Chapter 37

"Welcome back."

As Havel led the group into the entrance hall of the mansion, a young maid bowed deeply to greet them.

The stone floor of the entrance hall was polished to a shine, and several stone pillars with carvings lined the walls.

"I've brought an important guest. I'll show them to the guest room, so Marie, please prepare dinner and a bath as soon as possible."

"Would it be alright if dinner is served after the bath?"

"Yes, that would be fine."

The maid named Marie replied to Havel with a respectful "Understood," then bowed again to Ichi and the others.

She looked to be around the age of a young girl.

After giving Marie her instructions, Havel said, "Please follow me," and led Ichi and the others deeper into the mansion.

"You can use this room freely. When the bath is ready, someone will come to fetch you."

Havel guided Ichi and the others to the guest room, bowed, and left the room.

After confirming that Havel had left, Ichi put down his luggage and looked around the room.

Candle holders were hung on the walls, casting a gentle light throughout the room.

On a high-quality round table in the room, a wooden plate with several fresh fruits was placed, and a knife was also provided in front of the plate.

There were no water jugs, so perhaps the fruits were meant to be eaten as a drink substitute.

"To think they even have a bath. This family must be quite wealthy. They really live up to being nobles."

As Ichi said this, he picked up an apple-like fruit from the table and began peeling it with the knife, his movements practiced.

"To be led to such a room... I didn't expect this at all."

Valleta, who had thought that she and her father would be lucky to get a room at an inn in town, was surprised by Havel's unexpected treatment.

It was almost unheard of for commoners to enter a noble's house.

If it happened, it would only be if they were bought as slaves or hired as servants.

"Probably, they're trying to make a good impression on me for now. It's like laying the groundwork for later."

As Ichi said this while eating the peeled fruit, Valleta nodded, though she didn't look entirely convinced.

Even if they knew it wouldn't be to their disadvantage, the idea that Havel was using them to win Ichi's favor didn't sit well with her.

Seeing Valleta's expression, Ichi chuckled and said, "Don't worry, I don't think it will be to our disadvantage. If we can maintain a good relationship, it will be convenient for me... Oh, sorry, I'm eating all of it. I'll peel some for you, Valleta."

"Oh, I'm fine. Havel said dinner would be soon, so I'll wait."

"Um, I'll wait too. It's not often we get to eat a noble's feast, so I'll go hungry for it."

"Indeed... I'll just have one more."

As Ichi said this and began peeling another fruit, Valleta chuckled.

"By the way, at lunch, you said you were so hungry and secretly ate some canned food. Was riding Lata that tiring?"

"Yes, I had to keep my balance with my feet, which was more exhausting than I thought. I wish we had walked..."

Since leaving Gricia Village, Ichi had been constantly riding on Lata's back, and the unfamiliar riding had left him quite fatigued.

His thighs ached from the intense muscle pain, and he was hungrier than usual, having a hearty appetite since arriving in Gricia Village.

Riding, it seemed, was a surprisingly strenuous exercise.

"By the way, for tomorrow's meeting with the lord, we should get our stories straight. There are some things we shouldn't let the lord know."

Although the three of them were together, Ichi thought it was best to be prepared in case the lord asked them separate questions.

While Ichi would primarily answer the lord's questions, he didn't want any unexpected information to slip out from Valleta or the village chief.

"Valleta and Barin, you can answer the lord's questions honestly, but please don't mention that the villagers became stronger after eating the food I brought."

Valleta and the village chief nodded in agreement.

Ichi needed to show the various convenient tools he brought to explain that he was a Graciel, but the effects of the food he brought were known only to the residents of Gricia Village.

There was no need to explain the long-term effects of the food, which gave the villagers great strength.

If Lord Nelson found out about the effects of the food, there was a possibility he might confiscate the remaining food in Gricia Village.

The same applied to Lip D, which could quickly restore stamina and cure diseases. Depending on how it was used, it could be a powerful bargaining chip in negotiations.

If Ichi couldn't convince Nelson that he was a Graciel by showing the tools, he could demonstrate the miraculous recovery of a half-dead person using Lip D, making Nelson recognize him as a source of miraculous healing.

However, it was unlikely that Nelson would take a hostile attitude in a negotiation where only beneficial proposals were made.

"Is there anything else we shouldn't say?" As the three of them discussed, there was a knock on the door.

"Come in."

"Excuse me."

In response to Ichi, the maid named Marie, who had greeted them in the entrance hall, entered the room.

"The bath is ready, so I've come to fetch you. Would you like to bathe first, Kazura-sama?"

"Alright."

"Thank you. Please follow me."

Marie bowed in response to Ichi's answer and led him out of the room.

While Ichi and Marie were on their way to the bath, in another room of the same mansion, Havel was facing an elderly man in a robe.

"By noon tomorrow, I need one carriage and four guards."

"Yes, I'll make sure the guards are skilled. Please instruct them to treat the peasants with respect. Also, provide them with high-quality food and tents."

As Havel pondered if there was anything else needed, the elderly man looked at him with a curious expression.

Earlier, while the man was doing paperwork in his room, Havel had suddenly appeared and given him these unusual instructions.

From the context, it seemed the carriage was for peasants, which was highly unusual.

It was even more unusual that the peasants were currently staying in the mansion.

"Are these peasants actually disguised nobles?"

"No, just ordinary peasants. You can find them anywhere."

Havel's tone suggested he didn't intend to elaborate, and the man responded, "I see."

Though he accepted Havel's instructions, the man was internally puzzled by the unusual request.

The man was a long-serving butler of the Rousseau family, responsible for managing the other servants and handling various tasks, including arranging carriages and personnel.

He had known Havel since birth and had a close relationship with him, both as a teacher and a servant.

For Havel to give such an unusual instruction without consulting him was highly unusual.

There must be something significant about the peasants being transported by carriage.

"Also, prepare two... no, three sets of bedding. Make sure they are of high quality."

"Understood."

Despite his many questions, the man bowed respectfully and accepted Havel's instructions.

Havel was no longer a child, and there must be a special reason for not providing details, the man reasoned.

As Havel was about to leave the room, he turned back and asked, "Father and brother won't be back for another five days, right?"

"Yes, if everything goes according to plan, they should be leaving Gregorun and entering Isteria by now."

"Got it."

Havel nodded and left the room.

"Then, I'll help you undress."

"..."

In the changing room attached to the bath, Ichi was taken aback as Marie began to help him undress.

He had lightly fantasized about such a scenario during the walk, but he hadn't expected it to become reality.

However, Ichi's hesitation wasn't just due to Marie's assistance.

In the corner of the changing room behind Ichi, a muscular, bald man stood with a strange bronze scythe in his right hand and a small copper tweezer in his left, standing guard.

When the man met Ichi's gaze, he smiled brightly.

"Excuse me."

Without waiting for Ichi's response, Marie began to undress him.

Ichi was wearing a plain shirt and pants that Valleta had made for him.

Marie quickly removed his clothes, and when she saw the gray-striped trunks, she hesitated for a moment but then knelt down to remove them.

"Wait, I can do that myself!"

As Marie tried to pull down his trunks, Ichi quickly grabbed the edge and refused her help.

Marie immediately withdrew her hands and said, "Excuse me," standing by to wait.

"Um, I can do the rest myself..."

After a moment's thought, Marie smiled and said, "Understood. I'll prepare your clothes while you bathe. Please wear them when you're done."

Marie bowed and left the changing room with Ichi's clothes.

After confirming she had left, Ichi sighed and began to take off his trunks, but then remembered the muscular man still in the room.

"Please leave it to me."

The man, still smiling, lifted his scythe and said, "I'll take care of it."

Ichi wasn't sure what he meant.

"Um, what are you going to do with that scythe?"

With a slightly tense expression, Ichi asked, holding his trunks.

The man looked puzzled for a moment but then smiled and explained, "I'll shave all your body hair. My work is often praised by my master, so you can rest assured."

It seemed the man was a barber, and the tweezer in his left hand was likely for plucking hair.

"What's the tweezer for?"

"It's for plucking armpit hair. Let's start the shaving!"

The enthusiastic man made Ichi turn around and, with a bright smile, said, "I'll pass."

The man's disappointed expression when he heard Ichi's response was oddly memorable.

After bathing, Ichi put on a loose, elegant robe provided in the changing room and returned to the guest room with Marie, who had been waiting outside.

On the way back, Ichi asked Marie what she had done with his clothes, and she said she had washed them.

Incidentally, the change of clothes provided did not include underwear.

So, Ichi was currently without any.

When Ichi returned to the room, the village chief was next to be led to the bath by Marie.

"Kazura, how was the bath?"

Ichi, looking refreshed after his bath, was asked by Valleta with interest.

For a moment, Ichi wondered if Valleta was also without underwear, but he quickly dismissed the thought and shared his impressions of the noble bath.