One hour before the incident.
Knoum Forest.
The nobles rode on horseback, enjoying a leisurely hunt through the trees.
They showed off their skills without restraint, guiding their mounts at an unhurried pace. Behind them, special iron cages carried the results of their efforts — wild beasts, small animals, and lower-rank monsters they had taken down along the way.
Today, at last, I’ll be able to show Ariana my most gallant side.
Cedric smiled with satisfaction from atop the magnificent white stallion he had specially prepared for this occasion.
His reason for choosing a white horse for the hunting festival was simple.
“I love beautiful white horses! Ever since I was little, my ideal man has always been a prince riding a white horse!”
He still remembered his fiancée Ariana’s words — her hands clasped together as if in prayer, eyes sparkling with pure delight.
Because Ariana’s family had never particularly warmed to him, Cedric had decided to settle things once and for all today.
Lucky for me that her ideal type is something this easy to arrange. The Marquess doesn’t care for me, but he’s famously devoted to his daughter, so…
If he could win Lady Ariana’s heart today, the marriage would fall into place without a hitch.
After all, wasn’t the Marquess renowned for granting his daughter’s every wish?
And Ariana herself was, frankly, far more naive and simple-minded than he had expected.
She was still floundering about in her rosy dreams, dazzled by the beauty of the world around her.
From Cedric’s perspective, that was extraordinary luck.
Unlike other complications, this was a problem that could be solved with nothing more than money.
No need to waste precious time — just throw money at it, and it was done.
How wonderfully easy. How delightfully simple.
Once I’ve perfectly secured Ariana’s heart today, the Ysis Marquessate will be mine.
Regrettably, Cedric was the second son of a count’s family, which meant he stood to inherit no title of his own.
However, the current Count’s exceptional business acumen had produced wealth so abundant it could practically be scattered along the roadside every day without making a dent.
With this much money, Ariana’s hardly getting a bad deal either.
Cedric was determined to marry Ariana and obtain the rank of Marquess through her. The Ysis Marquessate was a family with a respectable history — it would perfectly compensate for his greatest weakness.
“Lady Ariana, you mentioned this is your first time attending a hunting festival, didn’t you? How are you finding it?”
Cedric reined in his horse and called over to Ariana, who was following alongside him in a carriage.
Ariana leaned halfway out the window with a face full of curiosity and beamed at him.
“Everything is absolutely perfect, Cedric. This is exactly the hunting festival I always dreamed of. And this carriage — so lavish, so elegant… Thank you, Cedric.”
She smiled brightly, her gratitude genuine and warm.
Cedric congratulated himself inwardly.
Marquess Ysis was well known for his frugal lifestyle. Thanks to that, Ariana had apparently never ridden in such an extravagant carriage before, and she was still marveling at it with unguarded delight.
“Please look forward to what comes next, Lady Ariana. I will win the competition without fail and crown you with a beautiful wreath of flowers.”
“Oh? But I’m already perfectly happy as things are. Please don’t push yourself too hard, Cedric.”
“Don’t worry. I am… quite accomplished with a sword.”
That was a lie.
Swordsmanship, or any physical endeavor for that matter — Cedric was utterly hopeless at all of it.
But with this particular sword, enchanted as it was with a special magic…
I’ll be able to take the championship of this hunting festival without breaking a sweat.
Cedric smiled with easy confidence.
His thoughts drifted back to a merchant he had met a few days prior. The man didn’t run a particularly large trading company, but…
He dealt in rather extraordinary merchandise.
The Triat County had three brothers, which meant no trading house ever came knocking on Cedric’s door looking to do business.
To be honest, the string of failed ventures he had left in his wake was partly to blame — though Cedric himself did not see it that way.
It was all a matter of luck.
He firmly believed that his brothers’ successful businesses were simply the result of them riding fortune’s current at the right time, nothing more.
Then one day, a man claiming to run a small trading company appeared at his door specifically requesting to meet with Cedric.
Cedric was not pleased by the modest size of the man’s operation — he had been something of a cold presence in his own household lately — but he let the merchant in all the same.
After all, money could grow any trading company to whatever size was needed.
And to his considerable surprise, that merchant dealt in genuinely remarkable goods.
“This powder is capable of captivating a person’s heart. It can make someone’s affections yours, temporarily and with remarkable ease.”
“Is that so? …Hmm, I’m not sure I can take your word alone for the powder’s efficacy.”
“I anticipated as much. And so I have prepared… a sample, for your testing.”
The merchant smiled pleasantly and touched upon the very thing that weighed most heavily on Cedric’s mind.
“I understand you are in the process of arranging an engagement with Lady Ariana of the Ysis Marquessate.”
“…How do you know that? You must have connections among the noble houses besides mine.”
“Even running a small trading company, I am still very much a merchant.”
“You’re saying you looked into me to some degree?”
“I apologize for the presumption. But I wished so very much to secure you as a client — I hope you will find it in your heart to understand.”
It was somewhat impertinent, but Cedric found he rather liked the sound of it.
Being investigated was unpleasant, but the truth was that news of his engagement to Ariana had been scribbled in the gossip columns often enough that it was hardly a secret.
“Very well. I’ll try this powder, and if it proves satisfactory, I’ll be in touch.”
Winning the favor of the still-inexperienced Ariana was not particularly difficult, but Cedric needed to secure her affections with absolute certainty.
And remarkably, the day after using the powder, Ariana’s entire attitude toward him had changed completely.
Cedric summoned the merchant that very same day.
“That powder you gave me worked splendidly. Where does it come from? I’d like to obtain more.”
“That is no difficult matter at all. I can provide as much as you wish.”
“And… I’m preparing for an upcoming hunting festival. Is there anything you might be able to help me with in that regard?”
At that moment, the merchant’s eyes flashed with something dangerous — but Cedric failed to notice.
“But of course. I speak of a sword imbued with a power so formidable that even a monster would not be able to stir from the spot.”
“…A monster? No, I have no need for anything that strong.”
“One cannot always know how things will unfold.”
“Either way, if it’s that powerful, I suppose I’ll take it on faith.”
Cedric was able to receive the sword from the merchant in time for the hunting festival.
When news arrived that monsters would be included among the quarry for the event, Cedric felt a surge of pure triumph.
When things were meant to go well, they truly did fall into place like this.
With this sword, there’s nothing I can’t do. I’ll need to treat that merchant well going forward.
The man was a plain, unremarkable commoner, but the goods he dealt in were genuinely useful. At least until Cedric could figure out where the merchant sourced his wares, it would be wise to keep him close.
Cedric was deep in his pleasant daydreams when it happened.
“Wh — what is that?!”
“Hmm? What is it, Lady Ariana? Why are you suddenly screaming…?”
Ariana had gone deathly pale and was trembling violently, staring at something in the distance.
She was not the only one reacting strangely.
“Screeeeam! What is that?! Everyone, run!!”
“Ahh! A — a monster! It’s a monster!”
The nobles were suddenly scattering in every direction, fleeing in blind panic.
“A monster…?”
Cedric tilted his head in confusion and turned around.
When he did, he came face to face with an enormous creature — its deep crimson eyes blazing with feral light, saliva dripping from its jaws — and the sword dropped from his fingers without a thought.
“…What… what is that?”
A wave of cold dread swept over him from head to toe.
And without another moment’s hesitation, Cedric turned and ran.
Behind him, from inside the abandoned carriage, came the sound of Ariana sobbing desperately.
“Cedric! Take me with you! Bring me along! Please, save me…! Father…!”
He heard her calling his name. He did not look back.
Then — BOOM — a tremendous crash shook the ground, and the impact knocked Cedric off his feet. He tumbled across the earth and slowly turned his head.
The carriage Ariana had been riding in had been completely crushed beneath the monster’s weight.
“Oh… oh no…”
It was only then that the full weight of the situation hit him.
What on earth am I going to tell Marquess Ysis?
But on reflection, a small, shameful part of him felt something close to relief.
It had been an accident. No one could blame him for that.
If anything, it might actually be better if Ariana dies here.
That would be far preferable to the truth getting out — that he had abandoned her and run.
Looking around, everyone had been too busy fleeing to pay Cedric any attention. It seemed no one had seen him.
…But why is the monster just standing there like that?
Unable to bring himself to go any closer, Cedric hesitated and squinted toward where the creature had been.
Then he froze.
The cloud of dust slowly settled.
The monster toppled, crashing to the ground in a slow, heavy fall.
And standing behind it — gazing down at the fallen beast with an expression of utter indifference — was the young Archduke Arachrene.
Beside him, completely unscathed, stood the carriage.
