Chapter 121
Chapter 121
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 121
Chapter Title: Changed to a Hunting Festival
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What Debutona had given me was, slyly enough, a tea party invitation.
‘So cunning, so cunning.’
The problem with this was that gatherings like tea parties were ones male nobles almost never attended.
At most, perhaps with their fiancée?
In fact, this meant that among the nobles attending the tea party, aside from Dimitri and Debutona, I knew absolutely no one, man or woman.
No matter how thick-skinned I was, it was an awkward invitation to accept.
“This is a total dud.”
I grumbled, waving the invitation around, when Piyan poked his head out from the kitchen.
“Boss.”
“You’ve been coming around nonstop since the braised chicken?”
“Well, thanks to whoever you sent, I’m laying low right now, so I’ve taken refuge here instead of the hideout.”
He sure could talk. I shot Piyan a look, as if asking why I’d summoned him.
“I just heard from my guys on a call. That tea party? Word is it’s been switched to a hunting festival.”
“Suddenly?”
“Apparently the tea leaves got damp and ruined.”
They’d planned a tea party around some ultra-rare, expensive leaves, only for the stars of the show to go bad, so in a fit of pique, they decided to hunt instead. I couldn’t help but snicker.
“Either way, showing up’s just gonna end in humiliation.”
“Why?”
I glanced at Piyan. Right—he didn’t know about my trait status.
“There are reasons.”
No helping it. I’d just have to trade my dignity for a chance to scout intel on the imperial family.
* * *
Debutona sent a servant to the inn late to confirm the tea party had indeed switched to a hunting festival.
Those events were all about scoring points based on the animals you hunted yourself, so I had no intention of pulling out the Codex—going would just advertise my incompetence.
But it couldn’t be helped. Since it had come to this, I’d have to make up for it elsewhere.
While I was in the capital, it’d be smart to lay groundwork or grab what I could here.
Especially achievements you could get in the game—they’d count as achievements here too, no doubt.
Otherwise, Rachel wouldn’t have bothered including them.
Ones that came to mind: earning royal recognition for a high position, or marrying into the imperial family.
Or, thinking of random encounter events, catching a hidden doppelganger potion user in the palace, or monsters and undead from the capital sewers.
‘Come to think of it, is there a ruin deep in the sewers?’
I opened my subspace and started reading notes from my early days here on dungeons and artifacts.
In the game, it was a stealth dungeon—getting spotted even once triggered a dead end.
But this was reality.
So what happened?
Linked to the palace interior, instant beheading?
Undead and monsters spilling from the sewers deep inside only happened late-game, so nothing there now.
Originally a secret passage for emergency escapes, so if I found the right path inside the sewers, I could slip straight into the palace.
The catch was using it to sneak in from outside, not flee from enemies who’d breached the palace...
‘Probably triggers alarms or wards?’
But the sanctuary intruder achievement had been pretty juicy.
“No choice.”
Make nice with the imperial family, get invited to the palace, enter from the inside out.
I didn’t remember the exact spot, but poking around would jog my memory.
Late-game, if you maxed royal affinity with a non-main party, there was a quest to safely escort the crown prince or princess to escape.
So I knew the route roughly.
Just pop in and out quick, it’d be fine.
Even if caught, imperial superhumans weren’t the type who didn’t understand reason.
‘Probably, probably.’
My thoughts were turning a bit patchwork, unavoidably.
The only things I could be sure of were fixed features like dungeons and artifacts.
Everything else—living beings—could act out of character on a whim.
Even knowing their personalities roughly, they wouldn’t choose as I predicted.
And with all the changes I’d made, who knew what unexpected curveball might come.
I hadn’t seen the Gadia doppelganger incident coming either.
I decided to take it easy. No point overthinking—better to wring answers from someone with a genius trait.
But that wasn’t an option. So I’d trust myself and my people, and go with it.
“So that’s why the calls are flooding in?”
[Yes, young master.]
I’d only distributed the lowest-tier city-sized sirens and a few mid-tier ones for two or three cities to select influencers.
Of course—if they had brains, they’d know how game-changing these were.
[Most are talking investments. A few asked if security was airtight.]
“That’s easy. We swear on a divine contract of truth that every Siren we produce is guaranteed unbuggable.”
As long as we don’t lie. The prototypes weren’t ours, so no issue.
[The palace reached out too.]
“Ah, that part.”
I mouthed thanks to Zero as she quietly brought snacks, then sipped my now-cool tea.
“Any royals Alkaida thinks are decent?”
[Intel on the imperial family is mostly high-security, and biased favorably toward them, so I hesitate to say offhand.]
Yeah, figured.
I took a big bite of blueberry tart.
“Aria busy?”
[She’s sorting documents right now.]
No helping it. If no intel, dig it up myself. Time to earn her keep.
“Call her, then.”
I savored tart and tea a bit longer when fabric rustled over the Siren.
[Yes, Adelrian? You left me here and where are you? When are you coming? Haha!]
Huh?
Her voice sounded a touch emotional... Nah, no way.
That busy, huh.
“Ah, gotta visit soon. But Aria, got a question.”
[Whoa, it’s like you’re right here. Amazing. What’s up?]
“Any decent royals?”
[...Pardon?]
Her voice trembled over the Siren.
[What do you mean? They’re all... good people, right? Oh! I just remembered urgent papers—gotta go, young master Adelrian!]
“Aria von Taitria.”
I said it softly, and the Siren went dead silent, like it’d fallen asleep.
Then, after a beat, a faint deep breath.
[How long have you known?]
“Doesn’t matter. Just like I don’t need to ask why you ran or if you’ll go back.”
If she named the 13th Prince Shahad or the royal I’d meet tomorrow among her info, easy.
Otherwise, replan.
[...Yes. I am Aria von Taitria, 27th Princess of Taitria. Will you force me back?]
“No. Remember when we met? I said you’d have travel funds. If you want, head back to Labyrinth City anytime.”
Of course, what came after was all on her.
[I... kinda like it here. Senior Halon’s great, everyone’s kind. The work is. Super super! Hard!]
...Need to scout someone with accounting traits soon.
[My sisters are mostly nice.]
“The 1st Princess too?”
I grinned as I said it, and Aria hiccuped.
[Th-that’s... Seria sis is, as everyone knows...]
“Gotta tell it straight if you want me to trust you.”
[I don’t get what you want, Adelrian.]
A deflated tone. I softened mine, coaxing.
“What, you think I’ll do something really bad? Harm the empire’s peace? Right?”
[Well... no?]
Not just buying info—I wanted her to feel like she was helping someone. So I spoke.
“This Siren’s a huge splash, so gotta share appropriately with the palace. Better team up with someone good.”
[In that case, big sis Seria the 1st Princess is best. Strongest faction, treats her people well.]
Not wrong, of course. If I cared only about business, I’d go with 1st Princess Seria.
“Aria. This how you treat me?”
After I even hooked her up with a job?
[...Why are you doing this to me? I’m really scared.]
“Don’t want big shots—just name candidates excluding the 1st Princess.”
I jotted down the three she named slowly.
Sure, even among these, some’d be playing roles when seen.
But better than no list at all.
* * *
“Squid stir-fry.”
I want some.
I jolted awake muttering and shook my head—Leaf was passing my door, so she opened it and approached.
―Did you say squid stir-fry, Manager?
“No, grilled.”
What stir-fry here? At best tomato-basil sauté—not my style. I switched menus casually and got up.
―I’ll prepare it for when you return today.
“Yeah. Be back.”
I patted Leaf’s head and sighed low.
‘Ugh, don’t wanna go.’
Even with buoyancy, the stares would hit like damage.
Felt it painfully strolling Raves—infamous wastrel—with Cain.
But no helping it.
“Cain, Zero—any ideas?”
“Doesn’t seem so, young master.”
I washed up, donned clothes Luna handed me, straightened my attire, and entered the living room where Cain and Zero watched me.
Noble or not, had to bring one or two escorts.
Issue: Luna’s beastkin, Leaf’s communication barrier, Rachel’s wild card bomb.
Left with Cain and Zero.
‘Too standout faces.’
That was the problem. Masks screamed suspicious.
“I’ll snag some passerby hair, Adelrian.”
“Rejected, man.”
That trick only for Cain’s looks upgrade.
“Just need to avoid eyes.”
“With royals there? No stealth.”
Maybe that artifact after all.
Valbus had one randomizing appearance.
Pure random reshape, though—if Cain or Zero caused trouble today or got called back later, awkward. So backburnered.
“No choice.”
I opened subspace, pulled a 5x5 cube artifact.
Pressed a magestone to the gray cube—it powdered, absorbed, flashed rainbow.
“Cain first.”
Tossed to Cain—he rolled it one-handed. Timer: 15 seconds atop.
“Hey, do it proper...!”
One spin, then he stopped. After 15s, not one face solved... Cain, really...
“Oh man.”
“Wow.”
“Senior, your face is legendary.”
Scarred cheeks, underbite jaw, toad skin...
No more description.
Good Rachel slept in—otherwise earsplitting laughter.
Luna covered her mouth, stifling giggles.
“Zero next.”
“Yes.”
Still rainbow—one stone hadn’t drained fully. Tossed to Zero.
15 seconds again.
Click—roll—
Zero matched two faces in time.
Result: averagely ugly.
Rewards too harsh for difficulty?
“See you, young master.”
I eyed truly ugly Cain and averagely ugly Zero, burst out laughing, donned Luna’s robe.
“Off I go.”
Time to head out. To the hunting festival.