11. Clues – 05

marriage?

uh… Well… So marriage is what I think, right? marriage?

I think it’s not enough for a couple of men and women to get along with each other in a romantic relationship. They are each other’s property, so they put a stamp on them to tell others not to look at mine, right?

therefore… Are you thinking of marrying me and Altina? It’s also a master craftsman… Didn’t Altina’s father make this suggestion to me directly?

But why the hell is the word to get married coming out of this nobleman’s mouth?

Originally, weren’t these nobles taking the role of shouting at the son-in-law brought by their daughter, saying, ‘A guy who doesn’t know where he came from dares to look after my precious daughter?’

If that’s not the case, he would say in a cold tone, ‘I can’t give my cherished daughter to a lowly person like you!’

It’s absurd. There are many fathers in the world who block their daughters from getting married, but I knew for the first time that there are fathers who push the boy whom they have never seen before to ask if they want to marry their daughter.

At this point, I’m even curious now. What the hell is going on in this nobleman’s head, so he’s saying that I’m thinking of marrying Altina?

“Why?”

In response to my bold retort, Count Serias said, ‘Where do you dare to object to marrying my daughter?’

“Jin, after I heard the news that Altina had risen to the level of Master with your help, I personally researched you.”

“… Do you mean my background investigation?”

Earl Serias proudly says that he investigated your background in front of the person concerned.

However, I was already well aware that Nineveh and the chairman had also investigated my background, and I was well aware that there would be nothing to come out of a background investigation as long as I was a smuggler who crossed the dimension anyway.

“As you know, I am a person who is in the military, and my subordinates are also quite capable informants. Due to the nature of the military organization, there is no choice but to gather only those who are familiar with and competent in handling and digging up information.”

If it was natural, it could have been said that it was natural.

As long as there is an old saying that if you are defended, you will win 100 times. Isn’t it the most important thing after supply in operating an army to find out information about the enemy and formulate countermeasures accordingly?

“But in the end, nothing I was able to find out about you. No, to be more precise, I should say that I couldn’t figure it out.”

“I don’t know why, but the past about you was so clean that there was nothing. Not only that, but there were even traces of someone having already touched and touched all information related to you a step ahead. I don’t know who’s behind you right now, but it seems that you care a lot about the person protecting you. Well, I can guess who that person is.”

… A person who manipulated my information and erased the traces related to me?

I don’t know, but I think it must be the handiwork of the chairman in nine out of ten cases.

Of course, the chairman also doesn’t know my true identity, but at least he knows me as a descendant of the Seven Heroes, so he wouldn’t have wanted to see other stern guys flirting with me.

“Jin, do you know why I am telling you this story?”

So to sum up what the count said… I did some background research on you, but nothing came out. But it’s not that you have nothing because you’re a fool, it seems like there must be some suspicious people watching your back, something like this…

… Are you threatening me now? Are you trying to scare me by saying that you’re so damn suspicious to me, and that you’re actually supposed to be locked up in a dungeon instead of Nineveh?

Unfortunately, what the Count wanted to say seemed a little different from what I expected.

“It means that you have already become an important figure in Nineveh and in the empire, regardless of your background.”

Count Serias nodded his head and continued speaking calmly.

“The ‘information expungement’ I just mentioned is a measure taken against people who are judged to be important figures in the empire. Should I say the Empire is considerate of those who generally have outstanding abilities, but do not have the background to support them?”

“… Is that a consideration that applies to all talented people with no background in the Empire?”

“no.”

Count Serias slowly shook his head from side to side.

“The empire is vast. And strong. As such, the Empire has manpower and capital that you can’t easily imagine. But that doesn’t mean it’s an idle place to do such a chore for all the goofballs.”

“And to put it in reverse, it would mean that you are highly regarded in Nineveh, which represents the Empire and its consensus.”

“… No, simply saying that it is highly regarded is not enough. You are a great genius who reached the level of a master with only your own strength, at the age of only a teenager.”

“…..”

… No, I’m not actually a genius, and I haven’t even reached the level of a master.

And what made Altina rise to the level of a master was not that I was able to do it because I was good at it, but it was the unreasonable cheats I got while repeating regression!

“Say it straight-forward. Jin, I really like you.”

“… Yeah?”

The Count who suddenly said that he had seen me.

“Even if you leave out your abilities, I know that you are a fairly decent human being. If you were a human with a poor personality in the first place, Altina wouldn’t even come close to you.”

“Altina is a woman who inherits the blood of Serias. What this means is that Altina must someday get married in order to pass on the lineage of Serias to the next generation.”

“I respect my daughter’s freedom and want her to live her life the way she wants. However, passing on the family line is a story on a different level. In the first place, being born as a daughter of an aristocratic family has exactly that meaning.”

The Count muttered in a somewhat bitter tone.

“Until now, there has never been a man who came close to Altina like you, spent a lot of time with her, and built a close relationship like this. And, there will probably never be a man like you in the future.”

“I don’t even have to think about status or origin. Aren’t you already a master? At least at the level of the empire or the imperial family, you must have already established yourself as a much more valuable being than a decent number of nobles.”

The story flows very quickly. Because of that, I couldn’t help but hesitate about where to stop this story and how to put the brakes on that nobleman.

“no… I understand what the Count wants to say, but first I’ll tell you about-“

“You know what? When I spoke with Altina, she was talking about you with a slight smile on her face. It was also a first. When Altina talked about other men, she smiled so broadly.”

But unfortunately, that man doesn’t seem to want to hear what I’m saying.

“So there is no need to be shy. Because you have enough ability to proceed with the marriage with Altina, and your status is not worth worrying about. Above all, isn’t the fact that Altina also likes you, isn’t it the most important thing?”

“…..”

“However, keep the line to be followed and continue your fellowship with that child. If you’re both students and you play with fire clumsily, I could slit your throat now, future son-in-law or whatever.”

… No, why the hell did the story somehow get here? I never said that I was getting married to Altina, nor did I ever say that the two of us were dating, so why am I in the position of hearing this from that nobleman?

“… There, Count.”

“What?”

“That… It’s kind of hard to say this, but… It seems that one precondition is missing in the Count’s words.”

“precondition?”

First of all, I tried to spin my words around a bit to avoid offending the count, but the man didn’t seem to understand what I was talking about, let alone notice.

Are you saying I’m wrong? Where are you?

The two of you already spend time together at the gymnasium after school, clash swords, and are very close.

Then don’t you like my daughter? Even if you don’t say anything, didn’t you teach my daughter that she could reach the level of a Master because she had a heart?

no way… You don’t like Altina? does that make sense? If you’re a man, and if you have something called eye color, how can you not like that child?

Looking at the count looking at me with this kind of expression, I was able to realize that I was screwed.

me… Could it be that I have to marry Altina like this?

No, honestly, that’s not a bad thing, and strictly speaking, it’s not enough to say thank you and thank you father-in-law, but it’s not enough, but at least I couldn’t date Altina right now.

Because the current me is flirting with Erekaya, and I am working tirelessly to become a lover with her!

If she accepts the Count’s proposal here, the news will spread all over Nineveh in one form or another, and the rumor will inevitably reach Erekaya’s ears.

A man who is having a meeting with another woman on the premise of marriage, but on the other hand, a man who is trying to seduce him?

What kind of crazy bitch in the world would have a crush on a guy like that and succumb to his tricks?

Well, a guy with a filthy handsome face might be able to perform such acrobatics, but at least I don’t have that special talent.

No, what to do with flirting with Erekaya? Wouldn’t it be the first thing the Count, who had heard the rumors, come to Nineveh to kill me?

“That… How to say… I’m not really dating Altina, but… ”

“…..”

silence.

The moment I uttered those words, I realized that a heavy, unbearable silence fell between the count and me.

“… Well, I mean… To make it a little easier… The idea that we’re just good friends… .”

“…..”

“ha ha ha… It’s a bit, well… is not it? Or more than friends, less than lovers? what kind of relationship? We’re not quite normal, but… .”

silence again.

“…..”

“…..”

Surprisingly, the Count did not respond in any way to my words. No, rather, he was just staring at me quietly with his mouth shut.

And I also froze as I saw the count.

I’d rather give a shit to me, get angry with me, or make an easy-to-understand gesture.

Ah, it must have been more terrifying to stare at people without saying anything than to curse at them…

“therefore… If I could sum up your words in one word-”

After a while, the count, who seemed to have sorted out his thoughts, managed to calm his trembling lips for some reason and opened his mouth to me.

“Jin, aren’t you dating Altina?”

“… Yes.”

Wooddeuk-

I turned my eyes at the sound of something breaking somewhere, and realized that one side of the table the Count was sitting on was folded like a piece of paper and had been smashed.

No, this table is obviously made of steel… What kind of steel is decorated like folded paper…

“Then, have you been playing with my daughter in the meantime?”

“…..”

I guess, I think I’m really fucked up?