CH 317.2

Chapter 317: Elderly tend to speak to no end, so letting them talk is a mistake

While exchanging greetings with smiles, noble ladies and their sons and daughters that they brought along are also proving each other’s positions, chatting about hairstyles and clothes, while appraising each other. Investigating while covering behind the mask of friendliness, they are looking for cracks in the opponent’s mask, closely examining them. Looking for friends and foes, Matching the tune played by the orchestra, they hide their malice in the gaps between their silly conversations and flowery words.

From small talk the conversations turn to gossip, and the true colors that they were hiding come out. Acting strong while shaking from fear, they are opposing each other while seeking allies. This ball is a microcosm of the extremely ugly aristocratic society.

The disingenuous talks began to shift topics to recent events. Trying to grasp information about each others factions from unassuming chat about the great marquis houses, they are making feints and putting checks on each other while wearing those fake smiles, trying to steal any information they can. This is the true conversation between nobles.

The subject changes to the count of the Frontier. There is no one in aristocratic society who does not know that person, a living legend itself, and considering their conducts so far, just how many nobles do not harbor fears of his revenge?

Called the King of the Frontier, he, however, doesn’t get involved too deeply with the noble society. A true warrior who leads the Kingdom’s strongest army, continuing to fight in a hellish Frontier despite the unfavorable situation. And it seems that after going through everyone they knew, they realized that no one here has ties to him, thus rendering further investigation meaningless.

Conclusion of the war appears among the sporadically changing topics, but no one tries to touch the essence of the matter. They tip-toe around the topic as if in fear, and divert the conversation towards the theater play that became extremely popular in the Capital.

Since the purpose of the ball is to celebrate the victory, avoiding this topic is next to impossible.

Until now, everything had been moving through the power relationship of the noble society, but by now, half of the nobles have fallen to ruin and perished. While hiding their laughter about the fate of such nobles, they are terrified of meetings the same fate, thus desperately looking for allies.

While praising luxurious food and high-class drinks aloud, they have no time to taste them anymore, being forced to scramble to greet every newly arrived high-noble, and repeat their probing there.

The servants are arranging the tables, distributing the dishes, and carrying drinks in elegant but quick steps. The orchestra is quietly playing the tune, spinning the melody to match the atmosphere.

The rank of the arriving nobles rose, and the sound of the instruments also grew louder with the growth of the crowd. And it seems that the nobles sensed that the ball had started from those notes.

The ones exchanging looks, the ones running about in search of connections with influential people, ladies praising each other’s dresses while seething with envy, and young nobles looking around for the most high-ranking company. The hall is gradually beginning to fill with impure desires, and invisible to the eye muddy malice is spread all over the luxuriously decorated carpets.

Among such a muddy and sticky atmosphere, hollow and vain flowery words fill the hall as jealousy, suspicions, and ambitions are beginning to swirl and swell… Yes, this is the noble society.

Master of ceremonies is announcing names of entering nobles one after another. Only a few left. The rest are high-ranking nobles and the main guests of the event.

「Marquis Kasgir, the Great Marquis of the East.」

For the nobles, this order is everything, the only ranking that shows the hierarchy of nobility. With later appearance signifying a higher rank. The act of unsightly pulling each other’s feet even if only to get at least one name later proves how important it is to them.

And with the Royal Family hosting the event, this order is the Royal Family’s will. By now, the Royal Family is about to become the absolute power in the Kingdom, which is almost equivalent to weakening of the nobility.

For that reason, the order decided by the Royal Family bears tremendous significance. There are disputes over being moved further into the hall despite having the same rank, but what’s really important is when that surpasses their court rank. That would be a death sentence for a noble.

A clear ranking was given to the two remaining great marquis houses. A quiet stir spreads through the hall, and the same words chain through it in hushed voices.

This means that the Skobathus family, which was the lowest of the grand marquis families, will rise to the top. The ridiculousness of the nobles of each faction changing in expressions in their own way, colors the venue in an ugly fashion.

「Marquis Skobathus, the Great Marquis of the North.」　

Delighted cheers and voices filled with resentment mix together, showing their piritufl lost and confused state, as they appear unable to keep up with the world changing without their knowledge. Even though it’s not over yet.

「From here on, these are the ones invited as guests of honor. Viscount ……, Baron ……, Viscount ……, Viscount……, Baron ……, ……」

The commotion immediately died down as everyone had their breath taken away. Shock and despair now could be read in their eyes.

That’s but natural. While they are invited as guests of honor, even so, barons, those of the lowest noble rank, and viscounts, are being announced after the great marquises, and are walking to the seats of honor. Something that previously would’ve been impossible under the hierarchy of nobility.

The nobles are staring in blank amazement as a few dozen ruined nobles, the names of which they’ve never heard before, that barely could even be considered as such, are walking past them. With the looks of utter bewilderment, unable to comprehend what is happening, they are just gazing at them going by.

There aren’t that many fools incapable of guessing what kind of retaliation will befall nobility as a whole were a disturbance or an assassination occur on a ball hosted by the Royal Family. And yet, there are more than enough fools here, congregating and working out strategies. There is no telling what might happen with this many nobles gathering together and letting their ambitions and desires run wild, so I can’t let my guard down.

「Commander of the First Division Lady Barebarela, and Commander of the Second Division Baron Terrysel.」

The venue is now filled with all sorts of ugly faces, those that pale with fear, those that are red with anger, those that are so shaken they look like they might faint any moment now.

And commanders are calmly walking in front of them.

「Commander of the Royal Guard Princess Shariceres di Diorer.」

The new hero Princess Shariceres advances with an air of composure, wearing a luxurious and gorgeous dress, but stops midway, and moves to the side.

「Count Mellotosam Shim Omui, Countess Murimur Shim Omui, Miss Meriel Shim Omui.」

The count of the Frontier appeared after the Kingdom’s princess. Everyone gasped for breath, understanding the implication.

Then… They saw it with their own eyes.

The aura around them was completely different. The world they lived in was different. Overwhelmed by the power that they radiated, everyone unconsciously took a step back, opening a path for them. Beside the King of the Frontier Sir Mellotosam is the previous Knight Princess Murimur, followed by the Twin-Sword Princess from the Farthest End, the Frontier’s Princess Meriel. The surrounding crowd is overawed and can’t help but pull back as the three heroes, who triumphed over dungeon stampedes, are merely walking. This is the lineage of heroes, Omui, hailed in heroic tales through the continent.

Then, moving about midway in, miss Meriel stands on the opposite side of Princess Shariceres.

「Finally, a guest from a foreign land and a benefactor of the Kingdom, Haruka and his party.」

No one could breathe anymore, even the band forgot about playing their instruments, and the servants and maids stopped their feet, fascinated by that miracle.

This is the black-haired strategist and the maidens.

It was like a scene from heaven descended to our world. As if the palace’s hall was illuminated by the radiance of supreme beauty. Everyone is petrified, captivated by that transcendent beauty, unable to even breathe. They alone looked like they were enveloped by the light of a different world. Truly a sight out of this world.

The beautiful maidens who have become legends of the kingdom, dressed in gorgeous pure white dresses that almost appear shining, and hiding their beauty under veils, calmly advance in a line. As if surrounding the tactician in black to protect him, they are slowly walking with a grace that makes it seem like they are gliding over the floor instead of making steps. In the middle of them, a black-haired boy with a grumpy face walks sluggishly.

Nonchalantly commanding the matchless beauties that are rumored to have destroyed three dungeons with just 20 of them, the boy calmly walks past the portraits of the previous kings, looking as if the royal palace itself belongs to him.

As they make it halfway through the hall, the Princess Shariceres and Miss Meriel who were waiting there, also join the procession. The brilliance of the previously dazzling venue fades, as it loses color, eclipsed by that sublime beauty.

That is a legend, those are heroes. When the group that almost seems to be flaunting the difference of the worlds they live in passes by the nobles, who had turned into nothing but riffraff, sighs are heard from the crowd, as if they had finally remembered to breathe.

Not only does he pay no respect to the nobles present, he doesn’t acknowledge their presence itself, not even sparing them a single look. He is simply walking past them sullenly, as if considering them some sorts of boring mannequins.

And even making it all the way to the King’s side, he doesn’t kneel, or bow, or even greet him, simply turning around, and saying the following.

「Ah, I kinda forgot. Come in, they have free food that you can eat as much as you want. No idea if there’s going to be a food battle for whoever eats it, but we can’t start without our main stars, so come on in.」

「「「「「Yeees!」」」」」

Commotion started in the venue as angel-like children who looked as if they came down from heaven, dressed up in lovely gorgeous dresses and extravagant tailcoats, bustled into the hall.

They are followed by boys in tailcoats, walking in a nonchalant, and yet smooth manner. Stalwart bodyguards serving the nobles draw back as if in fear.

The assembly of the most influential people in the Kingdom is being overwhelmed by 30 youths and 50 or 60 children.

And making it all the way to the King’s side, the miraculous parade of heavens finally halted.

「Ehm, Haruka-kun. …Who are those children? No, it’s not like there is an issue with you bringing them?」

Count Omui asks in a casual tone with a wry smile on his face. Then,

「Aaah, was it your first time meeting them? Those are the orphans that the Kingdom has abandoned, and almost exploited to death? They are the ones who have the strongest right to eat the food here, so I brought them along? Kind of?」

An abrupt silence, not even a breath can be heard. The words were clearly hinting at the nobles who were exploiting such small children and stealing funding from them. Smiling quietly, he declared in a monotone voice, as if it’s not a big deal. But that pressure froze the entire venue, paralyzing every single person present. His smile terrified, and his voice had an intensity that wouldn’t even allow one to faint.

No one could move, they couldn’t even breathe, let alone raise a voice. This won’t be forgiven.

Only Count Omui erased his wry smile, and was now radiating anger with an expressionless look.

A long time that felt like an eternity, when everyone was terrified and felt death hanging over them. The King broke that silence, but that wasn’t a reprimand for impoliteness, nor a rebuke for insolence…

「I’m sorry, little ones. Being unable to protect the most vulnerable subjects of the kingdom is my failure as a King. I’m to blame for being unable to extend a helping hand even though you were suffering before my eyes. Forgive me.」

The king of a country descends from the throne, and then kneels, bowing deeply to unknown orphans. Queen consorts and young princes join him, and all of the nobles in the seats of honor also follow suit.

Facing frightened children that looked at them with troubled expressions, they are apologizing on their knees. That must be why he brought them here… This is the decay of the Kingdom, this is the result brought by the ugliness of the noble society. And the most vulnerable, the young children who had lost parents, became the worst victim of that.

It is said that until just the other day, the children, now dressed in brand-new clothes and laughing like angels, were huddled together in a corner of an abandoned house in the slums, wearing nothing but rags and on the verge of starving to death. And now they were told to their faces that this is the Kingdom’s crime.

With just one line, a refined ball became an execution site with 『Death』 hanging over it. It was turned into one.

The gorgeous venue with tables buried under abundance of fine food and expensive drinks. The meaning of that sin, the lives that could’ve been saved with just a small piece of what went there, were thrust before their eyes.

The Noble District visible from the Palace, and the dark side of the Capital, hidden in its shadow, the slums. Children were starving right next to them. High-class cuisine was served every day to entertain demands of the nobles, if only a tiny bit of that reached the children, they would’ve been saved. Those are the children that should’ve been dead, because no one extended them a helping hand.

There is not much importance to the head of a mere castle servant who was meaninglessly lowering his head in courtesy to the nobles every day, thousands, tens of thousands of times. Even so, here, I have to lower my head and apologize from the bottom of my heart. It doesn’t matter if it’s meaningless, if I can’t bow my head and apologize here, my entire life will end just as ugly as the nobles glaring at those children.

No, that’s just an excuse. I simply want to apologize. Even knowing that I won’t be forgiven, I still want to. Apologize to these children and to the Kingdom.

For the King of a kingdom to step down from his throne and apologize is an unprecedented scandal, and the grand chamberlain should not be silent.

However, the King deeply bowing his head to the children, is the true King of the Kingdom. The young prince that I’ve observed since he was just a child, eventually ascended to the throne. But it’s only now that he first became the true King.

All of that is our fault. I’ve been tasked with overseeing the King’s education since his childhood. Be it myself, other tutors, or the late King, everyone spoke in unison『Be dignified as a King』, or『People are ruled by the nobles, a King is to rule the nobles』, or『A King equal his country, never lower your head』, disciplining him under the pretense of education. This is the answer, this is the result of that.

These children are my fault. Those children are the crime that should be paid by us, servants of the castle.

Since when did we misunderstand the meaning? We, the old people, were wrong, and the one kneeling and bowing his head to the orphans is the true King of the Kingdom of Diorer.

Because the letters engraved on the Diorer throne, which I have been polishing every day, are simply, 『Royal Family for the sake of the people』. Just that alone.