NOVEL WEB c102
There seems to be no particular order in which people come to greet me; at the beginning they only introduce themselves and say a few words, and those who want to talk with me a little longer will have a short conversation later on.
'By all means, would you like to start a business with my family?'
"“I would be happy to consider it."
'Well, I have taken up quite a bit of your time, so I will leave you to it this time.
I wish the Marquis Dicaman family continued success in the future."
"Thank you very much.
Let's talk again when we have a chance."
The reason for this turn of events was that I knew that there were exactly half of the nobles who wanted to see how things went considering the possibility that I might get carried away even though I had momentum, and the other half who wanted to shorten the distance without worrying about such things.
I had heard that the former wanted to talk a lot, and the latter wanted to see how things were going at a bit of a distance, but also wanted to have a face-to-face meeting.
However, both sides were mixed up, and if they greeted each other in order of rank, which is the standard at parties, some of them would not be able to meet each other.
This is a countermeasure.
This is a wonderful way to sort out the nobles who will be more easily used by me in the later stages of the party.
But you know what?
"I am Alan Ewell, head of the Dukes of Ewell.
Long time no see, Marquess Dicaman.”
“Yes, ...... it's been a long while.”
I didn't hear about him coming to you at the end of the day, and I don't even need to greet him to the extent that you do.
I knew that invitations had been sent to all the nobles belonging to the kingdom, but I was caught off guard when I did not see him when I looked around briefly in the early stages of the greeting.
'Well, I'm glad to hear that the Marquis Dicaman is looking well.
Besides, you seem to have risen very high in the ranks. ......”
The duke, speaking like that, seemed to be in low spirits, and his cheeks seemed to be thinning.
Well, it's probably because of the reckless behavior of the king and the prime minister.
I wish I could have continued to have a friendly relationship with the Marquis of Dicaman.
Well, no, now that you mention it, it's all a matter of consequence. ......"
“......”
'My daughter is not here today, I tried to convince her several times but she ran away.
I'm really sorry to have bothered you. ......”
The atmosphere feels exhausted.
The support from our Dicaman family has been cut off, and the king and prime minister have ordered me to hunt them down, so I guess they're just barely holding on.
......”
However, even if I see such a situation, I do not feel the slightest sympathy, but rather, the uplifting feeling of being able to talk with the successive heads of the family who have survived the severe aristocratic society is fading away.
If he wants to boast about his misfortune, he should hurry up and go home, that's all I strongly desire.
"I accept your apology.
But if the Duke of Ewell is the way you seem to be, our relationship is likely to end on that particular day.”
'”......Yes, yes, it will, it will.”
“!!!”
He deliberately makes a big appeal to attract even more attention from the people around him.
This way, the discord between the Dickamans and the Dukes of Ewell, which was only a rumor, would turn into truth, and they would weigh which of the noble families to approach.
And,
'Speaking of which, have you found the dungeon that caused the illness?"
'......!"
"There are a few entrances that seem to be, and we are currently investigating them with a private army. ......”
"That's good to know, because it may bring the Duke of Ewell close to a solution to the disease that has plagued him for so many years."
Any nobleman with a reasonable turn of mind would realize that if the Duke of Ewell's condition were not so bad, he would be hiring adventurers, not a private army.
The dukes are now considerably weakened with respect to information warfare.
But as well as in terms of funds, even if they lost the spellcaster who had put a curse on Mena, who was a spy of the Dicaman family, it is still difficult to get information inside the mansion, even for a ducal family, which is to say a quintessential ducal family.
Even in an equivalent noble family, that was still the case and they managed to fool around, but as you can see from the short conversation we just had, it was spreading worse than expected.
'Well, yes, I can take some comfort in knowing that there is a solution."
I am also glad that the information from our Dicaman family has been helpful.”
"...... thanks to the Marquis Dicaman, you know.”
...... He doesn't even show any resistance and has lost his tension.
It is boring and depressing to think that I was paying attention to such a man.
I understand that the two of us are playing, but is it fun to play with such a squeezed mess?
I'm going to ask him to disappear for now,
“I'll get back ...
Hmm? What's the matter?"
I was about to leave the duke to talk to the other nobles, when Roloff put his hand on my shoulder and stopped me.
"I'm sorry to interrupt your fun, but His Majesty is here.'
"Thank you.”
The king is coming, and I can't just sit there and greet him.
"Ladies and gentlemen, since His Majesty is here, we will adjourn for a moment."
The nobles present here are all dressed and ready for the King's arrival.
I am one of them. I rise from my chair and stand between Rohloff and the Duke of Ewell, reluctantly, because time is short.
The king and his vizier are about to enter.
Words by the knight on guard.
The nobles bowed their heads, and at the same time, a group of people wearing a strong presence entered the room.
“Raise your heads.”
I obeyed the words, and the chair I was sitting on was put away, and before I knew it, there was the king sitting on the throne that had been prepared for him.
I mean, it had been a long time since I had seen him acting.
'Today is a good day.
Such a good day needs to be enjoyed by all, no need for my speech.”
Who the heck are you?
You're too different from the usual. ......
“But there is one thing that concerns me.
Marquis Dicaman."
"?!"
"Yes, yes. Is something wrong?"
Why are pursuing me ......?
Who is that man beside you?
I thought our country didn't have such a feckless nobleman, is he your new squire?”
“......?”
The man next to me, on one side, is Roloff, and on the other, the Duke of Ewell, right?
In fact, all the nobles I know are tilting their heads a bit.
......!”
Ah, I see,
“Your Majesty the King, the man standing next to me is the Duke of Ewell.
Your Majesty, you're trying to make a laughingstock out of me even here.
I can't imitate you.