My Lord Who Is Being Prudent! [EN]: Chapter 288

288. Arnise Hall (2)

『[Currently Downloading DLC Content] – Kyle’s Journal』

Cyan stared blankly at the screen that popped up.

More precisely, he was fixated on the words ‘Kyle’s Journal’.

It reminded him of ‘Kyle’s Memorandum’ which he had seen in the Imperial Palace library.

However, this was fundamentally different.

A memorandum is a document that records observations of a specific event or person.

Therefore, ‘Kyle’s Memorandum’ wasn’t written ‘by’ Kyle.

It was a document ‘about’ Kyle himself.

In fact, as Cyan knew, Kyle’s Memorandum was Arnise Charlotte’s journal of her observations of Kyle.

But the screen now displayed ‘Kyle’s Journal’.

‘Kyle wrote it.’

This was written by Kyle.

Not something someone else wrote after observing him.

This was Kyle’s personal record of his own story.

Everything Kyle experienced a thousand years ago.

The emotions and reasons behind his actions.

And why Kyle had to leave his Arnise companions.

Why he had to turn away from his betrothed, Leah, and leave so suddenly.

Why he couldn’t explain himself to them.

Why he had to bear it all alone.

What Cyan had been searching for and wondering about was surely written in this journal.

Because this was a journal recorded directly by Kyle, not by anyone else.

[Downloading… 38%]

The download progress appeared on the smartphone screen.

And perhaps because it was a large file, the download speed was slow.

Cyan waited silently for it to finish.

“To think there was such a device in the Arnise statue…”

Conrad was looking around the statues with curious eyes.

After some time had passed.

[Downloading… 100%]

[DLC Content – ‘Kyle’s Journal’ Download Complete.]

Finally, a notification window appeared.

Cyan immediately took out his smartphone.

And without hesitation, he tapped ‘Kyle’s Journal’.

Click.

The screen changed, and a ‘Loading…’ notification appeared.

He had thought it wouldn’t work because Mobile Lord was under maintenance.

Was it because it was DLC content?

Or was the download completion a separate process?

Kyle’s Journal launched regardless of the maintenance.

Cyan waited with a trembling heart for the loading to finish.

And when it finally finished.

[Error: Could not load the content.]

A notification window appeared saying there was an error…?

Before he could even think ‘Huh?’ numerous notification windows appeared.

[The device in use does not support DLC.]

[Please purchase the DLC package to access this content.]

[Exiting DLC Content – ‘Kyle’s Journal’.]

Then, with a flick, the smartphone turned off.

The black screen reflected his face.

“What is this supposed to mean?”

Cyan wondered what was going on.

Kyle’s Journal crashed with an error sound.

Cyan launched it again, wondering if it was a fluke.

A click, and the screen changed.

Soon, the ‘Loading…’ notification appeared.

And when the number reached 100%.

[Error: Could not load the content.]

[The device in use does not support DLC.]

[Please purchase the DLC package to access this content.]

[Exiting DLC Content – ‘Kyle’s Journal’.]

With an error message, the screen turned off.

All that was visible was Cyan’s face reflected in the black screen.

Cyan had no choice but to leave Arnise Hall.

There was nothing he could do about it right now.

So, Cyan looked at the other Arnise statues, just in case.

But he couldn’t find anything.

‘Could it be that the power of each descendant is needed?’

With that thought, Cyan asked Conrad to infuse power into Charlotte’s statue.

However, Charlotte’s statue didn’t react in any special way.

In the end, all he could get was Kyle’s Journal.

‘Perhaps this is Karze’s last will and testament and the content of the quest.’

The quest wasn’t cleared… but that must be because of the maintenance.

Perhaps it would be cleared when the maintenance was over.

In any case, there was no reason to stay in the hall any longer.

So, he went to a large room of unknown location in the Imperial Palace – the Imperial Palace’s guest room.

Cyan sat on the sofa and took out his smartphone.

The soft yet supportive backrest was quite comfortable.

“Still, Ruben’s is better.”

But it wasn’t as good as the dwarf-made one from Ruben.

“Hmm…”

Cyan quietly pondered.

Kyle’s Journal, which wouldn’t run for some reason.

And that reason was this.

“The device in use does not support it?”

To be honest, he didn’t know what that meant.

He wasn’t even sure if it was a concept he understood.

So, he didn’t know exactly what it was saying.

But he could make some guesses.

“Does that mean it’s not supported on smartphones?”

The only device that runs Mobile Lord.

Since it was only a smartphone, that was the only explanation he could think of.

If this guess was correct, it implied one thing.

“Does that mean you can run Mobile Lord on something other than a smartphone?”

He could easily follow that line of reasoning.

“What is it, then?”

But what on earth could that be?

What other device besides a smartphone could it be?

In the first place, Cyan didn’t even know much about this smartphone.

Smartphones didn’t exist on this continent.

Who made it, where it was made.

And how to make it.

Nothing was known, and he knew nothing.

The only two facts Cyan knew were:

It wasn’t made on this continent.

It was an artifact left by Arnise.

That was all.

Therefore, he had no idea what other devices could be.

“Is there another smartphone?”

Or is there a version upgrade for smartphones?

No, if that’s the case, it wouldn’t say ‘the device in use’.

“Come to think of it… I think Mobile Lord said something about this.”

That seemed to be the case.

Was it when Mobile Lord was explaining about DLC?

He thought he remembered something about supported devices back then…

“What did he say back then…?”

Cyan quietly retraced his thoughts.

And not long after, he recalled Mobile Lord’s words.

‘DLC can be defined in a word as an expansion pack!’

‘New content that was not available in the existing Mobile Lord will be added!’

‘Addition of new content and addition of various convenience functions!’

‘Increased user convenience through diversification of supported devices!’

‘It’s practically Mobile Lord 2!’

That was part of Mobile Lord’s explanation regarding DLC.

He still didn’t know what it meant in detail.

So, even at the time, he only understood it as ‘they’re going to squeeze me dry bit by bit.’

His thoughts hadn’t changed, but one passage stood out now.

‘Increased user convenience through diversification of supported devices!’

Diversification of supported devices.

Didn’t it seem to fit the current situation?

“If I buy the DLC… can I get diversification of supported devices?”

If that was the case, all he had to do was buy the DLC.

That way, he could run ‘Kyle’s Journal’.

“The problem is… how do I buy the DLC…”

He muttered that, but Cyan already had a hunch.

『[Territory Quest] – ‘That Elanur, he’s a really bad guy!’

▶The truth of Elanur hidden behind the veil.

Uncover that truth and reveal Elanur’s ugliness to the world!!』

-Reward: DLC Unlock.

It was the reward related to the territory quest.

Because the unlocking of the DLC was the reward.

In the first place, the explanation of Mobile Lord mentioned above was what he heard when he received this quest.

“In the end, to run Kyle’s Journal, I have to clear the territory quest.”

In a word, it could be summarized like this.

And the requirements for achieving the territory quest.

It was to expose Elanur’s misdeeds to the world.

At first, it felt quite daunting.

He didn’t even have a clue how to do it.

But not now.

Elanur colluded with the devil.

In addition, there were 1,472 ugly criminal acts organized by Diana.

Most of all.

“I wonder where Aria is…”

There was even the testimony of the saintess, Aria.

Another guest room in the Imperial Palace.

As befitting its location, it exuded considerable antique beauty.

Elegant yet refined interior.

It was an atmosphere that anyone would admire, but not at this moment.

Two women sat facing each other.

The beauty emanating from them.

The aura of breathtaking beauty made the guest room’s atmosphere pale in comparison.

Various refreshments and warm tea were placed on the table between them.

“I didn’t expect you to greet me in person.”

A pure and innocent voice broke the silence.

One of the two women, the platinum-blonde Aria, spoke with a slightly surprised look.

Aria held up the teacup.

Her platinum-blonde hair fell modestly.

A dignity was felt in her noble gesture.

An indescribable beauty emanated from Aria as she sipped her tea.

“Hmm… the tea smells very nice.”

Aria, having tasted the tea, looked down at the teacup with a slight upward glance.

It wasn’t a joke or empty words; it was genuinely good.

Therefore, the word ‘good’ didn’t quite capture it.

Aria had been in Ruben for quite a long time.

Considering that her taste was accustomed to Ruben’s offerings, it was quite surprising.

Aria looked at the tea with surprised eyes.

The woman in front of her spoke.

“You are the Saintess of the Holy Empire. There must be no flaws in your treatment.”

The blonde hair resembling sunlight and the bright atmosphere that accompanied it.

However, the owner possessed a beauty that was rarely found, a cold impression that contrasted with her warmth.

“I brewed the tea myself… I’m glad it suits your taste.”

The Empire’s princess, Elena, smiled brightly.

Aria opened her eyes again in surprise and replied.

“Oh my. Did Your Highness brew it yourself? I didn’t know you were so skilled in the art of tea.”

“I only learned a little as a hobby, so I can’t say I’m very skilled.”

“If you’ve learned this much as a hobby, you must have considerable talent.”

“You flatter me. Above all, the ingredients are excellent. These tea leaves were brought all the way from Ruben. They’re the most popular tea leaves in the Empire these days… Count Cyan gifted them to me.”

Elena lowered her gaze slightly.

Her long eyelashes cast shadows, and an undeniable dignity flowed from her.

Soon, Elena subtly glanced at Aria’s expression.

It was the mention of Count Cyan’s gift that was significant.

It was a subtle way of showing off her friendship with Cyan.

But why?

“Ah, no wonder.”

Aria didn’t seem to care at all.

She calmly put down her teacup and looked at Elena.

And a gentle eye smile formed.

The eye smile, even more dazzling for another woman, captivated Elena for a moment.

“I thought it was a familiar taste.”

A familiar… taste?

Elena tilted her head, puzzled.

To say it was familiar meant she had drunk this tea often.

But Aria was the Saintess of the Holy Empire.

And this was a tea leaf only distributed in the Charlotte Empire.

It was a super popular item that was difficult to obtain.

Elena wouldn’t have been able to get it if it wasn’t for Cyan’s gift.

But how on earth…? Before she could dwell on it, Elena figured out the reason.

“I heard you were in Count Cyan’s territory recently…”

“Yes. I lived with Cyan under one roof.”

Elena’s mind went blank for a moment at Aria’s answer.

It was the same expression Elena had used on Aria last time.

So, she knew.

That living under one roof didn’t mean what it implied.

Aria was simply returning the expression and its true meaning.

She knew that nothing inappropriate had happened.

She knew better than anyone that such a thing would never have happened.

“Under one roof…”

But why… do I feel like I’m losing?

Elena smiled lightly.

She shouldn’t be shaken by such provocations.

Whatever the case, Aria had only lived with him in Ruben.

There was no need to get angry about this.

But she couldn’t just let it go.

Elena reached for the teacup.

At the same time, she exaggerated her gestures, slightly revealing her white neckline.

The gorgeous necklace around her neck slid down.

Elena pretended to adjust the necklace and tucked her blonde hair behind her ear.

The sunlight blonde hair was neatly arranged, and the earrings sparkled as they caught the light.

In all of those movements, she emphasized the hand with the ring with the blue diamond.

She emphasized the ring on her ‘ring finger’ even more.

Naturally, Elena showed them off.

And naturally, it caught Aria’s eyes.

“I haven’t seen those… accessories before?”

“Yes? Ah, these accessories?”

Elena spoke with a slightly surprised look.

“Count Cyan gifted them to me. The jewelers of the Imperial Palace were so impressed…”

Then, Elena began to show off her accessories in earnest.

And certainly… they were beautiful.

The accessories were beautiful, but Elena’s beauty while wearing them was even more striking.

Of course, compared to Aria, she would have to concede.

Aria’s beauty had transcended the norm.

However, that didn’t mean Elena was unattractive.

If there was an absolute standard of beauty, Elena had reached that limit.

At this point, comparing them was meaningless.

With that kind of beauty enhanced by the accessories… even Aria thought they were stunning.

It wasn’t a joke; Elena’s accessories were not inferior to Aria’s current ones.

It seemed that Semir, the blacksmith of Ruben and descendant of Morcru, had poured his heart and soul into making them.

In addition, the jewels used seemed to be Karze’s treasures.

And Aria was directly involved with Karze’s treasures.

Maybe that’s why.

“I-It looks good…”

Aria’s voice trembled slightly as she answered.

But that was only for a moment.

“Even if Cyan seems oblivious sometimes, he has a really good sense. I also received… Hot! from Cyan this time.”

Aria, who was talking, hurriedly shut her mouth.

She seemed to have made a mistake and lightly covered her mouth with both hands.

“Ah, no. It’s really nothing.”

She seemed flustered, not knowing what to do…

“……”

It was quite a sight.

Elena opened her mouth with a sullen expression.

“Count Cyan gave Saintess a gift this time too?”

“Yes, yes? No, that’s not it…”

Aria shook her head as if that wasn’t the case.

But it was a look that anyone could tell was genuine.

“Cyan told me never to tell the Princess… Oh my.”

“……”

Elena was speechless.

There was Aria’s acting, which didn’t even seem like acting, but especially those words.

To be exact, what Cyan told the Princess not to tell.

That meant they had a secret between them.

Well, that could be.

There could be things between them.

But why did he have to tell her not to tell Elena?

What on earth happened between them that she had to keep it a secret from Elena in particular?

Whatever it was, it couldn’t be ordinary.

A secret between a man and a woman.

A secret that should not be told to other women.

How could that be ordinary?

Elena’s thoughts were heading in a predictable direction.

Therefore, Elena felt like she was being pushed back this time.

A strange silence filled the guest room.

Also, a subtle and strange tension flowed.

After some time had passed.

Elena broke the silence.

“Saintess is the most noble priestess on this continent.”

“You flatter me. There are many more noble and faithful priests in the Order than me.”

“You’re being humble.”

“It’s not humility; it’s the truth. I’m just a priest with strong divine power.”

Aria smiled again.

It was a dazzling beauty, but Elena wasn’t fooled this time.

She was a clumsy bear last time.

Now she was a fox.

And a dangerous one.

Elena smiled back and said.

“Then is that perhaps why?”

“What are you talking about…?”

“The reason why Saintess doesn’t have a relationship with other men.”

Aria’s body froze.

Her thoughts were frozen by the sudden jab.

Elena’s words echoed in her mind.

“I was wondering if there was any other reason. You are such a beautiful and elegant Saintess. You haven’t had a relationship with anyone all this time, have you?”

Elena continued with a purely curious expression.

“Perhaps, are priests of the Order not allowed to marry?”

“No… there is nothing stipulated in the rules.”

“Then why…?”

Elena tilted her head and asked.

Aria couldn’t easily answer.

What should I answer?

No, should I answer at all?

What is her intention?

Numerous thoughts flashed through her mind.

In Aria’s confused and complicated mind.

“Does Saintess like Count Cyan?”