Chapter 61

Mari's Mansion.

To celebrate the successful negotiations, a tea party was held, inviting the master.

Why isn't it at my mansion?

Because there's someone I shouldn't provoke, my sister Leila, so I, as the head of the household, have to leave.

...Sometimes, I think my kindness is a sin.

Well, that aside.

"Look, Master! This is the tea set I bought in Alzer!"

The master carefully picked up a cup.

"Quite intricate craftsmanship, isn't it?"

"It was a bit expensive, but I bought the set with the compensation money from the Republic."

Thank you, everyone in the Republic of Alzer!

As I showed off my new tea set, Mari peered over.

"Is this expensive? How much?"

I whispered in Mari's ear.

"There are several of these cups, but each one costs about 400,000 to 500,000 yen."

Mari took the cup and stared at it.

"Think about how much easier life could be with just one of these! And it's a set!"

"Sorry, I'm rich."

I'm supposed to have lost all my assets and left the kingdom, but I became a wealthy man in the Republic.

The result of making the Republic pay—squeezing them for all they were worth.

After Mari saw all the tea sets and calculated the price, she collapsed to her knees.

"This is terrible. I'm struggling with a much cheaper tea set."

The master began to comfort Mari in a gentlemanly manner.

"Not at all, Miss Mari. The important thing isn't the price, but the heart of hospitality."

Interrupting our conversation was Jilc, who had brought a leather bag.

"That's right."

Confident Jilc shook his head at the tea set I bought.

"What's wrong? If you have something to say, say it."

"Then I will. This tea set is overdone. To put it simply, it lacks taste."

"Huh?"

Jilc explained while looking at my tea set.

"Excessive decoration. It looks like a work of art, but it's not suitable for daily use. It's almost as if it's proving that it's just for show. It's the kind of flashy item that nouveau riche people like. Beginners who get into tea often buy these."

I was irritated.

Mari tried to stop me by grabbing my arm, but the master came to my defense.

"Mr. Jilc, that's not true. While it is heavily decorated, the fact that people interested in tea want it shows that this tea set has its own charm."

Encouraged by the master's words, I felt like I had a thousand soldiers on my side and retorted to Jilc.

"That's right. Calling someone nouveau riche is rude."

Should I ask Senior Claris to scold him?

No, that won't work. Mentioning Jilc in front of Senior Claris is forbidden.

"Indeed, I may have gone too far. However, from my perspective, Count Baltfalt doesn't know real tea."

Jilc opened his leather bag, revealing a rather old tea set.

Some parts were chipped.

I pointed and laughed.

"What's that? It's so old. Is this the real thing?"

Jilc put his hand to his forehead and shook his head.

"You don't understand at all."

The master's expression changed.

"Th-this!"

"Have you noticed, Headmaster? This streamlined design. And the dignified presence that speaks of a long history. Real things aren't just about being luxurious."

Mari was impressed by Jilc's explanation.

"From a layman's perspective, something that seems to have no value at all can be expensive. Wait, Jilc, you have such a tea set?"

"I bought it. It was cheap."

"Oh, you're a good shopper. How much did it cost?"

Jilc puffed out his chest.

"About 50,000 diars in the currency of the Holfaht Kingdom."

Hearing this, Mari started to tremble.

"Huh? Wait a minute. 50,000 diars... You didn't use that money, did you? Why? That was important for our living expenses!"

In yen, that's about 5 million.

As Mari was shocked, Jilc explained carefully.

"Don't worry, Miss Mari. I bought it from a reputable store, and if sold normally, it would fetch twice the price. If you take it back to the Holfaht Kingdom, someone might pay 100,000 or 200,000 diars. Look at this beautiful white. It's not pure white, but it has a good, tasteful color. Can you see how the shades are slightly different?"

To me, it looked like stains, but when he said it, it started to look that way too.

Mari was being convinced by Jilc.

Jilc must have found the cash in the mansion and bought it.

Mari was gradually coming around.

"Well, if that's the case, it's fine. It does look good. Looking at this, the tea set from—Lion's is indeed too gaudy."

I was embarrassed, but listening to Jilc's explanation made it look good.

Damn... I want one too.

Is this what they call wabi-sabi? It started to look like an amazing tea set.

"It would be difficult for Count Baltfalt. I've always been exposed to the real thing at the palace and my family home, so I can tell the value of things. Today, I'll treat you to my special blend."

Seeing Jilc's triumphant face made me feel regretful.

He's a rich kid.

In other words, he's a man who has been raised with real things.

I was embarrassed, but I had only been looking at the surface.

So, I ended up drinking the tea Jilc blended, which wasn't particularly good and had a subtle aroma.

Maybe it's because I'm drinking it from an expensive tea set, but I can't taste anything.

...Is my tongue not sophisticated enough yet?

◇

After the tea party, Jilc and Mari were putting away the tea set.

I consulted the master, shoulders slumped.

"...Jilc was right. I can't understand what's real. The tea set just looks old to me, and I couldn't find the tea leaves tasty."

Just because something is expensive doesn't mean it will suit my taste.

I was losing confidence in myself.

It only looked expensive, but until then, I had only seen it as an old tea set. It was very embarrassing.

But the master was troubled.

"What's wrong, Master?"

It's rare to see the usually composed master troubled.

"Mr. Lion, that tea set is just a regular mass-produced item."

"Huh?"

"It's a poor quality set, just because it's complete. It's not worth 50,000 diars at all. If you take it back to the Holfaht Kingdom, it might sell for 100 diars, if that. And the tea leaves are just a blend of cheap ones. The aroma... it's a matter of preference, but I didn't like it."

The master was at a loss.

Jilc has seen, touched, and tasted real things, so it's incomprehensible how he ended up with a fake.

But the one who was stunned by the master's words was Mari, standing at the door.

Her face was pale as she clung to the door.

"No, that's a lie."

"Miss Mari! T-that—"

The master stood up to comfort Mari, but

"Wait! Jilc used about half of the cash on a fake! I thought our life would get easier! Give me back the feeling of joy I had over a 100-diars tea set!"

Even I couldn't help but laugh at the situation.

Mari was crying on the floor.

"We've already spent most of the money on necessary items! I wanted new pajamas and casual clothes! How am I supposed to get through autumn and winter if I can barely make it through summer!"

Crying Mari shocked Jilc as he returned.

"Is Miss Mari okay—ouch!"

Mari hit Jilc on the head with a tray and then screamed as she ran out of the room.

"You idiot!"

Jilc, holding his head, looked at us.

I averted my gaze.

The master said,

"...Mr. Jilc, you shouldn't use the shared funds without permission."

"Huh? Ah, yes. But it was a good item."

"Still! You shouldn't! You should have consulted Miss Mari, who manages the money. You shouldn't use it without permission."

"Y-yes, you're right. But I thought it would benefit Miss Mari and everyone else."

"Sit down. You have a new job in Alzer. Teaching everyone common sense seems to be the most important task."

The lecture began as usual.

Still, Mari was so pitiful... but the fact that there was something a little funny about it was reassuring.

If things get tough, I'll help her out.

"I'll prepare more tea since this will take a while."

Jilc, who talked about real things, ended up with a fake. Well, he's a man who lost his wealth and status to Mari. He doesn't have a good eye for things.

I smiled and prepared tea while Jilc was being lectured.

◇

Back at home, I was talking to Leila's sister.

To be careful, I mostly talk about daily events.

She doesn't say much.

She was so mentally stressed that she was quietly staying at home with a sapling of the Holy Tree.

Why does she have a sapling of the Holy Tree?

Because it calms her down. She even wants me to take it with me.

"So, after that, we gathered Julius and the others for a lecture. The master is amazing. Even Julius and the others reflected. They should have reflected earlier, though."

The sister was smiling slightly.

At first, she was expressionless, but finally, she's smiling.

Lukseon is also providing treatment with the medicine he prepared.

The most important thing is to let her rest and not let Eriq get close.

The sister, hugging the case with the sapling, spoke to me.

"It seems fun."

"O-oh, is it fun? I did laugh, but..."

I was watching the five being lectured with Kyle and Carla.

It was funny to see them looking at the master, as if saying, "Say more."

They seemed to have a lot of complaints about the five.

In the first place, they should have focused on life skills rather than combat power to gain Mari's approval.

They should learn from me.

I squeezed the Republic and became rich again.

"...Lately, I've been wondering if I really liked Eriq. The violence increased, but he was still kind, so I stayed with him. But now that I'm calmer, I can't tell anymore."

She's finally recovered enough to talk.

"Take your time. You can think about difficult things later."

According to Mari, it's important not to make big decisions here.

Honestly, I want her to move on to the next guy and get along, but I don't know what Yandere Eriq will do.

What was Leila up to?

"...I couldn't attend classes in the first semester, and that's worrying."

Eriq, one of the six noble families, is one thing, but the sister must be worried.

Jean was decided to repeat a year.

"I'll talk to Mr. Clemen. We also need remedial classes, so it should be fine if we take them together. Don't worry, I—though I can still pull some strings in the Republic."

If I show them the gemstones, they'll fawn over me more than Noel.

The sister hugged the case with the sapling and fell silent.

"If you're feeling down, why don't you rest in your room?"

The robots came and carried the sister away.

She still seems mentally unstable.

◇

At the port of the Holfaht Kingdom.

The number of airships heading to the Republic of Alzer was very large.

Many of the airships produced by the Baltfalt family's factory were also visible.

One of them.

On the deck of the airship captained by Nix, Lion's older brother, were Ange and Rebia.

Clare was also with them.

Nix looked gloomy.

"Why do I have to go abroad? My father says it's a good experience, and Lion says he'll pay me to help... Why is he going abroad to start a fight in the first place?"

Nix, who was busy because of Lion, naturally complained.

Ange put her hands on her hips.

"Lion just took up the challenge, brother-in-law. Besides, he gave the Republic a good scare. The queen also highly praised him."

Nix was at a loss for words at Ange's response.

"A-ah, yes."

To Nix, Ange was like a princess on a cloud.

She was supposed to become his sister-in-law, but being called brother-in-law... honestly, it was a bit awkward.

Rebia spoke to Clare.

"Are we moving on your brother-in-law's airship, Clare?"

Nix was surprised when he heard this.

His face said, "Please, no."

"Of course not. We have a dedicated airship. The second ship of the Einhorn class—Ricorne."

When Clare said this, an airship of the same type as Einhorn broke through the clouds.

The white hull was beautiful.

Ange added a comment.

"I would have preferred red."

"This time it's white. Isn't it beautiful? It's an improved version of the design by that stubborn person. The performance is better on this one."

Nix was impressed as he looked at Ricorne.

"The same type as Lion's ship... I'm surprised you could mass-produce it."

"Do you want one, Master's brother? Do you?"

"…I don't want one from you. It'll be a hassle later. Besides, I like this airship better."

As Nix declined, a subordinate called out.

"Sir, the captain is calling for you."

"I'll be right there."

As Nix left, a small boat came from Ricorne.

"Come on, get in. The Redgrave family is taking care of the servants, so it's fine. I promise a comfortable voyage."

Above Ange and Rebia, the main body of Lukseon was floating, hidden.

Rebia's shoulders drooped.

"I wish Partner could have been repaired."

Thinking about Partner, who is supposed to have sunk, Rebia was down, and Ange agreed.

"Yeah. Partner was a good ship. …Well, let's go to the Republic. Lion is waiting."