Inheriting the Novel

Chapter 90 : Back to the Capital (2)

Back to the Capital (2)

"Then, uncle Dorian, I'll be counting on you."

There was about a week left until the birthday celebration of King Leogart. In order to depart for the capital, I asked Dorian to handle things while standing in front of the carriage.

Lately, I felt that Dorian seemed to manage the mansion for longer periods than I did.

Maybe he sensed my gaze, filled with guilt, because Dorian smiled faintly.

"Hehe, don't worry. This time, isn't Miss Maria here too? And the important matters have all been taken care of by the Count, so there isn't much to do."

"Yes, Clay. You really don't need to worry about the domain."

Hearing even Maria say so, I felt much more relieved.

Honestly, I wanted to bring Maria along, but she had been so busy with her work recently that it was impossible.

[Just try to actually sleep at night. I'm tired too.]

'It doesn't seem like you'd get exhausted over something like that.'

[If I'm tired, then I'm tired.]

Even though she joked, I felt a little sorry toward Grancesia as well. She taught me every night after all.

Thanks to her, my skills had been improving by leaps and bounds every day, but lately, it felt like I'd hit a wall and my progress slowed markedly.

[... How fast do you expect your skills to improve? If even that wasn't a problem for you, you'd be Fabian by now. No, even Fabian didn't grow as ridiculously as you do.]

'True enough.'

In fact, I'd been improving at a pace wildly outstripping my natural talent.

It was thanks to all the lucky encounters I'd accumulated.

On top of that, I was learning the true completed form of the Moon Severing Divine Sword, something even Fabian hadn't mastered.

"Clay, it's about time to go."

Riya smiled brightly as she spoke.

This time, Riya was the only person accompanying me to the capital.

She insisted that I would definitely need her.

'Is it something related to the novel, perhaps?'

Or perhaps she had something to discuss with King Leogart about the demi-humans.

In any case, since she said she wouldn't be a hindrance, I agreed.

Riya had also been staying at the mansion for a while and probably wanted a breath of fresh air.

"Then let's depart!"

As soon as I got into the carriage, it began moving with the coachman's spirited cry.

It felt somewhat liberating, maybe because it was my first real outing in a few weeks.

* * *

The capital of the Kingdom of Talua, Shioten.

True to its name as the nation of knights, white knight statues stood everywhere in the capital.

Last time, when I passed through here, I had been busy with matters related to the victory parade, but this time, I could enjoy the sights at leisure.

"This is my first time in Shioten."

As she alighted from the carriage, Riya commented.

It was, honestly, quite surprising to me.

"Really?"

"Yes. Royalty of the Empire rarely leave the Empire, after all."

Well, from the perspective of Asktalin Empire, why go somewhere when you can just summon the other side?

"Yeah, thinking about it, it's obvious."

"They're just lazy, that's all. They don't want to leave their own nests."

Seeing Riya giggling with her hand over her mouth made me unsure how to respond.

"Are we heading straight to the mansion?"

After the war with the Kingdom of Kainzel ended, I was rewarded with a huge sum and also given a mansion in the capital.

I'd almost forgotten about it because I hadn't needed to use it for so long, but it was good to have a comfortable place to stay.

"Yes. But before that, there's someone I need to meet."

"You have someone to meet?"

"Just for a bit. It's about time they show up to greet us..."

I gazed around at the crowds milling about.

If it's him, I was sure he would be here to meet me right as I arrived.

"Isn't that expecting a bit too much punctuality?"

Sure enough, pushing through the crowd, a man approached us.

With thin slit eyes and a kind-looking expression, he wore plain, ordinary clothes that let him blend in anywhere.

"Jade, did you find the place I mentioned?"

"Yes, of course."

Truly, he was fitting for the Guildmaster of the Thieves' Guild.

It hadn't even been that long, and yet he found it right away.

"Finding the place? May I ask what this is about?"

"Oh, I had previously asked Jade for a favor."

After the Lugal episode, the most likely place Fabian would have gone was the Kingdom of Lavantara.

It was even more difficult to enter than Eintban.

Above all, their hostility toward humans was quite large.

'If I can just dispel that hostility, though, it won't be a problem.'

That's why I intended to visit an auction house in the capital of the Kingdom of Talua.

Among nobles, it was one of those "special auctions" held in secret.

"A slave auction for other races?"

Riya's face twisted instantly.

She probably never dreamed such auctions would be held in Talua's capital.

"For the record, there are such places in the Empire too."

Jade said this with a wry smile.

"... Is that true?"

"I could point them out to you on a map. They're much bigger than in Talua, too."

"Oh my."

Riya's eyes turned cold.

Lately, one of her primary policies in the Empire had to do with demi-humans—so it was impossible for her not to be sensitive.

"I suppose I'm truly a flower of the royal family. I can hardly believe I didn't even know about this."

She shook her head gently and sighed lightly.

She rarely ever looked so discouraged.

Jade looked at Riya, as if surprised.

He clearly hadn't expected her to react so strongly to something like this, considering her usual demeanor.

'Riya might just be the royal who loves the people of the Empire the most.'

Regardless of Riya's usual conduct, just seeing her actions during the calamity of the dragon proved it.

Even as she was being overtaken by draconic transformation, she did her best to distance herself to avoid harming the Empire.

She must have sensed that once she fully awakened, she would destroy the Empire.

Jade glanced at her for a moment, then handed me a small piece of paper.

"Count, this is a false identity. Please look it over and then destroy it."

"You even managed to get false IDs?"

"When it comes to forging identities, that's the Thieves' Guild's specialty."

Jade's grinning face had never seemed so reassuring.

"When entering the auction house, you'll need to wear a mask. Of course, all nobles besides you will also be masked, so you won't need to worry about others recognizing you."

He explained a few more rules about the auction house.

The auction would begin at 9 p.m. tomorrow, and entry was allowed starting an hour prior.

I nodded as I listened to the various regulations.

'Of course it's so complicated—these are all shady people.'

Anyway, thanks to him, things seemed to be settling nicely.

I had one goal: to rescue all of the demi-humans being auctioned.

* * *

There were about five days left until the birthday celebration for King Leogart began.

The royal palace held banquets starting one week before, and many influential nobles flocked to a series of social gatherings.

'What a change of perspective.'

In the past, I would've been the first to join such a banquet.

I would have attended every social gathering to build connections and save my family.

But now, it all seemed rather trivial.

"Gasp! C-Count Vanhart, is that you? Have you come to the capital?"

Just as I reached the entrance of the banquet hall, the knight posted there immediately recognized me and was startled.

"I just got here today. Is Duke Gale inside?"

"Yes, sir! His Grace has been in the banquet hall all afternoon!"

"Thank you for the information."

"Don't mention it, sir!"

The knight, brimming with discipline, greeted me so formally that it almost felt burdensome.

His gaze was so dazzling I could barely make eye contact.

Creak!

When I opened the banquet hall door and entered, several people turned to look at me.

Normally, a knight's voice would boom out my name for my entrance, but since this was a simple gathering, there was nothing like that.

'I didn't think my name would be this recognized.'

To be honest, I felt relief that my family name hadn't been loudly announced.

I couldn't have imagined that my name had become this famous.

"Count Vanhart is attending this banquet?"

"I heard he hasn't attended a single banquet since the Founding Festival?"

"They say Duke Gale went south to Talua... Was it to invite Count Vanhart...?"

People who would not have known my name just a little while ago were now whispering about me as they watched.

Especially the women—their gazes were almost burning.

'Wh-what the—?!'

I had never felt such heated stares before. It was beyond compare to even when I attended as a war hero.

I was certainly a hero then, too—so why now?

"C-Count Vanhart! Hello!"

A burly nobleman energetically approached and greeted me.

He was a noble I was familiar with.

"Hello, marquis Boyan."

But even so, I hadn't expected someone of his stature to approach me first.

Marquis Boyan was a man of considerable influence in the west of the Kingdom of Talua.

While my family had risen up in status, I'd never expected to draw interest from someone of his level.

"So what brings you—"

"How could I not come speak to Count Vanhart, the hero of Talua Kingdom?"

With that, he pushed forward a young girl who had been hiding behind his large frame.

"Gemina, greet His Lordship."

"H-hello, Count. My name is Gemina Boyan."

The young woman who bowed politely seemed barely fifteen.

I am not completely oblivious—it was obvious now what Marquis Boyan's intentions were.

But there wasn't much I could do about it. He was a marquis—I couldn't refuse outright.

"Hello, lady Boyan. It's an honor to meet you."

"I've heard so much about you! Actually, you're even more impressive than I imagined... I can't look away, my lord."

Gemina blushed as she mumbled her words, making me feel awkward.

Regardless of the marquis's intentions, the girl herself didn't seem to be lying.

"Count Vanhart, as I understand... You don't have any engagement prospects at the moment?"

"That's true..."

"Then! What do you think of our Gemina? Ah! I'm not suggesting we rush into marriage or even an engagement. You're about the same age, so maybe you'll become fond of each other just by meeting. And though I say so myself, she's a beauty and so clever—"

As Marquis Boyan hurriedly boasted about his daughter, gemina blushed and squirmed with embarrassment.

"My, my."

But what finally shut the marquis's mouth, which had sounded as if it would go on forever, was an unexpected calamity.

"How interesting."

Click, clack.

The sound of black high heels echoed through the quiet banquet hall.

Riya Asktalin, in a black dress adorned with extravagant ornaments, entered the hall.

"Ah, the Princess of Asktalin...?"

"Yes, the princess."

Riya moved right beside me, standing extremely close.

At her actions, marquis Boyan's face instantly turned pale. Gemina's face also looked ready to burst into tears.

"So why did you stop talking?"

"Ah, th-that..."

"You were saying something quite interesting."

Riya spoke slowly, and then, with no hesitation, slipped her arm around mine.

"Do go on?"

Her pupils sharpened like those of a reptile.

Although her lips formed a gentle, delighted smile, her eyes were chilling.

Her beautiful white face appeared almost pitch-black to me now.

"No! N-not at all! I would never dare interrupt Your Highness's time!"

The marquis hastily dragged Gemina away as if fleeing for his life.

Riya, watching their receding backs, slowly ran her soft tongue across her lower lip.

Like a predator frustrated by a missed hunt.