Chapter 63

Leord, who had become completely useless, only bowed his head and waited for the king's words.

How much time had passed? Leord's sense of time was already distorted, and he could not tell.

Drops of sweat fell from Leord's chin to the floor, creating stains.

Counting the stains, Leord waited for the king's words. In a sense, he felt like a prisoner awaiting the death sentence. Perhaps his hair had turned white.

"Raise your face, Leord."

"Huh!"

Leord, drenched in unpleasant sweat, raised his face in response to the king's words, feeling the fabric sticking to his back. The king's face, which Leord looked up to, seemed to be looking at something endearing. Leord swallowed hard, wondering what had happened.

(Could it be a death sentence?)

Leord speculated, but the king's thoughts were different. The king was delighted by the change in Leord from before. Having met Leord, the son of a friend, many times, he knew his character well.

Therefore, while surprised by the change in the current Leord, he was pleased to see his growth as a person.

Though not related by blood, it was gratifying to see the son of a friend, once considered a scoundrel, grow into a fine young man.

"Leord, I understand your side of the story, but you must still be rewarded.

For you have saved the lives of many knights. I have heard about it. You organized the knights of Zeato and worked hard to deal with the monster panic.

Therefore, Leord, you have the right to receive a reward. It is best to accept it quietly now."

"H... Yes. It is an honor."

Not knowing what was happening, Leord realized he would not die. However, he was confused by the unexpected praise. Despite his confusion, he bowed politely.

The prime minister, who had been standing to the side, then spoke about Leord's reward. He was to be given thirty million B.

B is the currency used in the Kingdom of Argabein in Fate 48. One B is equivalent to one yen in Japanese currency.

In other words, Leord was to receive a sum of money that could build a house in Japan.

While Fate 48 is essentially a medieval European setting, the creators are Japanese, so there are elements similar to Japan.

Leord was to receive a large sum of money, but he did not feel particularly happy. Indeed, thirty million would be a cause for great joy in Japan, but Leord was, after all, a member of a ducal family.

At this point, thirty million was not enough to make him happy. However, this money would be his personal property. He would be happy when he realized this, but for now, he did not know and thus did not feel happy.

Thus, the audience with the king ended, and Leord went to the room he had been shown to, where Gilbert and Shelia were waiting.

"Phew! I was so nervous I thought I would die!"

As soon as he returned, Leord let out a big sigh, unbuttoned his clothes to relax, and sat on the sofa, stretching out his legs and looking up at the ceiling.

Seeing that Leord was tired, Shelia prepared tea for him. Leord took a sip of the tea she offered and looked up at the ceiling again.

"Ah~ So good~"

"Lord Leord?"

"Hm? What is it?"

"Is an audience with the king that nerve-wracking?

I thought you had met His Majesty many times since you are from a ducal family."

"Ah, well, that's true, but... you know, I've done a lot of things."

"Ah~ Yes, that's true."

"It was my first audience since being confined in Zeato, so I was extremely nervous. To be honest, it felt like I was awaiting a death sentence."

Leord was smiling, but Shelia's face was tense, as she could understand his feelings.

She recalled the time when she, Leord, and Gilbert were told they would be heading to Zeato.

"A, ahaha~ Is that so~"

Shelia tried hard to smile to hide her understanding.

As Leord drank the tea Shelia had made, Gilbert spoke up.

"Lord Leord, regarding today's lunch, Lady has said that we should have a family-only meal for the first time in a while."

"Wha!?"

"Kyaa!"

Shelia was startled by Leord, who had sprayed tea out of his nose.

Gilbert continued without flinching.

"The restaurant has already been reserved, so we are to go there when the time comes. Also, being late is strictly forbidden."

"Ah... So Mother said that, did she?"

"Yes. There is still some time left, so what would you like to do?"

"Hmm... I want to rest for a while, so let's stay here.

Ah, and Shelia, could you buy some souvenirs for the servants waiting in Zeato?

Gil, give Shelia the money for the souvenirs."

"Eh!? Is that okay?"

"It's fine. What do you think, Gil?"

"Yes, it's no problem. It's good to have such things once in a while."

"That's the idea. Oh, and get something for Barbarot too."

"Understood! I'll choose something that will meet your expectations!"

"You don't have to get too worked up."

Gilbert calmed the excited Shelia and handed her the money. Shelia, filled with a sense of mission, was more motivated than usual.

While Shelia was out shopping, Leord and Gilbert continued to chat about trivial matters.

"By the way, was it okay to let her go alone?"

Leord, worried about Shelia going shopping alone, asked Gilbert.

"There's no need to worry. This is the capital, and Shelia is dressed as a servant to a noble, so she won't be caught by any strange people."

"I hope so..."

Leord still seemed a bit worried. Shelia, while not a standout character in Fate 48, was quite cute.

Realistically cute. Leord, who had the memories of a real person, thought that Shelia had the beauty to become an idol in modern Japan.

It was impossible not to worry about Shelia going shopping alone. Gilbert was at ease because it was the capital, but there were strange people in the capital too.

"Gil. Forget about me, but how about accompanying Shelia now?"

"You are quite a worrier, aren't you, young master?"

Leord's concern would prove to be well-founded, though he did not know it at the time.