"Then I'll have the alcohol delivered in time for the party... by the way, you are going to invite me, aren't you?"
The morning after he had that strange dream.
Over breakfast at the inn, Celestine said this to Rest.
Celestine had a bright young lady's smile on her face, but Rest felt a kind of pressure in it that seemed to imply she wouldn't forgive him if he didn't invite her.
"Of course. It would be rude of me not to invite you after everything you've done for us."
"I'm glad to hear that. I'll also have the villagers from the fishing village deliver some octopus, so please don't worry about that either... Now then, what are your plans going forward?"
"Next... ah, I was thinking of trying to visit House Lavender's domain."
"House Lavender's domain... And what brings you there?"
"W-well..."
It was hard to explain that he had received a revelation in a dream.
Rest fudged the details.
"I heard a rumor that there's a creature called a Diamond Bear in House Lavender's territory. I heard it's a delicacy, so I thought I'd go try to find one."
"Oh? You know about Diamond Bears? That was served at the royal palace's banquet a little while ago. Nowadays, only a handful of people know about it. Where did you hear that?"
"W-well... I read it in a book, maybe?"
Rest couldn't help but look away.
His reaction alone made it perfectly clear that he was lying, but Celestine, a woman of tact, didn't press the matter any further.
"It's true that serving a Diamond Bear—one of the legendary ingredients—would add quite a bit of prestige. However, I've heard that Diamond Bears live in a forbidden forest within House Lavender's domain. They say hunting them is strictly prohibited."
"Oh, is that right?"
"Yes. You need permission from Margrave Lavender to enter the forest."
That seemed like a higher hurdle than expected.
He was acquainted with Urla, but had never met Margrave Lavender.
"Margrave Lavender has long been strongly advocating war with the Gaiselle Empire to the east, and he keeps his distance from the royal family, which follows a conciliatory approach. He may also be strict with you, Rest, since you are close to the royal family."
Furthermore, the bar had risen even higher.
Rest was the son-in-law of House Rosemary, the marquis family that served as close aides to the king. He was also on close terms with House Cattleya and House Crocus, which placed House Lavender as a potentially hostile faction.
"...Maybe I'll just forget about it."
"For my part, it would be helpful if you could act as an intermediary with Margrave Lavender, Rest."
"Don't pile such a burden on me... My backpack is already stuffed full."
He had taken on so many heavy responsibilities that he felt like he was about to break.
(Sorry to Shoko for the advice, but... I think I'll give up on the Diamond Bear.)
Having reconsidered, Rest left the fishing village after finishing his business.
He parted ways with Celestine in the royal capital and returned straight to House Clover, but... after arriving home, he received an unexpected report.
"Lord Rest, an invitation has arrived from House Lavender... Do you have any idea what this is about?"
"...Huh?"
Rest was struck speechless by the sheer timing of it, looking at the invitation handed to him by the butler who worked at the mansion.
-------------------- A new series, "Frozen Star Mage," has launched on Kakuyomu Next!
We will be updating daily up to chapter 20, so please continue to support this work as well!