Chapter 7
Chapter 7
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 7
Chapter Title: Banquet
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◆
“-Didn’t you say you were going to fetch the carriage?”
A crying voice echoed through the alleyway.
It came from the woman who had been struck by Carlyle and collapsed to the ground.
It was an understandable reaction.
Anyone would react similarly if Gray pressed a blade to their throat with a murderous aura while Carlyle was off securing the carriage.
But Gray scoffed and kicked off the woman’s helmet.
Red hair spilled messily across the alley floor.
Contrary to her sobbing voice, she was a striking woman with narrow, slitted eyes and a face that seemed perpetually smiling.
Gray’s gaze fixed on the seal engraved at the nape of such a woman’s neck.
“A Templar of the Church wouldn’t cower just from a threat to their life, would they?”
A seal of a rosary crossed with a sword.
The symbol of those who represented the “Church’s Fangs.”
Among the groups wielding influence across the continent’s nations, the Church was the only one without its own military force.
And the reason stood right before her eyes.
A one-man army.
The Knights of the Round Table, who could single-handedly fulfill the role of an entire military organization.
This woman was one of those who possessed the strength to challenge for the Holy Sword if she so desired.
One qualified to challenge a member of humanity’s strongest.
“⋯⋯Well, right now, I’m just a knight. Templar duty is off the clock.”
Watching the woman grin cheekily as she spoke, Gray replied coldly.
“I wouldn’t think the famous Spirit Knight would stoop to tailing a child so casually.”
“Did the Hero know about someone like me?”
“I knew. Siona Libel. Spirit Knight. And—”
She curled her lips into a smirk and added.
“—the right hand of that sleazy Cardinal the imperial court despises.”
“⋯⋯.”
“You’re not just here to watch me, are you? Cardinal Felix wouldn’t waste someone like you on that alone.”
“⋯⋯.”
Her beaming smile gave no answer.
But that in itself was answer enough.
“Cardinal Felix is always worried about you, Hero. Always fretting that some bug might latch onto you.”
“Worried? She’s worried her ‘Hero merchandise’ might get damaged, not me.”
Gray sighed and said.
“I know. I get it. Protecting the Church and the imperial family comes first before accepting the Holy Sword. Don’t get tangled with random civilians and cause a scandal.”
“Good that you know.”
“So, don’t report that guy from earlier.”
Siona blinked.
“Pardon?”
“Carlyle Bellfast. Don’t report him. Or I’ll kill you.”
“⋯⋯.”
A casual declaration, like saying she’d have steak for dinner.
But the Hero always kept her word. Especially promises of harm.
“⋯⋯If I may be so bold, Hero. What’s your relationship with that man?”
“Met him yesterday.”
No relationship at all.
They’d only met twice.
But.
“Just curiosity. He seems fun to toy with for a while.”
“⋯⋯.”
“I hate it when others take what’s mine. Got it?”
“Hero, do you have some special feelings for him—”
“Enough with the disgusting nonsense.”
Siona stared quietly at Gray.
Her face smiled, but her eyes were utterly cold.
After watching Gray for a moment, she nodded obediently.
“⋯⋯Understood. I won’t report unless something major happens.”
“Good girl.”
“But.”
Siona raised a finger and added.
“Personally, may I look into him a bit?”
“Why?”
“Well~ It’s rare to meet someone who can drop me in one hit.”
“Weren’t you going easy? As far as I know, that guy hasn’t even had proper combat training—”
“No.”
“What?”
“Not going easy. In a real fight, I might’ve died.”
“⋯⋯.”
“You don’t seem to know much either, Hero, so I won’t pry⋯⋯ but he needs a background check. My instincts say so.”
Gray frowned at her words.
Come to think of it, earlier when she’d released her mana to locate him, his position had vanished for a split second.
She’d found him eventually, so she hadn’t dwelled on it.
But if even a Templar said this, he must have something extraordinary.
That man.
He was hiding something.
“Do what you want. Investigate or not.”
“Thank you!”
“But.”
In that case.
“Share anything you find. I need to know anyway, right?”
It wouldn’t hurt to dig a little.
Just what kind of person he was.
◆
[System Log]
The Hero’s curiosity toward you has amplified in a positive direction.
- Trait ‘Hero’s Companion’ activates.
- ‘Positive Trait’ added!
[ ★ Trust 0% → 5% ]
- Reward granted!
- Check the Trait tab!
[ Additional ‘Holy Sword’ functions can now be unlocked! ]
[ Build your relationship with the Hero and influence her positively to unlock more functions! ]
‘Nice.’
That was his reaction upon returning from the outing and confirming a new Holy Sword function unlocked.
Beyond correcting the Hero’s bad tendencies, simply getting along well with her and earning favor could add functions to the Holy Sword.
⋯⋯Though he had no time to ponder what else to unlock for now.
One fact he’d learned handling the Hero’s power.
A chick trying to follow a stork tears its legs.
[⋯⋯Such a weakling.]
“Shut up.”
Carlyle retorted to the Holy Sword in a dying voice.
Injecting the Hero’s mana into the Holy Sword to wield it was fine, but his frail body couldn’t handle it.
After first wielding mana.
He spent days bedridden with muscle pain. From just one punch.
And even amid that agony, dealing with Gray was far worse.
He’d been assigned to assist Gray at Grand Duke Chasefield’s request, but in the mansion, she treated him like a near-slave.
Not just any servant—near abuse.
Recalling the past few days of torment.
“Meal.”
“Yes, I’ll tell the chef to prepare—”
“Make it yourself.”
“⋯⋯Why?”
“Curious what yours tastes like.”
“⋯⋯.”
He managed somehow.
The lady showered criticism and abuse throughout the meal.
“Bath.”
“Yes, I’ll prepare—”
“Do it alone. No one else.”
“⋯⋯.”
He cleaned the mansion’s grand bath alone, filled it, heated it, added bath salts—everything.
“Sword practice.”
“Can I prepare alone?”
“Yeah. You’re finally getting trained.”
“⋯⋯.”
Fuck.
Fucking hell.
Such curses naturally arose in this life.
Already struggling with mana backlash, serving this capricious lady was hellish torture.
One day, he’d asked Gray indirectly why she tormented him so.
Her simple reply.
“Just.”
“⋯⋯Aha.”
“Fun watching you struggle and grunt.”
“⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯Ahem.”
That night, back in his quarters, he vented on the Holy Sword for no reason.
[Why me?]
“Pay for your sins, you trash—!”
[Hmm. That all?]
Pummeling the Holy Sword to no effect, he heard a knock.
Opening it revealed a familiar face.
“⋯⋯Your Grace?”
“How are you holding up?”
“No.”
“⋯⋯.”
“Feels like dying.”
A rare visit from the Grand Duke to check on a mere commoner like him, yet only curt replies escaped Carlyle’s lips.
“Even so, that’s Gray showing considerable interest.”
“⋯⋯Pardon?”
“She’s dismissed all other servants and piled work on you.”
“⋯⋯.”
“Truly, truly rare. Only someone who can handle her picky temperament gets that.”
Interpreted that way, it fit.
'Difficult, yes.'
Without regressions memorizing Gray’s quirks, even he couldn’t manage.
Matching the tastes that drove away A-grade mansion servants was indeed rare.
The window he’d seen recently proved it.
[System Log]
◆ You are acting in a way that pleases the Hero.
[ ★ Trust 5% → 5.1% ]
“⋯⋯.”
Perfect assistance across daily life, yet the tiny increase irked him, but it rose nonetheless.
Watching it pissed him off again.
0.1%?
Abused like this for 0.1%??
‘Endure⋯⋯’
Rising trust was something.
Rewards alone were worthwhile.
“So, since she seems quite taken with you, she’s prepared a big request.”
Lost in thought, the Grand Duke cleared his throat and spoke.
“A request⋯⋯?”
“Yes. She wants to bring you to the upcoming imperial banquet as her attendant.”
“⋯⋯Aha.”
“Prepare well. Smooth success means generous rewards.”
Carlyle’s expression darkened.
[System Message]
▶ ‘Quest: Imperial Banquet’ begins.
▶ Clear to greatly increase ‘Hero’s Trust’.
▶ Accept? [Y/N]
Such a window appeared before his eyes.
Greatly increase trust.
No reason to refuse.
“Yes. Of course.”
“Splendid! I knew I could count on you!”
Seeing Lionel off joyfully, Carlyle picked up the Holy Sword from the bed.
“Hero.”
[What.]
“This looks like a major event. Remember anything?”
[⋯⋯Nothing particular.]
“No way.”
Such a quest wouldn’t appear otherwise.
She must be misremembering.
[No, really nothing.]
Talked with someone somewhere. Rejected all dance invitations. Introduced to someone by someone.
Her disastrously sharp memory detailed trivia, but as she said, all trivial.
⋯⋯Really no big incident?
“Something out of the ordinary then. Ever in distress?”
[Hmm⋯⋯ Closest was around 10:14 PM on the fourth-floor terrace, mid-conversation between Sir Teryum and Marchioness Heiress Anastasia—]
“Summarize short and simple.”
[First time killing someone. They annoyed me.]
“⋯⋯Sorry. More details.”
No big incident my ass.