As a Reincarnated Aristocrat, I’ll Use My Appraisal Skill to Rise in the World (LN) - Volume 4 - Chapter Ep

“I admit it. They got the better of us on every level,” Boroths Heigand, commander of the army of Seitz, muttered to himself. News of Vasmarque’s defeat had just arrived in Seitz. Boroths had been hard at work putting his army back together for another attempt at conquering Canarre, but with Vasmarque no longer on the offensive, he knew his chances of victory were low enough to be practically nonexistent. “Now the only question is what punishment I’ll face for this miserable defeat…”

Boroths was well aware that after a loss this spectacular, there was little to no chance he’d be allowed to keep his current position. The knowledge that he’d betrayed his lord’s expectations deeply wounded him. Canarre’s clever schemes and stratagems certainly played a factor in their victory, but Boroths couldn’t deny that his decision to leave the role of battlefield commander to his subordinates had contributed to the ultimate outcome of the war as well.

Boroths knew perfectly well that he wasn’t cut out to lead from the front. He was more capable than your average battlefield commander, perhaps, but his true strengths lay in the development of strategies and the effective delegation of the army’s most important tasks. Hence his decision to entrust command in the field to Vasa. Boroths had believed the man had what it took to lead his army to victory, but time had proven that he had been mistaken. He had thought that Raktor, the man he’d placed in charge of the army’s supply logistics, was a reliable man as well, but instead he’d been caught up in an enemy scheme.

Vasa and Raktor were both men with ample accomplishments to their names. That was why Boroths felt he could trust them to do their jobs, and do them well. The truth, however, was that results rarely spoke for themselves. Sometimes luck could carry a man to high places, and his record could tell a very tall tale compared to his true abilities. People occasionally experienced moments where circumstance allowed them to perform far beyond their true potential for just a brief instant. Unfortunately, judging the precise strengths of the people around you was impossible…unless you happened to possess a truly exceptional ability.

In spite of all the blunders the army of Seitz committed, their sheer numbers should have been enough to overwhelm Canarre…and yet, they hadn’t. Canarre’s forces had flipped the war on its head, and Boroths knew that they would never have been able to do so if it weren’t for the talent of the individuals in their upper ranks far exceeding that of those under Boroth’s command.

“Ars Louvent. A dangerous man indeed,” said Boroths.

It hadn’t been long at all since Ars had ascended to the status of count. No matter how capable of picking out talent he was, it would take time for him to find those talented people and gather them to his side. And yet, even at this early moment in his career, he already had enough of them to open a gulf between him and his enemies. How much would that gulf widen in the future?

A sense of impending doom rushed over Boroths. The crisis that his master, the Duke of Seitz, had foreseen now felt all too real to him. It felt almost palpable.

I’ve lost this battle, yes, but that wasn’t my only order. I will see Ars Louvent dead, no matter what it takes.

If Ars could not be made into Seitz’s asset, he would have to die. Such were Boroths’s orders, and the man no longer had the luxury to be picky about how he carried them out. He would stoop as low as it took…and so, Boroths resolved to employ the finest assassins he could find to engineer Ars’s death.

○

Some time after the news of Couran’s victory arrived, reinforcements dispatched from his army showed up at Fort Coumeire. I’d informed him of the current state of the war, and it seemed he’d judged that we were no longer in need of a large host and had only sent a modest contingent.

While we were defending Canarre, Couran had been defending Velshdt. He’d repelled Vasmarque’s assault, wiping out a hefty chunk of his army in the process, and had then pushed back, marching on Arcantez in a joint effort to besiege it with Paradille’s army. It struck me as truly remarkable how quickly Couran had switched from defense to offense. He’d known that was his chance, and had acted upon it without hesitation. That judgment was part of what made him seem like such a capable leader to me.

I, however, would not participate in the siege of Arcantez. While Couran oversaw that front of the war, I was to stay behind in Canarre and keep a careful eye out for any movements from Seitz. Couran had ordered me to do so, explaining that another Seitzan attack would be a nuisance, and that we needed to be ready if that time came.

Time passed by, and there was no sign of Seitz resuming its attack. I didn’t expect them to make another attempt, frankly, and while Canarre’s nature as a border county meant that I’d never be able to abandon our watch over our neighbors, I did eventually let myself relax a little. I was tired of war on a personal level, and was grateful to have an opportunity to take it easy for once.

Vasmarque’s defense of Arcantez was persistent, but at this late stage in the war there was simply no way for him to turn the tables. Couran had conquered all the castles and forts in the capital’s vicinity, and Vasmarque had no allies left. He was trapped and isolated, and at the end of the day his struggle was in vain. Castle Arcantez finally fell to Couran on the fifteenth day of the sixth month, three months after Couran had repelled Vasmarque’s attack on Velshdt. On that winter’s day, Missian was united under Couran’s banner.

A banquet celebrating the war’s end was to be held in Castle Arcantez, and my presence was requested. I set off for the capital with an armed escort, among whom Rietz was not, in fact, present this time. We still couldn’t afford to completely write off Seitz, so he and Charlotte had to stick around in Canarre just in case the unexpected occurred. Instead, I brought a troop of fifteen handpicked bodyguards, including Braham and Zaht. That would leave everyone back home with ample means to defend the county, and since Braham and Zaht were such capable fighters, they made for the perfect bodyguards.

A round trip to Arcantez from Canarre and back again took about thirty days by carriage. Our journey proved uneventful, and we arrived in Arcantez on the thirtieth of the sixth month. I’d never been to the capital before, and it was exactly as large as one would expect from the seat of the duchy. The symbol of the city, Castle Arcantez, loomed large over its surroundings…though of course, it wasn’t quite as impressive in scale as the Emperor’s palace in the imperial capital had been.

Arcantez was certainly impressive, but in terms of the town and its people, I had a feeling that Semplar had been a little livelier. Semplar was a port town, which made it a natural economic hub. Financially speaking, I wouldn’t have been surprised if Semplar was better off than even the capital.

Before the festivities could commence, there was one matter left for Couran to take care of: the execution of Vasmarque, the cause of the civil war. I’d been convinced at first that Couran would never kill his own little brother, but I soon learned how naive I had been. Couran refused to make any exceptions for Vasmarque, and sentenced him to death. Family or not, he couldn’t turn a blind eye to anyone who would raise arms against him…or perhaps it was because they were family that he couldn’t afford to show mercy. Because of their shared blood, so long as Vasmarque lived he would always be in a position to take another stab at claiming the throne. Killing him was the only way to prevent that with certainty.

Vasmarque was to be beheaded─decapitated with a massive axe, specifically. That was standard practice for executions in this world. Some executions were carried out in more brutal ways to set an example─burning them at the stake or drawing and quartering them, for instance─but Couran wasn’t cruel enough to sentence his own brother to such an agonizing death.

The execution took place in the plaza in front of Castle Arcantez. When I arrived, I was unsurprised to find that a massive crowd had gathered to watch Vasmarque meet his end. I’d gone back and forth on whether I wanted to watch, but had eventually decided that since I’d fought in the war against his faction, it would only be right for me to witness his final moments.

Moreover, I’d never actually seen Vasmarque in person, and wanted to get at least one look at his face. I wouldn’t appraise him, though. I was curious about Vasmarque’s abilities, yes, but there was nothing to gain from learning how capable a man was moments before he was killed. All I’d get out of it would be regret, if he turned out to be exceptional─and from what I knew about him, I had a feeling that was likely the case.

Vasmarque was led up onto a scaffold at the center of the square. My first impression of him was that he didn’t resemble Couran at all. His hair was black, and his features weren’t quite as handsome as his brother’s, either. I also noted that he didn’t look at all afraid. It seemed, to my eyes, that he had accepted his fate.

Vasmarque took a deep breath, then shouted to the crowd around him.

“Mark my words!” he said. “A time will come when Missian will be divided once more! My death changes nothing! Couran has neither the right nor the ability to rule over any of you!”

To me, that just sounded like the braying of a sore loser. I knew for a fact that Couran was capable, and he struck me as an excellent leader. The idea that he didn’t have the ability to rule just felt preposterous to me.

“I know him well─better than anyone! I know the petty, despicable fool who lurks behind the polite pretenses. There will come a day when his followers see what I have seen, and abandon him! I see it now, clear as day!”

Couran watched on from afar in silence. He wasn’t flustered by his brother’s words, and in fact, he didn’t react at all. Either he didn’t think anyone would take Vasmarque’s shouting to heart, or his allegations were so far off the mark that Couran couldn’t even bring himself to care. Whatever the case, it was clear that not a word that Vasmarque said resonated with him.

Couran raised a hand into the air, and in unison, the headsman raised his axe. Then, Couran brought his hand down…and the axe descended, slicing clean through Vasmarque’s neck. Blood scattered into the air as his head fell from the scaffold, coming to rest on the ground below.

And so, the curtain fell on the life of Vasmarque Salemakhia, second son of the former Duke of Missian.

○

The banquet was held following Vasmarque’s execution. Nobles arrived to celebrate in droves, some of whom I recognized.

“Oh! Well, if it isn’t Ars!” a very familiar voice rang out. The former Count of Canarre and acting Count of Velshdt, Lumeire Pyres, approached me. “I’m told you’ve been doing splendid work, truly splendid! I see leaving Canarre in your hands was the right path indeed!” he said with a beaming smile and a flushed face that told me he’d already started drinking.

“And you, Lord Lumeire? How has Velshdt been treating you?” I asked.

“Velshdt? A fine place indeed, but so large compared to Canarre! I find myself overwhelmed at every turn by the scale of it all! But to be fair, all the boorish nobles who wouldn’t give me the time of day when I ruled over Canarre practically hang on my every word now, so, yes, there are some upsides!”

Canarre was one of Missian’s most remote counties, and it wasn’t especially large, either. In these turbulent times the relative status of nobles was determined by the power they wielded, and the easiest measure of power was the number of soldiers one was ready to deploy at a moment’s notice. It was only natural that ruling over a larger territory would elevate Lumeire’s standing in the eyes of his peers.

Soon, the banquet began in earnest. Couran stood before the assembled nobles and gave a speech, but I barely heard a word of it. Instead, I found Vasmarque’s last words echoing through my mind once more.

One day, he claimed, Missian would be divided all over again. Couran had no brothers left, younger or older. His eldest son surely knew that all he had to do to inherit the territory was wait for his time to come, so unless Couran did something truly appalling to him, I couldn’t imagine he would be inclined to start a revolt. I just couldn’t see any practical risk of Missian fragmenting any time soon.

But why, then, had Vasmarque chosen to give his warning? I recalled him saying that Couran’s followers would lose faith in him and abandon him. Did he mean that Missian would go the way of Seitz, with one of Couran’s most capable vassals raising the banner of rebellion and splitting the duchy apart? Was that what he’d foreseen?

It wasn’t unthinkable, but then again, I’d now seen all of Missian’s counts in person, and I knew that none of them were as capable as Couran himself. The idea of a vassal less talented than him rising up and unseating Couran was, of course, ridiculous. It just wouldn’t happen, and once again, I found myself concluding that Vasmarque had simply missed the mark.

“And above all others, I would acknowledge the Count of Canarre, Ars Louvent, for his many and mighty contributions to our cause! Step forward, Ars!”

While I was lost in thought, Couran called me out by name. I couldn’t just ignore him, so I made my way to the front of the crowd and stood before the gathered nobles.

“Canarre was set upon by a mighty host of Seitzan soldiers,” said Couran. “Had they achieved their aims and conquered the county, we may not have been able to bring Arcantez under our control. Eighty thousand men marched upon Canarre, and between Ars’s men and the sparing few I could send to him, he had only thirty thousand with which to repel them. But repel them he did! Outnumbered by more than twofold, Ars stood strong and protected his realm! His is an achievement worthy of celebration!”

After an explanation like that, none of the nobles in the room could protest the treatment I was being given. Plenty of nobles had opposed the idea of granting a child the title of count, and I hoped that this would help quell their protests.

“Will you say a word, Ars?” Couran asked without warning.

I froze. I hadn’t even begun to consider how I could address the hall, and when I failed to do so, a heavy silence fell. The atmosphere grew unbearable, and I knew I had to say something, even if it turned out to be painfully trite.

“Umm,” I began. “Canarre was in real danger for quite some time, but in the end, we managed to prevail. I intend to continue devoting myself to Lord Couran’s service and to the betterment of Missian as a whole.”

It was far from a masterfully delivered speech, but at the very least it wasn’t a complete flop with my audience. I got the sense that many of the nobles who’d previously had a rather poor image of me were now seeing me in a new light. The way they looked at me had changed. Defeating a superior foe, it seemed, was the sort of achievement that could change an aristocrat’s mind.

“You have my thanks, Ars, and you will, of course, be well rewarded,” said Couran, who ended up presenting me with a massive amount of gold coins. My coffers had been hurting lately, so I couldn’t have been happier. Once again, no one spoke up to object to my reward. They were too busy celebrating my accomplishment instead.

After the festivities concluded, we made our way back to Canarre. Then, on the eighth day of the eighth month─my fourteenth birthday─I would be formally wed to Licia.

○

A wedding.

I’d dreamed of marriage in my previous life. Up until around the time I graduated from college, I’d held onto the baseless belief that I was sure to get married someday. Then, I went out into society, got a job, never met anyone I clicked with, and was a thirty-five year old bachelor before I knew it. I’d never even had a girlfriend, so getting married was a fantasy I hardly even dared to dream about anymore.

That was the life I led, and the life that was passed on to the new me, Ars Louvent…and so, never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined I’d get married at the age of fourteen. Upon reflection, I found myself thinking that fourteen was just a little too young for that sort of thing. I wasn’t even half as old as I’d been when my previous life came to an end! I could technically sire offspring, I supposed, for whatever that was worth.

Those were among the thoughts that preoccupied me as I sat around in my tuxedo. The ceremony was scheduled to begin in about two hours, and I was well beyond the point of no return.

The marriage would be held in the great hall of Castle Canarre. Holding weddings in churches wasn’t traditional in this world, it seemed. I’d already gotten changed, and was standing by in my chambers. Licia was still changing into her dress─women’s wedding attire was a lot more time-consuming to put on than men’s, so I’d ended up with some time on my hands.

I was so nervous, I could hardly stand it. The actual ceremony shared some similarities with how they were conducted in my old world. The couple was expected to exchange vows and a kiss, for instance. The religious aspect of swearing your vows before God was missing, though, and instead you swore before a human witness. Nobles like me usually brought in a higher-ranking noble to play that role, and Lumeire would be mine. I’d asked him if he would be willing right after the celebration in Castle Arcantez had wrapped up, and he had readily accepted. Couran was a higher ranking noble as well, of course, but by such a wide margin that asking him to be my witness felt disrespectful.

After our witness finished his speech, we would exchange a kiss, and that was it. The bride and groom weren’t expected to give speeches of their own, or anything like that, so in a certain sense my role in the ceremony was quick and easy. Still, for some reason, I couldn’t suppress my anxiety.

Some time later, one of Castle Canarre’s maids arrived to inform me that Licia had finished changing. In other words, the time had finally come. I would meet Licia by the entrance to the great hall, and we’d enter the chamber together, walking up to Lumeire. That was more or less all I’d have to do.

I stood up, took a deep breath, and set out.

I made my way to a waiting room near the great hall. A few minutes after I arrived, Licia stepped inside. She was wearing a pure white wedding dress, and was so strikingly beautiful I found myself at a loss for words. I just stared blankly at her, which I soon realized was making her pretty nervous.

Crap, what am I doing? I need to man up and tell her what I’m thinking!

“You look stunning, Lady Licia,” I said.

Licia beamed, her cheeks ever so slightly flushed.

“And you look dashing, Lord Ars,” she replied, setting my heart aflutter.

The two of us walked into the hall together. A red carpet had been laid out to guide us to the front of the chamber, and as we proceeded along it, a band serenaded us with a soothing musical number. All sorts of people had come together to attend the ceremony, and my retainers, of course, were among them.

I glanced at each of them in sequence as I walked along. Rietz had broken down into tears the moment he saw me, and I could hear him muttering, “Oh, how you’ve grown, Lord Ars… I’m so proud,” as I passed him. You’d almost think he was an old man, the way he was acting.

Charlotte, meanwhile…was eating. Musia was with her, and I had to imagine that Charlotte had been the one who’d suggested that this would be an appropriate time for a meal. Musia noticed us enter the hall and tugged at Charlotte’s sleeve to get her attention, at least, but Charlotte was so focused on her food she didn’t even notice.

Rosell was so nervous, his face was a corpse-like shade of white. That, I assumed, was because he was scheduled to read out a message to the two of us during the ceremony. Rietz would be reading his first, but Rosell would be right after, and he wasn’t exactly used to public speaking. I couldn’t blame him for freaking out a little.

Mireille was three shades to the wind and getting handsy with one of the maids. That maid, upon closer inspection, was Pham, the leader of the Shadows. The maid outfit was just a disguise, and he was doing his best to deal with Mireille in a convincingly maid-like fashion, but I could tell how irritated he was behind the facade. I could only hope he didn’t lose patience and beat Mireille to a pulp before the ceremony ended.

Braham was seated next to Zaht, quietly watching as we made our entrance. I was surprised to see a sizable lump on his head, when I looked a little closer, and imagined that he’d done something he shouldn’t have and earned a scolding from Rietz.

Licia and I walked along the red carpet, eventually coming to a stop in front of Lumeire. The music cut off at the same instant, and for a moment, silence filled the hall. Even Charlotte’s muttering about how good the food was and Mireille’s incessant solicitations toward Pham ceased.

Finally, Lumeire’s voice broke the silence.

“Ars Louvent. Licia Pleide. On this day, the two of you shall be joined in matrimony. Do you swear to stay together, in sickness and in health, until the end of your days?” he asked.

Our answer was obvious.

“I do!” Licia and I declared at the exact same moment.

“Then let your vow be sealed with a kiss,” Lumeire urged.

I stepped up to Licia and gently pressed my lips to hers, lingering for a few seconds before I broke away.

“I, Lumeire Pyres, have witnessed your vows, and do hereby declare them binding and unbreakable!”

After our ceremonial kiss, we listened to the congratulatory speeches that Rietz, Rosell, and the others had prepared. Couran hadn’t come in person, but he’d sent me a letter expressing his congratulations to make up for it, and I was once again impressed by how thoughtful he could be.

Then, the ceremony more or less transitioned into a banquet. We ate, drank, and made merry to our hearts’ content. We also had a few performances put on, and it soon felt like we were throwing a full-blown festival within the castle. I’d always imagined noble parties to be more elegant, refined affairs, but this celebration was anything but. I wasn’t disappointed, though. Actually, I felt a lot more comfortable in this sort of atmosphere, and truly enjoyed myself.

“You should try this meat, Lord Ars! It’s exquisite,” said Licia, who seemed to be having just as good of a time as I was. “Oh, allow me to feed you! Say aah!” she added, holding a piece of meat out toward me with a fork.

Being fed like that was on the top three list of things I’d always wanted my girlfriend to do for me someday. Although, we were in a great hall, surrounded by people. Doing it here would be incredibly embarrassing…but still, I wasn’t about to let the opportunity slip by. I tried to pick a moment when as few people were gaping at us as possible, then took the bite she’d offered me.

“What do you think?” asked Licia.

“I-It’s delicious,” I replied. It really was, though frankly, I was more taken with the act of being fed than I was with the meat itself.

“Well, aren’t you two getting feisty,” said Charlotte. I had no clue how long she’d been standing next to me.

“W-Were you watching that?” I asked.

“Every bit of it,” she said with a smirk. I knew that face. It meant she was about to tease me mercilessly.

“Y-You really shouldn’t disturb them,” said Musia, bringing some much-needed reason into the picture. Unfortunately, Charlotte just ignored her.

“All right! If that’s how we’re playing, I think I’ll feed Lord Ars too!” Charlotte said, then jammed her fork into a slice of cake and brought it up toward my mouth.

“W-Wait a second,” I stammered in dismay.

“Oh, Lady Charlotte? What, precisely, is the meaning of this?” asked Licia in a tone of voice that terrified me. I glanced back at her and found her smiling in that very particular sort of way that made it clear she was not pleased.

“H-Ha ha ha, just kidding around!” Charlotte said with a forced laugh, then ate the piece of cake herself. Not even she was capable of resisting the silent pressure Licia could exude.

“I believe you would do well to turn her down more clearly, Lord Ars,” Licia continued. “Whyever were you so flustered?”

Gah! Now it’s my turn?! You’re scaring me, Licia!

“I was going to tell her no, of course! It was just so sudden! I’m afraid I was too startled to reply clearly,” I said.

“Oh, is that so? In other words, you hadn’t even the slightest interest in eating her cake?”

“No, of course not!”

“Well, I’m glad to hear it!” said Licia, still smiling in the most intimidating manner possible. It was starting to dawn on me that she would be keeping a firm handle on the reins of this marriage.

After all of us finished eating, everyone presented me with gifts. It was my birthday, after all. I’d received a wide variety of presents every year, but the fact that this year’s celebration doubled as my wedding led to me receiving even more valuable gifts than usual.

The festivities went on for hours on end, and finally came to a close after nightfall. I was exhausted, and fell asleep the moment I had the opportunity.

○

The next day I saw Lumeire and Hammond, Licia’s father, off on their journeys home.

“I trust…no, I humbly request that you treat my daughter well, Count Louvent,” said Hammond. I held authority over him, as things stood, and he was doing his best to speak with a deference that reflected that fact, which made me feel more than a little uncomfortable considering he was now my father-in-law.

“I swear to you that I will make Lady Licia happy,” I replied, then turned to Lumeire. “Thank you again for traveling all this way, Lord Lumeire.”

“Think nothing of it!” said Lumeire. “The two of us are compatriots, are we not? And I must say, for having just suffered a large-scale invasion, I’m astonished that Canarre itself seems all but untouched!” he added with a surprised smile. “I have faith that you will lead this county to growth and prosperity. Best of luck to you, Ars!”

“Thank you!”

With those parting words of encouragement, Lumeire and Hammond set off for their respective domains.

○

The day passed by, and night fell. The day of my wedding had been so busy I’d fallen asleep the moment I had the opportunity, so I was a day late, in a sense…but the fact that I was married now meant that I had a certain responsibility to fulfill at nighttime. Licia and I, shall we say, had to spend our first night together.

I bathed myself, making sure to scrub every inch of skin as clean as possible, then returned to my bedroom. Licia hadn’t arrived yet, but I knew it was only a matter of time. I sat down on the bed and fidgeted restlessly as I waited for her to turn up.

A-Are we really doing this tonight? Will I be able to manage it?

I never lost my virginity in my previous life, and it goes without saying I didn’t have any experience in this one either. Suddenly, I felt myself starting to get cold feet.

I could always pretend to have already fallen asleep…? No, no, I’m not that much of a wimp, and I can’t let myself disappoint her like that!

Before I managed to gather my resolve, a subdued knock rang out from the door. My heart was pounding so loudly, I could hear it.

“Lord Ars? It’s me, Licia. May I enter?”

“Y-Y-Yes, go ahead!” I shouted back.

“Pardon me, then,” said Licia as she opened the door and stepped inside. She was wearing a dressing gown, and her whole face was flushed red. She also took great pains to not look directly at me and fidgeted, which made it very clear how nervous she was.

I was a little surprised. I’d imagined her as the sort of girl who would always keep her cool, even at a time like this. Upon further consideration, though, it struck me that this would almost certainly be her first time too, so perhaps her nervousness was a given.

Licia stepped toward me, but it was a clumsy, faltering step. She was as stiff and awkward as could be, and it was so funny to watch, I couldn’t stop myself from bursting out laughing. That made her blush even harder than before, her face as red as an apple. She sped up, rushing over to the bed and plopping down beside me.

“I-I can’t believe you! Why would you laugh at me?” she said, her lips pursed in a sulky frown. She was cute when she was mad, and seeing her that way made me feel just a little less nervous.

“S-Sorry,” I quickly replied. “I just thought it was odd for you to be so out of sorts.”

“F-For your information, I tried to learn how to conduct myself in the bedroom, just so I could be prepared when the time came. I asked the oldest of the maids at our estate to teach me…but she claimed that the less I knew the more pleased the gentleman I wound up with would be, and told me nothing. I’ve reached this day without learning a thing…a-and if I’d known it would turn out this way, I would have insisted…”

I said a silent but emphatic word of thanks to the maid in question. If she were here, I would’ve tipped her a few gold coins on the spot.

“Your maid was right, actually. Deep down, all men would prefer to take the lead when it comes to these things.”

“I-Is that so? But still, I am older than you…”

“Age has nothing to do with it. Plus, you’re so adorable right now that I can hardly tell.”

Once again, Licia’s face turned a bright shade of red.

“O-Oh, don’t tease me!” she said.

“I’m not! I mean it.”

“O-Oh, you…”

“Ah, I know!” I said. “You haven’t been taught about these things at all, right? So you have no idea what it entails?”

“U-Umm… Y-You take off your clothes…and embrace…?” Licia muttered bashfully.

It seemed her knowledge was surface-level, at best. It struck me that she couldn’t be prepared for what we were about to do if she had no idea what we’d be doing, so I took a moment to give her a quick but detailed sex ed crash course.

“Y-You what?! S-So then, that means…y-you’ll have to see and touch just about every inch of my body?!” Licia exclaimed with her brightest blush yet.

“W-Well, more or less, I guess,” I replied.

“H-How utterly shameful! How could I…ah, but wait. Would that not mean that I would get to see and touch every inch of your body, too…? That…certainly has quite the appeal…ah! I-I didn’t say anything!” Licia shouted as she shook her head, driving away the fantasies that had almost consumed her.

A few seconds of silence passed by. Finally, I steeled my nerves, laid a hand on her shoulder, and pulled her toward me. Before I knew it, we were face to face.

“Lord Ars,” Licia said, then closed her eyes.

I leaned forward to kiss her, then gently laid her out on the bed.

“Lady Licia,” I said as our lips parted.

“We’re husband and wife now,” said Licia. “I’d prefer if you’d cast aside the formalities and call me by my name. Speak to me casually, like you do with the others…”

She had a point. It felt strange to keep up the formal courtesy now that we were married.

“V-Very well… I mean, all right, Licia,” I said. Licia looked ecstatic the moment I said her name. “I’ll ask the same of you,” I continued. “Will you call me by my name alone?”

“Huh?” Licia blinked. “But, I couldn’t possibly…”

“If you’re willing, I’d like to think of you as my partner and my equal.”

For a moment, Licia fell silent. Then, hesitantly…

“A-Ars…”

…she said my name.

“Licia…”

“Ars…”

We kept saying each other’s names, over and over until they flowed naturally from our mouths. I knew this was the sort of behavior that would’ve made me wish a painful death upon all the happy couples of the world if I’d witnessed it back in my old life, but I couldn’t bring myself to stop. Then, after we’d said each other’s names time and time again, I kissed her─deeply this time, which was a first for me across both of my lifetimes.

And so, we whiled away the night in each other’s passionate embrace.

○

When I woke up the next morning, the first thing I saw was Licia’s face. I was so startled I almost shot to my feet, but then the events of the night before came back to me.

Oh. That’s right…

I remembered now. Last night, I finally lost my virginity. I didn’t recall how the experience had felt in any intricate detail, honestly, but I could say for a fact that the instant we were joined together was the single most joyful moment I’d experienced since I was reborn in this world.

For all the joy of that moment, though, I was now feeling an all-encompassing sense of sluggishness.

Oh, that’s right, I thought as another detail came back to me: I’d wanted to go to bed after the first time, but Licia just wouldn’t let me sleep. I didn’t know if she’d just adapted to the idea at a record pace, or what, but she was so aggressive it was almost hard to believe she’d been so shy and innocent at the start, and she’d left me in a state of exhaustion. Licia, it seemed, had quite the libido.

“Mnh…”

As I thought back over the events of the night before, Licia’s eyes fluttered open.

“Ah, Lord Ars… Wait, no…I mean, Ars… Good morning,” she said with a smile.

“Good morning, Licia,” I replied, then fell silent as my thoughts returned once again to the night before and I got embarrassed. We spent a moment just looking at each other…and then my gaze fell to her chest, which was exposed to view.

Licia followed my gaze, realized what I was looking at, and covered herself up in a fluster.

“I-I suppose it’s a little late to be embarrassed by these things, considering what we did last night,” she said with a bashful smile. It would’ve felt awkward to lie around in the nude, so we quickly changed into our sleeping clothes.

“Does this mean I’ll bear a child?” Licia wondered out loud as she stroked her midsection.

“No, I think the odds of that happening after just one time are pretty low,” I replied.

“Is that so? Then we’ll just have to do it as many times as it takes,” said Licia. “Fortunately, you seem to have plenty of stamina! I’m sure it won’t be any trouble.”

“W-Well, if I wasn’t embarrassed before, I sure would be now…”

“I’d like about twenty children or so, which means we’ll certainly have to keep busy.”

“Twenty?!”

Surely that’s a few too many?!

“House Louvent has only recently risen to power, and lacks a broad and established bloodline! I believe having as many children as possible will be to our house’s benefit, and I’m certain that any child of yours will prove to be exceptional in their own right!”

She wasn’t wrong in the sense that I had very few blood relatives, and could do with more. Our children turning out exceptional, however, I was less convinced of. Licia was an outstandingly talented woman, yes, but I…well… I couldn’t use my Appraisal skill to see my own stats, so I couldn’t speak to my talents with any real certainty. Still, I couldn’t imagine that my numbers were very impressive. And, regardless, twenty was just way too many kids!

“We’ll have to strive to reach even greater heights, for our future children’s sake!” said Licia. “Our goal is to make you the Duke of Missian…no, the emperor of all of Summerforth! I know you’ll be able to manage it, Ars! I’ll be doing my utmost to aid you, all the way!”

Hearing her bombastic declaration made me realize that she really did have as high of an Ambition as my skill claimed.

“Let’s talk about becoming a duke or an emperor another day, okay…? Right now, we need to focus on making Canarre as prosperous as we can,” I said.

“Of course! That’s what you’ll be discussing at today’s meeting, isn’t it?”

Now that I was no longer busy, I’d decided to bring my most trusted retainers together and discuss the future of Canarre at once. The civil war was over, and Seitz had suffered such a crushing defeat that they were unlikely to attack again any time soon. This was a golden opportunity to focus inward and build up Canarre on the whole.

“I intend to participate in your meeting as well, by the way,” said Licia.

“Of course. I’ll be counting on you,” I replied. I had a feeling she’d have helpful ideas to contribute, and had been hoping she’d join us.

As I got up and moved to change out of my nightclothes, Licia grabbed me by the hem of my shirt. She blushed as she looked up at me, clearly wanting something, and it only took me a moment to figure out what that something was and give her a kiss.

Apparently, I’d guessed right. The kiss lasted longer than I’d thought, and gradually grew more and more passionate. I’d felt so sluggish after getting up, but kissing her like that blew away my fatigue and roused my lower half before I knew it. There was no stopping us now. Licia and I got right back to our marital business first thing in the morning, and wound up arriving late to our meeting as a result.

○

By the time Licia and I arrived at the meeting, everyone else had already assembled. Rietz, Mireille, Rosell, Charlotte, and the rest of the usual crowd were all there.

“Sorry I’m late!” I said immediately, only for Mireille to smirk at me.

“Hard at work first thing in the morning, eh? Well, guess I can’t blame you, mister newlywed,” she teased.

Yup, we’re busted. Was she watching us? Or was that just a really good guess?

“Producing an heir is a lord’s responsibility. You should ignore her teasing, Your Lordship,” said Rietz in a complete deadpan. The fact that I knew he was being totally serious made it more embarrassing than ever, and I felt myself begin to blush. I almost would’ve preferred him to tease me, though knowing Rietz, that would have been way too much to ask.

In any case, I wanted to get off this topic as quickly as possible and did my best to propose a new one and move the conversation along.

“Incidentally, Mireille, I’ve been told you’ve obtained a house in Canarre and have been living here, as of late. What about Lamberg? How are they going to get by without you?” I asked.

I’d entrusted the Barony of Lamberg to her in the hopes she’d take care of my old domain, but to my understanding, she’d been spending most of her time in Canarre instead. That made her easier to summon for meetings like this one, but I also had to worry that Lamberg itself was being left ungoverned.

“Not an issue,” said Mireille. “Lamberg’s a stone’s throw away from here, and I shoved all the petty beancounting onto my subordinates. It’s all under control.”

“You shoved it onto them? Really…?” I sighed.

“Yup, and if anything ever comes up that they can’t handle on their own, I pop in to take care of it for them. Everyone wins!”

It was hard to imagine how she could be any less responsible, and I was starting to wonder if I could rest easy with Lamberg in her hands. I’d received reports that no serious problems had arisen in the barony─and, in fact, that it was flourishing─but I had no way of knowing if that meant that Mireille’s style of management was surprisingly effective, or if she’d just gotten lucky so far. One way or another, I couldn’t exactly strip away her title without a clear reason for doing so, and had no choice but to let her keep at it for the moment.

The conversation moved along, and we began discussing Canarre’s immediate future. To start, the end of the civil war meant good things for our local economy. The counties that had sided with Vasmarque and the counties that had backed Couran had been operating in economic isolation from each other, and with lines of trade and commerce now renewed, all of Missian was experiencing an economic surge.

The flow of people across county lines had been boosted as well, and it went without saying that Canarre was reaping the benefits as much as everywhere else. I had a feeling that we’d be seeing an income spike very shortly, and having new people make their way into the county meant that I’d have better opportunities to bring new talent into my fold. I’d taken down the recruitment signboards over the course of the war with Seitz, but now that it was over with, I’d had them put right back up again. That meant I was in for another round of day in and day out appraisal in the near future, but that was simply the price I had to pay. I’d also received a bounty of gold from Couran for my service in the war, and I was planning on using that to fund Shin’s airship project.

With Vasmarque’s demise, many of the nobles who had sided with him had been either exiled or executed, leaving a large number of territories in need of new management. I wasn’t given any new territory this time, though. I presumed that Couran knew that the more territory─and, by extension, influence─I was given all at once, the more other lords would oppose me as a result. I’d have to take things slow and steady.

Since Couran would be ruling over Arcantez as the duke, his old county, Semplar, would be given to his son, Rengue, of all people. I’d met him before, and frankly, he struck me as more or less incompetent, so I was rather worried about his ability to keep the county under control. He’d apparently be given an advisor, at least, so that was something. In any case, I suspected that Couran had been extra generous with his financial reward to make up for the fact that I wasn’t given any new territory. I was fairly certain that this sort of money would be plenty to let Shin build his airship.

Aside from investing in Shin’s project, my retainers also proposed pouring money into developing our local mines, sponsoring local craftsmen who made catalyzers and the like, and a variety of other potential opportunities. We didn’t have the funding to take on all of them, so we had to be a little choosy. Sponsoring craftsmen felt like an easy project to lead to success, since I could choose individuals that my skill identified as having a high Weaponry aptitude. Canarre wasn’t blessed with an abundance of natural resources, so selling man-made products had the potential to boost our economy far more efficiently than trying to bolster our ability to harvest raw materials, and in the end, I decided to lean in that direction.

With the matter of our funds settled, we moved on to the next topic at hand: our military. There weren’t any wars looming on the immediate horizon, but that didn’t mean we could afford to lower our guard.

“I could really do with some more mages,” Charlotte said, echoing the sentiment she’d expressed the last time we talked about this. “Oh, and make them cute girls like Musia, if you can. Makes training ’em feel worth the effort.”

It seemed that Charlotte had taken quite the liking to Musia, and was hoping to strike gold twice and find another woman just like her. I was in agreement, mostly, and certainly wanted to bring in more mages, but they just weren’t as easy to find as she was making them out to be.

“Speaking of our mages, I have an idea,” said Rosell. “Why don’t we put some time into training a magical cavalry unit?”

Magical cavalry was a fairly self-explanatory term that referred to mages that ride into battle on horseback. They would typically intermingle with traditional cavalry, using their spells to aid in their charges. The idea of a dedicated unit of magical cavalry, though, was less typical, and I wasn’t certain what Rosell meant by it.

“I was picturing a unit made up entirely of magical cavalry─a few hundred to a thousand of them, or so,” Rosell explained. “As far as I know, no military’s ever established a unit like that since finding people with the ability to ride and cast isn’t easy. With your power, though, I think it might just be possible.”

“And would it be worth it? Just how much of an impact would a unit like that have on the battlefield?” I asked.

“Oh, I can think of all sorts of ways we could use them! We could have them slip around enemy formations to blast them with magic from behind, or move them to quickly guard our troops from magical attack when we’re caught by surprise. They’d be a unit capable of both offense and defense, and they’d have the mobility needed to do it all at once! The only downside’s that magical cavalry can only use small catalyzers, so in terms of pure power they’d lose out against a traditional mage.”

Rosell was making a very compelling case. It sounded like the unit he was proposing would make a massive difference in battle. That said, no matter how much I used and abused my skill, I didn’t imagine that finding the people for a unit like that would be easy. I figured that magical cavalry would need at least a B-ranked Aptitude as a Mage and as Cavalry, and I’d already been having enough trouble just finding plain old mages. This was not going to be a simple project.

“Hey, can I get a word in?” said Mireille. “I’ve been curious─you heard anything about my little brother, Thomas? Any idea what he’s been up to lately?”

I knew that Thomas had been captured, of course, but that was the last news I’d received of him.

“Do you know anything, Rietz?” I asked.

“Thomas Grunzeon has been transferred to a prison in Arcantez, supposedly. He shows no inclination to serve Lord Couran, as of yet,” Rietz immediately replied. He’d always had a keen ear for that sort of information.

Thomas is still rotting in prison, then. Guess that’s no surprise.

He’d been devoted to Vasmarque, who Couran, in turn, had put to death. There was no way Thomas would turn around and serve Couran after that. I assumed he’d either live out the rest of his life in jail, or otherwise be executed himself.

“It doesn’t have to be right now or anything, but I was hoping I could go meet him and bring him back here with me,” said Mireille.

“You want to bring Thomas here?” I asked.

“Yup,” said Mireille with a nod. She seemed confident enough that I had to assume she had a plan to make it happen. “You got a good look at him, right? I bet you could tell he’d be pretty useful.”

I thought back to Thomas’s status screen. I didn’t remember any specific numbers, but I was pretty sure that he’d had multiple stats in the nineties. He was a capable man, all right, no question about it.

“Yes, he would,” I agreed.

“Then bringing him onto the team wouldn’t be an issue, right?” Mireille pressed.

“I mean…not in and of itself, but would he even agree to that? I know you’re his sister and all, but I was under the impression the two of you weren’t on good terms.”

“Yeah, nah, he probably hates my guts. No matter how much he can’t stand me, though, he’s still my little brother. I’ll make him play along, one way or another,” Mireille said with a terrifying sneer. I didn’t know much about their relationship, but I gathered it was a complicated one.

In any case, I had no objections to recruiting Thomas, so I gave her a nod.

“All right, then. Just let me know when you decide you’ll be going out to persuade him. I’ll dispatch a letter to Lord Couran when you do.”

“You got it,” said Mireille.

Next, we moved on to discussing how we could forge stronger relationships with our surrounding counties. Seitz still loomed on our western border, and considering the scale of the war we’d just had with them, we wouldn’t be making true peace any time soon. They seemed obsessed with taking control of Canarre, and I couldn’t see any path toward reconciliation aside from giving them what they wanted and joining them, which I had no interest in doing.

Unless something major and unexpected shook the situation up, it seemed safe to assume our relationship with Seitz would not be improving in the near future. The other counties of Missian, however, posed an opportunity to build up some positive relationships, and we decided to proactively work toward that end.

The largest and most powerful counties in Missian were Arcantez, Velshdt, Maasa, and Semplar. Arcantez and Semplar stood out as exceptionally powerful among those four, being the capital and a coastal economic powerhouse, respectively. Couran ruled over Arcantez now, and his son Rengue controlled Semplar. I already had a fairly amicable relationship established with Couran, and while Rengue didn’t have any particular fondness for me, his father’s influence over him meant that I had no reason to build up a friendship with him so long as Couran was on my side.

That, however, would only be true as long as the status quo remained unchanged. When Couran eventually passed away, Rengue would likely become the new Duke of Missian. I was also closer to Rengue’s age than I was Couran’s, so my relationship with him would likely be a longer lasting one than my relationship with his father. From a long-term perspective, getting in Rengue’s good graces was for the best. He was a simpleminded man, at least, so I didn’t imagine that earning his trust would be all that challenging.

Velshdt was ruled over by Lumeire, who I had a strong and long-standing relationship with already. The Count of Maasa, in contrast, I’d barely even met, so it went without saying I didn’t have a relationship with him yet. Maasa was fairly close to Canarre, so if I managed to establish a line of contact, it could prove helpful for both trade and military purposes. Reaching out to him felt like it would have a lot of merits.

“What exactly should we do to establish a friendship with Maasa, though?” I asked.

“You could invite their count to a party, to start,” suggested Licia. “Attending a party that he throws could be a good opportunity as well! You could also send him gifts, or get in the good graces of his allies to draw closer to him indirectly. The most certain method would be to forge a familial bond through marriage, but that may be difficult in your case.”

I was already married to Licia, and my siblings were both too young for their marriages to be on the table. As for the Count of Maasa, I didn’t know who was in his circle of friends and allies, but I had to assume that Lumeire had some degree of acquaintance with the man. Couran likely would as well, considering the Count of Maasa had sided with him from the very beginning of the war. It was hard to imagine he’d do that if they weren’t on good terms.

The question, then, was how to broach the subject. Sending them a letter saying “I want to make friends with the Count of Maasa, will you help me?” felt like it’d be something of a breach of etiquette. I figured my best bet would be to attend any parties that Lumeire or Couran held, approach the Count of Maasa there, and start sending him gifts to express my desire to build a friendship with him.

I didn’t have any evidence to back my assumption up, but I had a hunch that the Count of Maasa would be interested in figuring out my intentions in much the same way I wanted to ascertain his. I’d climbed the social ladder and gathered immense power in Missian at a breakneck pace, and I had to assume that had garnered me a fair deal of attention, especially considering my age. There was no guarantee that attention would be positive, of course. He might be wary of the possibility I could act against him, for all I knew, but as long as I had his attention, I figured that would give me the chance to forge a relationship.

Gathering as much information as possible was also an important aspect of diplomacy, so I sent the Shadows out to learn as much as they could about all of Missian’s counts. That sort of information-gathering was easy work, by their standards, so I had confidence they’d do an excellent job.

With that, our meeting came to a close. For the time being, my primary occupation would be searching for new talent, though if a party was ever scheduled I’d have to make time to attend it. I also wanted to get Shin’s airship project moving along as soon as possible, so that very same day I sent him a letter requesting his presence at the castle.

A few days later, Shin arrived at Castle Canarre.

○

“Is it true?! You got the money?!” Shin asked the moment he saw me, his eyes shining with excitement. I could instantly tell just how eagerly he’d been awaiting his funding.

“I was rewarded for my service in the war, so yes, I did,” I replied.

“Hot damn! I’m startin’ to think you might be some sorta bigshot, Lord Ars!” said Shin in a very impressed tone. “Before you hand over the cash, though, mind taking a look at the fruits of my research so far?”

“Should I take that to mean said research is proceeding smoothly?” I asked.

“You already handed over a third of the money I needed, and I’ve been putting it to good use! I have a feeling that once you’ve seen what I’ve managed so far, you’ll feel like giving me an even bigger budget,” said Shin.

It seemed, then, that he was fishing for additional funding. Shin didn’t seem to have any interest in anything other than airship development, so I wasn’t worried about him wasting whatever funds I gave him and was open to the possibility of boosting his budget a little. I hadn’t blocked out all of the money I’d received from Couran for him, either, so I had a little flexibility in that regard.

Couran had rewarded me with nine hundred gold coins this time around. It was an outrageous amount of money, and proved once again how generous of a man I was serving. Shin, meanwhile, had estimated that he’d need a thousand gold to build his airship. Considering the amount I’d already paid him, giving him the full sum of Couran’s reward would put his total funding over that estimate, but that wasn’t necessarily an issue. I had the money the county had collected in taxes to work with as part of my budget, so I had a little breathing room to use Couran’s reward to bump Shin’s funding up if I felt the need.

“All right, then,” I said. “I can’t promise I’ll increase your budget, but if you’ve made progress, I’d certainly like to see it.”

“That’s right─you can decide if you wanna hand over the coin after you’ve seen what I’ve done! Let’s get a move on!”

Shin led me off to see the fruits of his research. Rietz, Rosell, and Licia all came with, and Charlotte tagged along as well because it “sounded like fun,” dragging Musia with her. We followed Shin to a grassy field outside of town, where a few people were already at work preparing the demonstration, which seemed like it would center around what looked like a small sailboat.

“Is that…?” I questioned.

“A miniature airship,” Shin confirmed. “Had ’em start setting it up the moment I got your letter. Doin’ all the work on my own would’ve been tough, so I used the first batch of coin you gave me to hire on a few extra hands.”

“Does it fly, then?” I asked.

“Sure does,” Shin said without hesitation. “It’s a puny li’l thing, though, so there’s not gonna be much use for it. My goal’s to make a proper, full-sized airship, in the long run.”

I could see plenty of uses for an airship, from trade to warfare and everything in between, but a ship that small would probably be pretty limited in use, like he said. I could still see some applications, though. I didn’t know how high of an altitude it could reach, but if it was high enough it could be quite the resource to have in a war.

Shin stepped onto the airship. Apparently, he was planning on flying it himself. If that thing crashed he’d either die outright or at least sustain terrible injuries, so I took the decision to mean that he was very confident it would remain airborne. Shin started fiddling with some sort of controls on the ship’s deck, and a moment later, it gently floated off the ground. It didn’t stay merely floating for long, however─within moments it was soaring through the air.

I just stood there and gaped as I watched it go. Rietz was just as awestruck, and seemed speechless, while I heard Licia mutter, “Th-That’s incredible,” from beside me. Rosell was muttering too, though he seemed to be attempting to work out the scientific principles that allowed it to fly.

“Okay, I’ve gotta ride that thing! Come on, Musia, let’s give it a go!” said Charlotte with a look of pure excitement in her eyes.

“B-But that sounds terrifying! How can you be sure it won’t crash?” asked Musia, who looked just plain scared.

I was astonished. It really could fly after all. I’d always known that Shin had talent, thanks to my Appraisal skill, but that didn’t make seeing a functional airship with my own eyes any less shocking. It wasn’t very fast, and it wasn’t all that high up in the air, but it was still flying, and that was a major step forward in its own right. It was still a work in progress, after all─speed and altitude could come later.

Shin guided his ship back down to the ground, jumped off, and sprinted back over to us.

“How’d you like that?!” he shouted. His whole body practically exuded an aura of triumphant smugness.

“How in the world did you make it fly like that?” asked Rosell.

Shin launched into an explanation. The better part of it sailed right over my head, to be honest, but the long and short of it was that wind-aspected magistones were doing the bulk of the heavy lifting. They were a relatively popular variety of magistone, and while they were available in abundance in northern Summerforth, virtually none could be found in Missian. Wind magic was less useful in battle than fire magic and getting ahold of large numbers of the appropriate magistones was a challenge, so it wasn’t used much in Missian at all.

According to Shin, he’d used a custom-made piece of machinery to draw out the power of the magistones and convert it into a source of buoyancy. Significantly, he didn’t have to synthesize aqua magia for that part─he just used the magistones as-is. The theories he was operating off of were rather different from those that drove spellcasting, but they were similar at least in the sense that they both drew out the power of magistones and put it to practical use. It was starting to dawn on me, incidentally, that it would be a good idea for me to study up on magical theory a little more in the future.

Once the ship was floating, Shin used another machine that drew out the power of wind-aspected aqua magia to make it move. The fact that it used magistones to make the ship float and aqua magia to propel it struck me as unnecessarily convoluted, frankly.

“Did you invent all of those machines yourself?” I asked.

“I’d like to say that they’re all my work, from start to finish…but nah, I got the idea from the theories of a preeminent magical researcher who used to live in the capital. We use catalyzers to cast magic, and we can use magic of all sorts of different aspects with them, but apparently that’s not efficient. According to that researcher, if we used catalyzers specialized for particular aspects of magic, we could trade the ability to use any sort of aqua magia in exchange for using way less aqua magia with each cast, and upping the sorts of single-aspect spells we could cast as well.”

Rietz’s eyes lit up when Shin mentioned the magical researcher.

“Oh, I’m familiar with him as well! You’re talking about the theories of Hyness Brown, aren’t you?”

“Yeah, Hyness! That’s the guy. How’d you know about him, though? He got chased outta the capital before his theory could really pick up steam.”

“Huh? He was?” said Rietz. “I just read about him in a book, that’s all. Why was he chased away?”

“’Cause he was a real freak.”

They ran him out of the capital for being a weirdo? Just how much of a freak does someone have to be to earn that sort of treatment…?

If this Hyness’s theories were what made Shin’s ship fly, though, it stood to reason that they were correct. Part of me wished he’d wander into Canarre so I could recruit him, but that was too much of a coincidence for me to hope for.

“I’ll be working on a way bigger ship next,” said Shin. “The more funding I get, the quicker I’ll be able to get it done. Whaddya think?”

I took a moment to confer with Rietz.

“What do you say? Should we boost his budget?” I asked.

“I don’t see the harm,” said Rietz. “His research is unquestionably worthwhile, so it seems like a good idea to me.”

“Yeah, that’s what I was thinking too,” I said, then made my decision. “All right! I’ll see to it that some extra funding is sent your way.”

“Sweet, thanks! We’ll have this sucker done for you in no time flat!”

It seemed I could anticipate having a functional airship at my disposal sooner rather than later.