Kays Translations

Chapter 41: The Count’s Long Night.

A glittering ball held at the mansion of Marquis Beowulf Eldenberger. At the height of the banquet, one by one they slipped through the sides and disappeared into another room, but no one pays any attention to them.

About 20 men and women had gathered in another room where music and chat could be heard in the distance. Among them was Gerhard’s sponsor, Count Maximilian Zander.

For nobles, play is not just about playing.

In this era without television and telephones, it was very important to have face-to-face conversations and to have people remember your name.

It was also an important role of the head of the family to find out what was popular in the upper class, acquire hobbies and actively participate in them. This may be similar to golf entertainment in modern times.

For Maximilian, this armor-bragging gathering was very convenient. He is not very sociable. He wasn’t very good at talking to other people.

However, if it is this gathering, approach the one who draws a white blade and boasts,

“It’s a very good sword.”

If you say that, the other side will be in a good mood and the conversation will progress.

After attending a few of these gatherings, I got to know some of the people. I had always liked weapons and battle stories, so it was not a hobby that I had acquired by force, and I was able to get to know them in a natural way.

A viscount with whom I had a vague recollection of his face but could not remember his name waved at me.

“Oh, Sir Maximilian. You have a katana with you today.”

And he found the sword at his waist with great discernment.

“I finally have something that I can show off with confidence in front of the discerning audience.”

“Hoho, is that so…”

The Viscount smiled, but only his eyes weren’t smiling. He had a defiant look in his eyes to see if he could satisfy himself.

Maximilian looked around, pulled out his sword, made sure it wouldn’t hit anyone, and then pulled out the Demon Wailing Sword from it’s sheat.

The Viscount’s throat gurgled. His gaze was fixed on the white blade. He had seen all kinds of wonderful weapons, and he realised that his confidence was just a misconception. He was so fascinated that he forgot even to be strong.

“Beautiful, really beautiful! Fantastic and erotic! Oh, if I end my life being cut by this katana, that might be enough!”

Maximilian was a little taken aback by Viscount’s limit-breaking tension, but he noticed that there was a word in his reckless remarks that bothered him.

“You mentioned a katana, do you know what it is?”

The Viscount, who was praised for his knowledge, nodded with a big smile.

“I’ve seen things brought by peddlers on several occasions. Or should I say, I’ve meant to. Tonight is the first time I feel I have seen a real katana.”

He then lowered his voice a little and asked.

“Now, well. How much would you sell that katana…?”

“Sorry, but I’m not going to let this go.”

The Viscount was disappointed. At the same time, he was convinced that it would be so.

“…I guess so. If I had it, I still wouldn’t let it go, no matter how much they piled on me.”

It was the greatest compliment as a weapons enthusiast.

“Then may I at least take it in my hand and have a look at it”

“Yes, the sword will be pleased if someone who understands the value sees it.”

He held the sword up and handed it to the viscount with the blade pointing towards him. The Viscount received it carefully and was again immensely impressed when he saw the inscription on the blade.

“Five letters! Wow, what the hell! A blade that can withstand that much magical power!”

The Viscount tilted the Demon Wailing Sword and looked at the blade from various angles, and even changed his position to make a lot of noise.

Those who had been watching from afar, wondering what was going on, gathered one after another.

“What is that strange sword?”

“That thing seems to be a katana.”

“Isn’t the five-letter enchantment a lie? Isn’t it just a decoration?”

“No, that glow is real. I can feel the magic.”

“Is five characters technically possible?”

“I heard that such a sword is stored in the royal treasury…”

Maximilian managed to hold back the slackening of his cheeks. Being the centre of attention and rumour was very pleasant. He had brought a sword to the battle many times before, but never before had he been the centre of so much attention.

I understand well why people want to show off in front of others. This is a kind of pleasure.

A large man emerged from the crowd. He is the Marquis Beowulf Eldenberger, the lord of this castle. He is a man who has been running around the battlefield since he was young, and Maximilian was pressured by his unique atmosphere.

“May I have a look at it?”

He must have been a few years past fifty, but his voice had a tone and lustre. I see, the soldiers would gladly go to their deaths if they were scolded by this voice.

The viscount reverently handed the sword to Beowulf. It is the least polite thing to say nothing to Maximilian, the owner of the sword, regardless of the difference in status, but the viscount was so nervous that he forgot even that.

Maximilian didn’t bother to criticise either. Making a fuss and interrupting the marquis’s words is a bad impression and troublesome.

“Hmm…, hmm”

Beowulf groaned, fascinated by the katana. He had picked it up just out of curiosity, but gradually he was really getting into it.

I want to walk around with it. I want to swing it. I want to slay people if I can. I want to cut off the head and look closely at the cross-sectional view. I think the cut is too clean and it would only look like a specimen.

As he was thinking about this, he noticed that everyone was looking at him and waiting for him to say something. He was careless and inattentive. He was in a position to take charge of the situation, but he had become enthralled.

“Let’s talk about what everyone wants to know.”

Beowulf said with a taut smile and a theatrical gesture.

“It’s a five-letter enchantment, but it’s the real deal. It’s certainly enchanted with wind magic. The magical power it contains is considerable.”

Oh, there was a commotion. This is a legendary sword, the marquis declared it to be a national treasure.

“Sir Maximilian, what is the name of this sword?”

“I named it the Demon Wailing Sword.”

“It’s a strange name, whether it makes demons weep or wail, whichever way you look at it.”

“If you swing the sword, you’ll understand what it means.”

“Hmm……”

Beowulf quickly waved his hand horizontally and the onlookers stepped back to create enough space. The area fell silent with a chilling intensity as the warlord of many years’ experience held his sword in the upper position.

“Hmph!”

The onlookers stared intently at it, trying not to miss a single moment, but it was still a glimpse.

Unnoticed, Beowulf swung down and took a straight stance. The sound of the wind in his ears was the only proof that the sword had been swung.

It was a beautiful tone, as if the spirit of the wind had caressed the earlobe.

While everyone was ecstatic, including the person who had swung it, Maximilian was the only one with a complicated expression on his face.

It sounded much better than when I wielded it. In other words, he was jealous.

……I feel like I was watching my wife being hugged by an adulterous man and making the most disgusting noises I have ever heard. It’s going to destroy my brain.

After thinking about it that much, he was taken aback by the sheer stupidity of it. That was a sword, not a woman. That thought only left me feeling unrefreshed. I’m not going to let anyone else touch it anymore.

“I see, the sword is wailing. Sir Maximilian, sell me this sword. I’ll give you as much money as you want. No, I’ll give you a castle!”

Beowulf screamed in excitement, but Maximilian shook his head again.

“Not for sale.”

“Huh?”

A silly voice came out of Beowulf’s mouth. I don’t understand what Maximilian is saying.

Everyone present at this meeting wants to be on friendly terms with the Marquis. In a sense, they bring weapons because they want to catch the Marquis’s eye and offer them to him.

If you are asked for it and you reject him, it will be a story of what the hell you came to do.

Maximilian, not to be outdone by the quizzical stares from those around him, spoke quickly and rambled on. After being disbanded or kicked out, you can’t take back what you’ve lost.

“This sword was made for me. The length and weight are tailored to me. I am not strong, so I have made it slender in order to make it light. I have also clothed it with the wind attribute to make it lighter. In fact, it is a little too light for you, my lord?”

“… well, sure.”

For a man of Beowulf’s size, the Demon Wailing Sword was light, like a toothpick being wielded. Weapons are useless if they are too heavy, but not enough if they are too light.

… so what do you want to do?

Distrust remains in Beowulf’s eyes.

“How about it? Instead of handing over this sword, I will order craftsmen in my territory to make a new sword for your Excellency. The length, the weight, the magic to be given, the type of engraving, everything will be made to your lordship’s liking.”

This was a line of dialogue that he had prepared after consulting with Gerhard in advance. I want to deepen my relationship with the Marquis, but I also don’t want to give up the Demon Wailing Sword. That’s why it was made to order.

According to Gerhard, the craftsmen’s schedule has already been decided. There is no one more reliable than him when it comes to full-scale arms diplomacy.

The reason he did not let go of the Demon Wailing Sword was not only because he was attached to it, but also because he would continue to use it as a call to arms for stories.

One miscalculation was that Maximilian’s way of saying things was completely barbed. Beowulf saw through that he had intended to do so from the start.

That said, this isn’t bad news for Beowulf either. If you can get your own, the best sword, it should be much better than trying to forcibly take away the demon wailing sword.

The only disadvantage though a full-blown unimportant thing is that it is something of an irritant to be taken for a ride by this guy.

“That’s a great story. By all means…”

Beowulf spread out his hands with a smile on his face, but he suddenly broke off his speech and cupped his mouth in his hands.

At this point, Maximilian became terribly uneasy that something had gone wrong. To offend the Marquis, in other words, would lead to the loss of the entire Countship of Zander.

“What is the matter, Your Excellency?”

“…It’s nothing. Sir Maximilian, can I ask you to wait a little while for the sword request?”

“Eh, ah, yes. There is no particular reason for us to hurry. Whenever it is convenient for you, Your Excellency.”

Beowulf replied, somewhat blankly.

“I think I’m a bit drunk, I’m going to get a night breeze. You guys can go ahead and enjoy yourselves.”

Saying that, he headed for the balcony. The atmosphere was so full of rejection of strangers that no one could say they would accompany him.

Maximilian was half relieved and half puzzled that this was the end of his talk with the great man.

However, as he returned the sword, Beowulf whispered,

“You come too”

Said with a sharp look.

It is definitely a troublesome matter.

Count Maximilian Zander’s long night had only just begun.

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