Chapter 181: Devil's Snot (5)

After finishing Lunch with Edmund.

Our Party exchanged farewells with Edmund.

"Are only you coming to the banquet this Dinner, Your Highness?"

"I suppose so. My wife is currently heavily pregnant, so she is not in a situation to leave the Annex Palace."

"Then I will see you then."

"Right. Go on ahead."

After parting ways with the Imperial Prince like that.

We hurriedly headed to the Tailor Shop we had made a Reservation for.

The Time left until the banquet was 5 hours.

It was a tight Time to get Formal wear Custom-made.

On the way to the Tailor Shop.

Jenny, the only one in our Party who got her Dress fitted One month ago, let out a Sigh.

"I feel like the Tailor is going to curse out Shallot and Professor."

Shallot tilted her head at that soliloquy.

"Why do you think so, Jenny?"

"If you were them, wouldn't you curse if someone asked you to take measurements, cut the fabric, and make a custom Dress within a day?"

"Then couldn't they just alter Ready-to-wear?"

"Could there possibly be a Tailor who dares to alter Ready-to-wear instead of making it Custom-made for The Black Saint and his Fiancée?"

"I don't particularly mind, though."

"That Tailor's Life minds."

Jenny spoke in disgust.

"If they make a mistake, word of mouth might spread and the shop could go out of business, you know? Asking to make it within a day. The Tailor is going to suffer quite a bit."

"......I lacked Consideration."

I engaged in Self-reflection.

I thought it would be fine if I paid enough money.

The shop also seemed to accept it readily.

But I was overlooking my Influence.

'To think I'm still going around causing this kind of Nuisance.'

I know that my Reputation is not light.

But perhaps because my Social status had risen so steeply.

The habits ingrained in my body couldn't catch up to my Social status.

Normally, there was no problem.

Because if I acted according to Yulian's Persona, the surroundings usually interpreted it favorably on their own.

The problem was that sometimes, if I wasn't conscious of it, there were times when I made mistakes.

I would often forget that a stone I threw carelessly could dictate a person's Life.

"No matter how busy I was, forgetting is just an excuse. I should give them an Apology later, right, Jenny?"

"But you didn't have Time to get Formal wear fitted for 2 months either, Professor. If you offer an Apology, the shop will understand, Professor."

I think this sometimes, but.

The only ones around me who knew how to behave according to their position were Jenny and Freya.

Freya showed the demeanor of a traditional Noble,

and Jenny would show the conduct of a traditional Healer.

Probably because she is the daughter of Diocesan Head Lilac, it was ingrained in her body.

'As expected, there is a difference between traditional Nobles and someone who achieved Sudden success.'

I thought I should continue to learn various things from the two of them in the future.

Meanwhile, she suddenly remembered something and playfully said.

"Ah, right. It would depend on how much you paid for the cost. By any chance, how much did you pay for fitting yours and Shallot's clothes, Professor?"

"Perisia Handled it, so I am not too sure."

Perisia tended to Handle trivial(?) Expenditures on her own while coordinating the Schedule.

I also don't really know how much went out.

I gave Perisia A glance.

She nodded and held out something like a receipt.

"On top of 3 times the VIP Rate, we gave all the shop employees working hard today an additional Tip of 100,000 Mar each."

"......"

Jenny, who was silently looking down at the receipt, soon changed her words.

"With this kind of price, there really would be no need for an Apology, wouldn't there? Rather, it would be the shop's Fault if they couldn't make the clothes within today."

"?"

What the heck.

Why are you changing your words.

In the end, that day, I realized a Truth.

You cannot buy Dignity with money.

But it was possible to express my sincerity with an amount.

And usually, sincerity had a way of covering up a certain amount of rudeness.

*

The carriage arrived at the Tailor Shop we had made a Reservation for.

As soon as I arrived, an Old gentleman came out to greet me as if he had been waiting.

"Welcome, Lord Saint. I am Marco, the House Manager of Primo Abito."

The House Manager held his hand out to me.

Seeing that sight, a memory from when I was Seventeen years old came to mind.

— "Older Brother. You're not supposed to do a Handshake at this time, you have to hand over your Overcoat."

Back then, I thought that gesture meant he wanted a Handshake.

It turned out it meant for me to hand over my Overcoat.

Thanks to Freya's Correction back then, I could avoid an Awkward situation.

I took that mistake as a lesson and handed over my Overcoat this time.

The House Manager, having received my Overcoat, stepped aside.

"Lord Saint. I express my sincere Gratitude once again for making a precious visit to our Primo Abito. I will escort you to the Private Room inside."

Receiving the manager's Guidance like that, I headed inside.

Getting Formal wear Custom-made was complicated and dizzying as always.

While the Seamstresses held tape measures and measured the lengths of my Shoulders and arms.

The Tailor spoke about the design of the Formal wear from opposite me.

"I heard you are participating in a military-related event. In that case, it would be best for it to be as similar to a Military uniform as possible, but without imitating a Military uniform."

It was something I felt while getting my Formal wear fitted, but.

As expected, a Tailor Shop with 150 years of Tradition was indeed different.

A prime example was the following conversation.

"It is not a memorial service. It would be good if it wasn't too dark and gave a hopeful Impression."

"In that case, Midnight Blue would be better than Black. I would like to recommend an Imperial Western-style Evening Suit, how does that sound?"

If I spoke Poorly, the Tailor translated it Perfectly and decided on the design.

Then, as an Illiterate when it came to Formal wear, I would simply nod my head.

'Rather than getting Humiliated by pretending to know things here for no reason, it's better to listen to the Expert.'

It might be different if it were Cooking or medicine.

I was an Illiterate in this field.

But if I pretended to know for no reason, my image would be ruined.

I had no choice but to trust the Tailor's sense and go with it.

"Considering the Temperature of the Banquet hall, I intend to prepare a fabric that does not exceed 280g per square meter."

"Please do so."

"Next, Lord Saint, your Impression is fundamentally...... Hmm."

The Tailor, who was about to bring up my appearance, trailed off for a moment.

"Because your Impression is somewhat calm, Lord Saint, Matte buttons would suit you better than Metal buttons with patterns."

"Please do so."

"Your Shoulder lines are nice and your appearance is quite outstanding, so I would like to adjust this part on my own, would that be alright?"

"Please do so."

I was just becoming a Doll, spouting out the same answers like that.

Jenny, who was waiting for me sitting on a Chair, carefully asked a Question.

"Professor. But is the banquet really necessary?"

"What do you mean by that, Miss Jenny?"

"You said it was a gathering to celebrate the launch of the <Disabled Veteran Support Foundation>. But did it really need to be in the format of a banquet?"

"Are you implying it would be better to spend the banquet fees on the Treatment of Soldiers?"

"I suppose so."

It was a Rational Pointing out.

If we saved the money meant for the banquet, we could Support more Soldiers.

But that's only if I was operating the Foundation alone.

I made eye contact with Jenny through the mirror and spoke.

"A Foundation can ultimately only run healthily for a long Time if we open the Wallets of the Nobles and The Military."

I created the Foundation.

But the Foundation cannot be run alone.

To run the Foundation healthily and for a long Time, the participation of other people is necessary.

"The Foundation cannot forcefully extract funds like a Tax. We have to make people give voluntarily. And the most excellent means to draw out that voluntariness is precisely a banquet."

At first glance, it might look like we are ignoring the Soldiers and using them as an excuse to enjoy a banquet.

One might think that with this money, we could help a few more Soldiers instead.

But Aristocratism and emotion do not move by such logic.

"People satisfy their Pity by throwing a few Coins into a charity Box on the street. But in a splendid Banquet hall, they willingly pour out Gold Coins, even if just for the sake of their Face."

Traditionally, a person's Wallet loosens as the feast gets bigger.

It's not for nothing that large Foundations throw year-end Parties.

I used that point to hold the banquet.

'They'll probably give a lot of Donations if only considering my Face.'

Coincidentally, The Military also seemed to be contemplating whether to dip their toes a little into this Foundation project.

It seemed they were unfamiliar with the concept of Welfare as the Dark Fantasy vibes hadn't fully washed out yet.

Spending money on discharged Soldiers felt like a waste, yet hearing about it, Welfare quietly seemed necessary.

They seemed to be deliberating between the two.

So I intended to slyly push their backs through the banquet.

"There is no Noble who wants to look like a stingy miser in front of others. Therefore, this banquet is a necessary Luxury."

The Military is also like a single family in a way.

Meaning they have their own kind of pride.

If I gently scratched that pride, they would also abandon their Dark Fantasy-style rationality and join in the Donation.

I finished speaking while adjusting my Tie pin.

At that logic, Jenny nodded her head.

"Thinking about it, that would be able to help significantly more people. My Field of view was narrow. As expected, you have deep thoughts, Lord Saint."

At those words, I simply smiled silently.

Because contrary to Jenny's delusion, there was a Time when I also didn't feel the necessity of such events like her.

'When I was a Resident Doctor, I wondered why they held Donation events hosted by the Academic Society or the Hospital Director so luxuriously.'

But there was a reason for all of it.

They said that if the banquet was shabby, the people giving money would also become petty in their hearts and close their Wallets or something.

I only accepted it after the Professor explained the above logic to me.

"Lord Saint. This is the Draft of the design. Would this be alright?"

In the meantime, the Tailor who was recording the design on Parchment interrupted my Idle Thoughts.

I broke out of my Idle Thoughts and focused on the Tailor.

Then I nodded as I looked at the design sketch he had drawn on a wide drawing paper.

At that, the Tailor bowed his head and said.

"Understood. Following the Fitting, we will immediately begin production. If by chance you have nowhere to spend your Time while waiting, I would like to recommend a Beauty Salon partnered with our shop. How does that sound?"

"I would be grateful if you did so."

And 2 hours after that.

My Formal wear and Shallot's Dress were completed.

*

It became Time for Dinner.

The curtain rose on the banquet at the Grand Banquet Hall located in the Heart of The Capital.

The Banquet hall was crowded as per my Prediction.

The Nobles of the Capital, figures from The Military, well-known Guild Masters, and the like responded to the Invitation in large numbers.

Looking at those countless people, Shallot spoke sarcastically.

"I didn't know the people of the Empire had this much Interest in comforting Disabled Veterans and establishing a Foundation."

"Don't be like that, Shallot. Whatever their Intention for gathering is, they are people planning to give a Donation."

"I know. That the Foundation can be made because those people are here. But seeing their Intention to build Personal Connections with my Fiancé like this makes me feel Uncomfortable."

"Oh my. You know how to feel Jealousy too, Shallot?"

Shallot glared at Jenny.

But far from shrinking back, Jenny skillfully soothed Shallot.

"Naturally, as the stakes grow larger, the purposes of the gathered people become diverse as well. Still, if those stakes flow in a good direction, wouldn't that also be Good Deeds?"

"......Don't slyly use Rationalization on the slump of Horse Number 4 today like that, Jenny."

"Urgh!"

Jenny tightly gripped a wad of paper while clutching her chest.

I had no choice but to tilt my head at the two's conversation.

It was my Fault for failing to follow the Context of the conversation.

Before long, the carriage opened and it was our turn to enter.

Following Etiquette, I entered side by side with my Fiancée, Shallot.

Following behind, Jenny and Perisia entered together.

It meant they had no thought of finding a Fiancé here.

"The Black Saint, Lord Yulian Nihilrit Schnabel, and his Fiancée are entering!"

At that shout, I fell into nostalgia for a moment.

In the past, the calling of Shallot's name, a Marquis's Young Lady, came before my name.

It was because I, who was publicly nothing more than the Young Master of a Baron, was pushed back in priority.

But at this banquet, it was the exact opposite.

'Once again, I've really reached this position.'

I entered down into the hall with Crossed arms with Shallot.

All the gazes inside the Banquet hall focused on us.

Among those gazes, there was a familiar face too.

Next to the table in the very front row where we sat.

Imperial Prince Edmund, who came alone, greeted us with A glance.

'He said the Imperial Princess Consort wasn't coming.'

The appearance of the Imperial Prince, who came to the banquet leaving his heavily pregnant Wife behind, looked somewhat carefree.

He seemed happy to legally have a drink after a long Time.

'Don't tell me he came out using me as an excuse.'

Harboring such thoughts, I headed to my seat.

However, before I could even take five steps.

Countless figures surged forward with fierce Vigor.

— "The Black Saint, it is an Honor to meet you like this."

— "I have heard much about the Deliberative Council. It is truly an excellent Intention."

— "Our trading company would also like to add what little strength we have to the Foundation......"

Nobles trying to make an Impression and Guild Masters trying to form a Connection blocked the way.

I put on a business smile and Handled them one by one.

I wasn't the type to flatter anyone, but it wasn't as if I didn't know how to give Lip service to people planning to give a Donation.

— "Trauma Surgery originally runs on these kinds of Donations. So it would be good for you to know how to do Lip service too."

The Teacher's advice came to mind.

In reality, the very person who said that only knew how to lie down on the floor Throwing a tantrum.

Ultimately, I had to do Self-study on the Lip service and response Techniques I supposedly learned from that person, and afterwards, that person left these things to me.

"Thank you for responding to the Invitation, everyone."

I appropriately exchanged pleasantries and Handled them.

During the Handling process, I didn't forget to slyly slip in talk about the Foundation.

Most showed a positive reaction to the establishment of the Foundation.

No, they couldn't help but be positive.

Because it was a banquet gathered for that Purpose.

Meanwhile, Shallot by my side was well-behaved.

She just stayed quiet like a Doll while holding Champagne.

"Do you see that Countess wearing the blue Dress over there? Seeing how the Toe of a shoe is pointing towards the door and there is a faint Bruise under her Earlobe, it seems she recently had a big fight with her Secret lover and is scheming to run away."

I make a Correction.

She was just whispering her Deduction to me alone so no one else could hear.

Still, this was Great progress.

How fortunate was it that she wasn't directly telling this to people she was meeting for the first time.

Just like that, listening closely to the High Society Scandals she told me, I exchanged greetings with the people.

Before long, around the Time the Banquet hall's atmosphere ripened.

The MC stepped onto the Podium and called me.

I headed to the Podium for the Toast.

And lightly raised my Chalice.

"First, I express my Gratitude to everyone who brightened this seat today."

Originally, I'm not the type to give a long Toast.

But as the Purpose of the banquet was what it was, this speech was a bit long.

"We often dismiss the Disease of Addiction as a Result of an individual's weakness or debauchery. Saying they touch Drugs because they lack the will, or because they yield to Pleasure."

The inside of the hall became deadly quiet, like a dead Rat.

I could see a few nodding their heads.

It was a natural reaction.

Because I too thought that way when I was a Student.

"But the essence of Addiction is different. The most decisive factor in Addiction is not the individual's will, but the 'environment'."

However, this is a wrong Prejudice.

If we cover Addiction with such Prejudice, society has no choice but to pay an even greater Price.

"For a person to reach out for Medication, there are other reasons besides Pleasure.

When they feel their own Usefulness is gone, when they feel they have nowhere to return to. In such times, a person leans on Medication. Because they believe there is nothing else to hold them up but the Medication."

"......"

"Conversely, a person who has a family to protect and something they want to achieve is different.

Such a person does not collapse easily. Because they are more afraid of losing what they must protect than losing to the Medication."

In my Previous life, there were two types of Soldiers who returned from a massive war.

The Heroes who returned victorious from a certain war were hailed as Heroes while receiving immense Status from society.

Among them, those who crumbled to Drugs were rare.

But those who returned from another war were the exact opposite.

Wearing the Yoke of a defeated war, they were isolated and suffered Pointing fingers from society.

Among them, there were exceptionally many who were swallowed by Medication and became zombies wandering the streets.

Of course, as is usually the case with social Phenomena, it is difficult to explain it with just this.

It was the Result of various factors overlapping at the Time.

However, what I want to say is that Drug Addiction is not something to be dismissed merely as a matter of individual will.

The Temperature of the society that accepted them.

Just by that Temperature being warm, the probability of Soldiers reaching out for Drugs could exponentially decrease.

"Therefore, this Foundation wishes to help the Soldiers who have not yet been able to return to their Daily life."

I spoke toward the audience once again.

"We are not trying to do something grandiose. We simply want to let them feel that they are not alone, that they are still being respected. With just that, a person gains the strength to raise themselves up again."

The Foundation's goal is one.

To help the wounded Soldiers so they can one day return to their Daily life.

So that they do not collapse to Medication.

And furthermore, to prevent Disabled Veterans from disrupting public order.

I raised my Chalice a little higher.

"People are not as evil as you Worry. If they feel they are loved, most people will strive to offer a Reward for those feelings. I believe so."

As I raised my Chalice, the audience followed and raised their Chalices.

"For a warm place for our wounded Heroes to return to. A Toast."

""Cheers!!""

Thunderous applause poured out.

The eyes of the Nobles and the wealthy filling the hall had changed.

Whether because of Face or being moved, the atmosphere for their Wallets to open had perfectly ripened.

"Next, there will be a speech by the Representative of the Disabled Veterans."

After the Toast ended like that, this time one Disabled Veteran Representative stepped onto the Podium.

He was the Representative of the Disabled Veterans.

He was a Soldier who suffered a severe injury where his Jaw was crushed on the Frontline One month ago.

Having received First Aid with Low-rank Heal on the Frontline, he visited the Meyer Infirmary for the Reconstruction of his Jaw.

I asked him for a speech.

I called him because there was nothing as effective as having The Individual Concerned come out to draw the Pity of the Nobles.

With a slightly nervous face, he began to tell his story.

"I got my Jaw hit by a Troll on the Northern Frontline. When I first got hit, I wondered what it was. But then I suddenly felt something drooping down, so when I lowered my head, well, my Lower Jaw was gone and my tongue was dangling."

He vividly conveyed the sensation of when his Jaw disappeared on the battlefield.

The Guild Masters who heard this swallowed a Gasp.

Being far removed from the battlefield, they harbored terror at that gruesomeness.

In contrast, the Nobles showed the exact opposite reaction.

"......Did that man fail to receive Treatment unlike us."

Pity could be felt in the gazes of the Nobles looking at the Soldier.

A Noble often heads to the battlefield to prove their ability.

In other words, it meant that most Nobles were also Soldiers.

However, there was a difference in the field Treatment that a Noble, a Hero, and a Soldier could receive.

A Noble is a precious resource of the Empire.

Even if they lose their Jaw, they receive Regeneration when that battle ends.

A Hero has a high possibility of becoming a precious resource for the Empire.

If they lose their Jaw, they can recover their Jaw when there is time.

But an ordinary Soldier is different.

No matter how rapid the Development of Healing Magic has been, Divine Power is still a Limited Resource.

It means that even if they won't die according to Triage, it's not to the extent of recovering their Jaw.

Therefore, he had no choice but to be discharged just like that,

"I even received a Surgery from the Lord Saint at the Academy where he took a part of my Calf bone to reconstruct my crushed Jawbone. Thanks to that, I have become able to speak perfectly fine in front of everyone like this."

He received Reconstructive surgery for his Jawbone at the Meyer Infirmary.

I remember it as a quite complicated Surgery.

It was a Major surgery that swapped out the Calf bone for a Jaw.

As you can see, the Surgery was a Success.

Even if it wasn't at a level to completely replace the Jaw, he could speak fluently like that.

And at that time, I, who was coincidentally making the Foundation, asked this Patient for a speech.

— "If my case can be of help to my Comrades-in-arms, I will gladly do it."

He readily accepted it.

And he was standing at the Podium giving a speech like this.

"Because of the extreme Pain after the injury, I was administered Morphine, and in that process, Dependence developed in me as well. At one Time, I too almost couldn't escape the Sense of relief that the Medication gave me."

The audience held their breath.

During the previous speech, the Nobles must have been feeling a bit of camaraderie toward that Soldier.

Such a man confessed the fact that he had struggled with Morphine.

They couldn't help but feel it wasn't someone else's business.

"I myself thought I was going to become a Cripple at this rate. But the Lord Saint heard my Circumstances and helped me."

As he looked at me, he bowed his head.

"Thanks to the Lord Saint actively helping me, I can now live my Daily life without Medication like this."

The atmosphere in the Banquet hall sank.

Sensing this, the Soldier pointed to his own Jaw and laughed brightly.

"It is a pretty okay Life, except for the feeling that my Jaw smells like my feet when I sleep. I want to let my Comrades-in-arms feel this feeling too, and I would be grateful if you all helped."

At his Joke, laughter burst out from the audience.

Soon, amidst a harmonious atmosphere, the Nobles began scrambling to pull out their Donation Pledges.

*

After the Soldier's presentation ended.

The Nobles each headed toward that Soldier.

Words went back and forth, thanking him for his Devotion to the Empire, telling him he worked hard, or suggesting they have a meal later.

He Handled the Nobles with a smiling face.

I monitored him with eyes filled with Anxiety.

'As for alcohol......'

His Jaw is still in an unstable state.

Most of the wounds and Inflammation were calmed down with Heal.

Nevertheless, perhaps because his Jaw was replaced with a leg bone, there were times it swelled for no reason.

Drinking alcohol in this situation could be dangerous.

Because alcohol expands the Blood Vessels, rapidly Worsening the Edema.

At worst, the swelling could block his airway like Asthma.

So I had banned him from drinking,

"Would you like a glass of Champagne?"

"I apologize. The Lord Saint instructed me that I still must not drink alcohol."

"I see. I'm sorry."

Fortunately, he seemed to be refusing alcohol well.

'Well, if it's to this extent......'

It was just as I was about to turn my gaze away from him like that.

"But isn't it Uncomfortable without one leg bone?"

"My Leg...... is not as Uncomfortable as you'd think. The Shinbone is originally sturdy, so...... Even without one Calf bone, it isn't too hard."

Right after hearing those words, my head automatically turned toward the Soldier.

'What the heck, Damn it.'

I ended up hearing a sound that should not have been heard.