Hunting Festival (3)

'Quite the gathering of notable figures.'

The Crown Prince was the type to follow her around like a puppy at any banquet where she was present, so his appearance wasn't particularly surprising.

But the Tower Master, whose face was notoriously difficult to catch even a glimpse of on ordinary days, and the Knight Commander of the Imperial Household, who was practically treated as a strategic weapon—seeing them here was another matter.

To an outsider, it might look like they were preparing to sweep away an invading army from the neighboring kingdom.

It was almost laughable when you considered that their sole purpose for attending was to gain the attention of a single young noblewoman.

'The Hunting Festival...'

The original Abel wouldn't have given this event a second glance. In fact, the original work, Akshidol, only briefly mentioned the existence of such festivals before glossing over them entirely.

Yet the reason I had chosen to participate was because of a certain artifact the Emperor himself had declared as the grand prize.

'The Price of the Scales.'

A fraudulent artifact that allowed one to achieve any desire of equal value in exchange for an equivalent sacrifice.

If my memory of the original work was correct, the Tower Master should have swept both the titles of Queen and King at the Hunting Festival alongside Estelle.

And as a reward, he would have obtained this very artifact.

Later, when it was revealed that the Tower Master was one of the Emperor's Blades, the Price of the Scales proved to be nothing short of a cheat item in terms of its utility.

The Tower Master's usual demeanor—that irritable yet oddly kind facade he showed Estelle—would vanish without a trace, replaced by the mechanical efficiency of an executioner slaughtering traitors.

The way he was depicted in the original work was chilling.

I hadn't bothered to count how many times Adel had died at his hands in the story, but the number had to be at least ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠in the triple digits.

The reason Adel's mind had shattered by the latter half of the story was likely due to her final confrontation with the Tower Master.

The sight of her, reduced to a machine that discarded lives without hesitation, driven solely by the single thought of killing her opponent...

It had been truly grotesque.

'Speaking of which... Is something the matter?'

I noticed Adel's eyes darting restlessly beside me.

She seemed agitated, repeatedly letting out sighs and chewing her lips nervously.

Following her gaze, I spotted Estelle in the distance.

Ah, so she was preoccupied with the original story's female protagonist.

Well, given that this world was nothing more than a romance fantasy novel to her, it was only natural that the protagonist would weigh on her mind.

I reached out slightly, hoping to ease her tension, but she didn't even notice.

"You seem lost in thought."

Startled by my voice, she quickly turned her head.

"Ah, my apologies."

"There's no need to apologize."

Her unease was understandable. In the early parts of the story, Adel had suffered all sorts of misfortunes while trying to befriend Estelle.

It wasn't unreasonable for her to be wary.

"Still, tormenting yourself over a problem that can't be solved immediately is a difficult burden to bear."

She nodded in agreement, then placed a hand over her chest and took several deep breaths.

After a few repetitions, her slightly trembling hands and restless eyes seemed to settle somewhat.

"Thank you for the advice."

"Not at all."

I replied with a benign smile before turning my attention elsewhere.

Amidst the murmuring crowd, several knights began moving toward a certain direction.

At the same time, a golden carriage came into view in the distance.

The vehicle was so lavishly adorned that the word resplendent barely did it justice, and the eyes of the crowd were immediately drawn to it.

'An Imperial carriage.'

Its presence was overwhelming.

Having reached the realm of an Archmage, I could immediately discern the identity of the person inside. The sheer intensity of their mana was so palpable it almost felt oppressive.

Unlike me, the surrounding crowd seemed oblivious, adding nothing but meaningless chatter to the air.

Adel, standing beside me, didn't seem to notice either, merely tilting her head slightly in curiosity.

The carriage came to a stop, and a blonde man stepped out slowly.

Unlike the Crown Prince's pitifully weak aura, the man radiated an energy so intense it could only be described as an overwhelming presence.

Scars covered his body, visible even beneath his uniform, and a large sword wound ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠ran diagonally across his left eye—each mark exuding its own intimidation.

His composed gaze and the air of lethality he carried, as though he had honed his killing intent into a weapon, spoke volumes of his experience.

'The Emperor...'

Nobles who recognized the man immediately bowed in haste.

Following suit, I also gave a slight bow of my head. Adel, momentarily flustered, soon composed herself and offered the noble's customary greeting to the Emperor.

"We greet the Sun of the Empire."

Nobles bowed their heads indiscriminately before him. Standing before them, Emperor Yud von Shpenheim let out an easygoing chuckle and spoke in a tranquil voice.

"No need for such formalities in such a pleasant gathering. I've come merely to enjoy myself."

What a load of nonsense. Had there been anyone who refused to bow, he would've drawn his sword and beheaded them on the spot.

The proof lay in the sharp, meticulously honed killing intent radiating from him.

Ascending the prepared podium, the Emperor struck the ground with his staff and began his speech at a measured pace.

"The Hunting Festival was originally established to commemorate the First Emperor, Yukeu von Shpenheim, who eradicated all monsters from the Snowy Mountain. Over the past thousand years, countless stars of the Empire have proven their worth in this very festival."

With those words, he smiled amiably.

"For the distinguished guests participating in this year's festival, I have prepared a rather special gift."

The Emperor snapped his fingers, and what appeared to be an attendant emerged from behind, presenting an iron chest.

Though the chest itself was unremarkably crude, the intense surge of mana emanating from within betrayed the extraordinary nature of its contents.

"One of the Imperial Family's heirloom ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Artifacts shall be bestowed upon this year's King and Queen of the Hunt."

The crowd erupted into murmurs instantly.

No matter how ancient the tradition of the Hunting Festival was, the Emperor had never involved himself to this extent before.

Frankly, the mere idea of him offering an Imperial Artifact at a mere event was unprecedented.

'Is that... the Price of the Scales?'

To claim it, I'd have to defeat the Tower Lord. If this were the Abel of the original work, it might've been a struggle—but the current me could manage it.

The only slight hitch was that I'd have to reveal the martial prowess I'd kept hidden until now...

'Not like the Imperial Family isn't already somewhat aware of my strength.'

If my hand was practically exposed anyway, I might as well turn it into an advantage by revealing it myself.

Seizing the title of King by defeating the Tower Lord in the Hunting Festival wouldn't be a bad way to announce my power.

"Well then, do your best."

Bwooo—!

With those final words, the Emperor settled onto the prepared throne. Simultaneously, the resonant blast of a horn announced the start of the festival.

Some, startled by the abrupt commencement, scrambled in confusion, while others wasted no time and immediately headed into the Snowy Mountain.

"...Abel. Will you be alright?"

Adel asked, clearly worried. And rightly so—facing that massive Snowy Mountain would unsettle anyone.

Even seasoned knights would struggle to last three days alone in that place.

"Of course."

Not that it applied to me. She seemed unaware of just how meaningless it was to worry about an Archmage.

Then again, she'd never actually witnessed my combat prowess before, so it was understandable.

As I mused, she retrieved something from her pocket—a handkerchief embroidered with a valiant eagle caught my eye.

The unexpectedly high-quality craftsmanship of the eagle's depiction drew a quiet admiration from me.

I'd never imagined she had such hidden talent.

"Did you make this yourself, Adel?"

"...Yes. I made it while thinking of you."

Perhaps embarrassed by her own words, she hid half her face behind her hands. The sight was so amusing I nearly laughed.

Well, even if it was acting, since we were ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠supposed to be in love, I ought to play along a little.

Dropping to one knee, I carefully took Adel's hand and pressed a kiss to it.

My sudden action left her frozen, her face burning red—I barely stifled a laugh at her reaction.

Then, slowly, I spoke.

"I'll return safely without fail. So, Adel, please set aside your worries."

Unfailingly, the "Kyaa—!" of noble ladies rang out. It was practically like background noise at this point—wherever we went, this was the inevitable reaction.

Not that it was a bad thing, since no one would doubt our love.

"...Alright. Be careful."

Adel covered her entire face with her hands as she spoke. A mischievous impulse struck me, and I leaned in to whisper.

"You're redder than a beet. Any more and you might explode."

"Ghk... You—!"

Unable to muster a retort, Adel only sputtered. Chuckling, I turned and stepped into the Snowy Mountain.