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Clap, clap, clap, clap.

A well-dressed elderly woman burst in suddenly, clapping her hands. With a gentle smile, she turned her gaze toward Tatsumi, who was happily snuggled up next to Calcedonia.

“I’m sorry to barge in like this. But that was a great line. One does not simply utter such a line, especially when facing a noble.”

Hearing it put that way, Tatsumi realized just how bold his words had been.

It was true that he’d been swept up by anger and the heat of the moment, but even so, he blushed, acknowledging that declaring he’d “stand by his feelings even against the nation” was, admittedly, a bit too bold.

“W-well, maybe I went a little too far… b-but even so, I have no intention of letting her go. That much is true.”
“M-Master…”

Calcedonia looked utterly entranced, her face beaming with happiness. She was surely oblivious to everything around her right now. The elderly woman—Elisia Kwallot, the former Duchess—looked at Calcedonia and wore an expression of exasperation.

“Oh my. To have Calcedonia so completely smitten… It seems you really are quite the skilled womanizer, aren’t you?”
“Huh? W-w-w-what!? M-me, a womanizer!? N-no, that’s not true at all!! I-I’m only close with one woman—Chiiko!!”
“Chiiko?”
“U-um… ‘Chiiko’ is Calcedonia’s old name… no, w-wait… h-how should I put this… a-anyway, excuse me, but who are you…?”

Unable to explain why he called Calcedonia “Chiiko,” Tatsumi found himself flustered. At the same time, he finally began to wonder who the elderly woman standing before him actually was.

As for the elderly woman, she must have found Tatsumi’s flustered state quite amusing, for she was chuckling softly while covering her mouth with her hand.

“Oh my, how rude of me not to introduce myself. My name is Elisia. I’ve known Giuseppe and Calcie for a long time. It’s nice to meet you.”
“Ah, yes. My name is Tatsumi Yamagata. I see. So you’re an acquaintance of Mr. Giuseppe and Chi… no, Calcedonia? And why are you here, Elisia-san?”

While asking Elisia this, Tatsumi’s gaze remained fixed on Calcedonia and Giuseppe.

This wasn’t the kind of place where outsiders were usually invited. But if she was an acquaintance of Giuseppe or Calcedonia, she must have been invited by one of them for some reason.

As Tatsumi kept glancing back and forth between Giuseppe and Elisia, Elisia laughed again, amused.

“Ufufufu. Really, you are just as Giuseppe said. Now that I’ve actually met you like this, I understand very well what kind of person you are.”
“H-huh…?”

Not quite understanding what Elisia meant, Tatsumi tilted his head.

“Actually, my son, I had Elisia help me out with this matter. This she-fox has some very capable spies working for her, you see.”
“Dear me, and I’ve only lent my hand because some old badger was on his hands and knees, you know?”

Despite their sharp-tongued banter, Giuseppe and Elisia seemed to be having a good time. Tatsumi immediately realized just how close the two of them were.

.

“G-Grand Madame Duchess Kwallot!!”

Until then, the Galgadon mother and son had been so transfixed by the scene before them that they’d forgotten to speak.

They were startled by Tatsumi’s declaration that he would “stand by his feelings even against the nation,” shocked by the sudden appearance of such a powerful figure, and even more astonished to see Tatsumi conversing so familiarly with her.

But when Sienaquaria finally came to her senses, she rushed over to that influential figure,Elisia, and prostrated herself on the spot.

“Your Grace, surely you’ve heard as well!? This man has had the audacity to defy us, the nobility… no, the Kingdom of Largovere itself! Moreover, he has committed countless acts of violence and lawlessness, such as binding my dear son! I beg you, Grand Madame, please use your power to punish this fool!!”
“Y-Yes, that is correct! This man is a scoundrel who threatened Calcedonia, my rightful wife, and forced her to do all sorts of things, and even tried to make her his own wife! I’ve heard that you are also close to Calcedonia, Grand Madame. For Calcedonia’s sake, please bring this man to justice immediately!!”

Still bound in ropes, Larlaik followed his mother’s example and crawled to crouch at Elisia’s feet.

Elisia looked down coldly at the Galgadon mother and son. Meanwhile, Tatsumi’s eyes widened in shock upon learning that Elisia was a duke—one of the highest-ranking nobles.

“Threatening Calcedoina… is it? Is that really true?”

Elisia glanced briefly at Tatsumi. Her gaze contained a powerful force, causing Tatsumi to shake his head vigorously and instinctively take a few steps back.

However, as if to shield Tatsumi, Calcedonia stepped in front of Elisia, still smiling.

“As I’ve mentioned to you before, I love my Master… Lord Tatsumi, of my own free will. I am by no means being threatened. On the contrary, I am truly happy right now, now that Lord Tatsumi has spoken of his feelings for me so clearly.”

Perhaps recalling Tatsumi’s earlier declaration that he would “stand by his feelings even against the nation,” Calcedonia flashed a radiant smile that warmed the hearts of all who saw it.

“Indeed. I don’t think Tatsumi is threatening you either. If he were trying to deceive or intimidate you, such a bold declaration wouldn’t have parted his lips. Speaking of—”

Elisia, who had been squinting her eyes in joy at the growth and happiness of her beloved daughter—who was like a granddaughter to her—suddenly regained a sharp gleam in her gaze as she looked down at the two crouching at her feet.

“As for threats… I wonder who was the one trying to threaten whom?”

A stern gaze pierced through Larlaik.

“Wh-whatever do you mean, Grand Madame…? I-I’ve never once threatened anyone in my entire life…”
“Oh, really? By the way, Larlaik… was that your name? Do you have an idea what this is?”

As she spoke, Elisia produced a crystal about the size of an adult’s clenched fist.

The pure, colorless, transparent sphere of crystal sparkled brilliantly in Elisia’s palm.

“I-is that by any chance… the Image-Reflecting Crystal…?”
“Yes, that’s right. It’s one of the items in that old badger’s collection… but there’s something interesting reflected in it. Would you like to take a look?”

Elisia held her hand over the so-called Image-Reflecting Crystal and chanted what sounded like a keyword.

Then, something resembling an image appeared on the crystal’s surface, and at the same time, a voice could be heard.

This magical artifact, known as the Image-Reflecting Crystal, functions much like a video camera—it records video and audio and can play them back at will.

The footage showed a group of thugs trying to threaten Tatsumi, along with a man who appeared to be a member of some wealthy household, engaged in a rather menacing conversation.

The location appeared to be a seedy tavern, filled with the clamor of the surrounding crowd. The fact that the conversation had been recorded so clearly suggests the Magic-Sealing Apparatus must have been used from very close range.

Soon, the footage cut to a room where luxurious furnishings had been utterly and mercilessly destroyed, showing two men engaged in conversation.

It appeared to have been filmed from inside the ceiling, providing a slightly diagonal overhead view. Even so, it was clear that one of the men in the room was the same man who had appeared earlier—presumably a member of the household.

And the other man was, undoubtedly, Larlaik Galgadon.

*[You fool!! Haven’t you managed to find that priest Tatsumi’s weakness yet!? When will the men we hired finally be able to lay their hands on this Tatsumi guy and make him suffer!?]*
*[Y-yes… It seems he’s incredibly fast on his feet; no matter how much our hired men surround him, he always manages to slip right through their grasp…]*
*[I’m sick of your excuses! Just get results, and fast! Otherwise…]*

Larlaik in the footage narrowed his eyes and snapped at what appeared to be a household servant.

*[With the power of the Galgadon family, I can dispose of a lowly wretch like you however I please.]*
*[Y-Yes, Master Larlaik…!! I’ll have that man Tatsumi tortured immediately…!!]*

At that point, Elisia paused the video.

The reason Tatsumi had been running from those thugs all this time was to buy time so that a spy under Elisia’s command could record this footage using a Magic-Sealing Apparatus borrowed from Giuseppe, thereby securing irrefutable evidence of Larlaik’s actions.

“If I recall correctly… you said earlier that ‘I’ve never once threatened anyone in my entire life’… or would you rather tell me I was wrong?”
“I-I don’t know anything about it!! I have no idea what this footage is about!!”
“Th-That’s right!! This must surely be a fabrication by that despicable man Tatsumi over there, designed to frame my dear Lara!!”
“Cut it out, you lot. You must know that tampering with a Magic-sealing Apparatus is extremely difficult unless you’re an expert in the field. To begin with, the thugs shown in that Magic-sealing Apparatus have already been captured by this temple’s soldier priests. After all, those thugs tried to assault a priest of our temple. It is the duty of the soldier priests to protect the temple and its followers, so what our temple’s soldier priests did was perfectly natural. Now, I’m looking forward to seeing what kind of information we can get out of those thugs.”
“…it seems you don’t really understand what you’ve gotten yourselves into.”

With a sigh of exasperation, Elisia muttered.

.

“The Kingdom and the Temples are mutually dependent. What you’ve done could potentially destroy the bond of trust between them. It seems you don’t understand that.”

Since the Temples are not an organization belonging to the Kingdom, the Kingdom holds no authority to issue orders to the Temple.

Likewise, the Temples do not interfere in any way with the Kingdom’s administration.

While there are many aspects that are merely on paper, that is the stance of both parties. However, there is, of course, a deep bond between them.

Although the Temples don’t belong to the kingdom, they are not entirely without its protection, and for many citizens of the kingdom, faith in the Gods serves as a source of spiritual support.

If a deep rift were to form between the kingdom and the Temples, it would manifest as anxiety among the people regarding their country.

If the kingdom were to anger the Temples, the Temples would likely close their doors. And the consequences would go far beyond the people simply being deprived of a place of worship.

The Temples serve not only as a place of worship but also as a medical facility and other training centers.

They provide care and treatment for the injured and sick, and depending on the Temple, some even teach self-defense techniques or basic academic subjects like arithmetic.

If the Temples were to close its doors, the people would no longer have access to these services.

If that were to happen, the people’s anger would naturally be directed toward the kingdom. The future of a country that has lost the trust of its people can hardly be a bright one.

For this reason, the kingdom and the temples strive to maintain a good relationship with one another.

“What you’ve done is tantamount to trampling on those joint efforts. If you were to seriously anger the old badger… no, the Supreme Pontiff, the relationship between this temple and the kingdom would deteriorate, and naturally, the kingdom would hold you responsible. If that happens… you know what will happen, don’t you?”

Elisia’s words implied the potential annihilation of the count’s family.

At this point, the Galgadon mother and son finally realized they had backed themselves into a corner.

.

“Your actions, which could drive a deep wedge between the kingdom and the Temple, should normally be judged by the laws of the land. However, I do not wish to make this commotion any bigger.”

In the Kingdom of Largovere, the various metal products produced in what is currently the Earl of Galgadon’s domain play an extremely important role.

Not only do they supply weapons to the kingdom’s military, but Galgadon’s metal products are also exported abroad as specialty goods.

The current Count of Galgadon’s skill in growing this industry to such a scale is widely recognized, so the House of Galgadon cannot simply be abolished.

Even if the House of Galgadon were abolished and the earldom incorporated into the royal domain, there is no guarantee that Galgadon’s industry could continue to develop in the same way.

That is how exceptional the current head of the family’s leadership is—they simply cannot afford to lose it so easily.

“Therefore, your fate will be left entirely in the hands of Almond Galgadon, the head of the Count Household. Wouldn’t you say so?”

When Elisia spoke toward the door that had been left wide open, a middle-aged gentleman appeared from within.

Tatsumi surmised that this man must be Almond Galgadon, Larike’s father.

“As you wish, Grand Madame. I will take full responsibility for punishing these individuals. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your generous leniency.”

Almond bowed deeply to Elisia. Turning back to Giuseppe, he bowed deeply once more.

“Forgive me for also causing you a great deal of trouble this time, Your Eminence Chyrosprase… I truly do not know how to apologize for this.”
“I’m not looking for an apology. Instead, make sure to punish those scoundrels properly. Above all, do not let your affection for them cloud your judgment.”
“Yes!! I swear I will not cause any further distress to Your Eminence, Lady Calcedonia, or her betrothed.”
“However, I will inform His Majesty the King of this matter. And should His Majesty issue any decree, you must accept it without complaint. Is that clear?”
“Understood, Grand Madame.”
“Now then, Count. How do you intend to deal with these fellows?”

Giuseppe, shedding his usual affable, grandfatherly demeanor and instead radiating the dignity befitting the Supreme Pontiff of the Savaiv Temple, asked Almond.

Almond, too, understood. He knew that if he showed any mercy to his wife and son here, the Galgadon family would surely face utter ruin.

Only then did Almond turn his gaze for the first time toward his wife and son, who were still cowering on the floor.

“H-honey… p-please… s-save us…”
“F-Father… I beg you… Please, please, have mercy…”

Both Sienaquaria and Larlaik realized they were in a desperate situation and, clinging to a sliver of hope, turned to Almond, their husband and father.

But the look in Almond’s eyes as he looked at them was already as cold as it could possibly be.

“Sienaquaria. I hereby grant you a divorce. I’ve been told that the Grand Madame will handle the arrangements with your birth family. Presumably, your birth family will not accept your return either.”

Sienaquaria gasped at those coldly delivered words. Ignoring his wife—or rather, his now-ex-wife—Almond turned to his son and delivered his verdict.

“Laraik. I disinherit you and disown you from this household effective today. From now on, we are neither father nor son. Go wherever you please.”
“W-what… Father, are you telling Mother and me to die on the streets!?”
“Y-yes!! You’re disowning your only son, Lara—what are you going to do about the Garugardon family’s heir!?”

Sienaquaria and Larlaik protest loudly at Almond’s harsh decision—at least, that’s how it felt to the two of them—but Almond shows no sign of listening to them.

“Oh dear, there’s no need to worry about the heir to the count. I’ll take full responsibility and introduce him to a fine young man to adopt myself.”
“Come on, compared to that idiot son of his, anyone would seem like a fine young man, wouldn’t they?”

The badger and the fox said this loud enough for everyone to hear. Tatsumi was slightly put off by the two of them being so scathing.

Elisia cast a meaningful glance at Tatsumi.

“Oh, come to think of it, there just happens to be a promising young man right here. What do you say, Count Galgadon? Why not make this young man, Tatsumi, your heir?”
“W-what?! No, please don’t!! I-I’m not cut out to be a noble!! I’m a commoner through and through!! There’s absolutely no way I could be a noble’s heir!! I couldn’t handle it!!”

Tatsumi frantically shook his hands and head vigorously. Perhaps finding his reaction amusing, Giuseppe, Elisia, and Calcedonia all burst out laughing.

Upon closer inspection, Almond was staring at Tatsumi with a serious expression. Perhaps he was actually considering making Tatsumi his heir.

.

A few days after the commotion caused by the Galgadon mother and son.

Tatsumi was summoned to Giuseppe’s office along with Calcedonia.

It seemed the recent commotion had been more or less settled, and he was going to explain what had happened.

“So, what happened?”

Upon arriving at Giuseppe’s office and taking a seat at his invitation, Tatsumi asked about the events since then.

“Mm. It seems the House of Galgadon did not face any severe punishment. However, I hear they’ve been ordered to pay additional taxes for the next few years.”

It is by no means easy to dismantle a noble house.

Not only would those who had served that noble until then be left destitute, but there is also no guarantee that the estate’s operations could be successfully maintained.

“Then, what became of that mother and child?”

In response to Calcedonia’s question, Giuseppe matter-of-factly relayed the outcome.

“As for those two—who were divorced and disinherited… Well, since they had nowhere else to go, Count Galgadon apparently decided to give them a small house and some farmland within his estate and let them live there. As commoners, of course, not as nobles.”
“Do you think those two will be able to make a life of it?”
“Well now, I don’t know about that. Just granting them a house and fields is already an act of mercy from the Count’s part. If they turn over a new leaf and live their lives properly, so be it; if not, they’ll have no choice but to die on the streets. That’s entirely up to them from here on out.”

Whether Sienaquaria and Larlaik—divorced and disinherited as they are—end up dying on the streets is no longer the concern of the House of Galgadon. The fact that he granted them a house and fields must surely be his final act of mercy toward his former family.

Just as Tatsumi was mentally drawing a line under this matter, Giuseppe suddenly addressed him.

“Now then, my son. There’s no guarantee there won’t be another commotion like this one. So, how about this? I’m considering making your and Calce’s positions clear to the public at this point… What say you?”