Chapter 3

The mayor's house, while not a mansion, was a residence equipped with a large dining room for guests and numerous guest rooms.

This time, Bolman and his father each had a room, and the servants were assigned one room per family.

Originally, the lord's manor was located in the town of Pent, a day's walk west of the current village of Ophel.

It was a town about twice the size of Ophel, with a few shops, restaurants, and inns lining the streets.

The reason Bolman's father was in Ophel this time was to collect taxes for the current season.

He was accompanied by Giles and Staniev's fathers, who served as bodyguards and accountants, respectively.

The former was a former kingdom knight expelled for misconduct, and the latter was a fallen merchant. Both had been on the verge of homelessness when Bolman's father took them in.

Of course, at a salary that was outrageously high, to say the least.

The children were attached to the tax collection under the pretext of "studying" practical matters.

"Ah, Bolman, you're late. We've already started eating."

After parting ways with Giles and the others, Bolman entered the dining room of the mayor's house, where his father had already started his dinner.

Goutsek Etchgor Dalkvart, Bolman's father, was a short, fat, bald man.

The sight of the chubby man greedily devouring his food looked no different from a pig scattering its feed.

Giles and Staniev's fathers seemed to be waiting in their assigned rooms.

The servants' dinner was served after the lord's family, so the servants' sons had returned to their rooms.

To let the servants' sons eat sooner, Bolman decided to finish his meal quickly.

"Father, I'm late."

With a bow, Bolman took a seat to the left of his father.

"Bolman, it's a good harvest this year. The tax revenue will be substantial! Hahaha!"

His father laughed heartily with a mouth full of food, spewing saliva and food debris everywhere.

To think that this man, a baron, is a noble in this country; the titles here must be cheap.

"Of course, Father. Your management of the estate is impressive."

Trying a transparent flattery, Bolman found his father even more pleased.

"Is that so? You think so too, huh!"

More food fragments flew as his father laughed again.

"Yes, I want to become an excellent lord like Father."

Thinking about the future, Bolman continued to flatter his father.

"That's a good attitude. Learn well from me."

With that, his father, in a good mood, drank more wine.

A woman in her thirties, standing beside him, refilled Goutsek's empty glass.

Leaning forward, the woman's cleavage was openly ogled by Goutsek, who stretched his nose.

It seemed she was to be his companion for the night.

Just what was he supposed to learn from this man as a role model?

According to Bolman's memory, his father was quite a womanizer, changing partners almost every night.

There was a special room for his affairs in the manor, and when he visited villages in his domain, he would procure women from the village where he stayed.

However, he did not indiscriminately take women from the village; the village chief would bring a few women who met certain criteria, from which he would choose.

The criteria were that they were widows with children.

While Goutsek's sexual preferences were of no interest, it might be somewhat better than seducing young, unmarried girls.

In this world, men often fell victim to monsters while hunting or working in the fields, leading to a high number of widows.

Families with widows and children were naturally in financial distress, and some women accepted Goutsek's advances in exchange for compensation.

As for what Bolman's mother thought of her husband, it seemed she did not care at all.

Like her husband, she was obese and a spendthrift, viewing her husband only as a source of money. She had no interest in anything other than art and sweets, not even in her own son.

Given that his father was interested only in status, money, and women, and his mother only in money, art, and sweets, it was not hard to understand why Bolman's personality was so twisted.

Not that I sympathize with him, though.

Before long, the food was brought to Bolman's place.

However, by then, his father had shifted his focus from food to lust, leaving Bolman to eat alone.

Well, it was just as well, as his father's presence would have been unpleasant anyway.

But this troublesome father dropped a bombshell as he left the room with the woman.

He said,

"Oh, by the way, your engagement has been decided. The bride is the daughter of the Miehal viscount."

"What?!"

Hold on. This is a complete surprise.

I had no idea Bolman had a fiancée in the game.

Without hesitation, I asked for clarification, and my father, in a good mood, continued.

"How about that, surprised? It was tough to arrange the engagement. The Miehal viscount's family is gaining power in the east. This will secure our family's future! Hahaha!"

No, no, no, no.

Isn't twelve a bit too young for an engagement, Father?

...But then, Bolman's memory told me that it wasn't unusual.

In this country, nobles place great importance on bloodlines, and political marriages are common. In extreme cases, betrothals can be arranged at birth.

However, in my previous life, I had never even had a girlfriend, let alone an engagement.

What kind of girl is she?

"Next month, we will visit the Miehal family to pay our respects, so be prepared."

After saying what he needed to say, Goutsek left the room with a light step.

Left alone, I was momentarily stunned by the sudden news of my engagement before deciding to finish the meal in front of me.

The dinner at the mayor's house, while plentiful in variety, was rather plain in taste.

To put it simply, it was "thin."

In the game "Yugtoria Notes," where food is treated as a recovery item, it makes sense that a failed "cooking" skill or a lack of necessary ingredients would result in a less effective dish.

In this case, it seemed the "salt" or "broth" was lacking.

The Dalkvart domain is inland, and there are no nearby mountains or salt lakes where rock salt can be mined, so a lack of salt might be a common issue.

Salt is a strategic resource, after all.

Even the food served to the lord was this poor, suggesting that the domain lacked resources.

The situation was dire, and I felt a sense of despair.

After finishing dinner early and returning to my room, I finally had time to sort out my current situation.

There was paper, a quill, and ink on the desk, which I used to organize my thoughts.

First, I considered my current situation.

I, Kawanagawa Daisuke, have been reincarnated into a world that is either the same as or very similar to the game, with my consciousness now in the body of Bolman, the lord's son.

So far, I can access Bolman's memories in fragments, but I do not feel his spirit in a clear form.

However, sometimes strong desires or attachments that I did not experience in my previous life surge impulsively, suggesting that Bolman has not disappeared but has merged with me, with me as the dominant consciousness.

From the perspective of the game, at least the characters, settings, and events are consistent.

Characters I know, such as the protagonist Reod, the heroine Tina, Bolman, Giles, Staniev, and Goutsek, have appeared, and combat events have occurred.

According to Bolman's knowledge, items like Apple Candy and Orange Candy, monsters, and the locations and names of villages match the game, so while it would be risky to say it is 100% the same, the game's knowledge seems to be quite useful.

And there is one more thing.

There is something I must not forget.