"Nice to meet you, Young Master Eugene. I am Helios Helbrit, the son of Duke Makelos Helbrit."
He is the heir to Duke Helbrit, the kingdom's prime minister. If nothing major happens, Helios will likely follow in his father's footsteps and become the kingdom's prime minister as well. Moreover, he is Yuria's half-brother. Since Yuria holds a grudge against the Helbrit ducal family itself, he is also a target for revenge.
"I am Eugene Pruckus. I've heard much about your reputation, Lord Helios. You are known for your exceptional intellect and are considered a prime candidate for the next prime minister, carrying the king's expectations on your shoulders… Young Master Helios, you are a blessing to the Rapherry Kingdom."
"Haha, you flatter me. I didn't expect my reputation to reach the Pruckus territory. And if we're talking about blessings, Young Master Eugene, you are no less. The inventions you've created, especially the cosmetics, have even caught the attention of the queen herself."
"Oh, really?"
This is quite surprising. I've only distributed the cosmetics within the Pruckus territory and its nearby regions. I didn't expect rumors about them to reach the royal palace, the heart of the kingdom. I knew the rumors would spread eventually, but this is much faster than I anticipated.
"Why would I lie? I've heard that the cosmetics aren't officially on sale yet. May I ask what your specific plans are?"
"I'm still preparing, but I should be able to officially sell them by next year."
"I see. If you encounter any difficulties, you can always seek help from our Helbrit ducal family."
"Haha, I appreciate the offer."
No matter what, I won't be collaborating with the Helbrit ducal family. These people may act gentlemanly on the surface, but they're no different from thugs at heart. Besides, the Helbrit ducal family is Yuria's enemy. To me, Yuria's value far exceeds that of the Helbrit family.
Zent, Helios, and I exchanged various conversations. Most of it was trivial talk, like how the food was delicious or how the lake in the Pruckus territory was beautiful.
"By the way, Young Master Eugene."
"Yes?"
"I've heard that your personal maid has silver hair and blue eyes. Would it be possible for me to meet her in person?"
This is about Yuria.
Is he suspecting that Yuria is Helbrit's illegitimate child? No, it doesn't seem like he's reached that point yet.
"She's busy with her work. She's not someone you need to meet, Young Master Halios. Why do you ask?"
"I was just curious since she shares the same hair and eye color as me. Besides, I've heard she possesses remarkable beauty…"
"She's just a maid. You'd be disappointed if you saw her in person."
"Hmm, is that so? I heard she's related to the Pruckus' head butler, is that correct?"
The fact that he knows about Yuria's background means he's done some preliminary investigation. Perhaps he's at the stage of suspecting her.
'Suspicion is fine. It's just a bit annoying.'
Even if they suspect Yuria's true identity, they can't act recklessly. This is the Pruckus territory, after all. However, I don't like the attention being drawn to Yuria, who I plan to use as an assassin.
"She's related to Head Butler Hassent. Her village was attacked by monsters and turned into ruins. She lost her parents and was living in poverty when Hassent brought her to the mansion."
"That's unfortunate."
"But she's doing well now as my personal maid."
After that conversation, we parted ways under the pretext of Helios needing to greet other nobles. Helios doesn't possess exceptional swordsmanship or magical abilities, but he's a dangerous individual in many ways.
'That guy…'
There were over 30 people gathered. My gaze was drawn to the man at the center of the crowd. A blond-haired man in extravagant attire was gulping down makgeolli, a drink brought from the real world.
"Pwah! So this drink is called makgeolli? It has a unique taste, I like it!"
Aiden Rapherry.
He is the prince of the Rapherry Kingdom. Despite being the king's eldest son, he hasn't been named the crown prince due to his improper conduct. However, since he only has a younger sister, it's almost certain that he will become the next king.
Aiden has the covert support of some nobles, including the Helbrit ducal family. From the nobles' perspective, having an incompetent Aiden as king would make it easier for them to gain unfair advantages.
'In the original story, Aiden never becomes king, and his wise younger sister inherits the throne.'
Aileen Rapherry.
Aiden's younger sister and the princess of the Rapherry Kingdom. She is also one of the five heroines. I looked around to find her but couldn't. It seems she didn't attend this banquet.
'Aileen hasn't stepped into the spotlight yet.'
In the original story, Princess Aileen inherits the throne with significant help from Kyle. She is also one of the heroines who marries the hero, Kyle, in the ending.
'Hmm, should I side with Aileen?'
I haven't yet decided whether to align with the prince or the princess. Each has their pros and cons.
'Aiden is easy to manipulate. The problem is that the entire kingdom could be destabilized. The Helbrit ducal family, which supports him, will eventually fall, so I don't need to worry about them.'
An incompetent prince.
'Aileen is harder to manipulate. The advantage is that she would run the kingdom well. If she becomes queen, the kingdom won't be destabilized.'
A wise princess.
If the kingdom is destabilized, my business will suffer. On the other hand, if the kingdom remains stable, my business will thrive. However, considering the benefits of having a foolish king, I can't hastily choose Aileen.
'I haven't fully started my business yet… There's no need to pick a side now. I'll wait and see how things unfold.'
Of course, I'll have Aileen. Tasting a princess of a kingdom…
'Chu~rup. I wonder what a princess's… tastes like.'
Marrying Princess Aileen could be one way to go. However, I'm not particularly drawn to that idea. If that happens, I'd become the queen's consort… and the actual power would still lie more with the Pruckus count.
"This drink is called soju? Hmm, it's subtle!"
I averted my gaze from Aiden. Zent and Helios are here. There's no need to approach Aiden and risk unnecessary misunderstandings.
"Eugene Pruckus?"
Someone called me. I turned my gaze toward them. It was a face I hadn't seen before. I scanned their body. If they were a noble, there should be a family crest somewhere on their body. I found the crest, but it was one I didn't recognize.
'I memorized all the noble family crests in the Rapherry Kingdom for this day. If I don't recognize it, they're likely not a noble.'
In this case, they were most likely a wealthy merchant.
"Yes, I'm Eugene Pruckus. And you are?"
"Nice to meet you! I'm Mail, the head of the Orel Merchant Group. I'd like to have a detailed discussion about the cosmetics you've developed."
"Young Master Eugene! I'm Nojia from the Mytren Merchant Group! I'm interested in everything you've developed, from cosmetics to tobacco and perfumes!"
The merchants began competing to speak to me. Even Matap was among them.
I smiled. One of my goals in attending this banquet was to establish connections with them.
"Everyone, calm down. I'm willing to speak with all of you."
But only up to a conversation.
***
The atmosphere in the banquet hall intensified as Ention and Elaine made their appearance midway through the event. For the next three days, the lights in the banquet hall would not go out.
First day of the banquet.
I didn't leave the banquet hall until 5 a.m.
First, I approached the vassals to greet them. I wanted to reaffirm my presence to them.
Then, I was bombarded by the mages from Matap and the merchants. The rumors about modern items had spread much further than I had anticipated.
Second day of the banquet.
It was much the same. The mages and merchants continued to pester me. The mages were trying to figure out how the products I supposedly developed were made. Since modern items aren't created using magic, the mages couldn't easily understand the manufacturing process.
I dodged the mages' questions as best as I could. The manufacturing process? Honestly, I don't know either. I simply purchase completed modern items and sell them in this world. In other words, I'm hoarding.
The merchants were more interested in purchasing and selling than the manufacturing process. That's just how business works. I was vague with them as well.
At midnight on the second day, a duel broke out between two nobles.
Two nobles drew their swords and fought over a noble lady. Simply put, it was a love feud.
Blood was spilled in the banquet hall, but the attendees weren't upset. Instead, they were thrilled. I was reminded once again that this world is a medieval fantasy.
Third day of the banquet. The final day.
An incident occurred.
Alcohol is the root of all evil.
This is a fact that holds true both in the real world and here. Even nobles are human, and humans get drunk when they drink. Of course, they usually control their drinking. Nobles, in particular, have to be more careful. But humans are prone to mistakes.
In short, one of the vassals caused trouble after drinking.
He was a young noble who had recently inherited the title of baron. He had consumed about two bottles of wine and three bottles of soju.
"Count Ention Pruckus!"
The man's voice was clear. If he hadn't been swaying, one might have thought he wasn't drunk.
The music had just ended, so his voice echoed loudly through the banquet hall. Everyone's attention turned to him.
"Baron Jukai. Do you have something to say to me?"
Ention was as calm and composed as ever.
"I can't hold back my curiosity any longer!"
"What are you so curious about?"
"The successor of Pruckus! All the other great lords have already decided on their successors! For the sake of the future, isn't it time for you to decide on your successor as well?!"
"..."
Everyone was shocked. Was it the audacity of youth? Even if he was drunk, no one expected him to confront Ention so directly. But it was also a question that scratched an itch everyone had.
All eyes were on Ention.
"I haven't decided on a successor yet."
"…Why not?! Young Master Zent is more than capable of succeeding you, isn't he?!"
The young noble seemed to be aligned with Zent. He must have been anxious since Ention hadn't named a successor.
"Zent is exceptional. However, my second son, Kyle, is no less exceptional. Eugene also has the qualities of a family head."
I desperately controlled my facial expression. The fact that Ention mentioned my name means I'm being considered as a successor candidate.
"Young Master Kyle and Young Master Eugene are too young."
"They've both undergone their coming-of-age ceremonies. Kyle and Eugene are not children."
"...When do you plan to decide on a successor?"
"You're being rude, Baron Jukai."
Ention looked around. The Pruckus vassals were all staring at him intently. The successor is a crucial issue for the vassals, as it concerns the next ruler. The moment Ention names a successor, the vassals will become extremely busy.
I thought that even Ention wouldn't be able to let this slide easily.
"The successor of Pruckus will be decided when the time is right."
In the end, there was no clear answer. A sigh escaped from the vassals' lips. With those words, Ention left the banquet hall.
'...No matter how much I think about it, I can't figure out Ention's intentions.'
Why is Ention dragging his feet on naming a successor? It's good for me, but it's not ideal for the family.
'And Ention is more autocratic than I thought.'
The vassals must be accumulating dissatisfaction with Ention. Maybe I can use that to my advantage.
***
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