There Are No Bad Young Ladies in the World

The Baron (2)

Talking to a drunk is a headache.

But it’s unavoidable. Living in the slums or wandering the streets near taverns, it’s common to encounter people staggering under the influence.

In fact, in the harsh reality of life, it’s not so strange to relieve one’s sorrows with a few drinks.

Therefore, Derek didn’t particularly have any aversion to dealing with drunks.

“This Linus… Ugh… Whew… I don’t make empty promises… I’ll repay you, Derek… Just one favor… Ugh…”

“It’s Derek, not Derek.”

“Oh, my, my. Look at me. Yes. Denin.”

“…”

Linus, who was so delighted to see Derek despite having never met him before, put his arm around Derek’s shoulder again and raised his beer mug.

Since Linus was thin and not very heavy, Derek didn’t mind much, but he wished this mysterious noble would get to the point.

“Derek.”

As Linus continued his drunken rambling and collapsed onto the bar table again, Jayden, who had been watching with a stern expression from behind the bar, quickly approached Derek and whispered quietly.

“He seems to be an unusual person.”

“Really? He just looks like a drunk to me.”

“He introduced himself as Linus, right? As far as I know, there’s only one person in the Ebelstein noble family who would use the name Linus.”

Jayden, who managed various clients, often memorized the members of families that gave large commissions.

If Jayden knew him, then he was indeed an unusual person.

—

—

“When you mention Linus, he is the eldest son who left the Belmiard family.”

“…What? The Belmiard family?”

Momentarily taken aback by the unexpected prominence, I couldn’t help but feel a bit flustered. However, recalling the family history of the Belmiard family, there were some subtle nuances.

Linus Rugel Belmiard, the eldest son of the Belmiard family, might have once been the heir to the prestigious Belmiard Count family, known for its grandeur. But now, he was infamous for abandoning all worldly authority and indulging in drinking, singing, and debauchery.

It was said that the only thing the perfect Belmiard Marquis lacked was good fortune with children.

Fortunately, Ellente had a sound mind. If it weren’t for her, the Belmiard family’s offspring would have been considered utterly disastrous.

The cause of such rumors was none other than the debauched Linus, sprawled on the bar table next to Derek.

Linus, who once had an intellectual and sharp appearance during his childhood heir education, now had his disheveled hair tied back, and without any thought of grooming his scruffy beard, he had become a loafer wandering around taverns.

His body exuded a mix of stale sweat and thick alcohol, and dirt was embedded under his broken nails.

Derek, tilting his head slightly as he observed him, eventually spoke to Jayden.

“I heard the eldest son of the Belmiard Count family left Ebelstein.”

However, the response didn’t come from Jayden.

“A man’s life is like a gust of wind, moving from here to there, and from there to here. Hic…”

“Did you hear everything?”

“I have sharp ears. Just by hearing the sound of cards being dealt, I can tell if there’s any trickery.”

“If I was rude, I apologize.”

“Rude? Our dear Denim is curious, so if you have more questions, ask away! Or was it Deril…? Ah, right, Derek. It was Derek.”

Speaking boisterously, he ordered another beer from the owner, then with half-closed eyes, he lightly patted Derek’s shoulder.

“Kahaha. What’s in a name? Once men clink glasses, they become companions for life!”

“What is the request you want to ask of me?”

“Well, it’s hard to say right now.”

“…?”

What on earth is this man trying to say?

As Derek looked at him in disbelief, Linus, with a face full of drunkenness, burped once more and continued speaking.

“Still, I have a sense of honor. If you fulfill my request, I won’t let you go empty-handed.”

“…”

“You seem doubtful. Well, it’s understandable. Who would trust a debauched loafer who even puts his drinks on credit to pay the commission? Don’t worry, I’ll pay you in advance.”

Linus, grinning slyly again, took another sip of beer.

With a loud exhale, he put down the cup and patted Derek’s shoulder again, acting as if they were close friends.

“If you pay in advance, I have no complaints. But I still need to hear the details of the request.”

—

“Of course, I’ll give it to you in advance… but the problem isn’t the money.”

“…What?”

Derek looked at Linus, wondering what strange thing he would say next.

Linus grinned, then waved his hand around his mouth, mimicking a talking motion.

“I’ll give you a horse.”

“…If it’s not money, I won’t accept it. I’m sorry.”

“No, there’s no need to dismiss it so quickly. You’re about to be awarded the baron title, right? I heard a letter asking for opinions on the matter has been sent to Belmire.”

Derek perked up at those words.

Derek’s current goal was to receive the baron title without any issues.

“If you’re trying to persuade me with that… well, I’m not sure.”

“Haha. I’m not a fool. The decision-making power in the Belmire family primarily lies with my sister, Elente. Our father, who has the final say, always respects Elente’s opinion… so there’s no room for me to intervene. The Belmire family will support your title.”

Elente would support Derek’s title. Therefore, it didn’t matter much to Derek what Linus thought.

Linus, knowing this well, placed his arm on the bar table and spoke.

“The real problem isn’t me, but that old man Veltus.”

“…Are you talking about Grand Duke Veltus?”

“Yes. That old man is so stubborn, he won’t be pleased with the appearance of a new noble in the neighboring territory. I’ll make sure he supports you.”

Linus laughed heartily, resting his chin on his fist.

“Derril… I mean, Derek, you may have connections with the Veltus family, but that girl is just a puppet and doesn’t have much say in the old man’s decisions.”

“…Even so, it seems unrealistic that you, Master Linus, could influence the Veltus family’s decisions.”

“Right. I can’t. But my best friend, Robenalt, is different.”

Robenalt. Derek racked his brain, trying to remember where he had heard that name. It was the name of the eldest son of the Veltus family.

Linus seemed to have a separate friendship with Robenalt. Although it was hard to believe him outright, Derek thought it best to listen to the end and adjusted his posture.

“Unlike my father, who doesn’t care about the eldest son if he doesn’t meet expectations, the old man Veltus has a rather old-fashioned view on the principle of primogeniture. He cherishes his eldest son so much that he hardly pays attention to his other children.”

“…It seems he places a lot of weight on the opinion of this eldest son, Robenalt.”

“Yes, whatever it is, the Veltus family intends to pass everything on to him.”

Linus mimicked a chattering motion with his hand near his mouth again, then took a hearty swig of his drink.

“I’m good at talking. I’ll make sure Robenalt supports you, so you just wait, receive the baron title, and dance with joy.”

“Is that what you mean by advance payment?”

“Yes. Once you become a baron without any issues, you’ll handle a task for me.”

Derek, resting his chin thoughtfully, looked at Linus again and spoke.

—

“Listening to you, it seems like the request is something so intricate that one must at least hold the rank of a baron to carry it out. If you need an influential person, don’t you know many others besides me?”

“Well… I won’t deny it. But looking at the situation, it seems like you, Deris, are the most suitable… *hiccup*…”

“It’s not Deris, it’s Derek.”

“Sorry, Deril. *hiccup, sigh*…”

“It’s not Deril, it’s Derek.”

“Sorry, Deren.”

“…”

Derek stared blankly at Linus with a hopeless look.

Linus chuckled awkwardly, then buried his head back into the bar table.

“Oh~ I’m getting drunk~. Ugh, sigh…”

“…What if I just take the title and ignore you? Why are you making such a proposal?”

“Then I would have made a bad bet. Isn’t that right?”

“…”

As he said, Linus wasn’t a fool either.

There was likely some certainty mixed in with the one-sidedly favorable proposal he made to Derek.

The certainty that Derek would grant Linus’s future requests.

And what was that request─

“Ellente will die if left alone.”

“…”

“Help him not to be pushed out of the successor position.”

Although Derek didn’t know the circumstances of the Belmiard family, this exiled eldest son anticipated that something would happen in the future.

Derek held his breath for a moment at those words.

Even though Linus was drunk, his expression hardened seriously when he talked about his younger brother Ellente.

*

“Did something like that happen in the north? I knew Derek had a bit of a reckless streak, but I didn’t think it was to that extent…”

The next morning.

In a corner of the garden at Aisellin’s mansion in the Ebelstein noble district, three people were sitting together.

One was Aisellin, the owner of the mansion, another was her younger sister Diela, and the third was Siern, who was not her biological sibling but still a sister.

“Yes. But Sir Melverot gave us a lot of cash. We won’t have to worry about the servants’ wages for a while.”

“That’s… a relief, but…”

—

—

From noble mtl dot com

Diela had a strangely subdued expression. Anyone who saw that expression would be surprised, as she always seemed to be straining to keep her face stern.

However, she didn’t try as hard in front of Aiselin. After all, Aiselin was her beloved older sister.

“I never expected Lady Siern to come along…”

“Haha…”

In Aiselin’s arms, awkwardly laughing, was Siern, the young lady of the Rochester family.

She had the appearance of a princess encased in cold ice, but her behavior was oddly wild, like that of a wild animal… She was sound asleep in Aiselin’s arms.

Diela and Siern.

The nobles of Ebelstein would be left speechless by these girls.

Both had the temperament of mad dogs that no one could handle, but in front of Derek or Aiselin, they became docile lambs.

Even the arrogant Lady Trisha would swallow dryly and step back when faced with Aiselin, who had both girls by her side.

“I should have slapped that arrogant Trisha a few more times…”

Thinking of Trisha still made Diela grind her teeth, but she took a deep breath to calm herself and sat back down at the tea table.

Seeing Diela fuming made Aiselin feel a strange sense of comfort, as if she had finally returned home.

“By the way, what were you doing there after the salon meeting was over? Lady Denise and Lady Ellente were also there…”

“Oh… Now that I think about it, I haven’t told you yet, Diela. There was some news I thought you should know since I visited the salon…”

“News? Aiselin, you’re not a messenger, why would you be running around to deliver news…”

Seeing Aiselin’s lighter steps made Diela’s heart ache.

When Duplain’s prestige was at its peak, everyone in the world came to the mansion to meet Aiselin.

Now, she had to run around just to deliver a piece of news… It pained Diela, but she decided not to show it.

So, Diela took a sip of her tea to calm herself.

“Derek is getting married.”

“Puuh-!”

Of course, the tea never made it down her throat.

In front of Aiselin, who had dropped the bombshell as naturally as flowing water, Diela, who had made a mess, took a deep breath and spoke again.

“Did I hear that wrong… I must have misheard…”

“Derek is getting married. I heard he’s starting a family with Pelinne, the mercenary archer from the Veldern Mercenary Corps…”

“What? Derek? Derek is seeing a woman? It’s hard to believe he’s even seeing someone… but marriage?”

“Y-yes.”

The Derek Diela knew was just a man obsessed with magic.

Of course, as a man, he might have the desire to meet a good partner and start a beautiful family, but she never expected him to make such a sudden decision.

—

—

In the first place, even though he was a commoner, wasn’t he someone who mingled a lot with the upper class?

Not just with Diela, but also with people like Aiselin, Ellente, and Dnis… He was someone who naturally met and lived with all sorts of noble ladies who were hard to even see once in the lower society. Naturally, his standards must have risen.

At that point, there was no way a mercenary woman from the slums would catch his eye. Thinking that way, there was a strange sense of relief.

Thinking about it up to this point, Diela herself felt a bit out of place. Relief? Why on earth would she feel relieved? Derek has his own life.

Nevertheless, she couldn’t help but be engulfed in a great shock that felt like her chest was being blown open.

“…”

It seemed like a bad joke, but Aiselin wasn’t the type to make such jokes.

Diela, holding an empty teacup with trembling hands, had no choice but to observe Aiselin’s expression.

Aiselin was awkwardly avoiding her gaze. It was as if she knew that Diela would be strangely shocked by this news.

However, Aiselin was also hesitant to reveal the whole truth.

The fact that Derek’s marriage was just a facade to receive a title… There was nothing she couldn’t tell a precious family member like Diela.

However, Derek had earnestly requested. The fewer people who knew that this marriage was just a sham contract, the better.

After all, it was a trick, and it wouldn’t be good to consider it so proudly.

Moreover, it goes without saying in the fast-spreading noble social circles. The fact about this contract marriage should only be known to the parties involved.

Aiselin’s deep loyalty was certainly something to be moved by, but because of that, it was a bolt from the blue for Diela.

‘D-Derek didn’t marry magic…?’

She tried to make such an absurd monologue, but now there was no way to undo his marriage.

Since it was something Aiselin had said, it was credible enough, but even so, Diela felt she had to see it with her own eyes.

– Creak

Diela stood up from her seat.

“…I-I’ll be going now. Aiselin sister.”

“D-Diela… Your expression doesn’t look good… Are you really okay?”

“Th-The mercenary’s name, what was it again? Fe-Feline?”

“…Why do you ask? Y-You’re not going to look for her, are you?”

When Aiselin asked with an uneasy expression, Diela shook her head without giving a big answer and left.

Seeing that, Aiselin also felt strangely uneasy and couldn’t help but break out in a cold sweat.

– zzz

Only Siern, who was comfortably asleep in Aiselin’s arms after a long time, was in a good situation.

*

– Swoosh!

—

—

– Thwack! Thwack!

– Screeeech!

The hard arrowhead pierced through the goblin’s eye.

The goblin, spewing blood and writhing in pain, eventually collapsed onto the grass and breathed its last.

– Step, step.

– Thwack!

A girl in light mercenary attire with a cloak was tying her platinum hair back.

She stepped on the goblin’s face, pulled out the arrow, and flicked the blood off the tip of her boots.

The area around her was filled with goblin corpses. The slender, petite girl had killed them all.

The sight was so surreal that anyone witnessing it for the first time would be left speechless.

“This side is roughly done. Finished a bit early, so maybe I’ll head to Veldern’s Tears for some mead~.”

Felinne, with a cheeky tone, twisted her shoulders and slung her bow back over her shoulder, stretching.

The task was easier than expected, and the sun was still high in the sky.

Lost in the warm meadow scenery, she eventually shook her head and quickly made her way towards the Ebelstein gate.

She was undeniably Derek’s wife.

Though her status was enough to give anyone goosebumps, at least she was well-paid. Thinking lightly of it, Felinne quickened her pace.

“♪♬♪”

At this point, there was no way to know.

What it meant to have the magic teacher, whom Duplain, Beltus, and Belmiard had fought over to bring as a companion… was something she wouldn’t understand until she experienced it.

To put it bluntly, the only thing left for her was trials.