Chapter 61
They began to enjoy the feast.
Whether the food was high-class or low-class was of no importance.
Any food, when compared to Aum’s cooking, was a meal fit for the heavens!
If there were no musicians, they would play themselves. If there were no poets, they would recite poetry themselves.
No dancers? Then they would dance themselves!
The Berserk Warriors doffed their armor and began to dance merrily.
“Commander Kudan, cheers!”
“Cheers!”
Kudan drank and drank the liquor given by the Berserk Warriors until he eventually vomited up everything he had eaten.
At the sight, the Berserk Warriors laughed heartily and patted Kudan on the back.
“Come! Let me tell you of my exploits!”
The Berserk Warriors sang songs passed down from the frozen earth or told tales of their own adventures, showing their spirit….
“High Priestess, would you dance with us?”
“Pardon?”
“Come, come, hurry…!”
Some of the Berserk Warriors even extended the offer to Kankun.
Kankun glanced at Roki’s expression and laughed awkwardly.
“I’m not much of a dancer….”
“But you danced well during the festival, come! Come!”
“The High Priestess is joining us! Everyone, applause!”
“W-well, just a little then….”
Applause rang out….
“Here! Fairy girl! Try this too!”
“Eat this too.”
“Do you know how to drink?”
“…….”
Some of the Berserk Warriors showed interest in Saelleot.
Though she had her hood pulled up, they had long since noticed her long ears.
Saelleot felt bewildered by the Berserk Warriors who were suddenly paying attention to her.
“What? Can’t hold your liquor? This is why elves…! You’re even worse than dwarves!”
The remark instantly riled Saelleot. She glared at the Berserk Warrior holding out the drink and snatched the cup.
Grasping the large tankard that was difficult to hold even with both hands, she downed it in one gulp.
The Berserk Warriors’ eyes went wide as they stared at Saelleot.
Having emptied the cup without a drop remaining, Saelleot slammed it down on the table.
“…Hic.”
Her face turned red, her eyes spun, and she planted her face onto the table.
At the sight, the Berserk Warriors slapped their knees and laughed.
“Would you care for a drink?”
“Sure.”
Roki lightly accepted the drink Aum handed him.
Joyful. Delightful. This was a feast!
There was a hierarchy, but it was a place where such things were not minded—a festival all their own.
Then it happened.
BANG!
Amid the clamorous feast, the door burst open.
For a moment, the Berserk Warriors, thoroughly drunk on the atmosphere, looked toward the door.
Reflexively, they glanced to where their weapons lay and carefully observed the intruders.
The most eye-catching among them was the prince with blond hair and blue eyes, Ash Ronia.
He was dressed in luxurious garments with golden embroidery on a red base.
Behind him, nobles accompanied him as well.
The Berserk Warriors looked at Kudan, Kudan looked at Aum, and Aum looked at Roki.
“What will you do?”
“You decide as you see fit.”
Watching Roki take a sip of his drink, Aum smiled bitterly.
Aum looked at the nobles.
What were their expressions?
They all looked incredulous and bewildered. Their faces also held mockery mixed with confusion.
It couldn’t be helped.
To those haughty and arrogant nobles, the sight of the Berserk Warriors at this feast looked truly “boorish.”
They were either dancing merrily in nothing but leather clothes, drinking, or there was food scattered across the floor and even vomit.
They were singing vulgar songs as well… to the point that one could tell how they enjoyed the feast even through the thick door.
‘Now then, how will they come out?’
Aum looked intrigued.
He approached Ash and bowed his head with exaggerated, awkward gestures.
It was something a commoner who didn’t know proper etiquette might do.
Seeing this, the nobles thought that everyone, including Aum, was of merely “humble birth.”
“Ash… uh, um, eh? What was it? Ah! I greet you, Ronia~!”
Aum staggered as if drunk.
“Ah, well… yes.”
Ash nodded and looked around the feast hall with a blank expression.
He had clearly ordered them to prepare luxurious food, yet the hall was filled with cheap food that commoners typically ate. And that wasn’t all.
There were no musicians, poets, or dancers to liven the mood, and not even a servant to look after them.
“What a splendid feast…! Ha! Ha! Ha! Thank you so very much for preparing this to celebrate the prince’s rescue.”
Aum bent at the waist and raised his head to send Ash a smile.
But his narrowly opened eyes looked terrifyingly sharp.
Ash felt that something was wrong.
To him, every one of Aum’s actions seemed to be mocking him and at the same time “warning” him.
Those exaggerated gestures, and that emphasized tone. The etiquette mistakes that seemed like drunken blunders yet were not.
All of it was an ominous sign.
Unlike Ash, the nobles began to disregard them.
“Such lowly things….”
“As expected of barbarians. How can they enjoy themselves so vulgarly?”
It was a voice speaking in a low murmur, but not so low that Ash couldn’t hear. So it must have been clearly audible to Aum standing right in front of them.
‘What…?!’
Ash turned around, fury rising, and glared at the nobles.
They didn’t know how great a force these Berserk Warriors before them possessed. If they could draw such people to their side as allies, victory would be assured, yet this was the treatment they received?!
If these people turned their backs on Eastern Ronia with ill intent, there would be no more hope for them.
“How dare you? Nords. Everyone, kneel—.”
It was just as one noble was about to cross the line.
“Oh my! Oh my! To think such lowly food was served…! I apologize. We have failed to treat you properly.”
A man who had been standing right beside Ash among the nobles stepped forward.
He had a pot-bellied figure and no hair.
Instead, he sported a magnificently groomed mustache—a man in his late forties.
It was Count Hallom, one of the central figures of Eastern Ronia.
At his clap, as if they had been waiting, servants and maids entered carrying luxurious food.
Musicians, poets, and beautiful dancers also came inside.
“Why… it seems we have mistaken your destination for a soldiers’ morale-boosting dinner.”
Hallom wore a face filled with laughter. Not only that, he assumed a servile posture, rubbing his hands together.
Despite holding the title of count, he was fawning over them with such humble gestures.
“I hear you are the great Nords, correct?”
The count raised Aum’s upper body with both hands.
Aum smiled on the outside, but inwardly he furrowed his face fiercely.
‘…What the hell. Who is this guy?’
Things seemed to be proceeding smoothly, yet a high-ranking noble had suddenly appeared and changed the attitude entirely.
“Ah! I was so overwhelmed that I did not hear how Your Highness met these people. Lord Ash.”
“…Eh? W-why do you ask?”
Ash felt both bewildered by Count Hallom’s words and actions and that the situation was subtly turning.
“Please tell me how you met them. Ah! Now that I think of it….”
Count Hallom looked at the Berserk Warriors and smiled with his eyes.
“Earlier, it seemed you were speaking of many heroic tales… I would like to hear them as well. If it would not be rude, might you share them?”
“…….”
The Berserk Warriors looked at Aum.
Aum, who had covered his face with his hand at some point, clicked his tongue.
‘…A shame. To lose the justification right before my eyes. Well, there will be plenty of chances, so it doesn’t matter.’
In his heart, he wanted to overturn this place already, but he had not yet obtained a clear justification.
An attack without justification could provoke a backlash from other nations and be branded diplomatically as lacking ‘trust.’
If that happened, not only Asgard but all Nords across the continent would suffer harm.
It was regrettable, but now was the time to let it pass.
In the end, the feast was restarted by Count Hallom.
Whenever all sorts of stories were exchanged, Hallom chimed in with Roki’s party.
“Aha! So you rescued Prince Ash! To think you saved His Highness from that plague! You are heroes! But… I heard it is called New Asgard. What kind of nation is it? Why… astonishing! To think such a country exists…!”
Rather than growing hostile, the atmosphere instead flowed gently.
‘…What a relief.’
Ash let out a sigh of relief.
It was because his uneasy premonition seemed to be fading gradually.
The Berserk Warriors were thoroughly enjoying the atmosphere; Roki simply drank, and Aum merely conversed with Hallom.
Kankun gently patted Saelleot’s back as she lay sprawled out.
‘…Beautiful. As expected of an elf.’
Ash glanced at Saelleot repeatedly.
Perhaps drunk, her face was flushed and she shook her head from side to side.
It was because she had accepted every cup of liquor the Berserk Warriors offered without refusal. When they became worried that she might be drunk because of them and asked if she was alright, she had only shouted, “I won’t lose to the dwarves!”
‘…Would she accept if I offered to drink with her too?’
Ash looked at his own cup.
A wine glass filled with red, transparent grape liquor.
Different from the large beer mugs they were drinking.
‘Yes, it’s not as if I can’t do it.’
Fine liquor and a noble status. She couldn’t possibly refuse someone like him.
Rather, as a demi-human, she should consider it an honor.
Just as Ash was about to approach Saelleot.
“Ah! Your Highness. Might we speak for a moment….”
Someone grabbed Prince Ash’s shoulder.
It was Count Hallom.
“Hm? Ah, j-just wait a moment. There is a woman with whom I wish to share my drink….”
Count Hallom smiled with his eyes and looked at Ash with a lukewarm gaze. Moreover, strength entered the hand gripping his shoulder.
“It will only take a moment.”
“……!”
A chill running down his spine, Ash pressed his lips together and nodded.
***
The place they gathered was the command room.
A long table lined with chairs on both sides.
Ash sat in the center, Count Hallom sat beside him, and nobles were seated around them.
They were discussing the Berserk Warriors they had just seen.
“Lowly scum.”
“And they play vulgarly, as befitting barbarians.”
“What? They slaughtered a thousand wights? They’re out of their minds. You should know the limits of your bluffing!”
No good words came from their mouths. They were busy mocking, insulting, and looking down on them unanimously.
The more Ash heard, the paler his face became.
“Well, it is true that they escorted His Highness back, so perhaps giving them a small reward….”
“Does that make sense? A reward! We must use every penny to hire mercenaries at a time like this!”
“Indeed. They should be satisfied with the honor of having saved royalty.”
“Precisely. They will be proud of what they have done! Honor cannot be bought with money!”
“…….”
Ash merely looked at the nobles.
They did not believe what he had said.
Ash turned his gaze to look at Hallom.
“…C-Count Hallom. I have something to discuss.”
Count Hallom smiled.
“Yes, please speak.”
At the single word uttered by Count Hallom, all murmuring vanished.
The nobles who had been making a noisy racket even as Ash opened his mouth focused on Hallom’s words the moment he spoke.
As if Count Hallom were the highest authority in this room.
“Regarding… Asgard. Rather than a reward, I believe we should discuss matters diplomatically….”
Then, someone’s scoff was heard.
“Hah! Did you say diplomacy, Your Highness?”
It was a remark that seemed to mock even the prince.