◈ 175. [Side Story] The night before the party
“One, two, three. One, two, three.”
To the beat of the serenade, the two of us danced a waltz.
No more mistakes, and I got into the rhythm pretty decently. Serenade smiled.
“You dance really well now, sir?”
“… … .”
I quietly faced such a serenade.
Fernandez’s words seemed to keep ringing in my ears.
– This time it’s a girl of proper noble blood. I’m the princess of the Aryan kingdom, and as you know, the Aryan kingdom is the largest of the northern allies… … .
– If you accept this marriage talk well, you will be able to return with enough elite troops to protect the Crossroads.
My molars meshed tight.
– I’m breaking off my engagement to Wintersilver. And, I’ll meet the princess of the Aryan Kingdom.
I said this to avoid the situation at that time.
But when you think rationally, this choice is of course correct.
The daughter of a merchant company on the verge of extinction, and the princess of a northern power.
The comparison itself is embarrassing. There is no point in weighing which side is more beneficial to the monster front.
No matter how large the Winter Silver Merchant is, it cannot be compared to the strength of a single country.
In addition, the Aryan kingdom is the most combative country among the northern countries.
‘There were also a few mercenaries from the Aryan Kingdom in the game.’
As befitting friends from a cold land, all of them were terribly strong characters.
Freezing resistance is basic, and there are several SSR grades.
If he had an arranged marriage with the princess of the Aryan kingdom, he would be able to mobilize these tough and strong northern soldiers to the monster front.
Is that all? If I have an arranged marriage as the imperial family tells me, my relationship with the imperial family will improve.
Then you can get support from the center.
Right now, when you return to the crossroads, don’t you support the elite troops?
however-
“… … .”
It’s reluctant.
Something indescribable reluctance touched my intuition.
thorn tree.
Guardians.
another wire.
doomed fate… … .
My hesitation is not because I feel sorry for this young lady who is dancing with me right now.
It was a sense as a gamer that was strengthened through 742 raids.
In that route, there is something.
But that something… … What do you mean?
Attacking is not done with emotion or intuition.
It is a one-legged road that is built on solid data and evidence.
And it was clear that the data and evidence would stand on the side of the princess of the Aryan kingdom.
“… … .”
I could feel Serenade staring at my troubled face. Suddenly coming to my senses, I continued dancing and asked.
“Serenade, how is the progress of the work you ordered before?”
“Ah, yes! I was just trying to tell you.”
Serenade had been instructed to reorganize the top so that they could trade information. He inquired about its progress.
“Every city with an upper point is sprinkled with informants. I mainly used it to figure out local prices, product prices, the weather, and the current status of special products.”
“Can I use those friends?”
“yes. Since the connection is already complete, we only need to change the type of information we collect.”
The information network has already been completed all over the country.
“And I systematized the code text that was used independently by the family and made it known to the branch managers of each city.”
Serenade said slowly.
“With this method, all the branch managers can write the ciphertext, but only me and my closest associates can interpret it.”
An encryption method is also provided.
“And it’s not the pride of our guild, but… … Each branch has a copy of Jeon Seo-eung.”
“You mean using a falcon to deliver mail?”
“yes. In the past, my father, who was very angry at the fact that the competing guild intentionally caught and killed our guild’s guild leader, introduced it. It cost a lot of money because I had to use taming magic, but the accuracy, speed, and stability are much better.”
You have a lot more stuff than I thought, this top.
I nodded.
“Okay, Serenade. Then use those informants, the cryptograms, and the falcons to gather the information I instruct you for the next three days.”
I spoke at length and in detail about the information the Wintersilver guild needed to gather.
After hearing the whole story, Serenade swallowed dryly and looked at me.
“Gwa, are you okay? This kind of information is pretty dangerous… … .”
I said sternly.
“This is what your family needs to survive. You have to do it right.”
Serenade’s complexion turned pale, but she nodded with a determined face.
“All right. As Nang-gun tells us… … .”
“It’s fine no matter how much money you spend. Any information that seems irrelevant is irrelevant. With the idea of quantity rather than quality, I try to gather as much information as possible.”
After continuing the meeting while dancing like that, today’s dance practice was over.
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Serenade and I stood face to face and bowed toward each other.
“It was a good time. Husband.”
“I enjoyed it too, serenade.”
Let’s say hello to each other now that we are used to each other.
I thought as I watched the serenade with a flushed face and breathless.
Will the Wintersilver family survive or perish?
It will all depend on the information the Wintersilver family gathers in the future.
‘Do your best, serenade.’
Data and rationale left Wintersilver.
But my gut still tells me to stand next to Serenade.
I hope my intuition is correct. however.
If the data and evidence are too clear, for the target… … You may have to make a cruel choice.
***
As the victory celebration approached, the imperial capital became increasingly busy and chaotic.
In every alley of the city, lanterns wrapped in colorful cloth were hung and national flags were hung.
The design of the national flag was quite intentional, with the flags of the imperial allies, especially the flags of the allies on the northern front, emphasized along with the imperial flag.
Obvious but effective.
Time passed quickly, and it was the day before the party.
I nodded to Alberto’s tearful plea to stay quietly in the palace for today, and I put on an invisibility cloak and came out of the palace.
I’m running out of time to listen to you now, Alberto.
‘It’s the eve of the festival, so it’s not even a fuss.’
After safely escaping the palace, take off the cloak and put it in your inventory.
I blew a whistle as I searched the bustling alleys of the city.
Streets, stalls, food, and entertainment are everywhere. And it is full of people pouring out excitedly.
‘It would be fun to bring my party members.’
As we passed the noisy streets, I briefly fantasized about strolling this place with my party members.
Evangeline said she had graduated here a while ago and was running around in front of the front to give directions, but then the [mistake-filled] trait exploded and she fell asleep.
Damian looked around with his eyes wide open and said with those good eyes, ‘They sell chicken skewers over there!’ ‘They sell fried bread over there!’ While doing so, he will serve as a scout.
Junior wouldn’t snoop over there in front of a shop that sells firecrackers or magic balloons.
Saying something like ‘I should have started a business too’. I wish I could stop bleeding.
Lucas… … You’ll stick right behind me
Protecting me with a solemn face.
As I was walking around the festival street, imagining what the main party members would look like, someone tapped me on the shoulder. huh?
I turned around because I wanted someone, and it was Elise. She was still dressed in a maid’s uniform, with a stern face, and a coffin on her back.
“You are here, Your Highness.”
I clicked my tongue.
“Your name is a festival, so why don’t you straighten your face a bit, Elise?”
“… … .”
“At least leave that coffin behind.”
What’s up with the festival? People around you are afraid. that… … The content is also really scary.
Without pretending to hear what I was saying, Elise muttered in her characteristic gloomy voice.
“The master ordered it. It is certain that His Highness the Prince will be wandering around the city alone, so escort him by the side.”
“So you were waiting for me?”
“I was waiting around the palace, and I felt something invisible and transparent, so I chased after it and the prince delivered it.”
Did he follow the invisibility cloak, which doesn’t even apply to detection magic level 3 or lower?
After all, Gaeko is down to the SSR level… … No, you have a good sense anyway.
“There are a lot of foreign people in the ecliptic right now. The Central Standing Army has increased its security posture, but it is highly likely that more impure things will happen than usual due to the excitement of the festival.”
Elise looked around sharply with her navy blue eyes.
“I will escort you. Please move to a safe place.”
“After all, aren’t you the most dangerous?”
While trying to slit my throat with the coffin behind his back.
“… … Right now, I have no intention of harming Your Highness.”
Elise glanced at me.
“Your Highness has also changed… … Above all, I am unmanned. He is not shameless enough to go after the person he owes his life to.”
“Then I’m glad.”
I shrugged and started walking forward. Elise quickly got behind me.
“So, where are you going?”
“To your master.”
Where else would I go One last dance or checkup the day before the party.
“Why, don’t you like it?”
When I asked, Elise answered bluntly.
“To be honest, I hate it, but the lady likes it. I was told to bring it to the lady if possible.”
“Even the serenade is disingenuous.”
What escort is an escort? Just say something like ‘I sent Elise to meet you, so please come to me’ from the beginning.
“… … Is there something wrong with the top?”
As I was heading to the pier through the crowded streets, I asked Elise out of the blue.
“The pressure of the imperial family, the dukes of the dark women… … Anything else?”
“doesn’t exist.”
Elise, who responded coldly, asked me as if a little surprised.
“Will that happen soon?”
“I don’t know. How will things in the world go?”
The imperial family has yet to touch the top of Winter Silver.
Have you decided that it is better not to cause unnecessary trouble ahead of an important event?
Or are you just too busy to pay attention?
There was no official notice of breakup, and there was no movement to take away the corps.
‘Then there is still a chance.’
If the party goes well tomorrow… … .
There is still a way to survive at the top of Wintersilver. Even if I break off the marriage with Serenade and connect with the Aryan kingdom… … .
“hmm?”
It was then.
Elise sniffed and began to sniff. What’s wrong, bitch.
“Somewhere… … It smells like burning… … .”
“huh? Isn’t it the smell of grilling meat at the stall?”
“No, this… … .”
Elise opened her navy blue eyes.
“It is the smell of fire.”
An ominous feeling ran down his spine.
Elise and I met eyes for an instant, and without saying anything, we started running south through the crowd.
I could see acrid smoke rising in the southern sky.
As we made our way through the crowd of screaming and fleeing people to the pier, we saw huge flames.
A burning building engulfed in flames… … The same building where I practiced ballroom dancing until just yesterday.
It was a building at the top of Wintersilver.
“… … miss.”
Elysee screamed for the first time and ran towards the building that was engulfed in flames.
“Serenade lady!”
Damn this.
I also hurriedly followed him.
