Brother Lugner

I went to the party venue.

"Oh!"

Oh, oh, is this a noble's party?

The party was larger than I had imagined.

From an orchestra with what must have been over a dozen musicians, to the size of the hall, which looked as if they had rented out an entire wedding venue.

And above all, there was plenty of food and plenty of people.

"Hehe, the Marquis-nim has arrived as well."

"Of course. The Minister of Finance-nim is here too, so naturally, I had to come."

Listening in, the caliber of the attending nobles was nothing ordinary.

Is this the class of the Lugner Earldom?

Or was this party a more important event ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠than I had thought?

"They say it's just a birthday party for Young Lady Lugner."

"It's just a birthday party, and it's this big?"

Perhaps I was just too ignorant of this fantasy world's setting.

Anyway, it wasn't bad.

A grand and flashy party.

With this kind of atmosphere, I'd be able to have fun!

...or so I thought for a moment.

But reality was different from my ideals.

"I thought my luck was too good."

"What do you mean by that?"

"It's nothing. Just a feeling."

One hour after the party started.

I was still a loner.

Occasionally, some nobles would see me alone and approach me to talk, but...

"Hoho. A young man here. What might your name be?"

"Hello! Greetings! I am Leon Silberg!!"

"Silberg...? Ah. I see. You are... Hoho. Nice to meet you. Well then, enjoy yourself. I have to go meet an acquaintance..."

"...Ah, I see."

Even if I greeted them politely, that was as far as it went.

The nobles would leave the spot as soon as the greeting ended, as if they all had their own business to attend to.

Come to think of it, it was natural.

I had been momentarily mistaken due to Count Lugner-nim's hospitality, but I was at best a Viscount.

From Duke down to Marquis, Count, and then Viscount... In other words, I was a low-ranking noble.

"Certainly, there are few people approaching."

"...Yeah."

So this situation was only natural.

For a nobody like me attending a Count's party, isn't it something to be grateful for just to be greeted like this?

"Huh?"

"Hm...? Why do you ask?"

But in an instant, a different thought crossed my mind.

Strictly speaking, this isn't the real Middle Ages, but a world inside a romance fantasy novel.

It's a world where most things have modern conveniences applied, and ideas and development run wild, not fitting the era.

In other words, it's a world where I shouldn't treat others with a medieval mindset rooted in prejudice.

Plus, I'm a Viscount. I'm not someone who should act like a haughty Northern Grand Duke.

"Hm? Where are you going?"

I stood up from my seat.

Cecil, surprised by my sudden action, called out to me, but I told him I had some business and would walk around alone.

"Well, my Ki-sense can monitor the entire party venue, so please feel free to look around."

"Uh... sure."

I'm clearly the employer, so why does it feel like I'm the one asking for permission?

Anyway, after receiving permission that wasn't quite permission from Cecil, I set off.

"..."

As I moved, the gazes of the nobles lingering nearby focused on me.

As expected. They weren't avoiding me.

They were just hesitant because we weren't close.

Then I should be the one to approach them first.

"Hello! I am Viscount Silberg. It's a pleasure to meet you!"

"Ah... yes."

First, starting with the noble of similar age standing nearby.

Here, take it. My job interview greeting method from my days as a K-pro job seeker!

My name is Theo Lugner. I am the head of the Lugner Earldom.

Today is my daughter's birthday.

Usually, it would be a day spent simply having a meal with the family, but since my daughter just turned twenty, and I felt sorry for not having given her a proper birthday before, I decided to throw a party.

However, news like a bolt from the blue flew in. That 'Viscount Silberg' was coming.

At first, I didn't believe it. I even denied reality, thinking it must be false news.

But contrary to my expectations, the news was true, and I urgently notified the Imperial Family.

Because Silberg was too big a name for me to handle alone.

For that reason, the party grew larger.

Although my daughter's birthday party turned into a 'counter-Viscount Silberg' party, it was a great success due to various support sent from the Imperial Family and the attendance of many nobles.

And since it was still practically being billed as my daughter's birthday party,

"Oh my! Annie! Thanks for coming. It must have been hard coming from the capital, right?"

"Long time no see, Sonia. I didn't think I'd be able to see you, but my father said he was attending, so I came along. Happy birthday!"

My daughter's friends, whom I thought would be hard to invite due to the distance between the capital and the south, were also able to attend ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the party by following their parents, so my daughter seemed to be in a good mood.

And decisively.

"Hello! I am Leon Silberg! Thank you for the invitation!"

Contrary to my worries, Viscount Silberg looked ordinary.

A long time ago, when many died due to the infighting of the Silberg Viscounty, the figure of Leon Silberg, who laughed bizarrely at the funeral, was nowhere to be seen.

"Hahat. I apologize. I don't recall meeting you before. But what does that matter? The future is what's important. I look forward to working with you, Count Gauss-nim!"

"Ah... well, that's true. I look forward to working with you, too. Viscount Silberg. Ha. Haha."

The strange eye-smile was still bothersome, but at least the person I saw today was just a young man of that age, exactly that much.

From Leon Silberg, who was smiling broadly and approaching other nobles to greet them first, I couldn't feel his characteristic schemes or sinister aura.

"..."

The Silberg family's escort knight, still watching the party venue.

The presence of Cecil, the only Lance Master on the continent, was still sending warning signals not to let my guard down, but at least it didn't seem like anything big would happen today.

"Oh! Is this poker? I'm quite good at it myself, would it be alright if I joined?"

Look. Even now, look at him trying hard to mingle with other nobles.

"Haha. Of course."

So I let my guard down.

I thought that for today, at least, Viscount Silberg had approached with goodwill.

And I sat across from his table.

Ah, this is fun. This choice was definitely the right one.

"Haha. Is that so? It's very Silberg-like, indeed."

"I don't know what 'Silberg-like' means, but sure. I asked the maid to slice the meat, and she ended up splitting the table in half!"

People laughing in a harmonious atmosphere.

It was the result of my efforts to fit into the party.

Even those who kept their distance at first because we were awkward strangers, after I approached them first to talk, and shared stories about trying to break the boredom or anecdotes with Cecil, they gradually began to accept me.

"Hello! I am Leon Silberg!"

"Uh... sure. Have a... good time? I'll be going now..."

"Ah... yep! Have a good time!"

Of course, some nobles kept their distance to the end.

I understand.

Most of them were people with quite an age gap from me, and...

"Vi, Viscount Silberg? Hmph, hmph!"

"Ah... I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. Then, have a good time!"

Since that was the case for people who seemed to have had some issues between our families in the past, I avoided those people first.

Because it's inevitable that everyone has parts they find hard to accept.

Anyway, I managed to have various conversations with people with whom I had somehow opened up a line of dialogue.

"Hahat. You say you're quite good at poker?"

"Yes. That's right. Then, how about...? Shall we play a light game?"

We even ended up playing a card game together.

It was fun.

Poker among nobles was definitely different from what I played in the territory.

"It's a straight."

"Ah! No wonder I felt like one Ace wasn't showing up!"

Unlike commoners who bet mindlessly, trusting only in good hands, the nobles were definitely better at mind games and had diverse strategies, so it was fun.

And above all.

"My, I think this will be my last bet. I'll bet 100kg of silver."

"Oh!"

The stakes were high.

Since the amount of money exchanged in one game transcended my common sense, my heart was pounding.

Still, well.

"That amount isn't even enough for one door of the Silberg mansion."

"Really?"

"Just how low do you think the family's wealth is?"

Since that picky Cecil said that much, I felt no burden in playing the game.

Come to think of it, since even the Northern Grand Duke or the heroine would travel a long way to borrow money, the wealth must be considerable.

Then, well. It's okay to enjoy it more, right?

"Oh! Count-nim, you've arrived?"

"I'm not sure if I should join. Hoho."

"Ayy~ The host of the house should at least play one game. I just finished, so please sit here."

At that moment, Count Lugner-nim joined the card game, seemingly to entertain the guests.

He sat in the seat of another Count who had just been cleaned out and asked me.

"How is it? Viscount Silberg-nim. Have you been enjoying yourself?"

"Ah, yes. I'm enjoying it. Hahaha."

Kk. As expected of Brother Lugner.

He must have been busy greeting guests, but the way he took care of even a mere Viscount was truly touching.

So I made up my mind.

This game. I would desperately try to lose.

"Two pair."

"Wow~! How did you know it was a bluff...! I lost."

"Viscount Silberg-nim, you are poor at poker faces."

"Ah~ is that so? I thought I was doing pretty well, but I guess not. Hahaha"

But there was no need to do that.

This brother. He plays poker way too well, more than I thought...

Since I hadn't prepared a proper birthday gift, I had entered the game ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠prepared to be cleaned out, but I hadn't thought I would be cleaned out this miserably.

Already 8 consecutive losses. It was one-sided.

"I've won this time as well."

Not just me, but everyone at the table was being cleaned out, but I was being cleaned out particularly badly.

But I didn't feel particularly bad.

Since I had intended to be cleaned out from the beginning, and...

"As expected of the nickname 'Card Master'. Count Lugner-nim."

"It was just a nickname from the past."

"Ayy~ If you say that, what does that make us who got cleaned out?"

"Hahahaha"

Perhaps because he was someone who was good at cards from the start, the people who left earlier also finished in a warm atmosphere, so it wasn't really that kind of atmosphere.

And before I knew it.

"It seems like it's time to finish up."

Only I and Count Lugner-nim were left at the table.

As he said, it was time to finish up.

It wasn't that I didn't want to enjoy it more, but I had no choice.

Because I had almost run out of the money I brought.

"Good luck."

That's how I received the last hand.

But soon, I lost interest.

The hand was too bad.

"Hmm."

I was slightly conflicted.

If I folded the hand like this, I could play one more round.

But I didn't necessarily want to continue the game for one more round like that.

Looking at the hand I just received, it seemed like luck wasn't on my side anymore.

In times like this, it's right to get up.

"3 Gold."

So I calmly continued betting.

Because I thought it would be more comfortable to be cleaned out cleanly and get up, rather than getting up with a few measly coins in my hand.

"5 Gold."

So, as much as my pocket situation allowed, I divided my money and bet so that I could receive the last card.

"I call. 5 Gold."

Perhaps he noticed this. Count Lugner-nim also smiled slightly and matched the bet.

That's how I received the last card.

However, the god of gambling did not smile upon me.

It was a losing hand, no matter who looked at it.

"1 Gold."

I threw the last money in my pocket and declared defeat.

But it seems Count Lugner-nim didn't read the meaning behind it.

"Raise, 100 Gold. Let's see you call!"

"Huh?"

Boldly 100 Gold. Count Lugner-nim betting a whopping 100 million won.

Perhaps he received a good hand, his expression was more flushed than ever.

I wanted to go along with it if I could.

But I really. I have no money now...

So I rummaged through my empty pocket and quietly placed a coin on the table.

It was one of the coins lying around in my office, which I used for coin-stacking games when I was bored.

Did Cecil say it was a commemorative coin of the Silberg family?

Anyway. The meaning of me placing this coin was simple.

'I have no money.'

But, ....

"?"

Did he take this as a joke?

Silence settled around us.

Some seemed to think it was a bad joke, their complexions even turning pale.

So I explained.

"Haha. It's not a joke. I really have nothing else left."

Then. Everyone looked at Count Lugner-nim with serious expressions.

Perhaps it was a silent ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠look asking if he had really cleaned out a poor Viscount to this extent?

Well, it's fine. I enjoyed it in my own way.

But what do you know?

The Count was putting his cards down, wasn't he?

Looking at this, it seemed like he intended to let me off the hook for one more round and play again.

I have no intention of doing that....

So, thinking I should stop now, I opened my mouth once more.

"If you don't mind, let's just end it here."

It meant, don't go easy on me, just end it now.