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“We’re going shopping.”

“Shopping…? Oh, to the neighboring town. Shall I prepare the carriage for a long trip?”

“We’re just going to the town within the estate. No need for long trips.”

“…!”

Sylvia’s mouth dropped open, and her face started to turn pale.

Ah, I recognize this expression now.

It’s the look she, or rather, everyone had when they feared that Aslan would cause trouble.

“Surely, you’re not planning to harass the townspeople again…”

“…”

“You aren’t, right?”

Sylvia stared at me intently, then shook her head.

Her pale complexion returned to normal.

“The young master has changed… So what’s the plan this time?”

“I told you, we’re just going shopping. Come on, you’re the only one who can carry the stuff.”

“Understood.”

Surprisingly, she followed without much fuss.

Maybe she was starting to trust me.

Or perhaps she was making an effort to correct her own impulsiveness, a trait she often criticized in me.

“Are you not taking any guards? It could be dangerous.”

“You’re enough for a bodyguard. What would I need guards for?”

“I can’t stop an angry mob.”

“That won’t happen.”

“…?”

I knew exactly what Sylvia was worried about.

It’s a staple event in any story with a rogue noble: going to town and receiving contemptuous glares from the townspeople.

Here, it had escalated to the point where stones were thrown, leading to an event where the protagonist could die from the assault.

But that wasn’t going to happen today.

I had already taken precautions.

Leaving the bewildered Sylvia behind, I called for Charlotte and Julia.

“Shopping?! Is it for my sword? Is it really?”

“Yes. Get dressed.”

“Am I coming too?”

“…”

“…Mister?”

“Yes, Julia, you’re coming too. If you see anything you need, let me know.”

I realized too late that the mansion was a bit lacking for the kids.

They only had a few sets of clothes bought by the maids, which didn’t match their tastes.

Julia needed stationery, Charlotte needed workout clothes, and there were other essentials we needed to get.

The weather was overcast, perfect for a trip out.

We were going to restock essentials and find a suitable sword for Charlotte.

“Knight, Knight!”

“…What now?”

“What was that spell you used? What was it called?”

“That? It was ‘Boom’.”

“Huh?”

“The spell’s name was ‘Boom’.”

“Really!?”

“Don’t be fooled, Charlotte. There’s no such spell. I know all the spells in the magic book.”

“It’s true. I made it up and named it myself.”

“Eh…?”

“I also have ‘Buzz’, ‘Buzz Bang’, and ‘Buzz Boom’.”

“You’re amazing, Knight!”

Charlotte clung to Sylvia, bombarding her with questions.

Since that duel, she had taken a liking to Sylvia.

Julia just watched them with a bewildered expression, much like mine.

‘The carriage feels cramped.’

When I used to travel to the Magic Academy alone, the carriage was spacious enough to stretch my legs.

Now, with these small children, it felt cramped.

Their energy seemed to heat up the space, making it uncomfortably warm.

‘At least, I won’t be lonely.’

I might get tired of the noise, but loneliness wouldn’t be an issue anymore.

That was a relief.

“We’re here. Get off.”

“Huh? Usually, when the carriage arrives here, people gather to jeer and throw things.”

Sylvia got off first, offering me her hand.

She seemed quite surprised.

Normally, the arrival of Aslan Vermont in town caused a commotion, but today was different.

Although there were occasional hostile glares, no one approached or acknowledged us.

“What spell did you cast? The townspeople seem like docile sheep.”

“Does that look like the gaze of a docile sheep to you?”

“It’s better than eggs flying at us. Last time, we had to hunt down the culprits, and many died…”

Sylvia trailed off with a bitter expression.

Aslan was indeed a piece of work.

The fact that the townspeople only glared instead of throwing things was a huge improvement.

“It’s nothing special. I just reduced the taxes significantly. Leon and his cronies had created all sorts of bizarre taxes behind my back. I abolished them all.”

“Ah…”

There were all kinds of ridiculous taxes: window tax, hat tax, stove tax…

These had made the public sentiment downright hostile.

The money collected went straight into Leon and his cronies’ pockets.

‘Luckily, I seized their accounts.’

The money they had hoarded, amounting to over a billion, came back to me.

They were more diligent than I thought.

“And the seized funds will be used for welfare.”

“Welfare… you say?”

“Yes. To stabilize the lives of the townspeople, it’s necessary to improve their quality of life…”

Just then, I felt a chill down my spine, and goosebumps rose on my neck.

Ah.

[The evil god, ‘Kali’, is watching you.]

Damn it.

I almost forgot.

I need to maintain my villain facade…

“We need to create a favorable environment for the townspeople to work more and increase the population, thus raising the tax revenue. It’s an investment to squeeze more out of them. Hahaha.”

“I don’t fully understand, but won’t that make the townspeople happier?”

“Foolish girl. That’s a misconception. I sit and make money while they work for it. What’s happy about that? The townspeople will labor their whole lives, believing they led a happy life, and then die. Hahaha.”

“Oh…!”

Sylvia looked startled as if she had heard a grand, evil plan.

If only Kali were as naive as Sylvia…

[The evil god, ‘Kali’, is very pleased.]

Good.

Kali’s intelligence is on par with or lower than Sylvia’s.

A bit of sinister posturing and some nonsense seem to appease him.

That’s fortunate.

“Wow! The market is huge!”

“The buildings are so tall…”

Charlotte and Julia were busy exclaiming as we passed through the town.

The Vermont estate is quite a sizable city.

This must be their first time in such a big city.

I tried to suppress a smile but ended up hardening my expression again.

“Sylvia, these are my precious assets. Make sure nothing happens to them.”

“I will do as you command.”

In a big city, the shadows are deeper.

Kidnappings and robberies are common as soon as it gets dark, so we need to be cautious.

But with Sylvia, I can trust she would prioritize saving Charlotte and Julia, even over me.

First, we went to get some clothes.

The maids had only bought dresses suitable for noble girls, which were always uncomfortable for them.

Charlotte always lifted her skirt and rolled up her sleeves.

So, I let them choose their own comfortable clothes.

“I want these overalls!”

“I’ll take this shirt and skirt.”

Their tastes were definitely different.

Charlotte picked practical clothes, while Julia preferred stylish but tight-fitting ones.

The difference between a child who plays outside and one who stays indoors, I suppose.

I wanted Charlotte to study more and Julia to exercise more, but forcing them to do what they disliked would only create resistance.

‘They’re at the age where they love to defy.’

I remember refusing anything my parents or teachers told me at that age.

Forcing them won’t yield good results.

It’s best to be satisfied with mandatory reading and morning runs for now.

I was deciding which store to visit next when Charlotte tugged on my sleeve.

“Mister, mister!”

“…?”

“Stand guard for a bit!”

“Guard?”

It happened in the blink of an eye.

Charlotte ducked under a stall, with Julia following, quickly scanning the area as if keeping watch.

Then, Charlotte swiftly grabbed a loaf of bread in each hand and hid them in her clothes.

It was clearly not their first time.

Charlotte returned to me with a proud smile, handing over the bread.

These kids…

“Here! Eat up!”

“…”

“Huh?”

Seeing my expression, Charlotte hesitated, realizing something was wrong.

Julia, who was beaming with pride, also froze.

Haa… sighing deeply, I was reminded that these kids were from an underfunded orphanage.

With inadequate meals, they had to fend for themselves, resorting to pickpocketing and stealing.

‘I forgot that being the protagonist’s companions doesn’t guarantee moral perfection.’

I needed to discipline them firmly here.

Just as I was about to speak, Charlotte and Julia started trembling with fear.

“You know what you did wrong, right?”

“Only giving you one piece of bread…?”

“…”

Charlotte, tears welling up, offered both pieces of bread.

I had to stifle a laugh.

Ah, these innocent kids… What am I going to do with them?