Re:Zero - Jobless Reincarnation: Succubus Sword God? I don't recognize it!

Chapter 549 One Day with Silphi

In Allen's absence, the capital city was far from a peaceful place.

At least that's how it is for the Bereas family's acknowledged next matriarch.

The daily grind of numerous tasks, constant busyness, socializing with various nobles, and taking care of Hilda's needs.

She is really busy:
In Philip's eyes, Ariel was the real target of Allen's bet, so he maintained close contact with Ariel's side from the beginning.

However, as one of the four dukes of Grerath, Boreas was ultimately a direct subordinate of the First Prince. Even though the First Prince knew that Philip and Ariel were secretly flirting, Philip still had to follow the proper etiquette.

If he were to personally contact Ariel, the First Prince would probably be furious the next day.

So, naturally, aside from dealing with noble visits when Philip was not home, all matters concerning the Boreas family's liaison with Ariel were handed over to Hilfi.

They conducted their meeting under the guise of 'friendship'.

Could there really be any friendship between the princess and the hunter's child from the countryside?

Hey, you know what, there really is.

In the eyes of the nobility, this matter seemed quite plausible.

Ariel was highly regarded among the common people, but the nobles of Asura almost all knew how much of a playboy this second princess was.

She was bisexual and kept many maids for her amusement.

Before Allen Boreas Grellat left the capital, it was said that she was the first among the nobles to discover Allen's talent, and she was also the first to take action. In fact, according to rumors, they did some rather bold and proactive things in order to maintain their relationship with Allen.

If you say they don't have an ambiguous relationship, nobody will believe you.

Now Allen Boreas Grerat is gone.
So, it sounds quite reasonable for Her Highness to take the initiative and seduce his female relatives.

After all, if you want to win over Allen Boreas Grellat, the rising star of the younger generation of Asura, the most important thing is to know all his quirks and cater to them.

To cater to their preferences.
Is there anyone who knows his 'hobbies' better than his own family?

There is definitely no such thing.

Once we've 'conquered' that long-eared girl, hehe, a threesome will surely be on the agenda!

With three people already involved, how could we possibly fail to recruit that advisor?
Makes no sense.

I really envy Ariel; her status as a princess is truly amazing.
hateful
—This is what many noblewomen who failed in their marriage proposals thought.

"Ah!"

In the afternoon, the autumn sun hung in the sky, no longer as scorching as it had been a month ago.

Afternoon tea naturally moved from indoors to outdoors.

"What's wrong, Lufei? Have you caught a chill?"

Beside the stone table in the back garden of the Boreas family, Hilda, with her hair styled in a high bun and wearing a high-necked dress, looked up at Sylphie, who was sitting opposite her, taking a sip of tea and suddenly sneezing, and asked her kindly and concernedly.

Upon learning that Allen had survived and was returning to the capital, Hilda's pale face disappeared within a month.

The soul of the strong, gentle, and opinionated mother from Roya died and was resurrected, returning to her body.

Although she had no particular matters to attend to, she still dressed up every day, displaying the exquisite attire and spirit expected of a matriarch, like a female general always ready to go to battle.

For some reason, her complexion didn't look as good as that of Silphi, who had gained ten pounds in a month.

Perhaps it's because I've reached an age where I can no longer restore collagen.

Perhaps mothers also have their own worries.

Of course, although Hilfi gained ten pounds, her weight was still just barely on the edge of ninety pounds. It was just that she had been too worried before and was too light.

Now that her face is a bit fuller, combined with her beautiful, waist-length white hair, she has a striking contrast between gentle beauty and dignified elegance.

What's even more amusing is that, as Hilfi, the long-eared woman, continues to appear in the upper echelons of the capital's social circles, the straight-legged beauty of the long-eared tribe has now transitioned from a niche aesthetic to a mainstream aesthetic accepted by the nobility.

No one dares to say that the fiancée of the next direct heir of Boreas is not beautiful.

Even if the initial intention was to say some flattering words, a lie repeated a thousand times tends to become the truth, not to mention that the young mistress of the Boreas family, Hilfiet, is indeed beautiful.

Hilda's words had barely faded when Sylphie looked a little embarrassed.

She wiped her lips with a handkerchief, put down the steaming cup of black tea, coughed lightly, tucked a strand of hair behind her pointed ear, and whispered:
"My nose was a little itchy just now, but it's nothing, madam. I feel perfectly fine."

Hilda gave Silphie a careful look, her gaze sweeping over the girl's long, strappy dress before turning her head to look at Alifa, the rabbit-eared girl standing to either side of her.
"Alifa, bring a blanket for the young mistress."

Alifa, the bunny-eared girl, stood up high, looking very proud: "Alright!", then turned and hopped away.

Hilfi wanted to stop her, but feeling that the wind in the back garden was indeed a bit chilly after the rain all night, she didn't say anything, but felt a little awkward when she heard the words "young mistress".

In front of outsiders, she is quite responsible and accepts this title with ease.

But it was different when Hilda said those words. Even though Hilda was quite adept at socializing with nobles, she still felt a little embarrassed.

Seeing Hilda wiggling her hips as if there were needles pricking her in the chair, she said with a hint of teasing, "Tomorrow, shall we go to the clothing store to try on some clothes? I haven't had much time to make clothes these past two months, so I'm sorry to have troubled you. As the young mistress of the Boreas family, you don't have many clothes to wear as the weather gets colder."

Hilfi's eyes widened suddenly.

Who exactly is the mistress of the house?!

She quickly waved her hand: "I'm not wronged! I'm not wronged!"

But then Hilda's next words reached her ears: "Or are you saying you don't like your mother's taste and want to wait until Alan comes back to go shopping with him?"

Hilfi was startled, her face flushing red instantly. She unconsciously smoothed her perfectly styled hair, her eyes darting around.
"Mom, of course I know whether Madam's taste is good or not. This has already been verified in Roya. Both Allen and I think Madam's craftsmanship is comparable to that of an artisan. But that's not what I meant earlier."

Hilda: "Oh~~~"

Hilfi paused, then resignedly said, "But... I have thought about what to do after Allen comes back. We haven't seen each other for a long time."
Perhaps we could go shopping for clothes together, cook together, take walks together, have tea in the backyard together, and chat about what's happened on his end all this time, together.

As she spoke, Hilda suddenly noticed the smile in her eyes and realized she had said too much, so she started rambling incoherently:
"Let's go for a ride together in the magic car, find a secluded place... no, no, no! I mean a quiet, secluded place, suitable for two people, no, suitable for lovers who haven't seen each other in a long time... no, that..."

Hilfi bit her tongue hard with her back teeth:
"Anyway, there are many things to do, and buying clothes is just one of them. Well, if we're going to buy clothes, tomorrow is fine too. Please take me with you, Madam. After all, things aren't as busy as they have been lately."

After Allen's letter returned to the capital, and Ariel was forced to go north by the situation, Sylphie, who served as the link between Ariel and Sylphie, was naturally less busy.

The fact that she's gained weight in the past month is partly due to this. For some reason, Alifa, who's in charge of cooking, has improved her skills, and she now eats all three meals a day with great relish.

In his spare time, he would spend his days drinking tea with Hilda, whom he would later call "Mom," admiring the flowers in the back garden, and reminiscing with her about the fun times Alan and Alice had during their time in Roja.

Just like now.
Hilda squinted, took a sip of her black tea, and said leisurely, "I see."

"Yes." Silphie felt she must have been possessed; how could she have suddenly started talking nonsense?!

"It would be better to wait for Allen to come back."

"Well, that's fine too. Even if you buy clothes tomorrow, you can go out with Allen when he comes back. Besides, if Allen comes back, Madam, I, and Allen can go out together."

Hilda nodded, then suddenly asked, "But why don't you ever call me 'Mom'?"

Sylphie's expression, which she had just composed, suddenly changed. Even though she had matured a lot in the past two years, hearing these words still made her so anxious that she waved her hands wildly.
"Well, it's not the right time yet, what kind of talk is that now, right?

He actually started stuttering.

Hilda looked at Silphie quietly for a while, then nodded silently.
"That's true, the time isn't right yet."

Hilfi nodded at lightning speed, not daring to lift her eyes.

Hilda took another sip of tea.

"Izalute has gone to find Allen, and they have already met. Time is not on your side. I heard that Leda knows that Allen is still alive and has even joined the ranks of the Seven Great Powers. She has been secretly preparing things, hoping to come up and discuss the marriage agreement when the time comes."
Allen was her disciple, and he had grown up at the Water God School's main dojo. The Keeler family was also considered one of the most influential noble families.

Hilfi: ⊙_⊙

"But you can rest assured, I am a staunch supporter of Hilfi, and think about it, since Izuru has met Allen, he now knows that you are the young mistress of Boreas. Hmm. Have you used the tools I gave you before?"

"Husband, husband, wife!!!"

Hilfi jumped up, feeling a phantom pain in her buttocks.

Hilda, looking at Sylphie's expression, said with some regret, "Oh dear, won't Izuru beat us to it?"

For some reason, Hilfi raised her hand high above her head, her face flushed, and waved it wildly.
"I have to go! There's a investiture ceremony for my father today, I need to go to the palace."

"Oh? Isn't there still an hour left? Why the sudden rush?"

"Well! It would be better to arrive earlier, right? Father and Mother seem a little nervous... I...I..."

Hilda tilted her head to look at Sylphie's disoriented state of mind:
"Understood, go ahead~ Go and come back soon. Also, please give my regards to my in-laws, Roltz and Noda. It would be great if they could come to the manor for a meal in a couple of days."

Sylphie squinted ≧_≦ and quickly gave a noble bow: "I understand. I will convey your words to my parents. Well... well... Sylphie will take her leave now."

"Ah."

Hilfi turned and fled in panic.

Hilda watched her run away, her arms and legs clasped together.

"Although Hilfi is quite mature in many ways, she gets shy every time Eren is mentioned, especially in the months since she learned that Eren is still alive. It's gotten even more pronounced. She's clearly looking forward to his return, isn't she? What's there to be nervous about?"

As she said this, the smile on Hilda's face gradually faded.

She picked up the black tea, watching the ripples in the tea, and remained silent.

-

The matter of bestowing a title is simple in theory:
After the First Prince Gravel went to the Adventurers' Guild to buy information and verified what Allen had said in the letter, his attitude towards Philip underwent a complete 180-degree change within a few days.

His previous look of disgust vanished without a trace. Not only that, he also gave a thorough dressing-down to the knights who had spoken rudely to Philip. Good heavens, his cursing was incredibly loud, as if he was afraid it wouldn't be heard outside the palace.

After that, he would summon Philip to the palace every day for a chat. Whenever they met, he would laugh heartily, put Philip's hand in his pocket, and address him as "Philip the Lord" repeatedly.

The way he looked was as if he were welcoming his long-lost biological brother.

Gravel was terrified.

Just as Ellen was about to ascend the throne, her mother suddenly appeared.

Is this timing really that coincidental?

And in just two short years, they've built up a force unmatched in the capital? Are they even human?

Even more outrageous is that Darius, who single-handedly harmed his father and orchestrated his own ascension to the throne, is suspected of going to the Kingdom of the Dragon King to find Allen.

What kind of talk is this? What kind of talk is this??
What kind of talk is this?!

He hurriedly grabbed Rilfa. If the Adventurers' Guild's news was true, what exactly was Allen's current strength?

Lilfa remained silent for a very long time before finally managing to utter a single sentence:

"Leda has been the number one ranked fighter in the Water God School for many years, and even in her prime, she never ranked among the Seven Great Powers. However, even the Sword God, ranked last among the Seven Great Powers, doesn't possess such bizarre talent. There must be some mistake."

Gravel quickly pressed on, "So that means the inscription on the Seven Great Powers' monument is wrong?"

Lilfa: "."

"Sir Rilfa, say something!?"

"As far as I know, the rule of the Seven Great Powers' stone tablets is that one must defeat the previous ranked person in order to change the ranking."

Gravel paused, as if he had just thought of something: "Where does the Sword God rank on the Great Powers' Stele?"

Lilfa's expression was grim: "...Seventh."

Gravel was overjoyed: "Isn't it the Seven Great Powers Monument? Does that mean that with the addition of Allen Boreas Greirat, he's ranked eighth?"

Lilfa paused, mumbled for a while, and then finally managed to say clearly: "...The eighth is the current Northern God."

After he finished speaking, the two stared at each other in silence.

In that case, Allen's ranking is no longer important.

Gravel's dream of going to the Western Paradise, or rather, to the far north to ask the Sword God for assistance, has also been shattered.

An hour later, Philip was summoned, and during the conversation, Gravel seemingly casually mentioned Hilfi's identity.

She then remarked that as the young mistress of the Boreas family, how could she not have a title?
Philip was taken aback for a moment, then retorted, "That's really outrageous. What do you mean by that?"

Gravel said decisively, “Granting the Roltzs the title of baron will sound much better.”

Philip asked in surprise, "But my in-laws haven't contributed anything to the capital. Isn't that against etiquette?"

Gravel squeezed Philip's hand so hard it cracked, and his words were forced out through clenched teeth:
"It is not in accordance with etiquette, but it is reasonable."

(End of this chapter)