Chapter : 146

It was an honor to meet the honorable and faithful Performer of Miracles, Your Excellency the Margrave. This place was the House of Viscount Bardi, whom I would be serving today.

Pride seeped into the Garrison Commander’s voice as he guided me all the way to the main gate.

The towering walls, the lavishly carved exterior, and the main gate cast in bronze and covered in splendid gold leaf made it obvious, even without him saying it, what the source of that pride was.

It was only the main gate, and yet it was already a splendid festival of culture and art in full bloom.

This extravagant display of wealth had something that overwhelmed the viewer.

It was flashy enough to flatten the noses of nobles who lived drunk on their own greatness, more splendid than the king of an average kingdom.

Impressive.

Thank you, Your Excellency. It is a gate made by an artist sponsored by our House of Viscount Bardi. He is famous as the finest artist on the Apennine Peninsula.

Hahaha. He is a young and promising artist who is now twenty-four years old. For your reference, he made this gate when he was only fifteen.

The Garrison Commander rattled off a stream of TMI I had not even asked for. On top of that, he spoke with a strong pride in belonging, something people of this era would not have voiced so easily.

Well, even I would feel a certain satisfaction if I worked in a place like this. I had traveled around [Pangea Universalise] so far, but the artistic level enjoyed by the nobles of the continent had not been particularly high.

Then please rest comfortably here, Your Excellency. Soon, a servant from the viscount’s house will prepare a splendid banquet and contact you.

At some point, we had passed the inner garden and arrived at a private room. The Garrison Commander bowed politely and left.

And truly, this place was nothing short of lavish. There was bedding woven from soft silk brought from the East, all kinds of artworks, beautiful gold-molded crafts, and comfortable, luxurious furniture.

On top of that, there were servants who would come running the moment I called, and even a bathhouse that was truly rare to see in [Pangea Universalise].

Mm, this is very nice.

The public bath you are making is fine too, but this also seems excellent. What do you think?

Well, there is nothing bad about it. When you warm your body, the fatigue disappears in an instant.

Baaahah. My lorrrd. Shouldn’t we make something like this too?

Thanks to that, we were able to relax from our long travel fatigue for the first time in a while, receiving the servants’ attendance.

Of course, there was also our goat beastman’s thoughtless remark in the middle, as always.

Still, the reception is extremely generous. Honestly, the one you are backing…. that….

It is Baron Pierre, Magician Agpiel.

Right, that Baron Pierre who led the king’s Purveyor to the king. Since we came at his invitation, I honestly thought we would not be welcomed much by the House of Viscount Bardi.

Doesn’t that mean no single person has been able to firmly seize control of the House of Viscount Bardi?

Hm, true. You have become someone they cannot ignore now. And since you have had quite a lot of exchange with the Bardi merchant guild as well, it would be ridiculous to treat you as an enemy.

At my words, Magician Agpiel nodded as he replied.

It really was an accurate analysis, as expected of a Great Sage. Even if they were competing with Baron Pierre, what reason would they have to clash with me?

Relationships between people, especially meetings between noble houses, were always like that. Practical benefit was what mattered.

Even if someone stood on the opposite side, nobles would gladly join hands if it profited them.

And since the House of Viscount Bardi was, by origin, a merchant family, it was even more sensitive to profit.

Still, this grand welcome is a little unexpected….

No matter where I looked, I could not find a watchful gaze or that subtle discomfort. Usually, they would pull tricks through the servants attending you, but….

Baaa. This is very comfortable. Mehr.

Rather, they were helping us feel as comfortable as possible, so politely.

It seemed that a firm order had come down from above to treat us well in every way.

Thanks to that.

Interesting.

The corner of my mouth twitched.

It seemed the competitors of Baron Pierre were all quite sharp.

And the fact that they were like that meant.

I might have to prepare for contingencies. There is no rule that says I must ride only one horse.

Of course, my best pick was Baron Pierre.

At least, for now.

And as I was thinking that.

-knock knock knock.

Come in.

It is an honor to meet you, Your Excellency the faithful Margrave.

What is it?

All preparations for the banquet are complete, so I have come to inform you.

A servant came to tell me that the banquet had begun.

It was time to enter the den of vipers called the battle for the head of the house.

—

-WAHAHAHAHA!

The banquet was grand.

All kinds of splendid and rare dishes came out, musicians invited from somewhere played together, and invited jesters livened up the banquet by making ridiculous faces or showing curious tricks.

It was not very different from banquets in the Elang Kingdom or the Holy Empire nobles I had seen before, but one decisive thing was clearly different.

At least here, there were no nobles shouting for duels while throwing punches.

As befit a wealthy city on the Apennine Peninsula that still remembered and preserved the culture of the Ancient Empire, the attendees tried, in their own way, to maintain decorum.

They recited poems they had picked up somewhere, or boasted their knowledge by chattering about the culture and scenery of distant foreign lands.

Well, it does look rather antique. Should I say the presence of self-consciousness is extraordinary, like someone desperately trying to show that they are different?

…Just say it looks pathetic, Magician Agpiel.

C, cough. Pathetic? No, it is not.

Magician Agpiel cleared his throat and quietly turned his head away. I looked at the flustered Agpiel and chuckled.

To be honest, even to me they looked quite ridiculous. Sometimes what they said was outright wrong, and yet people simply nodded as if they understood.

Is something amusing happening?

A familiar voice came from beside me. When I turned my head, a familiar face immediately came into view.

Oh, Baron Pierre.

Baron Pierre, whom I was meeting again after a long time, was the same as ever. A sharp, solid body like a knight, unlike a merchant. And even a cold face.

But there was one big difference from before….

You must have been put through a lot. It looks like you have not been sleeping well.

There is a jackal who is always watching for a chance to go for my throat.

The thick fatigue visible on his face was exactly that. Like Baron Pierre said with a shrug, he seemed to have been harassed quite a bit.

It seems harder to deal with than you expected. With your ability, I thought you would be able to overcome it sufficiently.

The old Baron Pierre would have reacted a bit sharply, but he really had changed.

The power of bloodlines is newly formidable. No matter how much you struggle, it is not easy to step over it. Well. Heh heh.

He responded lightly, with a bit of composure.

It seemed he was gradually taking on the air of a ruler who had to show trust and confidence, not a simple administrator.

On top of that, his ability to control the vassals is no joke either. I dug in hard, but I could only win over three-tenths of the family elders.

Oh, that much?

I was surprised to hear Baron Pierre’s story.

Merchant families like the House of Viscount Bardi felt, when choosing a head, quite similar to electing the chairman of a modern corporation.

They chose through a vote in the senate of elders, who ran the major merchant guilds of the family, which was like a board of directors.

The condition for victory was also very similar to modern corporate systems. If you received more than half the votes, you won unconditionally.

But he had only secured three-tenths of the support? That was a little, no, a lot, hopeless.

It is similar on that side as well. The elders supporting my half-brother are only about four-tenths.

Perhaps reading my thoughts, Baron Pierre hurriedly added that.

I can win over some of them. However….

The remaining elders are not very lukewarm, I take it?

That is correct. They are testing the waters, diligently inflating my price. And they keep poking at my birth, too.

As he spoke, a faint anger showed. He must have been pushed hard.

So you called me? To ask for help with that problem?

Not only that. For the House of Viscount Bardi to move forward in the future…. cooperation with you, my lord, is the highest priority. Aren’t we already deeply entangled with each other?

Hm…. well, that is true.

At Baron Pierre’s words, I nodded without saying much.

He spoke as if he were talking about a sound future, but there was no reason for me to naively believe all of it.

At the very least, since he had reached out to me first, it meant he needed my help quite desperately.

So what do you think?

Think about what?

You know what I mean.

Hmmm….

At Baron Pierre’s words, which sounded slightly anxious, I rubbed my chin for a moment. It was true that I had wanted to keep supporting him because I trusted his ability, but I still did not know exactly how things were running inside the House of Viscount Bardi.

Even if I helped, I had to help while knowing. Only then could there be no variables.

Wait. I still do not know much about this place, do I? I have not even met this brother of yours.

I apologize. I was a bit hasty.

Well, it happens.

As I smiled at Baron Pierre lowering his head and stepping back, I thought again. Unlike ordinary nobles who were rash, he was someone who knew when to retreat.

And just as I was thinking that.

Oh, my. Pierre. Are you going to monopolize our honored guest all by yourself?

The man Baron Pierre had been struggling with so much, the most promising candidate to inherit the House of Viscount Bardi.

It is a pleasure to meet you, Your Excellency the honorable Margrave. I am Andrea of the House of Viscount Bardi.

Andrea Bardi had arrived.

—

UHAHAHA. You truly are incredible. Was that story really true?

BAAA! That is right, Sir Andrea. When my lorrrd said, curse, bring it on! the curse vanished. Mehr.

It is truly a miracle!

Mehahah. That is right. Baa!

Mm….

I could see why Baron Pierre had been having such a hard time. Sir Andrea Bardi was extremely sociable.

Well, as the most promising successor to inherit the merchant family of the House of Viscount Bardi, he must have received a great deal of education, and if he could not even show that much, it would not do.

In any case, he was so good at coaxing people that Bishop Marco the goat beastman had already been completely taken in by Sir Andrea Bardi.

Do not say it like that. Just listen to the bishop with one ear and let it go out the other. It is not actually a miracle.

BAAA! What are you saying, my lorrrd! Sob, sob, sob. How can you deny your own miracle, Mehrrr.

Hahaha. Isn’t that the case, Bishop Marco? Rather, isn’t he adorning himself with humility?

Baa? Oh. Indeed. Then. I like you. Mehahaha.

……

This bastard, even if he cannot help. I really like our goat beastman Bishop Marco. I truly do.

Anyway, enough of that story…. why did you come to find me? It does not seem like you came simply to greet a guest.

Since it seemed like it would drag on, I hurriedly cut off the conversation.

And in a calm voice, just like I had done earlier with Baron Pierre, I lightly prodded him.

I wanted to see how he would react.

And then….

Of course I came to greet a guest, Your Excellency the faithful Margrave. If I am not the master of the House of Viscount Bardi, who would dare to be?

Hm.

So since you are already speaking, how about you speak with me? No matter what offer you receive, you will not be able to get a better price than from me. My adorable younger brother certainly will not.

This guy’s punch came in far stronger than I expected.

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