Chapter 105
Inside the carriage heading to the palace.
Callius, resting his chin on his hand, spotted a knight escorting them from outside the carriage.
One as the Count's escort. One as the coachman.
Originally, leading a small group of knights would not have been a problem, but Callius deliberately refrained from doing so.
He was not one to value empty formalities to begin with, and it would only be cumbersome.
Thus, he headed to the palace with the minimum number of people.
As for the coachman, Brans, who single-handedly took care of all sorts of miscellaneous chores in the mansion, was the right fit.
No one particularly stepped forward anyway.
And as for the escort, there was much discussion among themselves about who would go, but ultimately Allen ended up accompanying him.
Aaron hesitated, saying he couldn't handle a sword properly yet and thus wouldn't be able to fulfill his escort duties, and Orfin was for a similar reason, so Allen went.
Since this time they were heading in the capacity of a Count, the members of the Sixth Division couldn't step forward.
"But why are you here?"
Callius glared at Zenos von Gradus, who had taken a seat inside the carriage, and spoke.
"Call me Commander, not 'you'."
"Right now, I hold the title of Count."
"...Must I use honorifics?"
"National law is strict, so it would be better for your well-being to do so. The underground prison of the royal castle doesn't discriminate between people."
Originally, the status of a Count is higher than that of a Commander. But that didn't mean they spoke down to each other.
Because they were both standing in positions that deserved mutual respect.
However, Callius had none of that.
"We're heading the same way anyway. Just hitching a ride in this spacious carriage doesn't make it cramped, so why glare like... Ugh, I can't do this. How about we just speak comfortably to each other."
"Good idea."
It was originally just a joke anyway.
"And I had something to say, too."
"You started stuffing your face with cookies as soon as you got in the carriage, what talk could you possibly have. It seems you had more to discuss with the cookies than with me."
"Do not speak lightly of these cookies."
The corners of Callius's eyes narrowed.
Was there some story behind these cookies?
"These are cookies made by my future wife. Tasting cold cookies is not polite to one's wife."
Callius's brow furrowed.
"What nonsense. Those cookies are a branded product with a trademark. Do you think I wouldn't know the 'Prinne' cookies, famous even in Caladi?"
Prinne Confectionery.
A confectionery famous for its delicious taste.
A true heavyweight that only sells a fixed quantity every morning.
Due to the limited quantity, most went to the mansions of noble families, and a small amount was sold on a first-come, first-served basis to the public.
"You know your stuff... Do you like them?"
"My daughter asked me to buy them, so I stood in line once."
Emily had said she wanted to eat them, so there was a time he stood in line a few days ago.
Of course, the quota was cut off right before his eyes, so he couldn't taste them.
He considered using his status as a Count, but stopped.
Because using his status over a mere cookie would make him no different from the nobles he had executed.
It's hard living as an incorruptible noble.
"The Prinne who made these cookies is my soul's best friend."
"The owner of Prinne is a middle-aged woman. She even has fully grown children, how can she be your soul's best friend?"
"Hah. You know one thing but are ignorant of two. Wait, I'll explain it exactly for you."
Zenos popped the cookie into his mouth in one bite and shook his head as if savoring the taste.
"Now I will explain."
"Enough. I'm not interested."
Zenos's romantic endeavors with women surpassed Callius's.
Of course, never succeeding even once was Zenos's lot in life.
'Falling in love easily and yet timid.'
A man who seemed the epitome of a virgin loser.
He falls in love easily and gives up his heart easily. Put nicely, he's pure; put badly, he's an idiot.
His face isn't too bad either, and even with the status of the Inquisition Commander, he's still like that, so that says it all.
If one were to speak of Cat-stride Zenos, he was a strong man who was a member of the Five Stars, corresponding to Three Stones, and his family was one of the Four Great Noble Families, so he was a man lacking nothing.
Despite that, he gets scared beforehand, never dates even once, only harbors one-sided crushes and gives up easily, so there's no need to hear more.
'The scar on his nose is a bit much, but that's like Jervan's eyes, so there's no need to be ashamed of it.'
If Jervan received the ashen grace from God, Gradas had the scar on its nose.
They bore a kind of stigmata.
Therefore, their noses often detected something more than just smell.
However, that wasn't important right now.
Callius, of course, knew how Zenos could succeed in love and who his fated partner was, but he didn't particularly want to tell him.
If he had at least offered him a cookie, maybe, but not anymore.
"...Is Pedro alright? His daughter looked good working hard."
"He is living satisfied."
Callius was also grateful regarding Pedro's matter.
If it weren't for him, Pedro would have died or at least been severely injured.
"That's a relief. Every time I went, the number of people in the Count's residence increased, which was truly nice to see. Just seeing that bright energy puts me in a good mood."
"...What is the matter at the royal castle?"
As Callius changed the topic out of awkwardness, Zenos chuckled and obliged.
"I'm attending for family matters. The Patriarch has now practically retired, so I too must inherit the title of Count. It's not the position of Patriarch yet, but he told me to take the title first. He probably decided to do so after hearing your story."
"Hmm."
If speaking of the current Patriarch of Gradas, he was one of the only five Masters in the royal castle.
However, due to his personality of rarely engaging in external activities, he was not well known, but the kingdom's best assassin would definitely recall his name.
Gradas of Silence.
"The pressure from the Empire is growing day by day, so the Patriarch was thinking of halting external activities. He said it would be better to deal with the key figures of the Empire, so I had no way to stop him."
"He has made a momentous decision."
It meant the kingdom's situation was that unfavorable.
It wouldn't be just Gradas.
There were many nobles doing their best to save the kingdom within the reach of their respective powers.
If he couldn't add strength to that, Callius had an even greater duty to execute the nobles who sapped their strength.
"The Patriarch was very interested in you. He said to invite you to the East sometime."
"When the time comes."
Zenos nodded and, as if he had nothing more to say, crossed his arms and closed his eyes.
Callius didn't have anything more to say either, so he quietly closed his eyes and cultivated by circulating the divine power of Manhwa-bongyuk.
* * *
The ballroom of the royal castle.
The one who had arrived first and was waiting there was the paragon of a knight with water-blue hair.
The Holy Pilgrim.
Esther Sol Silriad.
Arriving first, she calmly observed the people present in the hall.
Beside her was an old man, Pope Felice, who frequently visited her and asked her to arrange a meeting.
"Even after coming all this way, Silvian refuses to see me."
"Your Holiness. Even I cannot break Silvian's stubbornness. Moreover, as far as I know, it was Your Holiness who first broke Silvian's heart."
"She tells me not to act as the Pope, but how am I supposed to accept that? The Order was dying, and the Kingdom was dying too. I had no other way."
Saying so, the Pope leaned against the second-floor railing and looked down at the glamorous and glittering ballroom.
A feeling of contempt was embedded in the Pope's eyes.
"Originally, Carpe's ball was called the Sword Dance Festival, a place to cross swords and share achievements. However, as time passed, now there is no one who draws the sword at their waist. That's why the country is going to ruin. If they were young men, they should lose a hand, lose an arm, and gain enlightenment about the sword! They need to think about standing tall in a world where the strong survive, tsk tsk."
It's the end times, truly the end times.
The outside of the country is still in chaos.
The ones sitting in the royal castle are just arguing about swords like frogs in a well.
"The only one I can trust is our Esther. When I die, change this place back into a Sword Dance Festival. If you do, I will hand over the position of Pope to you."
The Pope often spoke nonsense, but this time, Esther felt a similar sentiment. However, the words that came from her mouth were closer to a defense of the situation.
"...Still, even if it is difficult for someone, if there are those who enjoy comfort because of it, I believe that is the true use of the sword."
"The common people should do so. But nobles have the duty of nobles."
Noblesse oblige.
Nobles must fulfill their duty as nobles.
A noble who forsakes that cannot be treated as a noble.
"Those bastards are half-wits who have never been to a battlefield even once. Not that they particularly do anything else either."
Why would those who have never been to a battlefield care about the tradition of crossing swords at a ball?
They are only interested in elegant and noble appearances, so even if they cross swords, they do not compete fiercely.
They just spout nonsense about how it's unsightly for a noble to show sweat, barely breaking a little sweat, and only eat and enjoy themselves.
This is not the true Sword Dance Festival of Carpe.
"Peace has lasted too long. Those bastards are steeped in peace. Even as the Empire gnaws at the Kingdom from below, this place is only at ease."
"Can't you just order it directly? With a single word from Your Holiness, they would draw their swords again."
"Do you truly think so?"
"......"
As seriousness filled the Pope's eyes, which had always held a mischievous glint, Esther couldn't say a word.
"The prestige of a fallen Order. Add to that an old man in the background like me stepping forward—what use would that be?"
Moreover, this is not the Order, but the royal castle.
The royal family and the Order are inseparable, but there was still a line that had to be kept.
"I miss the days when I danced the sword dance with Silvian."
The Queen is feeble, and the Prince cannot escape his madness. Now that the pillar of the royal family was gone, the nobles seized the royal castle in that gap, causing this dismal sight.
Even if he shouted orders now, they would only pretend to swing their swords in front of the Pope.
He couldn't step forward just to see such an ugly sight.
"When you get old, you should die quickly. I've only made you listen to boring complaints."
The Pope looked into the distance, smiled bitterly, and turned his head.
"......"
Seeing that, Esther felt a small sense of powerlessness and dropped her head.
"Count Callius von Jervan is entering!"
Just in time, the entrance of a new figure was announced to the hall.
"That kid is the rascal you mentioned before."
At that, Esther, who had been downcast for a moment, raised her head. Callius's figure reflected in her eyes.
"Yes. It seems he came in the capacity of a Count today. I didn't know he would participate here."
"Hooh?"
The Pope, who had been staring intently at Esther, smiled.
"You sure have a lot to say only when that guy is brought up."
"Ye, yes?"
When she turned back with a bewildered face, the Pope was looking at her with a mischievous expression. Then, Esther whipped her head around.
"...It's just an interest in an outstanding swordsman."
"Hoh. Hoh?"
The Pope playfully teased Esther as he looked at Callius entering the banquet hall.
His face was handsome enough to be called the paragon of a noble, and his gait and seemingly arrogant expression harmonized with his own atmosphere, making him quite a peculiar young man.
As he appeared, the noisy hall instantly fell quiet, and one obnoxious-looking young noble walked toward him.
"He looks like a noble among nobles. And that guy is a scoundrel?"
"When he was in the Order... he did a lot of things."
Perhaps recalling Callius's torment back then, Esther made an uncomfortable expression. However, she soon cleared her throat and straightened her posture.
"But he has changed a lot lately. He still has some extreme sides, but..."
"He still seems like a scoundrel though?"
"Yes?"
Right as Esther's words ended.
Smack!!
Callius slugged the obnoxious-looking noble right in the face.
"......"
"......"
The entire crowd failed to grasp the situation properly and froze stiff.
"......"
Even Esther fell into shock, her mouth gaping open.
Only.
Only Callius and the Pope had smiles draped across their lips.