The Marquis’ Eldest Son’s Lascivious Story - Chapter 240

In the end, the meeting time with Minith was the longest.

This is not due to a difference in my level of affection. Rather, it’s the other side’s problem.

Mimon and others quickly returned back after just greeting me. She also believes in the superstitions of the Eruo continent. There’s a mysterious theory that says that the bigger the belly, the bigger the baby’s jealousy, so when I tried to flirt with her, she ran away.

Somehow, I had a feeling that dads all over Eruo continent would probably cheating on their wives like crazy during pregnancy period.

And Mimon’s actions were praised by the midwives. It’s like people are saying things like, “This is the perfect example of a pregnant woman”.

In that regard, I guess Minith isn’t exactly a good example.

…Well, maybe because she believes in my fake magic and my words more than superstition. I’m happy when I think about it, but I also feel a little sorry for her.

[It reminds me of the old days.]

As I was about to leave the villa, one of the midwives looked at me and said that.

[Old days?]

[Yes. Not long after Young Master was born, when you were still a baby. Young Master was already a big baby when we met. Even this old woman was surprised.]

Several people nodded in agreement at those heartfelt words. I vaguely remember that when I was an infant, I was called a naughty child.

[Master and Mistress were also devotedly caring for Young Master.]

[That’s a blessing.]

[Yes, that’s exactly right.]

That’s where the conversation ended.

In other words, did she want to say that I was unreasonable because I was trying to meet a pregnant woman? It’s like I was being told to be reasonable because I’m not a baby anymore.

[This old woman would like to do my best for Young Master.]

When someone says something so intently, I can’t resist giving in.

[…For a while, we’ll only communicate through letters. I’ll leave it to you.]

[Understood.]

If I were to continue to resist, the more likely I would end up getting Minith preached on as well. I had no choice but to hold back.

Thanks to the old preacher, the meeting with pregnant women ended much earlier than planned. Since I came all the way to the castle town and didn’t want to go back right away, I decided to visit the Pioneering Association.

It’s been a while since I came here.

Although no notice was given in advance, fortunately the employees that I wanted to see were still working.

[If it isn’t the President.]

[I came to look at souvenirs.]

That’s the employee who accompanied me to the Royal Capital.

They were traveling around the Royal Capital separately from the Quordenze group. I was given a collection of interesting souvenirs and stories.

[We couldn’t stay there for too long, and the results were…]

Everyone seemed reluctant to say anything. Well, we ended up returning much earlier than planned, so it can’t be helped that they couldn’t get a proper souvenir.

Most of the souvenirs lined up on the desk in the president’s office were the ones that I read in the preliminary report from the Royal Capital.

[Well, I want to know what the capital looks like from your perspective. I know it all ended so quickly, but what impression do you have left?]

[Many of the citizens of the capital are arrogant pricks.]

I couldn’t help but laugh at the immediate answer.

I had already heard that once in the Royal Capital. It must’ve left quite an impression that he decided to report on it again.

However, this time the story didn’t end there.

[It seems like the Levios family knows of this arrogance. In fact, it seems like they’re having trouble maintaining the quality of their soldiers, and I heard that in the city…]

It is said that commoners employed by the Levios army are disciplined very harshly. It seems that the intensity of the hard work is well known among the citizens of the Royal Capital.

It is said that the Levios are keeping an eye on their soldiers to make sure they do not behave arrogantly towards citizens or visitors from other territories. Probably to protect their reputation from the latter. There is a risk that other territories will criticize them and doubt if they’re good enough to lead their soldiers.

[I think because of that, Levios soldiers are more friendly in comparison to Quo..]

The words stopped there. Could the continuation of the sentence be [more friendly in comparison to Quordenze soldiers]?

I act like I don’t care and ask him to continue talking. I don’t really care if my soldiers are said to be unkind. Because it’s true.

Incidentally, military officers don’t care either. Because they don’t care about the quality of the commoners. As long as you don’t unnecessarily inflict violence on citizens, it’s fine even if you’re acting a bit arrogant as long as you follow the orders of your superiors.

[Originally, the Levios army was made up of the citizens of the Royal Capital. They are especially welcome to accept the second son and third son from the citizens…]

Until a few years ago, the only opponent the Levios army had to fight was the inferior Milendorva army. In the first place, soldiers hired in the Royal Capital basically work there. As long as they endure the hard work, they won’t be sent to war, and will only occasionally participate in the subjugation of demon beasts. However, it was a job with a high employment rate for young people who were unable to take over the family business, as it paid a decent salary.

The same is true for Quordenze, but the number of permanently employed soldiers is relatively small.

[…However, it seems that the wind has gotten a little worse since the appearance of Archduchess Princess Orshian. As a result, the control of the army has become tighter in order to maintain the quality of the soldiers.]

[That thing is having an impact all over the place.]

After being defeated by Orshian, the upper echelons of Levios began to be slightly criticized by the soldiers at the bottom. Of course, there was no way they could directly defy their military officers, but this subtle change in consciousness was probably reflected in their attitude, and that eventually pushed for the re-education of the soldiers to be carried out.

[It seems that the demon beast subjugation team led by Prince Dunkel was accompanied by many such strong soldiers.]

[It was an opportunity to quickly show their strength, and they took advantage of it.]

Then, the employee shook his head.

[I don’t think it went well. President, do you know what was going on in the city around the time you left the capital?]

[I don’t. I’ve received reports on the movements of other families, but I haven’t heard about the citizens.]

After hearing my response, one of the employees picked up a souvenir from the desk and showed it to me.

It’s a beautiful fabric with even black dyeing.

[What about the Milendorva textile?]

This black color is a specialty of Milendorva. I also bought the same thing as a souvenir for Fanny, so I knew it right away. However, even though they are the same, the one I bought is of much higher quality. The things they obtained as souvenirs were, after all, only at the level that commoners could afford.

[The purchase price when we returned was doubled from when we arrived. The price has skyrocketed.]

Going this far, I could guess what he wanted to say.

[Is it because of Orshian’s popularity?]

[That’s right. The image of her rushing to defeat the demon beast that was approaching the capital was talked about by many citizens and even sung in poetry.]

The all-black dress that makes use of that material is quite eye-catching. I was actually dressed pretty flashy, too, but I felt like she was more easily noticed in that black color in a bright place.

[In other words, Princess Orshian is being talked about more than Prince Dunkel’s activities.]

[Yes. In the first place, I hardly heard anything about Prince Dunkel.]

It’s pitiful, as Dunkel must have tried his best. Lately, the Levios family has been at the mercy of the Milendorva family…or rather, Orshian.

[The Royal Capital is all about the President and Princess Orshian.]

Yes, that’s what I thought. The Quordenze family is also on the side of wielding it.

However, from the perspective of the citizens of the Royal Capital, the Quordenze territory is a far away place, and soon they will probably only talk about Orshian.

[…Then, will Newnelly Silk become popular as well?]

[Our silk has always been popular… I was surprised at the demand in the Royal Capital. I didn’t know that even scraps of fabric could sell for such high prices…]

Since they were going to the Royal Capital, they brought some of the Pioneering Association’s products as well. The Newnelly Silk they had brought along as a bonus sold for an unexpectedly high price, and although all the employees lamented that they should have brought more, they were pleased with how popular it was.

[I see… Ah, now that I think about it, the white pottery was quite popular. If mass-production progresses, it should be able to sell in other territories. I’d like to set up a system, but…]

The moment when I told them that the company had been well received, all the employees looked happy, but when I said that I wanted to improve the system, their faces completely clouded.

[There is no room for new facilities in the production department anymore… The current environment is slowly become more cramped…]

If they were ordinary commoners, they would have accepted the requests of the Nobles without question. But the employees are used to dealing with me and know when to say they can’t do something if it is impossible.

The Pioneering Association Production Department is a base with complete measures against information leaks. If I want to produce white pottery, that would be the best place to do it.

[Is there no choice but to demolish unnecessary facilities?]

[If we are going to implement it, I would like to do a major overhaul of the layout. Perhaps because it has been going on for so long, I can’t help but feel that irrationality has piled up here and there, resulting in a huge loss.]

As we continued to talk, the employees strongly insisted on reorganizing the base. Even though we’ve only known each other for a few years, I feel like they’ve become a much more rational corporate warrior than I am.

[Let’s think about it. First of all, we need to secure a new site, and then we need to examine the facilities. What do you guys think is unnecessary?]

[Well…the first thing that comes to mind is something called muskets.]

The first product made by the Pioneering Association is displayed in the president’s office. The employee said as he looked at the musket.

[The reason?]

[It’s an entirely new type of weapon. Wouldn’t it be difficult to sell it in other territories?]

[…That’s certainly true.]

Even if a new practical weapon is created, selling it to other territories poses a security problem. In fact, I had no intention of selling the musket anywhere else.

From the perspective of employees who are not familiar with the military, products that can only be sold within the territory may feel like a handicap from the beginning. They seemed to be more attracted to extorting gold and silver coins from other territories.

[Also, the muskets take up space in the warehouse, so can we move them to the army? I believe we gave them some during the Nambonan invasion.]

They also have gunpowder, so they seem to be managing it with great care.

[If it’s to a base in Newnelly, there’s no chance of them being stolen, I guess…? Okay, let’s move them later.]

[Thank you. I just received some big research materials the other day, and I was having a hard time finding a place to store them.]

As I watched the relieved employees, it became clear to me how tight the office space was.

[By the way, did you receive any important research materials?]

[Regarding the corrupted soil that the President requested. This time, a large amount was sent, so I decided to put it in the production department because I had no choice. After all, corrupted soil is still corrupted soil. Even if it’s a small amount, we need to be careful when storing it in…..]

It seems like I’m the reason why we had limited space left.

Since corrupted soil is dangerous and can cause skin irritation if touched improperly, it must be handled with care.

[You received so much?]

[Yes. Is this a reflection on my mistake last time? It was quite a lot.]

It’s like the harassment of modern internet society, like having a large amount of spam delivered to you.

[So, what do you plan on having us research the corrupted soil, President?]

Come to think of it, I haven’t explained the details yet. I have to meet the expectations of the employees who are looking at me with great interest.

[Insects stay away from the corrupted soil, right? How about using it as insect repellent…]

I passionately talked about how annoying insects become during the warm season and explained the need for insect repellent.

Unfortunately, my enthusiasm wasn’t conveyed at all, and the more I explained, the more the employees lost interest.

[Umm… Wouldn’t it be better if we just ignore the insects…?]

[I’m sure nobody will be interested in it.]

[I-Is that so…?]

[It is.]

Still, I continued to explain without giving up, but the reaction was not positive until the end.

It might be quicker to develop some insect extermination magic. As I was thinking about this, a civil officer suddenly entered the room.

[Young Master. I apologize for the inconvenience.]

It’s not the same civil officer who accompanied me to the castle town. He must’ve came all the way from the castle.

[Is it an emergency?]

There must be some reason why he came all the way to tell me. I was a little wary when I visited, but the civil servant calmly replied.

[No, it’s not an emergency. It’s a bit hectic, but everything is on schedule. The messenger soldiers arrived at the castle a while ago. Grand Master will be returning soon, so please head back too, Young Master.]

[Already near Newnelly Castle? That’s quite early.]

My father decided that it was necessary to share information face-to-face about the events in the capital, so he summoned my grandfather who was on the front lines.

My grandfather sent a reply saying, [I’ll go if I can], which when it comes to Japanese people there is 80% chance they won’t be coming, But, it seems like he’s come back successfully.

Judging from the hustle and bustle, they must have read the atmosphere at the front, decided that they could go now, and forced their way back. The vanguard’s soldiers must have blown it away at a level where they couldn’t make it in time.

[Okay, I’ll be return now.]

I excused myself to the employees and left the room.