The Unbound World’s “Normal” is Difficult

3. How to spend "ordinary" leisure time (2)

A knight is like an actor on the stage.

While being held in the shape of a flower, its real role and dialogues are defined by a scriptwriter who never goes up on the stage.

A true ruler always stands quietly in the dark in a discreet appearance, sometimes disdained by others.

Lucas couldn't help but think about what he thought every time he saw his brother-in-law.

"- Well, what's the matter? The king's younger brother (...), who is rumored to be more worthy of a king than a brave knight, the new king, to be the proud colored man of Rouden, made such a sloppy face."

"... do something you don't have in mind."

The cunning scriptwriter is this brother-in-law.

About a month after taking office. After clearing the "inconvenient" old minister headed by Rottner in the first week and setting up a comfortable power base for himself, he is the new king of Felix von Ludendorf, who is a sleeping lion and a sleepy sleepy lion.

He deceived the vivid solemn play he showed at the time of his reign with the story of "thanks to a very competent stepbrother and his men", and since then he has been wearing the mask of the Fool King.

In Felix's private room, which had become frequent since the inauguration ceremony, Lucas sat down looking down.

"So? What can I do for you this morning? To tell you the truth, asking about tax delinquent territories and arbitrating internobility strife deviate greatly from the Knight's share. I don't want to be used anymore for saying," I'm a knight, so help me, my unfamiliar king. "

"Er, don't say such sad things. The people are happier for you to solve your problems than I am. [M] I'm glad to have the proper allocation of resources, both easy and easy. It's a win-win for both sides."

"Where's my wins?"

Lucas murmured, but Felix passed it through splendidly.

"Oh no, but my surroundings are competent and really helpful. Most things will be solved right away if I ask you. It's amazing."

"... if I'm the only one, could you please stop getting involved with that girl?"

Your fierce face makes you moody and your voice lowers.

Yes, this Felix understands the usefulness of the maid, the disturbance on the eve of the reign ceremony, and then tries to take advantage of her - Elma.

When he tried to get her to play the honey trap, Lucas, who perceived it, changed her blood phase and made her stop, saying, "It's normal to follow orders from the Kings in powder."

If you intend to grasp the weakness of a neighbor's minister and set up a honey trap or something, there is no doubt that her quality will incline the country.

About two months after Elma was released into the world with a pardon.

Lucas, who knows more about her anomalies than a man, cannot let Elma color her.

As a result, Lucas often said to me, "Well then, you'll have to grasp your weakness instead," and lately he hasn't had time to sleep.

"Er, because that girl, you and the maid in charge have ordered you to re-hide your face with innocent glasses, right? I was hoping I could see that beautiful face again."

"Don't induce a crisis of leaning for that reason. Basically, you make us work too hard.... those who don't talk and those who stand up are the ones who come into contact with me instead of my brother-in-law"

"Ahahah, that's what I'm after."

Immediate, divisive movements.

As for Lucas, I was going to tell him with caution, but Felix gave it back very quickly. I wonder if he still intends to put out the pus of his predecessor's reign.

"That's good. If there is a second or third subordinate (Rotner), they should be identified and dealt with quickly. Fufu, but, well, ambitious ministers are often excellent, so we must be careful not to" cheat "too much."

…………

Lucas shrugs his shoulders in silence.

This brother-in-law is cunning, ruthless, and has no choice of means, but his underlying policy of reign is far more sound and noble than that of past kings.

And that's why Lucas is not willing to resist Felix completely.

All I could do was keep a distance from the center of power - but it was being pulled back by this brother-in-law.

"Excuse me."

Then a polite call was heard from the other side of the door, and Lucas turned his face.

With permission, Senior Maid Irene enters the room with a small maid with impressive thick glasses and pinch hair.

Elma.

Felix, it's another one of the victims' clubs.

Now that she's wearing glasses, I can't believe she's a powerful token of the present Felix, serving as a captive for the former Marquis.

(Absolutely every time, I wonder where this tiny body hides its power to defeat a bear with a single blow.)

Looking at Elma standing a bit at the entrance to the spacious king's private room, Lucas thinks so.

No, it wasn't just the bears that took him down.

Previously, I was capturing beans by throwing them at hawks flying far over the sky, and I was stiffening the monster of a giant snake that had been thrown into the Knight's Training Ground with a whistle.

Speaking of which, the other night, when I wanted to pass by the maid's dorm, I secretly set fire to her and saw her burning something.

I lost sight of the evidence in an instant, and I just "missed the taste of summer." But it wasn't Lucas' feeling that stabbed her in the skewer, it wasn't Kraken's tentacle -

(---... no, let's stop.)

Lucas forced up his mind.

It is dangerous to treat this girl with values such as common sense or common sense. This is just exhausting.

"--The Maid Irene. As you ordered, I took Elma the Maid."

Irene, who had her head down by Elma's side, said that she was helpless and was leaving the room without hesitation.

Felix's soft voice retained it.

"Ah, please wait. I need your help this time, Irene."

"... is that for me?

"Yes."

Felix is still pushing through the behavior of "foolishness" in the castle, but he won't make up any particular word or deed against Irene, whose nature was revealed during Rottner's captivity.

With a cunning smile, Irene pulled her chin as if she were on guard.

"Unfortunately, unlike Elma, I do not seem to have the ability to respond to Your Majesty's special (...) mission."

"Hahaha, now you think of it as' insane 'where it's called' special '. You look pretty good on a king in one country. [M] It's all right, I have a favor to ask you, looking forward to your warmth and your beautiful face."

…………

Absolutely no one is on the right when it comes to irritating people.

Irene's face pulled and even the cold began to drift, but Felix didn't take it easy.

He turned back to the three and spread his hands.

"Good news, all three of you. This is an extremely serious and calm request. I want you to visit Frenzel Border Country."

"Frenzel territory?

Lucas quickly evokes information with his eyebrows raised.

Frenzel Border Territory.

Located to the northwest of Rouden, wine is a specialty.

Although the earth is fertile, there is a lot of interference from beasts and monsters, and residents have fought against them for a long time to build their own culture.

Thus, the King of Rouden, who looked at quality wine as constituting a small, almost independent state, would have forced his conquest nearly a hundred years ago.

The history makes the territory of Frenzel hostile to the King's Landing.

The kingdom has no money to spare, nor does it have a crude subsidy for its territory.

Normally, the term "frontier county" should have as much power as the counts and marquises, but for Frenzel, it literally means "aristocracy of the frontier."

"--Finally, any sign of rebellion?

"I don't know. Frenzel's current lord is a well-known figure who used his creative ingenuity when he was a child to get rid of the magic moth from the territory. I don't think that kind of generosity will strip the kingdom of its teeth lightly... but on the contrary, it's possible that it's because you're confident that you're facing it."

Felix pulled the wine out of the side board and poured it into the glass unconventionally, playing it around with his hands.

"The Frenzel family is famous for its discord, and the people's hearts are already far from our Lord. Even if you commit a treason in such a place, you're bound to fail. That's why I'm not even worried about it... Rumor has it that the current lord sometimes runs strange experiments when he leaves the Mansion in the middle of the night."

"Experimental?

"Yes. Anything like pouring sludge into a swamp and summoning demons?

"Demon race....."

A demonic race is a species that should have gone extinct and now exists only in novels. Summon it, etc.

Lucas looked chaotic, but at the same time he was convinced.

From the history of confrontations with monsters, the Frenzel realm has the nature to hate people connected to the devil.

If there is any suspicious behavior, I can't help but look at it. --Even if it's a lord.

"Is the accuser a citizen?

Well... When people gather from all over the country, rumours gather accordingly. Didn't you notice the servants from the Frenzel realm whispering a little disgusting to each other when the Borderland family came to the party earlier?

…………

Lucas opened his eyes unexpectedly.

So, did the brother-in-law make ridiculous remarks such as "I want to invite people from all over the country to the throne ball" in order to collect information from all over the country?

I'm not ashamed of this man.

"Thank you very much. When I was in front of the Frenzel Borderlands, it was very impressive that the servants from the same territory called them by codenames such as" Yin Lord, "" Ugly Lady, "" Sick Breath, "and at the same time had a uniform expression of contempt and disgust."

"... so stop reading your face like you're breathing."

Lucas penetrated unconsciously and corrected himself.

No, this girl is still the least despised.

Even though you were dancing so intensely, when could you afford to observe them?

"Um..."

At that time, Irene, who was mysteriously listening to the story, cut it out.

"How does it connect to me?"

That's the right question.

Felix leaned with a smell and a small neck against the maid, who also questioned her vigilance.

"Oh, that's right. Look, it's also illuminating to point the Knights at the Royal Family in a way that says," I'm so suspicious. "So this time, I'm going to ask Lucas to enter the country not as a Knights Squadron Captain or King's brother, but just as a holiday trip. At that time, it would be natural for him to take one or more beautiful little noble daughters."

…………

In fact, Lucas, who had visited the familiar aristocratic mansion with the widow of the lower aristocracy, could not say anything.

"You mean pretending to be a lover...? Oh! If that's the case, I'd love to see Elma here -"

"No, because it stands out too much when it's bare, and the setting and discomfort occur when it comes to the appearance of glasses. She has great expectations as a fighter, but not as Lucas' opponent."

"As for me personally, please refrain from being a lover of the players."

Irene, who seemed excited by the romance fiction scenario, obviously raised her voice, but it was blocked from both Felix and Elma.

The latter objection cleared Lucas' heart.

"Well, that's why. I'll keep the information in the castle so you don't lose your unmarried reputation, and the rewards will bounce. Come on. I'm busy warming up the throne."

"In your words, the busy times are the same for all citizens. I thought you'd be home for a long time for the Harvest Festival... but you'll also get a special allowance, right?

Irene complains a little to Felix, who is trying to pull it together.

Then Elma, who heard it, tilted her neck.

"Harvest Festival?... what is it?

After all, the word Harvest Festival itself seems unfamiliar.

Irene turned to Elma and asked if she could believe it.

"No, Elma! You don't know the Harvest Festival!?

"Ah, it might be a festival by name, but basically, in prison, we don't celebrate anything."

"That's right, but it's a festival to thank you for the fruit of the year. We will not be able to separate the harvest years without celebrating anything. There must be a vegetable garden or a farm in prison to cover the food."

When Lucas pointed out in suspicion, Elma blinked her eyes.

"You say that the year is divided, but it is strange to divide the year by the harvest."

"... what?

"Huh? I mean, do you usually harvest vegetables and cereals all year round? At least not in prison."

In Walzer Prison, where Dr. Holst performs genetic modifications and mobilizes prisoners to maintain strict greenhouse cultivation, all four seasons of vegetables are harvested and all-you-can-eat.

Unknown, Lucas and others unconsciously deepened the wrinkles between their eyebrows.

"... what?

"... what are you saying?

Irene asked again and again, confused.

"Or, even if the vegetable garden in the prison was a wonderful and fertile environment... but it's a harvest festival? The biggest event of the year? You knew something, didn't you?

"I don't know what that is."

"Well... family gathering, looking back at the year, dancing, opening new wine barrels, and introducing lovers and close friends - that may not be possible in prison, but it sounds like it! There's more to buy and give to each other in the city, more!

Elma listened to the information with interest, but thought for a while and then said, "Ah."

"Now I think there was an annual gathering of all the prisoners. Looking back at the most defiant prisoner of the year, he could dance with a rooftop rail or sink it into a wine barrel, but maybe that was it."

"Absolutely not!!

Irene screamed loudly at the brutal environment of the prison, which did not follow the rumors.

"What a horrible thing!? The guards' vice lies in the realm of animals. It's destroying the dignity of the prisoners!

…………

Somehow, the ravaging side was also a prisoner, but it was an elma that could not be said.

When Irene had a magical look on her face, she grabbed Elma's sleeve and told her in a serious voice.

"Hey, Elma. After all, you shouldn't go back to jail like that, you should stay here forever. Let's do the same with this order. I want to be with you more and teach you a lot of things called" normal. "

"... um"

Elma pulled her chin a little confused.

She is so insightful that she reads her facial expressions and speaks to the mastermind of the incident in an instant, but she is actually very vulnerable to such straightforward remarks.

"That's right...."

"What? What are you unhappy about?

"Are you dissatisfied? In the first place, this development of giving orders to a maid, Naoto Wang, is strange in itself."

"When I say that, so do I. Are you with me? Look, it's not normal."

Irene vigorously sealed up her objections.

There, Felix slapped his hand.

"Okay, well, how about this?

He smiles and stares at Elma.

"You're obsessed with 'normal'. My mother told me to be a normal girl. Then - once this case is over smoothly, I'll write you a piece of proof."

"Eh...?

"I mean, it's normal to work as the king commands. King is the employer of man in the castle. Once you've done your job properly, I'll write to you with that work attitude," The lady in the house we work for is a very normal person. "You can have it and do whatever you want at home."

It's a fucked up reward.

But Elma, who had a more messy thought circuit than Felix, sparkled her face. --No, physically, my glasses just glimmered.

"----yes, even if I had to replace this life."

"Is this going to be such a rush!?

With Elma showing unexpected motivation, Lucas penetrates.

Despite her persuasion, Irene consciously switched her mind by giving a friend who still seems to be obsessed with going home a bit of a sharp lip, but also being able to spend the harvest festival time together.

― Well then, it's settled.

Felix declares in a good mood.

"Lady Lucas, who is not a slut, and the baroness Irene, who is a beautiful girl, are temporary lovers. Elma is an irresistible maid caught up in this because it's obvious that she's alone. Keep an eye out for what's happening in Uncle Frenzel's mansion and territory."

"Don't be a slut....."

"There's a beautiful girl...."

"An irresistible maid....."

The other three muttered without hiding their subtle expressions.

In this way, their way around the harvest festival was decided.