Chapter 25: Chapter 25
Chapter 25 - Fragrance and Stench
The banquet hall of Valdrova Castle.
From above, Ferda Rosnova watched as the knights gathered.
"Disgusting creatures."
Standing beside him and looking down into the banquet hall, Luri muttered.
"Your hatred of humans seems a bit excessive."
"It isn’t hatred of humans. Those things are simply disgusting."
As if she could no longer endure it, Luri covered her mouth and nose with a handkerchief.
"When I heard they were Wandering Knights, I imagined they’d be something like sewer rats. But somehow... how can they be even worse than that?"
Every one of them had drenched themselves in perfume.
It might have concealed their odor by human standards, but not to a Dragon Spawn like Luri.
She gagged.
"Do humans always walk around smelling like this? What in the world is this foul odor? It’s neither a scent nor a fragrance—it’s like rotting garbage."
Ferda nodded in understanding.
"When appearing before a king, this is considered the bare minimum."
"You mean... not bathing?"
Luri stared at him in disbelief, and Ferda nodded once more.
"One of the virtues expected of knights. Washing away one’s natural odor is considered shameful for a knight. Even if they arrive in haste, what matters is that they can produce a pleasing fragrance."
"You certainly know a lot about such primitive customs."
"I come from a knight family."
Ferda had always considered it a primitive custom.
Most knights probably thought the same.
It was maintained only because of that accursed thing called tradition.
The Empire’s knights were the sort who would stab even their own fathers if tradition demanded it.
"Would you do the same, Lord Ferda?"
"I’m not a knight. Why would I bother?"
Ferda liked cleanliness.
When he had lived in a restroom, he had always kept it spotless. Cleanliness had since become an inseparable part of him.
"It looks like everyone has gathered. What will you do?"
"Hmm..."
Ferda carefully observed the crowd one last time.
Still not here.
The offer of a territory in exchange for thirty monster corpses had served two purposes.
One was to gather a large number of monster corpses all at once.
The other was to gather the Wandering Knights themselves.
So the Walking Fortress, Alberto, isn’t here...
A Wandering Knight clad in armor as thick and heavy as a turtle’s shell.
A greatsword in one hand.
A massive shield in the other.
He wandered on foot without even a horse or a squire.
Though his appearance was humble, he was a knight of unmatched dignity.
He was never interested in land or serving anyone... but I thought the Far East would attract him.
He had sworn to battle everything that threatened humanity.
Naturally, the Far East was full of such threats.
Ferda had assumed the Walking Fortress would want this territory.
"Are you looking for someone?"
As she watched him scanning the crowd, Luri asked quietly.
"If I’m looking, then I’m looking. If I’m not, then I’m not."
"...What does that even mean?"
"It’s like hoping to find a silver coin lying in the middle of the road while you’re walking. Enough chatting. Let’s go down."
"Yes."
Luri pointed a finger toward Ferda’s feet.
She flicked her finger.
A white vortex quietly began spinning beneath him.
Ferda immediately felt his body become lighter.
Heaven Stair.
A Third-Tier spell that allowed one to descend safely and gently from the air.
It was a trivial, practically useless spell, but nobles frequently used it simply to maintain their dignity.
Ferda stepped into empty air.
His body slowly descended diagonally toward the platform below.
"Huh?"
Someone spotted him.
"Someone’s coming down."
"Is... is that the lord of this castle?"
The oblivious Wandering Knights simply stared blankly as he descended.
With both hands clasped behind his back, Ferda stepped onto the platform.
He slowly turned around to face the gathered knights.
The elegant spell perfectly complemented the noble bearing of a dignified Grand Mage.
Even the dullest Wandering Knights found themselves falling silent.
"Welcome."
He greeted them in a solemn voice.
***
Watching Ferda, Stephan Pascal was momentarily captivated.
That’s Valdrova’s kept man? The foolish brat supposedly drunk on power?
It was astonishing.
He had heard that the Grand Duchess’s fiancé had only recently come of age, but the man truly looked young.
Among all the Wandering Knights present, not a single one was younger than him.
Even the youngest knight was five years older.
And yet... he possesses the dignity of a family patriarch who has ruled for decades.
Despite the age difference, Stephan couldn’t even think of using seniority to pressure him.
This isn’t the time to be thinking about that!
Stephan snapped back to reality.
Standing stiff-legged before a ruler?
Several quick-witted knights had already knelt.
He nudged Robelrus in the side.
"Sir Knight."
"H-Huh? What?"
"You need to kneel."
"...Ah!"
Only then did Robelrus realize his mistake and hurriedly drop to one knee.
It was an undignified display that violated court etiquette.
But what did that matter now?
The other knights quickly came to their senses and knelt as well.
Ferda continued.
"I am Ferda Rosnova, fiancé of Grand Duchess Valdrova and the current Regent of the Grand Duchy of Valdrova."
"We pay our respects to the Regent of the Grand Duchy!"
Someone called out loudly.
The dazed knights hurriedly echoed the greeting.
One knight waiting in the front brushed back his hair.
He was about to introduce himself first.
"It is truly an honor to set foot upon the domain of such a great ruler. As for myself—"
"Ah. There’s no need."
Ferda cut him off immediately.
Ignoring a knight’s introduction was improper royal etiquette.
Why stop him?
There was no need to think deeply about it.
Ferda had never intended to follow etiquette in the first place.
"The fancy wrapping you’ve prepared is worthless. The contents are nothing but garbage. Why raise expectations when there’s nothing inside?"
"...Excuse me?"
"W-What... what do you mean...?"
Every Wandering Knight reacted in confusion.
Their plate armor clattered noisily.
Good grief... this is getting intense!
The overwhelming smell of perfume was already making Stephan dizzy.
Now the atmosphere had turned downright murderous.
Meanwhile, after hurling such insults, Ferda remained as calm as a tranquil river.
"Would you prefer I put it more simply? Every last one of you is empty inside. You’re nothing more than hollow loaves of bread—empty wagons that make plenty of noise."
Bang!
Someone slammed a gauntleted fist against the floor.
"Those words go too far, Your Excellency the Regent! I respectfully ask that you withdraw your statement!"
The speaker was a rough-looking knight.
His armor was covered in scars, giving the impression of someone who had survived countless battlefields.
He was also the man who had bought thirty monster corpses from Stephan.
What unbelievable shamelessness.
As Stephan watched in disbelief, Ferda quietly looked down at the man.
"My words went too far..."
He slowly nodded as though acknowledging the point.
"Very well. If I’m mistaken, I’ll apologize to all of you."
With his hands behind his back, Ferda slowly walked across the platform.
His gaze swept over every Wandering Knight.
"Is there anyone here who personally hunted all thirty monsters?"
"..."
"Ahem..."
Some of the knights who had been ready to explode in anger lowered their heads and awkwardly cleared their throats.
Those who weren’t guilty merely watched with amused smiles.
The rough-looking knight kept his head held high.
Ferda turned to those still looking straight at him.
"Among you, is there anyone who hunted all thirty monsters alone?"
"..."
"How could anyone possibly hunt thirty monsters by them—"
The man fell silent under Ferda’s piercing gaze.
Several more reluctantly lowered their heads.
However...
Ferda meant those who had obtained all thirty monsters entirely through their own strength.
There’s no way such a person exists.
Any Wandering Knight powerful enough to single-handedly kill thirty monsters would already be serving under someone.
The fact that these men still held their heads high meant they were lying.
They simply assumed Ferda couldn’t possibly know the truth.
Then again, no lord with half a brain would believe such a claim at face value.
Stephan carefully watched Ferda’s reaction.
Ferda met the eyes of those still standing proudly...and nodded.
"I see."
He accepted it.
Just like that?
"Then I shall apologize."
Ferda extended a hand toward the young Attendant standing beside him.
She withdrew a scroll sealed with red ink from within her skirt.
"Do you know what this is?"
Holding it aloft, Ferda asked.
Even the slowest among them immediately recognized it.
"This is the title deed and certificate of nobility for the territory formerly governed by Teshalos Wolcher. Once your names are written on it, it becomes legally effective."
It was exactly what every knight desired.
"Regardless, you delivered thirty monster corpses as promised. It is only right that I honor my word."
He placed the document upon the table atop the platform.
"If you desire it..."
It was as though those words signaled the beginning of a war.
"Then come... and claim it."
The eyes of every Wandering Knight lit up.
Stephan instinctively shrank back.
I’ve seen this scene so many times before.
It’s just like when a store puts up a 70% OFF sign to clear inventory!
Getting caught in the middle of housewives who had gone wild over a sale was enough to leave an innocent bystander crushed.
These opponents were knights.
The struggle would be even more brutal.
Deciding it was best not to witness the chaos, Stephan lowered his head.
Yet...
No one moved.
Not even Robelrus beside him.
Stephan cautiously looked up and whispered,
"Sir Knight... aren’t you going?"
"Ugh... ngh..."
No.
He couldn’t.
Robelrus was trembling in agony.
His eyes were stretched so wide they looked ready to pop out as he stared fixedly at something.
Wondering what he was looking at, Stephan turned his head.
"H-Hurk!"
A gasp escaped him.
A... Dragon?
Where the young Attendant had been standing...
A Silver Dragon now lay coiled there, glaring at everyone.
Every person in the hall was frozen beneath its gaze.
What... what is that? When did that thing get here? N-No... did we somehow get transported somewhere else?
For a moment Stephan even wondered if they had been moved to another place.
His terror was so overwhelming that it clouded his thoughts.
Even as everyone else remained frozen...
Someone stood up.
"My... future..."
The man wheezed like an old man on the verge of death.
"My... territory..."
"My... escape... from... marriage..."
Like dying old men, they staggered toward the blank title certificate.
The race toward the platform had only just begun when—
Grrrr...
The dragon’s form twisted.
The motionless creature suddenly growled in fury as they approached.
Those Wandering Knights who had forced themselves to move froze once more.
The coiled silver dragon slowly began to rise.
ROOOAAARRR!!
It roared as though someone had touched its reverse scales.
***
Before meeting the knights...
Ferda had asked Luri,
"If you use Dragon Fear, what happens to knights?"
"Most of them run away. They truly believe a dragon is chasing them."
"And if you use it more weakly?"
"Hmm... their five senses become convinced a dragon is present. They won’t be able to move."
"That should be sufficient. When I give the signal, could you release some Dragon Fear?"
"Against the knights?"
"Yes. If we’re choosing the lord of a territory, then at the very least, they shouldn’t be cowards."
Luri had more or less agreed.
I thought I wouldn’t care who ended up becoming lord...
But her thoughts gradually changed.
People often said imagination and reality were different.
Yet there was another reason entirely that had changed her mind.
That damned smell.
It was the smell.
The Dragon Fear caused everyone to break into cold sweats.
Their body temperatures rose.
Heat radiated from them.
The perfume they had drenched themselves in mixed with their body odor, becoming even stronger.
Near the ceiling, a revolting cloud had formed.
Humans called it...
Body odor.
Even Ferda could now detect the horrible mixture of smells.
For Luri...
It was hell.
The ones sweating, meanwhile, noticed nothing.
Their minds were completely occupied by Dragon Fear.
Some trembled in terror.
Others forced themselves forward out of greed.
"I-I’m finally... going to make something... of my life...!"
"A d-dr-dragon? I-I’m... n-not... afraid!"
They had even begun blurting out their filthy inner thoughts.
Between the smell, the sweat, and their disgraceful behavior...
Luri’s patience was reaching its limit.
I want to throw every one of them out.
Still, she faithfully performed her role.
She intended to watch until the end.
Then...
Her silver eyes saw something she could never ignore.
The man leading the group onto the platform.
He clearly hadn’t bathed for days.
A nauseating odor drifted from him.
Layers upon layers of sweat had soaked into and dried upon his skin.
Then...
A single bead of sweat slowly rolled down his cheek.
As it flowed, it washed grime from his face into itself.
When it reached the tip of his chin...
It hung there like a droplet forming on a stalactite.
Drip.
That filthy, foul-smelling sweat soaked into the precious floor of House Rosnova’s residence.
Crack.
Something snapped inside Luri.
The instant all that information registered in her mind...
She lost control.
Dragon Fear erupted from her at full power.
It engulfed the entire banquet hall.
It lasted only the briefest instant.
But that was more than enough.
"I DON’T WANT TO DIE!!"
The knights who had barely managed to resist their fear were the first to turn around and flee.
Panic spread instantly.
"Move! I’m going home!"
"Mom! MOOOM!!"
Their armor clattered loudly as they fled in complete disgrace.
Every single one raced toward the exit.
Within moments...
The banquet hall was empty.
"Hmm..."
Watching the tattered entrance doors sway on their hinges, Ferda spoke.
"I would’ve liked to observe them a little longer. That’s unfortunate."
"...I’m sorry."
"It’s fine. There are plenty of mediocre fellows like them. We can simply recruit again."
Ferda’s eyes slowly shifted elsewhere.
"And besides..."
"The selection wasn’t a complete failure."
Standing alone in the hall—as though a storm had swept everything else away—was a single man.
He wasn’t a knight.
His legs trembled violently.
But on closer inspection, he wasn’t shaking because he wanted to run.
He was forcing himself not to.
Tears streamed from his eyes.
Snot ran from his nose.
Every opening in his face leaked bodily fluids.
He looked as though terror alone might suffocate him.
And yet...
His eyes never left Ferda.
Whoever he was...
He looked worth speaking to.
***
Valdrova Castle — Reception Room
"What is your name?"
"S-S-Stephan Pascal."
"Is your name ’S-S-Stephan’?"
"N-No! S-Sorry! I-I stuttered! It’s Ste!phan!"
"That’s fine. I understood. I merely wanted to make sure. Take your time. There’s no need to force yourself."
"Y-Yes, sir! Haa... haa..."
Stephan still hadn’t recovered from the aftereffects of Dragon Fear.
No amount of deep breathing could calm him so quickly.
His mental fortitude is remarkable.
The very fact that he could still carry on a conversation while trembling uncontrollably proved it.
Keeping that admiration to himself, Ferda asked,
"If you’re from the Pascal family... are you connected to the Pascal Trading Company I’m thinking of?"
"Y-Yes. I-I’m Herman Pascal’s second son! I-I currently serve as the deputy branch manager of the Imperial headquarters... N-No, branch! Manager!"
"I see. So why have you come?"
"I-I was selling monster corpses to the knights... and I-I thought perhaps Your Excellency might also need monster corpses, so I came to..."
He had come with a clear purpose.
That purpose had been important enough for him to suppress his instinct to flee.
But one thing still catches my attention...
It was the name itself.
Stephan Pascal.
I’ve never heard of him.
Ferda knew Herman Pascal well.
He was the greatest merchant not only in the Empire but on the entire continent.
After Herman’s death, a fierce succession struggle had erupted.
Yet only two people stood at its center.
Merchit Pascal.
And Tilda Pascal.
So Stephan is... a lonely sailboat.
A ship destined to drift endlessly on a windless sea until it was forgotten.
Someone with all the qualifications of an heir...
Yet lacking the support needed to survive.
A man fated to perish meaninglessly.
From any ordinary perspective...
He was unimpressive.
But if his fate is simply to collapse because he lacks backing...
What if I become that backing?
Merchit and Tilda had already built powerful factions.
Even if Ferda chose either side, there would be little to gain.
But if I introduce Stephan as an entirely new force in the succession struggle...
If it succeeded...
He would gain access to the trade routes and intelligence network of the greatest merchant company in the Empire.
It would be an enormous advantage for developing the Far East—a place that was still practically untamed—and for advancing its technological revolution.
"Stephan."
Having reached his decision, Ferda spoke.
"Now that you’ve calmed down a little... would you care to hear one rather outrageous proposal?"
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