Volume 7 Chapter 4: Pardoned from the Zealot

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Author: 夜州 (Yashu)

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The carriage stopped in front of the mansion, and Cain and the bishop got out.

Ragnaf, who had led them there, was standing in the middle, with his servants all lined up.

“I, Ragnaf, am overjoyed to be able to welcome you here, Bishop-sama. It might only be for one night, but please, do relax. I shall show you inside, please come this way.”

“Count Ragnaf, thank you for letting us stay here. I heard from Margrave Silford that you are a zealous believer. I would quite like to have a chat later.”

“O-of course! Sir Silford also came. Please take it easy.”

“It has been a long time, Sir Ragnaf. Thank you for letting us stay here.”

Having greeted each other smiling, the three of them went into the mansion, Count Ragnaf leading the way. Showed there by a servant, Cain went to his room, changed clothes, then headed to the reception room.

Cain had changed clothes in his room to get ready for the chat.

“Seriously, do I really have to listen to him talk on and on for that long again… But the bishop’s here today too, and he said he’d take care of it on the way here…”

Cain called a servant to his room, and the two of them headed to the reception room.

◇◇◇

“Phew… I finally managed to slip out…”

Count Ragnaf had not stopped talking all through their chat and dinnertime, but the bishop had just started preaching, and he was now listening enraptured.

Unable to deal with Ragnaf any longer, Cain had excused himself citing fatigue from the trip, and retired to his room. However, he couldn’t rest then and there, and returned to Drintor with transfer magic.

Having returned to his office, Cain, Darmeshia and Alec held a meeting.

Normally, Cain left policies and such up to Alec, and only looked at the documents on really important matters.

“Anyway, you have it tough, Cain. You have to go to Marineford, but you still return here for work… You can use transfer magic, but still…”

“You’re here, Alec-nii-sama, so I can just leave Drintor to you. I’m wondering what will happen with all the new territory.”

Cain had become a margrave, and as his territory had expanded, he was embarking on the development of his new towns. He was having Lula go around each town with a bodyguard to complete a report on them all.

With future policies and building a highway to Drintor, there were many things that needed being done.

Alec had also prepared funds to help things along, raised from Drintor and its booming economy, so they currently weren’t in any money troubles. And while their funds on hand were decreasing, they wouldn’t hit the bottom.

“Well, if the city’s residents can do it, then I’ll have them do it myself, so you just deal with the Marineford case, Cain.”

“…Yeah, that’s true…”

When Hinata had gotten in contact with him, Cain had actually even been thinking of flying there. However, there was no way he could easily meet with Hinata, who was the Saint, and if he went as a noble of Esfort, he would have to apply beforehand through the bishop.

And especially with the huge incident of the pope’s assassination, the temple was also in chaos, so there was really no guarantee of him getting to meet Hinata.

So in the end, Cain was going to Marineford as the bishop’s bodyguard, and would be present in an audience with the Saint that way. He would also be able to meet Hinata in a private room via the bishop’s older brother, who was a cardinal.

Having had a discussion about the Drintor territory’s problematic points and asking Alec to take care of them, Cain left the office.

He walked down a corridor in the mansion, then knocked on the door of a guest room.

“…What? Oh, Cain?”

The door opened, and Lisabeth with her white hair and red eyes stuck her head out.

Her mansion in the royal capital wasn’t ready yet, and while she was supposed to be staying in Cain’s mansion in the royal capital, she had Transferred to Drintor saying it was more cosy.

And since Darmeshia was also a demon, she could just ask him for help if she ever needed it.

“I came over here so I thought I’d say hello…”

“Well fine, come on in then.”

Cain hesitated to go into a girl’s room, as it was already midnight, but defeated by the words ‘We’re already engaged so it doesn’t matter’, he stepped inside.

There was a cup on the table, and Cain guessed that she had been drinking black tea alone from the steam rising from it.

Cain sat down opposite Lisabeth, who placed another cup on the table and poured tea into it.

“There was another cup’s worth left. Don’t drink it too fast.”

Lisabeth also sat down, and elegantly picking up her cup, started to drink her tea.

“So then, what happened today? You should be going to the Holy Country of Marineford? Are you returning already?”

“No, we stopped in a town today, but I had a meeting with Alec-nii-sama, so I came back by magic. I’m done already, but I thought I’d see you before I return.”

Lisabeth looked away at Cain’s words, blushing.

“Even I’ll be embarrassed if you say such passionate things all of a sudden.”

Cain, who had not done it on purpose at all, scratched his cheek while smiling bitterly.

“Well, your mansion in the royal capital isn’t ready yet, so just take it easy here. Anyway, are you sure about not staying in my mansion in the royal capital? You can go there instantly with transfer magic, but…”

“I find Drintor easier to spend time in. If something happens, I can ask Darmeshia to help, and the food is also more delicious.”

“Then, I don’t really mind, but…”

The two of them chatted on for a while afterwards, then Cain left the mansion and returned to his guest room in Silbesta.

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