Chapter 30: 26

Chapter 26: The Demi-god spends time in the empire

Thus, a month has passed since Lute placed himself in the empire.

Lute’s nicknames include “the new guardian god of the empire”, “the great pillar that promises further prosperity”, “Young grand duke who possesses power that rivals, or even surpasses, the nation, despite being an individual”, and “the ice god” and so on. Although no official announcement has been made yet, Lute’s existence is spreading throughout the empire at a steady pace.

It is an open secret among those who are above a certain rank. Among those in positions of power in the private sector, such as the heads of business associations and guilds, it is a rumor. And among the people, those who are not involved in politics, it is a kind of idle talk in the name of a side dish.

There is a difference in the degree of certainty that comes from one’s position. However, all the people in the empire certainly felt it. A new era was coming. A premonition that “something will happen in the near future”.

──And speaking of Lute, who stands at the turning point of that world.

“Kaaaa… sleep…”

…… the same, or even more self-defeating than at that time within the former battlefield, in the Land Kingdom invasion force.

Once he goes to sleep, he does not wake up until noon. When he wakes up, he eats a proper meal and goes back to sleep. On the other hand, he wanders around the city, whether it is an aristocratic district, a commoner’s district, or a slum. With the money provided by the empire in one hand, he goes to all sorts of places, from high-class restaurants to small bars and eateries, as much as he likes. If some of these establishments already recognize him as a big customer, it is easy to understand his debauchery.

This is a turning point in history, a key figure among key figures who will move the empire, or even the world, in the future. Under normal circumstances, he would not be able to lead such a decadent life. What made it possible was the fact that Friedrich, in the name of the emperor, forbade any private contact with Lute.

“… food. Today, hmm…I’m in the mood for, um, outside food.”

The day of that audience. The wish that Lute chanted was fulfilled with a hearty laugh from Friedrich. He shut out everything except the requirements that need to be confirmed by default and are of high importance. In short, it’s a round toss. All the miscellaneous affairs that occurred as a result of Lute’s vassalage were taken care of by the upper echelons of the empire.

Of course, there is a possibility that the work is being handled in a way that is convenient for them. Lute knows this already. After all, they are dealing with the upper echelons of the empire, the political monsters who run one of the most powerful countries on the continent. They would not make the mistake of putting their own personal desires first, which would be a surefire way to incur the displeasure of the demi-god.

And if there were some requests, Lute would do his best to accommodate them. Because he thought that there should be a corresponding return because he forced a troublesome thing on them.

So, contrary to his position, Lute spent his time extremely freely. In the beginning, he spent his days at the State Guest House, a corner of the royal castle. In the second half he was given a mansion on a prime plot near the royal castle and a large number of servants, and he moved to a new place of residence with Heinrich.

He was given a fortune and a mansion befitting his rank as a grand duke, and was taken care of by top-class servants who had worked at the royal castle. He is treated as if he were a prisoner of war. It is a luxurious life that is incomparable to his days in the Kingdom of Land, where he was despised for his incompetence.

“It’s still the same uselessly long hallway. ……”

……However, he does not seem to be accustomed to the “luxury”.

After leaving his bedroom, Lute walked down the corridor with a very cumbersome gait. The servant, sensing that Lute had left the room, immediately approached him, but he stopped him with one hand and told him that he would eat outside, so there was no need to prepare food, and then walked away quickly.

Yes. No matter how luxurious his life may be, Lute has a very commoner’s way of thinking, so a considerable part of his life seems to be unmanageable. He feels uncomfortable having someone else do it for him, rather he preferred to do it all by himself. Lute also thinks that it would be better if the mansion was somewhat large, but even so, it is not necessary to have a scale that can accommodate more than 100 people. Because he can live comfortably in a room in an inn on the outskirts of town. Even the servants have no work to do, to the extent that they feel bad that they had to move all the way from the royal castle. Most of the servants are assigned to the upkeep and maintenance of the mansion.

In conclusion, although he understood that everything was necessary due to his position, Lute felt uncomfortable with that. Since everything was given almost free of charge, he doesn’t intend to ungratefully complain that he doesn’t like it. It was helpful. That’s why he’s restless.

As a matter of fact, the reason why Lute sleeps more than necessary and goes out rather frequently is because of such subtle uncomfortable feelings. He tries to be alone for various reasons. Of course, the majority of his reasons are because of his own hobbies.

“Oh, Lord… Excuse me. Your Excellency? Are you finally awake?”

As Lute was heading for the entrance for reasons unbecoming of the master of such a mansion, there was someone who approached him. It is Heinrich, who has officially become Lute’s vassal and has been given a room in the mansion.

“Yeah. I was reading until late yesterday. I was not exactly coasting, I was really sound asleep..…Besides that, why don’t you stop the “Your Excellency”? We’ll never get used to each other.”

“You’ll have to get used to it. Now that you’ve surrendered yourself to the empire, you’re no longer a ‘Your Highness’. Instead, you are the new Grand Duke, and therefore you are ‘Your Excellency’.”

“That’s right. I’m not sure I’d like that though. I still feel uncomfortable. ……”

Lute understands that he is in a position to be called “Your Excellency,” but after being called “Your Highness” for so long, it still feels strange. Especially since “Your Excellency” is an honorific title that is not likely to be derived from someone of his age.

“In that case, should I call you ‘master’ or ‘danna-sama’?”

“As I said before, master is more of a term used by servants. Danna-sama is off the mark to begin with. I’m not married, and the title of Grand Duke was given to me personally, not to a house. I’m not the head of the family, so it feels strange to call me Danna-sama.”

“I think you care too much, though. ……”

“I don’t deny that it’s part of my obsession and likes. That’s why it’s non-negotiable.”

“But you’ll have to give up.”

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“…Is that so…”

Lute shrugged his shoulders and stopped mentioning his name.

“Let’s change the subject. Heinrich, do you have any plans for today?”

“That’s right. As His Excellency is free, my work is inevitably small. There is no urgent work. Just some miscellaneous chores and training.”

“…Thanks for the extra sarcasm. Well, that’s fine. Then go out with me today. Occasionally, it’s fun  to change things up and wander around the city with your companions.”

“It’s sudden again……. But I am in awe. Let me accompany you.”

It was a rather unusual form of Lute’s whim, but Heinrich has a long-time relationship with him. He was stunned, but immediately returned his approval to Lute’s order, which showed a strange “familiarity” with him.

And so, the master and servant went to the gate of the mansion,

“──Hmm?”

“──Huh?”

He saw exactly one carriage stop in front of the gate.

Under normal circumstances, this is not a particularly strange sight. It is a common occurrence for aristocrats to have visitors. However, for Lute and his household, this was an extremely rare occurrence, especially for the first time since they came to the empire. After all, Lute was on vacation in the name of the emperor.

“I’m pretty sure there’s no chance the edict could be broken. So is it a special case?”

“In spite of that, I feel like the carriage has a low ‘class’…No, that’s an imperial carriage. I believe they were used by lower-ranking officers.”

“A junior officer. I’m at a bit of a loss to decide. Let’s just ask him what he wants.”

Since he could not imagine the reason for the carriage at all, Lute decided to ask him directly. Even though he was on his way out, it is not usual for Lute, as a grand duke, to directly ask about requirements. However, the combination of Lute’s character of not wanting to go through unnecessary trouble and his way of being a demigod in the empire allowed such an “abnormality”. In addition, he is also happy that he can disregard the unnecessary and troublesome mannerisms.

“You over there. What do you want with my mansion?”

“- Your Excellency, the Grand Duke! Why did you have to come all the way down here?!”

As a result of Lute’s lawlessness, the person in the carriage rolls out in a hurry. They probably never thought that a big shot with the Grand Duke’s title would push aside the gatekeeper and come out.

“Oh, Azure-dono? It’s been a long time.”

And what came out was someone known to Lute and Heinrich. It was Azure, with whom they had traveled together from the battlefield to the Empire.

“Hah! It’s been a long time, Your Excellency. It is a great honor to be remembered.”

“I don’t forget. It was a month ago at the most. Or rather, you’re awfully tight-knit, aren’t you? It’s a big difference from before, isn’t it?”

“Of course, you have the rank of Grand Duke, albeit unofficially. I think this reaction is natural.”

When Lute chuckles at Azure’s posture of utmost respect, Heinrich makes a perfectly natural remark.

Although he was a most important person, unlike a month ago when his position in the empire was ambiguous, Lute is now a genuinely important person in the empire. He is the highest-ranking Grand Duke among the nobility. Lute’s position was too different from Azure, who was just a child of a prestigious noble family, and a soldier who was only a low-ranking officer. If she were to respond in the same manner as she had in the past, she could have received a terrible reprimand from all quarters.

“… Hmm. It’s a pity, but it can’t be helped. So, Azure-dono. What are you doing here? Did you come here to renew old acquaintanceships?”

“Azure is fine, Your Excellency. And I am very sorry to inform you that I am visiting you today at the order of His Majesty the Emperor.”

“Really? Did something happen?”

As expected, Azure’s arrival was an order from the empire. It was unclear whether it was a problem or not, but there must have been some matter that Lute needed to confirm. Azure was sent out because she was in a good position to go on the errand because she was a reasonably trustworthy person among those who knew Lute and the others.

That’s why, while sympathizing with Azure on his own accord, “it’s tough being forced to do chores,” Lute again asked her what she wanted to do, to which she responded with the most respectful bow again.

“──Azure Milch Rembrandt. By order of His Majesty the Emperor, as of this day I have been assigned as secretary to His Excellency the Grand Duke of Lute Land. I have received from His Imperial Majesty a document containing the outcome of the war and a draft of our future plans. I would like to discuss the details with you at your residence, if that is all right.”

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