Chapter 102: Meeting(1)
Chapter 102: Meeting(1)
Kerry managed to arrive in the capital just in time.
Before he’d set out, he’d thought he had plenty of time, but that turned out not to be the case.
There was the night he’d spent drinking heavily with the Sage, and the time he’d lost consciousness for over a day after consuming the Doll Ginseng.
On top of that, he had delayed the carriage’s departure several times to bang a succubus and some village bitch.
...Actually, laying it all out like that, it’s a miracle I arrived on time at all.
From now on, I’ll make a note to only bang as much as the schedule allows. End of reflection.
In any case, it seemed he would make it. The Saintess’s social gathering was scheduled for noon today.
He still had about two hours to prepare, which was a relief.
He had already arranged a meeting place in the capital with Lina and the others.
They were to meet at the inn farthest from the capital’s main entrance.
At first, he’d considered meeting somewhere closer to the gate, but such places were always crowded with guests, and he worried there might not be any rooms.
At any rate, after asking passersby for directions, he arrived at the inn farthest from the entrance.
A woman with a kind, portly appearance came into view.
Anyone could tell she was the innkeeper. She was diligently wiping down a table with a cloth.
“Excuse me… I’m a traveler, and I’d like to check if my companion is staying at this inn.”
“A companion? What’s their name?”
“Lina Knightly.”
The stout woman clapped her hands together loudly. What’s that for?
“Oh my. You should have come a bit earlier! Those pretty young ladies were waiting all morning, saying a young man was on his way.”
“They were waiting? So, now…”
“They’re gone now. They said they had urgent business and couldn’t wait any longer, then left.”
This was a problem.
Of course, it wasn’t as if he had anything particularly important to do there, but when it came to the Saintess, he felt uneasy leaving everything to Lina.
Just then, the woman handed him an envelope.
“She asked me to give this to you if a young man came by.”
“What is it?”
“I don’t know. It’s not mine. She just said you’d understand when you saw it.”
Kerry nodded.
He tore open the envelope he’d been given.
Inside were several pieces of paper. He decided to read what looked like a note first.
To summarize, the note said they had run out of time and had to leave first.
It also said he could just rest here if he wanted. Lina wrote that she would handle everything, but he couldn’t help but worry.
Their opponent was that Saintess—Lina’s natural enemy, the one who had gaslighted her in her past life.
“A map and an invitation, I see. And this is… a voucher for a clothing store Lina recommends.”
Reading the rest of Lina’s note, he saw that attending the social gathering required strict adherence to decorum and punctuality. Otherwise, you’d be turned away at the door, no questions asked.
“Can’t be helped. If I hurry, I should still be able to make it on time.”
It might be different for women, but for a man, all it took was styling your hair a bit and changing your clothes, right?
Kerry headed for the shop Lina had recommended.
Kerry stared awkwardly at the mirror.
Reflected back at him was an equally awkward Kerry, dressed in a black tuxedo with his hair styled. This feels incredibly strange.
He wasn’t even sure if it suited him.
But the shop owner had laid it on thick, gushing about how surprisingly good it looked, so he decided to trust him just this once.
Besides, it was a place Lina had recommended.
After hassling the coachman to hurry, he managed to arrive just in time.
“We’ve arrived, sir.”
“Thank you for your hard work.”
Kerry stepped out of the carriage.
An iron fence stood before him. Beyond it lay a magnificent mansion.
So this is the Saintess’s residence.
The front yard alone looked to be several times the size of a high school sports field.
The beautiful garden and fountain in front of the mansion only added to its luxuriousness.
It felt as if a completely different world existed on the other side of that fence.
Just then, a man approached him.
“Are you here to attend the Saintess’s social gathering? If so, may I see your invitation first, please?”
“…”
Kerry showed him the invitation Lina had given him.
The man nodded. At his signal, the people inside began to open the massive iron gates.
The garden was so vast it would have been more convenient to ride the carriage all the way in.
He could see people gathered in small groups in front of the splendid mansion.
Musicians were playing in a corner, while guests mingled in clusters of two and three, chatting amongst themselves.
They were all beautiful people. That was to be expected, as they had all been hand-picked by that foul-tempered Saintess.
Where are Lina and the others?
Perhaps because of the crowd, he couldn’t see them anywhere.
It was his first time at an event like this, and he felt out of place.
The air was a mixture of loud laughter, cheerful chatter, and classical music.
He really hated places like this. If it weren’t for Lina, he would have turned around and left immediately.
Trying his best not to look awkward, Kerry casually scanned his surroundings.
“Would you care for a drink?”
A maid approached, presenting a tray of wine glasses.
Kerry watched how the others took their glasses and followed suit.
“Thank you.”
“Ah… yes. Of course.”
Was a simple ‘thank you’ that strange?
The maid seemed more flustered by his gratitude than he was.
Looking closer at her, he noticed a bright red bruise near the cuff of her sleeve.
It was painfully obvious who was responsible.
Speaking of which, where is the Saintess? Dammit. I have no idea what’s going on.
Don’t look like a country bumpkin. Just act as natural as possible.
Kerry took a sip of wine, feigning a relaxed air.
This is delicious. Just one taste was enough to tell it was a high-quality wine.
Looks like our dear Saintess is loaded. Good for me, then.
It was then that someone spoke to him. Turning around, he saw a group of women who appeared to be daughters of noble families.
They were all pretty. It seemed everyone had put great effort into their makeup; there wasn’t a single woman who wasn’t a beauty.
“We always see the same faces here. You must be a newcomer.”
“Ah… yes. That’s right. It’s my first time.”
“Oh my. But you’re so tall. I think you might be the tallest man here.”
“You’re right. And so well-built… you’re very handsome.”
“What’s this scar on your neck?”
The scar on his neck… that was from a goblin’s claw, wasn’t it?
“It’s a wound from fighting a monster.”
At his words, the women let out a collective gasp.
You find them sometimes among women.
The kind who romanticize things like fighting monsters or going on adventures.
The women chattered excitedly next to Kerry.
They asked what kind of monster he fought, why he fought it, and all sorts of other things.
When they asked if he had any more scars, he rolled up his sleeve to show them his glorious wounds, and they all made a huge fuss.
They’re just innocent young noble ladies.
As time passed, more and more women gathered around Kerry.
It made sense, he supposed.
A man covered in scars was likely a rare sight at a high-society gathering like this.
The other men were reasonably handsome and well-dressed, but they couldn’t compare to the glory of his battle scars.
“You’re truly amazing. Your name is Kerry, you said? I feel a certain… wild charm from you! Something different from the usual noblemen.”
“What is your relationship with the Saintess? She’s been holding out on us. If she knew someone as wonderful as you, she should have invited you to these gatherings sooner.”
“Um… if you don’t mind, may I touch your arm?”
It was a veritable explosion of popularity.
He knew he was popular in this world, but this was the first time he’d been the center of such intense, focused attention.
Was it because he’d dressed up? He still felt incredibly awkward.
Then again, even he could see that he looked quite different from the noblemen around him.
Look at the daggers in their eyes.
The surrounding men were glaring at him as if they wanted to eat him alive. If you’re so jealous, go get some scars of your own.
Victoria had often said that Kerry was better than most noble sons, and it seemed she wasn’t just spouting nonsense.
Just then, one of the women asked him casually.
“Excuse me, Sir Kerry, but what is your family name? Which house are you from? With looks like yours, I can’t believe I haven’t heard of you…”
“…”
Kerry didn’t have a family name. In this absurd world, commoners weren’t allowed to have them.
What should I do? Making one up on the spot feels a bit off.
As if sensing his predicament, the men who had been watching him with displeasure began to press the issue.
“Now that you mention it, I’m quite curious myself. This seems to be your first time in high society. Which family do you hail from?”
“Judging by the way you flaunt those rather unsightly scars, you must be from a great family of war heroes, yes?”
“Of course. He must be.”
Fucking pricks.
He couldn’t risk tarnishing the hero’s name with a clumsy lie.
At events like this, rumors not only spread quickly but were often twisted into nonsense.
“I am…”
Fine. I’ll just take the embarrassment. So what if I’m a commoner?
It was at that moment.
The people who had gathered around Kerry suddenly began to bow their heads respectfully.
Men and women alike.
It was startling to see those high-and-mighty noble children act this way.
He soon understood why.
“It’s rather noisy over here. What seems to be the matter?”
The owner of the captivating, beautiful voice was the Saintess.
She was still wearing that same tight, provocative outfit. How is that a Saintess?
“Greetings, Your Holiness. I wonder if you remember me…”
Before Kerry could finish his sentence, she cut in.
“Of course. Of course, I remember you. Kerry. No, Sir Kerry, isn’t it? It’s truly a pleasure to see you. You didn’t arrive with your companions, so I was worried you weren’t coming. I can’t tell you how disappointed I was.”
At the Saintess’s feigned friendliness, the faces of the men who had been jealous of Kerry turned ashen.
The position of Saintess was just that high.
Not even the Emperor or the Pope could treat her carelessly.
To put it simply, the Saintess was the spokesperson for the Goddess Elena.
I guess even a piece of shit has its uses. Was that saying made for the Saintess?
For now, it was safe to say she had saved him from a crisis.
Maybe I should be a little more lenient in how I deal with her, he mused.
Then, the Saintess spoke, a smug grin spreading across her face.
“So, what were you all talking about? Surely you’re not hiding things just because I’ve arrived? It sounded like a very interesting conversation… may I join in?”
This bitch.
It was obvious. She was here to mock him. He could tell just by the slight twist of her smile.
Her arrival had drawn the attention of everyone nearby, even those who hadn’t been paying attention before.
What else would you expect from a Saintess chosen by that bitch of a goddess?
Whatever. Let them laugh if they want to laugh. What’s wrong with being a commoner?
To Kerry, a modern man, the ones acting all high and mighty just because they were nobles were the real idiots.
“Yes. I am…”
“Ah, ah. It seems Sir Kerry is having a hard time speaking. Allow me to say it for him. Sir Kerry is of ‘commoner’ birth, so he doesn’t have a family name. Isn’t that right, Sir Kerry?”
The moment she spoke, a murmur went through the crowd. A commoner at an elite gathering of high-ranking nobles?
The women who had been fawning all over Kerry began to back away instantly.
The jealous men curled their lips into smirks, just like the Saintess. Birds of a feather, I see.
“Yes. What the Saintess says is correct. I am a commoner.”
Fucking hell.
The Saintess had no idea what she had just done.
She couldn’t possibly imagine the hell she would face in the near future because of this.
“Surely you’re not ashamed of being a commoner, are you, Sir Kerry?”
“…”
“Or would you like to leave now? To be honest, this gathering is a bit above a commoner’s station. I sent the invitation out of courtesy, since you’re part of the hero’s party… but I never thought you’d be shameless enough to actually show up. Pfft. You must have been very curious about a noble’s social gathering, hmm?”
Should I just slap the Star of Bondage on her neck right now?
No. Calm down. I can’t ruin things over a moment of anger.
Just then, he heard another stir from a distance.
Now what?
There’s nothing left to be embarrassed about.
Kerry looked toward the source of the commotion and froze.
Flowing blonde hair that fell to her shoulders.
Lips as pretty as cherries and a delicate, high nose.
A figure that was voluptuous yet dignified, not provocative.
The woman, who possessed the dignified air befitting a hero, was none other than Lina.
It was the first time he had seen Lina so dressed up.
She was always bare-faced, or at best, wearing simple, everyday clothes.
But seeing her properly made up, he felt his breath catch in his throat.
Have I really been traveling with a woman this beautiful?
But… but… something was wrong with the beautiful Lina.
Despite being so exquisitely made up, she was furious.
She wore an expression of rage deeper than anything he had ever seen on her before. What’s going on?
Lina strode through the crowd, making her way toward them.
She stopped in front of the Saintess.
Then, Lina’s hand shot out and struck the Saintess across the cheek. The sound was loud enough to echo through the garden.
Smack—
“Apologize to Sir Kerry… Apologize to him right now!”
As expected of Lina. She was a magnificent regressor, one truly worthy of my loyalty.