20 - Marquis Maron
Episode 20
I'm a noble, apparently. In the 21st-century democratic nation, everyone's either a slave or a commoner, but here, I'm a Marquis, even though I don't do a damn thing.
"Jackpot."
"What?"
"Nothing."
It was too funny. Even though I'm living a voluntary rural hermitage life, the feeling of being a commoner and a noble is just different. So, I should interpret it positively.
Reikart chuckled and said,
"Fatima kept calling you Marquis, so I thought I'd remind you. Now that you know, go back to sleep. Don't oversleep and get scolded by Doraji."
"You go to sleep. If you don't catch any meat tomorrow, I'll kick you out."
After constantly bickering, we had a proper conversation for the first time in a while, and we waved goodbye like friendly neighbors and headed to our respective rooms.
That guy's definitely trying to get on my good side so he can settle down here forever, but no way. I'll kick him out if I get the chance.
I made that resolution and pulled the blanket over myself.
The next morning, I tried making stew myself, guided by Fatima. After adding this and that, it looked like a mix of red bean porridge and hangover stew, but the taste was decent enough to eat.
"Because Fatima's here, even this kind of thing can become edible."
"What, you little punk? You should be grateful you're eating stew made by the Marquis himself. You're being cheeky for a fairy."
"Why does this guy keep talking about being a Marquis?"
Doraji glared at Reikart with eyes full of criticism. He brazenly said as he silently shoveled stew into his mouth,
"It's a fact that I'm a Marquis. There's no logical problem."
"What kind of Marquis doesn't have a single tenant farmer on his land? No maids, no soldiers. And that's not all! His own territory is in this state..."
"I do have tenant farmers? And soldiers."
"What do you mean you have them?"
"You're my tenant farmer, and she's a soldier."
Doraji was wearing a roughly woven straw hat, and Reikart was still carrying his sword around.
"I'm a Marquis."
Hehehehe. I laughed again. Is this the pleasure of social climbing? I think I understand a little why so many people desperately try to get into high society.
"Hehe, then I'll be the chef."
Fatima laughed cheerfully and poured stew into my bowl.
"Hey, why don't we find the room that the previous Marquis used as an office and put a nameplate there? Oh, do they not have nameplates here? President, Chairman, CEO..."
"Just declare yourself the head of the family instead."
Reikart said.
"In noble families with tradition, when the previous head of the family dies or steps down, the successor gathers the vassals and makes a declaration of succession."
It was an old-fashioned method, but he said that families with a solemn atmosphere always performed the ritual.
"I see."
I already made a declaration of territory in front of the knights of the Order, so declaring myself the head of the family is nothing. I looked at Doraji, Reikart, and Fatima one by one and said,
"From today, I am..."
"Crazy..."
My fairy covered her face with both hands and muttered,
"What do I do? This is so embarrassing."
