Chapter 122 - How a Social Beginner Makes Allies

Ferda hung a black hood at the highest point of the castle.

To an ordinary person, it was too far away to notice with the naked eye and too insignificant to pay attention to.

However, to certain people, it was an unmistakable signal.

The proof was that the Black Bandana came.

Only three hours had passed since he had put it up.

"I greet the Regent. This is our first meeting since the Dandolo Trading Company incident."

It was Garnet Swallow, the woman who had introduced herself as their representative, personally coming once again.

"Is it really acceptable for the head of an organization to wander around like this?"

"I may be called the leader, but I’m no different from the other executives. Besides, I’ve been keeping an eye on Valdrova Castle for the time being... On that note, congratulations on the completion of the first phase of Hestia Village."

"Thank you."

Ferda and Garnet quickly got down to business.

After hearing about Ferda’s current situation, Garnet tilted her head.

"At this level, it’s nothing more than ordinary gossip... Do you really have to catch whoever started it?"

"I do."

"Given the circumstances, we may have to dig into the Imperial Palace, so the cost will be rather high."

"That doesn’t matter."

"Hmm..."

Garnet let out a thoughtful hum before nodding.

It might seem trivial, but what mattered differed from person to person.

"Understood. We’ll do our utmost to trace the source of the rumor."

"My thanks. How much do you require as an advance payment?"

At that, Garnet raised her palm.

"There’s no need for an advance. Petty criminals like this are actually the hardest to catch. You can pay us after we’ve succeeded."

They couldn’t even be certain of catching a single insignificant culprit.

Ferda took that as proof of just how frightening gossip could be.

After all, anyone could be the source.

"I’ll pay the compensation once the job is finished. There’s one more thing I’d like to ask."

"Information requires an advance payment."

How thorough.

Ferda handed over the money.

After confirming that the amount was appropriate, Garnet gave a sign of acknowledgment.

"I discussed countermeasures regarding the scandal with the Imperial Princess. Could you tell me what you think?"

Ferda repeated everything Olivia had told him.

As the head of a secret organization, Garnet’s judgment was worth hearing.

"It’s a good plan."

Garnet responded positively.

"The common people will quickly forget once they return to their daily lives, and the nobles will soon be swept away by the next trend. Leaving behind just enough doubt to let the matter fade away naturally is a very noble way of handling things."

"Is that so?"

"Besides, though it isn’t obvious, it can also be used as a trap. If someone is truly determined to kill both you and the Imperial Princess, they’ll inevitably embellish the rumor even further. If that happens, it’ll be much easier for us to catch them. Either way, it’s an excellent strategy."

So there were details like that.

Ferda had thought he had grasped the bigger picture, but it was even beyond his expectations.

Had Olivia calculated all of this from the beginning?

"Thank you for confirming it."

"Think nothing of it. If you have any other requests or commissions, please let us know."

"I don’t have a request. Rather, I’d like you to accept something."

Ferda handed her an envelope.

"What is this?"

"An invitation to the Festival of the Beginning of Spring."

"You mean the banquet that’s been causing such a stir among the nobles these days? Am I really allowed to attend?"

"If you’re going to infiltrate it anyway, wouldn’t it be better to submit a genuine invitation rather than arousing suspicion with a fake one?"

Garnet looked as though she had been thoroughly outplayed.

"I’ll make sure not to attract attention during the banquet."

She tucked the invitation into her clothes.

"Since you’ve given me admission to the place every noble is watching, I suppose it’s only fair that I offer you a little service in return."

"A service?"

"It seems you’re a beginner when it comes to high society. Am I wrong?"

Ferda gave a small nod.

A faint smile appeared on Garnet’s lips.

"This is how a social beginner makes allies."

The greatest secret organization on the Cerdes Continent, one that made its living selling information.

And now it had revealed a piece of information worthy of its reputation.

***

After finishing his usual work for the day, Ferda summoned a man.

"You’re good at dancing, aren’t you?"

It was Zed Swallow, the handsome man with a brown ponytail.

"Of course. If I couldn’t dance, I wouldn’t be able to make a living as a swindler."

"Then can you teach someone to dance?"

"That’s a different matter. Being good at something doesn’t necessarily mean you’re good at teaching it..."

"Naturally, I’ll pay your tuition."

"I’ll make you the emperor of the dance floor, Regent."

Zed gave a confident thumbs-up.

Looking at him, Ferda couldn’t help wondering whether he was truly trustworthy.

"But why are you planning to dance? Is it for the Festival of the Beginning of Spring?"

Ferda nodded.

Zed tilted his head.

"The host usually doesn’t have much reason to dance. Most hosts stay seated for a while and then leave. Besides, the hostess won’t even be attending..."

"It’s in preparation for dancing with Her Grace the Grand Duchess."

"Oh~. Is she coming? I’ve never seen her before, so I’ve always been curious..."

"That hasn’t been decided yet."

Wouldn’t that be getting ahead of himself?

Zed kept that thought to himself.

The anticipation shining in Ferda’s eyes made it impossible to say aloud.

For Valdrova’s sake, Ferda began learning how to dance.

Luri had told him that Valdrova was making various preparations for the Festival of the Beginning of Spring.

However, even Luri wasn’t certain whether she would actually attend.

That didn’t matter.

Just as Zed worked in exchange for money, it was Ferda’s duty to prepare for the possibility that Valdrova would come.

Sitting across from him, Zed asked,

"Have you ever seen Her Grace the Grand Duchess’s face?"

"Only once."

"What was she like? Naturally she’d be beautiful, but what kind of expression did she have?"

Her expression...

It wasn’t exactly a pleasant memory, but Ferda answered honestly.

"She was crying."

"Oh~."

Ferda raised his head and stared sharply at Zed.

Startled, Zed hurriedly explained himself.

"Why are you looking at me like that? That’s actually a good thing."

"How so?"

"You said the first time you saw her, she was crying, right? There’s an old superstition that if the first time you see your partner’s face they’re crying, it means good fortune will come. And if the next time you see them they’re smiling, the two of you will stay together for a hundred years."

"You’re spouting one ridiculous lie after another."

"I’m serious..."

Muttering awkwardly, Zed casually unfolded one of the letters lying on the desk and read it.

"I never imagined there’d be this many people desperate to get into a newly established noble’s Festival of the Beginning of Spring. The Imperial Princess’s influence really is incredible."

"So it truly is an extraordinary situation."

"It’s astonishing. Normally you’d be lucky to receive even a single greeting letter, but here they’re practically crying and begging you to send them invitations."

Having witnessed countless situations like this, even Zed found the current one exceptional.

"Let’s see who’s coming... Ghk."

"Do you know someone?"

"I do. The young ladies I quietly abandoned at previous balls..."

" ’Ladies’?"

Just how many had he abandoned?

As Ferda glared at him, Zed widened his eyes and quickly said,

"Don’t worry. I’m already working together with a professional, so even if we run into them, everything will be settled peacefully."

Speak of the devil, and the very professional he was talking about burst into the office.

"Partyyyyy!!"

The one who barged into the office shouting so frivolously was Penelope.

She bounced in excitedly, unable to contain herself.

"I heard you’re throwing a party!"

"That’s right."

"And the Imperial Princess is coming too?"

"She is."

"Hehehe..."

Ferda added,

"If you so much as lay a finger on her, I’ll tear your limbs apart. Are you confident?"

"Waaah...! No matter how much I love women, I’m not such an idiot that I can’t tell the difference between poison and food, you know? Right, Zeze?"

Penelope clung to Zed affectionately.

Placing a hand on her shoulder, Zed gazed at her with deep eyes.

"You are exactly that kind of idiot."

"Haha, our Zeze is so mischievous. You’re saying things you don’t even mean."

"I’d trust Malcolm before I’d trust you."

"You pretty-boy gigolo! I’d rather you cursed me out!"

The moment Malcolm was mentioned, Penelope flared up and the two immediately began bickering.

"Get out already, you woman. Do you even know whose office this is before barging in?! Ugh, disgusting. Where’s the salt? I need salt!"

"What are you talking about?! I was summoned too!"

"The Regent summoned you? Don’t make me laugh. If that’s true, I’ll change my surname."

"I did summon her."

Ferda put an end to the pointless argument.

"I don’t care what the two of you usually do, but there won’t be any enjoying yourselves at this party."

"Huh? So I can’t flirt with any women?"

Penelope immediately drooped like a dog suffering from depression.

Looking completely uninterested, Zed turned to Ferda.

"What do you need us to do?"

The advice Garnet Swallow had given him on how a social beginner could make allies.

"Find the weaknesses of every young lady and young lord who visits Valdrova Castle."

"Their weaknesses?"

"What kind of weaknesses are we talking about?"

Ferda gave them a single, simple keyword.

"Adultery."

The Festival of the Beginning of Spring was an event where young men and women gathered together.

Flowers overflowing with youthful passion would lure in the bees, and the bees would be captivated by them.

As a result, countless people ended up indulging in a one-night affair.

People dismissed it as nothing more than the recklessness of youth, an unwritten rule that everyone silently overlooked.

That was why Garnet had made the following suggestion.

"If scandals like that exist, people will come to see you, Lord Ferda, as nothing more than an ordinary human. They’ll think that someone with blemishes of his own would naturally turn a blind eye to this much."

To Ferda, however, that so-called unwritten rule was nothing more than a cowardly and despicable excuse.

Knowing how sincerely devoted Ferda was, Garnet had deliberately proposed a rather dirty method.

"For those who refuse to become your allies, you must create a reason why they have no choice but to become your allies."

What nobles valued most was their reputation.

To preserve that reputation, they would have no choice but to follow Ferda’s wishes.

They had to become entangled.

Garnet had emphasized that what mattered most was creating that connection first.

"Assuming the Festival of the Beginning of Spring goes ahead as planned, identify places where couples are likely to hold secret rendezvous. Then use Communication Crystals to record every illicit affair that takes place there."

"Even if I had ten bodies, this commission would still be too much... But understood."

The trump cards for that operation would be none other than Zed and Penelope.

Unlike others, they could move discreetly, and both had plenty of experience charming people.

They were the perfect candidates.

"I’ll do it if you order me to."

Penelope spoke up.

Ferda instinctively felt annoyed, thinking she was talking back, but that wasn’t the case.

"If there isn’t any blackmail material... may I create some myself?"

Penelope asked with sparkling eyes.

At that moment, Ferda realized he had overlooked something.

She was the daughter of Sitri, the Demon of Lust and Illusion.

People called her a troublemaker and an airhead, but demon blood still flowed through her veins.

"Do it. You have my permission."

Ferda had stepped into the vicious political world of the nobility.

That meant he needed to become even more ruthless.

***

The chilly spring breeze melted into the warmth of the sunlight, becoming pleasantly cool.

Flowers that had bloomed in late winter had already borne fruit, decorating every corner of the forest.

Since the only threats in these lands were monsters, there were no starving predators, making it easy for the village women to gather herbs and wild plants.

Spring...

The season of new life that followed the end of death.

For Valdrova, it was a season that always stirred her emotions.

She disliked sentimentality.

Because it always ended in melancholy.

That was why she constantly kept herself busy.

On a perfect spring day for young ladies to enjoy an outing, she instead devoted herself to hauling and stacking stones that would be used to build the castle walls.

She found the satisfaction of hard labor far preferable to idle reflection.

It was lunchtime during her usual workday.

She sat among the laborers as they gathered together to eat.

"You know that building we stopped working on? I heard it’s going to become an Alte Temple."

Wanting to strengthen the unity of the common people, Ferda had requested that the Alte Church dispatch priests.

Two weeks earlier, a priest had finally arrived.

"So that new priest is going to take charge of it?"

"Probably."

"I don’t really like that priest..."

"Who does? We just wanted to badmouth that desert false god a little, and he came over just to lecture us."

"Didn’t he tell you not to call it that? You’re supposed to say Set! Set!"

"Set my foot. You’ve become that priest’s lapdog."

They belonged to the moderate faction that had been pushed aside by the radicals now holding power.

In other words, they were people who wished to coexist peacefully rather than looking down on the desert god worshiped in the South.

Valdrova couldn’t understand their resentment.

Peace is a good thing... so why are they so eager to fight?

Was life simply boring unless people were in conflict?

As always, Valdrova quietly listened without saying a word.

"Come on, let’s at least try believing in them. Didn’t they say this year’s Festival of the Beginning of Spring will be held together with the South? The people from the South are eager to build ties too, so don’t provoke them for no reason."

"I can already imagine what a complete disaster that’s going to be."

The speaker sneered with obvious displeasure.

No one knew what would become of a gathering intended to promote exchange and harmony.

Valdrova found herself wondering about the lives of ordinary people.

What kind of events would they have during the Festival of the Beginning of Spring?

Would there be something besides drinking, laughing, and celebrating?

I’m curious...

But she wouldn’t get to see it.

That day, she had to attend the nobles’ Festival of the Beginning of Spring instead of the commoners’ celebration.

She had heard that preparations would begin first thing in the morning, leaving her no time to look around.

Just one more week...

Time really did seem to pass quickly.

She had begun practicing controlling her strength and learning to dance for the festival, yet only one week remained.

I’ll dance with Mr. Ferda in a magnificent ballroom.

The mere thought unconsciously made her tense up again.

However, thanks to her training, the force she exerted had diminished until it was approaching the level of an ordinary person.

Even this pebble is still intact.

In her hand rested a fragile little stone.

It might hurt Ferda’s hand slightly if she squeezed it, but she was now certain she wouldn’t unconsciously crush it anymore.

"Speaking of which, things are really noisy over in the Empire! They say our lord and the Imperial Princess are... you know... involved."

The moment someone brought up the topic, the atmosphere among the workers turned icy.

Valdrova quietly perked up her ears and listened.

"What kind of ridiculous nonsense is that?"

"Some woman from the Empire said so. Apparently everyone at the Grand Ducal Council was talking about it after her first visit. Including this latest visit by the Imperial Princess of the Arken Empire, she’s come here three times already. Has an Imperial Princess ever met someone around her own age more than three times? And during this latest procession, they practically looked like a married coupl—"

One of the workers could bear it no longer and clamped a hand over his mouth.

"Hey! You’re trying to get yourself killed! Don’t go around saying things like that."

"Why not? Everyone in Hestia already knows."

"You fool! Do you think the rest of us don’t? Why do you think everyone’s keeping quiet about it here in Hestia? What do you think will happen if the Regent’s wife hears that story? Our Regent will end up as a corpse!"

Valdrova’s pupils shook as though an earthquake had struck them.

The pebble in her hand was gone.

In its place was nothing but a heap of fine sand, ground into tiny grains.