Chapter 29: The Villainess Lady Irine

By the time sunlight had filled the room and the night had given way to morning...

We were discussing what we should do about tonight’s invitation from Prince Garius.

“It’s an invitation from Lord Garius. We’ll need formal attire to avoid any offense.”

“…Well, I guess that’s a necessary expense. Ugh, maybe I shouldn’t have sold off all of Sakura’s clothes.”

Unlike yesterday, fresh off our adventure, we couldn’t exactly show up today dressed like common ruffians.

We were just commoners invited to a noble’s party, so we probably wouldn’t be executed over a fashion faux pas… Still, we should prepare as best we could.

“…A royal party…♪”

“Lev, calm down. I know you’re excited, but still.”

Lev, who had a strange admiration for noble society, seemed genuinely thrilled about tonight’s event.

Honestly, I was envious. For actual nobles, an invitation from someone far above your rank is more like a source of stomachaches than joy.

I’d have to keep an eye on Lev so her excitement didn’t lead to any missteps.

“So, how does a party like this even go? Do we have to go around greeting people or something?”

“Well, yes… We’ll need to greet the other guests. As nobles, Sakura and I will handle that part.”

“…Sorry, Irine. The etiquette I learned back home was more along the lines of ‘if someone glares at you, punch them.’”

“…I see.”

Well, yeah. There was no way Sakura’s hometown ever held a proper noble social gathering.

Does that mean I’m the only one here who knows standard etiquette?

“In the end, it’s all about reading the room, right? I don’t know the proper manners, but I’ll just watch Irine and avoid doing anything rude.”

“Maika should be able to manage just fine, I’m sure.”

“I know etiquette… I asked Father to teach me, just in case something like this ever happened…”

“My, Lev, that’s very commendable of you.”

Huh. That was unexpected.

If I could take their words at face value, then we probably wouldn’t run into too much trouble at the party.

“I do know the basics of etiquette, okay? It’s just… our district is kind of a pariah to the high society crowd…”

“Then you can just act the way you did when we first met. That level of politeness should suffice. But please, absolutely no fighting, alright?”

“I-I’ll try.”

Sakura is technically a noble. As long as she doesn’t start any fights, she should be fine.

“The real problem is…”

“Why are you looking at me?”

“…Sigh.”

Yeah. Our biggest concern is our dear leader.

“Karl. Invitation or not, you mustn’t grope any young ladies, understood?”

“If you slip and tug someone’s skirt down, you could end up beheaded depending on who it is, you know?”

“Also, absolutely no flirting…”

“What do you people think I am?”

A walking magnet for lucky perv moments, that’s what.

---

“Let’s practice, then.”

“…Yeah.”

After breakfast—

I ended up holding a crash course on table manners at the Yuri household’s dining table.

“Master, could I ask for your help?”

“Sure thing.”

I enlisted Master’s help as our makeshift servant.

In practice, he already acted like Sakura’s attendant. Even though he wasn’t invited to tonight’s party, it’d be good for him to get used to noble social norms too.

“First, let’s have everyone eat a meal as if they knew nothing. Master, we’re seated, so could you set the table for us?”

“Coming right up.”

“And Master, if anything’s unclear, feel free to ask.”

“Don’t underestimate me, missy. I used to handle the kitchen for the Tendou family. I know the basics well enough.”

Oh? So he picked up his cooking skills from Sakura’s family home.

Then there shouldn’t be any issue with him acting the part of a servant.

“Now, once the course begins, a small dish will first be brought before each of us. This is called an amuse-bouche, meant to be paired with an aperitif.”

“…Interesting.”

I mimed using a knife and fork to eat from the empty plate Master had placed before me.

The others followed suit, pretending to eat as well.

“Normally, when we’re seated, a servant would come by to pour the wine.”

“Royal wine, huh… I bet it’s amazing.”

“However, it’s best not to get drunk tonight. Especially you, Karl—no matter how much you’re offered, you mustn’t drink.”

“No arguments here.”

“Agreed.”

“…Okay.”

Karl looked a bit down, but I had to make sure this point stuck.

I don’t have enough experience at royal parties to babysit someone who crashes after one drink.

“Oh my, Karl. Are you trying to pick a fight with me?”

“…Huh?”

Out of nowhere, Sakura addressed Karl.

I turned to look, and saw Sakura staring at him with an amused yet combative gleam in her eye.

…Ah, I see.

“Karl, the edge of your knife is pointed directly at Sakura.”

“Huh? …Oh.”

“You know what it means to ‘point a blade at someone,’ don’t you? It’s not just rude—it’s an act of hostility. Absolutely do not do that at the actual event.”

Yeah, if he’d done that for real, it would’ve been a disaster.

Garius would probably just wave it off as ‘something a commoner would do,’ but...

If he did it in front of a more difficult noble, things would get ugly real fast.

“Knives must always be placed with the blade facing inward. That is an ironclad rule.”

“I’ll engrave it in my heart…”

“Table manners are quite fussy, as you can see. We’ll skip the more minute rules, but let’s at least drill the absolute don’ts.”

I’m really glad we practiced for this.

No matter what, I have to make sure my companions learn enough manners to get through this party without incident.

That’s my duty as a noble.

“…Very well, then. I’ll play the role of one of the nobles who invited us. Please try conversing with me.”

“Conversing?”

“A noble’s party is a social event. During the banquet, you may need to approach someone you wish to get closer to and strike up a conversation. Since we’re the main guests this time, some people are bound to talk to us.”

From the way she said that, they’re probably preparing quite a grand banquet. That means there’s a decent chance we’ll be approached by other nobles.

Well, I think it’ll be fine… but just in case, I should give Sakura a heads-up.

“Sakura-san. Forgive me for being blunt, but your family lineage isn’t exactly what one would call distinguished. There may be those who speak of it in a derogatory way.”

“…Yeah, people say that kind of stuff all the time.”

“I’m sure you’re already well aware, but no matter what anyone says, you mustn’t react with violence. I know how proud you are, but tonight’s crowd would be… problematic.”

“…I knooow. I get that if I lose it here, there goes any chance of reviving my house.”

Hmm. If Sakura says so, I’ll trust her.

“Well then, I’ll be a rather unpleasant noble, alright?”

“…It’s hard to imagine you being mean, Irine.”

Ahem.

…Even if I’m acting, who should I model the character after? Most of the people I know from House Velmund are genuinely decent.

I guess I’ll just imitate every snooty noble I’ve ever seen.

“Oh my, how dreadful. Thank you ever so much for traveling all this way today, commoners.”

“W-Whoa, Irine’s face just got scary.”

Hey, I’m acting here. Don’t call me Irine when I’m in character.

“We are ever so honored to host you, and yet, how utterly disappointing.”

“…And what exactly do you mean by that?”

“It appears you don’t think very highly of us. To think you’d attend in such pitiful attire—I must lament our failure to properly prepare you.”

Yeah, yeah. Someone really did say something like that once. Some nouveau riche noble who mocked our financial struggles in that roundabout way.

Military nobles don’t exactly rake in cash during peacetime.

“…You’re really nailing the part.”

“She’s actually starting to look like a stuck-up noble…”

Quiet, you. I’ll have you know I’m very good at acting.

“Ohhh? But this is the finest outfit I could possibly wear, you know?”

“My sincerest apologies, of course. But the fabric looks cheap, and those decorations appear to be nothing but trinkets. Were you, perhaps, deceived into buying such a thing by a merchant?”

“Guh…”

Ah—whoops. That one hit a little too close to home for Sakura.

Still, it is something someone might actually say… or rather, has said.

“Education is ever so important, you know? If you can’t even tell what’s good from what’s not—”

“……”

Hmm. Did I really upset her?

Maybe I should stop here and apologize.

“…No, no. You wouldn’t understand, but as you can see, this is a top-quality outfit.”

Oh? She’s still going?

“Please, don’t make me laugh. I pride myself on my eye for quality—”

“There’s no need for further preparation to be received in your home. This is the finest attire, perfectly suited to your house’s standards.”

“……”

Sakura said that and rose from her seat with a huff.

…Well.

“Yes, that was the correct response. You didn’t degrade your house, and you didn’t waste your time on an idiot. A splendid reaction, Sakura-san.”

“Ah, she’s back to normal Irine.”

“My house has a bad reputation, you know. I did say I’m used to stuff like that.”

“Even so, allow me to apologize for my rudeness earlier. I’m sorry for saying such unpleasant things, Sakura-san.”

“It’s fine, really. Besides, I’m guessing those were all things you were told, right?”

Ah, she caught me after all.

“Alright then, everyone, please use Sakura-san’s response as an example. Next up, I’ll speak with Karl-san.”

“Oh, me?”

I think Sakura will be just fine on her own.

Now then, time to move on to our biggest troublemaker—Karl.

This guy is the type to blow a fuse the second someone insults a comrade.

“Well then, here I go. Ahem.”

“Oh, her face got scary again.”

Now, I have to insult someone in front of Karl…

Everything rides on my acting skills now.

Because even if it’s just pretend, I don’t want to say anything bad about my companions.

Which means—I’ll have to insult myself, Irine. The only question is whether my acting will convince Karl that I’m a different, thoroughly nasty noble.

If Irine insults Irine, Karl won’t even know how to react.

“Your recent achievements are quite something, commoner swordsman. You must be quite skilled.”

“Ah, um, yes. Thank you…”

“A commoner personally invited by Lord Garius—what a rare sight. Consider yourself honored.”

A classic type: a noble who casually looks down on commoners.

But despite the arrogant attitude, Karl’s just sitting there calm as ever. No matter how high-and-mighty someone acts, he really doesn’t care.

“It must be tough for you. Your companions all seem like quite the handful.”

“Handful…?”

“Indeed. None of them strike me as particularly proper.”

Now then, time for the main event. Sorry, Karl, but I’m going to have to provoke you a little.

“Especially that one named Irine, she’s no good. Just looking at her, you can tell she’s got a nasty personality.”

“…Huh?”

“You ought to be more careful about the people you associate with. Surrounding yourself with lowborn types only drags your own worth down.”

Well, I do put on a façade most of the time, so I guess I could be called mean-spirited.

“Take that back. What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Oh my, are you going to argue with a bit of friendly advice?”

Ah—he’s seriously mad. I knew talking about his comrades was off-limits.

Still, he’s leaning right into the role, too.

“Irine’s the type you never know what she’s thinking. A schemer, for sure. I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s secretly got all sorts of improper—muscle-related thoughts going on in that head of hers.”

“You’re wrong. You don’t know anything about Irine.”

Well… I do know pretty much everything about Irine, actually.

“Irine is a kind person! You’d know that just by talking to her. She acts with empathy, understands others’ pain! She doesn’t care about noble or commoner—she sees people for who they really are!”

“…Is that so?”

“Irine has the inner strength to protect what’s important to her, like a white lily in bloom! She’s always composed, level-headed, her magic skills are top-tier! She’s broad-minded and doesn’t lose her temper over petty things, and she’s beautiful, elegant, with lovely hair—honestly, she’s the picture-perfect noble lady!”

“Uh—”

“Even though she’s still inexperienced, she’s constantly looking out for us and bringing everyone together during our travels. Her eyes shine like gems, her hair glimmers like golden silk, her lips are soft and red as melted ruby, and her voice rings like a bell. I’ve seen an actual goddess before, so I say this with certainty—Irine is a goddess descended upon this earth—!”

“Okay—stop! Just stop right there!”

All I did was pretend to be a mean noble and badmouth myself, and somehow it triggered a flood of compliments from him.

So this is what happens when you insult someone in front of Karl.

“You just don’t get it—there’s so much more to Irine’s charm!”

“Um, is Karl… still sane?”

“Just give me one hour—just one! And I’ll tell you everything about Irine’s appeal—!”

“NOPE—stop!!”

Help me, please. At this rate, I’m going to die from praise overload.

Someone, anyone—childhood friend, rescue me!

“He’s not stopping! Karl hasn’t stopped for a while now! Maika, help me—!”

“Hmm… Try hitting him at about a 45-degree angle, and he should reset.”

Is Karl a household appliance or something?

“That reminds me of what happened during our last trip. I accidentally walked in on Irine bathing and—”

“Excuse me, Karl? Lady Chop!”

“GUWAH!!?”

Blushing slightly, I gathered power in my arm, channeling the full force of my muscles into a single, clean blow against Karl.

Hm, not bad. With a satisfying crash, Karl flew backward and slammed into the wall.

Maybe I overdid it a bit.

“No way he flew that far from just a chop. So dramatic.”

“…Did Karl… lose his balance?”

The childhood friend and the little critter were giving Karl puzzled looks as he lay sprawled unnaturally.

Still… yeah, he did go flying quite a bit.

That was maybe only 50% of my full strength. For someone chosen by the gods like Karl, that shouldn’t have been more than a scratch—

“Wait, his skull’s caved in?! Everyone move—emergency treatment, now!!”

“…Huh?”

With a spurt of blood from his head and a blank stare, Karl went limp. Sakura rushed toward him with deadly seriousness.

That day, I learned something important: Karl was surprisingly not that durable.

---

"I'm terribly sorry, Karl..."

"No, I'm the one who should apologize. I lost control and went on a rampage."

I bowed deeply in apology to Karl.

Until now, Karl had always seemed so strong that I’d rarely seen him seriously injured. But this man—he’s been knocked out drunk, stunned by grenades... When he gets hit, he really gets hit.

Maybe his defense is on par with an ordinary person’s. That’s you, Karl.

"I got worked up after someone spoke badly about dear Irine. It went straight to my head."

"Well..."

"I completely forgot it was all an act. That was how I really felt."

Karl responded to my apology with one of his own, clearly thinking he was the one who lost his balance first.

Even though I seriously hurt him, he still hasn’t given up trying to flirt with me. Gotta hand it to him.

"Seriously, Karl is just so Karl. Slipping and almost dying—what were you even thinking?"

"Shut up, Maika. Also, be careful—you're pointing the knife right at me."

"I'm doing it on purpose."

"What the hell does that mean!?"

Maika gave Karl a cold stare and casually pointed her knife at him, clearly bothered by how close he was standing to me.

Yeah, that was definitely intentional.

"...I regret worrying about you."

"Lev? You too? You know the blade's pointed right at me, right?"

"...I don't care."

Thanks to Karl hitting on me again, the LOVE faction is reaching peak frustration.

This is bad.

"You two have already mastered table manners, haven’t you?"

"Well, I’ve got the hang of it now."

"It’s actually... pretty easy."

"Wait, is that what table manners are supposed to be!?"

No, it is not.

"Alright, then the remaining two of you are up next. Consider Karl’s example a bad one."

"Yeah. All that’s left is to hope Karl doesn’t try hitting on a girl during the real thing."

"...No. If it’s Karl, he will."

Well, if he actually does, I’ll just muscle-chop him into unconsciousness.

Man, I’m getting anxious about the actual event.

---

"Hmm, I see. So you are the young lady of House Welmund."

"It is an absolute honor to meet you, Lord Garius."

"To think a noble would be traveling with adventurers... I assume this is your first time at such an unconventional gathering?"

"Indeed, you are quite right."

Evening. We arrived at Lord Garius’ estate at the appointed time and were met with a reception that went against all our expectations.

"All but my kin have been excused from this room. This is a special table I’ve prepared for you. As Rita’s father, I wish to express my gratitude personally."

"Your extraordinary courtesy is deeply appreciated."

Turns out, my prediction was wrong—none of the usual rabble of nobles are here.

The meal was lavish, but only Lord Garius, his wife, and Rita were present at the banquet.

As for the reason:

"The grander the gathering, the more out of place adventurers like yourselves would feel. My show of sincerity is to ensure you have the most enjoyable time possible."

That’s what he said.

Basically, Garius knew how many nobles look down on commoners and tried to make sure we wouldn’t have to deal with that.

What a genuinely good guy.

"Th-thank you very much for saving me... I mean it."

"It was truly my pleasure to be of assistance to you, Lady Rita."

"Ah, um... carry on, then."

Rita-chan clearly isn’t used to high society. She’s the kind of girl who’d sneak out of her own welcome party—probably hasn’t leveled up her social interaction skill much yet.

"Now then. Let me once again thank you, brave adventurers. I am truly grateful you protected my daughter, Rita."

"To have supported Her Highness is the greatest honor of my life."

A follow-up thank-you from her father, perhaps to cover for Rita’s awkwardness.

Maybe her choppy speech made him worry.

"I’ve already heard the details from my daughter yesterday, and I believe I understand the situation."

"Yes, Your Lordship."

"But I’d also like to hear what happened from your perspective, if that’s alright with you, Sir Karl."

"Y-yes, of course!!"

Suddenly being called on, Karl stiffened up with a jolt.

He let his guard down, thinking I’d be handling all the diplomacy. Don’t forget you’re our leader, man.

"Then allow me to ask: I heard you identified and neutralized our royal family's hidden weapon, the ‘Burst Sphere,’ upon first encounter. Has information about that weapon somehow leaked into adventurer circles?"

"Burst Sphere...? Ah, do you mean that tool that makes an incredibly loud sound?"

"Indeed."

So that thing has a name like that, huh.

"Well, um... I actually passed out, so... It seems Irine and Maika were the ones who figured it out."

"Yes, Your Lordship. I assure you, no information has been leaked. We merely deduced it was a magical tool, and when we saw Lady Rita cover her ears and crouch down, I followed suit, thinking it best to mimic her actions."

"I did the same thing, for the same reason."

So they were worried about information leaks. Makes sense. That thing might be some kind of top-secret royal weapon.

"I see. I’ll have Rita trained to maintain eye contact with her target until the last moment when using it."

"Had she done that, I likely would not have escaped unconsciousness myself."

"I ask that you keep the details of that item confidential. Now, on to the next question."

Did he maybe clear out the other nobles just to confirm that?

Yeah, that’s probably part of it too.

"Lady Irine. I heard you can see fairies."

"...Yes. You might find it hard to believe, but I truly can see them."

"And you found both Rita and Roppo by following a fairy’s guidance, correct?"

“You’re absolutely right.”

Ah, the story about the fairy? They must’ve heard that from Rita.

I can’t lie about it. But if I tell the truth, Garius will just think I’m some pitiful person.

Sniffle.

“Is that... true?”

“...It is.”

“I see.”

When Lord Garius said that, for some reason, he suddenly let out a chuckle.

What?

“You’re not lying. I’m quite good at seeing through people’s lies, you know...”

“R-Right.”

“I see. Heh, this would flip the whole scholarly community in this city on its head.”

With that, Garius leaned in and gave me a look like he was examining something fascinating.

What is it?

“There is a legend, you see. Of a hero from ancient times who borrowed the power of spirits to banish evil.”

“The power of spirits, you say?”

“Yes. That man continued to guide his companions with the help of spirits, and in the end, he faced a dreadful Demon King alone and triumphed. It was the tale that most stirred my young heart.”

“Ah, yes. One chapter of the Hero’s Legend. I’ve heard of it myself.”

Right, and if I remember correctly, my family—the Welmunds—are supposed to be descendants of that great spirit mage. That’s why the ‘Spirit Cannon’ became our household’s signature move.

“However, modern research has concluded that ‘spirits’ are just another term for magical energy with no will of its own. So the idea of a spirit guiding someone is considered impossible. That’s why the tale was dismissed as fiction.”

“Huh? But... aren’t spirits real?”

“They’re not—or rather, they’re treated as synonymous with magical energy. At least, that’s the view here in the city of Yowin.”

Wait, so then what is our family’s ultimate technique, the Elemental Buster?

Dad always said it was a ‘great technique that draws on the power of spirits’...

“Still, what you saw—there’s no mistake it was a spirit. A being that delivers knowledge of the future, guides humans, and helps change what’s to come—that matches exactly the ‘spirit’ described in the legend.”

“A spirit...? To me, it looked like it was moving based on Roppo-san’s will.”

“That’s very likely. After all, a spirit is a person’s soul. I’m sure it acted according to Roppo’s wishes.”

Huh? Wait—what does that mean?

“That ghost looked satisfied as it vanished into the forest... If it were a spirit, wouldn’t it not disappear?”

“It merged with the other spirits of the forest. From now on, Roppo’s soul will likely dissolve, blend in, and remain as part of the collective will of the forest.”

“I see...”

So ghosts and spirits are kind of the same thing?

...That’s what spirits are?

“If we go by the legend, then you must be someone deeply loved by spirits. No one’s been able to see them for hundreds of years, after all.”

“Is... is that so?”

“Those blessed by spirits can supposedly cast any spirit-related magic without proper chanting and still succeed. In fact, the magic is so potent that proper chants might actually cause it to go out of control.”

“...Ah.”

Yeah, that really hits home. I always mumble spells however I want, but they still usually work. No wonder my master used to blow a fuse about it.

Said I wasn’t worth teaching...

“I do try to study magic properly myself... but this kind of information would send the academic world into chaos.”

“R-Right...”

So wait—does that make me a spirit-user now?

...I’ve job-changed from muscle-user to spirit-user. That’s way less cool.

“I’m very interested in your experience. If possible, I’d like you to report this matter as an academic paper. It would be a valuable experience for you as well.”

...A paper.

I’ve never written one before, but it sounds like an absolute pain.

“It would be an honor. I’ll do my best to meet Your Highness’s expectations.”

“Good.”

Well, not like I could say no to Lord Garius anyway.

I’ll talk to Yuri and get her help.

“Haha, delightful. The scholars here always insisted there were no such things as spirits, and that magic has no will... but that view always left me unsatisfied.”

“Why is that, if I may ask?”

“Because that conclusion has no dreams in it.”

As Garius said that, he spread his arms wide and beamed.

“Spirits do exist. That means the legend that once made my heart race wasn’t just a story—it was true.”

“Indeed it was.”

“How wonderful, the Hero’s Legend. How joyous, the ancient tales. Coming back to this city has truly been worthwhile.”

So Lord Garius likes the Hero’s Legend, huh?

In that case, maybe I could ask if he knows someone well-versed in it.

If it’s through a royal introduction, anyone would be willing to teach me, right?

“Lord Garius, you must have deep knowledge of the Hero’s Legend.”

“Oh, absolutely. I am royalty, a mage, and a scholar.”

“How splendid.”

Okay, compliment him smoothly, and now—time to ask directly.

With someone like him, being upfront will probably leave a better impression.

“I look forward to your presentation. I can’t wait to see that genius’s reaction.”

“...That genius?”

“Yes. The lead scholar of the anti-spirit faction in this city is actually a prodigious young girl—only eleven years old. She’s clever and composed, but her theories lack any sense of wonder. I could never warm up to them.”

...Huh? A genius girl scholar?

Composed... and clever?

“May I ask her name?”

“Yes. I believe it was Yuri.”

...Oh no.

“She’s very smart, but that’s also her weakness. She never doubts what she believes is true.”

“...”

“Miss Yuri always says, ‘There’s no way such an uncertain thing as a spirit could see the future. Only humans can perceive the future,’ and she’s quite firm about it.”

“...Ahh, so that’s why she’s been researching predictive magic.”

“Oh? You know Miss Yuri? Then she’ll be in for quite a shock when she hears your findings. But I believe it’ll be a good experience for her in the end.”

O-Oh. Well... if you say so...

──I might actually know something about that symptom. I’m not confident, so I’ll talk to a specialist first and then explain.

…

Wait—could it be that Yuri had already reached the same conclusion as Garius? That she realized what I saw was a spirit?

In other words, if I present this spirit experience at the academic conference...

“Irine-dono’s experience would essentially refute everything Miss Yuri has dedicated her life’s research to. But if it’s true, then it must be made public.”

“……”

Yeah... that’s right.

It would completely invalidate all of Yuri’s work up to now.