“Sorry to keep you waiting. Clarice will be here soon too.”
“Ah, Nina! You look so beautiful… as expected of a Duke’s daughter.”
“No, I’m being quite modest. This is a preliminary negotiation before the actual greeting.”
A preliminary negotiation before the pre-wedding greeting…?!
(It’s not pre-marital intercourse!)
That would mean something entirely different, and we’ve already settled that.
“Will there be a lot of negotiations involved?”
“Yes, even though both Derus and I have abandoned our noble status to become adventurers, it’s still a formal occasion where the Duke’s daughter is to receive the son of a Count, albeit an adopted one.”
This is where the complicated aspects of nobility come into play. Nina seems to want to clarify these matters, to ensure there will be no issues in the future.
(If it were up to me, eloping would be far simpler!)
“I am ready.”
“Clarice! Alright then, this will be our party.”
“Yes, this is purely a greeting, a preliminary one to the wedding greeting.”
She’s saying something similar to Nina. In short, it’s a “wait and see” or a “probing” situation.
(Our noble family, the Avacane family, doesn’t have that much power, you know.)
Besides, we’re in a different country, even a different continent.
“Now, Derus, this is the rest of what I was discussing earlier as the leader of Nina Starlights…”
“Ah, wait a moment. Before that, Nastasia and Camilla said they want to accompany us as guards.”
“Guards for whom?” “For Master Derus, of course!” “It’s Mr. Derus, miss! Mr. Derus, sir!”
Camilla’s speech pattern is all over the place.
(She’s worried about getting her collar tightened!)
For the record, they’ve changed into appropriate guard attire.
“…Fine, as long as you don’t overstep. However, you will follow my orders. Understood?”
“Thank you!” “We will protect Mr. Derus!” “I will give instructions regarding all of that as well.”
It feels like Nina has some ulterior motive for this. Perhaps it’s to show how important Derus has become, with guards accompanying him. I don’t quite understand what Nina is thinking in this regard.
(Maybe she hasn’t thought that far ahead at all!)
“May I proceed with my business now?”
“Yes, Nina, please do.”
“This is a greeting before the greeting. I want to inquire about a gift for the greeting.”
Ah, yes, yes, yes. A gift for the wedding. In this case, it’s like a return gift from the Duke’s family, which is receiving a groom from a Count’s family.
(This is something that requires discussion about what to give, according to the other party’s wishes.)
That’s what we’re going to do now.
“What do you think would be good, Derus?”
“Um, I don’t know. Something the Avacane family would want… maybe Brother-in-law Illion’s… but if I…”
“Indeed, I was thinking the same. As a token of gratitude for receiving Derus, I plan to give them an Elixir.”
Here come the life-saving items!
“…Honestly, isn’t that more like a gift between nations?”
“To me, it’s worth that much. It’s practically a bargain at this price.”
“Well, I suppose they would be delighted.”
The past me gave an Elixir that saved Brother Illion’s life. Now, it’s like sending an Elixir to be used for the Avacane family. Yes, if I gave it to the King, I’d probably get a higher title.
“Excuse me, is that alright?” “What is it, Clarice?”
“Should I also prepare something? Perhaps the staff I entrusted to the Church of the Goddess?”
“Clarice, don’t worry about it. This is a matter between nobles, and it’s the role of the main wife.”
Ah, I see. It’s true. Clarice doesn’t need to go out of her way to prepare something. If she did, I dread to think what Anju or others might bring.
“So, we’ll be giving an Elixir. That’s okay, right?”
“Hmm… It would be a gift from the entire ‘Nina Starlights,’ right?”
“What? If it needs to be from me personally, I can adjust things accordingly.”
No, that’s not what I meant.
“If it’s an item for the party, I’ll need consent not just from me, but also from Anju, Helen, and Nastasia.”
“I have no objections.” “Ah, me neither, Clarice.”
“Understood. I’ll get their post-approval later.” “Ah, yes, if that’s the case, then…”
So, it turns out I’ll be giving another Elixir to my family.
(It feels a little complicated, like my value has been reduced to the price of one Elixir.)
No, no, it’s strictly a “gift.” An extremely expensive gift, indeed.
“Shall we go then?”
“Understood. But even though this is a preliminary greeting, we won’t be going completely empty-handed.”
“I intend to present this as a tea treat.”
And what Nina took out of her Item Box was…!!
“It’s a high-class monaka!”
I still had some left!
(Then I’ll bring out my ‘Shamanias Continent Visit Cookies’.)
“Alright, that takes care of the souvenir. If there’s nothing else, Derus, it’s up to you.”
“Ah, right. Only I can go there.”
In an open space in the living room, I held up the Teleport Scroll, encompassing Nina, Clarice, Nastasia, and Camilla…
“Let’s go! To my hometown, in the Namusia Kingdom, on the Milishitan Continent, to Branusiava!!”
