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Interlude: Meanwhile... 

At the same time in Beltrum, but further east past where Rio and the others were, there was a small post town along the road towards the Galarc Kingdom. It had a small resident population of around 200 people and was surrounded by mountains. The road ran through the valley and made it extremely difficult to go around. There were no alternative routes to this road, making it fairly populated. 

The Ricca Guild also used this route for transportation, and the town was always filled with three times the number of travelers than residents—many of them adventurers. 

Many pubs and inns lined the sides of the single main street stretched through the town. Several pubs had regular adventurers which gradually turned into adventurer cliques within each pub, building upon their own influence. 

“Ah, that hits the spot! There’s nothing like beer after a long day of work! Hey, everyone! It’s my treat today. Drink up!” 

“There’s nothing but cheap beer, though!” 

“What are you saying? It’s the cheap stuff that’s good!” 

“It’d be even better if there was a hot chick to go with it. There’re only your ugly mugs around here.” 

“No doubt!” 

In a pub where most veteran adventurers gathered, hearty laughter could be heard from an early hour. 

“Huh?” 

The door to the pub creaked open slowly, attracting the gazes of the adventurers in the pub. A man near his thirties entered, his appearance like an adventurer—it was Arein, visiting the post town on Reiss’ orders. He wore a cloaked hood and leather armor, sword hanging at his waist. 

“That’s an unfamiliar face.” A large built man with a mean look—the one who had been offering everyone drinks—muttered to himself. It wasn’t strange at all to see new adventurers in town, but this pub was considered the territory of the veteran adventurers here. Adventurers like them lived in a narrow-minded society where their strength was their livelihood, so they had primitive values of the strong being superior. And so, when a newbie adventurer entered their territory— 

“The hell do you want?” 

There was no warm welcome to be received. Being drunk and feeling generous, the veteran adventurer first used intimidation to feel out for a reaction. If the other man responded modestly, he’d assert his dominance a bit before finding out why he was here. 

The most common response was an unfortunate lack of awareness about the pub. The next most common were suck-ups who wanted to greet the local adventurers. Finally, there were the rare idiots who came to pick fights on purpose. Most people fit into these three categories, and those who visited unaware usually turned tail immediately to avoid confrontation. However— 

“Barkeep—a meat dish and beer, please.” 

Arein boldly made his way to the counter and put in an order. In an instant, the gazes of the men in the pub grew menacing, but Arein didn’t even blink as he indifferently slid into a counter seat. He carefully counted out the cost with a tip and placed three large bronze on the counter. 

“Right.” The store owner nodded with a sigh, sensing trouble on the horizon. As long as money was offered, the man was a customer. He began to prepare the ordered items, when— 

“...” 

The large man that had been ordering drinks stood up silently and approached Arein from behind. The other adventurers followed him, watching on in amusement. They helped themselves to seats in the chairs surrounding Arein. 

“Hey, newbie. You sure got guts, ordering without greeting us first. What’s your deal?” The large man started talking with a sneering grin, winding an arm around Arein’s shoulder. 

“Oh, I just heard this pub was filled with skilled and hearty adventurers,” Arein replied confidently. 

The large man narrowed his eyes. “Hmm... And what business do you have?” he asked. 

“Nothing much. I’m in search of some criminals with a bounty on their heads.” Arein took out a sheet of paper. There was no face or name mentioned, but the details of a wanted notice were written down. 

“F-Five hundred gold?!” 

The expressions in the men’s eyes changed at the size of the bounty figure. Of course it would—that much money could buy all the booze and women they wanted. They could live extravagantly without working for the next ten years. 

“Hey, was this wanted notice posted in town?!” The large adventurer completely sobered up, looking around at the others for more information. 

“Was it?” 

“Dunno.” 

Not a single person was aware of the wanted notice. If they had, they wouldn’t be drinking here at such an hour anyway. 

“Of course you wouldn’t know. It was only posted from Cleia yesterday. It won’t reach a countryside town like this for some time,” Arein said smugly. 

“H-Hey, hold on a minute. You said it was posted from Cleia yesterday? Cleia, the capital of that Count Claire’s domain, right? That’s a week’s trip on foot. Why would you have such a thing?” the large man asked in suspicion. 

“Ah, I’m an adventurer working for a big noble, you see. I’ve been lent a griffin for transport purposes,” Arein answered nonchalantly. 

“Ah...” 

None of the adventurers present had ever rode a griffin before, so they had no idea how fast they could move—but it certainly sounded reasonable for a griffin to fly here in one day. They must have been shaken by the large sum that was suddenly presented, as they fell silent without questioning the circumstances. 

“This notice says they’re wanted dead or alive, but my lord wants to apprehend the criminals alive. Apparently, he has some matters to settle with one of the wanted, which is why I was hired as a gofer...” Arein added, looking around at the adventurers. “It’s obviously a far too difficult task for me alone. I’ve set my eye on several likely points the criminals may pass through and am procuring local personnel to help out. So, how about it? I have to head towards the cities in the north after this, but would you like to keep watch in this post town for the criminals? If you take on my request, I can make a little advance payment...” 

He placed a small bag stuffed with large silver coins on the counter. 

“...Large silvers, huh?” 

The large man glanced at the sparkling silver peeking out of the bag. Its impact was weakened after seeing the bounty of 500 gold coins, but it was still a large amount to these men. Though it was merely pocket change to Arein... 

“The job is to check if the criminals pass this town. They’ll be on guard too, so don’t expect them to admit to anything. There’s no need to explain the situation, and no need to pursue them too far. Just inform me if you think they pass by. I’ll return in several days and pay you a bonus if you spot them.” 

“Hmm...” 

Despite that, the adventurers didn’t nod immediately. They were calculating their losses and gains. 

“By the way, I’m rather short on time. Please—make a decision immediately. If you refuse, I’ll head to the next town and ask there instead. If you take the job, I’ll hand you this notice,” Arein said, folding the notice neatly. Naturally, there was no other copy of that notice in the town. 

“Tch, you’re a real smooth talker. Fine. We’ll take it.” Despite clicking his tongue lightly, the large man accepted the job in high spirits. Such an easy and profitable job rarely came knocking. 

“I’m glad we could come to an agreement,” Arein said, smiling contentedly. 

 

Sakata Hiroaki, the hero of the Galarc Kingdom, was staying in a guest room of the royal castle in Galtuuk. He sat on a luxurious sofa as he was waited upon by Roanna and Flora on either side and Duke Gustav Huguenot across from him. 

“You must be fatigued from attending successive days of gatherings to strengthen our friendship with the Galarc royalty and nobility,” Duke Huguenot said, bowing his head deeply. Most of those gatherings had been dinner parties or tea parties that functioned simultaneously as potential marriage interviews. 

“It was nothing—I was the one being treated the entire time. There were breaks in between, too, so I had fun doing it. I’m in my best condition, if anything,” Hiroaki replied with a shrug. 

“That is most wonderful to hear.” Duke Huguenot smiled. 

“Hmph. I know you, and you wouldn’t come all the way here just to check up on my health. What do you want?” Hiroaki snorted in good humor. 

Duke Huguenot laughed in response to Hiroaki for a while, before putting on a serious expression. “Hahaha, it seems I am no match for your sharp observations... Then if I may ask so abruptly, do you have any plans of settling down?” 

“Settle down... You want me to get married?” 

“Indeed.” 


“Marriage, huh? In the world I was from, I’d be considered far too young to get married,” Hiroaki sighed a little, annoyed. To a boy born and raised in Japan, the word “marriage” sounded heavy to someone who was only nineteen. 

“With regards to this topic, I respect the will of the people involved above anything, so I do not wish to rush any decisions too hastily... However, your countenance and character was spread widely after the banquet the other night, and we’ve received an unexpected amount of marriage proposals from Galarc’s noblewomen. Many of them are fine with marriage as concubines, too. These last few dinners you have attended have been related to such offers, but...” Duke Huguenot checked Hiroaki’s expression to see his smile visibly grow more smug. 

“Yeah, I figured it was something like that. Ah, I didn’t want this kind of popularity...” Despite his words, Hiroaki’s expression wasn’t dissatisfied at all. He shook his head in an overly lamentful way. 

“I apologize for my lack of assistance concerning this, but I believe your charms were simply too brilliant to ignore.” 

“Oh, stop. I don’t need your self-interest-fueled flattery,” Hiroaki huffed. 

“But these are my honest thoughts, and the sheer truth.” Without denying that it was in self-interest, Duke Huguenot flattered Hiroaki even further. The fact he didn’t try to hide his true opinion was what made Hiroaki regard him highly. 

“Heh,” Hiroaki smirked smugly. “So you want me to settle down quickly. Is that it?” he guessed. 

“Like I said, I will prioritize your wishes above all else, and it is the honest truth that I do not wish to rush into anything hastily. But it is also true that we will be unable to put off the topic of marriage forever if the number of proposals continue to increase, leaving me between a rock and hard place.” Duke Huguenot sighed with a troubled face. 

“I see... Just wondering, at what age do the royalty and nobility of this world normally get married?” 

“Noblemen normally marry from around age twenty to their mid-thirties at the latest, I would say. It is most common for noblewomen to marry in their early teens at the earliest, and around twenty at latest.” 

“Hmm. That means I’m at an age where it would be considered normal to get married, huh?” Hiroaki hummed. 

“That being said, deciding on a marriage partner here and now would be far too hasty, and similarly, selecting several wives at once would be too shameful. I’m sure you also have hesitations concerning these reasons, of course.” 

“Well, yeah.” 

“And so, I would like to make this as a suggestion: select your first wife for the time being, and form an engagement instead of marriage.” Duke Huguenot finally arrived at his request. 

“My first wife, huh...” Hiroaki had a slightly somber look. 

“Are you not interested after all?” 

“...No, there’s just something about the terms ‘first wife’ and ‘concubine.’ That’s like putting your women in some kind of order, no? I’d want to connect with them equally, not bind them by something like that. Same with whatever annoying rules that come with social status and all that. It’s so suffocating, I can’t stand it. It’s normal for regular nobles to have wives on bad terms or concubines that feel inferior, right?” 

“Well, I wouldn’t say that such cases are uncommon,” Duke Huguenot confirmed with a strained smile. 

“I hate things like that. If the women form cliques and feud with each other over the man, the one who ultimately suffers is said man. You know I’d hate that, right? It’d be so stressful.” 

“Of course.” 

“That’s why I have several conditions.” Hiroaki raised a finger on his right hand. 

“What are they?” 

“I have no problem with building a harem, but I will be the one to decide who will be my brides. Of course, I’ll hear your suggestions, but I don’t want to hear any nagging or commands. I understand there’s a need to decide on my first wife, but I won’t have an order to my concubines. I don’t want to hear any complaints about how I decide to love my women. You are not to use my wives to create factional disputes. These are my absolute conditions. If you break them and any consequences fall upon me, well, I’m sure there’s no need to say what’ll happen,” Hiroaki said, laying out the conditions. Since he was in a position to push forth his ego, he did so while making his warnings perfectly clear—anyone who disregarded them would look like a fool, was what Hiroaki was stating. 

“Hahaha, you are truly a broad-minded person. However, conditions such as those were well within my consideration to begin with, so rest assured,” Duke Huguenot said with confidence. 

“Hmm. I can always count on you to get it. No, I suppose that much should be expected from you.” 

“Any nobleman has gone through similar hardships, after all.” Duke Huguenot grinned in response to Hiroaki’s hum of awe. 

“Haha, I see. Ah, it would be more enlightening to just seek the knowledge of my precursors around this subject. Tell me more about it over drinks sometime.” Hiroaki couldn’t help but beam broadly as he spoke. 

“Gladly. I’m sure many would love to attend, but such discussions would be better made in less company. I shall carefully screen some attendees and set a date.” 

“Man, I really can count on you. We have to have more man-to-man talks. Ah, by the way, who did you have in mind for my engagement?” Hiroaki asked, now in a good mood. 

“A hero needs a first wife of appropriate social status, so my thoughts were on Princess Flora,” Duke Huguenot answered smoothly. 

“Hmm. Well, that would be reasonable. But are you all right with that, Flora?” 

Hiroaki glanced at Flora seated beside him. He figured the first person he would be engaged to would be Flora or Roanna, who were usually beside him as his aides. 

“Huh? Ah... Y-Yes. I’ll do my best.” Flora flinched. She nodded her head a little awkwardly—she had no choice but to do so. 

I’ll do my best, huh... Honestly, Liselotte and Roanna are more charming. They’re great conversation partners and show the right degree of consideration towards men, so they score high there. Though I have no complaints about Flora’s looks... 

When he compared her to Liselotte and Roanna, she was unfortunately less lively in conversation. Hiroaki considered that as he stared at Flora’s face. 

Well, it’d be more convenient to have this kind of passive personality as the first wife of a polygynous relationship. It’d be annoying to have the first wife get jealous and meddle with the other women. In that regard, Flora would know her place and understand. Well, you can’t miss out on having a princess when you’re in a fantasy world like this. There’s no way I’d let such a fine woman go to another man, either, so this will do. 

“Sure. If Flora’s fine with it, let’s get engaged,” Hiroaki said easily. 

“Oh, you’ll really do it?” Duke Huguenot smiled broadly at how things developed exactly as he wanted. 

“Yeah. Shall I get engaged with Roanna while I’m at it?” Hiroaki grinned, peering at Roanna’s face beside him. 

“...O-Oh, don’t say such silly things out of the blue.” Roanna blushed shyly and turned her face away. 

Haha, how adorable. 

Hiroaki smiled in satisfaction, turning back to Duke Huguenot. “...So, out of the leading nobles in the Galarc Kingdom, which houses have currently sent proposals?” 

“The major ones are the Galarc Kingdom’s third princess, Princess Rosalie, and Duke Gregory’s Lady Lisette, I believe,” answered Duke Huguenot. Liselotte’s name was not mentioned. 

“Lisette aside, Rosalie was only twelve or thirteen, right? Ah, but I guess that’s right at the start of the expected marriage age in this world.” 

Hiroaki recalled the girl named Rosalie he met at a tea party not long ago. For the record, she was also Charlotte’s little sister. 

“Indeed so.” 

“Hmm, I see... Anyone else?” Hiroaki asked. 

“In terms of prominent ones, those two are far ahead of the others. The family status of the other ladies are a little lower in comparison.” 

“Hmm...” Hiroaki hummed vaguely. 

So there was no proposal from Liselotte, huh? Even if Flora was my first wife, Liselotte would definitely make it to the second or third seat. But I guess she’s busy—she left right after the banquet to go to work, after all. 

It was still possible for a proposal from Liselotte to drop in at any time, but he still found it a little disappointing that there was no proposal from her right now. 

“Will we be remaining in Galarc for much longer?” 

“There are still several events to attend, but once they’re done, we should be able to return to Rodania.” 

“Right... Ah, then let’s slowly make our way back to Rodania once they’re over. I’d also like to drop by Liselotte’s place on our way back—I didn’t get to say farewell to her properly at the banquet.” 

If she wouldn’t show herself readily, then he’d just have to go to her. Honest to his desires, Hiroaki suggested they return just so he could meet Liselotte. That fact was probably seen through easily by Duke Huguenot and the sharp-minded Roanna beside him. 

That being said, Duke Huguenot would gladly welcome a marriage between Hiroaki and Liselotte. Honestly, Liselotte’s marriage alone would overwhelmingly outweigh marrying both Rosalie and Lisette in terms of benefits. 

“Understood,” Duke Huguenot chuckled with a smile, bowing his head respectfully. 



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