Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Banquet (3)

It was going smoothly for now.

That was Carlisle’s interim assessment as he cautiously observed the surroundings.

Gray’s boiling point, which had been precarious even when they first entered the hall, was still being managed stably.

Of course, the foundation of this was Carlisle’s bone-grinding labor.

“Hero, if you don’t mind, would you care to dance?”

“The young lady seems tired right now and doesn’t appear to have the leisure for that. I apologize.”

“⋯⋯”

When he rejected the approaching noble youth with his good-natured smile on behalf of Gray, a look fell on Carlisle that said, ‘Who are you to interfere?’

But Carlisle just smiled transparently and met those eyes directly.

“⋯⋯What does a mere attendant think he’s doing? Does he think he’s something special?”

The noble youth muttered and walked away.

This was already the dozenth time just today.

Well.

Did that handsome noble youth know that Carlisle had just protected his nasal bone?

If he had approached even one step closer than just now, Gray would have made contact with his face with her fist without question.

He could feel Lionel in the distance looking at him with moved eyes.

Originally, this should have been his job, but Carlisle was preventing Gray from causing trouble instead, so that would be the natural reaction⋯⋯

‘⋯⋯That gentleman really had it tough, too.’

To think he had continued to assist this tyrannical young lady – he felt newfound sympathy.

Lionel and Carlisle looked at each other and nodded. It was eye contact that could only emerge between men who had survived the same battlefield⋯⋯

“⋯⋯”

Carlisle’s body crumpled.

Because Gray had kicked his knee from behind.

“⋯⋯Miss, is there something troubling you?”

“I’m annoyed.”

“⋯⋯”

“Don’t form strange solidarity with Father.”

Just moments ago, she had been staring blankly at the ceiling with dead eyes, yet somehow she caught this kind of thing like a ghost.

‘⋯⋯Life.’

What kind of wealth and glory was he trying to enjoy by going this far – even Carlisle himself didn’t know.

However, if Gray really committed her first murder here, that would be an even bigger accident.

Anyway.

He would cut off the humans trying to approach Gray in the middle. He had to minimize the discomfort on this side to prevent accidents that could happen inside.

But among them, there were inevitably humans that even Carlisle couldn’t possibly stop.

“⋯⋯”

He looked with narrowed eyes at the person currently talking with Lionel.

A woman wearing pitch-black clerical robes.

She appeared to be a beauty in her mid-twenties on the surface. But that was only because she was slowing her body’s aging thanks to her divine power that had reached a certain level. Her actual age was much older.

Felix Gregory Balthaimer.

A member of the cardinals who assist the Pope of the Orthodox Church.

‘⋯⋯I’ve heard of her.’

At the point when he began regressing, she was deceased along with Lionel, but he was well aware of her reputation.

The Gray Cardinal.

Her cunning and schemes were tremendously famous even after her death.

The number one person he least wanted to make an enemy of.

A title that never changed, even when the continent was destroyed after the Hell Invasion.

Though he had only glimpsed her from afar, he could feel it clearly.

‘Hero.’

[Hmm.]

‘That person realy makes me feel bad.’

[I share that sentiment.]

The Holy Sword answered with a tone thick with bitter laughter.

[ She was one of the powerful patrons who made it possible for me to receive the Holy Sword Bestowal. Thanks to that, she would occasionally make various requests of me. ]

‘The fact that she could make requests of you definitely means she’s not an ordinary person.’

Looking at Gray in her childhood, you couldn’t tell if she was human or beast, yet this was one of the few people who could put a leash on such a person.

[ She’s more than just not ordinary. Honestly, when I was young, I found that person quite repulsive. Like a woman who had set up a snake breeding ground inside her. ]

‘⋯⋯‘

[ I still don’t understand much about what exactly that person was thinking. But I’m certain she’s not a bad person. ]

⋯⋯Seeing the Holy Sword say this much, he definitely got the feeling that she was an extremely dangerous person.

‘How can you be sure she’s not a bad person?’

[ When the Orthodox Church collapsed, she was the person who died protecting civilians until the very end. Regardless of her being cunning, her heart for caring for the weak was genuine. ]

‘Hmm.’

[That’s why she’s the Gray Cardinal. She performs the whitest and most noble goals, but uses the blackest and most ugly means.]

Mixing white and black to make gray.

He could understand how she got that name.

Carlisle chuckled and ran his hand through his hair.

At least she wasn’t coming this way.

She just wore a benevolent smile and exchanged various small talk with the Grand Duke.

It seemed the real bomb wasn’t coming over, so he thought it was fortunate-

“-Oh my, Lady Chasefield?”

“⋯⋯.”

“Long time no see? You haven’t shown your face at all recently.”

Gray’s eyebrows twitched as she sat there blankly.

“⋯⋯Anastasha.”

“Is that all the reaction you can give an old friend?”

A noble young lady with impressive wavy blonde hair smiled.

“⋯⋯”

Here comes the bomb.

◆

Lady Anastasha, the Marquis Anastasha’s daughter.

According to Gray’s explanation, she was a fellow student who had walked the path of the sword together with her.

She had decent enough skills, but was a petty person with a narrow mind and somewhat twisted personality.

For such a person’s fellow student to be the Hero was probably a great misfortune. Enough to regenerate her own character into an inferiority complex monster.

Thanks to that, she was also the target of Gray’s ‘first murder’.

“⋯⋯Lady Anastasha, the young miss is currently—”

And she was also proving directly why things flowed that way.

Before Carlisle could interject to stop it, Lady Anastasha had grabbed a nearby wine glass and threw it at Gray’s face.

“⋯⋯.”

“⋯⋯.”

A silence like cold water being poured descended on the surroundings.

“How shameless of you to show that face at the banquet. Were you so proud of usurping the Holy Sword through dishonest means?”

“⋯⋯.”

“Following around all sorts of bad rumors, your face must be quite thick, mustn’t it?”

⋯⋯Certainly.

This was clearly a declaration of war at the level of requesting a duel.

Especially if the target was a maniac who had no hesitation about folding people in half.

Gray, with wine poured over her face, quietly closed her eyes.

The next moment, in the eyes that slowly lifted, was embedded a spine-chilling murderous intent.

Her hand moved like lightning toward the Holy Sword she always carried.

“-Miss.”

So.

If only Carlisle’s voice hadn’t intervened at the right time.

“It’s a good night. The Grand Duke is also nearby.”

“⋯⋯.”

“That much cannot be done. Please reconsider, if only for the Grand Duke’s and my sake.”

For a moment, that hand hesitated.

“⋯⋯.”

Gray, who let out a deep sigh, glanced at Lady Anastasha.

Soon, that hand moved like lightning again.

However, the difference was that what she swung was not the blade of the Holy Sword but her bare fist.

“-!”

Lady Anastasha’s body, struck by it, bent like a sickle.

“That was a warning just now.”

Looking at that body collapsing, unable to breathe, a flat voice fell.

“Stop talking to me and disappear. There won’t be a next time.”

“⋯⋯.”

It was an endlessly cold tone, but,

She could feel not only Carlisle but even Lionel gaping.

Good heavens.

Had this person just done something called ‘forgiveness’?

‘Hero.’

[⋯⋯Something.]

‘I think I’m really going to cry right now.’

Was this how a father felt watching his daughter grow?

The real biological father, Lionel, was clearly unable to feel any emotion due to shock.

“⋯⋯.”

Meanwhile, Lady Anastasha, who had fallen to the floor gasping for breath, looked up at Gray while catching her breath.

‘⋯⋯Good.’

Carlisle, watching that scene, was relieved.

She was scared. She seemed to have realized the gap in power between the two from just that one blow.

She would definitely retreat quietly from here now⋯⋯

“-Are you being considerate because Father is watching? How pointless.”

⋯⋯Never mind.

‘Why is she acting like this?’

After working hard all day to twist the event, she was now dousing herself in oil and heading straight into the fire.

With a clearly frightened expression, she was spewing curses at Gray as if screaming.

As if there was a reason she had to do so.

“You were born different from us in the first place, so do you even care about family? How ridiculous. You look down on everyone around you! Don’t act like family is somehow different!”

“⋯⋯.”

“Do you think the Grand Duke will love you to the end? Not now, but there’s no way he’ll protect a monster and maniac like you to the end!”

Gray’s face twitched.

An emotion somewhat different from the anger that had surged up earlier covered that face.

Truly, anger rising from the bottom.

An emotion that emerged because she couldn’t deny that there was some truth to such words.

Murderous intent filled her face again. Her hand slowly moved toward the sword.

“⋯⋯.”

At this rate, everything he had worked to stop would become pointless.

However, looking at that scene, Carlisle was thinking something completely different.

-Something’s strange.

It was a feeling he had earlier.

Despite Gray having forgiven her once, despite having that murderous intent poured on her, despite being scared herself, the very fact that she was somehow trying to provoke Gray again like this was strange.

As if there was a reason she had to do so.

“-Oops, my foot slipped-!”

“⋯⋯?”

Gray, who had been reaching for her sword again, looked at Carlisle with wide eyes.

The sight of him slipping with obviously acting-toned exaggerated movements and kneeling beside the falling Lady Anastasha would provoke such a reaction from anyone, not just her.

THUD- Beside Lady Anastasha who collapsed with a grunt, Carlisle whispered.

“You mustn’t, Lady Anastasha.”

“⋯⋯!”

At Carlisle’s murmur, Lady Anastasha’s expression hardened.

“⋯⋯Wh-what are you⋯⋯”

“If you don’t want to die, listen to me. I won’t say it twice.”

“⋯⋯.”

“I don’t know what kind of request you received or what pretext, but you need to live now to plan for the future. At this rate, you’ll die. The young lady is not someone who shows mercy.”

“⋯⋯.”

Lady Anastasha’s breathing died. Her trembling eyes seemed to represent that complex state of mind directly.

“When I count to three, you’ll get up naturally. And you must apologize to the young lady.”

With those final words, Carlisle stood up and helped Lady Anastasha to her feet.

“I’m sorry, my lady! I was so clumsy!”

“N-no, it’s fine⋯⋯”

Lady Anastasha said while trembling.

“I-I’m sorry. Lady Chasefield, I-I lost my mind for a moment and committed a great discourtesy⋯⋯.”

“⋯⋯Get lost.”

Gray turned her head away as if she found it too bothersome to deal with.

⋯⋯Seeing that hand fall away from the sword, Carlisle inwardly sighed in relief.

Then, watching Lady Anastasha exit the banquet hall as if being chased, he quietly spoke to the Holy Sword.

‘Hero.’

[We’re thinking the same thing.]

‘⋯⋯.’

[I didn’t know at the time⋯⋯, but looking at it now, it’s definitely strange. This is intentional provocation. As if she were determined to receive harm from me.]

As if,

Someone had instigated this, trying to involve Gray in such an ‘incident’.

He could quickly figure out who it was. Lady Anastasha’s pale face as she left the hall was focused on only one person.

“⋯⋯.”

Cardinal Felix was still looking this way with a benevolent smile.

As if she had no interest in the incident that had just occurred.

‘Hero.’

[Mm.]

‘She’s really a fucking unpleasant person.’

[I say this again, I sincerely agree.]

◆

On the way out of the banquet hall.

The returning carriage was filled only with silence.

Gray just stared out the window without a word. Though expressionless, making it hard to read her thoughts, her state of mind was clearly complex.

“⋯⋯Miss, please finish wiping.”

When he offered her a towel saying that, she wordlessly accepted it and opened her mouth while rubbing her face.

“Hey.”

“Yes, Miss.”

“You did well stopping that bitch at the end.”

“⋯⋯.”

She said that.

“If it weren’t for you, I would have killed her there. I benefited quite a bit.”

“Pardon?”

“I’m saying it’s fortunate I didn’t cause trouble for Father. Thanks to you.”

“⋯⋯Pardon?”

“⋯⋯⋯⋯I’m saying thank you.”

“⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯Pardonnnn?”

“Should I kill you?”

“Thank you, Miss. I’m so honored. I don’t know what to do with myself. Hearing such words in your precious voice, I must have lost my mind for a moment-“

“⋯⋯Don’t be ridiculous.”

Gray, who had casually spewed profanity, sighed and continued wiping her face roughly.

“Hey.”

“Yes.”

“When we first met, you said I’d lose out if I dismissed you.”

“I did say that.”

“I definitely felt it today. That was right.”

“I’m not one to speak empty words.”

“So I thought about it for a while. I just came to a conclusion.”

Gray spoke plainly.

“You, starting today, share a room with me.”

“⋯⋯.”

“We’ll have to get used to it eventually, so we should start now.”

Did I mishear?

◆

“Grand Duke Chasefield.”

“Yes?”

“What was that young man’s name just now? He looked like an attendant.”

“⋯⋯Carlisle Belfast. I’m thinking of bringing him in as my daughter’s colleague.”

“Oh my.”

“May I ask why you’re asking that question⋯⋯?”

“Mm- well?”

“⋯⋯.”

“Just, he seemed like an interesting young man.”

“Is⋯⋯ That so?”

“Yes. I’d definitely like to see him again.”

◆

[System Message]

▶ The trait ‘Hero’s Companion’ activates. 

▶ Part of the ‘Rehabilitation List’ is updated!

[ ★ Violence Addiction 100% → 95% ]

▶ Rewards are granted! 

▶ Open the traits tab to check!

[System Message]

▶ You have smoothly handled an ‘Important Event’! 

▶ Trust increases significantly. [ ★ Trust 5.1% → 40% ] 

▶ Rewards are granted!

 ▶ Open the traits tab to check!

▶ Your relationship with the Hero changes greatly. 

▶ This will have a major impact on future events.

▶ The Hero no longer guards against you. 

▶ The Hero wants to take you to the ‘Academy’!

[System Message]

▶ The ‘Gray Cardinal’ takes interest in you. 

▶ Try adding the target as a ‘Trainable’ person!