Bonus chapter from sponsored chapter.
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Enjoy the chapter~
Translator: Raizu
Editor: Shirayuki
Chapter 60 – Silvia Arcadia
The royal banquet was supposedly meant as a show of Empire"s prosperity, therefore this time it"s as grand as all other banquets in the recent years.
In the middle of the hall, Ares was surrounded by aristocrats seeking correspondence.
[Schwarzer Little Lord, this lowly one is called Viscount Tronne from the western Arcadia…]
[I and Schwarzer Little Lord will surely have a flourishing relationship after this banquet…]
[My daughter, not only she"s well educated, she"s also homely. How about it? Shall we organize a meeting…]
To summarize, 40% was trying to make a correspondence, 40% was trying to offer their daughter to Ares and the remaining was just to gauge him…so to speak.
Ares was beginning to feel annoyed by these aristocrats" actions.
Then a loud voice boomed from behind.
[Oi! Little Schwarzer b.a.s.t.a.r.d!]
Turning to the source, it was Archduke Saxon"s son Rudolf. His face was already reddened due to drinking too much liquor.
Rudolf Saxon was Archduke Saxon Georg"s son. Worthy as the heir to the warrior-centric clan such as the Saxon, he"s known as one of the best warriors in the Empire.
However, unlike his father, he"s a roughshod and a heavy drinker, earning himself a bad reputation.
[If it isn"t Archduke Saxon"s little lord.]
Ares puts on a smile on his face as he turned to meet Rudolf.
The other aristocrats quietly distanced themselves, unwilling to be caught up in trouble.
(Their mouths spout sweet nonsense, but when the first signs of trouble appear, they show their nature as opportunists.)
[I see that you"re quite popular there.]
[There is no such thing. I think they only see me as something unusual because I rarely show up in the Capital?]
[Fuhn! Nevermind. After the campaign is over, our position will surely switch over. At that time, be prepared to never show your mangy face again!]
That"s right, Rudolf was just that reckless. He didn"t even care that Ares was currently surrounded by many people.
[This time, I"ll personally lead the proud cavalry of the Saxon. While you"re still be wallowing in those two small countries, I"ll already be marching to Redgear"s capital Fran. You little b.a.s.t.a.r.d should…]
Before he finished his sentence, someone called out Rudolf from behind.
[Shall I consider that as an indirect challenge for me?]
[Haaa?]
When Rudolf turned around to see whose voice was that, he was stunned.
Yes, because the one standing behind him was the second princess Silvia.
[Don"t you know already that the Schwarzer little lord will be working together with me on that operation?]
Rudolf hurriedly started to make excuses.
[No, I didn"t mean it that way… I was told that only Schwarzer little lord will be taking part on the operation, so…]
[Hou, so you went to slander your own ally even before the battle began. I wonder why?]
[Th-that"s…]
Rudolf was stuck with no answer.
Ares saw this so he quickly laughed to rescue him.
[It was just a joke. Shall we move away from here?]
In response to that was a small laugh.
[Fumu…I guess it cannot be helped if the Schwarzer little lord himself said so. Here, Archduke Saxon will spy upon us. Does the little lord have a better place to suggest?]
Having said that, Silvia turned her head to another direction. True to her words, Archduke Saxon was staring at them with a sharp gaze.
[!? E-excuse me!!]
Rudolf excused himself from Silvia to join his father.
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Silvia Arcadia
As the second princess of Arcadia Empire, she held the highest influence in the empire"s military forces. She has a tall stature not unlike that of a man. She"s actually slightly taller than Ares, who had an average height. The short, flaming crimson hair contrasted her white skin, creating an attractive yet striking visage.
[Alright …now that there is no one who will disturb us …we can have a nice and slow talk]
While saying so, Silvia grabbed two gla.s.ses of wine from nearby table before offering one to Ares.
[What"s the matter? You refuse to drink even in this kind of event?]
[…no, I should refrain from drinking any alcohol… unfortunately. Pardon me.]
I couldn"t afford to make the same mistake again …Ares thought inwardly as he declined with a sheepish smile.
[Fumu… Surprisingly disciplined or you"re just being cautious… whatever]
Showing no sign of being annoyed, Silvia withdrew the gla.s.s and drank the contents herself.
[Well then, I have a keen interest in you. I also want to have a talk with you. How about it? Care to join me for a moment or two?]
[Wouldn"t there be any bad rumors circulating if Her Highness do this?]
Ares refused politely.
[Fuun. I"d end up unable to do anything if I"m bothered with those rumors. It"s no pain, no gain.]
Silvia returned the smile.
[Well, but now that you mentioned it, it IS important to be more cautious. However… I do want to talk with you before the campaign started, but I guess you have guests who want to meet you. Just know that I bear no ill intent to you. Please believe me on that.]
Hearing that, Ares silently looked at Silvia, who returned the stare in kind.
After a moment of silence, Ares finally sighed.
[Understood. I"ll believe in Your Highness.]
Silvia smiled upon hearing that answer.
[Thank goodness. I was a bit worried there. What would I do if you keep refusing?]
Silvia then grabbed Ares" hand,
[Then we"ll talk. I might ask you several things and perhaps ask you to meet a certain someone. Hopefully you are fine with that?]
She proceeded to take Ares somewhere away from the banquet.