But by then, everyone's eyes were already fixed on Kassel with sparkling anticipation.
After struggling over what to say, Kassel finally spoke with an awkward expression.
"The subjugation of the monsters that... attacked the western region has been successfully completed. There were no casualties, all the monster gates that appeared in each territory have been closed, and..."
"Hahaha, Sir Elvience."
The Emperor laughed heartily and patted Kassel on the shoulder.
"I wasn't asking you for a military report."
"...Pardon? Then..."
Kassel blinked in confusion.
The Emperor leaned toward him and whispered something into his ear.
When the Emperor straightened up again, the confidence in Kassel's eyes had noticeably wavered.
Yet the Emperor merely smiled kindly and gestured toward the audience below the platform.
"Go on."
Slowly lifting his head, Kassel clenched his fists beneath his uniform.
"The Eppenterion Knights... hereby swear that we will continue to devote our lives to fighting for the Retinoa Imperial Family and the Empire."
"Well said, Sir Elvience. It puts my mind at ease knowing I have such loyal nephews and subjects protecting my Empire."
Only then did the Emperor, apparently satisfied, raise his wine glass.
Pale-faced, Kassel had no choice but to offer a toast before the crowd before finally stepping down from the platform.
But the real incident began the moment the people who had been waiting for this exact opportunity surrounded him.
"Well now, Kassel Elvience!"
Just as the orchestra had resumed playing, an angry voice echoed across the banquet hall.
Kassel, who had been trying to leave as quickly as possible, turned around in surprise.
"...Were you just calling me?"
"Yes, you!"
The man standing before him grabbed his shoulder tightly.
"I hear the Eppenterion Knights completely devastated the western territories while dealing with those monsters. How exactly do you intend to compensate us for the damages?"
"...Compensate you?"
Kassel's eyes widened.
Standing before him was Marquis Langard, leader of the Western Noble Alliance.
The tense atmosphere immediately drew everyone's attention.
"The miasma released when those monsters died ruined every crop that was about to be harvested!"
As though rehearsed beforehand, the western nobles standing behind the Marquis began speaking one after another.
"Our people are about to starve because of it!"
"The only river in my territory has completely dried up!"
"An entire forest in our lands has rotted away!"
Kassel was left speechless.
Even at a glance, the damages they described sounded enormous.
And they want Eppenterion to pay for all of it?
After roughly calculating the amount in his head, Kassel threw both hands into the air.
"W-Wait... Are you seriously saying that Eppenterion should compensate every single one of those losses?"
Marquis Langard curled his lips into a twisted smile, as if they were finally understanding each other.
"Exactly. Glad you've caught on."
"What nonsense!"
Kassel glared at the western nobles in disbelief.
When monsters approach death, they release demonic miasma.
That miasma not only corrupts nature but also harms the monsters themselves.
Their own flesh and hide rot away, and even their bones melt after being consumed by the miasma they emit.
In the past, there had been no effective way to deal with this problem.
But after the current Grand Duke took up the sword, the North began conducting serious research on monsters.
At the research facilities established by their lord, they discovered the monsters' weaknesses.
Those discoveries were then incorporated into military tactics.
The Eppenterion Knights had perfected a strategy of killing monsters before they could release their miasma, bringing peace to the Grand Duchy.
Areas where monsters appeared were no longer contaminated.
The North had become safer than ever before.
Which meant that the damages the western nobles were claiming were wildly exaggerated.
"I've heard enough. This is truly outrageous. Just how blinded by greed are you people? Have you even personally confirmed these so-called damages? As far as I know, you've all been staying in the capital this entire time..."
"So you're saying we're making all this up just for money?"
"Because that's exactly what you're doing!"
The Grand Duchy of Eppenterion was wealthy.
Monsters killed without releasing miasma were inspected for safety by the Grand Temple before being distributed to various nations.
Monster hides and bones were larger and stronger than those of ordinary animals, making them valuable materials with high demand.
The western nobles knew that all too well.
It was obvious they intended to use this opportunity to extort a massive sum from Eppenterion.
But Kassel showed no sign of giving in.
Marquis Langard let out a cold sigh.
"I expected you'd react this way. However, Kassel Elvience, if Eppenterion ignores the Western Alliance's protest, then we will proceed with a lawsuit."
"A lawsuit? Even if there actually were damages, this all happened while carrying out His Majesty's orders. Naturally, the Imperial Family should bear the responsibility—"
"Are you trying to shift the blame onto His Majesty the Emperor? Strictly speaking, your knights belong to the Grand Duchy—not the Imperial Family, do they not?"
The moment the Emperor was mentioned, the color drained from Kassel's face.
It was clearly an absurd argument.
Yet by clearly distinguishing the chain of command and their affiliation, there was no obvious legal loophole to exploit.
Moreover, Marquis Langard and the western nobles were all staunch supporters of the Emperor.
Judging by how prepared they seemed, Kassel had no way out.
Wait... Could it be that His Majesty intended this from the very beginning...?
Kassel clenched his teeth in frustration.
I knew something felt suspicious. Was this his plan all along?
If only His Grace the Grand Duke were here...
He would have punched those smug faces without hesitation.
Why did this have to happen when I was alone...?
Just then—
"My, my. I've never seen such a noisy banquet before."
Along with a clear, pleasant voice, someone stepped between Marquis Langard and Kassel.
"W-What?"
The Marquis turned in surprise.
The woman smiling back at him said,
"Today's banquet is meant to welcome His Grace the Grand Duke of Eppenterion. Is it really appropriate to grab his representative by the collar in front of everyone?"
"What? I never grabbed his— Ah!"
As the Marquis tried to protest, the woman lightly tapped the back of his hand with her fan.
Startled, he instinctively let go of Kassel's shoulder.
"Lady! What is the meaning of this—!"
Even Kassel stared at her in shock.
Why is she here...?
He recognized that face immediately.
A woman with shining silver hair and beautiful violet eyes.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Sir Elvience."
The woman wearing the bizarre flower-covered hat—
The infamous villainess who had always been after his lord.
Airel Blandiche.
"A representative should be treated with the same respect as the person they represent. Or have I misunderstood Imperial law?"
I gently nudged Kassel backward with the tip of my fan before stepping in front of Marquis Langard.
The Marquis' face flushed red at my mention of Imperial law.
"What? Respect? Imperial law? Ha! Those aren't exactly words that suit Lady Blandiche. If you want to play pretend, go find children your own age to entertain—"
Although he was clearly angry, his voice gradually became quieter as he noticed the people watching.
I sneered inwardly.
"That's exactly why I'm here."
I winked lightly at Kassel.
"To spend time with someone my own age."
Kassel looked utterly creeped out and immediately avoided my gaze.
"That's not what I meant! I'm warning you—don't embarrass yourself by meddling in something you know nothing about. If you leave now, I'll simply overlook it as the mistake of an immature young lady."
"Really? I think the one who should be worried about embarrassment is you, Marquis. The Eppenterion Knights saved the western region from disaster. You should be thanking them instead of making such ridiculous accusations."
Feigning complete innocence, I lazily waved my fan while looking over each of the nobles standing behind him.
Didn't I say I wanted to stay out of the spotlight? Then why am I stepping in now?
Well, obviously so Lisid will be grateful to me...
...Actually, no.
That wasn't the reason.
To be honest, I had no idea something like this was going to happen to Lisid and Kassel today.
The original novel was told from Seria's point of view.
So today's welcoming banquet focused entirely on Seria's first appearance in high society after becoming the newly appointed Saintess.
Which made this a genuine surprise.
In the original story, Eppenterion ends up paying an astronomical amount in damages to the western nobles.
"Your Grace... we're completely bankrupt now...!"
That was literally Kassel's very first line after reuniting with Lisid.
That says everything.
Apparently, the Western Noble Alliance threatened Kassel by saying they wouldn't file a lawsuit—
if Eppenterion agreed to pay half of the alleged damages.
