Spirit Migration – Volume 2 – CH12 – The Sunshine after the Storm (Part 1 / 2)

As promised, here it is.
Part 2 will follow somewhere soon.

I hope you guys find it less boring to read than it was to TL / proofread :V
Enjoy~
-Tensaiz

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Chapter 12: The sunshine after the storm (Part 1/2)

That night, the butler Sebas and the gardener Halbado were called to count Bamist´s study and they talked about what happened at dinner while waiting for lady Alice. Since it was going to be a complex talk they had sent everyone away. Before long, the sound of the door being knocked modestly resounded.

“Father, I have come.”
“Hm, Enter.”

Entering the count’s study while hugging Fausta in front of her chest was Alice, following behind her were the apprentice gardener Seldo Caster and the caretaker Landon Eranto. The two of them, who were pretty nervous, made themselves small and sent a greeting towards the count.

“Well you don’t have to be that nervous. First of all, let us hear your situation.”

Being prompted by the count, Seldo and Landon began to tell the stories concerning their circumstances, they also opened up over the suspicions they held toward the Diretoss house.

While the Eranto house was selling their fruits at the market, they had ended up with a surplus which they couldn’t sell and so they became poor. One day, the shipment report of the Executives didn’t add up with the number of what was produced. This was found out by the members, which in turn, caused their business to be temporarily frozen.

Having given food to those without any money, they saw it as: ‘Though it may be out of goodwill, we shall not acknowledge it either.’ Saying that, they deemed it an illegal act, those kind of charity acts could potentially damage fair businesses. Thinking like that, they came to the conclusion that it may also damage other businesses. The executive member decided to confiscate the land.

“Umu…… If this is the truth, then these are certainly outrageous acts…..”

For the past few years, the count has received commissions for buying and selling land, he knew of the split management of the executive members, but he still didn’t know the small details behind it, so he did not have a grasp on what kind of commissions for land they were.

The situation before they lost themselves, and the cause of it all. Just where had their fortune gone to. There are many departments within the executives that handle with farmland and livestock, furthermore, they have a large number of officers that are distributed through those places, so he couldn’t know who had lost what and who had gained something.

“It’s called arrogance when a guy drinks sweet juice, while the wealth is equally distributed, isn’t it alright to investigate this.”
“Probably, but in order to reach the mastermind behind this… he probably has many scapegoats in order to throw us off his tail.”

When Sebas agreed with Halbado, he told them of the possibility of the hidden plot, the count pointed out the hole within that ploy.

“After he came here a crack appeared, is what it means.”

The matter that Alice heard from Seldo about his little sister Lima, will become the key to find out the identity of the mastermind. The count and the others felt that earl Richi from the Fezad house can get them some kind of clue.

Alice, who felt a little left out from seeing her father with a rare look on his face different from the one he wears when he’s working, cut through the flow of the conversation.

“Father, please bring me to the executive committee.”

The count, whose eyes became round from Alice’s request, gave up while thinking; ‘just what is she going to say now’. She took action in order the change how things were inside the mansion, she yielded many achievements, so his true feelings were that of surprise and praise, but beyond this, it won’t be a problem only concerning a single mansion or family, it’s the world of politics where bargaining shall be needed.
Naturally, it isn’t a stage where a child can appear on, so he was going to refuse her. However, Sebas and Halbado agreed to Alice’s request.

“I think it’s good to show the young lady your workplace, from time to time.”
“I think it isn’t a bad idea for her to go along for social studies’ sake. Also, there are some among them that have a strong interest in the count’s daughter.”

“U…..mu.”

In fact, nowadays more and more proposals from prominent families have been coming in. If you go there with her, the heirs of those families may act rash while talking about things, making them speak about certain things, or so Sebas says.
Also, we can immediately find a good husband for the young lady, so it’ll be two birds with one stone, the count made a difficult face after what Halbado said, however, it seemed that they succeeded in persuading him.

“I understand. Tomorrow, I shall take you along.”

Though reluctantly, the count had agreed to take Alice with him to the executive committee.

——The next day.

After arriving at the center of the executive committee building, the surrounding people looked at count Bamist who had brought along his daughter and said ‘So he’s finally looking for his daughter’s husband!?” Thus, many ‘young noblemen’ or ‘noble gentlemen’ gathered, they had come in order to greet the count and his daughter Alice in order to appeal to them with their acts.
Within the commotion, wearing a light pink dress and ribbons that were swaying just above her ears, hugging the round small dog Fausta, looking adorable like that and being bathed in attention, was Lady Alice. She was talking with the gentlemen while receiving reports on their thoughts from Kou, who was reading their minds.

“Wants friendship and achievements.”
“Wants friendship, he isn’t interested in kids like Alice.”
“Doesn’t want to even bother because it’s troublesome.”
“Friendship, from there on marry with Alice and inherit the household.”

From those who are perfectly normal to those who are a little dangerous, or those that greet her in earnest and those that put up an front, there is a variety of responses.
He didn’t let people notice him, because on Fausta’s back, who was being held, there was a small memo paper. (TL note: Kou seems to write down his impressions on that memo -Tensaiz)
From beginning to end, moderate and quiet when spoken to, or when a new person appears before her, she averted her gaze in an embarrassed manner. She seemed like a quickly embarrassed young girl, and Alice herself was aware of it.
Actually, the count himself wasn’t informed of the fact that Kou was taking action, so he was secretly thinking ‘Is he trying to be a cat?’ or something like that.

“It is a pleasure to meet you Alice-dono. I am the one called Richi of the Fezad house, I do hope we get along.”
“Ah, yes…… the pleasure is mine.”

being momentarily distracted because of an unexpected encounter with the opponent, she hid her face in order to check the memo paper in a hurry. Because lady Alice had shown a reaction clearly different from the others he seemed to have some kind of misunderstanding, Earl Richi showed the smile of a winner to the surrounding people.

“Wants friendship, achievements, and is interested in Alice.”

Alice thought that earl Richi only wanted a friendly relation with her father, however, Alice tried to change her train of thought and remembered what Sebas said about how the Earl might be one of the many ‘Scapegoats’ in order to reach the true mastermind.

“Umm…… Father, I wish to speak with earl Richi for a while however.”
“Fumo, I see. Then take a rest at the salon. Earl Richi, could I trouble you to take care of my daughter for a while?”
“O, Of course, please leave it to me! Well then, Alice-dono this way, I shall guide you to the salon.”

Alice glanced at the count and sent a wink, in order to find the ‘suspicious person Earl Richi spoke with’ that appeared in Seldo’s story, so she headed to the salon under Earl Richi’s guidance, who seemed to be excited.

“I see, Richi-sama, you started your management of agricultural lands on your own, haven’t you .”
“Yes, they are both of fine quality and great quantity, they even get shipped to the capital, hahahaha.”

Earl Richi, who holds the position of manager of agricultural land within the executive committee, has a deep relation with the suppliers from the capital. When he was asked about it, he was trying to appeal to the future possibilities of the Fezad house in a boasting manner.
However, because the outer thoughts of the earl are filled with how much he’s interested with Alice, they cannot get the information they need from him.

[Yeah, I guess it’s impossible if a more direct keyword isn’t used.]

Kou thought about it for a little, and told Alice to change the subject. Seeing the memo paper that appeared from Fausta’s back, Alice, who made a small nod while saying ‘I see’, immediately changed to another subject.

“Now that I think about it, I heard that a relative of one of our gardeners works in Richi-sama’s mansion.”
“Ah, you are talking about Arima aren’t you. Well truth to be told, her parents had allowed that farm to breakdown around the time the executive committee confiscated their land I had hired her.”

After she had said that her parents had hired someone from the farmland, the Earl began to appeal to how deep his benevolence is. It is a well known fact that count Bamist is a philanthropist, he was holding hope about how he could appeal to his dear daughter and in order to leave a good impression, is what he thought.

—–This chance, I can’t let it go to waste! However, to think that Rima’s brother that was sent to the count was this useful, I will need to send some money to viscount Kutol again—
[…….! I picked something up, is this it?]

Kou, who had dug up the name ‘viscount Kutol’ from the earl’s mind, told it to Alice.

“My, what a benevolent person you are Richi-sama.”
“You jest, it is only the natural thing to do for those that stand at the top, hahaha.”

Alice, who randomly praised the earl, stood up, it is time for me to go home, she said that and went to count Bamist’s personal room and said farewell. She was in a happy mood because it turned out that the earl was a hit and they found something.

“Father.”
“Oh, So it’s you Alice. How was Earl Richi? I do think that he is an easy to talk to person, however, there are many things you won’t know if you don’t talk with others too, you know?”

The count spoke with a smile on his face but his eyes were doing anything except that. Even if this is his personal room, the eyes and ears of the servants are still around, Alice, who had understood that this wasn’t the place where they could talk about it, went along with the count’s words saying: ‘I shall think more about it from now on,’ as an answer, she told him that she wanted to go home for today.
Alice came close to the Count in order to greet him and passed him a memo paper. On the memo was viscount Kutol’s name written on it.

“Now, it is to wait so father’s report.”
“Woof woof.” [Good work.]

Within the carriage that was returning to the mansion, Alice, who had noticed that she was more nervous than she had expected, had let the strength leave from her stiff shoulders. The weight of Fausta that was sitting on her knees felt nice.

“Woof woof.” [You’re tired aren’t you, here take this.]
“? What?”

Fausta held his front paw towards her, which she grabbed, then, on her hand a flask appeared. It was a fatigue healing potion used by adventurers. Normally, it wasn’t something the daughter of a noble would drink, but Kou didn’t even have the slightest knowledge of such an concept, Alice was a young lady with a strong sense of curiosity.

“…… It isn’t something that’s particularly bad to my body, so it’s alright to drink it right?”
“Woo woof.” [Get better]

‘Gluck, gluck’

“……… Really, disgusting.”
“Woof?” [Is that so?]

Though her body had recovered, lady Alice’s face lost color.