Chapter 90.1

Entir, Gard, Carpe, Havana, Doom, and Yulkanes.

The conversation among the six began with a familiar structure and posture, much like the discussions held in any other banquet hall.

Each held a glass of wine and gathered in a corner to claim a spot.

The only difference was the soundproof barrier that Yulkanes had quietly set up around them.

“You’ve been acting quite strange lately.”

“Really? In what way? I don’t think so.”

Havana and Entir spoke with an odd mix of closeness and distance between them.

“Don’t you see it? Lately…! You’ve been unreasonably close to the Aristocratic Council! Not to mention, you seem intent on bridging the gap between the Church and the Council! Have you lost your mind? Do you not realize your wife is a staunch conservative?”

At her words, Entir chuckled inwardly.

“She doesn’t even mention how drastically her letter-writing has decreased. Nor does she acknowledge that the Northern knights dealt with the spies who used to monitor me.”

He gazed at the woman he had once loved more than anyone else.

“And, above all, she doesn’t show the slightest concern about how I went alone into the perilous North.”

The nausea and bitterness rose within him, but he buried his true feelings behind the mask of a consummate merchant.

“That couldn’t be helped, could it? I’ve become a trader specializing in Northern goods.”

“But even so, aren’t you distancing yourself too much from the Imperial Family?”

“Elisha, my love. You know as well as I do that the North and the Imperial Family don’t get along. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to secure an exclusive supply contract with the Northern Grand Duchy?”

“……”

At Entir’s calm rebuttal, Elisha von Havana furrowed her brows.

It felt wrong, but she found herself unable to refute him.

“With our exclusive contract with the North, Bishop Company is experiencing an unprecedented golden age. This benefits the Havana Marquessate greatly as well.”

“……”

By this point, Havana had no further arguments to make.

In truth, her finances had never been healthier, and the supplies for the soldiers and knights stationed on the Western Front had improved noticeably in quality.

“All this is simply to make a living. Please explain this to His Majesty. I’ve been able to act this way because I trust in you, His Majesty’s loyal servant.”

“……Fine. I’ll do my best to persuade His Majesty.”

“Thank you. I trust only you, my beloved Elisha.”

Entir’s unchanged displays of affection brought a faint smile to Havana’s lips.

If it had been the old Entir, her smile might have delighted him, but now it only brought cold disdain.

“Mockery.”

The truth of his wife’s recent smiles was painfully clear: they were mocking him.

“Well then, I’ll be off.”

“Take care.”

As their conversation wound down, Havana left her husband without a second thought.

“I’ve neglected him too much lately.”

Her body burned with impatience to find the Emperor and release her frustrations.

“One more thing… Who is the mercenary by your side? They don’t seem like an ordinary fighter.”

There was just one matter she couldn’t ignore: the unusually androgynous Northern mercenary who had been by her husband’s side lately.

“It must have been that mercenary who dealt with the spies I sent to monitor him.”

Her instincts as a Sword Master whispered to her. The mercenary standing before her was no ordinary person.

“And more than that… there’s something strangely unpleasant about them. They feel oddly familiar, too.”

The Marchioness of Havana scrutinized Carpe, disguised as Phil, beside Entir, tilting her head.

Her gaze was a mix of “I feel like I’ve seen them somewhere before” and “How could someone this skilled remain unknown?”

“They’re a talented fighter from the North. Name’s Phil. Supposedly one of Frost Fang Balzac’s disciples.”

Entir answered her suspicion with complete nonchalance.

“Really?”

“Now, stop worrying about me and go attend to His Majesty. With Duke Doom here, I’m deeply concerned about the safety of the Golden Throne.”

“All right, then…”

Entir maintained the image of a devoted husband until the very end, even as his wife left without looking back.

“My employer isn’t normal, that’s for sure.”

“He didn’t become the Empire’s greatest merchant by chance.”

Carpe and Gard, who were privy to the truth, were inwardly impressed by Entir’s performance.

“Lord Gard, is it?”

“Yes, that’s correct, Master of the Golden Tower.”

Gard suddenly found himself face-to-face with Yulkanes, one of the Empire’s top three high-ranking Archmages.

“I’m talking about Count Arad Jin.”

“Pardon? Yes…”

“Tell me everything you know about him.”

“Everything?”

“Yes, everything.”

“Of course. Count Arad Jin is from Haven in the North…”

Gard began recounting everything he knew about Arad Jin at Yulkanes’ request.

“What’s going on?”

The problem lay with Gard’s demeanor as he spoke.

He divulged unnecessary details, volunteering information he didn’t have to share with ease.

“…That’s all.”

Fortunately, the depth of Gard’s connection to Arad wasn’t too profound, and the information he revealed was not far removed from what was already publicly known.

“Hmm… So, that’s all you know.”

After hearing everything, Yulkanes tilted his head slightly.

For a brief moment, the middle-aged mage’s golden eyes shifted oddly before returning to normal.

But no one in the room noticed the change.

“Who could it be? Who?”

Without so much as a word of thanks to Gard, Yulkanes mumbled to himself and vanished from the banquet hall.

“…?”

Gard stared blankly in the direction Yulkanes had disappeared, as if emerging from a trance.

***

“Carpe.”

“Call me Phil. What if Elisha, that lunatic, overhears?”

Meanwhile, Doom and Carpe, disguised as the mercenary Phil, finally began to converse.

They had waited until Havana was out of earshot to speak.

“Yulkanes’ soundproof barrier will last another 30 minutes. And Havana doesn’t seem to suspect anything for now.”

“She’s always been an idiot. Her aides handle all her strategies and tactics for her.”

It was no secret that Marchioness Havana lacked intelligence.

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