Volume 2 Chapter 84 Azrael’s Death Sword User I
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Guy said that, sending Kian a lingering gaze once more before turning on his heel.
Renaud approached the carriage of Shield Cain and the others, breathing heavily.
It seemed he was going to return it to the designated spot.
After that, he probably intended to come back and join the guards.
As Kian took a seat next to Guy on the driver’s platform, the carriage slowly set off.
The horse’s head turned, and the carriage moved toward the lowered drawbridge.
Beyond the massive iron castle gate, countless torches were visible.
(I wonder who the messenger from the Nakash family will be. Could it be Sarah…? But given that I’ve crushed Natra and Almeisa, I don’t know what kind of face I should make when we meet.)
Over the past month and a half, he had engaged in sexual relations with many women, strengthening his bonds.
He had no intention of clinging to her now, but would he be able to have a calm conversation?
He had his pride as well.
No matter how the conversation went, he didn’t want to make a disgraceful scene by getting furious and throwing a punch.
’Kian. Now that you have power, the sights you see should be different. Approach it with a calm mind, without bracing yourself.’
(Ah, that’s what I intend to do.)
The carriage passed through the castle gate.
Guy’s knight subordinates took up guard positions around them, and the group ascended the main street of the town.
In the distance, the magnificent Châtillon castle towered majestically.
* * *
Renaud──rather, Guy’s main castle was newer and more open than Maribel’s residence.
The sea breeze blowing in was refreshing, and the night view was more beautiful than Izerland’s.
To a poor man like Kian, it seemed wasteful to use lights at night, as part of the town was brightly lit and beautiful.
According to Guy, the bright areas had become a pleasure district, where wealthy merchants, nearby nobles, and adventurers gathered to enjoy gambling night after night.
It was said that various casino facilities were operated under the watch of the formidable Châtillon army.
Originally just a tavern, it had gradually expanded into the current pleasure district.
Kian had only thought of gambling as something like adventurers playing card games at a tavern, so the vast gambling facilities near the central area of East End were shocking to him.
When he asked if it was profitable, Gi smiled wryly.
”If it wasn’t profitable, it wouldn’t be allowed. This is a trading port. The drawbridge goes up at night, and those with free time get caught up in the games. As long as customers come in, every game can be set up to make a profit.”
”That’s amazing.”
”It’s not just card games and roulette; they also hold brawling tournaments. This is extremely popular among rough sailors and intermediate-ranked adventurers. Anyone can hold a tournament as long as they apply, and set entry fees and prizes. We just focus on maintaining order, and then we collect the rental fees. It’s an easy operation.”
He concluded with that and looked around the lavish hallway decorated in red and gold.
It was a corridor with a high ceiling that reminded him somewhat of Azrael’s architecture.
The furnishings on both sides were luxuriously done without being gaudy, creating an overall bright atmosphere.
Although he felt bad for Maribel walking next to him, honestly, there seemed to be a huge economic gap.
It was curious why the Renaud faction still followed Maribel.
Considering strategy, if they acted recklessly and were caught between Azrael and Izerland fortress, it would become difficult to sustain themselves as a maritime trading nation──yet still, their financial power was astonishing.
The number of troops in the port area seemed vastly different.
Even if Izerland were to fall, as long as the Renaud faction remained, this small empire might not perish.
”…I’d like to build a casino in my fortress as well. No, it wouldn’t be profitable to create something this large; maybe we could start with… hosting horse races to compete for speed.”
”Doing the same thing without eager participants will just end up being a one-off act. Izerland isn’t exactly known for its horses, nor does it have the bustling economy that this place does.”
Christy frowned at Maribel’s muttering and replied like this.
”Yeah, if we can create a trend for horse racing amongst the nobles, we could use the almost unused arena as a venue. Let’s keep this idea in mind without dismissing it too easily.”
”Well, it might be worth casually mentioning it to Baron Mankovitch.”
”Your Excellency, this will be the location for the meeting.”
Guy opened the large wooden door in the middle of the hallway.
What lay beyond was just a grand hall.
He had imagined something like the audience room in Maribel’s main castle──an imposing venue where Guillaume’s knighthood ceremony was held──but it turned out to be a much smaller room.
Perhaps they chose a room this size since it was an informal meeting.
That said, there was no mistaking that the furnishings, carpets, wallpaper, ceiling, and lighting inside were astonishingly expensive.
(If you added up all the chandeliers and candelabras in the room, you could probably buy ‘The Boar’s Trot Inn’ outright.)
”I believe the delegation should arrive shortly, but will you be refreshing your makeup in another room?”
”Christy, is there anything odd about my dress?”
”Just wait a moment.”
Christy mostly took care of Maribel’s makeup and appearance.
She was said to use products blended by Christy, even for cosmetics and beauty items.
The black-haired witch spent several seconds checking Maribel’s dress, advancing toward her with enthusiasm, before finally standing up and nodding once without any particular issue.
”No problem. You look absolutely adorable.”
”Thank you. ──Guy, I don’t need a refresh. I’ll wait here for the Nakash family.”
”Yes. Please don’t hesitate to let me know if you need anything. My father has just arrived at the castle as well. He should be back in a few minutes.”
Maribel nodded and took a seat on the sofa located at the back of the spacious room.
Kian stood behind her, waiting.
Guy stood right next to the sofa, ready to assist Maribel and respond quickly if the messenger turned out to be an assassin.
”Christy, the documents.”
”Sure.”
While Maribel and the others examined the documents summarizing the total damages, Kian stood by the wall.
It seemed they would have some free time until the delegation arrived.
(Maybe I’ll meditate for a bit.)
’That would be wise. Prepare yourself so you won’t be disturbed even if someone you know is among the messengers.’
(That applies to Natra as well.)
’That girl is far better at compartmentalizing than you.’
”That’s true,” Kian replied, closing his eyes quietly.
Time passed quickly thereafter.
Renaud entered the room partway through.
About an hour later, the corridor suddenly grew noisy.
”──They have arrived!”
At Maribel’s voice, Kian rapidly returned to consciousness from his meditation.
Within seconds, he heard a voice from outside the door saying, “This way,” as a knight who seemed to be the guide opened the door and came in.
As he stepped aside, figures wrapped in Azrael robes began to enter in a line behind him.
A total of 5 people.
Four men and one woman.
”──”
Kian’s heart should have been calm──yet, he felt a thump-thump against his ribs.
Wrapped in a strange sense of floating, driven by an emotion he didn’t fully understand, he scrutinized the faces of the 5 men and women in the delegation.
Sarah was.
She was.
(…not here)
He felt as if all strength was leaving his body.
Was it anticipation, anger, or hatred?
The emotions quickly melted away and disappeared.
The woman from the delegation was a dark elf he didn’t know.
(She is not Sarah… But if she were Sarah, what would I have wanted?)
’Surely it would have been to do ■, hehe…’
He couldn’t catch the voice of ‘glasses’.
Instead, what reached his ears was the Azrael language spoken by the man who seemed to be the leader of the delegation.
”I am Shajar Nakash, the head of the Twelve Divine Generals who govern the Ul district.”
”I am Maribel of the Danofen family, entrusted by King Franz with the Margrave Izerland territory. Welcome.”
(Shajar Nakash!?)
Startled, he looked up to see a sunburned, tough-looking old man with hair and eyebrows turned completely white since the last time they met.
Despite his age, his muscles and physique showed no signs of decline.
The tall figure of the Twelve Divine Generals──Shajar Nakash──stood there, aged but unmistakable.
Thump-thump──his blood began to boil in an instant.
(Sarah’s father)
It was not Sarah who had come to the meeting, but her father.
He had expected Sarah to show up, so it was a bit of a letdown, but he was indeed someone Kian recognized.
He was different from both Natra and Almeisa.
He was one of the figures from the dreadful memories of Azrael 15 years ago.
”────”
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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