Chapter 165

Chapter 165 - Cassandra

Eugene finished most of the tasks needed to reign as a powerful noble of Sicily.

He placed the powerful faction called the Apostle State as an ally and established himself as the master of the cities.

He gathered the surrounding nobles as vassals, punished the island's long-standing enemy, the Hydra, and afterwards held a grand banquet at the Moving Castle to announce his power to the whole world.

Now there is only one unachieved accomplishment left.

It is the New Year festival held down in Sicily every early year. Should it be called an indigenous ritual praying for good fortune and a bountiful harvest to accompany the island?

Since the Count family that hosted this until last year disappeared, from this year onwards, it is the duty of the Bishop-Count who took that position.

However, there was a problem.

- Viscount. We absolutely do not have the capacity to carry out this New Year festival.

The priests dispatched to Sicily were out of their minds. Having fought massive battles consecutively, building relationships with the indigenous nobles also experienced difficulties.

Although Eugene had the homogeneity of being a fellow noble and knight, and the nobles bowed and entered on their own due to the great achievements built on the battlefield.

- Brothers of the Knights Order have died and been injured innumerably, so even maintaining public order is overwhelming. Could you please conduct this New Year festival, Viscount?

- How could I pretend not to know that difficulty? Please leave it all to me and focus on bringing the situation under control.

For Eugene, there was no reason to refuse. Because he would gain even more solid authority as a great noble of the island.

- Although it is a meager effort, we are preparing support supplies and workers, so please do accept them.

- Thank you! You truly are a brother of faith, Viscount!

Gladly accepting, Eugene visited Cassandra.

"So this year I have come to act as a proxy. I would really appreciate it if you could help."

He's currently in the middle of trying to subcontract to a subcontractor to the beautiful young lady in front of his eyes.

"Hmm."

Cassandra defensively hugged her arms.

"The dance of the shrine maiden praying for the island's auspiciousness. You are asking me to do that, right?"

"Quick to understand as expected."

Befitting her who is very interested in politics, she was grasping the situation well.

"It's a tradition that started when the island's volcano erupted in the distant past. Because they considered the disaster at the time to be due to the wrath of the gods."

Natural disasters are the iron mace of the gods! Even now many believe so, but it was even more severe in ancient times.

Offering sacrifices or holding festivals to appease that was a universal culture. Going more extreme, it led to human sacrifices of throwing people into the sea or burning them.

"I heard it's a ritual representing the island to communicate with the gods."

"It sounds grandiose, but it's nothing special. The prettiest lady on the island dresses up nicely and dances on the altar watched by the crowd."

"I heard applicants are endless every year though?"

"Because the position itself comes with great honor."

From dancers of famous musical troupes to noble ladies of the island, applicants overflowed. Because just becoming the shrine maiden of the New Year festival is enough to be pointed out as the number 1 bride candidate of that year.

"I heard letters came from various noble families."

"Where did you hear that again..."

"I am someone who tasted court life since childhood, you know? When ordinary children merely liked looking at birds in the sky, I used to check if a letter was tied to its ankle first."

A life in the court where someone could die or lose their position over a single letter going back and forth. Befitting Cassandra trained there, she always paid attention to this kind of information.

"Right. How they sent bribes asking to use their daughter. But since my face is also on the line, I can't just use anyone, right?"

Eugene recalled the memory of filtering out letters with the scribes.

- 100 million Credits? Burning 100 million just to dance once on a stage? What kind of place is the Monson family?

At an amount defying comparison with the bribes proposed by other noble families, Eugene's pupils shook.

- They are a recognized rich family even on the island. Because they have a salt mine in their territory. It seems they were in a rush as the only daughter of that house is fully of marriageable age.

- Ah, so that was it. Then selecting the young lady of the Monson family as...

- Wait a moment! You cannot, Viscount!

The scribes adamantly stopped Eugene who was about to accept it as is.

- The daughter of the Monson family is problematic.

- Why? Do not mind the face. The saying that the most beautiful beauty must take on the role of the shrine maiden was said to be merely a dead letter expression anyway. It can also be supplemented with makeup or decorations.

- That's not it. So, uh.

The agonizing scribes bowed their faces.

- The young lady of the Monson family has quite a good physique. There was even a time a chair she sat on at an official event broke. There was also a time a horse sprained its back while she was horseback riding...

- Stop.

There were also problems that couldn't be solved with makeup or decorations.

Even searching through the letters more, there were no families proposing particularly attractive amounts or conditions. It was only full of stories of marriage alliances that had no particular benefit to Eugene.

So he just decided to pick a candidate from among the Moving Castle family members.

"Are you saying Valda has no interest?"

"Are you asking while knowing everything?"

"Huhuhoot."

Cassandra smiled radiantly filled with a sense of victory.

- I, if I perform the ritual, it will smear mud on the name of the Meyer family.

A significant number of vassals agreed in unison that this important responsibility should be entrusted to Valda, but the person herself adamantly declined.

"Because Valda is tone-deaf when it comes to dancing. It's the same even when she was active in Roman. She accepted alcohol or congratulatory speeches from nobles at banquets, but she never ever accepted dances."

"I know that. Since she was like that to me too."

Valda always sincerely grants Eugene's wishes anything.

- I want to hear a song.

- As you wish.

When walking together, or walking as three tucking Homi under an arm, if he begged for a song, she always responded with a heavenly melody.

It's the same when passing by clothing stores in villages or cities.

- I think this clothe would suit you really well.

- Red color wouldn't really suit me. It also seems too flashy.

- It's because I want to see you. Ah! Put your wallet away. Of course I should buy it.

However, she was stubborn regarding just one thing.

- It's a simple dance.

- I... have no talent for dancing.

- It's really nothing. Grab the back of your head with both hands and sway your body left and right once each. That is all. Look! Look at what Homi is doing over there. Very easy, right?

- ...

To the point even that simple dance was rejected. Thinking about it now, it seems something other than the difficulty of the dance was the problem.

"As far as I know, there is no candidate more suitable than you."

"Well, protocol is the field I'm most confident in in the world."

Cassandra is a woman overflowing with ambition. Therefore, she never rested from learning either.

Not satisfied with her position as the Special Warfare Ranger Unit Captain, she even received witch's lessons, achieving considerable accomplishments.

That's talent being talent, but it's a possible task only when accompanied by a crazy level of sense of purpose. Exactly to step forward as the leading role in a political event like this.

"The tribe people spoke in unison. That there is nothing as special as Cassandra's dance."

"My dance is not simple body movements, you see."

Cassandra smiled playfully and bent her waist. She extends her hand to Eugene like a gentleman asking for a dance at a ball.

A decadent smile, fluttering movements, trembling ears. In all of that, magical power drawing in people's souls hovered.

"It is a magic and art unfolded while cloaking the body in mystery."

"To pursue mystery in politics. I've never heard or seen this kind of thing."

"Ehehm! Please call it protocol, protocol."

Everyone exploring mystery has their own respective fields of expertise. If one isn't deeply buried in one element, they cannot reach the realm of magic in the first place.

Like Eugene's Holy Eucharist, Valda's Forest Magic, Marbas's Summoning, and Homi's Spirit Speech.

And the mystery Cassandra pursues is protocol. Befitting her personality, even mystery was a tool to pursue power.

"Be that as it may, you truly are a bad man, Lord."

"Suddenly why?"

"You ultimately sided with Valda at the Hydra's skeleton exhibition."

"I was sorry about that."

It would rather be easier to hold a flower in each hand. Standing with one leg each on the conflicting opinions of two women is impossible.

"Having coldly abandoned me, finding me and asking for help since I became necessary like this."

Cassandra is making a sorrowful face and gestures. It was a posture to the point of wondering if she was such a pitiful woman.

"I have no thought of forcing you. If you wish to decline, please tell me comfortably."

Eugene has a conscience too. Having raised Valda's hand a few days ago, he had no thought of forcing this large ritual.

If push comes to shove, to Chief Alessa... that was his Plan B.

"It is fine, so please force me."

"Hm?"

"I did not need you before, but I need you now. Therefore, serve me. Please command me like this."

Cassandra giggled looking at Eugene's crumpled expression.

"How could I refuse the Lord's request? I intended to accept it from the moment I expected you to come looking for me. However, seeing your face in person..."

"Seeing?"

Cassandra smoothed her lips with her index and middle fingers.

"I kind of want to receive a coercive command. To stage a comeback decorated nicely after being thrown away and picked up again. It's thrilling just imagining it."

"...I feel like your personality is far worse than mine."

"Ahahaha!"

Like that, the shrine maiden of the Sicilyn New Year festival was decided.

The date is the day the full moon rises a few days later. The time when the body of a Dark Elf receiving the moon's blessing becomes the most beautiful and mysterious.

* * *

The promised day. A large altar and stage were installed in front of the volcano near Catania City.

"Far more gathered than last year."

The Guild Masters of Catania repeatedly clicked their tongues at the crowd, which must be five digits.

"This New Year festival is special, isn't it? Starting with us, all are attending."

"It's an event of the new person in power, so of course we must show our faces."

Nobles wanting to get along amicably with the Meyer family, nobles wanting to build relationships with such nobles, up to their escorts and servants.

When one noble moves, the personnel attached to them is basically dozens, reaching hundreds at most.

"But why on earth are there so many mercenaries? If they want to find work, they should go west or north. There should be nothing to do around here since the Viscount pacified it all."

"Money isn't everything mercenaries go crazy for, is it? In a way, women are precisely the much more..."

One Guild Master lightly tapped his ears with both hands.

"Rumors about the shrine maiden who will dance are already widespread. If one was specially chosen among those beautiful ones, how incredible it must be."

A Fairy Race young lady dancing wearing shrine maiden clothes in a human ritual. There's no way mercenaries would miss such a spectacle.

Around the time dusk fell, the crowd reached its peak. While the sun still shined upon the world, it's the optimal timing when the power of the full moon begins to dwell.

"This year's shrine maiden is coming out! Please welcome her with applause!"

Cassandra stepped forward in front of the tens of thousands of people. Her skin, which is on the brighter side even among Dark Elves, is sprinkling soft moonlight facing the full moon.

Harmonizing with the shrine maiden clothes embroidered with delicate gold threads, it evoked a fantastic sight.

As the sacred fire on the altar ignited and the musicians played music, the main event of the New Year festival began.

Cassandra's dance was passionate yet neat, and fluttered yet exuded majesty.

Values that originally could not coexist, like fire and water. They achieved harmony under her body movements.

Lightly lightly.

The fine bare feet Cassandra stepped with are gentle like a noble lady's steps. However, a destructive power like a warhorse running on a battlefield could also be felt.

The ceaselessly waving fingers evoked the works of a goddess said to have embroidered stars in the primordial night sky.

It took merely 1 minute for the buzzing noise created by tens of thousands of people to disappear and silence to visit. Everyone attending the festival lost their souls to the beautiful dance motions on the stage.

Jingle jingle.

The bells attached to Cassandra's wrists and ankles that hadn't rung until now began to ring clearly.

'Since they didn't ring once during the dance, I wondered if they were empty bells.'

Eugene admired. It looks trivial, but such miscellaneous techniques are what create the difference in completeness.

Tinkling.

The bell sounds harboring mystery coiled into the ears of everyone watching, ignoring distance.

The dance is becoming increasingly intense. It is Cassandra's body where the spirit of the moon is maximally full facing the full moon.

Her every single hand gesture, every single footstep created a spiritual resonance and shook the souls of the crowd. Like reeds in the wind, people's bodies swayed left, and right.

That's not because they were excited, but because their souls were bound by Cassandra's dance. The physical body is bound to be swayed by the state of the soul.

Eugene's face, who was merely watching with interest at first, also gradually hardened stiffly.

"Marbas, this is..."

"It's your first time seeing it, right? This is Cassandra's true power."

Marbas, who returned having successfully stabilized Palermo, stroked his beard.

Even if he hadn't fully finished the work, he might have come running. Because it's a precious spectacle absolutely unmissable as a mage.

"Her protocol isn't merely charming people by wrapping magic in her dance."

It is not only the crowd responding to Cassandra's dance.

The flow of the sea visible beyond Catania City also changed bizarrely. Fish flounder and soar up within it. As if promising a bountiful harvest.

In the distant fields and mountains, beasts let out cries as if responding. As if wolves and bears were promising in their language that they would not attack people.

"Charming people with protocol. Converting the hearts of the charmed ones into power to invoke greater miracles. This is the true mystery Cassandra possesses."

"Could it be a phenomenon similar to the Manufactured God?"

"I say this repeatedly, but absolutely do not mention that in front of others. To say humans' beliefs clump together to become a god. In the past, it's an assertion that would get you driven as a heretic and put on the burning stake."

Marbas, surveying the surroundings, nodded his head slightly.

"Of course regarding your thought, I agree as well. There would be no more appropriate explanation than that."

"Like creating a disposable god and faith, invoking a miracle, and then discarding it."

"...Please lower your voice. Your opinion is interesting, but listening to it makes my heart pound wildly!"

Marbas, lowering his posture even further, surveyed the surroundings once again.

"Do not worry. Because the priests are busy managing the County territory and cannot afford to come to such an event. I am not a fool who says such things to just anyone, am I?"

"Anyway, the reason Cassandra is mentioned as the next Chief. You must have properly learned it today, right?"

"Very properly."

Since some time ago, a sweet scent was seeping into Eugene's nose. The magical dance that had become even more intense now even possessed the physical power of scent.

Because this is a scent originating from magic, no matter how much one smells it, acclimatization will likely not occur.

'I should reflect on myself too.'

The influence Cassandra possesses in the tribe. Eugene had considered that to originate from her noble bloodline.

However, seeing her today, it seems he needs to correct his thoughts. That she won the position of a strong candidate for the next Chief entirely with her own power.

"Great Mother! May your breath embrace this island, and let your grace seep into all of us!"

Cassandra bowed toward the volcano.

Afterwards, when she stood up, holding the sacred fire and standing face to face with the people on the platform. She had become a special existence spiritually connected to the island, illuminating the world.

Even farmers and fishermen who do not know magic did not dare to make eye contact. Knights offering military salutes, nobles taking off their hats and expressing courtesy can also be seen here and there.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

When Eugene gave the signal, a bell rang from a spire in Catania City.

"..."

"..."

"..."

Even that intense bell sound took a long time to wake up the crowd whose souls were captivated by the stage.

It was the completion of the New Year festival that would be talked about eternally by the islanders.

"Rex, there's something I've been curious about since before..."

"Ask me anything."

"The Blackhand Tribe is a matrilineal society. Influential Chiefs also mostly come from women. But why is your title Minor Chief?"

Eugene became certain after watching the New Year festival. It seemed far off for Rex to rise to the next Chief.

He respects Rex as a friend and a warrior, but he is ultimately merely a single warrior.

On the other hand, the power Cassandra possesses cannot be replaced by any martial prowess or wealth. It was truly an asymmetrical authority.

"I wondered when you would say that word. The effect of the New Year festival is truly direct."

Rex laughed as if he knew it would be so.

"Do not accept it as a successor and you can understand it as a concept of a role. If the Chief decides overall large and small matters inside the family, someone needs to be the person who will act outside the family."

"Activities outside the family mostly mean using martial force, right?"

"Yes. Doing so, various negotiation situations with outside factions occur. At that time, one must have a title around the level of Minor Chief to establish authority at the negotiation table. If nothing else, even if requesting a ransom, one could receive even a penny more. Ah of course, I am on the stronger side among the past Minor Chiefs."

Rex didn't only possess the leadership to lead warriors and martial prowess. Being of an influential bloodline with the previous Chief as his mother must have played a huge part too.

* * *

Completing all the homework entangled with Sicily Island, the weather also completely warmed up.

"Lord! Where is the next destination!"

"Just give the order anywhere."

The warriors under Eugene were already starting to get itchy bodies.

"I want to quickly show the continent's scholars the majesty of the Meyer family."

"You don't mean you want to show off your armors?"

The knights draped in viper patterns all over their bodies felt embarrassed.

That was the same for the archer unit as well. Just as Cassandra's dance charmed the people, the composite bows made with the Hydra's tendons and muscles mesmerized the archers.

Among them, there's reportedly even a crazy bastard who sleeps hugging his bow in bed.

"I want to shoot it at human armors, not monsters or beasts."

"A very vicious story."

"I want to shoot it at the armors of bandits or pirates."

"Such a devout attitude."

Fortunately for his subordinates, Eugene was also planning to leave Sicily.

There were still many things to do, and his army had taken sufficient rest.

"My beloved knight."

Valda held both of Eugene's hands.

"It is time to go take my, no, your rights."

The time to clear out his long single life had come. Gathering bridal furnishings at the same time.