Was there some kind of realization that struck the Duke’s heart in the training ground that day?
“What would you like me to teach you?”
“You must have learned something at the Academy. Literature, history, philosophy, anything is fine. Just teach me anything.”
The Duke began to cut back on his training time and started studying in earnest.
Truthfully, all it amounted to was just me laying out what I’d learned at the Academy, as the Duke had said, but sometimes we talked about history, and at times even about philosophy.
What surprised me was how easily the Duke kept up with the lessons.
I’d thought his brain was just full of muscle and that he’d never be able to follow along.
“When learning arts like philosophy or literature, it’s important to grasp the main lineage first. At the Academy, we called this map drawing.”
“It’s similar to Swordsmanship. When studying Swordsmanship, you break down each move—when and how to swing your sword in different situations—and imprint them on your body, then finally map it all out under the name of Swordsmanship.”
Maybe it was because I’d underestimated the Duke’s basic ability and was teaching him humanities at a first-year level that even children would know, but I began to think it was more because the Duke tried to connect everything to Swordsmanship to understand it.
At first, I’d thought his method seemed ignorant.
But as I listened to the Duke’s explanations, I found it unexpectedly interesting.
To think that the humanities and philosophy I had studied—so dry and seemingly useless—could actually be connected to martial arts.
It gave me a new perspective.
Thanks to that, I was able to organize my own knowledge while teaching.
Could I perhaps apply the knowledge I’d learned from the Akashic Record to the sword?
Like many in the world misunderstand, could I use what I read from the Akashic Record to give advice to countless swordsmen?
With such worries in my mind, teaching became a joyful and fulfilling time.
My own training continued as well.
Butler Apel had now begun teaching me martial arts in earnest.
The basic physical training hadn’t stopped, but he’d also started instructing me on how to hold and swing a sword.
It was just the basics of the Threefold Sword Techniques—horizontal slashes, vertical cuts, and simple thrusts—but even that made me realize I was learning martial arts and growing stronger.
The civilian quarters of the Duchy were also being straightened out.
After Darenberg’s death, the Grizzly Mercenary Corps disbanded.
Out of the 250 members, around 40 who had actively participated in Darenberg’s schemes were killed. Some of the others left the Duchy, and the rest just left the Grizzly Mercenary Corps and continued living in the Duchy.
For a few days, the village was unsettled, but things soon returned to normal.
Because of the constant battles with Demons and Monsters, death was a familiar concept in the Helpion Duchy, and Lady Elcia, another pillar of influence, actively calmed any complaints and unrest.
It was a truly good thing that the chaos was resolved so quickly and no further trouble arose.
Indeed.
Maybe I’d grown a bit careless because everything had gone so smoothly.
“You called for me?”
With an unusually urgent message from the Butler-in-Chief, I hurriedly left my office and made my way to the Duke’s reception room.
There, an extremely rare scene was unfolding.
The Duke was completely flustered, biting his nails and unable to sit still.
“This is bad.”
There are only a handful of things that could make Duke Helpion this panicked.
Then the Butler-in-Chief informed me that a letter from Lady Titania had arrived.
“What’s wrong? Did Lady Titania send you a breakup letter or something?”
Recently, there was a letter the Duke had written himself, apart from the ones I’d ghostwritten for him.
Maybe Lady Titania had suddenly learned about the Duke’s ignorance and was shocked.
But the Duke’s eyes were shaking violently.
Wait, was I right? Was that just a joke…?
“It’s worse than that.”
“What?”
“Duke Squaret wants to visit the Duchy and have a formal conversation.”
Duke Squaret—wasn’t that Lady Titania’s father?
“Why all of a sudden?”
“I don’t know the reason, but for someone of his stature to visit must mean he’s come to approve the marriage, wouldn’t you say?”
“No, there’s no way that would happen out of nowhere.”
“You’re very firm about that.”
I’ve learned that it’s best to just say no when something isn’t right.
The Duke shook his head, looking disappointed.
Still, Duke Squaret…
I’ve read about him a few times in textbooks, but now he’s visiting our territory.
“What kind of person is Duke Squaret?”
“Well…”
For some reason, Duke Helpion’s expression turned grim.
“He’s the most old-fashioned, aristocracy-obsessed codger in all of Delphi Kingdom.”
But he’s a Duke of the realm—wasn’t that a bit harsh?
“For fifteen years, he led the Delphi Kingdom under the name of the Iron-blooded Chancellor. Even the Empire fears his strictness and thoroughness.”
“The textbooks also praise him as the Iron-blooded Chancellor, calling him the protector of the Delphi Kingdom.”
“He took the Kingdom’s coffers, which were nearly empty, and increased their wealth fivefold. Of course he deserves a place in the textbooks.”
Coming from the man who personally beheaded the Demon King and is a legend himself, that feels a bit odd.
“And honestly… we don’t get along.”
“Excuse me?”
“I mean, I’m not one for formality or ceremony. But that man, every time there’s a meeting at the Crown, it’s always, ‘Why are your manners so lacking? Observe the proper dress code,’ and so on… Ugh.”
“And yet you fell for his daughter.”
“The daughter is nothing like her father.”
You never know.
After all, I’d only met her for a few fleeting moments.
“When is he coming?”
“From the letter, it seems he’ll arrive at the Duchy in about two days.”
What kind of absurd timing is this?
“Two days?! That means he must have set out the moment the letter was sent!”
“That’s why, Steward, we’ll need to prepare in a hurry. The Butler-in-Chief, the head maid, and even myself and the head chef—we don’t know much about proper noble etiquette. So I’d like you to prepare for Duke Squaret’s visit.”
“Me?!”
The Duke nodded.
Well, I suppose none of these hardened warriors have ever greeted a guest politely…
But wait a second, hosting a noble guest?
I’m only the eldest son of a merchant family—middle class at best. I know nothing of noble life or etiquette!
What I do know is just how to handle myself when entering a noble house, so as not to offend anyone.
Or how to sweet-talk foolish nobles into making big investments.
That’s all the practical know-how I’ve got.
But with a look that clearly said he didn’t notice—or pretended not to—the Duke clapped me on the shoulder and swiftly left the reception room.
“I’ll just go off for some field training in the Demon territory for two days!”
What the—he’s just going to dump this all on me and leave?
I quickly grabbed the Duke’s arm.
“Don’t talk nonsense! Your future father-in-law is coming and you’re just going to run off without preparing? For the next two days, I’ll be giving you intense etiquette lessons!”
“Ugh.”
The Duke made a face of open distaste.
I think I’m the one who should be making that face right now.
But regardless, the task had come, and I had to do it.
Because I’m the subordinate.
I’m the one hired by the boss.
If he says jump, I have no choice but to jump.
At least the Duke was considerate enough to open the family treasury and let me use unlimited funds.
And so, for the first time, I learned the scale of Helpion Duchy’s finances.
Just the gold piled up in the treasury amounted to three million gold coins.
No wonder he could easily invest a hundred thousand gold in me whenever he wanted.
Back then, when we were briefed in the strategy room about the Fourth Faction, using Butler Apel for market transactions had filled the coffers like this.
And recently, after defeating the Grizzly Mercenary Corps, we had also seized a considerable amount of assets—which hadn’t even been accounted for yet.
With this much money, maybe I could at least fake the nobility that the Duke wanted.
“So that’s why you came to see this old lady?”
“Haha, well, this is the only place in the Duchy where I can buy or sell anything.”
“Tsk tsk, must be blind at your age. Look around. There’s nothing here but food.”
“You sound just like your daughter, Viscountess Jamie.”
“Who do you think she learned it from? Her magic, her speech, even her rude manners when she was young—she got it all from me.”
Lady Elcia let out a hearty laugh.
For such a graceful old lady, she certainly had a sharp tongue.
“Either way, we’ve only got two days. There’s no way to do anything extravagant, so I’ll at least try to serve dishes that fit proper etiquette.”
“Not sure we have the ingredients for that.”
Lady Elcia put her hand to her cheek with a worried look, but I shook my head confidently.
Among the Great Desert Tribes, those who achieve the greatest feats in Monster hunting are granted the right to drink the heart’s blood.
They believe that by drinking the freshly killed Monster’s blood, you inherit its power and magic.
Just like that, etiquette is ultimately a matter of symbolism.
So, whether it’s Sylvinas Tea Leaves favored by imperial nobles, or other items fitting the customs of the Delphi Kingdom or foreign nobility, I’d just gather up whatever I could and serve it.
“That’s just a mishmash.”
“It can’t be helped. This is Helpion Duchy, after all.”
At my words, Lady Elcia gave a surprised look, then burst out in loud laughter.
“That’s right. This is Helpion Duchy. You’ve got the heart of it.”
“An itinerant knight who killed the Demon King, a top-class assassin, a mercenary band, and a dropout wanderer. We’ll observe etiquette, but do it our own way. That’s the Helpion Duchy’s way.”
“Are you planning to make this place into a principality?”
She cuts right to the point.
An entirely independent territory, apart from the Delphi Kingdom.
I shrugged my shoulders.
“That’s for the Duke to decide.”
“I only say it because it looks like you’re planning to swallow the Duke whole.”
“That’s the Duke’s responsibility. I’m just working hard because I was told to work hard.”
“To think the Steward is someone who could ruin the entire Duchy…”
I smirked and handed Lady Elcia my order list.
“That’s quite a lot you’re buying—do I get a discount?”
“Our shop is just like yours—full price buying, full price selling. If you don’t like it, go somewhere else.”
Like there’s any other store in the Duchy.
She really does have guts.
In the end, I held back tears and bought everything at full price, then returned to the Duke’s estate.
With help from the head maid, I cleaned the entire estate, prepared the guest rooms for the Duke’s stay, and organized everything else.
Those two days passed in the blink of an eye.
Led by Duke Helpion, all the retainers of the estate gathered at the castle gate to welcome Duke Squaret.
“You have arrived.”
And just as the letter foretold, Duke Squaret visited the Duchy.
He was a short man, just over 160cm, with a stout frame.
His hair was neatly slicked back, pure white, as was his finely groomed mustache.
His jaw, tightly set with strength, exuded stubbornness, while his sharp, narrow eyes gave an impression of mischief and severity.
Dressed in a navy ceremonial uniform fit for royal events, with a neat cane and pipe, he was the very embodiment of a nobleman as described in etiquette manuals.
“Is it you?”
Ironically, the first words from Duke Squaret were not addressed to the Duke, but to me.
Why?
“What… do you mean?”
“The one who ghostwrites the letters.”
Ah, um, well…
What do I do?
I did my best to keep a straight face.
I know nothing. I am innocent.
After all, if you look up reviews of Duke Squaret, people say he’s famously strict.
He’s so noble-minded that he openly criticized the previous king’s tyranny as unworthy of the nobility and wrote manifestos about it.
If a man like that finds out a mere Steward ghostwrote the letters to his daughter…
Ugh, the nightmare of the Craphy incident comes to mind.
Getting tangled with a noble in a bad way is the last thing I want.
“I wouldn’t know.”
“Hmph. A muscle-headed brute with nothing in his skull but fists suddenly starts writing old-fashioned love songs and sonnets? That’s not falling in love, that’s passing away.”
Duke Squaret glared at Duke Helpion with eagle-like eyes.
Hey, now.
Even if you’re fellow Dukes, isn’t that a bit harsh to say to his face?
I glanced nervously at the Duke and the retainers, and saw Duke Helpion looking away in embarrassment from Duke Squaret.
Ha.
The pen truly is mightier than the sword.
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