Chapter 58
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 58
Chapter Title: Confronting the Redens
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It wasn't certain, but if the necromancers had infiltrated Cascadia seeking revenge for that incident, then in Leon's absence, she would have to face them alone.
"Family Head."
At that moment, a servant knocked on the door and called out to her.
"What is it?"
"Well, there's a message from the academy."
"The academy? Ah... come to think of it, I'd completely forgotten. It was actually pretty fun."
Originally, she had been attending the academy while receiving heir training from her father.
The message from the academy was inquiring about her plans to return.
"Going back would be the worst choice."
Having already inherited the countship, returning to the academy now would be an irresponsible act.
The academy wasn't right next door—it was in the Empire, after all.
Still, she didn't dislike the academy diploma or the school life she'd had there.
Suddenly, the thought of the academy dredged up one unpleasant memory.
It was the son of a fairly prominent imperial count family, as she recalled.
People called him handsome, but in Melissa's eyes, he was nothing more than a pretty-boy parasite.
His name was definitely Siger Reden.
He was infamous for toying with pretty young ladies wherever he went, so his reputation wasn't great, but his family's prestige kept anyone from calling him out too harshly.
Remembering her run-in with that creep soured her mood, so she shook her head to clear it away.
"My throat's dry."
"Here's some water, Family Head."
She gulped down the water the old butler had brought.
"By the way, is the Sword Saint seriously planning to make Leon his grandson-in-law?"
"Judging from the current situation, it's highly likely."
"Ha. What a laughable mess. At least the candidates worth mentioning..."
"With my limited knowledge, I'd say it's more likely to be from the main family rather than a branch."
"Among the Mielephon family head's daughters around Leon's age... only Senior Isna?"
Isna Mielephon.
The image of that famous academy senior came to mind, drawing a smirk from her.
What was our first meeting like again...
It was her in the garden at night, spewing fire from her mouth and cackling madly.
"Do you know the young lady?"
"Know her? Yeah. How to put it... she's the type where someone else does the deed, but you end up bearing the embarrassment."
Of course, Melissa had no intention of meddling in whether Leon actually planned to get engaged.
And if asked whether Lady Isna Mielephon was a bad person? No, she wasn't. People tolerated her eccentricities without hating or despising her because her character was genuinely solid.
With that, Melissa drew her sword slightly from its scabbard before sliding it back home.
"I can't leave everything to Leon. Let's go. Before he gets back, we'll flush out the rats hiding in the territory."
"Understood, Family Head."
Chilly. A piercing gaze stabbed into my chest.
But I didn't shrink back.
Right now, in a hall full of nobles, I'd just beaten one man to a pulp out of nowhere. Purely on grounds of justification, it wouldn't be strange if I came off as the villain.
"Siger!! What the hell happened?!"
At that moment, a nobleman shoved through the crowd.
"What do you think you're doing?! Not even checking Siger's condition first! You bastard!!! You think you'll walk away unscathed after doing this to someone from the Empire's Reden family?!"
The furious noble appeared to be from a high-ranking house.
Reden family. Ah, the Reden count family.
Next to nothing compared to Mielephon, but Melissa's briefing documents noted their deep ties to the central powers.
Maybe she'd even foreseen me tangling with nobles.
Not that I actually believed it.
"Young master! Are you all right?! Young master! Pull yourself together!"
The knight beside Reden Count rushed over to check on him, but after a few solid hits, the boy's body was wrecked.
"You... state your identity. Your family will pay for turning my son into this."
"You're Reden Count, right?"
Fire flashed in his eyes at my question.
"That's right. Do you even realize who you've messed with?"
"Not my problem. You seem awfully proud of your honorable house..."
I spoke calmly as I walked past the boy called Siger, heading straight for him.
"But your son's a utter disgrace—no sense of noble honor at all. Just a spoiled punk."
"What?!"
"You wanted my identity, so here it is. Leon Cascadia, eldest son of House Cascadia, the Border Count family that guards Bata Kingdom's Demon Realm."
I took another calm step forward. The man who'd been checking the collapsed boy darted over to block my path.
"Back off. Don't come any closer to the Count."
Probably a knight in service to nobles around here.
Either way, no one else seemed to care.
Of course, I had head maid Misha, but she wasn't my maid—she belonged to House Mielephon.
I'd never planned to rely on her help. Katsi Mielephon had warned me not to stir up trouble, but the damage was done.
So I couldn't expect aid from House Mielephon, nor complain if ties were severed.
Not that our relationship was quite that frigid.
"Bata Kingdom? Some backwater noble from a puny kingdom, aren't you? And you dare—a remote Bata bumpkin—insult the Empire's Reden family?!"
"I see. Reden Count's such a grand house that a 'small remote noble' like Cascadia can get insulted right to your face? That the takeaway?"
I kept my voice level.
But it carried clearly to everyone around.
"Insult?! What drivel is this?!"
"Y-Yes! H-He... that guy suddenly attacked Young Lord Reden!"
"Exactly! Young Lord Reden, who hadn't done a thing!"
Siger Reden's academy underclassmen chimed in from nearby, and the crowd's stares grew sharper by the second.
It only took a moment for me to be painted as the banquet-ruining thug.
"Those boys are saying you attacked my son out of the blue."
"Is that right? Funny—I could've sworn I announced who I was."
I swept a calm gaze over the boys.
They seemed to chew on my name for a bit, then flinched like something clicked.
But they quickly puffed up and shouted.
"What does who you are even matter?! The point is, you attacked Young Lord Reden!"
"It matters a lot. You think I'd just stand there while some punk spews vulgar crap and insults at my little sister right in front of me? My common sense that warped?"
They figured with no proof of their little chat, they could spin the story however they wanted.
"Hah, a pathetic house like yours dares challenge Reden Count."
And even if they got caught, so what? Their backers were bigger. It was plain on their faces.
If not for the one who stepped up next.
"Tell us the full story, Young Lord Leon."
Katsi Mielephon—who'd been watching silently like she had no intention of intervening—finally moved forward. The crowd parted for her.
"The circumstances, in detail."
Her demeanor, like she knew me well, amplified the surrounding whispers.
Even Reden Count, who'd been glaring daggers, and Siger Reden's underclassmen looked bewildered.
"Siger Reden spewed vulgar filth about my sister where I could hear it plain as day. As his older brother, I was just doing my duty."
Her icy gaze shifted to the prone Siger's face.
The already pale boy trembled and dropped his eyes.
Facts aside, he clearly feared House Mielephon's head, Duke Katsi Mielephon.
"Is that true?"
"True or not—what's it matter?! I don't get why the Duke would even know a worthless nobody from some tiny kingdom, but that punk's obviously lying!"
Reden Count bellowed in outrage. Katsi's gaze flashed murderously cold.
"Duke, don't waste your time on trash like him..."
"Apologies, but House Cascadia—the counts—are currently bound by engagement to House Mielephon."
Murmurs rippled through the crowd like waves.
"Reden Count, are you calling Cascadia—promised as in-laws to Mielephon—lowly? Implying Mielephon is worthless by extension?"
His face drained of color at her frigid tone.
"N-No, th-that's not... Surely the one engaged to Mielephon isn't..."
Shocked that this 'remote lowly scion' had heftier connections than expected, Reden Count deflated further.
But figuring he'd lose either way, he clammed up.
"Young Lord Leon, nothing's more impotent than unproven truth. Can you prove it?"
She'd given Reden Count a pitiful, chilling look before turning the demand on me.
"Proof? Easy enough."
"How do you intend to prove it?"
Maid Misha had heard it too from nearby, but I had a surer method in mind.
Necromancy typically handled souls and corpses.
That included spells to draw out a corpse's memories—and with a tweak, extracting from a living being without killing them wasn't hard.
But before I could cast, an interruption.
"No need for that—I heard it. The whole conversation..."
Every gaze snapped toward the sudden voice.
And froze in shock.
Because a massive mascot costume had popped up from under the very banquet table where I'd been sitting and eating moments ago.
It looked just like those part-time gig mascot suits from my past life.
I hadn't expected anything like it in this world.
Sure, it was beast hide and cotton stuffing, but the mana pulsing from it screamed artifact.
Katsi Mielephon's face twisted in fury at the ridiculous sight.
Did she know this weirdo?
"Nice to meet you, Young Lord Leon. First time face-to-face like this, huh? Haven't chatted much with Junior Melissa, but I've caught her trash-talking her big bro plenty of times."