At the greeting from his daughter and her beloved, Liberte offered a genial smile.
"Mm, pay it no mind. Late as you may be, the party has not yet begun. ...Mm. Still, Elena and Rei, you both look wonderful together."
As Liberte said this with satisfaction, Arcadia, who had been watching Rei and Elena — particularly Elena — beside him, also offered a satisfied smile.
"Elena rarely attends these kinds of occasions, but I do think she should show her face at these parties more often, don't you?"
Arcadia's appearance as she asked her husband that could, at a glance, pass for nothing more than that of an ordinary noble's wife.
Naturally, having given birth to Elena, her beauty was particularly striking.
But such was Arcadia's demeanor on the surface... no, it wasn't exactly a front either, and her attitude when she had first met Rei was likely just one of Arcadia's many faces.
In any case, how many people actually knew that Arcadia possessed such a personality?
Looking at Arcadia as she was now — delighting in her daughter's dressed-up appearance like a normal mother — Rei found himself wondering that very thing.
Perhaps noticing Rei's gaze, for an instant, just for a brief instant, Arcadia directed the same look at Rei that she had shown him before.
Rei's back went cold at that gaze, but since she immediately returned to her usual self, he managed to avoid being particularly rattled. ...Though Liberte cast a pitying glance at Rei for being subjected to his wife's playfulness.
"Duke Kerebel, is this the one you mentioned...?"
"Mm. You have likely heard the name at least. Crimson Rei."
The man who had been speaking with Liberte nodded in understanding as he looked toward Rei.
Though not to the same extent as Liberte, the man carried a certain commanding presence.
"I see, so you are...... I am Zaskal Seisole, the head of Marquis Seisole's House."
"......Marquis Seisole's House?"
Rei stared at the face of the man who had said that with a smile.
His age was around his forties, not far from Liberte's.
Then again, Liberte was actually older than he appeared.
In any case, Rei focused his attention not on Liberte but on the man before him.
Zaskal Seisole, the head of Marquis Seisole's House.
That, in other words, meant he was the father of Gaiska, who was believed to have hired Black Wolf.
Zaskal undoubtedly knew about Rei as well, but at least from Rei's perspective, he did not seem to be hiding any particular knowledge.
"Mm, I am the head of Marquis Seisole's House. Ah, it seems my son has been getting along with you. He may not look it, but he has a rather impulsive personality. He hasn't caused you any trouble, has he?"
"That is......"
Is he talking about Black Wolf?
Rei had been about to say as much, but as if to forestall him, Zaskal spoke again.
"That said, it seems he was a bit too mischievous. Unfortunately, Gaiska is currently under house arrest."
Whether Zaskal knew that Gaiska had hired Black Wolf was something Rei could not determine.
But it was safe to assume that he at least knew Gaiska had conceived and carried out some form of ill intent toward Rei.
At the very least, that was how Zaskal appeared to Rei.
(If he truly knows about the hiring of Black Wolf and is still behaving this way, then he's either audacious... or he truly lives up to holding such strong influence within the Noble's Faction.)
Rei thought this earnestly, but with the other party playing dumb, he could hardly bring it up himself.
In the first place, the notion that Gaiska had hired Black Wolf was purely circumstantial.
Black Wolf had never stated that he was hired by Gaiska, nor had Rei heard from Gaiska's own mouth that he had hired Black Wolf.
Under such circumstances, if Rei were to mention here that Gaiska had hired Black Wolf, it would likely be seen as him picking a fight.
Of course, seeing Rei arm-in-arm with Elena, causing a scene here would risk making enemies of Elena, who bore the alias Princess General, and even Duke Kerebel and his wife.
The head of Marquis Seisole's House could not possibly afford such a move.
"Mischievous, you say...... As long as that mischievousness doesn't veer in a strange direction, I'd be relieved, personally."
It was a remark laden with a measure of provocation, but for Zaskal, who had dealt with all manner of crafty nobles, Rei's attitude was not something he needed to take seriously.
Zaskal simply offered a smile and a nod.
"Indeed. It seems I let my son have too much freedom. Considering the trouble he caused Rei, I will need to raise him more strictly from here on. I doubt Rei will cross paths with Gaiska again, but I will certainly keep this matter in mind."
Oh?
Rei was slightly surprised.
Though the words from Zaskal's mouth were not an explicit admission, they amounted to acknowledging that Gaiska had been in the wrong.
As Gaiska's father, Rei had expected him to shield his son and oppose him thoroughly.
Instead, conceding Gaiska's fault so readily left Rei with a stronger feeling of disbelief than anything else.
But beside Rei, Elena, who had been listening, nodded as if she found it entirely natural.
As the head of Marquis Seisole's House, Zaskal held undeniable influence within the Noble's Faction.
While he could not match Liberte, who led the Noble's Faction itself, Zaskal's influence ranked among the top five within the faction.
Such a man could not possibly be incompetent.
......He had failed in raising his son, Gaiska, but as the head of a marquis house, he was undoubtedly capable.
Because of that, he clearly understood what it would mean to make an enemy of Rei in the current situation.
That was precisely why he had come, indirectly, to request a settlement.
"Rei."
As she spoke, Elena lightly squeezed the right arm of Rei that she was holding.
That gesture brought Rei out of his surprise, and he opened his mouth.
"As long as I don't end up with extra work because of it, I'm fine with that. ......However, I don't know whose people they are, but I am currently being targeted by some suspicious party as we speak, you know?"
"......I shall ask Gaiska."
The moment Rei mentioned being currently targeted, Zaskal's expression flickered with a hint of surprise.
He had known that Gaiska was gathering money. But according to Deotres's reports, the funds to hire an assassin had not yet been fully prepared.
Despite that, the fact that Rei was already being attacked by someone was clearly inconsistent.
(Had Deotres overlooked something? Or was there someone other than Gaiska targeting Rei?)
He swiftly considered this in his mind and judged the latter possibility to be particularly likely.
After all, according to the information Zaskal had gathered, just yesterday someone had committed the folly of attacking Set.
How could anyone think that three people could assault a High-Rank Monster like a gryphon and succeed?
Count Ceresse had oppressed his territory and squeezed taxes from it, but he was by no means incompetent.
......Of course, if he were truly capable, he would not have imposed such harsh taxation that a rebellion could break out at any moment.
(Or perhaps he mistakenly believed that, being a Tamed Monster, it would never harm people.)
With that alone, Zaskal dismissed his thoughts regarding Count Ceresse and devoted himself to the conversation with the person before him.
Judging from the relationship between Rei and Elena, the relationship between Duke Kerebel's House and Rei itself could be considered good.
In other words, he wanted to avoid, as much as possible, Marquis Seisole's House being viewed as an enemy by Rei because of Gaiska.
"Still, looking at you two like this, Lady Elena and Rei make a fine couple."
"Hearing you say that makes the effort I put into my makeup worthwhile."
"Lady Elena, of all people...... Indeed. Of course, there is nothing wrong with Lady Elena harboring such feelings, but seeing Lady Elena, who has never shown interest in men before, here with Rei like this is quite a refreshing sight."
There was no intent to disparage Elena in the way he said this earnestly.
If anything, he seemed genuinely delighted from the bottom of his heart that Elena had taken an interest in a man.
......As if he had never once instructed Gaiska to get close to Elena if at all possible.
Then, with a smile, Zaskal's gaze shifted to Rei next.
He had been speaking with Rei until moments ago, but he examined Rei's appearance anew......
"I see, so you have captured the heart of Crimson Rei. It was not that Lady Elena had no interest in men, but rather that her standards for men were simply strict. That must be it. And the one who met Lady Elena's eyes was Rei."
Zaskal, who had been studying Rei, smiled in the next moment.
"My, Duke Kerebel, your future is bright as well."
"Hearing you say that is a relief on our end as well. In operating the Noble's Faction going forward, the strength of Marquis Seisole's House is indispensable."
"And I am likewise glad to hear you say so."
Liberte and Zaskal exchanged words genially, but even Rei could tell that beneath those words, various forms of political maneuvering were taking place.
That said, Rei was not particularly interested in that side of things.
In the first place, Rei had never joined the Noble's Faction, nor was he a noble.
Given that, whatever maneuvering took place at this party filled with Noble's Faction members was of no concern to him.
Had the results of that maneuvering led to harm befalling him or his companions, that would have been another matter entirely.
"My lord, it is about time. The party attendees have all assembled as well."
The Butler approached Liberte, who had been speaking with Zaskal, and delivered this message.
Hasn't he been somewhere I've seen before...? Rei wondered for a moment, but then quickly remembered.
He was the person who had sat at the same table as Liberte, eating, at the appreciation party held for the servants the previous day.
"Mm. Then let us begin. Hand out glasses to everyone."
After issuing that instruction to the Butler, Liberte received his own glass from a nearby Maid and ascended a slightly elevated stage within the party venue.
Rei could guess that it was a stage likely used when some form of presentation or ceremony took place.
Standing atop that stage, Liberte glanced around the room.
He had not done anything particularly grandiose, yet somehow the gazes of everyone in the party venue converged on him.
Nearly everyone in this party venue was a noble.
As such, they were proud...... yet even so, no one expressed dissatisfaction with Liberte's presence.
Well, perhaps there were those who harbored dissatisfaction toward Liberte, but no one was foolish enough to let it show on their face.
(This kind of ability is likely one of Liberte's powers as well.)
In a way, this power that Liberte possessed was more effective than the direct martial force Rei wielded.
At the very least, it certainly was in this setting, right now.
"I am truly glad that you have all gathered again this year. A few faces seem unfamiliar, perhaps due to successions...... nonetheless, I ask that you conduct yourselves properly as members of the Noble's Faction. Whatever you do, do not engage in behavior unbecoming of the Noble's Faction."
What Liberte was referring to with those words — anyone among the nobles present would understand.
Rei, who was being treated as a guest of Duke Kerebel's House. Count Ceresse, who had infiltrated Duke Kerebel's House in an attempt to claim Set, Rei's Tamed Monster, as his own.
Everyone present naturally knew that Count Ceresse had been expelled from the Noble's Faction.
There was no doubt that Liberte was speaking of that matter.
"I expect that this year as well, everyone will spend it in good health, develop their territories, and conduct themselves in a manner befitting the Noble's Faction."
Rei, who was standing near the stage, had not noticed, but Liberte's words reached everyone in the party venue clearly.
That was the effect of a Magic Item built into the stage where Liberte stood.
Of course, since it was a rather large-scale Magic Item that could not be easily transported, whether Rei, who desired Magic Items usable in combat, would even want it was a questionable matter.
"To a good year!"
With those words, Liberte raised the wine glass he held high.