(EP-248.2) Caged #3

248 – Caged Bird #3

“The toast will be given by Angmar’s gardener, entertainment officer, and inspector, Theo Gospel. Henceforth, Sir Theo will assume the position of the court mage.”

I expected this.

A court mage was literally a mage employed by the court.

They usually advise the king or foretell fortunes through magical acts. Working in the court of a country meant that, at least, being a Rank 5 Archmage was needed for the job.

However, since Aira herself was an exceptional Rank 7 Archmage, there was no need for a court mage by her side. But this time, it seemed she intended to place me in that position.

Seuk-.

I held up the grape juice that Reinhardt had given me.

“Glory be to Angmar!”

* * *

━Sir Theo, I saw everything about the trial by combat through the crystal ball. When did you acquire such outstanding magical skills?

━My son is about to enroll in Ark. Which courses should he take to develop such remarkable abilities…?

As the newly appointed court mage, people swarmed around me, bombarding me with questions. They seemed curious about how I had developed such skills.

━Oh my…! Isn’t that an imp tail wand? It’s incredibly hard to obtain…!

━Did you not bring Marmar, the imp who placed third in the Queen Contest? My daughter is making a fuss over wanting an imp doll, how can I get one….

━They’re impossible to find these days. My daughter also wants one badly….

How annoying.

I looked around, hoping to find aid. Then I noticed someone approaching me.

As she arrived, people stepped back.

“Sir Theo, congratulations on becoming a court mage. From a gardener, you’ve quickly risen to the 8th rank in the court hierarchy. I know very well that you are fully deserving of it.”

“Thank you for your congratulations, Lady Mirna.”

I greeted Mirna Draco with a slight bow. Her face was flushed with a rosy hue and her eyes sparkled. It seemed that she’d already had a drink.

━She must be the young head of Draco family. She’s younger than expected.

━They even managed to bring back the Draco family, who had already left the court.

Mirna was also one of the protagonists of this event. People were curious about the reappearance of Draco family, which had been in seclusion for a long time. Everyone flocked around Mirna, asking all sorts of questions.

“It’s Young Lady Draco. It’s been a long time since I last saw you. I’ve heard a lot about you from my daughter.”

Reinhardt, who was dealing with people next to me, lightly bowed his head toward Mirna. In response, Mirna also curtsied according to court etiquette.

“Nice to meet you, Lord Reinhardt. But if you heard stories from Lady Lioness, they probably weren’t good ones.”

“Well, you could say that. I suppose that’s what being friends of the same age is. But speaking of which, I heard about Lord Aleister. My condolences.”

“Ah.”

“He and I were friends. Frenemies, if you will. He was a strict fellow, but one of the few I could trust with my back.”

From what I know, Reinhardt, Elga’s father, and Aleister, Mirna’s father, attended Ark together during their school days. They were founding members of the adventure club Stella was a part of.

They were probably just like Elga and Mirna now.

Friends who bickered.

“Anyway, welcome to the court. I don’t know what brings you here, but if you encounter any discomfort during your stay, let me know.”

With those words, Reinhardt swiftly left to handle his backlog of work. Being a chancellor was a busy position, after all.

Thanks to him, I was at ease.

Originally, I would have had to handle everything.

Since I had some free time, should I make plans for my next steps?

I needed to think about how to approach the Bellhawk family, so I looked around and pondered.

It seemed like a good idea to reestablish contact with Stella Bellhawk first.

At that moment, Aira spoke to the people.

“I believe everyone has heard about the upcoming martial festival. However, as you know, it takes a considerable amount of money to organize such a tournament.”

As Aira began to speak, the noisy banquet hall gradually fell silent. Not a single cough could be heard. Aira continued in a soft voice.

“So, I’ve decided to borrow the money from the Bellhawk family. I hear their bank is overflowing with gold. So, I’ll be visiting the Belhawk family tomorrow.”

An abrupt and direct approach.

Even I was taken aback.

Just then, several male elves quickly bowed their heads in front of Aira.

“It is an honor to serve the Queen. However, given that this was not pre-arranged, we need to consider the schedule….”

“Elf, I am the rightful Queen of Angmar. Every house in this kingdom is like my own. I do not need to inform anyone in advance to enter a house.”

“……”

“Or is there something you wish to hide from me?”

“Of course not! But if we are unprepared to serve the great Queen, there might be some issues….”

“It’s well known that the power of Bellhawk soars like a hawk in the sky. No need to be modest. Or do you intend to make me retract my statement in front of everyone?”

Crumpled-.

Aira slightly furrowed her brow.

Even that small gesture caused the atmosphere in the hall to freeze. The eyes of the courtiers seemed to flash with the old trauma, almost foaming at their mouths.

They began to glare at the elves, as if silently cursing, “Stop being stubborn and accept already!”

Eventually, the elves nodded.

“And.”

However, Aira wasn’t done yet.

Edited by: faker