Chapter 2: In the Sakuragi Duchy
1
Our visit to the valley of maids ended up being a bust for gathering information.
That said, the maids promised to share any future leads with us, so in that sense, it was still a worthwhile trip. After all, maids have strong lateral connections.
With that settled, the question became: Where to next?
“Hey, how about visiting my family’s place?”
“Huh? What do you mean—”
“N-No!? I-I don’t mean anything improper!!”
“—Yuzuriha-san, why are you panicking? Suspicious.”
After Yuzuriha-san hastily explained herself, it turned out—
She had actually given orders to investigate the Sakuragi Ducal Manor the moment the Orichalcum and Unyuko was discovered.
“As expected of Yuzuriha-san! That’s a huge help!”
“Right, right? Not to toot my own horn, but I am a reliable partner. Though… there’s one problem.”
“What is it?”
“Distance. It takes a considerable amount of time for information to travel from the main estate in our territory, pass through the capital where my father is, and finally reach the Lohengrin Margraviate.”
“So there might be unreported updates, and we should head straight to the Sakuragi Ducal Manor ourselves?”
“Exactly. You catch on quick.”
“Hmm… It is relatively close to the valley of maids, but…”
As Suzuha crossed her arms in thought, Kanade silently approached and whispered in her ear:
“…Maid Trivia. The Sakuragi Duchy is famous for its hot springs.”
“!?”
“Year-round. Swimsuits allowed.”
“M-M-M-Mixed bathing!?”
“Skin-smoothing, beauty-enhancing waters. The food’s delicious too.”
“Big Brother! We absolutely must go to the Sakuragi Duchy next!”
…Well, not that I disagree, but…
I’m a little worried about my easily swayed little sister’s future.
✽
With preparations complete, we were about to depart the next morning when we ran into a familiar face.
“Shopkeeper-san?”
“Oh my. Well, well…”
It was the shopkeeper-san we’d met before, now dressed as a traveling merchant in the valley of maids.
The first time we’d met, he’d been a middle-aged gentleman working at an accessory shop in the capital—hence why I still called him shopkeeper-san.
Now, he was a twintail-obsessed merchant operating in the Lohengrin Margraviate.
“Fancy meeting you in a place like this.”
“Indeed, indeed. I came here myself upon hearing of some peculiar movements… and now I understand.”
“That’s good…?”
Apparently, he wasn’t just here for business.
I didn’t know what he meant by peculiar movements, but it was probably trade-related—not something he’d explain to me.
Since standing around wasn’t ideal, I guided him to the house we were staying in.
“Do you come to the valley of maids often, shopkeeper-san?”
“Not in the last few decades, but in my youth, I frequented this valley. Back then, I made it my mission to put every single maid in twintails. Ah, the folly of youth.”
“R-Right…”
Had he been so overworked as a traveling merchant that he’d snapped?
As I shuddered at this glimpse into the abyss of modern-day madness, Kanade the maid silently served tea.
“GYAAAAAAAAH!?”
“Tea.”
“…Th-This man-eating tiger… still as heart-attack-inducing as ever…!”
“Kanade’s just good at hiding her presence.”
“That’s not the issue here…!”
Just like before, the shopkeeper reacted to Kanade as if she were the Grim Reaper or some legendary assassin, nearly collapsing in shock.
Though honestly, the real reason was probably just her twintails.
I always thought this guy was way too into twintails.
After a sip of tea to steady himself, the shopkeeper spoke again.
“—Now then, enlighten me.”
“About what?”
“It’s obvious. What exactly did the Margrave do here in the valley of maids?”
“Uh, nothing much?”
I gave him the rundown:
We came seeking info on the Orichalcum and the Wandering Silver Haired Vampire, but struck out.
While here, I helped with the maids’ training.
“…And that’s about it.”
“Hmm… To win over the valley’s maids—truly befitting of the Margrave. But that alone doesn’t explain… Was there nothing else?”
“Nope, nothing.”
For some reason, the shopkeeper eyed me suspiciously. How rude.
Unlike him, I don’t go around trying to force every maid into twintails or anything.
“Anything at all—no matter how trivial. There might be a clue hidden somewhere.”
“Well… the only other thing is that I became the valley of maids’s chairman.”
“THAT’S IT!?”
The mystery was apparently solved in an instant.
“B-But why would that matter…?”
“According to Kanade, the maids here recognized me as their master. So, since they were all so welcoming and I already had ties through Kanade, I figured I might as well take on the role and support them.”
“I see… The chairman… of the valley of maids…!”
“Doesn’t suit me, right? I’m still practically a commoner—a noble-sounding title like chairman feels off.”
“Nonsense! No one in this world is more suited to be the valley of maids’s chairman than you—no, it’s unthinkable for anyone but the Margrave!”
“Ahaha. I’m flattered.”
This guy’s silver tongue was something else. The very model of a merchant.
What’s impressive about this shop assistant is his clever choice of words.
His flattery was so over-the-top it looped back around to sounding genuine.
Even when praising me for becoming chairman, he made it sound like a world-shaking event—all while keeping a perfectly straight face.
If this were still his accessory shop, I’d probably end up buying way more than I needed.
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2
The next day, we bid farewell to the shopkeeper and left the valley of maids.
After exiting the valley and crossing two mountains, we headed toward the Sakuragi Ducal lands.
Our journey was smooth overall.
That said, it wasn’t completely without incident…
A few days after leaving the valley of maids, I noticed something odd about Kanade.
She’d been in an uncharacteristically good mood ever since our departure.
“Hmm…?”
It wasn’t a bad thing, but as I debated whether to let it slide, Suzuha and Yuzuriha-san approached.
“What’s wrong, Big Brother?”
“If something’s troubling you, no matter how small, you can rely on me! After all, I—I am your partner!”
“It’s nothing major, but…”
No point hiding it, so I voiced my thoughts.
“Kanade’s been acting weirdly cheerful ever since we left the valley of maids.”
“Well, of course she is!”
“Why’s that?”
“Every single maid in that valley was way too eager to serve you under the guise of training. Kanade might’ve kept a straight face, but inside, she was fuming!”
“Isn’t that just your interpretation…?”
“I get what Suzuha-kun means, though. Even I got a little emotional when our partner training sessions ended—no more guarding your back, no post-training massages, no homemade meals to unwind with… Though, I did cheer up imagining it as practice for when we have ten kids.”
“What kind of fantasy is that…?”
Just who does Yuzuriha-san plan to marry? A mystery.
Still, one thing became clear.
“So that’s why you two have been so upbeat since leaving.”
I could see their point.
As knights, being surrounded by maids must’ve been stifling. But…
“Kanade is from the valley of maids, though…”
“You’d think she’d be a little sad leaving her homeland.”
“But she’s with you this time, so it’s not like she’s missing her master. Beats me.”
In the end, I decided to ask Kanade directly. Her response?
“Made a good deal.”
“A deal? With who?”
“The old merchant.”
Ah. So the shopkeeper had done business with her behind my back.
“What’d you buy? If it’s maid-related, I’ll cover the cost.”
“Special. For Master’s eyes only.”
With that, Kanade reached into her cleavage.
“Why do you store everything there!?”
“Maid secret. One of many hiding spots… Hup.”
What she pulled out was a small, elegant vial containing some kind of liquid.
“What’s that? Looks like medicine.”
“Love potion.”
“—A LOVE POTION!?”
The synchronized shout came from Suzuha and Yuzuriha-san, who’d been eavesdropping.
Yuzuriha-san flailed in panic.
“Y-You mean that kind!? The one that makes the target fall in love!?”
“Roughly.”
“How did you get something so rare!? Even I couldn’t obtain one despite using ducal connections!”
“Why were you trying to get a love potion?”
Meanwhile, Suzuha muttered under her breath, her expression deadly serious…
“Ah, if only I had that love potion…! But to take away Big Brother’s free will… I could never do such a thing… No, in that case, we’d just call it an unfortunate accident…!”
“Suzuha, what exactly are you planning to do with me!?”
“Unyuu~!”
“Whoa!? Unyuu-ko, don’t just open the little bottle like that!”
“It’s dangerous—I’ll take custody of that bottle for now!”
“If Yuzuriha-san gets her hands on it, she might use it for mischief! I’ll handle it!”
“Suzuha-kun, who are you to talk!?”
“…I can’t… hand over Kanade’s love potion…!”
And so, before I knew it…
A full-blown love potion battle had erupted—with everyone except me fighting over it.
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