Chapter 84
The Count seemed to be quite the social butterfly, a man of considerable charisma, just as my first impression of him had suggested.
“Such a grand welcome is a first for us, so everyone is both nervous and excited. Oh, I’m being terribly chatty, aren’t I?”
“Not at all. It’s our first time here, and I appreciate you being so friendly.”
The maid, who clearly hadn’t yet come of age, giggled at my words and quickened her pace.
She led me to a spacious room on the third floor of the Count’s castle. As the Crown Prince was the most esteemed guest, my room, naturally located near his, occupied a prime spot within the castle.
“Here we are. If you need anything, just pull the cord. Then…”
I stopped her as she finished her introduction and turned to leave.
“Wait a moment.”
“Yes? Do you need something?”
“No, not something I need, but this.”
I opened the large bag that had arrived in the room before me and handed her a large, rolled-up paper that lay on top.
“Please deliver this directly to Count Barrett. I thought it best he see it before tonight’s dinner.”
It was a map marking the predicted locations of further high-ranking monster appearances, based on reported sightings.
High-ranking monsters like Tarags possessed a keen intellect and clear objectives. If they were after the Demon King’s relics, their behavior patterns were predictable.
The maid took the paper and nodded.
“I’ll deliver it right away.”
I offered her a gentle smile in response to her prompt reply. As soon as she bowed and left the room, I made a beeline for the bed.
“Ah, sweet relief!”
The plush bed rippled like a wave under my dramatic dive.
I thought I was going to die in that rattling carriage. Though, if my dying body were comfortable, that would be even more concerning.
“I need to give those guys the data I compiled on the way here…”
I’d oveLeahrd that the three of them would be leading the charge tomorrow, with Clovis taking command from the rear. So…
“Oh, whatever. I’ll just dump it all in Seikan’s room when I go there later.”
For now, I wanted to sleep.
With each passing day, my body grew weaker, to the point where I wondered if I would ever wake up if I fell asleep.
If no one woke me, I felt like I could easily sleep for three days straight.
But my body was honest.
I drifted off, only to be awakened by hunger in the dead of night.
However, I couldn’t distinguish whether it was true hunger or simply the hollowness of depleted energy.
The fact that I couldn’t even tell the difference was a stark reminder of my deteriorating condition, and a hollow laugh escaped my lips.
Chuckling weakly, I clutched the pendant around my neck.
The pendant, set with a blue gem, was a cloaking item Lumiere had lent me. It was a useful tool that could conceal my presence for a few precious minutes.
I pressed the gem on the item I’d used to sneak from my tent to Seikan’s, avoiding the knights’ notice. A tingling sensation, like an electric current, spread through my body.
The way noble families hosted guests was usually similar.
The most honored guest was shown to the best room, and then rooms were assigned in descending order of rank, with those of higher status closer.
Clovis’s room was in the center of the third floor, with mine and Lumiere’s to the right. Seikan’s would be the first room on the left from Clovis’s.
With the pendant’s slight spatial distortion effect, I opened the door and stepped into the hallway. As they had for the past few days, the knights remained oblivious to my passage.
Judging by the absence of guards outside the other rooms on the third floor, aside from mine, the dinner seemed to be running longer than expected. Looking at the position of the moon, it seemed to be a little before midnight…
In that case, I’d just wait in Seikan’s room and sleep.
…Or so I thought.
Carefully tiptoeing to what I assumed was Seikan’s room, I opened the door and froze.
It wasn’t that my guess was wrong.
Seikan was there. The problem was, he wasn’t alone.
Just then, the pendant’s effect wore off, the tingling sensation draining from my body like receding water.
Four men—Seikan, Clovis, Helion, and Reynard—who had been engaged in a serious conversation across a small iron table, stopped and looked at me.
“Were you… talking?”
This was a disaster. I should have left a message for Seikan to come to my room.
I should have realized they would have much to discuss with the important subjugation tomorrow.
I bit my dry lip and fumbled for an excuse.
“I compiled some data you might need. I forgot to deliver it… I hope you find it helpful.”
Reluctantly, I approached Clovis and offered him the stack of papers with both hands. But instead of taking them, he spoke.
“Is that all you have to say?”
“Pardon?”
“I believe there’s something else you need to say.”
At Clovis’s sharp words, I instinctively raised my head and saw Seikan’s profile, turned away as if he wanted to avoid me.
In that moment, I knew what was coming.
Clovis abruptly stood up. His large frame cast a long shadow, and I involuntarily stepped back under the pressure of his presence.
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