Chapter 166
The attention of those around began to draw in even more. I had only glanced around, but I already saw three Platinum Knights from other nations. It felt quite awkward to have such people paying attention to .
‘Let’s pass through quickly.’
I looked at the guard and spoke.
“If I cannot go in an ordinary carriage, I will walk in.”
“N-no, sir! How could we possibly ask such a noble person to…!”
“Then are you saying you’ll leave it parked here?”
“No, sir! That…!”
In front of us, who were in a predicant, a single carriage suddenly approached. A flag emblazoned with the head of a human caught my eye. It didn’t belong to any family, that was….
“If you don’t mind, I will give you a ride in my carriage.”
The carriage door opened, revealing a luxurious interior. The owner of the carriage wore a mask. An unusual appearance. An aura that showed he was no ordinary person at a glance. The mont I faced the mask, two skills activated simultaneously as if vying for the lead.
Know-It-All (Lv 4) is flustered. It cannot access any information about the opponent. It is blocked by a powerful protective chanism.
Wild Instinct (Master) is flustered. It cannot feel anything from him. It feels nothing, to the point where it’s questionable if he even exists in this spot.
I couldn’t even guess the age, let alone the gender, of the masked noble. The only thing that could be called a trace was the flag with the human head drawn on it.
“How about it?”
But the intuition of Kim An-hyun, not Wild Instinct, did not want to let this opportunity slip by.
“I thank you for your consideration.”
After handing the coachman a tip for his trouble, I boarded the carriage with Lilac. The door closed, and the carriage set off for the grand banquet hall of the imperial castle.
“We’ve t for the first ti, haven’t we?”
“Yes. I am Martin von Targon Ulvhadin.”
“I have heard much of your renowned fa throughout the continent.”
I was grateful that he was polishing my reputation. But I… wanted to uncover the identity behind your mask.
“Are you the Director of the Humanity Preservation Agency?”
“Yes. That is correct.”
The Director admitted it readily.
‘So this is the man.’
When I was possessed in Martin's body, I had thought of two routes to survive the apocalypse where 99.9% of humanity would be annihilated. The first was the foolish and stupid idea of befriending the protagonist Gilbert's party and acting together, and the second was the Humanity Preservation Agency. They were the only ones, aside from the protagonist's party, who survived at the end of the apocalypse.
“It’s a pleasure to et you, Director. Thank you again for your consideration.”
“Don’t ntion it. What’s so difficult about giving you a ride in a carriage once?”
The Director, who had spoken as if in passing.
“I’ll be receiving a lot of help in the future, after all.”
He added a aningful remark.
“Sir Martin. After the Founding Festival is over, please visit the Humanity Preservation Agency in the near future. There is sothing I must propose to you.”
It was an unpleasant suggestion. You can’t refuse. You will definitely co. It was an arrogant statent delivered with that kind of certainty. But what was more annoying was that I couldn't bring myself to refuse either.
“…Yes. If circumstances allow, I will be sure to visit.”
The Humanity Preservation Agency was one of the few powerful cards to prepare for the apocalypse. The Director handed a small, cube-shaped artifact from his pocket.
“It is a one-ti use spatial movent artifact.”
At the sa ti, the carriage arrived at the entrance of the banquet hall.
“Please disembark first. I have soone to et for a mont.”
“Understood.”
As I got off the carriage with Lilac, the door closed imdiately. Like a magician's house that does not permit the interest and entry of others.
Instead of paying more attention to the carriage that had closed its doors and shut itself off from the outside, I turned my head and looked at the grand banquet hall.
“Let’s go, Lilac.”
“Yes, Master.”
What else would happen here….
***
Upon entering the grand banquet hall, as expected, all the famous figures who were a big deal on the continent were there. There were even kings from other nations. The banquet hall, as large as a soccer field, seed small because it was so packed with people.
Know-It-All (Lv 4) accesses the records of past Founding Festivals. There is a ti when the rulers of each country gather to discuss the future operational direction of the continent.
Perhaps because there were so many famous people, I didn't stand out. On the contrary, it was full of people who caught my attention.
Wild Instinct (Master) detects the beasts of prey lurking in the banquet hall.
I could see over ten Platinum Knights alone. It was a natural level of security for a gathering of kings from various countries.
‘There are a lot of eye-catching people.’
Gilbert's party, gathered together in a corner.
The Emperor at the highest seat, with Adela and Kazaks on either side.
‘Even them.’
I saw two n who inspired awe just by looking at them, even though I was seeing them for the first ti in my life. The two n guarding the path to the imperial throne. One had a blue spear on his shoulder, and the other carried a shield.
‘The Dukes of the Blue Spear Amulrent and the Shield Tauforos…!’
The Blue Spear was in charge of punishing enemies inside the empire, and the Shield was in charge of enemies outside the empire. Perhaps because of that, the pressure they exuded was even greater than that of Frohadin of Deminiyan and Wilhelm of Harmadun.
‘Normally, I would have been stuck there and couldn't even turn my gaze.’
But it seed the main event of today's banquet was sothing else.
‘It’s murderous….’
The center of the banquet hall. It was as if sparks were flying. rchants who had touched so money and high-ranking nobles were all gathered there.
From Dukes Frohadin and Wilhelm to Marquis Arnold of Elidore and Luri. In the center of them all. The person who stood at the center of the topic as if it were natural was….
‘The Elf Queen.’
As I watched silently, our eyes soon t. Just as the expression of the Elf Queen, who had been expressionless the whole ti, was about to brighten, I raised my index finger to my lower lip. It ant I would stay quiet and leave.
‘I should just show my face without standing out and leave after the official event is over.’
I quietly grabbed a few simple snacks and headed to the most cornered spot in the banquet hall. A place where the light was dim and the gazes of butlers and maids didn't reach, buried under the sound of the orchestra. The slums of the banquet hall, so to speak. With even the few tables occupied, I had no choice but to stand and wait.
“Lilac. Want to try so of this? It’s delicious.”
“Oh my, the apple scent of the pie is so lovely!”
“Should we consider it for the dessert nu? It would be nice to sell at the café.”
“Yes. Of course.”
As I was being sweet with Lilac, my complicated feelings, like a tangled ball of yarn, eased up a bit.
I couldn’t see the orchestra sound that filled the banquet hall, nor the people dancing on the banquet stage.
“Hey, Cadet Martin.”
“…?”
When I turned my head, Elisha, Bord, and Mary had already co to my side. Elisha smiled and greeted .
“It’s nice to see you here again.”
Elisha was wearing the sa passionate red dress as that ti. Bord was in a suit, but because of his build, it looked like he was wearing tight clothes, and Mary was also wearing a dress that was gray but elegant.
“It’s not Cadet, but Sir. Sir Elisha.”
“Ah, yes~. Sir Martin. Ah, hello to Lilac too!”
“Hello, Sir Elisha.”
The three of them also greeted Lilac. I questioned the fact that there were only three of them and asked.
“I don’t see the other two.”
Where had Gilbert and Lina, who were sticking together just a mont ago, gone? It was good for that they were gone, though.
“Over there.”
The place Elisha pointed to was the banquet stage. There were many couples dancing there, but… one couple stood out prominently. It was Gilbert and Lina. The two of them waltzed like dancers who had been practicing together their whole lives.
“Gosh, do you see the honey dripping?”
“Honey?”
When I asked, Elisha looked at with an expression that said she couldn't believe I didn't know.
“No, you didn’t know? A person who is usually smart and quick-witted…. Those two like each other.”
I maintained a straight face, but inside, a strange sound ca out.
‘Iyeeng?’
Wanting to protect my pride, I pretended to know.
“Ah, I knew.”
“You knew, right? That’s right. Who wouldn’t know when they’re always sticking together like that? Gilbert and Lina probably think they’re hiding it well. Everyone knows except them.”
Uh…, in the original work, Gilbert was, well… single from birth…? There were over ten heroine candidates, but I rember that he wasn't actually involved with anyone….
“Was it Dr. Keren's laboratory? They started relying on each other there, and… Sir Martin unknowingly solved various incidents for them. So they had a lot of ti left over. They’re both swordsn, so what would they have done? They must have trained together every day. Lately, they’ve been saying they t a fortuitous encounter and go to et soone every day…. Frankly speaking, aren’t they just going out to play?”
…So, while I was fighting against the apocalypse, those two were having a romance disguised as training?
“A-are they dating?”
A romance that even I haven't had, Gilbert is having it first…? My stomach hurts so much I feel like I'm going to die.
“Not yet. But I, a Harmadun, will guarantee it. Those two will be dating soon. For sure!”
“Yes….”
Gilbert and Lina's romance story was shocking, but in fact, this situation itself was strange to . Lilac was talking friendly with Mary and Bord, and I was discussing Gilbert and Lina’s romance story with Elisha.
‘It’s like.’
Like soone who had really t a friend of the sa age. We t and greeted each other normally, and talked about another friend’s love life normally.
‘I never thought I’d have this kind of relationship with them.’
Suddenly, I rembered the early days of my possession. How extre was it? To be honest, I had even thought about killing them myself once the apocalypse was over.
As if she couldn't imagine I was having such thoughts, Elisha looked at Gilbert and Lina dancing on the stage with an envious face.
“Haaah…, aren’t you envious? The life of a commoner is so free.”
Huh, is she lanting her situation? A child of a ducal family.
“Is there a problem with your current life?”
“I’m a noble. A noble bloodline. I have to be careful with every single action in case I tarnish the family na, and I have to be careful because people try to give political aning to every careless word I say.”
Elisha squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head as if she was sick of it.
‘Unexpected.’
In the original work, Elisha was an extrely lofty noble. She was proud of being a noble more than anyone else, and she had pride.
“Do you hate being a noble?”
“No way!”
She makes an X with both hands as if to say absolutely not.
“I am a noble. I was born of the Harmadun bloodline and born with the duty to protect the Imperial Family and the people. I am grateful for this fact. I’m even proud. I will devote my entire life to eradicating evil and setting justice right. Only then will I beco a duke who is not ashad of the Harmadun na.”
Elisha, who had stated her life’s resolution in a serious tone, soon.
“But you know.”
She gave a smile that said it couldn’t be helped.
“I’m a person too. A young person. Who wouldn’t want to date? I want to play with my friends at a villa by the sea for a whole week. I want to buy and eat sugar cookies from street stalls while talking about nothing.”
“….”
“Why, am I not being myself?”
To be honest… yes. It wasn't like Elisha. The Elisha I knew was an extrely noble person.
‘In the original work….’
No, no. Stupid fool. Didn't the World Tree say it? That this world is not inside a novel, but another reality. I shouldn't judge her carelessly by saying the content of the original work was this or that. Because she is not a character, but a human.
“It’s just, yes. I thought you must have a lot of unspoken troubles.”
“….”
Let's be honest.
“I thought you, Sir Elisha, were an extrely noble person and a fool who only looks at justice.”
“A justice fool? That’s what I often say to Gilbert.”
I suppressed the laughter that was about to burst out and said.
“But you also have your own troubles.”
“….”
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