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The day after Tatsumi was accosted by a group of unknown thugs.

Tatsumi and Calcedonia went together to see Giuseppe and explained what had happened.

“I see, I see. So you’ve already taken action?”

After hearing Tatsumi and Calcedonia’s report, Giuseppe broke into a smile that, for some reason, seemed rather cheerful.

“U-um, Giuseppe-san? Do you perhaps have any idea who might be behind this…?”
“Mm. I do have a hunch. That said, I only heard about this for the first time yesterday myself. Now then, Calcedonia, do you happen to know a man named Larlaik Galgadon?”
“Larlaik… Galgadon…?”

Caledonia tilted her head, deep in thought. While Tatsumi, who had no recollection of the name Larlaik Galgadon, remained unperturbed, Giuseppe furrowed his brow as if seeing something unexpected.

“…I’m sorry, but that name doesn’t ring a bell. But ‘Galgadon’ refers to the House of Galgadon, doesn’t it? Was there ever someone named Larlaik in that family?”

Having apparently concluded that there was no deception in Calcedonia’s words, Giuseppe, for some reason, looked up at the ceiling and covered his eyes with one hand.

“………………This goes beyond a matter of liking or disliking him, doesn’t it… At this point, it’s all so over the top that I’ve actually started to feel a bit sorry for that Larlaik fellow.”

Giuseppe, of course, knew that Larlaik had proposed to Calcedonia countless times. And he had, for the most part, kept her informed of all the proposals.

Yet she hadn’t even remembered his name—or left any impression at all. At this point, even if it’s not his place to say so, there’s no other way to describe it than “pitiful.”

“Come now, among the men who’ve proposed to you, wasn’t there the eldest son of the Galgadon family? That’s the one.”

Caledonia began to ponder again. But this time, she seemed to realize something immediately, and her expression lit up.

“I remember now. Come to think of it, there was indeed such a person.”

To have gone so far as to propose and yet leave such a faint impression… As a man himself, Tatsumi felt sympathy for this Larlaik fellow.

But that’s a different matter entirely. Given the way the conversation was going, Larlaik must surely be involved in yesterday’s incident.

“So, did that Larlaik guy send the men from yesterday?”
“There’s no doubt that the men who approached Sonny were hired by Larlaik. And their purpose is—”

At that moment, Giuseppe’s gaze was fixed not on Tatsumi, but on Calcedonia.

“Are you saying he’s harassing me because Chiiko rejected his proposal?”
“Most likely. To be precise, he probably intends to somehow drive a wedge between Sonny and Calcedonia so he can take your place.”

Even if Tatsumi and Calcedonia were to break up, given Calcedonia’s personality, the chances of that man, Larlaik, becoming her next partner are practically zero.

And yet, is there really any need to go to such lengths to orchestrate this scheme?

Tatsumi couldn’t wrap his head around it and could only tilt his head in confusion.

His doubt was entirely justified, since he had no idea that Larlaik was simply too self-centered—believing that just because he loved her, she must love him back—without any consideration for her feelings.

That said, they couldn’t just leave Larlaik alone like this.

“So, what should we do from here on out?”

If Giuseppe’s speculation is correct, yesterday’s incident won’t be the end of it. In that case, the question becomes how to handle this matter going forward.

“I have an idea about that. To be honest, Larlaik has put me at my wits’ end too. He keeps sending his marriage proposal no matter how many times we turn him down. I say, we use this as an opportunity to make him understand once and for all. However, I will need your cooperation, Sonny, as well as Calcie’s. Though, my son, you especially will have to put in a bit of an effort… Is that all right with you?”
“Of course, if there’s anything I can do… So, what exactly am I supposed to do?”
“I’ll do anything, too!! Threatening Master…is an act I’ll never forgive!!”

Mana surged gently from Calcedonia’s entire body.

Faced with the indescribable intensity released along with that mana, Tatsumi couldn’t help but twitch his cheek.

“By the Lord, you always get so extreme when it comes to Sonny. However, for now, let’s just watch how they respond and keep them on edge as much as possible. If they’re driven to desperation, Larlaik himself will eventually make his move. Until then, be sure not to let your guard down, understand? Under no circumstances should you give them any opening to exploit.”

Receiving this advice from the serious-faced Giuseppe, Tatsumi and Calcedonia both nodded in unison.

.

“What is happening?!”

Larlaik angrily slammed the expensive glass goblet filled with fruit wine he was holding down at his feet.

“Why isn’t my plan working?!”

The goblet smashed against the floor, shattering into a scattering of glittering shards.

But even that sparkle was an annoyance to Larlaik right now.

Having gone beyond mere bad temper to a full-blown expression of rage, Larlaik stomped even harder on the shards of broken glass.

Needless to say, the “plan” Larlaik was referring to was one designed to frame Tatsumi.

Whenever he hired thugs with a reputation for their skills and ordered them to threaten Tatsumi, for some reason, Tatsumi always managed to escape.

He tried setting a trap using a prostitute and using that as leverage to blackmail him, but Tatsumi didn’t even frequent the kind of establishments where prostitutes worked.

So, his henchmen went directly to Tatsumi—concealing, of course, that they were members of the Galgadon family—and tried to get him to accept a bag of silver coins on the condition that he break up with the Holy Maiden. However, he immediately refused, as if the silver coins were worthless.

Threatened with violence and having lost his standing after falling into a woman’s trap, Tatsumi would gleefully accept the money thrust upon him and flee this royal capital.

That was the plan Larlaik had arbitrarily devised for himself.

Naturally, not a single one of those self-serving schemes has succeeded. There’s no way they could.

“Why?! Why won’t things go the way I want them to?!”

But Larlaik, frustrated that things weren’t going as he’d envisioned, was genuinely enraged; he stomped his feet, screaming and spitting as he did so.

Right now, there was no one around him. Neither his personal subordinates nor the members of the Galgadon family dared to approach him, fearing he might take his anger out on them.

So Larlaik raged alone in his private chambers.

The furnishings and other items in the room that he had destroyed the other day had been replaced and restored to their original luxurious state. Larlaik proceeded to destroy them all over again.

Just as half of the room was destroyed…

Suddenly, the door swung open, and a man and a woman stepped into his room.

“What do you think you’re doing, Larlaik?! The servants are terrified!!”
“Oh my… My dear Lara’s lovely room has been reduced to this state yet again…”
“F-Father… Mother…”

The middle-aged couple who had entered the room were Almond Galgadon, head of the Galgadon family, and his wife, Sienaquaria Galgadon. Needless to say, they were Larlaik’s parents.

While Almond wasn’t particularly tall, he had a reasonably well-proportioned build. In contrast, Lady Sienaquaria, though shorter than her husband, had a hefty build that seemed to weigh at least twice as much as his. She adorned that stout figure with an overwhelming array of luxurious jewelry and clothing.

“M-MOTHER!!!!!! M-MY CALCEDONIA… MY CALCEDONIAAAA…”

Larlaik clung to his mother’s—overall—voluptuous body, tears welling in his eyes.

And Sienaquaria soothed Larlaik by stroking his head as if he were a small child.

At first glance, they looked like a close-knit family, but considering their ages and social standing, that sight was bound to fill any observer with revulsion.

“Oh, there, there. You don’t have to cry, my dear Lara. Mommy will always be on your side.”
“Yeah… yeah!! Thank you, Mother!! But… Calcedonia… she won’t marry me… Even though she really loves me deep down… She’s probably being deceived or threatened by that bad guy Tatsumi…”
“That’s right. There’s no way any woman could ever dislike you, my dear. I’m sure you’re absolutely right.”

A mother who treats her child with boundless tenderness. Watching his wife and son like this, Almond—their husband and father—frowned and spoke up.

“That may be so, Larlaik. But I’ve heard that this Tatsumi and Lady Calcedonia are already betrothed and extremely close? What’s more, I’ve heard that even His Eminence Chrysoprase fully approves of them. To object to a marriage sanctioned by the Supreme Pontiff of Savaiv, the god of marriage—”
“Shut up!! Don’t you love your own son?! Seeing your son crying like this… crying this much, don’t you want to do something to help him?!”
“N-no… Larlaik is already over twenty years old. It might be different if he were a small child, but to spoil a fine adult man to that extent…”
“Enough already!! I’m not counting on you!! Honestly, you may have a talent for making money, but you lack any love for your own child…!!”

Sienaquaria stamped her foot in frustration right where she stood, still holding Larlaik close.

If Tatsumi had been there, he would have thought Sienaquaria looked just like a sumo wrestler performing the shiko stomp.

“Leave everything to your mother, my dear. I’ll go meet His Eminence Chrysoprase directly and ask him to let Calcedonia become your bride. Even the Supreme Pontiff couldn’t possibly ignore the authority of our Galgadon family. I’m sure your wish will come true.”
“Yeah… yeah!! Please, Mother!!”

The mother and son held each other tightly. Seeing the two of them like that, the father let out a quiet sigh.

.

Although the House of Galgadon now holds the title of count, until Almond’s father’s generation, it was one rank lower—that of viscount.

However, while their rank among the nobility may not be particularly high, their influence ranks among the highest in the Kingdom of Largovere.

They possess numerous high-quality mineral veins within their lands, and the various metal resources extracted from them provide a rich foundation for the Galgadon family and their domain.

Of course, this is largely due to the skill of the current lord, Almond.

Under his leadership, the high-quality ore extracted is transformed by the family’s skilled artisans into fine weapons, armor, and other daily necessities.

Almond devotes his efforts not only to ore production but also to training artisans; as a result, metal products from the Galgadon County are highly regarded not only within the country but also abroad.

Furthermore, by supplying the nation with numerous high-quality weapons and armor, Almond has contributed to strengthening the nation’s power; in recognition of these achievements, the Galgadon family was granted the title of Count.

On the other hand, although Sienaquaria’s birth family—a marquisate related by marriage to a certain ducal house—held a high social standing, their financial situation was far from prosperous.

A quintessential noble family in the worst sense of the word, Sienaquaria’s birth family made no effort to enrich their entire domain, instead simply enriching themselves through exploitation.

The consequences of this eventually caught up with them: with no notable local specialties and all valuable resources depleted, they were ultimately branded as “impoverished nobles.”

On one hand, there was the count family—rich in wealth and influence, yet lacking in rank; on the other, the marquis’s family—high in rank but lacking in wealth and influence. That these two families were united by self-interest might, in a sense, be considered a natural turn of events.

Although she was a noblewoman, Sienaquaria had been forced to lead a modest life until then. However, that life changed dramatically with her marriage.

At first, Sienaquaria had been reluctant to marry into the lower-ranking count family, but the moment she actually became part of the household, she was instantly captivated by the Galgadon family’s affluent lifestyle.

Although it was a political marriage, Almond loved his wife and ended up doing whatever Sienaquaria asked, buying her anything she desired.

Almond would later realize that this was where it all went wrong.

As the daughter of a marquis, Sienaquaria had always been haughty and willful. However, because her family of origin was poor, her personality had been kept in check.

However, marrying into a wealthy family reignited her innate pride and selfish nature.

Her husband would do whatever she asked.

He would get her anything she wanted.

That reality only served to fuel her innate selfishness more and more.

Although Almond was aware of Sienaquaria’s behavior, he still left her be.

Partly because he was busy with his duties as a lord, and partly because he believed that once they had a child, her selfish behavior would naturally subside.

Once she became a mother, she wouldn’t be able to get her own way all the time. After all, a newborn baby is the most adorable tyrant in the world.

However, contrary to Almond’s expectations, Sienaquaria’s self-centered nature did not subside even after the child was born. On the contrary, because she showered her child with excessive affection, the child became one-sidedly attached to her mother and grew up with a personality exactly like her own.

Even in a different world, children imitate their parents—that never changes.

Thus, the child born—Larlaik Galgadon—grew up to be an extremely self-centered and spoiled individual, because no matter how strictly Almond disciplined her, her mother spoiled her even more.

.

The grounds of the Temple of Savaiv are surrounded by a wall, and there are only two points of entry: the main gate and the back gate.

That said, given that it is a temple, the wall isn’t particularly high, so it wouldn’t be difficult for someone with even a little physical ability to scale it.

However, since the temple is, after all, the house of the gods, virtually no one would commit such an act of disrespect; visitors to the temple proceed proudly through the main gate.

Incidentally, the back gate is often used by merchants delivering food, firewood, and other supplies to the temple.

Stepping outside the main gate, Tatsumi scanned his surroundings warily.

Lately, he’d often been accosted by unsavory men the moment he stepped out of this very gate.

The reason these men didn’t venture inside the gate was likely because if they caused trouble inside, the soldier priests would rush to the scene.

Of course, Tatsumi knew what these men were after, so whenever he spotted them, he would either run away as fast as he could or, conversely, dash back into the temple and slip out through the back gate.

After scanning the area several times and deciding it was safe today, Tatsumi turned back toward the main gate.

“It’s okay, Chiiko. It looks like no one’s here today.”

Responding to Tatsumi’s voice, Calcedonia appeared from beyond the gate and hurried over to him.

Ever since Giuseppe told them to, the two had made a point of never going home alone—just to be safe—and had been returning together like this.

“You don’t need to be so on guard… As long as I’m with you, I won’t let anyone lay a finger on you, Master. In fact, the moment they show themselves, I’ll use magic to—just enough to keep them from dying…”
“No, no. Even if they’re a shady bunch, they’re just hired hands, after all. Let’s try to avoid anything too extreme, if possible.”
“Sigh… If you say so, Master…”

Calcedonia wore a displeased expression, but as soon as Tatsumi started walking, she immediately followed after him.

Then, as if something had suddenly occurred to her, she quickened her pace to catch up with Tatsumi and pulled his right arm up against her chest.

“Huh…? C-Chiiko? W-What’s suddenly gotten into you?!”

Tatsumi was startled by her sudden embrace. Then, Calcedonia looked straight at him and declared firmly:

“I’m keeping our bodies close so I can protect you, Master!!”

With a beaming smile—one that looked genuinely delighted.

“This way, even if we’re suddenly attacked, I can sacrifice myself to protect you… and… above all, isn’t this much warmer?”
“Well, you don’t need to go so far as to sacrifice yourself to protect me… but, well, I guess it is warm…”

Even as he said that, Tatsumi—who didn’t seem to mind at all—set off with Calcedonia toward their home.

The route from the temple to their home was, of course, one they’d traveled countless times by now.

Whenever the two returned home together, they often walked side by side like this. Perhaps that was why. Merchants with shops lining the street they walked down and passersby cast warm, gentle glances their way.

The affectionate bond between the “Holy Maiden” of the Temple of Savaiv and her companion, the “young man with black hair and black eyes,” had become a familiar sight to some of the townspeople.