Debut Party (14)
“What did you say!? Is that true!?”
Whoa—Marquis Titanus sure blew up.
Judging from his reaction, it wasn’t something he ordered.
Actually, all the other marquises looked equally baffled.
So this wasn’t some factional directive—just something the teachers at the school decided to do on their own.
“At the very least, that’s what Young Lady Bern said. If you ask the other children from Marquis Vardmoi’s faction, I’m sure you’ll get more testimonies.”
“Mmm… if that’s true, then this is a very serious matter. That school is supposed to raise the next generation of nobles and strengthen the foundations of the nation. What are they doing!?”
Yep, it’s becoming clear now—Marquis Titanus actually has pretty sound beliefs.
He’s part of the anti-royalist faction, but only because he opposes how the royal family operates, not because he rejects the nation itself.
So then… whose doing is this?
“Gentlemen. Once this party is over and preparations are complete, we head straight for the capital.”
“Understood. This isn’t something we can ignore.”
“Exactly. If it turns out to be nothing more than a misunderstanding, fine. But if the teachers really are involved, then it’s a grave matter.”
“Grave? No, it would be far worse than that! If necessary, we may have to request His Majesty to temporarily shut the school down and root out every last bit of rot!”
Ahh… at least the heads of the marquis houses have their heads screwed on straight when it comes to education.
Back when they broke away from the old kingdom to establish the McFarlane Principality, their decision-making was swift, too.
They might have their political rivalries, but when something affects the nation’s core, they’ll cooperate.
That’s… actually kind of reassuring.
“If you’d like, I could lend you a Kiblinki Saltas for this.”
“Kiblinki Saltas? Ah, right, they can use mind reading, can’t they?”
“Yes. It would make the interrogations go much more smoothly.”
“No… we’ll just accept the offer in spirit. If the marquis houses rely on a platinum-ranked merchant for everything, we’d lose our own standing. If things truly get out of hand, that’s when we’ll ask for your help.”
“If that’s the case, I’ll be more than happy to assist. So, may I count on you to handle the Noble Academy matter?”
“This is an issue we should be dealing with proactively. Marquis Vardmoi, I’ll be counting on you as well.”
“Of course. This involves my daughter. Even if I’ve taken a step back from noble school politics, I’m still one of the marquises. If there are rats among us, they must be removed.”
“Good. Then it’s settled. My apologies, Lady Lily, but we’ll take our leave here. As for the written agreement, we’ll discuss it at the Trade Guild tomorrow.”
After giving me a polite nod, all five marquises—including Marquis Vardmoi—hurried down from the second-floor seating.
They’ll probably leave the party entirely after this.
I could’ve lent them my mansion’s reception room if they needed it, but this seems like something beyond just logistics.
His Majesty might not be the most reliable person in the world,
… but the marquis houses?
They might actually be people I can count on.
What do you think about this chapter?
Thanks for the treat.