Thanks for the chapter!
Gotta love politics, has to make a mess and complicate everything. Will probably end of with MC becoming engaged with both Ashley and Grace with both open to the idea. Although Grace would need to act and dress more like a lady and less like a servant. Then again, Greygia in Highschool DxD seemed able to switch and handle being both a lady and maid.
As for MC's mother. When he said she was cursed on page 17 was that because the demon cast malignant magic on her before dying or was it insults and condemning words by the ungrateful people who also scorned her? Unfortunately it's very common for people to be nice when need something and then act ungrateful and complain about not enough after getting help. That, or someone should fill their selfish expectations rather than stick to whatever agreement was made. Like if there is some strong enemy or monster can't defeat themselves it's expected some hero would come, save the day with no losses or collateral damage to the people, only the hero gets any injuries and suppose to sacrifice themselves to save idiots from their own stupidity. After defeating the monster they're then blamed for not showing up sooner, any losses from people couldn't protect or foolish enough to do something stupid that got them injured or killed, and are to leave quietly with thanks (if any) at most for payment rather than any agreed to contract as if don't need to eat or sleep or anything other humans need to do to take care of themselves.
@WanderingKaos Harems are a way of ensuring heirs to a bloodline of either nobility or talent. Considering there were numerous monsters that would've taken the group out, even if not particularly strong individually, if Grace and the MC weren't there. Numerous bodyguards are expensive and adventurers/mercenaries could be any mix of talent and reliability to inept and cowardly. Then there are those like the Snake Bite group who would've taken the job, killed everybody else, and stolen everything of value while claiming it was bandits or monsters. So basically there's a high mortality rate, especially travelling between cities, and therefore more pressure to ensure that talent or a bloodline doesn't die by increasing the number of offspring through multiple wives. In the Deathmarch manga the MC is informed sometime after receiving a high title (think it was Earl or Margrave,) that upon receiving a title of a certain rank or above the new title holder is required to marry within 1-3 years or the crown will arrange a bride for them to preserve the bloodline.
