Chapter 204
Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 204
Chapter Title: Part 2, Chapter 2: Harmonia (3)
They didn't stand on much ceremony.
He stepped out of the room in the clothes he was already wearing.
Lennon, Anne, and Hera happened to be coming out of their rooms at the same time.
Jamie established the J-Network, linking the three's consciousnesses to his own.
-Can you hear me?
-Yes, loud and clear.
-Crystal clear.
-Affirmative.
The J-Network was a virtual consciousness network Jamie had created, allowing him to link the minds of those he designated.
It was an advanced form of telepathy that let them freely exchange thoughts within the network.
They chatted idly on their way to meet the king.
Most of it was about their first impressions of the place.
-Everything here's so pretentious. It feels like they forced it all together.
-The rooms are plastered with gaudy decorations—it's overwhelming, like you can't breathe.
-I feel the same. It's excessive.
Jamie agreed with them.
Take this very path to the audience chamber, for instance.
Cities were artificial by nature, but this place felt excessively so.
Especially the expressions on the faces of the people walking the streets—they all looked like they were forcing smiles, and sure enough, their eyes weren't smiling at all.
"We'll arrive at the audience hall shortly."
At the guide's words, he glanced at the building constructed near the Mage Tower.
They said it had been built for the king, and it looked brand new.
No more than two or three years old, at most.
He couldn't fathom why they'd built something like this next to the Mage Tower.
The tower was some distance from the royal palace, but not so far that a whole new building was warranted.
Moreover, the exterior was as opulent as the palace itself.
Magic stones studded it for decoration, and a massive fountain out front spewed purified water endlessly.
-Our territory doesn't even have anything like this.
Lennon's territory was Rigen, Seldam's premier commercial city.
Even he, the son of the city's lord where the most money circulated, seemed stunned, at a loss for words.
Jamie recalled the Mage Lord's meaningless baubles.
-Do the people of Harmonia just like this sort of thing by nature?
-I doubt it.
Hera brushed her hair behind her ear as she replied.
-If they did, the Liberation Army never would have risen up. It's more like excessive luxury concentrated in the capital.
-What about the other citizens?
-Didn't you see their faces on the way here?
-They were smiling... but their eyes weren't.
Anne, sharp as ever, had noticed right away.
Jamie chimed in without betraying his thoughts.
-Exactly. It's all a facade. Forced happiness.
-Why?
-Because they've been told to.
-...By the king?
-The king, or the nobles.
No one in their right mind would look at this place and call it normal.
As they conversed, they arrived at the building where Harmonia's king awaited.
Even the entrance door gave off a diamond-forged vibe. Not real diamond, probably, but laced with plenty.
He couldn't even guess how much it cost to make something like that.
"Please, come in."
The guide politely opened the door, and waiting servants swarmed them.
"We'll take it from here."
Following them led to a massive hall.
This door wasn't ordinary either, but after everything he'd seen, he'd built up some immunity—no real shock.
As they reached it, a booming voice echoed from inside.
"The Master of the Seldam Kingdom, the Archmage of supreme talent, Sir Welton Junior and his entourage, enter!"
The grandiose, embarrassing introduction accompanied the doors swinging wide.
A plush red carpet stretched out, flanked by lined-up Harmonian nobles, and at the carpet's end, atop a staircase, the throne where Harmonia's king lounged askew—all in plain view.
The moment the doors opened, a band positioned behind the nobles, slightly offset, struck up with every instrument to welcome them.
-This is overwhelming.
He'd expected a warm reception, but not to this degree.
It made sense, though.
He was Seldam's dispatched Master, after all—they were buttering him up to make a good impression.
'And... they wanted to show off how grand they are.'
Had they summoned him to the palace, it would've been even flashier, but by coming personally under the pretext of honoring a precious guest, they aimed for a friendly approach.
Jamie walked forward with his group, receiving their welcome, toward the Harmonian king.
The closer he got, the clearer the king's face became—and honestly, it left him speechless in disbelief.
'What the hell? He looks like a total wreck.'
It wasn't a deliberate slouch; with barely any muscle left on his body, he couldn't sit up straight.
Sunken eyes, bloodshot whites, dark stains around his mouth—no way did he look like a host greeting guests.
-No, his appearance is just...
-He looks like he hasn't slept in days.
-Exhaustion... masked by perfume, but he reeks of booze.
They all thought the same as Jamie, chiming in over the J-Network.
Hera's nose must be incredible—she'd picked up the alcohol scent through the perfume.
Fearsome sense of smell.
Yet even as they approached right before him, the king just stared blankly, saying nothing.
Jamie narrowed his eyes for a closer look and realized the king's gaze wasn't focused on them—it drifted oddly elsewhere.
-He's completely gone.
-Huh?
Anne looked up at Jamie in shock, but with all the eyes on them, he didn't return the glance.
Then, an attendant beside the king cautiously approached. A man with striking green jewels in his ears whispered into the king's.
'Your Majesty. Pull yourself together.'
Jamie's keen hearing caught even that faint murmur.
'Wow. This is something.'
Spacing out with guests right there?
Watching to see how far this went, even more ridiculous things unfolded.
"Huh? What's this? Why am I here?"
Like someone just woken, King Kiphus shot up from his seat and looked around.
His eyes narrowed at the gathered nobles and band.
"And who are you lot? Why are you hanging around here?"
"Your Majesty."
"Oh? Helm. What's going on?"
"Guests from Seldam have arrived."
"Seldam? Why would anyone from Seldam... Ah! Jamie Welton!"
Whether deranged or not, the king grinned maniacally as if just remembering, staring down at Jamie at the foot of the stairs.
"But... who are you?"
"Sir Welton Junior."
"Aaaaaah! Right, right! The supreme talent! But why are you so tall? You're thirteen, right?"
"Even at thirteen, some grow that much."
"True. Happens sometimes. So why am I here again?"
Back to square one for King Kiphus.
Lennon, Anne, and Hera's faces twisted slightly.
-What the hell is he...
-Master! What is this...!
-Elder.
They each muttered over the network, but Jamie just smirked, watching the spectacle.
Marquis Helm couldn't take it anymore and smiled as he spoke to the king.
"You don't look well, Your Majesty. Best retire now."
"Booze! Bring the booze!"
"The booze is ready—just follow him."
One attendant below bowed deeply to King Kiphus.
"Your Majesty, I shall guide you."
"Make it so! Hahaha!"
The king staggered after the attendant.
The hall fell silent, like after a storm.
As the king's presence faded, Marquis Helm, who'd been smiling at the scene, turned that same expression on Jamie's group.
"My apologies for that. His Majesty caught a bad chill yesterday and isn't himself."
"A chill. I see."
Jamie nodded with a smile, as if it were understandable.
"Thank you for understanding. We wanted a grander welcome, but given the circumstances and your likely hunger, let's head straight to the meal. I've prepared everything."
The welcome ceremony ended in under five minutes.
Jamie thought it was quite the amusing kingdom.
-This isn't a kingdom.
Lennon said it.
As the second son of one of Seldam's top noble houses, he was quite incensed by Harmonia's treatment.
-All flash, no substance. Everything's arbitrary. No system. They have a king, yet ministers stand level with him and even dismiss him first—that's not a kingdom.
-That guy's the real power, then.
-Probably. Likely manipulating the government however he pleases.
Marquis Helm.
A great noble who'd rapidly expanded his influence after the previous Harmonian king's death.
As the kids and Hera said, anyone could see he held Harmonia's real power.
The king was a mere puppet.
Alcohol addict, probably on some drugs too—addiction symptoms plain as day. Severe dementia symptoms as well; without help, he couldn't function.
That made it easier for him to control the kingdom.
In short, Harmonia—top-tier across the continent at its core—had fallen to this state in mere years because of him.
"Please, sit here."
One servant guided them to their seats with a stiff smile.
Like the commoners outside, his eyes weren't smiling.
Once seated, Harmonia's power players trickled in, taking seats one by one.
They greeted Jamie warmly.
"A pleasure, Sir Welton Junior."
"An honor to meet Seldam's Master."
"Count Clano from Aum. Pleased to meet you."
"Your disciples are adorable. And this one..."
Then, some nameless noble pointed at Hera.
"Lady Hera Voleno, mage under my command."
"Ah! Of the Voleno family!"
Seldam Kingdom boasted four prominent mage families.
The Linmel family, led by Second Elder Linmel.
The Shan family, led by Fourth Elder Raymond.
The Simon family, led by Eighth Elder Simon.
And the Voleno family, which had produced Archmages generation after generation, though none currently.
Hera was a daughter of that esteemed house.
And a prime candidate for the next Archmage.
"To meet a Voleno daughter here—ha ha ha!"
"Then these disciples..."
"Lennon Simon."
Lennon introduced himself curtly, voice edged.
But the nobles, eyes lighting up at "Simon," ignored his tone and showered praise.
"Oho! A scion of the Simon family!"
"Heavens! Such esteemed guests visiting lowly Harmonia for our sake—what an honor."
"And this lovely young lady?"
"...Anne Mayer."
"Mayer?"
"Never heard of a Mayer family..."
The Mayer family had far less renown than the others, so Harmonia's nobles wouldn't know it.
That was why Anne's voice had shrunk.
As the nobles whispered among themselves, Jamie sighed.
"My disciple. Disciple of Jamie Welton."
"Master."
At Jamie's firm words, the nobles realized their blunder and straightened up.
"Ha ha ha! Of course. A disciple of Sir Welton Junior—destined for greatness. Indeed."
"Quite right. Ha ha. Our apologies."
As the nobles chuckled awkwardly at each other, Marquis Helm finally appeared.
True to the rule that the star arrives last, he beamed amiably at everyone.
"Enjoying some lively chat?"
"Ah, Marquis."
"Please, take your seat."
At Helm's entrance, nobles scrambled up to pull out the head seat.
Treated like a king—Lennon's face soured further.
Once ready, Marquis Helm urged them to eat as host.
"Please, dig in. Prepared by Harmonia's finest chef. I hope it suits your tastes."
"Thank you. Let's eat."
Jamie spoke for the group, and the meal began.
Helm sliced his steak and asked Jamie in a smooth tone.
"I heard you spent five years in seclusion."
"Yes."
"Already an Archmage then—after five years, you must have reached incredible heights. Ha ha ha."
"I must work harder."
Jamie smiled formally, focusing on his food. As Helm's brow furrowed at the lack of engagement—
Crash! A plate shattered beside Jamie.
"S-s-s-s-sorry!"
A servant carrying a dish for Jamie had dropped it.
A boy in his late teens.
A nearby Harmonian noble shot up, berating him.
"Do you know what this occasion is, you fool?!"
"S-sorry..."
"Useless trash. Can't even do as told—whose parents birthed a failure like you?!"
"..."
Dragging the boy's parents into it darkened his face rapidly.
Silent, the noble sneered and grabbed his collar.
At the brutish act, Lennon nearly rose, but Jamie hooked his leg to stop him.
-Master!
-Wait.
Lennon glared wide-eyed, but Jamie shook his head, watching.
The other nobles didn't intervene.
Just smirking or looking disdainful.
Helm too.
He sipped wine leisurely, observing.
"Why so quiet?"
The servant's lips quivered, tears welling—not from fear, but rage at the parental insult.
The noble scoffed at his expression.
"Act your station, lowborn. No matter how you flail, you're fated to wipe our asses. Just serve loyally, and we feed and house you. Yet you spurn our grace with blunders at an important event?"
"..."
"Heh heh. Look at that face."
As the boy's expression darkened further, the noble yanked his face close.
"What? Thinking of joining the Liberation Army?"
"Um..."
Then Jamie called him with a smile.
Helm, swirling his wineglass with a grin, looked over.
"Ah. I was too harsh in disciplining. Not fit for guests."
"No, that's not it. May I have your name?"
"Ah! Viscount Malb Capri."
"Yes, Viscount Malb Capri."
Jamie repeated his name and title softly, smiling.
"This food looks tasty—could you fetch some?"
"Pardon? Ah, no worries. It'll be out soon. You! Hurry and—"
"No, no. Have Viscount Malb Capri bring it. Right to me."
"...Huh?"
Viscount Capri stared, baffled.
Jamie dropped his smile.
"What? Don't like it? If so..."
He shot a cold glance at Marquis Helm.
"What do you think, Marquis Helm?"
Jamie omitted the honorific after "Marquis."
Helm's eye twitched faintly.
As he stared silently, Jamie smirked faintly.
"Seems Viscount Capri doesn't want to serve my food."
"Viscount Capri!!"
Suddenly, the hitherto-calm Helm bellowed.
The startled viscount turned, and Helm forced a smile.
"Serve the food."
"Marquis...!"
"Serve it."
"...Understood."
In Harmonia Kingdom, a noble, personally.
Unthinkable in this hierarchy-obsessed land.
But defying the de facto ruler? Unknowable consequences.
Capri, red-faced in humiliation, bolted to the kitchen.
And Jamie Welton personally approached the servant, kindly straightening his soiled collar.
"Be more careful next time. Go on. All today's service will be by Viscount Capri himself. Right, Marquis?"
Polite once more, Jamie prompted.
Helm nodded with serene composure, as if nothing happened.
"Of course."
"Harmonia is wonderful. Nobles serving instead of servants—exquisite hospitality. Truly."
"...Thank you for the kind words."
Under the table, Helm clenched his fist so hard his nails dug into skin.
Such humiliation was a first in his life.