Chapter 42 (1/2)

A Vassal of the Crown Prince and the Count

Kelara eh? I wanted her to serve me She would be different compared to my other subjects

”Kelara Helara If it is possible, I would like you to serve me After all, I was but the lord of a so I still have much to learn I do not knohat traditions I must observe as a Count It would not mean much if I alone were to be shamed, but I cannot allow my blunders to besmirch the Crown Prince”

It was better to inject at least some honesty with these kinds of requests There wasa servant who knew the old customs and traditions

”If you will have reat eye It would not do for me to handle future ceremonies in a careless fashi+on as I became more ie for me to be perceived as a country bumpkin who knear and war alone That would not help earn the trust of the royalty and nobility once I entered the capital

Barbaric generals have ruled the capital several tihout history, but they would eventually earn the ire of the nobility and neighboring lords due to their reckless insults to their traditions, and it ultimately led to their ruin

–I do not like her This woh I couldn't actually see his face

–She smells in the same way that Mitsuhide did He was also educated and very intelligent, but in the end, he chose the foreneral and betrayed me Of course, Mitsuhide was very old by then and was not a young woman

Oh? So she reminds you of someone who betrayed you?

–That would be an understatement Mitsuhide killed me at Honouji

Honouji? Was that the name of a place? Well, I did have the ia did as he pleased without restraint It was not surprising that people would eventually betray hily observe ancient traditions tend to be of a conservative variety Conservatives are not likely to see eye to eye with a revolutionary like you

I do understand that and will be cautious Someone who offers prayers to the te the dynasty has built and create anew

“Well then, Kelera I too shall offer you lands But I will not ask you to serve me and me alone Do not worry on that account”

”Thank you, my lord”

She thanked me very politely, but there was no smile there

But it was not unthinkable for one person to serve h, if she happened to be the Crown Prince's lover, then that could be troublesome

I should confirm the truth of it It would be foolish if the Crown Prince were to hatethat I would like to ask you Is it possible that the Crown Prince may misunderstand the situation if you were to serve under et close to you, if you and the Crown Prince have a deep relationshi+p”

”There is no need to worry on that account The Crown Prince would not lay hands on a dwarf The royal faive birth to any of their children It has been so forsuch a boorish question”

With that suspicion gone, things would carry on ht me whatever she could about manners and customs whenever I had the time

I did feel like I had the minimum required education up until now, but that was only within the bounds of as expected of a lord in the countryside

But Kelera had the highest level of learning possible at the royal capital beaten into her, and she had been with scholars even when in exile It was likely that she had enough knowledge to becoether were for when I had ti for the invasion

First, my arms would reach out toward the prefecture of Ikuto to the east

There were no great lords there Some of the smaller lords here paid their respects to Hasse, and I could use his authority to control them