Volume 2 Epilogue
The guide had revealed the truth to me.
To that truth, I–
“You… I thought you told me the after-sales service was complete.”
“Huh?”
The guide sputtered in a confused tone.
This guy, even though he looks like a bad person he’s actually really shy.
I didn’t think he was moving in various ways for me behind the scenes.
“You don’t have to hide it. You manipulated things in ways I never noticed, right?”
“No, well… I did.”
If I was given the same treatment as Peter, then I would’ve gotten an STD by now.
He was really doing his best for me.
If that was the case, then was he also the reason why I was able to meet Kurt? It might just be a coincidence, but it’s more likely that he set things up to be that way.
Were all the good things that happened to me in the Razel house his doing?
“You really are a good person.”
“Huh?”
The guide was grasping his chest.
It looked like he wanted to say something, but I needed to convey my words first,
“You don’t need to be so embarra.s.sed about it. You cut off the connection with the Razel house for me, right? That house doesn’t seem to be in the best place now that it’s been demoted, so if I was affiliated with them, there’s no doubt I’d be going through some hard times right now. It must’ve been tough, so thanks for everything.”
“…stop it.”
To the guide that seemed to be dying from embarra.s.sment, I gave my thanks.
He really was a good person.
“You’re also the one who cornered that good and virtuous Peetak house, right? I also hated that house. Righteous and virtuous people disgust me.”
Wasn’t he the one that threw that house into chaos? I’m really grateful to him for getting rid of such an annoyance.
“Y-y-you’re wron-”
I rubbed the bottom of my nose at the sight of the guide who was shaking while hiding his face.
“For all this kindness that you’ve done for me, thank you.”
The guide started shouting in embarra.s.sment from my thanks,
“aaaaaAHHHHHHHHHHH~~!!!!!”
The guide disappeared in a cloud of mist.
While I still surprised by the sight, Brian started to move again,
“Lord Liam, what’s wrong?”
–to be so embarra.s.sed that he’d actually start screaming, I couldn’t help but shake my head at the thought. He’s surprisingly innocent.
“It’s nothing. I just… yeah, I feel better all of a sudden. I’ll give up on the haircuts.”
Brian was surprised, but he immediately went on to contact the government offices.
I guess I was overreacting a little to a hairstyle.
The thing is, after I begrudgingly acknowledged it, the hairstyle suddenly dropped in popularity and disappeared.
Were they just making fun of me?
◇ ◇ ◇
Before my admission into elementary school.
There were many people visiting the territory trying to meet with me while I was still here.
Nias was one of them.
“Lord Liam~ can you buy some battleships from me?”
Looking at Nias in a dress, I lightly snorted at her.
“Go home, you disappointing girl.”
“Cold! Lord Liam’s att.i.tude towards me is cold!”
Nias seemed to have gotten better after selling me a fortress-cla.s.s, but now she was screaming as she was pulled away by my servants.
“LORD LIAM, EVEN BUYING TWO HUNDRED SHIPS IS OKAAAAYYYYYY~~~!”
It was a cry that could be used to confirm the Doppler effect.
Well, it’s her fault for not understanding my feelings.
I could just tell her, but it’d be bothersome and I’d feel like I lost if I did so.
In the first place, my position was the higher one of the two of us.
Hopefully she guesses right next time.
“Amagi, bring in the next guest.”
“Yes, Master.”
Amagi brought the next guest into the room.
It was the Third Weapons Factory representative, Eulisia.
Surprisingly, she was wearing quite the lascivious outfit.
“My lord, long time no see.”
After finishing my greetings with Eulisia, she sat down in a way that showed off the insides of her skirt, before taking a pose that emphasised her chest.
“I’m here today to introduce the new line of weapons the Third Weapons Factory is selling-”
She started to explain the products, but I wasn’t interested at all.
There wasn’t any real difference in performance from the previous generation.
The design was great but the specs barely changed at all.
Despite that, the price was higher.
The cost to performance ratio was bad.
Looking at Eulisia who was doing her best to appeal to me, I couldn’t help but think that she was a disappointing girl as well.
“I don’t feel like buying anything.”
As I said that, Eulisia started to take off her coat.
Her already lascivious outfit now had more skin exposure to the point that it was almost underwear.
She sat down next to me and started pressing herself against me.
Unlike Nias, she really had a lot of s.e.x-appeal.
Nias was also a beauty, but she didn’t come anywhere close to Eulisia’s skills.
“My lord, if you bought something, I’d be really gratefu–”
I slapped her hand away, shaking her off my arm as I stood up.
The servants started grabbing her.
“Wha-?! My lord?!”
“And to think I had such high expectations for you… take her.”
“MY LOOOOOORRRRRDDDDDD~~~!!! ”
She was taken away and disappeared just like Nias.
The women from the weapon factories are no good.
Well, I guess it’s partially my fault for telling the factories to leave them in charge of sales since I find them interesting.
Amagi turned towards me,
“This is the end of your morning appointments.”
“I have more in the afternoon?”
“Yes, Thomas was hoping to meet with you.”
“My Echigoya?”
◇ ◇ ◇
Liam’s mansion- one of it’s rooms.
Inside of the luxurious dressing room, the underwear-like outfit wearing Eulisia had an expression of her face that was distorted in frustration.
“…I’ll never forgive him for pushing me to go this far.”
Eulisia was a talented woman.
Many men have tried courting her in the past.
Among them there were even n.o.bles.
However, she had rejected them all while working her hardest.
With a face like an actress, a body that any man would desire, and a great head on her shoulders, she did her best so that she could one day get into the good graces of a high-n.o.ble.
Even when she was a.s.signed to a weapon factory, she was happy because this gave her many opportunities to meet with such n.o.bles.
She polished herself and kept her purity– all for the sake of catching the eye of a great aristocrat.
Her aim was to become a jewel desired by all.
She believed she had the qualities necessary to do so, and she wasn’t wrong.
However, Liam didn’t seem to have any interest in her at all.
At first she thought she was liked, and that Liam would be another stepping stone in her search for her ideal partner– but she couldn’t forgive this.
“I’ll turn this around and be the one to throw him away. He will cry and beg for my forgiveness as I laugh at his pathetic sight.”
But Liam was a high-n.o.ble.
If she wanted to throw him away, it’d be necessary to rise to a position that could be considered his equal.
But before all that, she swore in her heart that she’d one day get her revenge on Liam.
“If I remember correctly, he’s going to be leaving for elementary school soon, right?”
When Eulisia looked at herself in a mirror, she couldn’t help but notice the cold smile plastered on her face.
◇ ◇ ◇
After I had finished my lunch.
I was meeting with Thomas.
“Lord Liam, it’s been quite difficult to meet with you recently.”
Lately people have been gathering around me so it couldn’t be helped.
I was quite troubled with how the majority of them were people trying to take advantage of me.
Like Thomas, they were also merchants, but I always held my own interests as the top priority, so I didn’t even consider them unless what they proposed would bring me a profit.
“The majority of the people I met were useless.”
“But the fact that so many people gather is proof in and of itself that people have high expectations for you, Lord Liam. Oh, but let’s move on to the main subject.”
What Thomas brought out were supplies for elementary school.
“These are the items you’ll need for elementary school.”
“Can’t I just buy these once I get there?”
“Lord Liam, once someone rises to a position of your status, it’d become a problem if you used the same items as the general public. Please check the family crest we’ve imprinted on the items.”
Although it was only an elementary school, provincial n.o.bles could only commute there if they were from a house that was of baron-rank or higher.
But for court n.o.bles, they could attend even if they were only from a knight family.
Therefore, the number of students enrolled there was extremely large.
It looks like I needed special tools different from the general students so they would know of my status.
“How annoying.”
“I’ve heard that the children of imperial n.o.bles can attend cla.s.ses that are recognised at both the military academy and the university.”
There were general students at the military academy and the universities as well.
Since it would be troublesome for the n.o.bles to lose to them, they received an education in those fields before they enrolled.
In other words, they educated n.o.bles in advance so they’d have a head start.
“It’s just for fun anyways. There’s no need to worry.”
It was just a place to give lessons before the serious education started.
“Lord Liam, so it’s ‘just for fun’ to you? If that’s true, then have you already decided your plans for after you graduate from elementary school?”
After I graduated, I had to go to either a university or a military academy recognised by the Empire.
Both were required and couldn’t be refused.
“It doesn’t matter. It’s the same either way.”
“Because you’ve already succeeded the house as Count, it looks like various problems might arise while you’re forced to stay in the imperial capital after graduation.”
“I’ll try to return to the territory as soon as possible.”
In the Empire I’m just another n.o.ble.
But in my own territory I’m a king.
I can act as arrogantly as I want, while being given the royal treatment.
In order to return to such a situation, I need to finish my training quickly.
“Moving on from that—”
Thomas thanked me while bowing down,
“I’d like to thank you for the tax reduction measures you’ve given to my company.”
I helped out Thomas, who was falling on hard times because of his failed scam attempt on the Peetak house.
For a few years, I granted his company special tax-reductions.
I wanted him to be more secure.
“Be careful in the future.”
“O-of course. Oh yes, do you have a mansion prepared in the imperial capital, Lord Liam?”
“A mansion in the imperial capital?”
I was going to be studying abroad in the imperial capital as part of my training, but it looks like n.o.ble children usually prepare a residence to live in during that time.
I didn’t really think it was necessary, but it looks like it wouldn’t be appropriate for me to not have one.
“Come to think of it, even my parents and grandparents had a mansion there.”
“Because the price of land in the imperial capita is expensive, it’s better to secure a good land for yourself sooner, rather than later.l”
A dormitory system was used during elementary school.
The military academy was the same, but it looks like one was required for the university.
I was wondering if was possible to just rent an apartment, but was that really alright?
“It’s a bother. I’m not even going to be using it that much anyways. Is there no other alternative?”
“If that’s the case, then why don’t you rent out a hotel there?”
“A hotel?”
“Umm… even if you have a mansion in the capital, there’d be no point if it was too far away from the university. It’s something like that.”
It looks like having a mansion was still required.
“In that case, then bring me a list of the hotels I can rent out. I’ll have the mansion built while I’m still attending elementary school.”
“As you command.”
It was a house I didn’t intend to use that much anyways.
So this should be enough.
Should I just find some cheap land have it built there?
◇ ◇ ◇
Brian was inside the mansion– at his room’s veranda, taking care of his bonsai trees.
He was humming a song.
“Another great day, today.”
Before Liam was born, he never would’ve expected such a day to come.
Such a Liam was almost at the age to enroll into elementary school.
“I’m already looking forward to the day Lord Liam returns.”
As he lined up the bonsai trees he took care of for a hobby, the head maid entered his view as she approached him from the garden.
“Oh, did you need something from me?”
The head maid was holding a parasol.
“I’m just out for a stroll. I’m just taking a walk while looking around the house grounds.”
“You sure are pa.s.sionate about your work.”
Brian invited the head maid to the veranda, thinking it’d be nice to have a chat with her.
Tea was prepared, and they talked for a long time.
“Brian, how’s your family doing?”
“My grandchild and their partner will be returning here soon.”
“–I see. It’s nice to hear that they’re coming back.”
Brian’s grandchild had already brought him great-grandchildren.
But his son and his wife— weren’t around anymore.
“Yes, and this is all thanks to Lord Liam.”
“Once you get to our age, the things we can do are really limited. Our ingrained habits don’t disappear, and personally, I find myself looking for work even on holidays.”
“That’s because you’re a workaholic.”
As Brian said so while laughing, the head maid agreed while saying “That’s true.”
“–Brian, you sure did find a good master to serve. How were you able to endure it for such a long time?
“I didn’t have to ‘endure’ anything at all. I continued to serve because I was that grateful to Lord Alistair.”
“I would’ve liked it if you had come to work in the palace instead. If you did, I would’ve made sure that you would’ve received a good position.”
There was a time long ago when the head maid had asked him to work in the palace instead.
But looking at things now, he thought it was a good thing that he refused.
“Even so, I’m happy as I am right now.”
“You really have no greed at all, do you? I’m a little jealous.”
◇ ◇ ◇
–A place where Liam’s mansion was visible.
It was there that the guide had fallen down.
After revealing everything to Liam, contrary to what he expected, he was exposed to even more fatal emotions of gratefulness.
He could feel himself fading away, and couldn’t move properly.
There was no way that even in his wildest dreams that he’d actually be thanked after revealing the truth.
‘Just what the h.e.l.l is that guy?!’— The guide was seriously scared of Liam.
While he was taking bitter breathes,
“Y-you b.a.s.t.a.r.d… Liam… I will definitely have my revenge… I will fulfill this grudge of mine…”
But he’d have to rest for a while first before he could do any of that.
He also needed to collect negative emotions.
To defeat Liam, he had to collect as many as possible.
“That’s it. The imperial capital of the Empire. There’s bound to be an endless flood of negative emotions there. If it’s there, I’ll definitely be able to recover.”
Thinking about his next plans against Liam– the guide stood up and started to walk away.
Behind him was a dog.
The shape of it was gradually becoming clearer, but the guide was too weak and didn’t notice it following behind him.
“Liam… the next time we meet will be your last.”
The guide once again swore revenge on Liam.