Chapter 25: Commotion During Harvest Festival part 1
Just as he was anxious to approach Fay, with a fanfare, the Emperor, Crown Prince, Queen Rania, and Prince Astein made their entrance.
‘D**n it.’
As a mere knight from the capital, he couldn’t make a move. In the frontier, he wielded both power and authority aplenty, but here, few of his knights were present. Whatever the reason, it wouldn’t do to seem as though he was creating friction with the imperial family.
Swallowing an inexplicable surge of anxiety, he hurried back to his position, barely glancing at his family, who arrived almost simultaneously with the Emperor’s entourage.
“We will now commence the mock battle of this year’s Harvest Festival! As stated in the previous announcement, the battle will proceed in a tournament format, with each round pairing two noble houses against each other, where the side that loses its flag is defeated. All those not participating should step back and observe from the rear.”
First up were Count Esault’s house and Viscount Duran’s house.
Both families were far from being combat-oriented, and the outcome was unexpectedly swift. Next, the Klein Ducal family faced off with the House of Count Quessa, with Duke Klein’s victory almost inevitable.
“How wonderful!”
Dorothea, standing beside the Duchess, sparkled with excitement, much to Kassel’s discomfort.
Why do I feel so uneasy?
“…”
“Next…”
“Is this flag the one we’ll be using on our side?”
“It is.”
“The knot’s weak! And the wood used for the flagpole looks faulty!”
‘What’s going on?’
The noise continued below, drawing Kassel’s attention. Upon looking, he saw that a knight from the House of Orleans, who was last in line, was berating an imperial servant.
“This flag is unacceptable; bring another immediately.”
“We checked it this morning.”
“And was it guarded every moment up until it was brought here?”
“That is…”
“See! How can you guarantee our flag isn’t damaged in any way?”
While the mock battle does offer minor awards from the imperial family, the actual outcome isn’t that important. Kassel couldn’t fathom why the House of Orleans was so obsessed with winning.
After all, wasn’t Raphael indifferent about his knights winning or losing, given his usual preoccupation with his training? Duke Orleans himself was far from concerned with martial prowess.
Shortly after, just as the mock battle between the House of Orleans and the House of Marquis Hyante was about to begin, trouble erupted at the front, with knights from both sides quarreling over the flag, which didn’t meet their standards. It was a brazen disregard for the presence of the Emperor, the Crown Prince, the Queen, and Prince Astein.
‘I’d better step in.’
Kassel quickly rushed over to prevent the commotion for Crown Prince Sillas’s sake. Even as he moved, he caught sight of Fay, who was positioned some distance from the Crow Knights. She was quietly standing with her hands folded but suddenly bowed her head deeply.
At that moment—
Boom!!
A loud noise erupted from beneath a box where flags and other weaponry had been stored. A small spark flared up with a brief sizzle, producing a plume of thin but acrid smoke that began to billow upwards.
“Your Majesty!”
“What’s happening?”
“Ahh!”
Though the explosion was minor, this was the Harvest Festival—a gathering of noble families, knights, and the imperial family. Chaos was inevitable.
However, the Emperor remained unfazed. Prioritizing his family, he swiftly had Queen Rania and Prince Astein escorted to safety. He then directed that the noble ladies and other guests be moved to separate wings and ordered an investigation of the box where the explosion had occurred.
The results came back swiftly. Although the evidence was not conclusive, there were clear traces of an explosion at the bottom of the box. The weapons inside had been meticulously oiled to prevent rust, so had the fire fully ignited, the items inside could have scattered, injuring those nearby.
With calm authority, the Emperor declared, “The mock battle is hereby suspended, and I shall bestow rewards upon each house. We will collect the box and nearby soil for further examination.”
“Your Majesty! Please allow our house to participate in the investigation.”
“Our house will also cooperate!”
‘…Strange.’
No sooner had the Emperor finished speaking than the heads of the House of Orleans and the House of Marquis Hyante, who had nearly been caught in the explosion, caused a commotion.
Yet there was something off about their reaction. Rather than showing fear or concern over the incident, they focused solely on glaring at each other, wearing expressions full of hostility.
Could they really suspect each other as culprits?
The Harvest Festival, the Empire’s grandest celebration, continued for several more days. Yet the mood remained uneasy, no doubt influenced by the incident during the mock battle. Even after the festival ended, the tense atmosphere lingered, especially between the House of Orleans and the House of Marquis Hyante.
“…”
Back in his residence for the first time in a while, Kassel found himself deep in thought.
Was it just my imagination?
Just before the explosion, Fay bowed her head unusually low—a suspicious gesture that lingered in his mind.
‘No, I’ve already ruled her out as the culprit.’
The investigation confirmed this. Mage Fay, from the Tower, had indeed been brought in by the Crow Knights to create ice to keep the Harvest Festival’s fruit and drinks cool. She was known for producing particularly pure and refreshing ice.
While she could use a small amount of fire magic, her abilities were limited to a mere first-circle Fire Arrow. There was no evidence of her using fire magic, nor would such low-level magic cause an explosion like the one that occurred.
