The month of June had arrived.
My mother and Elze were in good health.
Ziegwald was being taken around by Grandma and Grandpa, it seems. Alexander’s children, Rosemary and Helmut, were also accompanying them.
Wait, am I the only one being left out?
On this day, when I returned from the academy, I saw a noble carriage stopped in front of our mansion. With its golden decoration, it looked like a carriage belonging to high-ranking nobles.
If it was a guest, I would expect them to enter the mansion with the carriage, so why was it stopped in front of the gate? Now my own carriage can’t even get inside.
Looking closer, I saw our knights and the temple knights arguing with a man who seemed to be a butler. It felt like trouble was brewing.
Captain Susanna asked for the carriage to be moved, but the carriage wouldn’t budge. Instead, the butler was coming towards us.
“Isn’t that the carriage of Marquis Roxford? Please, help us!” the butler exclaimed.
What a sudden request. Shouldn’t you at least introduce yourself or apologize for your rudeness before asking for help? Perhaps he’s just panicking, but he doesn’t seem like a very good butler to me.
I called over the knight who had been talking with the butler and asked for an explanation.
“The person’s master is apparently in a condition where they may not survive until tomorrow.”
“And which family’s butler is this?”
“He refuses to tell us the family name.”
Well, if that’s the case, there’s no reason to deal with him.
If he’s asking for help but won’t even tell us the family name, it’s just too disrespectful. It also seems suspicious.
“Should we take action ourselves?” I suggested.
“No, that’s fine. Let’s go to the west gate instead,” Captain Susanna replied.
“But, the head of the family is…” a knight started.
“Which gate we use doesn’t matter. Also, could you check the family crest for me?” I asked.
“Understood!”
As soon as we started moving the carriage, it came to a sudden stop. I almost ended up diving into Lara’s well-endowed chest in front of me. That would have been interesting in its own way, but what in the world is going on?
“You!”
I heard Captain Susanna’s angry voice.
“Please! Please help my master!” the butler cried.
“Shut up, you fool!” Captain Susanna shouted.
The butler was being restrained by the temple knights.
Honestly…
I got out of the carriage and spoke not to the restrained butler but to the person inside the carriage.
“Introduce yourself and your family name immediately.”
The carriage door opened, and a man, around fifty years old, emerged. His cheeks were hollow, and his complexion was bad. Additionally, his nose had swollen up, making his appearance even more unpleasant.
“I am… a marquis,” he weakly said.
His voice lacked strength.
He must be suffering from an illness. That’s why he came to me. That’s fine, but if I’m asking for your family name, why only mention your title?
“Are you the so-called Toma?”
He spoke condescendingly, didn’t he?
We’re both marquises, so maybe he should be more careful with his words. Or is he underestimating me because I’m just a child?
“That’s right. Now, can you move this carriage? It’s blocking the way.”
“I will have you cure my illness.”
This kind of person is exactly why my grandfather is selective in his choices. Those who don’t make the cut have their reasons for being left out.
“What is going on here!?” My grandfather had arrived.
“This is the front of the Roxford Marquis house! Move this carriage immediately! Otherwise, we will treat you as a threat to the Roxford family and remove you!”
The marquis clicked his tongue and reached out towards me. Captain Susanna grabbed his hand and twisted it.
“Ugh, you! Do you know who I am!?”
“Don’t speak nonsense when you won’t even give your family name!” Captain Susanna retorted.
Captain Susanna twisted the marquis’ arm and threw him.
“Ahhh!” he screamed.
“How dare you touch Toma! Don’t worry, let’s destroy this carriage!”
“Leave it to me!”
Ben suddenly jumped out.
He had been studying at the mansion, learning to read, write, and calculate, but it seemed he had heard the commotion and rushed over.
Ben eagerly swung his morning star. The carriage was split in half, and the horses neighed before running off.
“Toma, there’s no need to deal with such a fool. Come inside,” my grandfather said.
“Yes, grandfather.”
The knights moved the destroyed carriage out of the way. The self-proclaimed marquis had fainted with his eyes rolled back, and his knights were quickly subdued by Captain Susanna and the others.
I got into the carriage and entered the mansion, where I relaxed in the living room with my grandfather.
“That man had syphilis,” my grandfather said.
“Syphilis? He’s a man of loose morals. Serves him right,” I replied.
The marquis, called Lidhark, was a proper noble. However, he had syphilis, and his condition was quite severe.
Syphilis can resurface even after symptoms have subsided, so it’s an infection that often worsens after years.
“That man won’t last much longer,” my grandfather said.
It seemed like he had been suffering from syphilis for over ten years. It probably won’t be long before he dies.
“I don’t care. It’s better for the people in his territory if he dies. They won’t have to suffer any longer,” my grandfather said harshly.
Apparently, the marquis was very arrogant and had been causing suffering to his people. However, his son was reportedly a much more reasonable person.
So, my grandfather said that it would be better for the people if the marquis either retired or died soon.
While harsh, I agree that nobles who oppress their people should be removed.
Even when the marquis from Lidhark asked my grandfather for medical treatment, he refused. That’s because the marquis had been causing suffering to his people. My grandfather, therefore, chooses which nobles to treat, based on such judgments.
Under kingdom law, there are many vicious nobles who cannot be dealt with.
Nobles who hold land are, in a sense, like kings of their territories. This country is like a federation of small kingdoms ruled by these local “kings.” As such, the authority of these local rulers is very strong.
While the king’s power is immense, if it’s misused, it can lead to rebellion, as the local rulers could turn against him.
That’s why proper trials are held, and those trials are made public to the nobles. If corrupt or biased rulings are made, it could cause dissatisfaction among the nobles, which could eventually lead to rebellion.
