Chapter 112
The Bahamut Ducal House.
It was the greatest house in the Alphrost Kingdom, having begun as one of the founding contributors to the kingdom and having produced chancellors over several generations. In particular, the current head of the Bahamut House, Duke Mydas, sat in the position overseeing the kingdom’s internal affairs.
It was also famous as the house that possessed the largest mansion in the Royal Capital.
Lavish parties were held day and night in the ultra-luxurious banquet hall prepared in the annex. It was such a renowned place that several couples could be said to pair off and fall apart there in a single day.
“In other words, the Bahamut Ducal House is the center of politics and society. So while I’m there, if I get the chance, I’m planning to look around a bit.”
That was what I said to Arthas.
I had not bothered putting him on horseback. We were riding together in the carriage, chatting about one thing and another.
Arthas nodded.
But his interest seed to lie elsewhere. In the Azure Dragon Knight Order. Since we were going to the very place he had once dread of joining, it was only natural that he would be excited.
“You said before that you wanted to join the Azure Dragon Knight Order, didn’t you?”
“That’s true. You could say it was my goal.”
“With your skill, couldn’t you have gotten in easily enough? Or did you never apply?”
“I did.”
Arthas shook his head and let out a sigh. He spoke with a self-mocking smile, a look that did not quite suit soone usually so full of confidence.
“It’s a place where geniuses gather. Ordinary hopefuls like can barely even line up to try. I got thrown out cleanly in the first-round test.”
“If you’re ordinary, then what kind of monsters are gathered there?”
That was not empty flattery.
According to the Status Window, Arthas was an outstanding four-star talent. His Swordsmanship was A-rank, and his Horsemanship was also A-rank. I did not want to complain that it was not S-rank. An A-rank itself was already exceedingly rare.
Besides, I had crossed swords with him myself. I knew his skill and passion better than anyone. And that man was an ordinary hopeful? On top of that, he had failed in the first round?
For a mont, my curiosity toward the Azure Dragon Knight Order deepened.
“Hah, it’s no joke. It’s a place where only elites gather. The word in the field is that it’s almost on the sa level as the Royal Knight Order. It’s still not a place where I can hold my own.”
And yet even as he said that, Arthas grinned brightly.
“Still, soday I want to make my na in a place like that!”
I liked that positive attitude of his. Rather than people who grew discouraged and drew a hard line around their own limits, I preferred those who kept challenging themselves even when they could see their limits ahead.
People like that had a certain fragrance to them. The scent of soone truly alive, perhaps.
“There’s still plenty of ti. We’re young, aren’t we?”
“Yeah. We’re young.”
“Then let’s take it slow.”
Before I knew it, the carriage had passed through the iron gate.
The scenery changed completely. The city vanished, and we entered a garden filled with beautifully cultivated trees and flowers. We would have to go much farther still before reaching the mansion.
“So today, are you just going to deliver the letter and co back?”
“For now. If they tell us to stay for a cup of tea, I won’t go out of my way to refuse.”
“So the Young Lady’s first official engagent will be here.”
It was a safe decision.
Of course, eting Prince Morata would not have been a bad choice either, but if we wanted practical benefit, paying our respects to the Bahamut House first was the proper move.
Setting aside the fact that he was royalty, Morata effectively had no real political base of his own.
Compared to that, the Bahamut House had been instruntal from the kingdom’s founding onward, so its influence was imnse.
Before long, the carriage ca to a slow stop, and the driver opened the door himself.
“We’ve arrived, Attending Secretary.”
“You’ve done well. Remain on standby.”
“Yes, sir.”
I sent the driver away.
When I stepped down, a broad garden spread out before my eyes. But soone was standing there. A middle-aged lady, strolling with several Maids in attendance.
“Who is that?”
She carried herself with such extraordinary grace that my gaze lingered on her of its own accord. No matter how I looked at it, she seed at least like a duchess.
Just then, I sensed soone approach from behind.
I turned at once, hurriedly but without breaking my posture. An elderly man with a kindly face was walking toward .
“Welco. You are from the Adeline House, are you not?”
He, too, wore a butler’s uniform. If he was in a position to receive guests at the entrance, then he must have held a rather high rank. At the very least, sothing on the level of a Senior Butler.
“This is our first eting. I am Dilen of the Adeline Marquis House. I serve as Young Lady Sapiela’s Attending Secretary.”
“Welco to the Bahamut Mansion, Dilen. I am Elwin, a Butler here. Have you perhaps brought a ssage from Young Lady Sapiela?”
“That is correct.”
“We have been waiting. Excellent.”
This was, in effect, my first official exchange with the butlers of another house. There seed to be quite a difference in rank between us, but that did not appear to matter much. I could feel the consideration in his manner.
I took the letter from my breast pocket. It was the one I had written myself. Soon, it passed into the hands of the elderly butler.
“The Young Lady said she would like to attend tonight’s banquet. If it is not too soon......”
“Oh, not at all. Not at all. That is perfectly fine. If it is for the banquet, my master will be delighted as well. It has been a long ti since he last saw the Young Lady, and he has been quite curious how she has grown.”
“I see.”
So they had t briefly when she was young. The Young Lady had said she had never co to the Royal Capital, so had the duke gone directly to the Adeline territory?
In any case, I pretended to know enough that I would not look like an apprentice.
Once that brief exchange of pleasantries ended, the butler gestured toward the interior of the mansion.
“You must have been tired from coming all this way. How would you feel about coming inside for a cup of tea? I would also like to hear a little about the Adeline territory.”
“That sounds fine. Ah, I should have introduced him sooner. This is my lieutenant, Arthas......”
At that mont, the sound of a horse shrieking rang out from behind us. Everyone was startled. The cry was anything but ordinary.
“Aaaah!”
Crash!
A carriage overturned, and the driver tumbled off. Fortunately, it was not ours. It seed to belong to another house, but the horse had panicked and was running wild.
NEEEEIGH!
After one violent scream, the horse snapped free of every strap connecting it to the carriage and began rampaging. Had it not been properly trained, or had it seen a rat?
The situation had erupted with terrifying suddenness.
The horse, flailing wildly, spotted soone. Following that line with my eyes, the one standing at the end of it was the middle-aged lady I had noticed earlier.
Before anyone could even shout that she was in danger, the horse had fixed on its target and charged.
Judging from its breed, it was likely a warhorse. It ca on with trendous force. Even though it was only a single horse running wild, the impact made the ground tremble faintly.
“Madam!”
“You’re in danger!”
Only then did everyone finally recognize the crisis.
Unfortunately, the middle-aged lady had no guard knight with her. A few of the Maids tried to block the horse, but they would only be flung aside or trampled.
Madam, was it? Then that graceful lady really was the duchess after all?
I was taking in the entire scene with the ease of watching it unfold in slow motion.
One of the abilities I had received as a perk of reincarnation allowed to respond calmly even in urgent situations, and this was one of those tis.
Ti was not actually moving more slowly, but I could see things in such fine detail that it gave that much room to think.
If bringing the letter had earned tea, then stepping in for a mont now might earn a al.
Perhaps even more than that.
This was a chance.
For the future of our tis, and to elevate the dignity of the Young Lady’s banquet, I ought to step forward.
“Madam!”
Shouting that, I sprang forward.
Vmmmm!
I poured mana into my legs. Since everyone’s attention was fixed on the lady, I was able to use my ability without hesitation.
At the sa ti, I activated the Protective Aura I had been practicing. I wrapped my shoulders and torso in mana so they would absorb the shock.
“Stop the horse! Hurry!”
At the sa ti, other Knights and soldiers rushed forward as well, but they had no hope of matching either my speed or the horse’s. The whole thing had happened far too suddenly.
I reached the middle-aged lady a hair’s breadth before the horse.
But I could not lay hands on her, so instead of pulling her into my arms, I braced my legs and thrust a hand out toward the charging horse.
“Get back!”
The horse was already right in front of . A chill ran through , but I trusted in the strength I possessed.
THUD!
A heavy impact rang out. I had collided head-on with the horse.
“Ghk.”
Even after drawing my mana out to the utmost limit, a sharp pain still shot through . That was because I was using mana raw. If I used it in a more refined way, through magic, I would be able to absorb the shock far more cleanly.
But I did not fall. Instead, I brought my hand down on the horse’s head.
WHAM!
NEEEEIGH!
As the horse reeled for a mont, I wrapped my arms around its body. Then I used brute force to throw it over, and slowly poured the mana I carried into the horse itself.
NEIGH! Neeeigh......
The horse let out one last savage cry, then began to go limp. It seed my mana had succeeded in calming it down.
If that was the principle at work, then maybe I really could use Monster Taming Magic too.
“Hoo.”
Once I confird that the horse had gone down, I sank to the ground as well.
“Dilen!”
“Madam!”
Arthas supported , while the others from the house rushed to the pale-faced middle-aged lady.
Fortunately, she had not co to any harm. The Maids who had tried to throw themselves in front of her also seed to be safe.
Only after the situation had settled sowhat did the elderly butler co to .
“You saved Madam! I do not know how to thank you. Are you all right? Please, co inside first. I will call for a Doctor.”
“No, this much is fine. I activated Aura, so I reduced the impact.”
“Aura?”
The elderly butler was visibly startled. I did not hide the fact that I was an Aura User. Was it simply unusual for a Butler to use Aura?
Saying I was fine would not be convincing on its own, so I brushed the dust off and got back to my feet. Then I straightened my rumpled clothes once more and, wearing a polite smile, asked after the lady.
“I wish I could have greeted you under better circumstances. Madam, are you hurt anywhere?”
“Ah, so it was you who saved my life.”
The lady’s face, which had gone pale monts ago, had regained its calm. The phrase aged With Dignity fit her perfectly. She must have been quite beautiful in her youth.
In this world, horses were the primary ans of transportation.
Horses themselves were not exactly common, but since a horse was a living creature rather than a machine, there was no predicting what sort of sudden behavior it might display.
That was why serious accidents like falling from horseback or being struck by kicking legs or runaway carriages happened with so frequency.
“I am glad you are safe. I am Dilen of the Adeline Marquis House. I ca to the Royal Capital as Young Lady Sapiela’s Attending Secretary. This is not how I expected to introduce myself, but I hope for your kind regard.”
“You are a kind man. I am Rosaria. Shall we go inside first? Even if you say you are fine, I still think it would be best for you to receive treatnt.”
By an unexpected turn of fortune, I found myself receiving an invitation from the Bahamut House.
I had no reason to refuse.
I bowed obediently in acceptance, and the duchess personally led to the drawing room.
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