Rod’s Scheme

Invited by Rod, Arthur sat facing him in the courtyard they had once used before. At his side, as always, waited Maid Number Fifteen.

“What’s this about, Rod-niisan?”

“You’ve been getting carried away lately, so I thought I’d give you some advice… Also, didn’t I tell you to call me Rod-niisama?”

“Ah, that’s right. Rod-niisama. Thank you for always worrying about me.”

“Wha…”

Arthur smiled brightly at his brother’s pompous words, but for some reason, Rod’s expression stiffened. Yes, Arthur genuinely thought his brother was concerned for him, not realizing the sarcasm.

A sad misunderstanding between brothers.

Meanwhile, as always, the expressionless Maid Number Fifteen poured tea for Rod and Arthur with graceful movements, no less refined than Marianne’s.

“Lord Rod, Lord Arthur, here you are.”

“Ah, thank you. Uh, you are…?”

Arthur gave thanks, then realized he didn’t know her name. Now, Arthur understood that maids were also people, and that calling them by name made them happy. He also knew that showing them kindness delayed his execution.

With a mix of point-scoring and genuine kindness, he asked.

“I am… Maid Number Fifteen.”

“No, not that… I mean your real name. Or is ‘Maid’ your first name and ‘Number Fifteen’ your surname? Amazing name if so.”

Arthur wondered if she had relatives named Fourteen or something. Indeed, he still lacked common sense.

“…Fufufu, Lord Arthur, you are amusing. That is merely a nickname Lord Rod gave me.”

“Ugh… Rod-niisama, I think you should study naming sense a bit more. Want me to come up with something better?”

“As if you’d actually think about it!! Commoners don’t need names!!”

Rod shouted, face red, at Arthur’s slightly awkward expression. Then, after a sip of tea to calm himself, he got to the point.

“More importantly, it seems you’ve gotten quite close with the Saintess, Arthur!!”

“Close… with her…?”

Arthur groaned in protest at Rod’s nonsensical claim. Of course he did—he only saw Elaine as a rival competing over who was the better healer. If anything, he felt hostility.

“That’s a misunderstanding. I’m not close to Elaine at all.”

“Hahaha, of course!! As if the Saintess would bother with the likes of you.”

“However, according to this report, it says that Lord Arthur and Lady Elaine hit it off at the gathering and even went together to heal a frontier village…”

As Arthur denied it, Rod laughed happily, but Maid Number Fifteen interrupted while reading from a paper in her hand. It was probably one of the reports stored in Avalon about Arthur’s expedition.

“There it says the two of you worked together to heal villagers and deepened your friendship…”

“Ah, well, that much is true…”

“What…? A joint effort…?”

Arthur didn’t remember deepening any friendship, but he did recall healing villagers alongside Elaine. That woman—when he started healing, she had jumped in not to lose, and in the end, both received the credit.

“And on that night’s banquet, Lady Saintess personally seasoned Lord Arthur’s dish, did she not…?”

“Ah, yes, that happened… She used spices she had brought from the Elf village…”

“What… You ate food cooked by the Saintess herself…? And even tasted her homeland’s flavor…?”

Arthur grimaced as he remembered being served something unbearably spicy. He had genuinely thought he might die, feeling pain for the first time since his past life.

That woman really had broken taste buds…

“And the final point: when Lady Saintess went to subjugate a Cockatrice, Lord Arthur worried for her, rushed to help, and together you defeated it. Overcome with emotion, the two of you embraced. They say Lady Saintess looked just like a maiden in love…”

“Well, that’s…”

“You went to another country to woo the Saintess!? Damn it!!”

Arthur tried to explain that he had only gone because he heard the boss monster was tasty and Elaine didn’t matter at all, but before he could, Rod shouted in anger, nearly in tears.

It was understandable. To him, it was like hearing endlessly that the woman he loved at first sight had been wooed and flirted with by his own brother.

And indeed, the report was suspiciously written. The author’s name: Tristan. Human accounts were always subjective.

“Hmph, fine. The Saintess will attend the upcoming party. All I need is to show her my good side. Arthur, eat this. Maid Number Fifteen, bring it!!”

“Yes, Lord Rod.”

What she brought out was a round-shaped bread. Using tongs, she placed it on Arthur’s plate. Rod smirked and ordered him to eat.

“What is this…?”

Feeling lucky to get a snack after a boring meeting, Arthur brought it to his mouth—then opened his eyes wide.

A sweet, fragrant aroma tickled his nose. Excitedly, he took a bite: crispy outside, fluffy inside, and a rich flavor spread across his tongue.

“Even without jam or butter, this bread tastes amazing!!”

“Fuhahaha! This is the ‘Golden Wheat’ developed by the nobles of my faction!! Its flavor is unparalleled. Why, it’s so delicious even monsters are drawn to it, so knights had to guard the fields! It’s well-received by royalty of other nations. Women are weak to tasty things. Even the Saintess will surely take notice of me after eating this!!”

Rod laughed proudly at Arthur’s reaction. It was no wonder Maid Number Fifteen chuckled softly, looking at him as if he were endearing.

Yes, this was the same kind of tactic Arthur had used when sending maids to the orphanage. After all, Rod was still his brother.

He had some education, but he was still “Head-Empty Arthur.”

“But how are you going to make the Saintess eat this? Invite her to a party?”

“You really are a fool!! That’s what the Founding Festival is for. As my presentation this year, I’ll serve a cake made from this ‘Golden Wheat.’ That will capture the Saintess’s heart!!”

“At the Founding Festival… you’ll serve it…”

Rod’s words sent a shock through Arthur’s mind. Yes. They could present anything. In that case, he should seize the opportunity.

“That’s it!! Thanks as always, Rod-niisama!!”

Overcome with his sudden idea, Arthur leapt to his feet—of course, after finishing every crumb of bread.

“What’s with him…? Well, never mind. More importantly, with this plan, the Saintess is bound to notice me, right? Maid Number Fifteen?”

“Eh… Y-Yes, that’s true, Lord Rod.”

Maid Number Fifteen answered hesitantly, as if wanting to say more, but Rod wasn’t listening. He was only convinced of his own victory.