Chapter 262 : Chapter 262
Chapter 262 : The Kingdom's Legacy (5)
From the Wild Dogs and Sewer Rats hideout in the underground waterway to the top of a building overlooking the downtown area at a glance.
King Philinus II's procession, which I happened to cross paths with.
I'd caused a small crack in that arrogant procession, but it was quite literally just a minor disturbance.
We leisurely moved away, leaving the commotion behind.
Across alleys where shadows cast deeper than the sunlight, and over the roofs of a few more buildings.
That was how we arrived at the basement of a certain building.
It was filled with a musty smell of dust.
"If you go across the corridor, there'll be a gatekeeper wearing a deer mask."
Vena pointed forward with the tip of her chin.
"Show the letter of recommendation. Since that's the admission ticket."
According to her, since it was a rule for a new member to attend accompanied by their recommender, the letter of recommendation was practically a mere formality.
The reason she went out of her way to tell me this was…… she was probably subtly tipping me off that there wouldn't be any troublesome verification procedures.
Because they'd be in the same position, having no time to think due to the Lust Demon's absence.
'Vena seems to know that the Lust Demon was the master who commanded both organizations simultaneously.'
If so, it meant that the Lust Demon bastard had kept this woman quite close.
I asked in a light tone, as if testing her.
"Think about it carefully again. Who exactly leaked the rumor of my death first."
I didn't know how many times I'd asked indirectly while coming here. It was a matter that could be over quickly without having to dig into Simone in a complicated manner.
"Well? I don't know that much either. Just as you said, we'll probably only find out once we enter Simone."
Vena replied nonchalantly.
"Didn't you say everyone at Grimbalt Prison that day was a noble? No matter how much it's me, I don't have the guts to shove Sewer Rats into a place like that."
It wasn't a wrong statement. It wasn't, but backing down obediently here somehow made me feel like I was losing.
"Any news inside the royal palace? Like, something happening to the Duke of Conwell's safety."
At my question, Vena curled one corner of her mouth askew. She tilted her chin up arrogantly and stared intently at me.
"His life is safe. If you're curious about more detailed inside stories, I could look into it for you. Tossing a Sewer Rat or two into the palace is nothing."
Vena's chilly gaze touched Ramba. Ramba flinched his shoulders.
"I'm curious, but it's not to the point of paying with a life."
Vena suddenly snorted. Her face showed that her interest was piqued.
"You're interesting, aren't you?"
I only turned my head and looked. She strode toward me fearlessly.
"If you want something from me, you could just tear it away by force. Why're you acting so gently? Making a person's heart flutter."
Vena placed the tip of her finger on my chest and slowly scanned it upward.
"It's the same now. Without having to do the legwork yourself, it'd be enough to use our Master's soul as an excuse to take my kids hostage and order them around. For a monster of your level, isn't that a much easier way?"
Before I knew it, her eyes had grown half-lidded and loose. Vena rolled her red pupils here and there as if licking every corner of my face.
"Honestly, I didn't believe it. To think the Kingdom's strongest sword is hanging his life on mere chivalry. In this world where the whim of the powerful is law, a strong person like you showing consideration for the weak…… it doesn't make sense."
She brought her lips right next to my ear.
"Are you truly a stubborn swordsman obsessed with honor just like the rumors say? Or—"
The breath that had approached within inches was so hot it felt like it would burn me at any moment.
"Do you think that what needs to be handled roughly isn't my life, but something else?"
Instead of an answer, I grabbed Vena's earlobe and pulled it straight away. I'd barely put any strength into it, but she made a fuss as if her entire ear had been ripped off to anyone watching.
Anyway, I felt good. I thrust my face right in front of hers.
"That rumor, is it true?"
"W-What is!"
"The rumor that Bihen Benkou hangs his life on chivalry."
Vena's forehead wrinkled instantly. She stared at me as if looking at some crazy bastard.
It didn't matter either way. A chuckle slipped out.
"Well, if the Boss of the Imperial Capital's main branch says so, then it must be so. Good."
I let go of Vena's earlobe in a good mood. Her huffing face was bright red as if it would burst.
"The trend of chivalry will soon return to this land before long. Isn't that right, Ramba?"
I casually blurted it out while watching Vena's embarrassed face, but for some reason, the response was delayed.
Inadvertently turning my head, I saw Ramba was startled.
"What's wrong with you now?"
"Ah, it's nothing……! Milord!"
"Anyway, I'll be back, so you stay with Vena, Ramba. It'll be best to be careful not to stand out for the time being."
***
I handed the letter of recommendation to the gatekeeper wearing a deer mask. He broke the wax seal, roughly skimmed the contents inside, and guided me to the door behind him.
"You may enter."
It was an ordinary wooden door that opened to both sides. It was so simple that the trouble of coming all the way here was overshadowed, making me feel a sense of dejection.
"Coincidentally, today is the day the meeting is held. A separate room has been prepared for new members, so you can wait comfortably there."
He was polite, almost as if he'd read my inner thoughts. He seemed like someone who had professionally mastered hospitality techniques for dealing with nobles.
As I opened the door and entered, the aroma of high-class alcohol and the smell of greasy food wafted over heavily.
"Please come this way."
Another deer mask was waiting inside. Following him, though I couldn't tell if he was an employee or a guide, I entered a small, enclosed room. Red lighting was subtly cast over a space where a black velvet sofa and a table were everything.
"Please wear this."
The deer mask handed over a small mask with a polite posture. It was a masquerade mask that covered the eyes and the upper part of the nose.
After receiving it, I went inside and sat in the inner seat of honor.
"This is the waiting room for new members. Once the banquet begins, those interested in the new member will visit one by one. It's a type of welcoming ceremony."
"Banquet?"
"In Simone, meetings are called banquets."
The deer mask continued the explanation.
"If you no longer wish to converse, please ring the bell on the table. We'll instantly clear the room for you."
Come to think of it, an adorable bell was placed on the table. I asked.
"Does a newcomer just have to wait here silently? Is it not allowed for me to go out first and meet people?"
"It's customary for a new member to undergo the welcoming ceremony first. Afterward, joining other rooms is permitted."
My forehead furrowed of its own accord. They called it a social gathering for nobles, but it was somewhat perverted and exclusive. Then again, considering it was something created by that Lust Demon bastard, what else could I expect.
"Well, then, I hope you have a pleasant time."
The deer-masked guide paid his respects politely and left the room.
For now, I placed the mask I've been handed over my face as instructed. The cold sensation of leather touched my skin.
'It reminds me of the time with Cervantes.'
Closing my eyes, I leaned back. The plush texture of the sofa enveloped my entire body. Perhaps because of the stillness encountered after a tense commotion, drowsiness gradually crept in.
No matter what, the most important thing is rest.
.
.
Knock, knock.
My eyes snapped open. It was a brief nap so sweet it could be counted on one hand in my entire life.
"I heard a new family member arrived, so I came to welcome you."
The ones who opened the door and entered were clearly an elderly middle-aged man and woman. Both had bellies that protruded handsomely.
The two maintained a non-burdensome distance and sat divided on both sides of me.
"It must feel unfamiliar since it's your first time. We sincerely welcome you to Simone."
"Don't mention it."
Despite my short reply, they continued speaking without paying it any mind.
"Simone possesses a much longer history than you know. Assuredly, it's deeper than the history of the Aleos royal family."
"It is safe to say it shares its orbit with the birth of the Kingdom."
Well, it wasn't a wrong statement. If the Eight Demons had a hand in creating this Kingdom, then this place, which is the legacy of the Lust Demon, was incomparable to something like the history of the royal family.
Perhaps because of that, a hint of subtly looking down on the royal family was steeped into their tone of speech.
"Well, let's meet again next time. If your days of attendance in Simone increase and you reach a high grade, you'll be able to share private information among members as well."
"When that time comes, we'll be able to share deeper stories. Hohoho."
The two chattered for a long time as if Simone's history were the glory of their own family, then left the room without any lingering attachment.
Knock, knock.
As if waiting, a knock rang out immediately. The one who opened the door and entered was a man of robust build. A glass half-filled with red wine was held in his hand.
"……Hmm."
Despite his expression being hard to see due to the mask, signs of disappointment were clear.
He lightly raised the glass he was holding as if making a toast.
"I have no interest in men. At any rate, welcome to becoming a member of Simone."
He only made a pretense of lightly touching his lips to the glass, then immediately turned his steps and disappeared.
'What a ridiculous bastard.'
It definitely wasn't Gunt. That much could be sufficiently distinguished by voice alone.
I had to keep in mind the possibility of missing him in a fleeting moment, but I wasn't too worried.
'Because I've already engraved the mana of the bastard I observed with the Ghost Eye into my mind.'
Mana is like a person's handwriting. Each has a different, unique texture.
Moreover, if it's the mana of a big shot of Gunt's level, mistaking it for other trivial things would be harder.
"In times like these when the world is chaotic, we in Simone must unite even more closely."
The third person to visit the room was a woman. The unique etiquette of nobles was unmistakably embedded in her tone and demeanor.
"Perhaps before long, Simone might proudly rise above the surface."
What a wild dream. This immature noble young lady was inspired by a strange sense of mission. She seemed to mistake a secret social gathering for discharging desires hiding behind anonymity as some sort of resolute organization plotting a grand undertaking.
"As a new member, you might not know well, but lately, the biggest topic in Simone is undoubtedly the Pantheon."
"Pantheon? What is that?"
The lips revealed beneath the woman's mask curved thinly. Tilting her head askew while resting her chin on her hand, her posture was quite seductive.
"Ah, it's information far too large and sweet to just hand over to a newcomer right away…… but I'll tell you specially. Because your voice is quite wonderful."
The woman leaned her body closely toward me. Along with a subtle scent, her secretive voice tickled my ear.
"The very first thing Philinus II undertook as soon as he succeeded to the throne was the grand expansion of the royal cemetery. Since he named that sanctuary where the late kings and royal relatives rest in the Pantheon, this is an open declaration to raise the authority of the royal family to the rank of gods. Isn't it an intention to strengthen the royal authority, which has been relatively weaker than the influential feudal lords until now?"
The successive emperors of the Empire also used to flaunt the royal family's survival and majesty by expanding the imperial palace or erecting massive monuments. Because there was no means easier to draw out the public's awe than a visible grandeur.
"Ho, I didn't expect a new member to know about the Pantheon. Quite right. Before long, the Pantheon's completion ceremony will be held. Rumor has it that on that day, Philinus II will hold the coronation ceremony that has been delayed alongside it."
"The royal palace will declare the detailed schedule in the near future. When that time comes, all the eyes and ears of the Kingdom will focus on that tomb."
Based on the information about the Pantheon thrown by the woman, I was able to extract information like branching out from the members who visited the room in succession.
Perhaps encouraged by the fact that the new member possessed quite a bit of insight, they competitively bared even the detailed inside stories that weren't even asked.
'The downtown procession I saw earlier was also a part of it.'
Fragmented rumors connected into a single line inside my head.
Philinus II's coronation ceremony, the Pantheon's completion ceremony, and even the fact that the royal palace would be temporarily opened in alignment with that large-scale event.
However, beyond that, there was a limit to finding out deeper inside stories.
TING—
After kicking out a loafer who was uselessly spouting obscene jokes, I struck the bell on the table without hesitation.
Instantly, a deer mask entered. I didn't know if it was the same guy from earlier.
"Did you enjoy the welcoming ceremony?"
"Well, it was tolerably informative."
Following the deer mask's guidance, I left the room. In the dark corridor, masked people were freely entering and exiting rooms, each holding a glass in hand.
"In front of each room, a placard with the room title written on it is attached. You may enter a room of your choice up to three times today only."
The deer mask handed me three gold coins engraved with a deer pattern.
'Does this mean I have to find Gunt within three tries.'
Of course, there would also be a way to find him by forcing a ruckus, but with rumors about me circulating, I didn't particularly want to do something that stands out.
For now, I'll silently look for him according to their method, and after that, I'll have to devise another course of action.
'Let's see.'
I slowly strolled along the corridor, scanning the placards hung before the doors one by one.
[The Weight of a Broken Crown]
[The Truth Beneath the Mask]
[The Limping King's Shoemaker]
[The Sentinel of the Silent Forest]
[The Irreversible Consumption of Mana and……]
[The Aesthetic Value of Evil]
[The Etiquette Whispered by Steel]
.
.
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[A Strike Piercing the Heart]