Kays Translations

Chapter 18: Celebration Party

After returning to the manor, I immediately ordered the knights to take a few days off.

Obviously, I couldn’t let the entire knight order rest at the same time, so they would have to rotate their leave. Even so, they should be able to enjoy a longer break than usual.

“Aren’t you going to rest, Lord Julius?”

“Nobles don’t get holidays. Or perhaps every day is a holiday for us.”

“No one will punish you for taking a little rest, will they?”

Christopher’s question prompted Gyre to add his own complaint.

“Of course, all of you may take a break. We’ll also suspend the city inspections for a while. There’s nothing urgent to do in the meantime.”

The two of them made complicated faces.

They hadn’t had a chance to distinguish themselves during this operation, so perhaps they had mixed feelings about being told to rest. They were both only seven years old; you’d think they’d be happy to go and play, yet they were oddly reserved.

“Lord Julius, you wished to see me?”

“Ah, Lionel. Thank you for everything.”

“What are you saying? We knights are at your disposal, Lord Julius. Please don’t concern yourself with it.”

“I see. Then I’m holding a victory celebration, so inform the entire knight order. It’ll be in the ballroom, and there’s no dress code. Everyone should come in their usual clothes.”

“Are you certain?”

“Of course. I’ve already informed the head chef.”

“Understood.”

Lionel bowed and left.

Heh. He was going to be surprised. Father’s treasured wine would be lined up at the celebration.

And since we were doing this properly, I decided the servants and kitchen staff should join us as well. They had all contributed to protecting the Heine Margraviate in their own way.

Thus began the victory celebration.

Just as I’d said, everyone came dressed comfortably. That made it easier for all of us to relax around one another.

Food and drink kept coming. I set proper table manners aside for once and ate while helping Rosalia with her meal.

“Big brother, eating together like this is so much fun!”

“It certainly is. Meals are more enjoyable when everyone eats together. Look, Gyre and Christopher are eating with us too.”

“Of course.”

“It feels like a dream!”

The two boys looked happy as well. Enjoying a fine meal after a victory was probably a valuable experience in itself.

While we children were happily acting our age, Lionel approached with a slightly pale expression.

“Lord Julius, where did this wine come from?”

“Hm? This? It’s from Father’s cellar.”

“I thought so.”

Lionel looked up toward the ceiling. His expression practically said, No wonder it tastes so good.

But the bottles were already open. Wine only deteriorated once opened, so obviously we had to drink it.

“Didn’t the head chef try to stop you?”

“He did, but I told him I had permission, so he complied.”

“Permission, you say?”

“Yes. I was granted full authority.”

Lionel covered his face with one hand and slowly shook his head.

Father had probably never imagined I’d use that authority to raid his treasured wine. If he wanted exceptions, he should have written, “Everything except my private cellar.”

“That reminds me, Lionel. Tomorrow will be fine, but please submit a report about this incident to Father.”

“Wouldn’t it be better for you to write it yourself, Lord Julius?”

“No one would be pleased to receive a report in handwriting that looks like worms wriggling across the page.”

“…Understood.”

Lionel sighed.

I’d caused him a lot of trouble. Maybe I should give him something extra later.

Father’s treasured wine, perhaps?

No. Lionel would probably refuse it on principle. What a difficult man.

The celebration continued late into the night.

The next morning, I went to the medicinal herb garden as usual. A knight was already standing guard, watching the surroundings with sharp eyes.

“Good morning. Thank you for everything.”

“Good morning, Lord Julius! This medicinal herb garden is our lifeline. We would defend it with our lives!”

Somehow, the garden had become an extremely important place. Almost a sacred site.

My face tightened a little.

“I see. Is there anything you need besides magic potions?”

“Well… insect bites are a problem during expeditions. Even when the itching becomes unbearable, we can’t remove our armour, and it breaks our concentration.”

“I see. Then you need an anti-itch ointment—no, an insect-repellent spray would be better.”

“An insect-repellent spray?”

“Oh, it’s nothing. I was only thinking aloud. Thank you for the valuable suggestion; it was very helpful.”

“Not at all!”

The knight snapped into a stiff salute.

I didn’t have an insect-repellent spray, but I did know how to make insect-repellent incense. There was also an anti-itch ointment.

In the game, those had merely been items for delivery quests. Thinking about them now, though, they would be genuinely useful in everyday life.

There were probably plenty of items I’d overlooked. Until now, nearly every potion I’d thought about making was useful in battle.

Maybe I needed to start thinking about magic potions from the perspective of ordinary people as well.

Conveniently, the ingredients needed for insect repellent and anti-itch medicine were already growing in the medicinal herb garden. I’d originally planned to use some of them for herbal tea, but now they had another purpose.

The garden was starting to feel cramped.

I wouldn’t be allowed to leave the manor for a while, so perhaps expanding the medicinal herb garden should be my next project.

If I needed materials, I could ask the Adventurers’ Guild. Our relationship with them had deepened considerably through this incident, so requests should be easier to make now.

In the end, the goblin subjugation had produced benefits in all sorts of unexpected ways.

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