385-Letter from Bram




 
 The next day, I headed out to see the copious amounts of dried slime.

 When I walked out the door, the fresh morning air was flowing and dried slime was fluttering in the air as if it was blending in with the clear blue sky.

 I picked up the dried slime, thinking it was a surreal sight.

'Yes, it's properly dried.'

 It's just as crisp as the slime I made the other day. This would be fine to use as a poi.

'Sorry!'

 As I was collecting the dried slime like that, I heard a voice calling for us from the gate of the mansion.

''It's from the Triera Trading Company, and I've come to deliver a letter.

 Hmm, a delivery. Well, then, you'll have to take it properly.

 I paused to collect the slime and headed to the gate, it was a man I'd seen before.

 We talked a few times on the ship when we were going to Kagura, as I recall. But I didn't even know his name.

'Ah, Alfried-sama. I'm sorry to have you come all the way out here to get it.

No, it's fine. Who wrote to you anyway?

 I don't know the other person's name, so I ask so as not to be a bypassed topic.

 I turn off the letter and look at the coat of arms, but it doesn't look very familiar. It's not Eric, but Mel isn't the Count or Viscount Yulina.

 Who on earth is it from?

'I am writing to you, Mr. Bram-Bamlal.

Sorry, I can't take that letter.

 A letter from Bram is nothing but a whiff of trouble.

 If it weren't for the fact that I received it in this way, I could make up any excuse I wanted later.

'Ew! Hey, why? If you don't get it, I'm going to be mad at Triella-san later!

It's okay. I'm not afraid of Tory.

 There's nothing scary about being angry at Torrie.

'No, well, it certainly doesn't scare me, Triella, but it does scare my secretary.

Yeah, you did. I'm gonna go tell Tolly about it.

'Whoa! You really shouldn't do that!

Well, instead of saying it, just take the letter and go.

'Ugh, terrible! You're right, Triela, that Master Alfried is friendly, but merciless when he shows an opening.

 What... I didn't know he felt that way about me.

 Next time I'm going to use that line as leverage. I'm sure I'll be able to get a better deal.

Anyway, that's why I brought the letter home.

No, I don't need money from Mr. Bram to pay me, either, so please take it.

Do me a favor, or I'll call your bodyguards?

 I don't have any guards in my house, but I'll try to intimidate them with a line that sounds like it anyway.

 Then I get a jolt in the back of my head.

'I don't have an escort in my house. What are you making a fuss about at the gate in the morning?

'Oh, Lady Erna! Master Alfried hasn't received my letter!

How could you refuse to write a letter? How could you refuse to do something so important?

 Mother Erna takes the letter the man offers her firmly, dumbfounded.

'Thank you! Then I've given you a letter and I'll take it!

 The man in the Chamber of Commerce slipped away as soon as the letter left his hands.

 Ah, now the letter has officially been handed over to us.



 ◆



 After collecting the dried slime, I was taken straight to the living room by Mother Erna.

 Whether it was good timing or not, sister Elinora, who has a connection to Bram, was also there relaxing on the sofa.

''Huh? This coat of arms looks like the Baamlal family. 

 As soon as she sat down at the table, Mother Erna looked at the crest and muttered to herself.

 She looks at her sister Elinora, who seems to be related to it, but she doesn't seem to have responded as if she is.

 He's either forgotten that the Baumrall family is Bram's family name, or he doesn't remember it at all, or if he does remember it, he's not interested in it.

 Poor Bram's guy, too.

'Elinora, does the Baumrall family sound familiar?

Not Vermillion?

It's a fallen blacksmith's aristocrat. How do you remember it?

 The Vermilion family was an aristocracy that rose through the ranks with their blacksmithing skills, but after the war ceased, their opportunities to play an active role dwindled and they were relegated to the status of commoners as they declined.

''If you're going to use a sword, it's common sense. The Vermilion family's swords are sharp and strong.''

 If it has to do with swords, Elinora sister seems to be knowledgeable.

 I've only ever wielded a sword in practice, so I don't really know how to feel about that area.

 Well, I don't need it, and I don't need it because I won't run into any situations where I'll need it.

'Now we're not talking about swords, we're talking about nobility. You really don't remember House Baumral?

I don't remember. What nobleman?

 Elinora's sister answers immediately without even pretending to remember.

 Even though she is one of the few men who are willing to take a liking to Sister Elinora.

 Mother Erna looks a little heady at this.

'That's it, Bram's house.

Bram? .........Oh, that weak, annoying man!

 When I mention the name, it seems the search finally hit in sister Elinora's brain. The search results are appalling, though.

"Do you have a letter from Bram? Why did you accept it?

No, I poked and prodded, but Mother Erna got it.

 Sister Elinora glares at me in frustration, and I do my best to defend myself.

'Oh, it's just another stupid letter anyway. Give it to me and I'll burn it.

Wait a minute. It looks like it's addressed to Al.

 When Sister Elinora comes over here and tries to take the letter away from me, Mother Erna makes her still.

 Yes, what do you mean, addressed to me?

 I looked at the letter presented to Mother Erna, and sure enough, it was addressed to me.

'Read it for a minute.'

 I reluctantly open the letter at the request of Mother Erna. I read the letters written in it.

 As soon as I read the letters in it, I become baffled.

'What did it say?'

Bram is coming to the harvest festival.

Hey!

So.....

 Mother Erna is happy to hear that a strange man who likes my daughter is coming. But the person in question doesn't look happy in the slightest. She looks clearly unhappy.

''He's not satisfied with his duel with me in the royal capital, so he says he's going to challenge me to another duel.

 Yes, this is the most troublesome part.

 If all you want to do is enjoy the harvest festival for Elinora's sister, there's no need for me to show you around.

 As you wish, you can leave it to Elinora's sister and I'll just play with Eric and Rahul.

'What kind of cowardly magic did you use to defeat her if you don't agree?

 In Elinora's sister's mind, the decision seems to be that I defeated her with cowardly magic against Bram.

 Well, it's natural to use magic, and it's mostly right, but I won't say it honestly. Even though I set it up, the result was that Sherka attacked Bram.

'No, I took him down properly, one on one. Bram just destroyed himself on his own.

'It says the duel is invalid because a third party magic attack has entered the room, right?

 I stated this calmly, but Mother Erna looked at me and said something unnecessary.

''Hey, don't go through other people's letters without permission.

Isn't it strange that a one-on-one duel involves a third party magic attack?

'I didn't ask a third party to help me. I just used my wits to create a situation in which I could do so. You see, in practice, Nord-Dad told me to create a situation in which I could excel.

 So I'm not bad and I'm not guilty.

That's why I'm going to ask sister Elinora to deal with Bram.

What? Why me?

'Originally, it was my sister Elinora's fault for imposing herself on me.

'Yes. It's Elinora's problem, and it seems odd for Al to deal with it.

Mom!

 Perhaps it's because the future of Elinora's sister's life depends on it, but Mother Erna is also on my side.

 Good, we can use this harvest festival as an opportunity to close the gap between us.

 Elinora is unfaithful to her sister, while Mother Erna and I laugh suspiciously at each other.