NOVEL WEB Chapter 19 - Hel is Very Cute (1)
✦ Chapter 19 – Hel is Very Cute (1) ✦
「Translator – Creator」
Somnia Paimon’s engagement ceremony was held simply in the garden of the mansion; the ceremony concluded with placing a flat cup of wine in front of the ancestral tablets and the couple sharing sips from it.
“For an engagement ceremony of nobility, it’s quite simple. Central nobles’ engagements last for almost three days, and it’s such a hassle.”
“People in the North dislike elaborate and complicated formalities.”
“Or is it just that Paimon doesn’t have the money, hence the modest ceremony?”
“Well… that’s also partly true…”
Somnia mumbled. She then whispered softly into my ear.
“Daniel, at times like these, just pretend you don’t know our situation! We actually wanted to invite more guests, but we couldn’t afford it, so we’re trying to do the best we can with what we have.”
“Got it. I’ll pretend not to know.”
“Ahem, anyway, now for the final step. Come on, drink up the cup of promise.”
Even if it’s simple, an engagement ceremony should be done properly. Somnia stood there with the grace of a noble lady, and I earnestly downed the strong wine.
Gulp—! Gulp—!
It was sweeter and tastier than I had expected, and I drank it down to the last drop.
『You have acquired a buff.』
『Paimon’s Traditional Wine – 1H』
『Hel Capture Probability increased by 20%』
『Ice Attribute Resistance increased by 20%』
Wow, I even got a buff too? With a 20% increase in the capture rate of Hel and an increase in ice attribute resistance. To my current self, these were pretty considerable abilities. The only downside was the short duration.
“Somnia, do you have more of that wine? Can I drink some more?”
“『Paimon’s Traditional Wine』 is only for special events. It’s made using a unique method, so even I can only drink a sip once a year. Common folk can’t even get a glimpse of it.”
“Was it such a rare drink? I should have savored it more.”
“But today, since you’ve become part of our Paimon family, I’ll give you a bottle as a gift!”
“Oh.”
Perhaps 『Paimon’s Traditional Wine』 was a reward item obtainable if one forms a good relationship with the Paimon family. Yes, I’m sure it is.
Clink–!
Handing me the flask containing 『Paimon’s Traditional Wine』, Somnia spoke—
“Daniel, the history books mention that the Dantalian family has always kept their promises. There’s even the story of a Dantalian who drowned waiting for a friend by the swollen river to keep a promise, right?”
Such a fool existed? But if it were someone from the Dantalian family, it was an entirely plausible story. The important point was the hidden intention behind Somnia bringing up this story, which she revealed in her next sentence.
“An engagement is a promise to marry each other, right? I hope we become good fiancé to each other. And Daniel, you must keep it a secret from others that you captured me with a 「Hel Ball」.”
Somnia and I became bound by the 「Hel Ball」. And this engagement was a cover-up for that relationship.
I wondered if it was really necessary to keep the 「Hel Ball」 a secret, but Somnia was very adamant.
“The 「Hel Ball」 is an ancient magical tool shrouded in many secrets. By itself, it’s already something many people covet, but if they find out it can capture others, you’ll be targeted from all sides, Daniel.”
“Is that so? Being targeted sounds… interesting.”
“This is not a joke. Think about it — what if one of the other 12 Zodiac Houses finds out. What if that wicked Barbatos hears about it? They would stop at nothing to get his hands on the 「Hel Ball」.”
“That does sound like it could be a hassle.”
“And if the emperor finds out about the 「Hel Ball」? The worst-case scenario would unfold. That emperor would definitely try to capture everyone in the world with the 「Hel Ball」 and turn them into slaves!”
Even for me, the thought of capturing everyone in the world with the 「Hel Ball」was…
…………….
Kind of interesting, though.
“In any case, Daniel, I hope you now understand why we must keep our affair a secret.”
Somnia sighed deeply. With her veil covering her face, I couldn’t see her expression, but she looked extremely tired. Probably from the exhaustive preparation for the engagement ceremony over the past few days.
Flicker, flicker—
Soon, the candles burning in the Paimon family garden began to go out one by one.
The maid, Gremory, who had served as a witness to the ceremony, carefully moved one of the remaining candles onto a plate and handed it to us.
“With this, the engagement ceremony, sworn in front of our ancestors, has ended smoothly, and only the final ritual remains. The two of you are to stay in the room until this candle burns out.”
“We’re not to leave the room until this candle is completely burned out?”
“Precisely.”
The engaged couple goes into a room with a candle and doesn’t come out until it’s extinguished. I quickly understood what this process implied.
“I thought this was just an engagement?”
“In the North, there’s little distinction between engagement and marriage. It’s just a different word. Now, please enter the room.”
Gremory pushed Somnia and me into the bridal chamber.
Our bridal chamber had nothing but a large bed covered with wolf fur. In such a room, there wasn’t much for a man and a woman to do until dawn.
“Just a different word—huh. Sounds like something a con artist would say.”
Well, maybe I shouldn’t be the one to talk.
Daniel. Bael.
It was only a few letters difference, after all.
“Nothing we can do. Let’s make the best of it.”
Srrrrk—
I reached out to remove Somnia’s veil. She seemed quite flustered and reflexively pushed my hand away.
“What… what are you trying to do?”
“What do you think? I’m fulfilling my duty as your fiancé. Regardless of the various reasons, this is a promise and a mission. I may not jump into a river to die to keep a promise with a friend, but I’m still Dantalian.”
“But, I might look awful since I haven’t slept for days! My eyes might be completely dark! I even had Gremory massage my shoulders just in case, but it only made me more restless!”
“It’s no problem at all.”
In any case, an engagement was an engagement. I was now ‘Daniel of Dantalian,’ who knew how to keep a promise, and if there were duties to fulfill as a fiancé, I intended to do them.
But the moment my hand touched Somnia’s shoulder, an unexpected event occurred.
“Mmnyaa….”
Soft snores.
She fell into a deep sleep as if she had fainted.
It was quite an extraordinary first night of marriage.
⋆༺𓆩☠︎︎𓆪༻⋆
“Milady, how did you fare last night?”
The morning after the engagement.
When the dazzling sunlight seeped through the window, Paimon’s maid, butler, and head of security all rolled into one, Gremory, opened the door to our bridal chamber and stepped inside.
“I will open the window.”
She cleared the extinguished candles from the tray and observed us. The northern wind blowing through the wide-open window seemed to fully awaken Somnia, who coughed lightly.
“Last night was very well. Probably.”
“Probably? What kind of lukewarm response is that? Surely─.”
Gremory eyed the wolfskin blanket with narrow eyes. She clicked her tongue when she noticed how clean the blanket was.
“At this rate, there won’t be any need to wash the blanket. Milady, I did not think that my training for the first night of marriage was insufficient. It seems a re-education is in order.”
Swoosh—!
With a swish, Gremory exited the room.
As she watched Gremory’s departing figure, Somnia breathed a sigh of relief and spoke.
“What happened last night? Honestly, I was so sleepy that I don’t remember anything. Did I say or do anything strange?”
“Somnia, you were sleeping. You slept very well.”
“I was sleeping!”
“This insomnia thing is actually a lie, isn’t it?”
“…It’s not a lie! But it’s strange. Daniel, when you’re next to me, I keep feeling sleepy and drowsy. Are you making me fall asleep?”
“I don’t know about that either.”
“Anyway, we spent the night together. According to northern customs, we are legitimate fiancés. Daniel, please take care of me from now on. No, I should say, I look forward to our future together.”
“I look forward to it as well.”
“From now on, you and I are of one mind and body. Any insult directed at you is an insult to me, and any favor given to you is a favor to me.”
“Then the opposite would be true as well?”
An insult to Somnia would be an insult to me.
We had become partners bound by the contract of engagement. No, a more precise term than such rigid language would be — family. Since Somnia and I spent the night together, we had become family. As the nostalgic feeling of expanding my family washed over me, Somnia rose from her seat.
“Then, Daniel, let’s go meet your family today. You mentioned that Dantalian is based in the small village of Ardan, right? Today, we’ll go there and meet your younger sister.”
“My younger sister?”
“When a man and woman become family, it’s not just about the two of them. It’s about their families meeting and becoming a bigger family. Also… I’d like to see your hometown, Daniel.”
Somnia must mean that she wants to introduce herself to my younger sister Phoebe. I wondered what Phoebe would say when she saw Somnia.
She always made a fuss, saying I’d never win the hunting competition.
I got up, washed my face, and changed my clothes. Somnia was already prepared.
“Somnia, are you going to wear that helmet?”
“Honestly, I feel more at ease wearing this helmet in front of people.”
“As you wish.”
Thus, we set off for Ardan.
It would take a day to get from Avalam to Ardan if we used the Frost Ridge Mountain Path.
“The mountain is really split in two. Daniel, you fought that monstrous Imseti Paimon and held out until he self-destructed. You did an amazing thing. You’re a hero in the North.”
Somnia marveled as she looked at the peaks of the split Frost Ridge mountains.
“So who exactly did this? That necromancer, trying to ruin our North by using Imseti Paimon. Who’s behind it all?”
“…Who knows.”
“Actually, what’s really important is that this incident has led to the summoning of the 『Round Table Conference』.”
“The Round Table Conference?”
“It’s a meeting where the great nobles gather. You know our Paimon is called one of the 12 Zodiac Houses because we have a seat at that table, right?”
The 『Round Table Conference』 was a gathering where the great nobles, considered the real rulers of the continent, met to discuss and resolve various issues and policies. It was called a conference of great nobles, who were earlier referred to as ‘Kings.’ Apparently, the recent resurrection incident of Imseti Paimon had prompted the gathering of the “Round Table Conference.”
“Daniel, would it be alright if I introduce you there? I think it would be good to publicly announce that I have a fiancé. How would you feel about joining the conference with me?”
“Me? I’ve heard the conditions for attending the Round Table Conference are quite strict. Didn’t they say even the Emperor himself has never participated in the ‘Round Table Conference’?”
“Usually, only members of the 12 Zodiac families are permitted to attend. But as my fiancé, I think you could join.”
Me? At the 『Round Table Conference』? I had never participated in it even when I was an emperor.
This is because the Emperor Bael was not one of the 12 Zodiac families.
A meeting that even the Emperor couldn’t attend—a gathering of the true nobility. Honestly, the whole idea intrigued me. What topics were discussed at such a conference? What kind of lunch was served? I heard they offered some very delicious snacks.
“Ah! Hel Spider!”
At that moment, Somnia pointed at something with her hand.
I turned my head and saw a purple spider crouching in the snow. Uniquely for a spider, it had only six legs.
━Khrrr…!
『Lv.6 Emperor Wolf Spider』
『Capture Probability 66.6%』
‘That creature… it’s one of those I missed last time.’
Was it fate? I carefully aimed the newly recharged 「Hel Ball」.
“You. This time, I will definitely catch you.”
“Daniel! You’ve got to aim well! It takes me 30 minutes to make a 「Hel Ball Charger」!”
Finally, the 「Hel Ball」 flew through the air.
Whoosh, pop-!
━Krrr…!?
— End of Chapter —
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Translator’s Notes :-
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