Chapter 104: Hunting Tournament (5)
Chapter 104: Hunting Tournament (5)
So Cruel had refused the countship, and in the end, the title had passed to some collateral-branch nobody he'd never even heard of.
'So there was a collateral branch after all. If I, the direct line, didn't even know about them, they must practically be strangers.'
They'd managed to become head of the house, impressively enough.
Well, it wasn't entirely unexpected. On paper, House Hart had been 'annihilated,' but with two direct-line members bearing the Hart name still alive, they couldn't exactly be struck from the noble genealogy. And since not all the vassals had been killed 'back then,' there was plenty of room to rebuild if they'd wanted to.
......But could this really be called 'rebuilding'?
Laughter escaped me. My expression right now was probably one side of my mouth curled up as far as it would go. The collateral branch fool, stuttering about how dare I mock him while puffing up his pride, didn't even register in my sight.
I folded my eyes into a smile and offered words laced with genuine sincerity.
"Well, well."
"......."
"Congratulations."
Even without a title, the Empire's official Heroes were fundamentally respected. They operated in an entirely different sphere and couldn't be directly compared to any specific title, but the fact that the Emperor took personal interest in them, cherished them, and regularly provided maintenance funds said it all.
And to openly, carelessly disrespect such a Hero? That was stupidity, no two ways about it.
There was no way this moron had climbed into the house head's seat on his own. More likely, the greedy vassals of House Hart had deliberately installed a moron who was easy to acquire and easy to handle.
That was why I'd laughed.
At the sight of House Hart crumbling like this.
It was utterly satisfying.
***
"Why some mere honorary count gets called a 'Count'...... tch."
The moment those words were heard, the nobles drew quiet breaths. They couldn't fathom why he was deliberately picking a fight with that man. Did he even realize he was inviting disaster upon himself?
Why would 'Honorary Count Hart' be called 'Count Hart'? Was it not out of respect?
The fact that the title 'Honorary Count' was too long to say was the secondary reason.
Deon Hart was a Hero of the Empire, the Emperor's favored blade, and a Frontier Count whose territory bordered the Boundary Line. Those reasons were enough.
The nobles, having no desire to insistently call him 'Honorary Count' and risk irking a man who bore all manner of terrifying epithets, had called Deon Hart 'the Count' without any particular complaint.
"Who is that man?"
"Someone who's been seen in social circles often lately...... I'm not sure, I haven't paid him any attention."
"Well...... judging by his behavior, he's so vulgar I've no wish to pay him attention. Is he some rural noble from the provinces?"
"Who knows. Whoever he is, he's a fool. Does he want to see blood that badly?"
His opponent was the master of the Murderers, the Vampire Count.
Feigning disinterest, the eyes and ears of the nobility were drawn to the minor disturbance.
Deon Hart, who had been quietly observing the arrogant man without flinching at the sudden provocation, posed a question in a low voice. At that question asking his identity, the status of the man no one had cared about was revealed.
[The 'real' Count Hart.]
Only then did the nobles grasp the unfolding situation.
The direct-line members of the Hart Countdom, Cruel Hart and Deon Hart, had no interest in the family, so a collateral branch had taken the seat.
'Good heavens.'
'The fact that this fool became the house head means the vassals are in league with him as well.'
'Even if he wanted to reclaim the seat, irritated by that paltry man running wild...... doing so now would be.......'
Quite the path of hardship.
Interest gleamed in their eyes.
How would that brutal Hero react? Would he get angry? Or would he go further, willingly walk that path of hardship, and try to seize the position? Or maybe he'd even draw his sword.
But contrary to expectations, Deon Hart did not get angry. He simply folded his eyes as if amused, smiled brightly, and said:
"Well, well."
"......."
"Congratulations."
It was an attitude that openly and clearly displayed his dismissal.
The face of the 'real' Count Hart flushed red and blue in turns. He had been striding forward as if ready to burst into rage at any moment, but soon after seeing something, he turned white as a sheet and faltered back.
"You... that......."
"......?"
The nobles watching the situation exchanged puzzled glances.
Deon Hart didn't seem to have done anything yet, but the finger pointing at him was trembling violently.
The momentum of the insolent noble who had been rising, knowing no bounds, died instantly. His eyes trembled ceaselessly, and the moment Deon Hart took one step closer, he spun around and vanished in a hasty dash.
A chilly silence flowed.
"......What was that?"
"Could Honorary Count Hart have done something?"
"But he didn't do anything."
"Perhaps...... he was overwhelmed by his presence? There is such a thing as the heroic spirit of one who roamed battlefields."
"Ah, that seems right. To chase off an opponent with presence alone, as expected......."
So engrossed were they in their own speculations that they pushed Deon Hart out of their field of vision, and thus they failed to see.
They failed to see Deon Hart casually flick a bug off his shoulder. And shudder, muttering something under his breath.
***
"Ugh, disgusting. How can a bug be this big?"
Thanks to my war experience, I'm immune to bugs, but I'm not so strong-stomached as to walk around with this thing on my shoulder.
Inwardly giving thanks to the bastard who'd picked a fight with me, I dusted my shoulder off once more.
'Come to think of it, that guy seemed to be planning to participate in the hunting competition too...... think he'll manage?'
With that kind of mentality?
His face, which had gone pale at a single bug, came to mind.
He seemed to have been raised quite delicately. And a guy like that was going to hunt monsters?
Sure, the area had been cleaned once, and these were monsters weak enough to be pushed from the Demon Realm all the way to the human world, but they were still monsters. There was no way a punk like that could catch them easily.
'......Well, it's not my concern. If he dies, he dies.'
The thought cut off there. At the announcement that His Highness the Crown Prince had words to deliver, I fixed my gaze on the platform.
Amidst the bowing nobles, the Crown Prince walked gracefully up onto the platform. Soon, the words to raise their heads fell.
.......
Couldn't they just start the competition already.......
I scanned the scene unfolding before me with eyes like a rotten pollack. A pink-tinted, fervent atmosphere wafted from every direction.
"Lady Rien."
"Yes, my lord."
"Your lord is heading into the competition, and you haven't a single handkerchief for me?"
"Indeed. I do not doubt for a moment that my lord will claim victory even without such a thing."
Uh, right.......
The words 'even without such a thing' stabbed me right in the chest...... but thanks anyway.......
"What about the mad dogs... no, the knight order bastards?"
"Would we have such a thing?"
"Even if we did, we couldn't give it to you. We don't want to invite unnecessary misunderstandings."
Damn it. All of you, get lost.
I gestured for the knights to leave and leaned against a secluded wall out of their line of sight. Eight minutes left until the start of the competition. It felt like it was going to be the longest eight minutes in the world.
As expected of those in power, what seemed like it would be a long speech from the Crown Prince ended shortly. Something along the lines of hoping everyone would enjoy themselves without major injuries, or something like that.
'He's young, so he's got good sense. The shorter the speech, the better.'
The problem was what followed.
Ten minutes to give a ribbon or handkerchief to your lover, family, or close friend!
The sound of high-pitched laughter, like a skylark chirping, rang out. The sound of brief kisses being exchanged could be heard too. Oh-ho? Over there, they're outright kissing and making a scene?
'Fuck.'
A ribbon for a beloved, someone you loved as a romantic partner. A handkerchief for someone you wished a safe return for, without such feelings, in a plain and unadorned manner.
The only reason there wasn't a single sense of incongruity in handkerchiefs being exchanged at a hunting competition, just as they would be when marching off to war, was because the people involved were nobles of the Empire forged under the tyrant Emperor. Originally, monster hunting was a dangerous undertaking that required risking one's life.
Of course, while everyone else received handkerchiefs, I got none.
"I want to go home......."
"You cannot."
I know, I know. I've heard it enough. His Majesty is coming, so I can't slip out in the middle. Yeah, that's it. Which is exactly why I wanted to go home.
A meeting with the Emperor. The audience that would follow. And the war-fever thickening in the air.
'.......'
I rolled my eyes around.
I could predict to some degree what the Emperor would say when he faced me directly. And that it would be a command that would put me in a difficult position.
Not a war with another kingdom, but a war of the human realm...... no, the Empire, versus the Demon Realm.
'He knows everything.'
I clicked my tongue quietly.
"As expected, I should resign...."
"Pardon?! You're resigning because you didn't get a handkerchief?!"
"No. That's not it, so please keep your voice down."
I hated war. I had no desire to participate either. Especially this war, all the more so because it was a war against the Demon Realm.
......No, let's scratch the words 'especially' and 'all the more so.'
'Claiming that I'm afraid my back will get broken in a fight between whales is just an excuse.'
The truth was, I just hadn't escaped the nightmares of war yet.
The weight of the bag slung over my shoulder registered anew. I lifted my gaze, which had been fixed on the floor, and faced Rien.
"Lady Rien."
"Yes, my lord."
"Did you...... participate in the Eight-Year War?"
"Pardon?"
At the sudden question, a baffled voice returned, but only for a moment.
"No. It was my elder brother who participated in the Eight-Year War."
"I see. Then if another great war were to break out, would Lady Rien's elder brother be called to participate again?"
While Lady Rien, as a knight, would participate separately in her own capacity?
The Emperor would absolutely love tha—.
"No. Absolutely not."
"?"
Rien's face as she said that was rigid and set.
"At that time, I was not yet a knight, so it could not be helped. But now, it is different."
"......."
"My elder brother will never again have cause to go to a battlefield."
"What......."
I hurriedly stopped myself from asking if there were some circumstances. This was the first time for this kind of situation.
Had I ever shown interest in Rien Rainer beyond professional matters?
To me, she was the competent parachute the Emperor had personally sent, a trainer of mad dogs, and a knight who was inflexible, rigid, and possessed a knightly spirit close to the textbook ideal.
My thoughts were quick.
'Don't ask.'
We might have somehow ended up in the relationship of lord and knight, but I barely had the wherewithal to look after myself; I had no room to spare attention on others.
There was no need to deliberately ask and learn about her private sphere.......
"My elder brother is of frail constitution."
"Ah......."
She didn't need to say it.
"Originally, I wanted to go to the Eight-Year War myself, but my parents cherished me too deeply, so my elder brother went in my stead. Even though I was better with the sword and had better stamina, they deliberately sent my frail brother......."
"......."
"That is why I became a knight. Because once I became a knight, my parents would not be able to object."
Since the very things they had put forth as reasons for their opposition would be shattered.
"So my elder brother will not participate in war. Because I am here."
"......That sounds very much like the story of someone I know."
Though the ending was different.
I turned my head sharply away. I could see people firmly checking their weapons and mounting their horses. I too climbed onto the horse Dan had led over.
The sweet time was over. Now, it was time for the hunting competition.