Chapter 59

I Object to This Marriage! (2)

Alteron had come to stand before Kai. He gave him a smile brimming with malice.

“Didn't I tell you that the elixir in our family's possession could cure your mistress?”

Elixir. Hailed as the crowning achievement of alchemy, it was a miraculous medicine that, depending on its type, produced various effects capable of breaking through the limits of body and mind. It could even heal fatal injuries and illnesses in an instant. An extraordinary remedy, it was also known as a “cure-all.”

But...

“We have no confirmation that it can cure Lady Seraphia.”

There was no guarantee that even an elixir could treat Seraphia's condition. There were so many different kinds of elixirs to begin with, each with different effects and efficacy.

“So you intend to leave your mistress to die?”

Alteron continued with a mocking smile.

“As for my wife, I—”

SHING!

A sharp metallic ring. Kai had drawn his sword in the blink of an eye, and its point was now aimed at Alteron's throat.

“Say that word one more time, and I will not stand idly by.”

Unmistakable killing intent filled Kai's voice.

But Alteron did not back down in the face of it.

“What's wrong with calling my wife my wife?”

“I distinctly warned you that I would not—”

“Seraphia has already accepted the marriage proposal.”

Kai's eyes, which had gleamed with murderous intent, suddenly widened.

“What do you mean by that?”

“Exactly what I said. Seraphia accepted the last proposal we made.”

Kai turned his wide eyes toward Bernard. But he looked bewildered too, as though this were the first he had heard of it. That meant Alteron was lying.

“You think a lie like that—”

“The marriage agreement.”

Alteron pulled a neatly rectangular sheet of paper from inside his clothes.

“A marriage agreement...?”

“Read it.”

Kai took it reflexively and examined its contents.

“Th-this is...!”

He realized that Alteron was telling the truth.

The agreement explicitly promised marriage between Alteron and Seraphia. Kai wanted to believe it was a forgery, but the seal stamped at the bottom was unmistakably Seraphia's.

“As you can see, Seraphia is my fiancée.”

Alteron snatched the agreement back from Kai.

“So act like a knight and do your duty. Don't get above yourself and defy your master.”

He gently pushed Kai's sword aside, then jabbed him in the chest with his index finger.

“You'll soon be my knight. Even the stupidest dog should know who its master is.”

Alteron's eyes were filled with greed as he looked at Kai. His crooked smile brimmed with malice and mockery. Yet there was nothing Kai could do.

He clenched his fists hard enough to crush them. This helplessness he felt... was utterly unbearable.

Just as despair and rage at his own inability to do anything boiled within him, a voice reached his ears.

“What the fuck is going on here?”

* * *

A little group had gathered outside Seraphia's room. Kai had his fists clenched, furious about something, while Bernard looked as gloomy as if the world had ended. And then there was the smug expression on a thug I'd never seen before.

“What the fuck is going on here?”

I really did wonder what the fuck they were up to.

As I slowly approached, the thug-looking fellow was the first to speak.

“Who the hell are you?”

“I could ask you the same thing. Who are you? I've never seen you in the county before.”

“How dare you address me like that! Do you know who—”

“I'm asking because I don't.”

The thug gritted his teeth once before answering.

“I am Alteron de Veneron, eldest son of House Veneron!”

“... So it was you?”

The fellow who kept visiting the county at all hours, making me think Ian had arrived. And the one responsible for this whole mess.

“You're the bastard trying to marry Seraphia?”

“Bastard? Hah! Have you gone mad? You dare call a noble a bastard? I don't know who you are, but—”

“I'm Seraphia's older brother.”

In other words, your prospective older brother-in-law. And the eldest son of a count's house, which outranked you.

“... What?”

Alteron's face went blank. He seemed unable to believe me because I looked nothing like Seraphia.

Well, we were adoptive siblings, not related by a single drop of blood, so of course we didn't look alike. But even adoptive siblings were still brother and sister.

“So let me make this clear now. I oppose this marriage.”

As family, I had every right to have a say in Seraphia's marriage. All the more so now that our father was dead.

Of course, that didn't mean I intended to play the older brother to her. In that sense, whom she married was none of my business.

'But I absolutely cannot let the Sovereign of Bitter Cold awaken.'

That was one thing I couldn't stand by and watch. Even if Seraphia loved Alteron, I would oppose this marriage no matter what.

Hearing that I was her older brother made Alteron falter for a moment. His bluster diminished somewhat, out of consideration for his prospective brother-in-law.

“What difference does your objection make? Seraphia has already agreed to the contract.”

But he was still just as ill-mannered.

“Contract?”

Alteron handed me a neatly rectangular sheet of paper. It was a sort of contract specifying how much compensation would be paid in exchange for the marriage. I checked its contents point by point, then—

RIIIP!

I tore the marriage agreement apart.

“Wh-what are you doing?!”

“There's a limit to this bullshit.”

“... What?”

“Did you think I'd fall for a forged agreement like this?”

Of course, Seraphia's seal at the bottom was genuine. It was the same seal as the one on the written pledge she had given me before. In other words, this was an authentic agreement. Even so, I was certain it was a forgery.

Otherwise, the quest would never have appeared now. It should have appeared the moment Seraphia agreed to the marriage. That meant that while the seal was real, Seraphia, at least, hadn't stamped it herself.

It was only a guess, but—

“You stole Seraphia's seal and stamped it yourself, didn't you?”

Alteron gave a violent shudder. I'd hit the mark. At that, Kai's eyes filled with rage and hatred.

He looked ready to kill Alteron on the spot, noble status be damned. Though Alteron was trembling in fear, he seemed to think Kai wouldn't actually kill him.

But he seemed to be misunderstanding something. Kai wasn't merely a deeply loyal knight. He was a lunatic prepared to make an enemy of anyone for Seraphia's sake.

GRRRK!

The only reason he was suppressing his rage through superhuman willpower was that killing House Veneron's eldest son here would cause serious trouble. The kingdom treated the murder of a noble as a grave matter. More importantly, it could trigger a war between the county and the viscounty. A rash move could throw the whole county into turmoil.

Kai kept swallowing his anger not for his own sake, but for Seraphia's. Yet with the slightest provocation, he seemed all but certain to kill Alteron right here.

Perhaps Kai frightened him. Alteron shouted in panic.

“But the elixir is real!”

“... Elixir?”

“Yes! The elixir that can cure Seraphia is real!”

Apparently, Alteron had an elixir that could treat Seraphia's condition. Taking one look at the situation, I thought:

'Is this why they didn't reject him outright?'

That seemed to be the case.

“We don't need it.”

“... What?”

“We already have an elixir to cure Seraphia.”

“Is that true?!”

The question came not from Alteron but Kai. His murderous air had vanished, and his blue eyes were wide.

“Why did you think I went to Frecce?”

... Oh, hadn't I told him? Well, anyway.

“The medicine will be ready soon.”

Kai's blue eyes trembled violently at my assurance. Then, to my surprise, his gaze suddenly turned strange.

That bastard. There was no telling what insanity he'd get up to if I left him alone. I hurriedly spoke to Alteron.

“Get the hell out of my sight. Now.”

Rather than hanging around and getting killed by Kai, that is. Thug or not, he was a noble, and dealing with the aftermath would be a real headache.

“Don't be ridiculous!”

But Alteron didn't seem inclined to leave quietly. His face was furious, his fists trembling. Anyone could see he resented me for ruining what he'd thought was a sure thing.

“You think someone like you can cure Seraphia's condition?”

“What if I can?”

“Do you even understand her condition before you run your mouth?”

“You talk as though you do.”

“Of course I—”

Alteron clamped his mouth shut. He seemed to have plenty to say, but refused to utter another word. He merely glared at me once.

“... Don't come crying to me with regrets later.”

He wheeled around and left. And at that very moment—

◆You have cleared the Subquest [I Object to This Marriage!]!

Translucent messages announcing the quest's completion scrolled into view.

◆You have gained 486,440 quest experience!

◆You have leveled up!

◆You have leveled up!

◆You have leveled up!

I received more quest experience than I'd expected. The lycanthrope's Sudden Quest had given me roughly 950,000 experience. This wasn't quite as much, but considering the difficulty, it was practically free.

And then:

◆How dare that scumbag set his sights on my little sister?!

◆Over my dead body!

◆Your brotherly actions have greatly increased Kai's affinity!!

The reward of increased affinity with Kai, which I hadn't particularly wanted, appeared before me as well.

◆Kai's affinity toward you has entered the [Friendliness] state!

◆A character in the [Friendliness] state displays a friendly and positive attitude toward you.

◆This character is eager to offer help or cooperate with you. You can receive their support in combat or specific situations, or ask for their help in a crisis.

Kai's affinity had jumped two stages from [Conflict] to [Friendliness]. But that wasn't what mattered right now.

It was Alteron, stalking away in a huff. ... That bastard. Something had been off about him from the start.

For one thing, it was strange that he hadn't recognized my face. I hadn't recognized Alteron because my memories were muddled by my previous life, but there was no way he wouldn't recognize me.

House Veneron's territory bordered Whitewolf county. His failure to recognize me, the count's wastrel son, was strange in more ways than one. Especially with my black hair, which was rare on this continent.

Then there was his scheme with Seraphia's stolen seal, and the way he seemed to know something about her condition. It hadn't been long since she lost consciousness. It had happened after she used her Authority, and House Veneron had no way of knowing about that.

Of course, a messenger from House Veneron had visited the county before I left for Frecce. They could have learned of it then.

So the most suspicious thing was actually how the quest had cleared the moment he left. That meant he alone had triggered it. A quest whose failure penalty was nothing less than the awakening of the <Sovereign of Bitter Cold>.

Just who was this fellow?

I activated Predatory Instincts[S] on Alteron's retreating back. Information about him appeared neatly before my eyes.

==<Entity Information>==

Entity: Alteron de Veneron

Classification: Artificial Life Kingdom, Transmuted Animal Phylum, Mimic Class, Homunculus

Sex: Male

Age: 1 year

Characteristics: Replica-type homunculus

* * *

Kai was deeply conflicted as he watched Alteron leave the count's house in apparent fury. Once again, Adrian had protected Seraphia. Once again, he had made the impossible possible.

Gratitude and resentment toward Adrian. Those two conflicting emotions gripped Kai's heart and tugged at it ceaselessly.

The wounds Adrian had inflicted in the past. When Kai thought of the incident that had inevitably destroyed their relationship, he couldn't shake his resentment.

But when he considered how he could never have protected Seraphia without Adrian here, he couldn't shake his gratitude either.

Just as those tangled, complicated emotions were throwing his heart into confusion—

“Wait.”

Adrian called out to the departing Alteron, who stopped abruptly.

“Hah. Changed your mind already?”

Alteron's voice dripped with scorn as he turned to ask.

But Adrian gave no answer. He simply stared at Alteron in silence. At last, he slowly spoke.

“What did you say your name was?”

“What? Why are you suddenly ask—”

“I asked your name.”

Murderous intent gleamed in Adrian's red eyes.

GULP.

Kai could hear Alteron swallowing even from where he stood.

“I t-told you already. I am Alteron de Veneron, eldest son of House Veneron!”

“Alteron de Veneron...”

Adrian rolled the name over his tongue. Then he stared intently at a point in the empty air.

“... Are you sure?”

“You bastard, are you toying with—”

“Not Avarus?”

Alteron's eyes widened.

“H-how do you know that name...?”

Shock spread across his face. His expression echoed his words: how could Adrian possibly know that? And then—

“Avarus.”

Adrian's voice rang out, sending a chill down Kai's spine. At the same time, the air around Adrian changed completely. Kai shuddered involuntarily.

The horrifying presence rising from Adrian now... was exactly the same as before. The look in his eyes as he gazed at the lycanthrope amid that absolute, bitter cold. The smile, mingling madness and rancor, as he chewed and swallowed the lycanthrope's heart.

“I never thought I'd find a Devotee of the Fallen Souls here.”

Adrian grins. Complex emotions rise, tangled together, in the crimson eyes fixed on Alteron. Rancor, intoxication, fury, pleasure. And joy.

Those fragments of emotion gather and swirl within him. He is... exactly the same as before. The Adrian standing here now is just like the one who gazed at the lycanthrope back then.

... This was dangerous. He had to stop Adrian. Kai didn't know why, but the thought that he had to stop him right now kept surging through his mind.

But before Kai could act—

CRUNCH!

Adrian was already tearing Alteron's heart out.