Chapter 219 The Daughter’s Likeness
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Count Alegria stared at the girl, who let a sharp breath escape her nose as her composure fractured. He remained entirely unswayed.
However, when her silence shifted into a rhythmic trembling of her shoulders, even a man as thoughtful as the Count could not suppress a frown. Though he had checked the knights around him who were beginning to grow agitated, he directed a piercing, forceful gaze at her, demanding she state her reasons immediately.
”What is the matter? Did I say something amusing?” the Count asked.
”No, no, nothing at all…!” the girl replied. “It is only that a smile is something that arises even in times of joy, is it not?”
Despite the girl mixing joy into her excuse while enduring the Count’s intimidation, I had no choice but to watch the situation unfold with bated breath. The Count had every right to question her, given her nebulous affiliation. To brush him off with an attitude that could be taken as insincere was, in any other context, grounds for summary punishment for disrespect. Against a noble, the cardinal sin is to be looked down upon; prolonging his doubt was a fatal strategy.
(I am certain she is a member of the Princess’s Faction¹, based on our encounter during the rescue earlier. As a bottom-tier member of that same faction, the last thing I wanted to witness was a pointless collision between my superiors.)
”Joy, you say?” the Count pressed. “Accused of suspicion, what exactly are you happy about? Forgive me, but if you are truly our ally, I would like you to choose your words so that I can understand.”
With a feat unparalleled by any, the Count swallowed the girl’s rudeness. And the girl, as if struck by his generous treatment, knelt on both knees and bowed deeply, then looked straight up at the Count with a face turned into a smile.
(The gesture of pressing her head to the ground was just like a commoner fearing a noble and begging for their life.)
However, because that movement was so fluid, the knights, who cultivated martial arts, clearly understood that it was a piece of refined etiquette. Therefore, they did not interrupt the two and simply listened. However, their eyes, which were watching as if it were their last opportunity, widened greatly at the girl’s words.
”Indeed, I have been very rude,” the girl said. “As I am a clumsy person, I am often scolded in that manner. …Setting the other person in the center and earnestly explaining the logic… That person is also tall, so the figures overlapped—. Forgive me, but the Count, who explains what a faction is, looked truly similar to your angry daughter.”
Apologizing for her impoliteness by saying that remonstrance is proof of consideration, and thanking him for his advice, the girl bowed her head deeply again. Every movement, down to her fingertips, was flawless, and I could not help but leak a sigh out of sheer beauty. Unlike me, who had already guessed it, it was a bolt from the blue for the knights and, of course, the Count. The sudden mention of his daughter would likely sound like a pathetic excuse depending on how it was taken.
But thinking of the dignified presence of the young lady who had become a friend, it would not be strange if she were to use her height to look down on someone if she were indeed angered—a gesture similar to the current Count. It seems that the Count and his vassals serving him also had an inkling of this, and the knights looked at each other as if to gauge the opinions of their colleagues.
”Do you know my daughter?” the Count asked.
”Yes,” the girl answered. “I don’t just know her; we are irreplaceable comrades who traversed the Royal Capital Labyrinth² together.”
What kind of backing did this girl have to act with such a careless attitude? While many on the scene were suspicious, wondering if she was just an imprudent person drunk on her own power, another outrageous statement was hurled at them.
Since the Princess’s funeral procession was blocked, there has been no contact from those who traversed the Labyrinth, and many citizens have returned to lives no different from before.
Therefore, even though the nobles were concerned in fleeting moments, they had gradually cast out of their consciousness the possibility that anyone who appeared before them could be someone involved with the Labyrinth Master.
”What! The young lady!?” a knight shouted.
”No, that is the only possibility for her survival…!” another muttered.
”But, there is also the possibility of a lie…!”
”Isn’t the ability to defeat Fried proof of that?”
”But we haven’t actually seen her fight…!”
Should one see it as having broken under the Count’s pursuit, unexpected words were told one after another from the mouth of the Black-haired Girl, who had stubbornly refused to reveal her identity until then.
At the content, which was so preposterous, even the well-trained vassals expressed their personal opinions one after another. However, during that time, the Count kept silent while staring at the girl, perhaps organizing the information thrown at him in his head.
Meanwhile, while watching the surroundings, I noticed that Silcro was sending a gaze toward me. For a husband, he must have been getting a stomachache because he could not afford to lose the Count’s favor, yet he could not ignore the powerful girl, and that conflict was happening in his own home. What was directed at me was an eye contact asking if I knew this fact.
I did not have proof even if I had conviction, so when I tilted my head slightly and then nodded, my husband understood my intention with just that and gave one big nod.
”If my daughter, if Ashley is safe, then of course Your Highness is also safe, right?” the Count asked.
”I cannot answer that here,” the girl replied.
While such an exchange between a couple involving the Baron family’s responsibility was being made, the Count, who had built up his next move, asked the girl again. However, the girl’s reaction was cold, and the knights surrounding them became agitated again.
”Hmm. Indeed, if all your words so far are true, these are matters that must be deliberated at the center of the faction for the time being. …However, if that is the case, there is still a question. With your ability, couldn’t you have made direct contact with someone in the Princess’s Faction, even me, much earlier? I have nothing but thanks for saving Roeni-dono, but what is the reason for having stood idly by until then?” the Count demanded.
”I returned from the Labyrinth just a while ago due to the operational circumstances of the Labyrinth, so I do not have the leeway to investigate the political change,” the girl explained. “Also, due to the same circumstances, I am the only one who can move now, so when it comes to a person who can provide professional insights regarding the Labyrinth, I thought that the lady who is also the teacher of my master would be the most suitable person to get in touch with first.”
I see, the political changes in the last few months were truly turbulent, so I had forgotten, but just as I could not grasp the whereabouts of the Princess, the Princess’s party, which continued to dive deeper and deeper into the Labyrinth, also had no way of knowing the situation on the surface.
Of course, even if the clever Princess sensed that the political situation was not peaceful, she wanted to avoid bringing uncertain information and confusing her own faction. Therefore, she first targeted the Baron family, which is well-versed in both the Labyrinth and noble society and also has connections with the group’s guide.
Indeed, that explanation is not incomprehensible as a reason why the Princess did not bring the first report to the Count or the King. However, the Count seemed to feel something strange about the girl’s words, so he held up his hand to block her words and questioned her sharply again.
”Wait,” the Count said. “Isn’t your master Her Highness? If you were studying under Roeni-dono, isn’t that about someone named Yuuri? Why does someone with your ability serve a mere (no skill) young man?”
”…I cannot answer that here either,” the girl replied.
But, the girl also had once begged for forgiveness, she stubbornly refused to talk. It was clear to everyone on the spot that this refusal, which could be seen as disrespectful at first glance, was in fact a legitimate assertion.
First as a premise, there is no choice but to listen in more detail about the truth or falsehood of the girl’s words. However, the information that leaks out in that process is also something the Prince’s Faction craves, and it is not something that should be spoken of easily in a place with so many ears and eyes like this.
Therefore, what the girl is seeking is a place for a meeting with a small number of people. In short, she is asking the Count to be prepared to sit knee-to-knee without guards with this suspicious girl who claims to be his daughter’s companion.
”Indeed, it would be a double effort to let Roeni-dono handle it later,” the Count said. “And if I can hear about my daughter’s recent situation, there is no reason for me to postpone that opportunity. …Alright. Baron, I’m sorry, but can I borrow a room somewhere? I brought someone with the (soundproofing)³ skill among my subordinates. Let’s discuss it in a group of four: you, your wife, me, and this girl.”
”Th-that is fine, but…”
”Y-Your Excellency…!” a guard cried out. “Surely, letting this person approach without us is…!”
However, if everything is a lie, a closed-door meeting is the perfect opportunity for the girl to harm the Count. The guards kept advising him to rethink, but the Count did not listen. Laughing off the vassals’ worries, he beckoned one of his waiting subordinates and leaned toward his ear to give some instructions.
”…Heh, as I thought,” the Count said. “This girl, we probably couldn’t beat her even if we were to gang up on her. …You, you seem to be disguising your skills in some way. It seems that it is so large-scale that you don’t look weak at all.”
”…Yes. I will keep your advice in mind,” the girl replied.
It seems the person who received the instructions was a user of (Appraisal)ⁿ. It is not certain how the skills the girl possessed looked in his eyes, but the girl’s side probably applied a disguise with precision that could usually deceive people. However, the Count brought people with skills trained enough to see through even that, and it seems that this coincidence resulted in him making the decision to help himself.
”If this person harbored malice toward me, she would have come to cut off my head at the moment she was lured into the Baron house here,” the Count mused. “But since that hasn’t happened, it is more important to trust this person and hear the circumstances. And even if this girl is a reliable ally, time is precious, even if just for a little. If I were to leave the investigation of the situation to Roeni-dono, the Prince’s Faction might get wind of it and make a move.”
”Thank you for your consideration,” the girl said. “Since some of the information I am about to tell you is our secret, I would like to choose the person I reveal it to, no matter what.”
What the girl holds is the truth of the Labyrinth’s conquest, the battle potential that achieved it, and an estimate of what the Labyrinth will bring to the kingdom in the future. Those are pieces of information that everyone desperately wants, and if the Princess is alive, she will likely get testimony that involves not only the Marquis’s political life but also the survival of the Marquis family. Therefore, if we were careless, the Prince’s Faction might take some action, and before that, we had to share the information as quickly as possible.
”We are going to a meeting from here, so transport this to the Mansion first,” the Count ordered. “This person is the enemy of my Princess’s Faction. It is a disgrace to the Count Alegria family to keep leaving her with the newly-entered Baron family and continue to impose a burden on them. Transport it immediately, and be careful not to allow any attacks on the way!”
”Yes!” the soldiers shouted.
After making the girl, who was still kneeling, stand up, the Count gave orders to the knight who seemed to be the captain, and spurred everyone on the spot. Then, the trained vassals immediately split into those who would escort first and those who would stay with the Count, and began their respective tasks.
”Then Count, to my office,” Silcro said. “If it’s there, we should be able to talk calmly.”
”Yes,” the Count agreed. “Girl, come to think of it, I hadn’t heard your name yet. But don’t worry. Even if not as much as you, my knight order is quite a collection of elites. Even if the Marquis senses the capture of that man, it is impossible for them to attack our unit going along the main street without even knowing our affiliation in such a short time.”
”Yes. I have heard that they are strong soldiers,” the girl replied. “As for my name…, for reasons of my own, I would like to keep it hidden here as well.”
The girl, who still firmly refused to give her name, excused herself to the knights who were efficiently tying up the Packing Box, and rested her hand on the top board for a short moment. Continuing, she said something to the (Appraisal) user from earlier, and they both smiled evilly and nodded at each other.
”Did you do something to that?” the Count asked.
”Yes. Even though I severed the tendons and restrained the limbs, there is a possibility of a contingency. I applied status abnormalities of unconsciousness and sleep at the same time and had the person earlier confirm it,” the girl answered.
I even begin to suspect that there is nothing this girl cannot do. When I peeked into her eyes, which were like darkness, having become ridiculous to be surprised, the girl noticed that gaze, lowered her eyes, and nodded slightly.
And so, as urged by Silcro, the four people and several guards and the (soundproofing) user followed behind. With that impressive line-up, it was as if the frustration at the royal castle and the loneliness felt after being attacked were just an illusion.
But thinking of the mystery that has yet to be revealed, while being pushed by that reassurance, the anticipation and anxiety about knowing the truth clashed in my chest. From the girl’s tone, who exactly had achieved fusion with the ‘dungeon core’, the answer remained unknown.
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Summary:
Count Alegria interrogates a mysterious girl regarding her identity and her claims about the missing Princess. The girl reveals she is a comrade of the Count’s daughter from the Labyrinth. They agree to a closed-door meeting to discuss sensitive information while the Count dispatches his guards to secure her cargo.
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Trivia:
- The political maneuvering between Prince’s and Princess’s factions.
- The background of the Baron family’s anxiety regarding the Count’s presence
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Character Insight:
The Count shifts from an intimidating interrogator to a pragmatic strategist upon realizing the girl is a potential ally who holds key information regarding his daughter’s survival.
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Glossary:
Notes:
• Count Alegria – Count Alegria, a high‑ranking noble of the Princess’s faction, depends on Roeni for security and political leverage. He presents a strict, aristocratic exterior—short silver hair, immaculate dark three‑piece suits reminiscent of Vayne Solidor—yet harbors a kind heart and unwavering loyalty to his only daughter, Ashley.
• Alegria – Count Alegria, a high-ranking noble with short silver hair and sharp features, commands respect through his resolute attitude and intuitive reasoning. Dressed in immaculate dark three-piece suits, this faction leader leans on Roeni for security and political leverage to corner the Marquis. Deeply loyal to the King, his kind heart shines through as a devoted father figure protective of his daughter Ashley.
• Black-haired Girl – A mysterious girl with long black hair. She possesses multiple rare skills and carries a Short Blade at her waist. She acts as a servant to an unnamed master.
• Silcro – Baron Confianza, a short, rotund quiet genius, hides a sharp mind behind an unassuming look. Head of his house, loyal Princess’s faction member, and husband to his greatest asset, Roeni (the observer), he administers livelihoods for thousands. Thrust into dangerous politics, he hosts Count Alegria, managing delicate household tensions while balancing business and volatile power dynamics.
• Ashley – Daughter of Count Alegria, this poised noblewoman in elegant attire has a dignified, spirited presence. Once an adventurer who traversed the Royal Capital Labyrinth, she now serves as a royal attendant. She secretly admires Yuuri and is noted as a potential aide for his future dressing duties.
• Roeni – Baroness of the Confianza house, wife of Silcro, and former guild receptionist, she is a respected noble with neat brown hair and a sharp, no-nonsense demeanor. A former mentor to Yuuri and another young girl, she runs her family firm with military precision. Despite being a protected target of the Princess’s Faction with scars from a recent attack, she uses her time-freezing Concentration ability and relentless resolve to defeat monsters, face assassins, and uplift her people.
• Yuuri – The Master is an arrogant young man and a student under Roeni who commands Suzuri, Yui, and a girl bound to him as her master. Despite being dismissed by the Count as having “no skill,” he possesses high-level garment creation abilities and an erotic skill granting power through intimacy. Wielding a dominant aura, he treats his wives and servants with a fiercely possessive attitude.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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