111. Scent of Grass

111. Scent of Grass

“Haaah.”

Vidar von Lyra, the Grand Duke of the Northern Empire, sighed, resting his hand on his forehead. His robust, muscular body, which he had maintained until now, seemed to age rapidly in an instant.

“… I’ve lived a long life.”

Vidar stroked his mustache. The mustache, which he had roughly trimmed with his sword due to his busy schedule, had grown considerably and was now messy. Time had clearly passed.

He lifted his head and saw the familiar ceiling of his study. Unlike the simple structure of the room, the ceiling was decorated with quite intricate patterns. It was his wife’s taste.

Vidar closed his eyes. Deep darkness, where he couldn’t see an inch ahead, enveloped him.

The quiet sound of the wind from outside the window and the darkness covering his eyes felt like a comfortable cradle, and he didn’t want to open his eyes like this.

… Because as soon as he opened his eyes, he would have to face the mountain of documents piled up in front of him.

“… It never seems to decrease, no matter how much I do. You may go now.”

“Yes.”

Vidar opened his eyes and dismissed the maid who had brought the documents. His hand gestures, waving dismissively, lacked the vigor that his strong appearance suggested.

Sighing again, he picked up the first document.

“Is this Skadi’s expense report?”

Although Skadi herself didn’t know, the details of the money she spent were being directly delivered to her father through some method. And the content was always the same.

“Even though she’s my daughter, I don’t know if she’s a wolf beastman or a pig beastman.”

The exorbitant food expenses, which accounted for more than half of the expenditure graph, and various other insignificant miscellaneous expenses.

This time was no different. No matter what she was doing at the academy, she had ordered more than dozens of items from just one cafe. Vidar suspected if his daughter mistakenly knew the word ‘cafe’ as ‘restaurant,’ then sighed and put down the document.

It was because he didn’t have the confidence to explain the difference between a cafe and a restaurant to his eldest daughter.

“Next is… Freya.”

His second daughter, who had left only a letter and run away to the academy after starting to learn document work. Because of that, he had to bear the brunt of the document explosion, but that wasn’t the important point.

“This is an academy textbook, and this is… perfume…?”

The highest-performing beastman attraction pheromone perfume that seduces all tailed beings, “Tail Perfume” (Direct import from the Water Kingdom, pack of 12) × 1

Upon reading the exact contents of the invoice, Vidar had to sigh again.

It seemed none of his daughters were normal. At this point, he was worried if there was a problem with him as a parent.

“… Did Freya perhaps develop feelings for someone? I thought she wasn’t interested in the opposite sex since she only stuck to her sister all day.”

Vidar thought as he stroked his mustache.

If Freya developed feelings for a man, it would undoubtedly be a good thing. Marriage was a powerful political weapon, and even if not, it was the only way to continue the family line.

For Vidar, who was inwardly worried about his successor due to his daughters’ hopeless states-the brainless elder sister and the sister-obsessed younger one-this was truly welcome news.

“I can’t allow a marriage of love, though.”

However, an arranged marriage was possible. There were many proposals he had postponed answering in the past.

As Vidar mentally listed potential sons-in-law, he shook his head at the state of the piled-up documents and picked up the next one.

“Ha… Who’s the idiot this time….”

With its carelessly written script, missing title, date of creation, and approver fields, Vidar sighed for the umpteenth time at the document that did not adhere to the basic format for documents submitted to the Grand Duke.

“No, wait, this is….”

“To my beloved husband. Now that my body has recovered, please make our third child….”

Vidar hastily drew his sword and shredded his wife’s letter. The delicate and powerful sword strokes of a Sword Master annihilated the letter without leaving a trace.

He was already at his limit with just his two daughters.

Moreover, a premonition struck him that if he had another child, something would happen among the children. The unfounded feeling that the third child would also be a daughter was a bonus.

After calming his mind by looking at the vanished letter, Vidar put his sword away and picked up the next document.

“This is….”

——

An endless expanse of white snow. The Grand Duke’s mansion built upon it.

Except for the sound of the fierce blizzard, the mansion, which should have been quiet and serene, was now quite noisy.

“Ah, my old friend Vidar, how have you been?”

“You’re loud.”

“You’re still so cold-hearted!”

Standing before the Grand Duke was a middle-aged man with blond hair. Behind him were several ornate carriages lined up. The man, dressed in a similarly ornate red outfit and cloak, had the cold northern snow piling up on him.

It was because Vidar was blocking the entrance, preventing him from entering the mansion.

“What emperor comes within 30 minutes of being notified? Don’t you consider the nobles who need to prepare?”

“Rulers must sometimes make grand judgments. This is one of them.”

“If you weren’t the Emperor, I would have cut off your head for disrespect right now.”

“Alas, I am the brilliant sun of the Empire!”

The man chattered with exaggerated gestures. The snow was still piling up on him. Vidar opened his mouth.

“What is the purpose of your visit?”

“Does one need a purpose to visit an old friend? People are like the flowing wind; they can come and go anytime!”

“Your way of speaking is truly vulgar. It’s at a level where I can’t wield my sword because my hands and feet are crawling.”

“A way of speaking that slows down ‘that Vidar’s’ sword strikes, isn’t that truly magnificent!”

Vidar swung his sword lightly. The sword energy sliced through the man, but a golden aura flickered and blocked the strike. The man continued speaking without changing his expression.

“So, when will you let me in? My numerous subjects behind me are shivering in the cold.”

The man gestured to the procession of carriages lined up behind him. They had been standing still in the snowy landscape for thirty minutes already.

“Tsk, you only brought trained men anyway, yet you talk so much.”

Vidar headed into the mansion. The man and his retainers followed behind him. The man brushed off the snow piled on his body.

“This place is so unchanging. It’s no different from when you first had children. Where did you put the decorations I gifted you back then?”

“I burned them. They made excellent firewood.”

“It seems they lived up to their value as high-quality wood!”

“Annoying fellow.”

The two arrived at the reception room, dismissed the servants, and sat down. The Grand Duke and the Emperor, sitting as if facing each other, glared at each other. The Emperor spoke first.

“It’s been a long time, Vidar.”

“That’s not something someone who unilaterally cut off contact should say.”

“I was young then. I am still reflecting on it. That’s why I’ve come personally to apologize.”

“Is that your purpose?”

“Do you think so?”

Vidar frowned.

“Your way of speaking is like a three-inch snake’s tongue. You, who were afraid to approach even a grasshopper in the field, have become quite cunning. Or do you perhaps think that roundabout way of speaking is cool?”

“They say you still stand in the snow, stabbing your sword into the ground and acting cool. You’re just the same as you were back then.”

“Don’t change the subject. And that’s to catch monsters invading from underground. It’s what I have to do as a Grand Duke, not acting cool.”

“I, too, am doing what I must as Emperor.”

“If you don’t get to the point, I’ll kick you out immediately.”

“Very well.”

The Emperor adjusted his posture. As his wavering golden gaze sharpened, Vidar also focused on his voice.

“The Academy knows, right?”

“It’s impossible not to.”

“Then do you know about the recent incident at the Academy?”

Vidar narrowed his eyes. The most recent event he knew of was that his eldest daughter had cleaned out the academy cafe.

The Emperor took that as an answer and continued.

“My youngest daughter was attacked at the Academy. She almost died in a trap.”

Vidar tilted his head.

“What kind of madman attacks an Imperial Princess in the very center of the Empire?”

“I don’t know. We’re looking for the culprit, but progress is stalled for various reasons. So, tell me, have you heard any news about Necromancers in the North?”

“The appearance of undead has increased recently, though.”

“Is that so? I understand.”

“Is that all you have to say?”

“Yes.”

As the Emperor spoke, meeting the Grand Duke’s gaze.

“Don’t look at me like that, Vidar. I didn’t come empty-handed. I’ll give you some good information. According to recent investigations, it seems a major incident is about to occur at the Academy….”

“Oh my, did we have a guest at home?”

“Huh?”

The Emperor’s and the Grand Duke’s heads turned.

At the wide-open reception room door stood a wolf beastman with white hair, smiling.