Chapter 16: The Capital’s Bustle and a Haunted Mansion

“No way, the Third Princess actually…”

“I heard a civil war broke out in the neighboring country.”

“Rumors are rampant that the Second Prince and the next head of the Blue Magic Tower fell for a commoner.”

“Nonsense, how can that be true?”

Arpen, the first gate of the Arnel Empire’s capital.

The gate was teeming with people from all over the country, gathered to enter the capital.

As a noble, I could have pushed through the ranks and cut ahead of the people standing in front, but I didn’t want to attract unnecessary attention and decided to wait patiently.

“Young Master? According to imperial law, those with noble titles have priority passage. No one can complain if you just go.”

“No.”

The captain of the gate guard, perhaps anxious about making a Count’s son wait, frequently came to recommend I use my priority, but I firmly refused.

It was a time-honored cliché for a cool protagonist to teach a lesson to someone who flaunted their noble authority to cut in line.

Having already suffered greatly, I didn’t want to repeat that mistake.

‘The chatter of the surrounding merchants is also useful.’

The guard captain nodded his head dejectedly with a gloomy expression.

“Understood. I will inform the guards, so please let us know if you need anything at any time.”

“Alright.”

After the guard captain left, Kani, who was being punished by holding her hands up, opened her mouth.

“Can’t we just use our rights?”

Kani whined, perhaps thinking the punishment would be lifted once we entered the capital.

I chuckled looking at Kani.

“You have to keep your hands up even when we enter the capital.”

“Heeing, my arms really hurt.”

“It’s a punishment, so of course it should hurt.”

“Hmph, mean Young Master. You’ll be punished later!”

“Is that something a maid should say to her master?”

A maid berating her master; it felt like the world was turning upside down.

The end of days, it’s the end of days.

---

After about two days of eating and sleeping in the carriage, our turn came.

The guard captain, who seemed to have been informed that my turn was approaching, appeared at just the right time and greeted us with a bright smile.

“Kani.”

“Yes, Young Master.”

“We haven’t exactly caused any trouble, have we?”

“We’ve been incredibly quiet.”

“Then why is the guard captain so happy to see me go?”

Kani looked at me with an expression that said, ‘You don’t even know that?’

“Isn’t it obviously because of bribes?”

“What.”

“The fact that merchants who slip him bribes get to enter first is already famous, isn’t it?”

“True.”

“But with a Count’s noble son waiting in line, do you think he’d dare take money from merchants and let them in before that noble?”

“Ah.”

It seemed I had unintentionally interfered with the guard captain’s side business.

Not that I felt particularly sorry.

The guard captain, beaming, came to the carriage with two of his soldiers.

“Young Master, you’ve truly suffered a lot. Please proceed right in.”

“Yes, thank you for your consideration during this time. Vice-Commander!”

“Yes, Young Master.”

“Let’s go in.”

“Yes.”

Having learned of the guard captain’s dark intentions, I instructed the Vice-Commander to depart, feeling somewhat displeased.

The guard captain, with a happy smile, repeatedly bowed to the departing carriage.

If he keeps living by taking bribes, he’ll surely get his comeuppance someday according to the law of poetic justice.

‘Well, he’ll manage on his own.’

I decided to stop worrying about the guard captain and observe the splendidly laid-out streets of the capital.

Unlike our territory, which was packed with single-story buildings, the capital had many multi-story buildings.

“Ooooh!”

Kani’s eyes sparkled as she looked around constantly at the sight of the capital, which she was seeing for the first time.

Knowing that Kani actually liked it when I hit her, I no longer hit her but instead poked her back.

“Gek.”

Kani let out a strange scream, as if her back was her weak spot.

“Stop acting like a country bumpkin.”

More than a few passersby chuckled at the sight of Kani with her sparkling eyes.

I felt embarrassed for her.

“But… we are country bumpkins…”

“…”

The Edgar territory, being the Empire’s largest breadbasket, was indeed mostly comprised of fields and paddies when looking around.

This time, I couldn’t really refute it, so I kept my mouth shut.

“Wow, Young Master, they’re selling cola over there!”

Oh!

Slightly annoyed at being unable to refute the “country bumpkin” remark, I stuck my head out of the carriage at the word “cola.”

“Cola~ Selling freshly made, cool cola with added lemon flavor from Karde Magic Tower! Only 30 silver!”

A merchant waved a cola bottle with a huge Karde Magic Tower emblem on it.

“What? A new flavor came out?”

“Just in time, I was starting to get tired of it.”

Crowds gathered around the merchant like clouds.

Although the price had been significantly lowered by slowly increasing the supply over several years, cola, despite still being a burdensome price for ordinary Imperial citizens, seemed to have successfully established itself in the capital.

Kani’s mouth dropped open as she watched the throng of people.

“Wow, Young Master, I can hear the sound of you getting rich all the way from here.”

I pinched Kani’s nose firmly.

“Bwark.”

“I’m already rich.”

“Ah…”

The Edgar family, blessed with bountiful harvests no matter what crops they planted, was already wealthy, but with the addition of my royalty income, it had become, in name and reality, the wealthiest family on the continent.

The number of marriage proposals pouring in, perhaps due to rumors of our wealth, was quite troublesome.

As I ran my hand through my hair, flaunting my wealth, Kani stared at me with disdainful eyes.

“But why is my salary still the same?”

“…”

Sorry, I’ll raise it.

---

Arnel Noble District.

“Woooow.”

Kani’s mouth gaped open as if it would tear upon arriving at the mansion where she would temporarily reside while attending the Academy.

At Kani’s exaggerated reaction, the head of the Karde Magic Tower’s capital branch, who had arranged for the mansion during my academy attendance, smiled proudly.

“Haha, this is a mansion our Magic Tower purchased with considerable effort. It was formerly used by the Predick Ducal family, which has since been ruined.”

“Wow, a ducal family’s mansion! Young Master, we’ve really made it big!”

“To be precise, it’s me who succeeded, not you.”

“How heartless.”

Ignoring Kani, I asked the branch head with a serious expression.

“Are there any bad rumors about this mansion? For example, about ghosts appearing.”

In this other world where even black mages openly existed, ghosts naturally existed as well.

Ghosts occasionally appeared even in ordinary homes and were reported in local newspapers, so what about a place that was a ruined ducal family’s mansion?

It was correct to assume that the possibility of ghosts being present was overwhelmingly higher than them being absent.

As if understanding my concern, the branch head showed me a document stamped with the seal of the Church.

“Hahaha, the seller commissioned the Church and received a safety inspection certificate. It’s a completely normal property with absolutely no problems!”

The representative natural enemy of ghosts is the clergy.

With the Church’s guarantee, it was certainly trustworthy.

Only then did I let go of my worries and extend my hand to the branch head.

“The Karde Magic Tower’s goodwill. I will gratefully accept it.”

The branch head, much older than me, bowed deeply and respectfully took my hand.

“Haha, considering how much money the Young Master has earned for our Magic Tower, this much is only natural.”

I had learned not to accept favors carelessly, but the Magic Tower and I were a community bound by money.

Accepting this much shouldn’t cause any trouble.

“Well then, I’ll go take a look inside.”

Leaving the branch head, who was bowing respectfully at a 90-degree angle, behind, I entered the mansion.

“Change the oil there, and let’s put some curtains on those windows over there.”

“Yes!”

Inside the mansion, the tomboyish Kani, who had rushed in first to claim the best room, had disappeared, replaced by Kani in Head Maid mode, skillfully directing the knights.

‘She certainly does well when she needs to.’

I approached to praise the hard-working Kani.

“Oh, Young Master, you’re here?”

“Yes, you’ve worked hard…”

“I’ve claimed the largest room in the mansion, so don’t go in there!”

“…”

“Ah, but if the Young Master really wants to sleep with cute me, I’ll let you come in at night!”

As soon as she saw my face, Kani’s competent Head Maid mode switched off, and her tomboy mode switched on.

A vein throbbed on my forehead, and I clenched my teeth unknowingly.

I didn’t know why Kani, smiling slyly, was so annoying.

This maid possessed an overwhelming talent for angering others.

Seeing the knights diligently going about their work, regardless of what Kani and I were doing, it seemed Kani was no longer needed.

I grabbed Kani’s ear and headed towards a room.

“Alright, let’s go to your room. You’re dead today.”

“Heek, it was a joke, a joke!”

Kani struggled, perhaps sensing that I wouldn’t let it slide as a joke this time.

No matter how weak my body was, I could still drag along one frail maid.

I found the largest room in the mansion and threw Kani onto the bed.

“Kyaaaak.”

Kani let out a cute scream.

Her cheeks reddened, perhaps fearing the punishment she was about to receive.

The moment I raised my hand of justice.

“Ahem.”

A strange voice came from the ceiling.

I froze with my hand raised at the unfamiliar voice, and Kani’s complexion turned pale.

“A gh-ghost?”

“Yes, it’s a ghost. You little brats.”

Not long after seeing a certificate stating there were no ghosts, a ghost appeared.

It seemed this mansion was indeed a problematic property.

And the Church had apparently issued a false certificate for money.

‘Those rotten scoundrels, after all the donations I made.’

From now on, until the day I die, I won’t donate a single penny to the Church.