Game Opportunity Becomes Reality Episode 167
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Game Opportunity Becomes Reality Episode 167
40. Victory Commemoration Ceremony (2)
As I entered together with the delegation from the Bringham Empire, the atmosphere of the massive banquet hall wider than most athletic fields shifted.
Gazes of appraisal, reverence, and fear flew at me from all directions.
If the beautiful Arcia had been by my side, the mood would have been a bit softer, but since Duke Raphael of the Bringham Empire had taken the partner's spot instead, wariness was nearly at its peak.
Some people were even questioning the relationship between our Kingdom of Rhinehearts and the Bringham Empire.
Well, they're free to let their imaginations run wild, but more than the reactions around me, Count Friedrich glaring at me from behind Duke Raphael was what bothered me most.
I suddenly felt the urge to paint that arrogant fool's face with embarrassment.
"Then I shall take my leave."
But now is not the time.
Once the audience grows and the party is in full swing, that's when I'll mess with him.
I may not look it, but I'm a petty man.
And not the type to avoid a fight that comes my way.
'A party worth its name ought to have a variety of spectacles.'
I chose Count Friedrich as the offering for that spectacle.
"I'll pay a visit later."
The delegation needed to deliver their congratulations to King Mikhail.
Count Friedrich, who had been heading toward the King's platform after his master, said that while watching me leave my spot.
If the offering comes to me on its own, that's a thank-you.
I wanted to grin, but I forced my expression still.
And I nodded with a look of puzzlement.
"Huh? Oh, very well."
A demeanor that suggested I wasn't sparing him a single thought.
Thanks to that, Count Friedrich's face flushed red.
When I then turned my back indifferently, as if I didn't care, I could feel him trembling with rage without even looking.
The fact that he got riled up over such a trivial bit of acting showed his inexperience.
As a senior in life who has lived over forty years across two lifetimes, I ought to teach him that the world isn't so easygoing.
"You've arrived."
And so I approached the delegation I was acquainted with.
First, I greeted Princess Sia Rin no, the Queen who had been staring at me intently.
"You seem to grow more beautiful with each passing day since becoming Queen."
As I kissed the back of her hand and offered the lip service, her face flushed red for a different reason than Count Friedrich's.
I merely offered a courteous greeting, yet...
'I really am a man burdened with sins.'
Being popular is a good thing.
It's one of the key tools for gaining the upper hand in conversations with people.
But honestly, I don't want it to affect others' lives.
"Have you been well?"
"Thanks to Your Grace, I've been living happily day by day."
It felt like the fatigue from that standoff with that insufferable man was melting away.
Queen Sia Rin certainly has a way with words.
"Um, would you be able to spare some time within today or tomorrow?"
"Is something the matter?"
"There's something I'd like to consult you about."
A Queen seeking counsel from a foreign noble...
It might not be the most dignified sight, but I figured she must have her reasons, so I readily nodded.
"Understood. Please set the time at Your Majesty's convenience. I'll adjust my schedule."
"Ah, thank you."
I still can't believe that a woman of such small stature, still carrying that girlish youthful air, is a Queen.
I felt a pang of guilt, wondering if I'd been too neglectful all this time.
"My, I suppose I'm invisible then."
"Mr. President? I was actually planning to visit you."
After that, I exchanged perhaps two or three more words with Queen Sia Rin?
President Izrael of the Prius Republic chimed in cheerfully.
But he was quickly left out in the cold.
Because people kept approaching me one after another.
"It's been a while."
"Grace, it's been a while."
"Aren't you being too neglectful of your sect these days?"
"It's good to see Duke Riverdale as well."
Following Grace Hielven of the Elysian Coalition, who had participated in the Saintess contest, Duke Olivia Riverdale of the Kingdom of Lucias approached as well, and I found myself surrounded by celebrities of various nationalities.
Though I usually live far removed from parties, today I made a point to engage with people sincerely.
"Hm?"
But then, a moment later.
Everyone's attention was stolen by a booming announcement.
"Her Highness Duke Arcia Klein, and her master, Sir Blake Russell, are entering!"
The appearance of the figures who could be called the true stars of today.
The strongest card that would suppress any ambitions of the Bringham Empire had revealed itself.
"Huh? No way?"
As Arcia and Blake entered, the party hall grew restless.
And rightly so the one who had appeared as Arcia's mysterious master was a Dark Elf.
At the Dark Elf's appearance, the faces of the Elves from the Elysian Coalition twisted.
It is said that Elves and Dark Elves are naturally averse to one another.
For reference, the two races live on opposite ends of the continent, so with almost no contact between them, it's not exactly a hostile relationship.
"A Dark Elf revealing himself to the world?"
Most people showed curiosity at the Dark Elf's appearance.
Unlike Elves, Dark Elves don't have a great image, but it's not enough to warrant outright hostility on first meeting.
"So the master wasn't even human."
"That explains it..."
Some nodded, saying they finally understood the mystery of Arcia's strength.
Though the number of Dark Elves is but a handful compared to Elves, it is said they are a race where each and every one possesses the greatest talent for the sword.
But Blake's expression didn't look great.
It seemed he was getting attention he didn't want.
'That Vanguard equipment you gifted me got a better response than I expected. I suppose it's because it has Manuel's technology in it?'
'Do you need more?'
'Ahem, I'd like about 30 more suits if possible. I'll pay for them.'
'Then grant me one request. I'll give you 100 suits for free as a gift.'
'Oh? As long as it's not an unreasonable request, I'll do my best.'
'Just lend me 1 hour of your time.'
The Dark Elves are a race of the sword.
They can use magic, but its level, unlike their swordsmanship, is hard to call superior to humans'.
So, to break the ice, I presented various artifacts to Blake, who had visited to guide Arcia, and as expected of a race of the sword, I learned he was very interested in the latest Vanguard equipment.
Thanks to that, I was able to lure him to the party.
It might seem like a poor return for investing as many as 100 suits of Vanguard equipment, but in truth, it's not at all.
After all, it was a chance to announce that a Lordmaster stood behind Arcia.
This would serve as a powerful shield for our Kingdom, which needs time to recover after the war.
"You've come?"
"Yes, I'm here."
Arcia and Blake approached me directly.
At that, the Elves, as if sensing something, quietly slipped away.
"It's no wonder no one knew who Duke Klein's master was."
At Izrael's remark, Queen Sia Rin and Duke Riverdale nodded in agreement.
Dark Elves have a decadent image, but when you actually face one, they exude an aura just as mysterious as an Elf's.
Moreover, Blake was a figure who had lived over 800 years, so that much more so.
I introduced the key dignitaries while gauging Blake's reaction, and he, unaccustomed to such occasions, narrowed his brow and only sipped his wine.
But surprisingly, he seemed to like the wine, as he was gulping down quite a lot.
"Hm?"
Then, Blake, who had been downing wine, fixed his gaze somewhere and at the end of it stood Duke Raphael.
"Not bad."
So the evaluation of Duke Raphael a Grandmaster and one of the world's strongest swordmasters was merely "not bad."
Well, by his standards, that's not unreasonable.
Seeing Blake's gaze turn to Duke Raphael, I smiled a smile of triumph inwardly.
Duke Raphael, sensing our gaze, also showed interest in Arcia and her master and approached with his party.
"I must say, I'm surprised. So the master who raised the genius Duke Klein was a non-human race."
As if his irritation had reached its peak, Count Friedrich suddenly jabbed at our nerves.
'Oh dear, you foolish bastard.'
Here I was, plotting how to screw him over, and he goes and digs his own grave.
I, who had been ignoring him the whole time, cut in before Duke Raphael, who was flustered and trying to restrain his disciple, could speak.
"How rude. Do you think you're someone just because you're a new Count? This is no place for you to butt in know your place."
Did he really think I wouldn't resort to outright verbal abuse?
Count Friedrich's expression hardened beyond cold frozen solid.
And the same went for the rest of the Bringham Empire delegation.
So much so that even Duke Raphael, who had been scolding his disciple, frowned.
"Wh, what did you say!"
Count Friedrich's frozen face flushed crimson and twisted like a vengeful demon.
"Are your earholes defective too?"
"How dare you!"
With that, he pulled off one of his gloves.
But he couldn't throw it.
"Among human nobles, throwing a glove is a request for a Duel, isn't it? Think carefully. If you throw that, you die."
Because Blake, thoroughly enraged, let out a smile like Pierrot's.
"Non-human" is a catch-all term for monsters like orcs and other races.
Naturally, using it for other races is a discriminatory expression.
The madman dared to use that word against a Lordmaster.
"To think I'd live to see a human call me a non-human."
To my eyes, it looked like nothing but a plea for death.
Facing a Lordmaster's wrath, the Bringham Empire and all else mean nothing.
* * *
A pair of silver eyes glaring coldly at him.
Count Friedrich felt a terror in those eyes that he had never felt even from his own master.
"Wh-?"
Cold sweat flowed, drool dripped, tears ran.
His hands and feet trembled violently, and his teeth chattered together like he'd been exposed to extreme cold.
And before he knew it, Count Friedrich felt his trousers grow damp he had wet himself in front of everyone.
"Enough!"
As a dull, hammer-to-the-skull pain followed and the world began to turn white,
his master, Duke Raphael, blocked the view of those silver eyes and stepped forward, and Count Friedrich collapsed on the spot like a snapped string.
"W, what?"
Count Friedrich muttered blankly.
An experience he had never felt in his life.
He couldn't comprehend at all what he had just seen.
"Master, please hold back."
A clear, melodious voice snapped him back to his senses.
Count Friedrich, still not understanding the situation, instinctively lifted his head.
And with the illusion that the world brightened, he realized a breathtaking beauty was looking down at him.
But that breathtaking beauty
a woman who could hardly be described as anything less than his ideal type
was pinching her nose and staring at him as if he were filth.
"Ah!"
Count Friedrich snapped fully awake, as if waking from a dream.
"Count yourself lucky."
And with the voice of the very culprit who had reduced him to this state, even his master whom he believed the strongest in the world stumbled.
"Ugh!"
"Duke Raphael, are you alright?"
Adrian quickly supported Duke Raphael.
"J, just who is this person?"
When Duke Raphael asked about the Dark Elf's identity, Adrian calmly introduced him.
"My apologies for the late introduction. This is Sir Blake Russell, the master of Duke Arcia Klein. The world's strongest swordsman and a Lordmaster."
"...!"
At that introduction, shock painted the faces of everyone nearby.