Rattle.
Every time the carriage shook on the rough stone road, my body sitting inside swayed back and forth as well.
‘…Uncomfortable.’
The constant shaking made my head ring. I rubbed my throbbing temples and let out a small sigh.
“What a fantastic ride quality.”
I know I shouldn’t expect the level of transportation I enjoyed in 21st century South Korea. There are no roads neatly paved with asphalt here, nor cars that glide smoothly at the press of an accelerator.
But while my head understands that, my body, accustomed to such conveniences, can’t seem to adapt and keeps creaking in protest.
What’s truly uncomfortable is that I have to endure this state for several more days, but I couldn’t just keep complaining. Unlike me, who has no trials to speak of other than enduring this shaking, the others are bearing their share of duties as well.
I don’t need to organize luggage. I don’t have to scout the road, nor do I drive the horses myself. I know that the privileges of the class system are protecting me, so this was luxury among luxuries.
So I intended to endure as quietly as possible, without complaint. Silently and calmly…
“Oh no.”
I quickly bowed my head and covered my nose. Red droplets of blood dripped through the gaps between my fingers.
[Current Chaos Meter: 74%]
[Current Chaos Meter: 73%]
[Current Chaos Meter: 72%]
It was a number that made the 90 percent I had recovered before departure—by leaving Lenox alone—seem meaningless. Watching it steadily drop bit by bit, I was starting to need countermeasures.
As if agreeing with my opinion, a system window urgently appeared.
[The ‘Chaos Meter’ continues to decline. Please be careful!]
[.·´¯(>▂<)´¯·.]
[Starting from 60% on the ‘Chaos Meter’, there is a risk of losing consciousness!]
“I know, damn it.”
Who would be doing this without knowing that?
I tried to endure silently as much as possible, but the nosebleed started pouring out more and more. Not only did my skull ring, but my vision occasionally went completely black.
In the end, I had no choice but to stick my blood-covered hand out the carriage window and request help.
“Hey.”
“…Eek!”
Billy, startled out of his wits, stopped the carriage and practically jumped inside.
“Wh-what is this? Your Imperial Majesty, your hand… Are you having another nosebleed?”
“Mm. That’s not what’s important.”
“How can this not be important! Just a moment.”
Hastily pulling out a handkerchief and a small glass vial, he poured the contents of the vial onto the handkerchief. Then he carefully plugged my nose with it.
“Take one deep breath.”
Look at him sprinkling weird stuff. Won’t that go into my nose then?
“It’s medicinal stone powder with hemostatic effects. You need to inhale it through your nose. It won’t hurt.”
…It won’t hurt, he says. Might as well try it out on the off chance.
I obediently followed Billy’s instructions.
When I pressed my nose into the handkerchief I was given, the pungent scent characteristic of medicinal stones filled my nostrils. The nosebleed didn’t stop right away, but I could feel the hot, burning pain gradually subsiding.
“We’ll have to search for a skilled physician as soon as we arrive in the north. I never imagined you’d be ill this often.”
When the nosebleed didn’t stop easily, Billy muttered with a voice full of regret.
“Though it’s fortunate that the mountain range extending to the south produces many rare medicinal herbs and stones…”
“I can handle this much.”
The problem was that this wasn’t happening because I was genuinely frail. Frowning, I examined the system window floating in the air.
‘This damn Chaos Meter.’
There are no teacups to smash here, no vases, not even glass windows. Moreover, I’ve broken things too often when needed, so now it doesn’t rise as meaningfully as it used to.
How am I supposed to restore that troublesome meter?
“Your Imperial Majesty!”
While I was lost in thought, the strength in my grip loosened. The handkerchief fell with a thud and blood droplets dripped onto the floor.
At the sight of the mess, not only Billy but others nearby all screamed at once.
“Oh my goodness!”
“This is not the time for this. We must take Your Imperial Majesty to a place where you can rest immediately! You there! Go ahead to the nearby village and search for an inn first!”
“…Pardon? But there’s still quite a while until sunset, and if we stop at the nearest village from here, we might arrive at the territory a day late…”
“It was a village without a lord anyway, so what great disaster could happen if it’s without one for another day! Go now!”
I smiled brightly while staining the new handkerchief I received from Albert with my nosebleed.
[Current Chaos Meter: 80%]
How fortunate that the system interpreted the meaning of ‘chaos’ ambiguously.
***
The north was a little colder than I had vaguely anticipated.
The office, which they said had been hastily organized, was filled with cool air. Even though the windows were tightly shut, it was quite cold, and according to Albert, the real winter hadn’t even begun yet.
Then just how harsh would the bitter cold of midwinter be? The talk of people dying from the cold didn’t seem to be an exaggeration.
‘They sure manage to live in a place like this.’
Perhaps that’s why the words about many refugees with nowhere to go flowing in came to mind. Well, there must be individual stories behind being pushed all the way to this cold extreme.
Perhaps worried that frail me might collapse from the northern cold, the servants diligently carried items not only to the bedroom but also here to the office.
Blankets suitable for covering oneself, firewood and magic stones to put in the fireplace, and even tea brewed with medicinal herbs said to be good for anemia.
The medicinal tea in particular was brought by the captain of the guard who was said to manage security here. Though he was quite wary of me with all my notorious rumors, he still maintained a respectful attitude throughout.
When I tossed a magic stone—said to be used like firewood here—into the fireplace, the flames turned golden and displayed an even more vivid heat.
As I watched that brilliant light, I suddenly recalled the owner of eyes that had sparkled so brilliantly.
‘You look delicious.’
There was a reason I thought of him, who had inexplicably approached me when I had fainted and asked to let him eat my soul.
It was because when the carriage carrying exhausted me had just entered the Grand Duchy territory, I had heard a voice presumed to be his.
‘Found you.’
It was a voice as small as the wind’s whisper, but I believed it was him. I couldn’t explain why, but I had that conviction.
‘He said he’d come find me soon, so I wonder if we’ll meet again shortly.’
As I was carefully mulling over his ambiguous yet mysterious first impression, someone knocked on the door politely.
“Your Imperial Majesty. It’s Albert.”
“Come in.”
He entered the office holding a small wooden box.
“I heard you found items suitable for a simple enthronement ceremony.”
The box Albert handed me contained a small brass bowl and a stake-shaped knife made from ground animal bones.
“These are said to be items symbolizing the traditions of this place. They’ve been passed down through generations to the masters of the castle… but it seems they’ve been neglected since the position has been vacant for so long.”
“Mm, so it appears.”
I nodded while turning the slightly rusted brass bowl this way and that.
Still, it was quite delicately crafted. On the surface of the bowl was engraved a scale balanced by a sword, with an added explanation that this was the emblem symbolizing this land.
“Until now, the masters of this place would draw blood with the bone of a magical beast and place it in this bowl, swearing to care for this land until their dying day.”
True to his learned nature, it seemed he had researched the northern traditions in advance as well. Indeed, he was a talent too valuable to waste as a janitor.
“Of course, it’s just an old custom, so if you dislike drawing blood from your noble body…”
“No, it’s fine.”
I picked up the bone knife and spun it around.
“What kind of great body do I have that a few drops would be precious?”
Thinking of the nosebleed I shed on the way here, this much doesn’t even count as blood loss. When I lightly cut my fingertip with the knife, reddish blood beaded up and dripped into the rusted bowl.
Though it was a modest enthronement ceremony with only one witness, what did it matter? What was important was that this was recognized as an enthronement ceremony, and the fact that I had safely become the Grand Duke Betius.
[The conditions for the first event, ‘Conferment Ceremony of the Grand Duke Betius Title,’ have been met.]
[Recovery Status: ■□□□□□□□□□]
This was my first success in this world.
