13 (34)

The sons lined up outside stirred in a flurry. He thought Duke Louis must have arrived. At that moment, an unusual pressure surged from beyond the door. Bread’s eyes widened on their own. His body reacted instinctively before his strict reason did. The one he had met with the most mana despite not possessing even an inch of mana himself had been, at best, Ferdinando. Ferdinando usually kept his mana restrained, so it had not shown that much. In other words, the strongest person Bread had ever met had only been at the level of an Expert.

‘Huh…….’

He felt an unbearable pressure. No, he was being crushed. There was a beast outside. A beast baring its fangs…. And then the beast entered. It was a lion. It seemed five times larger than normal, and its mane was thick and full. Beneath its protruding brow, its black eyes were indifferent. He felt as though he had a fever. ‘That is not human.’ The senses that had piled up within him since long ago cried out. Warned him. Told him to get away. Bread’s mouth fell open on its own. His body began trembling faintly. His mind went blank. If he were asked to write down this moment, he could have filled a long letter. But there was not a single part of that letter he would have liked. He was a schemer. A deceiver. If there was gambling, he was the one who cheated, never the one cheated. But this…. Whether he won or lost……. he would die. That one sentence circled inside Bread’s head. At the same time, Louis’s single remark struck like thunder.

“How insolent.”

The lion bared its teeth. Bread was startled and sprang to his feet without realizing it. I’ll die. He trembled violently. All of his sons’ eyes went wide.

“King……. O king of beasts…. I am Bread of House Grey. It is an honor to meet you.”

Bread calmed his pounding heart. The moment he knelt, Louis strode right past him. Louis sat down in his seat just like that. It was so natural that even Bread himself thought so. Bread turned around and saw the lion smiling as if satisfied. He instinctively felt that he had survived. Then it happened.

Only then did the lion shrink, and its mane vanished. A human appeared, as though carved from white pearl. He rubbed his eyes. A person was a person. He sat on the seat of power, and he was young. Bread thought that if he had been a woman, he would have violated him ten thousand times over. The conversation was one-sided. All he could do was say yes to whatever Louis replied.

“F-Father.”

Bread, struck speechless by the shock, looked utterly bewildered. All of his sons whispered among themselves. Under normal circumstances, he would have burst into fiery rage. Bread had to choose. The preparations were already complete. He either had to pull the trigger or give up. His reason urged him to do it. He is only human. You are old and mistook what you saw. All humans die from poison. On the other hand, his instincts had already taken a step back. His instincts had already shown him everything. After that, it had only gradually faded. He gulped down water. Once his thirst was barely soothed, his instincts faded a little more. Greed coiled up and overcame his fear. The vast land, and above all Louis’s bloodline, would surely be beautiful. He wanted to hold that woman.

“Proceed as planned.”

“Father…. But what was that just now….”

“Fool. I had to go that far to deceive him.”

“Ah……. So that was it. It was the first time I had ever seen you bow that low…. I also thought you had granted terms far too generous.”

“When you die, it all turns to bubbles anyway…….”

Cheerful instruments were being plucked briskly. Louis opened his eyes. A strong light fell into them. He could hear women’s voices and the sound of people crowding together. Louis glanced at the cup in his left hand. Reflected in that cup was Bread’s face. It was a face full of expectation. The corners of his mouth were slightly raised.

Louis decided to enjoy this situation. This crafty old man was plotting with no sense of limits. When he poured the contents of the cup into himself, a message appeared saying he had become immune to a trace amount of poison. It tasted sweet. There was not even a bitter taste clinging to the tip of the tongue. In front of Louis stood as many as eight of Bread’s daughters. They were indeed his daughters, but each one looked different. It seemed these eight had all been born one by one from different wives.

Their heights differed, and their breasts differed too. The only thing they shared was black hair and white skin powdered with makeup. They truly were all eye-catching women, just as Bread had boasted. Three of them had faces reddened with shyness. It might have been from the alcohol. Bread had loudly declared that it was fine to do the deed in advance, and that Louis could even go in today with three or four he liked. Louis found it merely laughable. This fellow was a liar. Louis alone knew that information. All of his subordinates had been completely taken in by Bread’s hospitality.

There was also an intention to test his subordinates. Whether there were any sharp enough among them, or not; sadly, there were none yet. One of the daughters before him slightly opened her thighs as she sat, as if asking to be looked at. Another daughter instantly noticed and each of them struck a sensual pose. One emphasized her breasts, another let herself appear disheveled. Surrounded by this manufactured atmosphere, Louis laughed soundlessly. Louis poured another full cup into his stomach. This little game was beginning to bore him.

“The wine tastes good.”

“It is a product brought in through my connections from the Pierre region of the Empire. It is so precious that even I only drink a cup or two when I desperately crave it, and otherwise do not touch it at all.”

“The wine tastes good.”

The old voice whispered again, slowly.

“I am glad it pleased you. By the way, what do you think of my eight daughters? I do not even hope for a principal wife. Just take one as a concubine, and you may use the rest as attendants.”

It was a laughably extravagant offer for a marquis to make. Louis felt his irritation slowly beginning to rise and repeated the same words. He gave the cup a slight shake.

“The wine tastes good.”

“…………….”

The only one who felt a sinister emotion was Bread. Louis sensed his subtle change. His lips were trembling slightly. That change in expression may have come because he realized something, or simply because he was old.

“I was thinking of telling an interesting story.”

Louis opened his mouth. The eyes of not only the eight women, but also Bread’s sons and close aides turned toward him.

“The cup of liquor Orpendius tried to make me drink had Chilbosa in it.”

The son of Bread on the left spoke.

“Chilbosa is a vicious poison. I heard the rumors. I heard you did not drink it.”

“That is right. But do you know that afterward I encountered an assassin?”

A few seemed to know, but naturally the daughters did not, and it seemed some of the sons did not either. Bread’s eldest son quickly explained.

“It was never confirmed, but I heard you killed the assassin alone. People everywhere are saying that only a lion could do such a thing.”

“To add one thing, I faced that assassin while I was poisoned.”

Everyone’s eyes widened. The only ones who still did not understand the situation were the daughters.

“That poison was Chilbosa.”

“…………”

“It had a bitter taste.”

Silence. Everyone lost their voice. Louis was already releasing the mana he had been suppressing. And this was different from usual. This was bloodlust. Bread, sitting beside him, began pouring out cold sweat like mad. His legs started trembling violently. Louis deeply dipped the duck meat before him and put it into his mouth. With every chew, his mana increased further. The music stopped. In this wide, massive hall with its twenty pillars, the only one moving was Louis.

Louis poured the cup in his hand into his mouth once more. The information window signaled again and left behind the message of immunity. Ghk. Ghk. One of the nearest sons choked for breath. Weak mental strength was the problem. Louis looked forward. Many officers had collapsed in a miserable heap as if laid low by drink. Only a few were still enduring. Louis spoke.

“This poison……. is too sweet.”

Louis’s voice was more than enough to fill the hall like the moment before a storm broke. The sound of metal being drawn rang out at the same time. Armed men and officers who had not yet fully succumbed to the poison drew their swords. The scraping sound was loud. Louis’s subordinates might have been in some danger, but not the side where Louis stood. Those nearby could do no more than keep their eyes open and barely gasp for breath. Bread finally spoke while nervously watching him.

“Th-that….”

“I received the poison well. Now it is my turn to give a gift.”

“Th…! At-attack!”

Soldiers poured out from every corner of the pillars. In an instant, it became utter chaos. Louis slowly rose from his seat. At the same time, Bread’s sons all drew their swords. His daughters pulled daggers from their thighs, breasts, waists, and behind their backs. If Louis had shown even the slightest signal, he would have been hacked apart. The daughters and sons trembled as they held their daggers and swords. If they had needed to attack, they should have done it earlier. Still, two fairly sturdy sons climbed onto the great table. They ran across it, knocking down roast duck, soup, salad, bread, and wine bottles in every direction.

Louis snatched the dagger from the daughter beside him and instead stepped forward. He brushed past the man charging at him while shouting, “Yaaah!!” Then he immediately drove the dagger below his neck. As if fangs had sunk into him, the man collapsed to the ground in shock. The wound across him split wide open and blood poured out in torrents. Then the remaining man slashed his sword toward Louis’s waist. Louis lightly flicked up the sheathed longsword at his side. Precisely. The sword struck at the tip was flung up into the air. Louis drew the longsword and struck the man’s neck. His head spun away, and droplets of blood rained down like a shower. It was not over. Another son attacked Louis’s leg while he was standing on the table. Louis stepped on that hand. Crack.

“Gaaaah!”

“There, there. Don’t move, Bread.”

Beside the son who was crying with tears and snot streaming, Bread had tried to flee. But after Louis spoke, he froze stiff. That was because a tremendous killing intent was pouring over him. Louis turned his body while keeping his foot planted. The sound of the crushed hand bones twisting was loud. Louis bent down just like that and met Bread’s eyes. Louis spoke.

“Do you want to die?”

Bread’s face looked as though he might suffer a heart attack at any moment. His chin trembled as he stammered out words. Then, from behind, a voice shouted, “Be careful!” Louis wet his lips at the tingling mana surging from behind him. That was not all. His body also sensed magical power hidden in secret. He had to decide the order. Whether to take the sword first or the magic first. Louis decided on the latter. Something was icy from below, beginning with the giant table legs. Louis sprang down to the ground. Behind him, a cold chill stabbed at his skin. The giant table itself had turned into an ice statue.

Only then did his field of vision widen. Instinctively, he searched for the mage. He was hiding behind the rear pillar of the second-floor musicians’ gallery. A deep robe. A crystal orb still scattering residual light after having just emitted a bright glow. He was unmistakably a mage. The frozen table resounded as it shook heavily. A bear-like man came charging, his armor rattling. He leaped with astonishing elasticity.