74: The Count of Flaretanbo
"Then let's be off."
From the Pumpkin Witch, we boarded a sturdy-looking carriage intended for nobles.
And from the carriage, we headed toward the estate of Count Flaretanbo, the venue for the tea party.
As things stand... there's nothing particularly unusual to be seen.
No major commotion, no strange movements by people or machines that would be obvious even to my eyes.
For now, it seems there's no issue getting into the venue.
Also, since there's a tea party being held, the area around the venue is bustling, but outside that buzz, everything feels like ordinary, uneventful daily life.
From the average person's perspective, it's probably just something like, "Hey, there's an event going on here."
Given the circumstances, that's about right.
"Arrived. Good luck with everything. Lady Vilijanila, Sata, Memo."
"Yeah, thanks for the ride."
"Please take care of us on the way back too."
"Thank you."
Before we knew it, the carriage had arrived at the main gate of the Count Flaretanbo residence.
The gate was opened by servants of the count's household, and I stepped out first, scanning the surroundings for any threats.
Then, I offered my hand, guiding Lady Vilijanila down in a formal escorting manner.
With the murmurs of onlookers all around us, my companion and I entered the Count Flaretanbo residence.
Following closely behind us came Memoqsi.
"I already knew it just by looking, but it's huge."
"Is that so? I'd think a noble family at the top of the star system would naturally have a large estate..."
"No, the back part seems to be just as spacious."
"I see. In that case, it's certainly spacious. But not in a pleasant way. You could say it's wasteful—so much land left unused."
"You're right... that might be true."
As for the venue of the tea party, it is the courtyard of the Count Flaretanbo, though more precisely, it takes place in the front garden of the Count Flaretanbo's estate.
The garden features trees and flower beds, but it is so vast that it can accommodate dozens of 'Pumpkin Witch' vehicles, making it exceptionally spacious.
The main residence of the Count Flaretanbo is similarly expansive.
That said, it has nothing to do with today’s tea gathering, but on the opposite side of the main estate, there’s what appears to be a primeval forest several times larger than the front courtyard—according to the records, this area also belongs to the count’s estate.
The scale of land owned by a single household like this is something I’ve rarely seen elsewhere in the systems I know—nowhere near the scale of the Hiratratsumi or Glogrobeta systems.
Yet in the Flaretanbo system, due to lagging development, land prices never rose, making ownership possible—perhaps that’s why it happened.
On the surface, it’s enviable beyond words, but when you consider the underlying circumstances and positions involved, it seems, as Vilijanila said, a troublesome situation indeed.
"Wow, more people than I expected."
"Yes, but all of them appear to be guests or staff. I haven’t seen anyone acting suspiciously with my own eyes."
We enter the venue.
The people present at the venue... seem roughly divisible into four categories.
The first category consists of individuals invited by the Viscount's family, such as Vilijanila—essentially, attendees of the tea gathering, who, as previously mentioned, can be further divided into about five subcategories.
The second category includes people brought by those who were invited—family members, close acquaintances, or bodyguards, to put it that way.
The third category consists of tea party staff, each wearing coordinated maid, butler, or security uniforms, carrying out their respective duties.
The fourth category comprises members of the media, who come under the count's permission to relay information discussed or announced at the tea party to the general public.
In any case, people from these categories are basically fine.
There aren’t many people foolish enough to act recklessly at a gathering hosted by the highest authority within the galaxy.
"Lord Vee. Please remain vigilant. We can’t know where or who might be lurking."
"I understand that."
No, there shouldn’t be anyone like that under normal circumstances.
Still, as Memoqui’s alertness clearly shows, something or someone is indeed present.
Someone involved with the serial bizarre murders occurring on the surface of Planet Flaretanbo 1.
Yes, though it's unclear when they'll actually act, Vilijaniara's eyes are signaling to the person themselves that the threat is drawing near—by attending this tea party.
That's why both I and Memoqui are on guard.
I'm obviously so.
Memoqui, using the fact that he's a Gairoid, remains expressionless.
Viljaniara too... though she wears a smile on her face, she seems to be on guard internally.
"Still, we're safe for now. Anyone who'd cause trouble in a setting like this would've been caught long ago."
"That may be true, but..."
Well, that's another matter altogether.
Since this is a proper tea party venue, there are plenty of other things worth seeing as well.
For instance, the neatly trimmed trees scattered throughout the courtyard, the well-tended flowers, the spotless brick path, the perfectly mowed lawn, and the glass sphere where brightly colored fish swim around inside.
These are not only signs of artistic sensibility, but also proof of the wealth and manpower required to maintain every corner of the garden.
Take, for example, the attire of the invited guests and their companions.
While the clothing worn by staff and media personnel prioritizes practicality according to their roles, the attire worn by the invited guests emphasizes elegance and beauty over mere functionality.
Not just men—there are also many people wearing suits like the one I'm wearing—but those suits are of high quality, and if you look closely, you'll notice that each family crest or company emblem is subtly embroidered so as not to stand out.
The people wearing the dresses are dazzlingly elegant, their determination evident at a glance—taking the time to examine each one carefully could easily take an entire day.
The jewels, accessories, and various props they wear are no different, all perfectly suited for a grand party, with some items undoubtedly worth more than my entire fortune.
And among things worth seeing, the one that particularly stands out... yeah, that one.
I gaze toward the far end of the front yard, where a massive object resembling a giant metal pot is placed.
A fire is deliberately lit beneath the pot, and dozens of guests and staff have gathered around it.
And the pot rang.
Just to clarify,
This is a tea gathering hosted by the Count of the Vanilla Galactic Empire, Flaretanbo, and thus differs in various ways from Earth-style tea gatherings.
Even within the same empire, the atmosphere of tea gatherings can vary significantly from star system to star system.
Please keep this in mind in advance.