Chapter 115: A Small After-Party and News from Lukart
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 115: A Small After-Party and News from Lukart
“Hwaaaa, I’m exhausted!”
Finally, Dakuren!
I’m back in Dakuren!
I only stayed at the Magic Tower for about a week, but so many headache-inducing things happened that all I want to do is bury myself in my bed and get some deep rest.
“Good work, everyone! You must be tired, right? I’ve arranged for food and lodgings at the Lord’s Castle, so eat and rest here today, then head home tomorrow.”
Rune was showing her leader-like side for once.
It was a rare sight—seeing her act pure and caring toward others, just like when we first met.
Hmm? Something feels off.
Maybe it’s because I’ve been watching her lately as she officially begins her lessons as the Great Lord’s successor. She’s become much more sensitive about who is ‘her person’ and who isn’t, and her tendency to exclude others has grown quite severe. Seeing her like this feels refreshing.
Still, she’s better than Narupa.
The wizardly temperament Narupa displayed at the Magic Tower wasn’t much different from what I usually see from her.
And that’s why it’s dangerous.
It’s become clear that Narupa has absolutely no interest in anyone outside her own family—which includes me.
While a part of me is happy because it proves her feelings for me are sincere, she’s certainly what you’d call a difficult wife to handle.
Whenever we’re alone, Narupa often vents her bitterness about how the old geezer and his wife pushed for Rune to be the first wife instead of her.
“I only stepped aside because it was Rune. If it were anyone else, I wouldn’t have allowed it.”
There are only two people Narupa ever yields to.
Rune and me.
I feel bad for Narupa, but I fully understand why the old geezer went to such lengths to make sure I met and bonded with Rune first.
It’s the logical choice.
Without the two ‘limiters’—Rune and me—Narupa is the type of person who would handle and recreate everything exactly as she pleased.
Still, she was the primary contributor to clearing the Magic Tower Dungeon, so I have to make sure she’s treated right.
The Rune Party, including the carriage driver Macherite, moved to the drawing room, where a literal feast had been laid out.
“Hey, hey, Oppa! The results of this research are…!”
Narupa sat next to me, chatting away about this and that.
Excited by the fact that she had me all to herself, Narupa was talking in a cute, childish voice, pulling out every little thing she could brag about.
“That’s amazing. If that goes well, what will you use it for?”
“Well, you see…!”
Looking at her like this, she seems like an innocent girl who just happened to grow up physically, but she’s utterly ruthless to anyone outside her circle.
Rune is the same way, but there’s a subtle difference.
The big difference is that Rune operates within the bounds of common sense, while Narupa operates by her own subtly twisted standards.
“Strictly speaking, we didn’t completely clear the Magic Tower. Will the Adventurer Guild headquarters acknowledge it?”
“I’ll be applying some pressure, so don’t you worry. It’s effectively cleared anyway, so it shouldn’t be difficult.”
“Those guys at headquarters are just puppets for the Kingdom and the Duchy. It’s annoying just thinking about how the Kingdom might stall because they don’t want to pay out the reward money.”
“Don’t worry about that either. That’s exactly why Count Dakuus took that woman in.”
Yarismal was still conversing while attending to Rune.
As the party leader and a member of the headquarters, they seemed to be discussing how the rewards would be handled and what the process would look like.
Pointing at Macherite, Yarismal stood up and approached with a bottle of whiskey.
Ah, that’s the liquor the old man treasures.
I thought it was for his private collection; did Rune just bring it out without asking?
“Are you enjoying yourself?”
“Y-Yes!”
“There’s no need to be so tense. We’re in the same boat now.”
As I was watching them, Narupa tapped my shoulder and gave me a look.
This is what’s scary about her.
She can be all clingy and acting spoiled one moment, then show incredible restraint the next when the situation calls for it. It’s an admirable level of self-control that I could never dream of having.
After giving Narupa a light kiss on the forehead, I walked over to the sofa where Macherite was.
“Your carriage-driving skills are definitely top-tier.”
“Ah, Lord Alto! It is an honor!”
“No need to be so formal. We used to see each other every day.”
“Heh… Yes… Yes…”
Oops.
I didn’t mean to, but I accidentally ended up sounding sarcastic about our time in Lukart.
“Come to think of it, how is Lukart these days? Even after we left, you were still in contact with them to hand over the carriage station, right, Macherite?”
“Yes, that is correct. I completed the handover just before we arrived at the Magic Tower.”
“I’m curious. Since Crown Prince Esante went there as my successor, it must be quite a sight.”
“Esante went there?”
When I reacted with surprise at the unexpected name, Yarismal smirked, while Macherite’s face turned grim.
“Do you know him?”
“That bastard is a war-maniac who can’t fight—a smart idiot.”
During the Final War, I saw him hanging around the old geezer multiple times because he idolized soldiers.
I mean, if you’re the Crown Prince, just be the Crown Prince. He didn’t even have a military rank, yet he’d throw fits about wanting to hold parades, wanting soldiers to salute him like an officer, and complaining about their drill formations.
“He’s a total moron.”
“You’re right. He is a moron.”
“When did you get here, Old Man?”
“I just finished up my work, you brat. Anyway, Esante… he doesn’t have the caliber of a leader or a ruler. He’s not even fit to be a decurion.”
Why is he just naturally appearing and joining in on bashing Esante?
However, he poured a glass of the incredibly expensive Duchy Macarau 30-Year-Old whiskey and handed it to me, so I decided to let it slide.
“You worked hard, Macherite.”
“Thank you!”
I made a point of pouring a glass for Macherite first.
Perhaps because the table was low, Macherite knelt on the floor and received it reverently with both hands.
She was perfectly disciplined.
Back in Lukart, she used to lounge on the sofa with her legs crossed, busy looking down on me and mocking me.
Damn, it’s making my blood boil a bit.
Yarismal said she gave her a thorough beating and put her through enough hardship, though.
“I heard you drove the carriage very well so that Lady Airune wouldn’t get motion sickness. You didn’t become a station manager for nothing. Our Hus always welcomes the influx of talented individuals like yourself.”
“Thank you, Count!”
Not to be outdone, Yarismal chimed in.
“Of course. Unlike that bitch who was the Lukart Adventurer Guild Branch Manager, she’s someone who was promoted based on skill alone. The bank manager there is quite capable too. It wasn’t for nothing that we singled out only that Branch Manager bitch to be executed as an example.”
“She was quite incompetent.”
“I appointed her subordinate as the new Branch Manager before I left, but I wonder if she’s doing well. O~hohohoho!”
“Huhahahaha!”
For some reason, they both had villainous laughs.
“I heard she is being bedded by the Crown Prince every night…”
“What? Is that true?”
I asked back before I could help myself.
“Yes. From the very first day he entered Lukart, regardless of whether they had lovers or not, every woman with beauty, charm, or talent was dragged to the Crown Prince’s bedroom.”
“He laid hands on women who already had men? Is that true?!”
Even the old man was shocked and sat up straight.
Everyone from Rune to Narupa and Diane approached the sofa with serious expressions.
“Tell us everything in detail. What exactly is the situation!”
Despite his grave tone, the old geezer was struggling to keep the corners of his mouth from twitching upward.
That old fox—he must be itching with excitement, thinking about how he can exploit the situation in Lukart.
“The son of a prominent figure in Lukart also had several women taken from him. When the men went to protest together, they were flogged and kicked out of the Crown Prince’s office.”
“Flogging men?”
“He claimed it was a crime of obstructing official business and the Royal Family’s efforts to sire a superior heir.”
“He certainly has a way with words. And that was it for Lukart? They didn’t rise up further?”
“That is…”
Macherite glanced at me instead of the old man, unable to continue.
I poured a full glass of whiskey and offered a toast.
“Ah, it’s hard to talk about such heavy stuff while sober. You need a drink. Come to think of it, we haven’t even had a toast for clearing the dungeon yet, have we? Everyone, raise your glasses! Let’s clink and do a shot!”
I’m not usually the type to lead the mood, but it felt like the right timing.
Fortunately, everyone responded well to me, and we toasted and drank.
In the process, Macherite closed her eyes tight and downed the strong whiskey in one go.
It was an on-the-rocks glass; was that okay?
“Fuuuuuuuu…”
After exhaling the hot, boozy breath, Macherite panted heavily.
“Lukart could do nothing.”
“Why on earth not?”
“Because… because…”
She pressed her hand to her forehead and gritted her teeth in agony before spitting out words that made everyone feel uneasy.
“The Crown Prince publicly rebuked them, asking how they—who stood by in silence while the women of Alto Bertrand, the No. 1 National Merit Recipient, were stolen and cheated on—could dare to discuss who a woman belongs to.”
The hand on her forehead slowly slid down to her eyes, becoming soaked with the tears that began to fall.
“Lukart is being stripped of 90% of its earnings as taxes, under the pretext of providing compensation to Lord Alto… Even in trade with other cities, they are being squeezed with unfair prices. Whenever they try to argue, people refuse to listen, calling them an ungrateful city that betrayed Lord Alto. A single loaf of bread the size of a fist costs ten thousand Dalk. It’s too expensive. They say anyone who tries to flee because they can’t endure it is beheaded, regardless of gender, and their head is put on public display as a warning. If someone starves to death, the person next to them must take on the deceased’s share of the taxes.”
It was shocking.
Setting aside what they did to me, it was simply too shocking.
“Lord Alto, we were wrong. We were wrong. Please, forgive us. Please… all of Lukart begs you. I beg you on their behalf. I followed Lady Yarismal out on that condition.”
Macherite knelt on the floor and kissed my shoes, pleading.
To think that Lukart, which was a booming city just a few months ago, had become a den of exploited paupers.
“Regrettably, our Hus hasn’t received a single cent of this so-called compensation for Alto. There’s no record of any deposit in the Dakuren Bank either. It seems the Royal Palace just filled its own belly.”
Even the old man looked pitying.
I silently took Diane’s trembling hand.
She looked like she was about to cry and avoided my gaze. It must be out of guilt.
I poured whiskey into Diane’s glass.
“I’ve forgiven Diane. She sincerely apologized to me and showed it through her actions over a long period of time.”
Then, I poured into Macherite’s glass as well.
“I’ll watch to see if I can forgive your Lukart as well. And…”
I poured into my own glass.
“I will also hold the Royal Palace accountable for ruining Lukart as they please, without my permission and against my wishes.”
I raised the glass.
“Thank you! Thank you! I will serve you with my life!”
“Do well, Macherite.”
After clinking glasses, I said,
“Lukart’s salvation depends on how you behave toward me.”
We all did a shot.