‘It’s quite desolate. I suppose I should be glad I wasn’t born here.’
The royal family sought to keep the nobles beneath them, yet they even created a hierarchy among themselves. Those designated as the lowest within the royal family were the first to make their appearance.
Gradually, those with more power emerged.
Despite sharing the same bloodline, they were constantly categorizing and dividing one another.
‘The King is still in his prime, yet they’re already preoccupied with the next generation.’
Their numbers were significant.
The royal family officially recognized nine princes and seven princesses.
‘There’s no need to even mention the ones who aren’t recognized.’
It wasn’t because the King was a lecher. He was simply being faithful to his royal duties. Members of the royal family, especially the King, were expected to produce many descendants.
While this often resulted in bloody succession wars in every generation…
‘There are also many cases where they distribute power effectively to increase the strength of the royal family itself.’
Surprisingly, there were many instances where they acknowledged one another and worked to strengthen the throne for the sake of the family. This was why many of those currently forming the Royalist Faction were from the royal family.
‘Regardless, it’s a peculiar place.’
In history, the position of King is not something easily surrendered. Yet, seeing how well the Kingdom of Malexia functioned…
‘There’s something more to it.’
There was clearly something being passed down in their own unique way.
‘The power I sense is also beyond the ordinary. Hmm… this is interesting.’
While I was gauging the people of the royal family, an announcement rang out.
“Attention, everyone! Her Highness, the Second Princess, is entering!”
The final protagonist of this banquet, the Second Princess, made her entrance.
***
The Second Princess was 20 years old.
While that was not a young age for an unmarried princess, she still did not have a fiancé.
“Congratulations on your birthday, Princess! This is a local specialty from our territory, crafted by the finest artisans…”
“Princess!”
Quite a few people approached her. It wasn’t just because it was her birthday.
“…Thank you.”
On the contrary, the Princess receiving the gifts looked exhausted.
In any other banquet, it might be different, but she was the star of this one. She couldn’t turn away those who approached her under the pretext of giving gifts. For that reason, she had to accept them one by one.
‘There sure are a lot of them.’
From low-ranking nobles trying to get their faces known…
“Hmph… It has been a long time.”
To high-ranking nobles who held significant influence in the Royal Capital. Many people stood in line to hand her their gifts.
Normally, we would have been among them.
‘There are probably those moving according to clichés, hoping for a romance or a relationship with the Princess.’
Some would approach with fluttering hearts, wondering if an event would occur, but I already had no interest in someone like a princess.
‘There are a few candidates.’
I focused on others instead of the Princess.
From the beginning of the banquet until now, I simply memorized the faces of those who continued to watch or mock us.
‘In particular, you guys will only need a little nudge.’
My thoughts were focused on how to use those fellows rather than the Princess. By the time I had finished several plans, our turn arrived.
“I haven’t seen you before.”
The Princess spoke as she looked at me.
“I am Rayrn Ophern.”
“Is that so… and what have you prepared?”
The Princess, who possessed languid eyes and a voluptuous figure, continued to stare at me with those weary eyes.
‘It’s not like we’re going to be seeing each other for long.’
I slightly twisted my body to ensure everyone could see clearly and spoke.
“It is a special gift for the Princess.”
“Oh?”
It was a pair of earrings. The earrings, which emitted a bluish light on their own, were both enchanted with a single spell.
However, for a princess to wear…
“They are as blunt as you are.”
“Yes. However, they will make the Princess look magnificent. Would you like to try them on?”
I made the suggestion to the Princess, who for some reason was showing hostility toward me. She hesitated for a moment before putting on the earrings. At that moment…
“Mmm…”
“Do you feel it?”
A truly bright, subtle light began to flow from her. The light lingered slightly, making her appearance stand out. Her cheeks beneath her languid eyes flushed red, filling in her lack of vitality. That alone added another layer to her beauty.
‘I planted the energy of Oknyeo-gong into the charm, so it should at least have this much effect.’
The murmuring gradually grew louder.
—”What is that?”
—”Oh my…”
—”Magic? No, even if it is magic…”
The desire to look beautiful is a natural urge for any living creature.
‘I simply grew that desire.’
It was the greatest desire for the women in this room wearing dresses. The moment I set fire to that desire, the atmosphere began to heat up.
‘It won’t take long.’
Many people might come looking for my earrings as soon as tomorrow. They would likely try to obtain them even if they had to pay a fortune.
At the very least, the name of our Spiritual Land would be at the center of conversation among the women of noble families for a while.
‘Good. That’s done.’
Being at the center of their stories would be quite effective.
One should never ignore women. Their gatherings were both social and political arenas, and the influence they held over their husbands could not be ignored.
Perhaps she realized this, as her languid voice stretched out.
“You do remarkable things. Did you know the royal family is watching you?”
“Haha. I suppose so. I am waiting for an answer, Princess.”
“……Go.”
My duty ended with the delivery of the gift.
Far from a romantic atmosphere with the Princess, we finished after only discussing political matters.
‘How amusing.’
I took my leave from the Princess, bowing along with my older brother. And while everyone was watching…
‘As expected.’
I did not miss the signals being secretly sent by the members of the royal family.
‘They’re about to move.’
‘They’re clever.’
The royal family performed two things at once.
“Oh. Young Master, is talking to me not interesting?”
“How could that be?”
The noble lady offering platitudes was Mercier, the second daughter of the Marquis of Visque’s family.
Dressed elegantly in a gown, she had approached me while my brother was away, having been called by people from the Academy.
‘Can you spare a moment?’
Her father, who had approached with those typical words, was a representative of the Royalist Faction. His family had been loyal to the royal family for generations.
‘And their wealth is considerable.’
It was a family that had grown its power while receiving the royal family’s patronage. They operated several merchant groups, and among them was one that visited our Spiritual Land.
The name of the group was Mercier. It was a merchant group named after her.
The fact that her father, who loved his daughter dearly, had sent her here meant one thing.
‘It’s a signal.’
It was a signal from the royal family—specifically the Royalists—that they were showing me goodwill.
The representative of the Royalist Faction was sending his beloved daughter to accompany me. There could be no better signal than this. It was an invitation to get along again. Yet at the same time…
“Oh. Why is that person… coming this way?”
“I think you already know.”
“Pardon?”
“Well, if you don’t know, then never mind.”
The Royalist Faction was moving another piece.
‘To send a young lady to build a friendship… while doing something like this.’
The man approaching with huffing breaths and bloodshot eyes had looked that way since I first entered the banquet hall.
He appeared to be in his thirties. With his well-groomed red hair leaving a strong impression, he spoke.
“……Found you.”
“It took you quite a while, didn’t it? The dog of Owen. Or should I call you a fox?”
He was Yuier Owen. He was a cousin of the deceased Marquis of Owen and a man who was also called the Marquis’s faithful dog.
In other words, he was one of the few remaining people who remained loyal to the dead Marquis of Owen.
‘An interesting fellow.’
Nobles are people who can be enemies yesterday and allies today, or allies today and enemies tomorrow.
Among such nobles, it was rare to find someone who displayed such loyalty.
“……I shall ask. Are the rumors circulating in the territory true? Everything that happened?”
“What rumors?”
“The rumors that you were involved in the Marquis’s death!”
And among nobles…
‘It’s even rarer to find someone who shouts so pointlessly.’
It was rarer still for someone to scream and charge in a banquet hall as if they had lost everything.
In an instant, the gazes of everyone nearby shifted toward me and the dog of the dead Marquis of Owen.
One was huffing in rage, while the other was watching calmly.
To the nobles who viewed every situation as entertainment, it was bound to be an interesting sight.
‘This is the second card.’
This man didn’t originally have the courage for this. His Soulforce was weak, and he was faint-hearted. Despite that, the fact that he could charge like this meant…
‘Someone is controlling him.’
It meant someone was pushing him from behind. It was obvious who it was—the royal family. I didn’t know what conditions they had offered, but it was a rather amusing stunt.
Normally, I might have avoided it. However…
“It might be true. Weren’t we all biting and tearing at each other anyway? Like Crows and Foxes! Ah, the one getting bitten was always the Fox.”
“Y-You bastard!!!!”
The opponent’s face turned beet-red. He wheezed with bloodshot eyes and then…
*Slap*
He threw his glove. I shifted my body slightly to avoid it.
“A duel!”
He shouted as if reciting a scripted line.
I grinned and asked.
“Quite flashy for a clown show. Exactly how much were you paid for this?”
“Sh-Shut up! If you’re a noble, you must have honor. Let’s conduct the duel immediately!”
I watched the man fuming by himself and thought.
‘The planning is good, but the execution is terrible.’
I wondered who exactly had planned this.
And I thought that if they were going to start something, they could have made it a bit more interesting.
The royal family had sent two signals at once: harmony or a duel.
Whichever it was…
‘I’ll do it my way.’
If the opponent set the stage, I had to be the one to take control of it.
“Fine.”
“Wh-What?”
“I’m saying we should have the duel you want, you idiot.”
Since the opponent had set the stage, it would be disappointing if I didn’t flip it to my advantage.
I grinned and accepted the duel.
The stage was set quickly. On one side of the banquet hall, there were several areas suitable for use as a dueling ground. They must have been made for cases like this.
Yuier was flushed with excitement, but he knew his own limits.
“I… I intend to put forward a proxy.”
“By all means.”
“Fine. Don’t regret it. The proxy is Sir Asard.”
“Ho.”
In contrast to Yuier, who only spat out cliché words, a powerful man stepped forward.
‘Are they intending to give me a proper humiliation?’
Asard. Even I, out in the provinces, had heard his name.
He was known as one of the most prominent knights in the Royal Capital. His level was at least that of a mid-level Aura Expert. He was one of those known to be looking toward the high-level rank soon.
‘He’s switched to the Royalist Faction.’
The fact that he, who was originally from the Neutral Faction, was stepping up in a place like this made his intentions clear.
He must be planning to make a flashy debut into the Royalist Faction using this incident.
‘Did I look that easy? They’re intending to give me a thorough disgrace.’
Asard was approaching me with a confident expression.
‘Interesting.’
Despite not being from the Royal Capital originally, he was someone who had achieved success after success with his natural talent since arriving there. He must have grown up never knowing defeat.
It seemed the royal family was trying to use this opportunity to firmly crush me. Perhaps the signal sent by Lady Mercier was the final offer of reconciliation.
“I shall not be too harsh. I will teach you a lesson.”
We would have to see who would be the one receiving the lesson.
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