Chapter 6 – Marriage Interview

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One day this ordinary Japanese flat-face was diligently doing his work inside his office when Gon-chan suddenly came for a visit. Stepping into the room, he let his eyes wander once across the whole place. And then, after making sure that no one besides this yellow flat-face was present, he closed the door behind him. Then he made a beeline for the desk, where this busamen was sitting, and came to a halt right in front.

“Boss, there’s a little somethin’ where I require some advice. Do you have a moment?”

“What is it, Gonzales-san?”

What could it be? A secret discussion?

Hearing something like that from a guy doesn’t really make me happy, to be honest.

“I want to hear your opinion on something related to Neumann, if possible.”

“It is rare for you to be so formal and request a consultation. If you are fine with me, I will gladly listen to anything you have to say. Please take a seat on the sofa over there. Let us talk while enjoying a cup of tea.”

“No, it’s nothin’ so significant. I don’t mind talkin’ to you while standin’.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. Neuman got divorced in light of the previous incident, right?”

“Are rumors about him going around or something like that?”

“Yeah. I don’t know where it came from, but recently his name often pops up among my folks. Moreover, you can say this or that, but he was granted peerage, making him a baron, correct? Logically, the women are especially keen to talk about him.”

“Oh, I understand.”

That’s a reaction I do understand. He’s a single, tall, handsome guy at the prime of his life who now belongs to nobility. On top of that he’s a guy who worked at the same place just a few days ago, so there’s no way that the women of marriageable age, who know him, would remain quiet about this. It seems like he has blended in with the Twilight Troupe and worked on-site with them right after his divorce.

“There’s a constant stream of requests reaching my place, asking me to put in a good word with him.”

“It sounds like he is quite popular.”

“Marriage between nobles ain’t about loving or liking each other. I’m well aware of that since I also wore the mantle for a period of time, but it’s probably nothing that can be settled easily. However, while he’s got a kid from his first marriage, he’s often away from home for work.”

“Oh, now I see where you are going with this.”

“Although he’s a low-ranking baron, he’s the son of a noble who’s a direct descendant of a duke and a member of the FitzClarence faction, so he should be more than qualified to have a mistress. I’m sorry for putting it like this, but I think he’s gonna need a woman who will take care of the house and kid for him.”

“I do believe that you are correct in what you say, Gonzales-san.”

And yet I wonder why such a level-headed guy like you still remains single. Is it because you’re shrouded in too many secrets? Ones revolving around a harem, that is. Otherwise, he’d never bring up this suggestion, I think.

Ugh…how frustrating.

“For this reason, I thought I should first check back with you, boss, and thus came here right away. Of course, Neumann’s own feelings on the matter also play a role in this, but how do things look on his side? Has he already made up his mind?”

“I don’t think that he has already decided how to proceed with this particular matter. But, since he has a good compatibility with Richard-san, I suspect that it’s very likely for him to receive referrals from that direction. In that case, she would naturally become his legal wife, so we would be talking about mistress here, if he agrees.”

Or rather, don’t ask a virgin about stuff like this. You’re just going to damage his heart, you know?

In the first place, it’s unfair to just care about Neumann-san. Even this busamen wants to come together with a cute young virgin.

Oh, right.

“Alright, let us go meet him. It will also serve as a nice break from work.”

“Would it be okay to wait with this for a bit?”

“Why? Is there some sort of problem after all?”

“If we are going to do it anyway, how about going about it on a slightly bigger scale?”

“Bigger scale? What do you mean?”

“After the matter with the demon queen, Dragon City started to take in residents. And on top of deciding the future course of this city, it is something extremely important for the residents here. I would like people to fall in love with this town. That’s what I always think.”

“Well, of course. I got the same feeling, boss.”

“And when I was thinking about this, I naturally asked myself who would be liking this town the most.”

“Oh, I see. The children, huh?”

“Yes, indeed.”

Amazing, Gon-chan. You’re a really smart guy.

No matter how many hints I dropped in our previous exchanges, I didn’t expect him to get it right. Seeing how I took the liberty to one-sidedly make a riddle out of this, I feel slightly embarrassed now. Him being incredibly clever in civil and military matters, despite looking like the perfect meathead, makes me jealous.

“One’s birthplace is special for every person. No matter how old they might be, all people will remember the place where they were born and grew up. In other words, the people, who were born in this town, might be able to become its genuine inhabitants.”

“If you say that, are you planning to gather many people on a big scale to find Neumann’s mistress?”

“No, he himself has his own limits. Given that the origin of this can be found with the members of the Twilight Troupe, I was thinking about holding a big marriage interview party in this town, but what do you think?”

“Ah, I see.”

“I think it’s also a pretty good event for revitalizing the town.”

“Sure, it’s not bad at all. For us it’s also a story with plenty to gain.”

It looks like he took it positively. I thought Gon-chan might hate such a playboy-like approach, but he’s unexpectedly okay with it. He very likely discovered some merit on the side of the town’s administration.

“Alrighty, now that it’s decided, let’s go with a bang.”

“I will finalize the arrangements by today, so can I ask you to take care of getting the people ready?”

“Aye, count on me!”

“Thank you.”

And thus the very first Dragon City Marriage Interview Party was decided to be held.

＊

【Sophia-chan’s Point of View】

What a surprise! A marriage interview party will apparently be held across the whole town. I heard about this from Tanaka-san just a few days ago.

On the next day, word was spread on the streets to gather event participants. Being a healthy single man or woman was set as the condition for participation. I worried a bit about the age restriction, but it has been set to range from the teens to thirty.

Thanks to that, this maid has felt fidgety for the last few days.

I mean, it’ll be marriage interviews. And beyond those waits a marriage.

Yes, that’s right. This maid has been waiting for something like this. Tanaka-san, you’re the best.

Even at my Dad’s restaurants, the customers have been talking every day about the marriage interview party as a hot topic. Not only those meeting the conditions to join in, but all the others also show a keen interest in this event.

“Are you possibly going to participate as well, Sophia-chan?” A customer called out to me as I was carrying an order.

There was no need to specify what participation he was talking about.

“No, umm, t-that’s…”

If I’m being asked by such a person in a place with many people, it’s slightly embarrassing. I’d have scruples to honestly agree here.

By the way, unlike this maid, Drill-sama has been boasting about participating to those around her. I think most of the participants will be commoners, but she has been claiming that she’d join even while being aware of that fact.

I’m sure, it must be no more than a way for her to waste some time.

After all, this maid here doesn’t remember having ever witnessed Drill-sama being worried about her chance of getting married. Then again, she’s still not at an age that would require her to panic about this. This simple truth has been a source of terrible irritation for me.

But, thinking something like this when the other party is a noble is wrong. It’s disrespectful. Yes, it’s no good at all.

But, even so, it’s frustrating. Tanaka-san, this maid is frustrated. Because of this, she will definitely participate in the marriage interview party.

“The daughter of my acquaintance seems to expressly come all the way here from Trichuris to participate in this.”

“That’s going a bit far, don’t you think? Is she having trouble with guys?”

“My nephew is the same.”

“Sounds like there’s unexpectedly many folks who have trouble finding partners, huh?”

“Luckily my daughter is a beauty, so I won’t have to worry.”

“No, those kinds tend to fail at finding a suitable partner.”

Somehow I feel like the conversations in the restaurant sound fine as well. If the whole town becomes vitalized in this way, it’ll be great.

＊

One day this ordinary Japanese flat-face received a summons from Neumann’s daughter. When he headed over to the guest room as instructed, he found her waiting there. He could also see Gon-chan waiting with her. On the other hand, Neumann was nowhere to be found.

Maybe it’s just something she wants to discuss with Gon-chan and me in private?

“Long time no see, Michelle-san.”

“Yes, it has been quite a while hasn’t it, Count Tanaka?”

When I tried to give her a casual greeting, she grabbed the hem of her skirt and graced me with an elegant bow. I’m happy that she properly greets even an ugly, middle-aged sucker like me. That’s Neumann’s daughter for you.

However, if possible, it’d have been awesome if she could have raised her skirt a little bit higher. I wanted to peep at her childish panties.

“Please have a seat.”

“Thank you kindly. Please excuse me then.”

Urged to sit down on the sofa by her, this ordinary Japanese flat-face did as told. By the way, Gon-chan was standing behind this busamen. But, this was only to be expected of our Knight Leader who was quite accustomed to treating nobles and commoners appropriately for their station.

I don’t think he has to pay so much attention to this, but when facing someone other than his family or friends, he’ll never fail to adopt a humble attitude.

This time he’s buttering up to this ordinary Japanese flat-face because he’s her Papa’s boss. Stuff like this truly drives home that he used to be a noble himself.

According to the stories I heard, Shotachinpo has also studied many things under him ever since he received his noble peerage. I really want to see Gon-chan in a noble’s attire someday.

“What kind of business might you have with me today, little lady?”

“I have heard that you, Count Tanaka and Knight Leader Gonzales, are holding a marriage interview party for my Papa. Because I have something to say about this matter, I requested some of your time today. You have my deepest gratitude for freeing up some of your otherwise busy schedule for me.”

“I see.”

She’s a girl who can respond in a way that feels awfully level-headed for her age. If a certain Shotachinpo could get training from Neumann, he might be able to reform his character in being a bit calmer, I’d say. He’s still in the first half of his teens, so I believe he can still fix a lot of habits.

“Please allow me to get right to the point.”

“Sure, go ahead.”

“Papa has said that he presently has no plans to remarry!”

“…I understand.”

I could feel absolute love towards her Papa from her stiff expression. If we left things like this, it’s possible that Neumann might get reverse-raped in the near future. That’s the sort of passionate, highly enviable father-daughter love it was. I completely feel like I’m gazing at the Loligon growling here.

“Count-sama, Knight Leader-sama, I would like you two to understand my Papa!”

“Certainly, Neumann-san might have said something along that line.”

“T-Then…”

“It looks like we made you misunderstand things a bit, Michelle-san. Even if it’s called a marriage interview party, it’s not planned to be anything so formal, you see? I think you can take it with a slightly more relaxed and carefree attitude.”

“But, h-h-he’s going to marry, no!?”

“That’s right. If he meets a good partner, such a future might come to pass.”

“gh…”

“But, the ones deciding that are Neumann-san and you as his child. We won’t interfere in any way. We decided to hold this party as an event to liven up the town.”

“But, I heard Papa became a noble!”

“If we’re talking about the FitzClarence faction in the Penny Empire, it does give you an impression of being formal and stuff, but it’s not the same around Count Tanaka since his retainers enjoy a relatively high degree of freedom. Even if Duke FitzClarence himself introduces a spouse for Neumann-san, I will personally stop it from happening, if Neumann-san and you, Michelle-san, dislike the fiancée candidate.”

“…R-Really?”

“Yes, really.”

“……”

“The marriage interview party this time around also serves as a sort of reward for the women of our Twilight Troupe. For Neumann-san this is something like work. In the future he’ll also find himself in a position of leading my subordinates as baron.”

“…Is Papa the only one participating?”

Michelle cast an unhappy look at us. Certainly, she has a valid point in what she’s trying to say. Yeah, it’s not good at all.

“In that case, let us do it like this: the Knight Leader behind me and I will participate as well.”

“Hey, hey, wait a sec, are you saying this for real?”

“It carries a bad implication if it’s Neumann-san alone.”

Yahoo! I did it!

This ordinary Japanese flat-face feels like he’ll be able to participate as well.

Over the last few days I’d been worrying quite seriously what excuses I’d need to use in order to join in as well, but thanks to Michelle, this issue got resolved quickly. Just as it happened moments ago, it was pretty obvious that people like Gon-chan would oppose this notion.

“…Well, no helping it, I guess. I was the one to suggest this whole event first.”

“Thank you kindly, Gonzales-san.”

Having managed to safely secure the knight leader’s consent, the progress of the project was advancing at a superb pace.

＊

Today is the day of the very first Dragon City Marriage Interview Party. It was set to take place in Dragon City’s southern district.

Basically, the participants are commoners. The few nobles in the mix mostly were people belonging to the city’s administration, like for example Neumann, Shotachinpo, or this ordinary Japanese flat-face. Drill-chan also participated for the female side.

The venue was a square facing the main street. Many men and women with ages up to thirty years had gathered. After having led the whole group here, we created groups of around a dozen people each and split them up in the nearby restaurants and bars. Next we would repeat this after rearranging the groups a few times. The idea was for couples, who eventually found their ideal partner, to set up a date for further discussions later down the road.

In short, it used the same system as the group dating of modern Japan.

“Nooow then, everyone, please check the chart over here!”

The moderator for this party said while standing on a slightly elevated pedestal in the center of the square. It was the guy with the conspicuous mohican hair-cut among the members of the Twilight Troupe.

Seeing how this ordinary Japanese flat-face, Gon-chan, and Neumann were all participating, it resulted in us having him being in charge of the party’s progress. We also had other troupe members help out at various other places.

“The list over here describes the groups for the first round!”

Next to him stood a wooden board which had a big piece of paper pinned to it with nails. Almost 300 eyes were now staring at this list. Their owners each held a lot, which they had drawn just a short while ago, in their hand. A series of numbers was written on each lot. The number recorded on the lot and list as well as the restaurant’s name decided a participant’s next destination.

By the way, the restaurant run by Sophia-chan’s family was also represented in the list of meeting establishments.

“If you don’t know where to find a restaurant, take a look at the map over here!”

The participants started to move in succession in accordance with the man’s announcement. Many seemed to participate together with their friends, so it was a fairly jolly group of people.

“W-What is your number?”

As I was watching all this, someone suddenly called out to me from behind. The voice sounded familiar to me and when I turned around, I did find Edita-sensei there, just as I had expected. She was looking at me with a meek expression.

Her small hand was clutching one of the lots which had been distributed earlier. She appeared to be fairly nervous.

“Edita-san, don’t tell me…you are participating as well?”

“…Is it wrong of me to do so?”

“No, it’s not that it’s wrong, but…”

It’s a big surprise that even sensei is taking part in this. I wonder just when she got one of the lots.

“There a-are others besides me p-participating as well, right?”

“Well, yes. It is as you say.”

We haven’t written up a list of participants in advance for this event. Given that it’s not aimed at money-making, we had the people draw their lots in the order they arrived. The overall objective is to encourage the townsfolk to marry, so they have been told that any exchange beyond this will be left in the hands of those who met each other here.

We have reserved the restaurants on the list in advance. So I doubt anyone will go hungry. Electrical devices such as telephones, Internet, or PCs haven’t spread in this world, so if you consider the time and effort to tally all the participants, I judged that it’d be easier to resolve this with money.

Fortunately, the upper limit of participants has been met and thus the restaurants shouldn’t go in the red either.

“…What’s wrong? W-Was it no good?”

“No, not at all. That is definitely not the case.”

However, it hurts my virgin heart to see Edita-sensei officially hunt for a marriage partner. I didn’t expect her to be worried about her chance to marry or some such. A beautiful girl like sensei, who overflows with vitality and Eros, will likely be popular, no matter where she goes.

No, that’s wrong. You’re totally wrong, virgin-boy. At times like these, you ought to turn a predicament around into a chance.

“I’m number 9. How about you, Edita-san?”

“gh…W-We’re in the s-same restaurant then!”

“Oh, what a fortunate coincidence.”

“Alright! L-L-Let’s go together! T-To the restaurant!”

“As you wish.”

By the way, how old has Edita-sensei become this year? No matter how I spin it, I cannot believe that she’s still below thirty years old.

However, this virgin was way too scared to point this out into her face, and thus he responded by obediently agreeing with her.

＊

【Sophia-chan’s Point of View】

Finally the day for the Marriage Interview Party has arrived.

Speaking of this maid, she is going to participate after going all out dolling up herself. She even went as far as asking Elf-san to take her to Charis in order to procure slightly expensive, new clothes for the upcoming battle.

Thinking back on it now, it has been a long time since I last wore clothes other than my maid uniform while outside.

I moved to a restaurant in accordance with the list posting the numbers of lots. It wasn’t that far away from the square which had served as a gathering place. Given that my family’s restaurant was nearby as well, I have acquired quite an expertise about the stores and restaurants in this area, allowing me to reach my destination in no time.

Right after entering the place, I ran into a gathering of men and women holding lots.

“……”

Some of the people here were familiar faces to me as well. Surprisingly, I’m in the same group as Neumann-san, am I not?

Thanks to that, this maid felt some motivation well up inside her all of a sudden.

But, for some reason I could see his daughter next to him. Her face was showing a very stern expression. Standing at her father’s side, she was staring at everyone else as if trying to kill them with her eyes.

Meanwhile, a pleasant conversation had started among the participants. I was told there were talks with the restaurant in advance. As such, the restaurant’s side actually provided a simple explanation and schedule for the event’s participants.

With this, the atmosphere in the restaurant and the quality of the staff working there will apparently become a key factor for success.

This maid sat down at the foot of the table and watched how things were progressing.

Naturally, my attention was drawn toward Neumann-san. It was just based on a brief confirmation, but as expected, he was the top runner.

Suddenly, he noticed this maid and met eyes with her.

We share a relationship of having met countless times in the mansion of Mayor-san. With this background being a major help, he immediately came over to me.

“Sophia-kun, are you also participating after being asked by that man?”

“Eh? Ah, no, that’s…”

Being asked in such a way, there’s no way that I can answer truthfully.

Thereupon, my eyes met with those of his daughter.

“I-I see your daughter is with you.”

“She insisted on tagging along.”

“You must be on good terms then.”

I took the liberty of greeting her with a quick smile.

This capable maid didn’t forget to make a curtsey either.

If we join our hands in marriage, I will become her mother.

“Umm, h-hello.”

“gh…”

However, his daughter seemed to be in a rather bad mood, seeing how she averted her face all of a sudden. Maybe she hates this maid?

“Hey, Michelle, greet her properly, okay?”

“…Hello.”

I remember her being a very polite daughter when I met her previously. Yet, today she looks to be in an oddly bad mood. Did something nasty happen to her?

As I was thinking about this, she called out to me, “Miss, are you targeting my Papa as well?”

“Eh…?”

What was directed at me next were the eyes of someone trying to probe me. Those eyes are no good. No good at all. It’s the look of a woman who opposes a rival aiming for the same guy as her.

“Michelle, give it a rest. Don’t say such strange things. You’re being rude to her.”

“……”

This is a lost case. Seeing that this maid would welcome a big rival as her own child, this maid has no confidence that she could build a warm family with Neumann-san and her.

The look directed at me by his daughter was this intense.

“Sorry, Sophia-kun. My daughter is slightly precocious.”

“N-No, not at all. It is no problem at all!”

I pray that his daughter’s determination proves to be of benefit to her father.

＊

What I faced together with Edita-sensei was a restaurant not far off our neighborhood. We were participating in the Marriage Interview Party at the same restaurant.

However, this ordinary Japanese flat-face made a huge blunder right at the start. While talking with someone of the opposite sex, right after sitting down――so basically immediately after entering the restaurant――this busamen had to borrow the toilet of this place like a small boy who can’t hold his urge to pee.

After releasing what desired to leave, I felt completely refreshed. And as such I headed back towards the table, trying to reach my seat. But, at this point, this virgin’s place inside the restaurant was already gone.

I spotted my blond, thicc loli sensei in the center of the venue. She was highly popular. Several guys were crowding around her. The guys, who had no interest in a loli, had already started to talk with other women.

Then again, this group was set to have the same number of men and women. And because Edita-sensei was drawing a lot of men towards herself, the other group members had formed circles with three and more participants.

Thanks to that, it was difficult to get into any of them.

Moreover, some women cast fleeting glances at this ordinary Japanese flat-face who had re-entered the restaurant from his toilet break, but it didn’t lead to any sort of conversation. It felt like being released after a Three-Seconds long evaluation.

My status is that of a noble, so I thought they might be keeping their distance because of that. But, this is a rather cold treatment nonetheless. In the first place, I’m not even wearing my noble attire right now. I’m in simple commoner clothes, just like everyone else.

And to go even further, this busamen doesn’t show himself in public overly much. I have entrusted the town’s administration to Sophia-chan, Gon-chan, and Neumann-san with Loligon taking the lead as mayor. Those on the level of representatives are one thing, but it looks like many of the normal residents don’t know my face yet.

That’s probably the reason why things have turned out like this.

“……”

Now that I think about it, that’s right, this is normal for this busamen. Most recently, my surroundings have been pampering me a bit, so I got carried away.

This ordinary Japanese flat-face indulged in the silly illusion that he could enjoy a conversation with a member of the other sex, if it’s this town.

In contrast to that, sensei’s surroundings were lively. The guys constantly boasted their strengths and advantages to her.

“I see, so you’re called Edita-san, right?” “What a lovely name.” “Do you have any hobbies? I like to collect edible plants in the forest just outside the town.” “It’s my job to make medicine out of medicinal plants.” “I might look like this, but I’m an adventurer. I also participated in high orc subjugations.” “I come from a family of merchants and as a matter of fact, this town also…”

Because of all this, sensei was completely flustered. She was restlessly looking around, not knowing whom to answer first.

“N-No, u-umm, you s-see, even if you a-a-all talk to me a-at once…”

This ordinary Japanese flatface’s heart started to throb when he saw that lovely behavior. But, at the same time, his heart got all excited in another sense when he imagined sensei being NTRed by one of the guys around her. In the unlikely case such a day should ever arrive, this busamen was confident that he’d hole himself up in his own room. The brittle heart of this virgin would probably shatter then and there.

“……”

This unpopular fellow reluctantly sat down at a corner of the table and killed some time by himself. While sipping his tea without having anything else to do, I waited for time to slowly pass.

It reminded me of the offline meeting I joined in the metropolitan area. This is how it felt. Yep, this is just how I felt back then.

And then, a short while later, there was some movement among some of the participants.

“Hey, isn’t that Viscountess FitzClarence over there?” “Eh? No way that’s true.” “The crest decorating her cloak looks like the one of House FitzClarence, though.” “Certainly, it appears to be a crest…” “No, no, no matter how you spin it, it’s unthinkable that a Viscountess would come to a commoner’s restaurant, right?”

Everyone was looking outside through the glass window. Unable to believe this to be true, this ordinary Japanese flat-face also turned his attention in this direction.

Thereupon, I could definitely confirm Ester-chan being out there. She was closely staring through the glass window facing the street, as if to peer inside the restaurant. However, that lasted only a short span of time.

Just when this busamen thought his eyes met with hers for the fraction of a second, she quickly drew back behind the wall.

“……”

This ordinary Japanese flat-face decided to pretend that he didn’t see anything.

＊

【Sophia-chan Point of View】

The group phase of the Marriage Interview Party will apparently be carried out several times in different constellations. According to Tanaka-san, it has the goal of giving people the chance to meet with many different people. I think that’s a very smart way to handle it.

However, at present, this maid has nothing to show for it.

Every once in a while I spotted someone with a nice face, but as we talked with each other, I always ended up comparing them to Tanaka-san, resulting in me not feeling the desire to take it to the next level.

After the first marriage group interview ended in such a tune, we walked through the city, heading for the square which would be the venue for the next meeting. Neumann-san, his daughter, and this maid shared a casual, unhinged conversation.

Along the way I picked up a voice I remembered.

『H-Hey! Don’t get any closer! Stay away!!!』

“Hungry.”

『Why do I have to care about your food in the first place!?』

“Hungry.”

『gh…I-I got it, so keep your distance!!』

“I have a ring, so it’s okay.”

『That thing’s fishy as hell. Aren’t you just lying about it?』

When I stopped and turned my attention in the direction of the voices, I found Dragon-san and Goggoru-san at a corner of a big street with a lot of traffic. I couldn’t see anyone else accompanying them. It seems like those two are taking a stroll through the city by themselves.

Goggoru-san was following Dragon-san with a bit of a distance between the two. Each time they advanced several steps, Dragon-san would busily look back over her shoulder. Goggoru-san, on the other hand, kept steadily walking after her in silence. From an outsider’s perspective, these two had to look pretty close to each other.

By the way, Goggoru-san was holding the ring I saw the other day.

“That’s the mayor, isn’t it?”

It appears Neumann-san had also noticed them. Naturally, this maid spoke up in reply.

“I wonder, d-did something happen?”

“Hmm, who knows…”

Goggoru-san wasn’t known to go outside much, so it was rare to meet her in the city like this. As such, our attention was drawn to their conversation. If some trouble cropped up, this maid would have to quickly search for Tanaka-san.

“No lie.”

『W-What would happen if my t-tail entered? Just the tail』

“Read.”

『That’s no good then, is it!?』

Dragon-san started to briskly walk ahead. Chasing after her, Goggoru-san also increased her walking speed.

『To begin with, what did you do up until now!?』

“Have it delivered.”

『Wouldn’t it be just fine to have it delivered this time as well then!?』

“Once I moved to the tower, the food delivery stopped.”

『G-Gurururururu』

Come to think of it, Goggoru-san did move. The place, where she lived before, became part of the residential area when the city grew in size. Her current home was one of the middle floors in the tall tower built by Dragon-san or something like that.

The food delivery might not have succeeded in switching to her new address because of that. Also, middle floor sounds like no big deal, but you have to climb a ridiculous amount of stairs to reach those floors. Any food delivery would be a chore, if you cannot use flight magic. Climbing the stairs by foot would simply take too much time for any normal human.

“Hungry.”

『I-I got it. Be a good girl and follow me! That woman’s restaurant is this way. You went there with that guy previously, so they should have something to eat even for someone like you. I’ll negotiate on your behalf. I-I’m the mayor after all!』

“…Looking forward to it.”

『Wait, you been there already, right? It’s the same place, okay?』

“Still looking forward to it.”

『…Gurururu』

Because everyone in the mayor’s mansion has gone out to help with the Marriage Interview Party, they came here to look for something to eat, I suppose. Both continued to walk together in a peaceful mood. Going by the direction, they’re heading for the area around my family’s restaurant.

“They’re gone.”

“R-Right.”

It’s nothing requiring immediate attention, so I think it will be alright to check back with Tanaka-san later on. Rather than that, right now the marriage interviews take precedence. Yep, the marriage interviews.

I will use this opportunity to definitely find myself a dreamy gentleman.

After seeing off the two girls, we went back to the square to join today’s second lot-drawing, just as planned initially. On the square I caught sight of people who had already come back from their group’s interview venue. There was still a little bit more time left until the scheduled meet-up over here.

Slipping into the crowd of gathered participants, we waited for the next announcement by the event staff.

In the middle of that, someone suddenly addressed Neumann-san.

“Excuse me, aren’t you Baron Neumann?”

The one calling out was a woman who was obviously of noble upbringing. Moreover, she wore a dashing outfit which was closer to that of a man than a gaudy dress you’d expect from a woman. Somehow she had the same atmosphere as Ester-sama, back when she disguised herself as a man. However, her looks were completely different.

She seemed to be around twenty years old. Her crisp, cool features were impressive, making her look like a very gallant person. She was somewhat tall for a woman as she reached Tanaka-san’s height. If she had been straddling a horse right now, it would have made for a perfect painting of a noble.

“Yes, I’m Neuman. Do you have some sort of business with me?”

“Please allow me to get straight to the point. Could you please marry me?”

“……”

The situation has become stormy once again, Tanaka-san.

＊

This ordinary Japanese flat-face, who had weathered through the first marriage interview meet, hurried to the square in order to participate in the second group division. Thanks to the existence of my blond, thicc loli sensei, our group went slightly over the allotted time.

At the time of my departure, a part of the male participants had requested an extension of the marriage interview at the same restaurant, hoping to have more time with sensei. It was a plea I could fully understand. Seeing no other way out, Edita-sensei told them her personal standing and situation, and thus this busamen obtained the opportunity to take her out of the restaurant.

When the two of us returned to the square, we ran into a crowd of people. This crowd was especially dense, even for the venue with its many visitors.

Maybe some sort of problem has occurred.

“Did something happen?”

“Let us go and take a look.”

While harboring that question, sensei and I headed towards the gathering of people. Soon we spotted familiar people in the center of the crowd.

Neumann-san, his daughter, and Sophia-chan were having a conversation with an unknown noble lady. The one talking the most among this ordinary Japanese flat-face’s acquaintances was Neumann-san. Maid-san and his daughter appeared to watch their exchange for the sideline.

“How about it? I would like you to come to my territory by all means. We will hold the ceremony over there.”

“Please forgive me. I have been participating in this sort of event, but this has mostly happened on behalf of an order coming from above, and although I feel extremely sorry to tell you, would you be okay for us to talk about this on another occasion?”

“If you become my husband, you will be able to aim even higher. There is much you can gain from it.”

“It is a very attractive offer and thus I feel truly happy. But, with my social status…”

Somehow it looks like Neumann-san is being hit on one-sidedly. I’m quite curious how this sort of exchange between the two came to be.

A shiny layer of greasy sweat was visible on Neumann-san’s forehead and his eyes were restlessly darting around. His tone was harmless and gentle, but I can tell that he’s probably panicking inside.

As I was thinking that, the other party noticed me as well.

“Oh, Count Tanaka, you came at a good time.”

“Is something the matter, Baron Neumann?”

Having a conversation with this handsome guy while adding his title of honor unsettled me quite a bit. It doesn’t feel like it fits. But, the other party is a noble. And many of the participants are currently watching us. Hence, it’d be wrong to talk with him as usual.

Keeping this in mind, this ordinary Japanese flat-face went over to Neumann-san.

“This here is Countess Solo. She has been asking me to marry her.”

“I see?”

This is yet another, fairly abrupt consultation. Also, it looks like there has been another noble marriage interview participant besides us.

“You are Count Tanaka?”

“Yes, I’m Tanaka.”

“Please allow me to deeply thank you for this wonderful event on this occasion. Thanks to it, I was able to meet a wonderful gentleman. My name is Martina Solo. I possess a fief in the northern reaches of the Penny Empire. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

“Oh, thank you kindly for this very polite greeting.”

I was very surprised to receive this sort of self-introduction. It seems she’s not the wife of a count, but the countess herself. It’s rare for a woman to act as lord of a fief in the Penny Empire with its extremely feudalistic system. The career of Ester-chan also stands out in the imperial court because of that back-setting.

“If possible, could you please help me convince Baron Neumann as well, Count?”

“Are you acquainted with Baron Neumann?”

“No, I met him today for the first time.”

“…I understand.”

I don’t get it at all. Is him being a hunk such a strong attraction? Thinking so, I unintentionally felt like crying.

This busamen wanted to experience being loved at first sight at least once in his life as well. He wanted to be asked for his hand in marriage and his seed just like that.

The answer to all of this was provided by the hustle and bustle around us.

“Speaking of Countess Solo, she’s famous for being a marriage-hunting noble…” “Idiot, keep your voice down. She can hear you!” “She’s a very pretty person, isn’t she? And here I thought I was having a hard time.” “But, in that case, why is she rumored to be too late in marrying?” “I hear she inherited the fief from her father and ended up growing old while she was struggling to get the fief back up running.”

“Don’t you think she looks quite youthful, considering that?” “Despite appearances, she’s apparently over thirty.” “Eh? Over thirty, you say?” “No way, you’re kidding. That’s simply not possible, right?” “It seems to be the truth.” “Isn’t she way too beautiful to be over thirty?” “But, in that case it’ll be difficult to make an heir with her, won’t it?”

I was convinced that she’s around twenty, but it seems she’s already over thirty. I find it hard to believe, but maybe she’s actually at the same age as this ordinary Japanese flat-face or such. This world isn’t very advanced when it comes to make-up, so I cannot believe that we have the same age at all.

“My reputation in society is as you have heard from the people gathered in this place,” Countess Solo said while overlooking the crowd around us.

I had expected for her to definitely become angry, but she seems to be an unexpectedly lenient person.

“Your participation in this party is very welcome.”

“I heard about this at the court by coincidence and it’s good that I came here.”

“I am happy to hear you say that.”

“I’m a noble belonging to the prime minister’s faction. If it had been just a few weeks ago, I would have stayed clear of this place by a long shot, seeing how it’s run by you, who belong to the FitzClarence faction. But, that’s already a matter of the past. Don’t you think our marriage would be of high value to deepen the connection between both factions, Count Tanaka?”

“Yes, I believe you have a valid point, Countess Solo.”

Just how much does this woman want to marry? She’s totally going for it at full force. Neumann-san, you’re very popular, aren’t you?

“By the way, where did you hear about Baron Neumann?”

“I heard about him from a noble of the Pussy Republic in my previous group. She said that Baron Neumann, who is running the administration of this city, is a wonderful man. I also heard that he seems to be living with his daughter after divorcing his wife.”

“I see.”

So it’s Drill-chan’s fault. I’m sure she did it because she found it interesting to mess around. No doubt she’s currently watching this whole scene unfold from somewhere in the crowd, cheerfully smiling at her own coup. I can actually imagine her as she does this in my mind.

This ordinary Japanese flat-face can totally understand since he did something similar to His Majesty.

“As you can see, I’m already quite old. Very likely it will be difficult for me to bear a child. As such, there is no better marriage partner than Neumann-san, seeing how he comes with a child. His daughter is still very young, but I also plan to entrust my fief to her someday.”

“……”

It sounds like she wants an heir.

A male family head can produce as many heirs of his own blood as he wants as long as he screws some woman, even if his wife isn’t able to conceive. But, in her case, it’s not that easy. In the end, someone like Neumann-san, who has already divorced once, would be the perfect match.

Certainly, from her point of view, he’s the most convenient noble partner she could hope for. Even his position of having risen into nobility from being a commoner seems to be a plus if she considers herself being superior. Moreover, his abilities to do office work are certified at the imperial court. He’d be the perfect person to take care of a fief’s administration.

“At first I thought I wouldn’t mind even marrying a commoner and thus I attended this marriage interview party and other occasions, but I didn’t expect that nobles would participate here at all. Thanks to that, I was blessed with a wonderful encounter. Please, I would love you to marry me.”

But, given the whole situation, this is troublesome. As was clear from Neumann-san’s earlier struggle, he found it relatively difficult to refuse her request outright. When it comes to a countess with a reasonable amount of power, Neumann-san, who’s no more than a rural baron, naturally struggles to turn her offer down just like that.

Of course this ordinary Japanese flat-face could turn her down in his stead, but since we both have the same status, having someone superior refuse would make this whole ordeal finish on a more peaceful tune. It’s kind of like bringing forth your own senior executive manager if the other party fields their section chief.

“Which reminds me, aren’t you unmarried as well, Count Tanaka?”

Uh-oh, Neumann-san took the option of betrayal. But, what’s the idea with offering this ordinary Japanese flat-face to save his own, precious skin? After all, I’m specialized in virgins.

“I have also heard of Count Tanaka’s military achievements. There is talk about you being a resourceful, excellent man with superior skill in sorcery. I also heard that you took a dragon as a subordinate and repelled the demon queen’s blow against Charis without getting hurt at all the other day.”

“No, no, people are just exaggerating…”

“But, sorry, your appearance isn’t to my liking.”

“……”

But well, how to put it…she’s a fairly blunt person. Actually, that feels refreshing in a way.

Neumann-san, on the other hand, was looking my way with an apologetic expression.

Don’t worry, this is normal for this busamen.

“Around two more second group phases are left for today’s Marriage Interview Party. We have fully understood the part about you liking Baron Neumann, but could I ask you to participate in this event until the end like everyone else?”

“Hmm, you certainly have a point with this.”

“How about it then?”

“Very well, I shall do as you say.”

“Thank you kindly.”

This should have bought us a bit of time. Let’s think about a method to refuse her somehow during that time. The other party is a count, just like this ordinary Japanese flat-face, and moreover, someone from another faction.

I’d prefer to avoid anything that would hurt our honor.

＊

After successfully calming Countess Solo, the Marriage Interview Party went into its second round.

This ordinary Japanese flat-face is going to pool all his strength into this to capitalize on even the faintest possibility.

But, once I conducted myself in front of people as noble, it contributed to how things were going, completely changing how I was treated in all the meetings afterwards. Basically, I was treated like some tumor. Meaning, people body-swerved me.

“Hehehe, the peerless, great count has turned into something miserable, eh?”

“Saying this, how are things proceeding on your end, Doris-san?”

“Who knows, I wonder?”

Thanks to those circumstances this busamen was now talking to Drill-chan. We had been put in the same group as a result of the lot-drawing. And if not for her, my second group meeting would have likely turned out just like the first. I ended up being oddly delighted over Drill-chan participating in this event.

By the way, the object of our observation――sensei who was panicking around――was surrounded by countless men. As always, my blond, thicc loli sensei was popular among everyone. As soon as the marriage interview started, she was crowded by loads of male participants.

“Is she being favorably accepted by the world of humans because she’s an elf?”

“It depends on the local circumstances and the character of the person in question, but in the case of a big country like the Penny Empire, visiting elves are often interested in the humans, so aren’t they generally welcomed in a positive light?”

“I see.”

“They look lovely and on top of that, they will uphold their beauty for a long time. Elves are pretty much ideal as partners, aren’t they? Besides the elves’ groundings in magic are very profound compared to humans, so they can easily earn money by using their magic.”

“If you explain it like that, they do appear to be very attractive as partners.”

In Edita-sensei’s case, she’s outstanding and youthful in addition to being a veteran magician. Not to mention that she possesses a vitality that allows her to survive in society, even without being taken care of. Moreover, she has a very compassionate heart when it comes to others thanks to her gentle personality.

Bringing all of this up, it sounds like she’d become the type of wife who would turn her husband into a worthless bum by pampering him all over. This ordinary Japanese flat-face would love to be turned into a bum by her as well.

“Won’t you marry anyone, Count Tanaka? I heard you’re single as well.”

“Well yes, right now I have no such plans…”

By the way, Countess Solo was in our group as well. This was yet another outcome of the drawing, but maybe the event organizers deliberately arranged for it to be like that to push the troublesome matter on this ordinary Japanese flat-face. As a matter of fact, Neumann-san is in a different group and our restaurant is quite a bit away from the other groups’ meeting places.

“Well, you are a man, so I guess you do not need to worry over this too much.”

“Indeed, I believe you have a point there, Countess Solo.”

The three of us were sitting at a table slightly away from the rest of our group, talking about anything and everything. Countess Solo has already locked on Neumann-san as a marriage partner, so she isn’t approaching commoners anymore.

“If I had been born as a man, I might have been able to take this more calmly as well, but…”

“Men and women each have their good sides.”

“This is a surprise. You’re saying the same thing as my butler.”

“……”

I’m sure the butler of her family must be struggling as well. We’ve only talked for a bit, but Countess Solo gives me the vibe of being a career woman who only lives for her work. Thanks to this, this ordinary Japanese flat-face also feels comfortable talking with her. Her affinity with Drill-chan, who is the same type, also seems to be good.

As all of this was going on, one of the many tables suddenly became very lively.

“Hey, you okay!?” “What’s wrong with you becoming dead tired all of a sudden?” “Your face looks pretty bad.” “Maybe she’s sick.” “That’s bad. We must get her treated right away!” “If that’s the case, I know a skilled doctor who’s close.” “Alright, leave it to me. I’ll quickly carry her over.”

Wondering what was going on, our attention was drawn to the uproar. Thereupon, we spotted Edita-sensei sitting on her chair with a pale face for some reason. She was leaning against the chair’s backrest, looking like she was in a lot of pain. Even from back here I could see that her gaze was unfocused. Maybe she’s having something akin to a fit?

Either way, it’s time for my healing magic.”

“Edita-sa…”

Just when this ordinary Japanese flat-face tried to rise from his chair, there was movement next to him.

Countess Solo jumped up with enough force to kick over her chair and rushed over to the men around Edita-sensei. Her hand was holding the sword, which she had drawn from her waist at some point. Jumping on top of the group’s table, she pointed the sword’s tip at one participant.

At the same time, a magic circle manifested in front of the countess. It was filled with a glaring, crimson gleam. A burning fire arrow surfaced in its center. Even though the food on the table was scattered all over the place, she didn’t seem like she minded it. It felt like a countdown until the arrow would be fired had started.

Naturally, everyone present in the restaurant focused on her. But without minding any of it, she said loudly, “I thought I might have seen wrongly, but it looks like my eyes didn’t trick me.”

“N-N-N-Noble-sama, j-just w-w-what is g-going on….?”

“Bastard, you added something to the meal of that elf, didn’t you?”

“Hii…”

Having a sword and fire arrow pointed at him, the man started to tremble out of fear with his face cramped up. It seems like a bad guy zeroed in on Edita-sensei.

＊

Edita-sensei’s health suddenly deteriorated in the middle of the Marriage Interview Party. The cause was one of the male participants who had surrounded her. After having this called out by Countess Solo, he obediently admitted everything.

According to him, he wanted to marry an elven girl, no matter the cost.

It’s not that I cannot understand his feelings on this. Even this ordinary Japanese flat-face wants to marry Edita-sensei. But, poisoning her food is wrong.

“Are you okay, Edita-san?”

“Y-Yeah, you were a big help. I dropped my guard because I was inside the city…”

Sensei looked somewhat depressed. Probably she’s seriously regretting having relaxed her attention, just as she mentioned moments ago. This diligent part of her is truly lovely. It makes me feel like tightly hugging her. Very tightly.

“Please forgive me for not having noticed it in advance either.”

“No, it’s n-n-not your fault. I’m just too w-worthless.”

Sensei recovered from the poisoning after receiving this busamen’s healing magic. While everyone else was worried looking at her, she got back up on her own two feet. She didn’t seem to feel giddy anymore either. It’s probably okay to assess her as having recovered completely.

But, I ended up casting my healing magic on her over and over again out of anxiety.

When I later confirmed with the criminal, the poison he gave sensei was apparently something to make her consciousness murky for some time. The poison’s effect was immediate and temporary, but it wasn’t supposed to have any after-effects. It seems to be dangerous to take a big doses of it at a time, but it wasn’t as though sensei had been given that this much on this occasion.

“Count Tanaka, what sort of penalty is given in such a situation in your fief? Personally I’d suggest that it’d be alright to kill the offender on the spot. By the way, rape is sentenced with the death penalty in my fief.”

“Let’s see…”

“Hiii…”

The criminal had both his feet and hands bound with rope, lying on the restaurant’s floor. Hearing the countess, a soundless scream formed on his lips. Slaying him on the spot would trouble the restaurant and it’d also dampen the Marriage Interview Party’s mood, so I’d like to refrain from doing that. Given that Neumann-san has been giving his best in creating the city rules, I think it’ll be fine to make a decision on another day after consulting with him.

“I would like to make a fair judgment after checking back on the rules later on.”

“I see. In that case I won’t raise my voice any longer.”

“Thank you kindly for being so accommodating.”

Countess Solo sheathed her sword with a click. She has a personality that’s a lot calmer than I expected. After she suddenly started to swing around her sword, I thought the might hail from a bloodline of hotblooded folks. But, thinking it over now, she’s probably done that to threaten the criminal so that he wouldn’t run away. She’s got a smart head. And she also has the ability to put her thoughts immediately into action.

Neumann-san, a marriage with her might be an unexpectedly good deal for you.

“By the way, You were called Solo-dono? Do you have a little moment?”

“What is it?” Countess Solo asked when Edita-sensei approached her timidly.

Everyone’s attention was directed at those two.

“First off, I would l-like to thank you for having s-saved me. Thank you.”

“No need for thanks. I just witnessed it by coincidence,” Countess Solo answered with a laid-back, friendly tone.

Ester-chan might have the same atmosphere after she’s accumulated enough years to exceed the thirties. Or so I thought, but why can’t this ordinary Japanese flat-face imagine her having lost her youth at all?

“Also, I would like to ask you a-about the magic you u-used earlier.”

“Is something the matter with that spell?”

“Did you learn it by taking lessons from someone?”

“My father.”

“Forgive me for the repeated q-questions, but did your father learn this magic b-by taking lessons from someone? If it’s a-alright with you, I would like y-you to tell me. Maybe I will be able to s-solve what is w-worrying you.”

“…That’d be my father’s father, but how is that related to my worries?”

“The earlier spell formula is something I have previously seen being used in a similar form among us elves.”

“Elven magic?”

“This is just my guess, but maybe e-elven blood has mixed into the family on your f-father’s side through a d-distant ancestor. Because one of its special characteristics has manifested in you a-a bit stronger than usual, you might be maintaining a strangely youthful appearance that doesn’t m-match your age.”

“That’s yet another interesting story. Can I ask you something as well.”

“M-Mmh, feel free to ask anything.”

“Let’s assume that elven blood has entered my family on my father’s side. Is it possible for me to conceive a child with another human in such a case?”

“Of course, it p-poses no problem whatsoever. Even pure elves can have a child w-with humans. You can find many half-elves i-in this world, c-can’t you? You’re basically a b-being whose elven blood has t-thinned out over many iterations that you could b-be c-called a half of a half of a half and so on.”

“I understand.”

“Elves struggle quite a-a bit to give birth to c-children. Your body m-might receive some influence from that c-characteristic as well. But, if your b-body’s youthfulness stems from an e.elven origin, you will likely b-be able to have children without problem until your b-beauty wanes. Elves live m-much longer than humans.”

“In that case, would that make me a half-elf?”

“No, you’re a h-human. Your ears aren’t tapered either. You’re j-just receiving a bit of influence by y-your elven blood. If you compare your blood t-to that of half-elves, yours is e-extremely thin. I don’t think that you w-would receive elven influence to the extent o-of calling it atavism.”

“That means…”

“If you go b-back several generations, unexpectedly many humans have copulated with non-human races. Sometimes you will r-run into someone with i-incredible strength or such, right? That’s the same. There are m-many cases where the blood of d-demihumans, such as werewolves or dwarves, has entered h-human f-families.”

Even modern society has given birth to many children of mixed race ever since the Age of Discovery. African Americans might be a prime example for that. They incorporate the best parts of black and white people. And many of them are outstandingly handsome guys or beautiful women. So much so that it’s enviable for me as a member of a yellow-flat-face race.

“I heard something nice there.”

A smile formed on Countess Solo’s lips after listening to Edita-sensei’s explanation. Thanks to that, this ordinary Japanese flat-face could easily imagine her next words.

“In that case, there’s still no need for me to rush to get married!”

“N-No, it’s closer to humans as a disposition. I t-think it would be better to a-at least prepare…”

“I must support a great number of residents. I only fretted over getting married as I desire an heir. If I can run the fief by myself, I don’t really need to hurry all that much. I can take my time and choose carefully.”

“……”

Somehow I get the reason why this woman is late in getting married. Her way of thinking is just like that of a guy. Just what kind of education did her father give her?

“How may I call you?”

“I-I’m called Edita.”

“Edita-dono, I’d like to thank you. This was a wonderful lecture.”

“No, I have to thank you for having saved me.”

“If you should come to my fief or its neighborhood, please come to visit my mansion by all means. I will give you a warm welcome. Ah, Count Tanaka, the same of course applies to you as well. I thank you dearly for this great opportunity.”

“If I should get the opportunity I will definitely take you up on this.”

After this and that, the first Dragon City Marriage Interview Party came to an end.

＊

On another day a letter was delivered to Dragon City from the Solo family.

I hear several people raised their voices, wishing to take Countess Solo as a wife, or become part of her family as her husband. That’s probably because her beauty, which is very unusual for her age, is well-known in society as something transcending human beauty. Moreover, she herself has a good character and the administration of her fief is going well, too.

Under all these circumstances, it’s only natural for the men of this world to not be able to ignore her. Of course, their interest in her is based on calculated self-interest, though.

“I see. And because of that it means I’ve been relieved as a marriage target, huh?”

“Are you sad about it?”

Her magic report, which is NOT a telegram, had been sent to Dragon City through Trichuris’s magic transmitter. When I informed Neumann about its content, I could immediately tell from his face that he felt relieved because she previously didn’t stop courting him.

“No, I told you before: at present I do not plan to take a wife.”

“You’re going to prioritize the time with your daughter, right?”

“That’s how it is. She isn’t an overly laudable woman, but even a mother like that must have been a parent for my daughter. I also hear that nowadays girls of marriageable age easily become emotionally unstable. As such I doubt it’s a good idea to brave such a risk just to find a new partner.”

“…I see.”

Our current location was my office in the mayor’s mansion. Maid-san was also present at the desk. She was kindly managing the sorting and documenting of the recent Marriage Interview Party.

By the way, I heard she had no success herself and now she was facing the page in front of her with a somewhat sorrowful look.

As for this ordinary Japanese flat-face, at the same time of feeling relieved about this, he also felt slightly guilty.

“I have taken a liking to my current lifestyle. You don’t need to worry about it, Tanaka.”

“I understand.”

Neumann-san sat on the sofa opposite of me and we were talking while drinking tea. Given that the letter had been delivered by a fast horse from Trichuris, I had him show up like this. From the series of reactions thus far, I could tell that he was more than worried about what happened afterwards.

“But, nobles have a duty to guarantee that their title and fief can be passed on to a successor, right?”

“If you bring that up, how about you, Tanaka?”

Oh damn, I went one step too far after getting swept along by the flow of our conversation. The terrain beyond this belongs to normies. It’s plain as day that a virgin has no chance at winning when it comes to talking about marriages, kids, or anything of that sort. I got too cocky.

How should I answer this?

Right as I started to wrack my brain about this question, someone suddenly knocked against the door.

“It’s me. I brought someone with me. We’re coming in.”

“Oh, okay. Please come in then.”

It seems like my blond, thicc loli sensei has arrived.

This ordinary Japanese flat-face took advantage of that and directed his eyes to the entrance. Thereupon I spotted Michelle-chan, Neumann-san’s daughter who came up as a topic in our conversation, and sensei standing in the door.

“Papa! So you were here after all!”

“Michelle, I told you over and over to stay home, and yet…”

“I came to help you with work! One who doesn’t work shan’t not eat!”

“Michelle…”

His daughter ran up to him with a pitter-patter. She straddled her father on the sofa, like some hostess in a club, and constantly touched his body.

For some reason, this virgin sensed a hint of reverse rape from this. Following her, Edita-sensei came to this ordinary Japanese flat-face.

“We met in f-front of the mansion. She s-said s-she wanted to meet her father, so I led her here.”

“Oh, I see. That makes sense. Thank you.”

“Ms. Edita, please forgive my daughter for causing you trouble.”

“No, don’t m-mind it. It’s n-not like I was that b-busy anyway.”

After this short exchange, sensei sat down next to this ordinary Japanese flat-face.

A nice smell drifted my way from her hair as it gently swayed. I couldn’t endure her thigh being in a place where I could touch it by just extending a hand. Today it looks quite plump as well. I felt like trying to stand up from the sofa and placing my hand on that thigh in a little accident of having my hand slip.

“The other day we also inconvenienced you, Edita-san. Has there been any changes to your condition ever since then? If there is anything worrying you, I would be happy if you could immediately call out to me. I will prepare my healing magic.”

“No, I’m f-fine. It looks like i-it wasn’t that strong a drug.”

“That’s what matters the most.”

The criminal in question had been handed over to Neumann-san and got punished appropriately according to this city’s rules. Apparently it was common in the Penny Empire to receive the death penalty for sexual assault. However, this time it ended at an attempt, so I hear the criminal was banished from our territory on top of having all his possessions stripped. His body was branded and the neighboring towns and cities received an explanation so that he wouldn’t be able to enter.

It’s not that I don’t feel like all those measures are basically sentencing him to death, but well, it’s how things work in this world. Since I’d hate the idea of criminality going up in Dragon City because of the punishment of criminals being too lax, I had decided to follow Neumann-san’s decision on this.

“By the way, Edita-san, how did the Marriage Interview Party go for you? Did you find someone piquing your interest? You were passionately approached by many men during the event after all.”

“Eh? Ah, n-no, it d-didn’t lead to a-anything noteworthy!”

“I see.”

“Rather than that, how about you?”

“It was the same for me as well. I suppose for the meantime I will remain single.”

“I-I see!”

Hearing my honest reply, sensei’s face bloomed into a smile. She was incredibly happy.

Maybe because she recognized me as one of her kind? I guess I scored a feeling of fellowship with her.

But, this virgin doesn’t feel all that bad about being called the same as sensei. At the same time, there was nothing more reassuring than understanding that she didn’t have a special man in her mind.

It gave me peace of mind.

“U-Umm, I brewed tea…”

As this and that was going on, Maid-san addressed me. She stood right next to me without me having noticed her approach. The brewed tea on the tray in her hand was so piping hot that steam was still rising from it.

It looks like she made some for Edita-sensei and Neumann-san’s daughter. While holding the tray in one hand, she placed cups in front of both with courteous hand movements.

Her family’s restaurant seems to have gradually settled down, resulting in her showing up in the mansion as of late.

“Thank you. As always, it smells nicely.”

“Sorry, Sophia-kun.”

“T-Thank you very much!”

My blond, thicc loli sensei brought the cup to her mouth as soon as she received it. While gazing at her, Maid-san spoke up.

“U-Umm, did something happen between you two?”

Very likely she’s asking this because she heard our exchange just now by chance. She had been assigned to another group, after all.

“Mmh? Ah, it was nothing major. In the middle of the event a few days ago, a drug was added to my food. I put my hand on the food without noticing this. Thanks to that, it caused trouble to this person.”

“gh...”

Hearing Edita-sensei’s explanation, Maid-san’s expression froze slightly. At the same time, it looked like her shoulder jumped ever so slightly.

“Is something the matter, Sophia-san?”

“Did something h-happen to you as well at t-the venue?”

“N-No, nothing! Absolutely nothing!”

“Really? Then it’s fine, but…”

“Excuse me, I shall go and clean up the kitchen!”

Without giving us the time to speak with her, Maid-san quickly headed to the tea preparation room while holding the tray. This ordinary Japanese flat-face and sensei could only stare at her back in a daze.

Maybe Sophia-chan suffered harm similar to sensei’s? No, wait. In such a case, we should have received some sort of report from the restaurant that offered the venue. We had repeatedly asked them in advance to tell us anything.

In that case, maybe it’s something that’s unrelated to the Marriage Interview Party?

I don’t get it at all. But, if she’s truly troubled, I’m sure she’ll sooner or later consult me. Everyone has a topic or two they don’t want to talk about. If I tried to get it out of her and ended up being hated, I’d lose everything.

“B-By the way, there’s one thing I-I want to ask you…”

“What might that be?”

“D-D-Don’t you have any p-plans to establish a-an heir s-s-soon?”

“……”

Et tu, Edita-sensei?

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