Disappointing Teleportation Magic ~ Even Though The Movement Distance Is Only 1 Millimeter, I Will Rise Through Ingenuity ~ - Chapter 63.1

After passing through Viscount Narvaez’s domain, we were invited to the mansion of Baron Iver, the next lord on our route. Contrary to my expectations, the hospitality was surprisingly normal—no, actually, it was rather sympathetic.

“In truth, our family also has someone suffering from the Ao-Yami curse, and if possible, I had hoped to ask Lord Kirikaze for treatment.”

“Is that so? Then—”

“No, as much as we wish for treatment, we must end this conflict as soon as possible. We cannot delay the journey of Lord Kirikaze, the hero who killed the wyvern, to Fulmelinta for our personal matters.”

“I see…”

In other words, they were hoping that once the factional disputes were resolved, their child’s curse might be lifted too. But now, the person who could perform the treatment was no longer available. The baron seemed to empathize with the misfortune of not having his child’s curse lifted, and with my own fate of being handed over to Fulmelinta despite defeating the wyvern.

It’s probably better than being provoked, but being treated as a pitiable person by those around me was depressing. Or perhaps, this was their way of subtly tormenting me.

Fortunately, our stay at Baron Iver’s mansion lasted only a day, and the next morning, we resumed our sightseeing journey. I enjoyed the scenery, the food, and the time spent alone with Araseli.

Moreover, all the expenses were covered by the royal family, so there were no complaints. Actually, the fact that I was so easily satisfied probably made me seem like an easy man to the royal family.

As the journey to Fulmelinta approached its end, we were finally invited to the mansion of Count Zarettino. Count Zarettino, the mastermind behind my assassination attempt, is, to put it simply, a thoughtless fool.

“So, does that mean we still have to watch out for assassinations?”

“No, I don’t think so. If they fail to hand you over, Fulmelinta would cease its concessions, and the war would only drag on. Currently, the chance of Bernort becoming the next king is extremely slim, but since the official declaration from the king hasn’t been made, it’s not zero.”

“But if they kill me, that chance becomes zero?”

“Yes, so I think we’re safe, but…”

“Well, I’ll stay alert just in case.”

The mansion of Count Zarettino stood on a hill surrounded by pastures, near the largest town in the territory. The mansion, with its white stone walls, was a beautiful building known locally as the Swan Mansion.

The pure white walls, arched windows, and lapis-colored roof tiles gave it the appearance of a noble’s house straight out of a fairy tale. It made me wonder how someone living in such a beautiful mansion could have such a tainted heart.

When our carriage stopped at the entrance of the mansion, no one came out to greet us. It wasn’t until Othello, our attendant, knocked on the door that a man who seemed to be a servant finally appeared.

“Ah, welcome, Lord Kirikaze, the hero who killed the wyvern. I am Egor, the butler of this house. Unfortunately, the master is away at the battlefield, so he cannot greet you personally. Please, enjoy your stay at your leisure.”

Egor was tall and thin, probably in his mid-forties. He was over ten centimeters taller than me, looking down at me with a sneering smile.

The welcoming was clearly meant to provoke us, but there had been signs of this from the moment we passed through the mansion gates. The guards at the gate had smiled mockingly without offering a salute.

But when provocation is this obvious, even someone as dull as me can catch on, so I actually found it helpful.

“Hmm… I’ve heard Count Zarettino was a capable man, but it seems he can’t even discipline his servants properly. I’ll have to reassess my opinion of him.”

“W-what did you say…?”

“If you don’t want to bring shame to your master, you should be ashamed of your own ignorance.”

“Grr… I will show you to your room. Please wait a moment.”

Grinding his teeth, Egor knelt and bowed his head.

“Ah, so in the Zarettino household, it’s customary to leave guests waiting at the door?”

“M-my deepest apologies…”