10-2 Part 1
I Banished the Corrupt Magistrate, but
There Is No Replacement
- The Lord and the Tutor -
Translator : PolterGlast
I stayed overnight
at the mansion in the Imperial Demesne of Erin. Until just yesterday, it
was the mansion where the corrupt Consul I fired had been squatting as if he
owned the place.
It was comfortable
and I liked it, but like a noble's mansion, a lot of unnecessary money had been
spent on this and that.
「Aneue,
let me rely on you just this once. I'm leaving Erin to you for a while.」
「Fufufu...
I wonder if you've started to resemble Georg a little lately. You can
just honestly depend on me like in the old days, you know.」
I respect Georg-aniue,
but being told I resemble him gives me mixed feelings. Because it's like being
called stubborn and stiff.
「Please
spare me the childhood stories...」
「Oh my,
but Dulin wants to hear them too, right?」
「Eh...
u-umm, umm... but Ashley-sama is glaring at Dulin with very
displeased, dark eyes, you know...?」
Dulin and Aneue
arranged breakfast. It was a simple breakfast combining eggs and potatoes
harvested in Erin with bread. After putting the last remaining sausage
in my stomach, I stood up from the table a step ahead of them.
「I know
it's useless to try and stop you. At the very least, please do that when I'm
not around.」
「Understood.
I will tell Dulin in minute detail about how the shy Ashley
gradually turned into a spoiled boy who clung to his big sister! Have a safe
trip, Ashley. Do your best, okay?」
Dulin also
seemed to harbor strong interest inwardly, directing a gaze of expectation at Aneue.
Why is it that whenever two women get together, it turns out like this...
「I
can't exactly tie Aneue and Dulin down here either. I have no
choice but to do my best. See you then, I leave my sister in your hands, Dulin.」
「Yes,
sir! I feel bad for Ashley-sama, but... I'm really looking forward to Atomina-sama's
stories from the past♪」
I wonder what Aneue
is going to dig up. It would be troubling if Dulin's evaluation of me
changed...
「Ah,
did you bring a handkerchief? Your wallet? Also, since it takes two or three
hours to the Imperial Capital, you should bring proper food too—」
「Aneue,
I'm not a child anymore. Even without a handkerchief, I can wipe my hands on my
sleeves. That's what commoners do.」
「Wait a
minute, I'll go get one
right away!」 「Ah, Onee-sama, Dulin will
help too!」
She's still in her
20s and she's already like this. If she reaches middle age like this, I wonder
how much of a stubborn auntie who doesn't listen to people she'll become... I
resolved in my heart to do what I can now so that such a kind sister won't get
caught up in the succession dispute and meet an untimely death.
◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇
Including the
waiting time for the shared carriage, it took three and a half hours to return
to the Imperial Capital, and by then it was already before noon. When I
stopped by the military garrison to ask about Georg-aniue's whereabouts,
I was told he was holed up in the palace today.
I went up to the
palace. When I visited Georg-aniue's living quarters, it seemed he had
expected me to come. The blonde Prince raised his face from his ebony desk with
a completely composed demeanor.
「I
thought you would come. I hear you fired the magistrate of Erin...」
「Yeah,
that's right.」
Aniue wasn't
exasperated with me at all. He looked at his younger brother with a composed
demeanor, and then showed a somewhat troubled, complex expression.
「Then
you need a replacement. It's nice and quiet when Atomina isn't here,
but... perhaps it becoming too quiet is also a problem.」
「You
should just honestly say you miss Aneue...」
「I
wouldn't say it even if my mouth were torn open. Because I can easily see her
getting carried away and becoming noisy.」
「But
that might just be us being twisted. Aneue's sensibilities might be
the correct ones. Well, this morning, I was told I was starting to resemble
you, Aniue, so it just got me thinking a little...」
Aniue showed
a faint smile, pleased by his brother's words. Then he laughed again, remarking
that it sounded exactly like something Atomina-aneue would say.
「We are
older and younger brothers. Tell her it's only natural that we look alike.
...Now, look at this.」
I was handed a
binder by Georg. Wondering what it was, it turned out to be a stiff list
compiling people's backgrounds.
「I
picked out a few candidates simply. Are there any individuals in there that
catch your eye?」
Choosing not to
answer immediately, I turned the pages. Aniue had listed just under 20
people in total for me.
「They
are all affiliated with the Royal Academy... Hmm, I feel bad that you went out
of your way to compile this, but it seems there's no one who particularly
clicks with me. Although it's just from looking at documents.」
「It
cannot be helped. Uncle Morak's positions are Vice-Chairman of the
Senate, Director of the Ministry of Education and Bureaucracy, and Principal of
the Royal Academy. In other words, all bureaucrats and scholars are strongly
under the influence of Uncle Morak.」
「Is
that so? That's a problem. Then I shouldn't have fired him without a plan...」
「Yeah.
If you want to eliminate Uncle Morak's influence from your territory,
you have to select someone from outside the Royal Academy. Finding one will not
be easy. You made a blunder.」
Uncle's power was
much greater than I knew. According to Aniue, Uncle uses his position as
Principal of the Royal Academy to provide official posts to graduates in exchange for bringing them into his
faction.
「Can't
you do something with your power, Aniue...?」
「Impossible.
I may have influence among the military, but when it comes to civil officials,
there is nothing I can do.」
I read through the
binder once more and returned it to Georg's desk. I need someone to
manage the territory on my behalf.
I cannot possibly
make someone a Consul who might participate in the petty business of Uncle and
the political merchant Hyamar where my eyes can't reach. With things like this, it
seems I have no choice but to somehow search using another method.
However, at that
moment, a knock echoed through the room.
「Georg-sama,
it's Puis.」
「Oh,
glad came! My brother
is right here, come on
in!」
The one who came
into the room welcomed by Aniue was an unusually thin young man. He was
a man with dark skin, which was rare in the Empire, and looked two or three
years older than me.
「Pardon
the intrusion while you are working. Ashley-sama, correct? You might be surprised, but I
am well acquainted with you. It is an honor to meet you.」
「Ah...
nice to meet you.」
Being directed with
proactive goodwill by an older brother-like figure, I was a little troubled.
He's skinny for an acquaintance of Aniue's. No matter how you looked at
it, he didn't seem to be a soldier.
「Puis,
can I ask you right now?」
「Yes, I
came with that intention. I will take charge of him with responsibility.」
「I see!
Then I'm sure he'll be a handful, but I leave my younger brother to you.」
「What
are you talking about? Oi Aniue, where are you going leaving me
here...?!」
I don't follow the
conversation. What is going to be done to me by this Puis? Aniue
patted Puis on the shoulder and placed his hand on the entrance door.
「He is Puis
David. Your tutor. Puis, I leave it to you.」
「Yes,
leave it to me. Have a safe trip, Georg-sama.」
I forgot even words of protest at the brilliant baton pass. By the time I came to my senses, the entrance was locked, and the thin, brown-skinned Puis had come in front of me.
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