Chapter 36
Jade was indeed needed, but it wasn't an urgent situation.
Since Haines was still in good health, there was time.
That was why Lloyd intended to make full use of the time.
As the saying goes, there is an art to waiting.
“Then I suppose we could lower my title.”
“It is possible, but if we do that, we will have no choice but to lower the titles of the others as well. As I mentioned, this is a situation where we have to consider fairness. And as you know, Lord Jade, my support base is currently quite weak. Since I have also made promises to others, I hope you will understand this matter. To add one more thing, the territory I intend to give you will be the Leon Barony and the surrounding area. You should be familiar with it, and since Steven has already taken care of all the preliminary work, you will not have to worry about any administrative matters yourself, Lord Jade. You will only need to give the final approval.”
“You already prepared everything.”
“Yes. I know very well how much you hate troublesome things, Lord Jade. Haha!”
Though Lloyd laughed with ease, he was watching Jade's reaction.
He was wondering how he should persuade Jade if he happened to refuse.
At the same time, he found it quite fascinating.
An ordinary person would want a larger, better territory by any means, yet Lloyd was practically frantic to give him one because he couldn't offer it.
-Are we getting a new home?
-I don't think living among humans is so bad. It makes it easy to gather all kinds of information, too. Besides, it's your hometown, isn't it? In a way, you'd be getting back what was originally yours.
Listening to the two spirits, Jade fell deep into thought.
He was considering which choice would be better for him.
‘There’s certainly no downside. I can just leave managing the territory to a capable subordinate. And keeping watch will be a piece of cake for me.’
The Great Forest was convenient, but it was not exactly a good place to live.
It had become comfortable now, but at first he had had to worry about his life every single day.
And since the Leon Barony was his hometown, he would not need any separate period of adjustment.
He could also visit the Great Forest whenever he wanted.
“I’ll gratefully accept it.”
“I’m the one who should be thanking you. If you had refused even this, I would truly have thought you intended to leave, Lord Jade.”
“I do plan to travel around the continent, but I have no intention of leaving.”
“Once anyone learns of your abilities, they’ll want to hold on to you. That is precisely what worries me.”
Lloyd spoke sincerely.
His tone contained not the slightest hint of a joke.
“You don’t need to worry.”
“Still, that’s a relief. At least the final matter was resolved smoothly. To be honest, both my sister and I were quite worried.”
“It worked out, so that’s all that matters.”
Raynie, who had been quiet until now, spoke up.
But despite her offhand tone, her expression showed that she had finally let out a long-held breath.
“Have you thought of a surname?”
“No.”
“Give it some thought. If there’s a surname you want, we’ll give it to you.”
“Is that really all right?”
“There’s no reason it wouldn’t be.”
Lloyd grinned.
He spoke as though he had at least that much authority.
“I’ll think about it.”
“While you’re at it, I hope you’ll consider the Royal Academy as well.”
Lloyd added that casually.
As though to say he had not given up yet.
But instead of answering, Jade merely gave him a smile that clearly meant no.
The palace was bustling from early morning.
The attendants and maids were hurrying about as they prepared for the title conferment ceremony that afternoon.
The palace was even noisier because nobles had been arriving from all across the country.
-There were already so many people here, and now there are even more.
-The mana flow is incredible. The teleportation gate is going to overheat and explode.
-Oh, come on. Surely not. They’ll manage it properly.
Listening to the two spirits chatter, Jade looked out the window.
He was leisurely seated in a chair, sipping his tea.
Whid was curled up beside him, basking in the warm sunlight.
“Peaceful.”
-This?
“Compared to the Great Forest, this is peaceful.”
-The Great Forest is peaceful in its own way, too. It’s not like the children fight every day.
-What are you talking about? They fight like crazy where you can’t see them.
Elestra said it as though Silestin had been spouting nonsense.
The peace came from Jade’s presence and the Black Drake scales he had planted here and there as warnings.
The area around their hideout was quiet because the monsters stayed far away from the smell of the Black Drake—not because they did not fight one another.
-At least we can't see it, right? We’re on the outskirts, too.
-The outskirts are even noisier. The little guys fight so hard.
-Is that so?
Silestin tilted her head.
Though she was a spirit of wind, she paid absolutely no attention to things she was not interested in.
On the other hand, she dug obsessively into anything that did interest her.
-It’s teeming. Why did they bring so many people along?
“There’s a banquet scheduled after the title conferment ceremony. Besides, the position of Crown Princess is still vacant.”
-There’ll be plenty of other eligible men for them to target besides the Crown Prince. Steven is still unmarried, and so is Jade.
-Our Jade will be the most popular!
-No, he won’t. The Crown Prince will draw the most attention. It’s a position that will eventually make its occupant queen. Or they could be aiming for the position of a royal concubine.
“The Crown Prince will be watching them as well. Nothing is better than blood ties for solidifying a weak support base.”
-He also has the princess card.
“That’s right.”
There was no need for the Crown Prince to rush into taking a Crown Princess.
Lloyd was still young, after all.
Of course, some people married at a young age, so it was not as if there was no chance he might hurry.
-Raynie won't be one of them. She's after Jade. Judging by the look in her eyes yesterday, she doesn't seem like the type to give up easily.
-You never know. Politics is like a living creature. Conditions are important, but if interests align, even a princess can marry at any time.
-I wouldn't mind getting married off quickly, though.
Silestin shrugged with her arms crossed.
She spoke with complete sincerity.
“Anyway, it seems like a lot of people are making their moves. They’re also eager to recruit talent.”
-One person’s crisis can become another person’s opportunity.
“That’s right.”
Most of the nobles who had joined the Second Prince’s faction had been unable to escape the bloody purge.
However, quite a few people had gained opportunities from their removal as well.
Lloyd had deliberately created that atmosphere, too.
At the same time, he had strengthened the royal family’s influence, so Lloyd had gained a great deal from a single victory.
-Our Jade is a full-fledged lord now, too! From a commoner to a marquis! That’s so cool!
“Not yet. I have to be granted the title before I become a marquis.”
-But is your surname the one you used on Earth?
“Yes. I might not be the first person to cross over. I thought there might be someone who came here before me, or someone who crossed over later.”
-I see.
Silestin nodded.
It was a little strange, but that was precisely what made it all the more memorable.
And when it came to unusual surnames and given names, the desert tribes were no less remarkable.
Knock, knock, knock.
“It’s me, Lord Jade. May I come in?”
“Come in.”
At the sound of the knock, Whid, who had been basking lazily in the sunlight with his eyes closed, opened them wide.
He had been listening to Jade and the spirits’ conversation as a lullaby when he was startled awake.
“Good morning, Lord Jade. Hello, Whid.”
Kyuuh!
At Arrelia’s bright greeting, Whid raised one of his forelegs straight up.
He was imitating the human greeting.
Arrelia’s smile grew even broader at the sight.
“You’re working overtime at being cute again today!”
Kuuuuu!
Unable to hold back any longer at the sight of Whid, who seemed to be getting chubbier by the day, Arrelia charged at him.
She pounced on Whid, hugged him, and rubbed her cheeks against his.
Whid pushed her face away with his forelegs, making it abundantly clear that he disliked her actions, but it was futile.
Arrelia hugged Whid even tighter.
“How can you be this cute!”
Crackle!
When she still would not let go, no matter how hard he pushed, Whid opened his mouth.
Lightning crackled inside it.
Whid liked Arrelia to some extent, but he hated being hugged so recklessly, so he made his feelings perfectly clear.
“All right, all right. I’ll stop.”
At Whid’s stubborn display of dislike, Arrelia’s face filled with disappointment.
She had wanted to enjoy his plump, warm body a little longer, but since he disliked it so much, there was nothing she could do.
They had become quite close, but that was as far as it went.
Whid drew a very clear line between them, to an extent hard to believe for a one-year-old.
Kyuuhhhh!
Whid, his eyes full of longing, launched himself at Jade.
He had sought out the safest place of all: Jade’s arms.
Then he did not give Arrelia even a glance.
“When I go back this time, I’m going to look for a drake, too. If I’m lucky, maybe I’ll be able to save a child like Whid, just as you did, Lord Jade.”
“With a precedent, I’m sure it isn’t impossible.”
“Of course, it won’t be easy.”
Arrelia answered energetically.
She looked as if she intended to make it happen even if it was not possible.
“Are you leaving today?”
“Yes. I’ll just watch the title conferment ceremony and then leave. Lloyd and Raynie seem to want me to attend the banquet as well, but human parties aren’t really suited to us. They’re too noisy, too.”
“I see.”
The cultural differences stemming from their races were greater than he had expected.
Though elves were a humanoid race and looked similar to humans, they were unequivocally a different species.
Moreover, as a race of forests and nature, they could not help but find human parties rather garish.
“So I came to say goodbye and have one last chat. Since you’re the star of the title conferment ceremony, I thought it might be difficult to greet you separately later.”
“There are quite a lot of people coming to the capital.”
“An overwhelming number.”
Arrelia looked exasperated.
But that was understandable.
It was true that more people had gathered than during the civil war.
Moreover, all the nobles from the aristocratic faction would attend the title conferment ceremony, so their numbers would only increase.
“You’ve worked hard all this time.”
“What do you mean, worked hard? It was a good experience for me, too. It was fun as well. Oh, I heard you received a territory. The Leon Barony we visited together last time.”
“Yes. I accepted it because it was offered, but it was larger than I expected.”
“I’ll come visit sometime. I was a little disappointed that I only got to dip my toes in the Great Forest and leave.”
“Come whenever it’s convenient.”
Jade replied indifferently.
At those words, Arrelia’s eyes sparkled.
But Jade did not notice.
“You promise?”
“Yes. I plan to stay near the Great Forest until Whid grows a little bigger, so come whenever you like.”
“Okay.”
Arrelia wore a satisfied smile at the answer she had wanted.
But she soon composed herself and drank tea with Jade, chatting about this and that.
“That formal attire suits you, Lord Jade.”
“Were you waiting for me?”
“Yes. I thought this kind of occasion would be a first for you. So I was waiting to keep you company and show you the way.”
Jade, who was following an attendant to the grand hall where the title conferment ceremony would take place, wore a slightly surprised expression.
The reason was that Steven, dressed just as splendidly in formal attire, was standing in the middle of the corridor.