Chapter 59

During dinner, Cerulia and Mary showered me with praise.

“Master, you are truly a man among men. To be able to refuse so resolutely in that situation…”

“Perhaps it was that quality of yours that made me feel you were so much like my big brother,” Mary added, acting cool on the surface while Cerulia beamed.

I was happy, of course, but at the same time, I felt a bit of a prickling conscience.

“I didn’t do anything that grand. I had the power to choose, so I simply said no.”

“Even so, an ordinary person might have been blinded by the money. I mean, look at that Incubus who tried to marry me just to get his hands on my assets!”

Ah, right… that guy. He was willing to marry Cerulia even though she was outside his “strike zone”… Though, even if she wasn’t his “type,” Cerulia is such a beautiful girl that it feels like he was cheating a bit. If he were truly committed to money, I’d expect him to have the grit to marry a literal lump of sludge for the right price.

Cerulia’s stew was delicious, but today, I couldn’t bring myself to enjoy it wholeheartedly. My homework wasn’t finished yet.

“It’s not like I’m hurting for money… my salary is decent enough. If I were in a job making only eleven silver coins a year, I might have hesitated more…”

In the end, this was a decision made by someone with a stable life. It wasn’t something worth such high praise. Being stable just means having more options to choose from.

“Even so, choosing to protect the Marsh Trolls is a noble thing. There are plenty of wealthy people who would have abandoned them in a heartbeat!”

“Besides,” I continued, “I still have lingering regrets.”

I pulled a specific sheet from the documents the merchant had left behind. It was the results of the resident survey.

“Out of twenty-one people, seventeen were in favor. In other words, the desire of the people living in Fantland is for that commercial facility to be built. I chose to trample over the will of the residents.”

Cerulia seemed unsure how to respond, and a brief silence followed. Yes, the answer wasn’t that simple. As long as I am the Lord, the problem persists.

“There’s no law saying a Lord has to listen to everything the residents say,” Mary followed up with a mature tone.

“True. But I believe a Lord should also consider the happiness of the residents. I intend to search a bit more to see if I can find a middle ground.”

Being a Baron is much harder than I imagined. If I’d known, I shouldn’t have accepted it—though the reality is it was thrust upon me… Still, I have no intention of running away yet.

Mary let out a long sigh. “Franz, you’re too much of a ‘good person.’ It would be so much easier if you just compartmentalized and acted like a villain somewhere… You’re such a fool. But I guess that’s why I like you.”

I wasn’t sure if she was insulting me or flirting. I decided to take it as the latter.

“It’s incredibly difficult to make everyone happy, yet you dare to try and realize it. I think that’s your weakness and your strength all at once.”

“Stop making statements that sound like both…”

Finally, Mary’s expression softened into a smile that suited her (apparent) age.

“I’m praising you. Most people would throw in the towel, but you don’t. Only those who can do that become truly great. You might really, truly become a great Dark Mage in the future.”

“I appreciate the flattery, but it’s not like I’m doing grueling training every day…”

I took her words with a grain of salt.

“It’s because people who settle for ‘good enough’ only ever become ‘good enough’ Dark Mages. The ones who master their path are almost always stubborn and honest to a fault. That’s the market rate.”

Cerulia nodded deeply in agreement and poured more tea for Mary and me.

Incidentally, it was Demon Realm tea she had bought when she returned home during the marriage meeting ordeal.

“I understand Mary-san’s words perfectly! That’s it exactly! Master, you are unshakeable!”

Unshakeable, huh?

Then my path is to find a way to make the residents happy as well. To do that, I have no choice but to start by listening to their needs. If there’s something that can be substituted, I just have to think of the alternative.

“Do what you can,” Mary said. “I’ll support you. Even if every human nation turns against you, I’ll keep destroying them for your sake.”

That actually sounds like she’d destroy everything, which is terrifying…

From that day on, I began researching Fantland. I found the materials in the company’s basement.

“Let me know when you’re finished,” the President said.

When I told her I wanted to research something related to local specialties, she showed me the company’s underground archives. Apparently, it used to be a castle’s storage facility, designed for long-term sieges.

Countless books lined the underground corridor. At a glance, there were plenty of non-Dark Magic books as well.

“I didn’t know a place like this existed! This helps a lot.”

“Also, I strictly close it at 8:00 PM. Please return the key to me by then. And make sure you go home, relax, and spend time with your family. This is a mandatory requirement! No becoming a bookworm until midnight!”

The President warned me, wagging her index finger. I definitely have to follow that…

“Understood! By the way… does that mean you can’t go home until I return the key, President?”

I felt a bit guilty about the building’s locking situation.

“Oh, no need to worry about that. I live here! ♪”

“Eh…?”

At the end of the corridor where the archives were, there was a sliding door with a plate hanging on it:

< Kelkel - Living Room >

So the basement was also the President’s private space…

There were other plates too: < Kelkel - Bath >, < Kelkel - Toilet >.

“Well then, I’ll be taking a bath while you do your research, Franz-san. But no peeking, okay?”

“I-I won’t…!”

It felt like a “setup” line, but obviously, peeking would be a terrible idea.