Chapter 41

“I will go.” Hume said.

“No, you don’t have to do that.” Lucion tried to stop Hume.

“Are you going to just stand there?”

Carson stood off to the side, staring, he wanted to know how Lucion would handle this situation. As he wouldn’t be able to accompany him to every banquet in the future, Lucion would have to deal with these little things on his own.

“It’s also helpful for me if they pick a fight.”

[It’s because of the one in the center?]

“Yes, that’s right. I wonder if his business is really doing well or not.” When Lucion noticed Tella approaching him, he immediately shut his mouth.

“Are you having a hard time?”

When Tella offered a drink, Hume quickly hid Lucion’s cup behind him.

“Thank you, my Lady.” Lucion accepted the drink with a smile.

“You must be very tired. I’ve been to a few banquets, and now the corners of my mouth are cramping.”

Tella pointed to the corners of her mouth.

“But it’s nice to have close friends like this.”

Holding her drink tightly, Tella smiled bashfully.

“Don’t you have a lot of friends?”

“Well…” Tella smiled awkwardly as she stretched the ends of her speech.

“Oh, and some of the information I provided you is probably not accurate. I’ll double-check the information I haven’t yet given you and get back to you.”

Lucion didn’t pursue Tella’s clumsy attempt in changing topics and instead raised a brow as if he had thought of something.

“Only today did I find that lady Tella has so many connections and is very knowledgeable.”

It was a sincere remark.

Tella grabbed her skirt with an embarrassed face.

“No, young master Lucion. These are what I gathered while wandering around the banquet. You don’t have to say that.”

‘Nothing is more important than a person.’ Money and information will always eventually come out through people.

“Young master Lucion, I believe I’ll have to leave first today. It’s been a while since I had a lot of fun.” Tella remarked with bent eyes.

“Can I come to Cronia next time?”

“Yes. We’ll always welcome you.”

“… Well, if you need my assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me.”

Tella hesitated before taking out a palm-sized gift box from her bag.

“I’ve already received the present.” Lucion refused her gift.

“As I told you last time, this is not a gift from me, but a gift from my mother to a young master.”

Tella held out the gift box.

“It’s a contact item, so you don’t have to feel pressured.”

[It’s so expensive.]

Russell’s eyes widened in response to Tella’s words.

Communication items were basically two sets of mana, and they were quite expensive as they used the voice transmission method. The most common contact item was a crystal ball the size of a human face, and the smaller the contact item, the higher the price.

I could tell in a glance that it was expensive, even among the high-priced contact items.

‘I was about to be in need of one.’

Apart from the ghost, Lucion felt that he needed another way to contact Kran.

“My mother asked me to express her regret for not being able to deliver the gift in person.”

Tella spoke a little awkwardly.

“Well, there’s a major issue with the bank right now.”

I don’t know what happened to the bank, but Tella didn’t appear to be lying.

“No, thank you so much just for thinking about me. I’d like you to convey my appreciation to her.”

When Lucion received the gift, Tella replied with a bright smile. “I’ll make sure to tell her. Oh. My gift will arrive soon, as well.”

Tella left her seat after speaking naturally.

[That bracelet, right?]

“That’s right.”

[I was curious what bracelet it was. That’s good.]

“I’m not wearing a bracelet.”

Lucion looked at the crowd that approached him without any reversal.

“I can’t wait to see what they’re going to do.”

It was fortunate that Tella went first, unaware of their existence.

‘It’s a new bunch.’

Lucion shook the cup slightly.

Whenever Novio forcibly sends him to small banquets, several of these people would always appear; and rumors of him leaving Cronia to attend these gatherings alone entices people to touch him without fear. But now the situation has completely changed.

“What’s the matter?” Lucion asked them first.

At this banquet, only a few people had higher status than him. It meant that there was nothing to be desired.

They were taken aback.

They didn’t appear to have expected him to speak so casually.

“Will you move if you don’t have anything to say? You guys are blocking my view.” Lucion reacted indifferently.

“Was it the young lord of Cronia who said that?”

At the sudden remark, Lucion sipped the drink, looking at it nonchalantly.

[What is he saying now?]

Russell was upset, and Hume’s expression hardened.

―Lucion didn’t do anything, you idiot!

Ratta, who was droopy because of the light of the temple, raised her voice.

“What are you talking about?” Lucion asked calmly.

‘Did some strange rumor spread again?’

“The eldest son of Viscount Horaon.”

A man with saury hair looked at Lucion with blazing eyes.

At the moment, Lucion felt like the steam was cooling down.

“Why are you asking me that?”

“Recently, it was Cronia who had an unfortunate incident with him. Is there nothing to do with the young lord of Cronia?”

“So what?”

“Isn’t the young lord someone who has the power to do so?”

‘Ah. Horaon’s friend. What was his name? … Did he say Domen?’

Lucion continued to sip his drink and looked around, as if observing other people’s affairs.

“The guy claimed that he was beaten up before even crossing the threshold of Cronia. But he traveled all the way here saying he should apologize to the young master!”

Domen raised his voice so that everyone could hear him when Lucion showed no response.

[Yes. I expected his voice to gradually grow louder.]

Russell sneered at the obvious play as if he was merely a spectator.

“On the day he suffered so horribly, I was with him for the last time. We talked a lot, and when I mentioned the young master, he trembled as if he had seen something scary.”

Domen’s fist tightened.

“That time! That time… Even if he urged me, I shouldn’t have gone back to the mansion and stayed. If I had, he wouldn’t have suffered this.”

‘Ah. Is it this guy?’

Someone must have heard that Horaon was alive, and that person must be him.

“It’s true that he did something wrong? If so, then why? Why did he do it?”

It’s not a repeat sign.

At repeated words, Lucion looked at him pitifully.

[Lucion, you let them be. You know they are provoking you, right?]

Russell tried to stop Lucion, who was slowly warming up, in advance.

No matter how well things went before, if the finish was poor, everything could go wrong.

Isn’t today the last day of the banquet?

“If you’re drunk, go back in moderation.”

Even if Russell didn’t mention it, Lucion knew what they were up to.

He rushed to Count’s Cronia youngest son for his close friend.

It was a cheap story that worked very well for aristocrats who liked fairy tales.

But there was nothing as good as cheapness to raise the reputation.

Besides, he was currently running the best stock price.

‘The people brought by the Domen guy are only for the purpose of attracting attention.’

With his purpose achieved, a triumphant look was evident.

“Do not disregard my warning. This will be my last act of kindness to you.”

Therefore, Lucion provoked them. Shaking his hands as if chasing a bug.

[Okay, okay. Fist isn’t everything. They are only worth it when used during absolute need.]

Russell was relieved to see that Lucion was still sitting calmly.

“No! I can’t go! As his close friend, I request an official explanation from the young lord.”

Domen faltered for a moment, but was encouraged by people’s gaze and pressured Lucion.

The timing was perfect because Viscount Horaon’s work was being circulated at the banquet.

“What’s your name?”

Lucion sipped the drink and asked.

“I’m Domen Fizat.”

“Where’s this Fizat family from? I have never heard of them.”

“… It is a family of writers from the north.”

Domen twisted his face at Lucion’s open disregard for him.

“I applaud you for your disrespectful behavior.”

Lucion gave him a pitying look.

“What does that…mean?”

Domen felt unexpected anxiety gripping him as his mind tried to process Lucion’s expression.

This was not the flow that was initially induced.

The act of being angry, regardless of the reason, is an admission of guilt; and he wanted Lucion, who was called a poisonous cub, to attack like a beast, which will end up with an elevation of his honor, vengeance for his close friend being the route.

Lucion got up from his seat.

Furthermore, the corners of Domen’s mouth rose.

“I had no intention of forgiving those who barked at me like dogs for the past two days.”

Lucion picked up the first day of the banquet.

And, just at the right moment, he looked at Carson approaching and smiled.

“Thanks to your vulgar and disgusting mouth, the Fizat family will disappear soon.”

In the world of nobility, fists were not weapons.

The true weapon was the power one’s family’s name held.

I’ve changed.

“Isn’t that right, brother?”

At that, Domen trembled and looked back.

“Of course.” Carson said disdainfully.

“I, I made a mistake because of alcohol. Please pardon me!”

The threatening mood slapped Domen to quickly sober up.

The courage he had gotten from his drink had vanished, leaving him with nothing but a shabby body.

“You criticized me in a public place, rather than in a private one, making this an obvious attack. You have also trampled on the mercy that I’ve shown you.”

“I, I guess something happened because I was drunk. Please accept my heartfelt apologies!! Never again…”

“Drinking? Did you seek forgiveness just because you’re inebriated? Who drank alcohol to begin with? It was your choice, and this was also what you did.”

The idea that everything could be forgiven for being drunk was disgusting.

It looked like he was drinking for it in the first place.

“There’s no forgiveness. You need to know what happens if you make a mistake with your tongue in front of me so that you don’t mock me and look down on me behind my back.”

Lucion drove this momentum and declared to the nobles staring at him.

“Today, I’ll take this opportunity to express myself clearly. Anyone who spreads false rumors about me after this point will have to pay immediately.”

Lucion swallowed a laugh inwardly.

Anything had to be an example.

It was a good opportunity, regardless of the confidence Domen initially spoke with.

He was going to press down with force so that nobles would never be able to dwell on him again.

“I, Twilo Sprikado, support the declaration of young lord Lucion Kronia.”

A voice emerged from where the people were gathered.

‘Sprika was also a marquis… ?’

I’d met him before.

‘Why are you helping me?’

Lucion was suspicious.

[I believe he’s doing you a favor.]

However, Russell looked at it with a slightly suspicious look.

Until now, Tella was the only one who showed aimless favors.

[If you want to help, help from the beginning. Those guys will undoubtedly hit the back of the head later.]

‘It’s true that I helped.’

Lucion bowed his head to Twilo wondering if he’s also one of those who approached him with the goal of getting close to his title of ‘honorary priest’ and reap benefits.

“Thank you for your help, Lord Sprikado.”

Twilo smiled as he shook his face.

“I didn’t do anything. I just intervened because raising his voice without knowing the subject was just absurd.”

Twilo looked at Domen with pity.

“I can’t believe you rushed to Cronia on the subject of the Viscount. Your father doesn’t seem to have taught you up and down. And the same goes for you guys. Cronia…”

“I’ll take care of it.”

Twilo’s words were cut off by Carson.

Carson’s expression was strangely ferocious when he looked at Twelo.

“However, thank you for your assistance.”

“No, I stepped in because I was concerned that the order would be disturbed. Then, I shall leave now.”

Twilo retreated with a friendly face.

‘What is it?’

Lucion questioned the strange power fight between the two.

[To say there’s something between the two… is the age difference too big?]

“Did you finish your business, Lucion?”

Carson urged Lucion.

“No, there’s still something left.”

Lucion waved his fist at Domen’s face as soon as he finished speaking.

Puck!

In the world of nobility, fists were not weapons.

However, it was clear that fists were still an effective means for dogs.