Chapter 292: Nobles Are All Fools, I Kind of Want to Court Death (Patreon)

Noble blood, a wealthy family, outstanding talent, a lofty position: the current Earl of Langweishi, Sikang Langweishi.

At only thirty years old, he had already reached the pinnacle of life.

The sunlit open-air balcony was as big as a room of a full ten square meters. Sikang Langweishi lay on his favorite lounge chair, swirling a goblet in one hand, the red liquid rolling inside.

"Do you know how long a commoner would have to work to afford this one glass?"

The maids in Western-style uniforms, lined up behind him, all kept their heads bowed and said nothing.

"Hmph. It's the fruit of a commoner's labor for an entire year."

Sikang drained the glass in one gulp. Seeing this, the maid holding the wine bottle hurried to refill the empty glass.

"As I see it, nobles are all fools! Take that one, who was it again? Mannier! That idiot old man disgraced every one of us earls. He picked a fight with those bandits of Gaderia over a wretched patch of land ravaged by a dragon calamity, and in the end he lost to them. He died, and his territory was carved up by jackals every bit as greedy as he was.

"And then there's that viscount on the border, who honestly thinks he's living in a fairy tale. He's blessed with magical talent, yet instead of making a name for himself, he goes off to dabble in the amusements of the rabble. And that ridiculous makeup! He's a clown, plain and simple.

"And the newly appointed Governor-Generalr of Lorbeer Territory lately, Levi, I think? All he did was kill the rebel witch Minus, and he scrambled from the very bottom rank up into the nobility, just barely. A very ambitious wolf. But a wolf is only ever a wolf.

"The dukes above them aren't much better. Duke Wolf, who caused that huge scandal, should be called Earl now. His heir, Wolf II, is a short-sighted fool. Give him a little more time to mess things up and he probably won't even keep the earldom. As for the other dukes, they're either too obsessed with honor and hidebound tradition, or else far too filthy.

"As for the royal family, well, a mere noble like me has no right to curse them. That would be a crime."

While he spoke, Earl Sikang had already downed five more glasses of red wine.

"After all this talk, I'd guess you're dying to ask: what about me? What kind of man is Earl Langweishi?"

The atmosphere suddenly turned heavy, but the maids still kept their heads bowed and did not answer in the slightest.

"How dull. I won't hold it against you if you get it wrong."

Earl Sikang waited a little longer, then said to himself with a hint of helplessness:

"A noble, Earl Langweishi, is a fool too! A boring fool! He lives a comfortable, easy life, yet finds everything tedious! This wine, as expected, still isn't stimulating enough!"

"Crash!"

Earl Sikang simply let go, and the glass shattered on the floor. The maid who had been about to refill it jumped in fright.

She hurriedly set the bottle on the triangular table and bent down to gather the scattered shards.

"Shall I fetch you another bottle, then?"

She cradled the fragments in her palms with her head lowered, her voice tinged with fear, terrified that speaking too loudly would offend the earl.

Earl Sikang suddenly sat bolt upright on the lounge chair. His narrow eyes, with their dark gray pupils, locked onto the maid crouched on the floor, her pose giving a glimpse of skin.

"You... who are you?"

"My lord! I overstepped, please punish me!"

The maid hurriedly prostrated herself and knocked her forehead hard against the balcony floor.

"I may be a fool, but I'm not so foolish that I don't know every servant in my own household. My servants never interject in front of me."

Earl Sikang tipped the bottle straight into his mouth and took a long swig, his gaze sweeping down from above over the maid on the floor.

"Human nobles really do know how to play. I didn't expect to be exposed so quickly."

The "maid" dropped the timid tone she'd used until now. Her kneeling legs suddenly pushed off, and she flipped backward, landing on the very edge of the balcony.

"Aren't you afraid of me?"

Seeing that Earl Sikang merely studied her, the "maid" smiled with a flicker of amusement.

"Ha ha ha! On the contrary, I should thank you. Yes, this is exactly the thrill I wanted. Finally, things are getting a little interesting."

Earl Sikang swept both hands out, and three Ordinary Offensive Magic circles appeared at once. White beams slammed toward the "maid" without hesitation.

"I never expected that the Empire's earl, so devoted to the chivalric spirit, would himself be a rather capable Mage."

With a wave of her hand, the "maid" spread a Defensive Magic barrier to intercept the beams.

"Actually, my swordsmanship isn't bad either."

In the blink of an eye, Earl Sikang, covered by his spell, had already dashed in front of the Defensive Magic, and he swung the wine bottle in a downward slash.

"Crack!"

The bottle and the Defensive Magic shattered at the same moment. A large hand passed through the flying fragments and seized the "maid" by the throat.

"I'm sorry, but I don't much like being interrogated."

Earl Sikang had grabbed nothing but air. Instead, a slender hand patted his shoulder from behind.

It was unbelievable. There was clearly someone standing right in front of him, yet he couldn't touch her at all.

"What exactly did you do? Did you poison the wine?"

Earl Sikang halted where he stood. He knew he had fallen completely into the other's trap.

Throughout that brief clash, the maids standing in the back had stayed rooted to the spot, motionless, as if they had fallen asleep.

"Truthfully, I rather like you. In a sense, we're the same kind. I was planning to look for a chance to take your place, but now I've changed my mind. If there's enjoyment to be had, isn't it better to enjoy it together?"

The illusion before Earl Sikang vanished. When he turned around, the maid was lying on his lounge chair, and he had no idea when she had gotten there.

"Maybe, if I give it everything I have, I can still kill you?"

"Hey, hey, you're getting excited over just this much thrill?"

"What?"

Earl Sikang tossed away the half bottle in his hand. The outsider's words seemed to carry a kind of magic, plucking at his heartstrings.

"Sikang Langweishi, I admire you. If you join forces with me, I guarantee I'll bring you the greatest thrills in this world and change your unchanging life."

"Why should I listen to someone who broke into my residence, tried to kill me, and wanted to take everything I have?"

"I'm of the Demon Race. Like you, I'm bored with the way things are, and I always want to do something, to chase a thrill. Hmm, how should I put it most accurately? I kind of want to court my own death."

Hearing the "maid" declare herself of the Demon Race, Earl Sikang couldn't stop himself from pressing a palm against his cheek, his pupils trembling violently.

"Ha, ha... hahahahaha! How interesting, truly interesting! My reason is telling me not to believe a word you say, but my instincts are urging me on. This will surely not be boring, surely be thrilling!"

Earl Sikang stretched out his hand toward the figure on the lounge chair.

"A pleasure doing business. For... hmm, for our amusement."