Ch.96Improvement #2

Today’s morning was particularly difficult.

She mimicked everything I had said in front of Helena, holding her head high, which made Helena jealous and caused her to raise her voice and cling to me.

From Ellen’s perspective, she probably didn’t intend to provoke jealousy, but that was the result.

So I had to exert myself to calm him down, and didn’t stop until he was crying and reflecting on his actions.

If I hadn’t enjoyed it, I would have been much more tired.

“You’re the same as always today.”

As I stepped out of the room after washing up first to shake off my fatigue, I noticed Andy with an awkward smile on his face.

He must have overheard the passionate cries echoing from the room.

There would be no reason for him to look so uncomfortable otherwise.

This early in the morning.

“Ahem! I apologize. Was I too indecent?”

“Uh, umm. That’s too sensitive a matter for me to comment on. I’m just glad that there seems to be no issue with producing an heir.”

For nobles and royalty, bearing children—an heir—was an important matter, even a duty.

It was also recommended to have quite a number of children.

This was to ensure that if something happened to the primary heir, the next bloodline could be elevated.

The Krauser duchy was like this, as was the Killinear duchy with whom we now maintained a delicate relationship, and other noble families as well.

While there were exceptions where only one child was born and raised, they were rare.

“An heir. Yes. That is certainly something that needs to be addressed.”

“…Perhaps, are you still not inclined to it?”

“To be honest, having a child at my age feels a bit strange. Helena would be the one carrying and raising the child, and I also have other matters to attend to.”

Even by this continent’s standards, having a child at my age would be quite early.

But considering Helena’s age, it would be appropriate.

With our eight-year age difference, such issues were bound to arise.

That’s not to say I didn’t have plans.

Though I hadn’t been announcing it loudly, I had long since decided when to try.

“However, I do have something in mind, so there’s no need to worry too much.”

“I, and the servants, merely follow the will of the Duke or Grand Duke. But… I’m relieved to hear you have plans.”

Andy visibly relaxed, showing genuine relief.

His strong loyalty to the duchy meant he couldn’t help but be concerned about the heir issue.

There was no need to discuss it further; it was just a passing comment.

.

“From now on, you will do as the workers instruct you.”

Now that the ground had been prepared, it was time to build houses.

I had the elves cut and move timber, then refine it, processing it appropriately for construction.

Elves, being people who build homes from dead trees or those that hinder forest growth, weren’t without construction skills.

However, since none of the slaves who had arrived knew how to build houses, I had to borrow the hands of the territory’s residents for wood preparation and construction.

Specifically, I gathered carpenters among the residents who knew how to build houses.

To supervise the elves and ensure the work proceeded correctly.

“Hey! You cut too deep! You’ll waste all the lumber!”

Even though they were elves, they were still slaves and could be freely used.

Just maintain an appropriate distance. The carpenters were handling the elves well according to my instructions.

Perhaps because, though they were ordinary territory residents, they had experience managing people.

“To think we’re already building houses… That’s so fast.”

Ellen muttered with a surprised expression.

It was because using magic had made the work progress exceptionally quickly.

It was understandable since this was her first time seeing magic used for construction.

“Indeed. It is fast. Even if they’re just huts, it’s really quick.”

“If they continue learning these techniques, they might even be able to build castle walls. Though I doubt elves who breathe with nature would do that…”

“That’s probably the limit for elves. Besides, there doesn’t seem to be a need for castle walls.”

For elves, the forest itself is their castle.

Unless you can burn or push down an entire forest, it’s practically an iron wall.

When they dart around like flying squirrels, raining down magic and arrows, there’s hardly any answer to it.

There’s even a saying that if you want to wage war against elves, you have to push back the forest as you go.

“Um, Lord Zion. I might be mistaken, but don’t the elves’ attitudes seem different from before?”

Ellen, who had been watching the construction site, suddenly mentioned something I hadn’t considered.

Perhaps it was because I had no interest in elves.

“Different…?”

“Yes. The feeling that they’re doing it reluctantly out of fear of death has faded a lot. It seems like they’ve accepted it as their job, as something natural to do.”

“Accepting duty as natural…”

How people perceive and feel about things differs from person to person.

Of course, elves aren’t humans, but they think and act similarly to humans.

That’s why they’re classified as demi-humans, a species that includes the word “human.”

Recalling this fact, I carefully observed the elves’ expressions.

I didn’t need to be as meticulous as Ellen; it was fine if I couldn’t see everything clearly.

I could just reduce my presence, move around, and observe from up close.

For those further away, I could enhance my vision using mana.

“That’s interesting. I see it too.”

As Ellen had said, the elves’ expressions had brightened.

They weren’t exactly smiling or particularly enthusiastic, but their aversion had diminished significantly.

It was markedly different from when I first started using these elves as slaves.

If such a change could be applied to any elf, perhaps something could change.

Thoughts that seemed to grasp at some clue but remained elusive continued to chain together.

In the end, I concluded that I should think about it carefully when I got home.

The bustling atmosphere here made it difficult to organize my thoughts.

It might be due to my lack of concentration, but there was nothing I could do about it.

Stopping the construction or ordering complete silence because it disturbed my thinking would be too harsh and absurd.

“Ive is working hard too.”

“Yes. She must be tired with all the work, but she looks very happy.”

We gazed at Ive, who was working with five elves in one corner.

She was full of energy despite also installing linked magic circles around the walls to put enemies to sleep.

She must be a born magician.

She first engraved reinforcement magic circles on stone tablets, then engraved linking magic circles on the opposite side.

It was the same method used when installing linked magic circles.

It prioritized durability for long-term use, despite the cost and effort.

“By the way, it’s almost lunchtime. Shall we head back?”

“Ah, yes. That’s a good idea.”

Some might think it’s too generous for slaves, but having someone of high status present during meals can cause indigestion.

Unless I had completely adopted this era’s mindset, I thought consideration was necessary.

You shouldn’t disturb even a dog when it’s eating.

Naturally, people get heated when someone who has started eating is forced to leave the table.

Having experienced it many times myself, I knew how infuriating it could be.

For example, like that duty officer bastard who made me consider tearing his mouth apart by bringing up situations during meals…

“Hoo.”

I unconsciously got heated, so I quickly calmed myself down by regulating my breathing.

This is where my iron mentality helps.

“Lord Zion? Is something bothering you…?”

“Hm? No, it’s nothing. Let’s head back quickly. Let’s try making some pancakes for lunch today.”

Afterward, I spent the entire lunch struggling as Helena sat on my lap while I ate.

She had been complaining that I’d been spending too much time with Ellen lately, so I had to appease her somehow.

Knock knock.

While I was having tea to wash away the greasiness after lunch, there was a knock on my office door.

A neatly dressed maid was the culprit.

“Excuse me for interrupting your conversation.”

“It’s fine. What brings you here?”

“The elder master is looking for the Grand Duke. He asked if you could show your face if you’re not busy.”

The elder master, meaning Is Krauser, is looking for me.

We often shared meals, if not daily, and sometimes chatted, so our relationship wasn’t bad.

There was nothing strange about being suddenly called.

And though it still felt awkward to say, he was technically my father-in-law.

“I understand. I’ll visit him right away.”

“Then, excuse me.”

After the maid left, having fulfilled her role, I also got up.

Helena and Ellen looked at me with regret, but they didn’t express any complaints since the person calling was who he was.

If they were on the verge of losing their reason, they might not have cared who it was, but…

“Father-in-law. It’s Zion.”

“You’re here. Come in.”

Knock knock. After knocking on Is’s office door a few times, I heard him tell me to enter from inside.

I opened the door without hesitation, bowed my head in greeting, and entered the office.

It was well-decorated but contained only the minimum necessary items.

Because of this, it felt somewhat empty.

“You came right after being called. I’m sorry if I seemed to rush you.”

“Is… Father-in-law, what do you have to be sorry about? I was just resting, so please don’t worry too much.”

“That’s good then. Please, sit over there.”

I sat where Is offered, and he sat in the most prominent seat.

The sofa was more like a chair than a long couch, which made it better for sitting.

It wasn’t unnecessarily wide, giving a snug feeling.

“By the way, does my son-in-law still find it difficult to say ‘father-in-law’? It’s been over a year already.”

“Ahem. I apologize. I think it’s because I feel more like you’re the elder of the duchy rather than Helena’s father. Also, I served the duchy for some time.”

“Heh. You haven’t changed.”

Is opened the conversation with light jokes to ease the tension.

He always seemed cold and unfamiliar with jokes, but upon getting to know him, he was quite eloquent.

Perhaps this is why they say you need to know someone deeply.

“How is the construction going?”

“It’s proceeding without issues, thanks to your and Helena’s consideration.”

“You’re being too modest. Now that you’re a Grand Duke, you could be more confident.”

“Just being allowed to have Helena in my arms is more than I deserve… it’s hard to have confidence.”

From meaningless conversation to the construction situation, and even wine production and territory management.

I heard many things from Is and received advice as well.

He didn’t oppose or actively intervene in my affairs, but he taught me the lines I shouldn’t cross.

I gratefully accepted such advice, nodding in understanding.

After all, these were the words of a man who had been a duke for a long time and still helped with many matters behind the scenes.

“Come to think of it, I’m quite fortunate. I didn’t know Helena had such an internal illness, and despite how dangerous it was… peace is maintained because a son-in-law like you came along.”

Suddenly, Is’s voice lowered. The topic of conversation had become quite heavy.

This was probably a sign that he was about to say what he really wanted to talk about.

At least that’s what I thought, so I straightened my posture to show I was listening attentively.

“You’re giving me too much credit. I’m just fortunate that Helena follows me well.”

“No, it’s not too much at all. In fact, if it weren’t for you as her husband, Helena wouldn’t have been able to demonstrate her capabilities. Without calming that madness, she couldn’t do anything.”

I kept my mouth shut, unable to say that her madness could destroy the continent.

It felt wrong to speak of something that hadn’t happened as if it were fact, and it was something I hadn’t told anyone.

After that, there was a moment of silence, but Is broke it by continuing the conversation.

“…Anyway, I’m truly grateful that you’ve formed a bond with that child and maintained balance so well. It’s all thanks to you that the Krauser duchy has been able to overcome its crisis so smoothly.”

“I’m embarrassed. There were times when I caused great confusion for the duchy…”

“You mean your entanglement with Albus Killinear? That couldn’t be helped. One woman who was spoiled by him caused all that trouble.”

Even now, thinking about it makes me frustrated.

I nodded vigorously in agreement internally.

While my fault was significant, I couldn’t help but blame Agnes.

But what was he trying to say with such a long preamble?

As my internal questions grew, Is asked in a heavy voice:

“I won’t drag this out any longer, so I’ll ask directly.”

“Does Helena… have any intention of having a child?”