Ch.222222. Pandemonium (2)

The Tristan Dukedom’s banquet lived up to its reputation with exceptional quality.

Though it was a modest reception room, the food served was truly first-class.

The tagliatelle, slightly salty from the added salt.

The long, flat noodles paired wonderfully with the meat sauce. Peeled, mashed spicy sausage sautéed in olive oil, alongside roasted cherry tomatoes. The colors were vibrant and the flavors excellent.

A dish with truly remarkable flavor harmony—

“Are you trying to escape like that?”

“…”

Such words flew at me as I buried my face in my plate, as if analyzing the molecular structure of the food.

The sentence came from the ponytailed woman sitting beside me, resting her chin on her hand with upturned lips.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Beatrix from the Kilgore Marquis family.”

“…Darwood of the Campbell Barony.”

I replied with a slight nod.

Elnore’s close friend, the student council secretary.

Beatrix Elfin Kilgore.

I heard she was visiting because of the “Harvest Festival” to be held tomorrow at the Tristan Dukedom.

I’d heard it was something like a major holiday in the Tristan Dukedom. Apparently, it’s an event they hold around this time every year.

Since it’s an important period for the Tristan Dukedom, considered a pillar of the nation, most notable nobles make appearances.

‘…There are even rumors that the Emperor himself will attend this time.’

As I recalled this information, Beatrix continued with her still-smiling face.

“This is our first time meeting in person, right? I’ve heard a lot about you.”

Beatrix said with a bright smile.

“…If not for this situation, we could have had a proper conversation.”

“…”

I followed her gaze as she whispered those words while glancing aside.

However, the liquid nitrogen-level coldness pouring from that direction showed no signs of dissipating.

Across the spacious table sat the two people I least wanted to meet each other in the current situation.

Elnore. Elia.

They were the cause of the icy atmosphere that had been persisting.

“Shouldn’t you stop them? It’s clearly your fault.”

Beatrix whispered as she loosened her tense facial muscles.

I agree with that point, but.

The problem is…

“…I feel like if I say one wrong word, things will get even worse.”

“That seems likely.”

“…”

Honestly, observing the situation is the priority right now.

In any case, it’s certainly not the right time to intervene yet.

“…”

No.

Why are these two like this?

I thought their relationship had improved a bit recently since they hadn’t openly clashed in a while, but the atmosphere flowing between them now is unbearably cold.

[Aren’t you thinking too naively?]

‘…What?’

[With you in the middle, they’ve been cooperating without complaint despite various issues, but I don’t think those two have ever gotten along, have they?]

‘…’

[They might cooperate when they have a common goal, but when it comes to competing for ‘dominance’ over you, neither will back down, right?]

‘…’

That seems right.

They’ve just avoided fighting because of various issues, but Elia and Elnore have had a long tradition of bad blood since the original game. They won’t easily get along.

[Moreover.]

Calivan said with a bloody smile.

[If she thinks the public lady ‘stole’ the person she likes. Even more so.]

With those words, Elnore, who had been silent until now, opened her mouth.

“So.”

Elnore, who was dominating this atmosphere without even glancing at the glossy steak in front of her, spoke in a stiff voice.

“What brings you here?”

The atmosphere was harsher than I could ever imagine when we were alone together.

At those words, Elia, who had also been staring at me expressionlessly without touching her food, raised her head.

After briefly meeting Elnore’s eyes, Elia smiled silently.

“Just sightseeing, since it’s the Harvest Festival period?”

“…Let’s skip the excuses even a fool wouldn’t believe. It’s draining.”

Elnore retorted with a cold demeanor.

“There’s no precedent for someone from the Kendrid Count family peacefully showing their face during the Harvest Festival. Do you think that makes sense?”

“Oh my. I’m a hero now, Student Council President.”

“…What?”

“It means I don’t care about such ‘trivial’ political reasons anymore. I’ll be wherever I want to be.”

“…”

Elnore’s eyebrows narrowed toward the center of her forehead at Elia’s confident response.

While she was talking about trivial political reasons, her true intention was to show Elnore that with her newly acquired hero title, she had enough standing to overcome even the backing of the “Tristan Dukedom.”

It was essentially a declaration that she too would ‘no longer back down.’

“…In our bet.”

Elnore said in a frosty voice.

“Everyone agreed that the winner would keep Darwood.”

“I never agreed to that bet in the first place.”

“…”

“Right? I didn’t even know such a thing existed.”

That’s… true.

From what I heard from Calivan, they only told all the Demonic Vessels except Elia. For Elia, it was truly something she didn’t know about.

“So.”

However.

The words that followed clearly went beyond that scope.

“Please stop acting like you own the teacher. It’s starting to annoy me.”

Sparks flew from Elnore’s eyes.

“Are you looking for a fight?”

Despite the menacing tone in her voice.

Immediately, Elia smiled coldly and replied.

“I wonder. I am curious.”

“What?”

“Unlike before, I’ve improved quite a bit now. Enough to match your level.”

“…You.”

“Aren’t you curious too, Lady, about how well we’d match up against each other?”

“…”

“I’ll make a bet too.”

Elia’s eyes gleamed ferociously.

“If I win, I’ll take the teacher away from you completely. How about it?”

Everything that happened next occurred in an instant.

Elnore stood up abruptly, grabbing her sword, and in response, Elia immediately grasped the hilt of her holy sword. Beatrix also jumped up to stop Elnore, and as the surrounding servants rose in alarm—

A madman intervened between them.

That is, me.

[Crisis situation detected.]

[Judged to be a direct threat to life.]

[Applying skill: Desperate Situation at EX rank.]

As that window appeared.

I raised my hands high and stood on the table.

Desperate Situation or not, getting hit by these two simultaneously would be fatal.

But I did this with the confidence that these two would never harm me.

Indeed, as soon as they saw me, both Elnore and Elia froze in bewilderment.

“…Don’t fight.”

I said, looking back and forth between them while dripping cold sweat.

“Really, please. Don’t fight.”

“…Darwood, step aside.”

“Yes, teacher. Don’t interfere right now—”

But despite this, these women showed no signs of stopping.

They were clearly determined to settle things between them somehow.

“No.”

So.

I squeezed my eyes shut and added one more line.

“I dislike violent women.”

“…”

“…”

Both Elnore and Elia’s faces went blank simultaneously.

They looked like they couldn’t believe what I was saying, but I brazenly added one more line.

“If you fight, I’ll dislike both of you.”

“…”

“…”

Hearing those words.

Elnore and Elia, while still glaring fiercely at each other, released their sword hilts.

And as soon as the two sat down obediently, Beatrix, who had been watching this whole scene, looked dumbfounded.

(…That actually calmed them down?)

I heard Beatrix mutter in disbelief.

It was a magical voice transmission. She probably set it so only I could hear it, not Elnore or Elia.

Beatrix was in the magical studies department, right? She’s using what must be a difficult technique with ease.

(How much do they both like you…?)

“…”

(Maybe you’re an even crazier playboy than the rumors suggest…?)

“…”

No bad words, please.

●

Still.

Thanks to what I just said, the situation seems to have calmed down somewhat.

Though Elnore and Elia occasionally glare at each other, at least they don’t seem about to come to blows like before.

[That’s a relief, at least.]

‘What is?’

[If she knew who took your first time, even that noble lady would have gone berserk.]

‘…You knew about that?’

[Just from your reactions, it was pretty obvious. Elia knows you lost your virginity, but I who’m always by your side never saw it happen. That means you were squeezed without my knowledge. There’s only one person capable of that—the one inside the noble lady, right?]

‘…’

[Your reaction confirms it. Anyway, isn’t it fortunate that things didn’t escalate further because of that?]

Should I call that fortunate?

It is fortunate, but it means there’s still a time bomb I’ll have to desperately avoid in the near future.

[Still better than having it explode right now, right?]

‘…That’s true.’

Thinking that, I looked around the silence-filled reception room.

So.

It’s good that I prevented a major fight from breaking out, but.

“…”

The atmosphere is suffocating.

The ice-thin tension flowing between Elnore and Elia makes my skin tingle.

For now, they’re just sipping the tea served as dessert without making eye contact, but as someone present, I can clearly feel them intensely watching each other with me in the middle.

Having become accustomed to reading such atmospheres recently, I found it suffocatingly difficult to breathe.

[Well. Anyone can see they’ve only stopped fighting in front of you, right?]

“…”

[They probably still want to settle things somehow if you weren’t around?]

I agree.

And that’s why I feel like I’m dying.

With Elnore having consumed two fragments and Elia wielding the holy sword, they’re reaching a point where they’re evenly matched in power. If a serious fight breaks out, it wouldn’t be strange if one of them gets seriously injured.

Though both still have major power-up events ahead, their growth levels are already quite high, which means collateral damage would be no joke.

‘…Since I can’t let them fight.’

I have no choice. It’s time to do something.

First, I need to somehow create an opportunity for them to talk to each other…!

“Ah, excuse me.”

I gestured to a servant waiting quietly in the corner of the room, who approached with neat steps, bowed, and asked if there was anything I needed.

To this, I smiled awkwardly and said:

“I’m sorry, but do you have anything simple we could enjoy? Cards, or a board game perhaps.”

It wasn’t a request that suited this dazzlingly splendid place, but the servant didn’t seem surprised at all and impressed me by nodding.

“Would something from the servants’ lounge be acceptable? There are some… recreational items as well.”

My smile grew wider at the servant’s hesitant words.

In the Tristan Dukedom, “recreational” probably just means gambling cards or something similar.

“Ah, yes. That would be fine. Thank you.”

As the servant bowed and walked away with neat steps, Beatrix looked at me with an incredulous expression.

“Cards or board games? Here, now?”

“Well, it’s not like we have anything else to do right now, right?”

Whatever the case, it’s a much better option than being crammed in this small reception room with a suffocating atmosphere.

In that sense.

“…Let’s all play together.”

I suggested to the two creating this atmosphere.

Please.

Save me.

“…I’ll pass.”

“…Me too.”

Elia and Elnore said while glaring at each other.

It was clear they had no intention of getting along, but.

“Come on, don’t be like that.”

I desperately tried to persuade them.

Squeezing out every bit of my conversational skills, I delivered some of the most honeyed phrases of my life to get Elnore and Elia to sit at the same table.

‘…It’s working…!’

Finally, though reluctantly, they pulled up chairs and sat facing each other, making me cheer internally.

“He actually convinced them.”

Beatrix, who had been watching this whole scene, said with a smirk.

(I’d heard about his reputation indirectly from Elnore, but being a playboy isn’t something just anyone can do. His tightrope-walking ability is incredible?)

Then, her voice echoed in my ear rather than being spoken aloud.

She must be using voice transmission again.

“…”

I glared at Beatrix while sighing internally.

Why would you say something like that?

(No, I’m just amazed.)

Beatrix continued, still chuckling.

(You might be the only person in the world who can control both the Tristan noble lady and the hero with just a word. You should be proud of that, I think?)

“…”

Is that a compliment or an insult?

While I was muttering that to myself, the four of us sat facing each other at the table.

Soon after, the board game brought by the servant was placed in the center.

And.

As soon as I read the text on the board game cover, I instinctively felt something had gone terribly wrong.

『 ♥ Great Chaos Love-Love Life Game ♥ 』

『 Who will end up with whom and how? Steal your opponent’s spouse and make them completely yours! 』

『 The winning couple will instantly receive magically generated matching rings! 』

“…”

“…”

“…”

“…”

Probably.

Everyone at this table is wondering how, out of all the board games available, this one was picked.

I also looked at the servant with cold sweat dripping, as if asking what on earth this was.

“…I did mention it might be recreational, if I recall…”

At the apologetic, awkward voice, I asked in a trembling voice:

“…Is this all you have?”

“…This is all we had.”

“…”

With those words.

A devastating silence fell over the table.

●