Casual Heroing, Chapter 236

ENTERING?! ⚔⚔⚔

Next chapter comes out on February 7th!

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Chapter 236 – Conflicts Before the Party

“The Day of Blooming, indeed,” Aemilianus Claudius makes his way to the front, looking at the [Guard] with a smile. “Are we killing Humans already? We couldn’t wait for dessert?”

“Excuse me, sir? Who are you?” The posted man frowns.

“I’m no sir, friend. Don’t worry. But if I were you, I’d remove the hand from the sword before you get hurt.”

Everyone in my group turns to look at Aemilianus, dressed in a very nice black tunic.

“Joey?” Flaminia frowns, confused.

Lucinda pulls my arm and raises her eyebrows, “Joey.”

“One second, my beautiful date,” I say, gently removing Lucinda’s arm from mine and stepping forward to stand next to Aemilianus, where more [Guards] are now walking to the front.

“Oh my, oh my,” Aemilianus laughs. “I can’t tell you how excited I am to have my first battle alongside you, Joey.”

“About that,” I clear my voice, “let’s do this without one, actually.”

“I don’t think we can,” the [Archmage] of Shadows says. “See, it looks like the guest list was clearly overextended.”

Before I can figure out what he means, I can see two more familiar faces appear together with the [Guards].

“What a commotion,” [Archmage] Titus smiles, “are you looking to get arrested, Aemilianus?”

Right behind the old man, there’s Augustus, Lucinda’s obnoxious childhood friend.

“Christ,” I exhale.

“Who’s that guy again?” Aemilianus asks.

“Lucinda’s friend,” I say, looking at Augustus and then back at Aemilianus. “What’s your plan here? And by the way, do you have an invitation?”

“My plan is to get in without an invitation,” Aemilianus replies.

“That’s not a plan.”

“It is, too,” the man nods.

By the time the little theatrics run out, the [Archmage] from the Nine Towers Academy and his little shrill henchman are back in front of me. I can see Augustus’s face still swollen—but right when I’m about to think that maybe he learned his lesson, he starts shouting.

“What are you doing here, you filthy worm!”

But before I can say anything, a feminine voice shouts back. And it’s not Flaminia’s.

“Augustus! Stop this rotten nonsense! You’re not a child anymore!” Lucinda screams back. “Joey was invited by Lady Diana Scarlatta!”

“Truly a pity that the Matriarch of the family is still Cornelia, then,” Titus smiles. “Because that means she can take back her granddaughter’s whimsical fancies whenever she so desires.”

While the old [Archmage] keeps gloating and adding more racist crap onto it, I feel a tap on my back. I turn to see Truffles in his suit, clearing his voice and whispering right to my face.

“I have all of it on me,” he says. “We can blow—”

I put a hand on the madman’s mouth before someone hears, [Scries], or whatever people do with magic these days.

“No, no, no,” I say, looking at him pointedly. A second later, I also realized the implication of what he said. Without removing my hand from his mouth, I ask, “you have all of it on you right now?”

He nods.

“Why?” I ask, removing my hand from his mouth.

“I thought some [Soldiers] might try to stop us on our way here or back,” he explains.

I look over to see that Aemilianus is obviously paying attention to this little conversation and bite my tongue. I don’t want to give away anything, so I just tell Truffles, “don’t do anything. Unless I dieor something, don’t do anything.”

The blond seems disappointed but sighs and goes back to stand by Flavia’s side.

But then another person, or well, two, come up to us from the other side of the gate.

“You!” A disgusted voice shrieks, so full of venom that it almost makes me recoil, especially when I realize it’s not aimed at me.

“Hey, brother,” Aemilianus smiles.

“I’m not your brother!”

Wait, what’s the name of this guy again?

“Marcellus, come on, brother, what are you even saying? Haha!” Aemilianus walks past the [Guard] and to the left of Titus and his disciple, resting in front of a big Elf. By his side stands Lisith, the white-haired Vanedeni woman with red eyes.

“You bastard, what is your rotten body doing here? Have you not done enough to shame our house?!” Marcellus, the Gold-Rank Adventurer who’s in charge of Lisith and the others who came down into the Dungeon with the [Princess] and me, says.

“Is this the famous bastard of the Gens Claudia?” Lisith scrutinizes Aemilianus up and down with a smirk. “He looks stronger than you, Marcellus. On Kome, there are no bastards. There are only the Vanedeni and cowards. Cowards’ blood doesn’t matter—once tainted by cowardice, they can never be redeemed again.”

“This is a family matter, Lisith,” Marcellus growls, turning to the man. “What are you doing in Amorium, Aemilianus?”

“Just having fun, as usual. I heard that one of the greatest talents of the continents has just blossomed here and that it was a Human. I came here, I saw who the guy was, and I decided to stick around to be friends with him.”

Clearly, even though Marcellus has quite literally fought by my side, he doesn’t seem pleased by his step-brother’s words.

“What are you saying? Fun? Have you even heard about the Dungeon? We’re here as security, you rotten idiot. Go to the Western Wall if you are after fun. [Captain] Drusillus has everyone on high alert, fearing that the Dungeon will spill.”

“Oh, yeah, I’ve heard about that. I’ve also heard that Joey cleared the first floor alone. Hard to believe for someone like you, brother, right?”

“Don’t call me brother!” Marcellus roars.

“Or what, big brother?” Aemilianus asks with an innocent face but an edge to his voice. “What are you doing to do about it, cry to father? Guess neither of you can really put a finger on me anymore, right? Maybe I should take a few fingers from you, what do you say? As payback for all the times you blamed something on me, and father ended up taking the belt to me?”

Lisith looks away from the brotherly spat and raises her chin toward me, “what is the matter, Joey Luciani? Are they not letting you in?”

“Yep,” I smile.

“A Vanedeni doesn’t ask. Take what you want. At the end of the day, only the might of arms is important. Anything else is barely a suggestion.”

Jesus Christ, these Vanedeni, I swear. And where are you, Magister Mulligan, when I need you?!

“Alright,” I say, turning to the gate, “this has gone on long enough. Mr. [Guard], please, call [Princess] Laurealia before someone gets hurt.”

When that name drops, everyone goes silent. But the [Guard] doesn’t budge. “The [Princess] is busy.”

“Just deliver her the message, then. The Human is at the gate, waiting for her. Will you be the one refusing to deliver a message to your [Princess]? I mean, I admire your guts.”

The [Guard] is still not moving when someone else appears from behind the gate and smiles.

“This must be the famous Human,” the voice says, making all the heads turn.

“Your Highness!” The [Guards] bow their heads.

“Hello,” the man says, extending a gloved hand to me, “I’m [Prince] Brutus, your [Princess]’s Royal Uncle, the [King]’s Royal Brother.”

“Nice to meet you,” I say, shaking his hand.

“I think we should let you in,” the man says amiably. “This shall be a night we’ll never forget, Joey Luciani.”