Chapter: 770
A guest arrived from the empire.
“Allow me to introduce Count Tailglehen, Your Grace. I am Friedrich Delmion, affiliated with the Ministry of War, Section 3.”
And here comes a guest with the same name as our second son.
“Friedrich, huh?”
“Yes, Your Grace. It’s an honor to share a name with your child.”
As I murmured the guest’s name without realizing it, he bowed his head, perhaps aware that he shared a name with my son.
I tried not to show my excitement, but it was hard to hide my joy. Regardless of age and appearance, there’s something about meeting someone with the same name that draws attention—especially when it’s the same as my son’s.
“That’s a splendid name. I doubt I’ll ever forget it.”
“Thank you, Your Grace!”
Rizie seemed to share the same sentiment, greeting him with a bright smile.
Yes, it is a good name. Friedrich is a splendid name that my entire family, including Rizie and I, put our heads together to create. The fact that someone else is using it only proves how good it really is. Names that no one else uses usually have a reason for that.
“Now, please take a seat. You’ve surely had a long journey from afar.”
“Thank you, Your Grace.”
I invited the guest—Friedrich Prototype—to sit.
Even though he traveled from the empire to Balkros with the help of teleportation, he wouldn’t have come without my request. It was right to treat him especially well as a key figure.
“By the way, you’ve arrived quicker than I expected. I thought it would take longer for a bureaucrat to cross borders.”
“Fortunately, they actively cooperated in Balkros. Being a cultural powerhouse, they’re quite generous when it comes to literary activities.”
“Indeed. Their name really does hold weight.”
I nodded at Friedrich’s words.
I was puzzled about how a current staff official was able to arrive so quickly, but it seemed that Balkros loosens its borders for cultural matters.
“Moreover, since I crossed the border alone, there was no need for heightened security. I’m really proud that I can use magic during such times.”
As Friedrich said this, he chuckled a little and handed me a rather large bag.
“This contains the materials related to the large-scale hunting war and the northern expedition that Your Grace requested. I’ve excluded any confidential information, but it contains not only front-line situations but also the supply statuses in the rear and the central meeting processes. So it’s certainly not a small amount.”
“It certainly looks that way. I’m just glad it all fits into one bag.”
“It holds even more than it appears, thanks to the magical device.”
“Oh dear.”
If he borrowed the power of magic, the actual capacity could be four to five times greater than it appeared. I was worried that Alren’s last spark of creativity would get swallowed up just reading the materials.
“Also, if there’s any information not included in the documents you’re curious about, the Vice Captain mentioned you should feel free to reach out. He said he finds this experience quite interesting.”
“If he ever writes his autobiography, he’ll be creating a whole fortress of a book. Does he really need to be interested in the biography of a much younger junior?”
“Surely, an autobiography should be done personally, right? He must be too busy with work to have time for it.”
“That’s a fair point.”
That was quite a persuasive comment, causing an involuntary chuckle to escape my lips.
It makes sense. For a father-in-law who’s practically retired and lazing around, it might be understandable, but for a Vice Captain in the imperial army to write an autobiography, he’d need to grow a second body to manage it all.
“I should ask him to write about his own story as well.”
“I’m sure the Vice Captain would be pleased with the Count’s consideration.”
For a moment, I pondered whether I should share profits with the Vice Captain but quickly dismissed the thought. Would a Duke like him really covet earnings from a child’s innocent biography?
He’d likely want his name to shine in a nostalgic narrative, similar to how a fan would love to see a movie adaptation of his favorite book without demanding a fee.
“Well then, I’ll be taking my leave.”
“Huh? Already?”
“There’s nothing more inconsiderate than interrupting a honeymoon! Since I’ve conveyed everything I needed to, I wish you both a pleasant journey!”
He then stood up, but I was quicker than Friedrich, placing my hand on his shoulder.
“You came all this way at my request, so it wouldn’t be right to let you leave empty-handed. I’m sure you have a lot to do back home, so while I can’t keep you for long, let’s at least have a meal together.”
“No, Your Grace. How can I take away from your time—”
“We can’t just send off someone who came for us without feeding them. It doesn’t sit well with our hearts.”
With Rizie’s support, Friedrich’s eyes darted nervously from side to side.
I completely understood his feelings. Enjoying a foreign business trip likely felt like a chore given the work waiting back home, and even if he stayed in Balkros, dealing with a minister and his wife could be overwhelming. So yes, it’d be easier to quickly finish the errands and go home.
But as Rizie mentioned, it truly is unkind to let someone who’s come to see us leave without even a meal. It felt as if I were an unreasonable customer demanding service from a public servant for personal matters.
And while it might feel burdensome now, sharing a meal with me would be an asset for the Friedrich Prototype. He was someone who shared a name with my second son, so I was inclined to offer this small gift.
“…Thank you both for your kindness. If it’s not too much trouble, I’d be happy to accept a meal.”
“Good thinking.”
After a short silence, I nodded satisfactorily as I watched Friedrich bow his head.
Friedrich Prototype from the Ministry of War—just as I was pleased to see his name, I hope he also finds something good comes from sharing a meal with me.
*
Indeed, the love between a spring-like young lady and a sharp nobleman was both fascinating and thrilling.
“I actually had a sister who passed away from illness when I was young. I received all the love that was meant for her, so she couldn’t receive timely treatment.”
“Oh dear. You must have been heartbroken at such a young age.”
“I think from that day on, I grew afraid of love. Rather than loving someone, I felt a greater need to treat everyone equally.”
While I shot her a sympathetic gaze at her words, my hand instinctively wrote down her story.
The young lady had a warm and cozy atmosphere, as though she stepped out of a novel. Yet, beneath her charm lay a tragic story that felt like it belonged in a book.
As a person, it was heartbreaking, but as a writer, I was almost in awe. A young lady who feared love and distanced herself from it—how intriguing it was to see how a young and handsome nobleman opened her heart.
“You too, Oppa… have lost someone precious.”
Even that nobleman shared similar pain as the lady.
My hands, which had been moving quickly, now trembled slightly. I was feeling—no, I was witnessing a perfect material for my writing for the first time.
“I can’t imagine your pain, but I’m glad you both found someone to love.”
Of course, setting my racing heart aside, I continuously offered words of comfort.
A writer’s interest shouldn’t surpass human kindness. No matter how perfect the material may be, I shouldn’t rejoice in someone else’s tragedy. I must remember to keep my humanity in check while being a writer.
“I never expected to have a relationship like this with you, Oppa. It seems like a miracle for us to be at the academy together, doesn’t it?”
“That’s true. With a four-year difference, even if you had chosen a bureaucratic path, you shouldn’t have crossed paths until now.”
In reality, I too found this puzzling. If the Count had chosen the academy, the lady would have likely graduated prior to her entry. Yet choosing the path of a bureaucrat allowed him to meet her. Options that seemed unrelated ended up being the stepping stones for their meeting.
It’s a conviction that fate is inevitable. No matter what choices are made, some connections are destined to happen.
“Speaking of which, where’s the Count right now? I think I’ll be overwhelmed just by listening to your stories for a while.”
As I was whirling my pen, I felt a hint of discomfort and opened my mouth at last.
“Oh, Oppa went to see Alren. Alren wants to write a novel about us, just like Rodesa.”
“That old man? The one who’s been grumbling about needing to retire now that his head is getting stiff?”
“He said he wanted to burn his final spark of creativity on the continent’s greatest swordsman.”
“Aha.”
It was a natural explanation that made me nod without hesitation.
That old man truly should have been a knight if he’d been born in Ainter. If he’d been even a tad healthier, he’d likely have chosen the path of a knight here in Balkros.
With someone like that, it’s no wonder he would be enthralled upon encountering the continent’s greatest sword.
“Wow, Your Grace must be really busy. You’re overwhelmed with love stories with me and tales of heroes with that old man.”
“It’s okay! You know, Oppa seemed to take pleasure in it too. Our story might even be read by children someday.”
“Oh my, if you put it that way, I have no choice but to work a bit harder!”
Both the young lady and I burst into laughter.
The story I write becomes an eternal memory for some lovers, some couples, to carry on through generations. What a joyful and honorable feeling it is as a writer.
*
When Count Tailglehen arrived with stacks of materials, it felt as if I was soaring in the sky.
Though he mentioned the documents excluded sensitive information, the truth was, as a mere commoner, I’d never get a chance to even see ordinary materials. Yet here I was, gifted these precious documents—what joy I felt!
“Since there’s an abundance of materials starting from the large-scale hunting war, let’s briefly cover the events before the war. Does that sound okay?”
“Of course! Speak freely!”
On top of that, he offered to share snippets of his early life that weren’t even included in the documents—stories only family would know.
At such moments, I cursed my aging body. One more misstep, and I might have caused a heart attack from excitement.
“The Krasius family had a tradition of raising children with strict upbringing. My grandfather taught my father so, a tradition that’s much too strong for my father’s overflowing affection for his children.”
The way the Count began summarily speaking caught my attention, and I quickly grabbed my pen.
“Given that, if I were to ask whether your childhood was happy, even saying so would be hard.”
Hearing him describe the hero’s struggles made my hands tremble with anticipation.
“Even if a nobleman, he’s still human. A child who craves his parents’ love is swinging a sword; if he finds happiness, that’d be even stranger.”
Yet, despite my excitement, there was a bitter smile hanging on the Count’s lips.
It seemed I would need to adjust the amount of reveal considering this was for the Count and the Krasius family.
‘A father overflowing with affection for his children.’
No matter how sad the past may be, his words suggested that he had seemingly overcome those wounds.
The family’s sorrow had been surmounted, but I couldn’t rip those old wounds open again simply for my satisfaction. After all, it was more vital to focus on the wars rather than the childhood—
“Then at one point, I fell from my horse. That moment, I truly thought I was dying.”
“Oh.”
Such content was not something to just skim over.
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