Volume 4 Chapter 1 Marie
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The capital of Schweilitz. It was spring.
The mild weather brought out the vibrant green of the garden grasses, and flowers were blooming in unison.
And yet, here I was.
I was remembering the words Sarah [Second Lieutenant] had spoken on that frozen earth.
It was when we were discussing the treatment of the kidnapped Emperor of the Empire of Rus, Fyodor III.
”The price of a high-ranking official’s life drops with every passing day. Tell me, even if they said they’d return the Emperor a year from now, don’t you think the ones receiving him would be in trouble? After a year, a new regime will have already been established.”
At the time, I had nodded, genuinely impressed.
But I never expected that same reality to pierce through me.
It had been about a year and a half since the Western Front collapsed and I was dragged into the defensive battles.
When I finally returned to the Academy, a new regime had already been established, and there was no place left for me.
”Larry [former Associate Professor], you have been marked as resigned. The larger lab on the fourth floor is now used by Professor Marie, and the smaller one is used by Romy Assistant Professor.”
The deputy head of the Academy’s office looked at me, his face tight and formal. “I apologize, but this is the current administrative standing,” he said in a cold, bureaucratic way.
Marie, the first person I saw upon my return, ignored me completely. Romy, who was with her, looked at me with pity but didn’t speak. The two labs on the fourth floor were locked, and I couldn’t enter them.
It was early April; the Academy was on spring break, and there were no students or Research Students around.
Just as I was at a total loss, a staff member from the office came and told me I had been marked as retired.
On top of that, he said since the Academy held national secrets, an outsider like me couldn’t enter without a student or staff escort.
”In short,” he said in a short, procedural tone, “you must leave now.”
I was escorted to the entrance, but just as I was being pushed out, Karl-professor from the Third Laboratory of Medical Magic arrived and helped me get back in.
”So they told you to leave because you’ve been marked as retired?” Karl asked, leaning back with a calm, modern tone.
”I suppose it’s a pity, sure.”
He gave me sympathy while we drank tea in the Academy’s Dining Hall.
”You were officially sentenced to death and missing for a year and a half. It’s only natural they’d be cautious when someone like you suddenly appears. Well, rejoice. The faculty board that decided on your retirement said that if you’re confirmed alive, you’ll become an Honorary Professor. Your return will be officially recognized once the break ends.”
”Honorary Professor?” I repeated, narrowing my eyes.
”Yeah,” Karl continued, his voice relaxed and American-standard. “Usually it’s an honorary position after mandatory retirement, but in name, you’re still Academy staff, and you get a special pension.”
”A special pension?”
”Well, it’s an honorary position, so you aren’t working. Hence, a pension.”
What kind of deal is that.
”Man, I really wanted you to stay as a researcher who could lead the next generation. Oh, what a shame.”
Karl squinted at me and laughed through his nose.
It’s infuriating how he’s such a handsome guy.
”What? Is it that funny?”
”It’s funny. A real riot.”
Damn him.
But then, Karl, who’d been laughing, suddenly turned serious.
”Where did you get that? The crest on your hat, and the buttons on your coat. Those are the Royal Family’s, aren’t they? That’s not something a commoner should wear so easily.”
He always had this sharp side. This guy.
”It’s not a fake. I had a tailor who works for the Royal Household make them for me.”
”I figured. Even setting aside the buttons, that fabric and tailoring… that’s not something you can buy with a few Gold coins. What happened?”
”It’s a secret.”
This guy once spread the story of my escape from Professor Lizabel’s house across the Academy.
Now, he just went “Hmm” and kept scanning me up and down. He seemed interested, but I don’t like being stared at by a man.
”What is it?”
”Hey, the rumors about finding a husband for Princess Tina, the first in line to the throne, have died down. Don’t tell me…”
Professors with good intuition are annoying.
”Hey, what about my lab? I heard Marie was an Associate Professor, but now she’s a full professor, and it makes even less sense that Romy is an Assistant Professor. And I heard Rosa became a professor too.”
To change the subject, I asked about the things bothering me.
”That,” Karl said. “Have you heard of the ‘Seven Blueprints of the Prison’?”
When I said no, he gave me that look again.
”During the 53rd defensive battle, someone was imprisoned for acting beyond their authority, right? It refers to seven blueprints written by an Associate Professor then.”
He uses words like “someone” or “some Associate Professor.”
Well, now that he mentioned it, I remember writing designs and telling them to deliver them to my lab when I left.
”So?”
”Yeah, the ‘Seven Blueprints of the Prison.’ Based on those, Rosa built the ship’s engine and the whole ship, and Marie made the… what was it…”
”An alternator.”
”That’s the one,” Karl affirmed. “And the steam-powered blades, and the Elf Mage girl did the boiler, and so on. Those three led the way and built a moving ironclad ship model that amazed the military. Then, in just over half a year, nearly a hundred derivative blueprints were accepted. Rosa wrote more than half—more than any other professor—and it’s caused a huge stir.”
In this world, blueprints are like academic papers and patents. They bring honor and money.
A professor’s standing is based on how many blueprints they lead.
My predecessor, Professor Pauman, was 25 and full of himself.
Even though you can become a professor once you have ten blueprints, a student writing nearly fifty means the higher-ups struggled with envy and jealousy.
”I bet the higher-ups were in trouble.”
”Oh, they were.”
They couldn’t ignore the blueprints, but the pride of the current professors wouldn’t allow it.
They used to refuse to recognize me as a professor when I had twenty blueprints, saying I was “too young,” even though the rule was having ten.
”That’s when the Military Academy set their sights on them.”
Hm?
”Don’t you know? It’s the highest research institution in the Royal Army.”
That’s right, I’ve heard of it. It’s where Major Sonya went after graduating.
I remembered hearing about it from Bours-san, a former Royal Army captain.
”As you know, the professors here don’t think highly of the military. The Medical Magic professors hate them because they demand medical teams every war, and some professors call the military a ‘violence apparatus’ or a ‘group of killers’.”
Come to think, my predecessor, Professor Pauman, said the same.
Even though he was killed by the rebel army in the Haritz Rebellion.
”With that twisted pride, they hesitated to make Rosa a professor here, so Rosa and Tura joined the Military Academy as professors.”
”Wait, Tura is a professor too? I only heard about Rosa, and that a branch of my lab was set up in Kure.”
”Former. It’s your former lab,” Karl said with a dry, knowing smirk.
According to Karl, it started when Rosa wanted to bring in students and researchers with experience.
The Military Academy agreed and let them set up a lab branch in Kure.
Tura’s research was on boilers. Welding uses a Mage, but since the main part doesn’t use Mana, she became a professor at the Military Academy’s lab.
However, her work is linked to Marie’s research on alternators and turbines, so she visits the Academy often.
”Have you ever been to Kure, Larry?”
”No, I was in the East, and I returned by land.”
”You should see it. They’re using steel Golems inside a massive hangar to assemble the ironclad ships. It’s incredible.”
I see. The latest Type 98 Golems for military use have wooden bodies.
They probably can’t lift heavy steel plates.
”I see. I’ll go there sometime.”
”It’s restricted to outsiders, so wait until you become an Honorary Professor.”
He said that with a sarcastic tone.
But I’m curious.
I wrote seven blueprints while in prison.
Based on his words, four are done: the ironclad ship, the ManaCraft Engine, the steam turbine and boiler, and the alternator. What about the other three?
Karl didn’t know.
I asked why Marie stayed when Rosa and Tura went to Kure.
”I heard it’s to protect your house and lab. Maybe also coordination with the Arsenal Bureau, but I don’t know the details.”
When I was around, Marie helped me make Magic capacitors.
This required extreme precision and couldn’t be done without her tenacity.
The alternator also relies on how the [magic thread] (spider silk) is wound to generate a Magical Magnetic Field, and the performance changes based on that. The turbine blades needed patient work, so it was impossible alone—it needed Marie’s leadership.
The remaining three blueprints were a lathe, a wired/wireless magic telephone device, and a digital signal magic radio.
The lathe should be handled by the Arsenal Bureau.
The other two can’t be built without Marie, as she’s the only one who can make the parts.
The magic telephone can be made by tweaking the Golems’ wireless device, so it’s possible without being a genius like Rosa.
But Marie can’t do the last one—the digital signal magic radio.
Even if Rosa is a genius, she can’t do it alone without me teaching her.
It needs computer knowledge, so only I could do it.
That’s it!
With this, I might carve out a place for myself.
Maybe I can get a small room even as an Honorary Professor.
Besides, there’s another concept I didn’t turn into a blueprint.
Could I use the excuse that it’s tactically critical and I’m too busy to decline the marriage proposal into the Royal Family?
Actually, if I just hide in the lab, maybe they’ll give up.
”You look kind of happy,” Karl noted, speaking in a casual, observant tone.
Did I show my joy?
It doesn’t matter.
I long to return to Strock Village and live a slow life of “plowing fields and reading books.” But I can’t quite abandon city life.
And being an Honorary Professor at the Academy is hard to pass up. I’ll hide, though.
”You know about the capital relocation, right?”
”The rumors about moving the Royal Capital to Haritz, right? I heard when I returned.”
”The Academy is also moving there, leaving some functions behind.”
”Is that a decision, not just a rumor?”
”It’ll happen after the canal is built, I imagine, but inside the Academy, we’re already looking at floor plans for the new campus.”
According to Karl, the fight for lab space is a disaster.
The canal he mentioned links the Danube River with the Vèrie River—a tributary of the Border River—allowing ships to cross the continent from the Turkish Sea to the Norden Sea.
”I suppose I’ll need to buy a house over there,” I said, my voice neutral.
”But Professor Marie seems set on staying here,” Karl remarked, his voice steady and practical.
”I wonder why. A new lab would be better. Isn’t the new Royal Capital closer to Kure, where Tura and Rosa are?” I said aloud.
”That may be, but I think she wants to protect the home of the man she’s fallen for,” Karl replied with a knowing look.
Wait, the “man she’s fallen for” is me, right?
I feel oddly happy. Marie really is a tsundere, isn’t she?
”What are you smirking at, you creep,” a voice snapped.
A refined-looking woman in a white coat approached at a trot.
Her slender build made her appear taller than she was. Her hair was a semi-long style, resting on her shoulders. Her makeup was subtle. Beneath her lab coat, she wore a pristine white blouse with ruffles and a tight, dark blue skirt.
In my past life, she would have been the receptionist at a listed corporation. Her poise was reminiscent of that, too.
”Professors, the consultation time has passed and the patients are waiting,” Darina stated, her voice formal and clinical.
”Ah, sorry, sorry. We just got caught up talking. Darina, you remember him, right? It’s Larry,” Karl said, his voice casual.
Darina?
”Larry…-san?” she murmured, looking confused.
She was a beauty, and she looked troubled—but it was that very look of confusion that jogged my memory.
”Darina from Barsheni Village. The one from the same hometown as Marie,” I explained.
When I first met her, she was a pure, simple country girl.
If I recall, she had been doing laundry in the river.
She seemed to realize it as well.
”It has been a long time,” she said, her voice dropping into a professional register.
For a split second, her expression brightened, but then she composed herself, put on a stern face, and glared at me while she gave her greeting.
”My apologies, but that’s how it is,” Karl said as he stood up to leave.
”Oh, and Romy, who came to the Academy with you lot? She’s become an assistant professor. Though it seems Professor Marie drew up most of the blueprints,” Karl added.
Saying that, Karl pointed at the thick, circular clock hanging on the wall. Previously, there had been a gravity-fed clock there with a weight attached to a string.
Come to think of it, I believe I heard something to that effect when they arrived in Cain on the black ship.
When I looked back, Karl was being led toward the Medical Ward by Darina, who had grabbed the sleeve of his jacket.
Wait, ah, I can’t be left alone inside the Academy, can I?
Someone, look after me properly.
I managed to leave the Academy and transfer between several shared carriages, arriving at my home in the Royal Capital just after noon.
At the inner wall’s checkpoint, since I lacked identification, I pointed to the royal crest on my hat, which caused quite a commotion, and I was held there until verification was completed.
When I entered the foyer, the first to greet me was Katri in a Maid outfit.
The moment she saw me, she clung to me and started sobbing.
”Katri-san. That is unseemly, especially for someone in your position as a maid,” Ardia said, her voice dripping with refined, icy condescension.
”I am not a maid. I am one of the Maids. Furthermore, the Master is the father of this child,” Katri retorted, her voice steady and proud.
What is this tension?
Are they on bad terms?
Well, I suppose that happens. They are human, after all.
Just then, Pia, who was also rub-bellied and busty, descended the stairs.
The door from the garden opened, and Helf, the manservant, entered, followed by Lahedda, the youngest of the maids. Then came Pamela and the two other maids capable of handling Mana, Mar-Gunte and Carla.
Kenze and the troublemaker Loukai, along with her mistress Kacha, were nowhere to be found.
”Where is Kenze?” I asked.
”Kenze-san has gone to the Academy as Marie-sama’s Coachman,” Ardia replied, her voice perfectly polite and deferential.
At that moment, another person began to walk down the stairs.
Oh no.
It was Manuela, a friend of Marie’s.
She had been taken away to Schweilitz, so why was she here?
She was near full term, and she descended the stairs one by one, looking pained.
”She is a Slave purchased by Marie-sama. They say she is carrying the Master’s child,” Ardia informed me, her tone detached.
So that is why Marie ignored me?
”Still, to think that after going away somewhere, you would return having impregnated four women. Marie-sama is to be pitied,” Ardia added, her gaze sharp.
Head maid, would you mind stopping with those condescending glares directed at your Master?
Hmm?
Four? There are only three here.
”Are you not aware?” Ardia asked.
Well, no, I am not.
”The day before yesterday, Marie-sama’s friend Darina-sama came. She mentioned that her aunt, Isabella-sama, who occasionally stays with us, is also pregnant with the Master’s child,” Ardia said.
A chill ran down my spine.
When I returned from Trabius, they had put me in a sedated, unconscious state to ensure I wouldn’t flee.
During that time, the female soldiers who had told me they would hold me on the battlefield had taken advantage of my unconscious state.
It seems Isabella had joined them and was now pregnant as well.
It wasn’t as if I had actively pursued this.
”And what did Marie say when she heard?” I asked.
”Oh, nothing in particular,” Ardia replied.
That… is absolutely terrifying.
”Master, women who are twice your age and twice your size might be fine, but getting Marie-sama’s aunt pregnant is nothing to be proud of,” Helf said, his voice gruff and direct.
No, as I said, that happened while I was unconscious.
I didn’t consent, nor was I the one who actively did it.
However, standing before these three pregnant women, I doubt any excuses would be heard.
And I couldn’t even dare to mention that five more might be pregnant.
Come to think of it, there was one more.
Ellie, the granddaughter of Frontier Count Pugachev.
Anyway, if Isabella’s affair had been exposed, I was in deep trouble.
If I didn’t escape before Marie returned, I would probably be killed.
Just then, the sound of the carriage doors opening echoed.
This house had a path that led from the carriage doors, through the building, and into the Courtyard.
I have to get out of here, fast.
”Marie-sama, the unprincipled Master is here,” Loukai announced, her voice blunt and mocking.
Marie followed, her emotions completely suppressed.
”Hey,” I said, raising a hand in greeting.
”Pamela, harvest the consciousness of that fool over there,” Marie commanded, her voice thick.
”Understood,” Pamela replied, approaching me.
”Katri, after that, use the silver chains to Shibari him to the chair so he can’t run away,” Marie instructed.
”Very well,” Katri responded.
”Mommy, is this middle-aged man a bad person?” the child asked.
”That’s right. He’s a very bad person. Angelica, don’t let yourself be deceived by him either,” Marie said, her tone cold.
Once Pamela harvested my consciousness, when I came to, I was Shibari-tied to the head chair at the large dining table.
Am I a criminal?
”Now that you’re conscious, I’m going to discuss the arrangements for the move starting the day after tomorrow,” Marie said, her voice clipped.
”Moving? To the new capital already?” I asked.
”Huh? Did you forget? This is something you agreed to,” Marie stated.
”We are moving to the Fourth Sage Sabaski’s mansion,” she continued.
”Did Marie talk to the Fourth Sage?” I questioned.
”Of course I did. That’s why I’m making the arrangements for the move,” she answered.
”So, since the move is the day after tomorrow, does that mean I can take it easy tomorrow?” I asked.
”What are you spouting such nonsense for? Tomorrow, you are going to go with me to the Joint Government Building to complete the moving procedures,” Marie insisted.
”And to ensure you don’t desert us, Pamela will be coming along too,” she added.
The Joint Government Building I visited the next day was overflowing with people.
First of all, the Official name was scarce, so I was kept waiting.
It seems that with the assistance of the newly formed Kingdom of Larland, they were sending people over.
Hearing that made me feel a bit out of place.
Separately, while there is no issue with a noble buying a noble’s house, for a commoner to do so is a much higher hurdle, and the procedures were tedious.
I did have a deed of transfer written by the Fourth Sage, which stated that my knighthood was finalized for the end of the year, but the official at the counter was merciless: “That notwithstanding, we cannot skip the procedures.”
Inside the office building, I went here to line up, then back there to line up, only to be told the content was wrong and to go back to the beginning.
Moreover, I had to explain over and over again why I was moving from inside the castle (within the walls) to outside the castle where the Count’s mansion was located.
The first to give up was Pamela; since there were so many people and no place to sit, she went to rest in a carriage at the horse-tie area some distance away.
Marie also grew increasingly grumpy, and by the afternoon, she said she was going to the Academy and that I should handle the rest, and she returned my Bankbook to me.
Before leaving for Rus, I had written a will and designated her as the executor, so Marie had received my Bankbook from the Obernbach military facility.
Since arriving at the Joint Government Building, I had used it as identification, but Marie had been the one holding it.
She had returned it to me.
Since the balance hadn’t been updated, and Marie had left the building, I immediately lined up at the cashier.
After waiting for a long time again, I updated it to a new Bankbook and checked the balance. It was 400,000,000 Yen.
”There’s no mistake in this, is there?” I asked the clerk.
”There is no error,” the cashier replied, her voice professional and devoid of warmth.
After that, I excitedly went around to each window to finish the procedures, and by the time I was done, it was closing time for the office.
I went to the horse-tie area to retrieve the carriage, stopped by the Academy to pick up Marie, and headed home.
At the inner wall checkpoint, when I showed the Bankbook, they let me pass as if it were nothing.
My profession as listed in the Bankbook was now only “Military Personnel,” but I didn’t care about that right now.
When I arrived home, Marie asked for the Bankbook, so I handed her the old one—filled to the brim with entries, with an ‘X’ marked over the identification section—and she tucked it into her bag without even looking at the contents.
The next day, she handed me that useless Bankbook and ordered me to make multiple trips between our house and the Count’s mansion, carriage loaded with luggage.
The Count’s mansion was located ten minutes by carriage from the Royal Capital’s west gate, following the embankment to a tributary less than twenty meters wide that flowed into the Danube River; the walled-in corner facing the opposite bank was the Count’s mansion.
Incidentally, if you leave the west gate and cross the Danube River, there is an Arsenal Bureau and an armored division, and I would be able to travel there from my new home without passing through any checkpoints.
The new house featured a massive iron waterwheel—I’d guess ten meters across—that turned slowly, drawing water from a tributary and feeding it into the high-walled compound. Above that, there was a private pier with two boats moored in place.
Crossing the tributary, a road stretched straight toward the main gate of the Count’s residence, which sat surrounded by walls. Houses lined both sides of the path; it felt like a town built right before a temple gate.
As I guided my carriage along this approach, three people emerged from the gate to greet me. I exchanged pleasantries and asked the eldest among them about the “Fourth Sage.”
”The Count announced his retirement and left for Old Master’s village about a month ago,” the old man stated with a respectful, slow-rhythm Southern warmth.
I couldn’t imagine that “Middle-aged man” living quietly in retirement. He was definitely off pulling strings in Larland with his instructor.
If he really had retired, I might not have to go to the New Continent, but it’s best not to let myself dream.
”I’ve explained the house details to Marie-sama once, but I would ask that you listen as well, Larry-sama,” the old man added with his characteristic elderly rural deference.
I wanted to say that since Marie already knew the layout, I didn’t need to hear it, but the Old man had already started speaking before I could refuse.
The houses in front of the wall were for the estate staff. Since they held the status of “Bondservant,” they were required to pay “Poll Tax.”1 Generally, they lived as couples, sometimes with children.
”If you have need of livestock, we shall raise them here,” he offered with a steady, humble tone.
Adjacent to the gate-front town was a pasture with stables and barns, where a few sheep were gathered.
Well, I suppose that will do just fine.
As they took the horse’s reins and I passed through the gate, I was surprised to find a twenty-five-meter pool right in front of me. Behind it stood the house, so it wasn’t exactly a square pond. Instead, the pool had lanes marked with ropes, and five-meter lines were painted on the clear bottom.
”Did the Sage swim here?” I asked, keeping my tone neutral.
”Yes, every single day off,” he replied in his slow, traditional cadence.
”Every day? Even in winter?”
”Indeed. He would heat the water himself,” the old man affirmed.
Is that so.
I’m not much of a swimmer, so I can’t fathom why someone would swim in the winter.
”Still, the water is incredibly clear.”
”Yes. The water drawn by the exterior waterwheel passes through two filtration and sedimentation tanks,” he explained with pride.
He explained that this same water was used for cooking, bathing, and even the flush toilets. The sewage wasn’t dumped straight into the river, either; it went through a septic tank, and the sludge was processed into fertilizer. The Old man praised this as a testament to the “Fourth Sage’s” character.
While I was impressed that anyone in this world would go to such lengths, it also felt a bit pathetic.
As for the buildings, perhaps it’s because my previous life was as a professor, but they resembled the elementary school I once attended. Three horizontal, two-story school buildings (wings) lined up, connected by a central covered walkway.
Of course, the rooms weren’t classrooms.
The first floor of the building nearest the entrance housed the dining hall, party room, and library. The second floor held the master bedroom and guest rooms. The center wing’s first floor contained the kitchen, workspace, and pantry, with servants’ quarters on the second floor. The building at the very back housed the water purification plant, a large bathhouse, and a fuel storage area for coal, which apparently had a tunnel leading directly from the outside pier.
Why on earth would he make a residence like this?
I asked the Old man that very question.
”Ah, that is because this was once a section of the Agricultural University’s experimental farm. The area from the Ed River flowing next to us to the western mountains was university land. If you go a little further up the Danube River, there was a school building with dormitories. The Count would often invite the students there for banquets,” he recounted with a hint of nostalgia.
I don’t get it.
He was supposed to be swamped with work—did he really have time to feast with students?
”Well, I imagine he chose a nearby location so the students could easily visit. It’s also said he built the wall to ensure that when they stayed up all night partying, they wouldn’t disturb the neighbors. I suspect he built the water treatment plant because the well water near the river wasn’t very good,” he reasoned.
So, he did it because he wanted to frolic with students? And because he wanted clean pool water?
I knew he was a selfish man, but this was on another level.
Maybe he was under so much stress that he drank with young students to vent.
No, he was definitely just a psychopath.
That night, I went around to greet the neighbors within the Royal Capital.
Including, of course, the Möller family next door.
The husband, who had been the Inspector General of the Gendarmerie in Larland, had returned, and I finished my greetings while sweating bullets, fearing he might say something. By the way, I knew that when I was heading to Trabius from Larland, I had asked Professor Lizabel’s husband to contact the bigwigs in Schweilitz, and because that had been delayed, we were driven into a corner. He knew as well, and apologized.
The night after the move was finished, I crawled into the bed in the master bedroom of the old Count’s residence alone. Just as I extinguished the Magic Lamps, the door opened.
Wondering who it was, I lit a small Fireball to see—it was Marie.oc/deepseek-v4-flash-free
”What are you doing?”
”A night-visit, obviously,” she said, her voice carrying the unmistakable, warm, and assertive cadence of Nagoya-ben.
The moment she said that, she climbed into bed. She brought her face so close that I could feel her breath.
Her scent reached me, and it almost made me forget everything.
At dawn, Marie hugged me from behind.
’How long can you stay?’
She asked me through telepathy.
’Through the end of April, I think.’
’And then you will go back to the palace.’
’You noticed.’
’Of course I did. About the bankbook, too,’ she said, very sure of herself.
She had figured it out.
’Then, what about Nico as well? You should come back to Strock Village, too.’
’Thanks.’
She had become quite a woman.
Still, she was a little upset that I had gotten Manuela pregnant.
She said that when we were at the Bizan Magic School, Manuela had loved me too.
I think that was just Marie’s guess.
’She told me herself that she was happy it happened. So she is not angry.’
After that, she told me something else.
When she heard from Helbert, that middle-aged man, that Marie would be sold at the slave market, she had bought her freedom.
She had paid a very high price for it.
She had also heard about Isabella.
When Isabella led the Weasels of Bohemia, she had many men around her.
But she chose not to have children.
After she joined the Royal Army, her life became more stable.
Then she wanted children.
But this time, there were no men.
No, they did not come near her.
At that time, when she was taking me from Larland, she saw the magic girls under me with me.
After that, she could not hold back.
’You really are careless, aren’t you.’
Hey, hey.
I was asleep.
I am innocent.
Totally innocent.
’It is quite a shock that my aunt’s child and Angelica are half brother and sister.’
Angelica was Marie and my daughter.
Well, that might be true.
’That is why Angelica needs a real sibling. I think there is one.’
’That means…’
When I turned, Marie sealed my lips with her own.
’Don’t think you can say no.’
It is not that I want to say no.
It is not that I want to, but…
’I love you.’
—
Summary:
The protagonist, Larry, returns to the Academy after a long absence only to find his former position occupied and himself officially processed as retired. He meets with Karl, who explains the rapid academic advancement of his former assistants through the “Seven Blueprints” and their subsequent recruitment by the military. Larry discovers that he may still find a place as an Honorary Professor and begins to formulate a new plan to secure his independence.
The protagonist faces domestic turmoil after returning home to find multiple women pregnant as a result of his period of unconsciousness, leading to Marie’s cold disciplinary actions. He is forced into participating in the relocation to a mansion owned by the Fourth Sage while navigating the bureaucratic hurdles of the new Royal Capital. The narrative concludes with the successful handling of his financial assets and the logistical commencement of the move to the new estate.
Larry moves into a former Count’s estate, which is surprisingly equipped with industrial-grade water infrastructure. He reunites with Marie, who confronts him about his past secrets and his complicated relationships. The conversation ends with an intimate, unresolved promise of future growth between them.
—
Trivia:
The protagonist was sentenced to death during his year and a half of absence.
”Blueprints” in this world function similarly to academic papers and patents, determining a professor’s status.
Military and Academy relations are strained due to differing views on war and weaponry.
The Academy is planning a relocation to the old territorial capital of Haritz.
The protagonist has three remaining blueprints he hasn’t revealed, including a digital signal magic radio.
The protagonist was sedated to prevent his escape during his return from Trabius.
Marie designated herself as the executor of the protagonist’s estate while he was away in Rus.
The protagonist’s new residence provides a direct path to the military facilities without checkpoint clearance.
The Fourth Sage has already promised the protagonist a knighthood by the end of the year.
The estate was formerly part of an Agricultural University’s experimental farm.
The Fourth Sage used water filtration to ensure the pool water was clean.
The Fourth Sage had a history of hosting student banquets that lasted all night.
Marie uses Nagoya-ben dialect markers to emphasize her assertions.
—
Translation Notes:
Notes:
• Schweilitz – The kingdom to which the protagonist is forced to return boasts towering academy spires and a full military arsenal—Royal Army troops and elite officers. Its ruler holds a captive the protagonist fears will be executed.
• Sarah – A heavily pierced Elf Mage and former Second Lieutenant of the Magic Armored Division, identifiable by her facial piercings, pointed ears, and long dark hair, she commanded the Magic Corps on the frozen front lines. Disciplined and tactical, she once restrained Kenze, partnered with Thomas, and noted the expendability of officials during war, before retiring due to childbirth.
• Sara – A woman with numerous gold piercings in her ears, eyebrows, and nose, often wearing thick, aggressive makeup. She serves as the Second Lieutenant and Commander of the First Company.
• Fyodor – The Emperor of the Empire of Rus, currently held as a captive after being kidnapped. His ongoing confinement and treatment have become the subject of intense political discussion among rival factions and foreign powers.
• Rus – A neighboring power deeply involved in regional politics and mediation, best known for annexing the Kingdom of Larland.
• Larry – Sammy I (Larry-sama), a 16-year-old dark-haired Grand Duke and reincarnated engineering professor, combines advanced technology and magic to lead mage-golem units in brutal wars. Cynical, sarcastic, and currently unbathed after a month in solitary post-rebellion, he is coerced into a military test voyage. A master of ship design who penned the Seven Blueprints of the Prison, he navigates a world of shattered morals, feeling outmatched yet serving as a tech consultant. He balances four wives and children, remaining protective yet impulsive toward his entourage.
• Marie – Larry, a sharp-tongued, authoritative Kiridal professor with a mage’s build, lives with the protagonist, managing their home’s economic affairs. From Strock Village and Isabella’s niece, she runs a large lab, works with the Arsenal Bureau, and collaborates on engineering. A former Weasels leader, she is a peer to Darina, friend to Manuela, and shares a deep, warm romance with her husband Kenze.
• Romy – An Academy assistant professor saved from debt and slavery by Larry, with whom she shares a deep bond. Arriving in Cain on a black ship, she now works with Marie, maintaining a professional demeanor despite lacking raw ability. Credited as primary author for a graphite clock design, she prefers life at sea and serves as the protagonist’s companion at a funeral, showing them pity.
• Mar – A battle‑hardened veteran, clad in worn armor, uses door panels as shields and captures enemy crossbows; Larry’s comrade who teases him about his sister‑in‑law’s pampering, known as Martin to his companion Edmond.
• Karl – A handsome, sharp-witted Academy professor of Medical Magic at the Third Laboratory, known for his cynical, talkative nature and tendency to spread secrets, earning the protagonist’s spite. An acquaintance of Larry for academic guidance, he serves as an informal informant on royal movements and the canal project. He missed the celebration and shares info about the protagonist with his partner, Darina.
• Ho – Ho, a comrade of the protagonist. A member of the military unit that defended Garao Village and was slaughtered alongside Marx-san.
• Lizabel – Lizabel is a dignified, flirtatious Academy professor in her late thirties with a striking physique and scandalous private life. Also known as Liza, her name causes discomfort for the protagonist during a comedy performance. The sister of Lysan, mother of Doris, and side wife to Josef von Möller, she lives next door to investigate the protagonist, who previously escaped her household.
• Liza – Lizabel is a dignified, flirtatious Academy professor in her late thirties with a striking physique and scandalous private life. Also known as Liza, her name causes discomfort for the protagonist during a comedy performance. The sister of Lysan, mother of Doris, and side wife to Josef von Möller, she lives next door to investigate the protagonist, who previously escaped her household.
• Tina – Twelve-year-old Second Princess of Schweilitz, born to the King and Second Queen, is the wild-red-haired, sharp-eyed first in line to the throne. Cheerful yet arrogant to hide her desire for parental approval, she is currently visiting the Celt Kingdom as her mother’s proxy. At the Academy, she seeks a suitor despite being engaged to an alternate protagonist whom she openly scorns as a pervert.
• Rosa – A 14-year-old Sabaski shipyard professor and drone pilot with a square, dwarf-like build and boyish speech. A former war survivor, this cynical prodigy now designs ironclad propulsion and magic-electric circuits. She is a wealthy, sharp-acting combatant, a Kure-region associate who profited from the protagonist’s blueprints, and a focused genius who actively seeks their technical input.
• Pauman – A deceased, arrogant Academy professor and former Magic Tool Lab head who was killed during the Haritz Rebellion. He previously mentored Katrina but was known for his exploitative nature and controversial history with female students. His past magic ship project contrasts with the protagonist’s, and his course load was inherited by Larry, Eida, and the protagonist after his death.
• Major – A commanding military officer with a sadistic inclination toward interrogation. She orchestrates the sessions and utilizes Telepathy to coordinate with her subordinates.
• Sonya – Sonya, a petite, sharp-eared elf orphan who rose from the Military Academy to the Royal Army’s highest research institution, is a former Schuberitz Kingdom Major. Now commanding the Magic Armored Division in ruined Larland, this youthful, serious, and sadistically strategic pilot handles Larry’s combat via telepathic mana, guards Maria, and drains enemy mana, feared by all as a devilish leader.
• Bours – Tall, scarred 46-year-old human yeoman, Western Front captain, and Vod Fortress mentor who heads the 303rd Militia and manages orchards. A Council member and Debritz acquaintance, he is married to Sheeta-san, has a recent baby and a conscripted son. He saved Larry and Rudy, recommended Celt, and shared intel on Royal Army research institutions while wearing a faded uniform.
• Haritz – A fortified town famed for its iron‑clad guard Golems, once rallying under a now‑dead rebel leader; its lingering forces tried to seize the Cain estate. Nearby, the Marquis hides his grandson, later surrendered to authorities.
• Tura – A 19-year-old Elf Mage with a child’s appearance, this emotional associate professor and military researcher from a Kure mining family designs boiler, flying device, and ironclad technology. She serves under Alan alongside Rosa, and acts as Earnest’s field assistant with Katarina to operate fixed-wing drones. Escorted to safety, deep sacrifices from her past weigh heavily on her.
• Mana – A non-commissioned officer and liaison who previously had their mana drained by Larry.
• Darina – A beautiful, city-polished 13-year-old Barsheni native with a troubled expression. An Academy Medical Magic student with strong Complex-type mana, she coordinates with faculty, gathers spider silk for the Capital, and is in a relationship with Professor Karl. She is a childhood acquaintance of the protagonist and Marie, serving as Marie’s devoted maid, housemate, and co-caregiver for the infant.
• Cain – A remote town and former Marque stronghold, enemy hub, and mapping center, this location is now a crucial Grand Principality base linked to a fleet. Centered around Grand Duke Thiele’s estate, it hosts the Duke, his loyal Minister of State (a revered former guard commander), and the traveling Village Head of Trabius amid intense political negotiations, making it a target for Thomas’s weapon-seeking forces.
• Katri – A composed, long-haired Moscow Maid School graduate trained in modern management, she serves in the protagonist’s household and as Trabius’s interim Village Head. She is his submissive, pregnant romantic partner, whom he desired to bring on the voyage. Dressed in a pink maternity dress and crimson gown, she is deeply depressed after a failed self-sacrifice but remains bound to Sanna, Larry, and Earnest, while sharing a conflicted working relationship with the head maid.
• Ardia – An older, voluptuous head maid with a fox-like face, she manages the protagonist’s household alongside her husband, Helf, while involved in an estate move. Adhering strictly to traditional protocols, she has long-standing habits and struggles to adapt to newer organizational methods. She maintains a refined yet condescending demeanor, delivering urgent academy messages despite her sharp remarks.
• Master – An old master who serves as a mentor to the protagonist. He maintains a calm and pragmatic demeanor.
• Pia – A heavily pregnant, busty, and naive Nurnhügel mage under military protection, currently undergoing legal emancipation from her past slavery. Carrying the protagonist’s child, she wears a hooded robe and speaks with archaic authority. Despite being a submissive yet cynical level-3 healer’s assistant who pilots golems and drones, she constantly fears arrest for her previous Haritz escape.
• Mar-Gunte – A quiet, sharp-eyed maid in her early twenties who serves the household. She possesses a distinct potential for manipulating and handling mana, maintaining a observant yet reserved relationship with those around her.
• Lahedda – The youngest maid in the household, one year junior to the protagonist. A quiet young maiden employed at the estate, she stands out by lacking the aggressive quirks of the older staff.
• Pamela – Petite, sharp-tongued Elf mage and maid serving her husband, the protagonist Larry. Beneath her white Gothic Lolita attire lies a slave crest she practically chooses to keep. As Larry’s possessive, teasing logistics chief, she offers strategic counsel, minor healing, and lap pillows. Formerly Earnest’s slave, she now travels in Larry’s carriage with Katri and Thomas’s five-person party.
• Carla – An air-headed but capable maid in her early twenties working for the household. While skilled at managing mana, she struggles with an ongoing leakage that complicates her daily tasks and affects her relationships with others.
• Helf – A stoic, taciturn manservant and carriage driver in his late forties who serves the protagonist with blunt, direct observations. Married to the head maid, Ardia, his silent demeanor defines his presence at the estate, where he works alongside his wife and assists with the household move.
• Pam – An escort to the protagonist who is observant and loyal.
• Loukai – A confrontational male servant in his early twenties who resides in the gate town housing after being relocated as a problem child. Caught misappropriating estate funds, he displays a defiant, delinquent attitude toward the protagonist and others. He is easily recognized by his aggressive demeanor and outward appearance, wearing only an unbuttoned leather vest that completely exposes his bare skin.
• Kacha – A sharp-featured, fox-faced maid in her thirties from Rukai who serves in the household and is Loukai’s mistress. Known as one of the problem children, she was relocated to housing in the gate town. Despite her reputation, she maintains a fiercely protective attitude toward her fellow domestic staff.
• Kenze – A dark-skinned Amazonian warrior and intelligence gatherer with short, black hair, a predatory gaze, a niqab, traditional slave attire, and a dagger. Once a lethal Turkic operative, she is now Larry’s (Alan’s) fiercely loyal, pragmatic slave, guard, and tactical commander who rejects typical slave treatment. While blunt and protective of her daughter Zaboo, she shields Marie, Thomas, and Teressa with blinding speed.
• Manuela – Long-black-haired former Bizan Magic School mage and friend of Marie, she was previously married to a Haritz restorer and has a past connection with Larry. Taken to Schweilitz and caught in a wartime women-distribution, she was manipulated into becoming pregnant with the protagonist’s child. Now the wanted, betrothed Marquess of Haritz’s wife, she lives there in a linen-silk dress and wool coat.
• Isabella – A towering, scarred, jet-black-uniformed Royal Army Lieutenant in her late thirties, this former Weasels of Bohemia leader is a formidable yet kind master spear-fighter. Now a pragmatic platoon commander and tactical advisor working with Thomas, she is a noble VIP who acts as Marie’s aunt—escorting her while pregnant with the protagonist’s child—and treats Ange like a granddaughter.
• Trabius – The city currently under siege and being defended by the protagonist and his allies.
• Frontier – A local noble who governs a territory in the Empire of Rus, possessing sharp diplomatic instincts and a cautious approach to the magical weaponry of his enemies.
• Pugachev – The aging, short, and chubby Frontier Count of Rus, second-in-command of the frontier, manages the fortress city of Tsaritsyn with pragmatic, unrefined authority—often seen in an oversized crown. A powerful, deceitful figure, he commands a massive military force, remains fiercely loyal to the Emperor, and rejects independence. He is Igor’s father and Ellie’s grandfather, prioritizing imperial protection above all, his blunt demeanor masking sharp political cunning.
• Ellie – Elegant and composed, she bears the refined bearing of a noblewoman. As the youngest daughter of Duke Igor of Bryachislavichi and granddaughter of Frontier Count Pugachev, she wields significant political influence. Deeply in love with the protagonist, by whom she is pregnant, she uses her attentive nature to expertly manage favors and navigate elite circles.
• Angelica – The protagonist and Marie’s eldest daughter is an expected two-year-old toddler.
• Ange – Angelica Novakova, the three-month-old eldest daughter of Larry, Henrietta, and Marie, is a young infant living in Marie’s associated gate town. Born during the Haritz Rebellion, she uniquely possesses the outward appearance of a toddler and already displays signs of early development.
• Fourth Sage – The Fourth Sage of Schweilitz is a wise, enigmatic, and manipulative elderly authority figure. As a highly perceptive political and magical advisor, they orchestrate the protagonist’s life, manage household affairs, and direct bondservant logistics. While actively seeking advice from Larry, they insist on his crucial role in the New Continent mission and control his residential arrangements.
• Sabaski – A family name associated with the Dean of the Simple-type faculty.
• Fourth – An enigmatic and cunning figure also known as the Fourth Sage. This mysterious entity actively seeks advice from Larry while simultaneously insisting on Larry’s crucial participation in the upcoming New Continent mission.
• Sage – An elderly instructor and mentor who acts as a schemer behind the scenes. He is responsible for recommending Larry for various academic and safety-related positions.
• Larland – A fallen kingdom, marked by its royal lineage of eight distinct princesses, has reemerged as a ruthless invading force. Driven by the loss of their homeland, these royal heirs now lead an aggressive campaign that threatens the entire region, turning former neighbors into desperate targets as they fight to reclaim power.
• Ed – A lanky refugee youth in simple farmer’s garb, Larry’s close friend and fierce protector is now a Military Academy student making claims about the Poll Tax and mortality. Formerly an associate of Captain Bours, he witnessed the Mauer Village skirmish, fled to Strock Village, and joined the militia to train spear-walls and ambush mercenaries, remembered for his quiet resolve to survive.
• Möller – Doris, Lizabel’s formal identity as a top freshman, commands elite academy status through inherited upper-class lineage. In her personal life, she is a household neighbor and a husband who served as the Inspector General of the Gendarmerie in Larland, balancing prestigious institutional recognition with deep-rooted community and marital ties.
• Nico – A petite, silver-haired maid from Strock Village now serving as a lady-in-waiting in Besanburg, she previously worked for Teressa. The granddaughter of a Kiridal merchant and cousin to the Marquis’s captive, she is Larry’s pregnant partner, confidante, and mother to their two-year-old daughter, Angelica. After surviving a Marc assassination attempt, she maintains a close bond with Larry.
• Bizan – The Viscount of the Bizan family name is the lord of a territory associated with a popular local fabric shop. He owns a castle built within the Danube River.
• Helbert – Lt. Col. Helbert Ougen‑Sigmund is a short, stout, middle‑aged Schweinitz strategist, Chief of Staff, and high-ranking Royal Army politician. As Robert’s stern father and the protagonist’s protective advisor, he manipulates Larland’s politics, moderates tribunals jovially, and exposed Marie’s slave status. He coordinates with Marshal Yan and seeks reinforcements from Sergei.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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