Chapter 137: Invitation To The Imperial Palace

Chapter 137: Invitation To The Imperial Palace

“Ah, well...”

A gasp escaped as soon as he faced Airi, clearly aware of the gravity of the situation.

It was because he instinctively realized how serious their current situation was.

He had once said he would form a bond with everyone, but for him now, the priority was the woman he had first become involved with.

“Let me explain, Airi. Actually, what happened was...”

“You were going to say that you were attacked by a demon disguised as Merilyn, and being under the influence of magic, you unavoidably ended up owing Merilyn, right?”

“Ah, yes. Yes, that’s part of it.”

“And you were indirectly trying to explain that in the process of treatment, Merilyn lost control, and influenced by that, you, Hyo-sung, were directly involved too, weren’t you?”

“Well, that’s because...”

And to her, any false explanations were pointless.

She was a fortune teller. She could see a rough sketch of someone’s past and a few seconds into their future without much effort.

“...Sigh.“

Airi sighed as she watched her partner flustered by her pressing.

However, the anger she had initially shown had long since dissipated.

She simply resigned herself to the inevitable, calming the atmosphere and quietly handing him something she held.

“Here, take this.”

“...What?”

“While you were away, an invitation from the Imperial Family arrived. They will send a carriage tomorrow morning, and you are to attend a banquet held at the Imperial Palace.”

Blink, blink.

At Airi’s response, he repeatedly blinked and looked down at the letter in his hand with a dazed expression.

Of course, the letter from the Imperial Family was something he had been eagerly awaiting.

As much as it represented the acknowledgment of his efforts to date, it should have been his priority.

“Um...”

“Go inside.”

Airi, seeming to have already made up her mind, only uttered in a brusque tone in front of him.

“Having been attacked by a demon today and heading to the Imperial Family tomorrow... you should get a good night’s sleep.”

Compared to the blame he thought he would receive, it was a very quiet conclusion.

But perhaps he thought it wouldn’t end there? Hesitantly, he soon asked Airi with difficulty.

“Are you really okay...?”

“If you keep asking, it won’t be okay.”

Her sharp voice cut him off before he could finish his sentence.

Intimidated by her response, he glanced around for a moment before passing by Airi and heading towards the entrance of their home.

Only silence filled the street, leaving the two of them facing each other.

“Ah~ If you keep asking, it won’t be okay~”

Merilyn was the first to break the silence.

Despite clearly being caught in the act, she brazenly smiled as if it didn’t matter.

“From what I can see, you don’t seem okay even now. Aren’t you pushing yourself too hard~?”

“...Be quiet.”

“Don’t hold it in too much~ If you end up getting sick from all that pent-up anger, Hyo-sung will worry... You should know how to express your anger when it’s necessary~”

Was her current teasing stemming from the joy of having taken her partner?

No, rather, her goal was likely to provoke a reaction from her.

After all, the opponent considered even a rival for love positively and used the conflict as a driving force for her own growth.

Realizing that her love had deepened through the current situation, it was only natural that she’d go all out to break the opponent’s patience.

“Hehe, Airi, why are you so silent? Say whatever you want. Now that I’ve grown even closer to Hyo-sung, I’ll generously accept everything you have to say~”

That damned demon, deliberately provoking her by dragging her partner into this.

Yet, Airi maintained her composure as much as possible, turning away and dropping just one line.



“Gone right after it got intense, you complete pervert.”

“What?!”

“I said, gone right after losing your virginity, you innate slut.”

Her once-smiling face contorted in an instant, a lesson in self-esteem even for an arrogant demon.



“I’ve put other necessary items in this bag... Are you not wearing armor today?”

“Well, it’s not a mission today, but an invitation to a banquet.”

“What about a packed lunch? Should I make one for you now?”

“...Tashian, I’m not going on a picnic.”

“Hehe, sorry, son. Mom must have made too much fuss.”

Tashian looked at me with a smile, intently.

The deep emotion contained in that gaze was what one could call concern for me.

“Really, are you sure it’s okay if I don’t go with you?”

I knew her offer to accompany me was not just about looking after me.

Originally, it had been about excavating dragon remains, and Tashian was the last dragon living in this world, though in decline.

But with her weakened state, if her identity were revealed, the empire might covet her.

“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure no harm comes to Tashian.”

“...I hope you don’t suffer because of me.”

“Don’t worry. If I weren’t perceptive, I wouldn’t have survived this long.”

Even in my weaker days, I had managed to survive.

Now that I had power, my survival rate was even higher. My mindset of carefully assessing situations hadn’t changed.

“Still, don’t push yourself too hard.”

With that, Tashian finished expressing her concern for my bold assertion.

I turned my back on her and then headed for the carriage that had just arrived in front of my home.

So showing the invitation to the coachman would take me directly to the Imperial Palace?

-Click.

At that moment, the door of the carriage opened ahead, and someone stepped out onto the street.

Presumably a guest who was in the carriage before me, they were a teenager with an androgynous appearance, appearing to be in their mid-teens.

No, that was just a guess based on the frock coat and pants they were wearing.

Their appearance was so neat, like a doll’s, that it even made me wonder if they might be a girl.

“...Are you a noble?”

But whether it was one or the other, if my guess originating from the first greeting were true, I couldn’t possibly be so bold as to treat them lightly now.

Even within the nobility, there were distinctions between high and low, and any of them would be above me, a foreign-born commoner.

“Yes, I am Cheska Plandor, the current head of the Plandor family, managing the frontier territories of the Orion Empire.”

Cheska Plandor.

The young noble, who introduced themself in that way, lifted their glasses and directed a blunt gaze at me as they spoke.



“Please feel free to call me Cheska.”

“Ah, yes. Nice to meet you, Cheska. I am Woo Hyo-sung, an adventurer.”

“Yes, Woo Hyo-sung. Shall I call you Hyo-sung from now on?”

“......”

“...What’s wrong?”

“No, uhm... It’s Hyo-sung. Please call me Hyo-sung.”

To call me by my name correctly from our first meeting.

Could they be a kind person?

“It’s chilly today, so let’s get into the carriage first. I will personally guide you to the Imperial Banquet Hall, where you’ll be introduced.”

“Guide...? You’re a noble, and you’re offering to guide me personally?”

“It’s not so odd. Though I am of noble status, you, too, have made significant contributions to humanity’s victory. For someone as remarkable as you, it’s the least I can do to offer guidance.”

Cheska, who boarded the carriage first, quickly adjusted their glasses.

Afterward, they reached out to me and quietly said,

“Moreover, I have an interest in you, so I consider this situation a good opportunity.”

“Interest...?”

“I heard that a hero I sponsor is indebted to you... Do you remember the name Yi Ga-ram?”

Hero Yi Ga-ram.

The noble, who had been sponsoring them since they were branded with the stigma of a fallen hero, revealed themself as such.