Happy Daily Life of a Reincarnated Noble Blessed with Vassals - Chapter 3

I drank too much. Blame it on the venison and bear meat being too delicious. And if we’re getting into it, Mahdavikia’s cooking skills were just too good.

Odolski, Mahdavikia, and even Alice were all strong drinkers. 

I didn’t let Irina drink since she said she was 18. Even though it’s not illegal here, my memories of Japan make me feel guilty about giving alcohol to minors. She sulked for a while, but a little extra meat cheered her right up. So cute.

Anyway, I asked Alice, who came to wake me up earlier, to let me sleep until noon. Time for round two of sleep.

“Big brother!”

“Ugh!”

What the…? Big brother??

Suddenly, a girl with fluffy light-brown hair and striking emerald-green eyes dove into my bed. She rubbed her head against me like a puppy, which was quite soothing. This must be Yumika, the orphan.

“Yumika’s back! Did you miss me? You missed me, didn’t you!?”

Suppressing the urge to go back to sleep, I sat up and patted her head. “Ah, welcome back, Yumika.”

She made a cute face but then jumped off the bed. “Big brother, you smell like alcohol! You stayed up drinking with Father and Uncle again, didn’t you?”

Father? Uncle?

[For Yumika, Father is Odolski and Uncle is Mahdavikia. They aren’t related by blood.]

“Oh, you’re such a handful, big brother. Fine, sleep until noon. But you have to listen to my stories over tea this afternoon, okay?”

Aww, she’s adorable. I think she’s so cute it’s actually helping with my hangover.

“Yeah, I promise.”

“Promise? I’ll clean up from my trip until then. Mary, could you help me?”

Leaning against the door was a slender, beautiful person with jet-black hair tied in a ponytail. Wait, that was not a girl. ‘Twas a boy. This must be Mary, the assassin. His face was so pretty that it was easy to see why people would mistake him for a girl.

“Coming home to find all the older guys hungover… seriously, give me a break. Anyway, Gramps wants to talk to you right away, so give up on that second nap.”

Seriously? I’d already decided to sleep until noon.

I don’t want to get out of bed…

“Stop fighting it. If you don’t hurry up, Gramps will start one of his lectures.”

I guess I don’t have a choice. In my past life, “I can’t work because of a hangover” was never an excuse. I remember getting scolded to crawl to work if I had to.

“Apparently, something really good happened to you, big bro. Gramps has been humming to himself!”

“Really? I didn’t see that.”

“Hehe. He was really subtle about it, barely noticeable.”

“That shogun-like butler? Ha, I bet it’ll snow tomorrow.”

“In that case, why don’t we have you shoveling snow first thing in the morning, Mary?”

A slender, middle-aged man with slicked-back white hair placed a hand on Mary’s shoulder, smiling. Oh, but his eyes weren’t smiling. And now Mary was trembling slightly. Get it together, top-tier assassin.

This must be Jean-Jacques, the butler.

“Let that little joke slide, Jean-Jacques.”

“As you wish.”

Mary looked at me with tears in his eyes. Huh? Was that a t-h-a-n-k y-o-u? Was he really that scared?

By the way, Command…

[Yes, Your Excellency.]

Where exactly were Jean-Jacques and the others headed this time? And do we know why little Yumika was with them?

[Allow me to explain. You reside in the Magical Beast’s Garden, which is the official name for the Hesselink Countdom’s Orenang territory. It lies far to the west, on the outskirts of the kingdom, with the westernmost region being a lair of beasts. Your position, Lord Protector, involves defending the kingdom from the beasts that emerge from the forest. Is this clear so far?]

I’m about to burst here. Defending the kingdom from magical beasts? That’s way too cool, but also a huge burden. Given the location of the territory, I suppose my family has inherited this role for generations.

[Indeed. When one inherits the title of Count of Hesselink, they are also entrusted with the duties of Lord Protector.]

How large is the Hesselink Countdom?

[Among all the countdoms, Orenang is the largest in terms of area, though most of it is forest inhabited by magical beasts.]

Is the forest really that big? So while the land is vast, only a tiny portion is habitable, which explains why there are so few residents.

[In the past, there were attempts to clear the forest and settle it, but these failed quickly due to the magical beasts, leading to the conclusion that it was better not to let people live there.]

So they couldn’t defend it. Even now, it’s just me, Odolski, Mary, and Jean-Jacques who can fight. If there were thousands of non-combatants, it would be impossible to protect them all.

[As a result, only the direct male descendants of the Hesselink family, a few trusted servants, and a minimal number of soldiers remain stationed in the Magical Beast’s Garden.]

So that’s why there’s no mother around. Odolski manages fine, but for non-combatants like Alice, this is a bit harsh. Maybe I should send them somewhere safer and take care of myself?

[They would probably cry, but you’re welcome to try if you wish.]

Not the most reassuring response.

[They have all chosen to stay by your side. They have already struggled and made peace with the risks involved, after much internal conflict. Ignoring that and telling them, “I can handle things on my own, so you’re dismissed,” would make you a tyrant, wouldn’t it? Just like the boss you never wanted to become. Please realize this.]

Okay, okay, I won’t say it! Geez, you’re really laying it on thick. How do you know about workplace harassment anyway?

[Glad you understand. Now, let’s get back to the point. What’s required of a Lord Protector? First is extermination, second is extermination, third and fourth are also extermination, and fifth—making heirs.]

Uh, teacher, number five feels out of place. I mean, I get it though. My father died young, too. They say it was an accident, but I’m sure a beast got him. In a position like Lord Protector, it makes sense to have as many children as possible.

So, does that mean Jean-Jacques was off looking for a bride for me?

[Exactly. There are countless nobles eager to have their daughters marry a Lord Protector. Jean-Jacques is tasked with visiting these families and conducting preliminary negotiations.]

Why would Yumika go with them? She’s also a character I “drew from the gacha,” but it said she didn’t have any special abilities.

[As mentioned, Yumika has noble lineage, but essentially, she serves as a cute mascot.]

True, she is adorable. Her hair’s so silky and fluffy, and her cheeks are so soft and squishy. Just playing with her made my hangover almost disappear.

[She accompanied Jean-Jacques so he could observe how nobles would treat a common girl with no relation to you.]

Indeed, I wouldn’t want a daughter from a household that mistreats Yumika. In fact, let’s invade them. Summon Odolski and Mary!

[Please calm down, Your Excellency. That would start a war.]

I lost my composure.

“Mary, thank you for guarding Yumika.”

“No one’s reckless enough to mess with a cloak bearing the Hesselink family crest. It was an easy job.”

“Maybe so, but it’s precisely because you were with her that I could send Yumika off with peace of mind. You deserve to be thanked.”

“Exactly, Mary! Grandpa said he could focus on his work because you were there! I wasn’t lonely at all, either. Thank you so much.”

Look at that, Yumika can express gratitude. Good girl! Ah, she likes being petted, huh? And now, up you go, high up in the air!

“It’s my job to protect what’s important to you, big brother. I’ll always do it properly.”

Her cheeks were turning red. How cute, getting embarrassed just from a thank you.

“Stop looking at me with those warm, mushy eyes. Come on, Gramps, stop smirking and just give the report already.”

“Ahem, Jean-Jacques, thanks for your hard work again. According to Yumika, there were some excellent results this time?”

“To think that the young ones noticed… It seems I still have much to learn. I would like to report on that now, if I may.”