Chapter 9
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 9
Chapter Title: The Calamity Princess's Groom Contest
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A Private Room
A cramped space.
A table with legs of uneven length.
A window patched haphazardly with wooden planks.
Even a mana stone lamp, dim with age.
Not a single thing looked to be in good condition. The house, filled with old and broken objects, was the very picture of dilapidation.
It was a scene of such squalor that an ordinary warehouse would have felt cleaner.
The fact that there wasn't a speck of dust in sight spoke to the character of the homeowner, but in a situation where they had to sit on the bare floor for lack of chairs, even that cleanliness only served to accentuate the meagerness of the place.
The worn cups and steamed potatoes placed plainly on the table did so as well.
“For someone so esteemed to visit this humble place, I am sorry that this is all I have to offer.”
And so, the dark elf woman—the one who had dealt with the thugs and was also the owner of this house—bowed so low it was almost a prostration.
No, she was actually on her knees, bowing until her forehead nearly touched the floor as she apologized.
Making a young master of Unlight sit on the floor was bad enough; meeting his gaze would have been an incredible display of disrespect.
“Humble? This is quite a feast.”
But Dion himself didn't seem to mind the house's shabbiness, the bare floor, or the meager hospitality.
*Nom.* He simply picked up a steamed potato, took a bite, and sipped his tea.
“Salted potatoes and root worm tea. I can taste the effort you put into making such cheap ingredients palatable.”
“...How can I ever atone for the sin of defiling the young master's palate with such a meager offering?”
“Huh? I was complimenting you.”
The boy wore a puzzled expression, as if he couldn't understand why she was bowing even lower and asking for punishment.
It was the expressionless maid, who was wiping the blood from the boy's cheek, who spoke up in Dion’s stead.
“The young master is not being sarcastic. He means it sincerely.”
“Did I sound sarcastic?”
“Think about it logically. No noble would ever praise such cheap food.”
“That's just because those kids don't know the value of food.”
“You should realize that for a so-called noble, you are the strange one for having frequently starved like a beggar.”
As Parsha, while wiping a bloodstain from Dion’s earlobe, delivered her usual sharp-tongued remark, the dark elf woman, who had been bowing respectfully, spoke.
“Parsha, what is this disrespectful attitude toward a young master of Unlight?”
*Flinch.*
Unlike her previous calm voice, this was an incredibly stern rebuke, and Parsha froze.
Her face was as expressionless as ever.
But as she fell into a troubled silence, it was Dion who spoke up with a smirk.
“Parsha was my wet nurse and teacher before she was my maid. This hardly counts as disrespect.”
“However, Young Master, no matter how close you are, there is a decorum that must be observed between master and servant.”
“Decorum?”
“Yes, take what just happened, for example.”
She stated that allowing Dion to engage in a fierce battle, not just with thugs but with a 2-star Awakened One, was something that should never have happened.
Dion tilted his head as he looked at her rigid admonishment.
“If you're talking about her not interfering in the fight earlier, Parsha was just following my orders.”
“Even so, a vassal must protect their master.”
“It's fine. I don't care about things like that.”
“You may be fine with it, Young Master, but others will take that consideration for weakness and disrespect you.”
“So?”
“...”
“Do I have to care what others think?”
No matter what anyone else chattered about.
What mattered was his own will.
And since he had already decided it was ‘fine,’ did he really need to reverse that decision just because of how others might see him?
In contrast to his smiling face, Dion's words held no mirth. The woman straightened her back.
And…
“—Yes.”
Her calm voice followed the sharp, definitive assertion.
“At the very least, if you wish to survive the succession contest, Young Master, you must also be mindful of how others perceive you.”
“...”
“If I have offended you, I apologize. But even if you choose to punish me, I pray you do not forget this fact.”
Just moments ago, her head had been pressed to the floor.
Now, though still on her knees, the woman sat with her back ramrod straight, looking directly at him as she requested her punishment.
She was like an ancient tree awaiting the axe, dignified and serene. Dion gazed into the dark elf’s eyes for a long moment.
Then, he asked casually.
“You, what did you say your name was?”
“It is Arsha.”
“Hmm, Arsha…”
The boy nodded, mulling over her name as if for the first time, before speaking again a moment later.
“I'll take your advice to heart. Not that I have any intention of changing my decision.”
“Is that so.”
“Yep. I actually prefer it when the others think I'm weak.”
“...”
“It's easier to deal with enemies who charge at you thinking you're an easy target than those who approach with caution.”
Talent will out.
Like a spike in a pouch, it’s bound to stick out.
If he had the ability, it would be revealed eventually. If he didn't, putting on a brave face would be useless.
Rather than worry about the opinions of those around him, he would focus on what he wanted to do and what needed to be done. So the boy said with a bright smile.
Arsha was silent for a long time as she looked at him—or more precisely, at the still-vivid bloodstains on the hem of his clothes.
Finally, she bowed again and spoke respectfully.
“...This lowly commoner has underestimated you based on empty rumors and offered reckless words as counsel. I am truly ashamed.”
“Nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, I admire your spirit, advising me at the risk of your own life.”
“I merely did what was necessary as the leader of my clan.”
“But holding a bow, ready to shoot that lizardman just in case, doesn't seem like something a chieftain would do.”
“...”
Perhaps because she hadn't expected him to notice her preparing her bow in the midst of such a fierce fight, the dark elf finally fell silent. Dion smirked.
He turned to Parsha and said playfully.
“Anyway, seeing how you both speak your minds, it seems you're like your daughter in more than just looks. Right, Parsha?”
“...My mother doesn't just speak her mind; she simply can't distinguish between what should be said and what shouldn't.”
“Well, we'll see about that, won't we?”
Was it because elves possessed eternal youth?
With their platinum-blonde hair, slightly softer eyes, calm golden irises, and dignified aura, the two dark elves looked more like twin sisters than mother and daughter, aside from a few minor differences. Dion chuckled.
He knew how much the two of them, the daughter with her expressionless insults and the mother who calmly rebuked her, actually cared for one another.
He knew because he remembered the tears that had glistened on Parsha's stoic face when she had spent days searching through the ruins of the dark elf clan after their fall, just to find a keepsake of her mother's.
That was why Dion spoke up nonchalantly.
“So, what was that about earlier with those guys?”
“...It is common for scoundrels seeking money to come after weak, minor races like us.”
“If that's a joke, it's not funny. You're saying scoundrels that include a 2-star Awakened One are common?”
“...”
“Just tell me. The young master may be the biggest idiot in the world, but he’s not such a brute that he can't tell when to get involved and when not to.”
After hearing her daughter's words, which could have been either praise or criticism, Arsha remained silent for a long moment.
Finally, she spoke with a sigh.
“This is not certain, but it seems there are those who wish for us to leave Soma Castle.”
“That would probably be the Lord of Soma Castle, right?”
“...You knew?”
“Well, it's obvious.”
Within a territory, the lord's power was absolute.
Especially since Soma Castle was the domain of a vassal loyal to the Unlights. Dion explained that it would be impossible to openly pressure Unlight's people unless the lord himself was involved. Arsha replied calmly.
“Then you must also know that you cannot get any more involved in this matter.”
“Hmm, honestly, doing something about the Lord of Soma Castle right now would be a bit much in many ways.”
It had only been a day since he’d Awakened.
In that time, Dion had reached Lv10 and even obtained a 2-star class.
Considering that it took even the most talented geniuses over a decade to become a [Completer], and many failed to advance even after decades, it was an absurd achievement.
But a 2-star was still a low-rank Awakened One, and a Dion with no standing in the family trying to touch the Lord of Soma Castle was tantamount to suicide.
…Yes, that was the conventional wisdom, anyway.
“If I think about the consequences, that is.”
“...What do you mean by that?”
“I mean, I *could* take care of the Lord of Soma Castle if I wanted to.”
“...!?”
“The problem is that you, Arsha, and the rest of your clan would have nowhere to live.”
Dion shrugged.
As one of the instigators and main players of the Calamity War, Dion had conquered even the Calamities, each capable of destroying the world on their own.
Even in his current state, he had plenty of ways to deal with the Lord of Soma Castle.
The problem was that the ones who would suffer the most would be Arsha and the dark elf clan.
Safe housing in Odobaekryeong was more precious than gold, and the fact that they could reside in even the lowest level of Soma Castle was a special privilege granted thanks to Parsha.
If they lost even this sanctuary, they would either wander Odobaekryeong until they perished, or they would be scattered and enslaved one by one.
It wasn't anything new.
That was the common fate of minor races.
It was a path most of the elven races, who had fallen after the end of the Age of Five Heroes, had already trodden.
Of course, acting now and thinking about the consequences later had its own appeal…
But the Voice, at least, would not have done that.
“Yes, that should work.”
After a moment spent lost in thought while sipping the bitter tea, Dion spoke casually.
He looked at the dark elf maid, who was still eyeing him with suspicion, and said.
“Parsha, let's buy a territory.”
“...What did you just say we should buy?”
“I said, let's buy a territory.”
“Are you in your right mind?”
“The problem is that your mother and your clan have nowhere to go, right?”
“So, you’re going to buy a new territory and give my clan a place to stay?”
“Yep. You need at least a small base of operations to do big things.”
“...”
Whether to build up power, protect his forces, or avoid unwanted attention, having even a small territory would be convenient in many ways.
Parsha stared at Dion, who spoke so nonchalantly, as if he were the craziest man alive.
After a long moment of watching her mother, who wore an identical but far more openly bewildered expression, Parsha finally sighed and spoke.
“If you’re saying this because you’re counting on the one billion you borrowed from Lady Elise, you should wake up.”
“Nah, that money isn't enough to buy a territory, let alone a decent Divine Beast.”
“I’m glad you’re aware.”
“That’s why we’ll use it for moving expenses.”
“...Are you an idiot? Or have you gone deaf? Where on earth do you plan on getting this territory to move to?”
“It's fine. It just so happens there's an event where I can get a territory for free.”
“Stop talking nonsense. No matter how vast Odobaekryeong is, something so ridiculous could never…”
In the middle of her expressionless tirade, Parsha suddenly recalled something and her eyebrows shot up.
“...Don't tell me you're talking about that thing you asked me for yesterday.”
“That's the one.”
Parsha’s face became twice as expressionless.
And a beat later, Arsha, who remembered the same thing as her daughter, also made a strange face.
While they weren't exactly giving away a territory for free, there was indeed a place holding a similar event.
The reasons she hadn't immediately thought of it were threefold.
One, because it was happening in a place so far away.
Two, because of the event's notoriety.
And the third and most important reason…
“So, you’re saying you intend to participate in the groom contest for the Calamity Princess, which has already seen dozens of deaths?”
“Yep!”
“...”
“...”
Not only could he get a territory, but a second wife to boot. It would be foolish to miss this opportunity, he said.
This, from the boy who had just borrowed a massive sum of one billion from his fiancée.
As they looked at the boy speaking with a bright smile, the two dark elf women, mother and daughter, could only remain silent.