I Became the Hero Who Banished the Protagonist chapter 80

80. In the Shadow of the Banquet (2)

“Be quick to notice.”

I looked at Daphne and Marianne, who had rescued me, as if they were very endearing. Daphne looked at me and smiled brightly. Her purple eyes shone in the deep amber light of the sunset. A gun like two crystals embedded in it. I raised my eyebrows at that figure.

“… Aren’t you guys from the warrior party?”

The young lady who talked to me earlier, Coraline, asked cautiously. I would have gone at least halfway if I just left, but I was asking a question with a sneak peek. Daphne had a rather haughty expression on her face.

“Yeah. Now that you’ve said hello to Illroy, I’m sorry, but can you come out? Because the hero didn’t come to see the young ladies today.”

Coraline’s face contorted at Daphne’s words, but she regained her composure. Even if it’s rotten, it’s a high-ranking aristocrat’s son, the management of facial expressions was at a high level. Coraline cleared her throat and met my eyes as if to say something to me. I let out a smile and put my hand on Daphne’s waist and pulled her.

“I’m sorry, but today’s priority is to say hello to the sponsors of our party. I’ll just say hello, and I’ll leave.”

Daphne clung to me without resistance, but her face turned red. I looked towards Marianne, but she only lingered near me. Coraline looked at Daphne and Marianne in amazement, then backed off.

“Okay, you came at a really good time, Daphne.”

I said that and looked down at Daphne. Although it was shocking to see him come to me with great vigour, and now not talking with his face dyed red. At times like this, the calm Marianne would become a little more determined.

“… .”

Thinking so, I turned to Marianne, and there was one doll that was still creaking. Well, I wanted her personality to be involved here too. A simple azure dress with little embellishment, no noticeable jewelry. All her long hair was gathered back and tied up.

“Are you okay, Marianne?”

“… .”

It seemed necessary to let him adapt to the atmosphere. Without hesitation, I walked to the table where the nobles of the family head were gathering and having a conversation. The eyes of the ladies and young ladies remained the same, but as I moved with a clear purpose, no one tried to touch me. The nobles turned to me and widened their eyes as I approached.

“Not this. Aren’t you a warrior?”

“You always work hard, warrior. I am… .”

Aristocrats who put down their drinks and greet me with tabi. I checked their names and faces while shaking hands. Was it because he felt a real threat while watching Baktins and Evernode? The nobles of the periphery seemed to support me with a surprisingly pure purpose. They simply exchanged greetings with me and then each disappeared to do his own business. Daphne narrowed her brows in surprise as she watched the nobles walking away.

“… Are those people really wanting to help our party’s activities? He doesn’t say anything.”

“Aristocrats who don’t want to come to the center might really think so.”

Yeah, the problem wasn’t them. I was conscious of the arrogant gazes still looking at me as if I were looking at my liver. Most of them were court aristocrats or aristocrats who wanted to enter the royal capital. Do you even want me to go ahead and say hello? Butts were heavy. There are probably many people who attended the hearing.

“[They are funny.]”

Well, you can leave it alone. If you’re in a hurry, wouldn’t they come and talk to you first? If they have nothing to say to me, I have nothing to say to them. I glanced at them once and moved on.

“Oops, your greeting is late, hero.”

And, aristocrats with heavy hips were walking belatedly to greet me. I greeted them with a deliberately pretentious smile on my face.

“Yes. Fine. It could be late. I was going to say hello first, but I made a mistake.”

“Kuhm! Anyway, I’m glad to see you like this. You must have been asked to attend social events many times, but you never did.”

The nobles were making faces as if they were bothered by the fact that they greeted them first. Being obsessed with really useless pride, like a typical aristocrat, was rather relieved.

“Yeah. I’m usually busy with other things. I probably won’t be attending any social gatherings in the future. Thank you for calling me.”

Well, I didn’t reply once.

“Don’t be too rigid, but don’t. Even if it’s a social gathering, it’s just a place to meet people and say hello. Just in case, there might be a precious bond with the hero among them.”

I smiled without answering. When I didn’t answer, an embarrassing noble picked up a glass and drank it. I sneakily picked up a glass from the table.

“Oh. My daughter is also here, so please say hello. It’s embarrassing to say with my own mouth, but she is a very beautiful child who resembles my mother.”

“I will tell you one thing for sure.”

I took a sip of my drink and my eyes lit up. The nobles who were suppressed by my momentum quietly took a backward step. Tak, an empty wine glass was placed on the table.

“I have no idea.”

After making that decision, I left with Daphne and Marianne. If people were worried about the end of the world, they probably wouldn’t have been thinking of enlisting me and using me politically. If the Archduke of Quenore were here, he would have smashed the table and left.

“[That’s ironic. People who shouldn’t be worried about the end worry about it, and people who should care about the end are full of other thoughts in their heads.]”

The Holy Sword said in a cold voice. I shook my head slightly and turned to find Georg somewhere in the banquet hall. The band started to play a waltz, and one by one the people, holding hands, went out to the center of the hall and started dancing.

“… Where did everyone learn that?”

Daphne murmured in amazement. The road to surviving as an aristocrat in the capital looked tough. Rather than saying that they enjoyed dancing, it was more like a ritual act following a certain procedure. There are no couples in a romantic mood, just people exploring each other and taking steps as they learn.

“Dignity is scary.”

“I agree with you, Hero Illroy.”

I looked back in amazement. It wasn’t just me who was surprised, Daphne and Marianne were too. The heroine, the queen, and Agnes, whose voice she was slowly getting used to, were there. Agnes was watching the dancing nobles with ruby red eyes.

“I was late because I had to report to key officials. I saw you dealing with nobles.”

The queen looked at me, then turned to Daphne and Marianne.

“Since you’re holding flowers in both hands, there’s no way the other ladies will notice you. I will ignore it even if it is like me.”

“… your majesty.”

“It’s nonsense, nonsense. Look, aren’t the reactions cute?”

The Queen looked at Daphne, who was embarrassed, and laughed. I scratched my head in embarrassment.

“You are suffering a lot because of the nobles. I’ll make it a little clearer at the next meeting.”

The queen narrowed her eyes at the nobles and said.

“I’m sorry. My lack of sensibility caused this to happen. I am concerned that I may have caused concern to His Majesty.”

“What? If you can’t control one of your servants, can you say you have the qualifications of a king?”

The Queen replied with a smirk.

“I saw the settlement details you posted this time. Excluding the cost of your new sword, most of it was sent to Baktins.”

I nodded my head gravely. Next to him, Daphne opened her eyes as if surprised.

“It was necessary. It was also something I had to do.”

“… All I can say is thank you, Illroy. As the king of a country, I am just ashamed.”

The Queen shook her head in disdain.

“I will pay more attention to recovery. Also, thank you for solving the Baktins’ doomsday cult issue. I’m sorry I couldn’t be of any help.”

“Please take your word for it. There is no reason for His Majesty to make such an expression.”

I saw the queen’s gloomy eyes. The queen opened her eyes wide, then smiled weakly.

“… yes. Thank you for saying that.”

The queen took a step closer to me. Frozen, I stared at the approaching queen. I’ve dealt with so many people since I was possessed by this world, but none was as difficult to deal with as the Queen.

“By the way, if those annoying people keep sending hawks to you, wouldn’t it be nice to drive a nail in there that doesn’t have a place at all?”

“Yes?”

I reflexively made a dumb noise.

“There might be Daphne in the back, but… .”

The queen laughed at my reaction and took my hand gently.

“There’s no law that says I can’t be that opponent, as long as you’re okay with it.”

“[That tyrant!!!]”

Suddenly, the holy sword exploded in my head. I put my hand on my throbbing head. Daphne stared at the queen, staring at the queen, with a stunned look, forgetting that it was rude, and Marianne staring at me with her eyes wide open. The queen seemed to enjoy my reaction, as well as Daphne and Marianne’s, then let go of my hand and turned away.

“It’s nonsense, nonsense.”

Then he slowly turned his head and looked at me.

“Have a good time, Illroy. Daphne, Marianne. So are you.”

The queen walked leisurely toward her waiting servants. Somehow, I felt exhausted after talking to that person even for a moment. I picked up the glass and took another sip. Just then, Georg, sweating profusely, approached us with a tired expression.

“I was looking for you, Illroy. Where have you been?”

“That is what I am going to say. Where did you leave me and go?”

“… I came to see my fiancée’s father, that is to say, the prospective father-in-law. I’m sorry I just left you.”

“Look around, Insa.”

I murmured and took another sip of my drink. What’s Georg famous for? He looked at me with a questioning expression, but I just ignored him and poured the remaining alcohol into my mouth at once. Intoxication does not rise. I’d rather be drunk, I looked at the empty glass.

Then, someone held my hand. As expected, Daphne was already red with drunkenness. He can’t even drink, so why did he drink so much?

“Dance.”

Daphne got up and took my hand. I walked out into the hall where people were dancing, half dragged by her.

“Dance.”

Daphne started groping my arm as we danced, not knowing what to do with her hands. I sighed and grabbed her arms and held her upright.

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Hiccup.

A hiccup came from Daphne’s mouth. I took Daphne’s right hand with my left and placed it between my arm and shoulder. The music changed from a breezy waltz to a very slow waltz, and Daphne and I took slow steps, clumsily copying the movements of the nobles.

“… .”

And, over Daphne’s shoulder, I could feel Marianne’s golden gaze staring right through me.

“[…] I’m just speechless, Illroy.]”

I closed my eyes and sighed at the sound of the holy sword’s ice-cold voice.

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However, Marianne’s eyes were not simply looking at me. Eyes that seemed to want to ask something. In those eyes that even contained some kind of earnestness, I couldn’t help but have another question.