Carphilly, the Royal Capital of the Kingdom of Mireana. Inside the Royal Castle at the city's heart, Margrave Larkus tugged at his collar, his face taut with discomfort as the unfamiliar formal attire seemed to choke him.
The surrounding chamber was vast, decorated to excess. Indeed, "room" was a poor descriptor for a hall of such immense proportions; it was spacious enough to swallow the entire mansion of a lower-ranking noble, such as a Baron or Viscount. An uncountable number of people were currently gathered within. Most were nobles, though servers and maids bustled through the crowd, delivering glasses of wine.
The Triumphal Ceremony had concluded, and the party was now in full swing. Despite the festive occasion, groups of aristocrats were clustered everywhere, engaged in idle talk. Beneath that pleasant surface, however, a quiet war was being waged—a battle fought with the sharp tongues and intricate rhetoric of the nobility.
(A second war at a victory party... what a tiresome business. But I suppose I was right not to bring Rei along.)
While sipping wine and conversing with fellow members of the Neutral Faction, Daskar noticed several figures approaching and suppressed the urge to click his tongue.
As the central figure of the Neutral Faction, he could not simply flee. He waited to be addressed, feigning interest in his drink and the buffet.
"Well now, Margrave Larkus. My congratulations on your victory in this campaign."
The voice belonged to a man who was conspicuously obese. Despite having only walked across the hall, sweat was already beading on his forehead.
Judging by his unrefined appearance and unhealthy complexion, he looked to be in his fifties. If Daskar’s memory served, however, the man was only in his thirties. Two other young men of similar build followed in his wake.
"It has been a while, Viscount Ottavo. And those with you are surely..."
"Yes, my ne'er-do-well sons. I thought to look for brides for them at this party."
"...I see. In that case, you hardly have the time to be talking to me, do you?"
Daskar had many private thoughts on the matter, but knowing how central marriage was to aristocratic life, he kept them to himself. Still, being cornered by Viscount Ottavo was far from pleasant.
Nevertheless, Daskar held the rank of Margrave. Even knowing the Viscount squeezed taxes from his peasants until they were on the verge of starvation, he did not allow his disgust to surface.
"Not at all. Before that, I wished to hear of the hero of this war. Tell me, where might the rumored adventurer be?"
Viscount Ottavo asked the question with heavy, shaking jowls. Daskar immediately shook his head.
"Unfortunately, he is not in the Royal Castle... or rather, he is not even in Carphilly. He returned straight to the City of Gilm."
The moment Daskar spoke, Viscount Ottavo's eyes—nearly lost in the folds of his eyelids—flashed with a sharp light.
"Oh? Ho, hooo. The hero of the war is not participating in the ceremony? Whatever could be the reason for that? One might suspect that Margrave Larkus is reluctant to show him to the public, as if you were intent on concealing him..."
Daskar's cheek twitched, but before he could respond, another noble of the Neutral Faction cut in.
"Viscount Ottavo, that is quite disrespectful to Lord Daskar. As a member of the King's Faction, you should show a bit more discretion."
"Ho? Ah, you may be right. My apologies."
Viscount Ottavo gave a bow that was more condescendingly polite than truly courteous. The fat on his face wobbled as he moved, evoking repulsiveness rather than anything comical.
"However, the other nobles attending this party also wish to see the rumored adventurer with their own eyes. If he is absent by order of his employer, Margrave Larkus... well, you understand, don't you?"
Viscount Ottavo looked back at his two sons.
"Indeed," one son added. "Just as Father says, it is possible that some might start spreading unsavory rumors. For instance, that Margrave Larkus is hoarding an adventurer powerful enough to repel an entire army while plotting some scheme."
"Hahaha, surely not," Daskar countered. "Rei may possess significant power, but this country has S-Rank adventurers. I find it hard to believe he could pose a threat against such opponents. Besides, if such rumors were to spread, the one responsible might find themselves charged with the Crime of Sowing Unrest for disturbing the capital with such nonsense."
What are you plotting by keeping the adventurer named Rei to yourself? If you make a clumsy move, I’ll spread rumors and demand your punishment.
The Crown already holds S-Rank adventurers who far surpass Rei, so don't complain. If you spread strange rumors, I will hold you thoroughly accountable for them.
Such was the roundabout dialogue peculiar to nobles. Though Daskar was technically addressing the son, his target was the Viscount himself. Seeing the tide turning against him, Viscount Ottavo pulled a silk handkerchief from his pocket to wipe his brow and bowed with a practiced smile.
"I see. It is a pity I could not see the rumored adventurer, but perhaps on another occasion. Out of mere curiosity, why did you not bring that rumored Crimson along this time?"
Even if he were to retreat, he wanted to glean whatever information he could. Daskar gave a wry smile.
"As you know, Rei is an adventurer, not a noble. Furthermore, he lived in the deep mountains until he arrived in the City of Gilm; his etiquette toward high society is non-existent. Fearing he might cause an incident during the Audience with His Majesty, I had him return to Gilm rather than coming to the Royal Capital."
"...I see. Indeed, rudeness toward His Majesty cannot be permitted. In that light, I believe Margrave Larkus's approach was the correct one."
Even as a member of the King's Faction, Viscount Ottavo could hardly demand the presence of an adventurer who might insult the King. His cheek twitched with the irritation of being outmaneuvered, but he bowed his head nonetheless.
"I have said many disrespectful things, but please understand that they were born of a desire to ensure Margrave Larkus does not suffer any unnecessary misunderstandings. I would appreciate your forgiveness."
"Yes, of course. I am glad to know you worry about me so much."
"No, no. We are fellow nobles of the Kingdom of Mireana, the pillars that support His Majesty. In particular, Margrave Larkus governs the only Frontier in the Kingdom, providing rare materials and Magic Stones to the entire country. It would not benefit the nation if such a person were punished due to a misunderstanding. ...Well then, I shall take my leave. I must continue looking for matches for my sons."
Viscount Ottavo bowed again and departed with his sons.
A noble of the Neutral Faction, watching them leave, clicked his tongue softly.
"Tch. A mere Viscount, speaking to Lord Daskar in such a manner."
"Don't be so angry. I don't mind it. Look, it's a party. Delicious food and fine wine. It's a waste not to enjoy it, isn't it?"
"...My apologies, Lord Daskar. If only we had more power..."
Another noble murmured regretfully and bowed to Daskar.
The Margrave looked at the man and sighed.
"I told you, don't worry about it. Besides, if I don't mind, why should you? We've known for a long time that the Neutral Faction is small and lacks influence. Though, thanks to Rei, we've stood out more than usual this time."
"That is... yes. That is true. But shouldn't we take this opportunity to increase our influence?"
"I don't think so. Certainly, we could expand our reach to some extent right now. But what was the King's Faction's objective to begin with? Count Alius wanted military merit for his own advancement, but fundamentally, their goal was to exhaust the strength of the Neutral Faction and the Noble's Faction, wasn't it? Since that failed and their own strength decreased instead, they are undoubtedly on edge."
He added that this was likely why Viscount Ottavo had approached him in the first place.
"But the nobles who participated in this war, starting with Count Alius, are not supposed to be part of the Mainstream of the King's Faction. Would they really care if their strength decreased to that extent?"
Daskar shook his head slightly at the noble's question.
"No. Even if they aren't the mainstream, they still belong to the King's Faction. No matter what, the King's Faction, the Noble's Faction, and the Neutral Faction are distinct groups. To those in the King's Faction, it's vexing that our strength remains intact. ...Playing these games in the midst of a national crisis—it makes the name of a Great Power weep."
"Or perhaps it is precisely because it is a Great Power."
Daskar chuckled in agreement and reached for the buffet. The table was laden with high-end ingredients found only in the Royal Capital. Perhaps because it was a victory celebration, the cooks had clearly gone all out; every dish was exceptional, and he savored them thoroughly.
Afterward, the King appeared to give a brief speech, and Daskar spent time exchanging words with various nobles. For a man who disliked such interactions, the moments spent purely savoring the food and wine were his only times of peace.
Until a certain individual appeared.
"It has been a while, Margrave Larkus. Are you enjoying yourself?"
The man who stepped before Daskar possessed refined features and the overwhelming dignity of a Duke—the highest rank. Daskar knew exactly who he was. Indeed, if there were a noble in the Kingdom of Mireana—or even the neighboring countries—who did not know this man's face, they were either incredibly sheltered or a fool. Liberte Kerebel. He was the leader of the Noble's Faction and the father of the Princess General, Elena.
"Duke Kerebel... We have both had quite a difficult time of it."
Facing such a man, Daskar's tone became more formal. Liberte nodded magnanimously.
"Yes, quite. I never expected the King's Faction to ignore the intelligence regarding the Beast Soldiers. Considering that, we did well to win this war."
"Indeed. It was thanks to our cooperation with the Noble's Faction that we repelled the Bestia Imperial Army."
"Is that so? From what Filma told me, the adventurer you hired played a massive role. He seems to be on good terms with my daughter as well; I had hoped to see him for myself. Unfortunately, it seems he did not come."
"He is but an adventurer, and his etiquette is quite lacking."
The two exchanged words with pleasant smiles, though their eyes remained cold.
Daskar was well aware of the friendship between Elena and Rei, but he could not allow an adventurer of Rei's caliber to be recruited away. Conversely, Liberte Kerebel, as the head of the Noble's Faction, desperately wanted to pull such a force into his circle.
Beyond the interests of his faction, Liberte was also thinking of his beloved daughter. In this world, it was not uncommon for a single Outlier to perform as well as hundreds or even thousands of soldiers. The feats Rei had demonstrated in this war were things few even among A-Rank adventurers could achieve.
"More importantly, Margrave Larkus. It seems someone from my faction caused you trouble. I shall see to it that no such fool appears again."
Hearing Liberte's words, the face of Lunojis came to Daskar's mind—the man who had been consumed by jealousy and tried to assassinate Rei.
"Indeed. I never imagined someone would try to murder Rei, a hero of the war. I would appreciate it if you ensured such a thing does not happen again. Even for Duke Kerebel, it would be troublesome if such an incident became public."
Daskar spoke with feigned concern, but his meaning was clear, and Liberte understood it perfectly.
The Duke nodded with a slight smile.
"It is as you say, Margrave Larkus. If anything should happen, I shall lend you my strength. I look forward to our cooperation."
With that, he reached out his hand, requesting a handshake.