The Celebration and the Beginning of the Wind (8)
I skipped the entire carriage parking process and strode straight into the mansion like a man on a mission. I’d assumed it would be some American-style backyard barbecue party, but apparently the festivities were all indoors.
─Murmur, murmur.
The party hall was filled with snacks and dishes that wouldn’t spoil even if they sat out for hours. Early arrivals were already gathered in small groups, chatting away. Some adventurers were already tipsy, giggling like idiots before the main event had even started.
Whoa, shit. I better not end up like that.
Still, most of the other guests had flowers pinned to their chests or tucked into their clothes. I took the blue flower I’d bought with my own money and fastened it to my lapel.
“Sen~pai~♥!”
There was no mistaking that heart-explosion voice. Larilura came skipping toward me in a red dress.
I put on the most dead-serious expression I could muster and greeted her with perfect politeness.
“Ah. My apologies. I only heard your voice and mistakenly thought you were someone I knew. It seems we haven’t met before.”
“Wow? That was re~ally sophisticated shade you just threw~☆?”
“Heh heh. Sorry, sorry.”
I apologized to Larilura, who was glaring at me like she was genuinely offended. But the joke had come out so automatically that it proved just how perfectly the red-toned dress suited her.
The off-the-shoulder design, adorned with simple see-through frills and no gaudy decorations, made her naturally pretty face stand out even more. Guess she really does prefer plain clothes unless she’s wearing her clown outfit.
“Just kidding. I really didn’t recognize you for a second. You look amazing, Larilura.”
“Hehe. You look quite dashing yourself, senpai. Why don’t you wear a tailcoat like this every day?”
“The cloak’s already heavy enough. Hard pass. By the way, you’ve got a flower pinned on too. Does that mean something?”
I pointed at the white flower on her dress. Was pinning a flower to your chest some kind of dress code for this party?
“When a man brings a flower to a party, it means he has a woman he intends to give it to. When a woman wears one, it means she already has someone.”
Larilura kindly explained what I’d been wondering about. Wait, shit, there was a whole custom like that? I felt my heart drop, then sighed in relief. If I hadn’t stopped by the flower shop, I would’ve been completely screwed.
“I see. Thanks for telling me. But weren’t you a forever-alone?”
“Forever-alone?”
“Born-single. Someone who’s been solo since birth.”
“……Ahaha♡! Zero or one, it’s all the same, isn’t it~? And I don’t think you’re really in a position to tease me about that, senpai~?”
Larilura looked genuinely flustered for a moment and tried to counterattack, but it was a wasted effort. In mathematics, zero and one are vastly different. And since I knew that very well, her words dealt zero damage.
In gacha games, once a limited character’s pickup period ends, their appearance rate becomes exactly 0%. No matter how many hundreds of millions you spend, you’ll never get them. That’s why 1% and 0% are as different as heaven and earth.
“Is that so? Does your ex-boyfriend know about this? Oh wait, that’s right—our junior has no history of ever having a boyfriend.”
“Waaah~☆! Senpai, just wait until dinner. I’m going to dump a ton of super spicy seasoning on your food, so look forward to it♡?”
“Kk. Go ahead and try.”
Challenging a 21st-century Korean who had trained his tongue on bio-capsaicin? I chuckled and looked around the party hall.
“By the way, where’s Franc?”
“She said she felt too embarrassed with everyone staring, so she’s hiding in the waiting room going ‘Hiiiik~’.”
Oh right. My girlfriend was the shy type. She acted so cute and affectionate when she was with me that I’d completely forgotten.
“I offered to stay with her, but she asked me to come deliver a message to you, so I came out alone.”
“I see. Thanks.”
I could clearly picture Franc shrinking like a wet hamster. It made my chest ache just thinking about it.
Then Larilura twirled a lock of her hair around her finger and said,
“Senpai? Until big sis arrives, would you mind staying with me for a bit? Some guys keep trying to talk to me and it’s getting annoying.”
“Even though you’re wearing the flower?”
“Apparently most adventurers don’t really know what it means~.”
“Ah, right.”
It seemed the other adventurers, like me, had just pinned the flowers because someone told them to, without understanding the full meaning.
“Alright. I actually wanted to talk to you anyway.”
“……You wanted to talk?”
─Flinch.
Larilura’s pupils shook like there was an earthquake for about three full seconds. Worried she might be misunderstanding something, I tried to speak quickly, but she recovered first and flashed a bright smile.
“What is it~? Are you planning to pick up a second wife while big sis Franc isn’t around~♡? But even if you’re trying to use your spare time for something like that, my heart isn’t cheap enough to fall for some light, feather-like seduction, you know~?”
“There she goes again. You’ve gotten really bold lately, huh? Must be because I haven’t smacked you in a while.”
“Ehh~ You’re pretending you don’t know~♡”
─Whoosh!
When I raised my hand to flick her forehead, Larilura quickly dodged and stuck her tongue out at me from a few steps away.
“Well, what do you want? I’m your lovely junior who’ll happily grant almost any request with a smile!”
She clasped her hands behind her back and pressed a finger to her cheek. It was the gesture of someone who knew exactly how to look cute.
“Ah, but please refrain from asking me to fall for you~★? I still don’t know what love is, so I’d be very troubled if you asked for that!”
“Stop messing around and go get a boyfriend already.”
“Waaah! You’re seriously so annoying☆!”
We spent the time chatting until the celebration officially began. Talking, snacking on cookies—it was surprisingly fun.
“Lord Nord. Please come this way.”
About an hour before the ceremony started, the butler came to fetch me. Since this was technically a commendation ceremony disguised as a celebration, they wanted to run through a quick rehearsal.
I’d already been dragged in for three or four hours of practice every day for the past several days, but whatever.
“Yes. I’ll be right there. Larilura, I’ll be back.”
“Okaaay~. Show them how cool you are~?”
─Step, step.
I followed the butler into a small room. Edlyn, Cromwell, and the guard captain were already there, dressed to the nines.
“Alright then, let’s run through the rehearsal from the beginning once more.”
After exchanging only light nods, we followed the butler’s instructions and practiced our movements. It wasn’t difficult. The lord wasn’t expecting anything complicated from a bunch of adventurers.
I drew on my experience from back when I was a corporal receiving a commendation in front of the regiment commander and matched my breathing accordingly.
And then the moment arrived.
“Lord Joteru von Hennesis, ruler of Sargadis, has arrived!!”
It was 5 p.m. The perfect time for the lanterns and candles in the party hall to shine. The celebration finally began.
─Clack.
All conversation stopped. The guests stood at attention out of respect. I bit down hard on my lip, desperately trying not to laugh at the ridiculous gap between the lord’s ridiculously solemn face and his ridiculously awesome name.
“Guests, you may raise your heads.”
It was a natural half-honorific. Not a bad feeling. It would be difficult for the lord to speak to us with full respect anyway.
─Lift.
When I raised my head, I saw the lord’s family. The lord, his wife, and his daughter, all dressed in dazzling fantasy-style attire, took their seats.
“I have called you here today to commend you for protecting Sargadis from the black mage who threatened my territory and the golems that served him.”
The lord looked down over the party hall, which had grown so quiet you could hear a pin drop, and spoke.
The head butler began calling names from below.
“Guard Captain Godwin Isley. Gilpy Guild Sargadis Branch Leader Edlyn Daymeri. Sorcerer Verzrud Cromwell of the Mage Guild. And Nord of the Audumla Guild, please step forward.”
Listening to the long list of titles made my own sound painfully bare. I’m a fucking master’s degree holder, damn it!
Muttering to myself to ease the tension, I moved to the designated spot in front of the lord. Since I’d been suddenly chosen as representative and had several chances to rehearse, I didn’t make any mistakes.
“First, to my loyal subordinate, the guard captain. You worked with the adventurers in my stead and devised an excellent strategy. In gratitude for your hard work, I have prepared three months’ salary and a small gift.”
“Yes! I am deeply grateful for Your Lordship’s boundless generosity!”
The guard captain, dressed in modest formal attire, knelt.
“No less deserving are the leader of the Gilpy Guild, Edlyn Daymeri, and Sorcerer Verzrud Cromwell of the Mage Guild. I wish to personally express my respect for your contributions.”
““It is an honor, My Lord.””
─Clack, clack!
The two of them repeated the same words and knelt as well. All we had to do was say things like “Yes, understood,” “Of course,” and so on.
“You defeated the army of golems accumulated by the black mage and cut the root of danger before it could grow. In the small sense, you protected the safety of my territory. In the larger sense, you protected the citizens of this nation. In gratitude, I have prepared a modest reward of one gold and a small gift.”
““Yes. We are deeply grateful for Your Lordship’s boundless generosity.””
Unlike the guard captain who served directly under the lord, their thanks were rather stiff. Since they were each branch leaders appointed by their respective guild masters, they had compromised somewhere between courtesy and subordination.
But seriously, only one gold?
One gold. One hundred silver. Ten thousand copper. Roughly equivalent to about a hundred million won by Korean standards! It wasn’t a small amount, but compared to the money we’d looted from the circus troupe last time, it felt like pocket change.
No wonder everyone avoids becoming a civil servant.
“And finally, adventurer Nord of the Audumla Guild.”
I was so lost in thought that I almost answered with a loud “Yes!!” Fuck, stay calm.
As I stood at perfect attention waiting for him to speak, the mustached lord continued.
“I was deeply impressed by your performance. With sharp judgment, you provided direction to the group and destroyed the massive golem controlled by the black mage.”
Huh? Wait, shit—that line wasn’t in the rehearsal script. In the version I’d heard, we were supposed to move straight into the commendation here.
Taking mental damage from the sudden ad-lib, I answered immediately.
“Not at all. Although she unfortunately could not attend this event, I believe the credit belongs to my comrade who fought alongside me.”
“No need for such modesty. I heard you personally cut off the black mage’s head. It is reassuring to know such an outstanding hero resides in my territory.”
From the lord’s praise, I finally understood. Aigo, shit. I’d wondered why the mustached old man was acting like this, but it was because my affiliation was ambiguous.
The other three were branch leaders, so they would remain here regardless, but I was different. That’s why he was trying to elevate me even if it slightly diminished the others’ achievements.
In terms of actual accomplishments, I’m right behind Nefertiti anyway.
If the lord spoke like this, the other guilds invited to the banquet would try to build connections with me. And if that happened, it would naturally become disadvantageous for me to leave. If I abandoned the network I’d built in the city and went somewhere else, I’d be back to square one—starting from zero trying to find new patrons!
“It is an honor, My Lord.”
Having thought that far, I simply gave a crisp ninety-degree bow. It was my way of saying I get it, so please stop now.
“I sincerely thank you for your contributions. However, paying the entire reward at once might be difficult to store safely, would it not?”
“That is correct. Thank you for your understanding.”
Thanks to the existence of banks it wasn’t difficult at all, but I said so anyway. It was part of what we had agreed on beforehand.
“Therefore, I have shown a small token of my sincerity. Head butler.”
“Yes!”
─Step, step.
The head butler approached and presented me with the gift, just as we had rehearsed. It was a small metal brooch and a certificate.
He opened the box containing the items and spoke.
“This certificate exempts you from taxes for the next three years while you remain in Sargadis. The reward will also be paid in the form of a monthly pension of three silver.”
“It is an honor.”
Here I knelt and bowed my head. The key point was to completely ignore the head butler and direct my bow toward the lord.
Three times thirty-six is one hundred eight. One gold and eight silver.
It wasn’t my original intention to turn it into a pension just to get eight extra silver, but the tax exemption had tempted me into choosing this option. After all, my home base would be Sargadis for the time being.
“Besides these representatives, many other adventurers fought for Sargadis.”
Having finished his business, the lord rose from his chair.
“There will be rewards for them as well, so please enjoy the celebration for the rest of the day.”
“““Yes!”””
The adventurers sent off the lord with a unified chorus. With that, the suffocating commendation ceremony finally ended, and I regained my freedom.
I dodged Edlyn, who spun on her high heels 180 degrees and started walking toward me, and Cromwell, who was walking briskly with his robe fluttering. I really don’t want to see your faces even here, damn it. Just go have your own second and third rounds together.
─Dash!
Franc! I want to see Franc! Where is my lovely angel who can heal my fragile, Pocky-like mentality!
I weaved busily through the guests and finally spotted Larilura.
─Glance.
I was about to head over in relief when Larilura smiled and pointed in the opposite direction. Like an obedient idiot, I turned my head to follow her finger—and then I saw it.
“Hiiiiii……”
My girlfriend was right there. Clutching a see-through camisole against herself like it was her last line of defense.
Goddamn.
The moment I saw that dress, my feet froze as if nailed to the floor. It was an outrageously revealing outfit that I could never have imagined on the usual Franc.
It was a black dress with a deep plunge at the chest and sides. The back was completely bare all the way down to her waist. It was the kind of look even Hollywood actresses would struggle to pull off, yet it suited Franc insanely well. The camisole she was clutching for modesty was white and see-through, which somehow only made her look even more seductive.
“──Ah! Nord!”
When Franc spotted me, she smiled as brightly as a sunflower bathed in morning sunlight. Her anxiety melted away in an instant; she looked like a lost puppy finally reunited with her owner after a month.
─Twitch.
Ah shit, calm down you crazy bastard.
I forced my Pavlovian reaction back down. I admit Franc looked insanely hot in that dress, but I didn’t want to earn the nickname “Full Boner Guy at the Party Hall.”
─Thump.
Franc ran over and hugged me tightly. Her body heat was warm. I suddenly wanted to install a Franc boiler back home.
“Hehe! Nord! You looked so cool when you were greeting the lord! That outfit suits you so well too!”
“You’re the one who looks incredible. It’s almost a shame to let other people see you.”
I gently patted Franc’s head as her black hair cascaded down. We did this every day in bed, but the fact that her back was completely bare made it feel especially erotic today.
“U-um. I was only thinking about showing it to you, Nord, so I didn’t even imagine other people seeing…… What if I die of embarrassment?”
Franc spoke while hiding inside my cloak like she was embarrassed. That would be problematic. If Franc died, my life goal would suddenly swerve from developing dimensional travel to developing Edo Tensei.
“Hold on a second.”
─Flutter!
I took off my cloak and wrapped it around Franc to cover her up. Overprotective packaging activated. This view is for my eyes only.
“Ah, the rose is beautiful. Where did you get it?”
Franc, now wrapped in my Round Table Knight-style cloak, noticed the rose pinned in my chest pocket and asked. Come to think of it, she wasn’t wearing a flower herself. Did Larilura not tell her? What a sharp girl.
“I bought it on the way here. Heh heh. If it matches your aesthetic sense, then I guess it’s not too shabby.”
“Aww, you’re overestimating me.”
Franc grabbed the edge of the cloak and asked shyly,
“So…… Nord? You’ll escort me, right?”
“Yes, My Lady.”
I bowed at the waist and kissed the back of her hand. Even in this world, this kind of culture was similar to Earth’s. Franc smiled with a bright red face.
“Puhuhu. Are you trying to set the mood? It’s cool.”
“Of course it has to be cool. Whose man do you think I am?”
I wrapped my arm around Franc’s shoulder and turned around while saying that. People who understood the atmosphere immediately began approaching us.
─Step, step.
─Dash dash!
“Hello, Mr. Nord. I am Pelph, representative of the Langnor Trading Company──”
“What a fateful encounter. Mr. Nord, do you happen to have any knowledge regarding ore mining──”
A torrent of impressive-looking people swarming toward me and Franc! High-ranking adventurers were extremely useful for escorting, gathering, and exclusive employment. The better the adventurer, the more likely they were to quit adventuring entirely, which made them even more valuable.
That’s why these people were trying to mark their territory while I was still a small fry. A hidden master who had stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the city’s major powers during the commendation ceremony! It was like discovering Bitcoin before the massive bull run—an absolute jackpot item.
If I deal with all of them, I won’t even get to eat any of the party food.
I swallowed a sigh and began handling them.