"Thank you. Well then, that's it from us. Oh, right, Father has asked me to inform that you are invited to join us for dinner tonight."

"Just like yesterday, huh? Certainly, please tell him that I will be there."

"I will."

With a bow, both Prince Arc and I left the room.

"I'm on good terms with my father. I'm sure we'll get to talk about many wonderful things."

Do you hold this country's king in such high regard? What a carefree life you live. It makes me very furious!

"Kururi, I hope you're not too exhausted. The next place we'll go to will be today's climax! It is a place I've been desperately trying to hide from Rahsa and the rest. If he were to find out about it, he'd surely want to come along with us."

So that means it's a really dangerous place, doesn't it!?

"Don't worry, I'll go with you."

He noticed my uneasiness and gave me such a cool phrase. Let's concede that my opinion of him went up just a little bit.

"This is the Dartanel house. To continue from here would be a cause of offense, but it is important that we proceed for the time being.

"Oh, the n.o.ble who wanted to become lord of the Helan territories."

"That's right. The Dartanels are good at making a profit, but they are also stupid."

"Are they now? Well then, are we also going to the Gap Company?"

"That won't be a problem. We already have permission from Toto Gap. He was delighted to, should you become a lord, be able to devote himself to the development of medicinal herbs. He's a good friend."

"Totally."

If he hadn't handed over those medicinal herbs back then, Rahsa might have killed him on the spot.

"The Dartanel are shady people. Tread carefully."

To think that we came here alone despite that… Oh well. I don't dislike a little dispute.

Guided by the prince, I arrived at the front of a large mansion in the n.o.ble district.

Even when looking at the nearby buildings, this house truly does stand out. I wonder if it wouldn't be too expensive to have two gatekeepers.

"Tell that Fregen guy that his beloved Arc Kudan and Kururi Helan have arrived."

With a fearless smile, Prince Arc said that to the gatekeepers.

Reacting with a twitch to hearing the full name of a member of the royalty, one of the gatekeepers stood frozen on the spot, while the other one rushed into the mansion.

He promptly returned, out of breath, and opened the gates.

"Master is waiting for you inside."

As opposed to my somewhat nervous pace, the prince walks into the mansion with roaring confidence.

I could imagine the interior of the mansion judging from how it looked on the outside, but it was a very synthetic building. Everything being so beautifully clean was sure proof of the servants' great efforts.

Apart from that, what worried me the most was that everywhere I looked, everything was studded with gold. Even the window frames. As well as the doork.n.o.bs. And to top it off, in a portrait of what I presume to be this house's master, some of his teeth were painted with gold!

There's so much gold in here, that it hurts my eyes.

"What a horrible taste, don't you think?"

"Truly."

I wonder how much more gold are we going to see before we reach the room we're supposed to go to?

In that room, there was a long table. At the rear of the room, a single man was sitting there, with his feet on the table. What manners! That was a bad first impression.

"Prince Arc. We've known each other for a long time, and yet it appears that you're trying to make fun of me."

The man quickly broke the ice. I could only catch a quick glimpse, but it seemed to me that his front teeth were golden. So the portrait back then was not just for looks, it was a true depiction of him?

"You say Kururi Helan has come here? Didn't he die three years ago?"

"Fregen, is your eyesight all right?"

Answering Fregen's question, Prince Arc pointed at me with his thumb.

Fregen's eyes turned to me for a moment.

And, because he could not simply believe those words, he dashed at us from his seat at the rear of the room.

"I… I don't believe this! Why are you alive!?"

It seems he can't completely believe that I'm alive. But his face is turning pale as if he had just seen the Devil himself.

"Owwwww! My stomach hurts!"

"Since he's sustained various injuries from you, just looking at your face seems to give him a stomachache."

Really? What's with that? What did I do?

"Don't make fun of me! Why in the world did you come here? Yeeoooow!"

"This is the sword of the lord of the Helan territories. You wanted to become the lord of those lands yourself, but since a clear favorite has appeared, that's now a thing of  the past. This has already been decided at a parliamentary meeting with the king."

"Nonsense! This guy has to be dead! Is he an imposter? Is this some sort of clever ruse? Impossible! Owwwwww, my stomach!"

Looks like a dreadful stomachache. Sorry about that.

"I've brought a letter with me. It details your absolute disinterest in the Helan territories henceforth. Sign it."

Prince Arc shoved a doc.u.ment that resembled the one he had handed over to Toral Helan earlier into Fragen's hands. However, the mood here was not one in which you could get a quick signature like before.

"Sign it? I will do no such thing! I will not yield! Owwww!"

Contrary to the strength of his words, since he immediately held his stomach in pain,  he looked terribly deplorable.

"Well, in that case, we will stay in this mansion until you sign it. Is that all right, Kururi?"

"Of course. Will you tell me when is dinner served?"

Prince Arc and I dropped ourselves on the chairs that were already set by the table.

It is annoyingly golden, but there is a sense of cleanliness to this house. I could stick around for days.

"Get out! Get out! Hey, go away! M… my stomach!"

"We're not going anywhere!"

"What is the menu for today?"

"Aaaaaaahhhhhh!!!"

Thus, the strategy Prince Arc and I used of staying there was a complete success, and we were able to safely secure the needed signature. Fragen's stomachache also seems to have receded as soon as I left the room, so I'm glad it turned out happily for everyone.

And with that, although a bit forcefully, I was officially ready to become the successor to the lord of the Helan territories.

Well, it's not as if I could stay living a laid-back life forever, after all.

The time has come for me to return to the Helan territories.