Resurrection of Duke Werstein ~ I Didn’t Hear Anything About Being A Middle-aged Man ~ 37

//Melki: I wanted to differentiate from how everyone calls Augusto and the new guy. So I'm gonna leave "Dan'na" as is it's like Master but a bit different closer to owner of a house or lord but not quite that either. It's basically used when the person is not your Master, or not your master yet, something like that. Btw what everyone usually uses is "Dan'na-sama" which can basically almost perfectly be translated to Master.

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“Hey!"

I suddenly heard a voice and turned my head to see a burly old man there.

“Mmm? ...Alfred"

Who is this guy?

When I called out to butler-san for confirmation, he assured me with a proud look on his face.

"I thought you might need a witness.

Wait a minute, what for?

... Well, yeah, that's okay.

There are a lot of things I want to say, like where have you been, why did you leave me alone and run away, or at least say something first, but I'm not going to worry about it.

Augusto-sam isn't the type to complain about things like that, you know.

I'm sure you thought I could handle it on my own, since you're a butler who thinks too highly of me anyway.

I'd like you to think about how I feel about being left behind, at least for a moment.

That's why only inside forcefully frustrated, irritated, pissed off… what was it, I forgot.

Oh well, I'll just keep it under control and act as if it's nothing on the outside, as if I'm satisfied with it.

The man in the armor, which looked more used than worn, had a fearless face and was, let's say, handsome.

He seemed to have a nihilistic smile that suited him, and he seemed a bit evil or a small fry.

His age is around thirty, maybe even twenty-eight, which is just about right.

Well to put it simply, he’s an Ossan.

So, apparently, this guy has some business with me.

"I see, so what is it?"

The moment I asked, he got down on his knees with great force.

"Please make me your subordinate!"

And while saying something incomprehensible.

Uhm.

"I refuse."

When I told him crisply, I don’t really get it but the Ossan kind of fell apart.

No, because normally one would have said no, it was too sudden.

Who are you, anyway?

“…Alfred."

I looked at the butler-san as if to ask for an explanation.

Then the butler bowed reverently.

“Wa, leave it to me."

Then, for some reason, the butler-san kneels down in front of the old man.

Hmm? Wait a minute, what's the explanation?

Oh, a pattern that doesn't work for you?

"Class A adventurer, Ricardo-dono, right?"

"... That's right."

I think I heard a half-crying, half-sniffling sound in his reply, but I decided not to worry about it.

The man's name was Ricardo, and I guessed that he was an adventurer.

But more importantly, what is a class A adventurer?

The moment I thought about it, Augusto-san's knowledge gave me a good answer.

・Adventurer.

This is the collective name for those who make a living as agents who travel the world and take on everything from important to trivial matters for money.

Their requests range from defeating demonic beasts, collecting goods, searching dungeons, investigating, transporting luggage, and carrying things by mail.

There are SS, S, and A to F grades, and there have only been two SS-grade individuals in the Lunamiria Kingdom in the past hundred years, and they are now dead. There are only three people alive in the world right now, and two of them are sages.

... I see, it's a large scale, or rather a global organization of all-around agents.

I was wondering how they were able to make it in this world, and then I realized that the main source of income for these adventurers is by diving into dungeons and selling the items and stuff they get there.

... No, no, no, wait, what's a dungeon?

・A dungeon.

A dungeon is a labyrinth caused by a magical reservoir that distorts the world in some way.

It's a place with many mysteries that exists in many countries around the world.

It's not often that they appear, but they do exist.

... I don't understand.

All I know is that I don't understand it.

Okay, I'll just go through it.

Leaving me alone, the butler-san called out to the adventurer in a quiet, admonishing, and encouraging tone of voice.

"It's not because he didn't want you to be his subordinate that he refused."

"Then why?"

When the adventurer looked up with a quizzical look on his face, the butler quietly told him.

"You can imagine how an adventurer who becomes a subordinate of a nobleman would be treated in a nobleman's society, can't you?"

"…!"

“That’s right, that's what’s in Master's mind"

“But, I!!"

It was a serious atmosphere, and I was ignored in the exchange.

Uhm, Butler-san, but right now I was only thinking about something totally unimportant.

"It's Master's kindness.

The Master does not want a man of your caliber to be drawn into aristocratic society and then buried."

"Kuh…!!"

The adventurer snorts in frustration, the butler-san has a serious expression, and the men watch with bated breath.

I didn't say anything, though.

I'm just standing there in a daze.

I feel like I'm being left behind.

"More than that... This is a selfish wish of mine, but can you please help me repaint the bad reputation of Master that is spreading in the world?"

"Bad reputation!?"

The adventurer turned a surprised face to the butler-san who began to make such a request seriously with a grave atmosphere.

I wonder how long they've been kneeling on the ground, this whole area is soaked in dragon piss.

“That is correct.

Master has been out of his mind for the past twelve years."

"What the…?"

"Duke Augusto Werstein, that is Master"

Not only the adventurer, but also the two other adventurers gasped at butler-san's words as if he had made up his mind with a very serious expression.

"What...? No way, that!"

"Yes, the original Master is a person completely unrelated to that vile rumor."

A completely different person is currently occupying that person's body in the present, though.

"… Is that so, I got it. If it’s something I can do, I'll do it."

I'm sorry to say this when you’re answering with a crisp and serious expression, but how much longer am I being neglected?

I finally stood up and vaguely watched the burly man and butler-san shake hands as if they were confirming the friendship between men.

Well, I don't know what's going on, but it seems that they've reached an agreement.

No, I understand what's going on, but I don't understand why it's happening, so I can't follow it.

Seriously, I don't know what to do with this feeling.

Yeah, it's already a pain in the ass, so let's just let it go.

He seems to be cooperating with us just fine, so I'll ask him too.

However, I just took a quick breath to speak, but for some reason, all eyes were focused on me and I was really scared just inside.

Why are you guys paying so much attention to me?

They had left me alone until a while ago, but now when I was about to say something, they do this to me.

Acting calmly and nonchalantly on the outside, and by the way, in a dignified manner, I forced myself to go through the sober irritation on the inside and opened my mouth.

"I'm going to ask you to help me find the dragon eggs."

"I'll do anything you ask, Dan'na!"

As soon as I said it, he came at me with such force that I was shocked.

The moment I said that, he started to bite me with great intensity, and I was really shocked.

Well, if you're going to help me, then just let's do it.

There's no real harm in it other than it's disgusting, and I learned from my own parents that if you can use it, even if it’s your parents use it.

Although it was mainly my father who was used and my mother was in the side of using.

Suddenly, I felt like I was going to remember my family like a string of potatoes, but I forced myself to suppress it.

I forced myself to suppress it.

I repeated it as if I were trying to make a suggestion to myself, and said the explanation in a simple way to change my mind.

"Okay, so the characteristics of the egg... the egg is a light green color, very similar to a wyvern egg."

A stocky adventurer listened to my explanation with a nodding head, followed by a short man in the back, and a young man in some kind of drab clothes that looked like something a wizard would wear who started taking notes.

However, their color changed slightly in the next explanation.

“The Dragon couple said that's why they put it in the wyvern nest, blending in with other wyvern eggs."

When they stopped moving for a moment and started sweating for some reason, I realized that maybe, just maybe, they might be.

... Well, but I'm not sure, so I kept talking.

"But then I realized that only the eggs of the dragon couple had gone missing."

When I finished my explanation and looked at the adventurers, all three of them were completely pale and covered in cold sweat.

They were whispering to each other, hey, that's the one, isn't it?, a young man who looked like a magician raised his hand and then opened his mouth to make sure.

"Uhm, could that be southwest of here?"

..........

I glanced over at the dragon couple, and the red dragon replied with a roar.

'I don't know what "southwest" is, but it's over there.'

The dragon then turned its head to the southwest.

"That way."

"Oh my god, seriously…!!"

As soon as I told him that I was the one who turned the dragon's face, the young man who looked like a wizard screamed and clutched his head, the tall man looked away, and the burly man covered his face with one hand.

When I asked them if they had any idea what was going on, I found out that they were the ones who had taken the dragon couple's eggs.

We asked them to check their footprints and scent, so we were sure.

The heck you been doing.

While forcing myself to breathe through the sigh that was about to come out, I looked at the adventurers again.

"I see, I understand the details…"

"There's no way I could have known that was a real dragon egg!!!"

He slammed his hunchbacked fist into the chattering ground.

His voice sounded like he might be crying for real instead of just half-crying.

There was a man who lamented that his life was over, a young man who laughed with a certain pronunciation while looking into the distance with a dry smile on his face, and a burly man who covered his face with one hand and crouched down on the spot again.

I felt sorry for them, but there was nothing I could do about what they had done.

Then, when the culprit was revealed, I just looked at the Dragon couple, who were on the verge of murder, and the bloodthirst receded as they got down on their knees, which reminded me of my own fear.

I'm sorry for not being aware of it.

I apologized only inwardly and decided to move on with the conversation, since it was getting out of hand.

"All right, all right, so who's the client?'

I called out to a burly man who looked like a representative.

He then huffed and started to growl in the same position.

"I'm not sure who it was...! I remember that he had a very peculiar bald head…!"

I guess he was in a state of being unable to remember.

The burly old man groaned and started pacing around, looking up and down.

But then again, there's only one guy in this kingdom with a unique bald head.

"... Senior Count Nord Rhodriess, huh?"

"Oh, I think that's his name... You know him?"

In front of the burly old man, who turned his face toward me in the middle of his words, as if surprised, I shouted only in my brain.

Yes, bingo!

In fact, there was a possibility that he was a commoner, but the fact that he could hire A-class adventurers meant that he had money, and if that was the case, there was a high possibility that he was a noble.

Well, it was also because of Augusto-san's too keen intuition.

I can't help but think, you again?

I don't know, maybe he's dumb. No, he's not dumb, he's stupid. Yeah.

It doesn't matter, I wondered what I should do now, I decided to ask the butler-san, I nodded humbly and called out to the butler-san.

"I see, Alfred."

"I'll have them clean up in a hurry, Cinza, you heard him."

"Yesss, I'm off."

The butler and the suddenly-appearing onmitsu-san exchanged a few words, but onmitsu-san quickly disappeared.

... I don't know what it was, but it was decided in a flash and gone in a flash.

No, yeah, I had a feeling that would happen.

I didn't say anything, and I don't remember giving any orders, but it’s the butler-san, and onmitsu-san.

They overestimate me so much.

It's no use, I'll just give up.

So, I decided to leave the rest to onmitsu-san, and the problem was the carriage.

It's all fixed up nicely, but there's one problem.

The horse that pulled the carriage has disappeared.

Well, when a monster like a dragon appears in front of you, you'll run away, right?

Of course, it's scary.

That's why it's become difficult for me to move around now.

... Let's start with the conclusion.

It’s been decided that the Dragon couple will be pulling the carriage for us.

Uhm.

How did it come to this, it’s okay, I also don’t get it.

I thought I was just making small talk about how there are no horses to pull the carriage over here, you know?

I don't really get it, but it turned out like this just from that, don’t you think it makes no sense?

It doesn't make sense, does it?

What needs to happenn for a dragon to be pulling a carriage, I really have no idea.

And they politely turned the same size as a horse, I wonder what's going on with the volume.

Is anything possible in fantasy?

I had a headache because I couldn't understand what was going on anymore.

Well, the most puzzling thing is that the butler-san, the adventurers, and the soldiers don't care at all, in fact, they are proud of it.

What is that, as expected of you, Master? Stop it, it's too much.

I didn't say anything.

Because, horse, there are actually others, you know?

When it comes to the transportation of nobles, it's normal for them to have more than one horse with them, in case they get crushed or something.

So why do we have to use the Dragon couple as our horses?

I really don't understand.

Why don't you just buy a horse from a nearby village or something like that, or even from the noblemen who rule this area!

How did this happen?

I thought about it as I silently handled the paperwork again in the completely vibration-free carriage.

There's also one more thing I noticed while we were talking.

I'm the only one who understands what the Dragon couple are saying.

I found this out when the butler-san asked me what the dragons were saying! I didn't want to find out!

For something so special, it doesn't feel like a bargain at all, but what the heck.

I get to talk to a dragon! That's great! But nothing makes me happy!

How many options does this God guy have to give me before he's satisfied?

I've had enough of being a great aristocrat, and now I'm going to be a great sage, and I'm going to be able to talk to dragons.

The setting is completely junior high school. It's like my idea of an awesome character!

The more I thought about it, the more I could only feel a sense of despair at the painful setting I had been given.

As I was processing the paperwork, the butler-san called out to me, stifling a sigh.

“Master?"

"What's wrong?"

The butler-san clammed up a little in response to my indifferent reply, but then said as if he had made up his mind.

"I'm sorry to inform you, but we have a problem."

Ehhhhh? What is it this time?

There was no need to ask for details, it seemed that I couldn't enter the lord's mansion where I was supposed to stay and was rejected at the door.

Hmm.

"… Is this okay?"

When the butler-san asked me a question that didn't seem to make any sense, I wasn't sure what the problem was.

I had already told him in writing that I would be coming here, and if he refused, then he was an idiot who couldn’t be helped.

Was it that, or was he just a demented person driven by the righteous indignation of royal supremacy?

It seems to me that they are trying to give the infamous duke a little moxibustion.

“Hmm."

I made a pretense of thinking, then, Yay! I don't have to meet the troublesome lord! I gave a order to the butler-san with great enthusiasm.

"Leave him alone, he's just a small fry.

More importantly start preparing for our departure."

“Wa, Very well"

After butler-san left with a polite bow, I turned to the pile of papers.

After that, we really left, and the impatient lord said something to us, but we just ignored him and continued on our way.

In the meantime, I've told the soldiers and the horses to take regular breaks to rest, so there won't be any problems.

We would be in the territory in about three days anyway, so it would be easier to stay in the field.

I'm a little worried about whether the soldiers will be able to rest, but they should be able to rest up for the next day.

What was waiting for us when we arrived at the territory without any problems was, well, not surprising.

It was a rebellion by the people of the territory.

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A/n: Ojisama "That's right, huh…"

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