Infinite Reincarnation – Arthur Hurt - Chapter 105
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Infinite Reincarnation – Arthur Hurt Chapter 105
21-Arthur Hurt, Baron
After the ceremony, the courtier said:
“His Majesty the King has prepared a small banquet for those who have received the grand prize this time.”
“Ah! How glorious it can be!”
Those around him were amazed and delighted by those words, but Arthur wanted to go home quickly.
But the courtier looked at Arthur and said something like this?
“Why are you dressed like that?”
“Are my clothes wrong?”
“If you’re going to be a semi-professional, you should dress neatly. Why are you looking so shabby?”
No, I just wore it modestly, so you say it’s shabby?
But the courtier’s words did not end there.
“It would be rude to attend the banquet held by His Majesty the King in such an appearance. Follow me. I will give you a change of clothes.”
Then, is it okay to wear this outfit and attend the ceremony? Arthur had a question on his mind, but he kept his mouth shut and followed along obediently. Looking at him, the merchants and businessmen who had just become semi-nobles began to speak as if they were finally speaking.
“That’s right. I heard that guy made a lot of money, but his clothes were a bit strange.”
“You must have been working so hard that you didn’t know what to wear.”
“Hey, Arthur! Take this opportunity to learn well!”
Arthur smiled awkwardly at their kindness and quickened his pace following the courtiers.
Arriving in front of a room, the courtier called the maids and asked for clothes for Arthur to wear. The female maids approached Arthur, measured him with a measuring tape, and said,
“Did you wash up?”
“yes.”
“Fortunately, there’s no smell.”
If it smelled, he would make me shower.
Anyway, they packed the clothes they had brought and went inside the room to change, and the courtier who saw them nodded with satisfaction.
“Let’s go.”
“thank you.”
Arthur had the opportunity to follow the courtier and have a brief conversation. The courtier’s name was André Avisson. He was the king’s chamberlain and a sort of butler to the palace.
Why would someone like that take him around like this? Isn’t he busy?
Arthur felt like something was going on around him. It wasn’t anything grand, and Arthur wasn’t the purpose of the work, but it felt like something was being used indirectly to send a message?
With the cosplay he had painstakingly put on now gone, Arthur racked his brain to figure out what the purpose of the banquet was, but there were too many possibilities to help.
When they reached the entrance of the banquet hall, Andre glanced at Arthur and said.
“Why are you so shy?”
“yes?”
Did it look like you were keeping your mouth shut and thinking?
When Arthur asked back with a dumbfounded expression, Andre continued.
“Despite your humble origins, you have come this far through your skills and efforts. Shouldn’t you be proud?”
“… … I’m just a lucky person.”
When Arthur answered quietly, a smile appeared on Andre’s lips as if he had answered correctly.
“How humble. There are so many arrogant people these days. I am sure His Majesty the King will be pleased to hear of your humility.”
So you’re saying you’re going to tell the King about Arthur’s attitude just now?
While Arthur was wondering why on earth he was being so nice to him, Andre continued.
“But at this banquet given by His Majesty the King, you must be proud. You are a nobleman who has been given a title by Him. Be proud of His Majesty’s mercy. Hold your chest high. That is right.”
Arthur nodded as he did as he was told, straightening his spine and puffing out his chest, and opened the banquet hall door.
The banquet hall was not as big as I thought. It looked like a small room for events, not a large one like the royal palace social hall. At most, a tea party? I could understand since it was a banquet for semi-nobles, but it was still a palace tea party, so the scale was not small.
There were tables with snacks and drinks here and there, and the main characters of the day who had attended the banquet first were chatting away.
Merchants and businessmen who had been conversing with the nobles spotted Arthur and beckoned to him.
“Arthur! Come here!”
Arthur could not ignore their gestures and headed towards them. The nobleman who was talking to them recognized Arthur’s name when he heard it.
“Arthur? Are you Arthur Hurt? The one who invented the music box?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Oh~”
The nobleman glanced at Arthur with admiration. His gaze was filled with interest and curiosity rather than contempt or disdain.
The businessman who had beckoned Arthur over introduced the nobleman.
“Greetings. You are Count Hanbaya.”
“Nice to meet you. My name is Arthur Hurt.”
“You have a bright personality. But your manners are a bit lacking.”
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry,”
“Oh, I’m not trying to blame you. There are many young people these days who ignore manners, so why would I blame you?”
Count Hanbaya smiled comfortably and spoke as if it were nothing special, but Arthur, who was dealing with a nobleman, had to rack his brain to find the true meaning behind those plain sentences.
So are you trying to pass him off as a young man who ignores etiquette and gives him bribes?
“Thank you for your mercy.”
“It wasn’t something that particularly required mercy, was it?”
So are you saying you won’t show mercy?
Arthur was confused, but he didn’t show it and answered calmly.
“Thank you for seeing it that way.”
“By the way. Did you say you were the developer of the music box?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“As you know, music boxes are a specialty of our Skara Kingdom. But there’s a problem. Do you know what it is?”
“It means that copying is possible.”
“That’s right. That means that monopoly exports for a long time are impossible.”
Arthur nodded, and Count Hanbaya continued speaking.
“So shouldn’t we export as much as possible in the beginning?”
“You are right.”
“But that requires your determination.”
“Please speak.”
Arthur, speaking like that, could guess what Count Hanbayah was going to say.
“I need the technology. I need the technology to make music boxes.”
At those words, Arthur looked at the businessmen and merchants on either side of Count Hanbaya. They were smiling at Arthur with awkward smiles on their lips, and it seemed that this was the conversation they had been having with Count Hanbaya before Arthur arrived.
Arthur wasn’t having a hard time. Since there were already so many copycat products, there was also the advantage of having a company that officially provided technology to keep a check on them.
Just as I was about to nod my head, something interrupted me.
“Haha. What am I looking at? Is it robbery?”
A man approached the table where the officers were and interrupted.
Count Hanbaya frowned.
“Count Ivan.”
The nobleman called Ivan continued speaking, looking back and forth between Count Hanbayah and Arthur.
“I was just going to pass by, but upon hearing this, I found it so absurd that I decided to intervene. Count Hanba. The way you speak makes it sound like you’re demanding that I hand over the bundle you entrusted to me.”
“It’s a mother ship.”
“Then, tell me what you will give that young man in return for his skills?”
“Isn’t that because of my goodwill and the support of our family?”
“It’s not just ridiculous, it’s shameless. Isn’t that right?”
Ivan looked around and asked for agreement. The surrounding nobles’ expressions toward Count Hanbayah were not good.
This is because it sounded like he was talking about taking over as the genius who created the music box-like object and the exclusive craftsman for the famous brand, Lidis Salon.
Moreover, it was even more vicious in that it tried to chain people by receiving rather than by giving them something.
However, Count Hanbaya, who had been through thick and thin in the aristocratic social and political world where people fought with their tongues, did not back down easily.
“Arthur Hurt, you tell me. Did I threaten you?”
The method of putting Arthur between the two and using him as a shield was truly vicious.
Arthur was burdened by the fact that he was being hit on one side as if he was answering something here. From Count Hanbayah’s perspective, it was not a loss because he could save face by using Arthur as a scapegoat no matter what he answered.
Ah… … I want to take off my rank insignia and put it on. Arthur said carefully, suppressing his discontent inside.
“I am honored to be a noble today… … Is this how it is supposed to be?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Isn’t this a joyous day when many people receive titles from His Majesty the King?”
Arthur said that and watched the two people’s reactions. However, the expressions on their faces were difficult to read because they were old, and instead, they pressured Arthur with their gazes as if to tell him to do more.
Arthur sighed inwardly. Was the exit strategy of trying to stop their conflict at this point not working?
Then we have no choice but to use another method.
“Excuse me… …I didn’t eat lunch, so can I have some food over there?”
At the bold and unexpected attempt to change the subject, Count Hanbayah made a face as if he was wondering what kind of person this was, and Count Ivan made a face of interest.
Of the two, it was Count Ivan, not Count Hanbayah, who took Arthur’s side after reading Arthur’s clear intention of not wanting to get involved in their fight.
“Okay. Eat as much as you want.”
“thank you.”
Arthur greeted them and approached the table, picking up a small plate. It was filled with various snacks that looked like madeleines.
Arthur was so ordinary looking, not even looking at Count Hanbayah and Ivan, but instead focusing on his food. It was said that he was possessed.
“Tsk.”
At that sight, Count Hanbayah frowned and left to meet someone else, and Ivan also laughed in vain and went somewhere else.
Arthur, who was munching on snacks with his mouth full, was secretly relieved that his intention had worked. I am such a lowly person. It was a tactic to say that it was comfortable to deal with such a lowly person in such a public place.
Although he lost face, he secured his own safety to the extent of losing face. It wasn’t very pretty, but it was a good exchange rate, I guess? His reputation would be bad, but he didn’t have much attachment to aristocratic society.
He munched on his second plate of tea, relieved that the Lidis Club-style tea had made it to the palace. If not, he would not have been able to devour it so greedily, as it was so sweet that his teeth almost melted.
No. Wouldn’t it have been more shocking if he had eaten it hastily and then spat it out?
As he was recalling the late scenario and placing the empty plate on the table, the officer next to him spoke to him. What was his name? Was it Plavan? He was the one who had won the single-win prize this time, along with Arthur.
“You eat well.”
“It’s delicious.”
Arthur responded calmly.
“Can you handle the aftermath?”
In response to his question, Arthur looked at Flavan as he picked up the third plate.
“Follow-up?”
“Hmm… … What should I say… … Yes, you could say that you are the duck that lays the golden eggs. The music box you developed is making money.”
“I know that… … .”
“That’s why everyone is trying to put a fork on it.”
“I know that too.”
“Then whose pocket will the profits go to?”
Oh! Arthur blinked his eyes as if he didn’t understand the sharp insight and looked at Flavan.
He patted Arthur on the shoulder and said.
“Let me just say one thing: the money that goes into the pockets of the nobles is never used for the country.”