TL: Etude Translations
The party at the Count’s residence continued late into the night without an end in sight.
Liszt was fortunate to join the inner circle of Viscount Degu Brar.
A group of men, holding their tobacco pipes and smoking fine tobacco, chatted about everything under the sun amidst swirling smoke.
Men, as they are, inevitably touched upon military and political matters, and before they knew it, they were discussing the recent situation in the Horn Bay.
“Doing business along the coast has become increasingly difficult,” lamented a gentleman in a bowler hat, elegantly filling his pipe with tobacco and carefully lighting it with a candle, sighing in resignation.
“Oh, Oblie, do you have a way out? My company was driven out of the coastal areas long ago.”
“I’m just barely managing as well, no telling how long I can last.”
“Hmph!” Viscount Brar snorted coldly. “It’s all because of some ambitious people behind the scenes, trying to plunge our country into the abyss of war.”
“I absolutely won’t let our country fall into disaster.”
Liszt felt that Viscount Brar’s statement was rather grandiose.
Kebur, sitting next to him, whispered, “Don’t judge my teacher by his mere viscount title. His role as the court astrologer means the king highly values his opinion. Our king… well, he’s a bit superstitious.”
A bit superstitious? Liszt was full of questions. It seemed odd to hear such a statement from an astrologer – didn’t they believe in their own craft?
The previous gentleman spoke again, “But many here are actually looking forward to waging war against the coastal people. Just listen to what they’re saying!”
Liszt listened intently, and a mix of curse words and laughter reached his ears.
A guest shrugged, “They think that although the coastal people dominate the seas, on land they’re just lambs. They believe our warriors can just charge at their homes and easily take gold, silk, porcelain, and spices.”
Viscount Brar scoffed disdainfully, “All fools who have only learned to play with military chess and talk of war.”
The gentleman asked him, “Degu, aren’t you afraid of offending people by so clearly opposing the war?”
Viscount Brar shrugged nonchalantly, “I’ve offended plenty before, and a few more won’t make much difference.”
Liszt wisely chose to be an observer in this internal conflict of the Horn Bay people. As the party gradually neared its end and he had had his fill of drinks, he decided to leave. The host enthusiastically invited him to stay over, and after some persuasion, he followed the servant to his quarters.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Nᴇw novel chapters are publɪshed on NovєlFіre.net
A series of urgent knocks woke Liszt from his sleep.
What’s happening? He quickly dressed and hurried out of bed to open the door.
Standing outside was the servant who had brought him here yesterday, his face showing panic and out of breath, as if he had run all the way.
“Sir, please hurry to the front hall, there’s been an incident. I have to notify others, please go on your own.”
And then the servant ran off.
With a sense of unease and fighting the dizziness from his hangover, Liszt arrived at the front hall, the same hall where the party had been held the night before.
Many people were already there, most notably a group of knights in armor. Despite the crowd, the jovial atmosphere of last night’s party was gone, replaced by a heavy, solemn air.
Count Bridges, the host of the estate, was speaking with one of the knights when Liszt arrived.
Upon seeing Liszt, the Count’s face bore an indescribable expression. “It’s very unfortunate, Mr. Liszt, that such a thing has happened.”
“Unfortunate? What exactly…?”
Count Bridges spoke gravely, “Viscount Degu Brar… he… he has passed away. It’s terrifying. A perfectly healthy man, lively at my party just yesterday, and today, he’s turned into a corpse…”
Degu Brar? Liszt remembered him – the astrologer from last night’s party, Kebur’s mentor.
“It’s really unfortunate…”
He echoed the sentiment and silently mourned in his heart, hoping that the viscount’s death wouldn’t affect Kebur’s mother’s vindication.
“That’s right, Mr. Liszt,” the knightly-dressed man began. “We are from the city guard, here to inform about a few things. Viscount Brar’s death was too sudden. He was not very old and was in good health, without any harmful habits, so we suspect it wasn’t a natural death.”
“Murder?” Liszt asked, eyes wide in shock.
“We’re not sure yet.” The knight looked intently into his eyes. “We need to wait for the coroner’s examination to make a judgment, but since you had direct contact with him yesterday, we hope you won’t wander around these next few days in case we need to… ask some questions.”
What else could Liszt do but nod in agreement? “I will cooperate with you.”
Such misfortune to be involved in this situation.
Several other guests who stayed overnight at the Count’s estate were informed of the same.
“I’m very sorry, guests,” Count Bridges apologized to everyone. “But Viscount Brar was a courtier, the king’s personal astrologer. His death is a serious matter. Even I cannot leave the city these next few days.”
After informing the guard of his accommodation, Liszt was prepared to wait for several days. However, unexpectedly, there was progress the next day.
He was informed that Viscount Degu Brar did not die from murder. The case was closed, and everyone was free to move about.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Liszt began his original plan of exploring Collins’s trade situation.
After a week, he packed his bags and left the city. To save time and considering the unsafe roads, he bought a horse, which could also serve as a means of escape in emergencies.
In his luggage, he carried a token from Count Bridges, which might be useful in case of another extortion.
Fortunately, he didn’t encounter any more extortion like before, but he did meet someone unexpected on the road.
Riding his horse leisurely, he heard the sound of a carriage approaching rapidly from behind. Turning around, he saw a carriage hurtling towards him, as if being chased by some wild beast or bandit, although there was actually no one behind it.