Chapter 6 : Imperial Palace (1)
Chapter 6 : Imperial Palace (1)
Deltain's confusion quickly faded.
The quest notification that appeared the moment he opened his eyes was, in fact, the kind of thing that should have naturally appeared if he had thought about it for even a second.
Meet Agnes Levadein. (Complete)
??? (Incomplete)
??? (Incomplete)
Sleep with Agnes Levadein. (Complete)
??? (Incomplete)
??? (Incomplete)
<Complete all items.>
The Demon Flower Extrias rooted in Agnes's heart was undeniably a material for the main quest.
As such, it was only right that there existed an individual quest to acquire it, just like the other materials.
The only thing Deltain had to think about was: Why did this appear only now?
'Item 1 was cleared three months ago....'
At that time, a quest like this hadn't popped up. That wasn't all. Unlike other quests, all the uncleared items in 'Memories of First Love' were marked as '???', completely blocking any progress.
'To think they included something like this in the main story.'
Malicious difficulty and malicious design.
Deltain let out a dry laugh. He just couldn't understand the thinking of the people who made this game.
'...But nothing changes.'
What he had to do was clear as day. Now that the quest had even appeared, he just had to somehow uncover all those empty items and clear them.
Thinking about it that way, this quest could even be called good news.
'The hint on how to extract the Demon Flower is definitely inside this.'
Like any other quest, this one would be the same.
Of course, the reason 'Sleep with Agnes' was included in the quest items was a point of confusion even for Deltain.
This must be what they call catching a rat by backing into it.
'Is it a quest related to love? The purpose of the quest is....'
While such thoughts were continuing.
"What are you looking at?"
A muffled voice drifted out.
Startled, Deltain turned his head. Agnes was looking at him with wide, clear eyes.
Deltain hid his rising confusion and asked.
"...When did you wake up?"
"A little while ago? More importantly, what are you looking at? You've been frowning and smiling since a while ago."
"I wasn't looking at anything."
"Hmm, then it's that, isn't it. I remember hearing that men sleep with women they don't know in a fit of rage and regret it the next morning."
"Did you get that source from the Princess too?"
"Yeah."
"One more reason to go to the Imperial Palace."
Agnes giggled and burrowed into Deltain's arms. The two of them were still naked.
"It was good yesterday."
"...Shut up."
"I'm still sore. I guess it was a bit much to roll around like that."
"It's morning now. Can we stop talking about that?"
"That's why I'm talking about it, because it's morning."
Agnes said, tickling Deltain's chest with her index finger.
"What do they call it? Pillow talk?"
"Wrong. That's what you say when you want something."
"Then it's the right phrase. Because I want a lot from you."
"...."
Agnes's gaze turned to Deltain's wrist.
There was the Thorn Bush Tattoo, with only a faint trace remaining.
"Non-virgin."
Poke.
Agnes stabbed the tattoo with a satisfied smile.
"Non-virgin Deltain."
"Shut up, non-virgin."
"I'm the non-virgin you made. Take responsibility."
"You're the non-virgin you wanted. Deal with it yourself."
"So mean. I'm going to cry."
"Go ahead."
Agnes hugged Deltain tightly with a pouty face.
Deltain furrowed his brows and flicked his finger.
<2nd-tier Magic: Activate Clean.>
As mana covered the bed, the traces of the previous night began to turn into smoke and vanish.
"Stop talking nonsense and get up. It's morning, so go back."
"Heartless."
"I don't intend to make an enemy of the Duke."
"If you talk about last night, you'll definitely become enemies. What do you think Dad will do if he finds out his precious daughter rolled around with a strange man?"
"Is that a threat?"
"Just curiosity."
Having said that, Agnes wrapped the blanket tightly around her body and sat up.
Even so, there were things she couldn't hide. The kiss marks on her collarbone and upper chest.
Agnes smiled, stroking the marks on her body with her index finger.
"You know? I don't change clothes alone."
There was mischief in her cherry-blossom-colored eyes. It was directed at Deltain.
"And my maids have loose lips."
"I'll take you. While I'm at it, I'll sew your maids' mouths shut."
"Just kidding."
Agnes lowered her head and kissed Deltain on the forehead.
"Do you have clothes for me to change into?"
"Gerhart will have prepared them. Wait. I'll go get them."
Deltain said that and got up from the bed. As he waved his hand, the clothes floating in the air settled onto his body one by one.
Agnes clapped her hands.
"Magic is so convenient."
"I can only use it like this because it's me."
Saying that, Deltain left the room.
Having arrived in the hallway, Gerhart handed the women's clothing to Deltain without a word, and Deltain passed it to Agnes.
Of course, she couldn't put them on right away.
Because of the sweat and various marks from the night, Agnes needed to wash, and because of her, Deltain had to endure a hot bath he didn't even like and provide bath service for Agnes, which was not in his cards.
After finishing the bath and getting dressed, Agnes said while being carried by Deltain.
"Do you think it suits me? This outfit?"
"Don't know."
"What's your type?"
"Why do you need to know?"
"Tell me."
Agnes pinched Deltain's earlobe. Deltain frowned and replied.
"...Clean outfits. I hate revealing clothes, they're vulgar."
"Hmm, so you like formal wear."
Agnes's outfit was a blouse covering up to her neck and a long skirt. Her shoes were flat shoes without heels, and her blonde hair was tied in a single ponytail by Deltain, swaying like a tail.
Agnes looked at her hair caught in the corner of her vision and suddenly asked.
"But you're really good at tying a woman's hair."
"I'm good at everything."
"Have you ever tied it for a woman?"
"No."
"Have you ever slept with a woman?"
"Do you think I have?"
"You're too good for that."
"There's no need to be suspicious. I'm not stupid enough to be inexperienced just because it's my first time. I do image training so I can perform perfectly no matter what I do."
"That's a very fancy way of saying you had dirty thoughts."
<1st-tier Magic: Activate Silent.>
Agnes's sound died down. She curved her eyes gently and obediently entrusted her body to him.
Breakfast was a simple sandwich.
There were no pickles in what Deltain ate, and Agnes put in twice as many pickles as what Deltain had removed, and took out the onions.
It was a meal in silence, so there were no particular incidents, and Agnes left the mansion like that and got into Deltain's sedan.
"Gerhart, let's go."
In the end, Deltain headed to the mansion with her.
He thought he should at least show courtesy to the Duke, who must have been worried about his daughter all night.
The sedan departed.
"When we get there, are you going to say, 'Please give me your daughter!'?"
"Keep delusions as delusions."
"So when will you confess? Tell me in advance. So I can prepare my heart."
"I won't."
"So mean. After doing all that."
Even if it was a luxury sedan, it was a limited space. Gerhart, who was in the driver's seat, had to hear all of their conversation. He was in a difficult spot. Until they arrived at the Duchy.
Wooooong.
Gerhart just focused his mind on the noise of the sedan and erased what he heard from his head.
*
By the time he returned after dropping off Agnes, Deltain had to welcome unwelcome guests.
"I see Count Hebron."
The person bowing was an old man with an impression so rigid that anyone could tell he was a knight.
The old man in a black uniform with short white hair neatly slicked back was none other than Ashwalt Grichis.
He was a Lord-class knight, one of only three in the Empire, and the Captain of the Imperial Guard.
"...What is it again."
"It is an Imperial order."
Ashwalt took out a piece of parchment with a material that looked high-class even at a glance from his chest.
And he shouted in a powerful voice.
"Count Deltain Hebron, receive the Imperial order!"
Deltain sighed and knelt down. It wasn't that he had any particular respect for the Emperor, but he wasn't so ignorant as to ignore the ceremony for such a reason.
"Enter the palace! That is all!"
What was conveyed was a brief, extremely simple order to enter the palace that revealed the Emperor's personality exactly as it was.
Deltain knew the reason, at least roughly.
'4th-tier magic. I did use it a bit much.'
Deltain's 4th-tier magic was magic that required permission.
Even though it was to catch Gaias, the magic he had fired off last night was undeniably unauthorized. It was only natural that an explanation for it was needed.
Of course, it was a show considering the external gaze.
As there was a contract between the Emperor of the Empire and Deltain, Deltain needed to play along with this farce.
"I receive the Imperial order."
The contract was simple. Deltain would acknowledge the Emperor's authority, and the Emperor would not infringe on Deltain's autonomy.
This was something Ashwalt, the Emperor's closest aide, also knew.
"Let us go."
He said that after rolling up the parchment and carefully putting it in his chest.
Then, the Imperial Knights lined up around Deltain.
Since the distance from the Count's mansion to the Imperial Palace was within walking distance, they moved on foot.
Deltain spat out his annoyance at the gathering gazes.
"So annoying. Seriously."
"I appreciate your usual generosity."
"My ass."
Ashwalt didn't pick on Deltain's pouty attitude. He was also a man who had stood on the front lines with Deltain in the war three years ago, so he knew Deltain's personality inside out.
"There will be a meal."
"I already ate."
"Please just pretend. He has been very lonely since the Count hasn't visited lately."
"Lonely, my ass. You think I don't know that bastard throws orgies every night?"
"The sweetness of the flesh cannot fill the hole in the heart."
"Don't say that bullshit. I have no intention of filling the hole in that bastard's heart."
"Come to think of it, you were in a relationship with the Levadein daughter."
Deltain's eyes widened.
"...Who the hell is saying that?"
Ashwalt tilted his head. His impression was still just rigid, so his action even carried a touch of innocence.
"Rumors are rampant in high society. Ah, new information from this morning says the young lady stayed at the Count's mansion."
Deltain let out a dry laugh.
"Rumors are insanely fast."
"Are you not lovers?"
"No. She's a research subject."
"I will note that."
Ashwalt didn't continue the conversation further.
It was after that silence had continued for about 5 minutes that they arrived at the Imperial Palace.
Chak!
The palace guards greeted Deltain and Ashwalt with knife-like discipline.
What Deltain saw in the Sun Palace of the Imperial Palace, which he had entered like that, was nothing else.
"Oh, you've come."
A man around Deltain's age with long white hair was sitting at a long dining table.
With a dancer on his lap.
"Are you whoring even while eating?"
At Deltain's words, the Emperor burst into laughter with a 'Bang!'.