Chapter 8

"Marriage to the old man Razatonia's granddaughter..."

Yeah, he did say that, didn't he, the old man.

"U-um, my lord, marriage...?"

I couldn't help but ask for confirmation.

Of course, it was understandable; it was beyond what I could have imagined.

Marriage? That's practically impossible, right? The other party is a noble.

"Do you dislike it?"

"I don't dislike it!"

I answered a bit too eagerly.

The old man had a serious expression...

"Nothing of the sort, not immediately. After all, just being a hero isn't enough in terms of status... So, first, you'll become an adopted son of one of my subordinates. Then, after you rescue my granddaughter from bandits, the two of you will fall in love and marry. How about that? A beautiful story, don't you think?"

...Ah, so that's how the story goes.

A cliché love story between a hero and a princess.

"And then, at first, my lord opposes the marriage, but he eventually gives his blessing due to the pleas of the people, his subordinates, and the granddaughter and the hero..."

"Hehe, these days, policies that ignore the people are hard to implement. Even provoking neighboring countries costs money."

It seems the old man is enjoying this.

"If we were to sell it, it would be a picture book of the hero and the princess, and a book about their love story. The advantage would be the people's praise for the generous and fair border lord who recognized and blessed their relationship, proving that even those from another world are not discriminated against... It would boost the territory and put pressure on neighboring countries, right?"

Heh heh.

Eek!! That's why you're scary, old man!

"We can't just collect taxes to fund operations in neighboring countries. We need a just cause... Of course, I don't intend to tax the people that much..."

"Gifts from the subordinate nobles? ...Or is there someone whose power you want to reduce?"

Wow, the old man is grinning from ear to ear...

"Hahaha, that's good! That's good! If only my son were as sharp as you! He's not cut out for scheming, but you're a reliable son-in-law."

He has a smile that looks like something out of a dream... Of course, it's a nightmare.

"Anyway, we'll proceed with that plan. That's why I want to welcome you as a son-in-law and make you part of my family. It's for your own good, too."

He seems to be saying, "Understand?" as he watches me.

"In exchange for giving you backing and a place to stay, don't make the princess sad... Right? And don't fall ill suddenly."

In reality, it's not about not making the princess sad, but about making her dependent on me so that I become indispensable.

If not, once we have a child, I might be discarded.

A child with the blood of the granddaughter, not me, would be the true heir to the border lord.

By the way, the "sudden illness" thing is a common trope among high nobles.

They don't announce that someone has died or been killed.

Instead, they say the person is recuperating in a quiet, rural area due to sudden illness.

That's how it goes.

We've made you a hero, a celebrated hero... We can't say we killed you.

After 2-3 years of recuperation, and despite the best care, the person dies, but there's a young child to carry on the lineage!

The wife will act as regent until the child comes of age! Everyone, please cooperate for the hero's sake!

See? No problem, right?

Sigh... This is bad... I'm just in the way...

"Hehe, there's no need to worry so much. It seems that people from other worlds have magical talent. Excellent magic users are valuable."

Should I be reassured... or should I interpret it as, "If you don't have magical talent, you're not needed"?

"Anyway, you must be tired today. Get some rest. If you need anything, the maids are on standby. From tomorrow, you'll start practicing magic and studying this world with a master."

After saying this unilaterally, the old man was about to leave, but he suddenly turned back at the door.

"Oh, I almost forgot one thing."

"Yes, my lord. What is it?"

And the old man, with that nightmare-inducing grin, said...

"My granddaughter... she's very cute. People say she looks just like me."

...I still can't feel at ease.

I can see a future where I die.