Chapter 29. Variable (2)
“What….did you just say?”
Kai could not believe Bernard’s words.
“Are you saying you gave the late Count’s private property to that bastard—no, to Lord Adrian?”
Bernard had said that he had given the late Count’s private property to Adrian.
Kai questioned him sharply.
However, Bernard could offer no meaningful response.
“....I apologize.”
He merely continued repeating his apology.
Until Seraphia intervened, Bernard did nothing but apologize repeatedly.
“It’s all right, Head Butler. Brother’s demand was legitimate. You merely followed the proper legal procedure.”
“......”
“More importantly, the greatest responsibility lies with me.”
Though I never expected this to happen.
Seraphia forced herself to swallow those final words.
As Seraphia had said, Bernard was not at fault.
As Head Butler of the House of White Wolf, Bernard had merely acted according to the law.
Kai understood that as well.
Therefore, he neither blamed nor reprimanded Bernard.
The future simply appeared bleak.
The money Adrian had taken was not merely the late Count’s private property.
The funeral expenses incurred after the late Count’s death had been considerable, and they had been paid using the County’s funds.
They had been unable to touch the late Count’s private property because Adrian’s inheritance rights were involved.
It had to remain untouched until the will was formally accepted.
Therefore, they had intended to recover the money after Seraphia was officially appointed Lord of the County.
But Adrian had swooped in midway and taken all of it.
“We already lack the food and firewood needed to prepare for the approaching winter...!”
“....I apologize. I should have found some way to refuse him....”
“No, Head Butler. You did nothing wrong. This is entirely my responsibility, so please don’t say that.”
After reassuring Bernard, Seraphia continued.
“For now….let us trace the money. We must recover as much as possible. Head Butler?”
“Yes, my lady.”
“Do you know why Brother took the money?”
“Well....”
Bernard trailed off for a moment.
He appeared to wonder whether what he was about to say could possibly be true.
Then he slowly opened his mouth.
“He said he intended to establish a Merchant Guild.”
Kai and Seraphia simultaneously tilted their heads in opposite directions.
“....Pardon?”
“A Merchant Guild...?”
Not to spend it on gambling and games of chance?
A Merchant Guild—or Merchant Company—referred to a profit-seeking organization formed by two or more merchants.
Its purpose was to sell commercially valuable goods and services.
Therefore, Seraphia and Kai’s confusion was only natural.
“A Merchant Guild….?”
“What does that mean?”
A Merchant Guild?
Why would he suddenly establish a Merchant Guild?
No, setting aside the fact that he intended to establish one—
“What in the world does he intend to sell….?”
The County of the House of White Wolf was located along the border between the Snowfield Region and the Snowy Mountain Region.
Its climate was so frigid that even coniferous trees could not grow naturally.
Bryophytes could barely be found, and even those were rare.
There were no mines or other underground resources.
Therefore, the County of the House of White Wolf could not produce any notable specialty products.
It did not even have enough food, forcing it to import everything from other territories.
“He did say that he intended to sell materials obtained from monsters....”
Monster Materials referred to things such as hides and bones.
The monsters inhabiting the Snowfield Region and Snowy Mountain Region had undergone unique forms of evolution to adapt to the frigid environment.
Those adaptations could serve as valuable resources and merchandise.
If that was his plan….then it was somewhat understandable.
After all, selling Monster Materials was currently the County’s only means of sustaining itself.
“But the available quantity cannot be very large, can it?”
However, there wasn’t enough.
More precisely, maintaining a steady supply was difficult.
Once the available materials had been sold, that would be the end of it.
There was nowhere near enough to justify establishing an entire Merchant Guild.
“It appears....”
Bernard gently closed his eyes.
He did not finish his sentence, but Seraphia understood what he intended to say.
Adrian was planning to embezzle the money.
Establishing a Merchant Guild was merely the justification he had presented to extract the funds.
He had another purpose for the money.
And Seraphia….knew perfectly well what that purpose probably was.
In the end—
‘I thought he had changed....’
Adrian had reverted to his old ways.
He had once again become the delinquent of the Count’s family, indulging in gambling and pleasure.
Just as Seraphia’s expression rapidly darkened—
Knock, knock.
Someone knocked on the door.
Seraphia hastily composed her expression and spoke.
“Come in.”
With Seraphia’s permission, a maid from the Lord’s Castle cautiously entered.
“What is it?”
“Lord Adrian wishes to see you, Lady Seraphia....”
“Brother wants to see me?”
“That is correct.”
“He could have simply come inside....”
She could understand him knocking.
However, asking for her permission through a maid felt somewhat hurtful.
There was a reason for it, however.
“He wishes to meet you in the dining hall.”
“What? The dining hall?”
“That is correct. Shall I tell him that you are busy?”
Seraphia lightly waved her hand at the maid’s question.
“No, that’s all right. I’ll go to the dining hall.”
Seraphia immediately rose and headed toward the dining hall.
An appetizing aroma reached her from the far end of the corridor.
When she opened the dining hall doors, she found a beautifully plated steak on the table.
“Brother cooked this himself?”
It was a steak prepared personally by Adrian.
The steak displayed exquisite marbling.
White veins of fat intertwined through the crimson meat, while its carefully seared exterior had formed a crisp, golden-brown crust.
‘Was Brother always this skilled at cooking?’
It was an extraordinary steak.
It looked so appetizing that simply staring at it made her mouth water.
She could easily have believed that it had been prepared by a first-rate chef.
‘But where did he obtain such a precious ingredient?’
Meat suitable for steak was extremely valuable.
That was especially true within this County.
It appeared that this was why Adrian had summoned her to the dining hall....
“Try it.”
“....M-Me?!”
Seraphia’s eyes widened.
She looked around several times, but no one else was present.
Still uncertain, Seraphia pointed toward her own chest with her index finger.
“Do you not want it?”
“No! I’ll eat it!! I want to eat it!”
Seraphia quickly sat down.
‘Brother made this for me....’
Her heart felt so excited that she was nearly overwhelmed with confusion.
She had long since forgotten to question where he had obtained such precious meat.
Seraphia quickly picked up her fork and knife.
At that moment—
“I will taste it first.”
Someone caught Seraphia’s hand.
When she turned her head, Kai had appeared beside her at some point and was preventing her from eating.
“We cannot be too careful.”
In simple terms, Kai suspected that Adrian might have poisoned the steak.
After all, Adrian hated Seraphia enough to do such a thing.
Hadn’t Adrian nearly strangled Seraphia to death only a month ago?
Kai glanced at Adrian.
Fortunately, Adrian did not appear particularly concerned.
“Do whatever you want.”
With Adrian’s permission, Kai picked up a knife and carefully cut the steak.
Perhaps he had imbued the knife with Aura because it sliced cleanly through the steak even without a fork holding it in place.
Kai put down the knife, pierced the sliced piece of steak with a fork, and placed it in his mouth.
At that moment—
“......!!”
Kai’s eyes widened involuntarily.
His gaze went blank with shock.
“Wh-What in the world is this...?”
Anyone could tell that he found it incredibly delicious.
In truth, Kai was barely suppressing the impulse that had suddenly surged within him.
“Me too! I want to try it too!”
Seraphia quickly snatched the fork from Kai.
Holding the fork and knife in both hands, she gently sliced the steak.
Its tender and juicy interior was revealed, cooked to a perfect medium rare.
Seraphia hurriedly placed it in her mouth.
“Mmm...!!”
Rich juices flowed out with every bite, filling her mouth.
The thick veins of fat melted gently on her tongue, leaving behind a deep and lingering flavor.
It contained considerably more fat than other kinds of meat, but it did not feel greasy in the slightest.
Instead, the fat harmonized perfectly with the texture, adding a rich depth to the meat.
Munch, munch.
“It’s really, really delicious!!”
Seraphia could confidently declare it the best steak she had ever eaten.
Of course, how could anything Adrian personally cooked for her taste bad?
Even fried beetles would probably taste delicious if he prepared them.
But even without her bias toward Adrian, this steak was a masterpiece among masterpieces.
The rich aftertaste lingered throughout her mouth.
Her mind continuously craved more steak.
Unable to restrain herself, Seraphia pierced another piece with her fork.
She found even the time needed to slice it wasteful, so she bit directly into the whole steak.
A deep, savory flavor spread throughout her mouth whenever she chewed.
Her hands showed no intention of stopping.
By the time she came to her senses—
Only an empty plate remained.
The steak had vanished in the blink of an eye.
Kai looked slightly disappointed.
Seraphia felt the same profound disappointment, but she could no longer suppress her curiosity.
“What kind of meat was that?!”
It was on an entirely different level from any meat Seraphia had previously eaten.
She had not eaten every kind of meat on the continent, but she had never experienced a flavor like this before.
“It was Gelu-Drake meat.”
No wonder it had seemed completely different from every other meat she had—
“....Wh-What?”
“What….did you just say?”
Kai asked alongside Seraphia.
That was only natural.
Gelu-Drake meat?
“B-By Gelu-Drake, you mean....”
“Are you referring to the monster we recently subjugated?”
Seraphia and Kai questioned him with expressions of disbelief.
But surely not.
That couldn’t be it.
Adrian might hate Seraphia, but even he wouldn’t feed her monster meat.
He would sooner feed her a cockroach.
There was no possibility that he would make her eat monster meat—
“That’s right.”
—Apparently, there was.
At that moment—
Seraphia’s world collapsed.
“Uuuurp—!!”
Seraphia hastily shoved her fingers into her mouth.
She scraped desperately at her tongue, attempting to bring back up the meat that had entered her stomach.
Humans must never eat monster meat.
It wasn’t that monster meat couldn’t be eaten.
It must not be eaten.
The madness contained within monster meat would drive a person insane.
Therefore, she had to vomit it out immediately.
In truth, it was probably already too late.
Even so, Seraphia desperately shoved her fingers down her throat.
Meanwhile, Kai ground his teeth and shouted.
“Have you lost your mind?!”
Kai drew his sword like a bolt of lightning.
Bluish energy instantly gathered around the unsheathed blade and began rippling across it.
It was unmistakable killing intent.
Kai genuinely intended to kill Adrian as he swung his Aura-imbued sword.
However, his intention could not be fulfilled.
Kaaang—!
Brilliant sparks erupted before his eyes.
“......!!”
Kai’s eyes widened in astonishment.
That was because of the weapon Adrian was using to block his sword.
‘A fingernail...?’
He was not mistaken.
Adrian was blocking Kai’s sword with his fingernail.
He wasn’t some kind of beast.
How could such a thing possibly be feasible?
The very idea of a human fingernail blocking a sword made no sense.
Even an animal’s claw couldn’t accomplish such a feat.
Moreover, this was not an ordinary sword.
It was a sword imbued with Aura.
The blade possessed enough cutting power to slice through steel.
Kai’s sword had even torn through the Gelu-Drake’s hide.
Yet Adrian was blocking it with nothing but his fingernail.
He wasn’t merely blocking it, either.
Ppeoeong—!
Kai’s Aura exploded where it met Adrian’s fingernail.
The impact shattered the lights and smashed the tableware, turning the dining hall into a complete mess.
Kai’s body was hurled backward.
He hastily regained his balance, but there was nothing he could do about his trembling eyes.
....This was just like that moment.
The Gelu-Drake’s claws.
It was exactly the same phenomenon that had occurred when he confronted those dragon claws.
Kai’s confusion continued intensifying into astonishment.
However, he quickly recovered his composure.
There was a far more serious matter at hand.
“Do you not know what happens when someone eats monster meat?!”
“I know.”
“You knew, yet you still—!”
“So?”
Adrian casually gestured with his chin.
“Have you gone mad?”
“Of course I—!”
Huh?
Kai abruptly froze.
He slowly lowered his gaze and examined his condition.
....For some reason, he was perfectly fine.
But how could that be possible?
By now, madness should have consumed him and robbed him of his reason.
He should have become a raving lunatic, no different from a monster.
Yet he was fine.
Kai had unquestionably eaten Gelu-Drake meat.
Anyone who ate monster meat was inevitably consumed by madness and driven insane.
It wasn’t something that happened gradually over time.
The moment someone ate monster meat, madness erupted immediately.
Could he be fine because he had eaten only one piece?
Kai urgently turned his gaze toward Seraphia.
He found Seraphia standing there in a complete daze.
“Huh? H-Huh?!”
Seraphia began floundering about in confusion. Her silver hair wildly fluttered with every frantic movement.
Her unfocused gaze darted over her body as she struggled to understand what was happening.
Her cheeks, as white as the mountain snow, had become slightly flushed, revealing her tension and bewilderment.
Her lips tried to form words, but they became tangled and refused to emerge properly.
“H-Huh?! Eek...?”
Seraphia’s slender hands repeatedly grasped and released the edges of her clothing.
Her fingertips continued trembling as she fidgeted with her hair.
She looked utterly bewildered, as though dozens of screws had fallen out of her head.
However, she certainly did not look insane.
Rather than being consumed by madness—
“H-Huuuh?!?!”
It would be more accurate to say that she had been consumed by confusion and was panicking.
Seraphia slowly raised her gaze.
Kai carefully examined her eyes.
Her red irises resembled perfectly cut rubies.
However, he could find no trace of madness anywhere within them. They continued shining brilliantly like beautiful gemstones.
“Why am I….perfectly fine?”
As though they had planned it beforehand, Seraphia and Kai suddenly turned toward Adrian.
* * *
Seraphia and Kai remained perfectly sane despite eating monster meat.
Only then could I become certain.
‘As expected, it was Absorption.’
My Predation [S+] did not replicate a target’s ability.
It “absorbed” and “took” the ability away from them.
‘I can sell it.’
I could finally be certain that monster meat was safe to sell as merchandise.
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