it wasn’t just about the physical size.
The conversation fell silent, and we arrived at the reception room without saying a word.
The reception room in Viscount Hedmar’s mansion was different from the bare minimum setup in the frontier settlement; the quality and quantity of the furnishings here were superior.
”Please, have a seat.”
Prompted by Viscount Hedmar, Zora and I sat down on a comfortable sofa, with Diana standing behind us.
After seeing this, the couple sat down on the sofa across from us, and just then, as if they were waiting for the right moment, there was a knock on the reception room door, and a servant appeared with tea and snacks.
Once the servants finished their tasks and left, Viscount Hedmar took a sip of tea to moisten his dry lips and quickly got to the point.
”Well, I’ve already heard about the matter in your letter, but you wanted to connect the road to our town, correct?”
”Yes, that’s right.”
”Has His Majesty granted permission? If so, I have no particular reason to oppose it, so let’s discuss the details. Is it alright if Sincere Dwarf handles the construction?”
”Yes, that’s correct.”
”I don’t think there’s any need to worry with Sincere Dwarf, but just to be safe, would it be alright if I send a supervisor when the construction takes place in our territory?”
”Of course.”
It’s not uncommon to hear stories about construction workers being bribed to secretly carry out work that wasn’t included in the contract, but Zora frowned at Viscount Hedmar’s decision to send a supervisor, even though she understood it wasn’t unreasonable and didn’t voice her dissatisfaction.
There were moments when Zora was caught off guard by Viscount Hedmar’s remarks, but the negotiations proceeded smoothly, and it seemed like everything would end without incident.
”By the way, do you know about the past discussion regarding creating a mine in the Hakora Mountain Range, Neil-dono?”
”No, I wasn’t aware of that.”
The Hakora Mountain Range is located in the northern part of the frontier settlement.
”That discussion came up during the previous lord’s time, so it’s not surprising that you don’t know, Neil-dono. It seems there are valuable minerals like silver hidden in the Hakora Mountain Range, but after exploration, it was determined that the reserves weren’t significant. While it wasn’t that there wouldn’t be any profit, it was deemed not worth the effort, so the plan was canceled.”
”Well, there’s a possibility that minerals like silver could be extracted during the construction.”
”If it were just a small amount, I could have ignored it, but I believe we can dig up a decent quantity that’s worth the effort. So, I want all the mineral resources mined in my territory sent over here.”
”…What?”
It took a while for me to process Viscount Hedmar’s words.
This was because the request was utterly outrageous.
”Um, what do you mean by that──.”
”Don’t mess with me!!”
Just as I was about to question the intent behind that statement, Zora, who had never voiced her feelings until now, reached her breaking point and exploded.
It’s no wonder Zora was furious about this; when valuable items are discovered or excavated as a byproduct rather than the main goal, ownership typically belongs to the lord of the land.
However, those who conducted the work that led to the discovery and those who ordered the work are also entitled to a share of ownership or compensation based on the value.
But this isn’t legally mandated; it’s just an unspoken understanding that existed because, in ancient times, lords monopolized everything.
However, if all the discovered items were taken away, it would lead to workers embezzling, so rewards were given to discoverers to prevent that.
Nowadays, while the distribution method varies depending on what is discovered, in this case, it would normally be 50% to Viscount Hedmar for the minerals extracted from his territory, with the remaining 50% split between the Sincere Dwarf and the frontier settlement.
Yet, Viscount Hedmar was demanding everything for himself.
”Unfortunately, our territory isn’t as prosperous as yours, and while it may not be a significant amount for you, could you please let us have this?”
The road overlapping with Viscount Hedmar’s territory is only about 30% of the total, and no matter how much mineral resource is extracted, it won’t be that much.
This is clearly a provocation; he’s trying to see how I will react.
Then it’s time to answer the question from Viscount Hedmar.
”I understand, I’ll accept those terms.”
”Oh?”
”What are you saying, Neil!? You can’t just easily agree to such terms!”
”Our goal is to improve the roads, not to mine minerals, right? If that’s the case, the amount that should have been paid to Sincere Dwarf will come from the frontier settlement.”
”You know it’s not about the money! This is a matter of pride! Don’t you realize you’re being looked down upon!?”
”Well, if we’re talking about pride, Zora knows I don’t care about that. Plus, refusing this and trying to negotiate different terms would be a hassle, right? These terms don’t put us at a disadvantage, and I don’t want to complicate a deal that’s almost settled.”
”Even so──ugh… do as you like! But you have to help convince my dad and the others.”
”Of course.”
As Zora reluctantly gave in, I returned my gaze to the front, where Viscount Hedmar was looking at me with a probing expression.
”To reveal your true intentions in front of a negotiation partner, you haven’t forgotten my presence, have you?”
”Of course not.”
”…Just to check, are you plotting something?”
”I’m not plotting anything.”
Viscount Hedmar observed my face for a while, and as he realized I wasn’t scheming, his expression gradually stiffened.
”How surprising, to be so defenseless in front of an empire noble…”
As his expression relaxed, a clear look of disappointment appeared in Viscount Hedmar’s eyes.
”I had hoped you could derive some answer regarding that ‘contradiction,’ but it seems you’ve given up on finding an answer.”
”Ahaha… I guess that’s how it looks, huh?”
”Are you saying that’s not the case?”
”Yes, I have provided an answer as you expected, Viscount Hedmar. And this is that answer.”
”You have a mindset that’s close to a dwarf. You dislike the ways of the empire nobles and say their existence is a sad thing. But your position is undeniably that of an empire noble. Your current state is full of contradictions. Don’t you have some awareness of that?”
The contradiction that Viscount Hedmar pointed out to me before, that if things continued this way, my ruin was inevitable, has been on my mind, and my answer was included in this negotiation.
”I mean, is this the answer? What do you mean?”
”Do you remember what you said to me before, Viscount Hedmar? ‘To protect ourselves, we probe each other’s bellies, deceive each other, and before we know it, we have completely become empire nobles’.”
”I remember, and your response to that was, ‘If you’re deceived, you deceive; if you’re betrayed, you betray first. Did you never think that if it wears down your heart, you should just quit being a noble?’ Right? What does that have to do with this?”
”It’s simple. If you deceive because you’re deceived, and betray because you’re betrayed, then you should just be so honest that it makes doubting the other person seem ridiculous. That way, there’s no need for mutual suspicion, and I won’t wear down my heart like Viscount Hedmar. This is my answer for living as a noble in this country while hating the ways of the empire nobles.”
Not just Viscount Hedmar, but the lady next to us who was listening was staring at me in shock, but then Viscount Hedmar suddenly raised his voice.
”Are you, are you stupid!? What good will that do? Do you think the empire nobles will regain their conscience by doing that? I can say for sure, that will absolutely never happen! What will you do when you get deceived by saying such sweet things to the empire nobles!?”
”At that time, I guess I’ll cry out to those around me, ‘What should I do?’”
”What did you say!?”
At my nonchalant reply, Viscount Hedmar continued, still in shock.
”Do you understand? This isn’t just a problem for you personally.”
”You’re right, and that’s why when I first thought of this answer, I couldn’t say it right away.”
This answer itself came to me on that day when Viscount Hedmar confronted me with contradictions, while I was consulting with Niya-san and Momoka.
However, this answer would cause a lot of trouble for those around me, so I thought I should at least draw a line between what I can do and what I must rely on others for.
But that wasn’t an easy thing to do, and trying to do it all alone ended up causing even more trouble.
”When the monsters attacked the frontier settlement, I tried to fight for my own selfish reasons. But in the end, I lost consciousness, and when I woke up, everything was over. And it was in a much better way than I had imagined… That’s when I realized that what I could do alone was limited, and that everyone around me was so reliable that they could easily handle my selfishness. That’s why I decided to speak this answer out loud.”
”…I can’t understand. How can you live as an empire noble, showing such a pathetic side by completely relying on the capable people around you?”
”Do you still not get it after all this?”
Zora throws words at Viscount Hedmar, who cannot accept my answer.
”Even though he’s an empire noble, from the start, this guy was nothing like the ’empire nobles’ you know. If an empire noble showed such weakness, they would quickly become isolated and be preyed upon by other empire nobles. But Neil is not like those empire nobles who cover themselves in vanity to attract people; he has never hidden his weaknesses from the beginning. In fact, there were times when it was so pathetic that it made us a bit irritated. So even if Neil shows a pathetic side now, we won’t give up on him. As long as Neil remains himself, we will continue to support him.”
I may be selfish and rely on others, which is certainly not commendable, but there are people who accept me for who I am, and because of that, there are people who lend me their strength.
So I had no reason to hesitate with this answer anymore.
”I was told by someone that I have the ‘strength to share my weaknesses with others’.”
”Strength to confide your weaknesses to others? Such, such a thing──.”
Viscount Hedmar was flustered, but suddenly he stopped moving completely.
It was such a remarkable halt that it felt like only Hedmar’s time had stopped.
”Wait, does Count Atmiras know about this?”
”Eh? Yes, I said I wanted to negotiate directly with Viscount Hedmar.”
”…Did the Count allow that?”
”Yes, he did.”
I was quite surprised by that myself.
When I first conveyed this in a letter, he said he wanted to hear it directly, even if it was through the item box.
At that time, I thought I would definitely be lectured, but my father was very calm and, after asking a few questions, simply said, “Do as you think,” and allowed it.
Honestly, I was prepared to be cut off completely, so I was taken aback.
I had been caught up on that matter too, but it seemed like Viscount Hedmar realized something from there.
”…I see, I completely forgot, but you are the legitimate son.”
”Yes?”
”That’s why you──no, looking at your face, it seems you don’t understand.”
”Um, what are you talking about?”
I was confused by Viscount Hedmar suddenly remembering that I was the legitimate son, but he looked at me with a warm gaze that seemed either exasperated or resigned.
”That’s precisely why you strangely attract those around you. It’s better for you not to know.”
”Uh, uh-huh.”
”And about the distribution of the mineral resources earlier, let’s retract that. You can send half of it.”
”Is that alright?”
”Of course it’s alright; this is normal. I don’t want to create a strange connection with the Count Atmiras family over such trivial matters.”
From the flow of the conversation, it seemed more like he retracted it because he realized something rather than having intended to do so from the start.
What exactly did Viscount Hedmar realize?
It was never spoken from the mouth of Viscount Hedmar, and the negotiations ended, leaving me with an uneasy feeling as I left the Viscount Hedmar’s mansion.
* * *
”Really, he surprises me time and again.”
Ness Hedmar muttered while watching the Count Atmiras family’s carriage from the window.
”I thought there was no other way to live as a noble in this country… It’s ironic to be taught that there was another path at this late stage.”
”Dear…”
As Ness muttered self-deprecatingly, the lady placed her hand over his, and Ness smiled reassuringly.
”Don’t worry, I wasn’t regretting ‘if only I had known this back then.’ Even if I had known, we would have ended up choosing this path anyway. That path was one he could only choose because it was him. But Count Atmiras, he really did it.”
”Why is the Count coming up here?”
”He quickly realized the future of the path his son was trying to take, so he allowed his reckless actions.”
While jealousy surfaced at that insight he could never possess, another emotion rose in Ness’s heart.
(Ah, if his future opens up, Ronim… we will once again──)
The carriage carrying Neil had already hidden behind the fence, completely disappearing from Ness’s view.
However, Ness’s gaze remained fixed ahead as if he could see something.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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