Chapter 26: The Ruinous Gathering (1)

“Master, a letter has arrived from Duke Ishtar."

Franz took the letter Arian handed him. He had recently sent a letter to Duke Ishtar confirming his attendance at the social gathering, and this was the reply. Franz's eyes slowly scanned the letter.

『To my dear Magic Tower Master Franz Gilbert,

The sun is warm, the sky is clear, and it is a day that naturally lifts the spirits.

When I opened my eyes this morning, the birds...

(Omitted)

It is truly an honor that your first social gathering will be the one hosted by our Ishtar Duchy.

Well then, I shall see you on the day of the gathering.』

Alright, attending the social gathering was settled.

But why on earth was this letter so long? The actual necessary information was written in the last two lines, while the remaining forty lines were filled with completely useless content. Noble letters were often like this, but he still couldn't understand their way of thinking. For someone with the sensibilities of a 21st-century modern person, 'just the essentials' was the norm.

Franz placed the letter down on the desk and shifted his gaze to Arian.

"Arian, what about you?"

"It went well for me too."

Fortunately, it seemed Arian had also received permission to attend. Well, they were both from duchies. There was no reason to refuse, nor could they refuse. Still, he felt a bit sorry, as this seemed to put the Frigia Duchy on the same level as that cultist bastard.

'Well, it should be fine.'

After all, the Ishtar Duchy wouldn't exist after the day of the social gathering anyway.

In any case, Arian had already helped him pick out clothes a while ago, so now all he had to do was wait for the day of the gathering.

"Master, shall I arrange for a carriage?"

"A carriage? Why?"

When Franz expressed his confusion, Arian momentarily blanked out. It was an unexpected response. Then, belatedly regaining her senses, she questioned his question.

"Aren't you attending the social gathering?"

"That's right?"

"Are you planning to walk?"

"No, why would I walk?"

They couldn't understand each other's words. Their perspectives were fundamentally different.

To Arian, a carriage was a means of transportation to travel long distances quickly. Therefore, taking a carriage to the social gathering venue was the natural thing to do.

To Franz, however, a carriage was merely a means of leisurely enjoying a journey. If the sole purpose was to reach the destination, using Teleport was much faster.

Of course, most people thought like Arian.

Realizing this belatedly, Franz said, "I'll teleport on the day of the gathering."

"Yes..."

Arian replied in a voice full of disappointment. It took a full two days by carriage from the Magic Tower to the Ishtar Duke's residence. Her plan to spend those two days cozily and sweetly inside the carriage crumbled to pieces.

'Ludwin, I'm sorry.'

Arian apologized to the child in her imagination. The day of his birth had been pushed back a little further.

Franz, however, remained oblivious. He was merely thinking, 'Riding in a carriage for a long time makes my back hurt-'

* * * * *

On the day of the social gathering.

Franz took off his usual clothes and changed into the outfit Arian had chosen for him. It was similar to a tuxedo, the kind nobles often wore. It had been a really long time since he'd worn such clothes, so he couldn't shake off the feeling of discomfort. Still, it would be for a day at most, and thanks to Arian's consideration, it was much more comfortable than it could have been, so he didn't complain.

Soon after, Arian arrived.

"S-Sorry. It took some time to get ready..."

Arian couldn't finish her sentence. Despite having seen him like this once before, she was struck anew. If the unadorned Franz was handsome, then the dressed-up Franz was beyond words.

Franz had no way of knowing Arian's thoughts. He simply acted as usual.

"It's fine. The social gathering isn't something that starts and ends quickly."

"That's a relief then... More importantly..."

Arian hesitated, trailing off.

Franz tilted his head slightly in response. More importantly? What on earth did she want to say-, he wondered.

"...You look dashing today."

Arian squeezed out the words with courage. Elin had advised her that she absolutely had to give a compliment.

Then, something surprising happened.

"Ah, really? Thanks. You look pretty today too."

Franz found her compliment a little awkward, but he returned it decisively.

'She really is pretty today.'

Objectively speaking, Arian looked truly beautiful. Her lightly waved hair felt elegant, and her natural makeup with slightly flushed cheeks was charming. Her appearance made the ornate dress look fitting rather than excessive. She was truly like a fish back in water.

"Your collar is folded here."

Arian approached Franz and straightened his folded collar.

Franz noticed a somehow familiar scent wafting from her. It was subtle enough not to be unpleasant, seeming just right.

"Did you put on perfume?"

"Ah, yes. I had the scent you liked from the tea shop made into a perfume."

"No wonder the scent is so nice."

"Thank you."

Ah, so that's why the scent was familiar. Franz simply thought that and moved on. She must have really liked the scent-, he figured.

"Alright, let's go now."

"Yes."

A complex magic circle formed beneath Franz's feet. In a flash of light, the two figures disappeared from the Magic Tower Master's office.

When they reappeared, it was in front of a massive mansion. It was five times larger than the bald pig's mansion he had seen before. At this scale, it should be called a castle rather than a mansion.

"Wh-Who are you?!"

The knight guarding the mansion entrance asked, his eyes wide. Well, it was only natural to be surprised when people suddenly appeared where there was nothing before. Nevertheless, judging their status by their attire and using respectful language was a very commendable decision.

"Magic Tower Master Franz Gilbert."

"Arian Frigia."

"Ah, ahh, I apologize for not recognizing you."

As Franz and Arian revealed their identities, the knight bowed his head deeply and apologized. If one were to strictly assign blame, it would lie with those who appeared suddenly, but this was the reality between nobles and commoners.

Franz walked past the knight with Arian, heading inside. He offered a silent prayer of condolence to the knight. Because once Duke Ishtar was revealed as a cultist, the knight would likely be burned at the stake regardless of his guilt or innocence.

"See, I told you we should have taken a carriage."

"I didn't know it would turn out like this."

"Let's take a carriage next time."

"Yeah, let's do that."

Franz naturally fell into the trap Arian had set, flowing like water, but he didn't notice. His mind was already preoccupied with thoughts of Duke Ishtar and Yuna.

Soon, the two arrived at the social gathering hall. Since some time had passed after the gathering started, the other nobles were already engaged in their own conversations.

'Let's see, Duke Ishtar is...'

Franz's gaze swept across the hall. Upon attending a social gathering, the first thing to do was greet the host. If he had his way, he'd immediately search for evidence that the Duke was a cultist, but acting suspiciously might make things more difficult.

"There he is."

At Arian's words, Franz shifted his gaze. There stood the tall and slender Duke Ishtar.

He looked perfectly normal, so why did he get involved in something like a cult? Well, even if there was a reason, it wasn't likely he'd be able to understand it.

Franz approached Duke Ishtar with Arian.

"Duke Ishtar, it's a pleasure to meet you. I am Magic Tower Master Franz Gilbert."

When Franz offered his greeting, the Duke welcomed him with a bright smile.

"My, it is truly an honor to meet the Magic Tower Master in person."

"The honor is all mine to meet you, Duke."

"Haha-, you flatter me. I would love to have a long conversation with you, but unfortunately, I'm a bit busy today, so it will be difficult. I will definitely make time next time."

"If you have matters to attend to, it cannot be helped."

Although there wouldn't be a next time.

Duke Ishtar departed somewhere, leaving Franz and Arian alone once more.

"Master, what should we do now?"

Arian whispered softly to Franz.

Franz looked around, lost in thought for a moment.

'For now, it seems best to observe a little longer.'

It would be strange for someone who just arrived at the gathering to suddenly disappear. For now, it seemed necessary to act normally to avoid suspicion.

"Let's just pretend to enjoy the social gathering for now."

Saying so, Franz took two glasses of wine from a passing servant. He was just about to hand one to Arian.

'Something's strange.'

He felt an inexplicable sense of unease from the wine. Yes, it was a sticky, cloying feeling, much like encountering a magical beast.

Franz expanded his mana outwards to investigate more closely.

And he realized.

'I think we're in real trouble.'

He felt the exact same sensation from all the wine being drunk by the nobles in this hall.

It seemed Duke Ishtar was planning to cause an incident.