Chapter 153
Chapter 153
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 153
Chapter Title: Annoying Attention
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Baron.
Noble.
To me.
But.
So what?
That was my impression.
Viscount, so what do you want me to do?
Gave me a title, so shut up and listen?
Put out bait and just let it slide?
Why should I have to put up with it?
Normally, I would've brushed it off.
I have to live nicely, after all.
But with the main branch possibly involved, I had no intention of holding back.
Unlike my indifference, the surroundings were in an uproar.
"Ah, no...! Your Majesty!"
"A baron?"
"Granting a title to an outsider?!"
Whispers reached my ears.
Just a barony, and they're making such a fuss.
Well, as someone hated as an outsider, the special treatment was excessive, I suppose.
Whatever their reaction, it was none of my business.
Honor wasn't what interested me.
Of course, I did care about honor.
I'm ordinarily materialistic.
I want recognition, comfort, pleasure, and naughty fun.
I have at least that level of desire.
But right now, my top priority was something else.
A desire uniquely mine, burning more fiercely than anything.
"Your Majesty."
"Yes. Baron Dre."
"The main branch?"
"......"
As I repeated the same question, the king's expression twisted unpleasantly for the first time.
Even that might be acting, which pissed me off.
Putting on a show right in front of me now.
I was barely holding back as it was.
Trying to toy with me was infuriating, but I could laugh it off considering the situation.
But this guy might be in cahoots with the bastards I hated most, and if he was collaborating with them, I'd consider anyone an enemy and punish them.
So this situation was truly, really fucked.
One wrong move, and my rage here could surpass what I felt at Yulis.
The finger-pointing, the whispers about what kind of guy I was—they were grating more by the second.
And the king, orchestrating this atmosphere to gloss over what happened earlier? Fucked.
So, I spoke my mind.
"Your Majesty."
💥 PRESSURE RELEASE 💥 Kwaaaah!
"......?!"
The king's eyes widened.
Not an act like when I first released my aura.
Earlier, when I unleashed my energy, only the mustached minister beside the king had struggled to breathe.
But now, the weak ones were all suppressed by my aura, unable to move.
The knights were the same.
I focused more pressure on them than ordinary people, so they couldn't even think of wielding weapons, merely exhausting themselves in resistance.
This was undoubtedly crossing the line.
The family heads or Emily might speak casually or mock, but they maintained surface-level courtesy and bowed.
It was something I could overlook.
But now, I was openly defying the king's authority—tantamount to threatening him.
So what?
"Must I ask twice?"
"...Kuh."
The king groaned and coughed harshly.
I was surprised he could even cough under that pressure.
Was the king stronger than I thought?
But that notion vanished quickly upon seeing the emerald mana emanating from Queen Eniris beside him.
Her mana seemed to be shielding the king.
She still gazed at me with an anxious expression.
Troubling such a beautiful woman wasn't my desire either.
"Your Majesty. Is my question that difficult to answer?"
"......"
"If you answer, I'll consider the earlier and current pranks nonexistent."
Anger flickered in the king's eyes.
Genuine, not acting.
He seemed so casual one might think he lacked kingly awareness, but apparently not.
Offering to overlook his pranks must have touched his reverse scale.
"You bastard..."
The king clicked his tongue instead of continuing and spoke.
"Not the main branch."
"......"
"Even if I say that, would you believe me? Viscount Dre."
"I have a way to judge."
"A way."
"And even without judging, it's not a lie."
"..."
His lips twisted unpleasantly, which amused me.
He wasn't just angry at me but also at the unknown outsider collaborator who planned this.
I'm sensitive to lies and twisted emotions.
The king wasn't lying.
And if the main branch's chairman was the 'guy' I knew, he wouldn't have handled it this sloppily.
I sensed the king knew of the main branch but wasn't particularly invested.
I considered asking who did this crap, but it could wait for later amusement.
I loved the king's furious face.
Would this guy toss and turn all night in rage?
"Did your arrogance yield anything?"
"...!"
The surrounding ministers gasped.
The king's bulging eyes turned to the coughing mustached minister beside him.
A glare demanding he reprimand this insolent fool.
He noticed but stared at me in fear.
I snorted and said,
"Then, I'll consider the previous and this incident nonexistent. Your Majesty."
The king ground his teeth, and only then did the minister move.
"Y-You reckless fool! What gives you the gall to act so brazenly?! Before His Majesty, no safety... Hiiik!"
The mustached minister flinched under my glare.
I gave him a bright smile and replied,
"What do I trust? My instructor position at Pryunar Academy."
I'd heard that an instructor at Pryunar Academy was comparable to a king.
I thought it exaggerated back then, but now it seemed accurate.
"......"
"If I stay longer, I'll ruin the mood. I'll take my leave."
"...Do so."
He didn't dismiss me first, yet I left on my own—impudent.
Try scolding me.
Since I'm already in disfavor, I'll make it stick properly.
Fat chance of us getting friendly now, Nicholas.
I turned with a grin and headed for the entrance door.
Gold snorted silently and followed, with Lepelt trailing us.
I felt dozens of gazes on my back but ignored them.
Thus, I left the audience chamber.
"Brother. Our family will formally protest. We've respected the royal family until now, but ignoring the brother of the Hart family heir—who dominates commerce beyond our kingdom—is unacceptable."
"It's fine, Gold."
"I'm not fine!"
"Thank you."
Gold was furious as if he'd been insulted himself.
I was truly grateful.
"Really, what was His Majesty thinking?"
Lepelt's tone was rarely angry.
"He knows better than anyone that Dre-nim is a true hero, yet pulling a prank with no gain."
"Indeed."
Gold nodded.
"When Brother had no fame yet, the prank at his first capital entry was understandable. It was barely at prank level then. But today's actions are incomprehensible."
"Right. An academy instructor closely tied to the Ten Great Families, with world-class strength—turning him into an enemy? What does the royal family gain?"
.....
Gilding my face like that was nice, but my cheeks burned.
Still, I wanted to hear more!
I'm starved for praise!
"The payoff from that outsider collaborator Brother mentioned must outweigh the losses."
Gold hit the nail on the head.
I nodded in agreement.
"Unclear if he truly meant to make me a criminal, but he definitely gains something from it."
Gold glanced at me and asked,
"What do you mean by 'main branch,' Brother?"
Gold didn't know?
I was a bit surprised.
I'd confirmed that even Elryunar natives knew famous outsider clans, yet someone like Gold not knowing the main branch was odd.
Maybe their influence was weaker than thought.
Or.
'That guy's' personality might mean he kept it completely secret from Elryunar folk.
"I haven't fully grasped it myself. I'll tell you once I know more."
At that moment, hurried footsteps approached from afar.
Turning, oh my god—Queen Eniris was approaching at a brisk pace?
Not running for decorum's sake, but perhaps using magic, her steps were swift.
Her ample bosom heaved enticingly, leaving nowhere for my eyes to settle.
[Your gaze is nailed to her breasts though.] Yeah. Block.
The approaching queen was breathtakingly beautiful.
"Sir Dre."
"Your Majesty."
Was she here to scold me?
I didn't want that from Queen Eniris.
But she bowed slightly.
A royal bowing to an outsider.
"I'm sorry, Sir Dre."
"......!"
"I should have foreseen this when His Majesty insisted on handling it himself..."
Normally, I'd suspect even this was political maneuvering.
That's what queens do.
But this voice dripping with sincere apology.
Her character.
The memory of her embracing me kindly upon my first capital entry, when rumors were incomplete.
All that quickly soothed my anger.
"Did we displease you?"
"No."
Precisely, I was displeased, but her angelic demeanor and the deep cleavage from her bow purified me.
[Hey.] Shut up. Block.
[M-mother...] Preemptive block is the answer for devourers.
Having such thoughts about a saintly woman like her? Huh?
.....
...Honestly, they do come up a lot, but how dare I harbor such feelings toward the queen, such a good person.
Noticing my gaze, the queen spoke.
"I'll ensure compensation later. Ask for anything. Whatever I can manage, I'll grant without fail."
"...Without fail?"
"Yes. Without fail."
"......"
It wasn't my fault for imagining something naughty.
No, she surely had no such intent...
"Sir Dre...?"
The last words came from Lepelt in a sulky tone.
Snapping back, I bowed deeply.
"No need. I was arrogant too."
"Sir Dre."
"Until next time."
"Thank you, Sir Dre. Forget today's events. And I'll ensure compensation."
"......"
Fearing Lepelt's jealousy, I just smiled faintly without replying.
Honestly, if I were her, I'd be pissed at my attitude too. What a good person.
With Queen Eniris seeing us off, we boarded the carriage and departed the palace.
Inside the carriage, Gold smiled contentedly.
"As expected, Her Majesty has depth."
"Indeed."
"She understands not to make an enemy of Brother."
"Indeed."
"Brother, you're like a parrot."
Because I was recalling her cleavage.
How could a mother of a grown son have such girlish form with mature allure...!
"Anyway, those who came to see Brother ended up like earth dragons chasing wyverns."
"?"
"Or dogs chasing chickens."
"Aha."
Those who came to meet me.
I felt a bit sorry for the people outside the palace.
"Well, Brother's been holed up on Floating Island or in Hart lands until now, so if they're desperate, even our family might snoop. Meet them when Brother feels like it. No need to linger in this unpleasant place."
"Yes."
Unpleasant place.
The king's bullshit brought Shinjinpae and that guy to mind.
Was it really not them?
Was my judgment wrong?
If they were in this world with privileges, they'd wield extraordinary power.
They were chosen ones even back home.
I've grown very strong, but I felt a crisis—I couldn't settle for this.
"Gold."
"Hm?"
"Sorry for saying I'd tell you later if I knew, but could you investigate the main branch clan?"
"Main branch...? Hmm..."
Gold tilted his head, then nodded.
"Got it."
"Thank you. I'll repay you."
"Repay? Don't say such petty things."
Gold closed his eyes contentedly after his curt reply.
I glanced out the window at the distant palace.
"Baron, huh..."
Gold reacted to my mutter.
"Yeah. I was too shocked to react earlier, but it's decent compensation."
"Is it?"
I already had a great status as an academy instructor—did I need a noble title?
That's what I thought, but Gold read me like a book and explained.
"Instructor status is powerful anywhere, but it prohibits personal fiefs or private soldiers."
I see.
I hadn't known.
"Baron fiefs are hard too, but stacking merits to rise in rank and gain land offers huge advantages, Brother."
"Hmm."
It didn't click yet.
This was enough for now.
"Brother might think it's sufficient, but nobility removes many restrictions, greatly aiding level-ups."
"Aids level-ups?"
"Yes. Like monopolizing exclusive dungeons only nobles or their lands allow."
Private dungeons.
Pretty exciting... That's when, peering out the window, I sensed something off.
Rumble. Rumble.
The shaking scenery outside.
The landscape had been similar for a while.
Not just vaguely—the same as before.
Despite the carriage's speed.
"Young master..."
Hearing the coachman's trembling voice, I sensed trouble.
Gold and Lepelt did too.
Feeling the anomaly, they emanated mana and aura.
"Explain."
"The road... it's wrong. It was familiar, but now it's not. The shape matches what I know, but subtly different."
"...Understood. Stop the carriage."
Boom!
Before Gold finished, the carriage roof was violently torn off.
I'd heard the coachman detail its durability specs during downtime, so I was mildly surprised.
"The sky...!"
Lepelt couldn't finish.
I understood.
The sky wasn't its usual blue expanse.
A murky green sky that sickened just looking at it—ominous.
Not just the road; this was...
"Wow. Pretty leisurely, huh?"
Hee hee hee.
A deer-masked unfunny bastard.
He reached out, but yelped "Agh!" at Gold's lightning spear, leaping back and tumbling.
"Oof... Huh?"
I was already before him, swinging my sword to shatter the ridiculous mask.
"W-Wait, timeout...!"
"Fuck off."
Kwak!
Just before my swing, something struck me hard.
I'd sensed it and redirected my sword, avoiding injury, but it pursued relentlessly.
"Roots?"
Hundreds of spear-like small roots from a massive one tried piercing me.
Each root was apartment-sized.
"Tch."
I tried slashing casually, but they were tough.
Reminded me of the stone magic user from the Floating Island incident.
Logically stone should be harder, but this wood outdid those rocks.
And.
💥 MULTI-ASSAULT 💥 Kwang! Kwang! Kwang! Boom!
"!"
Above, behind, side. Even below.
Identical roots tried crushing me.
Shuk!!
One sword strike shredded countless into fragments, rolling inert.
The scattering debris held lethal power for commoners, but I landed lightly atop them.
And.
Ooooooo.
Immense energy dwarfed all before from above.
I looked up.
"Ah."
The green sky reverted to normal.
Except one thing.
A sticky green orb clustered like the sun blazed ominously in its place.
At that altitude, apartment-site sized. It descended at inconceivable speed for its mass, and I widened my eyes.
Immediately, toxic mist swept the ground.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Creeeak.
A human with bark-like skin burst from a tree.
The tree crumbled to dust, revealing a normal human.
A red-haired woman in general's attire with an eyepatch.
Poise of the Poison Forest.
Poise rummaged in her bosom, pulled out a cigar, and bit it.
Before her sprawled a forest shrouded in poison mist.
"A technique used hoping it'd quiet you down a bit."
She muttered indifferently, then smirked.
"You didn't die from this, did you, Seven-Dre? That'd be disappointing."
Naturally, no reply came. Poise shrugged and stepped to find where Seven-Dre was buried.
Kwak!
"Huh."
The poison mist dispersed explosively.
A black shadow burst forth, charging Poise.
It was Seven-Dre.
A perfect ambush with no presence detected—Poise couldn't react.
"Wait a sec—"
Before Poise finished, a sword slash grazed her face.