The Knight Who Devours Magic

Chapter 13: Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder

- Damn it, it’s a bit early, but it can’t be helped.

- By offering you…… I will cause it to rampage. Then the Margrave’s forces will be nothing…….

- ……I’ll have something to report to the Archbishop.

The back of someone with snow-white hair. The face that sometimes turned was blurry, but it was someone I definitely knew.

Even in the still-distant memories, the disgusting feeling of being dragged by him vividly came to mind.

And when that blurry face looked at me and smiled unpleasantly.

Muno’s eyes shot open with a creepy feeling.

“……Heuh.”

A part of my forgotten memories had resurfaced in my dream.

But even that wasn't clear, and although it felt like I had heard something important, the moment I woke up, it was as if noise had filled my head again, and I couldn't remember.

‘What was it?’

I tried to rack my brain to remember.

Grrrrowl.

An undeniable biological signal rang out from my stomach, and an immense sense of hunger washed over me, making me forget that thought in an instant.

“Ugh, food…….”

Only then did I bolt upright and try to get out of bed, but at that moment, my head spun with a dizzy spell.

“Ugh!?”

Barely managing to balance myself, I looked down at my body and saw my noticeably thinner limbs.

And only then did I remember the situation of the spar before I fainted.

Especially the memory of that final moment.

‘……Even after substituting energy consumption with demonic energy, it’s this bad.’

I noted to myself that acceleration was still too much for my level.

At that moment, the door burst open and a familiar face came into view.

“Young Master!?”

A freckled face, struggling to push in a 3-tiered serving cart piled high with foods exuding a tempting aroma.

“It’s true. The lord did say you would wake up around this time……. Oh my!”

Esna was startled to see Muno pounce on her as if he were about to fly.

“I’m not mentally prepared yet……!”

Clatter clatter.

Gobble gobble.

“……I’m not, hmm. hmm.”

But soon, seeing Muno picking up the food with both hands like an animal, or rather, pouring it into his mouth, she blushed and cleared her throat, then.

“Haaaaaah…….”

Crunch. Crunch.

Slurp.

At the sight of the unending gluttony, she eventually recoiled with a fed-up expression.

“Cough, cough. Wa, water!”

“H, here you go!”

Gulp gulp.

“Thanks, Esna!”

“Eat slowly……!”

Gobble gobble.

Slurp.

“……please. You’ll get sick. Eek.”

The food that had filled the large 3-tiered serving cart disappeared in an instant.

In the midst of it all, the sight of Muno’s body filling out in real time was, depending on how you looked at it, truly bizarre.

But it wasn't so unfamiliar to the household of Drasen, who had often seen the lord's appearance after a battle.

Muno, who had devoured nearly 20 servings of food in an instant, finally seemed to come to his senses and raised his two hands, which were a mess with sauce, with an embarrassed expression.

“Here you go.”

He blushed slightly as he wiped his hands with the napkin Esna quickly handed him.

“W, well, as you know, this is a side effect of the family’s secret art…….”

“Yes. Yes. I understand, Young Master Glutton.”

“No! I’m not usually like this! I used too much power, so to recover…….”

“Suure. Suure. Thanks to you, it’ll be nice and light to take back.”

“……Ahem.”

It was an embarrassing sight to show others, but I was glad that at least Esna was like a friend I had grown up with since childhood.

Of course, before that, I was more surprised myself.

This tremendous gluttonous ability, and the rapid recovery ability resulting from it.

‘This is definitely the Corporeal Arts of Gluttony…….’

I wondered how it happened, but it wasn't a bad thing.

No, honestly, it was a good thing.

‘……Well, what’s good is good.’

After all, I received the Evolution Factor from my father, and when I was young, I even went around forcibly memorizing the secret text of the Corporeal Arts of Gluttony, wanting to learn it, so it was probably because of that.

It was good to finally realize that the characteristic of the Demon Devourer was not simply to eat only demons, but also included the characteristics of the Corporeal Arts of Gluttony.

‘Did Father predict this?’

A question briefly crossed my mind, but a glance at the mountain of food scraps made me nod my head.

……Seeing that he had brought this much food, it seemed he knew.

“……So, what happened to the Trian knights?”

Changing the subject out of awkwardness, Esna answered immediately, as if she had been waiting for the question.

“They went straight back to the princess. The female knight praised you, saying you were amazing.”

“Amazing my ass…….”

As soon as I heard that, the last scene before I fainted came to mind.

Karina, who had endured my barrage of greatsword strikes with just a single thin longsword for sparring.

I had even used acceleration to the point of overexertion, but all I managed to do was make her complexion pale.

‘It would have been different if I had used Wind Slicer in the state of acceleration……. No, then I would have shriveled up and died.’

Remembering the clear defeat made the inside of my mouth, which had just finished a sweet feast, taste bitter.

Then, I suddenly remembered what Esna had said when she brought in the food.

“Father? What did he say?”

“Well, that is, um…….”

Judging by her expression, my father’s reaction probably wasn't very good.

“Passing out before the coming-of-age party, what a fine thing to do. Is what he said…….”

“As expected…….”

As expected, a bitter answer came back.

“But, he was smiling when he said it! For sure!”

“Huh?”

“Already, even acceleration……. is what he said.”

“Ahem…….”

What an honest old man.

Anyway, the spar ended on a bitter note, but considering that my opponent was a 3-Star knight with the speed-type characteristic, which was considered the best in combat, it could be seen as a good fight.

‘Besides, I didn’t use my chains or abilities either…….’

It was a spar where I even gave myself a handicap, so the result was satisfying enough.

Muno comforted himself, deliberately ignoring the fact that the female knight named Karina also hadn't used her Artifact rapier.

“Ah, and you have to start getting ready soon!”

“What?”

“Today is the day of the party!”

At those words, Muno felt his heart sink.

“I was……. out for more than a day?”

“Yes, for a day and a half!! So you have to get ready quickly. The pretty young ladies are waiting for you, Young Master……!”

Esna said with a smile as she tried to help him up.

Grrrrumble.

Muno, who was about to stand up, let out another loud growl from his stomach and plopped back down.

“……”

“Before that, can you get me some more food?”

Esna stared at him with a blank face for a moment, as if she was dumbfounded.

“……You have a beggar in your stomach…….”

“What?”

“N, nothing. I’ll get it ready right away! Tsk. It was so hard to bring this……. Jeez…….”

A dry laugh escaped me as I watched Esna tidying up the serving cart while grumbling.

“If you bring the food quickly, double your salary this month.”

“I’ll be back like lightning!”

Clatter clatter.

Watching Esna move as boisterously and quickly as ever, the bitter taste of defeat seemed to fade a little.

However.

“It’s already today…….”

Thinking of the ordeal that was right in front of me, I couldn't help but sigh.

And even after that, time flowed on relentlessly.

* * *

“Oh my. My son, you look so handsome dressed up like this!”

“……”

In front of his admiring mother, Elina, Muno could only smile awkwardly.

His own reflection in the crude full-length mirror.

His shrunken body had almost recovered thanks to the successive feasts, but that wasn't the problem.

A gray top with shoulders that soared like mountains due to the excessive padding, and pure white tights that made the central part embarrassingly prominent.

This Iron Kingdom-style formal wear, which would probably be difficult for even the most attention-seeking person in his past life's society to wear, felt so embarrassing to Muno that he wanted to die.

However.

Looking at the expressions of his mother, Esna, and Lian next to him, they seemed genuinely impressed.

“……This?”

“Of course! My son is the most handsome today!”

“You look wonderful, Young Master!”

“Brother, you look cool!”

An awkward smile was all that came out at their opinions, which he couldn't agree with at all.

There were no more clothes to change into, and all the clothes he had tried on so far were more or less the same anyway.

Besides, there was no more time.

“The party is about to begin. I think it’s time for you to go, Madam.”

“I understand.”

His mother nodded at the servant’s words.

And Muno had no choice but to follow behind her.

“The Grand Prince of Drasen! The star of tonight’s party, Young Master Muno Drasen, has arrived!!”

The servant’s grand shout sent shivers down my spine.

And the first thing I saw upon entering the party hall were the decorations that had transformed the once-empty great hall of Drasen into a dazzling spectacle.

Particularly eye-catching were the chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and the candles on the dining tables, reflecting a mesmerizing light on the glass cups.

The usually gloomy great hall was now exuding the atmosphere of a truly luxurious banquet hall.

‘Palmer said he put a lot of effort into it…….’

In a corner of the great hall, I sent a pitying look at the butler, who was dressed in formal wear similar to mine and whose monocle glinted, as his face seemed to have gained more wrinkles for some reason.

I felt gazes on me from all directions.

“That young man is…….”

“It’s his sixteenth birthday today, but his physique is already…….”

“They say he easily defeated a 2-Star knight…….”

The voices of the men in similarly hideous outfits and the women in dresses, whom I tried to avoid looking at, echoed in my ears.

‘To be precise, it’s the day I was adopted, not my birthday, and my age is just an estimate…….’

There were some words that bothered me slightly, but I decided not to pay much attention to them.

- Before the party starts, eye contact and a nod is the basic greeting. If you have an acquaintance, you can step forward and greet them beforehand, but…….

Though most were faces I was seeing for the first time, I could tell their status.

They were either one of the nine nobles belonging to the Trian County, their representatives, or their entourages.

Seeing the people who smiled and raised their glasses whenever our eyes met, Muno could only awkwardly make eye contact and nod.

I didn't particularly want to approach them.

Just as expected, both men and women alike were exuding a stench mixed with a strong perfume that filled the great hall, irritating his sensitive senses.

‘Ugh.’

……I can't throw up.

I could only force a smile, controlling my stomach as if I were hypnotizing myself.

And yet.

“The day before yesterday, they say he fought to a draw with the Knight of the Gale…….”

“The sharp-as-a-blade female knight of Trian?”

“No way?”

“It’s true. The word came from the Trian side…….”

I made sure to remember the information I heard from my surroundings, but it was a bit strange.

Since speed was more important than strength in a fight, it wasn't strange for Karina, a 3-Star knight who had evolved in the speed type, to have a grand epithet.

‘It wasn't a draw, though? Trian themselves spread the rumor? Hoo…….’

The rumor had been twisted as if to be considerate of me.

‘Sharp-as-a-blade female knight? With that face……? As expected…….’

I also engraved in my mind the fact that Karina was probably more ill-tempered than I thought.

And at that moment, my eyes happened to meet a man.

A middle-aged man with a warm impression and common brown hair raised his glass and met my eyes.

At that moment, Muno barely managed to stop his expression from contorting.

- Kill, kill, kill! Kill and eat!!

The moment I saw the middle-aged man, the murderous intent and impulse that surged in my head.

It was enough to make my face flush in an instant.

“Hoo…….”

Muno squeezed his eyes shut and barely managed to separate the voice that was inciting that impulse from his consciousness.

And opening his eyes again, he forced a smile towards the man.

“He seems to be very shy. I guess it’s because he’s young.”

The murmuring voices from the surroundings were clearly audible to him.

And the more they did, the more the Demon Devourer in his head went wild.

- Kill! Eat!

‘Shut up!’

Forcibly separating and soothing a part of his consciousness, Muno desperately racked his brain.

The reason for this situation was clear.

It was that guy.

‘What? Why is a magician here…….’

All the people gathered here in formal wear were nobles under the Trian County or their representatives.

Meaning, they were all people of the Iron Kingdom, which was in opposition to the mage Empire, but one of them was a magician?

‘It doesn't make sense. Why doesn't anyone around me know?’

A confusing situation.

‘Don’t tell me the magician involved in the Eli incident is that guy…….’

While I was racking my brain, a familiar voice echoed through the great hall.

“I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all the distinguished guests who have come to celebrate my foolish son’s coming-of-age.”

Turning my head, I saw my father on the stairs of the great hall, speaking in a loud voice as the host of the party.

“Furthermore, before the party officially begins, I would like to announce that our lord, Count Enoch Trian, has sent a great gift to my son. And honorably, Princess Roanna Trian has brought the gift herself.”

The moment those words ended, the nobles in the hall began to murmur.

“Ooh!”

“The Light of the North!”

“The Flower of Trian, really……?”

“Please welcome the Flower of Trian, Princess Roanna Trian!”

At the same time, the entrance to the great hall opened and a group of people entered.

“Wooooooow!”

A roar of cheers erupted.

It was a situation where the guest was more welcomed than the star of the coming-of-age ceremony, but that much was understandable.

The Trian County was, if one were to be precise, the royal family of the north, so the princess of that family was of a status equivalent to a princess of the royal family.

However.

“She’s really, really pretty, Dad. I feel so inadequate…….”

“It’s alright. It depends on her choice…….”

“How can her skin be so fair?”

“And her face is so bright like the full moon…….”

The words pouring out for the lady in the flamboyant dress at the forefront of the group entering through the open door, a young lady who seemed to be on the cusp of womanhood, were hard to understand.

‘She’s cute, but……. Why are they going that far?’

To Muno, who saw her as just a cute-looking girl with a completely round face and a chubby figure, excessive praise was being showered.

I thought everyone was really working hard at their social lives, but seeing their expressions, they seemed truly sincere, which was perplexing.

On top of that.

“On the other hand, that female knight……. She’s just as I heard.”

“The Knight of the Gale…….”

“She looks too sharp. Why doesn’t she think of gaining some weight? Even while looking at the princess next to her…….”

“Even for a knight, she’s too thin. I wonder if she can even get married and have children like that.”

“Well, I guess she plans to live only as a knight. Hoho.”

“There are some female knights with huge builds, that would be better…….”

“Hey, that’s not it. Everything is beautiful in moderation. Weight too…….”

The words pouring out for Karina, who was following behind Princess Roanna, dressed in a masculine suit and partial armor even at the party, were even more incomprehensible.

Too thin? That firm figure?

‘……She’s freaking beautiful, though?’

Her beauty, which stood out even next to the giant Rokam, was at a level that overwhelmed Princess Roanna walking ahead.

What is this?

‘Is this some kind of hidden camera show?’

I couldn't understand the situation at all and wondered if everyone around me was teasing me, but looking at their expressions, they all seemed to be sincere.

Even my mother, who had approached my side at some point.

“Honey, isn’t she really pretty?”

“Yes. Really…….”

“I’m so envious of that plump and round face.”

“Yees?”

“I tried so hard to gain weight when I was young too, but it didn't work. Well, your father loved me like this too.”

“Eh?”

She was saying things like this.

Muno, who had until now thought of his mother as the epitome of a ‘pretty’ noblewoman, felt as if he had been hit with a hammer, his head throbbing from his mother’s sudden self-confession.

‘Ah…….’

The princess, whose round and chubby face looked only cute, and the strikingly beautiful guard knight Karina behind her.

Only after reconfirming the reactions of those around them.

‘Hul…….’

I clearly realized.

What I had been missing.

Why Karina had reacted so violently to being called pretty.

‘The standards of beauty differ depending on the culture. Right……. This outfit too……. Heuh…….’

A bitter smile appeared on Muno’s face as he looked back and forth between Karina and Roanna.

In the midst of it all, gazes from all directions were converging on him.

Princess Roanna was walking straight towards him.