8. I’ve Broken All the Glass
There’s a fact that people surprisingly don’t realize.
That is, it’s not easy to insult others. When the stage is actually set, people tend to look away. Why does this happen? After pondering over my meager salary at the company, I came up with an answer.
Insulting someone by yourself is not really a big deal. However, when others are present, problems arise. The listeners might think differently and run to the person being insulted to tattle.
Especially if it’s someone of higher status than me? Life becomes tough. In a class-based society, it could even end before it gets tough.
Thus, to freely insult someone, you need to build a strong sense of empathy that can accommodate a wide range of ages and status differences. Only with that level of empathy will voices opposing my ousting disappear, saying, “Even though it’s so, it’s a bit…”
The reason I smashed the glass jars containing wine and honey with one swing was this: I wanted to instill the idea that I am the kind of person who would break even expensive items if they offend me.
However, suddenly breaking glass jars would make me seem not like a delinquent but a lunatic. I glared at the servants, who were covering their mouths and faces with both hands and taking deep breaths.
“I demanded something to amuse me.”
“W-We did our best to prepare.”
At that moment, an unobservant servant spoke up at an opportune time, overcoming his fear with a surge of indignation. However, showing an attitude that should be displayed to someone who would even create a reason to complain was inappropriate.
“Who told you to prepare such things!”
It was important to pound my chest as if frustrated. I physically thumped my chest and pointed accusingly at the servants. However, the barrier of talent was too high. Who would be nervous because of a twelve-year-old doing this?
Ha… If I were truly insane, I would have overpowered everyone with a fierce gaze. But there’s no helping it. A person with insufficient talent has to say a few more words. I humbly acknowledged my lack of talent and scanned the surroundings with my eyes.
As a non-genius delinquent, I could only reflect on my experiences.
“I hear rumors that I am going to the monastery! Instead of shedding tears or feeling sorry, you’ve come prepared with these items as if you’re eager for me to go? Even though I asked for items that are difficult to find and picky!”
“C-Confucius, we didn’t mean that.”
“Or! How did you manage to get these items within a week! None of you were caught or anything! What makes you think I should believe your words!!!”
This is a story from a company dinner.
When our manager, drunk and staggering after three rounds of drinks, said he needed to call a taxi, the innocent and naive me sincerely believed it and called a cab.
The next day, I didn’t know what would happen.
“Haha, I was surprised to see an unfamiliar person driving my car.”
Some say that one should decline up to three times to save face. This is because accepting an offer immediately might seem too materialistic. Our manager, who valued face, had not declined three times but twelve times…
That’s right. Asking for difficult-to-get items from the start was part of the buildup for this. Our manager, while being considerate of his subordinates, still made sure they were well-fed, but I am different.
I am a person who only chooses to do crazy things and doesn’t take care of others, even becoming unreasonable. Realizing how difficult it is to win over medieval people with barbaric power, I sought another method.
This was a true delinquent act that transcended the gap between a medieval-like fantasy world and modern Earth civilization. I glared with bloodshot eyes and pointed with my index finger.
I met each gaze squarely as I spoke.
“So you brought these items out of loyalty? Good. I see your loyalty very well! Since you are such loyal people, you must always want to stay by my side!”
Fortunately, there were no unobservant servants this time.
It’s normal to worry about extremely bad things happening the moment you say otherwise. Although one servant’s mouth twitched like a goldfish, it ended in a meaningless attempt.
The Servants’ Reaction
I noticed one servant pinch another’s thigh with all his might to keep him from making a sound. Since he was stopped before he could make a noise, I let it pass. I continued in my delinquent persona, adding:
“I will certainly grant that unspoken petition of yours. From today, you will be my personal attendants, always by my side.”
“Master, I have laundry piled up in the castle that I need to attend to…”
“Oh, really? Then I’ll personally stay by your side while you do the laundry. Your loyalty to stay by my side will help you with your work. Don’t you think so?”
One clever maid tried to find a way out, but to no avail. The maid, with a pale face, tightly closed her lips and averted her gaze. She would later gain fame as the summoner who brought the master to the laundry room.
But as a modern person with great empathy and understanding, I fully grasped this. Being swept away by unreasonable demands and failing to fulfill one’s duties is likely against their professional ethics.
Since I was being unreasonable, it was only fair to give the servants time. I quickly dismissed my recent fake anger and put on the brightest smile I could muster.
“Others may have their tasks, but they are probably not speaking up due to the atmosphere. Don’t worry. I will stay by your side so that it won’t interfere with your work.”
“There might have been some misunderstandings due to lack of communication. Well, loyal as you are, you wouldn’t do that. I’ll have to put in some effort, but since it’s for you, I’ll bear it myself! Hahaha!”
I thought it was time to laugh, so I intentionally laughed heartily, but there was no response. I stopped laughing in surprise and looked around at the servants. As expected, they were all as pale as if someone had just died.
I couldn’t help but feel sorry for the servants who had lost their smiles.
“You’ve all lost your smiles.”
“Well, it’s…”
“The things that happened in the castle were so shocking…”
Seeing the servants one by one express their thoughts after remaining silent made me nod in agreement. Indeed, it’s understandable. How much fun could there be under these dreary, gray brick walls?
They had lost their smiles from always being overwhelmed by hard work.
Fortunately, I was able to come up with a very innovative solution for them.
“Alright. Then let’s suggest to Father that we get a small bell.”
“A bell?”
“Yes!”
Ah, indeed, perhaps medieval people don’t know this…
The quintessence of wisdom built up by modern civilization.
“Whenever you hear the bell, you should laugh.”
That is, the ‘laughing bell.’
My wholehearted delinquent act had a tremendous impact and swept through the castle.
Leading the servants around the corridors, it was impossible not to be noticed. As news of what happened in my room spread, it felt rewarding to have acted out breaking all the glass jars on purpose.
Particularly, there were times when the noise of my footsteps wasn’t heard due to the servants’ enthusiastic discussions about the rumors. Each time, the cries they made gave me an idea of my reputation.
The Unexpected Revolution
However, not all feedback was negative.
“Master has gone mad! Did you hear?!”
“I heard. He says that whenever he rings the bell, we have to laugh? Unbelievable.”
“That’s not all. The terrifying part is that he keeps ringing the bell until we’re rolling on the floor laughing. And he just stands there, looking down at us while shaking the bell…”
“Oh my goodness!!!”
The stories about my laughter revolution spread more than the incident of breaking glass jars. It was undoubtedly a huge shock to the medieval people, like their worldview was collapsing.
The stories about my laughter revolution spread more than the incident of breaking glass jars. It was undoubtedly a huge shock to the medieval people, as if their worldview was collapsing.
But as a modern person from an advanced civilization, I felt no obligation but had the goodwill to improve their lives. Now I was a preacher of laughter for those living through harsh times.
The sound came from around the corner, down a winding hallway.
As I appeared, the expressions of those who had been talking seriously a moment ago gradually hardened. The only exception was a servant who had his back turned and didn’t see me. He was sighing and reminiscing about old times.
“I can guess why you’re doing this, Master…”
“What’s wrong? Why is everyone like this?”
“M-Master.”
“What?”
I put my hands in my pockets and steeled myself. I was here to bring laughter to the world, to add color to the gray world as a preacher of laughter.
Jingle jingle.
Soon after, I headed to my room, leaving behind the servants who were rolling on the floor, laughing heartily. It was a rewarding experience. Could work these days be so fulfilling?
Nevertheless, meetings come with farewells, and it was time for the servants to return to reality from their joyful time. Although it was sad and regrettable, the moment had come to part with our loyal servants for a while.
I stood firmly in front of the door and looked around at the servants. They were all smiling, as if their lips had been turned up. My small but significant change. I felt a surge of emotion and secretly wiped away a tear.
“Recently, everyone has been smiling more.”
“Yes, Master!”
“It’s all thanks to you, Master!”
Look at their necks, taut as if they were biting their lips. This was proof that they had regained their spirits. The positive influence of laughter therapy almost made me laugh too.
“I doubted your loyalty was so strong. I was wrong.”
I felt pathetic for myself. I had been too harsh with them.
“Master…”
“No, Master!”
It must have been very tough to play along with my delinquent act, but I was relieved they laughed. Standing in the warm atmosphere, I promised to give them plenty of opportunities.
“So, I will offer a chance. I am recruiting servants to accompany me to the monastery.”
“There’s no need to respond immediately. Everyone must have their own tasks, so go back. If it’s difficult, come back and I’ll make sure to make you laugh again.”
“No, thank you! Thank you, Master!”
Energized by the laughter, the servants scattered like arrows. The once large group had dwindled significantly. It was then that my door opened on its own.
Edwina, having surveyed the now-empty corridor a few times, looked at me with a stern expression. “Master, I truly hope you are not mad.”
As a dutiful maid, Edwina knew her master well. But this was too embarrassing. I waved my hands and cut off the praise she was about to shower. Compliments are nice, but excessive praise wasn’t needed.
“Don’t praise me too much. I know my shortcomings well. Even though I acted like a delinquent, others might have seen it as somewhat rough and somewhat kind. It was a role that wasn’t naturally suited to me.”
Edwina chose to stay silent and look away. For a moment, I wondered if I had cut off her flattery too abruptly. Well, if Edwina believed it was genuine, that was enough.
I was finally satisfied after entering the room and tossing aside my outer garment.
“Well, thanks to this, I’ve gained a lot of time, so Father will probably call for me soon.”
“Indeed, someone came before you arrived. They asked you to come to the office when you have time.”
“Alright.”
It was time to put my clothes back on. As a noble, I couldn’t walk around in my underwear. I had to maintain my dignity as a noble once again.
Edwina’s Unusual Gesture
“By the way, Edwina.”
“Yes, Master.”
“Why are you covering your eyes with your hands but spreading your fingers apart?”
“…It’s to prevent sweat from accumulating on my hands.”
Well, if you’re not going to nag about proper attire for a noble, that’s fine. After adjusting my clothes, I stood in front of the door with a confident demeanor.
“Let’s go, Edwina. We’re going to see Father.”
Although anyone might have easily guessed that my clumsy performance was intentional, my delinquent act wasn’t just to provoke estrangement.
The purpose of my behavior was to draw attention and buy time for Duke Aselton. It was part of my plan to completely disrupt and take control of the conspiracy orchestrated by Yubas.
As the sun began to set, the office of Duke Aselton was bathed in a scarlet glow. That alone made a significant impression. Of course, the person behind Duke Aselton, who was hidden in the shadows, likely contributed to the atmosphere.
The man with a grim appearance, with a mop of curly hair covering his forehead like wet seaweed and a bristly beard, stood out. His only notable feature was his eyes.
His eyes, flickering like a wavering candle flame, looked at me. Just as I had scrutinized him. Duke Aselton noticed the exchange of glances between us and intervened.
“This is Overseer Obert, who commanded the recent search. He’s one of the retainers who highly valued your opinion.”
It seemed that someone who took a twelve-year-old’s opinion so seriously was rare. Obert showed an excess of courtesy by bowing to me, a mere child.
“…Nice to meet you, Master.”
“Thank you, Sir Obert. I’m delighted by your generosity in taking the child’s speculation seriously.”
“…No, it’s not like that. Your concerns were something I too had considered, but I could only leave it as a guess due to lack of concrete methods. I never expected such malicious tactics to be used.”
The formalities were sufficient. Obert silently watched Duke Aselton until the king nodded, at which point Obert began to explain the detailed situation.
“…Thanks to you buying time, we were able to secretly inspect the servants’ quarters.”
Obert pulled out a bulging pouch from his pocket. It was a purse with visible stitching marks.
“Here are some gold coins we’ve acquired, the origin of which is suspicious.”
We had missed out on all the prison tickets for our servants.
