Powerful nobles gather one after another at the venue. Not just those from the noble faction, but also a few from the royal faction can be seen. At the entrance of the venue, several knights belonging to Marquis Gilbert are lined up. While it’s an unusual sight for a noble’s party, there was a clear reason for it.
“T-This is…”
“An ice dragon… you say?”
There was a being looking down on them, who should have been given the most noble status, with insolence.
— An ice dragon. It was a welcome that none of those present had ever experienced before.
Many nobles have an aptitude for magic. Therefore, they understood all the more. How much of a monster the being before them was. Its magical power was so enormous, violent, and freezing.
Seeing is believing, indeed. The tension in the air was so thick that if this monster showed even a hint of hostility, moved even a finger, it would immediately cause a state of panic.
“Everyone, please be at ease.”
At that moment, one of the knights spoke up.
“This ice dragon is completely under Lord Luke’s control. Please, be at ease.”
“………..”
However, the words of a single human lacked persuasion. The nobles remained frozen in place, unable to move. But this was all according to plan. One of the knights gave a signal. Receiving it, Dia, the ice dragon, slowly opened her mouth, recalling the phrases she had practiced many times.
“W-welcome… Thank you for c-coming…”
She bowed her head slightly, inwardly regretting the small stutter. The sight filled all who witnessed it with awe. The eldest son of the Gilbert family was a monster. He had such a powerful being under his control. There was no room left for doubt.
“Um… ehe, ehehe… Can I take a closer look?”
“Hm, this is– Gah!”
Though still hesitant, the nobles began to make their way into the venue.
Seeing this, the knight thought his job was done and let his guard down.
When someone addressed him and he saw their expression, he involuntarily recoiled and blurted out “Gah!” A terrible blunder towards someone of higher status.
“I-I deeply apologize! Welcome, Lady Amelia!”
He quickly bowed his head to cover up his mistake. But it was understandable. The Amelia the knight saw was strangely out of breath, with drool at the corner of her mouth and eyes completely gone wild.
“I-I knew it… That collar is made with dark magic… hehehe…”
“………..”
Dia was just as confused as the knights present. With her draconic senses far superior to humans, she could easily tell that most people felt fear towards her. But the human female before her was different. Clearly different. Something was off about her.
(I’d better stay quiet for now.)
The thought of not wanting to cause Luke any trouble made her choose silence.
Dia didn’t know that the emotion Amelia was feeling was called “curiosity.”
“The magic of elemental dragons even affects their environment. That’s why ice dragons’ habitats are covered in snow. But… this collar is absorbing the ice dragon’s magic. And not only that! It allows the collar to exist semi-permanently because of it! This is insaaane! Luke, you’re as amazing as ev–“
“Sister, please mind your surroundings.”
“………..”
For some reason unknown to Dia, the human female in front of her suddenly started shouting. Dia’s confusion deepened. But then, another human with a similar scent appeared and stopped her. Dia felt relief without realizing it.
“Freyja! Look at this!”
“I understand. However, we should greet Marquis Gilbert first.”
Freyja, Amelia’s sister and a teacher, stated what they should do next in a flat, monotonous voice.
“Y-you’re right… I’m hopeless. When I see amazing magic, I just can’t control myself…”
“Let’s go, sister. We shouldn’t keep them wai–“
Just as they started walking, Freyja tripped on the hem of her dress. She fell spectacularly. But without changing her expression, she immediately stood up and said as if nothing had happened:
“Excuse me.”
That was all she said to the dumbfounded knights before walking towards the venue with Amelia. This level of incident wasn’t enough to crack the iron mask she had cultivated over many years.
§
“It’s been a while, Luke!”
“Are you well?”
“Yeah.”
“Congratulations on this occasion! Um, ehehe, I’m sorry to ask so soon, but about that magic…”
“Sister.”
“…Yes, I’m sorry.”
Although understanding it was just social etiquette, Luke was getting irritated by the meaningless greetings from so many people. At that moment, familiar faces appeared. Amelia was as enthusiastic about magic as ever. Freyja, the homeroom teacher, remained expressionless. …But this teacher once hid in a locker with that same expressionless face. It’s harder to tell what she’s really thinking…
For a while, the conversation remained trivial. However–
“So, when are you going to the Empire again?”
“…What?”
The shock hit me so hard my thoughts completely stopped. My head filled with question marks.
…How do they know?
“The purpose is to observe the Sword Saint Festival. Departure is one week from today, right?”
“…Wait. How do you know about that…?”
I had specifically created an adventurer identity to go to the Empire without any ties, along with Zack and the others. That plan had just now evaporated. Where? Where did I go wrong? Where on earth did I–
“Oh, you haven’t heard? Abel submitted an application to the academy, and it was approved. My sister and I will be accompanying you.”
“Looking forward to it!”
“………..”
A…bel. …Abel. Abel!!
[“There’s apparently an annual ‘Sword Saint Festival’ held in the Empire, did you know?”]
[“They say the sword masters from various countries gather there! Isn’t it exciting?”]
That damn brat!!!
There wasn’t a shred of conspiracy in this. Knowing that my plans were destroyed by pure goodwill only made me angrier. With just one move… everything was overturned with just one move.
What the hell… Are you really at the center of everything…
Ah, shit… I can easily imagine Abel’s carefree, beaming smile.
“Sigh… Now what?”
Just as I was feeling like I wanted to go home and sleep immediately, I noticed the nobles were strangely restless.
“Eh, is that…”
The reason for their restlessness became clear quickly. Someone waving at us.
— Second Prince Polpon.
The Gilbert family leads the noble faction. For a prince to show up at their party is highly unusual. The nobles of the royal faction must be feeling quite uncomfortable.
“………..”
Polpon headed straight to my father. Soon after, for some reason, he disappeared into a back room. Really, what did he come here for? I can only hope this doesn’t make things more complicated. …Ugh, my stomach.
“Lord Luke, may I have a moment?”
As I was rubbing my stomach to ease the sharp pain, someone called out to me.
“What is it, Alfred?”
“A boy named Abel is requesting to see you. What should I do?”
“…Huh?”
One thing after another. What is going on…
§
In a certain room. Only three people were present: Claude, Polpon, and Edmond, who serves as a secretary. Claude had granted Polpon’s wish, and the room was completely cleared of other people. An unusual tension filled the air.
“Kuku… Your Highness, I may have misheard, so could you repeat that once more? What did you say just now?”
“I’ll say it as many times as necessary. Marquis, are you considering usurping the throne?”
Polpon’s question made the already tense atmosphere even sharper.
(I-I want to go home, I want to go home so badly… Ugh, my stomach hurts…)
Edmond pressed gently on his aching stomach while breaking out in a cold sweat–
§
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT gadgetizedpanda.net
“Recently, there’s been a clear increase in people switching to the noble faction. A little investigation made it obvious. You, Marquis, are at the center of it all.”
“………..”
“It almost feels like you’re not even trying to hide it. I took it as a kind of ‘provocation.’ As if you’re saying, ‘Try and stop me if you can.'”
“…Kuku.”
In an instant, Claude’s demeanor changed.
“Really, it’s my bad habit.”
Perceiving this keenly, Polpon braced himself without letting his plastered smile falter even slightly, while Edmond visibly showed his agitation.
“I understand painfully well in my head. Such schemes should be carried out in the shadows.”
“………..”
Polpon heightened his vigilance even further. Claude had just admitted to planning some kind of scheme. Admitting this fact to him, the Second Prince, should clearly be disadvantageous for Claude.
Yet, he admitted it without any hesitation. This means only one thing: ‘There’s no problem at all.’ Considering the worst-case scenario where his life might be taken right here, Polpon’s mind raced. Edmond also understood that their lives were hanging by a thread, but his worsening stomach pain was disrupting his thoughts.
“But it just doesn’t suit me. Why should I have to skulk around worrying about others’ eyes? There’s no reason for that. — I just need to crush them head-on.”
It was immediately clear that this statement wasn’t a bluff. And that’s what made it more terrifying. Polpon quietly thought to himself that the person before him was indeed [Luke]’s father, and possessed enough power to influence the nation.
“…Do you intend to become king?”
He asked again, feeling something close to certainty.
However–
“I won’t be the one to become king. — It will be Luke.”
“…!”
“…!!”
Polpon’s expression, which hadn’t crumbled until now, slightly faltered. Edmond almost let out a cry, barely managing to swallow it. This was beyond anything he could handle. If so, further thought was meaningless.
Having reached this truth, Edmond discarded all his previous thoughts and started thinking about something entirely different.
If he managed to get out of here alive, he’d treat himself to all his favorite foods tonight–
§
“Hey, Alice. You’re beautiful as always.”
“How unpleasant. Would you mind disappearing from my sight?”
“Alice, come on…”
Yorand, the eldest son of the Lonsdale family and Alice’s brother, appeared at the party venue. It was inevitable that he would draw attention, having climbed to the position of Vice Commander of the Second Mage Brigade at an unusually young age.
“I wanted to introduce someone to Luke today, but… where is Luke?”
“…”
At Yorand’s words, Alice and Mia’s gazes shifted. They looked towards the girl with glossy purple hair—Citrica—who was peeking out from behind him.
“Hmm, looks like he’s not here. Well, I’ll talk to him later. For now, let me introduce you two.”
“…You’re Citrica, aren’t you?”
“Oh, um… N-nice to meet you, Alice.”
“Oh? You know each other?”
“No. But we attend the same academy. Luke never remembers people he’s not interested in, so I make it a point to remember them. They might become useful someday.”
“…”
Citrica thought quietly to herself.
(How… unfortunate…)
Indeed, she had aided in the attack. But she had merely chosen her family when weighing them against an unfamiliar noble family.
(Wow… Alice is as scary as ever, but Mia is even worse! My instincts are screaming danger! She’s glaring at me so intensely! If she ever finds out about me—)
It was then that Yorand keenly sensed Citrica’s inner turmoil. He smiled thinly. It was both as if evil had been condensed and as innocent as a child finding a new toy.
“Actually, you know… This girl was the one who helped orchestrate the attack.”
Yorand could easily imagine what his statement would lead to. He knew that Mia, a girl whose devotion to Luke went beyond mere affection, would lose control. He thought his magic could stop her. However—
“Yeah, Mia, calm down a bit—huh?”
Something unexpected happened, even for Yorand. It was Alice who lost control. His own sister, who was supposed to be as cool as ice in any situation, unleashed her magic without hiding her killing intent and without any hesitation.
Despite his terrifying skill in knowing and manipulating others’ hearts, he couldn’t grasp how they twisted when Luke was involved.
“Alice, wait—”
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