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In fact, according to my experience, it felt as if I had suddenly wandered into a different world that I knew absolutely nothing of. From what I thought……perhaps this Syltianna character had a weak ego, and was so inexperienced in life that most of her consciousness was overwritten by the memory of her previous life.

Well, the tone and the mannerisms of a lady ingrained in my body seemed to have surfaced half spontaneously, but all the emotions and thoughts were based on my previous life, and to be honest, I wasn’t equipped with the common sense and frame of mind of the people of this world, so Regina’s offer was most reassuring.

“Then refer to me as Mentor from now on, and I will call you Jill.”
“Understood, mentor.”

That made her, as far as I could recall, the second person I called as my Mentor. But then, I suddenly saw the similar eccentric and self-centered personalities between the two of them, which made me let out a wry smile.

As if seeing through my inner thoughts, Regina shot me a piercing glare. I hurriedly took off the dress I was wearing——I honestly didn’t know how this dress worked at all, so I just turned it inside out from underneath and slipped my head out——and when I saw my stomach sticking out in three tiers up to my chest, I felt helpless since I didn’t even know where the breasts ended and the flabs began.

“Hmph. I’ll give you plenty of training to wring out all those fats so that your hideous body will be toned up in no time.”

For some reason, Regina gleefully licked her lips when she said so. Err, you know……I welcome it if you want to reduce my weight, but can you not see me like you’re a butcher about to slaughter a pig?

♢♦♢♦♢

The capital city of the feudal domain of the Aulanthia frontier county, the Cultura city.

The county was originally a small to medium sized country bordering on the Graviol Empire, a great power in the east. It flourished as a transportation hub connecting the eastern, northern, and the central parts of the continent. It also served as a stronghold that had always been under tension as a military demarcation line that could transform into the frontline of a war should the crisis arise. Or, to be more precise, it used to, as the use of past tense should be more pronounced when describing it as such.

The Divine-Demon Crusade, also known as the Finis Jihad, marked the end of the age of the warring state, bringing the continential countries into a unification under the flag of the Cardinal Rose Superempire which nominally eliminated the barriers between nations, consequently reducing the county’s significance as a bulwark against the empire……. And yet, till this day, it served as a relay point and buffer zone between the Livitium Imperial Kingdom, a newly emerging nation covering the continent’s northern regions, and the long-established Graviol Empire.

For that reason, the old town, surrounded by a bulky fortress, had become a relic of the past, and the new city, more liberated and serviceable, was taking shape outside the walls and growing by the day. In a corner near the heart of the new city, there was a magnificent mansion——though calling it a palace should be more apt with its structure and appearance——stood on a vast expanse of ground.

It was the villa of Count Aulanthia who governed the region——that being said, it wasn’t his personal residence, as that would be the castle of the old town, but due to the matter of convenience, the villa was used only for audiences with emissaries from the motherland and for official events. As for living space and space for holding private events, it was practically the principal residence.

Tonight as well, the Countess of Aulanthia hosted a salon, inviting domestic aristocrats, prominent cultural figures, scholars, and theater artists to recite poems, accompanied by the sounds of music performed by musicians.

The light rustling of garments against the marble floor, the laughter of the whispering ladies, the dazzling candelabras illuminating every corner of the great hall.

The hostess of the salon, Frontier Countess Simonetta of Aulanthia, curtly bowed, composedly ignored the gazes of the invited guests and their knights that fell on her, and took the seat. She adopted a business smile as she took the jewelry brought by a seemingly inconspicuous, ordinary looking merchant.

“I believe the matter at hand has been successfully carried out, yes?”

Simonetta was 41 years old. Her high, slightly pointed nose, and protruding cheekbones suggested a strong temper, but it was only fair to say that she was a beauty of her own standard. As the legal wife of a Frontier Count 8 years older than her for 25 years, she was a woman of character who ran the estate on behalf of her husband who spent more than half of the year in Cilento Imperial Capital.

To be fair, she was from Inyria Marquisate State, which was deeply influenced by the empire’s culture even within the Livitium Imperial Kingdom, and there was a part inside her that looked down on the newly emerging imperial kingdom for the lack of history and traditions. Therefore, she had remained secluded in Cultura, where the influence of the Graviol Empire was stronger.

When asked, the man nodded with a smile that seemed very harmless. “Why, of course. The adventurers hired to escort her colluded with a band of thieves from the neighboring country to kidnap and ransom a princess of a great noble family. However, at the crucial moment, they split up and almost fought each other. The runaway carriage overturned within the Tenebrae Nemus, and the poor young lady died there……that’s the story.”

“Both the adventurers we hired——well, we only hired notorious rascals to begin with——and the band of thieves that set up their territory in the area have been dealt with on the scene, so you wouldn’t hear a peep from them. We also bribed the nearby guards.”

And then, as if he had just remembered it, the merchant clapped his hands together and took out a ring case from his pocket and opened it so that the madam could see its contents.

Inside was a ring with a familiar family crest.

“……Indeed, that belongs to that thing. Are you sure it has breathed its last?”

“Yes. We confirmed that her heart has stopped. We left her remains in the Tenebrae Nemus. Unless she was revived by the legendary saint who’s said to be able to bring the dead back to life, she won’t resurrect.”

Simonetta lightly scuffed at the man’s shrug of the shoulders, the corners of her mouth rose in satisfaction, before she gestured to him to put away the ring.

“You may get rid of that on your own account,” she spoke as she took some of the jewelry the man brought at random, and she indicated her chamberlains to pass the man the leather bag——the gold coins and precious metals that were his reward——that had been prepared in advance.

“——Thank you for your continued patron.” With a fawning attitude, the man received the leather bag then put it away together with his luggage before he tried to leave this place quickly.

“Come to think of it,” Simonetta asked, suddenly remembering something. “I believe that thing’s mother once wore a necklace my husband gave her, have you known what happened to it?”

“A necklace……I didn’t see any necklace. It must have fallen off somewhere on impact, or it’s probably in the stomach of a demon beast along with her corpse right now.”

Even the madam treated it as an afterthought. She narrowed her eyes at his answer, not seeming to care much. “I see. Either way, it must be all ugly and rotting by now, becoming fertilizer for the forest. A befitting end for a ragweed.”

She gulped red wine brought by her lady attendant, smiling in a good humor.

By the time she put the glass back, the man was already gone, replacing him were the guests who had been waiting for the madam to be free so they could come and greet her, one by one.

Simonetta stood up, adorned a welcoming smile, and played the affable host role perfectly. Her mind no longer filled with the thoughts of the suspicious man or that despicable concubine’s daughter.

Translator’s Note:

A gram in this world is a gura. Shamefully, not the shark kind.

Also, the author seemed to translate Japanese kanji to English to Latin to think up names (ruby text), so I can assure you that, if something triggers you, it’s not by intention.