Chapter 19

Dragon Slayer's Castle (1)

"Wow, then does that mean Duke Paul Wyvern was a Dragon Slayer?"
"The first duke was. Thanks to that, he went from a nameless adventurer to an imperial duke overnight."

The place the Paul Wyvern Ducal House invited me to was Helian's villa, located in the western part of the Leinrant territory.

'They call it a villa, but it's practically a palace.'

From ten minutes away, the massive gardens, detached buildings, and countless servants already made me sigh.

'Just one of these villas is bigger than our main family estate.'

As I stared at the magnificent mansion exterior thinking that, the carriage arrived before the estate gates, and the door opened.

"Young Master Klein Leinrant."

Hearing the butler call my name, I rose from my seat.
When I stepped out of the carriage with Arin, an elderly gentleman with slicked-back brown hair bowed toward me.

"Thank you for accepting the invitation. I am Gordon, head butler of the Paul Wyvern Ducal House."
"I am Klein Leinrant. Thank you for inviting me."

When I refrained from casually treating him as beneath me, a strange light flickered in Head Butler Gordon's eyes.

"….. Please come inside. Lady Helian is waiting for you."

But only for a moment.
Soon erasing his emotions, Gordon guided me with polite gestures.

"Waa~ It looks three times bigger than our mansion."
"In reality, it's probably even larger than that."

Arin was looking around the estate in fascination when—

"It has been quite a long time since a member of the Leinrant Ducal House visited Paul Wyvern."
"Has it?"
"Yes."

When I responded to the head butler's words, he continued speaking.

"That is why His Grace Duke Rock, my former master, carried many worries."
"...."

A head butler was the right hand of the family head, someone who knew most of the information within the house.
There was no way someone like him would speak to me first without reason.

'Helian, who currently controls the real authority, is originally from Leinrant. In other words, an outsider. From the standpoint of those who served the duke himself, the current situation can't possibly be welcome. In that case…'

As I thought that, the butler spoke to me without turning his gaze away.

"But now that Young Master has arrived, many things will change."
"…Change, you say."

Hearing his final remark, I reached a conclusion.

'The old faction that served Duke Paul Wyvern still remains. The reason Helian is building up her power is to suppress them.'

By the time I came to that conclusion, Gordon had led me before the enormous doors at the center of the mansion.

From inside came the sounds of music, clashing tableware, and the laughter of dancing people.

"A ballroom party? This is the first I'm hearing of it."

I directed the question at Gordon, but he merely bowed his head slowly.

"Young Master, are you okay? We didn't bring formal wear."

At Arin's words, I examined my outfit.
After two days of carriage travel, my hair was greasy, and my travel clothes were stained with dirt.
If a prince of Leinrant entered a ballroom looking like this, I would obviously become a laughingstock.

'So this was the plan from the beginning.'

A twisted smile formed on my lips.
This was a kind of opening intimidation tactic.
They intended to surround the shabby-looking prince of Leinrant and flaunt the difference in power.
I turned my eyes toward the butler and examined his expression.
The old man with brown hair remained standing there without any sign of mockery or contempt.

'He intends to watch. To see how I respond.'

After observing my actions here, he would decide how to respond in the future.
Whether to overlook cooperation between Helian and me, or interfere with it.
If it was the former, that meant I would be judged as a worthless asset.
If it was the latter, it meant they intended to kill me.

'So blades are being sharpened from every direction.'

A hollow laugh escaped me.
The probing battle between both factions would begin the moment I stepped through these doors.
And I was stuck in the middle.
If I made even the slightest mistake with my words, my head would roll while I slept.

This situation was truly…

Absolutely laughable.

"Arin. There's a cloak in the bag, right?"
"A cloak?"
"Yeah. The one with our family crest on the shoulder."

When I said that, Arin nodded and pulled out the cloak from the luggage bag she was carrying.

"Here! But can you wear a cloak here?"

I took the cloak from the puzzled Arin and draped it over myself.
A field cloak bearing the emblem of House Leinrant on the shoulder.
Not a ceremonial silk cloak used for formal occasions, but one made of wool for actual combat.

"I'm ready. Please open the doors."

When I spoke while wearing the black cloak, cracks formed in Gordon's expressionless face.

"A battlefield cloak… to a ballroom…?"
"I thought this would be the most suitable attire."

I answered the hesitating Gordon.
To the warriors of the continent, wearing a cloak meant one thing:
going to war.

Realizing that, Gordon gestured toward the guards standing by the doors.

"The second prince of House Leinrant! Klein Leinrant enters!"

Together with the booming voice echoing through the ballroom, the doors leading into enemy territory opened.

***

The place beyond the doors was a pigsty decorated in gold.

Pigs draped in silk one could never even see in the North.
Their front limbs were densely covered with colorful imperial accessories.

"So that is Young Master Klein?"
"They say he severed Randel's wrist, but isn't he just a young boy?"
"What's with that cloak? Does he think he's heading to war?"

As I walked among them, the eyes of the pigs deep in conversation all turned toward me at once.

'Just hearing their voices makes me nauseous.'

Pigs bloated from alcohol, luxury, and pleasure.
The very embodiment of the rotten nobility I despised filled this ballroom.

"Welcome, Klein."

A voice so greasy it sounded like it had been coated in oil three times called out my name.

Suppressing my disgust, I bowed politely to the pig who had invited me.

"It's been a long time since I last saw you, Aunt."

When I raised my head, I saw her among the pigs—far more glossy and greasy than the rest.
A smile spread across her lips as she looked me up and down.

Helian Leinrant.

The center of the Leinrant branch faction and the true power behind House Paul Wyvern.
And the very woman who had orchestrated the death of my mother, Duchess Claire.

"Yes. It's nice seeing your face again after so long. However…"

Covering part of her face with the feather fan in her right hand, she looked down at me and spoke.

"You've come dressed in quite… an unusual outfit."

A single sentence dripping with ridicule.
As soon as Helian spoke, muffled laughter rose throughout the ballroom.
They were the branch-family nobles who followed her.

"If you wished to hide your dirty clothes, you could have simply spoken to the head butler. But to wear such a filthy cloak…"
"It's the opposite, Aunt."

Cutting Helian off mid-sentence, I slightly opened the cloak draped around me to reveal the travel clothes underneath.

Travel clothes dirtied from not being changed for two days.
Clothes covered in dirt and dust from the campsite.

"Wouldn't it be a problem if something filthy stained these clean clothes?"

I said that to Helian with a faint smile.

The mocking laughter directed at me stopped midway.

'So they understood what I meant. Pretty smart for pigs.'

I thought that without bothering to hide the smile on my face.

If they had prepared this ballroom expecting my appearance, reports must have been sent from the very moment I departed.

I hadn't worn the cloak even once on the journey from the Leinrant estate to this place.

In simpler terms, this was what I meant:

'Compared to the muddy roads I walked through to get here, this ballroom you're standing in is far filthier.'

"Hahahahaha—!"

At that moment, a clear burst of laughter rang out from one corner of the ballroom.

I turned my head toward the sound and spotted its owner.

'That woman is…?'

A group sitting apart as though the ball displeased them.
At the center sat a girl around my age.

"Ah, ahem…!"

When our eyes met, she hurriedly pretended nothing had happened, but I could still see the corners of her lips twitching.

"That little brat…!"
"Relying only on the prestige of a family that exists in name!"

Meanwhile, nobles throughout the ballroom began murmuring among themselves.
Some flushed red with anger, while others rested their chins on their hands as though amused.

'The important thing is the expression of the person I actually provoked…'

Thinking that, I looked back at Helian's face and nearly snorted.

'Whoa, look at those eyes. If she could, she'd have killed me already.'

The provocation had succeeded.
Though she maintained a smiling face, the tension visible in her forehead and neck made everything obvious.

"You've grown into quite… the bold child."

After saying that and letting out a breath, Helian regained her composure.
Then, wearing the same smile as before, she gestured toward me.

"Come. It has been a long time, so let us talk together as family."

The place Helian pointed to was a salon set up at one corner of the ballroom.
Inside the elegantly decorated area sat a red-haired young man glaring at me.

'As family… So that means that bastard is Helian's son.'

After reaching that conclusion, I willingly followed her.

"Young Master, what about me?"
"Go over there and eat some snacks. I'll be back soon."
"Wow, really? Yay!"

After hearing me, Arin ran off toward one side of the ballroom while carrying the luggage bag.

"That bag's going to turn into a snack bag soon enough."

Muttering that, I followed Helian into the salon and sat in the chair she offered me.

Before I knew it, red wine, venison, and colorful fruits had been placed before me.

"You truly have grown bold, Klein."

Once the curtains closed, the noise of the ballroom faded away.

Now only Helian, myself—
and her son hiding in the corner while watching me—
remained in this place.

"In a situation like this, you didn't shrink back at all. You actually chose to confront it head-on."
"Schemes are best answered directly."

At my jab toward the obvious attempt to pressure me earlier, Helian let out a laugh.

"When a guest from the main house comes, shouldn't I at least prepare this much?"

As she spoke, Helian lifted the glass before her and swirled the crimson wine inside.
Her eyes narrowed.

"You carefully examined the back of the letter, didn't you?"
"Yes."

I answered her voice, which had changed in an instant.

The back of the letter Helian had sent me.
There, she had written an invitation to join the branch faction, along with the rewards I would receive.

"If you had merely been some mediocre fool, I was planning to toss you a suitable position among the imperial high officials. But after today, I've changed my mind."

Helian spoke to me, then placed her wineglass down with a sharp clack.

"I'll make the offer once more, Klein Leinrant."

Eyes overflowing with greed and ambition turned toward me.
The eyes of a monster corrupted beyond redemption.

"If you become my man, I will make you the Duke of Leinrant."

The moment she mentioned the ducal seat, the mana subtly pressing against me grew even stronger.

After confirming that, I let out a slow sigh and looked her in the face.

"I refuse."