Chapter 113. Royal Social Gathering (2)
The tea party ended in a muddled fashion.
However, the Royal Social Gathering itself was not over.
The Royal Social Gathering wasn’t conducted in a single day.
Various meetings and events with different themes continued each day over an extended period.
The first day featured a casual tea party because it was everyone’s first meeting.
Today, the following day, a banquet was held so that the participants could deepen the connections they had formed.
Panels decorated with splendid gold leaf and enormous portraits adorned the venue.
Each dining table was covered with a white tablecloth decorated with intricate embroidery, and luxurious dishes were arranged across them.
The nobles conversed at their respective tables.
“Have you prepared the export plan we discussed yesterday?”
“I’m still considering it. After all, we will need the royal family’s approval.”
“There are rumors that several families are already preparing similar products, so you’ll have to move quickly.”
“Hmm....”
“If you are having trouble, why not entrust the negotiations with the royal family to me?”
“Oh...! Would you really do that for us?”
“As long as we properly negotiate the distribution of profits.”
The discussions were more detailed than those conducted during the tea party.
Just as conversations bargaining over their mutual interests continued—
Crash—!!
The sudden noise instantly froze the atmosphere inside the banquet hall.
Seraphia, who had been reaching for some food, also looked toward the source of the noise in surprise.
‘Brother...?’
....For some reason, Adrian was standing where the noise had originated.
* * *
I had learned about the plan for the banquet while infiltrating Queen Marceline’s bedchamber.
“It is a love potion mixed with a hallucinogenic substance. It was designed to react only to that individual’s Authority, so it will be impossible for outsiders to discover the drug’s true nature.”
“That individual’s Authority?”
“It means the other nobles can consume it without experiencing any problems. You don’t need to know the details.”
The Authority Luseria mentioned—
She was referring to the Elixir of Infinity.
Seraphia had incapacitated the Royal Knights inside the royal palace.
After witnessing that, Luseria seemed convinced that Seraphia had consumed the Elixir of Infinity.
However, Avarus had actually consumed the Elixir of Infinity, and I had eaten Avarus….
No, I had used Predation [S+] on him.
Therefore, Seraphia probably wouldn’t experience any problems even if she consumed the drug, but….
‘There’s no reason to give them that information.’
The Royal Social Season was ultimately an occasion for young noblewomen of marriageable age to introduce themselves.
In the process, noble families expanded their connections, and the participants searched for suitable partners whenever an opportunity arose.
Naturally, the male nobles who might become those partners also attended.
In other words, I was qualified to participate in the Royal Social Gathering.
Therefore, I attended the banquet.
I used Predatory Instinct [S] on every dish and successfully located the food containing hallucinogenic substances.
Then, while waiting for the right opportunity, I pretended to make a mistake.
I shattered every bottle of wine containing Negative-Dimensional Substance.
Crash—!!
A deafening noise reverberated throughout the banquet hall as shattered pieces of glass flew in every direction.
The carpet was soaked in red wine, leaving the venue in complete disarray.
The atmosphere inside the banquet hall froze instantly.
“W-What happened?”
“What in the world...?”
Flustered voices rang out from every direction.
Every noble’s gaze and attention focused on me.
For nobles who placed immense importance on dignity and refinement, this would have been incredibly humiliating.
But why should I care?
I was already the worst delinquent among all delinquents.
“That damned delinquent!”
I was an outrageous delinquent, after all.
Alex, the third son of House of Marquis Segretus.
Alex was in an extremely foul mood. The reason was none other than Adrian’s presence at the banquet.
‘Why is that damned delinquent here...?’
How dare a delinquent like him attend a place like this?
Alex wanted nothing more than to order him to get lost.
After all, he had heard about Iliana. He had heard that Adrian was sponsoring that lowly wench.
Who did Adrian think he was to sponsor a worthless girl whom the Marquis’s family had expelled?
It was a challenge against the House of Marquis Segretus.
Furthermore, it was no different from disregarding the Marquis’s family’s authority and honor.
“Contrary to the rumors, he is a calculating man. He is not someone you can handle, so do not act rashly.”
Those were the words of Alex’s father, Marquis Segretus.
He had ordered Alex to act cautiously.
‘Why would Father say something like that...?’
Although his pride was wounded, Alex had nodded.
Marquis Segretus, the Kingdom’s Chancellor, was the most coldhearted and calculating person Alex had ever known.
Alex had been silently grinding his teeth—
Crash—!!
When an opportunity finally appeared.
As if determined to prove himself a delinquent, Adrian had thrown the entire banquet hall into chaos.
Alex immediately seized the opportunity.
“That damned delinquent!”
He shot out of his seat and shouted.
Striding toward Adrian, he began berating him.
“Do you even know what you just destroyed?”
“What was it?”
Yet Adrian remained completely calm.
There was no possibility that he was unaware of the Segretus family.
Despite that, Adrian maintained his bold and unyielding attitude.
Alex became even angrier and raised his voice.
“It was the finest wine, given the name Divine because it supposedly received the ‘Blessing of God’!”
As Alex’s voice shook the banquet hall, murmurs spread among the nobles.
“La Brillache Divine!”
“How could he destroy something so precious?!”
Reactions erupted from every direction.
The responses seemed to support Alex, improving his mood slightly. This would further solidify Adrian’s reputation as a delinquent.
“....I wasn’t aware of that.”
“Ha! Do you think ignorance excuses everything? You must take responsibility!”
“I’ll accept responsibility and compensate you.”
“Compensate us? You intend to take responsibility with mere money?”
“Then what would you have me do?”
“Because of you, the other nobles have suffered the loss of being unable to taste such a precious wine! How dare you try to compensate for that with money—!”
“It might not be an adequate substitute, but....”
Adrian suddenly took a wine bottle out from inside his clothes.
The liquid inside was an unusually dark brown for wine.
“It’s called Peanut Wine.”
“Peanut Wine?”
Alex had never heard of such a drink. Even its name sounded cheap and antiquated.
Wine was made by fermenting grapes in the first place, so what did peanuts have to do with it?
Pop!
However, the moment the cork was removed, a savory and rich aroma spread through the air.
Alex unconsciously gulped.
Adrian poured the wine into a glass and calmly offered it to him.
“Would you care to taste it?”
“Ha! It seems you’re trying to evade responsibility with some unheard-of swill!”
Alex snatched the glass and gulped down the wine—
“...!!!”
His eyes widened involuntarily.
After all, what in the world was this flavor...?
It began with the gently spreading sweetness of ripe berries.
Just as he became intoxicated by the fragrance lingering in his mouth—
The savory richness of peanuts followed.
Its flavor embraced his tongue and asserted its profound presence.
And what about its smooth passage down his throat?
It flowed elegantly, as though velvet were brushing against him.
Then what about the lingering finish?
Didn’t it feel as though he could sense the energy of the solid earth itself?
This wine, which harmonized elegance and intensity—
“It’s perfect…. No, I mean—!”
Alex stumbled over his words in bewilderment.
Inside his mind, he repeatedly told himself, ‘It’s garbage. This is nothing but garbage.’
However….he couldn’t bring himself to say it aloud.
This fantastical and utterly perfect flavor—He simply couldn’t disparage it as garbage.
Doing so would be an insult to the wine.
Furthermore, it would be an insult to Alex himself.
Slurp.
His smacking lips and trembling fingertips perfectly revealed his true thoughts.
At that moment—
“Would you allow me to try some as well?”
A noble who had been watching nearby approached them.
The surrounding nobles began murmuring.
“That crest…. Doesn’t it belong to the House of Count Gabriel?”
“The House of Count Gabriel....”
“Isn’t that the largest wine-producing territory in the Kingdom?”
“Could La Brillache Divine have also been supplied by the House of Count Gabriel?”
Adrian readily handed over some Peanut Wine—
“Th-This is...!!”
Naturally, the noble’s face stiffened in astonishment.
* * *
To be honest—
I had never expected this reaction.
Taking out the Peanut Wine had been a spontaneous decision.
Originally, I had intended to smooth things over with monster meat.
Prime-Rank Rex meat.
Just in case, I had brought several kilograms of it in my Inventory.
However, my promise to Edlen suddenly came to mind. That was why I impulsively took out the Peanut Wine….
“Me too! Let me try it just once!”
“Me as well, Young Master! Please allow me to taste it just once!”
I genuinely hadn’t expected this to happen.
“Th-This flavor is impossible...!”
“How can something taste like this?!”
Their reactions were simply explosive.
“This sweet, savory, and rich flavor!”
“This flawless smoothness without even the slightest hint of roughness!”
“This is the greatest of all alcoholic beverages! It’s art!!”
Dignity and refinement were completely forgotten.
For the first time in the Kingdom’s history, I witnessed the extraordinary sight of an entire banquet hall descending into chaos.
“Trade with our family! Please!!”
“We will meet any conditions you demand! Just make sure you supply it to us first!”
“We’ll hand over our family’s entire Merchant Company!!”
Demand for Peanut Wine among the nobles had gone beyond an explosion and entered a state of berserk.
‘....Edlen, what in the world have you created this time?’
….Even I was left speechless.
* * *
The banquet hall was completely overturned.
The atmosphere only calmed down after the Royal Knights finally intervened.
However, the banquet’s dignity and formality had already been shattered.
The luxurious food and decorations were left in ruins, while physical fights broke out among the nobles as they argued about who should receive the first supply.
Ultimately, the banquet could no longer continue.
The Royal Social Gathering proceeded to its next event the following day.
The Salon.
The Salon was a form of cultural exchange that covered Arcane Studies, philosophy, art, and many other disciplines.
It was a place where participants could establish intellectual networks across various fields.
However, that didn’t mean only sophisticated topics were discussed at the Salon.
“Do you know about that?”
“What are you talking about?”
“I heard that the Kingdom’s soldiers possess the ability to turn one second into ten seconds.”
“That goes beyond nonsense. It sounds more like barking.”
“Have you become so tired of learning human speech that you’ve decided to learn how to bark instead?”
While absurd topics were exchanged on one side—
“If a god allowed you to ask a single question, what would you ask?”
“Why do mosquitoes exist?”
“I heard that gods feel soft and squishy when stabbed. Is that true?”
“Does the god still have twelve ships remaining?”
They exchanged extraordinary questions and answers.
“My lady, do you know how physical therapy heals injuries?”
“Hmm? I’m not sure.”
“It physically defeats the illness!”
“....Ah, I see.”
Relationships fell apart because of ridiculous jokes.
“You know, Muren.... Sometimes you make jokes that only you understand. That’s a characteristic of a loser. Don’t you agree, Lycan?”
“I think so too. In other words, jinx.”
“You’re exactly the same.... Sigh.”
“What? Don’t give up on me.”
Scenes like that unfolded throughout the venue.
Just because it was a Salon held during the Royal Social Gathering didn’t mean everyone discussed refined and dignified subjects.
Of course, not everyone was like that.
“The people of my territory are starving because they claim potatoes are only fit for pigs and dogs. People die from starvation every month, so I don’t know what to do....”
“In that case, spread a rumor that potatoes are an expensive delicacy eaten by nobles.”
“You want me to spread a false rumor that potatoes are valuable food?”
“That’s right. Then station guards around the potato fields. Before long, everyone will become obsessed with potatoes.”
“Would that truly work?”
“Trust me and try it.”
Many participants also sought development by exchanging territorial policies.
In any case, Court Mage Floyd had a simple mission.
“Approach Seraphia White Wolf, instill an ideology of elitism and superiority in her, and provoke emotional instability.”
In complicated terms, it was psychological domination.
In simple terms, brainwashing.
The technical term was Manalighting.
Manalighting gradually manipulated another person’s thoughts and emotions through precisely controlled magical power.
Once someone fell victim to it—
It became impossible for them to recognize or escape it through their own willpower.
A mere sixteen-year-old girl—
Floyd could dominate her mind in an instant.
“Ah, there she is.”
Floyd naturally began walking toward Seraphia.
However—
“Are you Lord Floyd?”
Someone suddenly blocked Floyd’s path.
“You are….that delin— No, Adrian White Wolf?”
“That’s correct.”
“Why are you...?”
“I was deeply impressed by the paper you wrote about Manalighting.”
“Eh? I’ve never even presented that paper to Magical Academia—”
“I was particularly fascinated by the method for manipulating the flow of the mind described in the introduction. Specifically, your interpretation of the seventh of the Twenty-Three Conundrums of Arcanis.”
“How could you possibly know about that—?”
“It was truly revolutionary. I remained impressed throughout the entire paper.”
“That’s what I’m trying to—”
“I have several questions that I would like to ask you personally. Do you have some time?”
“I’m busy right now—”
Crack!
“You have time, don’t you?”
....The deranged delinquent grabbed Floyd and showed absolutely no intention of letting him go.
* * *
“It is an instrument imbued with that individual’s voice. It will react to that individual’s Authority, allowing her to hear the whispers that the other nobles cannot.”
“That individual’s whispers?”
“You don’t need to know the details.”
Elegant music resonated throughout the entire performance hall.
“What a gentle and refined melody....”
“As expected of the royal orchestra. Its reputation is well deserved.”
The nobles danced to the music, socializing and strengthening their relationships.
While all the nobles were captivated by the music—
It sounded entirely different to me, the person who had used Predation [S+] on Avarus after he consumed the Elixir of Infinity.
The event following the Salon was the Contest.
Renowned royal musicians were invited to perform opera and orchestral music.
There wasn’t anything in particular that required my intervention.
[K’thulhu z’garoth, tharanoth k’lithak.]
[Y’ha-nthlei durin.]
[Adrianth k’luthak, shuggoth.]
An Unknowable Terror Beyond Explanation, the Monarch of the Abyss.
It felt as though he were whispering to me incessantly.
However, each time that happened...
◆ 12 Sanity points have been accumulated.
◆ 17 Sanity points have been accumulated.
◆ 15 Sanity points have been accumulated.
The tea party, banquet, Salon, and Contest—
The events of the Royal Social Gathering were finally approaching their conclusion.
And—
Grind!! Crunch!!
....Queen Marceline was also running out of teeth to grind.
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