Chapter 44
Chapter 44
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 44
Chapter Title: 10. The Dullard and the Genius (1)
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Beatrice, who had the massive sofa all to herself, shook her glass with a satisfied smile.
The deep red wine inside sloshed around, filling the air with its sweet aroma as she poured it into her mouth.
Those around her bowed their heads, their faces twisted into sycophantic grins of delight.
Beatrice nodded repeatedly amid their envious gazes.
It was all thanks to the musicians Baron Ludwig had introduced, their performance captivating the room.
"When you think of Lady Beatrice, it's that miracle of the Jeriha reclamation, isn't it?"
The vassal state where the SS-rank dungeon had appeared—that place was Jeriha.
Not just Beatrice, but all four members of the 1st Hero Party were the miracles of that reclamation operation.
To be precise, Sylvia had shone the brightest there.
Beatrice knew it was flattery, but she let it slide since it felt good.
"Ah, right, that time. I was in that hellish place worse than the underworld."
Beatrice retold her tale of valor, one she'd repeated countless times before.
A few among them had heard it already.
Still, to humor her, they reacted with feigned first-time excitement.
"Um, Lady Beatrice."
As the story wrapped up, a man approached cautiously.
'The mayor acting as Baron Ludwig's proxy, was it?'
She couldn't recall his name.
There was no need to remember someone so insignificant.
"About that black beer His Lordship requested..."
Beatrice already knew from Penny.
"Ah, yeah, I know. Bring it over quick. I'll taste-test how amazing it is."
"Haha! As refreshingly bold as your archery! I'll have it brought right away!"
The slyly grinning man immediately ordered the attendants to fetch the beer.
Beatrice eyed him and made a petty judgment.
'Looks like a rat with a beard.'
Soon, a rough wooden mug was set before her.
Through the frothing white bubbles, the dark liquid peeked out.
"It's our proud local specialty, aged for two months to bring out a deep yet clean flavor. Yes."
"Hm."
Beatrice half-listened as she swirled the mug.
The overflowing foam swayed precariously with her movements.
'You can make money just by drinking this and saying a few words?'
It wasn't as good as heading into a dungeon with her skills, but for mere words, it was quite the sum.
'Why the hell is Ian doing this sort of thing...'
Thinking of him soured her mood naturally.
The party had started tilting the moment he vanished.
It almost seemed like he was the core of the 1st Hero Party.
'...I admit he helped. But we got here because we're that good.'
Swallowing the unease Ian had caused, Beatrice chugged the black beer.
Even that casual act drew cheers from the onlookers, as if beholding a hero's aura.
"Kuh-!"
Beatrice drained the mug in one go.
'Disgustingly bad. Isn't this spoiled?'
It was bitter, thick, and hard to swallow.
Only the sharp sting of alcohol registered.
Transcendents of her level could control their intoxication, but right now, Beatrice had released all restraints.
Getting dizzy from the booze immediately after drinking was only natural.
Her muddled senses absorbed the crowd's roaring cheers.
The taste didn't matter anyway.
Ian had always limited the party's drinking in public.
Without him, she could finally get smashed carefree.
"Huu... Well, it's tasty, yeah."
She staggered back onto the sofa and muttered.
"Heroes and booze are inseparable! Could you, uh, tell us more in detail?"
"What? Uh, yeah... Super bitter, refreshing, with a slightly nutty aftertaste? Yeah, good stuff."
The mayor scribbled down Beatrice's words with a joyful face.
"Truly grateful..."
-Kieeeek!
A ear-piercing scream tore through from somewhere.
Beatrice shook off her buzz and grabbed a knife.
The cry came from the grand doors straight ahead—the banquet hall where Kaily was.
-Get out! Fuck off, all of you!
Right after Kaily's shout, people flooded out of the banquet hall.
"Kaily...?"
One of the fleeing crowd had blood streaming from his shoulder.
Beatrice cautiously entered the banquet hall.
At the end of the long table, sprawled in an ornate chair like a throne, Kaily stared at the ceiling.
Blood pooled on the floor beside her, and a bloodied knife lay nearby.
"Kaily? What the hell did you do?"
"...Ah. Beatrice."
Kaily lifted her limp head, chugged the black beer in front of her, then flopped back down.
"...This beer's fucking awful."
"Good enough reason to stab someone."
"Heh, hehehe. Right? Getting paid to praise this shit... Why'd it take so long to learn about this? What a fucked-up world."
"Sigh... I don't know why, and I don't wanna know. Can you just behave?"
"...Beatrice."
"What."
"Ian. Why haven't you gone to see him?"
"Huh."
Beatrice was dumbfounded.
"What, you miss him or something?"
"Disgusting."
"Says the Kaily who got carried by Ian every time she got wasted."
"......"
Half-reclined, Kaily glared at Beatrice with lowered eyes.
"Kaily, please. Cut the pointless thoughts. You gonna act as pathetic as Sylvia? We all agreed to kick out the now-unnecessary Ian, so why this now? I really don't get it."
"Talkative."
"...What?"
"You get wordy when you're hiding something."
"......"
"Hah, whatever. I'm tired. You leave too."
"Kaily, don't get stupid ideas now. Sylvia going after Ian is just to gauge our weakened strength."
"I know."
Beatrice stormed out irritably, leaving Kaily alone to down more booze.
Drinking to shake off Ian's memories was a contradictory act.
For her, alcohol was the very trigger that evoked him.
"Hehehe..."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ She had stabbed someone—a regular person, no less.
On impulse.
The guy fawning over her to talk about the black beer had suddenly brought up Ian's name.
There were those trash-talking the exiled Ian to curry favor with the 1st Hero Party.
Just days ago, that tactic had worked.
But not in front of them, fresh from the unease of that A-rank dungeon.
In a fit of rage, Kaily stabbed the man in the shoulder and yanked the knife out.
'...Too weak.'
His body was bizarrely frail.
Like stabbing water with a knife—it pierced too easily.
That fragility reminded her of Ian.
'Why are you so weak... If you weren't that disgustingly frail...'
A shoulder stab wouldn't kill him.
She'd pulled it out right away, so simple healing would fix it.
As the Knight King of the 1st Hero Party, she wouldn't be punished anyway.
So those were minor issues.
Ian had just crossed her mind, souring everything.
And she was amused at her own shock over stabbing someone.
'After killing so many, freaking out over a shoulder prick... All your fault, you bastard.'
Feeling the dizzy haze, Kaily slowly closed her eyes.
Ian's face kept popping into her head, making her want to vomit her brain out, but she couldn't.
'When will these filthy memories fade...'
Time dragged stickily; beyond her closed lids, the scene melted, and her consciousness sank into the past.
The day she vowed never to adventure with Ian again.
The day Ian nearly died.
'If only you'd died then...'
Was it really something she didn't want to recall anymore? Even she was unsure now.
That moment's scene whipped through her booze-soaked mind.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The murderous awkwardness Helena and Rachel had created didn't last forever.
By the time they reached Superbia, a pleasantly lively atmosphere had formed.
Upon arriving, the two girls didn't exchange the fancy farewells they'd shared leaving Macdullin Monastery.
That would make it too awkward—someone might actually collapse.
Since the path to the training camp was the same, after all.
"Whoa..."
"So this is the empire's capital..."
Helena and Rachel gaped at the capital's walls, mouths agape.
Their awe at Superbia didn't end even after dismounting.
All the way to the training camp, they stuck together like meerkats, chattering and gawking everywhere.
"So many buildings!"
"People too, not to be outdone..."
"Such straight roads—first time!"
"Super tidy."
Ah, this was what they called a "city."
Kinda that vibe.
Walking with Marie revealed her wide network.
"Marie! Back from the open exam?"
"Yeah, tell you later."
"Oh, Marie. Still short even after all this time."
"Piss off before I headbutt you."
Plenty recognized and greeted her first.
"Quite the connections you have."
"I'm pretty charming, right?"
"......"
"?"
"I aspire to always speak such truths."
One more thing: Vivian had gotten even more famous.
Couldn't figure out why.
She'd been away a few days doing nothing, yet more people recognized her now.
Helena reacted to it.
"Lady Vivian! You're a super famous mage!"
"N-not really..."
"But everyone knows you!"
"Weird..."
She denied it, but her shoulders kept rising.
"A mage picked by the 1st Hero Party's former manager is different, huh!"
Her shoulders might touch her ears soon.
"What's the 1st Hero Party?"
Rachel asked.
"Huh?"
Vivian was the surprised one.
Rachel wasn't big on hero parties.
After awakening as a transcendent, she'd just gone with the flow to Macdullin Monastery.
Even getting second there wasn't from burning passion.
Sneaky talent, huh?
"The 1st Hero Party is...!"
Helena launched into an enthusiastic explanation.
Humanity's light, hope, vanguard of the Pride Empire—she piled on every flashy epithet.
And the talk circled back to me.
"The one managing them was none other than Mr. Ian here!"
"Oho."
...So embarrassing.
Mercy chimed in unnecessarily from the side.
"Truly impressive!"
"Quiet."
For some reason, Vivian's shoulders rose even higher.
I soon learned why Vivian was more famous.
Glancing at some newspapers, I saw stories about Vivian and Felix.
It was a second edition of Amos's previous article.
The first had done well, so they'd expanded and polished it.
We parted ways with Marie at the training camp entrance after final goodbyes.
Helena and Rachel didn't show their sticky friendship like last time.
Honestly, a bit disappointing.
We headed straight to the third floor of the dorms.
Helena chattered nonstop on the way up, excited about the new place.
"This is the Managers' Guild that births and handles heroes...! Did you stay here too, Lady Vivian?"
"Y-yeah..."
"Then you took the Temporary Hero promotion exam! How was it?"
"Th-there was this King Slime..."
"What's that!? First I've heard of it!"
Vivian shyly detailed her exam, while Helena busied herself with gasps and praise.
Shy Vivian and bold Helena.
A match made in heaven.
Helena hadn't always been so outgoing.
She'd been awkward introducing herself in the carriage, but they'd bonded en route.
Vivian was still reserved, though.
Considering Helena's background, even this wasn't her full self.
She'd worn a helmet hiding her face when we first met, after all.
She's trying.
"Room 302. This'll be yours from now on."
"Quad room! Ian's sharing too?"
"Next door. 303."
"Ah! Slept on floors at the monastery—beds!"
Thrilled over nothing I did, weirdly gratifying.
"Um, Helena?"
"Yes!"
But the moment to dampen the mood arrived.
Maybe the most crucial for time with Helena...
"Something to tell you."
"Yes, listening!"
"...Kati."
Kati hopped down to the floor.
"Meow-meow!"
Meow-meow...
That was Helena's nickname for Kati from the carriage.
She'd cuddled, licked, and fussed over cat-form Kati the whole trip.
Thinking ahead, letting them bond seemed good, so I'd asked Kati to endure a bit...
Honestly, unsure...
As if anticipating trouble, Vivian rolled her eyes in distress.
Sweat beading too.
Even Mercy tensed this time.
The Holy Flame Church taught Demonkin as "heretics," so caution was needed.
But better to reveal upfront than hide and explain later.
"Know anything about Demonkin?"
"Demonkin?"
Helena pondered briefly, then answered innocently.
"Humans turned demonic, cause not fully understood yet!"
Spot on, just enough.
"Right. So..."
Worried or not, no dragging it out.
"Kati, show them."
Soon, the white kitten transformed into the maid with flowing silver hair.
"...Huh?"
Kati quietly removed her eyepatch, revealing her cat eyes.
"Meow... Ah."
"......"
A killing silence like in the carriage descended.
Helena stared blankly at Kati.
"Demonkin... Th-that meow, no, cat..."
She muttered like a broken machine, then shut her mouth.
"......"
At least no hostility or anger at her being Demonkin.
More shocked that her beloved baby kitten wasn't real.
"Ah... Um, sorry, on the way here..."
Helena spoke to Kati in a dazed voice.
Kati looked expressionless as usual, but slightly uncomfortable.
"Well, there it is. If you hate Demonkin, say so."
Won't send her away, though.
"No... More than that, um, just a sec..."
Helena sat on the bed, staring into space.
Slowly, her face flushed red.
Probably replaying what she'd done to Meow-meow (Kati).
For a moment, we all decided to give the blushing orange some alone time.