The place was very noisy.
The conversations between people were more grating than the extravagant music. Wayne quietly exhaled.
Atop the table set with an immaculately white tablecloth was a medley of large plates heaped with food. There were the sounds of tableware clinking and people chuckling.
“Would you care for more wine, sir?”
Wayne was holding an empty wine glass in one hand. Now that he noticed, he was regretting not leaving a little bit in the bottom. That way, he wouldn’t get bothered by others so much.
“Sure.”
As terse as his response was, it was clearly understood by the waiter, who slowly poured wine into the glass after Wayne set it down on the table.
This is making me feel like I’m somewhere far away.
Social events for nobles were generally like this. Wayne was the second son of a count, so he should have been used to it. But after drinking with Brooks in the sea town of Thalattadini and stuffing himself with popcorn in Plume Village, those felt much more natural to him now. There was nothing he could do about it, but it still felt very confining.
To fit the occasion, Wayne was wearing clothes more closely tailored to him than his usual gear, and he had also disengaged his concealment magic. The blond youth tugged at his lapels and sighed. The ladies attending the social event stole looks at him from behind their fans and whispered to each other.
“That gentleman is the hero.”
“He’s every bit as handsome as the rumors described.”
Still, this is really uncomfortable... Wayne thought to himself, anxious beneath the weight of both fawning praise and lingering stares. However, when he spotted a pile of popcorn on one of the large plates, his expression immediately softened. His chest grew warm.
He decided to try the salad that was within his reach and found that it had a familiar taste as well—coconut oil. Maybe the cookies on the next plate over included it too.
“Mmpff!”
“Is something the matter?”
“No, my apologies. It’s nothing.”
He’d spotted a woman graciously eating popcorn with a spoon and almost burst out laughing. Of course she would do a thing like this. Noblewomen wouldn’t eat in a way that would sully their gloves.
There were other people around having conversations along the lines of:
“Say, have you heard of foot baths? I thought it absurd to expose one’s feet, but upon trying it for myself, it took away the swelling in my feet that has tormented me for years now.”
“My, is that really so? The Aster artifact maker proposed the method, correct? I’ve been quite curious about it since hearing from Lady Dana.”
To Wayne, it sounded like they were probing what the other knew. That was likely exactly the case. Focusing in, he could see that the women each had an insulated thermal bag hanging on their arm. He couldn’t help but be skeptical at how far this was from their intended use, but this was what it was like in the capital. Things had probably gotten even crazier since Dana had started her keen endorsement.
Since there wasn’t enough supply to keep up with demand, owning an artifact that Lacey had made or knowing someone who did had turned into a kind of status symbol.
Amid all this, the host of the social event was speaking particularly loudly. Was he loud by nature, or was he raising his voice so that he could be heard?
Wayne narrowed his eyes balefully and steadily approached the man, Lomigos. He was the noble who had run away from the Friepurae Medical Center after Dana had gotten passive-aggressive with him.
Lomigos was vainly swelling his snowman-like body and throwing out his chest, chatting pleasantly with the people around him.
As he was the host, the nobles were smiling uniformly, but their eyes had a frigid look in them. Lomigos seemed to be aware of this and was speaking even louder, but in Wayne’s opinion, it looked to be futile.
“The count appears quite desperate,” came whispers.
Wayne felt that the onlookers who were blithely mocking someone else were the more ridiculous parties in this situation, but that was just what nobles were like. Nobody would approach someone who was in decline. They couldn’t stand to potentially have begging hands reaching out to them in desperation.
However, a surprising number of guests were attending this event hosted by Lomigos. As a diversion, as a means of scoping out what was happening—there were likely a variety of reasons, but the biggest one of all was something else.
“I promise that I’ll obtain all of Aster’s goods!” Lomigos proclaimed with exaggerated gestures, laughing along with the people near him. Wayne, watching Lomigos through a break in the crowd, scowled at him.
“After all, I’m very close to Lady Dana, the Saint of Light! I’ve visited her medical center many times, and she has proclaimed me to be a valued client! It’s the truth!”
The nobles, who spoke with faked expressions, all looked the same.
“Ohhh, you know Lady Dana? I’ve heard that she’s on friendly terms with the Aster artifact maker.”
“I’ve bought a full set of aromatic artifacts. Every one of them is marvelous.”
All of the responses were acted out.
Lomigos clenched his round fist and shook it in the air as he proclaimed, “Listen, everyone! I’ve had my eyes on Aster’s goods for quite some time now. I’ve been tracing them from where they’ve been sold and have been calculating where they’re manufactured...but I shan’t say more than that.”
“My word, you’re going to leave us hanging right at the part we’re all curious about?”
“Ha ha ha. If I revealed that, I wouldn’t be the first to reach them.”
“Very true!” There was a burst of laughter.
This was a waste of time. Wayne sighed and was about to just leave the venue, but Lomigos spotted him with eagle eyes. He cut through the crowd and came up to Wayne.
“Hero! Why, if it isn’t the hero! I had sent an invitation to the house of Cielanic as well, but I can hardly believe you actually showed up! Please, please do enjoy yourself! There’s much more on the program!”
“No, I have other business to attend to. I apologize, but I must leave early.”
“Egads! But there are the finest of music and delicacies to be found here!”
True enough, they were all excellent. Lomigos was trend-savvy, which was why there was even popcorn.
However, popcorn served on a fancy plate just felt jarring to Wayne. He couldn’t relax at all here. Glittering golden decorations shone all around the venue, which just depressed him. It was plain gaudy.
“I’m sorry, but I really must go.”
“Then take a souvenir! There are souvenirs for all guests! Hey, you there! Yes, you!” Lomigos raised his voice arrogantly. The servant who had been spoken to jumped up in surprise. Wayne felt sorry for him.
“Er, yes?”
“Stay alert! Bring the items at once! Please wait just a little longer, honored hero. I managed to procure enough Aster goods for all attendees.” His voice, which had momentarily been full of anger, took a completely different tone toward Wayne. “There are few items in circulation, so I had commoners sell me some in their possession. Oh, of course the transactions were done right at the spot where the items had been purchased, so rest assured, they haven’t been used,” Lomigos bellowed. “When I obtain the Aster artifact maker, I will guarantee a greater supply and will firmly instruct and guide them to deliver their stock to nobility, not to commoners—”
“That’s enough.” Wayne couldn’t put up with this. He’d uttered the words before he knew it.
“Eh? Um, esteemed hero...?”
“Don’t assume that what you want is the same as what everyone else wants.” Commanding words naturally surged out of his mouth. “That kind of thinking will eventually lead to your downfall.”
“What...?” Lomigos froze up with his hands still sycophantically pressed together.
Seeing this, Wayne had a feeling that maybe he said a little too much, but nonetheless he turned around and walked away. Lomigos, who was pinned to the spot, didn’t try to stop him this time.
Wayne exited the manor at a brisk pace, then recalled the letter he had received.
A very heavy sigh escaped his lips.
∗ ∗ ∗
“Hey, did you say more than you should’ve?”
“I didn’t.”
“You definitely did!”
“I insist that I didn’t,” Lanze replied slickly. Allen glared at him as the carriage rattled along, shaking them along with it, but Lanze was probably completely unfazed. In fact, he was merrily whistling a tune. Allen’s brow furrowed even more.
Lately, Allen had been allowed to hold the reins too. He was getting used to vending, and he was happy to be gradually learning new skills, but...
“You must have! Big sis Lacey has clearly been acting weird! She gets super tense whenever I say I’m going to the capital, balls her fists up, and tells me ‘Good luck!’ It’s abnormal for her to cheer me on so fiercely! But when I ask her what’s up, her eyes start to dart all over the place. Is she raising goldfish in them or something?!”
“It’s funny how her emotions are very transparent sometimes.”