Chapter 329
Chapter 329
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: EP.69 – The Knight Cheers for the Youths (8)
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...Roan. He had once, in a future unknown to others, even married a woman named Judia.
Was it out of love?
He wasn't sure.
What was clear was that the him back then had been mentally overwhelmed and somewhat off-kilter.
As if possessed by something, he'd ended up marrying her.
...And only later did he learn the truth.
That she hadn't just toyed with him, but was an assassin from the temple who had approached him with the intent to destroy his comrades as well!
How could it not make his teeth grind and his blood boil?
Even just manipulating his emotions was enough to make his rage surge, but she was the woman who had ruined his fellow soldiers too.
...That was why he could never forget that grudge.
Even if it hadn't happened yet, knowing she was a seed of malice meant he could never let it slide.
So it should have been something he couldn't help but burn with anger over...
"Blackie, you really are loaded, huh? I never imagined this building was yours."
"......"
...But right now, he was just dumbfounded. In this moment, no words came to mind, and he even forgot his fury.
What the hell was that?
"Anyway, don't get too pissed. Hmm, I don't know the reason, but I get that you have some bad blood with her. Still, we're on the job right now."
"......"
"Can't you react a little? It feels like I'm talking to myself, and it's embarrassing..."
"...Instructor."
"Finally, a response."
"......"
"...Silent again, this guy."
Judging purely by his grumbling tone, it was definitely the instructor he knew.
But...
"Um, really... are you the instructor?"
...That 'form' was impossible to imagine as belonging to his instructor.
There stood a 'handsome young man'.
Roan rarely complimented others' looks, but this young man was astonishingly handsome.
Not only that, but the aura he exuded was cheerful and refreshing, carrying a comfortable charm.
Roan was stunned to find himself praising someone else's appearance so highly.
Sense I've suddenly taken an interest in looks? Come on.
It must be an appearance that even draws admiration from me.
He, who had little interest in appearances, couldn't help but feel admiration and curiosity. Roan was utterly dumbfounded.
"Uh, did you perhaps use a transformation artifact?"
Jack suddenly asked on his behalf, and in response, the man countered with a question.
"Does something like that even exist?"
"I-I've never heard of it, but looking at you now, it seems like it might..."
"I'd love a convenient artifact like that too. But no. It's not that. I just compressed my muscles and bones."
"?"
"You saw it earlier, right? Like this..."
Crack!
"Compressing the body. You guys can do it too if you train hard. You learned how to use your body from me, remember? It's the same principle."
"......"
"Say something, you two. It feels like I'm monologuing."
"......"
...Wasn't it a wonder any response came at all?
His arm had suddenly swelled up, revealing a 'part' of the instructor they knew, leaving them even more confused and dazed upon confirmation.
Before a skill more wondrous than any circus act, their minds simply couldn't keep up.
No, it wasn't even comparable to a circus.
"B-But, Instructor."
"Yeah?"
"If you only compressed your body, does that mean... this is what you originally looked like?"
"Ah, this face? Well, it's from my younger days. Up until about seven years ago, I looked like a total beanpole. But after proper training, I shed that anchovy look."
"......"
"Why the lack of reaction since earlier?"
"...Just, it's mind-boggling in so many ways."
"??"
"Haha..."
Jack once again voiced what Roan felt, and Roan shook his head, realizing he'd momentarily forgotten even his grudge against Judia Pierre.
This guy, always—
"...You're always on a different wavelength."
Always in a different genre.
Roan let out a hollow laugh as he gazed at his master, who kept surprising him despite thinking there were no more shocks left.
...It was ridiculous enough to extinguish even his fiery grudge in an instant.
The news of the royal capital's social season, the first in nearly five years, was like an all-you-can-eat buffet for the newspapers.
Just chasing the various incidents and rumors in high society provided endless stories.
Not only nobles, but those who admired the glamour of upper society bought papers too, making it a festival for the publishers.
And among these stories, the one that sold best was undoubtedly...
"'Who will be the flower of the royal capital's social season after six long years?' Ha! Obviously Lady Windler, right? They say her beauty rivals that of a fairy."
"Hey, come on. Everyone knows rumors are exaggerated. A fairy? Please...!"
"Really?"
"Lady Levy Jan Dark, that's who. I saw her in the war games the day before yesterday—she was so spirited and elegant. I bet she'll stir things up this season."
"What about the lady from House Guenevere? With that intellect, she's practically a young sage. Beauty reaches a certain level and they're all average. What really matters is wisdom, in my opinion."
"Damn it!"
That point right there was the bestseller.
Some criticized it as vulgar, but beauty inevitably stirred human desires, and debating it made for engaging conversation.
Especially since this was the first debutante ball in the capital in six years, drawing countless ladies from across the south, the topic drew massive interest. Naturally, the women who had garnered huge attention last year were the focal points.
The mage Irene Windler, whose beauty rivaled a fairy's.
The swordswoman Levy Jan Dark, pitiable yet embodying a knight's nobility.
The young scholar Karin Allensia de Guenevere, whose eyes already held the spark of a sage.
Interestingly, all were girls currently enrolled at the Royal Academy.
Of course, many other noble ladies were in the spotlight, but none had shown talents and feats as remarkable as these three.
Even past "flowers of society" were known not just for looks, but exceptional abilities. So, the attention on these girls was only natural.
...However, recently, a new flower had surged in popularity, threatening the trio's dominance.
She had appeared at large and small tea parties and banquets over the past ten days, captivating everyone with her extraordinary charm in that short time.
Her name was...
"That lady there—is she Judia Pierre de Roengrin?"
"Did Lord Roengrin have a daughter? News to me."
"Beautiful... so beautiful..."
"But isn't Roengrin in some bad rumors lately?"
"Hmm, what's she thinking?"
The great noble House Roengrin, whose momentum had recently faltered amid scrutiny.
People's eyes focused on the emergence of their 'hidden' lady, and they didn't hesitate to admire her allure.
...Well.
'If this lie gets exposed, I might end up on the guillotine.'
It was all a fabrication.
Drip.
Judia Pierre, the fake lady masquerading as Roengrin's daughter, barely concealed the cold sweat trickling down her back as she walked the stage.
...A precarious stage where one misstep meant plunging into an abyss of darkness.
Meanwhile, oblivious to her trembling, they conversed on the terrace at the top of the venue.
"You probably know already, but those cultists are sniffing around again."
Lee Han's remark, to which...
"I know. They say it's one of the three pillars forming the Brass Knights and Blood Cross Army."
"As expected."
"No one who matters doesn't know that. Though they seem to be hiding with some strange methods."
Roan's indifferent reply.
He already knew, so his interest waned.
Lee Han scratched his cheek with an awkward look, as if he'd expected this.
"Shouldn't have said anything?"
"No. I've learned a lot thanks to you."
"Huh?"
"For starters, you're chasing the Brass Knights too, but haven't found them yet. And the one who asked you to hunt them down is likely the temple—that is, Pontiff Raphael."
"Wow."
"No need to be surprised. Just seeing her with that vile wench... er, Judia Pierre, makes it obvious. That bat-like—no, abhorrent creature's involvement tells us enough."
"...That was you toning it down as much as possible, right?"
"Anyway, you've had it rough. Must be tough hanging around that monstrosity. But one thing I don't get—why is she using [Roengrin]'s name? Do you have some deal with them?"
Roengrin.
A great noble house of Pendragon, infamous for pledging loyalty to the temple over the kingdom for generations.
But lately, fallen holy knights had appeared, and evidence linked the current Holy Knight Commander, Erhin Roengrin, to the academy terror plot, drawing scandals.
Normally, they'd have been wiped out, but surviving the previous day's disaster showed the might of a great house.
Yet now, Judia Pierre, no connection to Roengrin, was parading in their name in society.
This suggested some pact or political deal...
"Nah, nothing like that."
"?"
"She's just using it on her own. Wanted to poke the hornet's nest a bit."
"......"
"Why?"
"...Nothing."
You're probably the only one who'd mess with a great noble for kicks.
He thought that inwardly but didn't show it, murmuring the Roengrin name instead.
"...By any chance, are you suspicious of Roengrin?"
Roan voiced his sudden hunch aloud, and the man...
"Talking to smart guys like you means I can save my breath. Love it."
...Just grinned. That was answer enough.
And that meant...
'Roengrin, huh... Hmm. Might get to see a great noble house crumble in my lifetime.'
Dark clouds gathering over a declining great house.
...Most intriguingly.