Chapter 474 - Episode 1: A Close Call ①
The Second Betumia War. One spring day, after that war—which Oscar Lordberg III had officially named—came to an end and the Kingdom of Lordberg and its surrounding regions regained their composure.
Noein Arqvist sat at a desk in the office of the Grand Ducal residence, his pen racing across the paper.
That said, what Noein was currently writing were not official documents. It was a personal writing—a memoir detailing his life up until now.
Having passed the age of thirty, and with many of the nobles of the Kingdom of Lordberg who had guided him as predecessors deciding to step down for a change in generations, Noein thought. Since he was soon approaching the midpoint of his life, or perhaps had already passed it, he felt he should leave a record of the person he was in the form of a book.
What Noein had achieved as the Grand Duke was being recorded in detail as a biography by his wife, Clara. However, what she was recording was Noein strictly as a public figure, and her expressions included a certain amount of exaggeration. What Noein had felt and thought as an individual while living his life had not been left in a form that was particularly accurate.
That was precisely why, recently, Noein had begun to record his half-life and the naked thoughts he had entertained within it in a book as a memoir. That said, he couldn't let just anyone read such content, so for the time being, he intended for his descendants to read it.
He intended to compile it into a book later, but for now, it was merely bundles of several sheets of paper tied together with string.
"Whew..."
After continuing to write in silence while facing the bundles of paper for a while, Noein felt a bit of fatigue and stretched.
"Noein-sama, if you like, I shall bring you some tea."
"...You're right. I think I'll ask you to do that."
Noein answered when spoken to by Matilda, who had been at the side desk. Matilda gave Noein a gentle smile and said, "As you wish. Immediately," before leaving the room.
"..."
While waiting for Matilda to bring the tea, Noein stood up casually. Sitting for too long was not good, as the body would stiffen. He was no longer young, so his lower back in particular was important.
He killed time by walking around the office without purpose, moving his body lightly to loosen the stiffness, or casually picking up books stored on the shelves and flipping through them.
"Kyuun."
Just then. A cry was heard from the direction of the window, and Noein turned toward it.
Perched on the edge of the wide-open window was a Long-eared Squirrel.
The Long-eared Squirrel was, as its name suggested, a monster resembling a squirrel with long ears. They primarily inhabited forests and occasionally appeared in human settlements like this. In the Grand Duchy of Arqvist, where much of the territory was forest, it was not uncommon to see ones that had wandered into the city.
Though technically monsters, their size was the same as or slightly smaller than a cat, and they fed exclusively on things like nuts. The Long-eared Squirrels within the Grand Duchy were accustomed to people, and since many individuals did not flee even when approached, for the people of the Grand Duchy, they were objects to be whimsically petted and adored, or chased out of gardens to prevent them from gnawing on the household's food.
Therefore, Noein felt neither surprise nor fear just because he had come face-to-face with a Long-eared Squirrel. It had likely climbed up the walls of the residence to get here. Thinking this, he approached the window.
"Kyuun?"
"Ahaha, hello."
Calling out to the Long-eared Squirrel as it tilted its head, Noein held up his hand. The Long-eared Squirrel sniffed the tips of Noein's fingers and, without showing any particular fear, allowed itself to be petted obediently.
Then, it scurried into the room. It quickly climbed onto the office desk and showed interest in Noein's memoir placed there.
"Kyuun."
"My memoir? It's not something that would be interesting to you."
Noein said this, but perhaps the smell of the plant-based paper and ink was novel, as the Long-eared Squirrel observed it while twitching its nose incessantly.
Then, it took one of the bundles of the memoir directly into its mouth.
"Ah, you can't do that."
"Kyun?"
There was no way the meaning of the words of restraint would be understood, and while tilting its head, the Long-eared Squirrel returned to the window while still holding the bundle of the memoir in its mouth.
"Eh."
And then, it leaped lightly from the window.
"...I said you can't! Wait!"
Noein rushed to the window in a panic, and looking outside, he saw the nimble Long-eared Squirrel had landed in the front garden of the residence. From there, it ran north—toward the urban area of the capital, Noeina.
While clutching the memoir in which Noein's naked inner thoughts, which he could not let anyone see, were written.
"Aaaah! Th-this is bad!! Waiiiit!"
"Noein-sama! What happened!?"
Just then. Matilda jumped into the room, skillfully supporting the tray with the tea in one hand while opening the door with the other.
"A-a Long-eared Squirrel! It took my memoir in its mouth and went toward the city!"
Having apparently grasped the situation from that explanation—Matilda tossed the tray onto the table of the reception area right next to them, and utilizing the physical abilities of a rabbit-person, she dashed off at explosive speed, leaping over Noein's office desk.
And then, just like that—she leaped out from the window of the office on the second floor of the residence.
Announcement.
Starting today, February 17th, the manga adaptation of "The Happiness Tale of the Twisted Lord" by Fujiya Izuko-sensei has begun serialization on Comic Gardo.
I would be very happy if you could keep an eye on the story of Noein and the others as it is depicted in the new form of manga. Thank you very much.