“......Your Honor.” Stella, who was sitting with her, spoke up with a look of a throbbing headache. “I heard that he definitely has no ties to aristocratic society.”
“As far as I know, that is the case,” Noel replied, looking dumbfounded. “I thought he might be someone similar since he was said to be the husband of that always-stern hero, but he’s just a young man who’s made it big. Come to my mansion sometime. I’ll treat you well.”
“I will be waiting, Viscount. Oh, and the Lieutenant General will come along later—” Before my eyes stood Aiden, conversing with several people simultaneously with a sociable smile. The way he spoke nonchalantly to the sly nobles, actually leading the atmosphere, gave the impression that he was extremely accustomed to this kind of gathering. It was as if this were practically his 'main job.' Laughter never ceased around him. Even those who initially viewed the mysterious figure employing a key foreign official as an aide with suspicion seemed to let their guard down and converse more familiarly as their conversation with Aiden continued. Of course, she knew he was a con artist whose profession clearly required him to be adept at dealing with people, but honestly... "...Wasn't that a lie?" Noel scratched her cheek as she thought. She didn't know how many times that man had impressed her with his "fighting" skills. It was also clear that such prowess was a level that could only be achieved after undergoing terrifying training in supernatural ability manipulation and combat since childhood. People like that inevitably usually struggle with situations involving "dealing with people." Because they simply couldn't have had any experience like that. Just like Noel herself. Since she had always found such situations difficult, it was a talent she couldn't help but envy. "Mr. Aiden is quite an amazing person..." she thought to herself, wiggling her toes for no reason. "...It was a good decision to leave him to the Central Intelligence Agency." The problem was, at this point, it was even more of a mystery what kind of person he originally was. She sighed inwardly, recalling the 'personal details' of Aiden she had previously left with them. Really, it was a relief to have at least that. Otherwise, she wouldn't have had a clue who that man was. “So, how is your married life with the Lionheart?”
“I think he is far too good a partner for me. I always live off his generosity.” … … Though, I wondered if it was a bit much for him to go around spouting such things as if he were gritting his teeth to keep his promise from earlier to “never let anyone lose their spirit.” She emptied her glass of champagne in one gulp with a sigh. To watch him go around spouting such embarrassing nonsense in real time, she needed to dilute her reason a little. “Do you need another glass?”
“Ah, please—” And, the moment she said that and turned her head toward where the sentence had come from, a sensation of freezing ran through her veins. “Are you enjoying the banquet, Sir Noel?”
“…….”
“Is this the first time I’ve seen you in person since the battle with the Magic Kingdom? You haven’t changed at all.”
“…….” Not answering someone who continues speaking so familiarly is a mistake Noel would normally never make. But. —if the person is this one. A polite voice. A courteous attitude. Dignity and formality infused in his entire demeanor. He is a person who radiates an aura so noble it is hard to approach. Yet, to Noel, this is the person she least wants to meet in the world. Just look at the words he immediately followed. “Didn’t I find a decent ‘stand-in’? He’s certainly capable enough to present as a groom, even if he’s a fake.” As if it were nothing. It pierced her insides like a dagger. “Was my proposal that uncomfortable? It’s a bit hurtful.” To the person who spoke so playfully, she managed to call him by his ‘title.’ Somehow, her voice was mixed with fear. “……Your Highness.” The Prince. Her ‘husband candidate’ smiled faintly.
▣ -System Message [ 'Skill: Weaver of Fate' is functioning smoothly. ]
[ Rewards are being distributed in conjunction with the 'Bond' obtained from the opponent. ]
[ 'Baron Lannister' shows you favor. ]
[ 'Viscount Klinsmann' offers you favor. ]
[ 'Lieutenant Colonel Shepard' shows you favor… … .] 'Right, right, right… … .' Aiden smiled inwardly as he watched the system window constantly updating beside him. He was simply standing there, chatting with people around him, yet the number of people taking a liking to him kept increasing. It was like fish just kept getting caught in a trap he had set. That is how important first impressions are. Thanks to the perception that he was an 'important person,' people were showing him favor on their own accord even though he was just continuing a casual conversation. 'I'm glad I dressed up in advance… …!' It must be the effect of the 'Imperial Blood' skill and the benefit of having Katya accompanying him as his lieutenant. Is Aiden himself some kind of special person? He was just someone living an ordinary life. While his ability to tailor conversation to the moment or his social skills to gauge a target's state or emotions to strike up a suitable remark are certainly his talents, setting the 'stage' to utilize them must be thanks to his skills and the selection of personnel. Still, if there is one thing that bothers me, it is that the form of the 'reward' is subtly different from what has been sent so far. -System Message [ The scenario importance of the targets is low. The number of skills that can be copied is extremely limited. ]
[ The Weaver of Fate is converted into 'Points'. The 'Point Shop' will open once a certain level of points is accumulated! ] … … A Point Shop. I don't know what this feature is for, but it is clear that it won't be bad, at least. As for the reason. 'I feel like I've talked to quite a lot of people… …' I've spoken to at least dozens, yet this shop still hasn't opened. I'm sure it's because they've stockpiled a tremendous amount of stuff. 'Still, shouldn't it be about time we met?' The person I had set my sights on is not in sight yet. It should be about time one of the two showed up. Fortunately, it didn't seem necessary to dwell on that thought any further.A familiar face was approaching from the side. “Ah, Sir Aiden.”
“Chief?” The Dragon Hunter, Dunadan U’jal. I had heard he was still staying in the Empire for diplomatic reasons, but it seemed he had attended the banquet as well. However, what caught Aiden’s eye was the petite woman walking briskly beside Dunadan. “And this is…?” Although he said that, Aiden had a rough idea of her identity. After all, this was one of the ‘reasons’ for attending this banquet. “I am my eldest daughter. Rania Ashan.” At those words, the woman raised her head slightly to look at Aiden. The woman named Rania made a truly fresh impression on Aiden. She is a beauty. She is a beauty, but. Overflowing pink hair, an eyepatch across one eye, the traditional attire of the tribal confederation draped loosely, a tattoo etched from her collarbone down to her neck, an expression of complete indifference to the world, and a cigarette cynically held in her mouth. On top of that. “Hello.” A greeting delivered in an informal tone accompanied by a mere flick of a finger. “…….” He certainly didn’t look like a priest serving a god. Not at all. However, Aiden wasn’t the type to pay much attention to such things. “The priests of Urgan do not use honorifics for anyone other than Urgan’s own divinity. In fact, doing so would be considered rude, so I ask for your understanding.”
“Yes, it is alright.” Dunadan’s apologetic response was a setting that already existed within the game. To begin with, considering the status an Urgan priestess holds within the tribal alliance, it wouldn’t be strange at all for her to speak informally to Aiden. Every deity has a representative to act on their will, and within the tribal alliance, the priestess is the one who fulfills that role. Because she possesses a ‘communication line’ that connects directly to the god she serves, she is a human who ranks far above the superhumans who wield supernatural abilities, both in terms of combat power and symbolism. She must be someone in a position where even the Alliance’s Great Chieftain dares not treat her lightly. Perhaps she is even more valuable than Dunadan, the chieftain standing beside her. “Nice to meet you, Ms. Rania.” She offered that greeting, but no reply came back from the other person. And then. Rania stared at Aiden silently. Forever. Forever. Until Dunadan, who had introduced her, was taken aback. Eventually. -System Message ▶ 'Seonhwaryun' makes contact with Rania A'shan. ▶ This is a key story target. The scenario may change slightly depending on the influence exerted on the target! ▶ Bond level with the target increases to Level 1! ▶ Links with the skill 'Weaver of Fate'! … That’s right. If this is the person Aiden is, I knew he would take an interest in me the moment he saw me. Considering Rania’s character, it is a natural result. '…Of all people, he is in a state where he has taken on the protagonist's karma.' The 'Oath of the Savior' he recently took on is a forbidden rule that, from the perspective of a Priestess of Urgan, is bound to pique her interest. “You know what? You’re kind of interesting.” With those words, the pupil on the side of Rania's face not covered by the blindfold 'split.' Dozens, hundreds, thousands of colors instantly filled that pupil. Rotating violently in a spiral like a kaleidoscope, those colors were fixed rigidly in that direction, as if gazing into Aiden's 'inside.' "Can I be honest?" "Huh?" "I'll be honest, just." "......." As Aiden remained silent in the face of her unrestrainedness, Rania lit a cigarette and continued speaking. Honestly, Aiden had no intention of thinking much of it, no matter what she said. After all, he already had a reaction in mind. "Something rather terrible has attached itself to you." ...Although hearing something like this out of the blue was a bit unexpected. Rania tapped the corner of her eye with her finger, still bearing a complex light. “...I mean the source of the supernatural ability you wield. I can't see it even with the Divine Eye. There are only two cases where the source of an ability cannot be seen, even with eyes that have borrowed a divine power.”
“...Huh?”
“The first is a human who, like me, possesses the means to communicate directly with a deity. Naturally, since they harbor similar power, it cannot be detected. Because it cancels them out. If that is the case, it is actually better.” As Aiden blinked blankly, Rania took a deep drag on her cigarette and continued. “You don’t serve a god, do you?”
“....”
“You can’t be a priest.”
“That is... true, though.”
“Then it’s the second one.” Rania smiled and patted Aiden’s shoulder. It looked almost like she was encouraging him. “Hang in there.”
“Um, what is this all of a sudden...?”
“It’s not well known, but it does exist. A being that could be even more dangerous than the celestial ‘gods’ who bestow supernatural abilities.” Suddenly. Such words fell from the sky. “You were chosen by them as ‘mine.’ The power you are currently wielding comes from there.”
“……Yes?”
“Because of the karma you shouldered yourself, you can no longer escape from there. How pitiful.” Rania lightly stroked Aiden’s cheek with her hand. As if looking at him pitifully. As if expressing sympathy. “…….” What on earth is this woman talking about? Such a sentence naturally comes to mind. But there is one thing I can sense. ‘… … It doesn’t seem like she is just talking about handling supernatural abilities.’ Rather, something a little more fundamental. It feels like she is discussing the source of Aiden’s ‘uniqueness,’ which allows him to copy other people’s skills at will and wield multiple abilities without any limits or restrictions. It feels like she is saying it is an influence resulting from something other than a god. “So, hang in there.” Rania grinned and brought up the topic again. “You’re going to have quite a hard time ahead of you.”
“…….”
“If you’re still alive, let’s meet again later. When that happens, I’ll help you in any way I can.” As Aiden listened blankly to these words, Rania waved her hand and strode away to the other side, as if that was all she had to say. “...Your daughter is a bit peculiar, though.” Dunadan, who had been quietly watching from the side, spoke with a wry smile. “Those who communicate with the divine usually exhibit extraordinary behavior. After all, their very perspective on the world is bound to be different from ours.”“… … I suppose so.” As Aiden muttered blankly, Dunadan chuckled and nodded readily. ‘I’ve obtained the skill, so I guess that’s enough for now.’ He did hear something meaningful, though. For now, anyway, he had managed to gain their favor and copy one skill. ‘A Priest of Urgan….’ This is someone who possesses a skill that needs to be used immediately. Had things not gone well, he would have had to put in tremendous effort to raise their favor, but since it worked out so easily, he should probably consider it a good thing. “By the way, where have you left your party and why are you wandering around alone like this?”
“I sent the lieutenant out for a moment.”
“… … Why?” … … I felt like she would cause trouble if I left her alone. So many people talk to her that it’s not like there aren’t any strange ones, but considering Katya’s personality, it wouldn’t be surprising if she turned someone’s jaw into a holy one if things went wrong. Rather than causing such a major disaster, it would be better to keep her separate for a while. “I have a reason.”
“……Well, I suppose there is a reason. Then where is Lord Noel?” I glanced over and saw that he was with someone. “Ah, it seems he is with the Prince. You don’t really need to feel guilty about leaving him alone.”
“That sounds a bit strange.”
“The Prince is a treasure of the Empire, isn’t he? It wouldn’t hurt for Lionheart to have a brief conversation with him.”
“That is true.” Aiden let out a wry smile and nodded in agreement. Considering the Prince's appearance in the game, he was indeed a man worthy of respect. One could say he was the personification of the phrase "sage." He was a man who would nonchalantly sacrifice his own life for the people, even during Act 1 of the main scenario, "Institutional Rift." Of course, that was that. The fact that he was there meant it was undoubtedly an opportunity. In any case, the "main target" attending the banquet was him. It was certainly a golden opportunity to extract his skills. "Still, I have to go and cause some trouble. After all, isn't she my wife?" "Hmm. Go do your best." Exchanging such nonsense with Dunadan, Aiden quietly rose from his seat.
To be continued.
A strange feeling began to surge in the moment Noel's expression started to become clearly visible. 'Huh?' Noel's attitude is somewhat strange. She is clenching her hand so tightly that the blood circulation seems cut off. Her face is deathly pale, and her shoulders are tense and trembling slightly.
It is clear what this indicates. This woman is, right now, afraid of the Prince, who clearly ought to be a 'good person.' Just as Aiden realizes this, the words spoken by the Prince, who had not yet noticed his presence, pierce his ears. "—Or is it too difficult a demand for the 'Butcher'?" The strangeness intensified even further there. His tone was still kind, and his attitude polite, but Aiden could clearly read it.
A greasy, sticky, and dark emotion, like the mud of a muddy field. This man was clearly displaying 'malice' toward Noel. "—" Just as Aiden stiffened for a moment at this realization, the Prince, noticing his presence, turned to look at him. Then, as if his 'personality' had changed, a smile instantly spread across his face.
In that expression, the malice that had been visible toward Noel just moments ago had vanished as if washed away. This was the Prince he knew. A good person.
A person of perfect character. "Ah, Lord Noel's groom." The Prince spoke in a warm voice. "Welcome. I had something I wanted to tell you." … … Definitely. Something was going strangely wrong. ▣ Unusually, the Prince had sounded out Aiden by expressing a desire for a one-on-one conversation.
There was a terrace set aside outside the banquet hall specifically for the two to talk privately, and he suggested they speak there. Sitting in such a place, away from the noisy hall, I felt as if I were isolated from the world. And even in such a place, there was a man who seemed to be in a completely different world all alone.
Across from me, the Prince, with his eyes quietly closed, exuded an overwhelming presence just by sitting still. 'So this is what it feels like.' The way others look at me when my [Imperial Bloodline] skill is activated must be similar to this. “…….” Of course. Apart from that.
There had already been many instances where knowledge from the original story applied differently in reality. The biggest one was the absence of the protagonist. Nothing could compare.
However, if asked to name the next biggest thing, Aiden would choose the human standing before him without hesitation. '… … Was he always like this?' He gazed at the man sitting silently across from him. The atmosphere he knew remained exactly as it was: kindness, spotless purity, warmth, and gentleness. However... the feeling that these qualities have been strangely distorted is something he cannot help but feel, whether he wants to or not.
Filling the gaps in that feeling is a chilling level of 'rationality.' Rather than the saintly figure from the original work, he now feels closer to an iron-willed monarch willing to do anything for his people. “Mr. Aiden Kellermain, is that you?” While he was mulling over these thoughts, a soft voice flowed from the Prince.
“......Yes.” Aiden answered after a slight pause. It might be an overinterpretation, but among all the people Aiden has met so far, this man was the only one who did not use the honorific ‘Sir.’ As if he already knew that Aiden was neither a knight nor anything of the sort. “It is certainly fascinating.” The words continued.
“Ordinary people find it difficult to even make proper eye contact with a member of the Imperial Family.”
“Except for His Imperial Majesty the Emperor, who forcibly suppresses such a bloodline, those who are not swayed by him are extremely rare.”
“… …”
“Especially 'ordinary' people like you are even rarer. And isn’t he an interesting person, just as the rumors say?” ……It seems what I felt a moment ago was by no means an overinterpretation. This man seems to know all sorts of things about Aiden. Definitely. “—May I ask what you wish for?” I agreed to be dragged out onto the terrace for a one-on-one conversation at the banquet hall, but the flow of the conversation feels somehow off.Should I call it a suffocating sensation? “As for what I want… Yes. I do have something.”
“I am listening, Your Highness.” At such a request, the Prince opened his mouth without blinking an eye. “Break off your engagement with Sajasim.” Such words, as if they were nothing. “In return, I will grant you everything you desire, Mr. Aiden.” They flowed out with a smile.