Chapter 8 Part 20
Translator : PolterGlast
"What would you
like to drink? We have everything here from traditional and modern wines,
eastern and western wines, distilled liquors, to honey and even rice
wine?"
"No, please don't
mind me..."
Nozomu, who had been
escorted upstairs to the salon by Mekria, was sitting across from her at a
table that had been prepared in a section of the luxurious gathering space.
While being offered a
drink, Nozomu's gaze, filled with tension, was fixed on the bewitching beauty
in front of him.
Meanwhile, Mekria, despite
his obvious wariness, did not seem particularly bothered and asked a passing
servant for a bottle of vintage red wine.
When the servant
opened the wine he brought, Mekria poured it into two glasses and offered one
to Nozomu.
"So, what is it
that you want to talk about?"
Without looking at the
wine offered to him, Nozomu asked a straightforward question.
"Please don't be
so nervous. I understand that you are wary of me, considering our relationship
with your friend, but for my part, I am just genuinely interested in talking to
you."
There had been no
connection between Nozomu and Mekria until now.
The only thing he knew
about Mekria was that she was working for a political enemy of the Francilt
household.
However, he had been
involved with Egrod during the daytime combat training. Above all, Nozomu was
alarmed by the gaze directed at him from behind Mekria.
“…………”
Nozomu's gaze turned
toward the source of the gaze, which would be the person behind Mekria.
Mekria, noticing that
his eyes were directed toward behind her, smiled happily and clapped her hands.
At that moment, as if
a shadow was taking shape, a figure appeared from behind Mekria.
"Hello, hello,
it's nice to meet you! I am this young lady's escort, errand boy, and outlet
for her desires..."
"Silence."
A slender man with
pale skin to the point of being sickly white appeared.
The man was dressed in
neat formal attire, but his tone of voice, which could only be considered as
joking, and his fierce, bird-like eyes, which were in direct contrast to his
tone of voice, made him look even creepier beyond belief.
"Eeh!? I finally
got a chance to talk to him, you know? We should get to know each other
better..."
"'I have not
given you permission to speak yet. Just shut that superfluous mouth of
yours."
"Tsk~~"
Despite Mekria's
verbal admonishment, the skinny man did not seem particularly bothered by it.
The man sat down at
the empty seat at the table where Nozomu and Mekria were sitting and began to
chomp down on the tea cakes that had been served to him.
"My name is
...... John Smith, so by all means remember it."
It was an obvious fake
name.
He had no intention of
telling Nozomu his real name from the very beginning. A question popped into
Nozomu's head, but that thought was quickly pushed out of his mind.
Nozomu's already tense
body tensed up even more.
What was more
problematic than the man's real name was the fact that this man, who seemed to
be joking around, still had a clear murderous intent directed at Nozomu.
A tingling sensation
ran through Nozomu's neck and eyeballs.
If he were to let his
guard down even for a moment, his eyeballs would be plucked out and his head
would be chopped off in an instant. It was so deadly that he could feel such a
premonition.
“…………”
Nozomu's switch had
already been flipped.
His body naturally
shifted into a combat mode in the face of the murderous intent directed at him.
The image of the
innocent student who had been flustered a moment ago when dealing with the
nobles disappeared, and replaced by the face of one of the continent's greatest
combatants.
His mind was filled
with the determination to put up the greatest possible resistance when the time
came.
Perhaps sensing
Nozomu's fighting spirit, the cheeks of the man who called himself John lifted
up.
The combination of his
innocent smile, like that of a young child who has found the toy he has been
longing for, and his morbidly pale skin, is the most gruesome and twisted smile
one could ever imagine.
"Stand down. This
place is not a battlefield."
Mekria interrupted
from the side and admonished the pale man called John. The man shrugged his
shoulders as if he had no choice but to listen to her words and put aside the
murderous temper he had been directing at Nozomu.
"My apologies,
Nozomu-dono. He is my escort, and although he is very skilled, as you can see,
he lacks common sense, which is why he is usually kept out of the public
eye."
Mekria bowed deeply to
Nozomu.
Nozomu replied with a
small nod, but his attention was still on the man who called himself John.
It must be true that
he is skilled. No one else in the room seemed to notice the man's sudden
appearance, let alone the murderous intent he had directed at Nozomu.
It was a formidable
technique of concealment.
The reason Nozomu was
aware of this man was because this man had been directing his murderous intent
at Nozomu from the beginning.
Nozomu was not sure if
he would be able to detect this man, who called himself John, if he were to
seriously try to conceal himself from him.
While Nozomu was
agonizing over this, Mekria, whose mouth had been moistened by the wine that
had been brought to her, asked Nozomu a question.
"Well, let's get
straight to the point. Nozomu-dono, are you willing to cooperate with me?"
"... Does that
mean you want me to serve the Fabran family?"
"Well, you may
take it that way. As a matter of fact, I need your power."
Mekria's statement
raised a question mark in Nozomu's mind.
Because the head of
the Fabran family has a harsh evaluation of Nozomu today.
"Your Master
doesn't seem to think so, does he?"
"To be precise,
his remarks were emphasizing 'for the time being'. It seems that Nozomu-sama is
still unable to decide on your own future."
Nozomu's eyebrows
twitched when he heard Mekria's words.
For Nozomu, it wasn't
pleasant to be told what he was anguishing over with such a casual manner,
although he guessed that Egrod was probably just trying to inquire about his
personal life.
On the other hand,
Mekria smiled happily in response to Nozomu's reaction and continued the
conversation.
“But I, personally, would like you to come regardless
of my Master's wishes."
''Wouldn't that be
taken as treachery if it were done poorly?"
"Sure, but I
think it would be much more beneficial for us to recruit talented individuals such
as yourself rather than dealing with such trivial matters."
“…………”
“Egrod-sama is a fairly conservative person. It takes
him a reasonable amount of time to bring outsiders into his life. But he is by
no means a recluse. He will spare no expense to reward those who do a
satisfactory performance."
Egrod Fabran's
political ideology is very conservative.
He insisted that the
Great Invasion that took place ten years ago should have been a logistical
support operation, and that no troops should have been sent to the affected
countries.
He also outrightly
rejected the establishment of the Solminati Academy, vociferously opposing it
because it would spur the loss of the country's human resources and technology.
On the other hand, he
was not regarded unfavorably by the people of his territory and the officers
who served him, and he was well-liked by them. This proves that he knows how to
treat those he considers to be his people in an appropriate manner.
"How would you
like to be rewarded? If you are willing to come to us, we will certainly give
you a reward that will satisfy you.'
In a seductive voice,
Mekria invited Nozomu to join her.
"Whether it be
money, honor, or concessions. And even if it's a personal matter..."
"~ !?"
Before he knew it,
Mekria had quickly and naturally closed the distance between her and Nozomu.
Nozomu's whole body
was enveloped by a sweet, honey-like fragrance.
At the same time,
Nozomu's brain was struck by a numbing sensation.
His heart started
beating faster, and his vision narrowed to see only the beautiful,
purple-haired woman who was slipping closer to him.
The feel of the silk
cloth rubbing against his skin aroused his instincts as a man.
It was similar to the
way an insectivore preys on its prey.
It lures them with its
sweet scent, offers them dripping nectar, and in return, devours everything
with pleasure.
And the current Mekria
was so sexy that it made any man would not mind being devoured.
"... I'm terribly
sorry, but I have no intention of serving the Fabran family."
However, Nozomu did
not succumb to that temptation.
Perhaps it was
fortunate that he had been wary of Mekria from the very beginning.
He bit his tongue to
avoid being overwhelmed by Mekria's scent, and forcibly suppressed the lust
that was aroused by the pain.
Instead of the sexual
vigor of an aroused male, what was directed at Mekria next was the fierce,
frigid sword intent that was directed at an enemy.
It was not the fiery
one that he had directed at Egrod, but the kind that made one imagine a very
cold winter.
"Ara~, what a
pity."
Mekria did not seem
particularly upset with Nozomu's reaction, and she moved away with a natural
gesture.
Nozomu silently tried
to get up from his seat.
To be honest, Nozomu
did not want to continue talking with the woman in front of him any longer.
"But since we're
here, why don't we continue our conversation a little longer? For example,
let's talk about your friend ..."
But Mekria stopped
Nozomu, who was about to stand up.
Unable to ignore it,
Nozomu sat down in his chair once again.
"Who are you
talking about?"
"Let's talk about
Ken Notice. A pathetic clown who was captured after being possessed by a demon
beast. And about the Abyss Grief ..."
Nozomu's heart, which
had been frozen cold, was once again filled with heat.
The truth about Ken's
incident. Especially, the details of Abyss Grief's involvement have not been
made public.
Moreover, the only
thing Nozomu knew about Ken's whereabouts after that was that he had been
sealed up by the Gloaurum Institute.
Nozomu could not find
any further information about Ken because it was classified information even in
Archazam.
"Nozomu-dono, you
have attracted more attention than you yourself realize. Naturally, since you
were involved in the incident he caused, you must know about it, right? Don't
you ever wonder what happened to him afterward?"
Mekria, perhaps
sensing Nozomu's agitation, accurately pointed out Nozomu's vital point.
There was no doubt
that Nozomu wanted to know about Ken's condition.
He had confronted Ken
of his own volition, and had put the finishing blow to him by using his own
blade. There was no reason for him not to be curious.
Furthermore, Mekria
continued to speak words that shook Nozomu's heart.
"Regarding Abyss
Grief, apparently we have made a new discovery as well. Perhaps it could be of
some help to you, Nozomu-sama..."
"… What do you
mean?"
Suspicion quickly
began to surge within Nozomu.
(How much does this
woman know about me? What does she mean by Abyss Grief can be of help to me?)
Various questions and
suspicions floated up like bubbles.
The expression on the
pale man grinning next to her was also another factor driving Nozomu's
impatience.
Mekria gazed at
Nozomu's expression with satisfaction.
“Fufu~, you're so cute. But you mustn't. If you want to
know, you have to pay a reasonable price."
“…………”
He was deceived.
Nozomu was convinced after coming this far.
The woman had intended
from the start to get some sort of statement from Nozomu here.
She had investigated
Nozomu, detected the frustration in his heart, induced his agitation, and
skillfully exploited his weakness.
In contrast, there was
almost nothing that Nozomu could do against Mekria.
The fact that Mekuria
did not seem to be bothered by 'soliciting' Nozomu, an action that could be
considered treachery, was probably of no concern from her point of view.
The number and quality
of the cards in Nozomu's hand against his opponent were overwhelmingly
unfavorable.
"Goodness
gracious, what are you doing here with a captured young bird? Are you doing
something quite unseemly in this glamorous social gathering place?"
At that moment, a
voice interrupted Nozomu and Mekria.
Nozomu looked in the
direction of the voice and saw Madam Parline standing there, dressed in a
luxurious dress and with two maids behind her.
“Ara~, Parline-sama,
it’s been a while.”
Madam Parline glanced
at Mekria, who greeted her with a smile, smiled back at her and then took
Nozomu's hand.
“Unfortunately, I have
a prior appointment with this guy. This conversation will have to wait until
another time."
With his hand being
pulled by Madam Parline, Nozomu's waist naturally lifted up.
On the other hand,
Mekria, who had her conversation interrupted, kept a beaming smile on her face.
"Oh my~, you are
quite pushy, aren't you? As one would expect from a woman who has succeeded in
becoming a landlord in her generation. What a greedy woman."
"Whatever a
crooked woman who can't even hook up a single guy with her stinky perfume has
to say is just an excuse."
Tit for tat.
Nozomu was quickly
thrown out of the conversation in the face of the aristocrat's typical war of
words.
"Unfortunately,
you and I both have minor roles here. There are other leading actresses waiting
out there."
"Oh my~, is that
so... I hope they don't step on their own hem at the end of the dance and turn
it into a comedic act."
Madam Parline took
Nozomu's hand, and then, in a natural gesture, she went on to wrap her own hand
around Nozomu's arm.
Then, with her arms
around his arm, Madam Parline turned on her heel and led Nozomu out of the
salon.
“Madam Parline, u-,
umm…”
"You have been
caught by a very peculiar woman. I must commend you for not being seduced by
the [Perfume of Ishtar]."
"Perfume of
Ishtar?"
"It's a very
powerful aphrodisiac that will blow one's rationality away. It has a sweet,
honey-like scent."
Apparently, the
unusually heightened instincts that Nozomu felt were caused by Mekria's
aphrodisiac.
And it was a very
powerful one at that.
He wondered if such a
dangerous thing could be used at such a public party.
"The escort who
was next to her was using magic to prevent the scent from spreading to the
surroundings. Besides, such a method is not unusual in aristocratic
society."
Madam Parline
responded to Nozomu's question.
How to gain public
attention, and how to outwit the opponent.
To achieve this, the
aristocrats use every means at their disposal. They prepare luxurious costumes
and ornaments, polish their own appearance and speech, prepare perfumes and
accessories that would attract people, have excellent attendants at their side,
and obtain information about their opponents in their heads.
And then, without
hesitation, they would strike the vital point with accuracy and precision.
Even though Nozomu was
not familiar with this kind of battle, he was able to feel a certain degree of
sympathy for it.
“……”
Madam Parline looked
up into Nozomu's face, who had fallen silent.
Her eyes were somehow
tinged with a hint of dismay.
"I don't know what
kind of problems you have. Nor do I know how much she knows about you."
"Am I that easy
to figure out?"
"Well, yes. You
need to be a little more relaxed. A gentleman, no matter how difficult a
situation he faces, never panics and always smiles."
Always act with grace
and composure. Even if your heart is full of impatience and anxiety, never let
it show on your face.
Madam Parline told
Nozomu as if she were telling a little child.
"Remember this. A
woman gets anxious when she sees a man who has no room to relax. If you want to
reassure your loved one, you must remain calm at all times."
“…………”
In Nozomu's mind, the
faces of Irisdina and Shina, who had yelled at him for injuring himself in the
training, came to mind.
It would make them
feel uneasy. Those words fell deep into Nozomu's heart.
"Well, that's
something you'll have to work on in the future. Besides, there's something else
you need to do today.
"Eh……"
Madam Parline's chin
pointed forward.
In the direction she
had pointed, there stood a goddess in a pure white dress and silver jewelry,
reminiscent of the moon. It was Irisdina.
Irisdina smiled
radiantly when she spotted Nozomu.
It was a smile full of
affection, sweet and sour, and refreshing, something that only Madam Parline,
who had been acquainted with Irisdina for a long time as an aristocrat, could
understand.
The sight of the girl
whom she fondly thought of as her own daughter falling in love naturally
brought a smile to her mouth.
"Now go and
escort your leading actress. She's been waiting for you all this time."
While saying so, Madam
Parline pushed Nozomu with a shove on his back toward Irisdina.
"Y-, yes! U-, um,
Madam Parline!"
"Hm? What is
it?"
"Thank you very
much!"
Nozomu turned around
once, bowed deeply with the utmost gratitude, and made a short run toward
Irisdina.
Madam Parline smiled
at Nozomu's sincere and honest gratitude and sent him off.
A nobleman and a
commoner. Madam Parline, who had overcome the disparity, could understand the
problem that lay between the two.
No, she thought, if
they were not careful, they might face more severe difficulties than what she
had experienced.
"You still have a
long way to go as a gentleman, but ...... well, do the best you can. Boy."
Even so, with these
two, it was by no means impossible to overcome.
With such thoughts in
her mind, Madam Parline's heart danced like never before as she gazed at Nozomu
and Irisdina.
