Chapter 17: The Banquet (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 17: The Banquet (2)
“…Dame Noel.”
Stella, sitting beside her, spoke as if a headache were blooming behind her eyes.
“I heard that man has absolutely no connections to high society.”
“That is what I know as well,” Noel replied, looking utterly dumbfounded.
“I heard he was the husband of our ever-so-solemn hero, so I expected someone similar, but he’s quite the charming young man. Come by my estate sometime. I’ll treat you well.”
“I’ll look forward to it, Viscount. Ah, and the Lieutenant General should join us later as well—”
Before them stood Aiden, conversing with several people at once with a sociable smile.
He chatted effortlessly with the sly, snake-like nobles, even leading the conversation. He looked so incredibly accustomed to these kinds of gatherings it was as if this were his actual day job.
Laughter never ceased around him. Those who had initially cast suspicious glances at this mysterious figure—who had a high-ranking foreign official serving as his adjutant—gradually let down their guard and grew friendlier as the conversation flowed.
Of course, she knew he was a con artist, a profession that naturally required exceptional interpersonal skills, but honestly…
…Wasn’t that a lie?
Noel scratched her cheek as the thought crossed her mind.
She had lost count of how many times that man had shown impressive feats in combat. It was obvious that such skills could only be achieved through grueling training in combat and the use of supernatural abilities from a very young age.
People like that inevitably found these social gatherings difficult. They simply never had the chance to experience them.
Just like Noel herself.
Since she had always struggled with these events, it was a talent she couldn’t help but envy.
Aiden is truly an amazing person…
She thought to herself, wiggling her toes for no particular reason.
…It’s a good thing I left it to the Central Intelligence Department.
The problem was, at this point, his past was becoming an even greater mystery. She sighed inwardly, recalling the personal profile of Aiden she had handed over to them.
Really, it was a relief she at least had that. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have had the slightest clue who he was.
“So, how is married life with the Lionheart?”
“I believe she is a partner far too good for me. I live every day benefiting from her grace.”
…Though she wondered if it was really necessary for him to keep spouting such things, as if desperately trying to keep his promise of ‘not letting her lose face.’
With a sigh, she downed her glass of champagne in one go. To watch him go around saying such embarrassing things in real-time, she needed to be a little less sober.
“Would you like another glass?”
“Ah, yes, please—”
But the moment she turned her head toward the voice, a freezing sensation shot through her veins.
“Are you enjoying the banquet, Dame Noel?”
“…”
“Is this the first time we’ve met in person since the battle with the Magic Kingdom? You haven’t changed a bit.”
“…”
Failing to respond to someone speaking so amiably was a blunder the usual Noel would never commit.
But…
—If the opponent was this person.
A polite voice. A courteous attitude. Grace and decorum were woven into his every movement. He exuded an aura of nobility so pure it was almost unapproachable.
Yet, to Noel, this man was the last person in the world she wanted to meet.
Even his very next words proved why.
“You’ve found quite a decent ‘stand-in,’ haven’t you? He seems more than adequate to parade around as a fake groom.”
So casually.
His words pierced deep into her like a dagger.
“Was my proposal really that offensive to you? I’m a little hurt.”
To the man speaking so playfully, she barely managed to utter his title. Her voice was laced with what sounded like fear.
“…Your Highness.”
The Imperial Prince.
Her ‘husband candidate’ smiled gently.
* * *
— System Message
[The skill ‘Weaver of Fate’ is operating smoothly.]
[Rewards are being distributed in conjunction with the ‘Bond Relationship’ established with the targets.]
[‘Baron Lannister’ shows you favor.]
[‘Viscount Klinsmann’ offers you favor.]
[‘Lieutenant Colonel Shepard’ shows you favor…]
Yes, yes, yes…
Aiden smiled inwardly as he watched the system window continuously update.
He was just standing there, making casual conversation, yet the number of people taking a liking to him kept growing. It was like fish constantly getting caught in a pre-set trap.
This was why first impressions were so crucial. Because he had established himself as an ‘important person,’ people naturally felt favorable toward him even though he was only making light conversation.
I’m so glad I dressed up beforehand…!
This was likely the combined effect of the ‘Imperial Bloodline’ skill and having Katya accompany him as his adjutant. After all, was Aiden himself anyone special? He was just an ordinary guy.
While the social skills to tailor his speech to the topic at hand and read the room to say the right things were his own, it was the skill and his choice of companion that set the stage for him to use them.
Still, if there was one thing that caught his attention, it was that the form of the ‘rewards’ was subtly different from what he had received so far.
— System Message
[The targets’ story importance is low. The number of copyable skills is extremely limited.]
[Weaver of Fate is converted into ‘Points.’ Once a certain amount of points is accumulated, the ‘Point Shop’ will open!]
…A Point Shop.
He had no idea what this function did, but it was bound to be a good thing. His reasoning was simple.
I feel like I’ve talked to quite a lot of people…
He had spoken to dozens of people at the very least, yet this shop had still not opened. Undoubtedly, that meant it stocked some truly incredible items.
Still, it should be about time I ran into them.
He hadn’t seen his targets yet. One of the two should have shown up by now.
Fortunately, he didn’t need to dwell on that thought for long. A familiar face was already approaching him from the side.
“Ah, Sir Aiden.”
“Chieftain?”
It was the Dragon Hunter, Dunadan U’zall. Aiden had heard he was still staying in the Empire for diplomatic exchanges, and it seemed he had attended the banquet as well.
However, what caught Aiden’s attention was the petite woman walking in lockstep beside Dunadan with brisk, short strides.
“And this is…?”
Though he asked, Aiden already had a rough idea of her identity. She was one of the very reasons he had attended this banquet.
“My eldest daughter, Rania A’shan.”
At his words, the woman tilted her head up to look at Aiden.
Rania left a truly striking impression. She was a beauty, yes, but…
She had voluminous pink hair, an eyepatch covering one eye, and loosely draped traditional attire of the Tribal Alliance. Tattoos traced up her collarbone to her neck, her expression screamed that she found the entire world a nuisance, and a long pipe rested between her lips.
On top of that…
“Hey.”
A greeting delivered with a mere flick of her finger and informal speech.
“…”
She was far from the image of a priestess serving a god. Absolutely far. But Aiden wasn’t one to care about such things.
“The priests of Urgan do not use honorifics for anyone other than the divinity of Urgan itself. In fact, doing so is considered disrespectful, so I ask for your understanding,” Dunadan explained apologetically.
“Yes, it’s quite alright.”
The explanation was a setting that already existed in the game. In the first place, considering the status of Urgan’s Shrine Maiden within the Tribal Alliance, it wasn’t strange at all for her to speak informally to Aiden.
Every deity has a representative to act on their behalf, and in the Tribal Alliance, that role belonged to the Shrine Maiden. Because she possessed a direct ‘hotline’ to the god she served, she was ranked near the very top of superhumans, both in terms of combat power and symbolic significance. She was someone even the Great Chieftain of the Alliance couldn’t treat lightly—perhaps she was of even higher value than Dunadan, the chieftain standing beside her.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Rania.”
He offered his greeting, but no response came. Instead, Rania silently stared at Aiden.
On and on.
She kept staring until Dunadan, who had introduced her, began to look flustered.
Eventually.
— System Message
▶ Contact made with ‘Sunhwaryun,’ Rania A’shan.
▶ This is a story-important target. Depending on your influence on the target, the scenario may shift slightly!
▶ Your Bond Level with the target has increased to Level 1!
▶ Linked with the skill ‘Weaver of Fate’!
…Of course.
Aiden knew that if it was her, she would show this kind of interest the moment she saw him. Considering Rania’s traits, it was a natural outcome.
…After all, I’m the one who took on the protagonist’s karma.
The ‘Savior’s Oath’ he had recently acquired was a form of karma that a Shrine Maiden of Urgan would find irresistible.
“You know, you’re pretty interesting,” she said.
With those words, the pupil of Rania’s uncovered eye split. Dozens, hundreds, thousands of colors instantly flooded her iris. Like a kaleidoscope, those colors spun violently in a spiral, locking onto Aiden as if peering into his very soul.
“Can I be honest with you?”
“Pardon?”
“I’ll just be honest.”
“…”
As he remained silent in the face of her free-spirited nature, Rania lit her pipe and continued. Honestly, Aiden hadn’t planned to think much of whatever she said. He had already anticipated her reaction, anyway.
“Something pretty terrible is clinging to you.”
…Hearing that out of the blue was a bit unexpected.
Rania tapped the corner of her eye, which still held a complex array of colors. “The source of the supernatural ability you wield. I can’t see it, even with my Divine Eye. There are only two reasons why a source of power remains invisible even to eyes borrowed from a deity.”
“…Excuse me?”
“First, a human who, like me, has a means of directly communicating with a deity. Naturally, since you harbor a similar power, it can’t be detected. It cancels out. If it’s that, it’s actually the better scenario.”
As Aiden blinked blankly, Rania took a deep drag from her pipe and continued.
“You don’t serve a god, do you?”
“…”
“You’re clearly not a priest.”
“That’s… correct.”
“Then it’s the second one.” Rania grinned and patted Aiden on the shoulder. It almost looked like a gesture of encouragement. “Hang in there.”
“Excuse me, what do you mean all of a sudden…?”
“It’s not well known, but they do exist. Beings that can be far more dangerous than the heavenly ‘gods’ who bestow supernatural abilities.”
The words dropped out of nowhere.
“You’ve been marked as ‘mine’ by one of them. The power you wield right now comes from that place.”
“…What?”
“And because of the karma you took upon yourself, you can’t even run away from it anymore. Poor thing.” Rania gently stroked Aiden’s cheek with her hand, as if she found him pitiful, as if expressing sympathy.
“…”
What on earth is this woman talking about?
The thought naturally arose, but there was one thing he could feel.
…I don’t think she’s just talking about wielding supernatural abilities.
Rather, it felt like something more fundamental. It felt as though she was speaking of the very source of Aiden’s singularity—his ability to copy others’ skills at will and wield multiple supernatural abilities without limits or restrictions. As if it were an influence stemming from something other than a god.
“So, hang in there,” Rania grinned and spoke once more. “You’re going to have a rough time ahead.”
“…”
“If you manage to stay alive, let’s meet again. I’ll help you out with something then.”
As Aiden listened blankly, Rania waved her hand and sauntered off in the opposite direction, as if she had said all she wanted to say.
“…My daughter is a bit peculiar, isn’t she?” Dunadan, who had been quietly watching, spoke with a bitter smile. “Most of those who communicate with divinities exhibit unusual behavior. Their very perspective of the world is bound to be different from ours.”
“…It certainly seems that way,” Aiden muttered blankly. Dunadan chuckled and nodded in agreement.
Well, I got the skill, so I guess that’s fine for now.
He had heard some highly cryptic words, but at any rate, he had won her favor and could now copy one of her skills.
If she’s a priestess of Urgan…
She possessed a skill he would need to use very soon. If things hadn’t gone well, he would have had to put in painstaking effort to raise her affinity, so he considered it a stroke of luck that it resolved so easily.
“By the way, where did you leave your companion to be wandering around alone like this?”
“I sent my adjutant outside for a bit.”
“…Why?”
Because she’d probably cause trouble if I left her here.
With so many people talking to him, there were bound to be some strange characters. Given Katya’s personality, it wouldn’t be surprising if she shattered someone’s jaw with Divine Power if they rubbed her the wrong way. Rather than risk such a major incident, it was better to keep her away for a while.
“I had my reasons.”
“…Well, I suppose you did. Then what about Dame Noel?”
Aiden glanced over and saw her with someone.
“Ah, it seems she is with the Imperial Prince. You don’t need to feel guilty for leaving her alone, Sir Aiden.”
“That sounds a bit strange.”
“Is the Prince not the treasure of the Empire? Having a brief conversation with him shouldn’t be a bad thing for the Lionheart.”
“I suppose so,” Aiden let out a soft chuckle and agreed.
Considering the Prince’s portrayal in the game, he was indeed a man worthy of respect. He was practically the personification of a saint. Even during Act 1, <Imperial Capital Rift> of the main scenario, he was a man who wouldn’t hesitate to sacrifice his own life for the people.
Of course, that was that. The fact that he was here meant this was undoubtedly an opportunity. After all, the Prince was his main target for attending this banquet. This was a golden opportunity to extract a skill.
“Still, I should go and interrupt them. She is my wife, after all.”
“Indeed. Go on then.”
Exchanging such banter with Dunadan, Aiden quietly stood up.
Then, a strange sensation welled up within him the moment Noel’s expression came clearly into view.
Huh?
Noel’s attitude was… off.
Her clenched fists were squeezed so tightly they had turned white. Her face was pale, and her shoulders were tense, trembling slightly.
It was clear what this meant.
Right now, this woman… was afraid of the Prince, who was supposed to be an undeniably good person.
As Aiden realized this, the words of the Prince, who had not yet noticed his presence, reached his ears.
“—Or is that too difficult a request for ‘The Butcher’?”
The strangeness only amplified from there. His tone was still kind, his attitude polite.
Yet Aiden could clearly read it.
A glistening, sticky, dark emotion like mud in a swamp.
This man was clearly harboring malice toward Noel.
“—”
As Aiden momentarily froze at this realization, the Prince, sensing his presence, turned to look at him. Then, as if his very personality had shifted in an instant, a smile spread across his face.
In that expression, the malice he had shown toward Noel just moments ago had vanished without a trace.
This was the Prince he knew.
A good person. Flawless in character.
“Ah, Dame Noel’s groom,” the Prince spoke in a warm voice. “Welcome. I actually had something I wanted to discuss with you.”
…Undoubtedly, something was going very wrong.
* * *
Unusually, the Prince had requested a one-on-one conversation with Aiden. He suggested they speak on a terrace set up just outside the banquet hall, designed specifically for private discussions.
Stepping out of the noisy hall and sitting in such a place made him feel as if he were isolated from the rest of the world.
And even in a place like this, there was a man who seemed to exist in a world of his own. The Prince, sitting quietly with his eyes closed across from him, exuded an overwhelming presence just by sitting still.
So this is what it feels like.
This must be similar to how others felt when looking at him with the [Imperial Bloodline] skill active.
“…”
Of course, that aside.
There had already been several instances where Aiden’s knowledge of the original work applied differently in reality. The biggest difference was the absence of the protagonist. Nothing could compare to that.
But if he had to name the next biggest difference, Aiden would choose the man before him without hesitation.
…Was he always this kind of person?
He stared at the man sitting silently across from him. The aura he knew was still there—goodness, spotless purity, warmth, gentleness.
But… he couldn’t help but feel that those qualities had been strangely distorted. Filling the gaps between those impressions was a chilling level of rationality.
Rather than the saintly figure from the original work, he felt closer to an iron-blooded monarch who would do absolutely anything for his people.
“Aiden Kellermain, is it?”
While he was chewing on those thoughts, a gentle voice flowed from the Prince.
“…Yes.”
Aiden replied after a brief pause.
It might be overthinking, but… of all the people Aiden had met so far, this man was the only one who didn’t address him with the title ‘Sir.’ As if he already knew Aiden was neither a knight nor anything of the sort.
“It certainly is intriguing,” the Prince spoke again. “Ordinary people find it difficult to even look a member of the imperial family in the eye. Aside from His Majesty the Emperor, who actively suppresses his bloodline, those who are not swayed in our presence are exceedingly rare.”
“…”
“Especially ‘ordinary’ people like you. You are indeed as interesting as the rumors say.”
…It seemed his earlier suspicion was definitely not overthinking. This man clearly knew a thing or two about Aiden.
“—May I ask what it is you want?”
Aiden had agreed to step out onto the terrace for this one-on-one talk, but the flow of the conversation was giving him a bad feeling. It felt like a heavy weight pressing down on his chest.
“What I want… Yes, there is something.”
“I am listening, Your Highness.”
At his prompt, the Prince spoke without blinking an eye.
“Break off your engagement with the Lionheart.”
Those words were spoken so casually.
“In return, I will grant you anything you desire, Aiden.”
They flowed from his smiling face.