Chapter 346

C346. Voting (1)

When Alon received the interview document from Alexion for the first time, he didn’t think too much about it: he would simply choose a suitable partner.

…until he saw the candidates’ names.

‘…why is Yutia here…?’

Yes, Yutia‘s name was written on the interview document.

And not only that.

Upon verifying that the names of everyone currently staying at the Marquis’s house were included—including her—Alon was momentarily confused.

‘…What is going on?’

Although, of course, in the case of Yutia and Seolrang…

Just as Evan had told him, both had been constantly exchanging letters, so it might make sense for them to submit a partner interview.

But what about Rine and Magrina, who were in Fildegreen?

How on earth had he managed to contact them?

And the same went for Historia and Ryanga.

He could understand managing to contact them if he knew they were in Divine Land, but how did Alexion know about the relationship they had with him?

Alon tilted his head unknowingly.

He looked at Alexion.

“Alexion.”

“Yes.”

“…You said you had sent letters to receive participants, right?”

“That is correct.”

“…Let’s say it is understandable with Yutia and Seolrang, but how did you send letters to the others?”

“That is…”

Alexion averted his gaze slightly to the side, and suddenly turned pale. Then he answered with an awkward smile.

“Ah, that… I heard it from Mr. Evan.”

“…From Evan?”

“Yes.”

“I see.”

Then something began to make sense.

Alon nodded, but noticed that Alexion’s eyes kept darting furtively elsewhere.

And as soon as he realized that gaze was directed behind him, he turned around immediately.

But behind the window at his back, there was nothing.

Only the usual scenery of the castle interior.

Alon felt a slight doubt, but only for an instant.

Maybe he had seen wrong, he thought. Turning his gaze back to the front, he decided to ask one of the doubts he had in mind.

“By the way.”

“Yes.”

“…Is this interview document properly researched?”

“Of course it is… Why do you ask?”

“Well, it said that Yutia Bloodia is eighteen years old.”

An innocent question.

Alexion hesitated.

Should he tell the truth?

At that moment, Alexion could clearly see the eyes of those pressuring him to tell the truth.

In the window behind Alon—where there was nothing when he looked before—now there were several people staring intently at Alexion again.

Among them, Seolrang and Rine.

‘It’s now! Tell the truth! Come on!’

They were pressed against each other, eyes wide open, cheering him on from the opposite window—a window where only Alexion could see them.

“Well… the truth is that…”

Just when Alexion, gathering courage thanks to those “cheers”, was about to speak—

He saw her.

The faces of Seolrang and Rine, which a moment ago showed fierce enthusiasm, suddenly turned pale.

And then—

Fwoosh!

They disappeared from the window as if they had been sucked into somewhere.

“…!”

A scene worthy of a horror story.

Alexion opened his mouth unintentionally, letting out a squeak.

Alon looked at him in confusion, but Alexion couldn’t look away.

And what appeared in his field of vision was a pair of glowing red eyes.

Despite it being broad daylight…

From the dark opposite window, those red eyes shone.

And beneath them…

The faint smile of Yutia Bloodia.

Was it faint because she was covered by darkness?

Or was it that really…?

Was her smile disappearing?

But.

As soon as Alon noticed the direction of Alexion’s gaze and turned around again…

Yutia disappeared as if she had never been there.

“Alexion.”

“Y-yes, Lord Marquis…”

“…Is there something behind the window?”

At that sudden question:

“…N-no, there is nothing.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“Well, for there to be nothing…”

He denied it weakly.

Alon observed him as if something didn’t add up.

But Alexion couldn’t open his mouth.

Because as soon as Alon looked back to the front, Alexion saw Yutia again, with a smile that was growing fainter.

That’s why—

“T-the truth is… the truth is!”

“…The truth?”

“Th-the age of Lady Yutia… I wrote it on my own…”

“On your own?”

“Y-yes. I asked everyone else, but I completely forgot to ask only her…”

Alexion let out an awkward laugh.

“I see? But why did you write ‘eighteen’?”

“Well, you see… she looks extremely young, don’t you think?”

“And?”

“I thought I should at least put some basic information in the documents, so I put it provisionally….”

He quickly added: “It’s just that she looks too young.”

He seemed to be fighting desperately for his life.

“Hmm… well, with Yutia that could be. She isn’t very tall either.”

Alon nodded as if he understood. And at that instant, Alexion could see it.

The dark room lit up again.

Yutia, smiling cheerfully, waving her hand at him sweetly.

And Seolrang and Rine, held by the scruff of their necks by Yutia while their faces seemed to scream:

‘TRAITOR! DAMN TRAITOOOOR—!!’

But that lasted only an instant.

Yutia, smiling with satisfaction, dragged both of them out of the scene.

Alexion let out a sigh of relief.

“Then, is everything else based on facts?”

“In principle, yes. As you review the documents, I will make small notes for you.”

Alexion replied, remembering his previous determination:

Although he had failed to influence the content of the interviews, he would at least interfere a little bit this way.

“Good. Let’s begin.”

“Yes.”

But unfortunately, Alexion could not fulfill his purpose.

Every time he tried to say something, someone would appear from somewhere and, from a place only he could see, watch him with terrifying expressions.

In the end, the only thing he could say to Alon was: “Yes” and “Correct.”

“Is this all?”

“Yes. Understood.”

Upon leaving Alon‘s office and returning to his own, Alexion noticed a golden cup on his desk.

A chalice that seemed to scream:

‘I am an expensive body made in Rosarion—’

Alexion frowned.

‘As much as I like money, this is—!’

He picked up the golden cup.

And at that moment…

“Mr. Alexion, I have something to rep… Ah, isn’t that a gold cup!? It’s an incredibly expensive and valuable item! Where did you get it?”

His secretary entered suddenly and let out an exaggerated exclamation.

“Hmph, ignore it.”

“Wow, it’s impressive. Just by selling one we could buy several villas even for the Marquis’s house.”

“…What do you say?”

Alexion, who had responded indifferently, turned his head upon hearing that.

“What?”

“Is this chalice worth that much?”

“Of course! It is clearly a handcrafted piece from Rosarion. It would be strange if it weren’t worth that, wouldn’t it?”

And after the additional explanation—

Alexion placed the cup carefully on the desk.

…It was too valuable to use just out of pride.

---

The next day.

“Lord Marquis, what are you looking at so intently?”

“The partner list.”

“…Partners? Ah, that?”

“Yes.”

“You still haven’t decided?”

“No.”

Evan entered the office, let out a “hmm” and nodded understandingly.

“Well, it’s not easy to choose just like that. After all, a dance partner is important both for you and for the other person.”

“Is it that important?”

“Of course. Attending the ball together as a couple is practically acknowledging ‘something’ between you two. Those kinds of rumors spread easily. And it affects public image.”

“…It seems like a heavier position than I thought.”

Evan shrugged.

“But you don’t have to think about it so deeply either. As long as it doesn’t go further, the rumors will calm down on their own. It’s not like you are a king. For someone who isn’t a king or a prince, it’s not such a crucial position.”

“Oh really?”

“On the contrary, for a king or a prince, it would be strange to change partners so often.”

“I see.”

Alon nodded, understanding.

“Even so, it is difficult to choose.”

“Are there that many promising options?”

“It’s not that they are ‘promising’… simply… it is difficult to choose.”

Alon looked at the list again.

‘……There are many options, but…’

Even so, the reason why he couldn’t decide easily was simple:

Because his choice could disappoint the others.

Of course, if those who were disappointed were people he didn’t even know, he wouldn’t care.

The problem was that…

More than half of the names on the list were people he knew.

He even thought about choosing someone he didn’t know at all, but…

That didn’t seem right either.

After thinking about it for a while:

“Evan.”

“Yes.”

“……Could you gather the others?”

“The ones who are at the Marquis’s house now?”

“Yes.”

“…? Well, alright.”

With that, his decision was made.

And when Evan was about to leave, he remembered something.

“Ah, right, Lord Marquis. I have a quick message.”

“Which one?”

“The other time you asked to send invitation letters to the kings, right?”

“Yes, why?”

“It’s nothing serious, but I believe everyone should have arrived by today. Do you want me to notify those of Divine Land to prepare just in case?”

Alon thought about it for a moment and shook his head.

“No need. As I said before, it is just a formality.”

“Really?”

“No one is going to accept the invitation.”

“Hmm—. Understood.”

Evan left obediently.

---

Normally, no one should be there.

But now five kings were gathered:

Criteania Siyan, of the Kingdom of Asteria

Stallian V, of the Kingdom of Ashtalon

Karmaxes III, of the Kingdom of Colony

Palmarian IV, of the Kingdom of Caliban (Caliburn to his friends)

Torimavia, of the Kingdom of Laksas

Kings who only came together in alliance meetings.

This time they were there, without informing anyone, in a secret meeting.

And for those kings—who rarely left their kingdoms—to gather like this meant only one thing:

Marquis Alon Palatio.

More precisely:

“I told you! Marquis Palatio wishes to become a new sky! He is preparing for war!”

“…Ahem.”

His behavior lately was disturbing.

“We cannot be sure yet,” replied Stallian V.

But Palmarian IV frowned tightly.

“Do you really think so? The marquis has trained an enormous amount of knights and soldiers. And on top of that, mercenaries increase every day.”

“Think about it. If he doesn’t intend to start a war, why does he need so many troops? How much money does it cost to maintain such an army? Isn’t it obvious?”

“And lately his reputation has risen absurdly! As if someone were manipulating it.”

At those words, everyone fell silent.

It wasn’t that he was wrong.

Palmarian IV continued, making the portrait of Marquis Palatio more and more sinister.

And then—

“Do you have something to say?”

Karmaxes III—who had remained silent—finally spoke.

“To be honest, I don’t think Marquis Palatio is going to commit something like that.”

“…Are you serious?”

“Couldn’t it just be a coincidence?”

“Coincidence? Training so many troops, gathering powerful individuals, founding his own religion, uniting entire villages and strengthening Divine Land?!”

“Hm…… Seen all together, yes… it is hard to call it a coincidence.”

Karmaxes III grimaced.

If the marquis heard this, he would be pale, denying it with desperation.

But the kings didn’t know that and continued the discussion.

After a while, Palmarian IV turned toward Criteania Siyan.

“Don’t you have anything to say?”

“Something to say…?”

Siyan murmured quietly, thoughtful.

Unlike the other kings, her face showed no emotion.

After a long moment:

“Then, what is it that you want to do?”

She asked Palmarian IV.

“Naturally—”

But just as he was about to answer—

Knock, knock.

A polite knock sounded on the door.

Someone entered.

It was Palmarian IV‘s assistant.

With a grave expression, he approached him and whispered something.

And as if they had been waiting for it, the assistants of the other kingdoms also entered one by one to report the same bad news.

The next moment, the kings looked at each other deeply.

“…It seems we have all received the same message.”

“…That is correct.”

“An… invitation, right?”

“Yes.”

“…It seems we cannot refuse it. That it arrives precisely now means he knows we are here, so—”

Karmaxes III didn’t finish the sentence.

But everyone knew what came next.

“…Then… can we not even refuse his invitation?”

And so, the kings were forced to accept Marquis Palatio‘s invitation.

…Carrying with them a huge and absurd misunderstanding.