Fiancé (Fake)

"This is…"

"Kuro's Guild Card. By the way, I'm D-Rank, so she outranks me."

I showed him my D-Rank card alongside it.

"Hm? Kehma-dono, are you not B-Rank?"

"As you can see, I'm D-Rank."

"Hmm… Is that real? You aren't forging it, are you? Guild Card forgery is a serious crime, you know."

Vonodoru said that while looking at my Guild Card… Huh?

What's with this reaction?

I only showed him this thinking he'd choose Niku, a noble, over me, a commoner, as the fake fiancé. But he's reacting as if he knows I also have a B-Rank card.

… Should I try to probe him?

"… Why do you think I'm B-Rank?"

"Well, your name was in the Raverio Empire's Aristocracy Listing. As a noble near Tsuia."

What… the heck?

Are you serious? There's an Aristocracy Listing? Well, of course there would be one, but I never thought my rank would be discovered through that.

… So that's why he was so insistent on pushing Maiodoru onto me. He knew I was (technically) a noble.

And Haku-san, how could you be so sloppy… no, wait, it's the other way around. My name ended up on the listing precisely because I was registered as B-Rank. If the card couldn't be verified when presented, it'd be a problem.

"… Which means you already knew Kuro was a noble?"

"Yes, well. Her name really stood out."

Of course it would. Seeing "Sex Slave" on a prestigious list of noble names would be quite startling. By the way, if it were a man, the name would apparently mean "Meat Shield."

"By the way, does that list include gender?"

"It does. It does, but… given the name, it's more convincing to assume the gender entry was a clerical error. Even I never imagined the person would actually be a woman."

I bet… Even if it's just this one listing, maybe I should have her change her name.

"By the way, the Aristocracy Listing is released once every five years. It just came out recently, so you could keep up the pretense for another five years."

"Could I take a look at it?"

"Certainly."

He brought out a large, thick book with an impressive leather cover, like something you'd see in a library.

Where we're listed… should be in the section for newly added nobles. Those who've taken over their houses, or nobles who have newly established families… Oh, Rokuko is there too. Her family name is Labyriheart.

"There has never been an adventurer with the name Niku who rose to nobility. Virtually all people named Niku are rankless slaves, and even those who register as adventurers would change their names. And when registering as a noble, normally a sensible record keeper would stop them… Was there no inquiry?"

Haku-san has no sense… no wait, what she lacks isn't common sense, it's mercy.

As for me, I'm listed as Kehma Golen.

It's clearly a name that screams "Golen Village's Village Chief." Of course I'd be exposed. Come to think of it, did I never tell Haku-san my family name?

But the fact that it's different from my real name, Masuda, is convenient. I can insist that this "Golen" person isn't me.

"Ah, I see now. I was surprised when you suddenly said I was B-Rank, but that's not me. As you can see, I'm a D-Rank adventurer, just Kehma."

When I said that, Vonodoru looked at me dubiously.

However, I never once stated that I was a noble.

"… Are you playing dumb? Didn't you just admit it a moment ago?"

"Hmm? I was merely confirming why you thought I was B-Rank. Since there happens to be a noble family with the same name as my village, I can't blame you for making the connection."

"I see… So Kehma-dono insists that you are a D-Rank adventurer?"

"Yes, as written on this Guild Card. This card is the genuine article. I don't have the courage to commit a serious crime like forgery."

You could even use a lie-detecting magic tool. My Guild Card being real is a fact.

At that, Vonodoru burst out laughing as if he couldn't hold back anymore.

"Hahaha, I see. So you're sticking with that… You could do just fine even among nobles, Kehma-dono."

"I appreciate the compliment."

"Very well, I'll accept your proposal. We'll make Kuroinu-dono the fiancé."

Oh? He just said he'd "think about it" a moment ago, but he's already decided?

Well, if I'm not a noble, then Niku is definitely the better prospect. She's young, physically fit, and has an obedient personality. Aside from her slave status and gender, there's nothing lacking about her.

"Now then, my reward, please."

"Mm, information about the [Divine Pillow], was it? Very well… The [Divine Pillow] is one of the items known as the [Divine Beddings], and it's an extremely important sacred object for our Raverio Empire. What I say from here must remain between us."

"Bedding" and "sacred object" both sound like "shingu," which gets confusing… ah, but people here wouldn't get that wordplay.

"Listen carefully as I'll only say this once. The [Divine Pillow] does exist. And it has been protected and passed down by the successive lords of the Tsuia family for generations."

…

Wait, so that means…

The [Divine Pillow] belongs to this Tsuia family?

"Furthermore, its custody cannot be handled by the lord themselves. Neither the successor nor the successor candidates may touch the [Divine Pillow]. And neither can their spouses… Do you understand what this means?"

The custodian isn't the lord, Vonodoru.

His eldest son, the successor, and his second son, the spare, are also excluded.

And so is his spouse, the lady of the house. Therefore…

"… Mai-sama is… the custodian of the [Divine Pillow]…?"

"Or, her fiancé would also meet the custodian's qualifications."

… I see. So basically he's saying "if you want to use the [Divine Pillow], you need to become her official fiancé."

What a conveniently arranged story for Vonodoru. It even sounds like a well-crafted lie.

"I swear upon the name of the Tsuia family and the White Goddess-sama, founder of the Raverio Empire, that everything I have said is true."

"…!"

This oath was the highest form of guarantee for nobles of the Raverio Empire.

Its meaning was essentially "If this is a lie, I won't complain even if Haku-san slaughters the entire Tsuia clan and all its associates, nor will I come back to haunt anyone." I'd learned in passing from Haku-san that "they all swear on me." And apparently, no one has ever broken this oath.

"Would you like me to put this oath in writing? I cannot write the details of our conversation, though."

"Yes, please do. Just in case."

So I had him write it down anyway.

 

＊ ＊ ＊

 

With Niku becoming the fiancé, it was decided that we would stay one more day.

Tonight at dinner, she would be formally introduced to the family as the fiancé.

I wrote another letter and had it sent to Golen Village.

Its contents were: "I pushed the fiancé role onto Niku."

We returned to the same guest room as last night. We had free time until dinner, so I decided to take a nap.

Just then, Niku tugged at my clothes.

"… Goshujin-sama?"

"Hm? What is it, Niku?"

"…"

Niku was trembling slightly… What's wrong?

"… Hey, what's the matter? Are you alright? Does your stomach hurt?"

"A-am I… being thrown away?"

Niku asked me in a weak voice.

… Ah, so that's how it sounded to her. I reflected a bit.

"There's no way I'd let go of my precious hug pillow. We're just lending out your name for a while."

"… Can I… stay Goshujin-sama's slave, forever…?"

"You'll be my hug pillow slave for as long as I live."

When I said that, she seemed relieved, and her trembling stopped.

It's me saying it, but isn't being a hug pillow slave for life pretty terrible? I wonder if that's really okay.

Well, anyway, I decided to take Niku as my hug pillow and have a nap…

"Kehma-sama! What is the meaning of this!?"

… At least knock first, Maiodoru.