Chapter 26
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 26
Chapter Title: The Divine Dragon's Cave
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The Divine Dragon's Cave
Marriage, all of a sudden? From this doting father? Something's strange.
Of course, Ilia and I are engaged, but in the novel, that engagement is eventually broken. The future has changed, making predictions difficult, but for him to bring up marriage like this... something was off.
Rayeon never approved of the protagonist and Ilia liking each other, even after the protagonist saved her life multiple times, was hailed as a hero, and received a title.
For a man like that to suddenly mention marriage just because I saved Ilia's life once is far from ordinary.
Besides, he's the one who disliked me so much he was trying to break off the engagement until just recently. I can't take this at face value.
Is he testing me?
Creator's Eye is activated.
Name: Rayeon Marcus
Traits: Nerves of Steel lv4, Guardian Sword lv4, Superhuman Strength lv3
Favorability: -10 (Slight Dislike)
Just as I thought. Rayeon Marcus doesn't hate me, but he doesn't like me either. That favorability of -10 must have shot up thanks to this incident. Normally, it would be scraping the bottom.
Rayeon is a man's man, but he's also a doting father who cherishes his daughter above all else.
Then my answer here should be...
"I have no problem with getting married right now."
"Pfft! Hey!"
At my words, Ilia, who was eating, spat out the soup in her mouth, her face turning bright red as she called out to me.
"But you are..."
"However! I have not yet become the heir to my house. Thanks to the years I spent living as a scoundrel, people still view me with a cold eye."
Even though I had cut off Marquis Rayeon, he said nothing. His expression was placid, as if telling me to continue.
"To become a man worthy of Ilia, I will change myself. I will change how people see me, change their opinions, and become the heir of Lox. Only then will I take her as my wife."
Of course, it was all a lie. To change so drastically for a woman... I'm not the protagonist of a shonen manga. But my answer seemed to please Ilia and Rayeon, and the atmosphere relaxed a little more.
"Hoh..."
Rayeon covered his mouth with his hand, so I couldn't be sure, but it looked like he was smiling slightly.
"Anyone can give an answer like that. But aren't your younger brothers known as geniuses? The second one, in particular, is called the greatest prodigy in the history of Lox. Can you truly surpass him and become the heir?"
"Of course."
I didn't fall for the marquis's provocative, testing question and answered without hesitation.
"Khahahaha!"
It seemed to be the first time Marquis Rayeon had laughed so genuinely today.
"Not bad. You seem decent."
The marquis muttered to himself, placing his spoon down on the table.
"Let me ask one more thing. Are you a mage?"
"I am not. The rumors somehow spread that way."
"I thought so. A Lox could hardly be a mage. Then can you tell me what kind of ability you possess?"
"I have learned a skill from a grimoire."
Since it was something that would be revealed eventually, I told him the same story I had told Marquis Lox.
"A grimoire, as expected. If not a mage, I figured it had to be something like that. I haven't seen it myself, but from what Ilia told me, it's a remarkable ability. Congratulations on your good fortune."
"Thank you."
Marquis Rayeon must have known that I don't use a sword, yet he didn't say anything about it. He was the type of person who didn't care about the means, as long as one was strong.
"Willington contacted me before you arrived."
"Pardon?"
"The rumors about you have already reached Lox. Someone must have used communication magic to inform him."
I had expected the rumors to reach the marquis's ears.
"What did the Marquis say?"
"He asked me to contact him as soon as you arrived here."
"Then may I use the communication device?"
"Of course."
The marquis nodded readily.
"If you're finished with your meal, let's get up."
"Yes. Thank you for the meal."
I was so focused on figuring out the marquis's thoughts that I have no idea what the soup even tasted like.
"I was pleased with what you said today. I'll be waiting to see you make good on those words."
The marquis, seemingly in a better mood, gave me a satisfied smile and left the dining hall.
Phew, still, it was a success.
The marquis plays a much more important role than just being my father-in-law. I need to keep scoring points with him for the future, and today, I think I successfully planted a good image.
Ilia stared at me with an unreadable expression before following the marquis out of the dining hall.
What's with her now?
"Lord Yuren. I will guide you to the communication room."
When I left the dining hall, an attendant guided me to the communication room on the third floor. I spoke to the communication mage there and connected to the communication room of the Lox marquisate.
This is the Lox marquisate.
"This is the Marcus marquisate."
Yes. How may I help you?
"Lord Yuren Lox is here. He wishes to communicate with Marquis Willington Lox."
Ah! We've been expecting you. I'll connect you right away.
The communication was like a video call, watching the other person on something like a computer monitor. I could see the Lox family's mage on the monitor-like device in front of me.
A moment later, a beep sounded, and Marquis Lox appeared on the screen.
Yuren! You rascal!
"I'm sorry."
Are you hurt anywhere?!
"Fortunately, I'm completely fine."
The letter said you were going to buy a weapon, so why did you end up fighting orcs?!
"I'm sorry. It just... happened that way."
Just happened? Does that even make sense?! An orc warrior! Do you know how dangerous those things are?!
Marquis Lox must have heard about my rising fame, but he didn't mention it at all. It seemed he was only worried about me.
"I'm truly sorry."
His concern made the tip of my nose tingle. I don't know how long it's been since someone worried about me like this.
Haa, I heard reports that you seemed fine, but I wanted to hear it and see it for myself. I wanted to come find you, but...
"..."
I didn't know Marquis Lox would be this worried, so I was at a loss for words.
I heard you saved Ilia's life and took the life of an orc warrior. Is that true?
"Yes. I was lucky."
Luck... In any case, that's a relief. Did you get a weapon?
"I got a weapon, and I also got a person."
A person?
"Yes. I found an exceptional blacksmith."
The marquis tilted his head, looking baffled.
Well, I'll hear your story in detail when you get here. When do you plan on returning?
"I'll be back the day after tomorrow."
The day after tomorrow, you say? Good. Bring your younger brothers with you.
"Pardon?"
"Why is he suddenly telling me to bring my brothers?"
Willington Lox has three sons. My two younger brothers, besides myself, were attending different knight academies.
"He could have just summoned them himself."
The marquis ordered me to bring all my brothers, saying he had something important to tell them, and I had a feeling I knew what he was going to say.
The next morning, I shook off Ilia and Rayeon, who were trying to keep me there, using Marquis Willington as an excuse. I left the Marcus estate and started climbing a mountain within the marquisate's territory.
"The path makes this easy."
"It does. A lot of people come through here."
Since it was a path used by many, there was no grass or obtrusive rocks, making the climb up the mountain comfortable.
"Giranox, have you been here before?"
"Of course. I came here before opening my smithy."
I was climbing the mountain with Giranox, who ascended with familiar steps, as if he had been here before.
"By the way, Grand Prince, are you also here to make a wish?"
"A wish? No, I came to find a treasure."
"A treasure?"
"That's right."
I climbed the mountain slowly, making small talk with Giranox. Perhaps because it was a tourist spot, there were quite a lot of people passing by.
"With so many people around, could there possibly be any treasure left?"
"Of course. The world is full of secrets."
"Ah! We've arrived, Grand Prince. That is the Divine Dragon's Cave."
When we reached the mountainside, people were lined up in front of a massive cave.
"Still as crowded as ever."
This Divine Dragon's Cave was a place of legend, said to have been inhabited by a dragon god. Indeed, the cave had an entrance so enormous that one could believe a dragon had lived there.
The people who came here were all here to make various wishes to the ascended dragon god. Giranox had probably come here to pray for his smithy's success as well.
"This isn't it."
"Pardon?"
"That place is all nonsense, a fake."
"A fake..."
I hadn't come to make a wish like them, so I broke away from the line and circled around to the right of the cave.
"Grand Prince, where are you going?"
"I told you. That place is a sham. We have to find the treasure. I wonder where it is."
I slowly circled the area around the cave, searching for the sign I was looking for.
I just need to find a half-moon-shaped hole...
I searched for a long time, but I couldn't find the hole I was looking for.
Just as I was thinking of heading back, a hole shaped like a slightly tilted half-moon caught my eye.
"Is that it?"
I looked around to make sure no one was watching, then put my hand into the hole.
Click!
Inside, there was something like a handle I could grip. I grabbed it firmly and pulled, like opening a car door.
Clunk!
Rumble.
"Whoa! W-What is this?"
A slight vibration, only perceptible to me who was touching it, came from the wall, and then a rectangular opening, large enough for one person to pass through, appeared.
"Grand Prince, this opening is!"
The people making wishes at the Divine Dragon's Cave were essentially bowing to an ordinary hole in the wall. That cave had nothing to do with a dragon god, not even a serpent.
"The true treasure of this place is in here."