Chapter 149: The Noble Assembly (4)
Renawill Hasfeldt was the head of the Duke Hasfeldt family.
At the same time, he was Klais’ father. Renawill had passed the position of family head to his daughter and retired, but with Klais recently going missing, he had been forced to resume the responsibility. The matter of succession still wasn’t resolved.
“Are you Duke Hasfeldt?”
“I am.”
Renawill looked down at the girl. An impudent gaze. His eyes took in subtle gold eyes containing intellect and mischief. The girl nodded and lifted the wine bottle she was holding in her hands.
“Would you like a glass?”
“Please.”
Trickle. The dark brown bottle poured out aromatic wine. Renawill brought the glass to his lips and fell into thought.
She hides her feelings well.
The girl was Klais’ slave, a fact that her father, Renawill, had also known. Klais wasn’t free by nature so she frequently reported even trivial things to her father. That was how Renawill had taught her.
So he had thought the girl would frown when he revealed himself. But he was wrong in his expectation. The Golden-Eyed girl treated Renawill with a businesslike attitude without the slightest change in expression.
It’s as if–
He was looking at a seasoned member of society.
“What is your name, Miss?”
“It’s Aether, sir.”
“And your surname?”
“I don’t have one at the moment.”
“At the moment, you say.”
Upon graduating from Tilette, one immediately received a title as well as a surname. After all, the criteria that separated commoners from nobles was a surname.
‘Haha’, Renawill chuckled.
“I look forward to what family name you receive from His Majesty.”
Aether responded with a slight bow of her head. Gulping down the wine in his glass all at once, Renawill continued speaking as he felt the tipsy scent of the alcohol.
“So why are you in a maid dress when you’re a student of Tilette?”
“I needed to come into the palace for personal matters.”
“I see.”
Renawill didn’t question any more as he wasn’t that curious. He had only asked out of formality.
Rather, he was curious about this girl’s skills.
“I heard you were the first author of Flare?”
This content is taken from fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm.
Believing that things were somewhat warmed up, Renawill got straight to the point. And when he did, Aether’s eyes narrowed a little, looking as if they were saying ‘I knew it’. But even that was momentary. She returned to her original expression, hiding her emotions.
“Yes, I am.”
“Did you know that Flare was a magic that our family had been secretly researching?”
“Yes, I learned along the way.”
“I like that you’re honest.”
It was a rude subject to bring up to a stranger. But Renawill was a Duke, and Aether was a commoner. Furthermore, Renawill was nearly fifty while Aether would be hardly over twenty.
Besides, not all exchanges in the banquet hall were pleasant. Sensitive topics could always become a source of entertainment as well. That was what high society was. If you knew how to navigate properly, then instigating a battle of wits could also be a form of socializing.
“Flare was a spell that our family put much time and money into researching, since the days of my grandfather’s grandfather. But to think that the one who completed it wasn’t even Marquis Robespierre or Count Saliere, but some Golden-Eyed.”
The crowd had been abuzz from the moment Renawill brought up Flare. The other nobles took a step back and watched the situation, their faces looking surprised.
She made Flare, apparently. Really? That child? Weren’t Golden-Eyed incapable of handling Fire Magic?–was what floated around. Yet the two relevant parties didn’t appear to care. Renawill’s eyes were currently on Aether’s lips.
“I cannot acknowledge. it.”
The girl still wasn’t saying anything, only listening. Renawill still had the floor.
“The Golden-Eyed cannot handle magic. That was the providence of the Goddess in the beginning. They can play around with scrolls, but that is all. So how is it that you were able to complete an Ultimate Magic with your own hands when you were born with such a disability?”
This, too, was a disrespectful remark. Sadly, however, it was a remark that represented the reality of the Golden-Eyed well.
Being unable to use magic was a living with a disability in itself. It was equal to having no eyes, being unable to hear, or living without an arm or leg, since all races except for the Golden-Eyed were able to wield magic without aid.
But Aether didn’t show any signs of being offended in response to that. Her face was composed.
Aether lifted the corners of her lips, the calm smile of a winner. It was like a snake coiled up in front of a frog.
“Why are you smiling?”
“The reason why I was able to reach the top of Fire Magic with this body was because I stood on the shoulder of giants.”
What did that mean? Renawill furrowed his brows.
“My Lord, I’d like to say that I was able to develop Flare because your daughter taught me well.”
“...Hmm?”
Renawill was slightly... no, greatly flustered.
Her reaction differed from what he’d expected. He had thought that she would show discomfort or even become defensive.
“The Golden-Eyed are nothing more than dwarves, but they are dwarves with excellent vision. They can see far with the help of the shoulders of giants.”
I didn’t have innate mana, but what did I gain instead?
I gained an intelligent brain that surpassed other races, and a body that didn’t tire no matter how much I moved. I didn’t get sick easily, and gained the skills to make sensible judgments and survive without mana.
“That may be what the Goddess blessed our race with.”
Renawill lost the will to argue at those words. What was he doing against a girl like this?
The thing that was more important than the family’s desires was honor. All nobles valued honor. If he went any further than this, it would only fuel their gossip. Gathering his thoughts, Renawill smiled awkwardly and made a suggestion.
“Would you catch some fresh air with me?”
During the time I had been naive, having tasted the bitterness of society from a young age, I learned how to not show what I felt before my peers did. And this became the best weapon for getting through life.
I didn’t express it when I didn’t like something. I didn’t express it when I did like something.
I would just diligently carry out my duty without saying anything. That alone got you more than halfway up the caste.
“Did you know that Flare was a magic that our family had been researching?”
It was the same for this case.
I couldn’t do anything about disliking Klais, but I had to distinguish between professional and personal. ‘I’ engaged in the conversation with a mask on. Fortunately, everything was going as expected.
“...Hmm?”
When I went ahead with a relaxed attitude, Duke Hasfeldt looked agitated.
Flare was the earnest wish of the Hasfeldt family. In other words, a trigger. It wouldn’t do any good to mess with it.
At times like these, it was best to boost the other person with metaphorical compliments and protect my pride at the same time. The reason for using a metaphor was simple: to give room for the other person to interpret as they wished.
“Would you catch some fresh air with me?”
Then finally, he suggested changing locations. It must be for a change of air.
I readily agreed. It was too hot in here because there were a lot of people, and it was also mentally stifling due to how many eyes were watching.
Duke Hasfeldt and I took a seat on the balcony. In the night sky, golden shooting stars were falling one by one.
“I know that my daughter used you as a slave. yet you still defend Klais?”
“I was only stating the existing facts.”
“What a fascinating child.”
I probably looked like I had Stockholm syndrome to this man right now.
It would be a mistake to think that. I had thoroughly used Klais right up until she tried to sell me off to the Prince.
I was dropped into this world while reviewing a paper. The Goddess just gave me a book and turned me into a girl. Cheats? Specials abilities? Nothing.
I had been captured by a slave trader in that state. There, I had to escape no matter what from assholes who raised their paddles with the intention of using my body. And so I had appealed to Klais, who happened to be in search of a good calculator, as best as possible.
The result had been a winning bid. After that, Klais had used me relentlessly, but it didn’t matter. Not being able to eat on time? Tacking three assignments? So what. It was far better than moaning under some pot-bellied old man. Most importantly, slaving away under Klais had brought me closer to my goal for returning home.
That was why I had initially declined Miss Heerlein’s suggestion to apply.
“So. Are you wanting to say that Flare is yours?”
“There are two other authors besides me.”
“I know. It seems that you want to say it’s all of yours.”
I smiled slightly from an angle that the Duke couldn’t see. A smirk. It became stifling when I wore the mask for too long so I needed to take a breather like this every so often.
“I’m sorry to hear that you thought that.”
“No, I say this because you have potential.”
“...And by that you mean?”
“You aren’t a noble yet your speech is quite convincing. You don’t seem like a child at all.”
The Duke asked.
“Would it make you uncomfortable if I requested a swordplay?”
“A swordplay?”
Swordplay. A duel that involved swords or words found commonly in wuxia works.
It held the same meaning in this world as well. Except it wasn’t about martial arts but magic. With regards to magic, you either crossed staffs or engaged in a debate to see whose magic abilities and knowledge was superior. In Ahrens continent, it was a common tradition no matter the country.
“If you learned Flare properly, then it would mean you are better than I am at Fire Magic, no?”
The Duke had a smug attitude. The corners of his lips lifted slightly, sneering as if he was saying that he could beat someone like me easily.
I deliberately didn’t respond.
[Current progress of Fire Magic : Complete]I just nodded.
Footnotes
1. "The phrase "standing on the shoulders of giants" is a metaphor which means "using the understanding gained by major thinkers who have gone before in order to make intellectual progress"." (Wikipedia)