Chapter 21: The Grand Social Gathering (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 21: The Grand Social Gathering (1)
Alon already had a fair idea of why the nobles were so openly disregarding him.
‘It’s because all those false rumors have finally died down.’
Until now, the nobles had feared Alon because they believed he was the mastermind who, along with Leo, had dismantled Avalon—the organization that once controlled the massive underworld of the East—in a single stroke.
However, the nobles no longer saw Alon as a mastermind.
It was because he had done absolutely nothing in the years since becoming the Count.
Historically, the Palatio family had been a den of notorious scoundrels since his grandfather’s time, and there had never been a moment when they didn't exert influence over the underworld. Though their methods varied by era, it was always the Palatio family that held the reins of the Eastern underworld.
But since Alon became the Count, the Palatio family had ceased all involvement in those dark circles.
As a result, the Eastern underworld was currently fractured, torn apart by packs of jackals who had previously been scavenging for crumbs outside the Palatio family's territory.
Furthermore, the Palatio family’s actual power—their political influence—was also waning, which was only natural.
Until now, the family's authority had been largely built on the vast wealth procured from the underworld. But since Alon took over, he had stopped throwing money around to maintain that power.
The life he desired wasn't to be a flashy, successful tycoon of the underworld; he simply wanted the affluent, peaceful daily life afforded to a nobleman.
In other words, he had already achieved his goal.
However, by completely withdrawing from the underworld, rumors naturally began to circulate among the nobility. Whispers suggested that perhaps the current Count Palatio wasn't some hidden mastermind, but had simply stumbled into his title by sheer luck.
As time passed and Alon continued to do nothing, those rumors were accepted as fact.
Eventually, Alon’s reputation was downgraded from "the mastermind of the Count's family" to "a clueless brat who got lucky."
Of course, a few nobles remained suspicious, but even they were gradually swaying toward the prevailing rumors. Logically, it made no sense for Alon to possess the power to destroy Avalon overnight and then never use that power again.
At any rate, Alon had expected this kind of treatment, but he hadn't expected them to go out of their way to come over and mock him.
“……”
Alon looked up at the two nobles, both of whom had remarkably mean-spirited faces.
He didn't recognize them personally. However, looking at the crests on their carriages, it wasn't hard to identify one as belonging to the Count Craild family and the other to the Count Edorn family.
‘They look old enough to know better. Isn't this a bit childish?’
Alon let out a hollow laugh, noting their weathered faces. But he soon realized why these two had bothered to cross over just to hurl insults.
‘…I see. This is a victims' support group.’
The Palatio family had been a family of scoundrels, but they were also a family with immense power in the underworld. Naturally, they had occasionally granted favors to neighboring families, but more often than not, they had exploited them beyond measure.
The Count Craild and Count Edorn families had been the primary targets of that exploitation.
To summarize the current situation: the families who had been bullied by the Palatio family in the past were now venting their long-held resentment on Alon.
Of course, the ones who had actually exploited them were Alon’s older brother, Leo, or the previous Count Palatio. Alon himself had given them no reason for such mockery.
But to the two nobles currently jeering at him, the important thing wasn't that he was Alon—it was that he was the Count of Palatio.
“I suppose all those underworld forces disappeared because you were too incompetent to manage them?”
“It looks like you haven't even maintained your carriage properly. Shall I lend you some money?”
The two Counts were trying their hardest to get under Alon’s skin, acting like the anonymous trolls one might find on an internet community.
“Hmm.”
This is getting a bit annoying, Alon thought, but he decided to follow reason over instinct.
If he fought them now, he could easily slaughter—well, maybe not slaughter, but certainly beat them to a pulp. However, that would only make things complicated. From the moment he fought with fellow nobles, he would likely be forced to leave the group and travel alone.
That would only invite unnecessary trouble from bandits. Since falling for their provocation was exactly what they wanted, Alon chose to ignore them.
‘There’s no need to play along with these childish games.’
He wasn't foolish enough to walk into a trap that was being laid out so blatantly.
That evening, Alon ate two ears of corn, using the bickering of the Counts as background music.
‘This is good.’
Roasted corn tasted wonderful in the slightly chilly weather.
‘It would have been better with butter,’ Alon thought idly, staring up at the moonlit sky.
* * *
The uncomfortable cohabitation continued for several days.
Every evening, Count Craild and Count Edorn would crawl out to spit insults, and every time, Alon ignored them as if they were nothing more than a minor nuisance.
The one who ignores versus the one who tries desperately to be noticed through mockery. Naturally, the one who ignores always wins.
Having deeply internalized the special wisdom of "Don't feed the trolls"—a lesson learned from certain online communities—there was no one here who could best him.
Of course, as this continued for days, other nobles began to snicker at Alon for remaining silent under such ridicule, whispering that he lacked the dignity of a nobleman.
However, Count Craild and Count Edorn, the ones actually doing the mocking, weren't feeling particularly triumphant.
“…Damn brat.”
“Unbelievable…”
Count Craild frowned as he watched Alon in the distance. It didn't feel good to be ignored when you were trying to provoke someone.
But their foul moods were short-lived as they lowered their voices to converse.
“Did you check?”
“I did. It seems there really are no additional guards attached to him.”
The real reason Count Craild and Count Edorn had been so blatant with their mockery wasn't just to vent their anger; it was to investigate his security.
“…I checked secretly with an artifact, and there was nothing. It’s just that clueless brat and that rogue knight who dares to eat at the same table as a noble.”
“Then the rumors are true.”
“It seems certain. If he had any forces left, he wouldn't be traveling alone like this.”
“Then we can proceed with the plan.”
The reason the two Counts had been investigating Alon was to facilitate their own entry into the underworld.
They knew that Alon didn't care about the underworld at all, which was why all sorts of jackals were currently swarming the area. While Alon’s lack of power was practically common knowledge, they wanted to be absolutely sure after years of being tormented by the Palatio family.
They wanted to confirm that Alon truly had nothing left.
Having confirmed over several days that Alon had no hidden protection, smiles finally spread across their faces.
“The Holy Spirit smiles upon us.”
“Indeed. To think we would finally be able to set foot in the underworld…”
While most nobles avoided the underworld, these two were different. Having served as lackeys for the Palatio family, they knew that the amount of money circulating there was astronomical. They already knew how sweet the power tasted.
Excited by the fact that the Palatio family had become an empty shell, they spoke as if they had already devoured the underworld. In reality, if the two of them joined forces, taking over the underworld wasn't impossible. The only reason they hadn't stepped in before wasn't a lack of strength, but because they were terrified of Count Palatio.
After talking for a long while, the two turned their gaze back toward Alon.
“…Once we take over the ‘backside,’ shouldn't we give that fellow a gift?”
“That’s a wonderful idea. There’s a limit to how much one should ignore others.”
“It’s all because he doesn't know how scary the world can be. We can teach him.”
“Count Craild, you are truly a man of character.”
The two Counts, wearing oily smiles that were far from noble, were certain that their time was coming. But just as they were about to finish their private conversation and rejoin the camp where the other nobles were gathered—
“Monsters!”
The incident happened suddenly.
Taking advantage of the dark night, monsters appeared. They had been lying in ambush like humans, making no sound until a soldier accidentally spotted them. At his cry, monstrous shrieks began to echo from within the forest as if they had been waiting for the signal.
Immediately, mercenaries and knights drew their weapons to protect the nobles.
And then.
“Mage, give us some light—!”
One noble had brought along a mage from his territory just to show off for this Grand Social Gathering gathering. In response to the knight’s command, the mage sent a sphere of light into the sky.
“───”
The mercenaries and knights, who had been shouting just a moment ago, all fell silent at once.
As soon as the mage’s light illuminated the dark forest, they saw Goblins.
Goblins were common in the woods and possessed the strength of a mere child. Unless a mercenary was a complete novice, they were easy to handle. Strictly speaking, they weren't dangerous monsters. Their rusted swords and bows were a threat, but not a major one to seasoned mercenaries and knights.
Goblins only became a nuisance when they were numerous, but even then, a few dozen could be driven off without much trouble.
However.
“…Crazy…”
If the number was so great that they covered the entire forest facing them, it was a different story. It was a definite threat to the knights and mercenaries.
Furthermore, what added to the knights' tension was that the Goblins appearing before them were far from ordinary.
“…What on earth are those?”
The knight’s voice was laced with doubt and fear. He was staring at the Goblins, but their appearance was hideously deformed. Purple crystals were growing all over their bodies, including their heads.
It looked like a plague.
And that wasn't all.
“Holy shit—is that Mark?”
Among the swarm of Goblins, the corpse of a seasoned mercenary who had been assigned to scout the perimeter was being greedily devoured.
“Grrr—”
When the mercenaries saw Mark’s body being held in the oversized hand of a bloated Goblin—
“N-no way…”
They all felt a creeping dread. Mark was an experienced mercenary who could normally take down dozens of Goblins on his own. The fact that he had been killed without even being able to sound the alarm about this massive horde meant one thing to the mercenaries.
The mutated Goblins before them were absolutely not normal.
The knights gripping their weapons alongside the mercenaries also realized that this was a dire situation. Even if they were just regular Goblins, a swarm of hundreds was a very disadvantageous fight for the knights.
Individually they were strong, but they had nobles to protect. Goblins possessed a cunning intelligence that would allow them to exploit that weakness easily.
Moreover, while the mercenaries were paralyzed by the Goblins' appearance and their comrade's death, the knights, who could use mana, perceived something more clearly.
They could sense that the Goblins before them were clearly harboring mana within their bodies. They knew that even a small amount of mana would significantly enhance a monster's physical capabilities.
Just as the knights' faces paled as the Goblins prepared to charge with grotesque cries—
Rumble—!
In the very center of the Goblin horde, a wall made of stone and gravel surged upward.
All eyes turned toward it instantly.
The mage who had cast the light realized that the rising wall was the 3rd Tier magic, ‘Rock Wall.’
Wuuuung—!
A translucent film formed outside that wall. It was the 2nd Tier ‘Shield.’
The knights' expressions shifted from despair to confusion. Just as the Goblins' hostile gazes focused entirely on the wall—
“Reinforcement.”
A calm voice rang out.
And then.
“Compression.”
Creeeeeak—!
The translucent sphere instantly shrank, crushing the stone wall as it condensed.
Tap. Tap.
The sound of footsteps in the silence drew the eyes of the knights and mercenaries. A man was walking toward them. He moved with an indifferent expression, as if he felt nothing even in this emergency.
The nobles and knights easily recognized him as Count Palatio.
“Vacuum.”
As his mouth opened once more, the round sphere of the Shield changed shape, becoming jagged and uneven, like a boulder the size of a soccer ball.
And finally.
“Return to Origin.”
With Alon’s final words, the bracelet on his wrist began to emit a faint gray light.
BOOM—!!!!
The compressed gravel exploded outward like a shotgun blast, shredding dozens of Goblins into pieces.
It happened in an instant.
The nobles, knights, and mercenaries stood with their mouths agape as they watched dozens of mana-infused Goblins turn into piles of meat in a heartbeat.
Among them, Count Craild and Count Edorn’s eyes were wide enough to tear.
Alon, who had suddenly become the center of everyone's attention, looked forward and muttered calmly.
“Don't just stand there. Get ready.”
…As if possessed, the knights and mercenaries raised their swords. The fear that had been spreading through their hearts had vanished as if it had never existed.