Greatest Alchemist? Chapter 652

Takumi Firmly Refuses

When it turned out that Etoile, Haruka, and Flora’s statuses were exceptional, Madam Lumia first, then Madam Elizabeth, and Madam Rosary began making some moves.

That won’t do. My girls were still only babies.

Despite that, Margrave Volton visited the Sanctuary.
So why was Margrave Volton coming to see my daughters?

「Wow, the three would really grow up to be beautiful.」
「W-well, thank you for that.」

Such words put a smile on my face.

「Look, Dear. Flora-chan and Haruka-chan are adorable too, aren’t they?」
「Ohh, do they take after their mother? They are similar to Iruma-dono as well.」

That wasn’t all. Even Lord Simon, the Prime Minister of Valkyra Kingdom, was here.
So why did Lord Simon come? What of his duty to his country? Would they be alright if he leaves the Royal Capital so easily?
Lord Simon said that he came to meet Madam Rosary, but that was definitely a lie.

As I thought that, Lord Simon and Margrave Volton approached me.

「Iruma-dono, you have such adorable daughters.」
「Margrave Volton, thank you for coming personally to congratulate us.」
「What, that’s how you and I are, no?」

Margrave Volton’s reason for visiting was more or less to bring felicitations.

「Also, I heard that all three children have the aptitude for multiple attributes. Regarding that, may I hear the details, Iruma-dono?
「Umm, isn’t asking about someone’s status a breach of etiquette?」
「Now, now, aren’t you and I closer than that?」

All of a sudden, Margrave Volton asked about my daughters’ statuses.
Of course, I refused from the point of privacy of personal information, but this world obviously had no laws for data privacy protection. Rather, it was actually more difficult to refuse since high ranking individuals such as nobles could order you to disclose it.

Well, I live mostly in the Sanctuary now, so that doesn’t concern me.

「Settle down, Lord Volton. Such talks are not rushed, now are they?」
「Ohh, my apologies, Lord Portfort. I must have gotten ahead of myself.」

Lord Simon curbed Margarve Volton’s advances.

「By the way, Iruma-dono, your children have yet to be engaged, are they not?」
「It hasn’t even been a year since they were born, so there’s no way they would already be engaged.」

So Lord Simon did indeed come to talk about engagements. My children haven’t reached one year old yet, you know? Seriously, give me a break.

「Well, given how high infant mortality is, it is rare even for nobles and royalty to have a betrothal set before the age of 1. However, infant and child mortality is practically nonexistent in the Sanctuary, is it not?」
「Of course, dear. This is the Sanctuary, where the Great Spirits have manifested. The Great Light Spirit Selene is here as well, it would be impossible for infants and children to die prematurely.」
「Ohh, indeed, indeed.」

According to Lord Simon, it was rare, even for nobles and royalty, to set engagements for babies under a year old due to high infant mortality rate in this world.

However, he said that this logic did not apply to the Sanctuary, and Madam Rosary even doubled down on it.
Sure, in the Sanctuary where we and the Great Spirits live, we would immediately respond to anyone who falls ill, so serious cases were few and far in between. Even before this, it was very rare for the people of the Sanctuary to get sick.
This was believed to be due to the sacred power of the Spirit Tree that filled the Sanctuary, as well as the influence of the Great Spirits’ manifestation.

「For the same reason, the children of the royal family who were less likely to perish prematurely, there were rare cases where their betrothed were decided upon at the moment of their birth.」
「Well, even those only happened on rare cases. And it’s troubling to be compared to the royal family.」

It bothered me that my children were being compared to those of royalty. In my previous life, I was raised by an ordinary salaryman household, and I myself had become an ordinary salaryman.

However, Lord Simon and Madam Rosary pointed out the flaw in my reasoning.

「The current state of the Sanctuary is comparable to a small nation with an influence beyond a large nation. And you, Iruma-dono, are its representative.」
「W-well, that is true.」
「Now, we are not talking about an immediate engagement. it’s enough if you keep this conversation in the back of your mind.」

Lord Simon said as such, and Madam Rosary nodded in agreement, but my instincts were telling me that this was not as simple as it seemed.

Lord Simon came all the way from the capital to assess my children, and for some reason, Margrave Volton kept emphasizing his connection to me.

For as long as my pupils are black, I will not let my children be married off.

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