"Tenma, there's a letter from Ernest."
It arrived during that stretch when the snow wouldn't be melting for at least another month. The sender was Ernest, who lived in the same Royal Capital, and a disguised servant from House Ootori had brought it — apparently it contained important news.
You might think that since we were in the same capital, he could have just summoned me or told me in person. But over the past month or two, the atmosphere in the Royal Capital had grown increasingly volatile, and within the Royalist Faction itself, it was becoming harder and harder to tell who was an ally and who was an enemy.
The root cause was the war in the Border Count's territory. The standoff was still ongoing, but the enemy's numbers had grown beyond what they'd been before, leaving the Royalists with virtually no advantage in manpower. To counter this, it had been decided to send additional forces from the Royalist Faction and some of the Neutral Faction, but that in turn had bolstered the Reformist Faction's presence around the capital. It was a bit of a "while the cat's away" situation, but even so, for the minor nobles holding territories relatively close to Reformist lands, it was a genuine threat — and little by little, the Reformists' defection operations were starting to bear fruit.
At this point, the King and the others needed to exercise greater caution, and to avoid provoking anyone unnecessarily, they were keeping their dealings with the Ootori family to a minimum—
on
the
surface,
at least.
Well, when it came to things like letters and messages, they'd actually been communicating more frequently than before.
"So, what did he have to say?"
"Apparently, they've been causing trouble in the Marquis Samons territory now."
The Marquis Samons territory lay to the north of Duke Sanga's domain, close to the mountain range. Because of that, enemy soldiers who had crossed over the mountains had apparently targeted it for plundering. However, at this stage — or rather, at the time Ernest had reported it — it was unclear whether they intended to press forward in force, whether it was merely harassment, or whether the territory had simply been targeted by chance.
"If the Marquis Samons territory is being targeted too, we might have to seriously consider having the Ootori family enter the war."
"Well, I suppose so... But even in that case, I could handle it by bringing along the Golems. If both you and I were to head out together, though, the Reformists would see their chance and launch a coup."
Before the turn of the year, the possibility of the Reformists staging a coup had been just that — a possibility. But now, the Royalist Faction's leadership was convinced it was
bound
to
happen. That was what was fueling the tense atmosphere in the capital... but even the King and his people had their hands too full to deal with it, or so it seemed.
As for what I could do in the meantime, it came down to three things: making sure my acquaintances in the Royal Capital could flee to the Ōtori family residence at any time, keeping the food and weapons obtained from Reformist Faction territories on standby, and devoting myself to crafting golems—which had become a daily routine over the past few months.
The mass-produced golem count had grown by over three hundred when including those already delivered to the King and the others, but food procurement hadn't been going smoothly since the new year. Not only had purchases slowed down once winter set in, but the Reformist Faction had apparently started stockpiling as well, so we'd pulled out of most branch stores before Reformist nobles could seize them. All that remained in Reformist territories were the empty storefronts that used to be our branches and a handful of subpar food and weapons left behind as decoys.
"Grandpa, get in touch with Mark and the others, and arrange another emergency evacuation meeting. I'm heading to the Duke Sanga estate to talk with Albert."
I figured that Cain, being the type he was, would prefer routing communication through Albert rather than coming to me directly. But beyond that, if the Royal Capital ever got dragged into a war, the Ōtori family would need to coordinate most closely with the Royal Family and the Duke Sanga household. So whenever something came up or looked likely to, I made it a habit to sit down with Albert right away. On top of that, I'd been serving as an intermediary between the Ōtori family and the Royal Family, which meant Albert's standing with the King had been climbing fast. Cain and Lion were also working on behalf of the Royalist Faction through friends and contacts from their academy days, so the King's opinion of them must have risen as well.
"Then I'm heading out. Primera, do you have any message for Albert?"
"Not particularly... Oh! Please tell my brother not to neglect his wife, no matter how busy he gets."
"Got it. I'll leave Ryden and the carriage here, just in case. Use them if anything comes up."
The Duke Sanga estate was quite far from the Ōtori residence, but flying by magic would get me there faster than a carriage. There were two problems, though.
One was that guards would question me if they spotted me, and the other was that it was freezing cold. The first wasn't a big deal—I could avoid most trouble by proving my identity unless I did something extreme like trespass on noble grounds—and the second could be managed with enough layers or a wind-shielding spell.
I was one of the very few people who flew around inside the Royal Capital, and Grandpa was the other. Both of us were well-known faces in the city and flew around regularly, so in most cases, showing my face and exchanging a few words was enough to be sent on my way. Of course, there were some guards who were sticklers for protocol—even knowing it was me, they'd take the time to run through the manual checklist. But skipping past a guard outside of an emergency could get you treated as a criminal, so annoying as it was, I always cooperated.
"Albert, did Cain pass along any message for me?"
When I arrived at the Duke Sanga estate and greeted the gatekeeper, I was let inside without even being asked my business. I greeted the butler who came to meet me and was escorted straight to Albert, who was in the middle of work. Under normal circumstances, this would have been unthinkable, but I was Duke Sanga's adopted son, and more importantly, this was exactly how Albert had behaved when he'd visited our place—so he'd gotten special permission from Duke Sanga ahead of time. That said, whenever Duke Sanga was present, I always declared my purpose at the gate and waited for the butler; the expedited treatment was only for when Albert was in charge.
"You're asking about that the moment you walk in—so His Majesty sent you word?"
"No, I heard from a letter Ernest sent me. The King probably gave the order, though."
"I see. As for Cain—or rather, from the Marquis Samons household—they're currently having the knights stationed in their territory stand watch. The Marquis Samons domain is closer to the mountain range, so it gets even more snow than the Royal Capital or Count Haust's borderlands. Instead of sending the knights out to search for the enemy, they're focusing on reinforcing their defenses. That said, the situation could change by the next report, so when the time comes, they'd like the Ōtori family to send reinforcements."
"Tell Cain I've got it. Grandpa and I already discussed that possibility before I came. If the need arises, Grandpa plans to fly in with golems."
I'd never adventured in heavy snow country, but Grandpa supposedly had experience from his younger days, so he'd be better suited for it than me. My only concern was the golems. We'd confirmed they could handle moderate snow, but we had zero experience in truly heavy snowfall, so there was a chance they'd be immobilized and useless in the worst-case scenario. Still, I figured they'd be assigned roles like guarding the outskirts of town alongside the knights, so they wouldn't be complete dead weight. And it would also serve as an experiment to see how the current golems performed in heavy snow, so heading to the Marquis Samons territory with reinforcements wasn't a bad deal for the Ōtori family either. Once things settled down, we'd presumably receive proper compensation as well.
"Looking at the current situation, it's true that having both Tenma and Merlin leave the Royal Capital at the same time would be difficult. Cain would feel a lot better knowing that Merlin, with all his experience, could bring a large force of Tenma's golems as reinforcements if the need arose... By the way, Tenma—that medicine you gave me before has run out. Could you spare some more?"
What Albert was referring to as "medicine" was the nutritional supplement I'd handed out at the end-of-year party. I'd given him some not long ago, so it seemed Eliza's aggressive pursuit was still going strong.
"I can part with this much easily enough... Just remember, it's nothing more than a convenient drink for nutritional support, not some suspicious drug. And whatever you do, don't breathe a word about it to anyone else. I'd have a real problem if people started pestering me for it."
If this nutritional supplement were the
tr
ig
ge
r
for Eliza's pregnancy, and Albert went and told other nobles about it... starting the next day, I'd be attracting a whole different kind of popularity. The kind that nobles desperate for heirs would shower me with...
The nutritional supplement itself wasn't particularly difficult to make, but what I'd given Albert was just that—a nutritional supplement, not a pregnancy drug. Enhancing stamina and replenishing nutrients might well serve as a trigger for pregnancy, but the formula itself had no effect that would make conception easier. If it was someone Albert knew, I wouldn't mind sharing some of the supplement, but I couldn't take responsibility if they failed to conceive as a result. Even if I warned them in advance, there were bound to be nobles who'd try to rely on the drug and refuse to accept the explanation. If I wanted to avoid unnecessary trouble, I could simply choose not to give any to Albert either, but I couldn't very well brush off the earnest request of my best friend and brother-in-law. In the end, all I could do was make Albert promise to keep his mouth shut.
"I'm well aware of that. But would it be alright if I told just Cain? He might have a hard time of it down the road, too."
"Cain would be fine. But hold off on telling Lion until he's married Canon. In Lion's case, even if he understands he shouldn't mention it, the words would just slip out of his mouth before he even realizes it, and he'd end up spreading the whole story."
With Cain, even if I didn't mention it when handing it over, there was little risk of him letting it slip to others. With Lion, though, there was a high probability he'd blab even if I did tell him. That said, it was equally likely he wouldn't suspect it was anything other than an ordinary nutritional supplement with no pregnancy effect whatsoever... but with Lion, you never knew what might happen, so it was best not to mention the supplement to him at all if possible.
"I understand that too. But, well... since Lion was drinking it too, I could always spin it as proof that it had absolutely no such effect."
He could certainly try to argue it that way, but Lion's partner wasn't in the Royal Capital to begin with, so he'd probably get back something like, "Well, obviously! If anything, it would've been scary if it did work (in more ways than one)!"
"Darling, Tenma—if you've reached a natural stopping point, would you mind if I joined in?"
Just as the usual banter with Lion was wrapping things up, Eliza entered the room somewhat hesitantly. The hesitation was probably because she'd been listening to our conversation about the nutritional supplement. Albert didn't seem to have noticed Eliza standing outside the door, but I had noticed and hadn't expected her to come in, so I was honestly feeling a bit awkward.
"What's wrong, Eliza? It's not like we were discussing anything particularly important—there's no need to be so hesitant... Unless you had some business with Tenma?"
Albert, seemingly never considering that Eliza might have overheard the part about their nighttime activities related to the supplement, mistakenly assumed that the hesitantly entering Eliza must have some sort of request for me.
"Well, yes, that too... but it's not quite a request, per se. My family sent a letter asking if, in the event something happens in the Royal Capital, we could arrange an evacuation location for the Silfield family's servants... Depending on the situation, I was also hoping to ask the Ootori household for assistance with the evacuation."
"As far as the Duke Sanga household is concerned, we'd have no objection to assisting with the Silfield family's evacuation... but if the Silfield family is in danger, wouldn't the entire Royal Capital be in danger?"
"I imagine it also includes help with escaping the city. With no guarantee of reinforcements arriving, barricading themselves in the Royal Capital mansion would be rather difficult. However, I will make absolutely sure they understand they must follow the Duke's orders in that situation. Would it be alright for me to write back with your approval?"
"That much would be fine... but what about the Ootori household?"
"For us, serving as an evacuation site probably wouldn't work. If something happens in the Royal Capital and people need to evacuate, the Ootori household's mansion could end up nearly half-full with people connected to Kukuri Village alone. Factor in other acquaintances showing up, and it'd be difficult to take in the Silfield family on top of that. That said, if they're evacuating outside the city, we'll of course offer our help."
In a situation like this, it would be best not to commit to specifics about how far the cooperation would extend, even among close allies. Evacuation means being in a weaker position, and it was possible they might have to part ways mid-flight or be forced to make difficult choices.
Albert and Eliza seemed to understand that well, and for now, the conversation concluded with an agreement to cooperate in escaping outside the city if the need arose.
"By the way, Tenma. How is Primera doing?"
"She's doing well. She says she's gotten used to most of the morning sickness, and the midwife told her it should ease up soon. Also, her belly has grown noticeably, so I think that's why her back and hips have been aching."
Whenever I spot her looking uncomfortable, she's rubbing her lower back, but apparently when I'm not around, Amour and Jeanne give Primera massages — I've even caught them at it a few times. Though in the beginning, they were so tentative about it that the massages barely helped... myself included, I should note.
"Is that so? Please tell her I'll be coming to visit soon."
It seemed settled that Eliza would be paying a visit. Then again, she usually dropped by without any notice anyway, so nothing out of the ordinary there.
**Marquis Samons — Side**
"Reporting! We've discovered what appears to be an enemy squad attempting to infiltrate our forces, and we repelled them immediately!"
During the midday briefing, just before the scheduled break, this report arrived like a bucket of cold water thrown over the mildly upbeat atmosphere.
According to the report, the confirmed enemy numbered around twenty. Several were taken down, but the rest fled, and none were captured. On their side, a few soldiers sustained minor wounds, but there were no deaths or serious injuries.
"What does everyone think?"
"The fact that they were found so easily and fled just as quickly suggests this was likely harassment. However, if this infiltration attempt was genuinely aimed at sabotage or the assassination of a key figure, there's a chance they used the repelled unit as a decoy while other squads slipped in. I believe we need to step up our vigilance."
When one of the Marquis's senior officers made this proposal, voices of agreement rose from the rest.
"That does seem wise. Issue the order to all units to increase vigilance effective immediately."
For myself and the officers gathered here, stepping up security wouldn't change our daily routines much, but it would mean a heavier burden for the rank and file.
"An enemy command structure that would sacrifice its own soldiers' lives for the sake of harassment — they must be out of their minds... Everyone, keep a closer eye on how your subordinates are doing. They're already under stress from this brutal cold. On top of that, the enemy's tactics are piling on more pressure, and we might see friction break out among our own people. I'd like to improve the food situation, but the earliest we could do anything about that is when the next supply run comes in. For now, respond as needed — increase rest periods wherever it can be done without causing problems."
There wasn't much that could be done right now, but failing to do what little was possible could lead to the worst outcome: self-destruction. Once the weather warmed enough for the snow to melt, rotating in fresh troops from their home territory would be an option, but that was still over a month away.
"If Duke Sanga's forces or Margrave Haust's forces have any personnel to spare, we could temporarily borrow them to let our troops rest... but we probably aren't the only ones being harassed. In that case, we should assume their situation isn't much different from ours... Well, either way, we'll need to get in touch with both forces about this at some point."
Maybe the Marquis Samons army had more leeway, and they might be able to receive some kind of support from both forces.
End of Marquis Samons' Side
"Why is Chris here when I come back?"
After the discussion ended, I chatted with Albert and Eliza for a while before heading back to the mansion, only to find Chris lounging around in the dining hall.
Chris had been busy with all sorts of things since the end of last year, and even when she came over, she was either on her way to work or had to leave partway through—she rarely stayed long enough for more than a cup of tea. Apparently, she actually had enough free time just to come and hang out, but she'd been deliberately refraining from visiting so as not to provoke the Reformist Faction, and Chris had been following suit. By the way, among the royals, Tida and Luna did come by fairly often, but even so, it was less than half the frequency they used to. The official reason the two of them came over was that Amy had been a former adopted member of the Ootori family and was my disciple, so they tagged along under the pretense of greeting Amy and getting some instruction as well. Of course, Aina was always the one accompanying them on those occasions, so Chris never happened to come during those visits.
"Because, you see~... the Captain specifically called me out by name and told me to brace myself for even more work coming up with no days off in sight. So when I tried inviting a colleague who shared my day off to go out..."
"Those colleagues already had prior commitments, so you had no choice but to come here instead."
"That's right~... I'll skip what those commitments were, though."
Not asking "Was it a date with someone?" right then was a kindness on their part, as people. That said, there were two people lurking in the same space (holding their breath) who looked like they desperately wanted to utter that dangerous phrase... It seemed they could well imagine that saying it now would cause a huge scene.
"And then, after properly asking Lady Maria's permission, she said it was fine to go out as long as Tenma didn't mind~"
I hadn't been here when Chris arrived, so I hadn't given her permission... or so I thought, but apparently Primera had approved it. However, what neither Primera nor Chris had anticipated was that Shiromaru—Chris's number one source of comfort in our household—had gone off with Grandpa and wasn't around.
"Welcome home, Tenma-san."
Not wanting to be teased, Chris was contemplating slipping back to her room while things were quiet, when Primera—who had noticed my return—came to the dining hall. She must have just gotten out of the bath, as her hair was still wet.
"I'm home. The bath was... wait, you were in there with Jeanne? Then it's fine."
Our bath was quite spacious, so I'd been worried it might be dangerous for a pregnant Primera to bathe alone, but then I noticed Jeanne was right behind her.
"Yes, she helped me. I felt bad, like I was making her do the caretaking, but..."
When Primera said this as a joke, Jeanne smiled wryly. Perhaps it had already become a staple bit in Primera's repertoire. Well, setting aside the caretaking comment, the women often bathed together anyway, so for Jeanne it probably just felt like helping out while they happened to be in the tub together. Though, if you asked Aina, she'd probably say it was "simply what a maid is supposed to do."
After chatting with Primera for a little while...
"Chris, look over there. That's the comfort you've been looking for."
"That's right, Chris-san. That right there is the best comfort there is!"
"Hm? Shiromaru came back?"
A conversation drifted over with an unpleasant premonition. Though the voices weren't coming from too far away and were loud enough to be heard without even trying to listen, Primera and Jeanne were deep in their own chat and hadn't noticed.
"He's not here, what are you talking about?"
"Chris, look again. You're missing the point."
"That's right. The absolute best comfort is right over there..."
Right
Now
Granted, there are other people mixed in, but isn't that the very definition of ultimate comfort?!"
"Huh? What are you even saying?"
Naturally, once the conversation continued at such a volume, Primera and Jeanne—who hadn't noticed before—finally caught on. At the same time, they realized it was probably going to become a problem.
"Ugh... Did she notice? No, wait, there's a high chance she *hasn't* noticed yet."
"Indeed. Oh no, that won't do at all. Chris-san's eyes seem to be functioning like knotholes."
Being told off that bluntly, even if she didn't fully understand the meaning, Chris's expression grew noticeably sharper with irritation.
"Chris, look one more time. Carefully."
"What do you see?"
"Tenma-kun and Primera... and Jeanne."
"Yes! Tenma and Primera! Jeanne isn't exactly irrelevant this time, but you can forget about her for now."
"Tenma-sama and Primera-sama... To be precise, Tenma-sama and the pregnant Primera-sama! That right there is the very symbol of the Ototo household's happiness!"
"Happiness overflowing so much it creates a mysterious phenomenon, spreading its healing aura all around!"
"And you're telling me you, Chris-san, cannot feel that healing aura of happiness?!"
Amour and Aura were riding Chris hard, as if they'd forgotten how to hold back after so long. They were going at it so relentlessly they barely even noticed the changes in Chris…
"Primera, if we stay here it might negatively affect the baby. Why don't we head back to our room?"
"You're right… Chris, I'll leave you in Amour and Aura's capable hands. Jeanne, since you haven't finished chatting yet, would you like to come with us?"
"I'd love to!"
Primera, Jeanne, and I evacuated upstairs, choosing to turn a blind eye to the inevitable clash that was about to unfold below.
Sure enough, Chris's rage erupted shortly after, and the Ototo household was treated to its liveliest scene in ages. For the record, Aura was quickly caught and punished by Chris, but Amour dodged and counterattacked to stall for time, and managed to hold out until—
Grandpa's Homecoming
—which was when he was finally caught too. Incidentally, Aina had come to check on Primera at Maria's request and ended up arriving at the same time as Grandpa, so for the first time in a while, Chris got to scold all three of them together.