Let’s Make Sure to Report Properly
When we got out of the carriage at home, we were greeted by Mother and all of my brothers gathered at the entrance.
Father gave me a look that clearly said, "I told you so."
Wait, is this my fault? Is it really my fault? Feeling downhearted, I trudged behind Father.
“Welcome back. You’re home later than planned—did something happen?” Mother asked.
“Well, something happened, but then again, nothing really happened. Let’s talk in the living room.”
My brothers, noticing how dejected I looked, seemed concerned. Without saying anything more, we all headed to the living room as a family.
As soon as we sat on the sofas, tea was served, and Father dismissed all the servants except for Henry and Georges.
“What on earth happened?” Mother asked impatiently, cutting straight to the point.
“The contracted beast registration went smoothly. Thanks to the Guildmaster’s suggestion, we registered Atre as a Silver Wolf pup instead of a Fenrir. A Silver Wolf is still notable, but if we explain that he treated its injuries and it bonded with him, it’s not entirely implausible. The magic contract was successfully completed too.”
“Then why do you look so tired, and why is Hardt so downcast?”
“The Guildmaster asked us to have a nameplate made for Atre, so we stopped by a jeweler. There, Hardt suggested using gemstones that match his and Atre’s eye colors for the nameplate. The store manager was thrilled about utilizing the small offcut gemstones usually discarded during processing, and then Hardt started suggesting ideas for small charms using these stones. The manager became so enthusiastic that he even recommended applying for a patent, and before I could stop it, the discussion just kept escalating.”
“Wouldn’t it be a good thing if patent royalties started coming in?” Brother Chris asked.
“The problem is that Hardt is drawing too much attention. The beast contract alone already puts him in the spotlight, and now this situation. He’s also likely to stand out during the mana evaluation when he turns eight.”
My brothers seemed to understand after hearing this.
Almost in tears, I pleaded, “Mother, can’t we do something about this?”
“If talk of patent applications is coming up, it probably will gain popularity. Oh dear, my family might take an interest and start making demands. We need to act before that happens...”
Mother! I don’t want an arranged marriage! I’m the third son, so I should be free to do as I please, right?
“... Hardt seems likely to cause more trouble down the line, so let’s establish a merchant company. We’ll make all of us family members board members and put the patent royalties under the company’s name. If Chris or Gerald pulls off something like this in the future, we can also attribute it to the company for the time being to avoid attention.”
Mother, that’s a pretty harsh way to describe me… But I won’t argue since I’ve been causing trouble.
“Hardt, was it a charm you mentioned? Could I see it once it’s complete?”
“The manager is probably going to bring samples soon. He seemed very motivated,” I replied sulkily.
“Well, it’s the truth, so there’s nothing to be done about it. From now on, report to us before doing anything. Understood?”
“Yes, ma’am. But why would I stand out during the mana power evaluation?”
“It’s said that people with silver hair tend to have high mana. My father was like that too. Atre mentioned it as well, didn’t he? He said your mana is abundant.”
Oh, right. I had completely forgotten about that. I love my current peaceful life, and I’m not letting it go.
“I want to see the charm before I head to the capital. Will the samples be ready by then?”
“I’ll ask them to make a few samples as soon as possible.”
“I’m looking forward to it,” Brother Chris said, patting my head.
Brother Gerald added, “Don’t worry. I’ll protect you.”
I’m truly lucky to have such kind brothers. I feel so blessed.
What do you think about this chapter?
