Chapter 165 Roeni’s Struggle Part Six: Standoff with the Lords of the Clouded Court
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
She walked across the sumptuous carpet. Since arriving at the royal castle, the soldier escorting her had been replaced twice, passed on from one attendant to the next.
They were being invited into a realm that, without question, only those with the highest permissions could ever enter.
The numerous staircases they’d climbed made it clear this was the main keep, the tower that had dominated the castle’s skyline from the outside. The discussions held on these upper floors would certainly be about the future of the kingdom, settled between the royal family and the high nobility.
Of course, the Confianza family, holding a Barony, was entitled to attend the full council.
Yet, the agenda for those meetings was often already decided by the upper echelons before the lower ranks were even gathered. Where they were heading now had to be the absolute center of power, where only those involved in the kingdom’s crucial decisions were permitted.
Therefore, being called here meant the Baroness’s opinion wouldn’t even be taken as a suggestion. The sheer frustration and anger at that dismissiveness forced her steps to become firmer.
However, the heels of her practical boots—worn for easy movement—were gently cushioned by the luxurious rug, silencing every step. She felt utterly powerless as she was made to perform the role of a perfect, silent noblewoman.
”Are you alright?” her husband, Silcro, asked, walking beside her. He had naturally noticed her inner turmoil, trying to soothe her by squeezing her hand. Yet, she knew his gesture—while certainly a kindness toward a loved one—also included a check to ensure she wasn’t so furious that she’d lost all sense of propriety.
”Rest assured, my love,” Roeni stated, her voice tight with restraint. “I don’t think simply hitting someone will solve things like I might have in the past.”
”R-right, you don’t think that, do you?” Silcro worriedly confirmed.
Priorities often shifted dramatically within the Labyrinth¹; there, resorting to force was frequently accepted as an emergency measure. But she had left that place long ago.
She missed those days sometimes, but her true desire was to walk this path with her husband.
Violence, then, was completely out of the question. Still, the sight of Silcro’s panic was so amusing that it lifted her mood, if only a little.
”—This way, please. Another attendant inside will show you to your seats,” the Guiding Soldier announced.
They had passed countless nobles—many of whom stared at the Baron and Baroness with curiosity—when the soldier stopped before an imposing, magnificently carved double door. He lightly rapped on the lower portion of the doors, and another soldier’s face appeared from within.
”Baroness Confianza?” the inner soldier inquired.
”That is correct,” Roeni confirmed.
From beyond the door, a murmur of hubbub—the low clamor of information exchange among the already-assembled nobles—was audible. The soldier had likely only asked her name because he was required to memorize every noble attending the council.
Thus, seeing a new female face, he would instantly know who she was. Roeni, impressed by the administrative ability of those stationed on the castle’s upper floors, slipped inside the room with Silcro.
It was a reception hall large enough to seat a hundred people. Long tables were arranged in multiple rows within the vast space, easily capable of hosting foreign dignitaries, with nobles seated on either side, facing each other all the way to the walls.
A wave of sound, a single, loud stuttering of voices, crashed over them. Then, the previously unrestrained chatter died away as if struck by water, and every eye in the room fixed on the newcomers, faces they hadn’t expected to see.
These unreserved glances came from the Marquises and Counts of both political factions. The mere convergence of their gazes, filled with the intense pressure of political veterans, made the hair on her neck stand on end.
Yet, the fact that this non-hostile scrutiny was directed at her brought a sigh of relief. If it had been aimed at her husband, it would have meant the factions were scheming about how to dispose of the Baron’s house.
In short, as long as they didn’t misstep, they wouldn’t make enemies of the two major factions.
As the nobles—whose conversation had begun to surge again with speculation and rumor—were ignored, Roeni and Silcro walked past them, the soldier’s guidance providing the perfect excuse not to stop. She felt the number of stares gradually thinning out.
(Of course, they wouldn’t seat us at a special table in the middle to make an example of us…), Roeni realized.
Because of the Prince’s faction’s sudden offensive, they hadn’t been able to contact Count Alegria, so she hadn’t even known the format of this summons.
They were guided to a section reserved for neutral nobles, placed behind the Princess’s faction. Though their assigned seats were at the very front of this section, Roeni decided to view this positively: it meant they had been given a chance to speak.
”—A misfortune, wasn’t it? And for your wife as well,” a neutral noble beside them spoke.
”Oh, it’s been a while, indeed—” Silcro replied to the noble.
Roeni let her husband take his seat first, and he immediately engaged in a friendly conversation with the adjacent noble. Grateful for his willingness to gather information, she returned the man’s greeting with a bow of her own.
(Count Alegria isn’t here. And neither is Arman…), she thought.
Before taking her own seat, she quickly scanned the room one last time. She did not see that distinct silver hair among the Princess’s faction.
And the Fried-lord—the living witness to the incident—was likely being held in a separate room. There was nothing more she could do right now. Thinking this, she pulled out her chair, intending to review the documents she’d brought, when a sharp glare made her freeze.
(—! Who is that?!)
It was far stronger than the many glances of mere curiosity she’d previously weathered.
It was a piercing pressure, clearly aimed to assess her capability, forcing her eyes to follow its source. The other party made no attempt to hide, and her gaze clashed with a pair of keen eyes.
(It’s Marquis Aprelton!)
He was seated in the front row of the Prince’s faction, directly opposite her. The seat itself was the most prominent, closest to the vacant one reserved for the King—a position that confirmed his unshakeable status.
His appearance was distinctly different: outwardly, he seemed a gentleman past his prime, but this was a sign of slowed aging due to the strong blessing granted by his multiple skills.
His true age had to be over a hundred, and the sharp gaze, which hinted at such veteran cunning, was the only thing that seemed appropriate for his years. His features were still handsome, suggesting he must have been a ladies’ man in his youth, but his accumulated age had given him a profound dignity that captivated both men and women.
Glaring back at this cunning, veteran high noble, Roeni met his gaze head-on. Noticing his wife’s delay in sitting, a worried Silcro reached out and squeezed her palm, but she squeezed back to reassure him instead.
Yes, there was no need for empty fear.
This man was the one who had sheltered the Fried-lord, the likely mastermind behind this whole conspiracy. Yet, the former adventurer in her couldn’t help but feel respect for the fundamental strength of the formidable schemer before her.
She responded by giving a deep bow in the manner of the Guild, and the intense pressure that had enveloped her vanished as if it were a mist. When she straightened, Marquis Aprelton was already looking away, having lost interest.
”W-what was that all about?” Silcro asked, utterly baffled.
She was about to explain to her astonished husband just what gesture had somehow earned the truce from the enemy’s chief when a fanfare suddenly rang out in the hall. That melody, permitted for only one person, instantly drew the nobles to their feet, silencing their gossip.
Roeni and Silcro stood straight-backed, quietly waiting for the person who had been announced. After a moment, the doors to the adjacent room were thrown open with force.
Into the room strode a large man in a luxurious, flowing cloak. He wore a glittering crown atop hair the color of the sun—it was Valentio, the current King of Restea.
Yet, the way he hurried toward the central throne, even as he tried to maintain his dignity, was rough and agitated, showing clear signs of anxiety. Trailing behind him was the First Prince, Marisio, who followed his father with unnerving composure.
This stark contrast between the two men could not help but make one worry about the kingdom’s future.
The King’s agitation clearly meant that Princess Marina’s safety was still unknown. That left Prince Marisio as the sole heir, but his character raised questions about whether he could ensure a stable reign.
Either he was relieved that the sister who threatened his position was gone, or he grieved her fate but couldn’t go against the direction of his powerful Prince’s faction patrons.
Regardless of the truth, someone who disregarded others would seize power, and the fallout would impact the citizens and the kingdom’s stability. Roeni desperately wanted to tell the King about the possibility of the Princess’s survival, but she couldn’t possibly raise her voice in a room where the conspirators were present.
”Roeni, the Count is here.”
Lost in her frustrated thoughts, she looked toward the door again at Silcro’s whisper. Count Alegria entered considerably later than the two royals and took his seat in the front row of the Princess’s faction.
In that instant, the Count seemed to briefly send a glance her way, but it was too fleeting to be a true eye-signal.
If it was intentional, the Count was clearly aware of the eyes watching them. For now, she had to be content with the knowledge that the Count had spoken to the King just before this meeting, and that he knew she was present.
While she processed this, King Valentio slammed himself into his throne, causing the room to stir momentarily. Convention dictated that the King should sit only after a signal was given.
The King acted first, and his vassals followed without fail—the two parties were supposed to be in perfect sync. The King had broken this convention himself, making it clear to everyone that his irritation was completely unchecked.
”T-take your seats!” one of the agitated attendants called out.
The nobles quickly came to their senses and scrambled to sit down, lowering their heads to match the height of the monarch.
Everyone present was already aware of the report that the Princess had been assassinated. Whatever the truth of the matter, the King’s fury—as a ruler whose peace had been shattered and a father who had lost his daughter—was now permanently etched into the hearts of everyone in the room.
—
Summary:
Baroness Roeni and her husband Silcro make their tense ascent into the highest council chambers, the center of political intrigue in the royal castle. Roeni, trying to control her adventurer’s temper, manages to survive a silent but charged confrontation with the powerful Marquis Aprelton, the rumored mastermind of the Princess Marina crisis.
The entry of a furious, agitated King Valentio and a disturbingly composed Prince Marisio immediately sets a worrying tone for the kingdom’s future, even as the brief, subtle presence of Count Alegria offers a small glimmer of hope amidst the high-stakes drama. The chapter ends on the sharp, uncontrolled force of the King’s rage, marking the beginning of the crucial meeting.
—
Character Insight:
Roeni’s internal struggle shows the clash between her former life as a pragmatic adventurer and her current role as a noblewoman.
Her loyalty to her husband and her ability to meet the terrifying gaze of Marquis Aprelton with a sign of respect reveals her deep-seated courage and understanding of raw power. She is not just a delicate Baroness but a former warrior forced to play a political game.
—
Behind the Scene:
This scene establishes the political hierarchy within the royal castle, with the main forces—the Prince’s faction (led by Aprelton), the Princess’s faction, and the neutral group (where Roeni and Silcro are seated)—clearly defined in the grand hall. The King’s uncharacteristic loss of control over court etiquette strongly signals the severity of the crisis concerning Princess Marina and the King’s internal stress, setting the stage for the dramatic confrontation to come.
Notes:
• Ai – The recently-formed sub-divinity/ego who manages the world’s Skills. Her sudden, intense burst of divine will (‘ki’) almost bleached Yuuri’s wicked thoughts. Called Yuuri ‘Elder Brother’ and declared genuine affection and trust based on his efficiency with her Skills.
• Silcro – The Baron Confianza, the quiet genius whose family’s survival depends on their exploitation of the Royal Labyrinth. He is short and round, a look that sometimes causes people to underestimate him, which he uses to his advantage. He is utterly devoted to his wife, Roeni, who he sees as his greatest asset and love.
• Roeni – Guild receptionist, former adventurer, now a baroness—mentor to Yuuri. The wife of Baron Silcro Confianza, and effectively manages the labyrinth exploration business which is the foundation of their house’s power. She is a former adventurer, which gives her a practical, no-nonsense approach to problems. Look like Lisa from certain game, brown hair but neat hair.
• Count Alegria – A distinguished noble and a key figure in the Princess Faction. He is known for his strict outward demeanor but possesses a kind heart and a fierce loyalty to his only daughter, Ashley. He has short, neatly trimmed silver hair and wears exquisitely tailored, dark three-piece suits and look like like Vayne Solidor.
• Arman – Knight captain who escort Marina on the first mission.
• Valentio – The current King of Restea. A large, imposing man with sun-gold hair and a crown, he commands authority, though his current actions reveal a deep-seated agitation, likely due to the political crisis and the uncertainty surrounding his daughter, Marina’s, fate. Looks like King Bradley from certain series.
• Restea – Yuuri’s homeland.
• Marisio – Princess Marina’s older brother who already holds the right to the throne.
• Marina – First Princess of Restea—needs labyrinth escort.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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