Chapter 120: The Ice Count

The day after managing to secure the cooperation of Marquis Innocenti, and finding himself obliged to explain the sequence of events leading up to the proposal, Klauffeldt found himself visiting the second desired meeting, the villa of the Marquis of Chartreuse.

The Chartreuse family’s estate was a significant feature, situated on a peninsula southeast of the royal capital within the royal demesne, constituting its entire territory.

In this world of Ethersia, although not as bustling as Earth, maritime trade still thrived, as monsters also inhabited the seas.

Serving as the gateway to maritime trade was the capital of the Chartreuse Marquisate, Charlouvel.

While the southernmost point of the royal territory also faced the sea, it featured numerous river mouths and extensive shallow sandy beaches with significant tidal variations.

Originally, when small ships predominated, harbors were constructed in these calm waters. However, as ships grew larger, it became inconvenient. Thus, Charlouvel emerged as the solution.

Situated in a bay with no large river mouths nearby and deep waters at its feet, Charlouvel was a natural and excellent harbor capable of accommodating large ships with deep drafts.

Its proximity to the royal capital contributed to its gradual development as the kingdom’s gateway.

Recognized for its achievements in developing into a port town, the Chartreuse family, originally barons when the port was established, ascended to the rank of counts.

Utilizing the resources gained from the port town, they actively developed the peninsula, ultimately discovering the kingdom’s first ice magic stone mine, leading to their elevation to the rank of marquises.

“It’s amazing… They’re truly distinguished nobles who have risen through their own merits.”

As they rode in a carriage towards the villa, Isamu expressed admiration as he listened once again to the history of the Chartreuse territory.

“Yes, they’re models of what nobles should be. And they’re also influential supporters of the royal family.”

“If they support the royal family, does that mean there are opposing factions as well?”

“Not necessarily opposing the royal family, but there’s a faction known as the Distant Royalists, advocating for some distance from the royal family. Duke Yarderud, who I visited before, is a prominent figure of this faction.”

“Dukes have direct royal blood, right? Then why aren’t they part of the royal family?”

“I’m not entirely sure of the exact reasons, but not just the Yarderud family, many influential families, either wealthy or powerful, might prefer not to be dictated to. They might question the current royal family, which has become more of a symbol of authority, whether for good or bad.”

“I see. Well, everyone has their own perspectives, so as long as they don’t resort to force or become fixated, it’s not a matter of good or bad…”

“Yeah. From their perspective, those of us who don’t have strong opinions and just go along with the factions might seem even more peculiar.”

From Selfers’ perspective, it might seem odder to adhere to a faction’s opinions without question. However, as long as it doesn’t negatively impact governance, diversity of thought regarding factions is preferable. Therefore, they consistently maintained a stance of distancing rather than participating in factions.

As they conversed, they arrived at the Chartreuse Marquis’s villa after about 15 minutes.

Though not as grand as the royal castle, it stood atop a slightly elevated hill, a mansion of white marble befitting its successful occupants.

After announcing their reason for visit to the gatekeeper, they were led to the carriage porch after a brief wait. Even the armor of the knight who escorted them, not to mention the horse they rode, was all uniformly white, showing meticulous attention to detail.

At the entrance, they were greeted by “The Butler,” impeccably dressed in his butler attire.

Since there was a significant class difference between them despite being hosts, such a reception was quite ordinary. In fact, it was the Innocenti Marquis family, which had welcomed them with their entire household earlier, that seemed unusual.

“Welcome. Viscount Klauffeldt, Isamu Matsumoto-dono, Chairma of the Trading Company. I am Raoul, the head butler. It is cold, please follow me; I will guide you.”

Led by the head butler, they entered the mansion through the luxurious double doors, where all the servants were lined up neatly, bowing in unison.

“””Welcome.”””

Impressed by the flawless greetings, they were guided to the reception room. Knights stood on either side of the door.

“I’ll inform the master immediately. Please relax and wait for a moment.”

With a polite bow, the head butler left the room.

Looking around, they couldn’t help but sigh at the numerous artworks and furnishings that were expensive yet not overly ostentatious.

It was perhaps the most luxurious reception room Isamu had ever seen. Even when he visited the reception room of a major foreign IT company during his time in Japan, it was luxurious, but this surpassed it.

As Isamu and Selfers subtly observed the items, there came a knock on the door.

“Please come in.”

“Excuse me.”

As Selfers responded, they heard the butler’s reply, and the door opened, revealing three men entering.

One was the head butler from earlier, another appeared to be a guard knight in light armor, so the last one entering must be Marquis Chartreuse.

“Sorry for the wait. Thank you for coming, Lord Klauffeldt. It seems this is my first time meeting Isamu Matsumoto, the wanderer. I am Auguste Chartreuse, bestowed with the title of Marquis by His Majesty.”

“I’m grateful for your courteous greeting, Lord Chartreuse. Thank you for inviting us today.”

“I suppose it’s our first meeting, although I’m not sure if I can say it as such… I am Isamu Matsumoto. I hope we can get to know each other from now on.”

“Heh heh, enough with the formalities. Sit down, both of you.”

While his demeanor was relaxed and gentle, there was still an aura of dignity befitting an upper-class noble. His long golden hair suited him well.

“Now, let’s get straight to the point. As I briefly mentioned in the letter, thanks to the new refrigerator developed jointly by Matsumoto-san’s company and Lord Kalenberg, the sales of our ice magic stones have been excellent lately. I just wanted to express my gratitude. Thank you for creating such a good product.”

“No need for thanks, Your Excellency. We are also in business, and, after all, it’s the ice magic stones produced in your territory that make the refrigerator possible in the first place.”

“Hohoho, I see. It’s somewhat embarrassing that our sales have increased without us doing anything… It’s appreciated when someone says that.”

Auguste Chartreuse smiled as he spoke and took a leisurely sip of tea and narrowed his eyes.

“Now, Lord Klauffeldt, you proposed to the Kalenberg family for joint development this time, in exchange for requesting access to the restricted area, right?”

Auguste asked Selfers while narrowing his eyes.

“And you even declined compensation for the captured monsters… Is it really worth that much?”

“…Where did you hear about that?”

At the unexpected words from Auguste, Selfers also put on a serious expression.

Although it wasn’t explicitly forbidden to disclose, it was a deal that wouldn’t be widely known unless someone mentioned it. Moreover, the fact that they had declined compensation was only known to a very select few involved.

“Ha ha. Although it was I who asked the question… Well, in gratitude for the refrigerator, I’ll give you an answer. Lord Kalenberg and Marquis Felker are central figures in the Duke of Yarderud’s faction. They’re essentially the central figures of our opposing faction. We’re meticulous about gathering information. Moreover, entry qualifications to the restricted area have been issued in recent years only to the closely allied Marquis Felker besides the royal family. Wouldn’t it be strange to think there’s something going on?”

Auguste casually spoke, but it was evident that such information wouldn’t be easily accessible.

Both Selfers and Isamu were amazed by their information-gathering abilities.

“…I see. Indeed, we’ve received entry qualifications to the restricted area from Lord Kalenberg, under the condition of being valid for this generation only… It was at the insistence of our exclusive artifact expert. Also, rather than immediate money, if we can find undiscovered artifacts, it’s not impossible to make a fortune. Additionally, fortunately, Isamu has become an excellent magician thanks to his ability skills, so we judged that we have sufficient strength to explore the restricted area….Oh, and…”

“And…?”

“We have no intention of joining the faction of Duke Yarderud.”

“Oh?”

“Rather, His Excellency Duke Yaderud, to be more precise, his eldest son, told me that he would buy the rights to the magic stove for 60 million ruin, so I turned him down.”

“…Hmph, if it’s the eldest son, it must be Alexei. Sounds like something he would say. Probably acting on his own without consulting his father.”

Auguste snorted disinterestedly. It might have been the first time he showed an emotion other than a smile after the meeting.

“I see. It’s certain that Lord Klauffeldt and the others have no intention of joining Duke Yarderud’s faction. Then, how about this? Wouldn’t it be a good opportunity for you to join our faction? I won’t treat you badly.”

“I’m sorry, Your Excellency. The Klauffeldt family has always upheld neutrality through the generations, so we cannot comply with your wishes.”

Politely but firmly declining Auguste’s invitation, Selfers persisted.

“…I see. Well, that’s how it is with your family. However, it’s a shame, considering that you have at least two talented individuals. I would have liked to have you on board…?”

“Thank you very much for your generous words. If those words alone are sufficient, we would like to continue our relationship unchanged in the future.”

Selfers expressed gratitude while bowing his head, unsure if Auguste was serious or not.

“Ha ha, you’re a stubborn one. Well, that’s fine. Please make new magic tools using the ice magic stones again. I’m convinced that you can do it soon. Am I wrong?”

“…I will do my best.”

After that, they talked about trivial matters for a while, such as Isamu’s engagement, before bidding farewell. Selfers and the others boarded the carriage.

“Phew. As expected of Lord Chartreuse. I was nervous. Ah, I’m glad it’s over.”

As soon as they got into the carriage, Selfers, unusually, initiated the conversation.

“Indeed. How should I put it? There’s an aura of intimidation, even though he’s so kind… Hey.”

Isamu voice trailed off slightly in response. At the end of his gaze, Selfers was quickly jotting something down in his notebook, with a finger pressed against his lips.

“Ha ha, that’s true. But Lord Chartreuse is probably a kind person, right? He doesn’t force the conversation.”

While saying this, Selfers stopped scribbling and showed it to Isamu.

“…Well, if that’s considered kind, then I find it difficult to deal with noble relationships.”

Isamu responded with a small nod after quickly reading the contents.

The notebook read, “Just go with the flow for a while.”

Following this advice, Isamu continued to engage in conversation. After about five minutes of riding, Selfers leaned back against the backrest with a sigh.

“Thank you. I’m fine now…”

Although he said he was fine, his expression was exhausted.

“Are you okay? What’s wrong?”

Not understanding what was happening, Isamu asked Selfers.

“Mmm… Maybe around here…?”

Without immediately answering Isamu’s question, Selfers rummaged around the ceiling and under the kotatsu table.

“…Could it be!?”

Having inferred something from Selfers’ notes earlier and his current actions, Isamu also began rearranging the surroundings, moving his feet and the curtains.

“Ah!! Is this it!?”

And then, between the bench and the wall of the vehicle, they found a small box-like object in a tiny gap.

“Yes, that’s it. I had a feeling it was there…” 

Selfers nodded sternly.

“Could this be a listening magic tool?”

“Yes, exactly. Was there something similar where Isamu was?”

Selfers answered with a wry smile to Isamu’s question.

“Yes, there were various types, and it became a problem…”

“Well, although the worlds are different, the way of thinking seems to be the same… It’s not a joke to laugh at, really.”

“Is this… from Lord Chartreuse? Or rather, is it okay to talk about it so openly now?”

“Yeah. It’s definitely him. Only he would use such a high-level magic tool for a one-time thing.

Originally, this is used to eavesdrop on conversations in a separate room in the mansion. Once you leave the mansion and get a little distance, you won’t hear anything.”

“…What’s the purpose of this?”

“One is to confirm whether or not we’re really going to join Duke Yarderud’s faction, and the other is to find out any secrets about you, Isamu, no matter what. It’s probably something like that.”

“My secrets?”

“Since Isamu came, we’ve had a magic stove, a new type of refrigerator, easily driven away herds of monsters, and ventured into the restricted area. And now, you’re engaged to my only daughter. Some people might think there’s something going on. Whether they’ll act on it or not is another matter.”

“… “

“Well, this is like a warning. If we become enemies, there will be no mercy.”

“It’s like being offered a fight, isn’t it?”

“Ha ha ha, we’re completely being offered one.”

“That’s right, ha ha ha.”

“Ha ha ha, what should we do? Should we buy it?”

“Yes, let’s buy it! Well, I’m not exactly sure how we’ll make it look like we bought it. But at least from now on, we’ll stop being overly cautious.”

“Yeah, that’s right. Anyway, we had a talk about how hiding things is pointless. Huh? Whether we buy it or not, the result will be the same, right?”

Realizing that they had unexpectedly been provoked into a conflict by unexpected means, the two reaffirmed their determination to carve out their path with their own strength.

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