The Isolated Marchioness Just Wants to Make a Living - Chapter 73
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 73
“Yeah.”
I nodded my head earnestly.
My knowledge about livestock was just as confident as my knowledge about crops.
“It doesn’t seem to be fully mature yet, but it doesn’t seem to be at an age where it’s difficult to increase the population either, you know? From what I can see, breeding attempts are definitely possible.”
“W-wait a moment.”
“Did you happen to neuter it?”
“No!”
“As expected, you were also considering breeding.”
As befitting a noble Young Master, Leopold’s face had turned bright red at some point.
“Wait. That topic is a bit…”
“You need to get used to it. It’s also the most important issue in domestication. It’s not like humans are doing it, so you’re overreacting.”
I explained coldly.
“Didn’t you want to discuss this kind of thing with me? Since I’m ‘El’?”
“No, that’s, I mean.”
“I don’t know if it has a mating season or not, but at least during the past week I’ve been keeping it, it didn’t seem to…”
“Stop!”
Leopold hastily raised his hand to cover my mouth.
I was so surprised that I opened my eyes wide. It was the first time I had seen him make such an expression and reaction.
Physical contact, even?
Leopold himself seemed surprised too as he quickly withdrew his hand. Then he elegantly stepped back and turned his flushed face to the side as he spoke.
“T-the wolf-dog isn’t what’s important right now.”
“You said it was extremely important, with your own mouth. Who was the person frantically searching for ‘El’?”
“Something more important than that has come up.”
“Really? What is it?”
“The confrontation with Dahlia Hawin.”
“Ah…”
I shrugged my shoulders indifferently.
“Not interested?”
Then Leopold fell silent for a moment before speaking.
“Ah, the Marquis Sears title isn’t yours anyway, so it wouldn’t matter much.”
“That’s not what I meant. I mean the confrontation itself is something I can easily win.”
According to the news I heard from the farmers, Dahlia was smoothly heading toward failure. So I wasn’t particularly concerned about the confrontation.
However, there was just one thing – I was extremely curious about why Dahlia had gained that ability. Just thinking about it made me confused.
The original Dahlia didn’t have such an ability.
Making ants grow large and commanding them – does that even make sense?
‘It’s probably not Sears Special Ability.’
If it really was Sears Special Ability, it would have appeared in the original story too.
‘Well, rare things happen a lot… Maybe it’s some kind of magic?’
Even the Magic Tower Master had suddenly become younger.
There were many inexplicable magics in the world.
‘…But what if it’s dark magic?’
I thought with an uneasy mind.
‘What if Sebon’s dark mage is behind Dahlia?’
It was possible. Since Sebon was targeting me.
They could recruit and use Dahlia, who naturally opposed me.
‘If they even recruited the Divostan Duke House in the process, this isn’t an ordinary matter.’
This wasn’t something I could just win this duel and conclude with ‘it’s not Sears’ special ability’ and be done with.
Of course, if I won this duel completely, there was a high possibility that Divostan would abandon Dahlia.
The Duchess of Divostan probably didn’t bring her because she particularly cherished Dahlia.
‘I need to investigate this properly.’
Then I needed someone I could ask.
First, they must be knowledgeable about magic and trustworthy in that knowledge.
Second, they must not be a slave of the Magic Tower and have freedom of movement.
Third, they must have absolutely no connection to Sebon’s dark magic.
Fourth, they must have enough friendship with me to answer when I ask.
At this point, there was only one person who could meet all four conditions.
“Um, Leopold.”
“What?”
“Sorry, but could you accept one more guest in the Western Region?”
Sadly, I was in no position to invite someone to Sears Marquis Territory.
I couldn’t suddenly leave for the Central Region in the middle of the wheat duel.
I would send Alpheus to Sears Marquis Territory, but I had no intention of going myself.
‘I gave detailed instructions to the marquis territory before coming. And they’re all trustworthy people when it comes to farming.’
So it seemed I didn’t need to go there myself.
In other words, if I wanted to invite someone for advice, I had to call them to the Western Region.
“I want to meet someone.”
“You’re stating the obvious.”
Leopold said calmly.
“You can’t leave here because of the Western Region’s circumstances. Even if you invited a thousand people, the Western Region would have nothing to say.”
“It’s not because of the Western Region’s circumstances, but because of the summer wheat duel…”
“Remember why the summer wheat duel came about. It started when you solved the Seldoche Plains issue because of false rumors from the Western Region. We couldn’t even catch the criminal who spread those false rumors.”
Well, that’s because the criminal was outside your territory…
Swallowing those words that Leopold probably suspected too, I listened carefully to what Leopold was saying.
“In many ways, the Western Region owes you a debt. So invite anyone. If they’re your guest, the Western Region will welcome them with the utmost hospitality. Who should I send an invitation letter to?”
“Ah, it’s someone you know too.”
I said quickly with a relieved heart.
“Harrison.”
Leopold’s eyes narrowed.
“…Harrison?”
He slowly asked back.
“Are you talking about Harrison from the Southern Naisar Ducal House?”
“Yeah, Harrison from the south. Our Academy senior by one year.”
“The Harrison who asked you to be his graduation ceremony partner in your first year, right?”
“That’s what I’m saying.”
I added calmly.
“The very Harrison Naisar who blatantly gave you that silent pressure of ‘even if you have a fiancé, don’t mind me and let’s get along well together.'”
The Naisar Marquis House was one of the First Five Families.
But Harrison was far from inheriting any title. He had three older sisters above him.
Meanwhile, Harrison was a hidden magical talent unknown to the Magic Tower. Just like how I was a hidden genius in agriculture.
“Until my fifteenth birthday, I have to hide my power.”
Harrison always said this.
“If I’m unlucky, I’ll get dragged off to the Magic Tower.”
Until age fifteen, forced admission to the Magic Tower was possible at the Magic Tower Master’s discretion.
Because the great mages raised that way become tremendous resources. It wasn’t for nothing that I avoided her eyes when I met the Magic Tower Master.
Of course, if one wished, early withdrawal was possible after one year.
But Harrison disliked even that.
“It’s not that I hate magic.”
He said this with a clean-cut face.
“But if I go to the Magic Tower, which is a closed space, with these looks, women will probably swarm to stare at me even when I’m trying to eat a meal. Since it’s an enclosed space, I can’t even go anywhere else. How inconvenient would everything be?”
I calmly agreed.
“Right. I heard the desks at the Magic Tower are rather uncomfortable anyway.”
In any case, his worry was rational enough that all the girls attending the Academy liked Harrison.
Objectively speaking, Leopold was the handsome one. But Harrison had a strange yet precarious atmosphere about him.
Should I say he bewitched people… it was that kind of dangerous beauty.
“In that sense, please be my graduation party partner. For reference, my party partner from last year was bullied for a whole month.”
“So you actually hated me. What exactly did I do so wrong to you?”
“That’s not it—you have a fiancé. Unless they’re crazy, no one would think you’d fall for me and break off your engagement with Leopold. In this entire Academy, you’re probably the only one who’d be safe as my partner.”
Harrison spoke seriously.
“And Brisa, you always have that sulky expression no matter what I say. You don’t get that enchanted look.”
“That’s because I’m not interested in you.”
“That’s exactly why you’re perfect as my partner. I’ve never met a girl like this before. Do you like your fiancé that much? Is it because your heart has already been stolen by him?”
“Speaking of which, don’t you think I might partner with my fiancé Leopold?”
“No. I think he’ll probably go with Silvia.”
When I heard those words, my heart stung a little.
Leopold and Harrison were roommates.
Harrison had clearly heard something from Leopold. But I couldn’t let go of my lingering feelings and asked Leopold about partnering, only to end up disappointed.
Anyway, it was true that I often ran into Harrison at the library and got along with him comfortably. Harrison practically lived in the library too.
While Harrison felt comfortable with me, I couldn’t exactly call us ‘friends.’
We talked frequently, but usually Harrison would chatter away one-sidedly. He had such a sociable and bright personality.
“Harrison… why suddenly?”
Leopold asked with a somewhat stiff expression.
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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