Civil Servant in a Romance Fantasy

972 – As delicate as snow – 1

Due to the Emperor’s firm and strong recommendation, it was decided that the holy relic (true) to be handed over to the sect would be a sword.

It may seem a bit strange to choose a sword as the symbol of peace, but it seems okay to use it as a warning that, as the emperor said, ‘Those who break the peace will be torn apart like the sky.’

Originally, peace required force to maintain it. Force without cause is tyranny, but cause without force is nothing more than an empty illusion.

“Here, take it. It is one of the swords that the craftsman presented to the imperial family in the past. Since one of the count’s wives is a member of the Valenti clan, it can be said that this object has some kind of connection to the count.”

And before leaving the Sun Palace, the Emperor, who had told them to wait a moment, personally brought the sword of the craftsman who had been stored in the Sun Palace warehouse.

Craftsman. Aside from the first dukes who made great contributions to the founding of the empire, he is considered to be the best among the previous dukes. He is the one who made the Wolken Duchy a center of military industry today, and he himself was called a master craftsman.

In a way, I got my hands on something that belonged to someone who could be considered a distant ancestor of our Pedi and Julia.

“Can I receive something so precious?”

“It’s a holy relic buried in the basement of the Archdiocese Cathedral. It must be precious, right?”

Not for my use, but simply to bury it in the ground.

Because of that, I felt like I was being very rude to my wife’s ancestors. The craftsman must have worked hard to make it and offered it to the imperial family, so would it be okay to just bury it in the ground? Or would he be happy that his item had become a sacred relic?

I don’t know. No one can guess what the deceased is thinking.

“The entire continent already knows, but I plan to declare the glory of Stefan and the construction of East Danis during the New Year’s Ceremony. As soon as the New Year’s Ceremony is over, the Count is to draw the Sky Slash over Danis and hand it over to the Order. Don’t forget to sign it.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

In fact, even if the deceased did not like it, the emperor’s attitude was too stubborn and there was no room for compromise.

So what can I do? The former Duke who passed away long ago and the Emperor who is still alive in front of me. If I have to pay attention to one of the two, it would obviously be the latter.

‘sorry.’

That’s why I touched the craftsman’s sword and apologized inwardly.

I’m sorry, Your Majesty. I don’t want to do this, but I have no choice considering the greater good.

However, when I cut the sky, I will do so with a pious heart, and I will put my soul into my signature and make it beautiful. Soon, I will visit Your Majesty’s grave and pray in person.

So, let us pray and discuss things amicably between the parties involved. I am an adult, so if you listen to my prayers, you will be able to straighten your shoulders in heaven.

…

‘I’m sure you’ll be happy.’

As soon as I realized that I had a card to offer the craftsman, the guilt and discomfort in my heart subsided.

Yes, it is the prayer of a saint. And his work becomes a holy relic of a saint through the imperial treasure. He becomes the creator of an incredible object that reaches the pinnacle of both the secular and religious worlds.

A noble who values ​​honor would surely be delighted. Perhaps he is already watching from above with a pounding heart, wondering when the sky will split open.

‘I’ll cut it cleanly.’

I glanced up at the sky and made a promise.

I will cut it so that all the souls in heaven can see it. So please watch, ancestor of Mar.

“Where did you get that?”

That evening, when I returned to the mansion with the craftsman’s sword, my eldest father-in-law, who was enjoying a peaceful life as a freeloader in the Wolken Duchy, came running to me.

There is no particular reason. The sword was made by a craftsman, so the emblem of the Duke of Wolken was proudly engraved on the hilt, and Marga reported it to her father-in-law right away. If her husband, who had gone to see the emperor, had suddenly found the family treasure in his hands, anyone would have done the same.

“His Majesty the Emperor has granted it for use as a holy relic.”

“what?”

The craftsman’s brow furrowed at my cautious answer.

I understand. Even after I said it, I still wondered what it meant. If I, the person involved, feel that way, how much more so must my father-in-law feel.

“Once construction begins in the Danis area, the church plans to establish the Danis Archdiocese. However, since there is no suitable relic to bury in the cathedral crypt, they have decided to designate an item I own as a relic. When His Majesty the Emperor heard of this, he bestowed upon me this sword.”

“What on earth do you mean?”

Even though I tried to explain it as simply as possible, the craftsman’s brow still furrowed.

It took two more explanations and the intervention of Fedi and Julia to flatten the old man’s eyebrows.

‘Fuck.’

Thanks to that, I cried with my heart. It was a situation that even my father-in-law, a former engineer, had to hear several times to understand.

I once again keenly felt how bizarre the situation of designating a fly-by-night relic is.

There was a commotion across the continent as the end of the year approached, but fortunately, other than that, each day passed without much fuss.

This is usually a busy time because we are wrapping up the year and preparing for the new year. It is difficult to start something new when it is not enough to organize the work done during the year.

Rather, it is peculiar that we discussed the construction of the Treaty Organization Headquarters at the end of the year. It seems that imperial civil servants become more popular as they are promoted. It is truly a pity.

‘It’s pure white.’

Anyway, while I was enjoying a peaceful year-end holiday and staying at the mansion, Ausen, covered in pure white snow, came into view.

Following that, I saw the guards working hard to clear the snow. It was a strange sight, with beauty and sadness. In a world where magic is developed, there would be things like automatic snow clearing magic.

‘Is it because it’s cheaper to use soldiers than to draw a magic circle?’

For a moment, that thought crossed my mind.

Usually, when you use human resources even when you have the skills, it’s because human resources are cheaper. Since civil servants are originally sensitive to money, it’s bitter, but there’s nothing you can do about it.

‘Cheer up.’

I continued to take in the pitiful sight before closing the curtains.

Let’s send some snacks to the guard headquarters later. Why are you going to inspect the site while saying something like, “Everyone’s having a hard time since morning”? That would be even more horrible from the guards’ perspective.

– Woof!

“Titi?”

Just as I was thinking about what to eat for a snack, Titi opened the door and came in.

Jenny had been going to Luciano’s mansion regularly since she became pregnant for the second time, but did she not go today because it snowed a lot?

Well, it’s hard to go out in this weather. No matter how fluffy Titi’s fur is, it’s not 100% resistant to the cold.

“Play with me today─”

– Woof!

Before I could finish speaking, Titi bit the hem of my clothes.

It was a more intense skinship than usual, so I flinched for a moment. Our gentle and docile Titi doesn’t even bite people’s clothes unless it’s something serious. What on earth could it be that made her bite the hem of her master’s clothes without hesitation?

“…What’s going on?”

In response to my question, Titi simply grabbed my clothes by the hem, as if telling me to follow her.

I don’t know what the situation is, but I took a step forward. Our Titi isn’t the type of person to do something like this for no reason. If she’s grabbing me so quickly, then there must be a reason.

“Master!”

“butler?”

“Madam! Madame Elizabeth has started having labor pains!”

And the question was soon answered.

‘already?’

In an instant, my hair turned white.

No, Eri already? Isn’t there still some time left until her due date? I thought she wouldn’t be born until next year.

“I’ve already contacted the medical team! I’ve brought your wife straight to the delivery room!”

“Ah, um. You’ve worked hard.”

But our mansion is a gathering place for elites who have already given birth nine times. If there are nine precedents, shouldn’t we be able to deal with anything cautiously and quickly?

So, even if the labor pains are earlier than the due date, it doesn’t matter. Our house is capable of handling any variable. I’m so proud of it.

‘Now I just need to get better at it.’

He smiled bitterly as he looked at his hands that had started to tremble automatically.

As soon as the incident occurred, the servants moved according to the manual, and Titi ran into the room to find her master. Judging from the fact that they even called the medical staff, it means that the other ladies are also moving busily.

Among them, only I entered a state of shock after hearing the news. As the head of the household and husband, I became the only person left behind.

“…and the children?”

“As soon as Madam enters the delivery room, the holy men grab your attention! They will be attending to the young men and ladies for several hours.”

“I see.”

Even the saints were more experienced than me.

I’ve had nine pregnancies so far. During those nine pregnancies, I was the only one who didn’t grow at all.

***

I tried to hold it in as long as I could, but screams kept coming out. It’s amazing how much pain can be suppressed with magic.

“Lin! She was born in an instant and was sitting up perfectly fine!”

“That’s what’s special about him! Madam, you’re normal!”

“Oh, right!?”

“Yes! So don’t waste your energy with useless words!”

I felt slightly disappointed by the cold restraint.

Why is this nonsense! Honestly, as a mother, there is no one I envy more than Lin! How can childbirth be over in just 2 hours!

‘I’m the one who needs to finish quickly!’

It’s embarrassing, but if you compare Rin’s physical strength to mine, Rin’s is slightly, very slightly, much taller than mine. When I was in the inspection department, I had to sit down and do my work, so my physical strength declined a bit.

So I’m the one who should be ending my suffering quickly, but why did Lin, who’s stronger than me, end up ending it so quickly! This is so unfair!

“Kkaaah!”

Perhaps because the resentment was soaring, a strange scream erupted that even I could hear.

I’ll definitely exercise starting next year! If I get stronger, I might be able to finish childbirth quickly like Lin! At least I’ll give birth to my third child with less pain!

“Madam! Just hold on a little longer!”

“Yes! The end is in sight! There’s not much left!”

“That, that’s what you said earlier…”

“There really isn’t much time left!”

I started to cry because of the reaction of not even listening to what I had to say.

I’m not the type of person who goes somewhere and gets treated like this. Once I enter the delivery room, there’s nothing I can do.