Hall Of Exchange (7)

In fact, the winter season should normally mean that there is nothing to do.

That was the picture I had of the domain. Yet, the domain that should have been like that was experiencing a massive boom.

“You there! Move your carriage!!”

“You mean this inn is full, too? Where are we supposed to go in this dead of winter!!”

“They’re diligently building more inns even now, so let’s just wait a bit.”

A flood of countless mercenaries and merchants poured in, and I was spending my days in what truly felt like a frantic, busy life.

This was the morning marking the seventh day of the Demon God’s Month.

“Ha. I’m going to collapse at this rate, aren’t I?”

I had already taken five Magic Power Restoratives and was heavily drinking liquor as well. I had reached a state where I could be called a heavy drinker with no reservations.

But this damn liquor was the problem.

‘These noble bastards… why don’t they just stick to drinking wine…’

My head was pounding due to the enormous procession led by the Princess. The Princess, having confirmed with her own eyes that she could now come to the Ingrad Domain without needing to use a Teleport Scroll, moved to the domain of a nearby Border Count and led a large merchant procession from there to visit my domain.

Moreover, the master of that domain, a gentleman named Master Brinne de Ishtain, had also accompanied the procession.

They might be enjoying themselves, laughing and joking while being entertained at the Lord’s Official Residence, but I was busy building inns due to the ceaseless influx of merchants and mercenaries.

Just then, Aenia and Beni, who had followed me as attendants, looked at me with concern and asked,

“You seem to be getting thinner and thinner, but why is that?”

“That’s right. We are clearly being careful and strictly controlling your diet with both meat and vegetables…”

Their expressions showed great worry, but I thought it would be good if I knew the answer myself. My reflection, showing only skin and bone whenever I bathed recently, felt unfamiliar.

Even when I tried to find the cause using Pharmacy, I couldn’t accurately determine the source. The only possible culprits were the liquor and the Magic Power Restorative I was currently consuming.

‘I recall there were supposed to be side effects…’

The maximum daily dosage for the Magic Power Restorative was limited to five pills. However, there were quite a few times I exceeded this dosage, and recently, I had an exceptionally high need to use magic power, so I took everything rumored to be good for magic power recovery.

Furthermore, the frequency of running into Hare, who was knowledgeable about magic power, had significantly decreased recently, leaving me no chance to ask questions.

I was frustrated in many ways. Was I going to die from overwork and be reincarnated in a completely different world?

A chuckle escaped me at the thought, but perhaps my laughter was too bizarre?

The two women’s worries only deepened.

“Don’t worry! Once these busy matters are over, I plan to rest and take care of my body.”

“That’s a lie. My Lord, you always say you’ll rest, but then you work!”

“I think seeing the Lord recently proves that work addiction actually exists. Are you not working more than a slave?”

Upon reflection, the correct answer was ‘Yes.’

In reality, I was the only person here who could quickly construct buildings and resolve various civil complaints with such speed. That was why I couldn’t help but be even busier. I thought that if I admitted I was working this hard just to comfort myself with how well the money was rolling in, the two women would try to confine me somehow.

“How about telling them to simply set up tents instead?”

“In this cold weather?”

“They don’t really feel the cold like the Lord does.”

Aenia commented that I felt the cold more because I was the only one so scrawny. Recently, even Beni and Allena would immediately worry if I tried to do anything.

Because of this, the frequency of sexual relations had sharply decreased. I was keenly realizing these days that this was also one of the factors diminishing my quality of life.

“I just need to finish up this area, and besides, I took the medicine a little while ago, so I should use the recovered magic power, shouldn’t I?”

“….Seriously, my Lord… can’t you please cherish your own body?”

Those were Aenia’s words, filled with concern, but I believed I was taking care of myself in my own way, and I began to raise the building through Construction.

One pill of Magic Power Restorative allowed me to construct a total of six inn buildings, which amounted to about 30 rooms in total. I could raise quite a large building. However, after raising five buildings, perhaps my recovery today was slightly insufficient?

I felt quite exhausted, so I said that was enough for today and was heading toward the Lord’s Official Residence when it happened.

The world spun, and everything went black.

‘Ah, I’m going to be confined, aren’t I?’

That was the thought that came to me in that instant.

When I opened my eyes, I was in my comfortable bed. As I tried to sit up, Beni, who was beside me, grabbed my upper body and urgently said,

“S-sniff, I was so worried! See, I told you not to overdo it! H-hic…”

Beni was sobbing, tears streaming down her face. Behind her were Aenia and a few other maids, and a couple of unexpected faces.

There were Princess Riana, whose eyes looked swollen (though not as much as Beni’s), and Count Brinne, who was looking at the situation strangely.

Count Brinne seemed to have silver hair all over her body, even her fur?

She was a woman with a unique atmosphere and pale skin. Her facial features themselves were cute, but the cold feeling given by her skin and fur color made her look somewhat alien.

Was she old, though?

No, she wasn’t. I heard that she had merged her domain with that of the Marquis Doriyan and gone to aid a war in some kingdom. When the tide turned, they reluctantly let only the Heroes, who were considered the future of humanity, escape. The rest died gloriously, and their succession was passed down to their heirs.

And I recalled hearing that Count Brinne was now about 22 years old.

“Why have you all traveled here for such a trivial matter?”

“Viscount, you still do not know how to take care of yourself.”

“I was taking care of myself sufficiently. This time, I simply overexerted myself a bit.”

“No. Your current appearance, Viscount… you are so thin that you could be said to be half the size you were when you were at the Imperial Palace. You must know this yourself… why do you overexert yourself to this extent?”

“….Overexertion? This is work I wanted to do. You know this, don’t you? I know my own illness better.”

“If so, what do you believe the symptoms you are experiencing right now are?”

Princess Riana spoke as if I had contracted a disease.

“Symptoms, you say?”

But at that moment, a woman entered the room holding something. It was Hare. She cut across between Princess Riana and Count Brinne, approached me, and sighed as she spoke.

“I knew you were working hard for us, My Lord, but I couldn’t pretend not to notice anymore. I apologize.”

I wondered what on earth she was talking about, but Hare put the pieces of the disconnected story together for me.

“Actually, I thought your symptoms of becoming so thin recently were strange, so I went to visit the Demon Dragon.”

As the Demon Dragon’s name was brought up, everyone focused on Hare.

“The Magic Power Restorative you take, I received some before, didn’t I?”

“That’s right. You took it when you thought you needed it, didn’t you?”

“I followed the precautions you gave me and did a few things, but one day, the Demon Dragon I encountered grew angry at me.”

“Angry?”

“Yes, he said that the potency of that medicine was too excessively strong, and that I should not take it frequently.”

“And so?”

“He said the maximum daily dosage is limited to two pills. He said that if the medicine was made from herbs with weak properties and was not a medicine produced through a special method, it could be taken according to the listed precautions, but the medicine I was taking was not like that. For your information, he also said it’s best not to take even two pills unless it’s an urgently needed, unavoidable situation.”

“….That was the case? But what is the problem?”

I didn’t quite understand what the problem was. Even though I had taken a lot so far, there hadn’t been a big burden.

“He said that taking too much would consume stamina as a side effect. And you could say that the stamina depletion is the result of the cause that is currently happening to the Viscount….”

“Ah… A…. Oh… Hmm…”

I tried to dismiss it as nothing serious, but I couldn’t help but flinch at the glares of the women looking at me. It was clear that everyone was worried about me. Except for one person: I couldn’t tell what Count Brinne was thinking, but for now, everyone else present was worried about me. Furthermore, I finally noticed the situation outside: a huge crowd was looking in through the window with worried expressions.

‘Why did they put me on the first floor, of all places… how embarrassing…’

I felt needlessly shy, grateful, and embarrassed that they were so worried and watching me, as if collapsing were something to be proud of.

“Perhaps this is a sight that lets you feel that you are loved by everyone, Viscount?”

Even Princess Riana didn’t hesitate to say something so embarrassing. In truth, I was happy. That they would worry so much because I had collapsed…

So, I gently pushed away Beni, who was holding me down, and sat up. I could definitely tell that the clothes I usually wore were extremely loose, and I realized that my previous assurance of knowing my own body best was all just foolish boasting.

“In the end, this means I have to stop taking the medicine until I recover, right?”

“No. It would be best if you didn’t take it in the future. Unless it’s a truly critical situation, I will use the Imperial Order to ‘illegalize’ that medicine so Viscount Ingrad cannot take it. If you still insist on taking it… I will search the entire forest to destroy the raw materials for that medicine.”

Princess Riana spoke with resolution. So, I hastily said,

“I will moderate it. I would appreciate it if you refrained from such actions!”

“….Hah. I hope you realize that your body is not just about your life alone. Do you know how shocked I was when I heard you collapsed?”

“….I am only sorry for causing you distress, Your Highness.”

In the end, Princess Riana left, her face showing satisfaction with my answer, telling me to rest. The remaining Beni, Hare, and a few maids in the room prevented me from moving, and I was forced to eat the strange porridge that Hare handed me.

“Ugh… what is this? It’s incredibly bitter.”

“It is a medicine the Demon Dragon informed me about. He said that if you do not take this and detoxify the addiction symptoms, you will not be able to overcome this situation.”

At Hare’s words, I dismissed all the surrounding maids, ignored the stubbornly remaining Beni, and asked Hare.

“Ms. Hare, I’m curious about one thing: what exactly is your relationship with the Demon Dragon?”

Hare, hearing my words, glanced at Beni, sighed at the sight of her still dripping tears, and opened her mouth.

“The Demon Dragon was a grateful person who taught me magic and changed my appearance so I could be sent to the human world to learn about the world’s knowledge. Although I was forcibly required to return every Demon God’s Month, thanks to him, I was able to learn many things in the human world, satisfy my desires, and enjoy happiness.”

“So, the Demon Dragon is your master, then…?”

“Although he strongly denies it, I consider him my master.”

So that was it… And I could now understand Hare’s outstanding magical skills. I had thought she was no ordinary Beastkin.

No, the moment she had two tails, she couldn’t be ordinary. But the fact that she had blended into the human world, learned the culture, and had various experiences made me see Hare in a new light.