"Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
The moment he stepped into the room, a thunderous roar of cheers struck Rei's ears.
Guided by the sound, he turned his gaze toward the stage. A woman holding a spear stood tall, clutching her stomach in pain, while a man wearing gauntlets lay sprawled across the arena floor.
"Heh. I didn't think the spear user would win. A pity."
Rei turned at the voice behind him. Tang, the man who had invited him into the room, let out a disappointed sigh as he looked at the betting slip in his hand.
From his reaction, Rei understood that the noble had bet on the loser.
Tang motioned for Rei to take a seat on the sofa. Then, in a move unexpected for a noble of his rank, the Baron personally poured water from a pitcher into a glass and offered it to Rei.
"...Thank you."
Rei showed a flash of surprise at the gesture. Seeing this, Tang smiled as he spoke.
"Does it surprise you to see me handling these trifles myself?"
"Well, yes. I had assumed nobles generally left such tasks to their maids."
Even as Rei spoke, he recalled the various nobles he had met and realized that wasn't always the case. Elena, in particular, had practiced brewing tea specifically for him to enjoy.
...Of course, that was an exception born of the behavior of a maiden in love.
"Hahaha! Well, I might act the part of a Baron now, but I was originally the third son. I was never meant to inherit a title of nobility. I expected I’d have to make my own way in life as a soldier or an adventurer, but..."
"And yet, here you are, a proper Baron. What happened?"
Rei’s question was a blunt one. As a third son, Tang would have had two older brothers ahead of him. Even if the eldest had been unable to inherit for some reason, the second son would have been next in line. A third son was essentially a spare for the spare. Rei couldn't help but wonder how the succession had fallen to him.
Tang took a sip from his glass before explaining.
"I understand your curiosity. Under normal circumstances, it’s unthinkable for a third son to become the successor. In fact, my brothers treated me like a useless mouth to feed and told me to leave the house as soon as possible."
The way he gave a small shrug suggested he held no particularly negative emotions about it. He likely felt such treatment was simply par for the course in a noble family.
"Then what was the sequence of events that led to you becoming the Baron?"
"Well, first off, my brother... the second son, that is... he died in the Spring War."
"..."
Rei’s expression flickered with surprise, knowing all too well his own involvement in that conflict.
However, Tang continued his story as if it were of no personal consequence.
"My brother went to war to raise the standing of Baron Authos's House. He was the second son—the spare for the eldest—so he likely had his own complicated feelings about his position, though perhaps not as much as I did. Regardless, the result was a swift death on the battlefield. As far as Baron Authos's House was concerned, our honor was utterly dragged through the mud."
He shrugged again. The fact that he seemed so detached from his own family's history suggested he had little attachment to his house.
(So, based on his story, he was treated as a nuisance by both his older brothers. I suppose his feelings for the family withered away during that process.)
While Rei pondered this, Tang’s story continued.
"If it had ended there, I wouldn't have needed to inherit Baron Authos's House. I could have stayed a carefree, useless tagalong."
"...Which means something else happened?"
As Rei asked, he had a vague idea of where this was going. The brother had died without achieving victory in a war he had joined for the sake of the family's honor. The Bestia Imperial Army had been defeated. It was only natural that the eldest son, the primary heir, would have seen that as an intolerable humiliation.
"Exactly. Just as you suspected, Rei."
Tang nodded, as if reading Rei's thoughts.
"But the Bestia Empire had just lost to the Kingdom of Mireana. In that climate, if he had tried to harass the person responsible for the defeat... and I apologize for saying this right to your face, but if he had succeeded, it might have been one thing. But if he failed and the Kingdom of Mireana found out, it would have been a catastrophic loss for the Empire."
"And so he was removed?"
"Precisely. Though, more accurately, I used my connections to request His Highness Cabajid to handle the matter."
Cabajid. Rei knew that name. He was the First Prince of the Bestia Empire and the man currently closest to the throne. He was also Vihera's brother and one of the key figures keeping the Third Prince, whom Theoreme served, under house arrest.
Without speaking those thoughts aloud, Rei pushed further.
"...You cut down your own brother?"
"I did. Is that strange? I believe it is quite natural for a noble of the Bestia Empire."
At Tang’s effortless declaration, Rei simply shook his head and said nothing more. He felt as though he had caught a glimpse of the charisma surrounding a man like Cabajid.
(As expected of the strongest candidate for the imperial succession.)
He decided that continuing down this path would be fruitless and shifted the conversation back to the present.
"So, why exactly did you go to the trouble of bringing me here to talk?"
"Hm? Oh, right. To be precise, I personally wanted the chance to meet and speak with the one they call Crimson. Beyond that, His Highness Cabajid himself suggested that I should meet you."
"...Me?"
Knowing his reputation within the Empire, Rei was genuinely surprised that a Prince—the First Prince, no less—had recommended a meeting.
Tang smiled, clearly finding Rei's reaction amusing.
"Of course. You should know how you are valued. I am aware, of course, that because of the Spring War incident, you are not well-regarded within the Empire. But... if His Highness Cabajid were to stand behind you, that evaluation would change overnight."
With that, Rei finally understood Tang's true objective. It was a recruitment pitch. Whether it was Cabajid's own idea or Tang's initiative, the goal was to scout him.
Normally, Rei had Daskar handle noble approaches by refusing them all, but since this was a request from someone tied to the First Prince of the very country that had invited them, the Margrave likely had no choice but to accept.
"What do you think? The details are open to negotiation, but I am certain we can satisfy your requirements. His Highness Cabajid promotes based on talent... as is evident just by looking at me, is it not?"
These were the words of a man who had ousted his own brother to become the head of Baron Authos's House. It was clearly true that the Prince valued results over tradition.
However...
"I'm sorry, but I have no intention of serving anyone right now."
"Is that so? I brought conditions that I'm sure would leave you with no regrets. If it's what you desire, I don't believe it would be difficult for you to receive a title of nobility."
"The offer is generous, but the life of a free adventurer suits me far better."
Rei rejected the offer of nobility without a moment's hesitation, causing Tang’s eyes to widen in brief surprise. He hadn't expected Rei to dismiss a title so flatly, simply for the sake of remaining "free."
It wasn't that he expected an immediate "yes." In fact, if Rei had been swayed so easily by the mere mention of a title, Tang’s opinion of him would have plummeted. Yet, the sheer lack of hesitation was unexpected.
(I see... I may need to re-evaluate him.)
Tang raised his internal estimation of Rei by a notch. His experience told him that the more a person held to their own firm values, the greater their capabilities tended to be. It was also true that such individuals often had eccentric personalities. In that sense, Rei was a textbook example.
"I see. Then let me ask you this: If you were to serve the Empire... or rather, His Highness Cabajid... what conditions would make it possible? From what I can tell, you aren't the type to be swayed by gold, women, or power, so please, tell me."
"...As I said, I'm perfectly satisfied with my life as it is."
"Meaning that no matter the terms, serving His Highness is not an option?"
Tang closed his eyes for a few seconds, as if searching his memory, before speaking again.
"...Come to think of it, I’ve heard you have a hobby of collecting Magic Items. Would it be useless to approach from that angle as well?"
This time, shock hit Rei. It was true that collecting Magic Items was his hobby, but he had no idea his interests were known here. Very few people were aware of it to begin with.
(Where did that leak? Theoreme has enough spies in Mireana that he might have found out, but I can't imagine him sharing info with the First Prince Faction. Then who... Most?)
He thought of the mage staying at the Eternal Sky Inn. Rei had asked Most if he knew of any shops that dealt in Magic Items. Had it leaked from there? The thought crossed his mind, but he quickly dismissed it.
(The possibility is there, but it feels wrong.)
He had no evidence to clear the man. In fact, circumstantial evidence suggested Most could be an agent for the First Prince Faction. And yet, half by intuition, Rei felt that Most wasn't involved. Or perhaps, it was just wishful thinking.
Rei gave Tang a small nod.
"It’s true. I won’t deny that I collect Magic Items, and I'm sure I could obtain them easily if I worked under His Highness. However, collecting them is strictly a hobby. I have no intention of trading my freedom as an adventurer for it."
He paused, looking Tang directly in the eye.
"Besides, a hobby is only fun because of the effort you put into it. Wandering through cities to find an item, diving into a Dungeon, or taking a request specifically because the reward is a Magic Item... those are the things I enjoy. If I were to become a subordinate just to have a mountain of Magic Items handed to me..."
He trailed off and shook his head silently. There would be no sense of accomplishment in that. Tang understood what Rei was getting at. Whether he could actually relate to it, however, was another matter.
"Hobbies are certainly a lot of trouble, aren't they?"
"Do you not have a hobby of your own, Baron Authos?"
Rei’s casual question was met with a wry smile.
"Unfortunately, as the third son of a noble house, a hobby would have been nothing but ammunition for my brothers to attack me. And since His Highness recruited me, I've been so buried in work that I haven't had the time. ...Still, a hobby. Perhaps a noble should have at least one or two."
"I agree. I’ve often heard that a hobby brings enrichment to one's life."
Enrichment.
The word seemed to pique Tang's curiosity, and he looked at Rei with interest.
"Oh? I’d like you to tell me more. What specific kinds of hobbies are there?"
"...I'm not an expert, but I often hear about people who collect fine alcohol."
Rei shared his personal image of what a noble’s hobby might be. Fortunately, alcohol collection was a known pastime in the Empire as well, and Tang nodded in recognition.
"I’ve also heard of people who collect fine furniture or tableware."
Rei continued to list hobbies that felt suitably aristocratic—knowledge drawn not from this world, but from the manga, novels, and movies he had consumed back in Japan—and Tang listened to it all with fascination.