Chapter 487: The First Family’s Circumstances 2

The First Family’s Circumstances 2

* * *

Fortunately, he had a plan to ‘do something’.

The development of the Great Grassland of Beginnings—which he had repeatedly suggested to his father.

In other words, to start a Kodorokizo ore mining business.

Kalamaruyu used his connections from his days as a researcher to immediately get in touch with a mining company.

Things progressed smoothly.

The final survey to confirm the existence of the ore deposit could begin any day now.

But.

But!

…That woman—Shimegamamo—became an obstacle!

It started at his father’s funeral.

Shimegamamo, who came to pay her respects, was dressed like a barbarian and stood out, but she behaved normally.

Kalamaruyu originally knew her from childhood.

The daughter of a clan that has lived in the grassland for generations, living by some unique rules.

Unlike his brother, who used to play with her, he only had that much superficial knowledge about her, and he only thought of her as ‘a neighbor’.

So in the middle of a conversation, he let it slip.

Kalamaruyu told Shimegamamo about his plans to develop the Great Grassland of Beginnings.

That’s when it happened.

Shimegamamo’s atmosphere suddenly turned incredibly dangerous.

The funeral hall instantly fell silent, because of her 【Intimidation】, and all the timid people collapsed.

Kalamaruyu, dumbfounded, could only blink his eyes, his mouth flapping open and closed.

Shimegamamo, immediately retracting her 【Intimidation】 and putting on a gentle smile, said those words, the same ones she said earlier today—

‘Stop ‘ravaging’ the Great Grassland of Beginnings’, she said.

And then, she said something even more unexpected, ‘I’m your brother, Wakiteryu’s wife, and your family. You listen to what your family tells you’.

Kalamaruyu had never heard of that!

It wasn’t written in his father’s letter, and there shouldn’t have been any official notice to the country!

Looking at the other mourners, it seems that ‘the fact that his brother and this woman were close’ was true, but legally, his brother and Shimegamamo aren’t married.

Even when he told her that, Shimegamamo insisted that ‘according to her clan’s rules, Wakiteryu is already her husband’.

‘Clan rules’, she’s brandishing that incomprehensible reason, trying to restrict Kalamaruyu’s actions!

Kalamaruyu couldn’t stand it.

Suddenly acting like she’s his family!

Imposing that incomprehensible reason!

She knows nothing about the First Viscounty’s financial crisis!

The development of the Great Grassland of Beginnings is practically the only way to save this region!

So Kalamaruyu shouted at Shimegamamo.

That she’s not his family.

That he’ll definitely develop the Great Grassland of Beginnings.

Shimegamamo, with a troubled look on her face, said quietly—

That she can’t allow that.

Even after the funeral ended, their arguments continued, getting nowhere.

Shimegamamo would casually appear wherever Kalamaruyu went, and persistently tell him not to touch the Great Grassland of Beginnings.

Kalamaruyu ignored everything she said.

He didn’t even have the time to listen to a barbarian’s ramblings.

And then.

Shimegamamo finally resorted to force against Kalamaruyu, who wouldn’t listen to her.

And that’s the incident that happened earlier today, the murder of his adventurer guards.

“…Kuh!”

Kalamaruyu, remembering the scene, shuddered and downed his alcohol.

The supernatural power Shimegamamo used is terrifying.

And more than that, her mentality, killing two people without changing her expression, is terrifying.

In other words, that barbarian must have been likely secretly eliminating people who didn’t follow the ‘clan’s rules’.

She was too accustomed to killing.

And his father, his brother, and all the previous heads of the First family probably tolerated her clan’s actions.

…The residents of First Town too.

You can tell by the reactions of the town guards.

Despite witnessing a clear violation of the law right before their eyes, they only trembled and begged Shimegamamo for their lives.

They didn’t even try to arrest her.

In other words, to the residents, her clan’s rules take precedence over the territorial law, and even the national law, and they’re essentially following her clan, not the First family.

Kalamaruyu, who had been away from this land since he was a child, finally realized that.

“Haa… Haaaa…”

Kalamaruyu, completely dejected, sighed twice—his breath reeking of alcohol—and leaned back in his office chair.

He can’t give in to Shimegamamo’s demands.

If he continues to rule in the same way as before, following precedent, what awaits them is probably destruction.

The king has also changed, and the current young king is said to be a man of integrity.

Kalamaruyu doesn’t want to offer a woman as a sacrifice, like they’ve been doing, and anyway, it probably won’t work anymore.

But if he forces the development, he’ll completely make an enemy of Shimegamamo.

The two adventurers who were killed today were both third-rank adventurers.

What can he do to fight against a woman who can easily kill two such people?

Should he hire more guards?

No, that won’t work either.

He doesn’t have the money.

And there’s no guarantee that the Adventurer’s Guild would even side with him…

“Damn… Damn…”

Kalamaruyu pulled himself out of the office chair and reached for the bottle to pour some alcohol into his empty glass.

But the bottle was strangely light.

Even when he shook it, it didn’t make a sound.

It’s empty.

“Ahh! Damn it!!”

Kalamaruyu, irritated, threw the empty bottle.

The bottle hit the stone wall and shattered, making a high-pitched sound.

And then… it was at that moment.

Knock, knock, knock.

Someone knocked on his office door.

And the one who opened the door unceremoniously, without waiting for Kalamaruyu’s reply, was the old steward serving the First family.

“Young master, there’s a… visitor.”

The old steward said that timidly, hesitantly.

“Haa!? What time do you think it is!? …Tell them to go home!”

Kalamaruyu snapped, his face red.

But the old steward—

“But, well… I’ve already shown them to the reception room…”

He said that, scratching his head troubledly.

“Haaa…”

Kalamaruyu sighed, scratching his head, and reluctantly stood up.

It’s pointless to try to reason with the people in this rural town.

Thinking that, he stood up with a resigned look on his face.

“So? Who is this visitor?”

“Well… I don’t know her… but she’s a woman…”

“Why did you show a complete stranger, who came at this late hour, to the reception room!?”

“B-But I asked for her name!”

“Of course you did!! So, who is she!? What’s her name!?”

And then, as Kalamaruyu irritably ran a comb through his hair and adjusted his clothes, the old steward, looking apologetic, said the visitor’s name.

“…She called herself Saint Ad Bahns.”