Because of the chaos they had caused at the closing banquet of the Imperial Diet, to House Schwarzen, House Zeiss, House Bessen, and House Billen alike, the people of House Medichin had left a strong impression, for better or worse.
They, too, were talking as they rode home in their carriage.
“Because of this incident, our family’s position will change starting with the next imperial election, wife.”
“Indeed. Your late father, and my father as well, would have been pleased, dear.”
Looking at the satisfied expressions of the two, who were not only husband and wife but political partners, Friedrich also nodded.
‘It is a good thing. For the next hundred years, those who become emperor will not be able to ignore our family and autonomous territory.’
Thanks to their Imperial Voting Rights doubling, even if only for a limited period, the political standing of House Medichin and the autonomous territory had risen to a level incomparable to before. And also...
‘My paternal grandfather and maternal grandfather, who have passed away, would be pleased too, hehe.’
Although he had never met them in person, the thought that the two late predecessors who had laid the foundation of the autonomous territory would be happy kept a smile from leaving Friedrich’s lips.
“Even so, I absolutely cannot forgive the Schwarzen boys for treating our youngest that way. This father of yours will make certain to repay what you suffered, Julian.”
Even though they had obtained Nodenburg-Treisen’s Imperial Voting Rights, Wilhelm was not the sort of person to simply let the humiliation his child had suffered pass by. As Wilhelm promised vengeance, Julian waved his hand.
“No, Father. I will work harder and repay them with my own strength. I swear!”
“Our youngest has already grown up, has he? Then this Second Brother will train hard too and punish the Schwarzen boys with you. Hyah! Hyah!”
“Yes!”
As Julian and Felix exchanged spirited words in perfect rhythm, Maria smiled softly and said,
“Your sister will help too. Instead, when I crush that Herman of Sütern, you two have to help me as well.”
“This mother of yours will also lend a hand then. When I think of how that damned woman insulted our family and our house, I feel as if I might wake up from sleep in a rage.”
‘Is our family a merchant family, or a family of fighters...?’
Seeing even his mother overflowing with fighting spirit, Friedrich became confused about his family’s identity.
As he laughed hollowly to himself, Maria gave her eldest younger brother a gentle sidelong glare.
“And why is our eldest younger brother so silent? The one who shone most brilliantly at the banquet?”
After experiencing this Imperial Diet and banquet, Friedrich had many things he wanted to say, but he chose to behave like a child.
“I do not know what came over me either. Truly.”
He had his old instincts from rolling around in the Special Forces, and he was receiving martial training, but even Friedrich himself could not understand how he had taken down three sons of that fearsome House Schwarzen in an instant.
‘No matter how I think about it, it is strange. Did I gain some supernatural power because I got angry?’
As Friedrich tilted his head and pondered the reason, he straightened his posture and brought up something he had been curious about.
“By the way, Sister, what do you think of Lord Reinhardt?”
“Wh-what do I think of him?”
As soon as she received the question, Maria’s face turned rosy, and her body stiffened. Friedrich gave her a smug smile.
“You do not have to answer. I can tell just by looking at your face, hehe.”
“You little—! When we get home, you are dead! No! The moment we get out of this carriage, consider yourself dead!”
To Friedrich, his sister looked adorable as she fumed after realizing she had taken his bait.
***
After returning to Firenburg with his family after the Imperial Diet, Friedrich immediately took Merlin to one of the annexes of the Medichin mansion.
“It is truly dazzling.”
“Even though it is smaller than the main building, it is decorated in a similar style. Father will soon have a new space built inside the mansion for you to use as both lodging and a laboratory, so live here until it is finished.”
Merlin’s mouth had fallen open at the annex’s ornate interior decorations, and he was startled when he heard Friedrich say that a space would be built for him.
“No, Lord Friedrich! I would be grateful enough if you simply found me a suitable rented room, yet you are going to build something new?”
“To be honest, it is to prevent you from becoming known outside. I asked for it so the things you and I will research and create together from now on will not leak out.”
Unlike Friedrich, who was full of confidence, Merlin tilted his head. He had not even formally learned Magic yet, yet he was worrying about things he would create through research together with Merlin?
“Just what are you planning to research?”
“If I had to name urgent matters, I would say equipment for mass-producing steel and mechanical devices that use the power of steam.”
If the people of this world had heard it, it would have been the perfect sort of statement for them to point fingers and call him insane, but Merlin’s eyes quickly began to sparkle.
“That sounds interesting.”
‘Oh?’
Did he understand just from hearing that?
Feeling that he might become a good companion, Friedrich promptly continued.
“Right? But we will research two methods: one that uses Magic to realize it, and one that realizes it without Magic.”
“Hmm... I apologize for asking this, but... why would you go through such trouble?”
His identity as a researcher told him to simply accept it, but Merlin could not bring himself to understand Friedrich’s words. Why research even a method that deliberately made things difficult when using Magic would make them easier?
To Merlin, who kept tilting his head, Friedrich asked back as if it were obvious.
“Not everyone is a Mage, are they?”
“Ah...”
Realizing that his question had been foolish, Merlin stopped exclaiming and answered.
“You are right, Lord Friedrich. Most people cannot learn how to handle the Breath of Mana, and Mages would never do such work either.”
“That is why what we have to do from now on is organize the research results we realize by borrowing the Breath of Mana so that they can be achieved through human power.”
‘If this were a test, it would be like writing the answer sheet with Magic first, then spending my Points to write the solution process, but what can I do? I need to launder the source, and Mages are usually far too expensive.’
Even as he answered, Friedrich felt regret inwardly, and his thoughts branched in another direction.
‘There may come a day when Magic cannot be used, but if it becomes universal, it will be quite useful. To implement compulsory education, I need to increase food production and income enough that we no longer need underage labor, but...’
After thinking in various ways about the methods and direction for developing Etilant, Friedrich let out a sigh.
“Whew, there are too many things to do.”
“Do you mean there are many things to research from now on?”
Although the Contract conditions existed, Merlin was worried that if he devoted himself to Friedrich’s research, he might have no time at all for his own. Friedrich gave a bitter smile at Merlin, who asked cautiously.
“No. I meant that even if we research technology, we will need to do many things to create the conditions to support it economically, haha.”
“When you say conditions, what do you mean?”
“There are many. We need to increase food production, develop new mines, reduce the population mortality rate while raising the birth rate...”
The words Friedrich poured out for quite some time afterward caused a flood inside Merlin’s head.
‘It makes me dizzy just thinking about it. And he says he will do all of that.’
Merlin could not understand what sort of thoughts the child in front of him had as he said those things had to be done. Was he speaking from groundless confidence, or was he imitating adults?
‘Still, I will know if I watch him. He said he devised the Patent-Intellectual Property Law that passed in this Imperial Diet together with House Medichin’s employees.’
In Merlin’s view, House Medichin, the greatest Merchant family in the empire, and Friedrich, the cleverest among the heirs who would succeed it, would not have passed such a bill thoughtlessly.
‘Yes. For now, I should focus on my own research. I also have to produce results of my own so I can continue other research.’
For the time being, Merlin and Friedrich would each be fighting their own separate battles.
***
While Friedrich took Merlin to the annex, the twin brothers of House Medichin were talking in the room they shared.
“Whew, those bad people.”
“Calm down, Julian.”
Even if he had received comfort from his family on the way back, that had only lasted for the moment. After returning home, Julian fumed and shouted at his twin older brother Felix, who was comforting him.
“How can I calm down, Felix? They were the ones who bothered someone who was just standing still!”
Julian felt maddeningly wronged.
To think he had become a human toy simply because he was young and small!
“This will not do. From now on, I have to work harder.”
At Julian’s sudden determination, his expression hardening as if he had never been angry, Felix stared blankly.
“At what?”
“What else? Swordsmanship training with Master!”
“You... are going to do swordsmanship training?”
Felix was dumbfounded.
His younger brother had a far clearer aptitude for Mage than Knight, so what was he going to do by training harder in swordsmanship?
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“No, Mother told you that you have a stronger talent as a Mage. So why go out of your way...”
“I do not intend to become an Aura Master. I just need to build my Vitality.”
Julian cut off his twin older brother’s words and answered, and flames rose in his eyes.
“Vitality?”
“Yes! That way, I can land a blow on those Schwarzen boys!”
“Do you really mean what you just said?”
“Of course. Do you think I said it falsely?”
Usually he floats around so much, but this time he is different.
At Julian’s answer, his gaze set firmly this time, Felix nodded.
“Good. Then I will work harder too.”
“At what?”
“Magic. If you, who have talent as a Mage, are going to work hard at swordsmanship too, then I should work hard at learning Magic.”
Unlike Felix, who was calm and had a larger build than his peers, his younger brother floated around as lightly as his lower-than-average weight. If Felix was going to look after him, should he not also balance himself, despite having stronger talent as a Knight?
Whether Julian understood Felix’s intention or not, his eyes widened.
“Really?”
“Do you think I said it falsely?”
When Felix returned the exact words he had just said, Julian grinned and held out his little finger.
“Promise!”
“Yes.”
Unlike the mischievous Julian, Felix smiled faintly.
Though their personalities were exact opposites, they were twin brothers born on the same day at the same hour. When and how would their promise bear fruit?
***
At the same time, Maria was drinking tea with Wilhelm and Johanna in the study.
“What do you think of Lord Reinhardt?”
“Pfft, cough!”
Maria, who had been drinking tea, sprayed the tea straight back into her teacup at her father’s sudden surprise attack.
“Cough! Cough!”
When Maria, whose mouth was now covered in tea, coughed to clear what had gone down wrong, Johanna held out a handkerchief.
“Are you all right, Maria? Wipe yourself with this.”
“Ahem! Ahem! ...Yes. I am sorry, Mother.”
After apologizing for her discourtesy, Maria quickly accepted the handkerchief and wiped around her mouth.
“Oh my, oh my. It seems our daughter was quite startled. Haha.”
“How could I not be startled when you charged in so suddenly like that?”
He is my father, but he is so wicked. Truly.
As Maria glared at Wilhelm, who grinned with a mischievous smile, Johanna struck her husband’s arm with her palm.
SMACK!
“Ugh! Ah, why are you hitting me, wife?”
“No, how can you toss out such a topic so lightly? Do you not understand what it means to ask Maria what she thinks of Lord Reinhardt?”
Asking a maiden of marriageable age what she thought of a man from another house, and at that, a man who possessed everything, was by no means a light question.
At his wife’s rebuke, which pointed out its weight, even Wilhelm clicked his tongue with a deliberately startled expression.
“No, well, when we were going back and forth between each other’s houses and meeting, my father and your father did the same, did they not?”
“Ah, that was because we were close enough to play hide-and-seek together from childhood!”
I must have been mad.
How did I end up falling for and marrying a nuisance like this?
No, perhaps I did so even though I knew?
Because of her husband, who was acting uncharacteristically obtuse, Johanna felt as though she might burst. She narrowed her eyes at him with suspicion.
As expected.
Wilhelm was grinning in a way that made his attempt to gloss over things meaningless.
“Whew, I knew it! Of all things, you are playing around with our daughter’s marriage!”
“Now, now, calm down, wife. I only did it because I wanted to discuss it in a somewhat more comfortable atmosphere.”
I really cannot live with him.
Seeing her father trying to soothe her mother, Maria let out a sigh. Was this what happened when a man and woman of the same age, who had known each other almost their entire lives, got married?
‘Still... it was truly wonderful.’
Maria Medichin, eighteen years old, had attended a banquet held outside Etilant for the first time.
The beauty of Reinhardt von Bessen, whom she had met there, and his serious, courteous manner, like her father’s, had been deeply engraved in her heart.
Of course, she meant her father’s public appearance, not the one before her eyes now, where he was bickering with her mother.
‘To become a woman worthy of someone like him, I will have to do everything well.’
If I continue learning and practicing swordsmanship, riding, and scholarship as I do now, that should be enough.
As for being modest... I suppose I just have to avoid being like my parents?
***
After returning to his room from Merlin’s annex, Friedrich flopped down on his bed and looked up at the ceiling.
‘After living twice, I have experienced all sorts of things.’
Asteldorf had an atmosphere like the early to middle Middle Ages that he had learned about in his introductory Western history class, which he had taken as a liberal arts course during university.
The Imperial Diet held there had been a fresh experience for Friedrich in many ways.
‘Because of what our family did this time, we must have left an extremely strong impression.’
It was probably “for better or worse,” but what did that matter?
From now on, House Medichin, Medichin Konzern, and the Etilant Autonomous Territory had nothing ahead but rapid growth.
‘If I am right...’
Schwarzen and Zeiss would be grinding their teeth and sharpening their blades.
House Bessen and House Billen would be starting their calculations.
Against our family.
With that prediction of the others’ reactions, the postmortem ended.
Now it was time to step forward for the future of House Medichin, Medichin Konzern, and the Etilant Autonomous Territory.