The Isolated Marchioness Just Wants to Make a Living - Chapter 244

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Part 2, Episode 49
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“Your Highness!”
On his way back to the mansion with a heavy heart, he encountered his Adjutant riding hard toward him.
“Word has come that additional damage has occurred around the Baron Forman Territory.”
The Adjutant’s face was shadowed with dismay.
“Livestock on the farms have been slaughtered wholesale, and the damage to the winter crops is severe.”
Leopold asked immediately.
“Any loss of life?”
“Fortunately, none. Because of the festival, most people were gathered in the Baron Forman Territory Shopping District. Only a few came to gather festival ingredients, but thankfully all are safe. However……”
The Adjutant lowered his head.
“The damage is so widespread that it will be difficult to hide the traces of the Air Strike.”
The tragedy he’d anticipated finally opened its jaws before his life. Just as he’d feared—exactly twelve hours of peace had been granted.
Now it could no longer be concealed. The Special Ability of Nogen, which all had praised, had returned to the Western Region as calamity.
“Baron Forman quickly sent the remaining people to his estate and has restricted access, but……”
The Air Strike could sweep away large numbers of monsters at once. So it was more than sufficient to turn the wide fields where winter crops grew into a barren wasteland.
The mysterious assailant had been quiet for days after attacking the Magic Library. Leopold had pursued him desperately, but to no avail. Yet tonight, that assailant had revealed himself.
Leopold exhaled softly.
“We depart at once. Tell my grandfather I’ll be late because there’s something to investigate at the Magic Library.”
“Yes…… But……”
The Adjutant rolled his eyes slightly.
“As you know, it’s impossible to hide anything from Duke Nogen’s eyes in the Western Region. It won’t take long.”
“But my grandfather has aged considerably.”
He wished those around him could be at ease, even for a moment.
Leopold looked up at the sky. It would be a long night.
* * *
“What? You want to go to the Baron Forman Territory?”
Alpheus’s eyes widened in front of the Warp.
“Why are we going there this evening?”
“Something seems to be happening.”
I’d been suspicious all along that something was occurring between Leopold and the Western Region.
[P.S. What did we decide about the coming-of-age ceremony? I’m escorting you to yours, right?]
Certainly, he’d left such a letter.
And yet this very morning he’d acted as though he couldn’t contact me because of this coming-of-age ceremony.
And most tellingly, now.
“So when do we see each other?”
“Well…… I suppose soon?”
Leopold genuinely appeared flustered.
We’d planned to go to Rudolph Village together. Yet he couldn’t even honor that promise—meaning he didn’t know his own schedule even an hour ahead.
“Baron Forman should know something.”
Baron Forman had claimed to have a terrible case of influenza and hadn’t come to my birthday party. But if I knew Baron Forman, he would surely have written a personal letter.
‘And Silvia was absent too.’
While I wasn’t particularly close to Silvia, I knew her character well.
She was a typical bright and cheerful noble young lady with a similar upbringing to Lea. She naturally loved these sorts of occasions, and if Harrison had attended, she would have wanted to participate no matter what.
Besides, we’d coordinated with her at the Imperial Palace reception to execute a plan together.
‘And she didn’t come even when Lea called her. There must be a reason.’
Furthermore, not a single person at Duke Nogen’s Residence had been told to ‘stay the night.’
Usually, after such a day-long event, one would at least say out of courtesy, ‘We’ve prepared guest quarters for you.’
And finally, one more thing.
Just now, Harrison was dragged away by his sisters while saying this.
“Why would I stay longer at the Grand Duke’s Residence? That would be a burden, you idiot!”
“No, I said the Library, not the Grand Duke’s Residence! The Western Magic Library! Aaaagh! Don’t grab my ears!”
If there was one place Harrison was obsessed with, it was the Magic Library.
When he’d stayed in the Western Region before, he’d always stayed at the Magic Library without fail. Yet if he’d remained at the Grand Duke’s Residence all this time instead, it meant they’d refused his visits there.
‘But the fact that Harrison insisted on going anyway means even Harrison doesn’t know the reason for the refusal.’
Of course, it was tremendously impolite to simply show up at someone else’s estate and ask what was happening.
But with Baron Forman, I was willing to do it. Because I’d given him plums before.
Besides, I was genuinely anxious.
‘If I can at least ask what’s wrong, that would be fortunate. What if something actually has happened……”
There was no advantage to ignoring such an ominous feeling.
We rode hard toward the Baron Forman Territory.
The Western Region was typically composed of broad plains with a mild climate suited to wheat, barley, oats, and the like.
“Wow, this place really is enormous!”
“It’s the Western Region.”
Because of fertile soil, adequate rainfall, and stable temperatures with little fluctuation, the diversity of crops was relatively high.
“Unlike Lea’s lands, there’s plenty to eat here year-round in different ways.”
Crops like oats and rye, turnips, grew well even in early winter.
“That’s why the Western Region has village festivals scattered throughout winter.”
Winter is long and tedious. So the commoners of the Western Region had a culture of holding festivals in villages in rotation, using winter crops.
Usually they were accompanied by beer, the common drink of commoners, and Western-brewed beer was itself a specialty of the region.
“I’ve heard that rye pretzels pair well with dark beer, and oat crackers go well with ales or stouts.”
“Brisa! You’ve just come of age today and you know all this?”
“I said ‘I’ve heard,’ didn’t I? I’ve never actually tasted any of it.”
“Really?”
“Ah, actually, I was lying.”
I confessed honestly.
“‘Heard’ should be ‘read’—I actually saw it in a book. Have you ever tasted beer?”
“Of course.”
As I’d expected, the former mercenary was well acquainted with beer.
“The Northern Region is famous for lager beer…… I had plenty of it at Isabela’s tavern. Though the potato chips they served as appetizers were absolutely terrible.”
The sun had completely set while we rode across that vast plain.
‘In the middle of the night like this, it really does seem like I’m imposing…… But still, I should just ask what’s going on.’
I had no confidence in lying or acting. So I decided on a frontal approach. Whether to reveal the truth or not was their choice.
When we arrived at Baron Forman’s Estate,
“Lord Marquis Sears? Brisa?”
Silvia, who came rushing to the main gate, was pale as death.
“Did Leo send you? To help us?”
Silvia seemed to have no understanding of the situation.
I asked calmly.
“Where is Baron Forman?”
“He’s at the scene. Though I doubt anything will be resolved…… Leo is there too right now, isn’t he? Good grief, what are we going to do……”
Silvia seemed unaware that today was my birthday. That spoke volumes about how chaotic the Baron Forman Territory currently was.
Silvia bowed with a trembling voice.
“I’m so grateful…… Truly, I was so at a loss……”
And there was one more person who hadn’t grasped the situation.
“Yes, Young Lady. Don’t worry now!”
Alpheus had forgotten the part about ‘did Leo send you’ and had only registered that help was needed.
“What would you like us to help with? Just say anything! We’ll do our absolute best!”
“Yes! Please come this way!”
With two easily excitable people, things moved forward even without my saying a word.
So I was able to enter Baron Forman’s Estate without a single lie or act.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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