Chapter 817: A Man of Steel
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 817: A Man of Steel
The weather was clear; nothing of note today.
Muen stretched lazily as he strolled through the wide streets of Belland.
After a comfortable night’s sleep cradling Ariel’s soft, supple body, he felt the fatigue accumulated over the past few days completely vanish. He was in high spirits, and even his footsteps felt lighter.
His depleted spiritual power was still recovering, but he had moved well away from the brink of collapse. Everything was gradually improving.
Indeed, beautiful girls are the best tonic.
After savoring the memory of the fierce battle with the "Soaring Phoenix" protagonist last night—and his rare, total victory—Muen rubbed the corners of his upturned mouth. He came to a halt and knocked on the large door in front of him.
Creak...
The heavy, ancient door slowly swung open, and an elderly woman over fifty poked her head out.
"Ah, Young Master Muen."
She seemed to have been expecting him; seeing him caused her no surprise as she respectfully stepped aside to clear the path.
"The Master is in the garden, fishing."
"Alright, thank you."
Muen nodded with a smile and made his way toward the garden at the back of the estate with practiced ease.
The old woman watched Muen’s retreating back. Perhaps surprised by his newfound politeness, she murmured with emotion:
"That Young Master Muen... he really has become so sensible..."
*
By the shimmering lakeside, an old man dressed in simple linen clothes sat in a lounge chair, his eyes fixed intently on the motionless float on the water's surface.
Muen walked along the lush, overgrown path, treading softly to approach the old man without a sound.
This was also a garden on private property, though it was slightly smaller than the one at the Duke’s estate.
Compared to the Duke’s estate, which was almost aggressively adorned with every beautiful flower and plant imaginable, the style here was much more restrained. Along the way, green leaves and red flowers accented each other, while secluded groves and narrow paths provided mutual support. The atmosphere was one of effortless elegance and tranquility.
Muen sat down on a small stool beside the old man—one that seemed to have been prepared specifically for someone—and remained silent. He watched the old man fish, afraid of startling whatever fish might be about to bite.
The old man took a sip of the black tea beside him. He had long since noticed Muen’s arrival, but for the sake of starting a conversation—and to show off his excellent fishing skills—he decided to catch this fish first.
Muen waited patiently for the bait to be taken.
Five minutes passed...
Ten minutes...
Half an hour later...
The float looked as if it had been embedded into the still surface of the lake, completely motionless.
"..."
"..."
After another five minutes, the old man took another sip of tea.
"You're here?"
"Yeah."
"Have you eaten?"
"Not yet."
"Want to stay for dinner?"
"I'll pass. I definitely have to head back to eat tonight."
"Oh."
The old man nodded and stared at the float for a while longer.
This time, his persistence finally paid off. Soon, a fish bit the bait.
After a brief, spirited struggle with the fish, the old man looked at the palm-sized catch and finally broke into a grin.
The old blade is still sharp. Still sharp.
"You're here to ask about the current state of the Empire, aren't you?"
Marquis Angus placed the fish into a wooden bucket. This was his second catch of the day. Although both were small, they were undeniable proof of his fishing prowess.
One had to understand that when he fished with his old cronies, those who went home empty-handed were beyond counting.
"Yes, Grandfather."
Muen looked at the two tiny fish swimming in the bucket and couldn't help but twitch his lips.
"I just got back from the Abyss and don't have a handle on the Empire's current situation. Going through other channels is too slow, so I had to come and ask you."
"Why didn't you go find the Pink Bear?"
Marquis Angus asked curiously, "He’s the Regent now. He’s handling basically all the Empire’s political affairs. It would be more convenient to ask him."
"Heh, I’d love to."
Muen gave a thin, joyless smile. "I want to find him even more than you do, Grandfather. And once I find him, I won't just be asking questions; I’ll be giving him some 'interesting' things to play with... Unfortunately, the Pink Bear seems afraid of my 'enthusiasm.' He’s already gone into hiding."
"I see... Not surprising. It’s only natural to have a guilty conscience after doing those sorts of things."
Marquis Angus shook his head. "I tried to advise him long ago. A pity."
"If that guy actually listened to advice, he wouldn't still be wearing that fursuit even after his curse was lifted. I think he knows that the mess he’s made has left him with no face to show the world."
Muen idly picked up a twig from the ground and snapped it into tiny pieces, as if it were that incessantly death-seeking brat of a bear.
"No need to get too worked up. There’s always someone out there who can handle him. The Pink Bear will eventually meet his match," Marquis Angus said, patting Muen on the shoulder to comfort him.
As a close observer of this entire series of events, he knew better than anyone that Muen had been tormented quite severely lately.
In fact, from a perspective Muen wasn't aware of, his role hadn't been to provide entertainment for the Pink Bear, but rather to act like the bait on the hook—used to lure out those deeply hidden believers of the Love God.
Of course, he couldn't say that directly. After all, he had tacitly allowed it at the time. So, even out of affection for his grandson, he could only use these vague hints.
As for whether his dear grandson could understand... that wasn't his problem.
"True."
Muen naturally couldn't decipher a hint so abstract it was like being given a single hair and told to guess the person's gender. He simply sighed.
"I just hope the Former Saintess goes easy on him—or rather, goes hard enough that he can't get out of bed for half a month. Otherwise, it’ll be hard to quell the hatred in my heart."
"Don't worry. I heard the price of durians in Belland has skyrocketed lately. It’s likely related to Lady Latina spending a fortune on them. I doubt that many durians are meant for eating."
Marquis Angus hooked some fresh bait, swung the line in front of Muen a few times, and executed a beautiful cast. The float landed exactly where it had been before.
"Back to business. The Empire's primary issue right now is still the war with the Kingdom."
"How’s it looking?"
"On the border, Her Majesty the Empress is personally overseeing things. She’s adopted a defensive strategy to avoid their initial momentum, pulling the front line back about two hundred miles. She’s focusing on stabilizing the defense and waiting for the enemy to tire themselves out."
"That sounds reassuring."
Muen smiled slightly.
Even though he wasn't at the border, he could almost see Celicia facing the Kingdom’s million-strong army, her expression unchanged as she calmly deployed her counter-strategies with cool-headed elegance.
It made him want to wrap his arms around her waist and nuzzle her icy-cool cheek.
"Yes. The opponent is, after all, one of the premier powers on the continent. Even though their track record against the Empire has mostly been losses, Her Majesty wasn't blinded by that. She took a steady approach until the Empire can focus entirely on them. So far, the Kingdom hasn't shown any signs of breaking through her lines... We truly have an excellent leader," Marquis Angus remarked.
The Empress was young, but her methods already carried the shadow of her father.
"Of course. That’s Celicia for you."
Muen added, "The Kingdom side seems fine for now. What about everything else?"
"The internal situation of the Empire is mostly what you see here in Belland."
Marquis Angus continued:
"Prices have risen slightly. Black bread went from five Emiels a pound to seven. There are shortages of food, daily necessities, and essentials to some degree, because many factories have to prioritize supplying the front lines."
"Is the impact significant?"
"It has an effect, certainly—it’s a war, after all. But it hasn't reached the point of chaos. The Empire’s foundation over all these years isn't something one or two wars can shake."
Marquis Angus suddenly gave Muen a meaningful look.
"However, at a time like this, a certain famous Duke’s son spent over a hundred million Emiels to build a 'dating sanctuary.' If word of that gets out, I’m afraid many people will be lining up to file complaints against you."
"...It’s fine. I’m used to it."
Muen scratched his head bitterly.
"My reputation was never good anyway."
"Is this a matter of reputation? The issue is where they’re going to complain about you—the son of a Duke and the Empress’s fiancé!"
"Where? Where could they possibly... hiss!"
Muen suddenly sucked in a breath of cold air.
Where else could they go? How many people in this world had the authority to judge the son of a Duke and the fiancé of the Empress?
Only the Empress herself!
If Celicia found out he spent that much money to go on dates with others...
"Grandfather, don't talk nonsense!"
Muen suddenly straightened his back, looking every bit the upright gentleman.
"Most of the money I spent on the amusement park went straight into the national treasury! Whether it was the Royal Engineering Institute or the Royal Design Institute, that money didn't benefit outsiders! If you round it off, how is that different from me donating a hundred million to the war effort? How could Celicia possibly blame me when I’m so devoted to the country?"
"..."
A splash erupted in the wooden bucket. Marquis Angus wore an expression that said, Whatever makes you happy.
Muen pretended not to see it.
"Huh? Why are these two fish in the bucket fighting?"
"Two of them will fight easily. Don't worry, once I catch a third, they’ll settle down."
Marquis Angus continued fishing leisurely.
"By the way, is it really okay for you to leave the Duke’s estate like this?"
"What could go wrong?"
Muen asked, puzzled. "The Love God matter is resolved, isn't it? Are there really evil believers bold enough to attack the Duke’s estate?"
"Heh."
"What are you laughing at, Grandfather?"
"I’m laughing because it seems you’ve been infected by that girl Ariel. Your talent for self-deception is already stronger than your prowess in bed."
"I don't quite follow what you're saying..."
"Young Master Muen."
Just as Muen was about to retort against his grandfather’s baseless claims, the old woman who had let him in came hurrying over, interrupting him.
"Someone from the Duke’s estate is here. They want to see you."
"See me?"
Muen was confused. "Why? Can't it wait until I get back?"
"I don't know, but she looks very frantic..."
"Young Master!"
As soon as the old woman finished speaking, a figure darted out from behind her, lunging forward to grab Muen’s leg, wailing piteously.
"Help... Save me!"
"Noah?"
Muen used both hands to help the sobbing little maid up. "Why are you here? What happened? Stand up and tell me slowly."
"Can't be slow, has to be fast! Young Master, you have to go back right now..."
Noah’s face was covered in soot, looking as if she had just crawled out of a chimney.
"The Head Maid and Miss Ariel are fighting! The situation is critical! You have to go back immediately!"
"Fighting?"
Muen’s heart tightened.
So soon?
How long had he even been away from home?
"Are you serious?"
"Of course I am!"
"No... that can't be right."
Muen wiped a bead of sweat from his brow.
"An is a good girl, and Ariel is very gentle. Even if there’s some friction between them, how could it escalate to a physical fight..."
As soon as the words left Muen’s mouth, he was met with several pairs of eyes filled with the disdainful look of Do you even believe that yourself?
"Go on back," Marquis Angus sighed.
"The Campbell family’s centuries of honor can't be ruined by my son-in-law... that’s really the only legacy he has left."
"...Look at what you're saying, Grandfather. Do I really look like I’m out to ruin my father?"
Muen glared. "This is simple. I’ll go back and settle it right now!"
"Re... Really?" Noah wiped her tears, looking dazed.
"Of course!"
Muen slapped his knees and stood up abruptly.
"Grandfather, Noah—you both underestimate me. I’m not a useless waste like the Pink Bear. Watch me go back and give them both a good spanking! I’ll make sure they know exactly who calls the shots in the Duke’s estate!"