When I rushed to Marie’s manor, I saw a sight I could never have imagined.
“What’s this? Hey, what’s this!?” Karā’s voice snapped at me, her expression one of resignation. “Everyone’s back.” “I know that! I’m asking about this situation!”
The front of the manor’s entrance was a mess I didn’t even know how to describe. Both Luxion and Claire would be at a loss.
Jilk, dressed in a custom‑made high‑end suit, was stacking a mountain of luggage in the garden. The leather travel bags were packed with tea sets, dishes, paintings, vases—enough to fill a shop.
Except they all looked like cheap, busted‑up fake artworks.
“Marie‑san, I gathered all these pieces of art just for you. May I bring them inside? No—let me stand by your side.”
Marie stayed silent. All I could see was her back, so I had no idea what expression she wore. I did know, though, that she hadn’t moved a muscle since earlier.
Karā covered her face with both hands and shook her head.
“Jilk‑san, I heard you made a fortune buying and selling antiques.”
“Did that guy—Jilk, who can’t even tell a fake from a real one—get into antiques? And made a profit!!”
I couldn’t believe it. The Jilk who never had an eye for value actually succeeded?
Ange and Libya, who’d come with me, were speechless, just watching the scene.
It wasn’t only Jilk who was acting weird. All four of the returnees were off their rails.
Brad, in his white suit, tipped his hat and a bouquet of flowers burst out of it. A magic trick? Magic could do way cooler stuff.
“Marie, I prepared a bouquet for you. Please take it. And recognize that I’m the one who truly belongs by your side!”
Behind Brad, a massive floral arrangement was on display—big celebratory garlands.
I could at least concede that, for the sake of a show, they’d gone a hundred steps in the right direction.
They’d been kicked out for “go earn some money,” yet they show up with fake art and fake flowers. Crazy, but maybe it’s just a half‑hearted attempt to impress Marie.
“How much did they actually make?”
I’d been underestimating them. Their base talent is high; if they went all‑in they could pull in cash.
Kyle, slumped with his right hand covering his face, answered me.
“—Almost none left.”
“What? They look like they’ve got a ton of money, that can’t be right.”
“They apparently poured almost everything into this.”
I’d been taking them for granted. They were idiots beyond my imagination.
Holding back tears, I turned to the next two.
Honestly, these two were the hardest to figure out.
“Wasshoi! Wasshoi! Wasshoi!”
A group of men in twisted loincloths and headbands—Western‑style garb throwing down a challenge—were carrying a portable shrine.
The men in loincloths were lugging the shrine—two of them, actually—while Greg and Chris, also in twisted loincloths, headbands, and happi coats, rode atop the two shrines.
“Marie, we’ve been polishing up the men.”
Their skin was oddly glossy. Their bodies were so tightly honed that muscles popped out.
“Look at this splendid shrine! We prepared it in a hurry.”
Both of them oozed confidence.
“You guys, first explain what’s happened so far! What exactly did you think would make Marie happy enough to bring a shrine? Explain the process at least!”
Instead of that, I should probably just point out how weird it is to have a shrine here.
What the heck—everything’s so off I don’t even know what to do.
“Leon‑san, what’s going on here?”
Libya asked me.
“Sorry. I don’t know either. Kyle, explain.”
Kyle shook his head.
“How could I possibly know what they’re thinking? If I did, that’d be abnormal. Actually, I don’t want to understand.”
The half‑elf’s blunt words left the four of us uneasy. Libya lowered her gaze a bit.
“I’m curious what Prince Julius is up to.”
Glancing at Ange, I heard her mutter,
“—They were the promising young talents the Kingdom had high hopes for, right? Wait, is that wrong? Yeah, that’s it. That’s definitely it!”
She seemed confused, trying to make sense of them. I pressed on, as if giving up.
“Ange, don’t overthink it. They’re already past the point of redemption.”
“Leon, you’re not going to end up like them, right? Right!?”
When Ange clung to me, I nodded, and Karā shouted,
“Ah, His Highness is here!”
All eyes turned to the gate, where a slightly disheveled Julius stood alone, no massive luggage, no flowers.
He clutched a brown envelope tightly.
Julius looked surprised at the four of us.
“Wow, you guys are… something.”
Jilk, seeing Julius’s outfit, wore a slightly sad expression.
“Your Highness, you’ve been through a lot. But why are you dressed like that?”
While the four were all decked out, Julius looked like an ordinary person, tired as if he’d been working not long ago.
Brad sighed.
“I wanted to compete with five people. And now the Prince is pulling a retirement act—what a shame.”
He probably thought we weren’t even in the same league. Sure enough, Julius seemed the one who earned the least.
Julius lowered his head.
Chris, stepping down from the shrine, glared at Julius with frustration.
“Your Highness, is that all you’ve got?”
Greg ripped off his happi, slinging it over his shoulder like he was flaunting his own body.
“Brad’s right. We wanted a five‑person contest. Julius—if you keep looking like that, there’s no competition.”
Julius lifted his face and spoke.
“Sorry. I gave it my all. No lies there.”
He spoke with a face that said there was nothing to be ashamed of.
“I worked at a food stall. I’ve never really cooked before, so every day was new. I did the grunt work until I was exhausted. And that’s how I finally earned this much.”
The brown envelope held Julius’s entire fortune—hardly a fortune at all.
Jilk gasped.
“You only made that much?!”
He was genuinely shocked; he’d expected Julius could have made more.
“I think Julius is the correct answer, and the rest are just mistakes. There’s no way they could have earned that much.”
Karā nodded, and at the same time Libya opened her mouth.
“I feel the same—”
“And it’s weird that they spent all the money they earned…”
The two exchanged glances, then turned away awkwardly. They have a history, so there’s distance between them.
Julius kept talking.
“I thought I’d done my best. But I only made this much. That’s why I realized I never really understood the value of money. I’m happy you’ll let me into the manor even though I’m that poor. And someday I’ll master skewers. I want Marie to eat my skewers someday.”
Four disappointed faces stared. While Karā and Kyle watched Marie anxiously, a rookie named Erik spoke up.
“Isn’t this just plain audacious? Those men aren’t worthy of you, big sis. You deserve a better man.”
“You’ve really changed, haven’t you? What, you finally think I’m the better match?”
Erik was a total asshole who abused women. Why do only these kinds of guys keep flocking to Marie?
Should I get rid of him?
“Even I’m not that full‑of‑myself. I can’t claim I’m the best. I’d like to be your number one someday—but I just want you to be happier.”
“U‑uh…”
His unexpected answer left me at a loss.
Then Marie started walking slowly.
Where was she going?
The four of us straightened up, waiting for her to come to us, when—she passed right by them and grabbed Julius’s hands with both of hers.
Seeing her grip his envelope‑holding hand, I could feel her ulterior motive.
“Julius, I believed you’d understand.”
“M‑Marie!”
Julius burst into tears of joy, but I saw through it.
“He definitely lied. I never trusted any of the five, but I picked the least terrible Julius. Saying I trusted them is just a front.”
Ange, expression like a Noh mask, agreed.
“Exactly.”
Libya looked troubled.
“Ange, um, well—”
“Don’t worry. I’m not jealous of the Prince or Marie. I just have a headache.”
Julius has clearly grown. Still, Ange clutched her head.
He’s not wrong as a former crown prince, but is that really enough? Wanting to master skewers… where the heck is he aiming?
Now, about the four…
“Wait, Marie‑san!”
Jilk protested, objecting to Marie’s choice of Julius.
“The one who earned the most should be by your side, right?”
“I never said that. I only asked who would earn the most among us. Besides, keeping the money for yourself instead of putting it in the house is absurd.”
“No way!”
Jilk and the others collapsed in disbelief.
Libya watched the four with a cold stare.
“What is it—maybe even I’m useless, I realize that.”
Good for you.
Thanks to Marie taking them in, Libya doesn’t have to deal with them anymore. Or maybe Marie stole them, turning them into dead weight?
Four guys sulking.
Then Chris stood up.
“—Your Highness, we’re completely defeated.”
“Chris.”
“We didn’t consider Marie’s feelings. You understood her best. We accept this loss now.”
When will these idiots finally wake up?
Greg sat cross‑legged on the ground.
“Lost. Lost! Julius, we lost. But someday I’ll overtake you and be the one next to Marie. If you slip up, the spot next to Marie will be mine.”
“Greg—yeah, I get it.”
Brad put his hat back on, covering his face.
“How pathetic. Not noticing Marie’s feelings—Your Highness, I’ll temporarily hold the spot next to Marie.”
“Brad—so you’ll admit it too?”
Someone say something! At least one of you should complain to Marie!
“Of course. Jilk, you should admit it too.”
Jilk stood up slowly, a faint sad smile on his face.
“I thought I’d outrun the Prince. Still, the Prince remains my goal. Prince, even though I’m like this, could we have another match?”
“Thanks, Jilk.”
Erik sniffed.
“D‑damn idiots. You don’t even recognize rivals, do you?”
—What the heck is his character aiming for?
Libya grabbed the cuff of my shirt.
“Leon‑san, you should probably explain the situation to everyone. They probably don’t know anything.”
“Yeah.”
Chris, who’d been listening to our back‑and‑forth, finally spoke.
“What? Did something happen while we were gone?”
“Ah, actually we lost to some scumbag named Serge from the Republic. He stole Noel, and now the Republic’s nobles want revenge on me.”
“What? That’s rough. If there’s anything I can do, tell me. I owe you one—help—eh?”
Glasses askew, Chris rushed at me.
Stop. I don’t want a half‑naked guy grabbing me!
When I tried to run, they grabbed both my shoulders and shook me violently.
“W‑what? How could you lose! Bartfort, is this another scheme? You losing is impossible!”
Chris shouted, and Julius and the others turned to look at me.
“Bartfort lost? Who’s the next victim?”
“Another reparations grab from the Republic? You’re still as ruthless as ever.”
“You’re definitely a demon—wait, did you really lose? Not a fake or a plan?”
“Bartfort, who beat you? Tell me, I want to know!”
Julius thought I was setting another trap, Jilk thought I was just trying to make money, Brad called me a demon, Greg tried to find out who beat me.
Why do I have to be cornered by a half‑naked man?
Chris and Greg kept shaking me.
“Be straight with us, Bartfort!”
“I’m the one who’ll take you down! I won’t let anyone beat me first!”
—Stop. Don’t shake me any more!
Ange and Libya rushed in to help.
“Let go of Leon!”
“What are you doing to Leon!?”
Chris and Greg tried to argue back.
These guys aren’t exactly gentle to any woman besides Marie.
“This is our problem!”
“Yes. Stay out of a man’s fight! You agree, Bartfort, right?”
Don’t ask me for agreement.
And honestly, they’re hotter than before!