Published at 2nd of May 2019 9:12 pm

Chapter 73: Listening To The Situation

This chapter is updated by NovelFree.ml

Liselotte Kretia’s trusted aide ―― Aria Gavaness was sighing without even showing any kind of change on her ice cold-like beauty.

All of it because the report of trouble that came in after she does hell-like volume of work this morning, just when she was about to treat herself to a bit late lunch in the prominent restaurant that’s still under the supervision of the RIkka firm after that.

Aria’s face is widely known in Rikka firm as the right-hand man(?) of Liselotte.

It just happened suddenly when Aria’s about to have a lunch in the restaurant, since the event that was happening is too much even for the manager, the blessing is that a girl employee was coming and made the report of the event to ask for the solution to her.

Though Aria didn’t have the reason to meet in person.

After cutting the normally murderous work schedule short, she is finally awarded with the precious lunchtime.

She won’t have a lunch in the restaurant if she knows that it’ll turn out this way, it’ll be better if she takes a lunch in the Liselotte mansion.

(Well, since it looks like there’ll likely be followed by some sort of work if I stay in the mansion, that’s why I escaped all the way till this restaurant)

「In short, the guest noble is starting to say selfish things, can’t be stopped, and finally entering into the terrace in which another guest is currently having lunch at？ If I recall is that why their noisy voice is……」

Aria was asking the employee girl after confirming the summary of the event from the girl that is slightly off the mark which might be because she’s flustered.

「Y-Yeah！ That’s right. Though the manager already tried to stop them, those nobles and the people that they bring won’t listen to him…… The atmosphere is still tense even now. I feel that the women who are following them is also at fault, that kind of guest is the first time！ 」

The employee girl is answering as if laying bare her resentment.

If you hear, for some reason nobles never caused any kind of problem in this restaurant.

This time, Aria has come to conclusion that the noble is coming from another place in an instant.

Though Liselotte received many scorns behind her back as a daughter who chewed on her parents fortune when she was first appointed as prefectural governor of Almond.

Her quick wits continuous on developing the hectic Almond, managing the biggest domestic firm called Rikka firm, from her various kind of talent, Liselotte established a well-known fact that she’s not a mere duke’s daughter.

A merchant’s most important thing is trust, they hate someone who broke the agreement and falsehood.

Liselotte is doing more than managing a firm, she might even lose the trust as a merchant if she lost her ability to act impartial as a prefectural governor.

And then, once she lost that trust, it’s extremely difficult to regain it back.

That’s the reason Liselotte is well-known as an impartial prefectural governor.

Though of course she is more or less flexible in the way that can’t be seen if there’s some circumstances which forced her to do that behind the scene, she’s officially keeping up with her impartial image outside.

Liselotte purged and crushed the seed of rebellion in the noble-tachi who is involved in corruption and embezzlement in a cruel way when she was just appointed.

It was kind of showing off a warning about her impartiality even if it’s the merchant who’s plotting on the impartiality of the public business.

The result for that is, She gained trust as a merchant, or prefectural governor.

Because she chose to not show favouritism even to nobles, the current Liselotte is completely being praised extravagantly as an idol amongst the commoners who is also a merchant in this city.

There’s even that kind of event as a trigger, the nobles which is in Almond right now is pledging their loyalty from the bottom of their heart to her, she really is terrifying person.

The probability of the nobles who’s serving under her to cause that kind of problem is extremely low.

That’s why when Aria heard that report in the beginning, she calmly made a judgement that the one that’s causing the problem might be a noble from another place.

Moreover, that noble didn’t know the rumor about Liselotte.

With aforementioned premise, when Aria confirming with the list of the staying domestic or foreign noble in her head, the people who became the suspect naturally came out.

The highest on the list is probably the nobles who came from Bertram kingdom.

The nobles of that kingdom have extremely high pride, even Aria knows that from her experience.

It’s already appropriate to say that they’re just bluffing.

Though she couldn’t say for Galwark kingdom or another country, Bertram kingdom is somehow putting the honor of the noble as a national characteristic.

In an extreme situation, it’s often repeated and became famous “There are no truths by throwing one name, they are just abandoning the truth.

That’s why the nobles of this kingdom are troublesome to deal with when they’re making a mistake.

On the other hand, they’re easy to handle once you know how to do it.

Though they couldn’t debate them as a rule.

Since there’s exception amongst them, since there’s many of this kind of existence in history who exercises their authority in the politics of Bertram kingdom again and again.

「But for the time being, I think that they’re nothing but fools who doesn’t even know about their own situation if they say that they’re Bertram kingdom nobles. Ha~h, even though it’s a feast and rest which I managed to wrest off after such trouble……」

After saying that line with a monotone voice, Aria was shaking her head as if being sad as if the end of the world has come.

She could do nothing but to see the many wonderful meals flying in front of her eyes. [TL : Just imagine it like flying cabbage from konosuba]

Something like having a lunch while slowly enjoying her break is a extremely rare occassion.

(And yet, why must I do something like mediating a quarrel――)

(unforgivable)

Her feeling is nothing but unwilling to do that.

「P-Please don’t say such a thing and help us quickly！ A this rate, we and manager will be fired you know！ And just when the long awaited time for salary raise was about to come！ 」

The girl was pleading as if asking to a god.

The above mentioned was the event time in the restaurant, in the distant future, when thinking about raising a report at the chief himself, it’s a bit of an inconvenience to go through which even Aria wasn’t aware of.

[TL : It’s about direct report from supervisor to manager or indirect report from sales[under supervisor] to manager, something like that]

Even so, after hearing the story she feels that it’s nothing but a bit too much for a mere manager.

The suspect is a high class noble of the foreign country which is also rotten, his neck might fly if he’s doing it unskillfully, which is also bad from the standpoint of the store.

It’s not because the request of the girl before her, it’s for an extremely selfish reason and because it’s the firm under management of her own master, so Aria’s raising her lazy bump.

「Understood. Where’s the room？ Can you guide me to there」

「Y-Yeah！ This way！ 」

The girl’s expression turned bright with “PAH” in hearing Aria words.

Following the girl as it is, Aria was heading toward the terrace seat.

「Don’t-mess-with……」

「I-Will-Kill you. Kill. I really will kill you……」

Just as she was arriving in front of the terrace, she could hear a somehow not-so-gentle voice.

Wondering who’s the victim and the assailant who was seemingly saying nothing but small fry-like words.

In the first place, Aria even coming in hurry, she heard that the culprit who caused the trouble is nothing but a noble, she didn’t hear about the social class of the victim.

Judging from the dangerous atmosphere of the place, it seems one or both of the side is resorting to use [the]force.

She really wonders why this kind of bad trouble happening which amounts to nothing but the lowest kind of trouble to happen during her own break time.

Aria’s sighed a little.

「That’s enough. What has happened, may I ask about the situation？ 」

She asked with a nice and easy to hear voice while entering the terrace.

The line of sight of the people in that place is gathering at Aria at once.

There’s 5 people sitting surrounding the table, a black clothed swordsman standing in the way to protect them, 2 men with knight attire[Trash], 4 woman who gives an air of doing night business, and then the manager who’s standing idle at his place on the edge of the terrace[spectator mode].

The manager blatantly showing a relieved expression in seeing Aria’s face.

That moment, when her line of sight met with the blond haired girl who was sitting on the seat, though Aria feels some sort of discomfort from the fact that the blond haired girl was showing a somewhat surprised expression, she immediately turned her attention toward the impending trouble.

（Though I expected that he shouldn’t do an poorly acted intervention, it’s somehow unreliable huh）

Aria was lamenting a bit about the timid manager in the bottom of her heart.

Because each and every person who is serving under the the prefectural governor, Liselotte, is being trained personally by Aria, they are just given passing marks at the last moment.

But, for Rikka firm which working in extensive project, the lack of capable manpower is a source of her annoyance.

Though it doesn’t mean that the manager of this restaurant can be called as incapable person, she’ll be quite grateful if he could firmly cope toward this kind of troublesome noble.

「This man did an impolite act toward us！」

Alphonse suddenly spoke to Aria with loud voice while pointing at Rio.

All the while gripping the hilt of the sword which already lost it’s blade in his hand.

Aria’s eyes was opened slightly wide when she entered the room and catching a glimpse of broken blade of the sword which is sticking on the floor.

But, Aria’s line of sight immediately moved to Rio almost without showing her shock on her face.

Rio was looking back at Aria without showing an agitated expression.

After looking at each other’s eyes for several seconds, Aria’s looking back at Alphonse and started doing an investigation to the people who she deemed as the suspect.

「Excuse me, you are？ My name is Aria Gavaness. I’m the grand chamberlain who works under Liselotte Kretia-sama, the prefectural governor of Almond」

She asked for his origin while doing her self-introduction.

Though Gavaness house is originally a scrap of the nobles of the Bertram kingdom, something like the name of the long ruined noble house isn’t even in the corner of Stead and Alphonse head who is a prodigal son.

On the other hand, Rio was groping inside his memories as he feels that he heard Aria Gavness’s name from somewhere.

[TL : Try to re-read Act 1, she’s the maid who trimmed Rio hair]

And then, he immediately realized.

Though Celia said it before that her friend called Aria was working under the duke daughter of kretia, maybe there’s no doubt about it.

The truth is that apart from that, though Rio met Aria before just once, that was the story when Rio just regained the memory of his previous life.

At that time is when Aria was also working as a apprentice court lady in the Royal palace of Bertram kingdom.

It’s not only the name as he feels that he saw her face somewhere but, he leaves that matter for now, based just on the fact that Aria is Celia’s friend, he slightly strengthened his vigilance toward Aria.

「Fu, I see ……….. I am Alphonse Rodan」

Alphonse is disclosing his lineage with a sullen expression.

Though Alphonse was trying to one-sidedly make Rio look like the one who’s at fault, it was too bad that he was facing the too much calm and cold headed Aria.

If one is speaking of a grand chamberlain, they’re the close aide amongst close aide who serves a high ranking noble.

The content of their work is wide, they also have a great amount of authority.

When that kind of person is appearing in this place, she can’t be held back from Alphonse and Stead.

Though he thought that she’s a nice woman, Alphonse vageuely felt that Aria was a hindrance.

「May I hear about the lineage of that gentleman over there？」

Aria was calling to Stead next for his lineage.

「Stead Euguno」

Stead answered with a disgruntled expression.

They already said their name to Rio-tachi, they didn’t even use an alias in this place.

Even Stead was starting to feel discomfort at the somehow out of place feeling in Aria’s excessively calm attitude.

「I see. Are you with the distinguished noble person of Bertram kingdom. I’m more convinced when I see the engraved crest on both of your cloth armor」

Aria said while smiling lightly.

「I see. So what with it？ We’re people of prestigious noble houses. And yet this commoner was impolite to us！ 」

Maybe because they think that everything will pass if they use their parent pedigree even in this place, Stead-tachi’s expression became slightly better.

Maybe that’s why they regained their moment and blamed Rio again.

Rio was looking at them with a bored expression.

「May I ask what is this impolite act？」

Though the situation can roughly guessed by looking at the surroundings, Aria was trying to tell that truth from Stead personally.

「That…… Was. He was showing a provocative attitude！ 」

Stead explained with faltering words.

Though Rio’s attitude to Stead-tachi was certainly many would say he was fed up with them, he certainly didn’t show any bad conduct which is surpassing the degree for an interaction toward a noble as an object.

Therefore Stead couldn’t do nothing but give a vague answer as he can’t say what part of Rio’s conduct which shows that he’s impolite.

「As expected, well it won’t be enough with just that…….. Will you to a bit clearer in explaining about something that you call as impolite conduct？ 」

「Of course it is！ Impolite conduct is impolite conduct！ You don’t need to know about that！ 」

Stead was yelling back to Aria question.

Because they’re high ranking noble.

They’re never wrong anywhere.

The commoner should just keep quiet and hear what the noble said.

The commoner who didn’t obey the noble is a criminal with only that much.

What is so difficult to just snatch the live of that kind of commoner.

No, why must they be blaming and snatching the life of a commoner who’s certainly innocent.

Ah right.

Because they’re not wrong.

This delicate looking man was the one at fault.

Making a complete turn after feeling embarrassed, Stead was inclining his emotion toward a unreasonable direction.

When giving a sidelong glance at Alphonse on his side, somehow he was also showing a similar mental state.

Though it’s nothing more than a desperate mental state due to their agitation.

Maybe because they think about how to make a comeback as soon as possible.

「Judging from the situation of the site, are you trying to say that your side was beaten in your own game when you tried to start a punishment by means of duel or maybe impolite strike to him？」

It can’t be helped that Aria was asking by deducting what has happened.

「……T-That’s right」

Stead answering that with cramped face.

Though they didn’t want to admit the fact that they was beaten in their own game, a fact is a fact.

The meaning of impolite strike is, in the case when the “honor of the noble” is disgraced by a commoner, the law won’t even care even if they kill the commoner who disgraced their honor to restore their “honor of the noble”.

Basically, there’s extremely few in number of the country established law applying in the national level during this era in the Strahl region, so each of the feudal lords decided their own unique law which then is stated explicitly as the common law.

Part 6

Though the system called impolite strike is varying in detail, it’s few of the universal law which exists in most of the countries law.

Though this makes one think that this system is actually complete garbage, the fault of this system is that there’s a requirement to use it as a brake so it won’t be misused.

First, there’s no need to judge it as disgracing one’s honor if it’s at the level of insulting speech and conduct during a quarrel, there’s no need to judge the disgraced honor if it’s not in case where there’s no apology from the commoner who does the insulting speech and conduct which is smashing the honor of the noble.

And, assuming that if there’s no witness who witnessed the incident as a third party which is unrelated to both sides.

And then, one can’t use impolite strike unless caught red-handed, It’s inexcusable from doing impolite strike by blaming at the bygones statement by bringing a witness in the future.

In case the former agreement couldn’t be applied for impolite strike, the matter will be settled by means of duel.

Nonetheless, there’s loophole in the impolite strike, it’s something that undeniably extremely advantage of the system for the noble.

Even if it’s not fulfilling the actual requirement, the treatment for the legality of the impolite strike will be overlooked, there’s many cases in which not many even try to do whatsoever of criticism to the noble who killed the commoner.

That part is depending on the noble and royalty who’s in charge of that area, in this case is under the decision of Liselotte.

Though in this case, Stead-tachi is treated as the rebel force from the government of Bertram kingdom, Galwark kingdom is officially accepting them as a noble of the Bertram kingdom.

Though impolite strike can be performed even under the jurisdiction of the foreign power, it’ll come with a little severe requirement compared with doing it in one’s own nation, and Stead-tachi completely failed to understand the important detail of that part.

「I see. Well then, is this case fulfilling the requirement of the impolite strike？ 」

Aria asked Stead-tachi with uninterested tone.

「That’s…… Uhm……」

Alphonse is hestitating to answer it.

After Aria who’s considered as the chief vassal[grand chamberlain] of Liselotte appear, any poorly made lie will probably only wring out their own neck.

Because speaking of Rio showing a bit of a provocative attitude to them, it’s obvious that the requirement of impolite strike isn’t fulfilled in this case.

Though many nobles is a little overboard for trying to kill a commoner with this reason.

Rather, if one’s to honestly speak, Rio’s the victim, on the contrary, Stead-tachi is the perpetrator who acted violently even as far as finally attempting in killing someone after behaving rudely inside the store.

There’s many witnesses in the vicinity, they’re not even secretly preparing a necessary lie in their current situation.

It’ll cause them a big trouble if a contradicting point with the statement of the witnesses appear by their poorly made lie.

Though they can twist the truth as much as they want by pinning the fault to Rio thereafter if it was the Rio in his childhood when he still in Bertram kingdom, it was quite reckless of them to slash at him without thinking about how much the consequences are in the foreign country.

But, even to the last moment, Stead-tachi is doing nothing but complaining, let alone reflecting in their reckless action.

In the first place, they don’t even feel that they’re acting reckless.

Why a high ranking noble like them is angry.

「Father！ I’ll report this to father！ 」

And soon starting to spout such things in desperation.

「Certainly, a report is a must. Though, you can’t report this matter unless what you say is the truth of what happened just now 」

Aria was shaking her head while giving a cold answer.

「Wha-Don’t joke around！ Do you think I’ll tell that kind of story？ I’m the heir of a duke house！ 」

The people in that place is looking with cold eyes at Stead who just suddenly started spitting about that.

Stead and Alphonse was sitting on the power of their fathers up till now.

Since their fathers was absolutely influential noble in their country until before the coup d’etat.

Even now, there was no talk in which they didn’t reveal the name of their father, they’re doing whatever they want in Bertram kingdom.

If today problem, it’ll ended without them being blamed by whichever side.

Though today case is different from the usual.

They’ll kill by giving a proper mistake if it’s in their territory, though they might glossing over the act afterward, this is a foreign country, and yet in this place where there’s many eye witnesses which even make them have difficulties in breathing, this kind of unreasonable act is impossible.

It just natural that that there’s no flexibility compared to their own country if they’re causing trouble in the foreign country which is out of reach from their father’s power.

But, they’re severely careless in this part as a result of living without even able to clean their own mess.

「Seeing that you’re staying in Almond, everything happened needs to be decided by Liselotte-sama. Though I heard your circumstances just now, the decision regarding this matter needs to be decided by Liselotte-sama right」

「Kuh……」

Finally Stead-tachi realized just how unstable their own standing in this place is.

And by some chance, things might turn ugly.

「In the first place, though impolite strike was allowed in case that a commoner disgraced the honor of the noble, is he really a commoner？」

Aria was asking that question while squinting her eyes as she’s looking at Rio.

「O-Of course he is! 」

Alphonse is answering before Rio.

「Is that true？ May I hear your name and lineage？ 」

Aria’s asking Rio as she disregarded Alphonse.

「Well, that’s how it is right？ Lineage aside, I don’t feel the necessity to tell my name」

But, Rio answered calmly while shrugging his shoulder.

He already told his name when making a reservation, though Aria will easily understand that later, he has no intention to easily say his alias in front of Stead-tachi.

「Why is that？」

「I won’t commit a stupid mistake by telling my name in front of the assailant. Because we’re obviously the victim here. Those two, maybe because it’s started by them being coaxed by their female companion or came here to intruding a place for a meal」

Rio telling his point of view with a little bored tone.

Stead and Alphonse was glaring at Rio as if they ‘re cursing.

You bastard though it won’t turn like this if you just die quietly――

Their warped face is telling what they think.

Rio’s disregarding their line of sight with a cool look.

「Moreover, they don’t even leave the room even when we suggest them to leave so many times. Then finally resorting to slashing with their sword on top of that」

And telling a simple explanation about the fact in which Stead-tachi’s guilty with.

「I see. Certainly, now I know why you didn’t want to tell your personal information easily to the opponent who have enmity with you. So you didn’t tell your name to them yet. Well then, will you tell me your name afterward？ 」

「Yeah, certainly. By the way, I’m just a normal commoner」

Rio’s surprised Since his story is unexpectedly going through to Aria.

If the store’s side is inclining toward Stead-tachi, he planned to made a big accusation due to this store’s ineptitude which caused this incident, it seems there’s no need to use this card yet.

Though he was also thinking many other plans, it seems that was unnecessary.

On the other side, when Rio decided to tell that he’s a commoner, he received strong and full of contempt glare from Stead-tachi.

「Thank you very much」

After telling her gratitude to Rio, Aria’s facing Stead-tachi.

「For the time being, if his story is true, thereupon, there won’t be any way even if you’re being captured for abusing the system called impolite strike to you. In conclusion, he’s not even accepted the duel right？ 」

After answered that way.

Though Aria’s already listening roughly about the detail from the employee, after that, Rio’s testimony is coincident with what she heard before.

Therefore, currently Aria’s scale was greatly inclined to the unfavourable direction for Stead -tachi.

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