Chapter 54

"Having left home and endured for five years, I can finally get married."

"Paul, you're not laughing, and neither am I."

One night, a dinner party was held at the Brandt residence, led by my older brother Erich.

The attendees were our usual five, plus the Brandt family, including Erich.

And Paul, the third son, who was about to get married, was there with his fiancée.

Additionally, Helmut, the fourth son, also attended.

By the way, Helmut is also planning to get engaged soon.

His partner is supposed to be introduced by the same Lord Edgar, who introduced Paul.

It seems that a matchmaking session will be held soon.

The characteristic of this matchmaking is that it won't end with the conclusion, "It seems there was no match this time."

Unless Helmut, as a noble, is willing to stake his future, it would be different.

"There's a knight's family that only has daughters."

"That's an incredible condition."

"However, Ver has suffered a lot because of it."

Originally, we only planned to buy a house, but due to the fraudulent real estate agent who was close to Cardinal Hohenheim, we ended up purifying several haunted properties.

The house we eventually got even came with a standard-equipped ghost of a maid who was torn into eight pieces.

I was momentarily happy, thinking it came with a cute maid, but I want my innocence back.

Just to be clear, I'm not thinking about doing anything with the maids.

I just thought that if the maids working there were cute, it would be a refreshing break for the heart.

"Why do I have to handle properties that even the church can't deal with..."

"Having a lot of magic power is also tough."

I was being comforted by my older brother Erich.

After purifying the "Blood-Stained Prince's Mansion" and other haunted properties in the capital, I realized I was working hard.

However, because of this, even if I suddenly set up a mansion in the upper-class noble district, I wouldn't be criticized, and my reputation for purification skills has apparently improved.

For the upper-class nobles, it means that mansions that were previously uninhabitable or unbuyable due to evil spirits can now be used.

They probably think I'm useful for doing this.

In a sense, it was also according to Cardinal Hohenheim's plan.

"Finally, Duke Helter..."

"Even you, Erich?"

"I know. He was famous, but in a bad way."

It seems that the king was tired of handling the rather thoughtless duke and was waiting for an opportunity for him to go off the rails.

Since he had mainly been causing problems related to money and women, he immediately targeted me and spectacularly self-destructed.

The unusually high gratuity was also partly a thank you for the Helter ducal family's collapse, which helped the national finances.

The gratuity to me was a one-time payment, and the Helter ducal family would not be re-established, so in the long run, the national finances benefited.

The annual pension for a duke is 20 million cents.

Thinking that he wouldn't have to pay 20 million cents to the Helter duke every year anymore, it might have seemed cheap to give me 50 million cents.

Moreover, the numerous illegitimate children of the Helter ducal family paid large fines to avoid being disbanded.

Additionally, there was probably some compensation for the inconvenience and a gag payment to prevent the truth from being spread.

"By the way, the Barshmid baronial family was also disbanded."

In addition, the Barshmid baron and three other families, who were close to Duke Helter, were also disbanded.

At first, they were thought to be just extras, but it seems that the Barshmid baron was also planning something nefarious.

To reduce the increasing debts of the ducal family, he planned to extort a large sum of money from me.

If I lost the duel, he would say that it was disloyal to give up the fiancée recognized by the king, and in exchange, he would extort a large sum of money, not a ransom.

The key figure, Duke Helter, apparently didn't have much attachment to any particular woman.

It was said that he thought it would be easy to persuade me, as mentioned in the later investigation.

"In exchange for Elise. A substantial amount of money and the other two fiancées could be offered, I thought..."

He didn't think that the huge debt of the ducal family would be erased by a bet, but there was such an intention.

Iena and Louise, who were chosen as potential exchange materials, were very angry, and they were still minors, so they were still the daughters of the vassals of the Breichleider Margrave.

Interfering with the dependents of influential nobles in the provinces was probably the limit of the self-proclaimed intellectual Barshmid baron.

"Thanks to Ver's great efforts, we can get married."

"In return, we've been noticed by a high-ranking official like Lord Edgar."

Because of me, it seems that we are being surrounded by Lord Edgar smoothly.

"It's a security job, after all. Technically, we are still at the bottom of the military."

"Frankly, I don't think Paul and I would even be remembered by name."

There are over two thousand knight families in the entire kingdom, so it's impossible for all the major nobles to remember everyone.

"Below the third son, it's almost impossible without connections and talent."

Either marry into a noble family that only has daughters or become an adopted son in a noble family without children.

At this point, it's almost a miracle, and the probability is very low.

Next, marry into a vassal family of a major noble.

This is also difficult, as they usually receive the second son or younger of the lord, or vassals help each other.

Finally, marry a younger daughter from a similar background and aim for success in life.

Most of the time, it doesn't work out, and the next generation ends up as commoners.

Some people give up from the start and marry a commoner.

The advantage is that they don't need to put on a show, so they don't have to spend much money.

After marriage, they aim to become wealthy farmers or merchants.

There are also those who stubbornly insist on being nobles and never marry, living their lives alone.

It turns out that there are not a few of them.

Paul was relieved that he didn't end up like that.

"I, for example, have a bad name, which makes it even harder..."

"I'm the most common name in this country, Helmut."

Helmut, the fourth son, had a name that was the most common in the country.

It felt disrespectful, but in fact, many parents name their children Helmut.

Whether commoners or nobles.

The number is overwhelming.

Actually, Paul and Helmut's subordinates also have a few people with that name.

Recently, some people have even called it a "proof of ordinariness" because there are so many.

Of course, there were many people who achieved great things in various fields, but looking at history books, it was quite complicated.

Since everyone was named Helmut, they had to be distinguished by their middle names or surnames.

"My name is a failure. My father might say he ran out of names to choose from."

"What about my name, Wendelin?"

"I don't know. My father's naming criteria are unclear to begin with."

The four of us, including Erich, sighed together.

Although I don't want to inherit that remote place, I envy Kurt, who will become the head of the Baumayster family.

The feelings of the older brothers are quite complex.

"But, don't you want to go back?"

"Yeah."

"I can't handle that rural life anymore."

Erich is right; the older brothers, though they work as security guards in the capital with low salaries, apparently don't like the thin salt soup and dry black bread.

Now, I think it's different, but that inconvenient and entertainment-less rural area is probably still disliked.

"On our days off, we can go hunting in the forest on the outskirts with our subordinates."

"Probably just hunting. That's the benefit of our family."

Because our family is in that remote area, the Baumayster men are good with bows.

The older brothers also go hunting in the forests near the capital on their days off, combining it with a picnic.

The air is fresh, they can get food, and sometimes they can get materials that can be sold for money.

Thanks to being born into a hunting family, they don't find it tiring, and they don't have to spend unnecessary money.

It's said to be the best hobby.

"Want to come with us next time, Ver?"

"Sure, that sounds good. Erich, you should come too."

"Sure. Let's all go hunting together."

"Hey, Ver."

While the four of us were discussing hunting, El joined us.

"What is it, El?"

"Before we knew it, a faction of the Baumayster men who left home was formed."

"People form factions when there are three of them."

"I've heard that before."

However, since our family has abandoned us, we have no choice but to stick together with those who have left.

Our family even goes as far as to not give Erich a wedding gift, so we need to be cautious about any strange actions they might take.

"Usually, the eldest leads, but in our case, it's the opposite."

"Erich is smart, and Ver can use magic."

Because we have experienced the sorrow of not being able to inherit the family, the brothers who have left home tend to gather together.

However, if one of the brothers marries into a noble family or advances in his career, the relationship often collapses easily.

"We only have average talent."

However, I've heard that they command their subordinates well in the security force and would probably do a decent job leading a company in the army.

"I think Kurt is the most awkward among us."

"Herman, who married into the vassal family, was the best with swords in the Baumayster family."

He is the biggest and looks a bit intimidating, but he is actually friendly and does a good job leading the people in the territory.

I don't know him well because I haven't talked to him much.

"What about Kurt?"

"Recently, it seems that Father is making independent decisions. Before he left home, he was a serious person who listened to Father..."

"He's a normal person. Among our brothers..."

In response to my question, Paul and Helmut answered like that.

Even if he's the worst, he can still inherit the family as the eldest son.

Considering the order of the family, it can't be helped.

Moreover, he's not so incompetent that he would ruin the governance of the territory.

He's just ordinary.

This is the common evaluation of Kurt by the older brothers.

"The Baumayster clan in the capital..."

"By the way, I've heard there's a Baumayster family in the capital."

"There is, but we're estranged."

"Why?"

According to the older brothers, the origin of the main Baumayster family is that an unwanted second son of the capital's Baumayster family crossed the mountains and founded the family.

"To select and send the slum dwellers as settlers and provide initial funding."

"They helped us a lot, but once we were on track, we cut off contact."

It's a harsh story, but the older brothers learned about it in the capital.

Paul, while on patrol duty in the security force, happened to pass by the house and went to greet them, only to be treated very casually and told the reason.

"They were probably afraid we would ask for the money back."

"It's so harsh, I can't say anything... No, they should pay it back."

"Most people would think that, right?"

Is there some kind of bad blood in our family?

"Even if Ver becomes famous, he doesn't show his face. He must really hate us."

"Again, we're being troubled because of our family."

"If they treated us favorably because we're relatives and asked for the money back