Inside the carriage heading to the palace.
With his chin resting on his palm, Callius watched the knight escorting the carriage from behind.
As a count, he needed an escort – so he’d taken one knight, and of course the coachman.
It would’ve been fine to lead a small group of knights, but Callius didn’t feel the need.
He wasn’t somebody who valued pomp and circumstance, or the annoyances that came with that.
So he was heading to the palace with the smallest acceptable retinue.
Bruns, who took care of all the chores in the mansion by himself, was the perfect choice as the coachman.
Nobody had volunteered for the position, after all.
On the contrary, there’d been a lot of discussion on who’d get to be the escort knight, and it had fallen to Allen in the end.
Aaron had been hesitant because he was still in the process of stabilizing his swordsmanship, and Orphin was in the same boat, so Allen got the honour.
The members of the sixth squad weren’t eligible because Callius was going in his capacity as a count of the kingdom.
“Hey, why are you here, huh?”
Callius stared at Genos von Gradas, who was also sitting inside the carriage for some reason.
So he asked the chief inquisitor who’d joined in his journey out of the blue.
“Rude. Call me Captain.”
“Right now I’m in my capacity as a count.”
“… Should I use honorifics?”
“Since the law of the land is on the strict side, that’d be the prudent choice. The dungeons of the royal castle don’t discriminate.”
A count was higher up in the feudal hierarchy compared to the chief inquisitor, but people didn’t usually emphasize that.
Because it was a position worthy of respect.
But Callius didn’t seem to care.
“Aren’t we going the same way anyway? This coach is pretty wide, so it’s not like… ugh, I can’t eat in peace if you keep staring at me like that. How about we both relax and have a chat?”
“Good idea.”
He’d been joking, after all.
“And I had something to share, too.”
“Really? You started munching on those cookies as soon as you got into the carriage. You sure it wasn’t those damned cookies you had to share it with, instead of me?”
“Don’t you dare curse these cookies.”
Callius' eyes narrowed.
What was the significance of these cookies?
“My future wife made these cookies. It wouldn’t be polite of me to let them get cold.”
Callius' brows furrowed.
“What nonsense are you spouting? That’s a branded product, the trademark’s still visible. Haven’t you heard of ‘Prine'? They’re the most famous bakery in Carradi.”
Prine Confectionery.
That bakery was famous for its food.
It sold only a certain number of products every morning.
Due to the limited quantity, most of them went to the mansions of the noble families, and small quantities were sold on a first-come, first-served basis.
“So you know… Do you like them too?”
“I had to stand in line once, because my daughter asked me to buy some.”
Emily said she wanted to have a taste, so Callius had had to line up a few days ago.
Of course, he was unsuccessful, because they’d sold out just before it was Callius’ turn.
He’d even considered using his noble rank to grab some, but had given up in the end.
If he used his position for just a cookie, how’d he be different from the nobles he’d exterminated?
Good nobles had such a hard life!
“Prine, who made this cookie, is my soulmate.”
“The owner of Prine is a middle-aged woman. She has grown-up children. How can she be your soulmate?”
“Hmph. You know one side but not the other. Wait a bit, I’ll explain.”
Genos took a bite of the cookie and shook his head as if savouring the taste.
“Now, let me explain.”
"Forget it. I’m not interested."
In the first place, Genos' lust for women far exceeded Callius.
Although, he’d never succeeded in romance.
‘It’s always love at first sight for this guy.'
He was a model virgin – from the womb till today, not even a single relationship.
He fell in love easily and gave up just as easily. If you said it nicely, he was pure, if not, he was an indecisive scumbag.
His looks weren't bad, and he had a pretty high position as the chief of the Inquisition.
Cat Walk Genos was also a member of the Five Stars, at third. He was from a noble family, too, so there was nothing that he lacked.
But even so, he was such a scaredy-cat that he’d never been in a single relationship, and he easily gave up any crushes he developed, so there was nothing to discuss.
‘The scar on the nose spoils things a bit, but that's the same as Jervain's eyes, so it's nothing to be ashamed of.'
If the Jervain family received their gray eyes as a favour from God, then the Gradas received a scar on their noses.
A stigma.
Therefore, they could often sense more than just smells through their noses.
But that wasn't important right now.
Of course, Callius knew Genos’ fate and how he could be successful in romance, but he wasn’t in a mood to share.
Things might’ve been different if the bastard had offered to share the cookies even once, but c’est la vie.
“… Is Peter okay? It was nice seeing his daughter work so hard.”
“He’s happy.”
Callius was also grateful for all of Peter's work.
If not for Genos, Peter would’ve been dead, or at least seriously injured.
“He’s lucky. It’s nice to see your mansion get more and more crowded each time I visit, Count. That liveliness in the air feels really good.”
“… What's going on in the kingdom?"
Embarrassed, Callius tried to forcefully change the topic, and Genos acquiesced with a grin.
“I’ve been busy with some family business. The patriarch is now almost retired, so it’s my turn to assume the count title. He said that he’ll hold on to the family head position for now, so I should take the title first. Maybe he got the idea from your tale.”
"Hmm."
The current head of Gradas was one of the only five Masters in the kingdom.
He didn’t go outside much, so he wasn’t particularly famous, but those who mattered definitely kept the best assassin in the kingdom in mind.
Gradas, the Silent.
“Since the pressure from the empire is rising day by day, the patriarch is thinking of stopping all external activities. He said it’d be better to deal with the mainstays of the empire, so it’s not like I could stop him.”
“That’s a big decision.”
It had to be said that the kingdom wasn’t in a very good situation.
Not just Gradas.
Many other nobles were trying to save the kingdom in any way they could.
Although he couldn't help them directly, Callius had an obligation to punish the nobles who were sapping the kingdom’s strength in this dark time.
“Patriarch is very interested in you. Are you coming to the East anytime soon? You have a standing invitation.”
“When the time comes.”
Genos nodded his head and folded his arms as if he had nothing more to say, and closed his eyes.
Callius also had nothing more to say, so he too quietly closed his eyes and began cycling the energy of the Six Peak Flowers technique.
The royal ballroom.
A knight with periwinkle hair arrived quite early.
A sacred pilgrim.
Esther sol Ciliad.
She calmly observed as people trickled in and were seated at the venue.
There was an old man by her side, the same Pope Felice who frequently visited her asking to arrange a meeting with her mentor.
"Even though I came all the way here, Sullivian won’t meet me."
“Lord Pope. When Lady Sullivian sets her mind on something, even I can’t go against it. Besides, as far as I know, you were the one who hurt her first.”
“She told me not to be the pope, how could I accept that? The Church was dying, and so was this kingdom. I had no other option.”
The pope leaned against the second floor railing and looked down at the splendid, sparkling ballroom hall.
There was a flash of pity in his eyes.
“It’s an old story now, but in Carpe, these balls were once called the Sword Dance Society. It was a place to compete with each other and exchange inspiration. But as the years passed, people stopped drawing their swords properly. This is why the country is facing ruin, you know. Young ones have to be brave! If you flinch from the risk of your hand being cut off, how can you learn the sword! How else can you stand tall in this world ruled by the law of the jungle[1]? Tsk tsk.”
Society itself was in decline.
The borders of the country were restless.
The bastards in the royal ballroom were only prancing around with their swords out, like frogs in a well.
“The only one I can trust is you, Esther. Once I die, promise me that you’ll change this place – back to when we still held sword dances instead. Then I will hand you the papacy.”
Although the pope often spoke nonsense, Esther this time held a similar sentiment. However, the words that came out of her mouth had a touch of defence for the current situation.
“… Still, it’ll be difficult for some people. Although for those who’re comfortable with it, I think that’ll indeed be the true use of the sword.”
“People can be like that, Esther, but nobility – they have a duty.”
Noblesse oblige.
Nobles must fulfil the duties that come with nobility.
A nobleman who has abandoned them cannot be treated as a nobleman anymore.
"These idiots have never even been to the battlefield. What else can they do?”
What was there to see in a swordfight at a ballroom between two people who’d never been baptized by the flames of war?
They were only interested in keeping their elegant and noble figures pristine, so even if they clashed with their swords, they didn’t take the matches seriously.
There were also those who only ate and had fun, saying nonsense like nobles shouldn't look so ugly at the first sight of a drop of sweat.
This wasn’t what a true sword dance of Carpe should look like.
“The peace has lasted so long that they’re drowning in it. The empire is gnawing at the kingdom’s foundations in secret. And they’re still so carefree.”
“Can’t you just give an order yourself? If the pope says one word, they will all draw their swords again.”
“Do you really think so?”
“…”
Esther couldn’t respond as she saw the unprecedented seriousness in the pope's eyes, who’d always been playful in her memory.
“The prestige of the Church is already in the gutter. What use is an old man with one foot in the grave like me?”
After all, this was the royal castle, not a church.
The royal family and the Church were inseparable, but there were lines that had to be respected.
“I miss the times when I used to sword dance with Sullivian.”
The queen was weak, and the prince mired in madness. Now that the pillars of the royal family were crumbling, the nobles had the run of the royal castle.
If he went ahead and gave an order, they’d still only pretend to swing their swords in front of the pope.
He didn’t want to witness such an ugly sight.
“This is why old people shouldn’t linger and die quickly. See, how I made you listen to a lot of insipid complaints.”
The pope looked into the distance, smiled bitterly and turned his head away.
“…”
Seeing this, Esther felt a little helpless and lowered her head.
“Count Callius von Jervain, entering!”
At that moment, the steward announced a new entrant.
“That kid, isn’t he the scrub that you mentioned before?”
Esther, who’d been gloomy for a moment, raised her head. Callius’ form was captured in her eyes.
"Yes. He seems to have come today as a count. I never thought he’d attend.”
“Hm?”
The pope looked at Esther and smiled.
“Your mouth comes loose whenever that guy’s mentioned.”
“E-, eh?”
The pope returned her puzzled look with a mischievous expression. Esther turned her head away.
“… It’s just a matter of interest in inspecting an outstanding specimen.”
“Oh ho?”
While teasing Esther, the pope looked at Callius as he entered the banquet hall.
He had a handsome face that could be called a model for aristocrats, and his gait and arrogant expression also matched his countenance, giving him a unique air.
When he appeared, the noise-filled hall fell silent for a moment, and a young, unlucky-looking nobleman approached him.
“He’s like a noble among nobles. Are you saying that a guy like that is a crazy maniac?”
“When I was in the Church… he did a lot of crazy things.”
Esther had an uncomfortable expression on her face as if she was remembering how she’d been bullied by Callius at that time. But then she coughed and straightened her posture.
“But a lot has changed these days. He still has a radical side, but…”
“So you mean he’s still crazy?”
"Huh?"
As soon as Esther finished speaking –
Crack!!
Callius smashed the face of the unlucky-looking nobleman.
“…”
“…”
The crowd couldn’t properly grasp the situation and froze.
“…”
Even Esther could only gape in surprise.
Only –
Only Callius and the pope had a smile on their lips.
Editor's Notes:
[1] 강자존 (强者尊), respect the strong. Applies also to nations, not just individuals. Translating as the law of the jungle.
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