For Whom Do You Live?

The following morning, I woke up just before midday.

For someone like me, this was the usual time to open my eyes. Whenever I don’t have any formal appointments scheduled for the morning, I almost always roll out of bed around this hour.

“Good morning, Lord Vim.”

“Mm, morning.”

The moment I stepped out of my room, Misa was standing right there. Today, she was clad in her knight’s uniform again, with her sword buckled firmly to her waist. As her beautiful blonde hair swayed to the side, a soft, pleasant fragrance drifted through the air. Despite being a hardened knight, it reminded me that she was, after all, a young girl.

“Are you heading to the Royal Palace today?”

“Yeah. It seems His Majesty has something he explicitly wants to discuss with me.”

“Shall I escort you?”

“No, you should stay here and rest, Misa. You’ve only just arrived from the Empire, after all.”

The distance from the Empire to Leoria is quite significant. I calculated that she must have accumulated a massive amount of fatigue from the journey.

“Thank you very much for your kind consideration.”

“Don’t worry about it.”

After finishing my late breakfast, I prepared to leave the estate to make my way to the palace.

“Alright, I’m heading out. I should be back before evening.”

“Understood, my Lord. Please take care.”

With Aria seeing me off, I stepped out of the mansion.

After a short walk, I arrived at the grand gates of the Royal Palace.

“Thank you for your hard work, sir!!”

The knights stationed at the entrance snapped into a fierce, energetic salute. At this point, practically every single knight serving as a palace guard has memorized my face. Consequently, I can gain entry into the palace strictly on face recognition alone. Wait, is security really okay being this lax?

As I approached the main palace entrance, the heavy doors were promptly thrown open from within.

“We have been expecting you. Please, follow me.”

I walked through the palace interior, following directly behind the attendant. I couldn’t help but reflect on how spectacularly lavish the corridors were. I’ve finally grown accustomed to the grandeur, but a regular person would undoubtedly freeze with tension on their first visit.

“Please wait here for a brief moment.”

“Thank you.”

I was escorted into the usual reception room. A luxurious sofa and table sat squarely in the center of the room. I sank into the sofa and spent the next few minutes staring up at the ceiling, waiting for His Majesty to arrive.

A moment later, the doors to the reception room swung open once more.

“I am terribly sorry to have kept you waiting.”

“No, please don’t apologize.”

I began to push myself up from the sofa to greet him.

“No, stay seated. There is absolutely no need for formalities.”

Seeing my movement, the King raised a hand to gently wave me back down.

“Pardon me, then. Thank you.”

I settled back, sitting a bit more upright on the edge of the cushions.

“I apologize for always summoning you so suddenly,” His Majesty noted.

“Please don’t worry about it. It’s not as if I had any pressing business to attend to today anyway.”

With a nod, the King seated himself on the sofa directly opposite mine.

“By the way… did Misa manage to find her way to your estate?”

“Ah. So she truly was a direct recommendation from you, Your Majesty.”

The King offered a warm, knowing smile. “Yes. Misa happens to be the daughter of an old, dear friend of mine. When she approached me querying if I knew a man named Vim, I resolved to introduce her to you, knowing she is someone we can render absolute trust to.”

If His Majesty gave her his personal stamp of reliability, then Misa was undoubtedly trustworthy. Not that I had harbored any real doubts about her to begin with.

“Misa has formally moved into my estate. Furthermore, she has offered to actively assist me with my adventuring activities.”

“Is that so? That is magnificent news. Her raw combat ability is exceptional, so I am certain she will prove to be a magnificent asset to you.”

“Thank you very much.”

It’s true that someone who has served as a royal guard and holds an A-rank adventurer certification has a level of strength that is completely guaranteed.

“Now then… let us transition to the primary agenda for today,” the King spoke, his expression turning solemn. “We have uncovered concrete proof that Baron Marc has been systematically embezzling the support funds allocated for the orphanage. The young girl you took under your protection was undoubtedly caught in the fallout of his greed. I am deeply, truly sorry.”

The King quietly bowed his head before me.

“The ultimate responsibility for this failure lies squarely on my shoulders,” he murmured, keeping his head lowered.

“For starters, please lift your head, Your Majesty. The sovereign of a nation shouldn’t lower his head so easily.”

“Thank you, Vim.” Faced with my words, the King raised his gaze.

“So, what is the current status regarding the support funds for the orphanage?”

“Baron Marc will be forced to repay every single coin he embezzled, and we are slapping him with a massive additional fine for damages. Naturally, he is stripped of his noble title effective immediately.”

Losing his title was a perfectly fitting punishment for embezzlement. The fact that he was dodging a full prison sentence was likely an act of leniency on the King’s part.

“Well, I shall leave the judicial sentencing entirely to your discretion, Your Majesty. More importantly, who has been designated as the next official in charge of overseeing the orphanage funds?” As far as I was concerned, that boundary was a hundred times more pressing.

“For the time being, the Prime Minister and the Chancellor of the Exchequer will handle the administration directly. Once the dust settles completely, I intend to entrust the duty to Marquis Mehern.”

“I see. If it’s him, we can rest perfectly easy.”

Marquis Mehern was an exceptionally brilliant man who had previously served as the Prime Minister. He commanded immense, unwavering trust from both the crown and the general populace. Currently, he was supposed to be enjoying a peaceful retirement after stepping down from his official duties.

“Indeed,” the King smirked, a mischievous glint in his eye. “I intend to ensure that old man keeps working for quite a significant chunk of time yet.”

It appeared that even after formal retirement, the Marquis wouldn’t be allowed to live a life of absolute, carefree leisure. Still, with Marquis Mehern at the helm, I could declare with absolute certainty that another disaster like embezzlement would never occur.

“With this, I suppose we can finally see a faint glimmer of hope for resolving the kingdom’s orphan crisis.”

“Yes. Truly, Vim… you are a man who spends every waking moment calculating how to rescue someone else,” the King noted, his voice carrying a deeply profound tone.

“Throughout my life, I have always been rescued and sustained by the kindness of others. Therefore… I have an absolute obligation to live my life for the sake of someone else.”

“You truly are a remarkable man.” The King reached out, giving my shoulder a firm, encouraging pat. “I continue to hold the highest expectations for your future.”

“I shall exert every ounce of my strength to ensure I meet your expectations, Your Majesty. Now, if you will excuse me, I shall take my leave.”

With a polite bow, I turned on my heel and stepped out of the palace reception room.