The Tin Knight-Chapter 19: The Tin Knight and The Lions Bloodline (2)

“...Dorothea, was it? I’m grateful for your cooperation in the rescue operation, but I can’t let your recent remark slide. Surely, you aren’t trying to insult our entire bloodline, are you?”

Giselle’s sharp gaze pierced through Dorothea.

Her tone and expression were chilling.

The naturally emitted stern aura was enough to intimidate those facing her, but Dorothea merely snorted.

“I merely stated the facts as I see them. If you want to call that an insult, suit yourself.”

“I, too, have made a cold judgment based on facts.”

Giselle’s gaze turned to the girl, who had collapsed on the floor.

“I promised a prosperous life. I guaranteed protection and treatment for her family. I discussed and am achieving the reconstruction of the domain. What more do you expect us to give?”

Dorothea made an incredulous expression and said, “You. If someone took away all your clothes and possessions, then piled up a bunch of money you never asked for next to you and said, ‘I’ve compensated you this much, so it’s enough, right? Just take this and get lost,’ would you accept that?”

“That’s quite an exaggeration. It’s an inappropriate analogy for the current situation.”

“It’s not so different in terms of being one-sided.”

Dorothea stood firmly against Giselle.

At those words, light began to flicker in the girl’s eyes bit by bit.

What the girl recalled was a fairy tale she had read when she was young.

A protagonist oppressed by her stepmother and stepsisters, and a kind witch who helped the protagonist with mysterious magical powers.

Indeed, these people must be helpers sent from heaven to aid her...

“Of course, this kid seems a bit stupid.”

...Huh?

Wait, didn’t something strange just slip past?

“I’ll forgo elaborating on the things you’ve said such as her almost being sold off after getting caught by mere bandits, but there’s quite a bit to be concerned about beyond that.”

Whether knowing or not knowing the shock the girl had received, Dorothea calmly continued her harsh words, “During the few days it took to come here to Friedel from Albert, I haven’t seen this kid do anything properly. She can’t hunt, can’t prepare for camping, and on top of that, she’s a picky eater who makes a fuss while refusing to eat things like grilled larvae. I thought we might discuss specific rescue compensation during the journey, but not a peep came out of her mouth. All she did was stare at that tin can wasting mana over there with sparkling eyes. Seeing how she acts, I think if we threw her into a troll’s nest, she wouldn’t last even half a day before dying.”

Well, isn’t it normal not to eat larvae?

And wouldn’t most people die if thrown into a troll’s nest?

Most of those present, excluding a certain battle-maniac tin can, had similar thoughts, but they didn’t voice them.

After glancing at the girl, who was gaping blankly, forgetting the dignity of a noble young lady, Giselle said, “In that case, isn’t there no issue? As you’ve assessed, she is incompetent and unsuitable as the ruler of this domain. That’s precisely why our main family will manage it instead.”

“How can there be no issue? You’ve been dressing it up nicely, but in the end, aren’t you just snatching away the land that this kid’s parents worked hard to cultivate?”

“That’s—“

Before Giselle could voice her rebuttal, Dorothea continued, “You even said it yourself. The lord’s deployment was based on an agreement between your main family and this kingdom’s royal family. So, following your request, the lord and his army were annihilated while providing support, and as a result, this domain ended up in this state, right? And now you’re telling the last survivor, ‘You’re too incompetent to entrust this domain to. We’ll take it, so just take the money we give you and beat it.’ If this isn’t thuggish behavior, what is it?”

A cold sneer appeared on Dorothea’s lips.

“Or is this one of your management strategies? Do you request deployments from other branch families too, and when the lord dies or their army disappears and weakens them, you send people and resources under the name of ‘support’ and swallow up the land the branch family has cultivated? You’re reaping the seeds you’ve sown quite well. You’d be successful even if you became a farmer.”

“Stop spouting nonsense!! Do you think the honorable Lion Duke’s bloodline would stoop to such dirty tactics!”

Giselle, who had been maintaining a composed attitude until now, raised her voice with a reddened face.

Dorothea shrugged and replied, “Who knows? That’s not for me to judge, but for the people of other branch families who will hear this story.”

At those words, Giselle’s eyebrows twitched violently.

It was amazing how the same facts could tell two different stories

When Giselle led the conversation, what the main family bestowed was mercy and kind consideration.

But when Dorothea framed the story, what the main family committed was betrayal and a dirty plot.

Of course, the words of a wandering witch and those of the Lennart Ducal House, one of the most prestigious families on the continent, were incomparable in terms of influence.

Given the fundamental difference in their standings, even if “subversive rumors” were to spread, the damage to the ducal house would be extremely minimal.

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However, for Giselle von Lennart as an “individual”, not as the ducal house, the damages could be considerable.

The power held by the Lion Duke’s bloodline was great, but the power struggles within were even more fierce.

When the witch spread this story to other branch families, there was a sufficient possibility that competitors would use this incident as a pretext to attack Giselle’s standing.

Giselle couldn’t help but be conscious of the sword at her waist.

She was a capable person. And that capability included “force” as well.

If Giselle had been in the girl’s shoes when she was kidnapped, she would have slaughtered the enemy herself, regardless of poor security.

If she cut down this insolent witch now, all matters could be resolved simply.

“...Haa. Fine. State your demands.”

However, Giselle didn’t choose that method.

Setting aside personal likes and dislikes, the witch before her eyes had the achievement of rescuing one of the Lion Duke’s bloodline.

In Giselle’s opinion, cutting her down just for being disrespectful while ignoring that achievement was dishonorable.

“Is it money? Or shall I write you a letter of recommendation to another noble family? Tell me what you want.”

“I’ll take money. But that’s compensation for rescuing them, the hush money is separate.”

“What?”

“Give that kid a chance.”

At Dorothea’s indication, the girl made a startled expression.

“What you want to say is basically that you’re going to reclaim the domain because you can’t trust that kid, right? Then if she proves her ability or achievements, there’s no problem, is there?”

“As I recall, you agreed that she lacks ability.”

“Yes, that is how she is ‘currently’. It might be different later.”

Dorothea took a step back and looked around.

And then, as if telling everyone present, not just Giselle, she said, “Anyway, it was that kid’s dad who raised this domain, right? Is it so strange to ask to give his child one chance to prove their worth?”

“...”

No one opened their mouth, but Giselle realized.

The atmosphere lingering among the retainers had changed.

The guilt they had been turning a blind eye to for the sake of the domain, the loyalty to the deceased lord.

Such emotions became one lump, causing a great ripple in their hearts.

Isn’t that much okay? Given what the lord has done, can’t we give his child at least a chance?

If the young lady really changes and proves her ability, that’s good, and even if she doesn’t, we’ve done as much as we could, so there’s no reason to feel uneasy anymore, right?

Giselle looked at the girl.

She observed and evaluated the value of the weak young lady who, despite this being a place discussing her own fate, was just being swayed back and forth without even being able to speak properly.

Even if given a short grace period, it didn’t seem like that wishy-washy girl would grow into an opponent that could threaten Giselle’s position.

...It’s not bad as an event to completely capture the hearts of the retainers and create a touching story to spread around.

Having finished her calculations, Giselle opened her mouth, “Very well. I’ll give you a one-year grace period. That should be enough time that you can no longer use the excuse of being too young to do your part.”

“No, isn’t that a bit short? Even if she grows for another year, it won’t make her less of a kid.”

“By imperial standards, she’s already an adult. Even by Kingdom standards, which have later coming-of-age ceremonies than the Empire, she’ll be an adult in a year. Isn’t that a sufficient period?”

“Huh?”

“Hmm?”

Dorothea made a dumbfounded sound, and Giselle was also surprised by this reaction.

Dorothea looked at the girl’s appearance.

“I thought she was three or four years younger than me at least.”

“Ah, I see. You were mistaken about that part. The Lion Duke’s bloodline tends to age slower than others. In exchange, they have long lifespans and maintain their prime for an extended period.”

Hearing this new fact, Dorothea nodded.

Then she suddenly looked at Giselle.

A beautiful woman with an intellectual impression.

She had thought that for someone who was supposed to be appointed as the new lord, she looked quite young for a mere auditor, but if what she just said was true, her actual age might be quite high.

“...My appearance and age don’t differ much.”

“I didn’t particularly ask.”

“Silence.”

And so, the serious yet somewhat foolish conference came to an end.