Chapter 9: The Threat of Van

EVEN THE WELL-ORDERED TROOPS WERE WATCHING on with widened eyes and open mouths like a bunch of fools. Arte was the one to break the silence, confused as she might have been.

“What magical aptitude do you possess, Lord Van?”

Panamera snapped to her senses. “R-right. What was that just now? How could you do something like this? Just who exactly are you…?” She still seemed bewildered, but she’d mustered up enough willpower to calmly ask her questions.

I shrugged and gave a nonchalant smile. “Unfortunately, I have an aptitude for production magic. All I can do is make things.”

The viscount’s eyes widened even more as she looked back at my creation. “I don’t understand what’s ‘unfortunate’ about being able to make something like that. This power of yours is a threat. You could build an entire base in a month if you wanted to. The marquis must have realized as much, and he’s planning to use that power to storm Ferdinatto County…”

“Oh, actually, my father knows nothing about this power. As soon as he saw I couldn’t command one of the elements, he threw me out of the house.”

Panamera narrowed her eyes, clearly exasperated, then sighed. “How absurd. What an incredibly wasteful choice. With this power, the marquis could see overwhelming growth unheard of before now… But I suppose one wouldn’t think to use it so brazenly without understanding it first.” Brow furrowed, she murmured, “I cannot believe production magic mages held such possibilities. I never could have imagined it.”

I pointed back to the village. “Shall we return? We’ll continue the wall building tomorrow.”

She nodded, her expression complicated. “Fair enough. I would have loved to see you construct the wall, but I suppose it’s for the best.” Thank goodness.

I was glad the misunderstanding was cleared up…but she bombarded me with all sorts of questions on the way back to the manor.

“Did you build all of the houses by yourself? Even that wonderful drawbridge? Are there any other production magic mages here? What was that material you used? How strong is it?”

I gave a short answer to each question right up until we arrived back at the manor. We sat across from each other, and I was the first to speak.

“Now then, I hope you understand that I was not given this land as part of Lord Fertio’s master plan.”

Panamera brought a hand to her chin and let out a groan. “Indeed. I cannot wrap my head around it, but I understand now. I was told by Lord Ferdinatto to offer Lady Arte’s hand in marriage if that was why you were given the land, but…” Her gaze slid over to Arte.

Now I get it. If they really did deem me a threat, Panamera would’ve stepped in with her authority as viscount, offering me the count’s daughter to keep me from becoming their enemy.

Granted, this was one of the outcomes I’d anticipated, so I wasn’t particularly shocked.

“Well, it’s not uncommon for powerful monsters to appear in this land, so I plan on strengthening our village wall and developing this village even further. That said, I have no intention of going to war with anyone, nor do I want to. As long as you and yours understand that, I’m beyond satisfied,” I said, placing utmost emphasis on my words.

A deep wrinkle formed in Panamera’s brow. “It is clear to me that this village will continue to grow. If anything, I am fascinated by this place.” With a wolfish smile, she added, “And that includes you as well, Lord Van.”

After a moment, she continued, “On a personal level, I am quite attached to

Lady Arte, you see. When I heard the count planned on marrying her off, I was opposed. Especially since her potential partner might be our enemy. Moreover, her fiancé was to be a youngest son, placed in charge of a border land at such a young age. I thought it highly likely that you would be a talentless hack, forever trapping Lady Arte in a miserable life.”

“I get that. She would endure poor treatment from our people, or scrape by with no money and no supplies in the middle of nowhere, or eventually fall victim to bandits or monsters along with the rest of the village.”

I agreed with Panamera, rattling off additional tragic futures that could befall the good lady. Arte’s complexion worsened by the second.

When I thought about it, I realized that perhaps the reason Arte had looked so gloomy from the get-go was that she was already set to throw away her life. Maybe she was lamenting her cruel fate. In that sense, we were two birds of a feather. I understood where she was coming from.

As Arte blanched, I nodded for Panamera to go on.

The viscount crossed her arms and gave a jerk of her chin. “Precisely. I came here with every intention of using a variety of reasons to not wed her off—but my thoughts on the matter have changed. I would be all for her marrying you, Lord Van. I know you might be a bit younger, but you’re practically the perfect candidate. You have forethought unheard of in a child, patience, compassion for your people and workers… Even after being sent to such a miserable place, you had such a uniting power about you that people followed you here. You have the wisdom and force of will to flip the script on your own misfortune. Additionally, you have powers as a mage that no one had ever even considered.” A mischievous smile rose to her lips. “Were I closer in age, I might have offered my own hand.”

She was complimenting me like mad, and quite frankly, it was thrilling. In mere moments, my rating of her skyrocketed.

Miss Panamera, please praise me more!

I was so happy I could dance, but I schooled my expression into calm.

Panamera sized me up, looking elated, then shifted her focus to Arte. “What do you think, Lady Arte? I personally can’t imagine a better partner. All that’s left is for the both of you to agree.”

Arte gripped her skirt tightly with both hands. “I-I… I think Lord Van is a good person… B-but I still do not know him well…”

Her eyes brimmed with tears. Talking about marriage at the age of ten was probably a bit much.

I offered a pained smile. “I mean, there’s no need to rush, right? Plus, right now I don’t have the time to think about marriage.”

Though I kept my tone light, Panamera snorted. “You managed to develop your village this much in such a short amount of time. Your accomplishments are such that this place will draw a ton of attention based on rumors alone. When that happens, it will grow even further. If that’s the case, why not aim for greater heights?”

“And you think that would be possible if I marry Lady Arte?”

“Obviously. Based on what you told me, you’ve received no support from your family, correct? Were you to marry Lady Arte, you could count on Lord Ferdinatto providing you with support going forward. And most importantly, I would provide aid as well. I cannot say this publicly, but the likelihood of Lord Ferdinatto’s knights invading in the hopes of taking back the land would drop to zero.”

She raised both hands as if to say How about that for merits?

Something about this smelled fishy to me. The more she talked, the more I realized there were nothing but merits—which made it all seem like BS.

This was the ideal political marriage. I’d have fewer enemies and greater allies. If it resulted in financial gains, all the better. That being said, there was something that ate at me: What did Lord Ferdinatto have to gain from this deal? Certainly having a connection to me wouldn’t be enough. The count had only offered up his daughter under the impression that I had come here under my father’s orders. As things stood, there was no reason for us to be wed.

I cast a suspicious glance at Panamera, who grinned and let out a deep breath. “Looks like our positions have been flipped,” she said, elegantly leaning back in her seat. Her gaze told me she was testing me. “I plan on staying here tonight. Use this time to think long and hard about this proposal. If you wish to inquire further, you may speak to me or Lady Arte. In the end, I’m doing this because I want to, so you might not find anything all that interesting.”

“Say what? You’re crashing here?!” I blurted out, completely losing my cool. It was incredibly rude to speak this way to a viscount, but Panamera was the one at fault here.

“Bwa ha ha ha! I finally get to see your true face, Lord Van! And I must say, it makes a good impression, young man. You haven’t acted your age even once since our arrival!” She grinned, stroking her chin.

“So, will your soldiers also be staying?”

Her expression only made her seem invincible. “Depending on how things go, this could be enemy territory. Which would be ​terrifying for weak, little old me!

I would greatly appreciate it if you allowed my people to stay with me.”

“Weak, little old me,” my butt. I’m looking at a powerhouse American dream girl. Probably the toughest person I’ve met since I wound up in this world.

I snuffed out my complaints as Panamera turned to Arte with a kind smile. “What will you do, Lady Arte? If you wish to stay over, you could have Lord Van let you stay at his manor…”

“I-I couldn’t possibly sleep together with a man!” Who said anything of the sort?!

I played straight man to Arte in my heart of hearts. With ​marriage potentially on the table, it seemed as though she had prepared herself for matters of the bedroom as well. Given how red her ears were, it was clear that even in her ten-year-old mind she was visualizing something provocative.

Because her skin was so pale, her bright-red blush was plain as day.

“How unfortunate, Lord Van. It appears as though Lady Arte is still but a child,” the viscount said with a teasing grin. “I’ll have her stay with me this time around. Are there any rooms we can use in this manor?”

I let out a deep sigh. “Worry not. I’ll make a place for you to stay right away.” Panamera seemed to think I was joking, as she raised her voice and laughed. “…I did not think you were actually going to build us a place to stay.”

Panamera stared at the two-story building in front of us with a dumbfounded shrug of her shoulders.

“I wasn’t confident I’d have enough materials, so I’m sorry to say that the soldiers have four-person rooms. I’ve prepared private rooms for you and Lady Arte, though. Each has a personal restroom, but the other rooms share one.”

“This is far more than we could have asked for. We came here with the intention of having our soldiers camp outside, so they will be pleased.”

The soldiers entered the building as she ordered them to prepare for the rest of the evening. I made lockers for them to store their stuff, but I wasn’t sure they could fit their giant backpacks in there. Panamera and Arte went off to inspect their lodgings, and I saw them off with my arms crossed.

I hadn’t built each room to be especially large, so their lodgings didn’t actually take up that much room. But even then, I’d still ended up using a fair amount of the open space on the wall side of the village. Regardless of whether our population grew, I would have to continue developing the village walls. As I mulled over the subject, Till spoke up.

“Um, what will everyone be doing for dinner?”

“Right, dinner… For now, how about we serve them some monster meat?” Till pulled a face at that.

Soon after the apkallu moved in, monsters had appeared on the eastern side of the village. They were forest creatures known as scaled wolves that hunted in packs. At their biggest, they were something like three meters in size, and they had hard scales covering their heads, backs, and legs. Their claws and fangs could tear you apart in a flash. Since they moved in herds of a dozen or more, they were said to be extremely dangerous.

The herd of fifteen that had appeared at our village was on the smaller side, but for some reason, they were all three meters in size.

Needless to say, our local merchant lost his mind.

“Scaled wolf armor, scaled wolf shields, scaled wolf helmets!”

It took one full carcass to make a complete set of equipment for one person, so it was pretty expensive. I tried making a set myself, and Bell was tremendously pleased. He offered me thirty gold for it. However, he didn’t have the money anymore, so I let him take an IOU while the equipment stayed at the shop.

After the battle, there was plenty of scaled wolf meat to go around…and boy, was it delicious. I was certain both Panamera and Arte would be thrilled, but Till didn’t seem to agree.

“What’s wrong?”

Till took a step toward me, dead serious. “Lord Van, I personally would like to see you wed the lovely Lady Arte. Eating only monster meat with her as your first shared meal would be too sad!”

“Wait, you support our betrothal?”

She bobbed her head repeatedly. “Not only is she adorable, but she’s also very reserved, which means she won’t object to more fringe ideas. She’ll stand by you no matter what, I imagine.”

“‘Fringe ideas’…?”

“Yes. Plus, if someone kind were to become your wife, it would be much easier for me to stay by your side.”

“So this is about your work environment, huh? Well, I suppose that is important.”

Khamsin nodded. “I also think Lady Arte would be a good match. That said, I would prefer it if you married someone stronger…like Lady Panamera.”

Oooh, so Khamsin’s into powerful women, eh? Heh. I’ll have to keep that in mind when I find him a romantic partner.

Esparda was the next to speak. “Personally, I believe the viscount speaks the truth. Forgive my boldness, but from the count’s perspective, there is…little meaning in wedding you to his daughter. However, considering that he sent her out here with that as a possibility, I believe it’s safe to say that Lady Arte…does not have magical aptitude in one of the four elements.”

He was struggling to get the words out, which was unusual for him. I imagined he found it difficult to outright say that, much like me, she was probably doomed to exile.

I grimaced as Esparda cleared his throat and continued. “Simply put, it is fair to assume that Lady Panamera recognizes and acknowledges your power, Lord Van. As such, I believe her words to be true. Even so, we cannot ignore how things would change should you become engaged to Lady Arte.”

“If anyone from the count’s house or Lady Panamera visited, they would be able to enter the village unimpeded. Also, they will likely have many questions about the ballistae, fortress facilities, weapons, and equipment. Oh, and they’d form a connection with the apkallu, right?”

Esparda nodded. “You’ll also have to speak with your father. This is a marriage proposal coming from the count, who has had less than optimal relations with the marquis. In my opinion, the betrothal will likely fall apart, but there is still a chance.”

“Is that so? Ahh, you mean Father might be aiming for the count’s territory?

But wouldn’t that be impossible in this day and age?”

The Kingdom of Scuderia had spent decades expanding its domain, and neighboring nations feared and hated us. Our king, Dino En Tsora Bellrinet, positively loathed infighting.

Esparda shook his head. “There are many ways to take someone’s land from them: defeat in battle, forced poverty to make preservation difficult, sabotage that leads to demotion… All sorts of methods.”

I sighed, eyes narrowing. “Terrifying. Why does everyone have to obsess over getting more land?”

 

That night, I invited Panamera and Arte to the manor and gave them a warm welcome. I’d spoken to the viscount a great deal, but I’d yet to talk to Arte. During dinner, I made it a point to converse with her. I didn’t know if she had much fun, but she seemed to enjoy the meal quite a bit. When Till heard Arte’s praise for her cooking, she did a little fist pump in the back.

Afterward, I saw the pair back to their lodgings, with Till and Khamsin tagging along. Since we were moving within the village, Panamera’s bodyguards weren’t present.

Is this a sign that they trust me?

“It is safe and peaceful here, the meals are delicious, and there are plentiful foods and spices. Above all else, everyone here seems to acknowledge your leadership, Lord Van,” Panamera said while looking around the village.

Arte, on the other hand, must have been accustomed to it already; she was sneaking glances my way.

“Is that so?” I replied. “Well, we have Till to thank for the ​delicious meals— her culinary skills have given the local food ​culture a huge boost. The villagers have nothing but good things to say.”

Panamera smirked. “Oho. How humble of you. If it were me, I would boast loud and proud about my achievements. It would also serve as advertising to the outside world.”

“Well, the thing is that the materials for the wall and houses were all prepared by my people and the villagers. The only thing I did was modify them. Should our population grow beyond a thousand, I’ll make a list of the things I want to brag about.”

“Ha ha ha ha, I am looking forward to that! I shall see you tomorrow!” Panamera said, disappearing into the building.

For some reason, Arte stayed behind.

“Is something the matter, Lady Arte?”

She fidgeted, eyes downcast. “Th-thank you for today. I was very nervous, considering I might be engaged to you, but…um, I’m relieved you are such a kind person. I, erm, hope we can remain on good terms! Good night!”

Arte rushed out the last part, practically shouting, then scampered after Panamera.

“I guess things went well?” I said to myself with a tilt of my head. Having seen them off, I returned to the manor.

 

Arte

FROM THE START, I WAS NEVER BLESSED WITH ​opportunities to speak with my father, and I rarely saw my mother. The reason was simple: I was a failure.

Ever since I was little, I’d been a scaredy-cat, a picky eater, and a poor student. I had no real skills, but if I had to name one thing I was good at, it would be marionette magic. While I wasn’t an athlete or a good dancer, I had the peculiar ability to make puppets move beautifully. Despite the fact that I couldn’t perform myself, I wondered if I could use this skill to please Mother.

Day after day, I practiced my magic, hoping for a future in which Father and Mother praised me. I controlled a doll the same size as me and made it dance for Mother.

She was downright disgusted by it.

I remembered little of her ranting and raving. I just recalled her slapping my face, grabbing my hair, and dragging me out of the room and into the hall.

“You unruly child!” she’d spat. That line, at least, was seared in my memory.

I had no idea what I’d done to make her so angry, but given how small my world was, her scathing response was unforgettable. No matter what I did, it was never good enough. I lacked confidence, so I never spoke out of turn or did anything for myself.

Children apparently came into their magic talents at the age of eight, so I didn’t know much. Only one thing was for certain: the magic I’d thought would make things better was no good.

If anything, it was my magic that sealed my fate. From that day forward, Mother stopped looking at me. I hardly saw Father to begin with, but occasionally I would pass by Mother, and she would simply ignore me. It hurt beyond belief—and it was all my fault, not hers.

I held my breath and suffered in silence. Eventually, I became a ghost in our house. No one spoke to me, and I spent my days in solitude. Though no one lashed out at me, I would sit alone in my room and cry my eyes out.

Mother must’ve had high hopes for my magical aptitude. When I revealed that my talents lay elsewhere, I probably made her sad. In that case, I did something truly awful to her. She had given birth to me and expected things from me, yet I did nothing but disappoint her.

What an unruly child I am.

When those words surfaced in my mind, I sobbed. I was so, so sad. My heart bled.

Two months—or perhaps three or six—passed this way. I spent every day in tears, thinking my parents wanted nothing to do with me. Then, for the first time ever, Father summoned me. Me. I had no notable characteristics; my body was tiny, I wasn’t particularly smart, and I had no talents. So if I was being summoned, it was because I’d lost my place in our family.

I stood in the corner of Father’s massive office and waited. At length, he appeared, and it was the first time I’d come face-to-face with him in years. He had gained a little weight since then.

“I-It is a pleasure to see you again, Father…”

I did my best to greet him politely, gripping my skirt with trembling hands. I wondered what he must have thought of his daughter for failing to do something so simple. Terrified, I couldn’t bring myself to look at him directly.

But instead of reprimanding me, he addressed a woman who’d entered after me.

“This is the one,” he said.

“I see,” came the woman’s response. “Are you sure I’m the right person for the job? Considering who you’re dealing with, sending a summons would be a better idea.”

“Nonsense. Think of the time and place. If anything were to happen, losing this thing wouldn’t harm our house. You will do as I say.”

“Understood,” the woman said after a moment, sounding unhappy. “But depending on what he’s like, I might bring her back with me.”

She padded toward me, and I looked up. She appeared to be strong, but her eyes were gentle.

“Heya, Lady Arte On Ferdinatto. I am a viscount by the name of Panamera

Carrera Cayenne. I suppose you’ve heard about your engagement, yes?” “Um, I-I have not…” Unsure what else to say, I trailed off.

To my surprise, I didn’t anger the viscount at all. “Hrm… If the boy seems talented, he will be your fiancé. If he isn’t, I’ll turn down the offer myself, so fear not.”

“I have to leave…because I’m not needed?”

“You’ve got it wrong, my dear. All your siblings are already engaged, as you may already know. You are the only one without a partner. Let us hope this boy is a good match.”

Lady Panamera reached out and stroked my hair, a dashing grin tugging at her lips. I thought she was going to muss it up, but her touch was gentle. My nose stung, and I did my best to hold back the tears threatening to overflow. Wherever fate would take me, this was the first time in two years I’d met someone who saw me for myself.

 

The three weeks or so we spent traveling by carriage were the most fun I’d ever had in my life. Lady Panamera was always kicking up a fuss about one thing or another, but she was a kind person. She launched into a furious lecture anytime I called myself useless, but she always hugged me afterward. Again and again, she’d caress my hair and offer soothing words.

I surprised myself with how often I shed tears of joy. Lady Panamera never got upset over it; she just ran her fingers through my hair yet again. I truly loved her hands. They were kind, warm, and magical. I told her as much, and she snorted, saying that they were covered in scars and blisters.

By the time we arrived at the border village, I had no desire to get married off to some lord. I wanted to be with Lady Panamera forever. When I first met the boy who was to be my partner, I kept him at arm’s length. He must’ve felt the same as I did, given that he spent all his time speaking to my companion. Yet another person who never looked my way, but it didn’t bother me one bit. After all, I had Lady Panamera.

Thus, I observed the boy named Van as if he had nothing to do with me.

Lord Van was special, that much was clear. Lady Panamera did not conceal her wariness upon seeing the village, and after meeting Lord Van, her caution only grew. As someone who’d lived my whole life in a castle, I couldn’t understand it myself, but apparently this little lord had made the village strong and bountiful.

Deep down, I thought, That’s amazing.

He was the complete opposite of me. Though he’d only just met Lady Panamera, he held his own in their conversations, and he even had his own subordinates. Surely he could do anything. Surely he lived up to his parents’ expectations. He had abundant talent, skills, and confidence. I could feel a detestable envy eating away at me, and it hurt.

Why were we so different? Why was he so blessed?

Dark emotions threatened to consume me—and then the boy started laughing.

“The only ones who were permitted to join me were Khamsin—that boy there —and Till, my maid. I also received essentially zero financial assistance.”

My head snapped up. His words deeply confused me. He made it sound like he was unwelcome in his home, but that couldn’t have been the case. If he was treated the same way I was, there was no way he could be this bold. Yet he insisted he’d been chased out of his home.

I watched his profile as he gave a self-deprecating chuckle. He did appear to be telling the truth, and I found myself intrigued by this Van Nei Fertio.

After that, he showed us the incredible power of non-elemental magic.

Nobles had a strong, almost religious belief in the four elemental magics, so my aptitude was considered vulgar and low-class. That was why I hadn’t wielded my magic even once since Mother stopped looking my way.

If I had kept up with it, would I have become as skilled as Lord Van?

With such questions building up within me, I dined with him for the first time.

“Lady Arte, is the food to your liking? Once we start getting more supplies in, we’ll be able to make baked goods and snacks as well.”

“Ah, um, the meat, the salad, and the fruits a-are all delicious. I’m so surprised…”

I’d finally grown a bit more used to being around him, though my responses came in fits and starts. It was embarrassing, but oddly enough, Lord Van did not look down on me in contempt. Perhaps he was like Lady Panamera: a kind person. If that was the case, I wouldn’t have many more opportunities to meet someone like this. I decided to try my best.

“What sort of things do you like, Lady Arte?”

“Ah, I-I like cute things…”

“Ooh, wonderful. You mean like small animals?”

“D-dolls, pretty flowers… Um, I like animals if they d-don’t move too much…”

“Dolls, huh? I haven’t seen many of those! If it’s okay with you, would you show me some?”

His way of speaking was so adultlike that it caught me off guard, yet it seemed perfectly natural for him. If anything, he possessed a composure unlike any other. He was full of surprises.

“Y-yes, of course! I-I have them in the carriage! I could show you tomorrow…”

“Really? Thanks!”

He smiled kindly at me, and warmth bloomed in my chest. I was excited and happy; a mysterious feeling to be sure. Heart pounding, I watched him out of the corner of my eye—and that was when I noticed Lady Panamera grinning at me. Embarrassed, I averted my gaze.

Lord Van continued to strike up conversation with me, and I became at ease with our back-and-forths. In fact, I found myself wishing to speak to him more, but we ran out of time before I could initiate. Dinner had passed in the blink of an eye.

On our way back to the lodgings, I listened to Lord Van and Lady Panamera chitchat. Lord Van smiled and apologized for the improvised housing, although it was a wonderful manor in a style I was wholly unfamiliar with. Since he’d made rooms for our entire party, they were a bit small, but it was all aesthetically pleasing. I looked up at the building and jealousy swirled within me, but I shook my head free of it and let out a sigh.

At that moment, Lady Panamera stepped inside.

My eyes met Lord Van’s. I steeled my resolve, and this time I made the first move.

“Th-thank you for today. I was very nervous, considering I might be engaged to you, but…um, I’m relieved you are such a kind person. I, erm, hope we can remain on good terms! Good night!”

I sped through my words as I bid him good night, then fled the scene before he could respond.

Was that rude of me?! Lord Van might think I’m strange… Oh, I don’t even know where my room is. What am I to do?

My head swam as I wandered the hallway half in tears. Even the soldiers were shooting me puzzled looks. Fortunately, I found my way back to the room…only to walk in on Lady Panamera in her lingerie. Even though she was a woman, I found her extremely attractive. Men must’ve loved buxom figures like hers.

Lady Panamera chugged some kind of clear liquid out of a beautiful wooden cup, then turned to me. “Oho, you’ve finally arrived. So, did the two of you throw caution to the wind and cross the line together? If you’ve done the deed, let me know. You have my full support.”

“A-absolutely not!” I blurted out, borderline screeching. I clapped both my hands over my face.

She flashed me an impish grin. “The plan was to return tomorrow, but what do you say to staying a few more days? Obviously, we can’t keep staying here for free, so let’s give them enough gold to cover our party. Wait, no—we’ll run out of funds in three days. In that case, let us pay a hundred gold for the week,” Lady Panamera said gleefully, and I nodded.

When I saw Lord Van tomorrow, I would make it a point to start a conversation. He would most certainly listen. For the first time in ages, I was excited for another day to come.

I washed off in the bath, then climbed into bed. It was much more comfortable than I’d expected, and the soft blankets enveloped me in warmth.

 

Panamera

AS FAR AS CONDITIONS WENT, THEY WERE FINE. THEY were vague, certainly, but I left for the village after setting my own standards.

When the village first came into view, I was pleasantly surprised—the place had potential. It was a far cry from what I’d been told. Not only was it better defended than your average town, but the wall surrounding it was also brand new. I didn’t know what it was made from, but a marquis had all sorts of connections; he’d probably procured whatever he needed to beef up security. It was safe to say that this area would eventually become a fortified city or even a stronghold.

Fearing the marquis’s power, the count had opted to offer up his daughter to prevent war. We needed to confirm the betrothal and make it public as soon as possible. If nothing else, I hoped that we were dealing with the marquis’s youngest son, the one who had been doted on. As long as he and Arte got along, we could push the marriage through.

That said, I was against it from the start.

If the count was that wary of the marquis’s movements, the marquis surely had no reason for concern. In that case, he had no need to tie their families together, and would instead snatch away the count’s territory by force. If Arte got married in this situation, she’d have no ground to stand on.

The girl was ill-fated as it was, but in this case, she would experience living hell. That would leave a bad taste in my mouth. If Arte’s betrothal would have caused her family to flourish, then it would’ve meant something. But if things went the way I expected, her sacrifice would be meaningless.

“I don’t like this.”

Agitated, I griped aloud and gazed out at the sturdy village. If we were just going to butter up the marquis, I would rather go to war and accept the consequences. But at the end of the day, I had been recognized as a commander and given the chance to achieve great things. I had a debt to repay for that.

It is what it is.

I forced myself to think that as I passed through the front doors, looking to meet and observe the marquis’s son. When I finally came face-to-face with him, I found a relaxed boy with little ambition. Quite frankly, he was a letdown.

But the more I spoke to him, the less childlike he seemed. Not just in the way he spoke, but in his responses and his thoughtfulness. Then there was the fact that he said he received no aid from his family, as well as his miraculous production magic.

Fascinating. No one’s ever thought to use magic this way before.

This boy would truly become something in the future. He might even surpass his own father. In this warmongering world, foreign nations might even try to recruit him to their side.

I’d completely changed my mind after just half a day.

I had to make sure Arte and the boy became engaged. For her, he was the best possible partner. For him, his status would rise through his engagement to a count’s daughter—especially to those who weren’t privy to the details. The people around the boy would believe that the count saw him as someone with a bright future. Once that happened, rumors of his territory would spread, and people would gather here in droves.

As the one who’d made it all happen, I would gain a connection.

This is excellent.

A new wind was blowing. I would get the job done in three—no, two weeks. I watched Arte chat bashfully with Van, a smirk lifting the corners of my lips.