Ch.181Episode 10 – Turn Your Course to the North-Northwest

# The Love Story of Charles and Grace Nostrim

The love story of Charles and Grace Nostrim is quite famous in the aristocratic society of Abas. To be precise, rumors spread like wildfire from the moment they were caught in the act.

And for good reason—they were caught engaging in an amorous encounter in the royal residence, the palace where the royal family resided, by none other than the Crown Prince and Princess, along with the King and Queen themselves.

The passionate love story between a lady-in-waiting to the Crown Princess and a Treasury official who frequented the palace spread in an instant. When the furious Count, who cherished his daughter dearly, found her marriage prospects blocked, he went so far as to implore the King to permit a duel. The situation spiraled out of control.

Eventually, the Queen intervened, and the matter was settled by bringing together Charles, the Treasury official, and Grace, who was then a lady-in-waiting to the Crown Princess. Unlike other noble families where affairs frequently erupted, they went on to have four children and build a harmonious home.

Seeing how this story from over thirty years ago is still talked about today, I’m reminded of what an extraordinary love story it truly was. I sometimes wonder how they managed to show their faces in public back then.

However,

There’s one thing people don’t know:

“If the Crown Princess hadn’t led the two Majesties into that part of the garden, we would never have been caught. Thanks to that, we weren’t discovered by the royal guards or palace servants either. My goodness, she kept asking if we were going the right way even after being told the Crown Princess was waiting. I never thought she’d be such a worrier.”

“…Um, so Mom. Are you confessing that you used the royal elders to catch yourself a man?”

“Oh my. That’s the kind of talk that could get you charged with blasphemy. If anyone asks, just say the Crown Princess bestowed her grace upon us.”

It wasn’t a case of star-crossed lovers sharing their passion in the bushes.

In reality, Mother had practically kidnapped Father and dragged him into the shrubbery.

## Episode 10 – Set Course North-Northwest

We had quite the sitcom moment with the family reunion. My parents spent nearly thirty minutes just greeting each other.

“…Father, I understand you’re happy, but shouldn’t we go inside now?”

“Jerry, try to stop them.”

My sister and I pleaded with our older brother Jerry as we stood in the biting winter wind, watching our parents’ display of affection.

While the children and even the servants shivered, our parents showed no signs of separating, acting like a couple who hadn’t seen each other for decades. If left alone, they would probably laugh and chat together for over an hour.

Jerry seemed to have the same thought, as he squeezed himself between our parents without hesitation.

“Dad, Mom, the air outside is cold. How about we go inside first?”

“…Oh! Look at me. Sorry, children. Let’s head home.”

Father removed his hat, still giggling alongside Mother.

Meanwhile…

The four siblings, on the verge of becoming frozen fish, abandoned our parents and rushed into the mansion with the servants. Jerry and my sister Adela rubbed their flushed cheeks and ears, frowning.

“Ugh, I’m freezing to death.”

“Hey, Fred. I’ll warm up in my room and come back down. I should change clothes too.”

“Go ahead. Don’t be too long.”

I sent Adela upstairs to her room. She climbed the stairs with purposeful strides, saying she’d change clothes, while Jerry disappeared toward his room, saying he’d see us later.

Actually, I suspect they weren’t just cold but wanted to escape our parents’ cringe-worthy behavior. With that thought, I surveyed the bustling mansion and caught Ayla’s eye.

“What?”

“…Aren’t you cold?”

She was wearing the cape she’d worn since her university days in the magic department.

Unlike me, who had just been out in the snow and wind, Ayla’s skin wasn’t flushed at all—in fact, it looked perfectly moisturized.

Ayla fingered her cape and nodded.

“It has a warming spell on it. It blocks the wind a bit too.”

“…Is that so?”

I pretended to consider this for a moment, then extended my hand toward Ayla.

“Hand it over.”

Let me try it too.

*

The cape, with spells meticulously woven by a master craftsman who had emigrated from the Magic Tower, was incredible. The cold that had been penetrating to my bones melted away like snow, and my tight, chapped skin instantly relaxed.

As expected of Magic Tower craftsmanship. It certainly lives up to its reputation as a prestigious magic university jacket. I don’t actually know the price since I didn’t buy it myself, but I’m certain it’s expensive.

Of course, there was a minor dispute with the original owner when I exercised my right of retention…

“Brother. I’d be in trouble if that gets damaged.”

“Come on, when did I say I was taking it? I said I’d borrow it and give it back, didn’t I?”

“Well, yes, but…”

“If you want it back, bring me the money you owe.”

And just like that, the matter was resolved.

I successfully pressured the debtor by exercising the legitimate duties and rights of a creditor as defined by Abas law.

In other words, I’m going to keep using the cape until Ayla pays back the money she borrowed without permission. It’s essentially collateral.

I sat down, feeling the warm comfort of the cape as I sipped my soup.

“Is it to your liking, Jerry?”

“Yes.”

“Adela, Fred, Ayla—is everything alright for all of you?”

“It’s good. Delicious, Mom.”

Mother smiled with satisfaction at her children’s responses. The aroma of savory cooking filled the air.

Jerry brought a plate of salad to the table and sat down, while Adela and Ayla tore off bite-sized pieces of steaming bread and dipped them in olive oil.

There was no one in the dining room except family. At Father’s request to have a comfortable family dinner, the servants had long since left.

“How are things at the Treasury? I worry that Treasury officials are wearing down the threshold of the palace, they visit so frequently these days.”

“Nothing unusual, Grace. Where in this world would you find a civil servant who isn’t busy?”

“I just worry about you wearing yourself out.”

Father and Mother held hands on the table, gazing at each other.

“I heard from Agricultural Department officials who visited the palace. They say the food situation is better than in previous years?”

“The years of poor harvests are finally over.”

“But this unusual cold wave is causing havoc. The Meteorological Office submits daily reports. They say it’s climate change unlike anything we’ve seen before, and people are already freezing to death in Latuan.”

“Don’t worry, Grace. The Prime Minister’s residence is already pressing us to secure resources and manpower to prevent freezing deaths this winter. Of course, heating costs will likely skyrocket due to magic stone supply issues…”

“That’s the problem. The Queen is worried about that too. Our allied nations are collapsing from civil wars and monsters, sea routes are blocked making trade difficult, and the government is cutting all sorts of budgets to raise funds. At this rate, they’ll even cut civil servant pensions.”

“Well, if we don’t get our pensions, we can spend our retirement together in the mansion. Or we could renovate the townhouse.”

“Are you joking right now?”

I wondered if they really needed to do this at the dinner table, but having witnessed this at every meal since childhood, I decided to let it slide. I quietly continued with my dinner like everyone else.

Of course, as with most family gatherings, the atmosphere wasn’t awkward. My parents, who had seemed inseparable earlier, began asking each child about recent events.

The eldest son and daughter were first.

“Jerry. What are you working on at the Treasury these days?”

“You know I’m in charge of economic policy, don’t you? I believe I greeted you at the government building just last week.”

“That was just passing by briefly, not a proper greeting. Anyway, I’m glad the policy bureau seems to suit you. And what about our Dela?”

“Foreign Ministry work is predictable. Nothing special. Just the same paperwork day after day.”

“A civil servant naturally needs to be friends with paperwork. You can’t conduct state affairs verbally, can you?”

Father, Mother, Jerry, and my sister engaged in casual conversation. Despite their frequent visits to the townhouse, they surprisingly had much to discuss.

The topics were diverse.

Work life, friends and colleagues, nearby restaurants, fresh experiences, new hobbies, aspirations, complaints, grievances, and so on.

And of course, romance couldn’t be left out.

“Oh, by the way. Are neither of you dating?”

“Dad!”

Adela’s face turned red as she shrieked.

“Can we please not talk about this?”

“What’s wrong, Dela? I’d rather see you going out and meeting people than lying in bed like a dead mouse all weekend without even changing out of your work clothes.”

“Oh! Really!”

Mother gently wrapped her hands around my sister’s, smiling kindly.

“Don’t be too hard on them. It’s been a while since we’ve all been together.”

“I think you coddle the children too much. That’s the problem.”

“They’re grown now. They can take care of themselves.”

Mother defended her children with a skillful and dignified attitude. Father looked at Jerry and Adela somewhat skeptically, but his twitching lips betrayed how much he loved them.

With Jerry and Adela’s turn over, the next in line was Ayla.

“Ayla!”

Father called his youngest daughter’s name with a foolish grin.

“I heard you got a job? Jerry told me. A trading company, right?”

“Yes, that’s right. It’s a small company called Pax.”

My parents’ faces lit up at the news of the formerly unemployed slacker’s successful job hunt. Father was beaming, but Mother was smiling even more broadly. As in the past, my parents seemed to be in a good mood just looking at Ayla.

Father and Mother put down their utensils and leaned forward, listening intently to Ayla’s story. Psychology and behavioral psychology aside, this was just typical doting parent behavior. Their faces clearly said, “I’m full just looking at you, no need for food.”

“What kind of company is it?”

“It’s a trading company. We buy products in Abas and sell them abroad. We also distribute foreign goods in Abas, and recently we’ve been developing our own magical products for overseas markets. Of course, Dad and Jerry probably know more about this than I do.”

“So are you in charge of development there?”

“I’m in the overseas sales department, so I’m not directly developing products, but as you know, magicians don’t just do one thing.”

“That’s right, that’s right.”

“I can probably help out when they need an extra hand, don’t you think?”

Father and Mother beamed at Ayla’s response. They seemed delighted that their daughter had finally found a respectable job.

Father clapped his hands with a hearty laugh, praising his youngest daughter.

“Well done! Well done! You can do whatever you want if it’s what you enjoy.”

“Thank you, Dad.”

“I would have preferred you to become a civil servant… But if this suits you better, that’s fine. Do what you want to do.”

Father smacked his lips, seemingly a bit disappointed, but that was the extent of it. While the Nostrim family had a history of producing civil servants for generations, there was no rule that they had to be civil servants.

As my parents and Ayla laughed and chatted, I spread butter on my bread and playfully remarked:

“Hey, Ayla. Why do your answers sound so rehearsed?”

“Uh, what?”

“You’re not reciting memorized lines, are you?”

“…Why would I memorize something like that?”

I waved my hand dismissively.

“Never mind, you just sounded a bit awkward.”

I already knew about Ayla’s trading company job from Jerry and Adela, but she sounded so robotic and stiff when talking about it that I just threw the comment out as a joke.

She must be nervous about her first company job. Jerry and Adela comforted their youngest sibling for her struggles as working adults, while our parents encouraged Ayla, saying she would do well.

After a long series of questions about the youngest daughter’s recent activities, it was finally my turn.

Father, eating the main course with table wine, smiled lightly as he began:

“It’s been a while, Fred. Has it been three years since we last saw each other?”

“Yes.”

“How have you been all this time?”

*

Dinner was drawing to a close. The appetizers and main courses that had filled the table were cleared away, replaced by desserts and after-dinner drinks.

Ayla and Adela excused themselves, saying they weren’t feeling well, and Jerry left to escort them.

With all my other siblings gone, only Father, Mother, and I remained in the dining room.

I warmed the cognac by cupping the glass in my palm and broke the silence.

“I’ve been doing well.”

“Is that so?”

After the divine revelation, the Military Intelligence Service focused on identifying all potential threats around me. I essentially underwent a background check.

Were there any criminals in my family? Any information criminals among my relatives? Was there a possibility I could be recruited by foreign intelligence agencies? If so, for what reasons? And so on.

In the process, the Military Intelligence Service compiled a list of people who knew my identity—people who clearly knew I was an intelligence officer. Those working in the Ministry of Defense were all managed by the Military Intelligence Service, while those in civilian life or other government agencies were transferred to other intelligence agencies, probably the Cabinet Security Office.

However, one thing was certain: while Jerry and Adela’s names might be on that list, Charles and Grace Nostrim’s names were not.

Klevins had ordered me not to reveal my identity to my parents. More precisely, he advised me to keep it hidden until the situation stabilized.

Today, too, I spun a plausible story to avoid the situation.

“These days I’m working as a defense attaché at a foreign mission. I’ve served at the Academy and the Magic Tower.”

“A defense attaché…”

The high-ranking Treasury official asked in a seemingly casual tone:

“So you’re a military diplomat? Assisting the ambassador and participating in Defense Ministry events?”

“Yes.”

“Dela is also a diplomat, and now you’ve become one too, Fred. Haha, well.”

Father, who had been smiling contentedly, suddenly blurted out:

“Fred, I have a friend who works at the Defense Ministry who told me about you at a gathering. He said you seem to be adapting well to embassy life.”

But then:

“The day my friend looked up your information in the Defense Ministry’s database, someone from headquarters came to see him.”

“Who came to see him?”

“The Counterintelligence Unit, I believe that was the name.”

At the mention of the Counterintelligence Unit, Mother, who worked at the royal palace, gasped in surprise.

“Counterintelligence Unit? Fred, are you alright?”

I gestured to reassure Mother, acting as if it were nothing.

“It’s nothing, Mother. They probably just wanted to know why someone with no connection to me was suddenly checking my background.”

“Do they normally investigate when someone looks up a defense attaché’s information?”

“I wouldn’t know. This is my first time learning about defense attachés too.”

That’s a lie. There’s no one in intelligence units who doesn’t know about defense attachés.

Not all defense attaché positions are filled by intelligence personnel—some are filled by regular military personnel who apply—but most defense attaché positions are essentially reserved for intelligence unit officers.

But even within the civil service, even within the Defense Ministry, many people don’t know this fact.

That’s why such lies work.

“It was probably because of my position, don’t you think?”

“Is that so?”

“I still don’t know much myself, so I don’t have much to tell you, but I’m not having a particularly difficult time.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

While Mother smiled contentedly, Father suddenly said something unexpected:

“Grace. This isn’t right.”

“What now?”

“How can it be that I learn from the news that my son, who was working perfectly fine in the capital until just the other day, has suddenly gone abroad?”

Father frowned, becoming prickly.

“And what? Hero’s companion? Are you joking with me?”

“Dear.”

“First you get caught in a terrorist attack. How is it that accidents follow you wherever you go?”

“Don’t be like that. It’s not the child’s fault.”

To be honest, nine out of ten accidents I’ve been involved in were indeed my fault.

But if I said that, I’d be dead from parental beating before the audit for security regulation violations even arrived, so I decided to keep quiet.

Meanwhile, Father and Mother continued their argument, raising their voices.

“And now you’re supposed to go hunt monsters like hydras and salamanders, like those heroes in history books? Can Fred use magic like Dela? Or can he enhance his body with magical power? He can’t handle divine power either, and all he knows how to do is sit at a desk and look at documents. You and I both saw him facing a wolf the size of a small car.”

The sudden factual attack made my head spin.

Father was furious that I, who couldn’t use magic, was hanging around wolves the size of small cars. He seemed to be referring to when he saw me wandering around the wilderness with Camilla.

Wait, is it my fault I can’t use magic…?

While I was briefly considering using Ayla as a meat shield by leveraging her debt, Mother began to calmly reason with Father:

“He’s not going to hunt them right now.”

“But he will eventually, won’t he?”

“Maybe. But he won’t be going alone.”

“You know Fred’s personality, Grace. Since childhood, he’s avoided exercise and stayed out of fistfights. He’s less brave than he looks. He’d cry over a small cut on his finger. And what good is it if he dies? Even with all the shillings in the world, priests can’t properly mend a single broken bone.”

“Wouldn’t it be different with the Saint? I heard she healed over 150 people on her first day at the Magic Tower.”

“I think that article lacks credibility. Even renowned priests can barely treat 50 people a day—how could she heal 150? It must be an exaggeration.”

Father and Mother argued for a long time with me caught in the middle. I have no idea how the conversation had gotten to this point.

Honestly, I didn’t feel too bad since they were expressing concern, but sitting there listening to it all felt a bit much.

What are they doing at their age, really.

“Alright, alright.”

I finally intervened between the two to mediate the situation.

“I’m still a diplomat working at the embassy, and as you said, I have no plans to fight monsters or go on adventures. What kind of adventure would a civil servant go on? It’s hard enough to take vacation days.”

“Really?”

“Yes. There have been many unexpected unfortunate incidents, but there won’t be any more in the future. So please stop with all this talk about magic and moldy old books.”

*

Even after the argument ended, my parents held me back, earnestly imploring me not to get involved in dangerous matters. After what felt like an eternity, late night arrived.

I reached the garden where moonlight was falling.

The night air was cold and dry. Snow continued to accumulate little by little. The familiar scent of tobacco hung heavily.

I lifted my head and sighed deeply toward the sky.

The cigarette smoke that had seemed like it might obscure the bright moon had already scattered and dissolved into the night sky. I stared blankly at the dissipating smoke.

“……”

As I stood alone on the snow-covered ground looking up at the sky, I heard footsteps behind me, followed by a somewhat weighty voice.

“What are you doing here?”

“Oh, Jerry.”

It was my older brother Jerry.

Dressed in comfortable clothes and wearing a cape, perhaps preparing for bed, he pointed at the cigarette in my mouth and clicked his tongue.

“Why are you smoking that? No one in our family smokes.”

“That’s true.”

Don’t do this, brother.

Jerry chuckled at my nonsensical response. He seemed amused that someone younger than him was acting like they’d lived a full life.

He stood beside me with his hands in his pockets. Though he didn’t come too close, perhaps disliking the smell of cigarettes, he was close enough for me to clearly see his expression.

“Where did you learn that?”

“Work.”

“……”

At the mention of the intelligence unit, Jerry nodded silently. A gesture indicating he wouldn’t probe further.

“Is it very difficult? Your work there.”

“What job isn’t hard?”

“True, the world is full of difficulties these days.”

Jerry stepped closer and asked me:

“How long are you planning to stay at the family home?”

“I’m not sure. About a week?”

My leave was almost over. It was supposed to be a month-long vacation, but it had melted away like snow.

Realistically, I probably wouldn’t be able to stay at the mansion for even a full week. I needed to prepare for my deployment, do preliminary work for the operation Leoni had assigned, take care of Camilla, and receive treatment from Lucia.

Still, I should be able to stay for a decent amount of time, right?

Jerry raised his eyebrows and hummed thoughtfully.

“Hmm. That seems sufficient, doesn’t it?”

“You think so?”

“Where are you going next?”

“The Kiyen Empire, I suppose.”

My next posting was the Kiyen Empire. In a week, I would officially assume the position of defense attaché at the Abas Embassy in the Kiyen Empire.

Jerry nodded with a gentle yet somewhat awkward smile. Then he fell into deep thought.

“About our parents. Do they know where you work?”

“No.”

“Why haven’t you told them?”

Do I really need to tell them that?

I tried to evade the answer, but my brother persistently engaged me.

He looked up at the dim night sky. At the highest point in the sky was the moonlight, softly glowing in the darkness.

“Honestly, I thought you would tell our parents today. That you work for the Military Intelligence Service.”

“Why would you think I’d do that?”

“You don’t know when you’ll return home again. I thought you’d at least tell them before leaving for a distant place.”

“It’s not like I’m being deployed to a war zone. I’m just being sent to an embassy, why make such a big deal out of it?”

I chuckled as I replied, but Jerry looked at me with a serious expression.

He seemed lost in thought as his expression softened and he lowered his gaze briefly, before returning to his serious demeanor.

“If that’s your opinion, well, so be it.”

He tapped my shoulder with his fist. A sign of encouragement.

“You’ll face many challenges ahead, but I believe you’ll handle them well. You’ve always managed on your own since you were young.”

“What’s with the empty flattery…”

“I’m trying to encourage you, you idiot.”

Jerry slapped my back with his palm. Then, with an awkward smile, he continued:

“Rest well during your remaining leave. Who knows when you’ll be able to rest again. And don’t just contact us when you need something—call home regularly. Our parents have been waiting for news from you for months.”

“…Ah, well. I’ll keep in touch more often.”

“And quit smoking.”

“Are you my dad?”

“What did you say?”

Jerry, with wide eyes, laughed playfully and punched me in the solar plexus. As I staggered exaggeratedly, he smiled and took a step away.

“The night air is cold, so don’t stay out too long. You’ll catch a cold.”

“I’m fine. I borrowed Ayla’s cape.”

“…Now you’re even borrowing your sister’s clothes?”

“I’m exercising my right of retention.”

“You’re proud of that? Sheesh!”

Don’t bully Ayla too much.

With those words, Jerry walked toward the mansion.

I watched his retreating figure, then turned my head to look up at the night sky.

It was a night with an exceptionally beautiful moon.

*

Happy moments are brief, while unhappy ones feel eternal. Happiness is like sand that slips through your fingers no matter how tightly you try to hold it.

The vacation passed in an instant. Truly in the blink of an eye.

“Haah…”

“Feeling down because your vacation is over?”

“Of course.”

Camilla handed me a luggage bag with a bright smile.

I received the bag clearly marked with “Diplomatic Pouch,” checked its contents, and quickly locked it.

We passed through a long tunnel and exited.

The warm midday sunlight pleasantly shone down from a clear blue sky.

After basking in the dazzling sunlight, I put on my sunglasses and began pulling my luggage.

…Yes. That day.

The day had come.

Finally, I was heading to the Kiyen Empire.