“What?”
“I said I do not want to.”
First of all, I did not know what Father had meant by asking about marriage.
But Father had asked me point-blank, so I'll answer just as directly.
‘Marriage?’
Isn't that a grave?
I had never been married before.
However, I had seen countless people before me undergo the class change from single to married.
―Yes, I'm happy.
―Ha ha, marriage…… You should definitely try it too.
―Ha ha ha.
Those eyes, drifting somewhere in empty space.
Of course, they had genuinely looked happy.
Some people who had lived in a constant state of anger became mild-tempered, while others who had been irritable found peace of mind.
But I was certain of one thing.
‘That happiness…… isn't the happiness I'm thinking of.’
And how old am I now?
‘Fifteen.’
And he wants to discuss marriage with me?
If we were in Korea, Father would have deserved immediate execution.
For the sake of not only my own safety but Father's as well, I absolutely could not accept.
Marriage would have to wait until after I turned twenty, at the very least.
“May I…… ask why?”
“I still have much to do.”
Actually, I don't.
Still, this is how one has to answer at times like this.
If anything, I'm the one who wants to ask him a question.
“May I ask why you brought this up? You have not contracted a fatal illness, have you……?”
“No. Your father is in perfect health.”
“Then why?”
If not for something like that, why would he suddenly bring up marriage?!
Just look at Vilheim.
He is twenty and free.
As far as I know, he isn't even engaged.
Then what in the world was the reason?!
“It seems…… a house has caught wind of the mana stone mine.”
Well, I had expected as much.
With everything in the territory moving into full swing, some word was bound to leak out.
But what does that have to do with anything?
“House Merlin contacted us. They asked whether we would consider forming a marriage alliance.”
“Ah…….”
House Merlin.
I knew who they were.
The southern region of the Heorn Kingdom, where the Barony of Palaon was located, was ruled by nobles great and small, ranging from small fry to true heavyweights.
House Merlin ranked among the foremost of those heavyweights.
No.
‘They're the closest of those houses to us, so they're even more than that.’
One might call them the boss of this neighborhood.
No, was ‘neighborhood’ too narrow a range?
In any case, they were a nationally prominent house.
“Could we…… possibly refuse?”
“They spoke plainly. They said we appeared to be planning something and suggested that we work together. They offered to watch our backs.”
“Hmm, that does not necessarily prove they know about the mana stone vein.”
“About that…… Hmm, listen without being alarmed.”
What more could possibly alarm me at this point?
……That was what I thought, but Father had more of a gambler's streak than I realized.
“I told them.”
“What?”
“That a mana stone vein had been discovered, and that it held considerable reserves.”
“What? Why would you……?”
“Because a mana stone vein is something houses other than House Merlin would covet as well. I was implying that if they harassed us, we could always side with someone else. At the time, I had no choice.”
Wait. Let me think.
I, Ktun, have found a contradiction here.
‘House Merlin.’
They were more than a local power…… Yes, in modern terms, they were the equivalent of a conglomerate dynasty, and in their own region, they were even more than that.
Would a house like that have proposed a marriage alliance from the very beginning?
No. Absolutely not.
“Father, please be honest with me. The marriage alliance…… Did they ask for it from the beginning?”
“…….”
“Well?”
When I asked again, Father stammered out an answer.
“At first…… Well, they only said that we should maintain good relations. That if we had anything worth eating, we should bring them some as tribute.”
“And then?”
“What do you mean, ‘and then’? What manner of house is Palaon? House Palaon was a founding contributor to the Heorn Kingdom. Few bastards remember that now, but we are not a house that serves beneath another. And House Merlin dares to do what?!”
“You just said all they asked was that we bring them some if we had anything worth eating.”
“That may be what they said! But they were practically telling us to become their vassal house!”
This was the first time I had seen Father so worked up.
But Father was not the only one excited.
[That is right! Well done, my descendant! I would sooner starve to death like a feral dog than see the mighty House Palaon bow its head to those cowardly bastards of House Merlin! I, huh?! The founding head of House Merlin and I, huh?! We were not close, but I was still the man that bastard respected most!]
What a maddening collaboration.
[The founding head of House Merlin, huh?! That bastard was a tremendous coward! Ask your father what he was like! Go on!]
“……Father, this is a slight change of subject, but what sort of man was the founding head of House Merlin? From what little I studied, he seemed to have some connection with the founding head of our house.”
“I heard he was a valiant knight.”
[Bullshit! That is bullshit! What courage did that bastard ever have?! I barely managed to make a man out of that cowardly bastard, and now they are trying to swallow our house whole……]
Around this point, I closed my ears.
In any case, the situation could be summarized as follows.
House Merlin had said, ‘Become my subordinate!’ and Father had countered with, ‘Do not spout bullshit. We have a mana stone mine.’
He had meant that if they treated us lightly, we could side with someone else whenever we pleased. House Merlin had understood that message all too well.
And so……
‘Oh, then let's form a marriage alliance!’ was their response.
At this point, there is something I want to know.
“Father, you said you did not want to share the yield from the mana stone vein because that would mean serving under them, correct?”
“……? Son, this is not a matter of what I want. It is a matter of what is possible. How could Palaon ever serve beneath another house?”
[That is right, my descendant! Forgive me for doubting whether you truly carried my blood!]
Wait, what the fXck? You doubted me?
In any case.
“But is a marriage alliance any different?”
Getting married won't make our house equal to House Merlin.
When I asked, Father answered proudly.
“You ask the obvious. Of course it is different.”
“How?”
“Now that they have requested a marriage alliance first, we possess rights equal to theirs. Of course, the difference in our power means we cannot be entirely equal, but at the very least, we need not submit.”
“Is that not the same…….”
[It is different!]
My ancestor roared.
[It is different! Marry! I will never stand by and watch us serve beneath that cowardly bastard, even if it kills me! Do not even dream of it until dirt fills my eyes!]
But you've already died, and dirt has probably filled your eyes too.
Whew. What should I do, then?
I set my brilliant mind in motion and found the optimal answer.
Then I spoke.
“But Father.”
“Speak.”
“Would House Merlin…… truly be satisfied with me?”
“What do you mean?”
“A marriage alliance is a matter of tremendous importance. If it can further the future of our house, I will gladly do it. But no matter what I do, I am still an illegitimate son.”
“What nonsense! I would never regard you as……!”
“I know. You, Mother, and Brother do not think of me that way. But what would House Merlin think?”
I admit it.
Father treats me well, as does my stepmother.
As for my elder brother Vilheim…… Fine, I admit it.
He treats me as his younger brother.
Beyond that, in all my time living with this house, I've never once felt the sorrow of being an illegitimate son.
But how would another house see me?
‘What else would they see? An illegitimate son is an illegitimate son.’
That is why I am saying this.
Not because I don't want to marry, but for a purely realistic reason.
“To another house, I am nothing more than an illegitimate son. In my heart, I wish to devote my whole self to a matter of such great importance to our house…… but my status does not permit it.”
[Ah! Do not grieve, my descendant!]
I'm not grieving.
In any case.
“I do not believe I am suitable.”
“Then…….”
“I am truly sorry, but it seems I must entrust this heavy burden to my respected and beloved elder brother Vilheim.”
“But if that happens, the succession will be firmly settled in Vilheim's favor.”
[Good heavens! Will you be all right with that?!]
I answered.
“Yes, if that is the path our house requires.”
That is precisely what I want.
Father's eyes reddened at my answer.
My ancestor reacted the same way.
[To think you care so deeply for the house……!]
“Son, I have forced a difficult choice upon you!”
Oh, please.
It's only natural.
“Father, please do not worry about me.”
“……Very well, my son!”
Father embraced me warmly as he shed tears.
Did that do it?
……That was what I thought, when he spoke again.
“However, there is a problem.”
“What might that be?”
“Vilheim is currently away on important business.”
“Yes, I know.”
Recently, Vilheim had been traveling through the neighboring territories and concluding peace agreements.
Without revealing the mana stone vein, he was making agreements that essentially amounted to, ‘In any case, let us not touch one another for the time being. Understood?’
They would know we had some ulterior motive, but what could they do about it?
‘If they don't like it, they can come at us.’
Still, unless they had a clear pretext, as Viscount Hadion had, it wouldn't be easy to attack us.
In any case.
“But why is that a problem?”
“It is a problem. I heard House Merlin's third daughter arrived at House Hadion yesterday.”
“What? Already?”
“I only received word this morning. It seems they dispatched their third daughter at the same time they sent the envoy…….”
“Is that right? Without even hearing whether we accepted the marriage alliance?”
“That shows how urgent the matter is. In any case, now that they have sent their young lady, we must offer her a reception worthy of her station. Ordinarily, we would simply have held a grand welcoming ceremony…… but given the circumstances, I believe someone should go out to meet her.”
This was…… the sorrow of a weak house.
She was arriving so suddenly, yet we still had to send someone to meet her.
“As you know, your brother is not in a position to do so at present…….”
“……Yes, I will go.”
“Will you truly do that?!”
I mean, there's no one else who can go besides me anyway.
Whew. It couldn't be helped.
‘This is an investment in the future.’
“Yes.”
“Thank you, my son.”
It's nothing. I'm not the one getting married, after all.
All I had to do was make a show of helping.
“Then when should I leave?”
“Hmm, let us see. I hear she will depart from House Hadion tomorrow morning, so in our territory…… Here, it would be best to meet her at the first village. Which means…… Yes, you should depart tomorrow morning.”
“Yes, understood.”
As I nodded, Father suddenly said something.
“I am sorry.”
“All of a sudden?”
“I was so overwhelmed that I had no choice but to ask you this way.”
“Well…….”
I understood.
Father was not superhuman either.
However.
“I am fine, but I am worried about Brother Vilheim. I wonder whether he will be able to accept this marriage…….”
“Indeed. Still, do not worry. I will resolve this matter myself.”
“By yourself, you mean……?”
“I gave you a choice, so I must give Vilheim one as well. If he says he has no intention of marrying, I plan to call the whole matter off as though it had never happened.”
Hmm, is that a good choice?
I don't know.
But.
[Yes! That is what makes us Palaon! If the eldest says no, withdraw at once! Even if we must die, Palaon never dies a miserable death!]
Since my ancestor approved, all I could do was nod.
“Then I will take my leave.”
“Very well. Rest.”
For the moment, I had overcome the marriage issue.
What matters is what comes next…….
‘Well, it'll work out somehow.’
However, even if Vilheim refused, I had no intention of resenting him in the slightest.
We were brothers, after all. I had to support him.
And so, the next day.
“I will be going now.”
“Have a safe journey.”
I left the territory to meet my future sister-in-law.