Ch.181181. It’s Not a Custom, It’s Nothing Short of a Bad Habit.

“Now, please tell me.”

We moved to the reception room.

Only Leonard and I remained here.

Leonard’s lips trembled as he glanced around nervously, as if being chased by something.

“Every day I feel like I’m going to die…”

“Suddenly saying you feel like dying… You’ll need to explain more clearly if you want me to help you.”

Leonard hesitated, then tightly closed his eyes before opening them again.

“W-well… Seri Familia has changed…”

“How exactly has she changed?”

“She suddenly started demanding physical love from me.”

I tilted my head.

Seri Familia’s hypnosis should have been completely broken by now.

I wondered if she had simply developed a taste for it.

“Isn’t that the outcome you wanted, brother?”

“It was! But… no, there should be moderation, but she keeps at me non-stop, day and night!!”

I leaned back against the reception room sofa with an indifferent expression.

“Isn’t this what they call ‘complaining with a full stomach’?”

“It’s not that! It was definitely good at first… but now she comes at me like she’s trying to kill me every day!”

“Hmm, has your wife’s pupils been dilated, or anything like that?”

“Huh? Nothing like that. If anything, her eyes burn like she wants to devour me!”

I asked the question in case the hypnosis hadn’t worn off, but fortunately that wasn’t the case.

They say late-blooming passion is frightening…

“There’s not much I can help you with regarding that.”

“What do you mean? Of course you can! We need to train together too.”

“Train? You can do that on your own now, can’t you?”

“N-not enough! There’s no end to training!!”

“So getting beaten by me is better?”

Leonard fidgeted with his fingers, then sighed as if he found his own situation ridiculous.

“Haaa… right now, yes. So, make up some excuse to father for me.”

“What excuse?”

“I lied and said you urgently called for me, that’s why I came to Lake territory.”

“Is there really a need to lie like that? Why not just enjoy the situation since it’s come to this?”

When I responded indifferently again, Leonard’s eyes flashed as he raised his voice.

“Enjoy!? You probably don’t understand because you haven’t experienced it yet, but men have limited stamina!”

“Stamina helps with training.”

“The problem is that it feels like not just my stamina but my soul is being drained!! Do you know how much my heart pounds every time I go to the bedroom?”

“Weren’t you once burning with determination to spend a good night with your wife?”

Leonard covered his face with both hands.

“If I could meet my past self, I’d definitely stop him…”

“So you dislike your wife now?”

“It’s not that I dislike her, I’m just afraid because she demands intimacy too frequently. And it seems like she enjoys watching me suffer!”

“Haha, how could your wife be like that? I still think you’re complaining with a full stomach.”

I shrugged my shoulders, and Leonard shook his head before speaking with a serious expression.

“Selden Alphonse, listen carefully. Unless you’re in my position, you’ll never understand.”

“Sigh… So how long do you plan to stay here?”

“That depends on how well you make up an excuse, I suppose?”

If Evander Alphonse didn’t exist, I wouldn’t particularly care if Leonard stayed in Lake territory.

The problem is that he does exist.

I adjusted my posture on the sofa.

“I have an idea that would allow you to stay here long-term and would benefit me as well. Of course, there’s no need to lie to father.”

“R-really? Such a good method exists?”

“You can deal with the remaining monsters in the Forest of Death.”

Leonard flinched at my words.

“…The Forest of Death? Why not just tell me to go back to Seri Familia and die? Why the roundabout way?”

“It used to be full of dangerous monsters, but after the monster wave passed through, hunting there has become so easy it’s almost embarrassing to call it the Forest of Death. I go there occasionally to hunt and investigate.”

“Really? But is there any need to go all the way there to hunt monsters? They won’t come out of the Forest of Death anyway.”

I didn’t feel the need to explain the specific plan to Leonard.

Even if I did, it would take him a while to understand.

“Then just return to Alphonse territory.”

“W-what are you saying! I didn’t say I wouldn’t do it.”

“Hunters will be hunting monsters in the Forest of Death in a few days anyway. I just thought you could hunt while training.”

“Alright! Then I should bring some of my knights too.”

“If you’d do that, I’d be grateful.”

“If we’re going to completely clear out the monsters in the Forest of Death, it will take quite some time, right?”

“Well, that depends on how many knights and hunters you bring.”

“A month? Or maybe two months?”

I smirked at Leonard’s desperate expression.

“That long and there wouldn’t be even a baby monster left.”

“As expected of my brother.”

“But will that be okay? After some time passes, I think you’ll miss your wife…”

I pretended to be concerned, but Leonard muttered to himself without listening.

“Should I send a letter first and then hunt monsters… No, I should enter the Forest of Death slowly while investigating, no need to rush. Wait… is that not right either? Maybe I should send monster hunters first since it might be dangerous?”

“…Brother, who are you talking to?”

Ignoring my question, Leonard continued muttering to himself before standing up.

His hopeful expression somehow made me want to laugh.

“I’ve decided. The most urgent thing is to send a letter, so I’ll take care of that first.”

“Oh, and the byproducts from the monsters are mine.”

“Huh…?”

“You should contribute to Lake territory’s development. That way, father will think positively about your absence, don’t you think?”

He seemed to ponder for a moment, then waved his hand as if he couldn’t be bothered to think anymore.

“Fine, do as you please with that!”

With those words, Leonard strode out of the reception room.

I raised the corners of my mouth slyly and murmured quietly.

“Slave king and slave squad secured.”

*

“What is all this money for?”

Pedericks came to my study and presented me with a bill.

I asked with my mouth wide open, and Pedericks cleared his throat before speaking.

“These are the costs for preparing your coming-of-age ceremony.”

“Why does it cost so much? What’s the big deal about a coming-of-age ceremony!”

“As I mentioned before, the coming-of-age ceremony is a very important day. And considering your personality, I’ve already reduced it to less than half the price of a typical ceremony.”

“This is less than half? Do other nobles lose their fortunes preparing coming-of-age ceremonies?”

Pedericks stared at me silently for a while, then sighed.

“In particular, the Lake territory mansion doesn’t have a proper banquet hall. That means we need to either renovate the interior or hold it outdoors, and securing a venue will cost quite a bit.”

“We have a plaza in our territory, don’t we?”

“Isn’t the plaza crowded with territory residents and tourists?”

“Wouldn’t it be a good spectacle for them too? When else would they get to see a noble’s coming-of-age ceremony with their own eyes?”

“Haaa… Young Master, there are customs to follow.”

I slammed my palm on the desk and narrowed my brows.

“Customs? They’re nothing but bad practices.”

“You might be fine with it, but other nobles would be uncomfortable.”

“Then tell them not to come. I wasn’t planning to invite such nobles anyway.”

A day to publicly announce that I’ve aged.

It’s frustrating enough to grow older, so why should I spend a fortune to throw a party for it?

After I shouted indignantly, Pedericks continued without showing any sign of backing down.

“If people gather in the plaza, it will be full of dust. And food will be served there too, right?”

“…We could hold the ceremony in the plaza and have the meal separately at the mansion.”

“Please listen to me this time. I’ll try to minimize the costs, so please give your permission.”

Haaa…

Judging by his expression, he had no intention of compromising.

Come to think of it, we couldn’t have meals in a dusty place.

I sighed deeply and reluctantly nodded.

“Fine, proceed as you see fit. But save as much money as possible!”

“Understood. And…”

Pedericks trailed off, then took out a letter and continued.

“An invitation has arrived from the Imperial Palace.”

“So the invitation finally came!?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“But you don’t seem surprised? Shouldn’t you have urgently shown me the Imperial invitation as soon as we met?”

“Haha, it’s not the first time the Imperial Palace has sent an invitation, is it? You can prepare at your leisure.”

Strike while the iron is hot, as they say?

Though it was a bothersome schedule, I stood up to resolve it as quickly as possible.

“There’s nothing to prepare. Let’s depart right away.”

“Ah! And there’s one more invitation besides yours.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

As I tilted my head in confusion, Jawill Wilson entered the study after knocking, as if he had been waiting.

Scratching his head awkwardly, he spoke.

“Hehe… it’s me.”