Marius had instantly become the talk of the town.
Specifically, he found young maids and serving girls in the royal palace casting him flirtatious glances and smiles, and invitations from noble ladies arrived daily.
Furthermore, letters from mages, both male and female, petitioning to become his disciples, flooded in.
“I never realized the Demonplay was such an amazing competition,” Marius grumbled to a rare gathering of Lovisa, Lucas, Raymond, Yaders, and his maids Emma, Aina, and Remika.
The fanfare upon their return from Balderra Fortress had been significant, but that had been more from the common folk. Many had simply needed time to process the unbelievable reality of recapturing a fortress with a single magic spell; Marius hadn’t dwelled on that. This time, the reaction was due to the “Demonplay Championship” – a more easily digestible outcome. The defeat of the demon Samuel was kept from the public. No one would likely believe it anyway. While whispers had naturally spread among those who had witnessed the event, national governments had seemingly coordinated to control the information, preventing it from escalating.
“Lord Marius probably doesn’t quite grasp it. I’ve never won before, so I always felt rather awkward,” Lucas said playfully.
“The atmosphere of the tournament was quite pleasant this time. It was much more cutthroat in Ranleo,” Emma chimed in.
“Indeed, the last one was terrible…” Lovisa, who had also attended the previous tournament, scowled. Sensing the mood, Marius was glad this time had gone well.
“However, Lord Marius, your life will be quite hectic from now on. The barrage of romantic advances will likely begin soon.”
“Haa…” Marius responded listlessly to Yaders’ teasing remark. Even with such an obvious change of heart from others, he only intended to decline politely. However, at that moment, Marius had forgotten the possibility that the ethics of this world might differ from his own. He was therefore surprised by Emma’s subsequent words.
“You should choose your principal wife with great care.”
“…What? A principal wife? Not just a girlfriend?” It took him several seconds to comprehend what he was told, after which he asked back, somewhat dazed.
“Yes. No one would object to Lord Marius.” Lucas and Yaders, as well as the women, nodded without hesitation.
(What? What’s going on?) Marius was the only one who couldn’t keep up with the conversation.
“This country, or rather, this continent, practices polygamy. Though, it’s limited to nobles, court mages, and those of similar standing.”
“In short, they want individuals with high abilities to have as many children as possible,” Lucas and Yaders continued in turn. This was an exception even in Filat, a country that was not tolerant of the so-called “tyranny of the strong.” Deaths were a daily and chronic occurrence due to inter-state skirmishes, the machinations of demons, and battles with monsters. Insisting on monogamy could lead to a catastrophic decline in population. This was also a weakness, as it meant they couldn’t simply discard individuals like Ashton’s faction, who, despite having difficult personalities, possessed undeniable abilities.
“Haa,” Marius could only muster a noncommittal reply. He had been a fan of “harem” stories. In his previous world, he owned multiple books and games that allowed him to enjoy such scenarios. However, this was the real world, and even though he was told he could have such a life, the weight of his years spent in his original world prevented him from jumping into it immediately. In the country where he was born and raised, monogamy was the norm, and enjoying such themes through fiction was standard.
Noticing Marius’s reaction, Lucas decided that persistent encouragement would be counterproductive and asked about his preferences in women.
“Speaking of which, Lord Marius, what kind of women do you prefer?” It was the kind of question one might exchange with a friend at least once. Marius, finding it strange that the other person was roughly his parent’s age, replied, “Haa. Perhaps a woman with a strong core, a pure heart, and strength.” He then glanced at Lovisa. It was Marius’s way of making an approach. Everyone except Aina and Remika noticed this, but they showed no outward reaction. Marius, mistaking this for a lack of response, finished his tea somewhat dejectedly and returned to his research on developing magic items.
“Lady Lovisa, you should have shown some reaction,” Emma admonished after Marius left the room, and Lucas and Yaders nodded in agreement. Lovisa also regretted her inaction, replying, “You’re right.” Aina and Remika, bewildered by the situation, blinked in confusion. Emma then assigned them tasks and sent them out of the room. Unlike Emma, they held relatively lowly positions as maids, and there wasn’t much information they could be privy to. Having learned the folly of confronting Marius during the Demonplay, various countries would undoubtedly attempt to charm him using different methods. Their attempt at normalizing relations with Filat was considered the decent approach; however, the possibility of them using manipulation tactics or even attempting to poach him was extremely high. In fact, several related official documents had arrived, forcing Filat to consider its national response. Several individuals believed to be operatives had also been spotted in the background, but it was difficult to ascertain their full extent. This was because their intelligence network had been forced to rebuild following the recent conflict with Hordia and was still in the process of doing so. Fortunately, Marius himself didn’t seem inclined to leave Filat, and he appeared to have an interest in Lovisa, so they hoped to advance their relationship. This was especially true if Lovisa herself was willing. If Marius and Lovisa were to marry, no country would likely attempt to poach him.
“Yes. I understand,” Lovisa replied, nodding firmly. However, her sense of duty as a princess seemed to be overriding her personal feelings, leaving Emma and the others with a slight unease.
Returning to his room, Marius began infusing the prepared materials with magic. In this world, the development of magic items was, in principle, created by imbuing existing magic into materials. There were likely other manufacturing methods for effects that couldn’t be explained this way. While Filat’s magic item development was one of its income sources, Lucas and the other court mages were merely using existing manufacturing methods. They lacked a genius developer like Isabella of Hordia, nor could they manufacture on a national scale like Ranleo. This was precisely why Marius intended to be their breakthrough. His salary would also increase accordingly. It was then that Marius realized he hadn’t received his salary even once. The surprise attack by the Hordia army and other circumstances had made it impossible.
(Well, if I don’t get paid by the end of this month, it’ll be fine.) He reached a conclusion easily. As long as he lived in the royal palace, living expenses were practically free. Pestering busy people about salary payments for tasks like rebuilding the country felt rather petty. There was a saying in his original country: “A samurai starves but remains dignified.” He didn’t consider himself that noble a person, though.
What Marius began working on was the creation of a hot spring excavation item. Over half of the hot springs scattered throughout the country had reportedly dried up. Although he wondered if new springs could be dug when others had depleted, as someone from a hot spring-loving culture, he wanted to extract them if possible. The twelfth-level magic “Blow” could be used for simply digging holes in the ground, but unlike Nungaro, he needed to assemble the actual machinery. “Blow” had to be incorporated into the machine. Fortunately, someone else was in charge of assembly, so Marius only needed to add magic that could be used by anyone who infused their magic. The troublesome part was that Marius’s magic repelled the magic of others. Until this was overcome, it couldn’t be made usable by everyone. Perhaps hot spring excavation should be a state-owned business operated by the country…
“By the way, what do you need?” Marius asked, without turning away from the person who had stealthily sneaked in through the window. The person, startled by the sudden address, froze for a moment before responding.
“I am from the Berganda Empire. I wished to meet you, whom I admire, and have come here despite my shame.” Marius was completely unfazed by the heavily flattering voice. He merely thought that what Bernhard III and others had worried about had indeed come to pass.
“First of all, I do not approve of those who sneak in.” The woman seemed polite despite her manner of entry, so he answered her as he turned around. He was slightly displeased that the Emperor of Berganda might think a young beauty’s words would sway him. Sensing the unfavorable turn of events from Marius’s attitude, the woman calmly explained her true position.
“I apologize for my rude intrusion. However, this is a matter of life and death for us.”
“Life and death?” Marius, though aware he was being manipulated, couldn’t help but ask.
“Yes. While one is generally free to serve in another country, it is different for someone with your status and abilities. Filat’s intelligence services would not stand idly by.” It made sense when he thought about it. For someone like Marius, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say he could increase or decrease a nation’s military strength. In essence, the woman’s mission was a recruitment attempt disguised as a romantic advance. Filat, like any other country, didn’t prohibit relationships or marriages with people from other nations. However, the reality was that they would kill anyone who facilitated the emigration of individuals with abilities and status to other countries where they could gain positions. Hence, those who were caught doing such recruitment work, like the woman before him, would be killed.
(Well, it’s far more plausible than suddenly being proposed to…) Both an increase in suitors and recruitment attempts were expected in Filat. Even with these expectations, Filat’s power imbalance was clear in their respectful approach to Marius’s personal wishes. Bernhard III did not try to hide it. With the exception of Ashton’s faction, most people readily believed the story of “demon subjugation,” so there was almost no backlash.
“Still, how did you manage to get into the royal palace?” Marius couldn’t help but sigh, wondering what Filat’s intelligence department was even doing. Even in its current state of reorganization, they couldn’t detect someone who should be killed upon discovery.
“I say this myself, but it’s not that difficult to slip through Filat’s current intelligence network,” she continued, adding that the blow from the battle with Hordia seemed to have been significant. Marius felt like cursing under his breath. Sensing his attitude, the woman simply presented her offer, “They are offering a salary of one million diels per month,” and then quickly vanished. Marius didn’t pursue her. However, he decided he should report the contact from the Berganda individual. First, he needed to inform them about the presence of individuals like the woman within the country and urge them to strengthen their security. He also thought he should inquire about the “one million diels per month” offer to gauge its value. Yet, the situation had progressed further than Marius had anticipated.
“This is Filatos. It looks more prosperous than Ranleo. If we can’t get along, this country has no future,” a young girl said, gazing with interest at the royal capital Filatos, accompanied by guards and maids. Her words, though dark, were delivered in a tone that was the antithesis of solemnity.
“P-Princess…” Her name was Barra, and she held the status of a princess of the Kingdom of Ranleo.
