Chapter 9: 1

“Lain, are you ready?”

“Yes, no problem. (Count Lunan Forseed).”

I get into the carriage as prompted by Count.

This horse carriage will be heading to the Royal Palace.
Furthermore, the royal palace shall be hosting my Engagement Announcement Party.
My engagement partner is Euphoresiolium People’s Holy Kingdom’s 3rd princess, (Lady Armilicia).

(In any case, anti-demon aristocrats sure do get preferential treatment. Just by defeating the monsters coming from the “Demon Forest”)

“Demon Forest” is a place where monsters come into existence, and so humans cannot live there. However the area near “Demon Forest” is dense with magic power so it’s very easy to grow crops there.

Humankind has made settlements very close to it as a result. Most countries today have a border connected in one direction or the other with the “Demon Forest”.

Even the southern border of this country is connected to the “Demon Forest”. The job of exterminating the monsters coming from the border falls upon us anti-demon aristocrats.

(Well, even though there were many such royals in the past, there’s only one existing today – me.)

Due to their responsibilities, anti-demon aristocrats almost never approached the center.
More accurately, since monsters rush out from the forest everyday, they couldn’t approach to center.

However, as a result of always hunting monsters in the “demon forest”, I fall under the ‘fairly strong’ category as an individual.
In order to control such an individual, This country has a tradition to find and marry off a member of the opposite sex, above the Count class, and closest in age, to the anti-demon aristocrat in question.

The one who’s birthday was closest to mine was the 3rd princess of the royal family.

She became my fiancée according to convention.
I do feel sorry for her, but it was decided upon a long ago so I hope she understands and gives up.

Finally after a long time, it was my 15th birthday today – the day when I become an adult just like every aristocrat before me. It just happened to coincide with my engagement party.

“Don’t mess up today of all days, there are going to be many high ranking aristocrats present.”
“Yes, I understand. Thanks to the count, I am fully prepared.”

So said Count Lunan Forseed as soon as our horse carriage went past the city walls and entered the royal palace.
For the past half-month, I had taken lessons from my blood related father, Count Lunan Forseed, just for the sake of this day.

Including the time it took to reach the royal capital, I was going to be away from the border for a long time. During this time, the central army would take my place.
Apparently the central army had been vacant till recently because the skirmish we had been having with a neighboring country had ended in a ceasefire which was our victory.

Maybe they were just waiting to find a new workplace where they could fill their stomachs regularly.

I rode the shaking horse carriage to the royal capital while having such thoughts.

*

We reach the capital, get down from our carriage and are led towards the party hall while being guided by the palace guards.
Count Lunan Forseed walks in front of me.

He seems even more pumped up about this than me.
No wonder since he can become related to royal family through me.

I can feel the air of wanting to climb up the social ladder using his relation.

Well, I’ll probably end up spending most of my time at the frontier, so I’ll let the center make its own decisions about itself.

“Now Lain, today is a very important day, so be very careful as to not offend anyone.”
“I understand, Lord Count.”

I give the same reply to the warning which I’ve heard so many times by now.

We soon arrive in front of the door to the party hall.
I don’t recall conventions very well, but it seems that as soon as we enter the hall, the engagement party will begin.

Count Lunan Forseed nods to me once before slowly opening the doors to the hall.

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The scene of the venue which jumped into my eyes was brilliantly decorated, and the chandelier was shining beautifully.
The ones who are present in this hall all belong to Marquis rank or above, and they all seem to be wearing colorful clothes which look expensive.

(My eyes are fluttering)

I wish these people had more sense.
There are too many people wearing clothes which make me wonder where it’s appropriate to look at them.

A pretty woman who looks like she would be in an idol group or something is sitting at a higher place than the crowd.
She is dressed in pure white dress which accentuates her purity.
She is the one who’ll become my fiancée, Princess Armilicia.

(She’s really pretty. Her clothes also fit common sense, thankfully)

I am relieved to see that my fiancée has an atmosphere of common sense to her.
I was worried thinking what I’d do if she were someone who hoarded precious gems and used them as decorations.
Since there seem to be a few kids like that here.

(Well, there might still be more points of concern)

I looked at the spot further behind Princess Armilicia.

A chair is placed higher than the position at which the princess is sitting, on which a middle-aged man is resting his haunches.
That person is the King of this country.

It is his own daughter’s engagement party after all, so it makes sense he would be present.

“Ah!….”

I hear a short gasp next to me.

The Count seems to be even more tense than me.

This is a Royal Engagement Party after all,
even among the highest level aristocrats, attendance is allowed only to the most well-known & respected.

For Count Lunan Forseed, existences whom he could only dream of meeting had all gathered here today.

It’s understandable that he’s stiff from nervousness.

“Let’s go.”

“…..Yes.”

Frankly, I think Count Lunan Forseed was saying that to himself, but I still replied just in case.
After my reply, I started walking towards the stage while looking at the back of the Count who had started walking before me.

I climb the stage while the Count stand on the chair near the steps. As I stand next to Princess Armilicia she gives me a nod. I nod back.

After taking a deep breath, the Count begins to speak.

“Ladies & gentlemen, I am grateful that you could all join us today. From here on, the engagement party of anti-demon aristocrat, (Lain Wallfeed), and her highness, Princess Armicilia will begi—“

“—Wait a minute!”

Someone says so in a loud voice as if to block out what the Count had to say.
When I looked at the entrance, a man who seemed 15 years of age was standing right behind the open door.

“I’m sorry.”

I hear a small voice of apology from the princess next to me.
At this time, I had no clue who that guy was.
The only thing I knew, was that my engagement party was not going to end the way I was expecting it to.

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