15 – Huh?

“You really went through hell….”

“You as well, Master. Please wait a moment. I will prepare your bath….”

Dalpi and I, utterly spent, arrived back at the manor.

Surely, I hadn’t imagined my outing would stretch on this long.

That Etilla at the academy, she truly stole too much of my time.

‘Next time, I must cut it short appropriately…’

With that thought, I made my way back to my room.

“Master Esther…!!”

The youngest maid in the Tristy manor came running, pit-a-pat.

“May.”

I scooped May up into my arms in one swift motion.

My relationship with the staff was not a bad one.

They were the only ones to offer me genuine kindness, while my family – Haneil excluded – treated me as a useless waste of space.

Aunt Margarit had even secretly slipped me snacks before.

Uncle Magaro offered words of comfort whenever I was curled up in a corner, weeping.

Everyone shied away from being *my* personal maid because of Felix, who so enjoyed tormenting me.

I knew they held no malice.

Perhaps, without them, hmm.

My personality would be far more bleak now.

I may have gained the memories of my previous life, but these past fifteen years were uniquely and irrevocably my own.

“Master!”

“Hm?”

As an aside, this small, adorable May is Aunt Margarit’s daughter.

“In the reception room!! Uung… well, there’s a guest here to see Master!!”

Eh, a guest?

“What do they look like?”

“Uum… they’re very big, and a man, and wearing hard, white clothes!!”

Who on earth could that be?

Still, I showered the little maid with praise.

“Wow, our May is so clever. Thank you so much for telling me.”

I set the giggling May down and ruffled her hair with abandon.

“Master!!”

“Yes?”

“They said thank you for teaching Prince Felix a lesson!! And~ also~ they said they are glad the Prince is staying at the manor!!”

I gave a thumbs up, with a *click*.

After a quick greeting to May, I headed towards the drawing room.

I ran into Kennes in the hallway.

He glared at me with a deeply displeased expression before passing by.

‘Why’s he staring like that all of a sudden?’

I considered smacking him upside the head, but decided to hold back, too tired to bother.

A man was waiting for me in the drawing room.

“Ah, Prince Esther, you’ve arrived. I am Oscar Leonhardt.”

He was the commander of the Steel Lion Knights, the order I had previously assisted via correspondence.

*

“Ah, forgive my rudeness.”

As Esther’s gaze drifted towards the greatsword, Oscar carefully leaned it against the wall.

For a knight, their weapon was akin to a part of themselves.

Even more so for the Steel Lion Knights, guardians of the royal family.

For those valiant lions, there were few they needed to lower their heads to, save for the members of the royal family.

Therefore, it was Oscar’s habit to always carry his weapon on his person.

But this time, it was different.

‘Esther Tristi.’

He had appeared one day, suddenly, like some divine being.

A genius who had identified the Millennium Problem and provided crucial assistance in the retrieval of the Necronomicon.

As someone who had received his help, it was simply proper etiquette to show him respect.

“I wanted to meet you, Prince, which is why I came. I apologize for the sudden visit without prior notice.”

Esther gave a small nod.

“I see.”

To Oscar’s eyes, Esther was just a regular boy.

Esther was still quite young, yet to even celebrate his coming-of-age ceremony.

‘What was I doing at that age?’

Probably just endlessly practicing with my sword under my master’s tutelage.

Oscar watched Esther’s noble and graceful demeanor, quietly impressed.

Ester was a noble first, a prodigy second.

Had he mastered even the courtly graces at such a tender age? He was, seemingly, without flaw.

‘Truly remarkable.’

The deeds Ester had accomplished thus far were nothing short of astounding.

The story of a boy who, with only his own two hands, solved problems that had confounded countless mages was not easily found, not even in the annals of history.

‘No wonder he has strained relations with his family.’

If one sibling possesses talent so overwhelming…

Human nature dictates that envy and jealousy are felt, rather than admiration.

Oscar completed his assessment of Ester Tristie and then spoke of his errand.

“While there are countless matters I would dearly wish to discuss with you, young master, time presses. Therefore, I shall proceed directly to the heart of the matter.”

He cleared his throat.

“I am here to deliver a message from His Royal Majesty. The Necronomicon represents a grave and potential threat to the Kingdom of Justina. Had this artifact fallen into the hands of the demonic races, an irreversible catastrophe would have befallen us. But Ester Tristie, in collaboration with the Steel Lion Knights and the mages of the Magic Tower, played a decisive role in the recovery of the Necronomicon.”

Oscar rose from his seat and approached Ester.

“Furthermore, you have illuminated the Millennium Problem, thereby contributing to the advancement of the Kingdom’s magical arts. Therefore, the Royal Family bestows upon Ester Tristie the Royal Justina Third Class Medal of Merit, the title of Baronet, and one million credits.”

Ester received the Royal Family’s reward.

“Congratulations, Lord Ester.”

Though the title of Baronet was merely an honorary one, without an associated fiefdom.

Ester was unique in receiving such recognition from the Royal Family at the tender age of fifteen.

‘Perhaps the title of ‘Lord’ suits him more now than ‘Young Master’.’

Ester was no longer merely the rising star of the Tristie family.

He was now a capable subject of the Kingdom, recognized directly by the Royal Family.

He must be addressed with a title befitting his station.

“Thank you.”

Ester, unexpectedly, remained silent.

He gazed at the Royal Medal, his expression unreadable.

The bestowal of a title was by no means a common occurrence.

It was a moment of glory that even adults, far older than the boy, might never experience in their lifetime.

“There is no need to maintain such formality in my presence. You are permitted to be somewhat more joyous. It is, after all, a moment of great honor. His Majesty even conveyed his desire to meet Lord Ester personally. The Princes and Princesses also…”

“……”

Ester quietly nodded his head.

Oscar sighed, a sound escaping his lips.

“Perhaps Sir Esther finds the reward…unsatisfactory?”

The youth shook his head.

“I consider it a great honor to receive such a generous reward from His Majesty.”

“…”

Oscar prided himself on his ability to read people.

Before a knight’s keen senses, falsehoods never took root.

But in Esther, there seemed to be no joy, no thrill.

“If the reward does not match the magnitude of your deed, I could petition the Royal Court to reconsider—”

“It’s quite alright.”

Oscar waved a hand.

“No, truly. At least let me offer you my share, Sir Esther—”

“It is truly quite alright.”

That last pronouncement held the ring of sincerity.

Without Esther, the Order would have been forced to retreat from the Mire of Lions.

And if that had happened, the Necronomicon might have fallen into the hands of the demonic legions.

The Kingdom of Justina and the demonic hordes were locked in an ongoing war.

Much blood had already been spilled.

And much more, the blood of countless men and the tears of women, would flow like rivers.

If that terrible grimoire had fallen into their grasp…

The landscapes that would unfold were too horrifying even to imagine.

“Sir Esther, what you achieved was not merely the interpretation of a warding sigil. It was the salvation of countless souls. I would much rather relinquish my share to you.”

Esther sighed softly.

“Honor and coin hold little value for me.”

“…”

“The values I hold dear are of a different nature. I apologize if I have failed to provide the reaction you anticipated.”

Oscar, flustered, waved his hands dismissively.

“Ah, no, not at all. I did not mean to imply…I apologize if I have caused any offense.”

Esther simply offered a perfunctory nod.

“I will accept the King’s reward with gratitude.”

“Yes…”

Oscar rose from his seat.

He took his greatsword and, before leaving, glanced at Esther’s rigidly set face.

He couldn’t read her thoughts at all.

‘A lad impossible to truly fathom, in many ways…’

He didn’t desire honor or riches.

‘He holds a different value as important…’

Geniuses were, by nature, all like that, though.

In Esther’s case, it felt even more enigmatic.

*

I clutched my head in the drawing room.

The million credits placed on the table gifted me joy, certainly.

‘Damn. Is this really such an incredible feat?’

The story I’d just heard and the medal adorning my shoulder spun my head.

Honor and titles were unnecessary for me.

My dream was simply to be a rich layabout.

I had plans to live quietly within the family after successfully passing the family head exam.

‘Does the King really want to see me?’

If, indeed, the highest King of this nation wishes an audience.

There’s simply no way to refuse such a request.

I wished it were just mere curiosity, but…

I’ve inadvertently solved some rather tremendous problems.

Generally, those at the top, be it in a company or a country, favor capable subordinates.

Because they can be trusted to handle troublesome and difficult tasks.

My imagination is rather fertile, I confess.

And so, I couldn’t help but imagine a dreadful future.

‘Solve these quandaries.’

‘Pardon?’

‘Fail to solve them, and you’ll die.’

The phrase you should absolutely *never* say in a small to medium-sized company is, “Oh, I know how to do that.”

From my past life spent toiling at a black company, perhaps, a future of endless labor, tormented by work, flickered ominously in my mind’s eye.

Nob AI was talented.

Enough to captivate the Archmage, to make knights swoon, even draw the King’s attention.

“Thank you so much!!”

It seemed I needed to keep a low profile from now on.

Lest I end up like Professor Aria, cornered after quitting time, forced into overtime.

A dark premonition settled upon me.

Anyway.

I finished the bath Dalpi had prepared in one go, and retreated to my room, falling asleep immediately.

And.

The next morning.

“The Head of the House summons the young master.”

Porto was calling for me.

Along with my siblings, that is.