I tore the meat apart and drank alcohol. My filthy hands were roughly wiped on the tablecloth. The reason for going so far was simple.
Regardless of what Baron Martoin wanted, this would also be beneficial to me.
I was in the count's banquet hall. Since it was a large gathering, it was proper to behave like a barbarian. The more barbaric rumors that accumulated, the more they would serve as a shield should anyone ever suspect me of being an evil spirit.
"Excuse me, may I touch your arm?"
"Do whatever you want."
"Kyaa! I actually touched it!"
While I was enjoying the banquet, possessed by the spirit of a barbarian, curious nobles approached and began to talk to me. It was like working part-time as a pet.
"Hey, can you scream one more time like before?"
"Behell-ahhhhh!"
"Hahaha, how arrogant!"
While I maintained a certain level of professionalism, having been commissioned by the baron, a growing crowd gathered. Among them were three gentlemen, all wearing disapproving looks. They seemed jealous that everyone was paying attention to me and treating me favorably.
"They should call you a clown, not Little Balkan."
"I heard they named it that because it's small down there."
"To go around farting like that, it seems that warrior pride is a thing of the past."
I pretended not to hear. Not only did they look like knight apprentices with the strength of third-rate scouts, but they also gained nothing by making a racket.
"Hahaha, have you been here this whole time?" While he was filling his stomach and appeasing the nobles, Baron Martoin returned. He looked around and smiled as if he were very pleased. "I'm sorry to break the spell. I have someone I'd like to introduce you to, so I must take him away."
"Oh...!"
The place the baron took me to was the banquet hall inside the mansion. The atmosphere was different from the outside space I had been in until now. There, the band played cheerful tunes and young people of both sexes danced in the gardens, but here?
Is this a meeting of real nobles?
The room was filled with calm, relaxing music. Those seated at the table, chatting, looked impressive and exuded a dignified air.
"Come here".
As I accompanied the baron, I observed the surroundings. Some two hundred people were enjoying the banquet in the inner hall. Most were direct blood relatives, such as Baron Martoin's young son, or people of high social standing, such as bank presidents or branch managers of the guild.
"Among the people I'm going to introduce you to from now on, there are many with a higher rank than mine, so I would like you to refrain from being rude as much as possible."
Afterwards, I followed the baron to meet the nobles with title.
«Baron Martoin! How long without s-who is your friend?»
«Maybe you've heard of him, Viscount. He is the Little Balkan, a famous figure among explorers these days».
«Aha, is it him? I've heard that name before. But how come he's here with you?».
Instead of answering the viscount's question, the baron looked at me and winked. It meant that I hurried and spit out the prepared sentence. «When I had problems, the baron helped me. In exchange, I decided to protect him for the moment».
«Hahaha! I envy you for hearing those words from such a strong looking barbarian!».
«It's nothing. I have said many times that it is not necessary, but...» The baron interrupted his words and gave me another look.
«...A warrior never forgets a favor».
«Ha! A true and honorable conviction. Did you say Bjorn, Yandel's son? I will remember your name».
This kind of conversation continued twelve more times. There were only thirteen titled nobles, excluding the host count from the banquet. Well, a titled aristocrat with the slightest fiefdom in this city was a rarity in the game.
It turns out that I have now become familiar with the nobles.
Originally, participating in such a banquet would only have been possible if my reputation level had increased considerably, but I decided to be just as careful. I was not qualified to participate in this event, which also meant that I did not have the strength to protect myself if I earned their disadvantage.
«So now that the greetings are over, you can rest by my side until the count arrives».
After the greeting tour, I stood silently next to the baron and faithfully served as a trophy. Was it because the baron was next to me, or because the warning from before worked?
«...Tsk.» I wasn't sure, but the butler just clicked his tongue and looked away every time I met him, and didn't bother to scold me like before. Was this the life of a barbarian?
I should have done it a long time ago.
Anyway, after that I felt pretty comfortable. Baron Martoin, a titled aristocrat, never rose first. There were many people who came to see him, if only to meet him, and I just had to entertain them whenever the baron wanted.
«¡Ooh!»
«As expected, Little Balkan's name is not inferior, Baron!»
I did things like bend a prepared steel bar with bare, plucked hands. A lot of time passed like this.
Then I saw a familiar face in the approaching crowd. «May the blessing of the twilight star be with you. Nice to meet you. Baron Martoin, and...»
«Bjorn, son of Yandel.»
«Haha, my apologies, Sir Yandel, I'm not good with names.» When I revealed my name, the white-armored paladin smiled kindly. He was the person I met the other day after completing the order in the sewer. Late at night, I brought Elisa Behenk's body to her and we met for a brief moment. His name was...
«Do you know Captain Krovitz?»
Paal Krovitz. Ese was sweat number.
Captain? This boy?
When I looked at the baron, surprised, the man scratched the back of his neck as if he were ashamed. «I am unworthy, but I was lucky to be given the opportunity to serve as captain of the Tercio de Paladines».
«Ya veo... »
I felt extremely shocked. It hadn't even occurred to me because he had come so late at night for a task like collecting a corpse, but the captain of the paladins? Didn't that mean he was a monster with more power than an eighth floor scout?
«If you need a place to rest, come visit our church. As I said last time, the church will never forget Sir Yandel's achievements».
Hmm, at the time, I thought they were empty words. But since the man in charge was saying this, he would have to pay a visit someday. You never know; Although it was impossible now, if he strengthened ties a little more, he may even have sent a priest for the team.
During the conversation, the baron intervened in a timid voice. «Hmm, achievements? Captain Krovitz, what do you mean by that?». His eyes were full of curiosity. True, he probably wouldn't have easily imagined what a barbarian could do for the order.
«Ah, it seems I hadn't told you». Krovitz looked at the people around him, as well as the baron, and spoke as if he were reading a children's storybook. To sum it up, it was nothing special; the fact that I found Karui's priestess in the labyrinth, not to mention that I located and punished the evil woman who was hiding in the sewer. That was the end of the story, but Krovitz was quite a smarmer.
«Ha! I've heard that name before. A member of the evil god's family had appeared. But to think that it was this man who got rid of them».
«Little Balkan, Bjorn, son of Yandel. They say he was born with the destiny of a hero...»
When the story ended, everyone around him, led by the baron, let out exclamations.
«It is a divine connection blessed by the stars. The church also values our relationship with Sir Yandel. I have to go somewhere, so...». Krovitz, who covered my face with praise until the end, said he had business and left.
The baron's eyes softened a little more. «You were a much bigger man than I thought».
[Your reputation has increased +10.]
[Your reputation has increased +10.]
***
«Oh, damn me.»
«That was said by Captain Krovitz, who is well known for judging character well, so it is clear that he is going to be a great figure in the future».
As the story mentioned by Krovitz spread among the nobles without me realizing it, the count appeared and the banquet officially began.
«Count Ferdehilt has arrived!»
Receiving everyone's gaze, a dignified-looking man descended a central staircase leading to the second floor. Next to him was his daughter, a girl in her thirties. In a way, she was the protagonist of this banquet.
«Thank you all for coming to my daughter Arabella's birthday. We've put together a ton of entertainment, so I hope you put your worries aside today and enjoy!».
The music changed dynamically upon hearing the count's words, and the static banquet hall began to perk up. The silent voices grew louder, and undignified laughter erupted from here and there. He was sure it was partly due to the effect of the alcohol, since everyone had been sipping until then.
«Would you grant me the honor of allowing me to kiss the back of your hand, my lady?».
The young people each took the hand of the sex they liked and went out to dance. The elders sat down and struck up a vulgar conversation about the clown show.
«Let's get going». The baron rose from his seat. His face seemed tense. When I asked him where we were going, he replied: «You don't know the count yet, do you? When I saw him before, I told him about you, and he told me that I should meet you». The baron's expression was completely different from that of when before he went to greet the titled nobles, as if he were dealing with a direct superior.
El conde, ¿eh?
That made me nervous too, but the earl I met was actually a pretty optimistic guy and he was very kind to me. «Hahaha! It's you! I wanted to see you in person». When I went to greet him, the count stood up and even asked me to shake his hand.
«Nice to meet you!» Even as I responded to the handshake barbarously, I couldn't get rid of the thought that something was strange. Little Balkan, Bjorn, son of Yandel. I was certainly aware of my recent fame.
But is it enough for the count to act like this?
I wasn't so sure about it. At least I didn't believe it. After all, there were less than a hundred nobles with the rank of count in this vast city. He was incomparable to the regional head of the Scout Guild I knew before, truly a man of omnipotent power. Even in the game, the acts of higher-ranking counts or magnates did not occur until the second half.
«You are taller than I thought. You should be called Big Balkan, not Little. Haha». Someone like that complimented me, as if he wanted to please me. «By the way, what weapon is that? I heard you usually use a mace». He continued to subtly mention things that would have been unknown if he hadn't been paying attention to me.
¿For what?
I couldn't understand it. If he wanted to, she was sure he could make even the best seventh and eighth floor explorers, whose fame did not compare to mine, do whatever he wanted. Why was he interested in me?
And it made me fucking anxious...
Some might be glad that a big guy like the count paid attention to them, but I'm not, especially at a worrying time when something could explode in the near future.
...If something happens, what could it be?
It was just as my learned anxiety naturally began to assume the worst regarding the earl that he applauded, looked at me, and suggested something unexpected. «Seeing you suddenly gives me an interesting idea. Soon, there will be a confrontation between the apprentice knights. Wouldn't you like to participate in it too?».
«...Wouldn't the gentlemen dislike it?»
«You solve this problem. What does it look like to you?»
«I'll think about it...» I didn't give a definitive answer. It would be less problematic to reveal my will through the baron later, rather than rejecting it to his face.
«Hmm, if you say so. Do as you please».
The count stopped paying attention to me there. He then began conversing with the baron about this and that, a superficial conversation in which they praised each other's wives and children and blessed the future of their families.
«Haha, the conversation was so enjoyable that I held you back for a long time. You should also go enjoy the banquet», the count offered.
«Yes, my lord».
Later, when I left the count's side and returned to my original table, the baron spoke to me immediately. «So... what are you going to do?».
«About what?»
«The confrontation!»
Of course. I held back the answer, saying I was thinking about it. I was going to refuse, but I judged that it would seem more sincere that way.
«Think carefully. You never know if this opportunity will come in handy later».
As expected, the baron tried to persuade me by talking about the advantages of participating in the tournament, saying that the prize even for participating was 2 million stones, or that it was a good opportunity to make a name for myself. The count even gave away a numbered item of 7,000 as a prize for winning the tournament.
«That? Garphas' necklace?»
«...Why does it surprise you so much? Do you know him?» The baron, not being an explorer, tilted his head at my reaction. He was pretty lucky in that sense. If I had been an explorer, my reaction would have been even more questionable. «Hmm, I've heard Sir Elta say it's not such an attractive award».
No.7777, the Garphas Necklace, only fell into the cracks of the fifth floor and the probability was atrocious, making it extremely difficult to obtain. In many ways, it was an object in a similar context to the Frost Spirit Ring, a low-number object with a strong personality, but no great value to explorers. Therefore, although it was rare, it was treated as a kind of bust.
It even has a special hidden event.
I didn't have to think long. An ominous feeling that something was about to happen? My determination to sit still for a while?
Smile.
So what? I had to carefully calculate the gains and losses in everything, but that didn't mean I should cower like an idiot and refrain from doing what I had to do. That was putting the cart before the horse.
"I'll do it."
"Huh? What did you just say?"
"I will enter the party the count spoke of."