Damn, I recarneted As A Judge in Fantasy World-Chapter 265: The Unwelcoming Banquet

Abel exchanged greetings with Paley III.

As they entered the banquet hall, a splendidly decorated interior came into view.

'You prepared a lot even in difficult times?'

Perhaps because the Duke of the Empire was coming, a grand banquet had been arranged.

In one corner, a dozen or so people played instruments, and the nobles who followed them took their places.

Finally, Paley III called Abel up to the stage and spoke in a booming voice.

"His Majesty, Duke Carriers, will be serving as the Chancellor of the Duchy for the time being. He has decided to work hard for our country, so please welcome him with all your heart."

Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap!

There was a brief burst of restrained applause, but the banquet hall soon fell silent.

As expected, the atmosphere was not very welcoming.

That was only natural.

These were the long-standing vested interests of the Duchy of Crawford.

How could they possibly feel good when a rolling stone threatened to turn their country upside down?

They likely hoped that Abel would simply stay put for a while and then disappear quickly.

'I see.'

Actually, Abel didn't think much of the nobles.

It was true that, up until now, he had mostly encountered people steeped in greed and malice.

That was unavoidable, given his position.

After all, those who came to court to be tried were more likely to be evildoers.

But there were quite a few truly noble people in the world.

Baron Relbrandt, the warden of the prison, and the Patton brothers, who were strict disciplinarians—these were nobles who, while not to the extent of practicing noblesse oblige, still sufficiently fulfilled their roles.

'But here, there are only fools who are interested solely in protecting their rice bowls.'

The country was in such a state of disarray that they had to seek help from foreign experts, yet these nobles didn't seem to grasp the severity of the situation.

Well, that couldn't be helped.

All they enjoyed was the splendor and affluence of noble life.

The miserable state of the slums had been reduced to nothing more than a spectacle to them.

"Hello, Your Highness."

Suddenly, a clear voice rang out.

The banquet had begun, yet everyone merely stole glances at Abel.

Perhaps someone had finally mustered the courage to speak.

When Abel turned his head, a familiar silhouette came into view.

"It's been a long time, Princess Justia."

"Was this the first time since the wedding?"

"Alice was so sorry. She was so fond of His Highness the Duke and the Royal Guard."

As Abel listened to Princess Justia's words, a terrifying memory suddenly resurfaced.

He recalled the blind date that had ended in an endless hell of night bread.

Hic!

As soon as that memory came to mind, a hiccup sounded from behind him.

It was the violent reaction of Cordell McNeill, who had been hiding in Abel's shadow.

"Haha! I guess it wasn't meant to be. How is Soltri Alice doing?"

"She met a good spouse after that. She couldn't attend the banquet because she is pregnant at the moment."

"What a relief… No, this is something to celebrate."

Abel had almost let a slip of the tongue.

Cordell seemed to relax upon hearing that Alice hadn't come.

So much so that his stealth skills, which he had been quietly honing, completely dissolved.

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While Princess Justia stepped away for a moment, Abel whispered to Cordell McNeill.

"Why would the famous Alice do this?"

"She said she would teach me about the Infinite Mussel Hell next time we meet."

"That's a proposal as terrifying as King Chestnut Bread."

"Ugh!"

As Abel watched Cordell tremble like a poplar tree, he nearly burst into laughter.

But he couldn't laugh openly.

Soon, Princess Justia returned to her seat, bringing someone familiar.

"It's been a long time, Your Majesty."

"Hello?"

The person who greeted Abel was Izukaya Soltri.

He had married Princess Justia.

From what Abel had heard in passing, it seemed that Izukaya had inherited the title.

Now, he was called the Marquis of Soltri.

Unlike before, there was now a rather mature atmosphere about him.

While exchanging greetings and chatting about various matters, Izukaya subtly lowered his voice.

"Your Highness, Duke Carriers."

"Yes."

"I heard that you will be taking on the position of Chancellor this time. I heard that His Majesty the King will bestow upon you tremendous authority."

"Yes."

"I know it may be presumptuous of me to ask, but may I request a favor?"

Abel looked at Izukaya quietly.

In truth, he wasn't particularly close with him.

He had only seen him a few times due to his engagement to Princess Justia.

Besides, Izukaya had once been nothing more than a reckless kid obsessed with playing knights.

'So I didn't think much of him, and now he's asking for a favor right from the start? I'm really disappointed.'

However, outright refusal would be impolite.

At the very least, Abel decided to listen, if only for Princess Justia's sake.

"Please, speak."

Marquis Izukaya Soltri took a moment to catch his breath.

Finally, he spoke with a solemn expression.

"Please destroy our family for sure."

…What was Abel supposed to say to that?