Chapter 61

Chapter 61

The abrupt words from Seongjin left the people from Brittany utterly flustered.

What are you blabbering now?

Ah, ah. Even if you have a lot of complaints, you should have at least maintained a certain level of decorum when gossiping. Saying that the Marquis is XXX or slandering young master Ravioli as an XXXthese are things too disgraceful to even utter from my own lips.

What is this guy spouting off about?

It was obviously a bunch of bullsh*t. But then

What would happen if this lunatic actually goes and blabbers all this to the guards?

The helmet-styled guy quickly put his thoughts together.

A disturbance involving a foreigner. Certainly, to avoid petty squabbles, all details investigated by Delcrosss guards would be relayed to Brittany without exception, including this baseless talk.

And those reports would first reach their employer, Marquis Ravioli.

If the boy outright states that they insulted the royal family, this could escalate into a major diplomatic issue.

Therefore, the Marquis might actually try to prevent the issue from going public. He would claim that the boy falsely accused innocent people, and he wouldnt hesitate to use his influence and money to support this.

But what if the boy simply claims he heard gossip about the Marquis Ravioli?

It wouldnt turn into a diplomatic crisis, and his claims would ironically gain credibility since it could be seen as a minor event that could happen to anyone. The young heir of Ravioli might just send them back to Brittany without hearing their excuses.

And they would have to face a furious Marquis, angry that they had insulted him right in the heart of the empire.

No way

The helmet-styled guy looked at the boy in front of him with suspicious eyes.

Is he saying that rather than waiting for the Marquis to cover this up, hed minimize the issue but make sure we get what we deserve? Dont tell me Surely not, is it?

Such a young boy wouldnt have thought that far, surely.

But looking at that face

His expression

A slight twist in his lips, the boy wore an unsettling smile.

Im ready to make you all pay, no matter what it takes.

An impending sense of crisis overwhelmed him as if the boy would resort to anything if provoked!

The helmet-styled guy opened his mouth with a slightly trembling voice.

Do you think the guards will believe such nonsense? Anyone can see that this is an outrageous false accusation!

A false accusation

Seongjin grinned, pulling up the corners of his mouth into a malevolent smile.

Thats your claim. But do you have any proof? Can you show evidence to the guards that you didnt say those things? If you have a third-party here who understands this backwoods Brittany language, bring them out. You XX.

Eeeek!

The faces of the men from Brittany flushed redder than beetroot.

Meanwhile, Seongjin, who was lightly scratching the surface while applying medication, was also going through similar thoughts.

I hate to do it, but theres no other way. Best to keep the details under wraps.

If he had known from the beginning that they were speaking in Brittanys language, he would have considered different options rather than confronting them in public.

I have the moral high ground. But given that the birthday celebration is soon, its in the best interest of both Delcross and Brittany to keep this quiet.

Brittany wouldnt publicly admit their knights openly insulted the imperial family. Theyre already under a lot of pressure from the empire; admitting to more diplomatic issues wouldnt be beneficial.

The same goes for Delcross. Publicly filing a complaint with Brittany wont gain them anything tangible, but the rumor will tarnish the imperial familys reputation.

Also, escalating this with physical violence isnt a good picture either.

Causing a ruckus in a civilian restaurant would already be subject to public scrutiny. If the instigator turns out to be the disgraceful prince of the imperial family, it would be a humiliation that could reverberate across the entire continent.

That loser actually drew his sword on a foreigner who visited for the birthday celebration? To think this is called a thousand-year-old kingdom. The level of hospitality is truly remarkable.

At this point, the question of who was right or wrong in the altercation might be meaningless.

I wish they would just draw their swords first. Theyre more cautious than I thought

Seongjin narrowed his eyes and examined the men with shaven heads in front of him.

In reality, he had been purposely provoking these men while keeping his Aura bound and at a low active level. With their numerical advantage, he thought if he showed even a hint of weakness, they might impulsively attack.

Despite rising as if they were about to charge, they hesitated, gripping their swords but not unsheathing them.

The hesitation stemmed from various practical considerations. Starting a bloody altercation would be a headache for both sides.

In that case,

Maybe I should just wait like this and then go to the guard post

Seongjin quietly considered his options as he kept an eye on the men from Brittany.

Just then, there was a commotion at the entrance, and a group of armed knights and guards swiftly entered the restaurant.

Considering how quickly they responded, it was an impressively fast deployment.

How can we just consider this a non-issue when an armed conflict has broken out right in the middle of the imperial city, and there is a formal report about it, Your Highness?

It was a misunderstanding, I tell you.

What nonsense. There is a restaurant that clearly suffered damage, and there are witnesses who fled in the middle of their meal. How can you say such a thing?

Then, Charles, who had been listening from the side, looked at the knight with wide eyes in disbelief.

Even so, I have already ordered compensation for the restaurant where the incident occurred, more than three times their loss of business. However, there is no one who was actually damaged or really hurt.

What? But

Feeling the hesitation from the knight, Seongjin added,

If youre hesitant to decide on your own, can you call your superior here? I can personally explain everything in detail to him. If needed, I can even arrange a meeting to report directly to my father.

The knights face turned sour.

He had been bothered by the prince late into the evening, and now he might even have to face the Emperor. Who will his stressed-out superior vent his frustrations on?

Alright, lets consider it water under the bridge

I have no doubt that your decision today will contribute greatly to the friendship between Delcross and Brittany.

Seongjin patted the knights shoulder with a full-faced smile.

As they left the guard post, the sun had almost set, and the surroundings were getting dark.

The streets, once bustling with crowds, had also become somewhat deserted, with carriages and carts moving aimlessly.

So much for training today.

He had tried to save some time for training but what a waste it turned out to be.

As he waited for Maria, who had gone to find a carriage, Seongjin grumbled internally. Charles quietly approached him.

Are you sure its okay for us not to accompany you to the palace, Your Highness?

Seongjin silently looked down at the boy.

Charles was looking up at him with an innocent, childlike face.

It was annoying enough to have unnecessary expenditures due to involvement with the notorious prince, but one couldnt find any emotion other than extreme goodwill on that face.

For that reason, Seongjin thought to himself,

Somehow, hes a suspicious little guy.

However, he couldnt spit in the face of someone approaching him with a smile.

Today, youve done me a favor, Lord Charles.

Thanks to the boys rather mature handling of the situation, a potential big conflict was quietly resolved. Aside from his inscrutable inner thoughts, Seongjin had to admit that he got along quite well with him.

Upon hearing Seongjins words, the young marquis Charles jumped up, clapping his hands.

How outrageous! We should be the ones grateful for Your Highnesss generous treatment.

As for being generous

No, I have a fair idea of what kind of rudeness my knights may have shown to Your Highness. When I return, I plan to punish them severely. Please let go of your anger, Your Highness.

Even if they are severely punished for their irreverence, it wont be satisfying. To show such magnanimity for the sake of diplomatic relations between our nations! I can only feel apologetic to Your Highness.

Just look at this guy.

Hes subtly polite but obviously afraid of the detailed story leaking from Sungjins mouth. Hes even gently placating by promising to punish the involved knights.

It means he already knows what kind of talk his knights usually engage in.

In that case,

Seongjin looked down at Charles and gave him a mocking smile.

I dont need an escort to the palace, but if its alright with you, your excellency, would you care to converse with me until the carriage arrives?

Wow. To speak Brittanian so fluently!

Charless eyes began to shine even more brightly as he looked up at Seongjin.

Afterward, Seongjin and Charles exchanged light banter in Brittanian.

Their conversation had no major theme. It was just a variety of minor stories about recent trends in Brittany or the wellbeing of the imperial family.

Only the knights, who were huddled behind Charles, tensed up each time Seongjin opened his mouth.

In the midst of it all, it went without saying that their young marquis repeatedly exclaimed in admiration at Seongjins proficiency in Brittanian.

You are truly remarkable, Your Highness! Ive never seen a foreigner pronounce Arrhc so smoothly!

So what exactly is this Arrhc anyway?

This was long while ago, but I used to learn basic Germany for three months and I must say, this 'arrchh' pronunciation reminds me of that period, LOL.