Chapter 15
Chapter 15
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 15
Chapter Title: Empire (3)
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The banquet resumed amid the clinking of glasses, cheers, and gasps of astonishment all mixed together.
But the atmosphere was completely different from before.
The stares from those around me stung like needles.
Some nobles openly twisted their lips in disdain, while others hesitated as they passed by me.
"A duke... Isn't that a bit too hasty?"
"A pup climbing onto the tiger's back."
"Well, it won't last long. Becoming a noble doesn't suddenly grant one class."
Their gazes were filled with hostility or mockery.
It was a natural reaction for any person.
No matter how great the achievements, they wouldn't believe without seeing proof right before their eyes.
To them, my accomplishments were probably just exaggerated rumors.
I wasn't particularly interested in them either.
Needing proof meant their intelligence network was lacking.
That was no different from saying they were incompetent, and incompetent nobles were unnecessary.
And the Red Star were the ones who first cut out such "useless bloodlines."
One of the main antagonistic factions for players, the Red Star.
On the surface, they looked like a social club for high-ranking nobles, but that was just a facade.
In reality, they were traitors who had spread spies across the entire Empire and stirred up chaos.
In other words, a cult-like religious group that called Aura Energy and magic the "original sin" and sought to transcend them.
They preached that Aura Energy and magic were the root causes of human corruption.
From what I'd heard, they seemed like prophets who had grasped the essence of Aura Energy and Aura.
But if that were true, they wouldn't be the ones worth killing for no reason.
The Red Star hadn't concluded to discard Aura Energy and Aura in favor of another power.
On the contrary, they reached the conclusion that transcendent power had merely nibbled away at humanity, and true human restoration began with transcending that power.
Here, "transcendence" meant fusing humans with magic to devolve into a third race.
The continent had collapsed before anyone could lift a finger because of those idiots.
'I've blocked the chaff.'
Another group of nobles approached me.
Unlike at the start of the banquet, this time it was middle-aged nobles, not young ladies.
They clung to me as if they'd finally found an opportunity.
"Your Grace the Duke, did you learn your swordsmanship through self-study, by any chance?"
"An epic poem chronicling your exploits is set to be published soon. May I send you the draft?"
"My youngest daughter wants to learn the sword, so..."
Every time they opened their mouths, they demanded meanings beyond the words themselves.
They spoke only of swordsmanship while subtly rolling their eyes.
It was behavior befitting the Empire's nobles, who did nothing but eat and scheme politically.
I responded to them with a smile.
At the same time, like they were doing, I subtly scanned the banquet hall with just my eyes.
The individuals who appeared as Red Star members in the original story began to gradually reveal themselves.
Some were the same, some uglier, and some even more handsome.
The reason I could recognize them despite my changed appearance was that they still retained something similar to their original looks.
The ones hard to recognize were for the same reason.
I didn't fully understand why these changes had occurred.
At that moment,
"That's enough."
"Lord Ian is tired."
Two familiar voices rang out simultaneously.
Freya Nordelheim and Irena Krauze.
The two of them approached my sides in perfect sync and silently pushed away the clinging nobles.
"Your Grace, we'll speak again next time..."
"Ah, Duchess Nordelheim was here. Haha..."
The area around us fell silent in an instant.
Freya winked at me as she said,
"They're really sticking to you. I'm getting jealous."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The day after the banquet ended, I, Freya, and Irena stuck together for a while, wandering the capital.
It was because of Freya's opinion that constantly roaming battlefields would turn one into a wreck.
I didn't say things like, "I've roamed battlefields for nine years and I'm not a wreck yet."
Irena seemed to think similarly, but she didn't voice it either.
The weather in the capital, Arsen, was bright and clear.
Sunlight glided over the red brick roofs, and the sky was spotless.
"Wow, the weather's really nice. It's warm, unlike the north."
The streets were bustling with people, and the shopping district brimmed with energy.
The atmosphere was different from the Northern Frontline.
Freya haughtily lifted her chin and adjusted her newly bought hat.
"I came here a few times back when I attended the academy."
"Ah, you were an academy graduate, Captain? I forgot. How was the academy?"
"I've never been, so I'm curious about what the academy's like too."
"Really? But I mostly just studied, so I don't remember much."
Irena reminisced about the past and explained what the academy was like.
From what I heard, it was a hot-blooded story of relentlessly training and studying to claim the top spot.
She said second place was no pushover, so it was pretty tough.
"Ian, you're all about practical combat. You need to build some cultural refinement too."
"I don't see how that relates to a used bookstore, though."
"I'm quite well-read, actually. I even went to university. A provincial one, but still."
"University? Didn't you say you didn't attend the academy?"
In a narrow alley, the used bookstore was cool and quiet.
Freya browsed ancient documents filled with indecipherable scripts, while Irena flipped through a swordsmanship manual.
"The flow of divine power within shamanism... Does the young lady understand this?"
"The Northern Frontline needed some changes too. So I studied."
"Can you use shamanism then?"
"..."
Next, we headed to the market street to soothe our hungry stomachs.
Street stalls lined the roads.
Fish cakes, roasted chicken legs, nut pies, and more.
"Here, try this. Lord Ian, ahh~"
Freya speared a piece of small cake with a fork and held it out.
"Ahh~ to a duke feels a bit..."
"We're both dukes, so friends, right? Ah, you're a viscount, Captain. My apologies."
"..."
After a brief hesitation, I put it in my mouth.
Sweet strawberry jam and savory cream spread across my tongue.
"Mmm... It's delicious."
"Right?"
"Here, this one's mine. Roasted jerky pie. They say all men love this taste."
It was more like a lump of protein than a jerky pie.
Irena chewed it nonchalantly.
"This is tastier than cake. Give it a try."
"This is delicious too."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Lord Ian, I need to head somewhere else today because of supply issues in the north."
"I have to return to the knight order today too."
We couldn't stick together every time.
Originally, hadn't I come to the center instead of staying in the north to prevent the disaster?
Before starting full-scale activities, I decided to tackle the most urgent matter first.
The reason the Emperor, Sword Saint, and other major NPCs' appearances had changed.
I needed to figure out why that had happened.
For that, the place I headed to was Count Baltazar's mansion.
If this world had followed the original story, it would inevitably have become a monster den and vanished.
But what stood before my eyes was the same mansion as when I first ran away from home.
It looked the same as eleven years ago and was neatly maintained.
There was no eerie atmosphere created by magic either.
'Why?'
I repeated the question I'd asked myself countless times.
Why was Count Baltazar's mansion still intact?
As I raised my Wave in caution against possible monsters,
An elderly man emerged from the mansion's front gate.
Even from quite a distance, I recognized him at a glance.
That old man had been my attendant by my side when I first possessed this body.
The moment I saw him, I realized.
The House of Baltazar hadn't fallen yet.
Because the family head hadn't gone mad? Because I'd run away?
Various possibilities flashed through my mind and vanished.
At that instant, my eyes met the old man's as he was about to start cleaning.
"...Excuse me, what business do you have?"
He didn't recognize me.
"I've come to see Count Baltazar."
"What is your business with the Count..."
So he's still alive.
I probed casually.
"I heard his condition isn't good."
If it had followed the original story, Count Tiran would surely have gone mad.
Mad to the point of turning all the family retainers and servants into monsters.
"Well... The Count's illness has worsened, and he's stepped down from the family head position. Currently, the one leading House Baltazar is Silvia..."
The old man, speaking calmly, suddenly stopped.
His face froze in shock as he stared piercingly at mine.
He recoiled as if he'd seen a ghost, his face paling.
"M-Master Ian, how...?!!"
"Hm, so both are still alive. In that case, may I go see those two myself?"
I asked if it was okay, but I had no intention of seeking permission.
I entered the mansion without any resistance.
The servants tending the garden all turned their gazes toward me at once.
Let's go in.