In the Duchy of Grande, Asterlata Empire, in the Duke’s Office.
The father, a high-ranking noble considered the head of the imperial aristocracy, cast a slightly cold expression while working.
“Licht, you’ve come… well, take a seat.”
“Yes. Excuse me, Father.”
His gaze, typically sweet towards family, was not directed at us today. Though I sat across from him at the meeting table, something felt off compared to usual.
Could it be that I was going to be scolded for something rare?
Well, I suppose that would be understandable.
My body had become noticeably overweight, I was labeled as a failure at the academy, and of course, I couldn’t do any physical activities. My evaluation was quite low.
Yet, despite this, my father had always loved me equally with my older brothers.
However, the father before me now had a face showing hints of anger, with slight wrinkles forming on his nose.
“I received a summons from His Majesty yesterday.”
Huh, why did my father call me regarding His Majesty’s summons…?
The conversation took an unexpected turn.
Would His Majesty bring up anything concerning me…?
There shouldn’t have been any issues on my part.
“Ha… does that have anything to do with me?”
The connection should be weak.
That’s what I thought, but my father, averting his gaze awkwardly, affirmed with a “Yes.”
There was an air of reluctance to say more, but if I didn’t ask, the conversation wouldn’t progress.
“What is it?” I urged him for more information.
“Oh… His Majesty suddenly said he prepared your fiancée.”
“Pardon? The Emperor, for me…?”
If it were anyone else, it would be easy to consider. For a duke’s house, even a marriage to a princess from another country could be a possibility.
My older brothers are heirs who would become central figures in the country as the next duke. Sending a daughter in marriage would likely yield some form of benefit, even if it was to another country.
Indeed, being of a duke’s lineage, even a non-heir could be pampered just by showing a bit of capability. That’s how influential family power is.
In fact, my older sister, the eldest daughter, is so accomplished that she has already been engaged to a prince of another country.
However, my current evaluation is that of a failure. My appearance is also rather ugly.
On top of that, people think I will soon die of an incurable disease.
Even though I am still a duke’s son, my value for utilization is quite low.
Of course. That’s how things have been set up.
If a noble sought a connection with a duke’s family for an engagement, I could still understand that.
But for His Majesty to prepare a fiancée for me by name…?
While feeling anxious, I wondered what kind of person she could be as I awaited my father’s words.
“Do you know what a gravekeeper is in this country?”
“Yes, of course. It’s a territory entrusted with the duty of protecting the country from monsters. The official name is the Hero’s Gravekeeper, right?”
Areas with many inhabitants or dungeons weaken the monsters that rise from the surface. However, in places where there are no people and no dungeons, monsters of extraordinary strength are born.
It is common knowledge in this world that the threat level of monsters significantly increases at the edges of the country.
Thus, people gather on top of dungeons to build towns in areas where monsters do not spawn, but beyond the Hero’s Grave, known as the Heinfield territory, there are absolutely no dungeons, and monsters from the lower layers of dungeons spawn on the surface.
This is a place where many heroes have lost their lives. Hence, it is called the Hero’s Grave.
The Heinfield Baron family, which is entrusted with such a location, is considered a pillar of protection for the country and is revered domestically.
“Indeed. The previous Heinfield Baron passed away in the stampede three years ago. He had only a daughter and left this world without deciding on a fiancé, and that has yet to be resolved.”
“Are you saying that I am to be that fiancé?!” I exclaimed, casting a surprised look at my father, who nodded in affirmation with a grim expression.
“While I understand the story, I still don’t know what His Majesty expects from me…”
Right. It’s a vital area for protecting the country.
Even with the backing of a duke’s family, there would be no reason to choose me, who is rumored to be a failure.
Ordinarily, they would choose someone who is recognized for their valor or intelligence.
Especially since I am said to be dying of an incurable disease.
“Could it be that my family is to inherit the Baron’s title in exchange for the duke’s full support…?”
Gravekeepers must not belong to factions. That is a rule in this country.
If one were to try and invite others into their faction, they would be criticized.
However, if a son were to inherit the title of baron instead of being a bridegroom for the daughter, it would be as if he had already entered a faction.
I pondered this but, judging by my father’s expression, it seemed I was mistaken.
“No, that would have been better!”
With that, my father slammed his hand on the table.
“To make matters worse, it seems that daughter won’t last long, and after she dies, they intend to send a replacement!”
If given recovery magic, external injuries can heal.
From the implication of not lasting long, it seems that this young lady is ill.
Unless it’s something rare, most illnesses can be cured by magic, so it’s likely one of those rarer cases.
It’s probably an illness that is said to be incurable even with a lot of money spent…
Still, I just can’t see the merit in choosing me.
“I’m sorry for my ignorance. This… no matter how I think about it, I can’t grasp the situation…”
“No, that’s only natural. I’ll explain it—”
Saying that, my father took a deep breath and began to explain one by one.
Apparently, His Majesty wishes to assign the role of gravekeeper to the second daughter of the Heinfield family.
However, since the previous baron had long since decided on the eldest daughter as the heir and the application to the country has already been completed, it is a difficult situation to interfere with.
The second daughter, true to the warrior blood, possesses fighting talent and has already been sent to the battlefield at the age of thirteen.
While it seems she is still weaker than the soldiers, being able to contend with monsters equivalent to those in the lower layers of dungeons at just thirteen is an extraordinary talent.
She’s one year younger than me, and that’s truly impressive…
But if that’s the case, couldn’t they just bind the second daughter to lead the army?
Surely even the emperor cannot meddle with a family head once they have recognized them, barring a significant mistake.
“Even so, wouldn’t it be more reasonable to make the strong man the fiancé of the eldest daughter?”
Considering the possibility of the eldest daughter, designated as the heir, having children, that should be the path they take.
This looks less like assistance for survival and more like an attempt to manipulate.
“Hmm. Ordinarily, that would be the case. However, there are opinions that it would be problematic if she couldn’t have children…”
They intend to assign that strong man to the second daughter, offering a reward to ensure that he witnesses the eldest daughter’s death.
Huh?
Does it really matter for me to witness it?
I think it would be better to send a capable person as a fiancé to the second daughter right away.
If we arrange for her to marry the second daughter and have children, there won’t be any problems regarding the family succession.
Even if the eldest daughter has passed away, the younger sister should be able to succeed as the legitimate heir…
Well, it’s sad to get close to a sick girl and be there at the time of her death, but if she can’t be cured, it’s unavoidable.
If it’s for the sake of the country, the family, and that girl, I don’t particularly have any objections.
If I had to say something, I do have some anxiety that someone with my appearance wouldn’t be welcomed if I tried to encourage her…
“I understand your doubts…
The Emperor thinks that by taking care of the elder sister, it would also make things easier for the younger sister.
It seems that the elder sister is quite the ugly woman. I’ve heard that the son of a powerful family managed to escape because he already had an engagement arranged privately. If you match the name of the gravekeeper with the family rank, you’re about the only one left…”
I couldn’t find the words to respond to my father’s awkwardly spoken words…
The engagement, which hasn’t even been announced, doesn’t hold any power for the nobility.
Only after being registered with the House of Nobles can one truly be called a fiancé.
Can it really be that just because she’s ugly, it can be dismissed?
If there’s already a proper fiancé who has registered with the House of Nobles, that’s one thing, but isn’t it true that an engagement designated by the Emperor isn’t necessarily forced if it doesn’t fall into that category?
This matter is related to the national defense, which is essential for the survival of the country…
No, but could it be possible? The current emperor is rumored to be too weak.
He supposedly lacks actual power despite having a nominal authority.
Because of that, there are even territories that have spontaneously started internal conflicts, and it’s even been said that we might plunge into a warlike era if things continue this way.
Ah, so that’s why the important position of the gravekeeper has been left unattended for three years.
Still, is it really possible to leave such an important position unattended for three years?
Hmm, if I’m going to marry into the Heinfield family, I need to make sure I understand things properly.
“I understand the situation. I would like to ask you various questions about this matter.”
“Uh, um. You always seem unfazed… Are you willing to accept it straightforwardly?”
“Yes. It depends on the discussion, though…”
To be honest, I don’t think it’s such a bad story.
I have focused on training my magical skills, so I can gain considerable strength quickly.
I’ve been content with being labeled as a failure because it was convenient for me.
If I drew attention to myself, I would likely be attacked by my brothers, whose humanity is already lost, and I would prefer to avoid a future where I’m buried in paperwork deep in the national bureaucracy.
Having grown up in a duke’s family, I don’t think I will be free, but I believe I can secure a position where I have some degree of personal time.
Among those, what I desired the most was to marry into another family as the head of the household or for a female head of the family to marry me.
In that case, I thought the family rank would drop considerably, but for the Count of the Borderlands, it’s actually quite good.
Moreover, marrying into the Heinfield family would allow the magical skills I have cultivated for the future after leaving home to bear fruit.
Of course, just because I marry into the family doesn’t mean I won’t have to work, but if the relationships within the Heinfield family are good, I can expect a considerable amount of freedom.
However, if I am going to initiate that plan, I need to know the circumstances of the Heinfield family in advance.
Therefore, there are many things I need to ask about.
“First, who is currently the head of the Heinfield family…?”
“It’s the eldest daughter. She’s a minor, so it was possible to have a proxy within the household, but there’s no one else who can succeed.
Just to be safe, we stationed some soldiers from the central army in the first year, but since we received a judgment that there were no problems with the defense, the eldest daughter has been installed in the lord’s seat according to regulations.”
I see. So it wasn’t that there was complete neglect for three years.
At least they must have checked to see if the monster population was being controlled.
However, I thought it was highly likely that her grandfather was still alive if she was around my age, but from the conversation, it seems he is no longer with us.
“Is the territory being managed properly…?”
Since she’s a minor, she’s probably about the same age as me. Three years ago, she would have been eleven.
There’s no way such a young girl could manage a territory properly…
“It seems there are no problems, according to the letters.
I’ve also glanced at a few of them, and if the letters were written by her, I would say she’s quite exceptional.”
What? That’s impressive. She must be quite a talented young woman.
That makes me want that position even more.
If it’s a curable illness, I want to do something about it…
“What is the name of her illness…?”
“…It’s the same as yours: magical overload expansion. Therefore, they say you would be able to relate to her.”
Me, the same…?
Ah, so that’s why she’s been called ugly for being overweight…
As I showed my understanding, my father displayed a pained expression.
Seeing that expression finally made me understand what my father had been angry about.
Since both would die from the same illness, he felt that there wouldn’t be any lingering resentment afterward.
It seemed he couldn’t accept the notion that two ugly people who would soon die could be viewed as suitable companions.
On top of that, the situation where it was decided that the inheritance would be passed to the sister before she died.
It was indeed a little off-putting that this was done merely to make it easier for the younger sister to accept.
However, I have already overcome the illness of magical overload expansion.
I had been anticipating that I could probably cure it for quite some time, so I think, since I’ve been specially chosen, I might as well utilize this opportunity.
My body, which is presumed to have exceeded its limits and gained excess weight, has already started to lose weight gradually.
This illness occurs when there is too much magical power after birth, and it manifests when the saturated magical power cannot be released.
Before one learns to control their magical power, if it accumulates too much, it becomes so swollen that it solidifies, making it difficult to release it and causing the body to continue forming solid masses.
Once the body learns how to release it, it supposedly does so on its own before exceeding the limits, even while sleeping, but the later the control is learned, the harder it becomes, and it is believed that once one enters the realm of being overweight and progresses to being considered fat, it becomes impossible to release the magical power
When the density of magical power in the body reaches its limit, the body attempts to increase its volume to create a magical storage, with the magic automatically compensating for the energy needed by the body, causing any food consumed to be stored as fat.
That said, it’s not as simple as just not eating; it’s a troublesome affliction.
Since birth, I had an enormous amount of magical power, and by the time I understood language, I was already said to be in a difficult condition.
I secluded myself in the library to learn magic in an attempt to cure my illness. After about ten years, I discovered a method to release solidified magical power and devised a spell for weight loss.
This technique has not been revealed yet.
I still wanted to remain a failure, so I hadn’t told my father about it either.
But if that’s the case, I could cure that child too.
Wait…
But what would happen in that case?
As I pondered this, I confided in my father about it.
I told him that I could probably cure them.
“What, what did you say?! Can, can Licht really avoid dying?!”
My father, with his eyes wide open in shock, tightly grabbed my shoulders and shook me violently.
“I—I can’t say for certain since I’ve only lost a little weight, but don’t shake me like that!”
I was shaken by my excited father, but he soon regained his composure, and we returned to the topic of engagement.
“So, you can also save your fiancée… Hmmm. This could lead to something interesting.”
My father had a rather mischievous look on his face…
I hope it doesn’t lead to any troublesome situations.
Thinking this, I voiced my concerns.
“Surely you’re not suggesting we take over the Heinfield family or something like that, right?”
“Fool! It’s just that you can marry and be happy while benefiting our family!”
Seeing my father fuming, wondering what he thought of me, I felt a wave of relief.
Ah, having a strong connection to the head of the gravekeeper’s family would indeed be a significant asset from the perspective of the ducal family.
Considering I was about to be used as a pawn, this is quite a fortunate turn of events.
This mischievous look might also have some implications regarding revenge against the emperor.
“Alright, let’s hurry up. We’ll prepare the funds and personnel. I’ll send out a letter immediately. Go now!”
“Uh, I just heard about this… what about school?”
Even if you suddenly want me to enter another family during the summer break without any mental preparation…
Such things should typically be dealt with during the engagement period, where one interacts with the other’s family to close the distance.
Thinking that, I brought up the school, but it seemed my father was too excited.
“Don’t worry about that! You can take a leave of absence until you settle down! Your recovery celebration takes precedence over such trivial matters!
No, it’s better not to make it public yet…
Then let’s hold a grand engagement announcement later. Yes, that’s a good idea!”
“Please stop. I haven’t even inquired about the other party’s circumstances yet,” I tried to halt my father, but my cheeks were relaxing.
It was because he was this delighted to know that I could survive.
After that, a family meeting was held, and my father informed the family that I was on the path to recovery from my illness.
He also mentioned that we should keep my treatment a secret as a family matter.
Ignoring that, my mother hugged me so tightly I felt like I couldn’t breathe, while my two brothers and sister called for me to tell them about what had happened after dinner.
The discussion was about the engagement with the Heinfield family.
Since I hadn’t heard that much from my father, it took only a few minutes to convey the gist of what I learned when summoned.
“In other words, you, a failure, will marry the lady baron and live a grand life?”
“Huh!? Don’t mess with me! You, who have done no effort at all!”
The eldest brother, Robert, glared at me fiercely, while the second brother, Bront, started to get angry that I would have better circumstances than him, and both of them sighed in unison with my sister, Retreina.
“Sigh… You two really are idiots. Yes, you’re foolish… complete fools.
Licht is merely playing dumb because you two are so stupid.
If I were to be considered below you, I would have no choice but to fail!”
As usual, my two brothers couldn’t stand others’ successes, but my sister suddenly said that, causing me to involuntarily exclaim, “Huh…?”
My two brothers froze, looking at my sister.
To us, she sighed and continued, “Haven’t you realized even after hearing about the development of magic?”
“Even you, Licht? You think I wouldn’t notice you taking tests at school?
It’s impossible that you, who are always buried in magic books, wouldn’t have your name on the magic studies display board!
Since you’ve been helping around the house since you were young, it should also show you have high intelligence…
While these two might be alright, if you want to fool me, you should think a bit before acting.”
Uh… I had completely forgotten that they would notice it at home.
Whether in the royal capital or back in the territory, I had spent ten years living a life of reading only books without caring for outside opinions.
Geography and history naturally seeped into my mind.
At the very least, I should have been placed in the top fifty in magic studies, which I was known to be studying.
“Once again, I’ve learned a lot, sister.”
Despite everything, my sister always tried to look after me.
I bowed my head in gratitude to her.
“Hehe, Licht is such a good boy, being honest like that. You wouldn’t want to have conflicts with these fools by hiding it, would you?
But make sure to get better soon, okay?
Your kindness is a virtue, but you can’t prioritize only your fiancée.”
With a gentle laugh, my sister ruffled my hair roughly, and I told her, “It’s alright. At least the danger to my life has passed,” which earned me a bit of a glare, but in the end, she supported me, saying, “For now, focus on your own matters.”
After our family gathering ended, I returned to my daily life for a week.
Finally, I was set to depart with a total of twenty people to the Heinfield Barony.
