At the frontier development group's base camp, Rest had an unexpected reunion with his biological father.
(To think... I'd meet this man here...)
Standing before the court magician Lucas Eberun, Rest's brow furrowed deeply.
The last time he'd laid eyes on Lucas was before he enrolled at the academy.
It had been when he was already set to marry into House Rosemary and had visited to say his final farewell.
The Eberun family, an "almost-noble" honorary viscount house, would fall into commoner status if their son failed to secure a position.
When his beloved son Cedric had missed the academy entrance, Lucas had tried to stop Rest... and how coldly he'd brushed him off was still fresh in his memory.
(He's still alive after all... well, I don't remember killing him, so that tracks.)
"Lo-Long time no see... I mean, indeed."
Lucas approached with an awkward cough, bowing his head.
His face was pale, his lips white and trembling slightly.
Perhaps it was because of what had happened to his son... he looked more haggard than before.
(No wonder, really. The illegitimate son he treated so horribly has outshone everyone and become a great success.)
He must have heard that Rest had become a Count.
Lucas's expression was one of utter terror, clearly fearing retaliation.
In truth, Lucas was in a position where anything could be done to him.
During his time in the Eberun household, Rest had suffered daily abuse.
Though he was the master's son, he was forced to live in the stables, and the food he received was nothing but scraps.
If kind servants hadn't shared their food with him, he would have suffered from malnutrition.
He was made to work like a slave without ever receiving a single coin of wages, and to top it all off, he suffered abuse from Cedric.
He was used as a practice dummy for magic, receiving injuries so severe that an ordinary child could have died from them.
(Now that I think about it… thank goodness I had that reincarnation cheat. If I couldn't use healing magic, I'd be dead for sure… and come to think of it, I'd completely forgotten. I have to repay everyone for their kindness.)
Come to think of it… Rest finally remembered, much belatedly.
After moving into House Rosemary, he had gotten caught up in all sorts of things and let it slip his mind, but he had always intended to repay the servants of House Eberun one day.
They had shared their food with him and given him ointment for his wounds.
Lucas's mother, who had been made pregnant after being summoned as a personal servant, had also told him she owed much to the household's servants during their time there.
(That's right… first things first, maybe I'll distribute gold coins to everyone? And if House Eberun falls, I'll help them find employment.)
One hundred gold coins per person would be more than enough to repay their kindness.
Even a few coins would have been plenty, but bread when you're starving is worth its weight in gold.
Since he had more money than he could ever spend, he might as well let it flow like water.
(No… if I hadn't run into this man, I would have kept on forgetting about repaying them entirely. I thought this reunion would be unpleasant, but it turned out to be surprisingly useful.)
"Th-therefore… Count Clover, I hope this message finds you well… Today, I humbly offer my fullest supp…"
While Rest was lost in thought, Lucas was rubbing his hands together, speaking in a drawn-out, fawning tone with an obsequious grin plastered across his face.
He seemed eager to improve his impression with Rest, who was both a count and the son-in-law of the chief court mage… but Rest had barely heard a word he said, so it was all for nothing.
"Th-that said, we of the honorary viscount's house…"
"How long are you going to dawdle on like this! Move it, you're in the way!"
"Ow!"
But then, Lucas's head was struck by a wooden cane.
Without anyone noticing, two figures had come up from behind Lucas.
"Oh, Count Clover. Are you done with your greetings over there?"
"Your Highness Andrew..."
One of the people who appeared was Andrew Aiwood.
He wears a friendly smile as he raises his right hand in greeting.
"My meeting ran a bit long. Sorry to keep you waiting."
"That's fine, but... who might that be with you?"
"Oh, so you're Albert's son-in-law! You've got the same shrewd look on your face as that man!"
The one Andrew had brought along was a hunched old woman.
Thin as a dead branch, her face a mess of wrinkles. She was draped in robes like those of a fortune teller, and in her right hand she held an oak staff—the same one that had struck Lucas.
"This is Jalana Maitis. She's a court magician and the foremost authority on barrier magic."
"You may address me with the proper respect and call me 'Mentor.' Show some reverence, will you?"
After Andrew's introduction, the elderly woman surnamed Maitis declared haughtily.