Chapter 121

The rough sparring suddenly came to an end in an instant.

Not satisfied, Pollux suddenly requested a conversation and revealed something to Harnier.

It was that Carsein was deteriorating.

Why did he urgently call for him alone?

And how was Carsein deteriorating?

Pollux seemed to have guessed this from their sparring.

He empathized.

Since Harnier also felt that Carsein was deteriorating.

Seeing Carsein drastically reduce sleep time and work so hard that even his hands wouldn’t stop made her uneasy.

So Harnier decided to lay everything bare to Pollux.

She thought they needed to take some measures.

Then Pollux said there was a unique way to fix deteriorating Carsein.

But…

“What does that even mean…”

She couldn’t hide her confusion.

It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Pollux.

Carsein wasn’t the only one; Pollux was also her trading partner and ally.

Even if not for that reason,

As someone more experienced in life, he often gave advice in various ways.

She had received much help from his advice before, so there was no room for doubt.

But this time, she simply couldn’t understand.

“…What does that mean?”

“If you’re around, it’ll be fine.”

She asked again just in case, but he affirmed it, repeating the same thing.

That if he was around, Carsein wouldn’t deteriorate further…

Thinking about what he meant, Harnier’s face immediately turned red. Then she shook her head vigorously, trying to shake off the thought.

“It’s just a normal request to be around him and check if he’s overworking!”

Yes, that must be it.

It’s nothing deep; just check if he’s overworking by being around and stop him when necessary.

“Yeah, that’s right. Pollux also mentioned that Carsein was overworking because of his body…”

There’s no need to think too deeply.

Check if he’s eating properly, sleeping well, and not working through the night.

Prevent his health from deteriorating as much as possible by keeping these things in mind.

After all, he’s a man whose worry is like a mountain.

If he’s hurt, he probably won’t say anything, and minor injuries would likely be ignored.

Didn’t such a thing happen yesterday?

Where his body got so cold due to rapid temperature drop.

If clothes weren’t taken off and body heat wasn’t transferred immediately, it could have been serious…

“Gah…! No, it’s not like that!”

Yes! Just make sure he’s not hurt! That’s enough!

Harnier took a deep breath, shaking her head violently.

Some inexplicable heat rose, which she managed to cool down with a fan.

But why were such intense memories so hard to forget?

“Ugh…! I have to forget. I have to forget…”

It took a while.

To erase that embarrassing memory.

***

-Ding!

-Episode III Cleared! Clearing the proof of being a Lord!

-Successfully concluded the deal with Marquis Aiferos, Pollux Tootlum!

-Achieved results beyond mere choices!

“…Seems it’s cleared.”

Though the sparring with Pollux ended abruptly, it seems it was recognized as cleared.

But, forcing a halt with bare hands filled with mana…

It was a subtle matter.

Carsein’s stats were significantly lower than Pollux’s, making victory impossible.

So, if he showed enough skill to clear the game’s conditions, it would end with appropriate dialogue, not abruptly.

“Well, it doesn’t matter.”

For now, focus on clearing the episode.

The result screen clearly shows the funds for Rusmaier are secured, so there shouldn’t be any problems.

But one thing.

A task needs to be done beforehand.

“I can’t go back to the Duke’s House right away, so I need to write up the documents.”

I’ll stay in Rusmaier territory to finish tunnel work and avoid the family.

When the Eastern Nobles’ Meeting approaches, the family will call for Carsein, creating the first hurdle.

Shatren Territory currently receives support from Claire.

This makes the residents’ lives difficult.

I’ve extended my reach to both Rusmaier and Marquis Aiferos.

Perfect timing for a bad ending.

First, with Arina.

“Carsein can’t handle this, why did you cause such trouble? If this happens, why did you cancel Claire’s support?”

Depending on affinity and choices, various issues arise at once, leading to a very frustrating situation.

Mistakenly, you might not attend the Eastern Nobles’ Meeting and face a bad ending.

To prevent this, I’m heading to perform a sub-episode.

“Hmm? Carsein, what’s going on?”

Pollux, who easily sensed my presence, turned and asked.

“If you’re here to talk about the deal, I’m selecting the people to take. Could you wait a little longer?”

“No problem. I want someone else.”

“…”

Pollux expressed his doubt.

I handed him a document.

“This is… a transaction statement between noble families?”

“Yes. Could you fill this out and send it to the Duke’s House?”

There are three points to avoid Arina’s dead flag.

One is the trading method between noble families.

I’m dealing directly with Marquis Aiferos, so I need to ensure this transaction is smooth and problem-free.

The first step is this transaction statement.

“But… aren’t you planning to stay in Rusmaier for a while?”

“Is Harnier telling you?”

“Yes. I heard from the Merchant Guild of Plesia. You don’t want to meet your family, so you’re staying in Rusmaier instead of the Duke’s House. But…”

“If you fill this out and send it to the Duke’s House, they’ll learn about Carsein and realize the deal has been made. Is that what you want to say?”

“…Yes.”

Pollux nodded.

I know.

This statement is essentially announcing to Arina that I’m here.

But if this statement reaches the Duke’s House, meeting Carsein will be with Claire, not Arina.

“Don’t worry. I have a plan.”

“Okay. Do that then.”

-Ding!

-Sub Episode Completed. Fulfilled the transaction statement.

-The transaction details between Carsein, Rusmaier, and Marquis Aiferos are delivered to the Duke’s House.

-You’ll have a conversation with one of the family members later.

Pollux silently filled out the transaction statement.

He asked his aide questions and suggested adjustments to me.

No problem.

Not hiding where I am is the second condition to avoid Arina’s dead flag.

“Hmm… While staying in Rusmaier, maybe you could help with the residents’ training.”

“It’s a clause to avoid suspicion. If it’s troublesome, you don’t have to do it.”

“No, it’s not troublesome. It’s just that receiving payment feels odd.”

Rubbing his chin, he brought a revised proposal.

“Let’s not receive payment. Instead, we can increase our sparring sessions.”

“With me?”

“Yes. Your swordsmanship is quite unique. It’s based on thorough calculation rather than intuition or instinct, making it highly practical.”

He emphasized that the Yarikin might find this interesting.

…Well, I’m fine with that.

The more we spar, the higher my stats rise.

Training in combat improves my skills, so there’s no hesitation.

Once the adjustments were done, Pollux rolled up the document and tied it with twine.

“That’s it. It won’t take long to deliver to the Duke’s House.”

“Thanks. I’ll send a notice to the residents too.”

“Thank you. It’s the urgent side that should be grateful. But… Carsein.”

Pollux hesitated unusually.

“I want to talk about something else. Is that okay?”

***

Pollux moved to another place for further discussion, and I assumed this scene would be skipped.

He sighed lightly, took a sip of water, and asked me.

“Before the Eastern Nobles’ Meeting, do you know that nobles get a break?”

“A break?”

“Oh… Seems you didn’t know. In simple terms, since the Imperial test is involved, they’re given time to adjust their physical and mental states.”

Starting from taking a break, including sleep and stress relief, each adjusts in their own way to achieve optimal condition.

This period is called the break before the Eastern Nobles’ Meeting.

“…That’s what it means.”

When he said “break,” I thought something was up, but it wasn’t completely unexpected.

In the Duke House of Bargrand, they planned to change the portrait in the Main Hall to show me.

So, Pollux’s question was about the next episode.

Thinking about it, my head already started to ache.

But I gained information.

There’s a break scheduled before and after the meeting.

Knowing this schedule ahead of time allowed me to prepare.

“They’re scheduled. Likely, there’s a family outing planned.”

“Really?”

Pollux sighed lightly when I mentioned the schedule.

And a heavy rebuke followed.

“You calculated distances precisely in the sparring. Even measured angles of friction through the sword path and read penetration radius and steps. But one thing, the sword felt rushed.”

“…”

“Take some time to relax. Otherwise…”

His last words were very significant.