Chapter 68
Chapter 68
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 68
Chapter Title: I'm the Star of This Celebration Banquet!
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From the Empire's perspective, conquering a small duchy like that would have been a piece of cake if they set their minds to it.
However, there were complicated circumstances preventing that.
The duchy was founded by elf half-breeds, and their magical power surpassed anyone else's.
And that was not all.
A hundred years ago, they had been conscripted into the Empire's continental conquest war, fought valiantly alongside the Empire's allies, and secured their position as a neutral nation.
Though small in scale, they possessed excellent talent and abundant natural resources, making them impossible to dismiss lightly.
‘On top of that, Father holds great expectations for the Mickel Mine contract.’
The Crown Prince swallowed hard as he looked at Ambassador Heinrich.
The ore from the Mickel Mine—Mickel—was, in a word, a magic stone that amplified mana.
It was said that a mage wielding a magic stone could unleash over a hundred times their normal power.
The moment word spread that the Crown Prince had invited Ambassador Heinrich for the Mickel Mine contract, applications for positions as imperial court mages increased tenfold.
So even if Ambassador Heinrich did something displeasing, he had to put up with it for the time being.
Just as the Crown Prince's face began to twist, the carriage came to a timely stop.
“ Your Highness the Crown Prince, we've already arrived at the palace.”
***
Ambassador Heinrich stepped out of the carriage and scanned his surroundings with an uncomfortable expression.
No matter how he thought about it, the protesters he'd seen earlier nagged at him.
‘Those protesters—their ears looked oddly pointy somehow. Was it my imagination?’
Ducal folk could recognize each other at a glance.
Unlike typical continentals, they had elf blood mixed in, making their ears distinctly pointed.
‘But why would ducal folk be protesting in front of the Empire? That doesn't make sense.’
Ambassador Heinrich shook his head inwardly.
The duchy was a closed-off place to begin with, forbidding outside entry except in special cases.
Moreover, he had not the slightest intention of clashing with the Empire, especially the palace.
Remembering his plan to sell the magic stones from the Mickel Mine at the highest possible price and send ducal talents to study at the Empire's academy, he let a contrived smile play on his lips.
This deal was important for the Empire, but it was vital for the duchy as well.
Most crucially, for the advancement of the duchy's technology.
Yet when he entered the palace hall where the celebration banquet with the Crown Prince was underway, he found himself facing a suspicious situation.
The atmosphere in the ballroom, supposedly holding a banquet in his honor, was utterly frigid.
It was then, as the ambassador looked around the ballroom in bewilderment.
“Does this make any sense? Bringing a young lady from a family that hasn't even held her debutante ball into the ballroom!”
“It makes no sense at all. This is truly outrageous, ma'am.”
“The Mirmod family wasn't even invited to the celebration!”
The nobles were huddled against the walls, hurling criticism at the people in the center in a bizarre spectacle.
Moreover, the two at the receiving end of the scorn were a strikingly handsome man with a cold demeanor and a tiny child resembling an adorably prickly baby bird.
He had heard this was a ball held in honor of him, the ducal ambassador, yet the chaotic atmosphere was starting to make him uncomfortable.
Ambassador Heinrich glanced sideways and froze. He could see the Crown Prince grinding his teeth.
“Matthias Mirmod…….”
The Crown Prince showed no intention of even entering the ballroom. And not only that—he wasn't even glancing at the ambassador beside him. Heinrich cleared his throat a couple of times to draw attention.
“Is there some problem with the celebration banquet, Your Highness?”
Only then did the Crown Prince seem to grasp the mood, rearranging his expression as he whispered.
“No, nothing at all. Shall we go inside, Ambassador?”
***
To the Crown Prince's regret, the atmosphere grew even more solemn the further they entered the ballroom.
Sien and Matthias were laughing happily, as if in their own little world.
The issue was that most people here were anti-Mirmod and pro-Crown Prince faction.
Since this was a palace celebration banquet with no expectation of Mirmod attendance, the princess—who had come out after quite some time—was leaning rigidly against the wall, covering her face and grumbling.
Ambassador Heinrich awkwardly leaned against the wall, trying to chat with the Crown Prince, when he muttered.
“The atmosphere is a bit…….”
For a diplomat, Heinrich was poor at hiding his emotions' fluctuations. He cautiously parted his lips, then closed them again. The Crown Prince barely managed a smile at the corner of his mouth as he muttered.
“Ah. The atmosphere is... good. Though an uninvited guest did show up.”
No matter that they were uninvited, it was the prestigious Mirmod family. Seeing the Crown Prince's face cloud with discomfort, Ambassador Heinrich deftly changed the subject.
“More than that, since it's a celebration, I'd like to enjoy it. The orchestra's performance is splendid.”
Mentioning the orchestra instantly brightened the Crown Prince's complexion.
“Aren't you ducal folk heirs to elf blood? I wouldn't expect you to match the elves' beauty in performance, but my sister the princess put a lot of effort into arranging this banquet.”
“Her Highness the Princess must have deep knowledge of the arts?”
“Yes, indeed. Ambassador Heinrich, would you like to converse with my sister the princess?”
“Oh, that sounds wonderful. As subjects of the duchy inheriting elf blood, we all can't help but love artists and artisans.”
The Crown Prince nodded toward the princess, who had been standing silently against the wall. She occasionally twitched her hands spasmodically, but to Heinrich, it didn't seem too severe.
She gradually regained her enjoyment as they discussed matters related to him and the orchestra.
“Count Yoter is here as well.”
“Pleased to meet you, Ambassador Heinrich.”
“Happy to meet you, Count Yoter.”
The Count Yoter introduced by the Crown Prince this time was a dignified gentleman in his fifties with a stylish mustache.
His eyes had a slick, oily glint. But merchants running trading companies often had such sharp gazes, so Heinrich brushed it off lightly.
More than that, he assumed there was a specific reason the Crown Prince was introducing Count Yoter.
Sure enough, the Crown Prince patted Count Yoter's shoulder and continued.
“Count Yoter here is one of my close aides.”
“Oh, is that so.”
“He's also a dear friend of mine. Once the Mickel Mine contract is sealed, this fellow will take a share of the magic stones.”
At the words “magic stones,” Count Yoter's eyes gleamed with desire. Instinctively repelled, Heinrich awkwardly lifted the corner of his mouth and said.
“So, what exactly does Count Yoter do?”
It was then that Princess Anessa, who had been quietly present as if not there, quickly spoke up.
“Count Yoter also sells goods. Lately, he's been focusing on inspection kits.”
The princess's gaze turned toward the tiny lady in the center of the ballroom holding her father's hand. The Mirmod family, was it?
“He handles crop inspections too. Above all, he's building a paternity testing system for nobles and commoners alike to identify illegitimate children.”
“Oh, those are topics of great interest in our duchy as well. We've been researching paternity testing there too, but it's been at a standstill as far as I know. To think the Empire is implementing it first—your technological prowess is impressive.”
A painted-on smile appeared at the corner of the princess's mouth.
“Since there are those fake pretenders acting like the real thing.”
Count Yoter interjected.
“Haha, if we get the magic stones, we can implement paternity testing right away. We could even pay some royalties to the duchy.”
True to form for a ducal person who found any new technology fascinating, Ambassador Heinrich's eyes sparkled as he responded.
“Truly, the future looks promising.”
But even as he shared rosy visions with them, Ambassador Heinrich felt a strange sense of incongruity.
‘Somehow, it feels like the conversation is missing its core.’
Moreover, the princess's attitude was highly suspicious. She had been trembling at first, but the moment the Crown Prince introduced Count Yoter beside her and declared he would share magic stones with him, she seemed to regain a fully happy smile.
‘It's oddly strange.’
As he conversed while feeling this peculiar discomfort, the orchestra stopped.
And from afar came the pattering sound of someone running toward him energetically.
It was the ten-year-old child from earlier in the ballroom. The Mirmod daughter, right?
“I greet Your Highness the Crown Prince, light of the Empire! I am Sien Mirmod.”
The young lady behaved utterly wild, as if ignorant of etiquette.
Everyone present except the child-loving Ambassador Heinrich turned icy-faced.
But the ten-year-old lady, oblivious to it all, pulled a straight face and simply stared at the Crown Prince.
The Crown Prince reluctantly opened his mouth in response.
“Yes, I see the young lady of House Mirmod. What sudden business brings you here?”
Regrettably, even from the Crown Prince's position, publicly snubbing a ten-year-old child in the ballroom was no easy task.
Especially with a foreign ambassador at his side.
Though Sien Mirmod surely hadn't come knowing that fact.
The young Sien smiled innocently and clapped her hands lightly.
“I heard a foreign ambassador came, so I got curious and came to see!”
It was out of the blue, but childlike. Ambassador Heinrich, kind to children, whispered in a gentle tone without irking the Crown Prince.
“Ah, is that so?”
“Yes! Your ears are so cool!”
To the Empire's children, the elf-blooded ducal ears must seem wondrous. It would be their first time seeing them.
Ambassador Heinrich smiled nonchalantly, treating it as a child's curiosity.
“We ducal folk inherit elf blood, so our ears are generally pointy.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yes, that's right. Ears like mine—you're seeing them for the first time, yes?”
Sien tilted her head. As if beholding an incomprehensible puzzle.
“Hmm, that's weird…….”