Dream Life

January 29th, before noon.

Dan Jakes was having lunch on the cafe terrace close to the commercial district with his home's third son, Theophilus Lockhart, and Viscount Radford Victoria.

Victoria collected information to solicit Zacharias, but unexpectedly Dan's mouth was stiff and he gave up collecting information.

Initially, he suspected Victoria was being manipulated by the enemies of the gods, but relieves himself from giving up early. But shortly afterwards, she tells me a story I didn't expect.

That was the Imperial aristocracy's thoughts on Theophilus. Victoria warned that she should be vigilant because she could even think about the Beauty Bureau.

Victoria also warns Dan.

"So do you, Theo, but you be careful, too."

"Yes, but I don't think it's that good for me."

"You don't seem to realize your worth."

Victoria looks at him with a serious look again.

"You are Lord Zacharias' belly. The Jakes are ministers of the Lockhart family, but only to yourself, they are the most trusted ministers and brother-in-law of Zacharias Lockhart, the genius targeted by the three main factions of the Empire."

All I can say to that fact is, "Sure I am..."

Victoria will be more specific.

"I'll tell you a hypothetical story. Sir Zacharias can be a baron even now, if he wishes. And it's not strange to be an Earl in twenty years. Can we get this far?

Dan thinks the same thing, says yes and nods loudly.

"And Sir Zacharias can be the chief magician of the court, the corps chief of the Imperial Army, and the official chief of the Chancellery. Everyone would think that the head minister would be worthy of a baron. The important thing is that it is easy for Sir Zacharias to raise the status of his belly heart if he wishes. I mean, you're seen as someone who could be a baron in the future."

Immediately disagree with words you never thought you would.

"But Master Zach doesn't want that. And me, of course."

"Yeah, I know. But not everyone knows that. A lot of noblemen think that everyone should want to be born just like themselves. I mean, from the outside, you're the future baron. It also makes it the undivided best friend of a person who can move the heart of the Empire. Do you think the nobles would leave such a person alone?

The only thing Dan could do was answer "no......"

"Strike a firm hand if you don't want to cause trouble for your home. It's too defenseless as it is."

Say "I don't know what to do" to Victoria's harsh words and look down.

"Sir Zacharias, or your sister, Mr. Sharon. Talk to someone."

"Yes," Dan nodded.

With Dan understanding, Victoria loosens her expression.

"I have a suggestion for you. Want to hear it?

Victoria started whispering as Dan nodded.

"My daughter Felicia is at the Academy of Higher Studies in Imperial City. Seventeen, the same age as you. If you behave as if you are engaged to your daughter, I think it will work to some extent..."

Her suggestion was to make it look like she was engaged to her own daughter and to prevent the nobles from trying to push her daughter in.

There is no problem at all with age, and with the family and the Viscount Lady, it is not at all uncomfortable considering that she is a minister of the Lockhart family, although it is broken to daughter-in-law to the knight of becoming. Given further the relationship between Zacharias and Viscount Ignacious Radford, many would take it for granted.

Felicia seems to be a classmate with Laurencia and has interactions, which also makes that point a factor that doesn't make her feel unnatural.

"Luckily for you, it's subtle, but Felicia doesn't have a fiancée. Not a single story floated to it. You're my daughter. So it's just fine."

"But without Felicia's understanding..."

"That's okay. Because my husband and I will persuade him when we get to Empire City. Besides, he's a big prankster, so he's got to get on with it."

"But......" Dan can't boil it off.

"And if my daughter likes it, you can stay married. I thought it was time to do something about it."

Dan couldn't keep up with the story and just replied, "I'll talk to Master Zach".

Finish your lunch and stroll around the city.

Dan and Theo had a slightly sunken look on Victoria's story, "I can't help thinking about it now. Let's have fun," he said, changing his mind.

After returning to the castle, Dan went to talk to Zacharias.

■ ■ ■

After finishing my discussions with the Marquis Seawell and the others, I was back in the room I had been given. Still, there was time in the evening, so I tried to slow it down, but Dan, who went out with Victoria, came to the room.

"Looks like we need something, but I just needed to talk to Dan. Just give me a minute."

That's what I'm gonna say. I'm gonna go get Sharon. She was getting ready to leave tomorrow, but as soon as she told Dan she was back, she stood up.

Return to your room and tell the Emperor to head ahead.

"... I'm suspicious of the movement between the commercial guild and the sorcerer's guild. I'm sorry, but I need you to gather information with Sharon in Imperial City."

Dan tightens his mind on the story of the commercial and sorcerer guilds starting to move.

"Okay. As an adventurer, you went into Imperial City to gather information. It's okay. I'll take care of it."

I just told him the information and precautions I want him to get, and I listen to him.

"I told you about this one first, what's your errand?

"Actually, from Lord Victoria......" and I'm going to talk to Victoria.

"I see... the Beauty Bureau. Indeed, what Master Victoria said makes sense. You should watch out for Theo, Selah, and Dan, not just me."

Sharon agrees with me.

"I agree, too. You should also move on with your brother and Master Felicia. The problem is with Master Theo, isn't it? As Victoria said, I think it's one way to always be with the Lockhart family, but isn't it hard not to create any gaps?"

"Right. It's quick to talk about having a fiancée, just like Dan, but the unnaturalness is noticeable at his age when he's the three boys in the knight's house..."

And silence for a few seconds.

"You're most effective at keeping me with Serra."

"Sure, but isn't it still hard to be together all the time?

Sharon speaks the question.

"Let Serra dress the same as Theo. If you two were wearing the same knight's clothes, I don't think you'd know which one is Theo. You can't mistake me for a woman's sera, either, if you're setting me up. That would be enough deterrence if you would refrain from doing so. No, we can use this to protect Serra."

My idea is how to use Seraphine, the twin, to change balls. The two of them, only eleven years old, have just begun their secondary sexual traits, little change in height and shape, and Theo's vocal changes have not yet begun. Hairstyles are almost identical with shorter straights, both burned in the same way on the day. If you're dressed the same way, you can't easily tell the difference between people you don't know.

Serra could also be targeted by nobles who want to relate to the Lockhart family. In Serra's case, if you declare that you are not going to marry a man weaker than yourself, you will be able to prevent it to some extent, but I don't think the nobles will consider that.

"The problem is my mother, but when it comes to the safety of the two of us, she'll give up"

"Right. I think Master Serra would be happy the other way around. 'Cause he didn't want to wear a dress."

I laugh softly as Sharon says so.

"Seriously, you need to think about the three of us. Victoria sees the Lockhart family objectively. This means that the Imperial nobility thinks the same way. Well, I guess only while I'm in the Imperial Capital..."

Victoria is right, Theo is a man with the name Lockhart, albeit three men. In other words, it is recognised to have more than a certain influence on the blacksmith guild. If you can move a Dwarf blacksmith that's hard to handle, it would be three guys, but it doesn't matter. We could even get a knight's status ready for Theo and a nobleman trying to create a branch of the Lockhart family out there.

The same thing can be said about Serra. If you become related to the Lockhart family, you might think you can move the Dwarves.

Dan could be equally valued.

From the public's point of view, my relationship with Dan is a brother-in-law who keeps his life together. Naturally, I have the perception of a belly heart. Assuming I set up Lockhart's division, it would be natural to assume that I would be the lead minister.

Why consider it only while in the Imperial Capital, but after the ceremony of the Duke, we head through the central part of the Empire to Welburn, where the northern governor's office is located. That way, we can escape the hands of a powerful nobleman.

If more powerful men emerge in the Imperial capital than the Duke, they could be pushed out in the Lockhart family, which is just the Viscount family. Of course, there is a back shield called Lord Etherlington, but it is still difficult to say that it is complete.

However, nobles with more power than the Duke are concentrated in the southern part of the Empire, and if they leave the Imperial Capital, the chances of the Lord himself coming into contact are diminished at once. If you leave the Imperial Capital, it will be difficult to carry on the story forcefully wearing power, because it will be as close to a subordinate nobleman as the Viscount can come into contact.

Given all this, it follows that the most alarming thing to do is while in Imperial Capital. Of course, I'm not going to be alarmed when I leave the capital, but you should just have to be in the capital to do something tricky like Operation Changeball.

"You should tell everyone about this, not just your father. Not only Dan, but Sims is likely to be targeted. In his case, if we talk about Angie's engagement, we'll figure it out, but we all have to be careful about the Beauty Bureau."

Explain to my father and mother, my brother, before the evening training.

"... so, as Lord Victoria said, there will definitely be nobles coming after us, and I don't know what vile hands they might strike"

Listening to the story, my father speaks of his doubts as to whether to "get there".

"There's no doubt about it. Victoria actually sees the social world in Teito. I think you know the truth better than His Excellency the Duke of Ezarrington and His Excellency the Marquis of Seawell, especially as to how lower nobles move."

My mother groans, "That's why I don't like nobles,"

"If you and Sharon are dangerous, you have no choice. Serra's reputation is gonna be weird, but if it's to protect you two, I'm gonna have to admit it too."

My mother also admitted that Serra would dress as a man.

"You mean I have to be careful too... Your Eminence the Governor said the Empire is the Devil's Capital, but you really are..."

My brother seems to have remembered the words of his stepfather, Uncle Raswell Borderline.

"After this, I will keep everyone informed about this. Tell him to think of it as an enemy land when he leaves Seawell, and he won't be distracted."

"Enemy land... you're exactly right," my father nods.

Then we gathered all the officials of the Lockhart family, and my father spoke.

"... don't get distracted thinking this is an enemy land ahead. It's not a battle of swords, but one alarm could put our home in crisis. I want the squire, as well as the vigilantes, to have the nervousness that they represent the Lockhart family."

The squire, who was skeptical at first, is also all nodding with a serious look at his father's words.

My brother starts talking on my father's behalf.

"As Father said, this is the enemy land ahead. Never let yourself get distracted until you enter Wellburn in the north. It may be difficult, but I hope you are always willing to act shamelessly on the lion's crest"

In the words of their brother the squire sees the crest of the risen lion, or the seal of the Lockhart family, painted on their armor. They were proud of the crest, and the words of their brother seemed to resonate in their hearts.

My father made sure the look on everyone's face was tight and started talking about Dan and Sharon leaving ahead tomorrow.

"Dan and Sharon are heading to the Imperial City tomorrow. This has something to do with what we're talking about, but we'll have the two of you secretly hit the gathering of information in Imperial City. I mean, it's an enemy reconnaissance. But on the face of it, Zach has decided to ask for information on booze and magic props. If anyone asks you, you have to answer that."

Everyone was convinced by the word reconnaissance of the enemy land or snorted loudly.

The training that followed was more temperamental than usual. Looks like the word headed to the enemy stretched their feelings.