Chapter 77: Townsperson A Heads to the Royal Capital

Once the word got out that harboring impure thoughts about Milly-chan would leave you completely drained, the victims among the servants vanished.

Still, Lord Ramslett and Friedrich-san couldn't help but let their minds wander, and they apparently tripped the pervert’s Auto-Defense more than once.

Of course, when I say "impure thoughts," I don't mean anything like kidnapping. It was more about trade, technical exchanges, or leveraging a connection with the Elves to boost the status of the Ducal House. Apparently, their political instincts just kicked in automatically.

Initially, it seems they tried to lure her with sweets just to get her to say she wanted to visit the mansion again.

Honestly, I think he should have cut them some slack for that much, I thought. But from that pervert’s perspective, even a bribe of candy was an unforgivable transgression against a toddler.

I was dying to retort, "What about you, then?" though.

Oh, right. I found this out when one of the maids apologized to me, but it turns out I was suspected of child abduction or having a secret love child.

No way! I’d never do that!

I suppose I can’t entirely blame them for the misunderstanding. A commoner man allowed into Ana’s room suddenly returns with nothing but a hooded toddler in tow—it’s not exactly a great look.

Anyway, Milly-chan stayed for two more days. She behaved exactly like the three-year-old she appeared to be, tearing through the mansion like a whirlwind before finally heading back to the Elven Village.

By the way, she never did say, "I want to come back." Instead, she told me to "Bring Ana and come visit," so the Duke’s scheme was a total bust.

Oh, and one more thing. That pervert didn’t ask for a single thing in return. As I was seeing her off at the Elven Village, she just left me with one final remark.

"When you get married and have kids, make sure to bring them by, okay?"

In a way, I had to admit that despite being a pervert, he truly lived up to the title of the Selfless Great Sage. He was still a pervert, obviously, but for a fleeting moment, I wondered if he was just a pervert who happened to really like kids.

No, well... no matter which way you slice it, a pervert is a pervert.

Then there was the most important matter: Ana. I tried everything—holding her hand, kissing her, hugging her—but nothing worked. I still haven't found the key to waking her up.

It’s been a little while since Milly-chan went home, so I should probably take a moment to organize the current situation.

First, the Zaus Kingdom’s invasion. After losing the bulk of their forces, they’ve retreated, and peace has returned to the Ramslett Ducal Territory. Losing their stored grain and having their cities pillaged was a massive blow to the region, but they managed to squeeze nearly the full amount of reparations out of Zaus. Thanks to that, the territory’s balance sheet is actually looking quite positive.

Friedrich-san’s negotiation skills certainly played a part, but the main reason was likely the sheer scale of the Zaus Kingdom's defeat. It was a disaster they simply couldn't ignore.

According to Lord Ramslett, the invading force was over a hundred thousand strong—essentially the kingdom’s entire mobile expeditionary force. They were utterly crushed by a Ramslett Ducal Army of only ten thousand. It’s estimated that only twenty to thirty thousand made it back across the border safely.

If anyone were to exploit this opening and invade them now, the Zaus Kingdom would likely lose massive chunks of its territory.

Incidentally, the Ducal House had requested reinforcements, but the Royal Family never sent a single soldier. Consequently, House Ramslett handled all the peace negotiations themselves. This world has a feudal feel to it, so apparently, that’s not a legal problem, but it’s still bizarre that the Crown wouldn't send help to defend its own borders.

Was it because the Duke refused to cooperate further unless the Crown Prince was disinherited?

Meanwhile, the eastern front with the Est Empire has fallen into a stalemate since I left. The Sentlaren Kingdom is desperate to hold onto Bruseni, while the Est Empire is itching to take it back. Both sides are currently just staring each other down.

However, with the fall of Fortress City Cardacia and the conquest of the Bulzeni Region, the King’s victory conditions have technically been met.

Yes, as far as I’m concerned, that should be the end of it. Honestly, I think it’d be smarter to either sign a peace treaty with the Empire quickly or send in more troops to push the advantage.

Well, unlike in the game, we have an overwhelming military advantage now. The risk of the Royal Capital being destroyed has dropped significantly. Provided the King doesn't make any catastrophically stupid decisions, that is...

Which brings us to now. I’m currently sharing a carriage with Lord Ramslett, heading toward the Royal Capital.

The King summoned the Duke specifically by name. Ostensibly, it’s to negotiate my rewards, but the Duke suspects it’s a trap for assassination or house arrest.

On top of that, the Duke’s spies report that the King is claiming I’m a "Royal Adventurer" that he personally discovered. I honestly have no idea what he’s thinking. But when you look at the whole picture, it’s clear: the King wants to eliminate House Ramslett. I’m in total agreement with the Duke on that one.

We’ve discussed every possibility and come up with several plans. Some involve fighting; some involve playing along. At this rate, it looks like we’re heading for a confrontation. But if a civil war breaks out, the country will split and the people will suffer. That’s why the Duke decided to walk into the lion’s den—knowing full well it’s a trap—for one last negotiation.

During our talks, I came clean about my Divine Protections and Skills. I’m practically part of the Duke’s family now, so there’s no point in hiding things anymore.

To my surprise, Lord Ramslett had already deduced that I had more than just the 【Wind Magic】 Skill. He’d guessed I had a Divine Protection related to assassination or a stealth-type Skill, a mastery of hidden weapons, and the 【Chantless】 Skill. He suspected I was hiding even more beyond that.

He was mostly right. Though, understandably, the Divine Protection of the 【Wind God】 took him by surprise.

Armed with the truth about my abilities, the Duke decided to bring me along as his shadow guard. If we handle this wrong, the kingdom will tear itself apart. I can’t afford to lose the Duke here. I have to do everything in my power to prevent a disaster and find a path that minimizes the suffering of the common people just trying to live their lives.

Lord Ramslett feels the same way. And I’m sure Ana would, too.

Clinging to that sliver of hope, we made our entry into the Royal Capital.