Chapter: 319
After chasing out the embarrassing memories of my aunt from my nephew’s brain, I was finally able to think rationally.
‘Why Cheness?’
Well, it’s more accurate to say that I could rationally deny the reality, but you get the point.
Anyway, it’s all quite baffling. Regardless of how embarrassing the Wise Duke might be, it’s not exactly normal for the school trip destination to be Cheness Duchy instead of Boyar Duchy. You could say it’s stranger to go to the same place for a school trip two years in a row, but let’s not forget that it was the Crown Prince’s idea to initiate the school trip in the first place.
The trigger for the school trip was bringing academy students to promote a resort built in his territory. Would that money-obsessed noble really give up such a grand promotional opportunity just like that? Not a chance. Was he being generous because it’s a duke? Please, the Crown Prince doesn’t hesitate to clash even with the Imperial Family when money’s involved.
‘Maybe it’s a different duchy…’
Especially since Cheness has quite a reputation as a tourist destination. If the Crown Prince were to yield the school trip location to Cheness, he’d be boosting the competitor’s standing. Whether it’s the Crown Prince or any other noble, there’s no reason to give way here.
“That’s unexpected. It seems the resort’s fully booked this year.”
As I muttered out loud in confusion, Margherita, who was still reading through papers, let out an exclamation.
“You’re right, Carl.”
“Yeah?”
“The resort we stayed at last year has been designated an official Imperial tourist spot.”
With that remark, all my suspicions instantly evaporated. It’s nearly been ten years since a new Imperial tourist site was added. So now, not only is the resort packed, but nearby accommodations will be bursting at the seams too. Honestly, no need to call in academy students when things are already at capacity.
‘…An official tourist site.’
It’s a bit odd that such a system exists in this day and age, but this worldview has gone way past the point of questioning that.
If the Crown Prince received the designation of an official tourist site without pushing for the school trip, then going to Cheness means obeying the Imperial will. Now, I’ve got to figure out what the Imperial intent is rather than just focusing on the Crown Prince’s motives.
“We’ve hit the jackpot. It’s remarkable how an official tourist spot has opened in Boyar, already famous for tourism. It’ll be bustling for the next few years.”
“Right, it should be. Good thing we got to see it last year.”
But as I shared a smile with Margherita, I pushed those thoughts aside.
Questioning the will of the Imperial Family is a great way to make your life a mess. Things are already tangled enough; digging deeper might just make it worse.
‘Let it be.’
Additionally, I wasn’t completely without concerns.
“I’m especially worried about the guests. They might not be familiar with life in the Empire and could end up lost.”
At a dinner hosted by the Emperor during the New Year’s ceremony, he casually brought up this concern.
The Emperor is suspecting that the three academy students from that other country might be spies. In that context, sending students twice to one of the duchies central to commerce, shipping, and navy—Boyar—would be quite troublesome. If they have to send someone, I imagine he’d rather send them somewhere else.
It’s unfortunate to see someone aged and unhealthy worrying over trivial matters, but I couldn’t find the courage to defend the subjects of his suspicion in front of him.
To be honest, it’s a mistake for royal family members to attend an academy in a different country. The Emperor isn’t at fault here.
Just a few days later, the fact that this year’s school trip is to Cheness became common knowledge. Nothing to hide, so it made sense.
“Cheness is to the west, right? It’ll be my first time going there!”
Louise was thrilled at the prospect of a new travel destination.
“Oh, Cheness…”
Then there’s Erich, who looked dazed at the thought of heading to Cheness where the Wise Duke resides.
Unfortunately, Erich is one of the unlucky souls that’s been tormented by the Wise Duke. No, scratch that—he’s been tormented even worse than I have. With my position as the current Executive Manager providing a shield, I can minimize contact with the Wise Duke, while Erich has to face him directly without any protection.
“I take it you can’t skip out, can you?”
“Looking to see if the communication system’s on during the trip wouldn’t hurt.”
If he doesn’t show up, the Wise Duke is going to want to see Erich’s face 24/7—it’s not even a joke, just an unfortunate truth.
If the Wise Duke finds out one of his nephews is missing, he’ll probably start shouting in despair and pull out that communicator right away. It sounds crazy, but honestly, he’s the kind of weirdo who would do that. Don’t underestimate a drunkard who even the Emperor has given up on.
“Why’s that? Isn’t Cheness full of nice tourist spots? Do you have bad memories or something?”
“There’s a certain not-so-great memory I have involving the lord there.”
Seeing Erich’s response made Lather raise an eyebrow, confused.
“The Wise Duke is our aunt. Erich kinda resembles our uncle a bit too much, so he got a little… overindulged by the Wise Duke.”
“Oh.”
When I elaborated, it seemed like Lather got it, nodding in understanding. I can tell he caught on to the fact that ‘sweetness’ brings back some peculiar memories, but I kept quiet for Erich’s sake.
Right, nobody needs to hear about how little Erich got showered with kisses by the Wise Duke back when he was just a kid. He was crying and causing a huge scene then…
“Oh, I didn’t know you were related to the dukes. That’s impressive!”
Meanwhile, Rutis exclaimed in surprise. He might be a royal himself, but it just looks like harmless teasing to anyone else. Yet considering his character, he might genuinely mean it. Honestly, not many nobles in the Empire know that Erich and I are related to the Wise Duke. I can only imagine how clueless the foreigners must be.
‘Talk about crossing a bridge.’
Between the Wise Duke and the Krasius family, there’s the Aras family acting as a bridge of sorts. Even with just one bridge in between, it can get confusing—our uncle, being the son-in-law, adopted the Wise Duke’s surname, while our mother switched hers to Krasius. If you don’t look closely, it can be tough to make out the connections.
Of course, any high-ranking nobles or officials that deal with me regularly have to know about it, but…
“I’ve never publicly mentioned being a nephew.”
“Ha-ha, that’s pretty classy—leaning on family prestige is kinda tacky!”
“…Yeah, thanks…”
While Rutis laughed heartily, Erich appeared to mumble, slightly bitter.
I understand why Erich kept his relationship to the Wise Duke under wraps.
‘Auntie would definitely be a source of shame.’
If I feel this way as a reincarnated person, it’s gotta be even worse for the real family member. Being known as the Wise Duke’s relative carries a weight that makes you wary—especially when you’re out drinking.
Thankfully, it seemed that Sara, having sensed Erich’s discomfort, cautiously came over to pat him. Seeing this, Rutis moved away with a satisfied expression.
‘That kid…’
Whenever I see him being sharp about other people’s romantic expressions, it’s like a mix of frustration and sympathy washing over me. If another relationship blossoms for him, I hope it goes just as well as it did now.
“Hey, Oppa.”
“Yeah?”
While wishing for Rutis’s luck in love, Louise chimed in shyly.
“Do you know what’s famous in Cheness? We don’t have pamphlets this year.”
“Oh, the pamphlets.”
It was such an obvious question that I nodded instinctively.
Last year, a certain duke was so money-driven that they had pamphlets made—originally, there shouldn’t have been any. Who would print pamphlets just because the academy is going there on a trip? The Crown Prince’s crazy, is what.
“What do I know? Cheness is somewhat of a tourist spot too, after all.”
Besides, whether in Boyar or Cheness, there are plenty of places you can visit without needing pamphlets.
“First off, it’s famous for its agricultural zones.”
Cheness Duchy holds the title of the continent’s best agricultural land, where you can see fields stretching far beyond the horizon. Rumor has it if there’s a bad harvest in Cheness, the entire continent would face famine. The scale is just something else. I might not know about the whole continent, but the Empire relies heavily on Cheness for its food production.
“There’s also an airship docked on the coast—”
Not to mention that eyesore of an airborne vessel (well, it used to be one). Apparently, one of the emperors during the Apels reign went nuts over romanticism and created an airborne fleet. Of course, since romance is just another word for inefficiency, those ships slowly disappeared for maintenance reasons, and the last remaining one crashed during the war with Kefellofen after running out of fuel. What an idiot.
The only reason they still even keep it is that it symbolizes the height of inefficiency and the ugliness of Apels.
“There’s also a region dedicated to protecting other races.”
Finally, there’s a zone that protects various lesser-known races, which, during Apels’ reign, almost went extinct. It’s the only place their legacy continues, and it’s a symbolic ground where the Emperor of Kefellofen can proudly claim to be their ally.
…Talking about it, isn’t the vibe more administrative than touristic? I guess you can’t help but see things through a civil servant’s lens.
Still, as I mentioned this somewhat bureaucratic lineup, I noticed Louise’s eyes sparkling with interest.
“Really? A protection zone for other races?”
“Yep. Elves, dwarves, mermaids, beast folks… All kinds of races are there.”
Thanks to that, you’ve got mermaids in the sea, elves in the nearby forest, and dwarves in the mountains. If you look closely, you might even spot a dragon—truly a dreamlike place resembling a fantasy novel. If only the Wise Duke could muster enough to train an army of 100,000 knights, it could be the perfect duchy for that visual.
Anyway, it seemed my description piqued Louise’s curiosity, so she was listening attentively when she suddenly turned her gaze to someone else.
‘Oh.’
Following her gaze, I noticed Marcilio quietly twitching his ears. It seems the curiosity isn’t just limited to the student, but the teacher too.
For Marcilio, meeting these other races could indeed be a rare chance, especially since he hasn’t met another of his kind since his mother.
‘He probably hasn’t had the chance yet.’
Before he became a duke, his mother was alive, so there was no need for him to seek out others of his race, and after he took her place, he was too busy with work to have the time.
‘…I have to make sure he gets to go.’
As I thought about it, I felt a lump in my throat. It’s truly tragic for an elf to spend their entire life unfamiliar with their own kind.
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