Volume 6 Chapter 5: Wallace's Awakening

As someone who was beyond 100th in line to the throne, Wallace was a man whose net worth was ambiguous despite being a member of the royal family.

Overall, his abilities were subpar, and they were evaluated to be in the 40s range, which was neither a failing grade nor an excellent one.

"Huu—So Liam, you want me to host parties every single day? Let me make this clear. It's impossible."

When he declared so, he was hit by Liam.

"What was that for!? It hurt!"

"Listen well, Wallace. I'm super busy right now. To seize this opportunity, I even summoned for Eulisia, who has been doing nothing but play around these days."

"Opportunity? Aren't you mistaking it with the word 'disaster'?"

"No, this is an opportunity. I have Lady Luck by my side."

What is he talking about?

Although Wallace was full of doubt, he dared not go against the orders of Liam, his patron.

"Liam, you should just host them yourself."

"There's a lot going on. Just listen to me and prepare for the parties. It would be boring if they're all the same, so think of something interesting."

Liam's unreasonable requests were giving Wallace a headache.

"You want me to think of interesting ideas for parties that will be held every day? Let's just get them over with without causing a scene."

"—Wallace, I have standards when it comes to parties. Cutting corners is unacceptable. I'll provide you with men and money, so make it happen."

This dude's the worst, Wallace thought; however, he chose not to voice this out loud.

It was true that Liam was busy.

To an extent, Wallace was impressed by how energetic Liam was for wanting to party despite how busy he was.

"Well, I'll try my best for you. Don't expect too much though. Also, why aren't you doing this yourself?"

"If I'm in charge of everything, it wouldn't be as fun to participate in them."

Essentially, Liam was saying that there wouldn't be any surprises stored for him if he was the one who planned them in the first place.

He would also have to worry about whether the people around him were having a good time.

What a selfish way of thinking, Wallace thought.

(I would've preferred being more laid-back, but I guess there's no helping it—it's not a wise decision to anger your patron. I'll put in just the right amount of effort so that I can give excuses later on.)

◇

Discussions regarding Liam's movements were dominating the conference hall of the Calvin Faction.

"He won't be part of the expeditionary force!?"

"Is he running away?"

"No, he has dispatched talented knights that are said to be his confidants. Apparently, His Highness Cleo is being guarded by his elites as well. From what I recall—he has also sent someone named Klaus, a knight who has accompanied him during the majority of his stay at the Capital."

"He should be Liam's close aide, right?"

"Since he has dispatched a close aide of his, I don't think he's trying to leave the Cleo Faction. But—"

Cleo had been declared the commanding general, but everyone believed that Liam would be the one who would actually be giving out orders.

However, earlier on, there had been an announcement saying that Liam would be staying in the Capital.

Calvin smirked.

"—We've won."

"Your Highness?"

"Rumors about Liam withdrawing in fear will spread. No, I'll make sure that it spreads. Even if the expeditionary force wins in the war, Liam's reputation will plummet to the ground."

The Calvinist aristocrats agreed with him in this regards, but they were disturbed about another matter.

"Your Highness the Crown Prince, did Liam mindlessly decide to remain in the Capital? Ever since he announced the lineup for the war, he has been constantly partying day in and day out without a care in the world."

Calvin was also worried about this, but he failed to see how Liam could possibly turn the tables on him.

Liam had gone astray by his own will.

"I'm also bothered by that, but it doesn't change the fact that he has made the wrong decision. No matter what he does from now on, his reputation will take a nosedive. After all, people would think that he has fled without putting up a fight. Unfortunately for him, he has missed the opportunity to make his move."

Staying in the Capital while his subordinates are fighting in the war.

How would others interpret this?

—They would see it as Liam having fled from the battlefield.

The amount of effort Liam had put in no longer mattered.

Even if his presence wasn't necessary on the battlefield, people would think that he had fled.

Although Calvin had avoided responsibility in a similar way, that was before the identity of the commanding general was announced.

He could conjure up as many excuses as he needed, and his faction was there to back him up by focusing people's target on Liam.

"—We've honestly put in too much effort into this. What a disappointing ending."

"Not everything's over yet, so don't let your guards down. Liam-kun's career may be over, but the fact that he's alive is a problem."

Regardless of his reputation, Liam was problematic just by being alive.

Recently, Liam had been sent to a region riddled with corruption for his internship, and he was actively carrying out reforms and wiping out corrupt officials during his stay there.

Not only was Liam a capable man, a noble spirit dwelled within him—As such, Calvin was certain that Liam would continue to hinder them in the future.

"—We'll strike at him with the pieces that we have prepared."

Calvin was almost convinced of his victory.

However, as Liam was someone that defeated Linus, Calvin wished to crush him while he could.

Blinded by victory, Calvin was becoming negligent.

◇

-The Party Venue-

The aristocrats attending the party are clearly impressed.

Artworks, mostly stone statues, are on display, and the party is in the form of a standing buffet.

This party doubles as a chance for up-and-coming artists to display their new works.

"My, how wonderful."

"I would love to have this."

"I've booked the one over there. It's been a while since I've attended parties like this. It's quite enjoyable. The one I attended previously was too bizarre for me to enjoy."

The venue is buzzing with excitement.

Aristocrats and their family members have been invited to this party.

From the outside, it doesn't look like I was the one who organized it, but everyone knows that I was involved.

As it's a chance for me to show off my financial might, I've also called out to some prospective aristocrats.

That said, most of the people here are either aristocrats belonging to the Cleo Faction or their close relatives.

While I'm chatting with Rosetta and the aristocrats around me, I see the figure of Kurt in his military uniform, attending the party in Baron Exner's stead.

Kurt waves his hand at me.

Taking note of this, the aristocrats around us excuse themselves.

"Liam!"

Next to him, there is also the figure of Her Highness Cecilia, Cleo's sister who got engaged to Kurt.

Rosetta begins a conversation with Her Highness Cecilia just as Kurt approaches us.

On the other hand, Kurt and I enter a small-talk.

"We've finally met again. How's the situation in the military?"

Kurt has grown a little taller.

His has become more fit as well.

"To be honest, it's tough. Even so, I guess it's not too bad? This rugged life suits me better than being an official on the Capital planet."

"You've been assigned to the defense unit of the Capital, yes?"

"I'll be transferred to the logistics soon. After that is the patrol fleet, I believe?"

"If you're thinking of joining an official fleet, do you want me to introduce you to one? Cedric's been promoted to the position of a lieutenant general. His fleet is rather flexible with things."

With my backing, I had Cedric promoted.

I made him work tirelessly to have the others recognize him, so his achievements were more than enough.

He looked a little tired, but whatever.

"I see that Liam hasn't changed. Then can I take you up on that offer?"

"Leave it all to me."

Looking at Kurt grinning happily, one could easily tell that he's a second generational evil lord.

He's truly the son of Baron Exner.

Ciel, who's standing besides Rosetta, is the complete antithesis of Kurt.

She's staring at her brother with disgusted eyes.

To tease her, I mention her in my conversation with Kurt.

"Kurt, it seems like Ciel wants to speak to you."

"Oh, is that so? Ciel, you appear to be doing well."

Upon seeing Kurt's smile, Ciel makes a disappointed expression.

Even so, she soon fakes a smile and returns a polite greeting.

"Yes. The Count and Lady Rosetta have been treating me well."

"That's good to hear. Huh? Did Liam buy that dress for you?"

Kurt takes notice of Ciel's new dress.

I'll brag about it in front of Kurt to make Ciel even more uncomfortable.

I know for a fact that Ciel doesn't like these kinds of things.

"Yup, I gathered a bunch of renowned designers from the Capital and had them design this. I've ordered—around 60 dresses, I believe?"

As long as the party train continues, she would have to wear a new dress every day.

A dress that has been worn once will never be worn again.

It's good to be wasteful; this behavior reeks of evilness.

"Liam's amazing."

Rosetta, who has been having a separate discussion with Her Highness Cecilia, butts into our conversation midway through.

"Darling is so extravagant. Personally, I'd prefer keeping one of the dresses that I've taken a liking to."

—Because she grew up in a poor family, Rosetta has a bad habit of preserving things.

Cherishing things?

Is she not aware that she's the fiancée of an evil lord?

"I can order as many dresses as you desire."

"Darling, why not keep some of them?"

In the midst of such an argument, some of the aristocrats' children walk over to where we are.

Among the invited are the relatives of aristocrats that belong to our faction.

It's to tell our enemies, 'We're here!'

It also serves as a mean to appease the aristocrats that have joined the expeditionary force.

I'm appealing to them that we're taking good care of their families.

"Lady Rosetta, your dress today is as dazzling as ever."

The girls get excited over what kinds of dresses are being worn in social gatherings.

Of course, there are a few that aren't as interested in this topic.

"Ara, thank you."

"May I ask where you bought the dress?"

"It was custom-made."

"I-is that so?"

The girl who asked about where the dress was bought gets stared at by the others around her.

"Isn't it obvious that the dress was custom-made?"

"Did you come from the countryside?"

"—Those dresses that are displayed on shelves aren't fashionable at all. Having a popular dressmaker design one should be a given."

—Girls are scary, even when they're young.

Rosetta kindly calls out to the girl who has become disheartened.

"Don't take their words too badly."

Realizing that the girl's about to cry, someone associated with the children's families rushes over hurriedly.

He's panicking quite a bit.

"A-apologies, Liam-dono.—Girls, return to where your families are."

"""Okay~"""

Even after the children have left, the associate remains behind and apologizes repeatedly.

Well, I'm from a remote place, and Rosetta was too poor to afford dresses in the past.

The associate might be thinking that the children's innocent words have offended us.

"It's fine."

Then again, the people gathered here all belong to the Cleo Faction.

I should handle this situation with utmost care.

I speak to the girl who has begun crying.

"There's no need for tears. If you'd like, I can order a tailor-made dress for you. Are you willing to wear that and join us in future parties?"

The girl agrees in delight.

Great! Now she won't say that she won't attend parties because she was emotionally hurt.

The girl's family members express their gratitude and take her away.

Watching this scene unfold, Kurt smiles and talks to Her Highness Cecilia.

"Liam has always been kind to others."

"That seems to be the case."

This guy—he's doing an excellent job depicting me as a good person in front of Her Highness.

As I thought, he's really fit to be an evil lord.

I smile towards Ciel who has been glaring at me suspiciously, prompting her to turn her head away.

What an interesting girl she is.

I'll continue teasing her in the future.

Suddenly, Rosetta thanks me.

"Thank you, Darling."

"I haven't done anything worthy of gratitude."

Why is she thanking me?

I haven't done anything to you, you know?

Nevertheless, we've been partying nonstop—and I've come to the conclusion that Wallace has an unexpected talent in organizing events.

I've been attending every single party, but I haven't grown tired of them yet.

◇

Outside the party venue, Kukuri and his subordinates were eliminating a group of armed men that attempted to intrude upon the party.

The armed men collapsed in an alley, and their bodies slowly sank into the ground, disappearing forever.

Kukuri chuckled.

"—You guys finally showed up."

Someone had thrown a shuriken at Kukuri.

When he deflected it, the shuriken rose up into flames and disappeared.

Kukuri's men began showing up one after another, each covered in black and wearing a mask.

In response, black flames appeared and took the shapes of Ninjas.

The ninjas that materialized from the flames readied their weapons.

"—Kill."

With a brief mutter from one of them, they charged in.

A battle commenced in the narrow alley.

Two of the ninjas ambushed Kukuri, but they were easily mowed down.

They turned back into flames and were about to vanish.

However, Kukuri calmly grabbed the cores that were present within the flames and crushed them.

The other ninjas that saw this backed away, visibly shocked.

They were alarmed and wary of Kukuri, who had seen through their secrets.

"How nostalgic. Your group has given us a lot of trouble in the past. Still, you shouldn't be so startled by something of this level. Things like these never startled your ancestors."

"—Who are you?"

"Nice to meet you—and long time no see. We were once known as the Shadow Clan that served the Empire in the shadows. Oh, but that's just what the others decided to call us."

Upon hearing this, the ninjas decided to retreat, cognitive of the fact that they were at a disadvantage.

Kukuri shot out spikes from his shadow, penetrating the ninjas' cores and not letting them escape.

Afterwards, his subordinates sank back into the shadows.

Only Kukuri remained behind to address the person that was watching them from the dark.

"Two thousand years. We have waited for this moment for two thousand years. We are here to have our revenge. Tell that to your master.—If you wish to blame someone, blame your ancestors for what they did."

Having said his piece, Kukuri also melted into the shadows.

◇

"Wallace!"

"Liam,—I—I'm scared of my own talent!"

Wearing his party suit in a sloppy manner, Liam came to commend Wallace for a job well-done.

Having just returned from the party, Rosetta looked a little tired, so Ciel was preparing a drink for her.

As she was doing so, she glanced sideways and watched the interactions between Liam and Wallace.

"I thought you were just a leech that wastes food, but you've outdone yourself this time! The parties have been really exciting!"

"That kind of hurt. Anyway, thanks. I didn't know that I was talented in these areas either."

Liam brought out Wallace's favorite liquor and started a drinking session with him.

Wallace had been planning out parties every day, and they were surprisingly being well received.

It was an unexpected discovery.

(Normally, it would be considered a useless talent.)

They were spending an exorbitant amount of money for the parties that were happening on a daily basis.

That said, Liam was having a blast.

Meanwhile, Rosetta was feeling drained as she constantly worried over how the others were doing during the parties.

"Lady Rosetta, how about taking a day off tomorrow?"

When Ciel asked worriedly, Rosetta shook her head.

"Ciel, we can't be doing that. One of the reasons Darling is gathering everyone and hosting these parties is to protect the families of aristocrats that are part of the expeditionary force."

(She's not wrong, but looking at Liam...)

Although Ciel was doubtful of his intentions, it was true that he was indirectly protecting the family members of the aristocrats.

He was even calling people that lived near the borders.

From the perspective of the aristocrats that were partaking in the war, Liam, a person who could defeat a Sword Saint, was going out of his way to protect their families.

"—Wouldn't it have been better for the Count to participate in the war?"

"You're right. Under normal circumstances, the aristocrats' family members would have been sent to the territory of the Banfield Family so that they can be protected there. Unfortunately, a demonstration is going on right now."

"A demonstration over their lord's lower part of the body...that's even worse than what our territory is experiencing."

Although the demonstrations in the Banfield Family's territory had become widespread, less than a tenth of the demonstrators were advocating for the democratization of the government.

They were almost negligible.

The majority of the demonstrators were rioting about the issue of Liam not having an heir.

Essentially, they were demanding for a successor.

(Our dad's so popular that people are asking when his nudes will be released, but this is clearly worse.)

The petition was a form of appeal from the servants that were working at the mansion.

Liam had never tried to sleep with them, so they were basically saying "We're ready whenever you are! C'mon~~!"

They were essentially giving him the okay signal.

(It seems like nothing good comes with being an aristocrat. Oh well, what can I say. I'm an aristocrat myself. Since people are making a fuss over trivial things like this, I guess we can at least say that it's peaceful?) (Ciel)

Liam and Wallace were having a toast.

"I'm looking forward to our next party!"

"Please do! I'm confident about the next one as well!"

"Great! Oh, then I also want you to arrange a bucket party as the grand finale!"

"—Sorry, that hurdle's too high for me to overcome."

———————————————————————————————

Klaus (;゜ロ゜): "—Eh? Why am I being treated as Lord Liam's close aide? I'm just your average knight, you know?"

Brian (´・ω・｀)_且~~: "Isn't it because you're always following Lord Liam around? Ah, if you'd like, you can have this cup of coarse tea."

Klaus (;゜'ω゜'): "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!"

Naegi-chan ( ゜∀゜)ノ: "Today is the release date for the 5th Volume of 'The World of Otome Games is Tough for Mobs'! Please go check it out!"

Monica (゜∀゜)ノ: "And tomorrow is the release date for the 9th Volume of 'Seventh'! Please support us as well!"