Chapter 170

Despite the palace physician's diagnosis that his condition had greatly improved, Arenheit still did not leave his room, using excuses like his body hurting, his joints aching, and having headaches.

Fortunately, the guest room for dignitaries in the royal palace was so well-furnished that it wasn't stifling at all, even if one didn't leave for a month.

Everywhere he looked was easy on the eyes, with nothing jarring. Soft carpets that matched the gentle aesthetics covered the floor, and it seemed that everything from curtains and bedding to even the smallest piece of cloth had been meticulously dyed in the same color.

It was as if they were emphasizing that there were methods other than flashy and luxurious ones to display royal authority.

Moreover, when lying still with the window across from the bed wide open, how beautifully the royal palace garden scenery appeared with the gently blowing breeze.

If it weren't for the fact that he was in the same building as Yurik, he would have mistaken this place for paradise.

Of course, this was inside a horror novel.

"Heave-ho."

He got up and looked around. There was no one in the room but him, but what about outside that door?

Verde had gone to the townhouse and had not yet returned.

Since he wasn't in a position to come and go frequently, he would probably stay at the townhouse until Arndt returned from the Information Guild.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Arenheit also needed to start moving.

The royal palace was Yurik's home ground, so if he searched well, he might find something useful.

For instance, evidence of interactions with the 'Daughters of Blood,' or suspicious artifacts.

To do that, he would first need to find Yurik.

He grabbed the pull cord right next to the bed and yanked it several times, causing the bell attached above to start ringing loudly.

-Ding-a-ling, ding-a-ling-a-ling!

"Is anyone there? Come here at once!"

At the irritable bell sound, the servant assigned by Yurik rushed in.

"Your Grace, you called. Is there something you need?"

"I wouldn't have called you if there wasn't. When is my servant returning?"

"We haven't yet received word that he has passed through the castle gates, Your Grace. If you could wait just a little longer..."

"A little longer? How long do I have to wait for my servant? The handling of matters is frustratingly slow. Since there's no one to attend to me, you'll have to do it instead."

"If there's anything you desire, please just say the word anytime. His Highness the Crown Prince has instructed us to ensure that Your Grace experiences not even a point of discomfort during your stay."

Yurik really seemed to be trying hard to keep him in the royal palace.

'Not even a point of discomfort'?

When they say that, it just makes him want to create discomfort.

Imagining Yurik's contorted face made Arenheit feel strangely pleased.

"Now that my body feels somewhat light, I'd like to have a meal. It would be nice to have duck breast, not greasy, accompanied by cooked bean sprouts."

"Yes, I will instruct them to prepare it."

"I also want to take a bath. I don't like hot water, so have them prepare water at a moderate temperature with fragrance oil made from flowers that grow only in the northeast."

"I will ensure that nothing is missed."

"The feeling of the slippers I'm wearing now isn't good, so look for new ones. Now you may go."

The servant bowed and withdrew.

He was probably thinking this was less demanding than other fussy high nobles.

But there was one crucial difference between high nobles and Arenheit.

He was deliberately trying to find fault with the servants.

The snowman hiding under the pillow poked out its face and muttered.

"Worshipper face wicked. Doing on purpose?"

"For a great cause, one must endure some sacrifices."

"Wrong. Worshipper, sacrifice? No. Other humans sacrifice? Yes. Worshipper sacrifice, not even speck."

"Tch. It's not right for a deity's avatar to interrupt when a human is speaking."

"This crazy worshipper. Properly mad."

Say whatever you want, prattle on all you like.

Arenheit leaned back on the pillow where the snowman was lying and simply found fault with everything the servants prepared.

"Is this breast meat? The fat is dripping so much it's pooling on the plate! To think you'd ask me to eat something like this. If I get sick from eating this grease, His Highness the Crown Prince will interrogate you first! And what's wrong with these bean sprouts? I ordered cooked ones, and you brought something completely raw. Do you think it's cooked just because it has char marks? Tears cloud my vision thinking that the royal chef might serve such food to His Highness the Crown Prince. His Highness is truly merciful. How can I eat this? Bring something else immediately."

"What is this now? This is the first time I've had such tough duck breast. I'd believe you if you said it was chicken, not duck! I said I don't like greasy food, not that I want meat with absolutely no fat! And what are these bean sprouts? I said cook them more, and it seems you've thrown them in a pot and boiled them for an hour. Can't you see the parts that have turned gray? I'd believe you if you said it was porridge made from bean sprouts, not cooked bean sprouts. In my opinion, it seems the kitchen is parasitizing the royal palace, relying on His Highness the Crown Prince's broad generosity. The longer I look at it, the worse I feel. Take it back!"

"Could there be an assassin among the servants targeting me? No? That's a relief. I thought you were trying to kill me by parboiling me in the bathwater. Didn't I say I dislike hot water? But this would boil me alive just by dipping my feet in. I don't know much, so I'm asking, do ordinary people bathe in lava? No? I really don't know. I just want to understand! Does everyone wash in such boiling water? The world is truly strange. Change the water. All of it!"

"When I said the water was too hot, now you're filling the bathroom with cold water, but what should I say? Is this the temperature for bath water? Ah, is this subtle pressure for me to go wash in the royal fountain? But I think so too. Considering I'd catch a cold and fall ill by washing in such cold water, it might be better to strip naked and wash in the outdoor fountain. I'm starting to think I made too unreasonable a request by asking for the right bath water temperature."

"I think I asked for different indoor slippers, but why is there something that doesn't even look like indoor slippers in front of me? Ah, sorry. I sprain my ankle when I wear plush slippers. What can I do? It's the weak physique my mother left me."

"I said I didn't like slippers that were too plush, not that I liked slippers with soles like dried biscuits. I don't remember saying that. Do you there remember me saying that? Hm? What is this? Perhaps this is a subtle plea for me to not eat that strange duck meat and bean porridge when I'm hungry, but instead to gnaw on the slipper soles? Not bad. I'll take a bite and then go see His Highness the Crown Prince."

If there was one thing Arenheit was grateful to his department head from the black company he came from,

It was that he had directly and indirectly taught him how to perform top-notch tyrannical behavior.

He had seen countless scenes of him squeezing subcontractors or finding fault with and commanding subordinates.

Recalling those scenes and imitating them, he was surprised at how convincing it seemed. As the old saying goes, "A dog that's been in a classroom for three years can recite poetry." There was not a single old saying that was incorrect.

Of course, he would feel guilty doing this to innocent people, but this was the royal palace, and he was a guest Yurik was keeping an eye on.

In other words, since these servants were also reporting his every move to Yurik, it all evened out in the end.

Arenheit lightly frowned at the scene in front of him.

Seven servants were bowing their heads before him. This was the result of his earlier "tyrannical behavior."

One servant wasn't nearly enough to satisfy his "ambiguous" tastes.

The servant called colleagues, and those colleagues called other colleagues, pooling their wisdom.

In the end, this became a scene where over seven servants had joined forces to resolve this issue, all failing and becoming dejected.

Arenheit, still in bed, leaning diagonally against the pillow, watched them and then let out a deep sigh.

"His Highness the Crown Prince..."

A flinch.

At the mention of Yurik, one servant's shoulders briefly trembled.

"...do you know why he assigned you as my servants? I can't even guess his plan. Perhaps I'm being too shortsighted."

"We apologize, Your Grace. We are inadequate to meet your high standards-"

"No. Never mind. Where is His Highness the Crown Prince?"

"At this time, he should be in his office."

"Guide me there. I must see His Highness the Crown Prince."

Arenheit rose from his seat, but the servants only exchanged glances, hesitating.

Why were they acting like this?

"I said guide me."

"Your Grace, I'm sorry to say this, but His Highness is averse to unscheduled visitors coming to his office."

"Averse?"

"Yes. Furthermore, there's an order now not to let anyone into the office."

"Even if there's an urgent matter?"

"Yes."

"What is he doing inside? Is it something important? Or is there someone with him?"

"I haven't been able to find out that much."

Oh. There was a suspicious smell in the air.

Which iteration was it? Arenheit had visited Yurik's office once.

He couldn't recall the details clearly, but he remembered the impression that there were an unusual number of books.

No. Wait a moment.

There had been an enormous number of old books. It was so many that it could have been believed to be a library.

And surely among them...

"Guide me."

"But Your Grace. As I just explained."

"It doesn't matter. I am a guest directly invited by His Highness, and if I have any discomfort in my living conditions, shouldn't I report it to His Highness? If His Highness becomes angry, I'll bear the consequences."

"However."

"Guide me! Now!"

Finally losing patience and shouting, the servants reluctantly left his room.

One of the remaining servants stood by the door with a truly unwilling expression, and Arenheit stuffed the struggling snowman into his indoor overcoat and left the room.

To reach the main castle where the office was located, they had to pass through several corridors and galleries.

Although it felt like they had walked for quite a long time, there was no one passing by except for palace employees.

No minister, official, other nobility, envoy from abroad, royal concubine, wet nurse, royal palace guard, or noble lady...

It was strange that he hadn't noticed it before now.

A scene that looked as if only what was necessary and what should be there remained, with everything unnecessary completely cut away.

A feeling like only this royal palace was vividly drawn against an all-gray, empty background.

Why?

In front of Yurik's office stood two servants wearing the same design of stiff, formal uniforms as the servant leading Arenheit.

They showed reluctance as soon as they made eye contact with him.

"Your Grace. His Highness the Crown Prince is not receiving audiences at this time. I will inform His Highness of your visit, so for now, please return first..."

"I need to see him now."

"Please forgive us for having to prioritize His Highness the Crown Prince's orders."

"Didn't I say I need to see him now!"

"His Highness is busy with important matt- Your Grace!"

Arenheit pushed them aside without hesitation and flung open the office door.

It was similar to the room he had seen before, but not exactly the same.

Carpets and draperies with patterns of three-headed snakes and lions.

A modest and scholarly atmosphere created by a huge reddish-brown desk and bookshelves.

But the windows that had once been full of light were covered with dark red curtains, and books that had been partially read were piled here and there on the floor and around the chairs.

"Your Grace!"

"As the Duke of Hartmann and a guest personally invited by His Highness, I have some grounds for confidence, but if you disobey His Highness's orders, you will be severely reprimanded. Can you handle that?"

At those words, the servants who had followed him in stopped in their tracks.

Unable to cross the exact boundary between inside and outside, the hesitating servants received one more emphatic command.

"Close the door."

The servants, who had been exchanging glances, slowly closed the door, leaving only Arenheit inside.

As soon as the door closed with a clang, the snowman rolled out from between the overcoat.

The snowman, who had been rubbing its bald head, stood up as if it had realized something.

"Worshipper. From here."

"Yes. I realized it too. Just now."

He slowly approached the bookshelf.

The ancient books densely packed on the shelves still looked like they would crumble at the slightest touch, but that wasn't what was important.

He pulled out any book his hand reached, checked the content written on the pages, and then picked up another book.

One, two, three.

After repeating this several times, he finally stopped his hand and looked up at the huge bookshelf in bewilderment.

[The Golden Bough].

[Sussex Chieftain].

[The Mystery of Worms].

[Black Grimoire of Ten Thousand Demons].

[Dorchina Shtar].

[Malleus Maleficarum]...

"...No. This can't be. This shouldn't be. Humanly speaking, this isn't right."

If it had been him in a previous iteration, he would never have been able to read these books.

He wouldn't even have been able to discern these titles, let alone read them.

Books written in a language not of this world, but of another.

He owned just one book of this kind.

[Grimoire Pnakotic].

Books filling the shelves from top to bottom.

Yurik had been collecting all the existing grimoires in this world.

For what purpose? Had he collected this many simply for 'world destruction'? Or did he have another intention?

While Arenheit's head was spinning, the snowman, who had been scanning the grimoires on the shelf, suddenly jumped up and started hitting his legs frantically.

"Worshipper! Worshipper! Coming! Is coming! Must hide!"

"What do you m-"

At that moment, the neigh of a horse cut through the air and resounded loudly inside the office.

For an instant, it felt as if the ceiling and floor were flipping over,

Before he could regain his senses, Arenheit was lying on the floor, facing a pair of bright red eyes.

A voice that pretended to be friendly while mocking asked.

"Duke, did you not hear that my office was off-limits?"