Chapter 157
Chapter 157
-----------------------------------------------------------------
>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 157
>Chapter Title: The Compass of Evil in My Heart
>-----------------------------------------------------------------
The next day.
I met Ransi again in front of the warp gate management office.
“Are you really sure about this? Lady Gamo will make preparations, but the nobles’ schemes are far more humiliating and petty than you can imagine, Master Aster.”
“……”
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
I stared at her blankly before shaking my head.
“No, it’s nothing.”
“……?”
It was because emotion had flickered across Ransi’s usually stoic face.
Normally, she would have formally discouraged me in a businesslike manner, as if to say it was Lady Gamo’s orders.
But now, she seemed genuinely worried somehow.
And with her expressing concern so openly, I couldn’t help but ask.
“What exactly makes it so bad?”
I was truly curious.
I’d seen all sorts of sights—good, bad, and diamond-shaped—but I’d never personally experienced the nobles’ schemes.
For some reason, though.
Ransi’s eyes twitched faintly.
‘What’s that?’
But the tremor vanished so quickly I wondered if I’d imagined it, and right then, Ransi’s mouth opened.
“It’s childish.”
“Isn’t it all like that?”
Schemes are generally childish by nature.
I’d asked because I figured the nobles’ methods might be a bit different.
But the noble schemes that soon poured from Ransi’s lips went beyond childish—they were utterly pathetic.
“They trip you.”
“Weak……”
“Picture it. You trip and fall flat in the middle of the banquet. In Master Aster’s hands…… well, not red wine. Food. What happens when you fall?”
“It gets all over your clothes?”
“That’s when someone approaches. ‘Are you alright?! Aster, oh no……!’ I guarantee you, that voice will be just loud and clear enough to draw everyone’s attention.”
As she spoke, Ransi was frowning, as if recalling something unpleasant.
After that, the words flowed out without me even asking.
“Sometimes they crush your spirit with cultured knowledge—art, music, literature, politics, economics, society, and so on.”
“That much I can……”
“They make you give a presentation.”
“……?”
“It’s just handing you the floor to speak in front of everyone, but then someone says something like, ‘Hmm! Aster here has views on such-and-such issue—shall we all listen for a bit?’ And that voice……”
“……Will be just loud and clear enough to draw everyone’s attention?”
“You catch on quick.”
“……”
“Anyway, before Master Aster can even open your mouth, they’ll hype you up in front of everyone. The higher you climb, the more it hurts when you fall.”
Listening quietly, a sudden thought crossed my mind.
Maybe this wasn’t just hearsay—perhaps it was Ransi’s own experience from some time ago.
In any case, there were various other schemes besides that.
Deliberately giving wrong dress code info, pretending to spill wine by accident, or maneuvering the mood to embarrass you in front of people, and so on.
Hearing it all, I couldn’t help thinking, what kind of idiots are these?
But.
‘They’re all too trivial to really go after.’
That’s right.
They’re disgustingly childish, but each one is so minor it’s not worth picking at.
And at this level of nonsense, I could guess why Ransi was trying to dissuade me.
‘If Gamo steps in, it’d just make the situation ridiculous.’
In other words, I had to endure all these trials and tribulations alone.
Of course, no one bold enough to pull this crap in front of Gamo, but that’s only when she’s watching.
But wait.
Listening carefully, something felt off.
“By the way.”
“Yes, go ahead.”
“You’re talking as if my attending the banquet is a given…… Is that right?”
“Didn’t you hear from Young Master Damian?”
“……?”
“I thought you’d been informed.”
“……?”
A faint disgust settled into Ransi’s eyes, which had been full of worry moments ago.
It was like realizing someone you thought was human was actually a goblin—fiercer contempt than when she’d spoken of Pitiful Young Lady No. 1’s blood, sweat, and tears.
That’s when I flashed a relaxed smile.
“Just kidding. I knew—”
“Stop there. If you’d actually not known the answer when I asked, I’d have been deeply disappointed.”
“……”
“You do know, right?”
I silently shook my head.
Ransi fixed me with open contempt.
“In two days, it’s Young Master Damian’s twelfth birthday.”
“Huh?”
“……Let’s go. Boarding time.”
I blurted it out in shock, but Ransi turned on her heel and strode off.
She moved so briskly my hair fluttered in her wake.
I blankly watched her retreating figure.
‘I really had no idea.’
Seriously, I hadn’t heard a thing.
* * *
The warp gate provided its usual smooth, swift travel.
And Ransi, the taciturn servant, regulated her emotions just as quickly as the warp gate.
“My apologies. On second thought, Young Master Damian doesn’t place much importance on his birthday.”
“……”
“I assumed he’d mentioned it to you, Master Aster, but apparently not.”
“……”
Ransi bowed her head politely, atoning for her rashness.
Rather than getting angry at her attitude, I felt relief that my memory wasn’t failing me.
Truth be told, as a Black-White Slums urchin, birthdays didn’t mean much to me, but the nagging feeling was hard to shake.
“For now, let’s continue while we travel. Actually, Master Aster, what you really need to watch out for isn’t those petty tricks.”
Ransi picked up the topic as we exited the warp gate.
“Those who pull such obvious stunts are predictable. And others know their behavior too. It’s embarrassing, but not a huge issue beyond that. The real problem is……”
“The problem is?”
“It’ll happen if you can’t hold back, Master Aster.”
“Hmm.”
I could guess the rest without hearing it.
A Black-White Slums urchin attends a noble banquet thanks to a friend.
But that urchin can’t tolerate a highborn noble’s blunder, snaps, and causes a scene?
What follows is plain as day.
‘Urchin insults noble.’
They could chop off his head and no one would complain.
Of course, since it’s the young patriarch’s birthday and I’m there as his friend, they won’t actually kill the Black-White Slums urchin……
‘It’d make a perfect pretext.’
Ransi’s concerns matched mine exactly.
Anyway, she kept talking.
“Even if you endure it, the problems don’t end.”
“If they don’t end……”
“I don’t know what excuse they’ll use, but they’ll definitely demand proof of your skills or qualifications.”
“Hmm. For example?”
“The easiest is a duel, but assuming a banquet setting, I’m not sure. You can’t exactly hurl spells around at a banquet.”
In the end, nothing was certain.
We paused the conversation there.
“Ah, this way.”
“We’re not heading straight to the estate?”
“Yes, if you’re to attend, there are orders to get fitted for banquet attire. Time’s short for custom, but alterations on ready-made should do.”
And so, we headed to a tailor in the Blandoga territory.
The talk continued even inside the shop.
Ransi deftly conveyed the requirements to the staff, then stood by me as they took measurements and spoke.
[You can use message magic, right?]
[Yes.]
[Then I’ll continue.]
Ransi went on with various precautions, and I quietly took it in.
Listening, one thing dawned on me.
‘This sounds…… like she prepared it in advance?’
Considering I’m a Black-White Slums urchin.
She covered noble ecology, habits, subtle pride battles—everything I needed to know, delivered at high speed.
It was too concise and organized to be off-the-cuff.
And not just that?
[……Was that too difficult?]
[Huh?]
[Sorry. I keep forgetting your age, Master Aster. Let me explain in simpler terms……]
Even eye-level adjustments for my slum background and age.
When Ransi finished.
[Master Aster?]
[Yes?]
[Are you listening?]
[Yes, I was.]
[Good.]
Back to her taciturn servant mode, I took a moment to gather my thoughts.
A thought struck me.
‘The path of justice is truly long and arduous.’
From Ransi’s words, I half-wondered if I was entering the Decullan demon realm instead of the Blandoga household.
So, what to do?
‘Surrender? No way.’
I don’t run.
These trash nobles’ antics sprouted a tiny green shoot in the parched justice of my heart.
Sure, it’ll wither soon, but at least it’s not yellow yet.
[……Your eyes look dangerous.]
[You’re imagining it.]
At the tailor’s request, I stood before the mirror, tried on the clothes, and returned to my seat.
But.
[That vassal family guy…… no, you said they’re not your typical vassal family. They’ve got the guts to mess with his friend at the young patriarch’s birthday?]
[Well……]
Ransi hesitated.
Then, with a faint sigh, she spoke.
[Young Master Damian might not even care.]
[Why?]
[……It’s not his interest. Though it might be different with you involved……]
[I get the gist.]
Like that enrollment ceremony day, the Doranpega second son…… what was his name? Hickster or Hipster. Just thinking of that moment made it clear.
Hamster lost it and charged, but Damian just smiled innocently.
[If I may overstep…… even if Young Master Damian doesn’t step in, please don’t feel too slighted……]
[Nah, that’s not it.]
[……]
At my firm denial, Ransi’s face rarely hardened.
But even so, my mind didn’t change.
If I have power and someone close gets toyed with, I just sit by?
A true friend is the one who punches and teases. Like how I punch and tease Shine and Railey…… uh, yeah, not quite.
I have a conscience, so correction:
‘They’re not really friends.’
Anyway, that’s beside the point.
Railey’s always ready to backstab, so set him aside, but I did feel a bit bad for Shine.
Ah, Shine suddenly got stronger, so yeah, sorry about that.
Anyway.
[Don’t worry. Won’t need to step in.]
[……Yes.]
We were in the middle of the staff dragging me through outfit after outfit when the commotion hit the tailor shop.
“No, are they insane?! Don’t you know who I am? Hey, hey. You don’t know me? Huh?”
“Y-Young master, as I said, there are already customers inside……”
“Customers inside? Huh? Who? Who’s so important they treat people like this at the door? Let’s see that face. Who is it? Speak up.”
From the voice, mid-to-late teens maybe. A guy whose youthful edge hadn’t worn off yet. He shoved the flustered clerk aside and tried forcing his way in.
“Y-Young master……!”
“What, this lowly thing blocking me? Hey, you punk. You know how much these clothes cost?”
Glancing at the noise outside, Ransi narrowed her eyes and signaled me.
[We borrowed the shop in Lady Gamo’s name, but the clerk can’t say that. They seem troubled—I’ll handle it.]
Apparently, these upscale tailors had unwritten rules.
‘Yeah, if they named names every time someone asked, my job would be easy.’
Anyway, Ransi headed to the entrance for the distressed clerk.
That’s when the rude guy’s voice lit up.
“Oh! Who’s this—Ransi?!”
What? They know each other?
I perked up my ears curiously, and even the nearby clerk held their breath.
But for some reason.
Ransi’s message magic crossed the space right then.
[Master Aster, stay put.]
Crossing space meant hopping one wall, really.
Anyway, her voice came through, icy cold.
“……Greetings, Young Master Paijin.”
“What? Why are you here? Lady Gamo’s at the estate. Is the young patriarch here?”
“My apologies. That’s not for me to disclose.”
Hearing that exchange, the righteous troubleshooter senses I’d kept dormant sharpened.
‘……That guy.’
The compass in my heart, pointing to evil, declared.
Evil lies ahead.
But……
The needle spinning in circles? Must be my imagination.
Probably.