episode_0158

Eastern Council of Nobles.

This conference hall, called Symposium for short, is actually divided into sections.

On the surface, it appears to be a meeting, but in reality, as it is a place where the imperial family tests the nobles, a hierarchy was created to show off the nobles who like to divide classes and ranks.

The hierarchy is simple.

It was the conference hall.

At the previous year’s meeting, the performance of the year is announced and scored, and the report card created through various regulations and additional points and deductions is issued under the name of the noble family.

Therefore, this score naturally symbolized the family’s ranking, and this ranking naturally became a scale for creating districts, as if to distinguish them at the next symposium.

Just one seat.

For nobles who liked to divide classes, it became a means of establishing family honor and rank.

In that respect, Bagland has never missed the top spot. Among these floors, which were divided into a total of six floors starting from the center, I never once went down from the highest section, which could be said to be the pinnacle of nobility.

however.

Carcein was currently seen on the lowest floor.

It is an area for those who did not perform well in the imperial exam.

It was definitely not the place for the Vagrand Dukes.

“As if it wasn’t enough to make her wait by delaying seeing her off, this time she seemed to be very late…! Can’t even find your own seat?”

I feel like I want to go down right away, slap that buttocks, and then bring him back.

But, is that how it should be?

It is a place where all the nobles of the empire gather. Dignity had to be maintained.

Arina, who was barely able to control her frustration as she wiped her face, shouted at Karssein downstairs.

“Carcein! Your place is not there. Come up here.”

There was already someone sitting in the seat next to us, so we couldn’t all gather together, but we couldn’t just keep wandering around and sitting in that seat. First, I had to call Karssein to this floor.

Of course, I will have to pay for making my mother suffer and not receiving the money on time. This is a bitter price that Karssein must suffer.

It was all up to him to understand and interpret the changed regulations of the symposium and achieve the best results.

however…

Carcein sat there without even pretending to hear the voice.

“What is he doing now? Why are you sitting there?”

“Hey, Karssein! That’s not your place! You have to come up here!”

It was clear that the voices of Flora and Claire, who urgently stood up and shouted, also reached him. But Karsein remains steadfast.

I sat with my legs crossed and rested my chin. Even if the meeting starts and continues like this, he will remain there.

“Ha. In this way, the prestige of the family is raised…!”

How long are you going to keep doing something like that?

Arina, who couldn’t stand it anymore, tried to go down, her veins rising.

“Claire. I’m holding on to this place. I need to grab that bastard by the scruff of his neck and drag him away…!”

“Sister. wait for a sec. There, there!”

“What’s wrong?”

Looking at Claire’s pointing finger, one of the Bagland Duke family’s servants was standing there, not knowing what to do.

Arina suddenly had a hunch.

What does it mean for such an attendant to approach so urgently in this conference hall full of nobles?

Karssein must have done something again.

“…How long is left until the meeting?”

“1 minute…about ”

“Ha. I’ll be back soon.”

Even though my eyes were dizzy, I had to go first.

And there, from the sweating attendant, I received the answer I expected.

“Well… I heard that Prince Karssein punched the nobles of the Waglu faction.”

Arina’s eyes immediately roll over.

Arina, who ordered the servant to return in a deep voice, seemed to already have a sharp sword inside the wall.

“That child of mine…! Right now, right now, I’m going to drag that bastard out of the conference room!”

“Sister. no! The meeting is starting soon!”

“K, big sister?”

In a place where nobles from all over the empire gathered, what?

Cause a fight?

Nothing has changed since then.

As expected, Karssein was not qualified to take the test called this symposium. Qualifications should not have been given in the first place.

however.

“…!”

─Princess Arcien is entering!

At that moment, Arina hesitated as she heard the royal family’s arrival and had to stop in place.

A little while ago, Claire said there was one minute left until the meeting started.

It seemed like it was late.

With the appearance of Arsien, the attention of all nobles was focused on it.

However, I cannot just open my eyes and watch as Karssein sits there and destroys the prestige of the Bagland duchy.

After Princess Arcien’s light speech and guidance, there is time to relax.

At that time, I will kick you out. The Duke of Bagland put forward the grounds that Karssein was not qualified to take the exam for this symposium.

‘Obviously, I recognized you and tried to give you a chance. Karsein. However, this is an opportunity you took with your own hands.’

Arina praised Karssein for his beautiful wall.

***

▶I stepped on a trap somewhere! You will be framed by the nobles!◀

▶Arina’s intimacy has decreased!◀

[Current figure: 39%]

▶Be careful! There may be a disruption during the Eastern Noble Meeting!◀

‘It looks like I touched it just right.’

The fact that this message appeared means that the servant’s words reached Arina.

Originally, it would have simply been a decline in intimacy, but…

▶I stepped on one trap after another!◀

▶As Karssein’s false name worsens, a choice arises!◀

▶Warning! Depending on the results of your choices, you may be kicked out of the meeting room!◀

These messages that follow one after another do not occur with just one trap.

You have to step on another trap.

Another trigger must be triggered.

You must complete the conditions by stepping on two traps in succession to display the above message.

So how did you know that?

This is because a memorial found at that location forced the episode on me.

▶Hidden episode. We are in the process of taking authority into our own hands.◀

▶This hidden episode is treated as a sub-episode and continues to the main episode after clearing. Until then, you cannot proceed with any other episodes, regardless of type.◀

▶You must fulfill the conditions below!◀

From the moment I touch this memorial, I cannot proceed with the episode.

It meant that some kind of trigger occurred that I was completely unaware of.

At first, I thought this would lead directly to a dead flag and tried to avoid it by using tricks or expedient methods, but…

As we progressed one by one, strangely, it overlapped with Carcein’s past seen at the memorial.

[ In a field with limited risk, I have to curse at the children of the nobles who were beaten by me in the Spring Outing episode, called the Wagluo faction. ]☑

Karssein fought against nobles he had defeated in the past. It’s not much different from the fact that it was a physical fight, but at that time and in this place. In the same way, he fought against those nobles.

[ After lowering the awareness of the field by spewing out evil remarks, threaten a noblewoman who is taunting behind the noble children by throwing a glass bottle filled with flowers. ]☑

Even back then, there was a noble lady who brought in noble children to cause trouble, and she figured out who was the instigator and threw a vase.

[It takes time for this news to reach Arina. Enter the conference room before the time limit to reduce your awareness to -30. ]☑

The admission time, which had about 35 minutes left, was not actually the start time of the symposium. Even then, Karssein appeared in the meeting room after about two minutes had passed.

Also, it was only after some time had passed that Arina heard this news from her attendant.

[In the conference hall, sit alone in the seat on the lowest level, not in the position of Duke Vagrand. ]☑

Even though the imperial nobles were divided into different tiers, they sat in the lowest-tier seats without any hesitation.

Arina’s voice even stands up and shouts from the top floor seat, saying that it’s not your seat.

All of those situations overlapped with Memorial.

Is this really just a penalty situation?

Is it because the trigger was touched that a warning message leading to a dead flag was displayed?

So, did Karssein act foolishly to provoke anger?

Are you saying that the memorial only shows the foolishness of Carcein’s past?

no. I didn’t think so.

Because I also continued to give presentations during my school life in the same way in real life.

Because I clearly proved my abilities in a way that was not much different from Karssein.

Because I know that.

Because I have experienced it myself.

So I was confident that he made the right decision.

In this symposium, he tried to prove it in the wisest way possible.

To avoid any interference from nobles of his own age.

Unaffected by his status as a duke and his surname Bagland.

It was entirely an attempt to prove the abilities of one person, Karssein.

…To slowly escape from that family.

“Tsk.”

As I was thinking about Memorial, I clicked my tongue at the unpleasant coincidence rate.

Still, there was only one condition left.

[Right before the symposium starts, ─────]

─Princess Arcien is entering!

That train sound.

With that, I put together the last part.

“…huh. You really are.”

Arcien passes by, sighing.

At the same time.

[ Just before the symposium starts, it will definitely be caught by Arsien entering the conference hall. ]☑

I completed the conditions for the hidden episode by realizing what happened when Karssein made eye contact with her in the past.

-Tiring!

▶Hidden episode. I have cleared my authority.◀

▶At the conference hall, we sever our affiliation with the Vagrand Duke family.◀

Was it like that?

As seen through the memorial, Karssein of the past had cut off his affiliation with the Bagland duchy.

Even back then, Karssein tried to rule the territory alone.

When the three sisters heard from the attendant that there had been an accident and were very angry and tried to chase Karssein away, Arcien helped them take the test, saying that they were qualified based on the capacity reform system suggested by the guy from the past.

‘Did I also help the student council president back then?’

It felt somewhat strange, but it was a familiar yet understandable result.

▶The main episode is designated. The title of the episode is─◀

“Foot.”

When I saw the episode title, I couldn’t help but sneeze.

okay. It should be different this time.

We can’t repeat the same past.

▶Episode V. We proceed with a past that does not repeat itself.◀

▶The player cannot exercise the power of the Vagrand Dukes due to the influence of the hidden episode.◀

▶The player cannot use the funds and manpower of Duke Vagrand due to the influence of the hidden episode.◀

▶The use of blank checks and notes by the Vagrand Duke family is blocked.◀

▶Due to Arina’s power, you will lose your affiliation with the Bagland Dukedom during the test period.◀

If you just look at the text, it looks like all kinds of penalties are attached.

However, that is absolutely not a penalty.

▶You will participate in the symposium as the lord of Ruthmire.◀

▶Excluding the Shatrene Territory, you cannot select any territory.◀

The episode progressed the way I most hoped.

Anyway, I was planning on taking charge of the Chatrene territory. The system provided a way for him to claim to be the lord of Ruthmire.

As long as we bring this Chatrene territory back to life.

If only we could revive this territory, which everyone avoids, unlike in the past.

From then on, it will become another source of funds for me.

‘But, this is…’

■Compensation

▶Information is provided as a reward for clearing hidden episodes.◀

▶Be careful! There is a threat to Shatren Territory!◀

[Enemy entities: 2768 demonic beasts]

***

‘ha. Really. Did that strange entry mean that you would attend the symposium as the lord of Ruthmire?’

Arsien, who belatedly realized Carcein’s intentions, sighed softly while explaining the symposium.

However, the lament did not last very long.

‘no. In fact, this might have worked out better.’

I didn’t know it at the time, but how many territories could Karssein, who had blatantly left out his castle, choose from?

No, it’s probably impossible to choose.

As the lord of Rusmire, if you choose a territory as a lord other than Karssein Vagrand, the order will be lowest. It is said that they are the last ones sitting on the lowest level.

So what is naturally chosen?

‘Chatrene territory.’

Now that Ruthmire is gone, the No. 1 territory that everyone avoids is by far Shatrene. They would say that it is an environment in which no noble would be able to produce results.

“And then─”

Arsien recalled the distant past as he continued to explain the symposium regulations.

A prophet predicted that great evil would strike the imperial family and the Chatelaine domain.

The imperial family knew that the prophet had never deviated from his predictions, so they had to keep an eye on him.

However, that prophecy did not come true even after several years.

Although the imperial family undertook a rigorous investigation, all that was visible from the territory was the abundance brought about by the cultivation of special products.

It’s dangerous for the people of the territory, so don’t use this land. I can’t even mention it.

To say that the prophet was wrong, both the Great Temple and the Imperial Family remember past history.

Therefore, I delivered the news to the Duke of Bagland, the only noble who knew about this prophecy, but…

There was no coming back.

Days, months, and even years passed, and I could only shake my head at the imperial family.

However, that was before Karssein got his hands on that territory.

Shatlaine was just a prosperous territory and showed no signs of famine. However, a famine began at his hands. He may have instinctively known that something was there.

‘I trust you. If you demonstrate your potential to turn even the barren land of Ruthmeier into a transportation hub…’

Perhaps it would be possible to reveal to the world the secret of Shatrene that even the imperial family and Bagland could not solve.