Chapter 164
Alter got into the carriage following Brillie.
The investigation of the mine was roughly finished, and he had been able to acquire the necessary information.
Now, they would have to estimate the gold mine's reserves and search for another mine as well.
"It seems like quite a lot of gold ore is coming out, doesn't it?"
"Yes, the yield is quite high compared to the eastern territory."
"Silver ore isn't exactly useless either, is it?"
"In terms of price, silver is expensive too. It's just cheaper than gold."
"Would it be best to just sell the raw gemstones as they are?"
"If we sold them after processing, we could earn more... but since the mining volume is small, it wouldn't be efficient."
"Or we could just store them separately, couldn't we? We could process them whenever we reach a reasonable amount."
"Hm... Raw gemstones come in various types, don't they? Their prices and processing methods would vary somewhat as well. I think it'd get a bit troublesome because of that."
"That's possible. We can't be looking at the raw gemstones every time."
Brillie showed a subtle expression as she fell into thought.
As he watched her, Alter's thoughts drifted to the events of the previous night.
'She said she might be in love with me...'
Alter flinched unconsciously and turned his head.
He had said something similar himself before, but as the one hearing it, it wasn't easy to accept.
Rather, his own feelings stirred, and it seemed only uncertain hesitation was budding.
'The order might be reversed, but in the end, it doesn't make a difference.'
Originally, they should have developed affection for each other, but now, they had ended up holding the wedding first.
That's why, even as he put forth a sense of responsibility, he could only treat his companion with formality.
If he could grow to love his companion even now, perhaps he could be freed, even a little, from that sense of duty.
'Am I really in love with Brillie?'
Lacking certainty, he couldn't help but be anxious.
Even if he spent a night with his companion, sudden affection wouldn't blossom just like that.
Since his companion also understood that fact, perhaps she was relying on responsibility as well.
'It could simply be that I've gotten used to this situation. I need to think about my role as a husband, too...'
Alter hadn't been obsessive over trivial reasons even before getting married.
He still doubted his own feelings, but as time passed, he was slowly calming down.
Maybe if he waited a little longer, he could face his true emotions.
'Even if I don't fall in love, as long as affection builds between us...'
"Why? Is something wrong?"
"It's nothing. I was just thinking about what happened yesterday."
"Yesterday... oh, is it because of what I said?"
"Yes. I just didn't expect to hear something like that from you, Brillie."
"Hm... Really? Can't I at least have some affection for you, too?"
"That may be true, but for me, it's not something I could just brush off."
"Oh, I get it. Are you embarrassed right now?"
"Uh..."
Alter lost his words and stared blankly at Brillie.
She watched his reaction closely, then tilted her head.
"But you don't seem any different from usual."
"Perhaps my expressions are lacking."
"You were really embarrassed when I asked you to tie the ribbon, though?"
"Ah, yes, that's true."
"Then should I take it as a sign you took it seriously?"
"I took it seriously. It's not something you hear often, after all."
"It's a bit disappointing, but I guess that's fine too."
Brillie smiled faintly and glanced at Alter.
Though she had confessed with hesitation the night before, Alter himself had only maintained a calm demeanor.
That made her worry that something might be wrong, yet in reality, he hadn't been able to forget that moment at all.
'He was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't show any emotion.'
Still, Brillie couldn't quite shake off her attachment.
While Alter's health had improved, allowing him to escape that gloomy air, the quiet and chilly atmosphere hadn't fully dissipated.
That's why she hoped to see even the slightest emotion from him, but he just kept those feelings inside.
'He was really cute when he got embarrassed. Should I tie a ribbon on him, after all?'
* * *
Cadeon invited distinguished guests to commemorate the founding anniversary of Duke Illenat's house.
Naturally, it had to outshine the anniversary held for the Eiliche duke's house, with lavish food and drink served in abundance.
Events like this highlighted a family's power, so they inevitably had to be extravagant.
"It feels even more generous than last year."
"With such esteemed guests visiting, how could we treat them poorly?"
"Everything you attempt seems to go well. I suppose that's why you can spend so freely."
"Go well, you say. I've just managed not to suffer a loss, that's all."
Cadeon spoke mildly, deliberately refraining from boasting.
Too much pride breeds jealousy and quietly makes enemies.
Above all, in order to lead a political faction, a tacit balance had to be maintained.
"Is that so? It must've taken a lot of money to invest in the gold mine in the western lands?"
"It can't be helped. We have to dig until we hit a vein and also hire laborers. Where do you think the laborers' wages and equipment costs come from?"
"I thought you just had to buy a mine—do you really have to spend more after that?"
"What's the use of owning a mine if no one's willing to dig it? Besides, even after processing, moving it to the capital is quite a hassle too, isn't it?"
Cadeon skillfully mixed truth with falsehood.
In reality, running a mine consumed a lot of expenses.
But gold ore was being mined smoothly, and silver ore had already yielded numerous silver ingots.
Occasionally, even raw gemstones were found, so there was profit to be made on many fronts.
"That doesn't sound easy at all."
"Don't mention it. If you make a single misstep, the entire house could shake."
"Still, if you've broken even, won't there eventually be profits left over?"
"I don't know when that time will come, but I suppose we'll have to wait and see."
"... Ah, but you have a splendid daughter, don't you?"
"Indeed. She slew four dragons. Even being called a hero isn't enough."
The nobles, catching the drift, smoothly shifted the conversation and showered Cadeon with praise.
He took a moment to be aware of his surroundings, and then slowly spoke.
"I wouldn't say she's a hero, but as a knight, she's brought great honor to the family. I have nothing to be ashamed of."
"Who would dare disregard Duke Illenat's second daughter? There are few in the Empire's history who can claim such accomplishments."
"Exactly. She achieved magnificent accomplishments at such a young age. Thanks to her, the Illenat family's fame is shining brighter than ever."
Even Cadeon couldn't deny that fact.
At first, he had so strongly opposed her learning swordsmanship, yet she had proven her skill in the end.
Now, as the Sword Flower and heir to the Illenat household, she was steadily establishing her presence.
"She's come this far with just a single sword, so credit is due. But young as she is, there's still much for her to learn, isn't there?"
"With talent like that, she's sure to learn quickly."
"Indeed. Isn't that why you entrusted the family's private soldiers to her?"
Cadeon took in the flattery knowingly, but accepted it calmly.
Nobles, by nature, lean into their ranks, continually comparing and belittling one another.
Since petty pride and ambitions had to be satisfied, artifice and affectation came to the fore.
'She's holding up well for now, but...'
Cadeon had expected Brillie would face considerable hardship.
But Brillie was bravely adapting to the duties of head of house, and had formed amicable relations with other nobles.
In addition, she was smoothly maintaining her marriage with her companion, so it was, in fact, an ideal outcome.
'Even for a government official, one cannot go against the Emperor.'
Brillie had boldly given up her seat at the court to the faction from the Eiliche duke's house.
In truth, the Emperor had selected a noble from that faction, a clear move to check the Illenat house.
If Brillie had shown any ambition for power, the Emperor would have grown suspicious.
'It would be nice if she gave me a grandchild soon, though...'
With lingering attachment, Cadeon looked out at Brillie.
She was busily moving around, inquiring after each distinguished guest.
What had changed his daughter, who had once only cared for the sword, so much?
'Is her companion truly that precious to her? It was supposed to be just a political marriage... Did affection blossom in such a short time?'
* * *
Alter was finally able to sit down after following Brillie around for some time.
Just meeting the heads or representatives of each family took up a lot of time.
In the meantime, if he met an acquaintance, he would end up chatting, and he had to constantly keep an eye on the banquet hall.
Now that he had been given the position of heir, Brillie was behaving in a manner befitting the role.
'Is now the time to use work as an excuse to go to a society meeting?'
Alter thought of some trivial scheme, but couldn't quite bring himself to act on it.
If he failed at his part, the burden would fall on Brillie.
She had chosen to become the Duke of Illenat for his sake—how could he betray that feeling?
'I cannot run away and leave my wife behind.'
Shoving aside idle thoughts, Alter focused on watching Brillie.
Even as she busily conversed, she would occasionally meet his gaze.
Perhaps, as his wife, she was in her own way making sure of her husband's well-being.
'... It's almost over. Now we won't have to fight dragons anymore.'
Alter unconsciously recalled his battles with the dragons.
He had repeatedly flirted with danger, sometimes barely escaping with his life.
There was, of course, one dragon remaining, but if he truly sought neutrality, it wouldn't attack first.
'Hmm... Can't really say that. To be precise, there's still one more alive.'
Alter remembered exactly what was written on the Imperial Hero Monument.
The founding Emperor, with the strength of the powerful, defeated Ekexax the Tempest; the third Emperor, in cooperation with the previous Northern Grand Duke, sealed Tiksa the Frostbane.
That is, Tiksa the Frostbane had only been sealed, not considered killed.
'Why didn't they exterminate it?'
Alter belatedly began to question that part of the inscription.
Among the dragons, only Tiksa the Frostbane had been sealed.
If they were determined to eliminate any source of danger, shouldn't they have destroyed Tiksa the Frostbane too?
'Tiksa the Frostbane brought peace to the northern territory by suppressing monsters, and even left behind human descendants... so there was no reason to fight.'
Alter unintentionally recalled the time freeze he had reproduced previously.
He had temporarily halted the flow of time and was able to save Brillie from the aura of corrosion.
Perhaps Tiksa the Frostbane had applied time freeze in a distinct way.
'Did Tiksa the Frostbane freeze time by targeting itself? If that's why it was sealed...'