A Radiant Coming-of-Age Ceremony - 1
The star of the evening had arrived. The ceremony itself wouldn't begin immediately, but nobles from other regions were already starting to appear one after another.
“A pleasure to meet you, Lord Müller. I am...”
“Ah, I know who you are. Baron Troichen, correct? It’s been quite a while.”
“Oh? Have we met before?”
“Hahaha. Didn’t you visit Franz once? I saw you from a distance. Of course, we didn’t exchange proper greetings at the time.”
“Ah…! That occasion. It’s been over ten years, yet you still remember.”
I didn’t actually remember any of it, but between the list sent from Franz and Chloe whispering names into my ear, I could flatter each guest just enough while greeting them. And I wasn’t the only one doing it.
“Oh, Miss Müller. It’s been ages. You look well.”
“Yes, it’s good to see you, Viscount Couleto. It really has been a while.”
If I’d had to handle everyone alone it would have been exhausting, but fortunately Triana was here. She hadn’t formally inherited a title either, so her position was somewhat ambiguous, yet she still carried the blood of a proper noble house. That gave her the right to stand here and greet the guests.
Of course, this only worked with the southern nobles we’d known for years. Take this next example.
“Hmph. All that pointless sparkle. Nothing but a pretty magic stone with nothing inside.”
What was that supposed to mean? All show and no substance?
A middle-aged man who practically screamed corrupt noble came strutting forward with an arrogant air. Who the hell was this guy?
“It appears to be Count Voltron from the capital.”
When I fixed him with a steady gaze, Chloe whispered the answer at my side. Ah, right. I had sent him an invitation. He held no land, but he managed numerous businesses and was known as a man of considerable wealth. How annoying.
“Hmph. Coming all the way to this backwater hole just to hold a coming-of-age ceremony. Count Boreng must be suffering greatly because of his daughter.”
The grumbling that spilled from him as he walked slowly was nothing but complaints. The nobles nearby were already discreetly making space. No matter what they thought privately, saying such things openly was a breach of etiquette. More than that, the divide between southern nobles and those from the capital played a part. If Triana stepped forward now, it definitely wouldn’t end well.
“Welcome, Count Voltron. Thank you for traveling such a long way.”
“Hmm. Lord Müller? Charmed.”
The blatant informal tone made our retainers flinch. It was clearly rude. In this world, the power of a noble who held territory carried real weight. Naturally there were exceptions like Duke Asrain—families who remained powerful without land—but this was an obvious breach of manners. Not only our people but the surrounding nobles frowned openly. No one enjoyed watching a capital noble behave this way.
The southern nobles who had been carefully probing me through polite conversation instantly became my allies in that moment. It was reassuring.
“Well. There do seem to be quite a few things worth seeing, so I suppose I’ll look forward to it.”
“…Of course. There are plenty of sights that should satisfy even Your Lordship’s refined eye, so please do.”
“Hmm. Then guide me—”
“Zeke.”
I cut off Count Voltron’s words before he could finish speaking to me like a servant.
“Since our guest has no fixed residence and simply wanders from place to place, show him to a good room.”
“Wh-what?”
I smiled at the toad-like way he blinked, unable to process what I’d said.
“Treat it as your own home and rest comfortably.”
“Wh-what? What did you just say?”
Wanderer. It was the greatest insult you could give a titled noble without land. I would never normally use the word, but watching his face flush crimson was deeply satisfying. I smirked, then turned to the elderly man standing just behind him. Oh, I remembered this one.
“Oho. Marquis Greenuch. It’s been a long time.”
“Hahaha. A pleasure, Lord Müller. The last time I saw you, you were merely a young boy. To think you’ve grown into such a dependable man. You remind me of the previous Lord Franz.”
“Hahaha. To be compared to someone like yourself is still far too high a compliment. I will do everything in my power not to tarnish his honor.”
An elderly noble who seemed to embody the very word “gentleman.” Moreover, although he belonged to the capital, he maintained wide connections with nobles from every region. Most importantly—
“I bring a letter from the palace.”
“…You’ve gone to great trouble.”
The palace—more precisely, a noble who frequently acted as an envoy for the royal family. Every eye in the room snapped toward us at once.
“You— You, you, you!”
“You’re still here? You must be tired. Zeke, escort him at once. I must attend to the Marquis.”
“Yes, understood, Count. This way.”
“You think you’ll get away with this—!”
“Ha.”
Heavy pressure bore down on the surroundings.
Golden light flickered in my eyes.
“Say that again, Count.”
“You— You, you, you!”
-Crack!
The floor around the Count began to splinter. He seemed to be resisting—perhaps because he was, after all, a Count—but while my own behavior wasn’t exactly polite, allowing someone to openly provoke me on my own land was far worse.
“You appear tired, so why don’t you retire for the evening?”
“Kuh… ugh!”
The way his flesh quivered was grotesque. Utterly unsightly. This was a capital noble?
Count Voltron shot a quick glance at Marquis Greenuch beside him, but the Marquis simply shook his head.
“J-just you wait… Lord Müller!”
“Hmm.”
Even so, as a Count he managed to take a few steps under the weight of my amplified gravity. Seeing that, I gently withdrew my power.
“Ugh!”
The Count staggered as normal gravity suddenly returned. He glared at me one final time before walking away.
“No matter the circumstances, that was excessive, Lord Müller.”
“My apologies, Marquis.”
I bowed my head at Marquis Greenuch’s gentle rebuke, delivered with a kind smile.
At that moment another noble approached from the side.
“That pig should learn to watch his tongue. It’s not as if he’s looking down on the entire South. Wouldn’t you agree?”
“Ah… Count Tot. You’ve arrived.”
A powerfully built man with tanned skin. Count Tot was one of the four Counts of the southern region. He had only recently received his title, so his station was technically a step above ours, but his rapid expansion of power lately had soured his relationship with the capital.
“I hesitate to say this in front of Marquis Greenuch, but the arrogance of the capital nobles these days is unbearable. They’re insufferably haughty.”
His booming voice filled the entire space. He glared as though stating the obvious, clearly intending for everyone present to hear. The nobles from other regions around us were nodding in agreement. Marquis Greenuch simply kept his eyes closed.
“Thank you for accepting the invitation, Count Tot.”
“Think nothing of it. I’m the sort who can only be satisfied after seeing a promising young hero like yourself with my own eyes, so pay it no mind. Ah, I won’t bother with formal speech just yet.”
I blinked. I’d heard he was direct, but this was even more straightforward than expected.
Count Tot laughed heartily and clapped a heavy hand on my shoulder.
“Now that I’ve seen you in person, I understand. If it looks like I’ll have to speak respectfully in the near future, it’s better to speak casually now and get it out of my system.”
“Ha, hahaha.”
My shoulder throbbed under his grip. It was pure physical strength; I couldn’t even resist. Did this man only train? Just look at those muscles. When our eyes met, his were practically blazing.
“I’d like to speak with you again later.”
“You flatter me.”
With a final grin, Count Tot walked away laughing. I could only offer a bitter smile in return.
“This is going to be troublesome.”
“Lord Müller.”
Marquis Greenuch, who had been standing silently, let out a quiet sigh. The wrinkles at the corners of his eyes looked especially weary today.
“The rift between the capital and the provinces grows deeper by the day, and the Red Blood’s shadow activities are increasing as well. Everywhere I look, there are only ill omens.”
“…Is that also why you came today, regarding the Red Blood?”
At my question, Marquis Greenuch nodded and spoke in a low voice. The way his magic power naturally settled around him reminded me that a Marquis was still a Marquis.
“From the palace’s perspective, both that monster and the newly discovered substance cannot be ignored. Have any details been uncovered yet?”
I shook my head. Unfortunately, even after raiding the other branches, we had found no solid evidence. The foundations seemed similar, but each branch appeared to have conducted its own independent research. Some documents even contained completely contradictory theories.
“The amount we discovered was simply too small to begin with.”
Even if I wanted to experiment, I couldn’t risk it turning into a waste of time. This world didn’t exactly have high-precision tools like microscopes. It was all trial and error…
Marquis Greenuch seemed to have expected as much and nodded.
“It can’t be helped. Let us speak more privately later, Lord Müller.”
“Yes, understood, Marquis.”
Pat, pat.
I watched the Marquis’s back as he gave a slight bow and departed at once.
Hmm. Spreading those rumors had been the right move. Both Count Tot and Marquis Greenuch had come. Everyone’s goal was obvious. Haha. If that’s what you want, I’ll give it to you. I’m busy enough with my own affairs. I’ve already purged every last member of the Red Blood from Müller territory. All that remains are the ones hiding in your lands. Fight among yourselves!
“Your smile looks rather wicked.”
“Ahem.”
At Chloe’s quiet remark, I quickly smoothed my expression.