The Strongest in Our Neighborhood - Chapter 92

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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The Strongest in Our Neighborhood (92)
Jang Gain entered the Royal Palace with the dragon and gave the king a brief report of everything that had transpired.
After hearing the full account, the king stared in astonishment, his gaze shifting between Jang Gain and the dragon.
“Not only did you seal the Gate at Sapphire Castle—you traveled down to the Southern Quardo Coast of Kram and arranged a prisoner exchange between the warring nations of Kram and Bermuda? You accomplished such an extraordinary feat in merely a few days?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“My goodness. I’m so astonished I can hardly find words.”
Jang Gain recounted everything except his battle with the dragon named Virus, explaining how a war between humans could potentially open a Gate to the Demon Realm.
“So the dragon Virus has been creating a Fog Zone and a Reef Zone in the sea to suppress the war.”
“Now that you mention it, the historical records of our kingdom also document how, when wars dragged on, Gates would open and hordes of monsters from the Crerarion Mountain Range would descend upon us.”
“That’s why the dragons are concerned, Your Majesty.”
“I see. Ah yes, Marquis Gain. I hear that in return for sealing the Gate at Sapphire Castle, you’ve become the master of that fortress?”
“Well, circumstances being what they are, the dragon and I have become joint masters of Sapphire Castle.”
“Then will you be receiving a title from the Emperor of Kram?”
The king asked the question and, unaware of his own gesture, swallowed dryly.
“No, Your Majesty. Though the dragon and I are the masters of Sapphire Castle in name, we do not actually govern it. The eldest daughter of the previous territorial governor rules in our stead. They said that lending our names would make it easier to secure support from the neighboring fiefdoms.”
“Ah, so it’s purely nominal. Thank heavens you’re not receiving a title from Kram’s king.”
“I am already a marquis of the Smed Kingdom—I cannot accept a title from another realm’s sovereign.”
“Haha, quite right. In any case, you’ve achieved great merit, Marquis Gain, and together with Noxkasarsis have raised the standing of our realm. I cannot help but hold a banquet to honor this occasion.”
The king’s sudden announcement of a banquet left not only Jang Gain but also Noxkasarsis and Aleingde Mir utterly bewildered.
“A banquet? So suddenly?”
“In truth, I had planned one before, but postponed it when you said you’d leave abruptly to seal the Gate at Sapphire Castle. So a banquet must be held tonight.”
“It seemed the palace’s damaged sections have not yet been repaired. Is there a suitable venue for a banquet?”
“Don’t worry about the venue. Come this evening. I’m planning to keep it modest and intimate.”
“Modest, Your Majesty. Understood.”
* * *
Angelina Pollo’s face registered confusion when the Head Maidservant informed her that she was to attend the banquet at the Royal Palace that evening.
“I am to attend as well?”
“Yes. His Majesty has commanded the attendance of all princesses.”
“Am I counted among all the princesses? I understood that my rank as a princess was stripped after my mother was exiled to the Separate Residence.”
“Your rank remains intact. Only the stipend allocated for maintaining the dignity of a princess has been reduced.”
“And because of that reduction, I live worse than a maidservant in this palace.”
“That is because you were discovered multiple times diverting the dignity stipend from its intended purpose and sending it to your mother at the Separate Residence, is it not?”
“If you meant to prevent that, you shouldn’t have exiled her to some remote island with just one elderly gardener and two servant girls, along with barely enough money to live on. Mother must rely on what the servants earn working outside. As her daughter, how could I simply ignore that?”
“Your mother is serving punishment at the Separate Residence. By principle, she must not receive outside assistance.”
“Punishment? How could my mother have attempted to poison the princes? The food they ate as a snack made them ill—that’s all it was.”
“Those servants who prepared the food were employed by your mother.”
“And the servants of the queen consort were the ones who supplied the ingredients to them.”
“Princess Angelina. This argument with me serves no purpose. If you wish to protest, you must take it to His Majesty or the queen consort.”
“Even if I wanted to, they won’t see me. Besides, father listens to nothing but his new concubine these days, or so I hear.”
“Your Highness. I am but a powerless Head Maidservant. There is no point in directing such words at me.”
……
“In any case, I have delivered His Majesty’s command that you attend tonight’s banquet. I shall take my leave now.”
“If I’m to attend a banquet, I need suitable clothing, don’t I?”
“Clothing? Surely there is—wait. You didn’t sell all your formal wear, did you?”
“I thought there would be no parties to attend anyway.”
“Sigh! The ball gown is gone because you sold it, so you’ll have to figure it out yourself. I’m leaving now.”
The Head Maidservant, knowing the king’s reason for insisting on her attendance, said no more. She simply shook her head and departed.
Princess Angelina gritted her teeth.
“Without a ball gown, I don’t have to go to the party, right? I won’t go?”
“If you do not attend, you would be defying His Majesty’s command.”
Once the Head Maidservant was out of sight, Angelina turned to her personal maidservant.
“Julia.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Go through the palace and find out whose honor tonight’s banquet is meant to celebrate.”
“Understood.”
After the maidservant left, Angelina opened the door to the Dressing Room.
Three years ago, this room had been brimming with gorgeous garments of every kind. Now, nearly everything had been sold, leaving only a handful of plain everyday clothes.
“I really have nothing presentable to wear. What should I do? But I can’t refuse Father’s command.”
If she failed to attend, she might find herself confined to the Separate Residence alongside her mother.
She pondered the dilemma for some time, but no solution came to mind.
As time passed and she did nothing but sigh heavily, the maidservant who had gone to inquire about the banquet returned.
The maidservant spoke of Jang Gain and the dragon, explaining why the king was holding a banquet in honor of the Marquis.
Angelina Pollo’s eyes sparkled as she listened to everything the maidservant said.
“So Father is holding this banquet and summoning all the princesses to attend because he wants to take Jang Gain as a son-in-law?”
“Yes. Jang Gain is a Sword Master who defeated Grand Duke Morona Valencia, survived a battle with a dragon, and now counts that dragon as a friend—a man of formidable capability.”
“I’d heard the palace was destroyed when a dragon appeared, but it was Jang Gain who fought it then? If I could catch his eye, how do you think Father would treat me?”
“Pardon? Ah, while Your Highness is certainly beautiful, the other princesses are no less stunning—how could you be sure of catching his attention?”
“I said ‘if,’ didn’t I? If. Do you not understand the word ‘if’?”
“Ah, of course. If Your Highness were to succeed with Jang Gain and became his wife, His Majesty would not dare neglect you as he does now.”
“Then could I also have Mother brought out of the Separate Residence? With Jang Gain’s influence, Father couldn’t easily refuse, I’d think.”
“I inquired among the palace maidservants, and they say Jang Gain is a man whom even the Kram Empire seeks to win over with territory and titles. Surely with such power, he could secure the release of the deposed Orphiena as well.”
“Yes, a man with that much influence, you mean.”
……
“I must catch Jang Gain’s eye no matter what… but how can I do it?”
“That, I’m not entirely sure of. And honestly, with the clothes you have here, it will be difficult to attract his attention.”
“Sigh—if only I’d kept a formal gown or two from before.”
The maidservant fell silent in thought, then spoke.
“Your Highness, isn’t it most important first to capture Jang Gain’s attention?”
“Of course. That’s how I can move forward.”
“Men’s eyes are drawn to women who are scantily clad.”
At the maidservant’s sudden remark, Angelina Pollo’s expression turned bewildered.
“What? What are you saying? Men’s eyes are drawn to scantily clad women?”
“When a woman is revealing herself, men’s eyes naturally follow. And if that woman is beautiful, their interest naturally rises.”
“Are you—surely you’re not suggesting I seduce Jang Gain with my body like some common strumpet?”
“Your Highness, please don’t be angry and hear me out. Your face is frankly less beautiful than the other princesses’.”
“My face is every bit as lovely as my sisters and younger siblings!”
“It is not inferior—but it is not superior either, is it?”
……
“However, your figure surpasses that of every other princess. I can say that with certainty.”
At the maidservant’s words, Angelina’s face flushed.
“My figure is indeed superior, but I cannot expose myself so vulgarly before Father, surely?”
“How is revealing one’s figure vulgar? Besides, I have heard that Jang Gain lives in a Druid Tribe village in the Crerarion Mountain Range. A man who has spent his days among Druid women, blessed by Spirits with unreasonable beauty, will be difficult to win through face alone.”
“What! Druids! Druid men are as beautiful as the women!”
“Indeed. So you must boldly make your move with something different.”
“I see. Then I shall need to be somewhat immodest in what I wear.”
Angelina nodded with a slightly bewildered expression, then looked toward the Dressing Room and sighed.
“But I don’t even have the clothes for that. Everything here is everyday wear.”
“For this purpose, modest clothing is hardly necessary. I shall immediately fashion something so striking that Jang Gain’s gaze cannot help but be drawn to you.”
Moments later, as the maidservant selected one of the everyday garments and began cutting with scissors, Angelina’s face flushed crimson.
“J-Julia, if you cut away that much, my undergarments will show… isn’t this too much?”
“Your Highness, this is the extent necessary to capture Jang Gain’s attention.”
“In such an outfit, I wouldn’t even make it through the banquet hall doors, would I?”
“You need only wear a cloak when entering the banquet hall. Keep yourself covered with the cloak, and when the moment comes to catch Jang Gain’s eye, then cast it off dramatically.”
“Father would surely let loose a string of curses.”
“Pay His Majesty no mind. Focus only on Jang Gain. He is a man who lives surrounded by Druid women.”
“Is this really the right thing to do?”
* * *
Jang Gain learned of the king’s true reason for the banquet only later, but having already agreed to attend, he could not avoid going to the banquet hall.
Upon arriving, he saw Noxkasarsis sitting across from the king, drinking wine.
At one side of the banquet hall, court musicians played, while servants carried food to the long tables and attended to the needs of the king, queen, and concubines.
Jang Gain surveyed the knights and soldiers standing guard, then walked toward the center of the hall.
“Marquis Jang Gain, I trust you closed the Gate at Sapphire Castle securely before departing?”
As he approached the king, Morona Valencia emerged from among the soldiers keeping watch.
“Ah, yes. Grand Duke Valencia. Thanks to your concern, I made the journey safely.”
“I too have come to terms with my wife thanks to your concern, Marquis Jang Gain.”
“Terms? Ah, that’s right—you mentioned I should ask your wife’s permission before you went to my territory.”
“It was not permission, but rather to ask whether she wished to go with me.”
“And did you ask?”
“My wife said she had no wish to go to such a remote place, so it was decided that I would go alone with you.”
“Ah, so persuasion didn’t work.”
“He was far too stubborn to persuade. And to be honest, I’d anticipated this outcome all along.”
“Yet your expression seems neither satisfied nor entirely at ease.”
“Ah! Ha, well—truthfully, it’s both relieving and regrettable. Looking back on it all, I find myself wondering how I lived all these years to warrant such disdain from her. It’s left me rather unsettled, in various ways.”
“If you’re unsettled, there’s no obligation for you to follow me.”
“No, that’s not it. A knight must know how to serve a true lord—a genuinely worthy one. You, Duke Gain, are the true master I ought to serve.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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