Part 1
That said, what I have to do hasn't changed.
Because both Eris and Roxy got pregnant at the same time.
It has to be because I let loose after Gisu was defeated.
Of course, the result itself is something joyous.
I would also like to spend as much time as possible with my wives during their pregnancy.
And so, for the first time in a while, family time has continued.
On that day, together with Orsted, we were going over the information on the next country that I would be visiting.
He probably has some reason. Is the person that would cause that King's fall not in the current loop?
And so, how should I move?
"Wha.....?"
Sudden.
I, who am normally very careful about my words around Orsted, almost unintentionally leaked out the line: "The hell you saying all of a sudden?"
There was no logical link at all.
Is what I thought.
There was one possible answer.
"...A political marriage?"
Going by the flow of the conversation, to cause the remarkable figure to fall... that's what we would do.
"Not as a political maneuver, I was thinking about the future."
Nevertheless, it is a painful topic.
Well that's fine for now.
I just don't believe that this remarkable man of lineage could win her heart.
Norn will eventually get married.
Norn's partner would need to be someone more sincere.
I won't hand Norn over to some useless nobody.
No matter how noble their objective, I will not forgive those who use and discard their family.
"Not like that."
"I am indebted to Norn Greyrat's child."
"It's not business. In this loop, it's not all that important."
It was not a very pertinent conversation.
But up until now, I've at least been able to determine what he was trying to do.
Norn's child isn't important, but because in a previous loop he/she was useful, he would like to set the groundwork.
"I understand."
I stood up.
He's not currently wearing his helmet. His face is scary as always but, but I'm sure right now it's even more frightening.
"If it must be so by all means, would it be permissible to meet at noon in the forest to the north of here in three days time?"
Norn, rest easy.
Even if the opponent is Orsted, I will not pull back a single step.
I ask you for the power to overcome this mighty enemy and return home alive.
"Wait. You are misunderstanding something."
"During the countless 200 years I have repeated, I have become attached to certain persons' existences.
She has helped me on countless occasions, I am indebted to her.
Because as it is, it will not happen."
It's true that there's no male presence around Norn.
She has her family, but she isn't jobless.
She is what you would call an "Office Lady.".
There are a considerable number of men in the Magic Guild.
She doesn't go out on her days off and spends all her time at home helping out by looking after the kids or doing housework.
I thought Norn would eventually but, honestly, if it goes on this way, it seems like she might spend her whole life without getting married.
"…"
In this world, for those of certain positions, arranged marriages are a common practice.
With that being the case, this development isn't all that odd.
"…No, a child isn't something you can make on your own.
But I do not intend to acknowledge it.
As always his face is scary.
But I remember this face, it's the "The hell you saying all of a sudden" face.
"Huh?"
Then it's that.
"It's not about conquering the next kingdom? You were simply saying to let Norn get married at the time of her choosing?"
I get it now, that makes sense.
"Orsted-sama."
"When you are changing the subject of the conversation, please say something along the lines of "I'm changing the subject of the conversation." or "That aside,", it would be good for you to preface such conversations like this."
Part 2
Norn married this person each and every time, didn't she?"
What a lucky guy.
If he spends his days lazing around, I'll kidnap him and fix it.
From dawn till dusk, I'll force it into him.
The condition will be, let's see... If he would like to become Norn's partner, he would at least have to be able to stay conscious after taking a punch from Eris.
"It's Ruijerd Supardia."
My thoughts stopped.
No, he's not bald anymore.
Continuing the will of Ruijerd after he had fallen to the plague, reclaiming the Supard's honour by joining the humans side in the fight against Laplace and delivering the final blow.
But this time around, the Supard race remains in large numbers.
He was probably remembering that child's whole life.
Which means, right, for Orsted to make this kind of proposal, I do understand it.
"..."
But, well.
I'm here, there was also the Teleport Incident.
But there is no mistake that this is a love story that Orsted is well aware of.
After all, he's 500 years old.
But this definitely isn't something for me to decide.
"That's right. There's no need to rush."
Orsted said that and nodded in agreement.
Part 3
She sang songs and wrote stories while adventuring; a singing, dancing, fighting, minstrel. She formed a party with those of similar interests, and journeyed towards the northern continent.
By adventurer standers she was at best a B grade.
Norn was also on the verge of death.
What appeared then was our Ruijerd.
And to Norn, Ruijerd was love at first sight.
Apparently Ruijerd ignored her advances at first, but after he discovered that the Supard race had been wiped out by a plague, he fell into despair.
The two of them began their life together in a corner of the Biheilil kingdom.
Norn, now alone, took upon herself, the responsibility of raising the child, and eventually her life came to an end.
Would Norn be happy, being paired with somebody she didn't love?
What's important are Norn's feelings.
She's got to have a man or two she likes, having been in a relationship or two wouldn't be odd.
And one day, all of a sudden, she might bring a man to the house and he would ask me "Father-in-law, please give your daughter to me".
And then: "I am 'brother-in-law'"…
I got sidetracked.
I also don't think it's something that Norn would tell me.
But Aisha is no good.
Norn seems to respect Roxy in particular, Roxy would be good.
On the subject of admiration, Eris would also be good.
Ever since Norn graduated, she's been going jogging and doing practice swings with Eris every morning.
It would have to be Roxy.
She looks up to Sylphy in a slightly different sense than admiration, but at the very least, she does recognise that she's the most important member of the household.
No, I should probably discuss it with all three present.
It would be good to hear Sylphy and Roxy's opinions.
Into my field of vision jumped a single woman.
"Ah."
It's Norn.
"…Welcome back."
When you take a good look, all said, Norn is actually quite the beauty.
Her breasts are large and she's got silky blonde hair.
"No… Ah, Norn, you want some tea?"
Norn took the cup and looked puzzled.
"…It's cold now."
I thought that and touched the teapot, and it was indeed cold.
I wonder what happened.
"I just got home from there now."
I took a look out the window and it was already evening.
"Please save the spacing out for when you're older… I'll go make some fresh tea. You wait here."
And Roxy should also be home around this time.
"…Aisha?"
But is that right, nobody else is here.
Avoid a roundabout wordy conversation and tell her to her face.
That would be the option most faithful to Norn.
Hmm. Hmm.
After all, it's her that's getting married.
"Thanks."
As I thought that, Norn had returned and placed a teacup in front of me.
"I learnt it in school after all."
"Lillia-san… probably wouldn't teach me."
Rather than not teaching you, she'd most likely tell you to 'Let me do it'.
"If you asked, I think she'd still teach you."
"That's true."
Like at the student council and in her dorm room.
Well, it's just something Norn decided herself.
"…"
We're having a casual conversation to warm up to the topic, but I would like to cut right to it.
What do I talk about.
"Ah-… Ahem…."
"No, not that, hmm. The tea is good."
I said that and took another sip of the steaming tea.
It's very Norn-like, mediocre tea.
In other words, it's good.
"How what been?"
"Everything's normal. While being taught by my senpai, I've been doing the jobs I'm capable of. But, I'm sure if it was Aisha, she'd be far better than me."
Aisha does a different kind of work.
"They're super pretty. You've talked to them once before as well Nii-san. When I was the student council president, they was the vice-president."
"Not him, the girl."
Right, the woman.
I don't remember her name, but there was definitely someone like that.
Like that they had entered the same department.
"Right, a girl… I wonder if there are any male senpai?"
"Those male senpai… Are there any good looking ones?"
That's important.
"Nii-san, what have you been wanting to say?"
"It looks like you're the one that need to calm down."
I am calm.
Rudeus of the three C's.
"You're wondering if I like him?"
I suddenly jumped straight to the point.
"I don't particularly like him."
Hey, mama yo!
"Then do you have somebody you like?"
She answered, now, in the flow of the conversation!
She gave me an answer.
"Yes, right! There is, well you're at that age. So there is someone, there's nothing odd about that. Yes."
"What are you saying."
There's nothing odd about me.
This world is wrong. Don't you agree.
"So, what kind of person are they? The person you like."
"Hmm."
"MmmHmm."
"Are you half-asleep?"
I'm sorry.
"You know, your brother, recently, hasn't been getting flustered at all."
But, hmm, far older than me, a man of presence. Dammit.
"Far older… Is that more than 10 years?"
"…I didn't expect you to be into old men."
Meaning 40 or 50 years old.
A lower centre of gravity would cause a sense of stability and presence.
"…"
The corrupt head of some trading company or some sly greasy old man, was the image that floated into my mind.
I won't acknowledge it, I definitely won't acknowledge something like that.
You can't judge a book by its cover.
"But I understand that it's a love that is not meant to be."
"No… His wife is already gone…"
She's already dead.
It's possible that he simply had a letter of divorce thrust before him.
Wait, I seem to have gotten forcefully sidetracked, what if…
"But apparently, I'm quite similar to his dead wife."
Aah, then I'm definitely wrong.
That man wouldn't say such a thing.
"That's a pretty cliche pick-up line."
To get a hold of someone much younger than you, saying that 'you're similar to my wife', of course it's a cliche pick-up line.
No, wait, now that I think about it, it doesn't sound like a pick-up line.
She's happy about being picked up.
But there's still the possibility that Norn is being tricked.
"Eh? No, umm."
She's talked with me honestly until now, so I should also answer honestly, is the kind of face she's giving me right now.
But I just wanted to confirm if she had someone that she likes.
"…It might be awkward to say this after the conversation we just had."
Eye's wide open and mouth turned down at the corners.
"No, I get it. Don't say any more, let's pretend this conversation never happened."
She looked quite suspicious of me if I do say so myself.
"…Don't you have someone you like?"
I'm not a noble, but since Nii-san is in some kind of position of nobility, I thought this kind of conversation would happen eventually, I've heard it from people I know as well.
"Don't say things like being used. I have no intention of using my family like tools."
In response to my rather strong tone, Norn was taken aback and apologised.
"Right… I'm sorry."
She's an honest girl.
"Norn, if you say you don't like it, we can forget this conversation happened."
"Well, yeah."
I don't think he's someone you'd hate…
No matter where he is, Ruijerd is an sincere man.
But he probably wouldn't object.
"But… Hmm. It's not as if I absolutely want to get married, but it's not as if I don't either.
But if you insist, I wouldn't mind continuing the conversation."
Norn said that and averted her eyes.
It's only that she'd do what I say.
"Is that right… Thank you very much."
If Norn says that, Orsted probably won't be too happy about it.
"…Ahh, by the way, what kind of person were they? The king of some country? Some Asuran Noble?"
"Somebody I know…? Aah, Was it Zanoba-senpai by any chance?"
He exuberates such a lovey dovey atmosphere around Juli but he doesn't seem to be getting any closer to Ginger.
She had a serious face.
I wonder if I hurt her feelings.
Norn looks up to Ruijerd with respect, but as I thought, it's not like that.
"Nii-san! Please proceed with that engagement!"
Norn cut off my words, without concealing the excitement and joy from her voice.
Part 4
Or should I say, as expected.
She had looked up to him ever since she was little.
That admiration from childhood eventually grew into love, and the incident in the Biheilil Kingdom re-awoke it.
But after hearing about his past, she was convinced that she couldn't be with him, and decided to hide her feelings.
"I understand leave it to your Onii-chan."
After hearing all that, I hit my chest.
Author Q&AQ: Before you said it would be 1-2 chapter in a month and now it's 2 in one day!
A: Although for now, the first three chapters are just Norn's story.
I return you're salute.
Q: Returning to the「In a Sense」
A: Rather than a return, I would like you to think of it as an end-game event.
Q: Guehehe… Marraige?
Becoming a bride is unthinkable!
A: To begin with, Rudeus is also a married person.
Q: Is such an older brother alright?
A feeling of fruitless effort…!
Very unreliable.
A: Is this what you take away from 2,800,000 characters!
Q: Norn-chan's wedding… This is… Teren-san reads this… wouldn't it turn into something bad?