Chapter 98

Day 1 of the Hunting Festival.

The first day of any festival is usually chaotic. The prelude to the start is always annoyingly messy, which is why I tend to avoid such events. Amidst the bustling crowd, my mind tends to go blank, and the endless noise only makes me more irritable.

“Shall we go now?”

And becoming the center of a new chaos was also something I dreaded.

“…Camilla, do we really have to do this?”

“Would you rather get out of the carriage disheveled and gasping for breath?”

“Never mind, it was foolish of me to ask.”

There was no choice. This chaos was just another fleeting moment I had to endure.

Any pain or suffering would pass if I just closed my eyes for a moment. Just like my happiness.

Come to think of it, even the rumors that would start spreading now would be nothing more than a fleeting moment for me. Before the rumors could take shape, my life would already be gone.

“…If we’re going to do it, we might as well do it properly.”

I despise people who half-heartedly handle their responsibilities.

I stepped out of the carriage, holding hands with Camilla. She seemed a bit flustered at first but quickly regained her composure and flashed a relaxed smile.

The onlookers seemed quite shocked by our display, but Camilla wasn’t the type to care about such things. In fact, she seemed to enjoy the attention.

In the distance, I caught a glimpse of Rosie watching us… but she quickly disappeared into the crowd.

“…Do you know why Rosie is acting like that?”

“Hahaha… Who knows? Maybe she really needs to use the bathroom?”

“I see. I hope it’s not something like food poisoning.”

I wasn’t particularly worried, but since she was Layla’s sister, I could at least wish for her health. Just that much.

Anything beyond that wasn’t my place to get involved, nor did I want to. It might sound a bit harsh, but that’s how it was.

Now, I wonder if such judgments even hold any meaning.

“Ah. If we’re going to do it, we should do it properly.”

“…What’s that supposed to mean?”

Camilla suddenly crossed her arms and started laughing, as if she had just thought of something brilliant.

It wasn’t unusual for me to not understand Camilla’s actions, but today it felt a bit excessive.

“This way, annoying rumors won’t spread.”

“The rumors will become certainties.”

“But at least we stopped the rumors, right?”

“…Rosie’s reputation will take a hit.”

“That’s only if she had any reputation to begin with.”

“You’re unusually sharp-tongued today.”

“And you’re not exactly normal either, talking about another woman in front of the one whose arm you’re holding.”

“….”

Cecilia, who had come along as both a guard and an assistant, quietly nodded in agreement.

As we headed toward the tent village, which served as the participants’ lodgings, it became clear that this was no ordinary tent village. It was more like a palace made of fabric.

“Quite extravagant.”

“All this for a hunting festival that lasts just a week. You’d think they were living here for a year.”

“…Even we on the battlefield never used such spacious and luxurious tents. It’s a bit bitter to see them used for mere entertainment.”

There’s no money to send to soldiers dying on the battlefield, but plenty to waste on this kind of frivolity.

In a way, this empire always manages to surprise me. The saying that you won’t be betrayed if you don’t expect anything feels hollow. Even without expectations, betrayal is a constant.

I’m not the type to wish misfortune on others, but back in my foolish days, I even thought it would be better if the empire just collapsed.

Of course, His Majesty and Her Majesty the Empress always had that phrase on their lips.

As I took a moment to catch my breath away from Camilla, a vulgar voice reached my ears.

“…Oh my, what do we have here? Isn’t this the bastard who turned out not to be of our bloodline?”

…It seems I’ll be wishing for the empire’s downfall once again.

“Aron Berze.”

Aron was my cousin, the son of my aunt who had married into the family. Though, strictly speaking, she wasn’t even my aunt. I couldn’t even remember her name, so I just called her that.

When my mother’s madness worsened during my childhood, I had stayed at my aunt’s house for a while, so there was some connection. Though not a good one.

“No matter how you look at it, you’re a disgrace to the Berze family. A bastard with the blood of savages sitting as the head of the prestigious Berze family. I’m worried the seat might get dirty.”

“…The stench of women’s perfume is overwhelming. You still haven’t kicked your habit of chasing skirts, I see.”

“No matter how you look at it, I should have been the family head. Just because you went to war, you think you can take the seat?!”

I have no idea what he’s hoping to achieve by suddenly coming over and throwing a tantrum about the past.

If he had a legitimate demand, that would be one thing. But suddenly bringing up old grievances and getting angry? What does he expect me to do?

I can’t turn back time, and even if I could, I wouldn’t give up the family head position to him.

“Along with the women’s perfume, that sour smell is the distinctive odor of someone who’s been using illegal drugs. If you lack the self-control to stay off them, at least have the wisdom to hide it, or the diligence to bathe regularly.”

“Hey… I’m talking to you…”

“And to add, filth and frequent relations with women can lead to sexually transmitted diseases. And those diseases can cause erectile dysfunction and…”

“You damn bastard!!!!”

Perhaps it was the mocking laughter of the noble ladies around us.

I was only giving him sincere advice, but Aron grabbed my collar and started yelling.

“You trash who doesn’t deserve the Berze name, how dare you climb so high? Fine, today I’ll…”

“Can you beat me?”

“What?”

“I asked if you can beat me in a fight.”

I don’t like people who talk big but can’t back it up.

“You bastard, you’re really looking down on me till the end. You’ve always been like this since we were kids…!”

“Since we were kids, I’ve only said you’re pathetic for going to brothels.”

As Aron raised his right hand, a burly woman grabbed his wrist.

“Not in front of the children.”

“But Mom…”

He… the one he called “Mom” was my aunt.

She was my father’s sister, but… that was all.

“…Let’s go back.”

“Oh, Raul, stay a bit longer.”

“I had no reason to stay until just now, but now I do.”

Then my aunt grabbed my wrist and started smiling slyly.

“It’s been a while since we’ve seen each other, why don’t you be a bit nicer? You’re not the family head anymore, so life must be tough. If you want, I can help you out a bit. Just a little with your aunt…”

I was about to grimace at my aunt’s sly smile when a cold voice interrupted.

“Raul Berze.”

It was a hollow but familiar voice.

“Latri, what brings you here…?”

“Raul Berze. Even though we’re no longer related, I taught you not to associate with worthless things. I’m a bit disappointed.”

“What worthless things? Are you done talking…? Raul, say something…!”

I didn’t back down and responded in kind.

“I also have no interest in associating with livestock. Judging by appearances alone, your discernment seems to have dulled.”

“What livestock? Raul, you damn bastard…!”

“I didn’t know you cared more about reputation than the truth.”

Aron tightened his grip on my collar, but I didn’t care.

“Sometimes, appearances are more important than the truth. What’s visible can often be the most important. These filth reek just by being near them.”

“Filth? Stench? Latri, are you done?”

“Sometimes the truth doesn’t matter, don’t you know that?”

We exchanged sharp words, ignoring the noise around us.

Our verbal sparring was as intense as a sword fight, and the surrounding nobles only whispered among themselves, not daring to approach.

“My younger brother doted on you, so I tried to be kind, but you and your mother are truly something. No wonder a whore who was gang-raped while holding a sword, or a savage’s bloodline like you…”

At that moment.

With a loud crash, my aunt was sent flying, breaking three trees in the process.

Others might not have seen it, but I did. The Countess had slapped my aunt’s face with the back of her hand.

“…I didn’t do it for you. That would be hypocritical.”

“Wise as always.”

The Countess left as abruptly as she had appeared, and Aron started shaking his unconscious mother.

“Mom! Mom! Wake up, Mom!”

“Judging by her heartbeat, she’s just fainted.”

“You… no, you all better be prepared. The price for messing with us…!”

Then, Kyle and Rizel, who had been watching from a distance, approached.

“Rizel…!”

Come to think of it, Aron was one of the men who had proposed to Rizel. Even though they were cousins.

“Oh, Miss.”

“What?”

“Could you hold this for a moment?”

Kyle pretended to hand the staff he was holding in his left hand to Rizel on his right, but instead, he smacked Aron’s side.

“Ahhh!!!”

“Oops, sorry.”

“You bastard, whose head do you think you’re hitting…!”

Rizel sighed as she took the staff from Kyle.

“It’s a bit heavy…”

“Should I take it back?”

“Would you?”

Then Kyle pretended to take the staff back and smacked Aron’s other side.

“Gahhh!!!”

“Oops, my bad.”

Kyle then turned to leave.

“You lowlife bastard!!!”

“Yes?”

Kyle turned around again and smacked Aron’s head.

At this point, you’d think he’d give up, but his arrogance seemed to have reached a whole new level. It was almost admirable.

“You think you can mess with me and get away with it?”

“Hmm? You’re a noble, so maybe not?”

Then Kyle, with a teasing expression, asked Rizel.

“Miss, since I’m just a lowlife, I don’t know much, but if I’m already screwed, wouldn’t it be better to hit him a few more times before leaving?”

“Probably.”

“Wow~.”

Then Aron abandoned his unconscious mother and ran away.

“Idiot…”

Kyle spat on a rock and scratched his head, looking bored.

“Kyle…”

“Yes, Raul?”

“That’s not a rock, that’s my aunt… no, that guy’s mother.”

“Ah. I thought it was a big rock… but fundamentally, it’s not much different, is it?”

Then Rizel also nodded vigorously in agreement.

Come to think of it, my aunt didn’t like Rizel much. There were many reasons, but her appearance was probably the main one.

“Should I spit too? Spitting on a rock, what’s the big deal?”

“Do as you please. I’ve got some phlegm too…”

Kyle was clearly smart, but sometimes he acted like a complete idiot, which was a problem.

Leaving the two fools engrossed in spitting, I headed toward the hunting grounds.

As I approached the entrance where Camilla was waiting, I saw her lifting Aron by the neck.

Given Aron’s womanizing tendencies, it was obvious what had happened…

I felt a bit tired.

Thinking that this scene would repeat for a whole week made my head hurt.

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