Chapter 14. Stealing what others covet. (One)
The banquet hall is the largest and most spacious place in the imperial palace.
A gorgeous chandelier lit up the ceiling, and embroidered emblems of the imperial family were hung here and there, adding to the old-fashioned feel.
Currently, all the emperors and lords who finished the noble meeting were gathered here.
‘Ah, I’m full.’
I, patting my bloated stomach, was one of them.
Until now, the unspoken rule of noble meetings was to have a banquet and a reception after the main meeting.
Therefore, we had just finished eating at the banquet hall next to the banquet hall and were moving here.
‘As expected, the imperial family’s food is of a high standard.’
A smile full of satiety spreads.
I had been looking forward to it since we had the refreshments earlier, and it did not disappoint.
It is true that since I took Requiem, I have enjoyed food less than before. However, the food at the imperial palace was of such a high standard that it brought back my lost appetite.
‘The original work was also famous for its generous reviews.’
Cain, who was accustomed to all kinds of delicacies from the mountains and seas of his territory, could not help but be impressed when he encountered the food of the imperial palace.
At that time, so much effort was put into describing the food in the original that I was drooling over it even while I was in the hospital.
Since I’m planning to stay in the capital for a while, it would be nice to enjoy some quality food like this in the meantime.
To do that… … .
‘I guess I’ll have to change Elice.’
It may already be going hard right now. After her meeting, I looked forward to meeting her.
‘It definitely helped a lot.’
Thanks to the good cooperation from the Vendetta Guild, today’s meeting ended successfully.
The information I have is information, but if it were not for the information that Elice had been researching, putting pressure on the lords would not have gone as smoothly.
‘I guess I’ll have to meet the saint soon.’
A saint was needed to carry out the plan he had in mind. To be exact, you need the Serenade power that the saint has.
“Prince Abel.”
A soft and gentle voice called to me.
“……Lord Mikel.”
I came out of my thoughts and bowed my head towards him.
Mikel approached me accompanied by several lords. There was a warm smile on his face as he looked at me.
“The other lords were anxious to talk to Prince Abel.”
It was different from the formal smile he always wore on his face. It seemed like he was truly pleased with me.
‘I guess you really liked the results of the meeting earlier.’
It’s like blowing your nose without using your hands, so isn’t that true?
Not only did he solve the tax problem he had been suffering from, but he also defeated Carlo, who had always been a thorn in his side.
Perhaps because they felt the same way, the faces of the lords standing behind Mikel were full of goodwill toward me.
“Nice to meet you. My name is Abel Ovest Kindreal.”
When I first greeted them politely, their faces brightened.
“I saw Prince Abel’s proud appearance earlier.”
“It felt like my heart, which had been blocked for so long, had been opened.”
“He seemed incredibly calm as it was his first time attending a meeting. He didn’t seem nervous at all.”
I grinned at the continued pouring of praise.
“What’s there to be nervous about? All you have to do is sit there and say what you have to say.”
They flinched at the confident answer, but then burst into hearty laughter.
“Haha! Of course, you have to have this much guts to speak so eloquently.”
“It’s been a while since I’ve seen such an energetic young man.”
There was no sign of reluctance on their faces that they knew about my rumor. They whispered quietly.
“Isn’t it true that rumors are just going around?”
“And when it passes through the mouths of many people, there are a lot of things that get distorted.”
“So don’t worry about what happened earlier. We are not easily swayed by the words of such haters.”
By saying that, they were praising themselves as bold people who did not listen to rumors.
“Thank you. As expected, you all have great insight.”
As they smiled and praised each other, their laughter grew louder.
“Come on, don’t just stand like this.”
Mikel called attention.
“If you keep talking like that, won’t the palace chefs be disappointed?”
Everyone looked in the direction he was pointing with his hand.
The tables throughout the banquet hall were filled with all kinds of fancy food. Grilled oysters with sauce, fresh and juicy raw fish, etc.
‘These are the types that are perfect for drinking, right?’
Mikel muttered, probably thinking the same thing as me.
“These are good menu items to have a drink with.”
He turned to me and spoke as if explaining.
“During meetings, there are times when we raise our voices or blush at each other. So the purpose of this reception is to let off steam.”
Mikel gestured toward an attendant standing in the distance.
“Of course, there may be something to relieve the fatigue accumulated during long meetings.”
“Actually, if that’s the case, it would be more helpful to just return home quickly.”
Mikel laughed out loud at my response.
“I know exactly. It’s as if I’ve attended the meeting several times.”
The servant who saw Mikel’s gesture approached and bowed his head.
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“Did you call me?”
The lords who saw this were in tears.
“Here we go again.”
“Someone please stop me.”
Despite the lords’ complaints, Mikel steadfastly ordered his servant.
“Give me the whiskey and four glasses.”
After finishing his order, he turned to me.
“Would you like to drink together?”
“great.”
The lords sighed at my answer. They looked at me as if they were looking at a poor lamb.
“Then add another glass.”
“Yes, I understand.”
The attendant bowed deeply and stepped back. After finishing ordering, Mikel asked me.
“Do you enjoy drinking alcohol?”
“I haven’t been drunk yet.”
Interest appeared in Mikel’s eyes at the curious answer.
“It seems like you have quite a bit of alcohol?”
The northern Nord territory is a place where mainstream culture is quite developed. Of course, it was not a culture that enjoyed the scent and taste of alcohol like in the capital.
‘Is it Koldeste?’
A competition in which you enter a cold frozen lake and compete to see who can drink more and for longer.
It’s literally the perfect action to freeze to death. Nevertheless, this competition was held successfully every year.
[You can beat the cold when you’re drunk!]
… … Because northerners think.
Their spirit, competitive spirit, and love for alcohol were truly amazing.
Accordingly, an atmosphere of enjoying strong alcohol was formed in the Nod territory, just like the Obest territory.
‘We drink it to forget the difficult reality.’
Anyway, there were many similarities between the two territories. That fact helped Mikel and me become closer.
“This is the whiskey you requested. Enjoy your time.”
Soon the servant brought the requested alcohol and glasses on a tray. Mikel accepted the tray and took a bottle himself.
“Let me see.”
He smelled the whiskey and smiled.
“It’s 30-year-old whiskey. It’s very good quality.”
“No, you didn’t leave it to us….”
“I will do it.”
Despite the dissuasion of the surrounding lords, he personally poured whiskey into an empty glass. And he picked up a glass and said, “Here, take a drink.”
handed it out to me.
‘-!’
I tried not to open my eyes wide.
‘This much favorability?’
First of all, when Mikel offered me a drink, he meant that he would put me in their strong enclosure.
It is a great achievement that we have become this close after the first meeting. But I didn’t know that he would surpass the other lords and be the first to offer the cup to me.
‘Isn’t that a bit hasty?’
Surprisingly, the other lords did not seem to feel too bad about this situation. Just smile leisurely and observe the situation.
‘… … Aha, I guess that’s it.’
I guess I got pretty high scores from them. Well, who could scratch an itch so comfortably during a meeting?
‘No, maybe…’ … .’
I don’t know if Mikel has other thoughts.
I accepted the glass he offered me without relaxing.
“thank you.”
Mikel’s smile grew brighter when he saw me calmly accepting the glass.
“Go to sleep, get a cup.”
He passed the glass to the remaining lords.
“They say that the older the alcohol, the deeper and richer the aroma.”
“Isn’t good alcohol meant to be enjoyed with good people?”
Everyone didn’t look very pleased, but they didn’t seem to be dissatisfied with the drink itself.
“Whoever chose it, wouldn’t it be natural?”
Mikel chuckled and held out his glass to me and the lords.
“Now, let’s toast. Of course, the first drink is just one shot.”
“ha ha ha…….”
The lords held out their glasses with awkward smiles. I put the glass away without saying anything.
Jang!
The clear sound of glasses clinking against each other dispersed, and everyone brought their glasses to their lips at the same time. The whiskey went down each person’s throat in one gulp.
“The alcohol tastes really good.”
Mikel emptied the glass cleanly and smiled. The color of his face did not change at all.
So much so that anyone would mistake it for drinking water rather than whiskey.
The other lords around him were already starting to see red on their faces. Some people left without even finishing their first drink.
“Why do you only drink this bad alcohol?”
“You are the type of person who does not treat anything with a weak alcohol content as alcohol.”
“If you suggest this type of drink to Prince Abel from the beginning…”
A lord looked at me with concern and trailed off.
“What if I suggest it?”
I grinned at him.
A cleanly emptied glass. And still a smooth white face.
My face was not disturbed at all.
“Hehe, Prince Abel is really a strong drinker, isn’t he?”
“You said you’ve never been drunk, so that’s okay to say.”
The lords laughed and took a step back. The corners of Mikel’s mouth slightly turned up when he saw my unchanging face.
“Okay, how does the alcohol taste?”
“I’m satisfied. It’s truly a Bestique whiskey.”
The surrounding lords widened their eyes in surprise.
“No, how did you know it was that whiskey?”
“You never said your name?”
“I understand that it is a whiskey made by fermenting northern grains.”
I answered slowly, licking my lips with my tongue.
“When I passed it down my throat, I could feel its unique scent.”
“Hehe, it looks like you have a very sensitive sense of taste.”
Mikel added, holding out his next glass.
“Or did you find out about it in advance?”
His eyes narrowed slightly and sharply.
‘He’s not completely oblivious.’
You must have guessed this after seeing him attack other lords earlier. I attended this meeting thoroughly prepared.
“There is a saying that if you know your enemy and know yourself, you will win every battle.”
I took the glass and smiled.
“Isn’t that also true the other way around?”
“Hahaha, that’s right.”
Mikel laughed heartily at the euphemistic agreement without showing any signs of offense.
“Preparing in advance is a good habit.”
“Thank you for the compliment, then….”
He emptied the glass he was holding and put it down.
“How did you come to judge me?”
I returned the exact same questions he had asked before entering the conference room.
“The certainty of whether I am an enemy or an ally.”
It was a euphemistic way of asking whether Mikel would really stand by my side.
It was very important to get Mikel and, by extension, the Nord territory to stand on my side.
To be precise, his daughter, Lea Nord Concellare, will be a strong ally in dealing with Cain.
“Well, wouldn’t yesterday’s ally be able to turn into today’s enemy?”
There was laughter in Mikel’s voice, but there was not a trace of laughter in his sharp, shining blue-gray eyes.
fantasy,
