Chapter 1-22 : Engagement Letter
Chloe received a letter from Baron Hansen.
In the letter, the Baron said he will welcome Chloe as his 25th wife.
Mylia, who read the letter using clairvoyance, clasped her fists and made an angry face.
（That person will finally come, huh….）
Chloe and Mylia already made predictions of various situations. Howeverー
（We thought he would send the letter when Chloe onee-chan turns twelve years old… This is a year earlier than we expected… That Baron… He can’t wait for another yeah, huh?）
If only Baron Hansen waited for another year, Chloe would have a chance to escape because she will be enrolled in the Girls’ Royal Academy in the next spring.
The students in the Girls’ Royal Academy are under the protection of Her Majesty, so as long as Chloe is a student of the academy, no one can disturb her.
Chloe believed that Aaron would make contact with Baron Hansen after Robin gets a new husband, but it seems like Baron Hansen wanted to secure Chloe as soon as possible.
（I heard the rumor that Baron Hansen is a bald, fat man… I think he’s more of a comedian than a Baron…）
Mylia trembled, imagining her beloved onee-chan married with such a man.
Baron Hansen commanded his men and would give reward and fame for those who could find him a beautiful unmarried woman.
The reason why the engagement was hastened was because the leader of the caravan was blinded by the reward and persistently recommended Chloe to Barron Hansen after he found out how beautiful Chloe was.
（Basically, Chloe onee-chan will negotiate about this first. If it doesn’t work, I’ll do something with magic. I have no strategy at all, but I’ll save Chloe onee-chan no matter what even if I have to destroy the caravan and beat the knights who are escorting it!）
Mylia would do anything for her beloved Chloe onee-chan even if it would get herself into trouble.
Without Chloe, she would have been lonely in this house.
She could feel the warmth of a family thanks to Chloe.
（Onee-chan…!）
She was now eager to protect the smile of her most precious person.
（I’ll use【Tear Gas】so they can’t see us, and use【Fly】to run away with Chloe onee-chan! If it doesn’t work, I’ll use【Gravity】to slow them down! If it doesn’t work, I’ll use【Explosion】to blow them away! If it doesn’t work, I’ll use【Tornado】to send them into the sky! If it doesn’t workーーー）
Baron Hansen wasn’t aware…
…He wasn’t aware that he was dealing with the most powerful magician in the country….
◯◯◯
That night, the knights of the caravan were invited to dinner at Atwood Family’s mansion.
It was the usual routine when the caravan visited the Atwood territory.
Aaron as the lord and the head of the family sat on the main seat, while the commander of the knights sat next to him as a guest, and Alex sat next to the captain.
The other seats were filled with twenty knights.
Thus, the living room of the Atwood family’s mansion, which wasn’t very large to begin with, had become more cramped.
「Thank you for coming! Passing through the monster territory must be difficult, right? Please give my best regards to Baron Hansen! Gahahaha!」(Aaron)
Saying that, Aaron hit the captain’s back as if they were close friends.
「Nah, it’s not a big deal. Monsters in this area are weak. I will come again next time!」(captain)
The captain was the third son of a knight family.
Because he was unable to carry the title, his child was born as a commoner.
「I’m glad I’m able to fulfill my important duty to the Atwood Family again this year!」(captain)
He acted so friendly toward Aaron, but no one knew what he was thinking.
Ella took out special sake and dried meat that had been stored for this day, and served them along with white bread she made from the wheat brought in by the caravan.
（Ahh… the smell of white bread makes me hungry…）
Mylia stood by the wall, staring at the living room that was full of laughing men.
She was hungry because she hadn’t eaten dinner yet.
（If only we could grow wheat here, I could eat that delicious bread every day… When I become able to move long distances with teleportation magic, I will go get wheat somewhere…）
Robin, Chloe, Bonnie, Penelope, and their mother, Ella, were busy serving the men.
Mylia would get in their way, so she was told to stand still by the wall.
By the way, because Jasmine had poor eyesight and couldn’t serve the guests, she was kneading bread in the kitchen.
「We made really good lavender jam this year! Some of them are shining because they are full of magical power! Please take a look later!」(Aaron)
「Really!?」(captain)
Aaron always looked forward to dinner with the captain whenever the caravan came to his territory twice a year.
「But who cares about jam now! You know what? A deer king appeared in the nearby forest! It was five times as big as me! And it could easily jump over large boulders!」(Aaron)
「Hooー」(captain)
「Me and Alex managed to trap it, and then Pyun! Gusaa! Dozaa! Gyahahaha!」(Aaron)
「「OOoooー」」
Because Aaron was a muscle-brain, he couldn’t explain what was going on very well, but both the captain and Alex were clapping while raising impressed voices.
「So this meat is from that deer king?」(captain)
「That’s right! Please eat to your heart’s content!」(Aaron)
「Thank you very much!」(captain)
The knights were eating delicious meat and white bread, and drinking alcohol to their hearts’ content to relieve the stress and fatigue after crossing monster territory.
（I want to eat white bread…）
Mylia closed her mouth as she was about to drool.
「Chloe, come!」(Aaron)
After a while, Aaron called Chloe.
（Onee-chan… I hope the negotiation end well…）
After she poured wine to the captain’s wooden cup, Chloe stood behind Aaron.
Aaron grabbed Chloe’s waist with his thick arm and pushed her out as if she was a thing.
「She grew up to be a beautiful girl, don’t you think?」(Aaron)
As Aaron pushed her, Chloe stepped on her own foot and was about to fall, but she managed to stand still.
「I’m sure she will make Baron Hansen happy! Right, Captain!?」(Aaron)
「Yes, you’re right! There’s no girl as beautiful as her in Hamanulle!」(captain)
The captain stared at Chloe.
Especially at her chest.
「I read the letter! In exchange for the right to use the forest, I’ll gladly marry this girl to Baron Hansen!」(Aaron)
「Ohh! Baron Hansen will be pleased!」(captain)
「ーーPlease wait a minute! Can I say something?」(Chloe)
Chloe interrupted the two who proceeded the conversation as they pleased.
「Isn’t it meaningless to engage me with Baron Hansen now?」(Chloe)
Listening to what Chloe said, Aaron and the captain looked at each other.
They looked somewhat in agreement with Chloe.
However, Aaron grabbed Chloe’s shoulder and pulled her backwards.
「I’m sorry, this girl is clever. We can’t let her talk. ーーChloe, it’s already decided! Just be a good girl and obey what your father says!」(Aaron)
「But, Father…」(Chloe)
「Don’t make me say it twice!」(Aaron)
Aaron glared angrily at his eleven-year-old daughter.
Chloe glanced at her mother, Ella, looking for help, but Ella was just shaking her head a little.
（Mother! This noon you said you won’t marry Chloe onee-chan with Baron Hansen after you saw the glowing lavender jam, didn’t you!? Come on!…. But, uhh… I don’t think that muscle-brain wants to listen to other people right now…）
Ella can’t oppose her husband, so he chose to give up.
「Chloe ojou-sama, may I have a word?」(captain)
The captain stared at Chloe as he tried to stand up from his seat.
「…..!」(Chloe)
However, the captain’s stare was so intense as if he was saying, “Just give up and obediently become Baron Hansen’s wife!”, and it made Chloe run away from the living room before the captain could speak.
（Khh! This drunk bastard!….. Looks like it’s pointless to negotiate with them……. Chloe onee-chan…）
Kuuu~~~
Mylia’s stomach was rumbling, but now she felt more pain in her chest than in her stomach.
「Oi, Chloe!….. I’m sorry, Captain. I’ll give her a lesson later!」(Aaron)
「Don’t worry about that.」(captain)
「Anyway, should I sign the engagement letter?」(Aaron)
「Yes, please.」(captain)
The captain took out a letter from his jacket pocket.
「After Baron Hansen confirms your signature, we will send the letter to the church in Hamanulle to get permission for the engagement.」(captain)
「Understood. I’ll sign it now…. Oi, Ella!」(Aaron)
「Please wait a moment…」(Ella)
Ella immediately went to another room to bring a pen and ink.
Even though Aaron can’t read, he can write his own name.
Aaron signed the letter while humming in a good mood.
He seemed to be imagining himself hunting in Baron Hansen’s forest.
The captain frowned for a second after seeing Aaron’s bad handwriting.
Meanwhile, Mylia wasー
（Magic circulation…. Tracking magic…【GPS】activated!）
She sent her magical power to the engagement letter so that she can track it down.
Because of the influence of the strong image, the accuracy of the spell increased drastically.
（With this, I can track it up to 50km away!）
She called this spell, “GPS”.
This is Mylia’s version of tracking magic.
She had practiced this magic with Titania, and had experimented with mountain rabbits many times, so she believed there would be no problem.
Unless Mylia ran out of magical power, or she released the spell, her magical power would always stick to the letter and act as a GPS.
（I just need to prevent the captain from giving the letter to Baron Hansen, right? Then, I can do it secretly without fighting the knights… but… maybe I should talk with Master first since I will use magic on people…）
Mylia leaned against the wall and used telepathy to contact her master.