To The Mines

Inside the carriage, Arthur was recalling the contents of the Good Deeds Notebook. Since Mordred’s visit, two new entries had appeared in the glowing notebook.

That one made sense. In his previous life, the dwarves had joined the revolutionary army, which likely meant the royal family had trampled on their wishes. Arthur didn’t know how Mordred was involved, but if he could resolve their discontent ahead of time, maybe it would delay his execution flag.

Farewell, guillotine!!

The bigger problem was the second line, written in ominous red letters:

When he saw that, Arthur had only one thought:

‘Wait, what!? That’s my identity! It’s what I’m good at!’

But since the Good Deeds Notebook was explicitly warning him, healing this person would likely lead directly to a death flag. Whatever the reason, he had to avoid it.

And then there was another issue.

“Lord Arthur, are you feeling alright? Would you like some tea?”

“No, I’m fine…”

“I see…”

Marianne looked visibly disappointed.

Five minutes later…

“Lord Arthur, you seem a bit tense. Would you like a shoulder massage?”

“No, I’m really fine…”

“I… see…”

Every time Arthur declined, Marianne sitting beside him in the carriage would droop slightly. Originally, his personal maid Kei was supposed to be with him, but she had fallen ill.

She had stubbornly insisted on coming, but Arthur prioritized her health. So this time, he was traveling with Marianne, and with Bedie and Ys who had shown interest in Dwarven craftsmanship, along with a team of knight escorts.

“So then, Lord Arthur, how much do you know about the mining town of Dolf?”

“Well… all I really know is that it’s famous for the mithril and other ores the Dwarves mine and turn into intricate jewelry… I’ve heard it’s quite expensive. I own a few pieces myself.”

Dwarven crafts were often so coveted that some people would spend their entire savings on them. But Arthur, lacking both general knowledge and artistic appreciation, only had a vague idea.

He did vaguely recall one of his noble lackeys boasting about it not long ago, but that was the extent of it.

It was only during the orphanage conversation that he thought, Maybe Kei would like this as a gift.

“But I know nothing about the lord of Dolf. You know them personally, right, Marianne?”

“Yes, of course. I’ve already informed the lord of your arrival, so please rest assured.”

As royalty, it wasn’t unusual for Arthur not to know local lords. Still, it didn’t excuse his lack of preparation when he was about to visit them. If Morgan were here, she’d definitely make a snide remark.

Despite Arthur’s lackluster attitude, Marianne beamed proudly. She was just happy to be helpful to him.

“Indeed, I thought you might say that… so I brought some materials with me.”

She pulled out an unusually large leather bag, and from within it emerged a stack of thick documents—like a dictionary.

Arthur couldn’t help but groan inwardly. Don’t tell me she plans to explain all of that…

“This land was developed a hundred years ago by a human known as ‘Furyugel the Frontier Knight,’ who, along with the Dwarves, defeated the monsters in the mines. For his achievements, he was granted lordship of the area. Thanks to this history, his descendants and the Dwarves have maintained excellent relations. My friend used to say they often had picnics and drinking parties together.”

At that point, Marianne’s expression turned a bit awkward.

“And… he is also aligned with Rod-sama’s faction.”

“So that’s why Morgan told me to go disguised and use a fake name.”

Yes—when Arthur had asked Morgan for help arranging transport, she’d made a very reluctant face. And understandably so.

It was well known at the castle that Arthur and Rod were in rival factions vying for the throne. If Arthur showed up at the estate of a noble aligned with another faction, it could easily ignite political tension. Only someone with an unavoidable reason—or an utter fool—would make such a visit.

“For the world you’re trying to build, this visit is necessary…”

Naturally, Arthur was the latter. But Morgan, whose opinion of Arthur was reaching godlike levels, hadn’t seen it that way. Seeing the determination in his eyes, she went to great lengths to make arrangements.

The price for her support was a fake name and disguise.

“But Brother Rod and I get along just fine. I bet if I just explained, he’d say ‘Sure, whatever.’ No need for a disguise, right?”

“Ufufu, Lord Arthur, you do have such a wonderful sense of humor.”

“…?”

Again, it bore repeating—everyone knew about the faction rivalry between Arthur and Rod. But Arthur’s utterly blank expression made Marianne second-guess herself.

‘Perhaps royal relationships are more complex than I thought… Best not to prod further.’

So she shifted to a topic Arthur might enjoy.

“Also, the Dwarves are famous for their fire-brandy and smoked meats. They’re said to be quite delicious.”

“Oho… smoked meat!!”

Unfamiliar food always excited Arthur. Ever since eating Gokuuma Bird in Jerusalem, he had developed a passion for B-grade gourmet.

He also thought, If it was good, he’d bring some back for Kei. As he imagined this, Marianne looked triumphant, smiling brightly.

“…So, is that all? You brought a lot of material with you.”

“Yes… I only made all these notes so I could answer your questions at any time. I may have gone a bit overboard, but I thought it might be unpleasant for you to sit through topics you’re not interested in.”

Marianne blushed shyly at Arthur’s words. He, on the other hand, furrowed his brow in confusion.

“You went that far even though you didn’t know if I’d ask…? Why?”

Arthur had a point. A maid’s job was to take care of his daily needs. Researching all of this wasn’t in her job description—nor was it expected.

“Well… because I want to be useful to you, Lord Arthur. When you healed my face back then, I was truly grateful. It gave me a reason to push myself—a reason that’s special to me.”

“Oh, back then…”

She was referring to the time Arthur healed her in order to earn Good Deed Points. He had done it solely for self-preservation, yet receiving genuine gratitude like this made him squirm.

Still, Arthur found… it wasn’t such a bad feeling.