Chapter 46
Chapter 46
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 46
Chapter Title: Banquet (2)
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“Oh, Jackson, look at that. Cosmetics from the Mitchu School.”
Sophia Russell couldn’t stop marveling at the gifts the nobles were handing to the count.
They were treasures that a small house like Viscount Russell’s could only dream of.
“Sophia, there’s nothing to envy here. I’ll buy you something even better later.”
“Really? Then I’ll just trust in you, Jackson.”
It was then that Sophia Russell tightly hugged Jackson Cutter’s neck.
“You were here.”
A stiff voice came from behind them. The two jumped in surprise and turned around.
“M-Master!”
Jackson Cutter cried out in shock. His master, who hadn’t been seen since the banquet began, had suddenly appeared.
“Where have you been?”
“I’ve been investigating the participants. We need a plan to deal with Demian Haksen.”
At Jacques Noire’s words, Jackson Cutter’s face twisted subtly.
“You have a task. Go hand this gift to the count.”
Jacques Noire held out a glass vial as he spoke.
Inside the glass vial was a liquid glowing fluorescent green.
“What is this?”
“It’s a birthday gift for Lady Olivia.”
“But why do I have to present it to the lady...”
Jacques Noire’s gaze turned icy.
Fearing his master’s anger, Jackson Cutter quickly took the potion.
“Master, you should at least tell me what this potion is. So I can explain it when I give it to the count.”
“No need to worry. They’ll recognize it even if you say nothing.”
Jackson Cutter felt puzzled by Jacques Noire’s explanation.
“So stop fretting and get going.”
Jacques Noire pushed Jackson Cutter on the back. With no choice, Jackson headed toward the count.
“Jackson, together...”
“You stay here.”
Jacques Noire blocked Sophia Russell.
“Pardon? Why...”
Jacques Noire glared at her silently.
Sophia Russell, about to ask why, had no choice but to shut her mouth.
* * *
Jackson Cutter stepped forward to Count Copperhead, holding the gift his master had given him.
“Your Excellency the Count, I am Jackson Cutter.”
Jackson Cutter said as he knelt on one knee.
“Jackson Cutter? Does anyone know him?”
“No idea. First time hearing that name.”
Not a single noble recognized Jackson Cutter’s name.
Jackson Cutter bit his lip silently.
“Jackson Cutter? Jackson Cutter, you say...”
Even the count didn’t recognize Jackson Cutter. His face flushed even deeper.
“Your Excellency, if I may...”
At that moment, the head butler approached and whispered to the count. The count’s eyes widened slightly.
“So you’re the Ogre Slayer Jackson Cutter.”
“An honor to be recognized!”
Jackson Cutter’s face brightened instantly as his title left the count’s lips.
“Ogre Slayer? Never heard that one before.”
“Oh, I have. There’s a story about a young knight who hunted an ogre alone. That must be him.”
“He took down that monster by himself? Impressive skill.”
The nobles began buzzing about Jackson Cutter.
As his name passed back and forth among them, Jackson Cutter’s smile grew even brighter.
“Your Excellency, I present this gift for the lady.”
Jackson Cutter took out the potion and offered it with both hands.
“What’s that? Some kind of potion?”
“That red fluorescent glow... It couldn’t be the Potion of Concentrated Vitality, could it?”
“One sip keeps you tireless for a whole day.”
“It’s something the Refinement School sells only to select clients. How did he get it...”
The nobles’ reactions exploded.
If it truly was the Potion of Concentrated Vitality, it outshone every gift presented so far by far.
“The Potion of Concentrated Vitality! How did you obtain such a rarity?”
The count’s reaction was especially intense.
At his advanced age, he couldn’t help but care deeply about his health.
“Olivia, look at this! Isn’t it an incredible gift?”
“It is.”
Olivia spoke in a flat voice. She showed no particular interest in the gift this time either.
“Excellent. Truly excellent.”
The count had a servant take the Potion of Concentrated Vitality.
Holding the potion, the count examined it with a satisfied gleam in his eyes.
Strictly speaking, the potion was a birthday gift for Olivia Copperhead, but not a single person pointed that out.
Most of the gifts the nobles had brought were for the count anyway.
“Jackson Cutter, I’ll remember your name.”
“Yes, Your Excellency.”
Jackson Cutter rose from his seat with a satisfied expression.
As he turned to return to his place, he froze.
Demian Haksen was walking forward.
“Demian Hak...”
Demian Haksen passed right by Jackson Cutter.
Utterly ignored, Jackson Cutter clenched his fist tightly.
* * *
Demian stood before Count Copperhead.
“You must be Demian Haksen.”
Even without introducing himself, Count Copperhead recognized Demian.
“Your name has been all the rage lately.”
“It’s nothing but fleeting fame.”
Demian Haksen said, bowing his head slightly.
“Fleeting? To defeat the heir of the Ryanbloom Marquis family—how could that be fleeting!”
Count Copperhead shook his head as he spoke.
“Even so, beating a grand duke without drawing your sword once? That rumor’s a bit exaggerated. Hahaha!”
The other nobles burst into laughter at the count’s words.
Amid it all, only Demian Haksen smiled silently.
“I’ve also prepared a gift for the lady.”
With that, Demian Haksen looked at Olivia Copperhead.
Olivia Copperhead kept her head bowed.
Despite the banquet being for her, she seemed utterly disinterested.
“What a tricky woman.”
Even Demian’s arrival hadn’t changed that.
His head already ached thinking how to pair her with Abel.
“This is my younger brother, Abel.”
Demian first introduced Abel.
But Lady Olivia still kept her head down, unable to see Abel’s face.
“Abel, present the bow to the lady.”
Abel swallowed dryly and walked toward Olivia Copperhead.
“Oh, what’s that? A bow?”
“I’ve heard Lady Olivia enjoys hunting.”
“But it’s such an oddly shaped bow.”
The nobles in the banquet hall began murmuring.
The bow Abel carried looked rather unremarkable.
“...A bow?”
Only at the word “bow” did Lady Olivia finally lift her head.
The moment she saw the bow Abel held, her eyes widened.
Lady Olivia carefully took the bow. With enchanted eyes, she caressed the bowstave.
“...A bow made from a minotaur’s horn?”
It was the first time she spoke upon seeing a gift.
“Yes, you’ve identified it correctly. It’s made from the horn of a minotaur—specifically, the leader of the herd.”
“Impressive... Minotaurs are monsters even mid-class adventurers struggle with... And encountering one is incredibly rare.”
Demian added an explanation.
“As you know, lady, a minotaur’s horn has excellent properties for crafting weapons.”
“Yes, I know. It’s as hard as steel yet has the elasticity of bamboo.”
“Precisely.”
The rumors of her love for hunting weren’t unfounded.
“Would you like to examine the bowstave closely? The name of the craftsman who made it is engraved there.”
At Demian’s words, the lady inspected the bowstave. Just as he said, a name was engraved.
“...Auguste? Could this be made by the master smith Auguste?”
“Correct.”
Auguste.
The most renowned craftsman in the Apple Kingdom.
His metallurgy skills were so exceptional that rumors swirled he’d learned from dwarves.
Of course, dwarves would never teach humans metallurgy, so it was just idle gossip.
Lady Olivia couldn’t tear her eyes from the bow. Anyone could see she was utterly smitten.
“Equipment by Auguste... To think I’d lay eyes on such a treasure in my lifetime.”
Count Copperhead was just as amazed by the bow.
However, the count marveled not at the bow itself, but at its value.
“A shield by Auguste once appeared at auction and fetched dozens of times its estimate.”
The count eyed the bow with greedy eyes, seemingly calculating its worth in his mind.
“My younger brother Abel went to great lengths to obtain it for today.”
In truth, Demian Haksen had acquired it through a deal with the marquis, but the truth didn’t matter.
“Really? You got it for me?”
Olivia Copperhead looked up in great surprise.
At last, she saw Abel’s face.
The instant she did, Lady Olivia’s mouth fell slightly open. A blush rose to her cheeks.
“What’s this...”
Unless Demian was mistaken, there was only one emotion Olivia felt.
“She’s a face girl too?”
* * *
“We can’t leave guests who brought such fine gifts standing. Bring more chairs!”
At the count’s command, servants brought two more chairs.
“Both of you, sit.”
Demian sat in the seat beside the count. Naturally, the seat next to Lady Olivia fell to Abel.
“Sir Demian, I’ve been wanting to speak with you.”
Count Copperhead personally poured him a drink and asked.
“If it’s not rude, I’d love to hear the details of your duel with the Ryanbloom Marquis family heir straight from you.”
“You’d find it boring, I’m sure.”
“I’m curious nonetheless. Indulge me.”
Demian clicked his tongue inwardly.
He wasn’t the type to go around boasting about such things.
But for Abel’s sake, he had to endure.
This was a chance for Abel and Lady Olivia to grow close. He couldn’t let it slip.
“If you insist...”
Demian slowly began recounting the events of the duel.
Count Copperhead listened with a face full of keen interest.
While talking, Demian glanced sidelong at Abel and Lady Olivia.
“There’s a forest next to Viscount Haksen’s estate? Oh, it must be so beautiful.”
“I-It’s not that impressive. It’s n-narrow, and there aren’t many beasts...”
“No dangerous beasts, then. It sounds so peaceful.”
Things were progressing smoothly.
Lady Olivia Copperhead was leading the conversation. She seemed to have great interest in Abel.
“I wondered how those two became lovers in the previous life...”
Demian had found the secret.
“Maybe she didn’t need the bow after all?”
He even pondered seriously if getting the bow from Marquis Ryanbloom had been a waste.