“I want to go too!”
“Millia, I’m sorry, but that seems impossible.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
“But I want to see the ball…”
Millia had quite a disappointed look on her face. However, it was not appropriate to take the two of them, who had no noble status, to a banquet attended by nobles and royals.
Even though it hurt my heart, I had no choice but to shake my head.
“The rule is that there can only be one partner, so it can’t be helped. Please understand.”
“Then I guess there’s nothing we can do…”
“Instead, I’ll take you on a tour of the capital, so cheer up. Otherwise… what about holding a simple garden party to commemorate getting a mansion?”
“A garden party?”
At my words, everyone’s gaze turned to my face.
They seemed puzzled at the mention of a party. I continued, patting Millia’s head.
“I thought it would be nice to have a modest party to celebrate summer vacation among ourselves. We can prepare it casually without worrying about others’ gazes and just enjoy it.”
“If that’s the case, that wouldn’t be bad. Since outsiders won’t come, it shouldn’t be dangerous.”
Renny, acting like a guard, brought up the difficulty of security and showed a positive opinion on my suggestion. I wondered how the others felt.
“Sounds fun. I think it would be great to hold a party as the uncle said.”
“Y-Yes…”
“I want to do it too!”
“But that’ll cost a lot, are you okay with that?”
Only Sif was worried about my wallet. I spoke to Sif, who looked at me with a concerned face.
“You know how much I earn, right? Throwing a party isn’t that big of a burden.”
“But we need to buy a mansion too.”
“Duke Ryan said he would help directly, so we should be able to find a decent mansion.”
Doesn’t Duke Ryan always try to scam me when he introduces a mansion under his name?
I’m confident in digging up land. If I want to live here, I better do it properly.
“So don’t worry too much.”
Unlike the outsiders, things should work out more or less as I intend.
I swallowed my lingering words.
——————-
“Ooh, it’s an honor to meet you, Sir Quartz!”
…Should I give an autograph? I looked at the middle-aged man gazing at me with teary-eyed admiration. He introduced himself as Lord Bolt, clutching my hand and refusing to let go.
He finally let go after I cleared my throat and bowed, apologizing.
“No need for that.”
“You can speak comfortably, Sir Quartz.”
That feels a bit awkward.
Anyway, we should hurry and go check the mansion.
“I heard that Lord Bolt manages the mansions in the capital—”
“Of course. I manage the mansions in the capital. I heard you’re looking for one here…”
“Is there a mansion in a relatively inconspicuous location? It doesn’t have to be in the city center, a mansion in the suburbs would be fine.”
“In that case, there are about three nice places.”
“Are they all within a distance that we can visit today?”
“Yes. It will be evening by the time you return, but it’s definitely possible.”
It might be tough to take everyone. Maybe just take two.
Even if I say this, Rue, who is effectively a fixture, seems to be the only one I’ll know if one of them is lying.
“Then I’ll bring my companions, and let’s set off right away.”
“Let’s do that.”
I immediately headed off to the stable at the corner of Duke Ryan’s mansion, bringing along Rue, who had been playing with Sif’s siblings, and Karina, who was drinking tea. There, a carriage with quite a luxurious design was waiting.
“Hoohoo, I’m getting an eye feast here. Riding in a carriage with such beautiful young ladies.”
“Hehe, you flatter us.”
“Flatter?”
Don’t tilt your head like that. Rue, who is still quite naive about the world, looked up at me with a silly face. Although the kids were teaching her various things, it seems she still struggles with smooth communication.
I spoke to the baron, who wore a puzzled expression, almost mumbling.
“As you can see, she’s an elf. She’s only recently come into the world, so she has a somewhat quirky side.”
“Haha, it’s natural for everyone to be stunned the first time they come to the capital. Now! Let’s go!”
We all boarded the carriage and settled in naturally, with both of them sitting beside me. The baron looked at me with a strange expression and said.
“Having flowers in both hands, truly a hero is different from the rest.”
“It just turned out this way.”
I wasn’t sure how to respond, so I just mumbled something vague in return. He continued, as if lost in thought about his past.
“When I was young, I was quite popular too. Back in my day, I was good-looking enough that I was called a young noble, and women lined up to dance with me.”
…Doesn’t quite seem believable coming from a man with such a prominent hooked nose. I guess it’s a storyteller’s instinct to want to brag a little.
“Dancing… Now that I think about it, I should learn how to dance.”
Honestly, I’m not confident in dancing. I should have at least tried it once.
“Sir Quartz is a great knight, so you’ll pick up dancing quickly.”
“Right. Johann will do well.”
“Dancing is just about matching steps and taking steps together, so you’ll improve quickly with the lady beside you.”
“Practice and performance are different, aren’t they?”
“Ah, I’m sure Sir Quartz will master it in no time. There’s a lady interested in Sir Quartz… Oops, I shouldn’t have said that. My apologies, Sir Quartz.”
“It’s fine.”
“Anyway, I look forward to your debut at the ball. Everyone will be interested in Sir Quartz.”
Interest.
Interest, huh.
Honestly, that doesn’t sound so appealing. I can’t even guess how many people are genuinely curious about me. At least half would probably approach me to pull me into their own circle.
I couldn’t threaten them in the banquet hall, of course.
“That’s not something I welcome.”
“But it’s human nature to want to speak with someone excellent at least once.”
The baron and I exchanged trivial talk as we waited for the carriage to reach the mansion. Karina occasionally chimed into the conversation, while Rue began to admire the beautiful streets outside the window.
After riding for about 30 minutes, when my rear started to hurt, the carriage came to a stop.
“Here’s the first mansion. It was once the residence of Count Curry.”
That’s quite a delicious-looking name. But is there actually curry here?
Anyway, I looked at the curry-colored roof, as named after the former owner, Count Curry.
Not bad, but from afar, it looks a bit like poop color.
If I buy this house, I’ll need to change the roof color. Why on earth did they paint the roof that color?
“The mansion is two stories, with the first floor consisting of a cafeteria, reception room, and lounge.”
“So the second floor is the living quarters.”
“Yes, that’s correct. And as you can see…”
Lord Bolt’s explanation seemed endless. From detailed internal structures to secret passages, even things that might seem questionable to reveal, he explained everything while wiping the sweat from his forehead.
“This mansion is about 5,000 gold coins. It’s the cheapest property in the area. As mentioned before, it’s quite small and the garden is also small.”
“Then let’s go see the next mansion.”
“Ah, sure. But… how about a meal first? It’s almost lunch, and you must be hungry.”
“Do you know a good restaurant?”
“Of course. Despite the looks, I go out to eat at a famous restaurant with my wife once a month.”
Seeing a smile on his face, it seems his relationship with his wife is good.
“Is there any food you dislike?”
“None.”
“None.”
“No! I mean none?”
“Then I’ll take you to my favorite restaurant.”
With our destination decided, we left the mansion and headed towards the carriage.
————
“The capital is truly amazing.”
“Haha, the capital is grand and magnificent in every way.”
Still, does a restaurant have to be this shiny? It feels more like a club than a cafeteria. Well, I suppose if I think of it as a restaurant with that kind of concept… but it’s still a restaurant.
I just can’t grasp the vibe at all.
“Well then, let’s go in.”
We quietly followed him inside the restaurant. The first floor seemed packed with people. In that case, we’d have to head up to the second floor. Guided by the staff, we climbed to the second floor and found a table.
“Wow… the view is great.”
“It’s perfect for a date.”
“It really is.”
I enjoyed the pleasant sensation of Karina’s fingers tickling my palm as I glanced at her for a moment. Normally, I would have leaned against Karina or kissed her lightly at this point, but with so many eyes around, I couldn’t.
Just then—
“…Johann?”
“Martina? Why are you here?”
“Martina?”
The sudden appearance of an unexpected person.
Karina and I stared at her in surprise. Martina looked back and forth between us, seemingly understanding the situation, and then smiled knowingly.
“Oh my… everyone, it’s been a while.”
My site has received a lot of DMCA notices, lol. From now on, I will update the MTL on https://darkmtl.com/.
The site is fast and lightweight because there are no ads yet. However, the theme is different from Cybor-TL, so take some time to familiarize yourself.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.