kscans

Chapter 13 - Chapter 9. Part One, The Presentation

The angular fireplace was constructed from red brick. On the beige wall, which harmonized with the fireplace, hung a single painting of a winter meadow. A small, bronze-colored chandelier hung from the ceiling. The table was a thick, oval piece of wood.

Alfina and I sat on the same side of the table. We were both in our uniforms. I couldn't imagine how much attire befitting a grand ducal household would cost. I had no plans of ever returning, anyway.

I felt restless. I could tell that each component of the room was of high quality. However, I couldn't judge whether it met the standards of formality expected of a grand ducal house. And the atmosphere felt more sturdy and practical than luxurious, which I found surprisingly at odds with the fact that the lady of the house was a woman.

What I mean is, I couldn't tell whether I was being welcomed, even if only for show, or if I was already being intimidated, as if to say, a glorified storeroom like this is good enough for a peasant like you.

I stole a glance at Alfina. The maid who had served our tea left immediately, leaving the two of us alone in the room. She smiled sweetly at me as if asking what was wrong. She seemed the same as always, or perhaps even brighter than usual. Well, for a princess, this was a relative's home.

It occurred to me that the classic line, "Sir, may I have your daughter’s hand in marriage," is a kind of interview. In that case, the reply, "I have no reason to be called ‘father-in-law’ by you," would be a stress interview.

Wait a minute, she may be a guardian, but she's a woman. It would be more of a friendly, "Oh, so you’re my daughter’s boyfriend?" kind of thing... No, no, what am I thinking? That was far too absurd, even as a way to escape reality. I shook my head vigorously.

"Ricardo-kun?"

My classmate placed the cup she’d been drinking from on the table and tilted her head. Her grace was on another level from mine. Every single one of her movements fit naturally in this room. We really are from different worlds. And I don’t mean in the reincarnation sense.

"I have no idea how to behave around high nobility. I’m worried I might do something rude. Haha..."

Even as I said it, I felt strange complaining about it to a princess. I reached for my cup, but my hand stopped before it touched the handle. I had noticed the honey placed next to the saucer. I recognized its pale color all too well.

It's likely our company's product. Under normal circumstances, it would be a sign of welcome. But to me, it felt like a jab meant to say, I know all about you.

She was without a doubt a difficult opponent. She makes sure she’s perfectly prepared, then summons us without giving us any time to do the same. It's almost childishly cautious of her to not let her guard down against a harmless commoner.

"You don’t have to be so nervous. You’re a guest, Ricardo-kun. And my aunt is a very kind person, so you’ll be fine."

If you say so, Your Highness, then it must be true, at least for you.

Oh no, even my inner voice is using formal language.

As if to encourage me, Alfina placed her hand over mine. That kind of physical contact was unfair. Her presence here on her home turf had an even more comforting aura, and thanks to her, my heart began to calm...

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

Just then, the door opened. A noblewoman entered, accompanied by a handmaiden and a butler. Alfina quickly pulled her hand away.

The lady wore her magnificent blonde hair in a spiral bundle that cascaded down from her shoulder. If she were wearing a crown, I’d have believed anyone who told me she was a queen. She held up a hand to stop us as we started to rise, then strode across the room with large steps and sat on the opposite side. Her movements were less graceful and more brisk. I’d heard she was in her early thirties, but she looked no older than her mid-twenties.

So this was Eufilia, the Grand Duchess of Bertold. Alfina's aunt.

The formidable woman in the dress took a feathered fan from her handmaiden and opened it. Her aura was that of someone who was about to be executed during the French Revolution, but somehow managed to survive.

"Well then, thank you for coming. And thank you for your help with my niece the other day. I must express my gratitude."

"Not at all, Your Grace. It was the highest honor to be able to serve as the princess’s guide."

You're the one who pushed her on me. I brought her back safely before curfew, so there's nothing for me to feel guilty about, I mentally barked at her eyes, which didn't seem to be smiling at all. A cornered dog’s bark is at least respectable enough to be heard by its opponent.

"My niece has been a bit too sheltered. I was worried about her. She needs to experience a little youthful dalliance, you know."

The Grand Duchess covered her mouth with her fan as she spoke.

"Huh!?"

"Auntie!?"

I nearly knocked over the cup I had been reaching for. Alfina covered her mouth and quickly put her own cup down.

"Hm? Am I mistaken? For that quiet Alfina to use me as a pretext for a rendezvous... From the time she left in the morning until she returned in the evening, let's see..."

"Your Grace, surely you jest. I was completely occupied with my company’s work and gathering samples for the experiment I will be explaining today. Princess Alfina was helping me in the village the entire time."

"And what about in the carriage, on the way there and back? It was just the two of you inside, was it not?"

So there were guards watching from a distance after all. Well, I expected as much. If I remember correctly, important people carry something like a magical version of a personal safety alarm.

"In any case, for someone like me, simply being a classmate of Her Highness the Princess is more than I deserve."

"Hmph, the letter of introduction from that old eccentric says you're an insolent little brat who couldn't care less about social standing."

That old man. What happened to a foolproof letter of recommendation? I can't stand it when people play with my life for their own amusement.

"Besides, Alfina seemed so happy, telling me that you don’t treat her like a princess."

"Th-That is, the reason Ricardo-kun cooperated was, um, not because he felt obligated due to my status, but, well, because there was a verifiable hypothesis, and so..."

Alfina's cheeks flushed red. She was completely flustered.

"Princess Alfina sought knowledge in order to fulfill her duties as a holy maiden. It was simply a coincidence that Director Fulsy and I happened to possess that knowledge. Furthermore, that village is an important place for my company. As a small company that could be blown away by a single gust of wind, losing even one business partner is a serious matter."

I emphasized our mutual interests. I had no intention of feigning loyalty to the princess. There was no way I'd be believed if I said something like that. I would never trust someone who did.

And this was an interest that also involved this woman, the ruler of Bertold. I looked at the great noble with the eyes of a negotiator.

"Now, let us move on to the main topic. It was about a crisis threatening my domain, was it not? Alfina's prophecy. You say you've found evidence of a calamity from the west. A monster flood is a rather difficult story to believe on such short notice."

"I will now explain the process by which we reached that conclusion. I ask that you make your judgment after you have heard it, Your Grace."

"Of course. As if I would decide the fate of my domain, and by extension the kingdom, based on the words of a single boy."

The Grand Duchess's eyes narrowed, their gaze growing sharper. Was this the intimidating presence of a ruler? The sheer force of someone who bears the fate of thousands, tens of thousands, of people on a daily basis?

This was just my own sense of it, but a baron was like a village chief, a viscount a town mayor, a count a city mayor, and a marquis a prefectural governor. And the person sitting before me was a Grand Duchess. For someone like me, who had never even met the head of my own city back in Japan, she was an opponent beyond my imagination.

This was where the real test began.

"First, based on the images from Princess Alfina's prophecy, we considered the geographical conditions and local customs. As a result, we determined that the village in the prophecy was Leylia Village. Princess Alfina herself confirmed this point in particular."

Alfina nodded. I continued my explanation. Narrowing down the potential calamities, considering methods for verification, and then the experiment. I was conscious of the key points in my logical progression, laying out the evidence and conclusions. I tried to be concise, but explaining everything step by step took time.

I paused between points to gauge her reaction. But the Grand Duchess kept her expression hidden behind her feathered fan, giving nothing away. The only reaction was a slight twitch of her eyebrow when I presented the table of precipitation and harvest yields that Mia had organized.

This was difficult. It would be easier if she at least offered a counterargument. Though, with my presentation skills, I'd probably freeze up for a moment if she interrupted me.

"...from the pattern of the western mana vein we obtained, the hypothesis that a monster flood will occur this year has been verified."

I reached my conclusion. The Grand Duchess closed her fan. I braced myself for her rebuttal.

"What do you think of prophecies?"

The question that came was completely unexpected.

"To be blunt, do you believe in something like prophecies?"

"Auntie. I most certainly..."

"No, I did not believe in them."

"...Ricardo-kun."

I said it deliberately. I wasn't lying. That was precisely why I had poured all my effort into turning a prophecy into a prediction.

"Just so. To tell you the truth, we haven’t had an Oracle Princess capable of deciphering the prophecy crystal in three generations. Prophecies, you see, are created from rainfall data, just as you did. We distribute magical tools to various regions to record the amount of rain. Of course, our methods are not as precise as yours. Incidentally, this year's draft prophecy predicted an average harvest for both the east and the west."

"But Auntie, if a monster flood occurs in the east, wouldn't the prophecy be wrong?"

"According to the calculations I just heard, there is a difference, but it likely isn't that large. Who would complain if an average harvest turns into a slightly bountiful one?"

The Grand Duchess candidly exposed the inner workings of the state. It was clear from how Alfina was treated that the prophecies were regarded as a farce. I was actually impressed they had a system for it at all.

"However, a ‘monster flood’ is unfortunately highly likely to occur. This is a prediction that Director Fulsy, Mia, I, and Princess Alfina created, starting with Princess Alfina’s prophecy. Please judge not whether a calamity will occur in the west, but whether a monster flood will occur in the west."

I said, reframing the issue.

"Regardless of Alfina's prophecy, there are signs of a monster flood emerging from the western mountains. As a noble of the kingdom, as a lord with territory in the west, what will you do? That's what you want to say, isn't it? I see. You truly are an insolent little brat."

I nodded. The Grand Duchess placed the tip of her fan under her chin and fell silent.

"...What is the expected damage?"

"The estimate is calculated based on the era before monster exterminations were conducted in the east. Even a small-scale flood would see an area dozens of galji out from the red forests swallowed by a horde of monsters. A conservative estimate puts the number of villages in that territory, including Leylia, at twenty. While Bertold, protected by its walls, may be safe, the surrounding villages will not escape unscathed. If that happens, of course..."

The most important thing in any negotiation is the interests of the other party. Not the interests of the whole. That’s because the other party is fundamentally a representative of a fraction of the whole. Even if your counterpart is the top leader, that doesn't change.

And even in the rare case that the other party is one of those few exceptions, this approach still works. They will simply extrapolate your point to apply to the whole on their own.

"You need not say more. In the first place, a city will simply perish if its surrounding food supply disappears."

In this world, where transportation takes time and effort, it was different from Japan, where food could be shipped from across the ocean. Even a short distance could mean starvation, even if other regions had a bountiful harvest. The reason this rarely happened in the kingdom was not just because harvests were large, but because they were stable.

Of course, it was my conviction that merchants exist precisely for when that stability collapses. ...It's a bit late to be wondering this, but why am I so directly involved?

"Then, there is something else I wish to ask."

The Grand Duchess placed her fan on the desk. She began asking about the required scale of the knight order, the types of monsters that might appear, and so on. I answered based on the knowledge I had received from Fulsy beforehand.

"...I see. I understand what you're trying to say."

The Grand Duchess picked up the fan she had placed on the desk. The sound of two people swallowing echoed across the table.

"Very well. I will share this conclusion. And of course, I will move to have the kingdom share it as well."

"Thank you." "Thank you, Auntie."

Alfina cried out in joy. I, too, bowed my head sincerely. It was a genuine relief.

"Yes, Alfina, you did well. It was my own failure not to listen to your words."

With an air of approval, the Grand Duchess fanned herself and spoke with satisfaction.

"Not at all. Besides, this was only possible because Ricardo-kun took the lead."

"That’s not true. It was Princess Alfina who sought to fulfill her duty without regard for her own position. And Director Fulsy who established the theory for predicting monster floods..."

As if to warn me against my complacency, my self-preservation alarm suddenly started blaring.

"That's right. That is the remaining problem, isn't it?"

The sound of the fan snapping shut cut off my words. The great noble deliberately tapped the tip of the fan to her brow and shook her head.

"I understand your story. But how can a commoner boy of fifteen or so create the explanation you just gave? Now that is a story I cannot understand."