Volume 3 Chapter 82 Quest： Aperitif II
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
While Priscilla smiled brightly, inside she was pretty annoyed.
The cuteness of Priscilla’s face and the allure of her waist made him feel even more frustrated down below.
Natra muttered, “Is this really okay…?”
”It’s fine. That girl was called a genius at the Royal Capital Academy, just like Aliona Gouldrin. Lord Kian will surely like her, right?”
”Hah…”
He wanted to say it wasn’t that type of discussion, but if he opened his mouth, it felt like the conversation would just loop, so he decided to stop.
For some reason, Priscilla seemed all giddy as she put down her sorceress staff and stood up effortlessly from the floor.
She playfully winked while wearing a pointed hat on her head.
”Well then, I’m off to fix the carriage. You two should hurry up and talk to Her Excellency, then take a quick nap before departure.”
* * *
After saying goodbye to Priscilla, he exited the sitting room.
He decided to wait at the front gate of Renaud’s house since Maribel was still talking with Renaud.
After waiting for a good while with Natra,
the main doors swung open, and Maribel, Lucretia, and the guard Gao came out.
Christy was nowhere to be seen.
She was probably already home, checking the magic stone that would let Priscilla send Maribel to the ‘dream world’.
It wasn’t great news for Kian, but the one who appeared last in line instead of Christy was the rough-looking dragon lord with black hair and beard──Renaud himself.
Even though he was trying to keep his presence hidden, Renaud had noticed Kian.
From the moment he stepped outside, Renaud was glaring at him with his black eyes twisted in annoyance.
Meanwhile, Maribel squinted at the bright sunlight with one leap of her eyelids, then wrinkled her nose and turned her face towards Kian.
The blonde princess’s face lit up with a clear glow.
”Kian!”
”Your Excellency, I’m so sorry for dropping in out of nowhere.”
”What’s going on? Did you have a talk with Priscilla or something…?”
Maribel and them come over here.
She’s already changed into her usual white dress.
Renaud isn’t in armor anymore, just fancy dress clothes.
Both of them plan to go straight to the salon like this.
”Yes. Actually, I’ve decided to accept the agent contract I turned down before. I’ve come to say that.”
”Oh!”
”Sorry for being so pushy. I heard you’re going to the salon later, so I just wanted to contact you first. Can you consider it?”
”There’s no need to consider. If Kian is going, nobody’s better than you. Thank you. You always help me, you know. …It makes me happy.”
”──Sorry to interrupt, but…”
Renaud, crossing the threshold of the front gate while saying that, showed not a trace of apology or hesitation.
But since Kian was waiting outside, it’s only fair to say Renaud isn’t at fault for being annoyed.
Renaud stepped in front of Maribel and looked down at Kian, trying to intimidate him.
”Princess and I are going to the salon now. If we dally chatting with the lowly Adventurer Master Knight, we might be late. So, I’d appreciate it if you hold off. Also, I’ll tell you one more thing: this is my house’s front. If you step even onto the threshold again, no matter what anyone says, I’ll kill you. Got it? Now disappear from my sight.”
”Renaud. Please show some respect to Lord Kian, like a proper Knight.”
”With all due respect, Your Excellency, I don’t recognize this filthy upstart as a Knight. He lacks dignity.”
”Kian possesses all the virtues of a Knight. That’s why I made him a Knight myself.”
”I’m not arguing with your princess’s decision. I just think our views differ a bit. Anyway, hey, that armor you’re wearing, it looks pretty good, huh?”
The dragon guy’s black eyes swiveled wildly toward the ‘Silver Ice’ set.
As the big man’s right hand twitched, Natra, like a shadow nearby, silently places his hand on the ‘Thorn’s magic sword.’
Renaud noticed and relaxed his grip on his own hand. Then Kian,
”Want to wager again, just like during ‘Nightshade’?”
”Good idea, but you’ll have to take off the armor. If I smash it to pieces, I don’t want the armor to break too.”
”Are you joking?”
”I am serious. Our views couldn’t be more different. Kekekekekek.”
”────”
He thought waiting in front of the main gate was better than running around openly, but here theyare, in this sort of atmosphere with Renaud.
From now on, Kian decided to completely avoid Renaud, dropping any silly pride.
Lucretia panicked at the tense mood, and Gao and the Beastmen guard guys looked on, excited, muttering, “Fight or not, fight or not!”
Maribel, sensing things were really bad, quickly stepped between Renaud and the big guy and clapped her hands.
”Oh! Uh, we gotta go, or the salon will start! Renaud, let’s go! Let’s go right now! ──Kian, I’m very happy about your offer this time. I’ll tell you more about the Quest later, so please wait.”
”Yes. We’re set to leave just before dawn tomorrow, no problem after the salon.”
”Understood. Then, I’ll take my leave. Renaud, let’s go.”
”…….Hmph, you got a narrow escape, you bastard.”
Renaud bared his fangs, leaning in as if ready to bite.
”But I’ll crush you for sure. I decided that this morning. Bad pests gotta be eliminated.”
”…Are you serious?”
”I never lie! Unlike you, surrounded by lies. I’ll kill you and loot that armor.”
”Renaud!”
Lucretia, noticing Maribel’s scowl, calmed her with, “It’s okay, Your Excellency,” and Kian glared sternly back at the big man.
”If you’re really going to bet, then I can’t accept it unless you put up something of equal value.”
”Oh? This is just like the time with the Windsong Blade, huh? Good, my blood boils. It doesn’t matter what you ask for, I’ll win anyway.”
”Then, if I win, I’ll take your precious eldest daughter, shall I?”
”What?”
”Didn’t you hear me?”
He intends to be a bit intimidating, so he focuses his gaze.
The vampire’s Magic Eye makes his eyes glow red like phosphorescence.
Kian flashes a canine tooth grin.
”I said that if I won, I would take Ms. Priscilla — forever — from the Châtillon family.
Lord Renaud, you are a very brave man, but do you truly have the arrogance to wager your own daughter as a prize?”
”────. You bastard.”
”If you’re willing to offer Ms. Priscilla just to kill me, I’d be happy to oblige. It’s a knight’s duty to slay beasts with no heart.”
”I’ll kill you!”
”Don’t move.”
Natra’s cold voice echoes.
Renaud’s hand stops dead in its tracks.
Natra had already drawn her eerie magic sword.
”If you lay a hand on my lord, first I’ll turn your mansion into a sea of blood. After that, I’ll crush you along with Sir Kian. You must not be so delusional that you can’t grasp our strength. At the very least, all the knights serving you will die.”
”Disappear from my sight now! Get lost!”
Renaud was already on the verge of transforming into a dragon.
His cheeks split like scales, and his snout began to protrude like a lizard’s.
He glared at Kian and Natra with yellow reptilian eyes.
”I won’t involve Princess Maribel. It’s me who will spare you. Understand? Leave here at once! Never come near my house again!”
* * *
He has no intention of fighting to the death with Renaud, so he leaves quietly.
As he was leaving, he was told by Maribel to wait at the north lodge, so he only left a message that he would come later.
Kian and Natra took a detour back to ‘Izerland’s Treasure Box’ to meet up with Sarah, Serena, and Rufna to share what happened.
After having lunch together, everyone planned to nap in their rooms.
Kian and Natra were the only ones who left the lodge around 6 in the afternoon, heading towards the old Oswald estate.
Dusk.
The witching hour.
The old Oswald estate was bathed in thick orange sunlight, heavy with a sense of fatigue after the salon had closed.
”──────?”
As Kian turned to head toward the north wing, he suddenly felt a strange sensation and stopped.
He glanced to the side and saw Natra also standing still, glaring intently at the main building of Oswald estate.
”Sir Kian”
”Ah. The undead Owl trapped in the basement is getting pretty unruly.”
Kian answered while watching a guard from the human race, who was yawning at the entrance of the salon.
The waves of magic power being released were growing intense.
With his vampire hearing, he could make out the sounds of them screaming while banging against the stone walls and steel cages.
Their wild rampage hinted at something──something not good──coming.
”Renaud is in the salon… but we have no choice. I need to check it out. My instincts tell me it can’t be left alone.”
”I will accompany you.”
Natra nodded seriously and approached the guard standing at the entrance.
Kian followed closely behind.
’Tch. Undead you can’t control should just be burned away quickly.’
(I hesitated because it might mess up things with the Owl. Besides, what’s becoming a problem isn’t the rampaging undead, but something else coming this way.)
The evening breeze was laced with the sweet scent of blood──
It smelled like honey and alcohol.
Everything felt utterly delicious to Kian, melting in his senses.
(The monsters that were ravaging adventurers in the fortress are getting close.)
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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