༺ Declaration ༻
Stomp, Stomp-.
Five hours had passed since I declared my withdrawal and as the sunset painted the afternoon sky in its colors, I found myself strolling down the hallway following Rendler.
Our destination was the Great Hall, where dinner would be served.
I would have preferred to enjoy my meal inside my room, however, tonight’s dinner was no ordinary affair, and as such, I had no choice but to go.
Because this would be the first official gathering of the final candidates.
Before the cohabitation with the Third Duchess, this dinner would serve as an opportunity for the finalists to scout the opposition.
Since this was an ‘official’ event, I couldn’t simply excuse myself for selfish reasons.
After all, I was still a final candidate.
As I followed Rendler, a string of sighs and grumbles left my mouth.
“Sigh- Can’t I just say I was feeling unwell?”
While my words sounded like the petulant whining of a spoiled brat, I couldn’t help the intense discomfort that arose with the prospect of meeting the other candidates.
How could I even enjoy the meal if I was to be around those idiots?
“Why so? Do you not wish to dine with the other candidates, My Lord?”
“Yes, something like that.”
“Haha- That’s peculiar.”
“Why?”
“Well, aren’t you close to the other candidates, My Lord? I thought you’d be pleased to see them. After all, it’s been a long time since you’ve met.”
……Tsk- It was precisely because of this ‘closeness’ that I was in this mess in the first place. And there would be no point in voicing my concerns to someone who wouldn’t understand them.
If I just turned to someone and said, ‘Actually, I’m Lee Jun-Woo, a man from the Republic of Korea, who somehow possessed the body of this person. And oh, the world you live in? It’s a shitty romance fantasy novel’, then whoever heard it would undoubtedly think I had finally lost my mind after drinking for so long.
“Oh, I’m so pleased.”
“…Hm.”
Rendler suddenly stopped and turned to look at me.
“What?”
“Curious, truly curious.”
“What is it?”
“I’ve been serving you for 26 years, My Lord. But today, I feel as If I am serving a completely different person.”
……This butler is surprisingly sharp.
Perhaps he might even understand the complete madness it was for a modern person to possess his master.
That is, as long as he didn’t faint from disbelief.
As I snorted from my own absurd thoughts, I walked past Rendler.
“Hah! It seems your age is making you talk nonsense.”
Thankfully, I was aware of the deep bond shared between Rendler and Elden, since this was briefly explored through a flashback toward the end of the free chapters.
He was like a father to Elden, and at times, even like a mother.
He was the one who stood by Elden’s side, advising him when the trials began.
Was that perhaps why?
It was rather difficult to look into his weary eyes.
‘……It feels like I killed his kid.’
Although it’s not my fault I possessed this body, I can’t help but feel guilty.
So, in order to ease this feeling, I must faithfully play the role of Elden Raphelion, the wastrel.
“Well, aren’t you coming?”
As I looked back at him, Rendler approached with his usual smile in haste.
“On my way, My Lord.”
After a moment, we reached the Great Hall.
**
‘Impressive.’
Indeed, the Great Hall of the Grand Duke’s castle gave off a majestic feeling.
The floor was crafted from the most exquisite marble, with an indoor fountain so elaborate that it was hard to believe it was real, not to speak of the massive chandeliers made of crystal.
This wasn’t simply a dining place, but a room designated for grand events.
“Here we are, My Lord. If you need my assistance I’ll be there, so do not hesitate to call me.”
“I need your help right now.”
“Tell me, My Lord.”
“Sit over there for me.”
Snap-.
I snapped my fingers and pointed to a round table covered with a splendid tablecloth.
Rendler looked at me with a surprised expression.
Since it was just a silly joke on my part, I patted his shoulder with a smirk and walked forward.
Meanwhile, Rendler seemed to have a surprised expression that screamed ‘Did My Lord…just smile?!’
At the center of the round table, illuminated by a large candelabra, sat the Idiot Trio.
Around them stood a middle-aged woman with sharp glasses and an elderly man who filled his tuxedo generously, each holding a document and a pen.
These were the ones who would follow the candidates’ meetings, assessing them alongside the Duchess.
In essence, the final evaluations were starting now.
But that was none of my concern.
“Everyone’s arrived early, I see.”
After saying this simple greeting, I took my seat.
Regardless of my peril, there was an odd sense of nostalgia when you encountered the characters of a novel in person.
The son of a Duke, as well as the candidate with the highest rank among us, Deron Caelid, received my greeting with visible displeasure.
“You’re late.”
Hm. His deep voice is quite pleasing to the ears.
Though his annoyingly smug appearance, like a fox, is a minus in my book.
But then again…
‘It’s you guys who arrived 10 minutes early.’
Since I had no desire to engage in a battle of nerves with them, I simply smiled.
Deron was seated on my left, and on my right was the eldest son of a County, Kyle, and seated in front of me the second son of a Marquisate, Blund.
True to their natures as male leads of a romance fantasy, their hair colors were a vibrant mix, like a garden in full bloom.
Deron had golden hair.
Kyle had blue hair.
Blund had red hair.
And me? I had normal black hair.
Didn’t people say that a tragedy up close was a comedy when seen at a distance? That perfectly described my situation.
“Now that all candidates have arrived, the meal will be served.”
Although we were acquaintances, the overall mood in the Great Hall was strained since the evaluations would begin.
It was probably because they wished to hide their intentions.
Unlike the preliminaries that tested our martial skills and intelligence, the final evaluations focused on the character of the candidates.
Of course, based on how the free chapters were going, I very much doubted the ‘winner’ would emerge from this bunch.
‘It is quite awkward, though.’
During the preliminaries, candidates could not interact with each other. It was an individual assessment to begin with and the martial arts test was conducted with the Commander of the Grand Duke’s Knight Order, so there was no occasion for us to meet.
Therefore, this would be the first time we faced each other since the contest began.
There was also barely any interaction between us after graduating from the Academy.
Ah, I hate this mood.
While I played with my spoon out of habit, the servants began setting the luxurious meal, and soon enough, the entire course was presented.
The fat middle-aged man wearing a tuxedo opened a document and signaled the start.
“Then, let’s proceed with the meal.”
As mentioned, from this moment on, our every action was being evaluated.
Even the way the candidates held their spoons was put under scrutiny.
Well, then…
‘This thing looks absolutely delicious.’
The fact we were being graded was not my problem.
Chomp-.
I took the biggest-looking rib I found and took a large bite.
Ribs, after all, were made to be enjoyed like this.
As soon as I did this, the pens of the two evaluators were put in motion.
And when I complimented the chef while still holding the rib, the speed of those pens increased even further.
“Wow! This shit is fucking delicious!”
Swoosh, swish, swish-.
**
‘Ah-. I want to eat like this every day.’
Maybe this competition……Wasn’t so bad after all?
With such a carefree thought, I lifted my glass, and one of the servants quickly poured me more wine.
Gulp, Gulp-. After taking a generous sip, I swirled the wine in my mouth.
Gargle-.
‘As I thought, nothing beats soju as a palate cleanser.’
I would love to say ‘Ahjumma1aunty, a bottle of soju here, please’ while I raised my finger, but there was no way a heavenly nectar like soju existed in medieval times.
So, I had to settle with using the wine as a palette cleanser, while I took a handkerchief from my coat pocket and cleaned my lips.
Rustle-.
Of course, I didn’t forget to shake out the handkerchief. It was no fun if I didn’t shake it as if drying out the laundry.
Meanwhile, the pens of the two evaluators kept moving furiously.
‘You guys are working hard.’
While I sent a mental salute to those enduring undue hardship, I continued eating my meal when Deron Caelid, who had been cutting his steak in a stiff posture raised his head, snorted at me.
“You must have been hungry, judging from your continuous gluttony. It almost seems as if you are not even breathing.”
“Hahaha-. Indeed, Lord Deron, the voracious way Lord Elden was eating made me a bit hungry as well.”
Duke, Marquis, and finally, Count.
Even if the ranks were set aside during the final evaluations, the social pecking order was inevitable.
Kyle Beallon, who stood at the bottom of the hierarchy alongside Elden Raphelion, quickly joined in on Deron’s mockery. From then on, it was only a matter of time until Blund Rosfell, the second son of a Marquis, joined as well.
After all, Elden, a scion of a declining family, had been their lackey during their Academy days, a convenient target for the trio to dump their menial work onto.
“As I recall, you didn’t display such an appetite at the Academy, Elden. Have you always eaten so enthusiastically? Perhaps I was merely misremembering some things, hahaha-.”
The Idiot Trio, true to their characters as arrogant nobles, started to lash out at the most vulnerable opponent with their scathing words.
Such vicious mockery was more of a scoring factor than a flaw.
That was simply how the aristocratic society worked.
But honestly, I felt sorry for these fools.
After all, a verbal beatdown only worked if the victim cared about their reputation.
Sadly for them, I neither cared about my reputation, nor was I interested in this contest, so their taunts were akin to a letter for an illiterate person.
Completely ineffective.
But what else could they do? It was how they lived their lives until now, after all.
Instead of responding, I kept silent. Meanwhile, Kyle wiped his mouth with a napkin, attempting to rally the group together.
“By the way, Lord Deron, Lord Blund, isn’t it interesting?”
“What might be?”
“That out of 100 participants, the four of us ended up as the final candidates?”
“It is indeed amusing.”
As Blund finished speaking, he glanced at Deron.
His eyes were filled with fake flattery.
He must be plotting to receive some crumbs when the most likely candidate, Deron, becomes the victor.
“To think that we, classmates from the Royal Academy and the esteemed Lord Deron of the great Caelid Duchy, have ended up as the finalists……This might spread some unnecessary rumors, hahaha-.”
Deron simply smiled at the painfully obvious attempt to curry his favor as he took a bite from his steak.
At this point, I was feeling the need to enlighten these fools that there was no need to strain themselves in trying to go against me.
Regardless of whether this meant my survival or not…
Regardless of whether my withdrawal was rejected or not…
I had no intention of joining in their petty fight.
So, it would be more convenient for all involved if I simply drew the line.
With this in mind, I addressed Blund.
“Excuse me, Lord Blund? I feel the need to correct your statement.”
“……What? Correct my statement?”
“Shouldn’t it be more accurate to say that the three of you have become the finalists?”
The Idiot Trio’s gazes turned sharply to me, as they tried to comprehend the meaning behind my words.
If anyone wished to inquire about the reason behind my abstention, I would gladly answer.
This was the duty of a wise man who knew how the story would unfold.
Also, since the Idiot Trio didn’t wrong me, I simply continued with a sly smile.
“In fact, this morning, I formally withdrew from the final candidacy.”
Swoosh, swift swoosh!
The movements of the pens accelerated beyond human comprehension.
TL Note:
Welp, sorry for em delay lads!
Mama got a bad case of Covid (again ffs) And had to stay at the ER for a couple.
Btw….anyone wanna donate 70 dollars on kofi for mweee to buy Stellar Blade??? I loved Nier, and this looks like Nier and Bayonetta had a love child.
Coff, coff Genesis – Mara Sov
