It had been a chance encounter, but we decided to make the most of it. Flare-san and Eingana-san joined us at a larger table, where Cornelia-san and I sat side-by-side across from them.
Facing two executives who served under one of the Six Kings clearly had Cornelia-san on edge. I resolved to do my best to support her throughout the conversation.
As I was thinking that, Flare-san looked at Cornelia-san and murmured with a wistful air.
"...Cornelia Sharon, hmm? That brings back memories."
"Oh? Flare-san, did you know someone else with that name?"
"Ah, no, not her personally. The head of the Sharon Count House from several hundred years ago bore the same name. I suspect Cornelia-dono was named after her?"
"It is exactly as you say," Cornelia-san replied. "I was named in honor of the sixth head of the Sharon Count House, Cornelia Sharon, who is celebrated as our Restoration Founder."
"I thought as much," Flare-san said. "She was a magnificent woman—a true hero brimming with a challenging spirit."
So, a previous head of her house shared her name. I’d heard of families naming children after illustrious ancestors, so the connection made perfect sense.
However, for Flare-san to remember the name so clearly, that ancestor must have been quite an impressive person. Just as I was wondering about that, Cornelia-san turned toward me and explained, as if sensing my curiosity.
"To give you some context, Kaito-sama, the sixth head possessed a formidable merchant’s spirit. You could say she laid the very foundations of the current Sharon Count House. She was even the one who established the special regulations for this commercial city I mentioned earlier."
"I see. She was quite the powerhouse, then?"
"Yes. She elevated the Sharon family from a fading viscountcy to an earldom. Of all our successive heads, hers is undoubtedly the most famous."
It appeared the sixth head was the one who implemented the policies I had heard were revolutionary for their time. She was an incredible individual who had achieved enough merit to secure a promotion in rank from viscount to count. Perhaps she was even the one who originally founded the Sharon Trading Company.
"She was a woman of immense passion and drive," Flare-san added. "Despite being the head of a noble house, she personally trekked across the Demon Realm to negotiate her own deals. I held her in high regard. Even Megiddo-sama took a shine to her, once calling her his favorite among the nobles of the Arclesia Empire."
"Megiddo-san generally isn't fond of nobles, is he? Although he took a real liking to Lilia-san..."
"Political theater and underhanded schemes are among the things Megiddo-sama loathes most. While he might not favor her quite as much as he does Lilia-dono, there’s no question he held her ancestor in high esteem."
Megiddo-san hated backstabbing and petty politics, which made him dislike nobles as a whole. But that didn't mean he hated every individual noble.
He liked Lilia-san so much he’d wanted her as a subordinate, and when I’d mentioned Elis-san before, he’d said the Hamilton Marquis House was "one of the better ones" in the empire. It seemed he had a decent opinion of them, too.
Ultimately, he liked people who were either master martial artists or possessed a fierce, proactive drive. Given that Flare-san and Megiddo-san approved of her, the ancestor must have been truly spirited.
"In that case, if Megiddo-san meets Cornelia-san, he might notice that she has the same name just like you did, Flare-san."
"Hiee... D-Do you think that will be alright?" Cornelia-san asked, clearly worried. "My personality is nothing like the sixth head’s... If he sees me and thinks I’m a disgrace to the name, I..."
"There should be no issue if you are the friend of my Comrade," Flare-san and Eingana-san stated in unison, offering immediate reassurance.
"Wait... really?"
"Umu. His fondness for the former Cornelia Sharon or Lilia-dono doesn't even begin to compare to his feelings for our Comrade. Megiddo-sama is almost always in a high spirits whenever his Comrade is around. As such, any friend of his Comrade is safe from his temper."
"In fact," Eingana-san noted, "when I spoke with Megiddo-sama recently, he seemed intrigued by Elis Dia Hamilton, Young Lady of a Marquis House—the one Miyama Kaito-san speaks so highly of. He mentioned he’d like to speak with her himself sometime."
"...I am truly overwhelmed by the scale of your influence, Kaito-sama," Cornelia-san murmured.
It seemed as long as someone was my friend, Megiddo-san wouldn't give them a hard time, even if they were a noble. I guess that means it wouldn't be a problem to introduce Elis-san if the chance ever came up... Not that I'm actually planning to do that, though...
Serious-senpai: "Did you catch that? A Stomach Pain Flag was just casually planted for Elis..."