Chapter 143 : Chapter 143
Chapter 143
A massive golden radiance illuminated the grand banquet hall, its majesty overwhelming everyone, sending fear and chaos scurrying into hiding.
“…”
No one dared speak.
The Emperor, who always remained silent during the succession struggle by unwritten rule, had stepped forward for the first time.
“Lords, lower your weapons.”
Without hesitation, Frohadin and William stowed their arms. The ferocious auras that had threatened to engulf the hall dissipated instantly.
The situation was resolved in a moment. Who could defy the command of the greatest and brightest gold?
“Duke Frohadin, return to your seat.”
“Your Majesty!”
Frohadin protested.
“This is unfair! We are in the midst of a succession struggle! I merely checked the Black Knight of Princess Adela for the sake of Prince Kazaks!”
“Indeed.”
But his opponent was the Emperor. The world’s greatest authority, unmatched by any. The sole figure that even the ambitious Kazaks and the mad Adela dared not oppose and had given up challenging.
“However, reflect, Duke. Did you check the Princess and her Black Knight, or did you interfere with the bond between father and son? It defies heavenly principles and human ethics, so I will not stand idly by.”
His words were utterly just, but Frohadin was no ordinary man—a titan of politics.
‘Tch!’
Frohadin gritted his teeth.
‘To fall for such petty provocation…!’
He hadn’t been careful. He should have stopped at checking the Princess’s Black Knight.
But he had insulted the Ulvhadin Family and mocked the bond between William and Martin!
It was William’s fault for touching his sore spot.
‘But I won’t let it end here!’
Frohadin tried to retort, but the dazzling golden radiance forced him to shield his eyes and stagger.
“Do you defy the Imperial command?!”
At those words, all eyes turned to Frohadin. Defying the Imperial command. Summary execution. Those words sprang to mind instantly.
“…No, Your Majesty.”
As Frohadin swallowed his anger and returned to his seat, the Emperor commanded,
“Butler, the plaque and medal to the hero’s father.”
“…Understood.”
The butler handed the plaque and medal to William.
“Count William of Ulvhadin, fulfill the Imperial command.”
“I will obey the will of the greatest gold.”
William bowed in respect to the Emperor, who merely nodded in silence.
William, Martin’s biological father, approached me wordlessly and stood before me.
“…”
“…”
Father and son exchanged no words.
“…”
The hall fell into silence.
“…”
William placed the plaque in Martin’s hand.
“…”
He pinned the medal to Martin’s chest.
“…”
It was as if we were underwater, with no sound audible.
“…”
After presenting the plaque and medal, William broke the long silence.
“Someday, just once.”
What expression was I wearing then?
“Come by the family.”
With that, William turned, descended the platform, and vanished into the crowd.
“…”
Another long silence nearly followed, but—
“Now, let us proceed with the next award.”
The Imperial Head Butler resumed hosting, and the awkward ceremony continued.
“Next, Lord Elisha von Tresha Harmadun.”
After a brief pause, Elisha rose and descended the platform. Her red dress, overwhelming beauty, and nobility unintentionally captivated the men.
“We invite Duke Wilhelm of Red Bow Harmadun!”
Wearing a top hat, Wilhelm stepped forward with a smile, handed Elisha the plaque, and pinned the medal.
“This old man couldn’t be prouder.”
“Hehe…”
Elisha wore an uncharacteristically innocent expression.
“Next, Lord Bord von Ludin Tauforos!”
Bord descended. Naturally, I expected the Patriarch of the Tauforos Ducal Family, like Wilhelm, to step forward, but no. He wasn’t even present.
The Duke of Tauforos was tasked with guarding against external threats, so he was often absent from the capital… but to miss his son’s return as a hero?
“Next, Lord Mary von Airi Deminiyan!”
Mary descended, trembling. She was clearly trying hard to endure, but she was afraid of someone.
‘Probably… Duke Frohadin.’
The Imperial Head Butler called out,
“We invite Duke Frohadin, Patriarch of the Deminiyan Family!”
Soon, Frohadin appeared with heavy steps. The monocled old man’s eyes were sharp, his face pale as ice. He looked down at Mary coldly, as if she were a roadside pest.
“…”
“…G-Grandfather…”
Frohadin roughly handed her the plaque and pinned the medal carelessly.
“…”
“…”
No words of wisdom were offered.
As Mary returned to the round table, her face was as pale as paper locked away in a dark storage room.
Next was Shuga, but the presenter wasn’t Frohadin—it was her father, his son.
“Well done, daughter. It must have been dangerous, but you did well.”
“Thank you, Father.”
The opposite of Mary. To act so openly in such a public setting, they must be well-known in high society.
‘Mary.’
The eldest daughter of the Deminiyan Family.
I looked at her at the round table. Her skin was still ghostly pale.
‘Frohadin.’
Patriarch of the Deminiyan Family. Nominally, the grandfather of Mary and Shuga.
‘It’s complicated.’
The truth is revealed in the original story’s ‘Mary Arc.’
‘It’s because of Frohadin’s dirty deeds.’
The problem stemmed from Frohadin’s youthful indiscretions. To ensure no blemish remained in his path to inheriting the ducal title, he sought out his former lover, but she had already fled. The woman built a family in a quiet rural village, living peacefully into old age, raising grandchildren…
‘Until she was found. On that day, of all days.’
When Frohadin, searching for a cure for Mary’s stuttering, visited renowned physicians across the continent, he happened upon that quiet village.
‘That vile man.’
Frohadin raised his staff. An ominous black raincloud enveloped the village. The ensuing magic slaughtered every villager. The storm, crushing bones and piercing metal, was like a blender grinding humans. Young Mary, witnessing that hell from start to finish, was utterly broken.
Because of that, Frohadin, already displeased with his stuttering eldest granddaughter, deemed her hopeless and all but cut ties with her.
That’s why Mary, despite being the eldest daughter, is ostracized in the Deminiyan Family.
‘Poor Mary.’
Gilbert, the protagonist, would handle it eventually. No need to worry too much.
Once all the award ceremonies concluded—
“You may now enjoy the banquet again!”
At the Imperial Head Butler’s declaration, the orchestra played a lively waltz.
I maxed out Wild Instinct to search for one person, but Count William was nowhere in the banquet hall…
“Oh, I, I…!”
“Let’s dance, Mary!”
Bord escorted a tearful Mary down to the floor. Yes, when it comes to comforting someone, I can’t match Bord. He’d handle it well.
“Lina, shall we dance one more?”
“What?! Oh, um, yes. Of course, Lord Gilbert.”
Lina, escorted by Gilbert, headed to the dance floor.
‘Time to slip away.’
Just as I was about to escape to the terrace—
“Hey, Cadet Martin.”
“Lord.”
“Whatever! Are you going to refuse my dance invitation again?”
Elisha looked at me with a pouty expression. Come to think of it, I’d rejected her once already. But more than that…
“Lord Elisha, you…”
Didn’t you see what just happened to me? How can you so boldly ask me to dance?
“…No, fine.”
“Oh, another rejection! Fine!”
Elisha spun around and stormed off. I was sure she’d given up. So when she suddenly grabbed my arm, I was startled.
“Just one dance, please!”
“You’re persistent.”
“I have something to say!”
“Say it here.”
“Come on! There’s such a thing as atmosphere!”
“…”
“Are you really going to refuse again…?”
I was about to refuse, but—
Wild Instinct (Lv 4) tells you to look over there.
Far off, Duke Wilhelm was making a face like a dung beetle chewing on dung.
“No.”
He was smirking at me earlier, wasn’t he?
When he’s watching like that, refusing wouldn’t be polite.
“Lady, please do me the honor of a dance.”
Elisha’s face brightened.
“Alright, gentleman.”
She extended her hand, showing the back. I took it and slowly escorted her to the dance floor.
“I’ll warn you, I’m not good at dancing.”
I got the first word in. Elisha blinked with wide eyes.
“What? Why…”
“You’re not good at something!”
“Is that surprising?”
“No, not really.”
Elisha seemed in a good mood.
“It’s fine. I’m good at dancing.”
As we stood on the stage, I felt the gazes of the crowd. With a rose in her hair and a passionate red dress, Elisha was truly the flower of high society, a flower among flowers.
We held hands. I placed my right hand on her waist, and she placed hers on my back.
We moved close together. It was the first time I’d seen her face so close.
The waltz played, and our dance began. Unlike with Luri, it was a gentle, slow waltz, considerate of me.
“Hey, Cadet Martin.”
“Lord.”
“Whatever!”
Elisha, with a prim expression, suddenly smiled.
“You were pretty cool earlier.”
Cool? What’s this about all of a sudden?
“And I’m sorry.”
It seems a lot of surprising things will happen today. When I stayed silent, Elisha continued.
“We were caught off guard… we didn’t know what to do and couldn’t do anything.”
Why apologize? The protagonist’s party had no reason to save me. I was just reaping the consequences of Martin’s past misdeeds. Elisha, with an apologetic face, made a request.
“I’m not a fool. I won’t ask you not to hate our grandfathers. But Mary and I had nothing to do with this.”
“…Understood.”
She has some decency, at least. As Elisha loosened up and moved slowly, she spoke again.
“There were incidents at the start of the semester, but… you’re not a bad person after all.”
“I’m a bad person.”
Elisha chuckled.
“Liar.”
“I’m a bad person.”
“No, you’re not.”
“…”
Somehow… I felt I was getting drawn in.
Elisha looked up at me like she was soothing a child.
“Hey, I haven’t thanked you yet, have I?”
“For what?”
“For saving me in the Slime Dungeon. You could’ve abandoned me then.”
“…”
“And thank you for helping in the desert ruins. For protecting me until I got myself together… thank you.”
“…”
This didn’t seem like the Elisha I knew. She smiled softly and continued.
“And I’m sorry.”
“…”
“My actions at the start of the semester… honestly, I’m still confused about them. But I shouldn’t have judged your actions after returning to school through a biased lens.”
“I’d have done the same.”
A perpetrator of vicious school violence, leader of the Violence Circle, a kidnapper of children, and someone who dabbled in drugs—that’s Martin. It’d be stranger not to wear tinted glasses.
“I’m sorry. For not accepting your redemption as it was. I followed you and gathered information behind your back.”
I already knew that. We were together, weren’t we?
“I’m sorry. I think I forced a lot on you. Thinking only of myself.”
“For what?”
“…”
Elisha fell silent, leading my body wordlessly. She seemed to be organizing her thoughts. Yet her body drew a beautiful waltz. After much hesitation, the flower of high society spoke.
“Gilbert.”
“…”
She made up her mind.
“I forced a lot on you. To reconcile, to get along.”
“…”
“I shouldn’t have.”
She didn’t mean not to reconcile or get along.
“Hey, Martin.”
“…”
It was the first time Elisha called me ‘Martin,’ not ‘Cadet Martin’ or ‘Lord Martin.’
“Not just Gilbert, Bord, Mary, or Lina. You and me.”
Elisha took my hand and spun. I raised my hand, letting her look like a beautiful flower. Despite the vigorous move, she didn’t let go of my hand. Her eyes looked straight at me.
“I have a lot to clear up too, don’t I?”
“…”
“Old grudges… they weren’t light matters, of course. But I… I thought I had to apologize to you, Martin. I’m sorry. And thank you.”