Chapter 18: Imperial Capital – Martial Arts Tournament – 15
After the party, I was guided by a servant to none other than His Imperial Majesty’s private chamber.
Upon entering the room, I found His Imperial Majesty, Princess Marishielle, and the Prime Minister already gathered.
Encouraged by His Majesty, I took a seat on an exquisitely luxurious sofa that made me hesitate to touch it. His Majesty sat directly across from me, with Princess Marishielle and the Prime Minister sinking into their own sofas on either side. When I thought about it, I was facing an extraordinary assembly.
The Prime Minister activated a magical device placed on the table.
“This device prevents our voices from leaking outside,” he explained.
As the soundproofing device powered up, His Imperial Majesty opened his mouth and said, “Now then, Soushi, what is this confidential matter you wish to discuss?”
“I’ll be blunt. There is a possibility that Marquis Falcrum and his son, Momental, are involved with the ‘Candlestick of the Netherworld.'”
With my words, the atmosphere in the room became tense.
Yet, His Imperial Majesty maintained his composure and asked, “You say that a mysterious group called the ‘Candlestick of the Netherworld’ exists and is active. We have received information that they were reportedly operating under the younger brother of the King of Mecalinan and that they were also plotting under a cardinal of the Arshuram Church. Are you suggesting that this ‘Candlestick of the Netherworld’ is reaching out to Marquis Falcrum?”
“To be clear, I have no concrete evidence. My party member Freinir sensed a similar presence to that of a priest who was disguised as a member of the ‘Candlestick of the Netherworld’ around Marquis Falcrum and Momental. Additionally, a beastman member named Larni detected the scent of the Undead, and I myself felt an oddity about them. Those are the only suspicious elements I have.”
“However, the fact that you have brought this to my attention now indicates a high degree of certainty, does it not?”
“Freinir has never been wrong in sensing suspicious individuals. Larni’s nose is reliable as well. Furthermore… this may sound even stranger, but I possess a Skill called ‘Divine Fortune,’ which seems to draw me into such disturbances. I felt it was necessary to report this.”
“I see, understood.”
His Imperial Majesty leaned back against the sofa, closed his eyes, and uttered, “Jinock.”
“Have there been any suspicious movements related to Marquis Falcrum?”
“No, not particularly… Ah, but there was a report three days ago…”
“Is there something?”
“Currently, we are urging preparations in each territory in anticipation of the invasion by the ‘Kin of Twilight,’ but we have received information that there has been no significant movement in the Falcrum territory. That territory has always placed great emphasis on military readiness compared to others, so we assumed that was the reason…”
“I see. It’s a puzzling situation, but it does seem suspicious. By the way, the previous Marquis of Falcrum died of illness, correct?”
“Indeed. I had the opportunity to meet him several times before his passing, and each time, he appeared increasingly absent-minded. In the end, he was bedridden, but the nature of his illness remained a mystery.”
Hearing about that illness reminded me of the vacant eyes of His Holiness the Pope.
“Your Majesty, I have actually witnessed similar symptoms afflicting His Holiness the Pope of the Arshuram Church. After the disappearance of the priest associated with the ‘Candlestick of the Netherworld,’ the cardinal was captured and his condition improved, but perhaps…”
“The coincidence of those symptoms is indeed alarming. Jinock, promptly dispatch skilled individuals to the Falcrum territory for information gathering.”
“Understood.”
“By the way, Marishielle, what was Marquis Falcrum discussing at the party?”
“As usual. He was insisting that Momental should be considered as a potential husband for me, declaring that Momental would definitely win against me in the upcoming martial arts tournament.”
“That sounds about right. However, hearing that now gives it a different meaning.”
“Now that you mention it, he repeatedly confirmed whether winning would lead to marriage.”
“That certainly raises more suspicions. For now, let’s gather information regarding Marquis Falcrum and investigate his connections. Additionally, if the ‘Candlestick of the Netherworld’ is involved, we need to understand their motives. Given past precedents, it doesn’t seem like a matter of good intentions.”
As His Imperial Majesty said this, he let out a small sigh.
With the ‘Kin of Twilight’ already demanding attention, the emergence of the ‘Candlestick of the Netherworld’ as an irregularity was indeed a sympathetic situation.
As for me, having been granted a noble title, I intended to offer some degree of cooperation to His Imperial Majesty. However, I couldn’t shake the feeling of detachment regarding what kind of stage ‘Bad Luck’ would set.
Now that the audience with His Imperial Majesty, the granting of my title, and the nobility party had concluded, our group, ‘Soul’s Guidance,’ had officially completed all public events for the time being.
Normally, being granted a title would lead to a series of subsequent obligations, but thanks to the exceptional nature of my honorary count title, I was spared from such troubles.
Thus, the question became how to spend the next two months until the martial arts tournament.
Larni, Karma, and Shizuna expressed a desire to explore the ‘Dragon’s Cradle’ located beneath the Imperial Castle, but given the matters concerning the ‘Kin of Twilight’ and the ‘Candlestick of the Netherworld,’ we decided to avoid diving into a dungeon for more than three days. We had already acquired some of the highest-level equipment available on this continent, so we prioritized honing our Skills instead. Since we could only enter the ‘Dragon’s Cradle’ once, we wanted to ensure everyone was in peak condition for it.
That left us with the option of exploring a regular dungeon, but diving into one right after a major event felt mentally exhausting. So, we decided to start with a tour of the Imperial Capital.
We were told we could stay at the Imperial Castle as long as we were in the capital, but considering both sightseeing and dungeon exploration, the hassle of entering and exiting the castle made it inconvenient. Therefore, we requested a recommendation for a luxury inn relatively close to the castle and decided to stay there.
The day after the nobility party, we all set out to explore the city while moving to our inn. By the way, the Grand Master Dorozitte had returned to the guild. She intended to stop by the Adventurers’ Guild headquarters before heading to the inn.
In the morning, we were sent by carriage from the Imperial Castle and dropped off on Central Avenue. Today, we planned to head south along Central Avenue to reach our inn, which was surprising in itself, as it meant we could easily spend an entire day just wandering around.
Central Avenue in the Imperial Capital was astonishingly wide, just as I had noticed when I first arrived.
Carriages passed by incessantly, and the number of people walking on the sidewalks was countless. The density of foot traffic was comparable to that of Tokyo in my previous life, which was quite remarkable considering the population density of this world.
Our group members were all looking around like excited tourists. The most animated among them were, of course, Larni, followed closely by Karma and Shizuna.
“Wow, the number of people here is dizzying! The variety of shops is incredible, and I can smell delicious food from all directions—I’m getting hungry!”
“You’re right! And it smells like meat! I thought I just ate a lot not too long ago.”
“We can’t start without trying a bunch of different foods. The castle’s cuisine was exquisite, but there’s a different kind of joy in street food.”
To prevent them from wandering off, we decided to use the Adventurers’ Guild as our meeting point and let everyone explore freely. Honestly, walking through this crowded street with nine people was quite challenging.
The three food-loving members rushed toward the food stalls, while Sfenia, Sakurahime, and Mariane headed into a clothing store.
Freinir seemed to want to walk with me, and Geshura, not wanting to be left alone, joined me as well.
“Soushi, where shall we go first?”
“Well, personally, I’d like to check out some magical devices. What about you, Geshura?”
“I am very interested in human magical devices as well. I think it’s a good idea.”
“Then let’s go take a look. After the magical device shop, we can go wherever Frei wants.”
“I’ll go wherever you wish, Soushi.”
“Then let’s say that where I want to go is where Frei wants to go.”
Saying this a bit playfully, Freinir blushed and replied, “Thank you, Soushi.”
We stopped by a stall to buy some sweet treats resembling crepes and asked the vendor for directions to the magical device shop before heading there.
The recommended magical device shop occupied the entire third floor of a five-story building. As we climbed the stairs and entered the floor, we were overwhelmed by the array of magical devices displayed in glass cases.
As the three of us were admiring the showcases, a middle-aged man with a Kaiser mustache approached us silently.
“Thank you for visiting today, Count Okuno. I am Leruk, the president of the Leruk Magical Device Company. If you are looking for any specific magical devices, please do not hesitate to ask.”
Hearing that introduction, I was genuinely surprised. It was astonishing that a merchant in the Imperial Capital recognized me just a day after being granted my title.
“I’m surprised you know about me.”
“Of course. If a merchant in the Imperial Capital does not know about the count who is currently the talk of the town, they cannot call themselves a merchant.”
“I see, I appreciate your recognition. Actually, I don’t have a specific magical device in mind, but if you have any rare items, could you show them to me? If I like them, I will make a purchase.”
At my words, Leruk’s eyes sparkled. Perhaps he thought he had a valuable customer. Indeed, I had some extra funds and was inclined to spend them.
“Understood. I have a few items that I believe will catch your eye, so please wait here. Lina, please guide the count.”
“Yes, President.”
A beautiful shop assistant came from the back and led us to a seating area with a reception set.
Once we settled onto the sofa, tea and snacks were promptly served. As someone who had once been a commoner, I felt a bit flustered by such treatment, but as a count, I would have to get used to this kind of treatment.
Before long, Leruk returned with two young shop assistants in tow. They were carrying several boxes of magical devices, likely rare treasures.
Leruk sat down directly across from me and began introducing the magical devices.
“I’ve brought a few items, so let me explain them one by one. First, this one…”
He proceeded to describe various magical devices, including one that detects approaching monsters, another that allows for communication over distances, a flashlight that emits a strong light, a device that detects poison in food, a telescope, and a recording device, among others. There was even the soundproofing device I had seen yesterday.
Some of these reminded me of similar products from my previous life in Japan, but here, they were all considered precious items. The cheapest of the magical devices was priced at three million drums.
“Are these magical devices manufactured somewhere?”
“It depends on the item, but all the ones I’ve introduced today were crafted by skilled artisans at the Imperial Magical Device Factory. The light-emitting device is relatively common among the nobility, but it takes a specialized craftsman about a week to produce one. Naturally, the materials used are also special, which is why they are priced this way.”
“I see. I have great respect for the work of such craftsmen.”
“To hear that from you, Count, will surely make the craftsmen proud.”
I found several items that piqued my interest, and Freinir was also gazing at them with curiosity. However, Geshura seemed to be the most captivated, picking up each magical device and exclaiming, “Humans are not to be underestimated,” “The craftsmanship is impressive,” and “I see, they pursue not only functionality but also the beauty of the items themselves.”
“What do you think, Count? Is there anything that catches your eye?”
“Yes, there are a few items I would like to purchase. What about you, Frei?”
“I’m interested in this device that allows me to see far away.”
“Then let’s buy that too. Geshura, how about you?”
“I want you to buy everything. They are all wonderful items.”
I was taken aback by Geshura’s enthusiastic response, as was Freinir. Well, it seemed that Geshura would gain a lot of inspiration from these items.
“Then let’s buy everything. I’ll store them in my Item Box, so there’s no need to worry about carrying them. The payment will be made with my Adventurers’ Guild card.”
When I said this, Leruk’s eyes widened, and he immediately bowed deeply, accepting my card.
“Understood. I will take care of the procedures right away. Lina, prepare the invoice immediately.”
“Yes, President.”
As expected from a capable merchant, the transaction was completed in about fifteen minutes. The total amount on the invoice was nearly eighty million drums. It was a figure I had never seen even when buying a house in my previous life. I could feel the danger of becoming accustomed to such extravagant spending, but in this case, it was also a form of investment. After all, Geshura might use these magical devices to create even higher-performance ones.
“Thank you very much for this transaction. It has been a most pleasant experience for us as well. We would be most grateful if Count Okuno would continue to patronize us in the future.”
As we were seen off by the deeply bowing Leruk and his staff, we exited the magical device shop.