Chapter 365: The Knight's Banquet (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 365: The Knight's Banquet (2)
[The title, ‘Devil Slayer,’ has discovered a trace of a demon.]
The moment the screen appeared before my eyes, I caught sight of two men greeting Count Greymont in the corner of my vision.
I didn't recognize either of them, but judging by their attire and aura, they didn't seem to be ordinary nobles.
Moreover, the way they greeted Count Greymont was quite different from the other nobles who were busy fawning over him.
Even those nobles seemed to be wary of the two men.
‘They’re clearly high-ranking nobles, but who are they?’
The most likely possibility was that, like Count Greymont, they were members of the Round Table.
After observing the situation for a moment, I began to walk toward them.
I had planned to greet Count Greymont anyway, but now that I had discovered the trace of a demon, I needed to act decisively.
Of course, I could have returned to Duke Winchester and informed him of the fact.
But right now, I wasn't sure which of the two men the title's ability was pointing to, so I had to be cautious.
As I drew closer, the nobles' gazes began to pour onto me once again.
They were disgustingly appraisive gazes, as if they were evaluating a piece of merchandise.
“Hm...?”
But that was only for a moment. My eyes met with Count Greymont, who was greeting the two men.
A look of clear surprise was on his face.
“...Hyun-woo?”
“It is an honor to see you again, my lord Count.”
I bowed my head respectfully toward him.
If I were a noble, a handshake would have sufficed, but as a 5th Circle Mage without even British citizenship, let alone residency, I was nothing more than a commoner.
Of course, I couldn't be considered a complete commoner, but I still needed to show proper respect to the nobility.
Especially in a situation like this, teeming with a pack of hyenas.
“Allow me to formally introduce myself. I am Kang Hyun-woo, a 2nd Grade Elementalist from the Gray Magic Tower.”
“Haha, I’d believe you if you said you were the son of a noble house. I almost didn't recognize you in those clothes.”
He welcomed me with a good-natured smile.
At the reaction of Count Greymont, the highest-ranking person here, the expressions of the other nobles also did a complete 180.
It was the situation I had wanted, but I had no time to worry about that now.
“Brother Richard, who is this gentleman?”
“Hoh... I've heard that Easterners look young for their age, but isn't he in his mid-twenties at most? And he's a 4th Circle—no, a 5th Circle Mage?”
The two men, my original targets, began to show interest in me.
‘...The red-haired one is on the cusp of S-rank, and the blond is A-rank level?’
They were weaker than Count Greymont, but they were skilled in their own right.
But that wasn't what was important.
Now that I was closer, I was certain.
I knew which of the two carried the trace of a demon.
“And he’s a mage who’s even awakened his aura?”
A strange light glinted in the red-haired man's eyes.
Beyond that, a deep curiosity flickered within them.
“A pleasure to meet you. My name is Kang Hyun-woo. I am affiliated with the Gray Magic Tower and am visiting England for personal reasons.”
“Hm? Ah, right. Nice to meet you, too. I’m Leonar Harvey Planciticia. For now, I’m serving as the head of the Count Planciticia family. And this here is David.”
The man who introduced himself as Count Planciticia gave off a somewhat frivolous impression, unbecoming of a high noble.
At his gesture, the blond man greeted me.
“I am David Blanc Coventry, head of the Viscount Coventry family.”
The moment I thought I had heard both their names somewhere before, my eyes met with Count Greymont's.
Only then did I recall their identities.
David Blanc Coventry.
With his impressive golden hair that shone like gold, he was the successor to ‘Gawain,’ also known as the Knight of the Sun.
And Leonar Harvey Planciticia.
The man who seemed rather flippant had to be the successor to Tristan, who bore the dishonorable epithet, the Knight of Sorrow.
Including Count Greymont, who inherited the title of Lancelot, a total of three Knights of the Round Table were gathered here.
I never expected three of them, who were active all across Europe, to be in one place.
‘Was this party that important?’
But no matter how much I thought about it, the Duke hadn't told me anything.
Was it some kind of British national holiday?
“Kang Hyun-woo, Kang Hyun-woo, Kang Hyun-woo... Ah! I remember now!”
Sir Tristan pointed at me with a strange smile.
“You’re the mage old man Merlin said he was going to marry his granddaughter to, aren’t you?”
“...What?”
At his words, not only Sir Gawain but also the surrounding nobles couldn't hide their astonishment.
Count Greymont pressed a hand to his forehead and shook his head.
“...I believe there has been a misunderstanding. I am not in that kind of relationship with the young lady.”
I forced a pleasant smile, suppressing the curse that was about to rise from deep within my core.
In times like these, it was best to act nonchalant.
“Hm? That can’t be right. I’m sure old man Merlin... Keok?!”
“Pardon me.”
In that instant, Sir Gawain struck Sir Tristan in the neck.
It was a clean, swift chop, so fast that even a decent knight wouldn't have been able to follow it with their eyes.
Sir Tristan, who was suddenly struck in the Adam's apple, gagged and his face turned red.
“Please forgive the rudeness of this fool who enjoys spreading baseless rumors.”
“It’s quite all right.”
Seeing the red-haired bastard get hit was strangely satisfying.
When I smiled, Sir Gawain gave a faint smile back before dragging Sir Tristan away somewhere.
The atmosphere became a bit chaotic, but Count Greymont—Sir Lancelot—stepped in and quickly brought things under control.
But just because he did, the words that had been spoken didn't just disappear.
-A mere Eastern mage marrying Lady Ophelia?
-That’s absurd. There’s no way Duke Winchester would make such a decision.
-But didn’t Sir Tristan say so? He may be a prankster, but he’s not one to speak falsehoods so carelessly.
-It’s just pitiful for Lady Ophelia. To marry not a son of a noble house, but an Easterner.
-Perhaps Duke Winchester has developed a desire for a disciple in his later years?
-Well... that could be it. They say the young lady is talented, but she’s still so young.
-...But he’s quite handsome, isn’t he?
-...
The murmurs directed at me grew twice as loud as before.
The thought of leaving immediately began to fill my head.
“Sigh... My apologies. He’s not usually like that...”
“It’s fine.”
Sir Lancelot’s face was filled with apology.
But I slowly shook my head.
“Instead, I think I need to step away for a moment. Could you help me with that, Mr. Richard?”
Sir Lancelot nodded with a good-natured smile.
Proper etiquette dictated that I call him ‘Count Greymont’ or ‘Sir Lancelot,’ but he was the one who had first told me to call him Mr. Richard.
So, what I just said should be seen as a sign of familiarity, not a breach of etiquette.
I left the cleanup to Sir Lancelot and excused myself for a moment.
It wasn't because the situation was awkward.
On the contrary, now that I had drawn so much attention, sticking close to Sir Lancelot and getting acquainted with high-ranking nobles would have been beneficial for establishing my position.
However, I was too concerned about the two men who had just disappeared to spend my time so leisurely.
‘...I never thought a Knight of the Round Table would be a demon worshipper.’
Just as I was about to leave the banquet hall, recalling the man who carried the trace of a demon...
-His Grace, Duke Rupert Blake Winchester, and Her Ladyship, Ophelia Penelope Winchester, are now entering!
Creek—
The doors on the second floor, connected to the central staircase of the banquet hall, opened, and Duke Winchester and Lady Ophelia appeared.
I stopped in my tracks and, like the other nobles, knelt on one knee and bowed my head.
A silence fell over the once-bustling hall.
The Duke, dressed in magnificent formal attire, held the young lady's hand and slowly descended the stairs.
When I cautiously lifted my head to look at him, he seemed quite different from his usual self.
Beyond his stern expression, which held no trace of a smile, an unapproachable pressure flowed out calmly.
A heavy atmosphere, making it impossible to speak rashly, enveloped the hall.
This was the presence of an 8th Circle Archmage, one of only three in the entire world.
After descending to the first floor, the Duke glanced around before raising his hand.
At that, the nobles quickly rose to their feet as if nothing had happened.
“Today, I sincerely welcome all of you who have attended this celebration of my granddaughter’s eleventh birthday.”
“...?”
As the Duke's greeting continued, I tilted my head inwardly at the news.
The young lady's birthday?
In that moment, I recalled the unusually large number of young noble ladies in the hall.
“As this is the precious birthday of my one and only granddaughter, I hope this day will be a meaningful time for all of you as well.”
“Long live His Grace, Duke Winchester!”
“Long live Her Ladyship, Lady Ophelia!”
Amid the cheers coming from all directions, I frantically searched through the items in my inventory.
Unsurprisingly, there was nothing suitable for an eleven-year-old girl.
And I couldn't just give her a ring or a necklace now, not with the strange misunderstandings already floating around.
I was in checkmate.
-♩♪♬~
Just then, the orchestra conductor's hands began to move busily, and gentle music started to flow through the hall.
As if on cue, young nobles paired up and walked to the center of the hall.
The dance had begun.
However, no one dared to start dancing.
Etiquette dictated that the guest of honor must dance first.
And the guest of honor today was, without a doubt, Lady Ophelia.
As I watched the young lady cross the hall and approach me, an unidentifiable sense of dread flashed through my mind.
Finally, she stopped in front of me, her face as red as if it were about to burst, and extended her hand.
‘Huuu...’
Letting out a heavy sigh internally, I decided to accept the reality before me.
No, I had no other choice.
If I refused here, the Archmage watching from over there would probably slice my body into 36 pieces.
I took the young lady's hand as politely as I could.
“...If I may be so bold, would you grant me the honor of your first dance, my lady?”
Aside from the soft classical music, a dreadful silence descended.
The young lady nodded without a word.
I matched her pace and walked with her to the center of the hall.
As if for us, a new song began to play.
A gentle melody lingered in my ears.
Although I had only danced socially a handful of times, I had studied it through books and videos in my spare time, so I was reasonably confident.
If I could roughly imitate most martial arts after seeing them once, there was no way I couldn't handle a dance.
Swoosh-
I carefully took the young lady's hand and began to step in time with the music echoing through the hall.
She was much smaller than me, but social dancing was a form of etiquette designed to naturally embrace such physical differences.
I lowered my waist appropriately to avoid looking awkward to others and gently led her in time with the flow of the music.
I was considerate not to burden her, yet I delicately adjusted the size and rhythm of my steps so the dance wouldn't feel monotonous.
“...You’re very skilled.”
“I’m glad you think so.”
The young lady looked at me, surprised.
It would have been better if you hadn't asked me to dance at all.
I gave her a moderate smile.
Just then, the melody quickened slightly.
I boldly pulled her into my arms, and I could hear gasps from the onlookers.
The young lady responded in kind, naturally assuming the position and continuing the dance.
Her elegant and beautiful form, unbelievable for an eleven-year-old girl, drew everyone's eyes to us.
The sound of our shoes clicking on the floor, echoing along with the orchestra's music, created another layer of music that filled the space.
-♬♩♪!!
As the music reached its climax, the young lady executed a smooth turn and landed on the floor.
Her gently fluttering purple hair was reminiscent of a night fairy, and everyone was captivated by her beauty.
Amidst all the attention and gazes, we signaled the end of the dance by bowing to each other.
““......””
Clap, clap, clap, clap!!!!
After a brief silence, applause and cheers erupted. I smiled softly and looked around.
Fuck, I swear I’m never coming back to England.
*
After finishing the dance with Lady Ophelia, I practically fled the banquet hall.
I had expected to dance at this party.
But I had never imagined I would be dancing alone with the guest of honor, under the watchful eyes of everyone present.
‘...If I’d known that, I would’ve been an astrologer, not an elementalist.’
Pop!
I opened the bottle of wine I had brought with me from the hall.
The aroma of fine wine, carried on the cool night breeze, brushed past my nose.
Having found a spot in the garden of the Duke's mansion, I chugged the wine straight from the bottle.
“Haaah...”
Suddenly, I missed the days when a few shots of soju could get me drunk.
At least back then, I could force a memory reset after getting wasted.
“...Should I have brought some cheese?”
Drinking just wine felt a little empty.
Just as I was searching my inventory for something to snack on...
-?!!
I heard a man and a woman arguing somewhere in the garden.
I was about to ignore it and move on, but the voices sounded familiar.
After navigating the maze-like garden to the source of the voices, I saw two familiar faces.
One was Heinz Reike, the Vice Master of Nachtwolf, whom I had seen at the last auction.
He seemed drunk as he yelled at the woman.
“You damn bitch, do you know who I am... Keok?!”
Thwack!
I had approached from behind Heinz and struck him hard on the back of the neck.
The A-rank Hunter lost consciousness and collapsed in the garden.
Finding his harassment of the woman despicable, I struck his acupoints to give him erectile dysfunction for the next six months.
I had actually considered giving it to him for life but restrained myself.
Just as I was about to toss the unconscious Heinz into the bushes, out of sight...
“...You are?”
My eyes met with the woman who had been arguing with him.
A look of bewilderment was plain on her face, as if she had no idea why I was here.
And I felt the same way.
“I didn't expect to meet you here. It seems I’ve intervened at a rather opportune moment.”
Silver hair that shimmered faintly in the moonlight and vivid golden eyes that looked as if they were made of molten gold.
It was Delia, the woman I had met in the back alleys of London.