Chapter 377 Visiting Draco Again (3)

​ “By the way, Kehma-dono. I would like to talk to you privately… may we?”

​ … What. I’m going to decline if it’s annoying, you know?

​ Although I was thinking that, I couldn’t exactly refuse a request from a (diplomatic) friend like Cid, so I wound up going to the residence of Draco’s village chief.

​ Meat and I were sitting with the escorts behind the two of us. Cid’s housemaids quietly served us all tea.

​ “Thanks to that magic tool, it appears we won’t have to worry about water from here on.”

​ “Hm? Couldn’t you manage with lifestyle magic1?”

​ “Oh, we can. We’ve been managing with water collectors and water-producing magic tools. Since the amount of rain we receive around this area—ah, I suppose this would be common knowledge for Draco’s village chief, Kehma-dono.”

​ So that’s common knowledge, huh. The amount’s probably different since we’re on opposite sides of the mountain, though.

​ “So, what’d you want to talk about? Just so you know, I’m going to shoot down any get rich quick scheme.”

​ “Nothing like that. I believe it is actually something you would like, Kehma-dono.”

​ “You say that, but that’s exactly the kind of shady thing a shady person would say to lure people in.”

​ “True… but, well, while it is about making money, it’s nothing dubious. Could you hear me out?”

​ “Yeah yeah, what is it then?”

​ When I urged Cid to go on, he nodded and proceeded to speak deliberately.

​ “To put it short, I would like to bind Kehma-dono to a Pavueran house.”

​ “Hm, hmmmmm… so, a marriage with some Pavueran woman?”

​ “No—actually, I suppose that’s possible? Right.”

​ I see. So it’s that. Deepening our relationship through marriage, similar to the whole Sia thing. I’m pretty knowledgeable about this whole thing, aristocrats are crazy about blood ties to preserve their lineage.

​ “Nope. I have Rokuko. Refused.”

​ “No, not you, Kehma-dono. I mean Kuroinu-dono.”

​ “Huh?”

​ Cid looked toward Meat as he spoke.

​ “Is there any way you could become engaged to me?”

​ Cid spoke in a serious tone.

​ “… Goshujin-sama.”

​ “Hey, hold up. You’re embarrassing Kuro. What kind of joke’s this supposed to be?”

​ “I’m serious!”

​ Meat looked at me as if for aid, but Cid just kept pushing it forward.

​ I closed my eyes for a moment to think. Man, I want to sleep. Can’t I? … Probably not… Couldn’t I just push it off onto Village Sub-Chief Wozuma to deal with~? Come ooon…

​ … Alright, let’s stop the escapism and actually deal with this.

​ “Kuro is already engaged to Maidence-sama of Sia. There’s no way for Kuro to be engaged to Cid-dono.”

​ “Kehma-dono, you are misunderstanding something. There is no reason for the engagement between Maidence and Kuro-dono to be canceled.”

​ “… Eh?”

​ “Many aristocrats take second wives.”

​ Second wives. For men with excessive resources and who want to hold a flower in each hand.

​ That said, the whole thing places the man in an assuredly troubled situation if the two wives don’t get along well.

​ Not to mention inheritance and who gets what… it’s just a troublesome thing wrapped in trouble served with a side of annoyance!

​ “No no no, nope! Second wives are no good.”

​ “But wouldn’t Kuroinu-dono, Maidence, and I being bound together be a good thing?”

​ “Disagreements like who would be the legal wife and stuff… that’s a big no.”

​ “Oh, but that’s obvious?”

​ Between Meat, a slave, and Maidence, an aristocrat, Maidence would obviously be the legal wife.

​ “But then there would be no merits for us in the marriage?”

​ “I’ve heard from Yudence-dono that Kuroinu-dono is Kehma-dono’s child. In other words, a marriage between Kuroinu-dono and I would make you my father in law, Kehma-dono. I could promise that you would receive hospitable aid from Pavuera’s lord, my father. If that sounds agreeable to you…”

​ Cid followed up by taking out a contract already signed by Pavuera’s lord.

​ “Wait, is that real?”

​ “It is. I, Cid Pavuera, guarantee it.”

​ “Still, a person who can verify it isn’t here right now, so…”

​ Ichika might have been able to, but no, all I could really do is ask Wozuma, who originally served at Haku-san’s castle…

​ “Excuse me.”

​ “Hm? What’s wrong, Shikina… Ah—?”

​ Having been standing behind me, Shikina suddenly took a look at the contract.

​ “Reveal to me the one who signed this name—[Signature].”

​ —and recited an incantation with her hand held up… the name that appeared said [Sora Pavuera].

​ “… Yeah, Sora Pavuera is in fact Lord Pavuera-sama.”

​ “What was that just now?”

​ “Contract magic to confirm signatures. You can think of it as lifestyle magic for aristocrats.”

​ Huh. So this world recognizes signatures enough to be part of its magic?

​ So I guess it’s not a counterfeit signature? Or maybe there’s some kind of counterfeiting magic? Like something to falsify what appears with the signature-confirming magic.

​ “… Right, Shikina, you’re an aristocrat as well.”

​ “Of course I am? My Kukkoro family name is considerably famous?”

​ “Who was it, the tamer, Dyne Kukkoro-san, that’s referred to as the Beast King?”

​ “My prided father. He is excellent in every regard!”

​ I know it’s a bit late to realize it, but his name is really confusing, given our village’s merchant with the same name. I mean, our village’s Dyne just shares a given name with Dyne Kukkoro though.

​ Cid stood up as I was thinking about that and bowed his head to Shikina.

​ “… Shikina-dono, was it? You were a daughter of the Kukkoro family? My apologies, I wasn’t aware.”

​ “Do not worry about it, Cid-dono. It happened due to me performing escort duties.”

​ “Would you like be to prepare a seat for you?”

​ “No, Cid-dono. Right now, I am Master’s—Kehma-dono’s escort. My interjection was due to Master being troubled… excuse my interference.”

​ Saying that, Shikina resumed her position behind me.

​ Cid smoothed his expression and took out three more contracts. They were all the same contents.

​ “One for Kehma-dono, one for the Pavuera family, one for the Sia family, and one for the guild. As their contents are somewhat indefinite, I had to press father for these. Once I said it was to form a connection with you, Kehma-dono, he signed them straight away.”

​ When I had Shikina use [Signature] just in case, they were all three proven to be legitimate signatures.

​ … I was told to not do anything extreme.

​ “I still have to refuse.”

​ I read through the contract, but it was easy to understand without any confusing aristocratic legalese and just said that [Golen and Draco will be supported once the marriage is performed]. It basically said that with the exception of the marriage, it was an unconditional promise of aid for Golen. Is it really alright for you to sign a document as crazy as this, Lord Pavuera-san?

​ … Well, I don’t intend to make Meat a second wife either way. I mean, it’d be another story if she wanted to be one, but still.

​ “Why? I might be the one saying it, but I believe I look alright, I consider myself smart, and I have a good reputation. Although I may be overshadowed by one such as yourself, Kehma-dono, it is to the point that I am referred to as a prodigy… I believe that I would jump at a similar offer if I were in your position.”

​ “… I won’t recognize it without a warm, gentle husband caring for her as the primary wife.”

​ Cid just tilted his neck to the side when I spoke.

​ Seeming to realize something immediately after, demonstrating that his treatment as a prodigy wasn’t just for show, he clapped his hands together.

​ “There appears to be a misunderstanding, Kehma-dono.”

​ “… Eh?”

​ Cid took out a certain magic drug, smiling from ear to ear.

​ It was [TS2], the sex reversing drug.

​ “I would be the second wife, of course, Father-in-Law.”

​ … Cid, are you crazy?

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