Chapter 60: Music and Missteps

Redwood Manor.

It looked as opulent and grand as one would expect.

At the large entrance stood two massive doors, guarded by four Gladius knights──two on each side.

The first thing anyone would notice upon entering was the emblem of House Redwood, sewn onto a large red banner hung at just the right height to be seen but not touched.

The emblem was a mighty redwood tree with its roots coiled around a blood-red spear.

"From earth, we stand..."

"Hm?"

Vritra glanced at Luciana after hearing her mutter something under her breath.

She pointed at the banner hanging above them.

"Uh, that's what it says on the banner."

"Hm, must be their motto or something..."

"Anyway, let's go in!"

Luciana practically leaned her entire body against Vritra's arm as they strolled down the long red carpet that stretched across the grand hall.

"So, is there anything interesting about Edmond worth sharing, or is he just a bore?" Vritra asked.

Luciana giggled softly, pressing herself even closer to him.

"Well, I don't know much about him to say if he's boring or not, though we did have an interesting chat. I've mostly interacted with Lord Cedric and my uncle, Margrave Gilliard, whenever I'm in Gladius."

"Oh, right, your uncle's a Margrave..."

Vritra said thoughtfully.

He clearly remembered her telling him that when she explained the map and the key areas of Duranzia to him.

"Mhm, he oversees the Knightdom of Swordfort and helps defend Fort Bridge Dersat from rogue drifters and Serathen knights. Lately, there's been quite a few, so I am a bit worried about him."

"Huh?"

Vritra noticed how detached her tone sounded, almost as if she were talking about a stranger rather than family.

"Would you like us to visit Swordfort so you can see him, perhaps?" he offered.

"I guess I'd like that..."

Luciana smiled up at Vritra, her expression softening.

"Lord Edmond should be here soon. Unless he was lying yesterday when he said he's overly punctual."

The princess looked around, searching for the nobleman as she spoke.

Moments later, two figures appeared from the corridor... Lord Edmond Redwood, tall and calm, dressed in elegant crimson robes, and beside him, a man with a stern expression and a rugged look, who carried himself with quiet authority.

"Princess Luciana, welcome!"

Lord Edmond bowed in greeting.

"And God Vritra, it's truly an honor to have you here."

His voice was deep and smooth, carrying the practiced warmth of a seasoned nobleman.

Vritra didn't return the bow, but offered a polite nod.

"You're welcome."

[Ding! Edmond Redwood is irritated by your personality. Current Hatred Level: 1 star!]

Undoubtedly an easy man to offend.

Edmond gestured to the man beside him.

"Allow me to introduce Lord Gordias Yellowstone, the head of House Yellowstone. He's a dear friend of the family and a frequent visitor here at the manor."

Lord Gordias gave a slight nod and a quiet, observant look. He didn't say much, but he had a strong, steady presence about him.

"An honor to meet you, God Vritra."

"Mhm..."

The greetings went smoothly, and the conversation quickly became more relaxed. Amid discussions of fortresses and knights, Vritra's red eyes drifted to a grand piano tucked in the corner of the room.

"I wonder how long it's been since I played..."

The young Asura thought to himself, almost as if he were speaking out loud.

The others were surprised when Vritra walked toward the piano at the far end of the hall without saying a word.

Lady Katherine and her two little boys didn't notice him pass by until they turned and saw him sitting at the grand piano.

... Hmm?

Katherine's eyes held a hint of curiosity as she watched him examine the piano closely.

『Can he... play? Hnn, I always did want to learn how they play the piano. Sigh~ I tend to forget how many interests I had before I married Cedric.』

Soon, they all gathered together to watch.

Luciana felt her heart skip as she pushed through the crowd to the front, eager to get a closer look at her husband.

"That's my husband!"

There was a child-like excitement on her face as she pumped her fists in joy, watching her man enchant the room with his musical talent.

"I should record this immediately!"

Luciana pulled out a [Memory Crystal] and held it up like a camera, using it to record her husband as he played. She had a wide grin on her face and laughed almost like a madwoman, her cheeks flushed red and her eyes shining brightly.

[Memory Crystals] were special devices made in the Gun City of Grimbarrow, which allowed people to record moments like a camera. All it took was infusing mana into the crystal and pointing it at whatever they wanted to capture.

The only drawback was that it used a lot of mana.

"ACHK──! Blasted headache!"

The princess's nose was already bleeding from pouring so much mana into the [Memory Crystal].

Though she had a lot of mana as a royal, her control wasn't great, so the device was using three to four times more mana than it should each second.

Vritra had been playing for nearly ten minutes, and Luciana's excitement hadn't faded at all. Even when her nose started bleeding, she would wipe it away and keep recording, her teeth gleaming like white pearls in her wide grin.

"Don't stop playing, honey! You're doing great!"

She recorded with one hand and excitedly waved a fist with her other hand.

... Ugh!

Vritra looked tired and impatient.

『I'm really tired of this. Where are Neron and Ghislaine? It's been 15 minutes already. If they don't bring me something worth my time, I'm going to give them both a severe punishment. Sigh~ I should've known that having a Max-level Performance Arts skill would be too much. I've been playing, but these people aren't getting tired.

In fact, they seem even more interested...』

Just as he was about to give up, Neron and Ghislaine suddenly appeared on either side of Esmeralda, startling her.

"Wh-, Where have you two been?!" the head maid exclaimed.

Ghislaine waved her hand dismissively.

"Oh, it's not that important. I just wish I could've seen the young lord play, damn it!"

She began muttering curses under her breath.

Neron adjusted his outfit and gave a nod to Vritra, who caught the signal and ended the piano performance with a flourish.

CLAP! CLAP!! CLAP!!!

The nobles didn't hesitate for a moment before bursting into applause as Vritra stood up. He acknowledged their cheers with a casual wave of his hand.

Luciana hurried over to him, standing eagerly in front of him like a child eager to share exciting news with their parents.

"That was so beautiful, honey!"

Tears streamed down her face as she clutched her fist tightly and trembling with excitement.

"I'm crying a flood of tears because your performance was just so touching! Your fingerwork is something else!"

"If anyone knows how talented my fingers are, it would be you, naughty woman..."

"Mhm~ I suppose so, tee-hee~ ♡!"

Luciana giggled mischievously.

Vritra pulled out a handkerchief and gently lifted her face to dab the blood trickling from her nose.

"Hmm, you used more mana than you should've."

Embarrassed, Luciana stammered, "I-, I knew I wouldn't get another chance to see you play, so I wanted to record it now to watch later..."

Vritra finished dabbing her nose and raised an eyebrow at her odd comment.

"What do you mean by that? If you want to see me play again, just ask. If I have time, I'll make sure you get the full treatment and an even better one in bed."

With that, Vritra walked away, leaving Luciana holding a bloody handkerchief with her face red like a tomato.

He always managed to leave her flustered.

Katherine and her sons stood up to applaud, but their enthusiasm faded when she saw Vritra approaching with his usual sinister smirk.

"Ahh~ Katherine, it's you..."

The young Asura stopped right in front of her, placed a hand on her cheek, and gently traced his thumbs over her tender, cherry-colored lips, as if he intended to kiss her.

"I want you to meet later today."

"I-, Is it okay if I ask... why?"

"Because I plan to tell you the truth... but for now, enjoy your time here, alright?"

"Al-, Alright, my lord."

"Good girl."

He gave her two small pats on the cheek.