Otome Game Mob Villain

Chapter 634

Baldia, in the newly established office at the new mansion.

In a heavy atmosphere, I am sitting on the sofa across the desk from my father.

Behind me, Capella and Tink are standing respectfully, but Dynias is not present here.

He has been tasked with liaising with Amon and the other nobles as needed during my absence from the Fox Clan territory.

When I was first brought to this room upon arriving at the new mansion, I expected to be scolded fiercely.

However, my father remained calm and simply said, "Now, report," and is now listening to my story while nodding along.

"...That concludes the report on the tribal chief meeting held in the royal capital of Bestia. And this is the letter entrusted to me by the Beast King Sekmetos."

"Hmm..."

Taking the envelope I offered, my father carefully extracted its contents and began reading with a stern expression.

Silence fell over the room, and the air grew tense.

Since the letter from Sekmetos was addressed to my father, I am unaware of its contents.

However, I can make a rough guess.

'That I and members of the Baldia Knights will participate in the preliminary  matches before the main  one in the Beast King Tournament.'

'That in the preliminary battle, I and Johan will face off, and if I win, Baldia will secure favorable trade terms. On the other hand, if Johan wins, a political marriage will be arranged in the future between the Baldia family and the current Beast King.'

'That the Baldia family is invited as guests to the Beast King Tournament to be held in two months.'

Considering Sekmetos's statements at the tribal chief meeting, these points should be included.

My father's gaze moves from the right to the left end of the letter.

As I watch with bated breath, after a while, my father sighs and places the letter on the desk.

"It seems to be as you reported. Another troublesome matter has arisen."

"Father. May I also take a look?"

"Ah, go ahead."

"Excuse me."

Taking the letter from the desk, I begin to read its contents.

The letter is written in bold, powerful calligraphy.

Surprisingly, it is a formal and respectful text, reminiscent of Sekmetos's measured demeanor.

The content was mostly as expected, but I couldn't help but frown at the final part of the letter.

Though phrased politely and indirectly, it essentially states, 'In the event of Johan's victory, please ensure that Emperor Irwin and Empress Matilda are informed in advance about the future political marriage. Depending on the outcome, it could significantly impact the trust between our two families and nations.'

Saying 'inform Their Majesties' is easy, but the Baldia family is merely a noble house within the Empire.

Although, as a border count, we have extensive territorial management, a large knight organization, and discretionary authority in emergencies due to our border with other nations, granting us more authority than typical nobles.

However, this does not mean we are in a position to strongly assert ourselves with the imperial family.

Even if we could inform Their Majesties and gain their approval, the issue of how to communicate this to the Empire's nobles would arise.

It would undoubtedly fuel the factional strife between the conservatives and the reformists.

Having just stirred up the public with the recent battle at the Narrow Fortress, it is unavoidable that the Baldia family will once again become the center of attention.

And in this case, it's 'negative attention.'

As I sigh, my father starts with a look of exasperation.

"Even within the Empire, your lineage is already being targeted, and it's giving me a headache. And now, you've caught the eye of another significant figure."

"Huh? What do you mean my lineage is being targeted?"

Tilting my head in confusion, my father sighs again.

"As a result of continuously turning down marriage proposals for you, some have shifted their focus to the 'future.' There are increasing numbers in the imperial capital approaching under the pretext of 'looking ahead a decade or so.' They aim to establish ties with our family now, hoping for a favorable outcome in the future."

"Is that so? I wasn't aware."

Even now, I receive several marriage proposals every month, which I continue to decline.

I thought the number of letters had decreased recently, assuming they had finally given up.

It's the first I've heard of nobles approaching my father with such pretexts.

The imperial nobles are either excessively power-hungry or remarkably business-savvy, it's quite astonishing.

No, at this point, it might even be worthy of shock.

"They won't come as far as Baldia. But documents arrive daily at the mansion in the imperial capital. The cost of forwarding them here is surprisingly not insignificant."

Saying this, my father glances at a bundle of envelopes placed on the desk in the back of the room.

Even at a glance, there are dozens of letters tied together.

Since Baldia and the imperial capital are quite a distance apart, the cost of forwarding letters is quite high.

The butler Carlo checks the letters and packages arriving at the Baldia mansion in the imperial capital, but those addressed to my father from imperial nobles or foreign dignitaries are forwarded to Baldia.

Since my father is often in Baldia fulfilling his duties as a border count, this is a natural process, but I hadn't anticipated this outcome.

"Perhaps we should establish a bi-monthly regular service of horse-drawn carriages and coal cars between Baldia and the imperial capital. There are also goods from the Christie Trading Company, and the road between the imperial capital and Baldia has been completed."

"That idea is worth considering, but we'll discuss it another time. For now, the matter of the Beast King Tournament is more pressing."

Changing the subject, my father's eyes sharpen.

"You understand, don't you, that a proposal and invitation directly from the Beast King, as a national representative, exceeds our family's decision-making authority. I will soon go to the imperial capital to inform His Majesty of the situation, but depending on the circumstances, I may also need to visit Renarute."

"Renarute, it's going to come to that, isn't it?"

As I ask for confirmation, my father immediately replies in a thorny voice, "Of course."

"It's a long way off, but if it involves Fara's child, the bloodline of the Renarute royal family will also be involved. Even if it's a temporary arrangement, being drawn into a political marriage with another country is a serious matter. We must lay the groundwork to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings or conflicts."

The Empire has a secret pact with Renarute as a vassal state, which led to my political marriage with Fara.

If a secret order comes from the Emperor regarding this matter, Renarute would not be able to refuse.

However, that is merely theoretical.

Even with the secret pact, using a child of royal blood as a tool for political marriage would undoubtedly cause Renarute to distrust the Empire and Baldia.

If that happens, the trust we've built with Renarute over the years could crumble.

At worst, the trade agreement with Renarute could be nullified.

If the agreement is nullified, obtaining the raw materials for mana recovery potions and mana depletion research would become difficult.

Mother's treatment, friendship with Renarute, our standing in the Empire, victory at the Narrow Fortress.

Having overcome various challenges, if I lose to Johan in the match, everything Baldia has built could collapse in an instant.

"...One trouble after another."

As I ponder this, I inadvertently speak out.

Then, my father's eyebrow twitches.

"What are you saying? In your case, it's more like 'digging your own grave' or 'a moth flying into the flame.'"

"Wha...?! Isn't that a bit harsh?"

Puffing out my cheeks, my father lets out a deep sigh.

"It's just like you. Didn't you make a grand show in front of Sekmetos and the tribal chiefs to avoid being underestimated?"

"Well... maybe a little. But in return, the tribal chiefs responded positively to our proposal. A bit of grandstanding was unavoidable, I think."

Being pointed out, I feel a bit embarrassed, but in a negotiation, being underestimated would lead to being taken advantage of.

In that case, it's better to make a grand show to avoid being underestimated.

"...I've told you before, do you remember the saying, 'A skilled hawk hides its claws'?"

"I remember. But that's necessary when 'hunting prey.' When you need to intimidate the opponent, it's also important to show your claws in advance."

"Who do you take after, with that quick tongue? But, you know..."

My father shrugs his shoulders and glares seriously.

"You are still considered a child by general standards. Yet, you were called to the tribal chief meeting. Doesn't that alone demonstrate your capabilities?"

"Uh..."

Now that he mentions it, although the Fox Clan chief, Asteca, teased me, the other tribal chiefs didn't particularly mock me.

At most, the Monkey Clan chief, Jeti, and the Rabbit Clan chief, Vene, spoke to me in a light tone.

"Sekmetos likely called you to the tribal chief meeting to show his support. However, your proposal and speech exceeded Sekmetos's expectations. That's why she might have thought, 'I want this person for our country.'"

"Th-that can't be. There are plenty of talented children my age. Like Amon, Kiel, Belzelia from the Jeanpaul Marquis family, David from the Kelvin family. Not to mention Fara and Mel, Marone, and Valeri from the Eraseni"

There are also others like Crown Prince David and Duke Latiga of the Erasenize family.

It’s not like I’m the only exceptionally talented one.

"Right? Capella, Tink."

I glance back at them standing by the wall, but the two exchange looks and shake their heads in unison.

"Lord Rid, the individuals you mentioned are indeed talented. However, whether they can fully utilize that talent is another matter. If I had to say, Lord Amon might be the closest."

"Capella is right. In Lord Rid’s case, you’ve already demonstrated abilities that have earned you the reputation of a 'maverick prodigy.' It’s hard to compare you to the others you mentioned. Lord Amon is indeed close, but only in terms of practical skills. When it comes to unconventional planning and creativity, no one surpasses Lord Rid."

"Huh…?"

I’m bewildered by the response, which is completely different from what I expected. Then, I hear my father’s exasperated voice, "See, I told you."

"You’re already a formidable 'hawk' without having to prove yourself to Sekhmetos and the tribal chiefs. Overestimating yourself is dangerous, but underestimating yourself is equally perilous. You need to reflect on yourself a bit more."

"Y-yes, I understand. I’ll be more careful from now on."

Wait, was I really held in such high regard?

I’m stunned by the realization that I might have overdone it, and I lower my head in dismay. Then, my father’s hand gently pats my head.

"Well, just make sure to use this experience well next time. Given that the opponent was the Beast King, even if I had been there, the outcome wouldn’t have been any different."

"…Thank you."

Tears well up in my eyes at his kind words, and I bow slightly. My father smiles warmly, his eyes narrowing.

"Don’t worry about it. More importantly, we have a lot of work ahead of us."

"W-what is it?"

I gulp at the serious atmosphere, and my father grins fearlessly.

"It’s obvious. We have to tell Nanari and Fara about this."

"Ah…"

And so, the report ended, but my father and I continued our discussion in the office for a while longer.

Of course, the topic was how to break the news to Fara and my mother.

T/n Thanks for reading . as Of now it's the last avilaible raw chapter for that series