“Um, Rose?”
“Yes? Is something the matter?”
“No, it’s just... Shouldn’t you sit next to your father?” That was how it usually went, right? People usually sat next to their family members. So why had she chosen to sit next to me?
“Don’t worry about it. Sometimes it’s nice to have a change of pace.”
“Oh, uh... Okay, I guess.” What had she meant by that? I didn’t get it at all, but I didn’t inquire any further. I figured it would probably be a headache if I did.
On the other hand, Claus, noticing that his daughter hadn’t chosen to sit next to him, hung his head dejectedly, looking a bit like a kicked puppy. This was awkward. “A-Anyway! As I mentioned earlier, let’s discuss your reward for the green dragon. First, is there anything you’d personally like to have, Hisui?” Claus forced his tone to be cheerful. He was probably doing it on purpose to clear up the mood. “I think an amount of money equivalent to the aid rendered is the most proper course. You came to my lands seeking a way to make money in the first place, after all.”
“Thank you very much, Lord Lycoris. Even a little would help me out quite a bit.”
“Now that we’re on the topic, I realize I haven’t asked you why you need the money. If it’s not impolite to ask, do you mind telling me while my retainer fetches the money? If you do not wish to discuss it, however, you needn’t tell me.” Both Claus and Rose fixed their gazes on me expectantly.
Claus aside, Rose was full of curiosity. At any rate, I’d already mentioned an issue that was close to the heart of the matter, so there wasn’t much point in hiding the rest. In fact, if I told them, they might sympathize with my plight. With that ulterior motive in mind, I opened my mouth to speak.
“The reason is simple. Do you remember when, during our walk here, I mentioned I didn’t get along well with my family?”
“Indeed. That sounds like a rather uncommon situation.”
“Well, incidentally, I also have sisters—though they aren’t related to me by blood.”
“I’ve heard. You get along well with your sisters at least, right?”
“Yes. The three of them always do right by me. It’s just... My two brothers are both rather hostile toward us, and they think poorly of my sisters. They’re clearly planning to marry my sisters off to someone eventually. That’s why I’d like to leave my house, and bring my sisters along with me—I want them to live a life of freedom.”
“Ah, so that’s why you need money.” Claus immediately understood what my intentions were. Rose, however, seemed a bit perplexed—the answer wasn’t coming to her nearly as readily.
“As you’ve surmised, I mean to make money to support my two sisters I’ve left behind at the estate. I was thinking this might be a good opportunity to spend some time in this town.”
“It was my understanding that you had three sisters. Where’s the last?”
“She’s spread her wings already. Now, she’s studying at an academy in the royal capital.”
“How interesting. That must mean she’s capable of using magic as well.”
I gave a small nod. There was no need to go into detail about Azalea’s magecraft.
“So until we can all reunite with her, I plan to protect my two other sisters.”
“What a wonderful sense of responsibility you have, Hisui. Supporting your family is a sign of a strong heart. I understand that quite well.”
I bashfully chuckled from the praise. “Personally, I feel like my plans for making money could’ve used a bit more thought, though.”
“Now, now. Taking the first step is the most important thing.” Claus was praising me for doing what felt like the bare minimum. I was so flustered, I couldn’t help but scratch the back of my head sheepishly.
“Pardon me, milord, but I’ve brought what you asked for.” A knock and a voice came from the door to the room, interrupting our conversation.
“Thank you. Come in.”
“Pray excuse me, then.” The door opened, and an elderly manservant entered. In his hands was a weighty-looking bag; I was certain it contained a hefty amount of coins. Exactly how much had Claus planned on giving me? I squirmed in my seat, watching Claus as he took the coin-filled bag from the manservant, then set it upon the table in front of the sofa.
“This is the first part of the reward I’d like to give you, Hisui. But I believe what you did today cannot be repaid in simple coin. There’s something else I’d like to give you.”
“What? But this is quite enough already,” I protested.
The bag of coins issued an audible—and heavy—thunk as he placed it on the table. I was certain it was an incredible sum of money, and my hunch was verified when he tugged on the cord holding the bag closed, opening it up to reveal the pile of gold within.
From what I could see at the top of the bag, it was all solid gold coins. I felt much like I would have if he’d opened a suitcase filled with a hundred dollar bills in my past life. This was definitely more than enough for the average person to live off of for decades!
“As the head of House Lycoris, it would be unseemly to simply reward someone who saved my life with a mere sum of money. It’s a matter of pride, you see.”
“R-Right...” Nobility was just like this, I guessed, even though Baron Clematis didn’t have a shred of pride himself.
“So, I was thinking... How would you like to be granted permanent residence in my lands?”
“Permanent residence?” I couldn’t hide my confusion—I wasn’t familiar with this particular term. Marquis Lycoris nodded and continued elaborating.
“Indeed. In short, I’d like to give you the right to live in Lycoris.”
“Is there...something particularly special about having the right to do so?” I couldn’t quite grasp how being able to settle here permanently was going to benefit me.