Chapter 180 – 51. Chloe and the Limited Express Cruise (2)
Inside the cruise ship, it was like a five-star hotel.
Luxuriously decorated hall. The view of the wide river and the ecliptic can be seen from the balcony and window of the hall.
I came in alone and looked around the cruise ship. Then Chloe, who clung to me like a puppy following her owner, said.
“How are you? Count Julian! The Emeria of the Aitern Chamber of Commerce is like the luxurious inn of the Prime Minister. The commoners of the imperial capital consider it a lifetime wish to visit here even for just one day!”
It was not wrong.
Emeria is a luxury cruise ship taller than a 10-story building. Even at night, the lights were brightly lit outside the cruise ship and could be seen from the entertainment district.
‘Common people deserve to admire that splendid light.’
Of course, it was a sight that surprised even the local nobility. I didn’t come here to play, so I didn’t have time to get wet with such sentiments.
When Chloe entered the hall, the staff there inspected and greeted her in unison.
“Welcome to! Miss!”
“Nice to meet you! Miss Chloe!”
In modern terms, Chloe is the daughter of a conglomerate owner. So, just like when the second generation of chaebols entered, the staff’s discipline was raised.
It was quite picturesque to see the staff dressed in luxurious uniforms all at once greeting one Chloe.
I glanced at Chloe’s expression. The corners of her mouth were raised as if she was very satisfied. And then she flashed at me the inside of her ruby-like enemy.
I feel like I’m trying to appeal to myself that I’m a person who can reach this level.
‘Well, even if I don’t have to do this, I’m well aware that Chloe is a proud young lady.’
An Aethern marquis who rules the central part of the Empire. And the Aitern Firm belonging to the Marquess had influence throughout Island, not in the central part of the Empire.
Chloe was the most likely successor to Aitern. And she was as beautiful as if she were not human, even with her silver-haired appearance.
‘Although the students of the Pantheon are well aware of her nasty personality. But she’s popular just for her looks.’
However, the problem is that he chose the wrong opponent. I am the one who does not succumb to Chloe’s background at all, or rather surpasses that background.
‘Because the body I’ve possessed looks good, too.’
And if you compare it to what I received allegiance from Essenmund’s elite strong forces at the military parade.
Even this ordinary greeting could not give me much inspiration.
‘I’m sorry Chloe. It doesn’t look like it.’
He ignored the smug Chloe, giving instructions to the staff with a fan, and moved his feet.
“And this person is the only heir to the famous Margrave Wilhelm and the real son of Saint Agnes. Also, in the future, the Aitern Chamber of Commerce… Especially Julian von Reinhardt, Count Harsen, who will continue to have a long and thick relationship with me… Bae, Count! Where are you going!”
Chloe tried to introduce me to the staff here too. After all, they were extras, so having them was a waste of time.
“I’m going to the banquet hall. The students of the Pantheon will be there.”
I opened the cruise ship invitation Chloe had made for me.
The cadets of the Pantheon she invited received this invitation. It’s me, I’m coming with her myself, though I didn’t need that invitation. Today’s schedule was written on the invitation, so I accepted one too.
The place I headed was the large banquet hall of the cruise ship, the event venue written there. Entered there.
“Chit. The Count also has a very impatient personality. You can relax and enjoy this landscape full of the luxurious aesthetics of Lake Imeria. In particular, it would be meaningful to reaffirm the friendly relationship between the Marquis of Aitern and the Marquis of Reinhardt to the people above us.”
As she keeps ignoring her and passing by, her Chloe seems to be getting a fever from her. But. Her cadets, whom she invites, include aristocratic cadets, but there are also many commoners.
Looking around the banquet hall, I saw many students wearing Pantheon cadet uniforms. They were like cadets belonging to a social club.
‘As Chloe said, this is not a place for mere cadets to come. The atmosphere here.’
To satisfy my taste, I invited them and even rented a large banquet hall. She meant that she was prepared to bleed her quite a bit as well.
‘If only the banquet hall was lent to other nobles of the imperial capital instead of the students. Because I can make a lot of money.’
Conversely, it means that a precious lady, Chloe, values my value so highly that she would step forward to this extent.
And Chloe had a more immature side than she thought. She has a nasty personality. She’s also from a rich family, she’s a pretty lady, though she’ll never admit it to herself.
Chloe couldn’t hide the fact that she had a crush on me and she was full. She seems to be infatuated with me as the opposite sex as well as sexually.
‘He kept trying to meet me over trivial matters.’
It was different from simply buying my value high and making connections. Just like now, you are trying to seduce me by doing anything to buy my favor.
‘So if I keep bouncing it, I’ll get sick of the claw too.’
No matter how well-established aristocratic ladies come from. It’s not my part-time job, but Chloe is different. A member of my nest raid party. It means that when you take care of it, you have to take care of it.
A good job is a good job. So she appropriately praised Chloe, who had a disgruntled expression on her face.
“As you said, the two families will have many more things to do together in the future. Don’t be in too much of a hurry. And I like the banquet hall here. Instead of this place, I could have rented a place like a cafe and arranged a seat. You have suffered a lot.”
“Well, well… I didn’t mean to get the Count’s praise. It’s because I worked hard for the future friendly relationship between Aitern and Reinhardt…”
But even that short compliment seems to have made me feel very good. Chloe’s cheeks flushed, and she hid her face with a fan, as if embarrassed.
***
The cadets invited here seem to be experiencing a new world. In fact, Lake Emeria is a luxurious place that surprises even the nobles and rich people of the imperial capital.
‘Whoops. This is why they are insignificant citizens.’
All of the refreshments, drinks, and alcoholic beverages prepared at each table in the grand banquet hall are of the highest quality. That simple outfit was enough for a commoner family in the imperial capital to live on for a month.
“I’ve never had such delicious refreshments in my life.”
“Can we come on such a luxury cruise ship?”
“I may not be able to come again, so let’s enjoy everything while we’re here!”
So all the cadets at the table were making a fuss. However, Count Julian, who was sitting next to Chloe, had a different expression than usual.
Simple refreshments and alcoholic beverages. It was different from the cadets who were intoxicated with the luxurious taste and ate it mindlessly.
As is the manner of a high-ranking aristocrat, the Count watches the event while savoring only a portion of it.
‘That’s the same as the latest etiquette of the emperor. Northern nobles still cling to the outdated manners of decades ago.’
Graceful and restrained hand movements. He calmly responds to the aristocratic cadet who recognizes him and greets him.
The standard of a cool northern handsome grand duke. A stark contrast to ordinary cadets like roadside pigeons. With its graceful swan-like appearance.
Chloe’s heart skipped a beat.
‘Chit. Why are you doing this again… I’m not even a virgin.’
In fact, it wasn’t just now. Just before, when the Count had praised Chloe for her hard work. Because even then his heart was beating wildly.
“Why? Did you get anything on my face?”
“Oh, no. I was looking elsewhere, but the direction I turned my head coincidentally overlapped.”
Embarrassed at the count’s point, she covered her face with a fan and only peeked out her eyes. In the meantime, the introduction of the Pantheon social club continued.
“Then let me take this opportunity to tell you about the performance of our social club. Our social club is about the ecology of beasts and monsters that exist in Island, and the academic value of existence…”
One of the social clubs invited this time, the Beast Research Club. For Chloe, it was a low-class place that she did not want to associate with.
‘What’s good about those disgusting beasts and monsters!’
Of course, Pantheon’s cadets learn about the ecology and habits of witches and monsters. It was one of the most important subjects in the theoretical lectures.
However, that social club goes beyond simple study and obsesses over each and every monster. It’s kind of like some crooked animal lovers.
‘Still, I had to invite him out of necessity.’
Instead, as much as it is a gathering of such fanatics. The cadets of that club always didn’t miss the top spot in lectures on beast-related theories.
And he has a lot of interest in witchcraft to the extent that he memorizes every question in the midterm exam.
‘That’s why the genealogy that the social club has is very useful.’
Like most professors do. Because the test questions do not deviate from the big frame. And the genealogy of that social club perfectly penetrates not only sheep, but also its past patterns.
‘So, if you have that genealogy. It means Count Julian can study efficiently.’
However, the cadet’s presentation was so boring that I heard it in the Introduction to Magic Mathematics, to the point of yawning.
“Unfortunately, you know that there is practically no place for monsters in Island right now, right? Instead, a low-level beast that ate monsters and mimicked them filled the place. It was a tragedy for those of us who love monsters… No, we study monsters intensively, but instead, we have a new scientific meaning by introducing a more beautiful… No, more special being called the Witchcraft…”
Their own reports, which were completely incomprehensible to ordinary people, continued. At that time. The head of the Witch Club approached the table where the two were sitting.
A slender impression that was incomparable to that of Count Julian. And, like a demon obsessive, it gave a gloomy impression.
‘Hey. I don’t like to mix things up. With a man like that.’
Any woman in the world would hate a man like that. If not for this place. He was a man who would never come within a 2-meter radius of a woman as beautiful as Chloe herself.
Still trying to accept the greeting. The club president ignored Chloe and greeted Count Julian first.
“Thank you for inviting us specially! Count Julian! Aren’t you tired of that presentation?”
“Not like that. In particular, the latest theory about the monster ecology in the north that that cadet talked about a while ago is quite interesting.”
“Does the Count think so too! That’s right. The ultra-luxury that glorious Essenmund boasts… No, the beautiful Keithic Gate permafrost! Thanks to that permafrost, special monsters that can’t be found anywhere else appear!”
“You know that. Could you elaborate a bit more?”
However, Count Julian had a polite conversation with that eccentric. Rather, as if his explanation was interesting, I even listened carefully.
Naturally, between the two, Chloe was completely alienated. The conversation between the two continued for a while and finally ended.
“I didn’t know that a high-ranking person like Count Julian knew so well about the Witchbeast. After all, those who lived near permafrost are different! This booklet is a scholarly publication published regularly by our fraternity. A special gift for the Count who invited us!”
“Thank you. It will be useful.”
And I even managed to get a genealogy for this midterm exam. The club president bowed deeply as if he had been influenced by Yulian’s personality and left.
Of course, he quietly omitted greeting Chloe.
The same thing happened one after another. The following presenters are the Pantheon’s History Social Club. Although it looked more normal than the magic beasts from before. As expected, they weren’t the cadets I wanted to hang out with.
“The theme of this presentation was specially selected in honor of Essenmund, the hometown of Count Julian, who invited us.”
The subject of the presentation was 100 years ago. About the first time the Keiatic Gate was summoned to Island.
And, as I said earlier, it was a story about the Reinhardt family, which ruled Essenmund 100 years ago.
“I would like to ask all of you who have been here. If you were to say the great Marquis Wilhelm, Reinhardt before him, who would you pick?”
At that, Chloe thought for a moment. The Reinhardt family has produced numerous heroes in the history of Island.
Even though great swordsmen who surpassed the double rank were produced from that family. Among them, the most famous person is Wilhelm the Lionheart.
‘Let’s see. Prior to that… The first Reinhardt, who helped Shi Huangdi establish the Lamir Empire. And Reinhardt, who is famous for being on the same level as that invitation, must be that person.’
100 years ago. When the Kei Arctic Gate first opened, she slaughtered the most monsters in Island.
Atlin von Reinhardt.
The topic of this presentation was about the battle that remained as a legend after the lion sword. Of course, it was a topic that even Pantheon dealt with, so Chloe was a bit bored.
“I… I am humbled to meet such a great member of the Reinhardt family!”
And while the announcement continues. Likewise, the head of the history club came over and had a conversation with Yulian.
‘You talk more boring than the professor’s lecture. That’s a trick too.’
Unlike Ma Soo-gwang, he was a cadet who had a knack for producing really boring conversations.
“As expected, it’s a family story, so you’ve mastered even things we don’t know! I am thrilled to be able to have a direct conversation with this living history, another Reinhardt!”
However, Count Julian roasted and boiled even that boring-looking student-style cadet. Although he, like Ma Soo-gwang, did not bring his own genealogy.
Because he decided to immediately send the booklet issued by the social club from Yulian’s mansion.
‘How can I have such a good conversation with people like that?’
In fact, rumors about Yulian spreading, and those cadets probably wouldn’t have a good impression either. However, as soon as he exchanged a few words with him, they immediately fell for Yulian.
‘How can you treat people like that? I know how to communicate with geeks like that.’
As expected, looking at that figure, I can only think that the anecdotes of last year were all camouflage. The Count’s evaluation was raised one more grade.
But I also felt sad inside. Because during that conversation, Chloe continued to be alienated.
‘Chit. While being kind to those bad guys…’
The reports of such a boring social club were all over. The announcement alone has already turned the time into evening.
Afterwards, a meal and a banquet continued, further heating up the atmosphere in the banquet hall.
However, somehow, Chloe’s excitement was broken. Although it is a cruise ship of Island Corporation. She spent a lot of her own money to charter a large banquet hall.
‘So shouldn’t I have some fun too?’
Chloe lifted the glass on the table. And he said to Count Julian.
“Count. The night view of the Daerne River seen from Lake Emeria is also very good. It’s frustrating to stay inside like this. Would you like to go out onto the balcony with me?”
He meekly nodded his head. Chloe thought about the mixture of the aphrodisiac she had prepared in advance.
‘I will never fail this time.’
The two went out to the balcony of the grand banquet hall together.
