Chapter 176: A Tale of the Past, the Municipal Military Host Bar
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 176: A Tale of the Past, the Municipal Military Host Bar
“Captain. What is it that you want?”
These were the first words from Sephier, undeniably the wealthiest person in the Military State, after she had requested a private meeting with Abbey.
It was a sudden question, but Abbey, sitting stiffly, answered earnestly.
“Query. I do not understand the meaning of your words.”
“Ah, I'm asking what you wanted from my Master. What could it possibly be that would make him so devoted to helping you?”
Sephier spoke leisurely as she poured black tea into a cup. A sweet fragrance, originating from the flowing tea, spread throughout the small dining room. The gentle gurgle of the liquid swirling into the cup could be heard.
The captain answered hesitantly.
“…A marriage registration.”
Drip, drip.
The tea filled the cup and began to overflow. The captain said urgently.
“Seamless Cloths, the tea is overflowing.”
Sephier replied.
“No. I'm not flustered at all.”
“Negative. This one did not ask whether you were flustered. This one merely pointed out that the tea was overflowing.”
The stream of tea stopped not by Abbey's or Sephier's hand, but simply because the pot was empty. Sephier, her expression frozen, set the empty teapot back down.
“The marriage registration… My Master… he didn't agree to it, did he?”
Her voice was laced with a desperate hope for denial. However, Abbey neither read her hope nor had any intention of doing so. Abbey answered honestly.
“…He responded in the affirmative.”
Slam. A gloved hand struck the puddle of tea on the table. The tea splashed in all directions, scattering its sweet scent, but neither Abbey nor Sephier paid it any mind.
“Why?! Why would Master do that for you when you've barely known each other?!”
Taking this emotional outburst as a pure question, Abbey thought for a moment before replying.
“It is so that he may collect this one's death benefits, should this one die.”
“What?”
If the captain dies, he collects the benefits.
In other words, the captain's life was currently under threat.
Instantly grasping the situation, Sephier regarded the matter with a newfound calm. She settled back into her chair, from which she had half-risen, and tapped her fingers on the table.
“I see. So Master wasn't granting your wish, but… Hoo.”
Sephier narrowed her eyes, then clicked her tongue as she looked at Abbey, who sat there with such innocent eyes.
Truly foolish and vacant eyes, but Sephier had surely worn a similar expression herself once. Blaming Abbey would be hypocritical.
Sephier sighed softly and said.
“Captain, listen carefully. I'm telling you this for the sake of my Master's honor, but he didn't accept your proposal for the money.”
“…”
Abbey nodded. She had expected as much.
Seamless Cloths, the greatest holding company in the Military State. A mere fraction of this fortune would easily surpass the captain's death benefits. And Sephier had been willing to give him all of it, leaving only a fraction for herself.
“A master who refused my money, offered with no strings attached, would never agree to a marriage registration for such a paltry sum.”
“A paltry sum… you say. In that case. Why did he…”
Out of pity for me? Or because his heart was moved? Or perhaps, did he simply not refuse?
Or…?
Just as her imagination began to take flight, Sephier's voice pulled her back.
“It's hard to explain in a single sentence. Instead, I'll tell you a story that might help you understand my Master.”
Sephier handed the cup of tea to Abbey. As Abbey received the brimming cup with both hands, Sephier poured her own and made the offer.
“It's going to be a rather long story. Would you care to listen?”
Logically speaking, there was no need or reason for Abbey to listen. She had to go stop the Shadow's plot right away.
But a corner of her mind was piqued with curiosity.
Who was he?
What was his true identity?
Why would he accept her proposal when he clearly didn't need the money?
Besides, she was already at the home of Seamless Cloths. With the help of Seamless Cloths and the Weaver, she could probably suppress the situation more easily…
Deceiving herself with such thoughts.
Abbey couldn't contain her curiosity and nodded.
*
Six years ago, Amitengrad.
A dark-skinned man with thick sideburns stormed in, fuming. Named Peto, he was quite handsome if one ignored the sideburns, and even more appealing to those who didn't mind them.
In any case, the man whose sideburns were as impressive as his looks kicked open the door to the annex and shouted.
“Hughes, you bastard! Do your damn job right!”
“Ack.”
The man, who looked like a boy just out of secondary school or a young man who had just come of age, let out a small groan.
The young man called Hughes replied with a weary look.
“Ah, what's the problem? I did my job perfectly.”
A vein bulged on Peto's neck.
“Are you kidding me?! While you were gone, Madam Berencia was crying her eyes out, demanding to see you! Do you have any idea how hard it was to calm her down?!”
“Of course not. I wasn't there.”
“I'll bet you weren't!”
It couldn't be helped. He was just a substitute. Unlike Peto, who had to show up for work every day, Hughes only made an appearance every now and then when he had free time.
But that was what had caused this whole mess.
After taking a deep breath, Peto spoke with a serious tone.
“Alright, let me remind you. Who are we?”
“A host bar.”
Peto yelled at Hughes's immediate reply.
“Public Affairs soldiers, you bastard! Public Affairs soldiers! We are Public Affairs soldiers! Aren't we the Press Affair soldiers who take care of the families left behind so they don't worry while our loyal soldiers work hard in distant lands for the peace of this nation?!”
“Yes, that's right. Our main job is to console the lonely wives whose husbands have been sent to faraway posts.”
Peto, thoroughly agitated, shouted.
“Hey!”
“What.”
Peto paused, searching for a rebuttal. In other words, he had to rack his brain to refute what Hughes had said.
Press Affair soldiers. They were the ones who assisted with the family matters and events of high-ranking officers, helping them maintain a stable home life.
In short, their main duty was to please the officers' wives.
After much thought, Peto spat out a lame excuse.
“It's not just about consoling the wives! We look after the children too!”
“So basically, we're housekeepers for high-ranking officers. With a side of host bar.”
“Watch your mouth! Even if it's true, there are things you should and shouldn't say out loud!”
Just then, a sound came from outside. Startled, Peto lowered his voice and said to Hughes.
“Madam Berencia is the wife of Lieutenant Colonel Berencia, a key figure in the military. Are you confident you'll survive a visit from an enraged Lieutenant Colonel?”
“Nope.”
“Then you should have done a better job!”
“I tried my best. I was so careful in my conversations to avoid causing any unnecessary scandals.”
Hughes grumbled. Peto, who had witnessed his efforts firsthand, fell silent.
Lieutenant Colonel Berencia was a strict officer with a magnificent mustache, but he was gentle only with his wife. Having been spoiled by him throughout their marriage, Mrs. Berencia had become even more fastidious than her husband.
When they were together, they were a perfect, lovey-dovey couple, but when the Lieutenant Colonel was transferred elsewhere, a crack appeared in that perfection.
Both were anxious about the other's absence, but neither the Lieutenant Colonel nor his wife wanted her, a beautiful woman, to be near the front lines.
Left alone in the capital, the wife stormed the Department of Veterans’ Affairs every day, throwing hysterical fits. The Public Affairs soldiers, unable to either seduce or reject her, could only endure the torment and pray for the Lieutenant Colonel's transfer to end…
It was then that Hughes, fresh from secondary school and newly arrived in the capital, appeared like a comet and calmed the wife down.
Recalling the day he first brought him here, Peto slapped his forehead and muttered.
“Seriously, you should be glad you're so young. If you didn't have that boyish look, Madam Berencia would have seen you as a man, not a son.”
“It's not fortunate, it's unfortunate. If my looks weren't so boyish as to prick their faint consciences, I would have received far more gifts.”
“You wouldn't be working here then! Know your place. You're nothing more than a pinpoint solution for Madam Berencia!”
“What are you going to do if I apply for the Public Affairs Corps after I finish my citizen registration? Reject me? Talent like me?”
“You…!”
The two of them were always bickering, but the times Peto had won could be counted on one hand. Peto muttered.
“…One day, that mouth of yours is going to get you into some serious trouble.”
“Don't curse me just because you can't win with words, Senior.”
“I'm ending it with a curse because I can't win with words!”
Still, the result itself wasn't bad. Mrs. Berencia was now a regular at the host bar, and despite having no children of her own, her maternal instincts had awakened. Their marital bliss would probably be even greater when the Lieutenant Colonel returned.
Her obsession with Hughes… time would take care of that. Probably.
Sighing, Peto got lost in memories and muttered.
“Still, this is much better, ending in an affair at worst. Back in the days when knights ran rampant… Ugh. Let's not even talk about it.”
Hughes replied as if he'd just remembered something.
“Ah. Speaking of which, I heard you used to be a midong [a pretty boy page], Senior.”
“Aaargh! Watch your mouth! Just thinking about those days gives me the creeps!”
During the kingdom era, a knight's marriage was a type of contract.
It was akin to a blood oath to protect each other with all their might, a way to ensure the family's strength for generations, even if one's own martial prowess was great and their children turned out weak.
Therefore, mutual chastity and a clean line of succession were essential. Of course, that was bullshit and never actually followed, but they had to keep up appearances.
Perhaps that was why. At some point, knights began to keep midong.
“Wow. To think the Senior who was once a midong turned out like this. Time is a scary thing.”
“Say one more word!”
Hughes sneered at the former midong. Peto trembled.
“They called us midong, but in reality…! Ugh. What would have happened if the country hadn't been overthrown? It gives me goosebumps just thinking about it!”
During the kingdom era, Peto was a commoner-born squire.
A commoner-born squire? A squire in name only; in reality, he was no different from a slave who attended to a knight's every need. An emotional punching bag who would be the first to die if his master got drunk and started swinging his sword around.
Peto, who was particularly beautiful among them, was soon scheduled to be promoted from squire to midong.
If not for the coup d'état.
“Long live the Military State…! I pledge my eternal loyalty!”
Overcome with a sudden surge of loyalty, Peto saluted the flag of the Military State, then clenched his fists and glared at Hughes.
“Stop trying to guess the other person's boundaries and stick to your own. What makes you think you know enough to keep accommodating them? You're not a prophet or a mind reader.”
At this, Hughes's smile deepened. Peto took it as a reaction to the joke and continued speaking.
“It might have worked with Mrs. Berencia, but you can't do that with the other wives. They might become overly obsessed with you.”
“Isn't that a good thing? I'd probably get a lot of presents.”
“If you consider the cold touch of a blade piercing your body a gift, then yes, you'll receive them in abundance.”
“Speaking from your midong experience?”
“Hiiik.”
Peto shuddered, his face twisting into a vicious scowl as he glared at Hughes. Hughes just kept smiling, his expression full of confidence and mischief.
He really needed a good scolding to come to his senses, but the problem was he might end up at his own funeral before that happened. The kid had a talent for it. Peto shook his head.
“This won't do. You're on child-minding duty for the time being.”
“What? Are you demoting me out of personal feelings?”
“Yeah. If you don't like it, you can be the senior.”
Peto pulled rank on him.
They left the annex and entered the reception room, which had a long bar and small tables. Young men dressed in the most ornate and flamboyant of uniforms were entertaining visitors with charming, practiced smiles.
It was a scene that looked for all the world like it belonged in a host bar.
Meanwhile, another host—er, Public Affairs soldier—who had been struggling on his own, brightened up when he saw them emerge.
“Peto! Hughes! Perfect timing. Take care of this kid for me!”
“The person in charge should handle it. Why are you passing the buck?”
Peto started to stride over, but then remembered something and gestured to Hughes with his chin. Hughes nodded and stepped forward to attend to the girl.
She was a young girl with blue hair, dressed in expensive clothes. The little girl, who looked young enough to have not yet graduated from secondary citizen school, met Hughes's gaze boldly.
“What brings you here, little lady?”
Hughes asked, and the girl replied.
“I came because I heard I could get help here.”
Hughes didn't ask any more questions. Instead, he simply studied the girl's expression with a strange look on his face. The girl met his gaze without a change in her own expression.
As the silent standoff continued, an anxious Peto nudged Hughes with his knee.
“Hey, Hughes. I know you're in a tough spot, but you can't just keep staring…”
Still, Hughes didn't move. Finally, Peto spoke to the girl in Hughes's stead.
“Little one. What's your name?”
The girl whipped her head around. Her clear, bright voice echoed through the reception room.
“Sephier Bakiya!”
“Sephier Bakiya?”
Several people reacted to the name. The surname Bakiya was one of the few famous ones left in the Military State, where inheritance had been abolished.
“Bakiya, as in Seamless Cloths?”
“Yes! The 2nd Seamless Cloth, Danphir Bakiya, is my grandmother!”
Peto groaned.
Bakiya.
Patron and closest friend to the soldiers. The wealthiest person in the Military State.
Though still young, she was the heir who would soon inherit the title of Seamless Cloths. A big shot in her own right.
Peto had met plenty of children and plenty of big shots, but this was his first time meeting a child big shot, and he was at a loss. It was only thanks to his strong sense of professional duty that he continued to speak.
“Welcome, Miss Bakiya. What kind of help do you require?”
The girl shouted in her clear voice, loud enough for everyone in the room to hear.
“Make me the heir to the company!”