Chapter 122: How a Social Novice Makes Allies
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 122: How a Social Novice Makes Allies
Ferda had hung a black hood from the highest point of the castle.
To an ordinary person, it was a detail easily overlooked, nearly impossible to spot with the naked eye. However, to a certain someone, it was a clear signal.
As proof, a representative of the Black Bandana arrived only three hours after the signal was set.
"Greetings, Regent. This is our first meeting since the incident at the Dandolo Merchant House."
Garnet Swallow, who had introduced herself as the leader, had come in person once again.
"Is it wise for the head of an organization to be moving about so freely?"
"I may be the leader in name, but I’m no different from the other executives. Besides, I’ve been keeping a close eye on Valdrova Castle for the time being... In that regard, my sincere congratulations on the primary completion of Hestia Village."
"Thank you."
Ferda and Garnet moved straight to business. Garnet tilted her head after hearing about Ferda’s current situation.
"At this level, it’s nothing more than obvious gossip... Do you really need to catch them?"
"I must."
"Given the circumstances, we might have to poke around the Imperial Family, so the cost will be quite high."
"It doesn't matter."
"Hmm..."
Garnet let out a low hum and eventually nodded. While it was truly a trivial matter, what was considered 'important' differed from person to person.
"Understood. We will do our best to track down the source of these rumors."
"I appreciate it. How much for the advance payment?"
At that, Garnet showed him her palm.
"No advance payment is necessary. Petty criminals like these are actually harder to catch, so you can pay me once we succeed."
To think she lacked confidence in catching a mere rumor-monger. Ferda took it to mean that gossip was that terrifying—because anyone could be the source.
"I’ll pay the fee as soon as it’s finished. I have one more thing I’m curious about; may I ask?"
"Information requires an advance payment."
Thorough, indeed. Ferda handed over the money. After confirming the amount was appropriate, Garnet gave a sign of acknowledgment.
"I’ve discussed countermeasures regarding the scandal with the Imperial Princess. Can you verify them for me?"
Ferda recounted exactly what Olivia had said. As the head of a secret organization, Garnet's verification was necessary.
"It’s a good idea," Garnet reacted positively. "The commoners will soon forget as they return to their livelihoods, and the nobles are bound to be swept away by new trends. Leaving small doubts about the flow of events to let it fizzle out is a very noble-like way of handling things."
"Is that so?"
"Furthermore, though it’s not obvious, it can be used as a trap. If someone is determined to destroy both you and the Imperial Princess, they’ll try to add more meat to the story. If that happens, it’ll be much easier for us to catch them. Either way, it’s a good method."
So there were such details involved. Ferda thought he had seen the big picture, but this was beyond his imagination. Had Olivia calculated all of this?
"Thank you for confirming."
"It’s no trouble. If you have any other requests or commissions, please let me know."
"I have no other requests, but take this."
Ferda handed her an envelope.
"What is this?"
"An invitation to the Start of Spring Festival."
"You mean the banquet that has all the nobles in an uproar lately? Is it alright for me to attend?"
"Since you’re going to infiltrate anyway, wouldn't it be better to present a real invitation rather than risk suspicion with a fake one?"
Garnet looked as if she had been caught off guard.
"I shall move so as not to stand out at the banquet."
Garnet tucked the invitation into her breast pocket.
"Since I’ve received an entry pass to a place every noble is watching, I suppose I should offer you a service in return."
"A service?"
"It seems the Regent is a novice when it comes to high society. Am I correct?"
Ferda gave a small nod. Garnet smiled faintly.
"This is how a social novice makes allies."
The leader of the Serdes Continent’s top secret organization, a woman who lived by selling information, brought forth a very interesting piece of advice.
* * *
After finishing his usual daily routine, Ferda called for a certain man.
"You’re a good dancer, aren't you?"
It was the handsome man with brown hair tied back in a ponytail, Jed Swallow.
"Of course. If I couldn't dance, I couldn't make a living as a gigolo."
"In that case, can you teach me?"
"That’s a bit of a different field. Just because I’m good at it doesn't mean I’m good at teaching..."
"I will, of course, pay the tuition."
"I shall make you the Emperor of the dance floor, Regent."
Jed gave a thumbs-up. Looking at him, Ferda wondered if he could truly be trusted.
"But why do you want to learn to dance? To use at the Start of Spring Festival?"
Ferda nodded. Jed tilted his head in confusion.
"The host rarely has a reason to dance. Most just sit for a bit and then leave. Besides, the hostess won't be attending, will she...?"
"It’s a precaution for when I dance with Her Grace the Archduchess."
"Oh? Is she coming? I’ve been curious since I’ve never seen her..."
"That is not yet certain."
Then isn't he getting ahead of himself? Jed couldn't bring himself to say that out loud. The anticipation in Ferda’s eyes was plain to see.
Ferda began learning to dance for the sake of Valdrova. He had heard from Ruri that Valdrova was making various preparations for the Start of Spring Festival. However, even Ruri wasn't sure if she would actually attend.
It didn't matter. Just as Jed worked for money, it was Ferda’s duty to be prepared for the moment Valdrova arrived.
Jed sat in the chair opposite him and asked, "Have you ever seen the Archduchess’s face?"
"Just once."
"How was it? I’m sure she’s beautiful, but what kind of expression was she wearing?"
An expression, huh. Ferda didn't think it would be a very pleasant story, but he answered honestly.
"She was crying."
"Oh..."
Ferda raised his head and glared at Jed. Jed explained himself as if flustered.
"Why are you looking at me like that? This is a good thing."
"How?"
"You said it was the first time you saw her face, right? There’s a superstition that if your spouse is crying the first time you see them, good fortune will follow. And if the next face you see is a smiling one, you’ll live happily ever after."
"You spout nonsense with such a straight face."
"It’s true, though..."
Jed muttered with an embarrassed look, then casually opened a letter on the desk and read its contents.
"I had no idea so many people would be so desperate to attend a new noble’s Start of Spring Festival. I suppose the Imperial Princess’s help really is significant?"
"It seems the situation is indeed remarkable."
"It’s miraculous. Usually, you’d be lucky to get even one polite letter of inquiry, but here they are, practically wailing for an invitation."
Having seen many such things, Jed found this unprecedented situation astonishing.
"Let’s see who’s coming... Gack."
"Do you know someone?"
"I do. A few young ladies I... casually ditched at previous balls..."
"A few?"
Just how many had he ditched? When Ferda glared at him, Jed spoke with forced confidence.
"Don't worry. I’m already collaborating with an expert, so even if we cross paths, I’ll handle it smoothly."
Speak of the devil, the 'expert' he was collaborating with burst in.
"Partyyyyy!!"
The person who entered the office with a frivolous shout was Penelope. She walked in, practically bouncing with excitement.
"I heard you’re throwing a party!"
"I am."
"And that Princess is coming too?"
"She is."
"Hehehe..."
Ferda added, "If you touch her, I’ll break your limbs. Are you up for that?"
"Uwaaa...! No matter how much I love women, I’m not the kind of girl who can't tell shit from sugar, you know? Right, Je-je?"
Penelope clung to him familiarly. Jed placed a hand on her shoulder and said with soulful eyes, "Yes, you are exactly that kind of girl."
"Haha, our Je-je is so mischievous, saying things he doesn't mean."
"I’d trust Malcolm before I trust you."
"You gigolo! Just curse at me instead!"
At the mention of Malcolm, she flared up in anger, and the two began to bicker.
"Get out, you wench! How dare you crawl in here?! Ugh, what bad luck. Where’s the salt? I need salt!"
"What are you talking about?! I was called here too!"
"The Regent called you? Don't talk nonsense. If that’s true, I’ll change my family name."
"I did call her."
Ferda put an end to it before the useless bickering could continue.
"I don't care what you two do, but you won't be enjoying the party."
"Huh? Then I can't even seduce any girls?"
Penelope slumped like a depressed dog. Jed, seemingly uninterested, asked Ferda, "What do we need to do?"
This was the 'making allies' method for social novices that Garnet Swallow had taught him.
"Find the weaknesses of the young lords and ladies visiting Valdrova Castle."
"Weaknesses?"
"What kind of weaknesses?"
Ferda threw out a simple keyword.
"Affairs."
The Start of Spring Festival brings men and women together. Flowers overflowing with vitality attract bees, and the bees are captivated. In the midst of that, one-night stands are common. It’s often treated as an unwritten rule, dismissed as a moment of youthful passion.
That was why Garnet had suggested this.
— If there’s a scandal like that, they’ll perceive you, Lord Ferda, as merely human. They’ll think that someone who isn't beyond reproach themselves will turn a blind eye to such unwritten rules.
However, to Ferda, those 'unwritten rules' were nothing more than cowardly and hideous excuses. Knowing Ferda’s pure-hearted nature, Garnet had suggested a somewhat dirty method to him.
— For those who refuse to become allies, you must create a reason why they have no choice but to become one.
What nobles valued most was their reputation. To protect that reputation, they would align with Ferda’s will. That was how they had to be entangled. Garnet emphasized that the mere fact of being entangled was what mattered.
"Assuming the Start of Spring Festival is underway, scout out locations suitable for secret trysts. Then, record every affair that takes place there using recording crystals."
"That’s a request that would make ten bodies feel insufficient. Understood, for now."
The wild cards to be used for this were Jed and Penelope. They could move more secretly than others and had experience charming people, making them the perfect candidates.
"I’ll do it if you tell me to," Penelope said.
Ferda felt a reflexive surge of annoyance, thinking she was talking back, but that wasn't it.
"If there’s nothing to blackmail them with, can I just make something up myself?" Penelope asked, her eyes sparkling.
Ferda realized he had overlooked one thing. She was the daughter of Sitri, the Demon of Lust. No matter how much of a troublemaker or an airhead she was, demon blood flowed through her veins.
"Do it. You have my permission."
Ferda had dived into the vicious political world of the nobility. Therefore, he needed to become even more vicious.
* * *
The cold spring wind, melted by the warm sunlight, blew refreshingly. Flowers that bloomed in late winter had borne fruit, embroidering the forest.
In this land where the only threats were monsters, there were no hungry predators, making the village women’s foraging easy.
Spring...
The season of new birth that follows death. For Valdrova, it was a season that made her feel sentimental. She didn't like sentimentality, as it always ended in melancholy.
Because of that, she moved her body without rest. On a day in that season perfect for noble ladies to go on outings, she immersed herself in the labor of carrying and stacking stones for the castle walls. She preferred the reward of labor over sentimentality.
It was lunch break during her usual routine. She was sitting among the laborers as they gathered to eat.
"You know that building we stopped working on? I heard it’s going to be used as an Alte Cathedral."
Ferda had requested the Alte Order to dispatch priests to strengthen the bond among the commoners, and a priest had arrived two weeks ago.
"Is that priest who came recently going to take it over?"
"Probably."
"I didn't really like that priest..."
"Who would? We were just trying to badmouth that desert god a bit, and he had to come over and start preaching at us."
"Didn't he tell us not to call him that? We have to call him Set! Set!"
"Set, my foot. You’ve become the priest’s dog, haven't you!"
They were the moderates who had been pushed aside by the radicals currently in power. In other words, they were those who didn't look down on the 'desert god' of the south and hoped to get along.
Valdrova couldn't understand their conflict.
Peace should be a good thing, so why do they want to fight so much?
Was it not fun if they weren't in conflict? As always, Valdrova silently listened to their conversation.
"Let’s just try to believe in it. Didn't they say this Start of Spring Festival will be held together with the South? The South is active in the exchange too, so don't provoke them for no reason."
"I don't need to see it to know what kind of mess it’ll be," one man remarked sarcastically, showing his disapproval.
No one knew what would become of the event intended for exchange and harmony. She also grew curious about the lives of the commoners. What kind of events would they have for the Start of Spring Festival? Was there more to it than just drinking, laughing, and chatting?
I’m curious, but...
She couldn't see it. On that day, she had to participate in the nobles' festival, not the commoners'. She had been told that preparations would start in the morning, so there wouldn't even be time to watch.
Is it in a week...?
She felt that time was passing truly quickly. She had started practicing her dancing and controlling her strength for the festival, and now it was only a week away.
Dancing with Mr. Ferda in a magnificent room.
At the fluttering in her heart, she unconsciously tensed up again. However, perhaps due to her training, the force had decreased enough to be close to the realm of an ordinary person.
The pebble is still intact.
What she held in her hand was a fragile pebble. She was confident that while it might hurt Ferda’s hand a little, she wouldn't unconsciously crush it.
"Speaking of which, things are quite noisy over in the Empire! They say our Lord and the Imperial Princess are in that kind of relationship?"
At the topic someone brought up, the atmosphere among the laborers turned icy. Valdrova perked up her ears and eavesdropped on the conversation.
"What kind of nonsense is that?"
"A woman from the Empire said so. Apparently, things were heated even at the Grand Council during his first visit. Including this visit, the Imperial Princess of Arken has visited three times. Has that Princess ever met someone her age more than three times? Besides, in this procession, they looked exactly like a married cou—"
Unable to watch any longer, one laborer covered the speaker's mouth.
"Hey! You’re going to cut your life short! Don't go around saying things like that."
"Why? Everyone in Hestia knows."
"Man! Who wouldn't know that? Do you think Hestia is keeping quiet for no reason? What do you think would happen if the Regent’s wife heard that? Our Regent would be a corpse!"
Valdrova’s pupils shook as if an earthquake were occurring.
The pebble she had been holding disappeared. In its place, a pile of sand, ground into fine particles, sat in her palm.