Chapter 170
Chapter 170. Repeat After Me: You’re Dead (2)
“I tried to be considerate in my own way, but if you come at me like this, it puts me in a difficult position.”
I had tried to hold back, but I had no choice but to infuse Mana into my hand.
I had intended to deal with him using simple brute strength, but since he infused Aura first, there was no reason for me to take it quietly. I was not an Easy Mark.
With the sound of joints creaking, a fierce cry burst from Donald’s mouth.
“Aaaagh! S-stop!”
“If you are a man, you should make both the beginning and the end clear. Weren’t you the one who picked the fight first?”
CRACK, CRACK, CRACK!
“Gaaah! I said stop!”
He was in a hurry, so informal speech slipped out. As expected, a person’s character is revealed only when he is driven into a corner.
I sighed and released his hand as if throwing it away. His bones were not broken, but he would have to endure extreme pain. He probably would not even be able to straighten it properly for a while.
“Ghk......”
Donald clutched his hand and glared at me.
Everyone around him was looking at him with contempt, but he did not seem to care about that at all.
This bastard. He was dressed respectably on the outside, but the inside was completely empty, wasn’t it?
“Weren’t you the one who first tarnished the reputation of the Blue Dragon Mercenary Corps, Sir? Weren’t you the one who used expressions like ‘cannot trust’ and ‘insufficient’?”
“I merely said what had to be said.”
“Hah. Have you ever personally seen the skill of our Mercenary Corps? I have never heard even in rumors that we lack skill!”
What did that have to do with anything? I said I did not like it.
I smiled faintly.
“What I want is not rumor, but proven skill. I had intended to ask His Grace for the escort of the Azure Dragon Knight Order. Surely you do not intend to compare that name to the reputation of the Azure Dragon Knight Order, do you?”
“Az-Azure Dragon......”
Donald flinched, overwhelmed by my force.
When the name Azure Dragon Knight Order came out, Duke Mydas’s brow narrowed. He must have thought my request was excessive. I knew that too. The justification was somewhat lacking to mobilize the ace of the ducal house.
“That is enough from both of you. Would it not be troublesome to have a quarrel on such a fine day?”
“My apologies, Your Grace.”
When I paid my respects, Donald, who had been standing there blankly, immediately bent at the waist as well. Meanwhile, Sir Romushu, who had been watching this scene from the side, showed a strange pleasure on his face.
The duke sighed and looked at me.
“In my view, the Blue Dragon Mercenary Corps also possesses sufficient skill and experience. Do not take my recommendation too harshly.”
Even though I had mentioned the Azure Dragon Knight Order, the duke was evading an answer. In other words, he was not weighing the calculations, but rather did not want the House itself to become involved.
Of course, I had expected this, so I was able to respond immediately.
“I do not know how Your Grace sees it, but when I evaluate a group, I believe looking at its leader gives one a certain answer.”
“That has merit. It is similar to how a ship will end up somewhere strange if the captain steers it poorly.”
“However, the so-called leader of the Blue Dragon Mercenary Corps lacks propriety and has a hasty temper. That is why I judged him unsuitable for this escort mission.”
Just before Donald, who had snapped his head up, could say something, I stretched out my hand and stopped him from speaking. Then I added just one sentence.
“Because of a small incident that occurred before the party opened.”
“......!”
Donald’s face turned ashen. Naturally, the duke tilted his head and showed interest.
“A small incident? What happened?”
“Well, I am ashamed to say this, but......”
“Sir Suhyeon!”
Donald desperately cut me off. I looked at him with a nonchalant expression.
“What is the matter? Are you perhaps going to tell him yourself? Good. I was troubled because it was shameful to report it with my own mouth, so this works out well.”
“Th-that is not it!”
“Then step aside.”
I told the duke everything that had happened in the Drawing Room before the party began, without leaving out a single detail. In a calm tone, without the slightest lie.
After hearing everything, the duke’s eyes trembled faintly.
“So you are saying...... that I told you the contents of a contract that ought to have been kept confidential under a protection clause?”
The duke’s face, which had been reddening by the moment, soon ripened as red as a persimmon. That was how angry he was. Donald could not raise his head.
The silence that continued for a while must have felt like ten years to Donald.
“Raise your head, Donald.”
“Your Grace!”
“If I may give you one piece of advice, you had better offer an appropriate excuse for what Sir Suhyeon just said. I am extremely angry right now.”
“I-it is all a misunderstanding! I did not say it in that sense......”
“So you did say it.”
At the duke’s sharp remark, Donald sucked in a hollow breath.
The single matter of mentioning the contract had instantly damaged the dignity of the Minister of Internal Affairs. And the duke was someone who cared greatly about appearances.
Those two factors combined exquisitely, and in the end, they made the duke rise from his seat.
“Sir Romushu.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
When the duke gestured, Romushu bent at the waist and quickly approached him.
“Were you also in the Drawing Room?”
“I was.”
Then the duke made a stern expression and pointed at me as he asked,
“Is there even the slightest exaggeration or falsehood in Sir Suhyeon’s words?”
“There is not. Everything is true. Even if I do not testify, the others should be able to testify as well.”
“How disappointing.”
That one sentence struck the heart more strongly than a stream of curses would have. Donald was trembling with his head lowered.
“My apologies, Your Grace. All of this is my negligence as his older brother. Please show us your generous mercy!”
“What fault is yours? I heard that, if anything, you were the one who mediated.”
“Even so, it is a matter of our House. Please forgive us.”
On the outside, Romushu wore a serious expression, but inside, he was surely crying out in triumph. This incident would greatly weaken his half-brother’s position.
I had to tie things up properly here.
It was a situation where I needed something that would maximize my interests and then preserve the duke’s face.
So I stepped forward.
“I am certain that His Grace the Duke would never have leaked the contents of the contract. Since he presides over state affairs with fairness and justice, everyone must think the same. Is that not so?”
I looked around as if seeking agreement, and voices saying that I was right flowed from the surroundings.
Like an actor giving a passionate performance onstage, I pointed at Donald with my finger.
“The problem is Sir Donald’s conduct. He dressed up a wandering rumor as fact and picked a fight with me, so it becomes self-evident that I cannot trust Blue Dragon.”
“You are right.”
“In that sense, I request the dispatch of the Azure Dragon Knight Order. I am not asking for preferential treatment. It is for Metis, and for the benefit of the Bahamut House, so please reconsider.”
When I knelt and paid my respects, the duke began to deliberate.
I had preserved his face while making a request at the same time. If he rejected the request, his face would not be fully preserved. It was a package deal.
At last, the duke opened his mouth.
“......Very well. I permit it. I will dispatch the Azure Dragon Knight Order.”
“Thank you very much, Your Grace. I will not forget this grace even after death.”
“Let us end today’s party here. I no longer feel like enjoying myself.”
The duke left the Banquet Hall, and Donald, who had turned deathly pale, hurried after him. Even if he begged all night, the duke’s estranged heart would probably not return.
This was why a single word mattered.
In order to settle the awkward atmosphere and see the guests off, I first greeted the gathered nobles and told them that I looked forward to their kind regard in the future.
At that moment, Sir Romushu approached.
“That was quite a masterpiece earlier. As expected, Master Suhyeon. You are fully qualified to catch His Grace the Duke’s eye.”
“If you had not helped me, Sir Romushu, it would not have been resolved so easily.”
“Even if I had not testified, the others would have gladly testified.”
I firmly grasped the hand he offered for a handshake. His Favorability had risen by as many as nine points and reached seventy. I could tell just how important this matter had been to him.
In the meantime, Romushu’s gaze drifted toward Eluna’s chest. I naturally turned my body and blocked his line of sight.
“His Grace will not let this matter pass easily either. It seems it will no longer be very difficult for you to take control of all the businesses of House Blue Dragon.”
“That remains to be seen. His Grace is cold-hearted, but he is not one to easily cast aside someone he has once trusted. That means there are still many mountains to cross.”
“I see. I will try to make a few more moves.”
“This is reassuring. It feels as if I have gained a mighty army.”
After exchanging pleasant conversation for a while, I sent him off, and just then, I saw the people of Adeline. I ran over to Young Master Hamel and Young Lady Sapiela, who were just about to board their Carriage.
“My farewell is late. Please return safely. I will visit tomorrow and greet you again.”
The Young Lady, who had been staring intently at me, belatedly nodded.
She still seemed confused. If even my voice had been the same, she would have suspected me. However, when I was Suhyeon, I slightly altered my voice with Mana.
Her attention moved toward Eluna.
“But is Miss Eluna not returning with us? Come with us.”
“I have something to do with Master tonight.”
When she said that in a captivating voice, Young Lady Sapiela’s gaze turned toward me again. I lowered my head to hold back my laughter.
Ah, should I just tell her I am Dilen?
Soon, the door closed and the Carriage departed.
It felt as if I had crossed one mountain. We stood side by side, watching the back of the Carriage.
“You worked hard, Master.”
“You worked hard too. By the way, that Romushu man is persistent to the very end. The look in his eyes when he looked at you was no joke.”
“It was fun. I hope there will be many more parties from now on.”
“Someday, let us hold a grand one at Metis.”
Our own Carriage arrived in front of us as well. Compared to the Carriages before it, it was unimpressive, but it was still cozy and pleasant. We climbed into the Carriage, and I stated our destination.
“But what work remains? If you have obtained the cooperation of the Azure Dragon Knight Order, it seems we only need to return to Adeline in peace now.”
“Do you think we can travel in peace just because the Azure Dragon Knight Order joins us?”
“Not exactly, but......”
“There is one thing it would be good to confirm. We will stop by the Mystic Trading Company for a moment.”
The Mystic Trading Company was a famous information broker that the duke had introduced to me before. It was also the place where I had heard the story of the past in which the Adeline House, the Astria House, and the Delfino Family were tangled together in a complicated web.
“Are you trying to find out whether there will be an attack?”
“That is right.”
“But did you not say it would cost a great deal of money? I heard the information fee is extremely expensive. That is why you have not gone there until now, is it not?”
“That was true until just now. But I thought of a way to confirm it for free.”
“Surely you are not planning to overturn the whole place, are you?”
“Of course not. It is a place with endless uses ahead of us, is it not?”
I grinned and closed my eyes. In any case, she would soon find out, so there was no need to bother explaining. There was a saying, after all: seeing once was better than hearing a hundred times.
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