Chapter 443: A Reunion and a Request

After meeting with Garfish in the Garfish Trading Company, Tauro met with several other nobles.

For the most part, these meetings involved expressing gratitude and apologies.

He sensed that many nobles had congratulated him under the assumption that he would become the heir apparent of Count Graundewald.

No one expected that on the day of the unveiling ceremony, an announcement would be made about adopting another heir who was also of legitimate lineage, so it must have been a miscalculation for many of the people who congratulated Tauro.

Because of this, Tauro’s rounds of greetings served not only to give thanks but also to convey his apologies.

Among them, Count Daredar was one who expressed regret that Tauro was no longer the legitimate heir.

“It is truly unfortunate that you are no longer the legitimate heir, Lord Tauro,” he said, genuinely saddened.

It was rare for a noble to express such honesty, especially since Count Daredar was someone who had given Tauro a token bearing the Daredar crest as a sign of gratitude for saving his life.

“Thank you. Although I won’t inherit the title, my half-brother Haku is set to, so I appreciate your support,” Tauro said with a smile, conveying his gratitude while asking for support for Haku.

“If that’s what you want, then of course I will. So what are you going to do now, Lord Tauro? I would be very happy if you would return to the village of Dansas in my territory,” Count Dareidar replied, clearly showing his fondness for Tauro.

“Ahaha. Being an adventurer, I intend to travel around. If the opportunity arises, I may stop by,” 

“I see… That is unfortunate. —Ah, if it’s not too much trouble, I would like to invite you to a party tonight! The ‘Saint’ from the ally kingdom of luwan  is scheduled to visit the party!” 

Count Daredar mentioned the much-discussed ‘Saint.’

As expected, this topic was the talk of the town in the royal capital.

It was probably a party hosted by the Prime Minister’s faction.

Maybe there I’ll be able to greet His Excellency the Prime Minister and thank him?

Tauro thought this, but he also considered that his father, Count Graundewald, might also receive an invitation from somewhere as well.

In that scenario, accompanying Count Daredar might stir up complications.

After contemplating for a bit, Tauro politely declined the invitation and left Count Daredar’s residence.

“Ah! You’ve returned, Leader. I have a message for you,” 

Ankh called out to Tauro as he was making his way back to his room after returning to the Graundewald residence.

“A message?” Tauro asked.

　

“Yeah, it’s from Prince Fleue the Fifth. He said he wants you to come to the palace immediately,” Ankh replied.

“What? Right now, when things are so busy for him?” Tauro was surprised.

“I don’t know the details, but it seems that’s the case.”

“I see. I understand. I’ll be heading out later then.”

　Tauro hurried to the royal palace, hoping to meet him before the sun set.

Upon arriving at the royal palace, he presented his dagger bearing the royal crest to the guard at the castle gate.

 The soldier was taken aback by Tauro’s noble appearance and the royal crest he displayed, but once it was confirmed that he was on the list of people expected for a meeting, they quickly ushered him inside.

“Thank you for coming. It’s been a while,” 

　Prince Fleue was happy to meet Tauro sooner than he expected.

“Thank you for the gifts, Your Highness,” 

“Of course. I’ve heard what happened. While you were supposed to be adopted as the eldest son, you suddenly relinquished that position to someone who appeared at the unveiling,” Prince Fleue said, looking somewhat disappointed.

“The truth is, there were a number of circumstances surrounding the situation—”

　Tauro explained that there was a possibility that the territory would be divided in two, and that the move was legitimate because his half-brother, Haku, was a descendant of the previous Count.

“…I see. So that’s what happened… But, Tauro, you seem quite relieved,” Prince Fleue pointed out, smiling.

“ this friend of mine is indeed an adventurer. It seems you are much more suited to live freely,” he added.

“That’s true. I think so too,”

　Tauro chuckled at his friend’s comment, but suddenly he became curious about why he wanted to see him.

“Your Highness, was there something you needed from me?” he asked.

“Actually, there was something I wanted to ask Tauro for, but… I think I’ll hold it off. It might just draw too much attention,” Prince Fleue said, falling silent.

“Don’t be shy, Your Highness. I have received so much from you. If it’s something I can do, I’d be happy to take on a request or two,” 

Tauro encouraged him, believing the prince wouldn’t ask anything unreasonable.

“Is that so? … Actually, I want you to keep the ‘Saint’ company while she is in the royal capital. It seems that the Kingdom of Luwan wants her to become familiar with nobles and talented individuals of her age. I thought this would be a good opportunity for you to build connections with others your age, but it seems that’s no longer necessary, so I won’t insist on it. I thought it would also kill two birds with one stone and act as her guardian as well…”

Prince Fleue trailed off, leaving the request hanging.

This is a much more hefty request than I expected!

Tauro hesitated for a moment before responding to Prince Fleue’s request.

Dealing with the ‘Saint’ seemed much more complicated than he had imagined.

　It’s true that I don’t have any connections with the sons of nobles my age, but as I’m no longer the eldest son, it’s not something I need.

But, if Haku could be included in this, it would be a different story.

Haku would need connections going forward, and this would become a significant asset for him in the future.

“How old is this ‘Saint’?” Tauro asked.

If we’re the same age, does that mean she was still probably a child?

“Actually, she’s just turned 16 and has just reached adulthood. I met her the other day, and she can be rather demanding. She kept touching me, which I didn’t like,” Prince Fleue admitted with a sigh.

The prince, who had once been a bit plump, now looked slim and well-composed.

Moreover, being a half-High Elf and half-human, he was quite handsome, so perhaps he was the ‘Saint’s’ type.

“Ahaha… That sounds troublesome. —I see. Would it be possible to include Haku, myself, and also Aeris and Zion?” 

“Zion is the new member of the ‘Black-Golden Wings’, right?! Okay, I’ll squeeze them into the ‘Saint’s’ entourage! — wait? Lady Aeris too? Got it!”

Prince Fleue seemed pleased to hear that Aeris would be joining.

“…Your Highness, it’s not as though you didn’t want to be a member yourself and so you’re pushing me to take your place instead, is it?”

“W-What are you talking about, my friend! I’m simply busy and looking for someone dependable to stand in for me!” 

Seeing Prince Fleue flustered, Tauro felt as though he had been set up but since it was a request from his friend, he decided to accept it.

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