novelraw Chapter 86
Chapter 86
Episode 86
"Is that so? What's the Count's first name?"
"The name of the one who will dedicate his loyalty to Young Lady Flora is Xenophia. Xenophia Vittora. I hope you will call me as you wish, comfortably."
"Alright, Xenophia. From now on, Xenophia is my subordinate. Understood?"
"Yes, of course!"
Whether Flora was five years old or not, from now on, Xenophia would dedicate his loyalty to her.
To not be discarded by showing his usefulness, and to not disappoint the trust she placed in him.
"Then I'll give the first order."
"Yes, anything!"
She had already given all sorts of orders before, but this was the first order given after formally accepting him as a subordinate.
"Where did my Dad go?"
"……"
The enthusiastic reply abruptly stopped.
"I asked where he went."
"H, He just went out for a while."
Out?
Just because he went out, he doesn't come to see his daughter who woke up after a week?
He was by my side every time I was sick, but now that I'm awake, he doesn't even come to see me?
'Whatever it is, if I'm awake, he should come see me!'
Saying he might be worse than Benio, Flora's cheeks puffed up like balloons.
Then, seeing Xenophia awkwardly avoiding her gaze, she seemed to guess something and suddenly became gloomy. Then she muttered softly.
"……Or is it because he doesn't want to see Flora?"
"Gasp, that can't be!"
Having started frequenting the main castle and learning how sincere the Ducal House's people were toward Flora, he shook his head in shock.
"He has just stepped out for a short while!"
"Stepped out? Where?"
If it were just going out, Isaac wouldn't have tried to keep it a secret from her.
Seeing Flora's eyes shine sharply, Xenophia realized she wouldn't give up and spoke with a resigned expression.
And the answer that came back was quite shocking.
"Well, the truth is...... He has temporarily left his post for a territory war."
"……Don't tell me?"
"You understood right away. Yes, to the Strode Marquisate......"
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Dawn arrived when everyone was asleep, but perhaps because she had slept so much, sleep wouldn't come.
Flora fidgeted with the blanket for no reason and eventually sprang up from her spot.
"My Dad isn't going to die, right?"
Yes, saying she couldn't sleep because she had slept too much was an excuse.
She couldn't sleep because she was worried, hearing that no news of Atanas's return from the territory war had arrived yet.
Was she worried he might lose?
No way.
Flora knew better than anyone that Atanas was a strong person. He wasn't fighting monsters or demons, just a Marquisate; how could he possibly lose?
Flora was worried about one thing.
'There's no way our Dad could make such a cool and fierce decision.'
Simultaneously, images of Atanas flashed through Flora's mind.
The face contorted fiercely in sorrow, the drooping eyebrows making him look like he might cry, yet the unexpectedly bright smile he showed when facing Flora.
'Has the gentle bear changed, perhaps?'
She thought he would just imprison him, give a suitable punishment, and be done with it, but his handling of the matter was surprisingly competent.
She was sure his handling would be lacking, so she was going to send Janet to swiftly deal with it, but while it was fortunate it wasn't necessary, isn't there a saying that if a person changes suddenly, they die?
'Will he be alright?'
Flora was still young, no, even when Flora grew up, Atanas needed to live a long, healthy life.
'Until I conquer this world. No, even after conquering it, he needs to be by my side.'
Sighing heavily, Flora slightly raised her hand into the air.
Around Flora's wrist was a bracelet made of intertwined transparent glass beads, crafted to fit a child's size.
Inside the glass beads was a crystal made from the juice of the Shalias fruit.
〈The products to be released will be those containing crystals made from diluted juice. Of course, these will also be sold at an exorbitant price.〉
What do people in the Empire fear the most?
It's demons and monsters.
A means to protect oneself from beings that cannot be avoided by any other method has been created?
Since they made something no one else could, the price will be whatever they name.
"Hehehe."
Just then.
The sound of a window opening was heard, and Janet, in her sparrow form, entered the room.
"Hello, Janet."
Greeting her happily, but Janet, who was entering, stopped.
Her round eyes grew rounder, and then she flew fiercely as if to body-slam into Flora's embrace.
「You've finally woken up. You have no idea how, how scared I was.」
"Mmh, kids' bodies are just weak like that."
「You weren't like this before.」
"All kids are like that, aren't they?"
She didn't want to admit she was young, but that didn't mean Flora wasn't a child.
And right now, it was time to comfort the poor sparrow, no, Janet, who was trembling from the overwhelming worry.
"I won't be like this when I grow up."
「Really?」
"Mmh, I am a Lucifer, you know."
「I suppose. The Lucifers were all so sturdy......」
Janet nodded as if convinced.
"So wait until I grow up. More importantly, how have you been?"
「I've been running around a bit diligently for my Master's plans.」
Janet puffed out her small chest proudly, saying she had found all the evidence to prove Marquis Strode's crimes and delivered them to Xenophia.
"Well done, well done."
Promising to play with her all day when she found time later, Flora didn't hold back on praise and rewards.
「But I have a question, Master.」
"What is it?"
「Will this business truly succeed?」
"Huh?"
Janet put on a serious face and brought up a doubt she had been harboring.
「I agree that this business will be helpful because mercenaries are needed, but didn't the Deshimo side step in? It seems they would be more… than Lucifer……」
At the rather cautious words, Flora grinned.
"You think if it's the same business, the Deshimo side has better chances than Lucifer?"
「I'm ashamed to say, yes. That is what I think.」
Not just flattering blindly but harboring reasonable doubts and asking questions. Janet was indeed a desirable, loyal servant.
"Hehe, I went out in the middle of that night and even got this sick to prevent my business idea from being stolen; do you think I'd let it fail?"
「But......」
As if the Shalias fruit alone wasn't enough for complete understanding, the worry that flickered across Janet's face didn't disappear.
"If I were a mercenary, I'd choose Lucifer, not Deshimo."
「Why?」
"Because Lucifer is different from the others."
Saying he'd find out soon, Flora grinned.
As if responding to Flora's confident answer, it didn't take long for the business results to start showing.
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"Phew, I'm tired."
The wandering mercenary, who had just entered the Northern castle gates, wiped the sweat from his forehead.
The only things he, abandoned by his parents when he was young, received from them were an easy-to-remember name and a sturdy build that grew well even when hungry.
Thanks to that, his life, who chose the profession of mercenary to make a living, couldn't be called smooth by any stretch.
〈Where do you think you're trying to enter our shop with that filthy body?〉
〈What? You want me to rent you a room? Do you, of all people, have money for rent?〉
〈The mission is over, so why are you still here?〉
〈Kyaaah, it's a monster!〉
〈My parents said not to even associate with monsters! So let's throw stones at him!〉
〈The first one to hit him is "it"!〉
Even risking his life fighting monsters, being a mercenary was considered a vulgar job in society, a lowly profession looked down upon even by ignorant children.
As his wandering life, where he wasn't even treated properly as a human, reached twenty years, the thought of whether there was any meaning to this life wouldn't leave his head.
Since most people are busy despising him rather than welcoming him, is there any reason to live like this?
But he had lived his whole life only as a mercenary; how could he do anything else now?
It was around this time, when he was suffering from extreme burnout and frustration, that news arrived about a guild being created for mercenaries.
〈Are they the mercenaries belonging to the guild Lucifer created this time?〉