129 Pride and weakness
"Mr. Theodore. This is my younger brother Norman Broderick. Norman. This is Mr. Theodore Gartner. I am your Majesty's direct subject, and I am here to serve as the ambassador of another world."
“This is this.”
When Malcolm introduced them to each other, Norman approached with a smile on his face and his arms outstretched.
"My name is Norman Broderick. I belong to the Marquis Broderick family. Please get to know me from now on."
, he made a grand, theatrical bow.
“This is Theodor Gartner.”
“Speaking of Gartner… are you from the earl family?”
"Earl Henry is my father. I am not a legitimate child, but an illegitimate child."
After answering that, Norman's smile disappeared for a moment and his eyebrows moved. However, perhaps he remembered that I was a direct subject of the king, and he smiled again.
"I see. I actually came to the royal castle to deliver an invitation."
Norman invited a nearby man who seemed to be his servant, took an envelope from the servant, and handed it to me.
"Later, we will hold a banquet at the marquis's house. It would be an honor if Theodore-sama could attend as well."
Wow……. Malcolm really exceeded my expectations and it gives me a headache.
"...I will respond after seeing the invitation."
"Yes. We're planning a grand event, so please come."
I'll give you a safe answer. Are you going to invite me... Judging from this reaction, it seems like I haven't heard that the Marquis applied for a loan from me and was turned down. From Marquis Broderick's point of view, it may be natural for his son not to hear about being rejected by an illegitimate son of a lower noble family.
...According to my father who is exploring the marquis' territory, it seems that the territory is not very crowded. Farmland development is not going well, and mining remains sluggish.
Malcolm's expression clouded and he put his hand on his stomach. Also, I wonder if he has some damage to his stomach. It might have been a little better if either me or Malcolm weren't there.
"Oh, brother. You don't look good."
"...There's no problem. Just get some medicine that works well."
"Really"
Norman laughed at those words. I think the cause of this is probably Norman and the Marquis. Norman doesn't think it's a bad idea either, he has a faint smile on his face.
The smile Norman gives Malcolm is quite different from the friendly smile he gives me. He is happy that his brother is not feeling well. ...No, or I feel like it's a little different.
ah. Do you get it. The second son came all the way to deliver the invitation to the banquet...I wondered what it was for, but I guess it was just to say hello.
He is probably planning to announce at the banquet that he will hand over the headship of the family to Norman. It may be to show his face as the next head of the marquis' family, and in order to manage the number of small guests, the aim is to get as many big names as possible to attend by personally delivering the invitations. There may be some.
This attitude towards Malcolm must be due to a great deal of conviction. In exchange for surpassing his father's urgent needs, he ensured that he would inherit the headship of the family.
"...Still, it's rare to have a banquet at this time of year. Was it something auspicious?"
When I asked, Norman had a happy expression on his face.
"That's right. I would say it's the day of a new beginning for the Marquis family."
Norman says while looking sideways at Malcolm. A mocking smile on his lips.
As expected, it's something to do with the head of the family. And this suggestive lightness. In short...Norman can't help but want to be proud of his brother.
It seems like he was so ecstatic that he was able to get a firm promise from his father and let his guard down. He probably thinks he has won against his brother.
Let's explore this a bit. If it's a requisition, it's certainly better to act quickly.
I looked at Malcolm for a moment, then spoke to Norman.
"...I see. I can't believe Lord Norman will go to the royal castle and personally deliver the invitation. It's sure to be a grand occasion."
"That's enough. I'm sure Theodore-sama, who is His Majesty's direct subject, will be satisfied."
"I'm sorry to hear you raise me so high, but it's not that important for someone like me. It's a new position related to the labyrinth, so it's almost an honorary position."
In fact, he doesn't show up much in the royal palace, and he doesn't have much authority outside of his own protection.
If you humbly reveal this, I will implicitly state that even if you get along with him because he is your direct vassal, there will be no great reward, and that you will not be able to live up to his expectations.
"No, no. Isn't it a considerable accomplishment to be given a new position at such a young age?"
"What do you think? I'm happy to receive high praise, but lately I've been making things in the workshop and testing them in the labyrinth, so I don't really care how it's received in the royal palace." I don’t know.”
"Oh, that's what you meant. I thought you were young."
Norman nodded as if he understood.
It seems that the level of vigilance has decreased somewhat. Norman was in the countryside. He had only been in Terwills for a short time and was probably busy dealing with his father's affairs. Also, the actual circumstances of the otherworld ambassador and the demon slayer are kept hidden.
“Besides, it’s a good thing that the marquis family seems to have a good reputation.The marquis’s mansion is also known as a social gathering place.By the way, speaking of Broderick Marquis, it was famous for its mines. right"
"Eh? Ah, ah. That's right. This is the mine that our ancestors have been proud of."
For a moment, Norman's eyes flashed and he said something like that. This reaction. There's something there after all.
"I see. The marquis's mansion has been busy all winter, and I'm sure he's been making a lot of money."
"Ha, ha ha. That's right. Recently, farmland management has been on track. The future of the marquis family is secure."
said Norman. Malcolm's eyes widen at the flow of the conversation. He had intended to find out the reaction, but... he hadn't expected Norman to say something so obvious.
Really……. Norman is in front of Malcolm, so he can't show his weakness at this moment. Regardless of the actual situation, he had no choice but to pretend to be relaxed at this point, since he was proud of his victory even though the results had not yet been released.
Because the Marquis is also hiding his shame from Norman...Norman didn't expect that I would be suspicious of him for hosting a banquet from the beginning.
Again...what can I say?
Malcolm is somewhat knowledgeable about the circumstances of the marquis. He is not allowed to have anything to do with it right now, so he certainly doesn't know the current situation. However, he knows that the mine is in a slump. In front of his older brother, he has to claim that the marquis's family is doing well because they are doing well in cultivating farmland.
Otherwise...Malcolm himself might become suspicious and make a statement to his successor.
Of course, it goes without saying that if Norman didn't have any ulterior motives, this conversation would have been fine. It would have been fatal for him not to be able to hide his dismay.
"Oh, Theodore?"
--and. The person who appeared there was...King Melvin with his knight escort.
“This is Your Majesty.”
Malcolm and I bowed to our subjects, and Norman took the bow a moment later. Cold sweat forms on Norman's forehead. Where do I get all the free time I had before?
"Good. Take it easy. I was taking a walk in the garden for a change of pace, but I heard that Theodore was waiting at the guesthouse for a meeting. The weather was nice, so I decided to extend my trip a little."
King Melvin gives me a mischievous smile and looks at me.
ah. They had received a report that Norman was visiting the royal castle to deliver an invitation.
I guess King Melvin is also a bad person. It's possible that he was nearby and was listening to what was said. The timing of this appearance is just too good.
“Was that the son of Marquis Broderick?”
"No, my name is Norman Broderick."
"Hmm. I heard some of what you said earlier. Looks like farmland development is going well, right? It seems like the transition from mining is progressing smoothly, which makes me happy."
"...I-I'm just trying my best."
Norman said in a voice that sounded like he was inside out, but he completely lost his mind at King Melvin's next words.
"I guess so. By the way, I would like to give you an estimate of the future harvest. Would you mind if I send an official to inspect the Marquis of Broderick?"
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