121. Tea Party Gathering 2

Editing/Standardisation: Medicine Melancholy
Original Translation: Medicine Melancholy

Iris

“Have you calmed down?”

“Yes… I’m terribly sorry for showing you such an unsightly side of me. And… my apologies, even though you meant well.”

Still seeming to feel the pain in her tongue, Empress Iscuol swirled cold herbal tea in her mouth.

As for her apology… it was likely about earlier when I tried to heal her tongue with magic, but she had adamantly refused for some reason.

“Not at all; it’s nothing to worry about. By the way… would it be all right if I called you Sister Isc, like His Highness Julius does?”

“…! Oh, yes, yes! And may I call you Iris-chan?”

“Of course, I’d be delighted.”

When I nodded with a smile, her face lit up—though her expression didn’t change much, her mood radiated happiness.

“Prince Saulquez too… Can I call you Saul-kun?”

“Yes… Sister Isc.”

Nii-sama, uncharacteristically hesitant, called her by the nickname. She softened her expression ever so slightly, giving a faint smile.

Her usual lack of expression made the contrast striking, and for a moment, I found my heart skip a beat. While I initially thought her strikingly beautiful, now I saw her as adorable.

This event, though called a tea party, was more of a standing buffet due to the number of attendees.

However, afraid of staining the white dress I wore, I limited myself to tea. Nii-sama graciously kept me company, but for some reason, Emperor Felix and Sister Isc also refrained from indulging in much beyond light nibbles and tea.

In fact, the attendants had been handing out fruit wines regularly, but now no one had come to offer us any alcoholic drinks. Perhaps it is because of what just happened.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t drink alcohol…”

Sister Isc had said this apologetically to one of the attendants offering wine. In response, the Emperor whispered something into the attendant’s ear, causing him to quickly apologize and leave. From then on, no one serving alcohol came near us.

Meanwhile, His Highness Julius and Angelica-chan, the two children, were entirely focused on their appetites. They had wandered off to a table laden with sweets and were happily indulging.

Kikyou-san, glancing in their direction, appeared concerned. Despite her… quirks, she was generally fond of children and good at looking after them. She had taken to carefully portioning pudding for them and helping them out, which was reassuring.

As for the Emperor…

“Reiji-kun, was it? That hair of yours—it’s the same shade we often see in the Flamberge imperial family. Are you sure you’re unrelated?”

“N-no, I’m not! This is just… how I designed it… um, it’s hard to explain…”

Reiji-san, caught off guard by the emperor’s unexpectedly casual demeanor, struggled to respond.

Apparently, the Emperor’s vibrant crimson hair was a common trait among the Flamberge imperial lineage, and he found Reiji-san’s bright red hair intriguing. However, since Reiji-san hadn’t considered such details when creating his game avatar, he was at a loss for words.

“Ah, my apologies. I didn’t mean to trouble you. It’s just… well, our late Emperor had a taste for colorful escapades, you see. Forgive my suspicion.”

“N-Not at all! Really, it’s fine…”

Reiji-san, flustered as the emperor bowed his head, could only stammer a reply.

“He was… passionate, to put it nicely. But thanks to his escapades, who knows how many illegitimate members of the imperial bloodline are out there…?”

Meanwhile, the Emperor sighed, pinching his brow as if recalling a headache-inducing memory. As someone who’s kind of in the same situation, I silently sympathized with his struggle.

“However! My heart’s devoted solely for Isc!”

“Eek!? Y-Your Majesty, please! This is hardly the place for such jests!”

Suddenly, the Emperor swept Sister Isc into his arms, unabashedly showing affection.

…And here lies my short-lived sympathy. Our situations couldn’t be more different.

“Your words make me happy, but… as a member of royalty, I understand the necessity of taking concubines for the sake of an heir…”

“But if we have lots of children together, there’ll be no need for that, right?”

“…Ah… um… I’ll do my best…”

…What even is happening right now.

Unconcerned about onlookers, Emperor Felix kissed her exposed neck and shoulder, turning Sister Isc’s face scarlet to the point I was worried that she’d pass out.

Though Sister Isc looked troubled, she didn’t seem entirely displeased… I was starting to see why people said that this couple never seemed to lose their newlywed mood.

Despite the attention of the entire gathering being focused on them, the two of them were completely off in their own separate dimension.

A little distance away, Angelica-chan was covering His Highness Julius’ ears, her face bright red as she looked down.

…You two know there’re children in here right?

Just as I was debating whether to intervene…

“Oh, how splendid… Two of Norglacier most beautiful ladies together—what a dazzling sight.”

A new voice came from beside me.

…Nice save, sir!

With those thoughts, I turned around.

The voice’s owner was a middle-aged man with blond hair, a kindly face, and a robust build. Recognizing him as someone I’d been instructed to remember, I straightened up.

“Your Highness Saulquez, Your Highness Irisria, it is an honor to meet you. I am Friedrich Urzaiz, Prime Minister and representative of the Trade Confederate. A pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

After greeting my brother with a handshake, he took my hand gently, kissing the back of my lace-covered glove.

“Prime Minister Friedrich, it’s an honor to meet you. As you may know, I am Saulquez Norgracier.”

“And I am Irisria Norglacier. Though inexperienced, I hope for your continued guidance.”

With our introductions, the Prime Minister smiled warmly and offered a somewhat exaggerated bow.

“Such grace from both Your Highnesses, especially for your first time in a formal event. Truly admirable.”

His words put us at ease, and we both let out a quiet sigh of relief, knowing we had navigated the introductions successfully.

“And… who might this gentleman be?”

I gestured subtly toward the man who had been standing silently behind Prime Minister Friedrich, head bowed.

“Oh, I almost forgot. Let me introduce him. This promising young man has been making remarkable progress in our Chamber of Commerce. I thought bringing him here would be a good learning experience. His name is Folse.”

As the Prime Minister introduced him, the man straightened and offered a polite bow.

He had a lean physique and was slightly tall. His platinum-blonde hair was loosely tied to one side and flowed over his shoulder, and he wore a pair of square silver-framed glasses.

“…? You’re…”

A sudden sense of familiarity struck me.

Something about his appearance tugged at my memory—like I had met someone like him before, perhaps introduced to him in a similar manner.

“Ah…”

“Is something the matter?”

“I remember now…! When we sought help from the trade guild to gather material for the Ars Ray, you were the one who assisted us!”

That was back when this was still a game.

To craft the Ars Ray, we needed an enormous quantity of rare materials—far more than we could gather on our own.

Rare materials like those were usually monopolized by raid guilds for their use and rarely found on the market.

So, we turned to a guild of merchant players known as Sea Breeze, the largest guild of its kind. Its guild leader, a kind and accommodating man, had introduced him as their most capable operative.

Thanks to his resourcefulness and connections, we were able to obtain what we needed much faster than anticipated. That event had left a strong impression on me.

….In short, he was another former player.

“You… remember that?”

“Of course. You were an incredible help back then. But what are you doing here now?”

He seemed surprised, as if not expecting me to recall our brief encounter, and cleared his throat before bowing again.

“I was only assisting you for a short time back then, so I didn’t expect you’d remember.”

“It’s nothing! You left quite an impression.”

“Is that so? Well, I must say I’m surprised myself.”

Prime Minister Friedrich interjected, curiosity evident.

“So, you already knew each other, it seems?”

“Yes… you could say we were acquainted. Although I didn’t know that at the time, nor did I expect to meet her in a setting like this.”

Folse-san deflected the inquiry with a wry smile, his tone carefully neutral. Taking the cue, I also responded with a vague smile to avoid unnecessary details.

“Just so you know, I’m still running the Sea Breeze Firm here, so if you ever require our services, please don’t hesitate to reach out.”

“Oh, thank you! I’ll keep that in mind.”

Seemingly satisfied, he offered a small, enigmatic smile before stepping back.

“…?!”

“Iris, what’s wrong?”

“I… It’s nothing.”

When he smiled, something in his gaze had sent a chill down my spine. Was it my imagination?

“Excuse me… There’s something I’ve been curious about.”

To dispel my lingering unease, I cautiously raised my hand and addressed the group. Everyone’s attention shifted toward me.

“We’ve had the pleasure of meeting representatives from all four major continents here today, but… what about the guests staying in the last tower?”

Attached to this Grand Arena are five guest towers for the visiting dignitaries. However, the representatives of the final tower—those from Acropolis—were nowhere to be seen.

In response to my question, Kikyou-san, who was also a former player, nodded along as if she had been thinking about the same thing.

“Ah… Those folks, huh.”

It was Emperor Felix who spoke in an irritated tone.

“Those folks? They won’t show up. Not just today, but every year. Apparently, they’re too busy for something as ‘trivial’ as this.”

“As a matter of tradition, accommodations are always prepared for them as a courtesy to the world’s arbitrators. But for decades now, they’ve never set foot here.”

“They find no interest in the so-called affairs of the ‘common realm,’ as I’ve heard. Frankly, I find their indifference incomprehensible.”

The dissatisfaction was evident, voiced plainly by those present. It seemed their absence was nothing out of the ordinary.

“That said… I’ve heard whispers through the merchant network that something unusual has been stirring within Acropolis lately. Tensions seem to be rising.”

“Is that true?”

Emperor Felix’s expression grew severe at Prime Minister Friedrich’s words.

“Yes, from reliable sources. People who were once missing are being discovered in quick succession. Who knows what’s going to unfold?”

Prime Minister Friedrich’s observation brought an ominous air to the room. Emperor Felix gritted his teeth, his displeasure evident. Nii-sama and I, along with Kikyou-san, exchanged silent glances, unwilling to comment.

Stay away from Acropolis.

Those words, whispered by the Death Serpent in the haze of my fading consciousness, resurfaced vividly in my mind.

Acropolis, which had been silent, began to stir. And so, whether I liked it or not, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of unease…