Civil Servant in Romance Fantasy - Chapter 321

Chapter 321: The Prosperous Western Territory (1)

This might be stating the obvious, but nothing was more important than experience. Securing carriages to transport hundreds of students and staff, or finding routes for over a hundred carriages to travel—none of these tasks were easy, but this was doable, albeit troublesome for the student council officers who experienced the same thing last year. Even though the destination was different from last year, the southern end of the empire or the western end was all the same.

Moreover, the journey from the academy to Cheness was very peaceful, as expected. The procession included not only imperial nobility but also foreign royalty, a future saint, and even the current Academy Inspector and Mage Duchess on high alert, so who would dare cause trouble in their territory? For the lord of any territory, letting something happen during this journey would be a disgrace so unbearable they’d probably rather bite their own tongue and die.

The Wise Duchess would also be on guard.

More importantly, this procession was heading to Cheness Duchy. For the Wise Duchess, who was tasked with hosting hundreds of guests, an accident en route would be nothing short of outrageous.

A duke’s anger was terrifying, and when that duke was the Wise Duchess, it was even more so. You never know what she’d say in anger or what kind of retribution she’d demand. She might even say, ‘I’m angry, so attend the next New Year’s greeting in a ballet costume!’ and it wouldn’t be out of character.

So, thanks to the efforts of lords who didn’t want to witness true madness, the school trip’s procession was incredibly peaceful.

“Oppa, here.”

While the procession was peaceful, my own situation was far from calm.

“Ah, thanks.”

I barely managed to chew and swallow the apple still in my mouth before taking the one Irina handed me. I appreciated the thoughtfulness, but I’d get indigestion even with water if I was eating at this speed...

As I chewed, I glanced around to meet the gazes of four pairs of eyes fixed on me. Including me, five people were riding in a four-person carriage. Of course, noble carriages were spacious enough to accommodate double that number, but we were still pushing the recommended capacity.

But what could I do? It would be strange to ride separately from my lovers and to have some of them ride separately, or for me to ride alone in another carriage. Unlike last year when I rode in the carriage to keep an eye on the club members enchanted by Louise, this year’s seating arrangement revolved around me.

“Hehe, it’s nice being together like this.”

Meanwhile, Louise, whose eyes met mine, smiled shyly and spoke.

The journey from the Academy to Cheness took several days by carriage. Spending that much time in close quarters with the same five people indeed made us feel closer than when we were at the academy, where our schedules and separate lodgings often kept us apart.

“That’s true. I wish we could stay like this longer.”

Seeing Irina smiling softly in agreement made me feel emotional. Last year, Irina was trembling at the thought of even stepping on my shadow, but now she was comfortably riding in the same carriage as me...

You never know what the future has in store.

It wasn’t something I was feeling for the first time, but here it was again.

***

Santoria, the heart of Cheness Duchy. As the core of the duchy, it was one of the empire’s top ten cities.

Being such a big city, there were plenty of accommodations for tourists, and considering the floating population Santoria could accommodate, the number of academy students and staff was just a drop in the ocean. The only challenge was finding lodgings fit for nobles.

“This is unique. It feels like looking at a temple.”

Marghetta muttered softly as soon as we arrived at the hotel selected for our lodgings. Indeed. Cheness’s hotels, unlike the extravagant resorts of the Boyar Duchy, had a stately and refined elegance.

“While Cheness is famous as a tourist destination, it was also known for pilgrimage routes during the previous duke’s time. So, they focused on cleanliness rather than extravagance for those pilgrims.”

As if to satisfy Marghetta’s curiosity, the Mage Duchess lightly stroked her head while explaining.

The previous Duke of Cheness, the Wise Duchess’s father, was known as the ‘Pious Duke’. It was hard to believe once you saw his daughter drunk 24/7, but he was a very devout follower of the Dawn Sect. Due to his deep faith, many holy relics were enshrined in Cheness Duchy under the name of the Pious Duke’s collection, and there were quite a few places considered as sacred sites.

The duke’s carefully curated relics and the numerous holy sites scattered across the land must’ve been an irresistible lure for pilgrims. That heritage shaped Cheness into a unique tourist destination—different from Boyar’s splendor and grandeur. Looking back, it might’ve been a strategy to avoid outright conflict with Boyar.

It was just a shame that the Duke of Cheness today was a figure far removed from piety and faith.

“...It’s a bit unexpected. I thought it would be a more lively and flashy place since the Wise Duchess rules here.”

It was a very politely packaged way of saying, ‘I thought it would be more chaotic since that drunkard is the ruler.’ Both the Mage Duchess and I smiled at her kind-hearted comment.

She was probably speaking nicely because she knew my aunt was the Wise Duchess. There was no need for that.

“The ducal castle will probably be closer to what you’re imagining, Mar.”

“Oh...”

Marghetta let out a regretful sigh when I revealed this harsh truth that contrasted with her kind thoughts.

Sadly, it was true. The atmosphere of a territory often reflected the personality of its ruler. Considering the Wise Duchess’s tendencies, it wouldn’t be strange if all of Cheness became one giant tavern. But fortunately, there was a restraining device next to the Wise Duchess.

Thanks to my uncle’s tearful efforts, faith and morality still managed to survive in Cheness—at least nominally. The price, however, was that the ducal castle itself had transformed into a huge tavern. It really was a case of sacrificing the small for the greater good.

“She must be a very cheerful person.”

“Too cheerful, and that’s the problem. The Pious Duke was too serious, but...”

Louise, who had been looking around the hotel with sparkling eyes, seemed interested in our conversation and spoke up, only to smile awkwardly at the Mage Duchess’s seemingly tired response.

For the Mage Duchess to look visibly troubled by someone was a rarity, perhaps the most unique case in the 100-year history of the Mage Duchess’s reign as a duke. The imperial family would have gone extinct from high blood pressure if there had been several people like the Wise Duchess within a hundred years.

At least their heir is normal.

I heaved a sigh of relief as my thoughts drifted to the Wise Duchess’s only child.

They were a testament to the fact that the Wise Duchess was a mutation in the Salon ducal family and gave hope that a normal duke would ascend after the Wise Duchess’s reign ended. A hikikomori who received attention from the empire for various reasons but, like her mother, had no intention of leaving their territory.

Still, since my uncle never expressed any concerns or complaints about her, she was probably not a problematic person.

She’s probably someone like me.

Honestly, I was in no position to criticize anyone for being a shut-in. I was stuck in our family’s territory before becoming a civil servant, and I had been cooped up in the capital after that.

The young heir probably couldn’t come out because she was diligently attending to her duties. As the heir to a dukedom, she must have a ton of work to do.

Thinking of it that way comforted me.

***

From the moment the Academy procession entered the ducal territory, every movement of the group had been closely monitored. It would be a deep disgrace if my beloved nephews and their companions experienced any discomfort on Salon’s territory.

That was why I specifically instructed the lords under the ducal family to pay extra attention in supporting the procession. Not that they wouldn’t have handled things well on their own, but I couldn’t just sit idly by as both an uncle and a member of the Salon Ducal family.

— Young Master Carl and Young Master Erich have arrived safely.

“Good work. You may return now.”

— Understood, sir.

Fortunately, it seemed that Enen was moved by this, and a vassal waiting at the hotel designated as the academy’s lodgings sent a message that my nephews had safely arrived at their accommodations.

I’ll see them soon.

I tucked the communication crystal in my pocket and smiled slightly. I’d finally be able to spend some quality time with my two nephews after so long.

Of course, I saw Carl a few months ago at the New Year’s Ball, but the Carl I saw then was the Prosecutors’ Office’s Carl. Our interactions had been formal and distant due to my position as a duke’s partner. Now, however, I could claim the role of a doting uncle who was welcoming his nephews on a trip.

Will they like it?

At the same time, I felt a bit worried. It had been so long since I’d met my nephews privately that I wasn’t sure what gifts to give them.

I could at least give Carl jewelry to congratulate him on finding a partner, but it was tricky for Erich. In the end, I prepared a couple of jewelry for him too. He could give it to someone he liked later.

If worst comes to worst, I’ll just give him gold coins.

I’ve heard that kids these days preferred currency over objects. Erich must like it, too.

Just as I was about to get up from my seat, I heard someone running from far down the corridor. Only one person in the ducal mansion would run around so shamelessly.

“Darliiiing! Darling darling darling darling!”

It was Del, who was flailing her left hand while clutching a bottle of liquor.

...Wait, just one bottle?

My goodness.

I was genuinely moved. It was noon right now. Noon, morning, night, midnight, evening, and dawn were Del’s peak drinking hours. And yet, she was carrying only a single bottle instead of one in each hand.

She’s restraining herself.

Del must have been holding back for the sake of her long-awaited reunion with her nephews. After all, her love for family was always sincere.

“I finished allll the booooze! Where are my sweet nephews and precious nieces-in-law?!”

“I just heard. They’ve arrived at Margaret Hotel.”

“Yaaay! Let’s go right away!”

I barely managed to grab Del by the nape of her neck as she tried to turn around and run off.

It was one thing with our nephews, but there were other academy students and staff at the hotel as well. How startled would they be if a drunk duke suddenly showed up unannounced?

“Del. We should contact them first before going.”

“Aww, but whyyyyy? I want to see them right away!”

“Arodel.”

When I called her by her full name instead of her nickname, Del finally stopped struggling and pouted.

Seeing that made me smile. It was funny that the only time the usually shameless Del showed a mellowed appearance was when I called her by her name.

...It is a bit of an extreme name, though.

Arodel. A pious name which was taken from a saint of the Kefellofen Empire.

From the perspective of my father-in-law who was called the Pious Duke, it was an utterly ordinary name. But the minor issue was that this Saint Arodel was a man with bulging muscles.

It was meant to mean for her to ‘grow up strong,’ but...

She grew up strong in a somewhat different direction from my father-in-law’s intentions.

Well, it didn’t matter as long as she was strong, right? Father-in-law must be proud and smiling down on her from /genesisforsaken

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