Chapter 67 - 067＿The Age Difference and Such...
This chapter is a side story.
Rodney's story truly ends here.
——— 2 episodes added (2/2) ———
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067＿The Age Difference and Such...
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One day, as summer approached its peak, Rodney was playing with the child born last autumn.
He had thought it was too early to become a father at 19, but even so, the child was adorable.
The child, who had the same emerald hair as Rodney, was named Lucas. He was the one who would eventually inherit the Forvas House.
Hiring a wet nurse had been considered, but since Yulin wanted to nurse him with her own milk, they did not hire one. Fortunately, Yulin's milk supply was sufficient, and Lucas was growing up healthy.
"Lucas, it's Papa~. Peek-a-boo~"
"………"
Lucas stared at Rodney with a blank expression.
"Wh-why? Why won't you laugh?"
Feeling shocked at being stared at with no expression, Rodney's eyes grew teary.
"Lucas prefers being lifted up high, Rodney"
Saying that, it was his mother, Sharume, who took Lucas, whom Rodney was holding. She was Lucas's grandmother.
"Look, Lucas-chan. Up we go~"
"Kya kya kya"
Lucas laughed, his face full of smiles.
As expected of Sharume, who had raised two children. When Rodney did it, he was too nervous and couldn't get this reaction.
After finishing his interaction with Lucas, Rodney set out to inspect the territory. Today, he was scheduled to go to the Aplan territory.
Recently, Falken had been training the territory's soldiers, making it easier to find time for inspections and the like.
Emilia, who used to cling to Rodney, now joyfully participated in Falken's training every day. As a big brother, it was lonely, but he decided to watch over her with warm eyes, thinking it was meaningful training for Emilia.
Rodney boarded the nearly mass-produced automobile parked next to the mansion. However, this automobile was specially built with high specs for the lord, boasting power and durability.
Rodney intended to sell these automobiles to nobles and wealthy people. The idea was that his territory would handle production and maintenance, while Hacklehoff's store would handle sales.
However, this was not yet a finalized plan. Hacklehoff had proposed it, but there were still several problems to resolve for mass production.
Rodney gifted automobiles to his master, the Sage Daguldor, and to Hacklehoff.
The Sage Daguldor was apparently very pleased and drove it around the royal capital, but recently his wife Melissa seems to be using it. The automobile gifted to Hacklehoff also seems to be used by the women in Bassam. It seems women are strong in every household.
He had been particular about the suspension and cushions. The ride quality was far superior to that of a carriage. Moreover, it was several times faster than a carriage, shortening travel time.
For nobles and wealthy people, there was no reason not to buy this. Also, as a status symbol, the automobile was quite conspicuous.
"The ride quality has improved considerably. With this, no one will complain."
Those accustomed to carriages would have no complaints about this ride comfort, Rodney thought with a satisfied expression.
The Aplan territory, unlike the Dedel territory, was mostly flat land. That meant there was a lot of land to be cultivated. He had brought in the Blue Wolf Tribe to cultivate the uncultivated areas, and for cropping, he had instructed them to practice rotation of Shishikamu (barley), Zarai (rye), Borshi (potatoes), and Bambaro (soybeans).
Rodney intended to make the Aplan territory a base for food production.
Inspecting those fields was also important, but that was not the main purpose this time. The trigger for this inspection was something the Blue Wolf Tribe had discovered while advancing cultivation.
What the Blue Wolf Tribe had discovered was an apple tree. Previously, they had found an apple tree in the abandoned house labyrinth and tried to grow it in the garden, but it withered.
This time, they had discovered a tree bearing a fruit similar to an apple on the surface. The locals apparently didn't eat it because it was very sour, but the Blue Wolf Tribe said that in their old lands, there was a similar fruit to this apple and they used to eat it.
He parked the automobile, which had rear wheels that were continuous tracks to even travel on rough roads, alongside the forest.
Since they would be entering the forest, they would walk from here. Accompanying Rodney were Bakurai and Feld, ten territory soldiers, and three Blue Wolf Tribe members who had discovered the apple-like fruit.
The three Blue Wolf members sniffed the air as they advanced into the forest.
The forest was not particularly deep, and they soon arrived at the destination.
There was a tree bearing blue fruit, which closely resembled apples. It was not so dense, but a place with many trees.
"We used to call this Shack."
"Shack, huh. And it was very sour, right."
"If you don't eat it right after picking, but let it sit for ten days after picking, it becomes sweet."
"I see, so you age it."
Feld did not understand the meaning of aging. Thinking deeply about it gave him a headache, so he didn't.
"I'll decide after eating the sweetened ones, but if possible, I want to cultivate this."
"We don't know anything about cultivation."
"I understand. I'll leave the cultivation to others, so I ask for your cooperation until it gets on track."
He had no intention of leaving the cultivation to the Blue Wolf Tribe, who were skilled at hunting and combat but not at farming. Since he also expected them to refuse, he had intended to leave cultivation to others from the start.
"For now, let's take these fruits back."
When Rodney tried to pick the nearby blue fruit, Feld stopped him.
"Not these yet. If you're going to pick, take this."
"Why?"
"That one has a bad smell. It's still too early to pick."
Rodney obediently followed the judgment unique to the sharp-nosed Blue Wolf Tribe. At the same time, he thought that humans like himself should also be able to judge such things.
The Shack aged for ten days was sweet and delicious.
Thinking this could become an industry, Rodney immediately began cultivating Shack. Cultivating Shack was expected to take anywhere from several years to ten years. The road was long, but the seeds of industry had to be nurtured.
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"Lord Rodney!"
While doing paperwork, Rodmel burst into the room. Startled by Rodmel's sudden momentum, Rodney instinctively took a stance using "Wind-Forest-Fire-Mountain."
"Don't startle me. I almost attacked you."
"My apologies. But this is a major event!"
"I understand, so don't shout like that. My ears hurt."
Rodmel naturally had a loud voice, and in his excitement, it was even louder.
"So, what's the major event?"
"The young lady..."
"What about Emilia?"
"She says she will marry Lord Falken!"
"Wh... whaaaaat!?"
Rodney was so shocked that he nearly slipped off his chair, and it took him time to calm down. When he calmed down and listened to Rodmel's story, Emilia, who had been receiving daily training from Falken, had been deeply impressed by Falken's attitude toward martial arts. She had apparently come to be attracted to that stoic Falken.
"N-no way..."
"What shall we do?"
"'What shall we do' nothing, Emilia is only 17. Lord Falken is... over 40, right? What about the age difference? No, before that, what does Lord Falken say? Even if Emilia says she wants to marry, it won't hold water."
"Well, it seems Lord Falken is not unwilling either."
"Damn it all..."
Deciding to hear the story nonetheless, Rodney immediately went to the two of them.
"I am sorry that things have come to this."
As soon as he saw Rodney's face, Falken offered an apology. From those words, Rodney understood Falken's feelings.
"Are you seriously saying you will take Emilia as your wife?"
"I will devote every effort to receive Lord Forvas's permission. If permitted, I would not even refuse to become a vassal of Lord Forvas."
Having the strongest in the kingdom as a vassal would be a great honor for the Forvas House. But the matter was not so simple.
First, Falken was the strongest in the kingdom. Eventually, he would return to the center of the nation and assist the king. Whether Falken wished it or not, that would happen. That was the chain-like entanglement clinging to the man called the strongest in the kingdom.
If Falken returned to the center of the nation, he might be caught up in conspiracies and even sentenced to death. Moreover, becoming Falken's wife meant facing a high society filled with political maneuvering. Rodney worried whether Emilia, raised freely, could survive in such a place.
And then there was the age gap between them. There was easily a gap of over twenty years. Age-gap marriages were not uncommon in the noble world, but that was in the case of political marriages. Rodney had no intention of using Emilia for a political marriage; he thought she should find her own partner freely. He never once imagined it would be Falken.
"It's not for me to say, but Emilia is a naive child. Are you really sure about Emilia?"
"Emilia is the first woman who has ever captured my heart. I believe that there is no one else but Emilia."
Rodney felt that Falken's feelings for Emilia were genuine. But even so, this was not a simple matter.
"What does Emilia think?"
"I'm going to marry Falken-san."
Emilia's words were so light that Rodney felt dizzy.
"You... do you understand what it means to marry Lord Falken? Lord Falken is a man known to everyone in and outside the kingdom. Can you support Lord Falken as his wife?"
"Don't underestimate Onii-chan's little sister."
"You won't be able to live such a carefree life as before, you know."
"I promise that I will definitely protect Emilia."
Rodney decided to hold a discussion with his family and key vassals.
Their marriage could, if mishandled, endanger the Forvas House. A man like Falken was that much of a bomb.
"At this point, the age difference is not the problem. The issue is the relationship between Lord Falken, this house, and the royal family and other nobles."
"The nobles whose heads of household or vassals were struck down by Lord Falken during the civil war probably still bear a grudge against him. There is a possibility of becoming hostile to those noble houses."
Hortus and Endever spoke to organize the issues.
"Moreover, if Lord Falken returns to the center, he will inevitably take someone else's position. And there are likely many potential enemies we don't know about."
"But first of all, will Lord Falken return to the royal capital? He said he would become a vassal of this house, didn't he?"
After Roxwell's words, Rodmel asked.
"Lord Falken is a man who has been requested by His Majesty the King. If we make him a vassal of our house, we might be suspected of harboring ill will towards the royal family. I don't like having my unblemished belly probed."
Rodmel nodded in understanding at Rodney's words. The other vassals also nodded.
"Isn't it fine? I think he's a fine son-in-law, Mother does. Besides, the most important thing is their feelings. No matter what we say, the flames of burning love cannot be extinguished. Ufufufu."
In the end, these words from Sharume became the deciding factor, and Rodney decided to permit their marriage. This was a decision as the head of the Forvas House.
However, Falken currently had no formal noble status, having passed his viscount title to his younger brother. Nor did he hold any official post. The Kuodo Kingdom did not have systems like pensions.
At present, Falken had no income. To put it simply, he was a freeloader or a NEET. He likely received some support from his younger brother, to whom he had passed the viscount title. He would probably return to the center eventually, but that was still far off. That left much to be desired.
That was where the reliable figures were the Marquis Banyusas, the patron of the Forvas House, and the Sage Daguldor, Rodney's master.
The Marquis Banyusas was a minister in the royal capital, so both he and Sage Daguldor lived there. Rodney sent Hortus and Endever as messengers.
The request was not immediate. If possible, next year or the year after would be fine, but they asked for Falken to be given some kind of position as smoothly as possible.
It was purely nepotism. Normally, this should be avoided, but leaving Falken idle would be a loss to the nation.
It took time to coordinate, but they received replies from the Marquis Banyusas and Sage Daguldor in the royal capital.
Originally, Falken was the royal family's swordplay instructor, but apparently he had not been dismissed. He was merely on leave, and he could likely be reinstated next year.
"I truly wished to work under Lord Forvas, but I understand that cannot be. I gratefully accept this proposal."
"I'm relieved to hear you say that. There is still some time, so please stretch your wings and recover your energy here in Dedel Territory."
"I am grateful. And I entrust myself to you, Gikei-dono."
Being called "Gikei-dono" by Falken, who was over forty, made Rodney's back itch a bit, but he responded with a smile.
Rodney worried about whether Emilia could fulfill the role of Falken's wife, but Emilia became a good wife who often helped Falken. She was blessed with three children, and the kids, who inherited both of their talent with the sword, each went on to play active roles.
That was still a story far in the future, but this marriage became a very happy one for Emilia and Falken.
——— This is truly the end of this chapter! ———
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