*****
NOVELASIUS
- TL: the guild
- Discord: https://discord.gg/GBKEa55867
- Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/topasius
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The Battle for Korin as a Son-in-Law (1)
“Lad, how about meeting one of my granddaughters?”
“Oh, sir. What’s with the sudden suggestion in the middle of our workout?”
I’ve always had a good impression of older folks.
“I’m saying this because it’d be a waste if you didn’t. A fine and decent young man like you should have held a woman’s hand by now.”
“Haha, well, I guess I’m just not popular.”
“It’s because of those vixens circling around you.”
“Huh? Who?”
“You should be careful of women, but also men. The way your friends are looking at you isn’t normal.”
“Haha, sir, you’re quite something. How about we do another set?”
“Remember my words! You have a sign of double misfortune! To overcome this, you need to remove that mole near your eye!”
“Sir, I don’t believe in fortune-telling.”
“Your face shows that you’ll suffer greatly because of both men and women! You have too much yang energy and need to suppress it with strong yin energy!”
“So that’s why you’re introducing me to your granddaughter? Haha!”
Even back on Earth, I’d been introduced to various people, but nothing ever seemed to work out. That fortune-teller did say I had an abundance of romantic luck, but fortune-tellers are never reliable.
And it seems that nothing much has changed here in Arhan either.
“You should take Lunia as your wife.”
The Sword Master seemed oddly fond of me too. But I guess that’s because he sees potential in me as a martial artist.
“I’m the head of the Rolans. Sir Korin, would you like to meet my daughter?”
There was also that count who, after a few drinks at a social gathering, made a similar offer.
“I have a sister back home who’s reached marriageable age. I’d trust her with someone like you.”
Then there was Senior Bearzacher from my previous all-male party.
“You can marry one of my children. I believe you’re qualified.”
“How about marrying my 27th grandchild? I’ll make you a weapon for free.”
Even the lady from the North and that dwarf offered.
For some reason, I’m the type that adults seem to love.
It seems that living an honest life brings about all sorts of blessings.
“Actually, just take both. You can be the next king.”
But this… this is a bit much…
“Your Majesty… your jest goes too far.”
“I’m not joking, Baron. No, now that you’re a Special Grade Guardian, I should elevate your title. How about becoming a count? If you take charge of a border region, I could even make you a marquis.”
“…”
Is a noble title something you can hand out like candy? Sure, in the previous timeline, even Park Sihoo was given a marquisate, but… I didn’t expect King David to be the one making such an offer.
Even though there had been previous marriage proposals, I never imagined King David would suggest something like this.
In the previous timeline, I had to prepare extensively just to propose to Princess Miriam, but now he’s telling me to marry both of them?
“Your Majesty, I must apologize, but…”
“Oh, come now, son-in-law. No need for such formality between us. Call me Father.”
What is our relationship? Your Majesty, this is only the second time we’ve met!
“No, Your Majesty… Isn’t it more typical to suggest marrying just one of your daughters?”
“I did give that some thought.”
Why would you even think about that? What father offers both his daughters to one man? Why would you ponder that?
“Estelle seems to be much more enamored with you than I expected. Recently, when she came home, she declared she wouldn’t marry anyone but you.”
“Oh…”
Sister Estelle… that’s something she could say. With her bold personality, I suppose she would—
“And most importantly, she said it was a ‘revelation from the Lord’ that she must marry you.”
Gasp…
She’s really making full use of that! What is this, if not the behavior of a cult leader?
“Well, if it’s the Lord’s will, then there’s no helping it.”
Father-in-law… Do you really believe that? Aren’t you being a bit too devout? Your daughter has gone beyond mere disbelief—she’s practically creating a new religion. She’s like a sleeper agent from a fringe sect infiltrating a cathedral.
“And if this is all about Saintess Estelle…”
“It’s been a long-standing grudge.”
“…”
King David’s expression turned somber as he brought up the topic.
“For the sake of the kingdom, I ignored my daughter’s anger and hatred, and in the end, it led to such a tragedy.”
There was no blame, anger, or shock in his voice regarding Miriam’s schemes and hatred. He was simply confessing, with quiet resignation, that he had failed as a father.
“She poured all her anger and hatred into politics, the study of magic, and even the social activities of royalty. Yet I couldn’t help her resolve that lifelong fury.”
Then he looked at me with unwavering eyes.
“But you did it. You stopped her from crossing the point of no return.”
He stepped down from his throne, bowed deeply, and grasped my hands with both of his.
“Who would stand alone against an army? Who would duel countless warriors? Who would risk the wrath of royalty to protect the innocent?”
“How could I ignore your dedication and courage? How could I repay you?”
“You changed my daughter… I can only entrust her to you. No, I can only entrust her to you.”
He was sincere. It wasn’t a joke—he truly wanted to entrust both of his daughters to me.
“Sir Korin, as a father who has failed, this is the only thing I can do for my daughters. Please, accept this.”
“I’m sorry.”
I had no choice but to refuse. King David asked with a sorrowful expression.
“Why? You could marry both princesses of the kingdom.”
“That’s because…”
I tried to explain my situation, but before I could, King David’s expression twisted.
“Is it because of those potato farmers in the South? Those stubborn fools who use potatoes as currency instead of money?”
“Your Majesty?”
“Or is it because of the sword-wielding thugs in the East? I hope you don’t plan on setting foot in that savage land. They’re gangsters who value swords over words!”
Your Majesty? You just insulted the kingdom’s two strongest allies!
“This is so disheartening! My son-in-law has been seduced by such vile temptations…”
“I’m not your son-in-law—”
“Think about it carefully, son-in-law. Power is greater than money or force. Imagine yourself seated on the throne, commanding tens of thousands. No, no, you must experience it for yourself. Come, sit on the throne! It’s always thrilling! Always refreshing! The view from the top is the best!!”
Your Majesty! Please, maintain your dignity!!
“Extra! Extra! The king has proposed a royal marriage to Sir Korin Lork!”
“With not just one, but both princesses! Damn, I’m so jealous I could die!”
As the saying goes, the walls have ears.
The king’s proposal, which I had heard just the day before, spread like wildfire in the morning papers.
Unlike 21st-century journalism, there was no filtering of the article’s content. I clutched the newspaper with trembling hands.
“What… What is this…”
A royal marriage proposal isn’t child’s play. How could this spread so quickly?
“Congratulations, Chairman! No, should I say Prince Consort?”
Redic, who had accompanied me for a report on association matters, bowed his head deeply.
“No, it’s a misunderstanding.”
“What? Are you saying it’s all a lie—”
“Well, it’s not that…”
“Prince Consort! This Redic Giorgio pledges his loyalty to you!”
“…I’m going crazy.”
It didn’t take long for the rumor to spread across the entire capital… no, the entire continent. And this… this began to stir people I hadn’t even imagined.
The Dunarev Estate in the heart of the South is one of the most luxurious and opulent properties in the world.
To cross the estate’s garden, which is the size of a small village, you’d need to travel by carriage for at least ten minutes. Without the magic-engineered elevator, you’d have to climb 4,378 steps to reach the rooftop.
The crown jewel of the Dunarev Estate is the greenhouse, the size of a sports field, where flowers bloom year-round. This greenhouse, managed by dedicated magicians and gardeners, also serves as the tearoom favored by Duchess Elencia.
The duchess enjoyed sipping iced corn silk tea and elegantly nibbling on steamed potatoes while perusing newspapers from various regions. This morning was no different from her usual routine.
Except for the headline on the front page of the newspaper.
Crrrack!
The newspaper crumpled with a loud, crackling sound as the duchess’s maids trembled in fear at her sudden outburst of rage.
“W-What… What did I just see?”
She could hardly believe her eyes. Something felt terribly wrong. But before she could even question the article’s authenticity, all she felt was boiling anger.
“M-Madam… What’s wrong?”
The Duke of Dunarev, who had been spending time in the greenhouse with his family, noticed the furious expression on his wife’s face and cautiously inquired.
“You! What have you been doing outside all this time?”
With a loud thud, the crumpled newspaper smacked against the Duke’s face.
This was the first time in their twenty years of marriage that he had seen his wife so furious. Trembling with fear, the Duke nervously unfolded the crumpled newspaper.
“Huh? Isn’t this yesterday’s newspaper from the capital?”
The Duke’s pupils dilated as he read the headline.
“His Majesty Proposes Royal Marriage to Sir Korin. Both Princesses Included!”
Just the title was enough to grasp the content. The article reported that King David had offered both princesses’ hands in marriage to Korin Lork.
“What on earth is happening…?”
Yes, polygamy or polyandry might be legally permissible, but monogamy is the general norm.
“That’s not all! Look at this Eastern newspaper!”
The duchess handed him another paper, this one from yesterday’s Eastern evening edition, with an even more shocking headline.
“Sword Master Garrand Arden: ‘Korin will take my granddaughters. The king should not interfere.’”
The Sword Master? Garrand Arden?
“Has that old man lost his mind?”
“He’s clearly gone mad!”
The duchess crushed her glass of corn silk tea in her hand, shattering it into pieces.
The shards flew everywhere, but the former high knight’s body wasn’t scratched.
“This is all your fault!”
“Huh? My fault?”
“If you had treated Korin better and made it clear that he was our son-in-law, none of these vultures would dare covet him!”
“This… This is my fault? Isn’t this the fault of that guy who’s been wagging his tail everywhere?!”
“If you had been kinder to him and made it clear to the world that he was ours, they wouldn’t have the audacity to covet him!”
The Duchess of Dunarev’s lips trembled with fury as she expressed her anger.
“Our Dunarev family is being disrespected. The king and the Sword Master… they wouldn’t dare look down on the great Dunarev family otherwise!”
It’s said that a mother-in-law’s love for her son-in-law knows no bounds. Having already marked Korin as the son-in-law of her eldest daughter, Duchess Elencia couldn’t forgive anyone trying to steal him away.
‘Is it just me? Am I the only one who thinks this is strange?’
The king, offering his two princesses to one man, and the Sword Master warning him not to interfere because he was giving away his granddaughters.
His wife, claiming that her son-in-law was being stolen away despite not even being engaged.
‘Am I the only one who doesn’t like that guy? Am I the only normal father? Is it me? Am I the one who’s wrong here? Am I?!’
This is madness. Something has gone terribly wrong.
“You!”
“Y-Yes, dear?”
“Go and bring my son-in-law back right now! I can’t lose my son-in-law!”
“Huh…?”
He couldn’t even form a rebuttal.
And so, Duke Marde Dunarev was shoved into the Hresvelg, heading straight for the capital.
However, the resolve of the family members following him was no less intense.
“How dare they target Lady Marie’s husband! This cannot be tolerated!”
‘I’ve never even acknowledged that guy as Marie’s husband!’
The Dunarev Wyvern Rider captain, Berg, was burning with determination…
“How dare these pups underestimate the might of the Dunarev family. I’ve mobilized the spies in the capital. Just say the word, and we’ll expose the skeletons in the closets of those loyal to the crown.”
‘We’re part of the royal faction too, you know?! We’re part of the royal faction!’
Chief Butler Paul was plotting something close to self-destruction.
“We’ll use Sir Korin’s secret funds to start an economic assault on the capital and the East. We’ll start with 100 million gold. It might be a bit modest to show off Dunarev’s grandeur.”
‘Wait, when did we set aside those emergency funds?’
Baron Bolton, head of the Merkabah Dunarev Merchant Guild, began mobilizing secret funds even the Duke didn’t know about.
“Now, now, everyone… let’s calm down. This could all be a misunderstanding.”
“Oh…! That could be true. My apologies for overstepping!”
“Indeed, there’s no way Duke Marde would let this slide.”
“Duke, I’m sure you’ll heroically rescue young master Korin from their clutches!”
The Duke was growing increasingly bewildered.
His wife’s behavior aside, when did the others start admiring that guy so much? Something… something has gone terribly wrong.
‘Am I really going to end up with that guy as my son-in-law?’
The Duke felt like crying.
*****
NOVELASIUS
- TL: the guild
- Discord: https://discord.gg/GBKEa55867
- Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/topasius
*****
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