053. The Imperial Banquet (2)

The Empire, Freyon, was arrogant.

The emblem of the Freyon Imperial Family was a golden lion. They were so immersed in their role that they believed they would be eternal rulers.

“They thought it would be fine without the Mage Tower and the Verdun family because they believed there could never be a war.”

Lions didn’t consider that other beasts might dare to challenge them. They merely thought of others as mere packs of jackals.

However, they learned how arrogant this misconception was during the reign of the previous emperor.

“You’re talking about the attempted assassination, right?”

“Yes.”

During the time when the former emperor was on the throne and the current emperor was the crown prince, an incident occurred at a summer banquet. The current emperor drank poison and narrowly escaped death. Although he survived, the crown prince faced multiple threats.

Perhaps this is why the emperor has always been protective of his son, Richard. The crown prince seemed to encounter incidents and accidents wherever he went.

“It was revealed that all those attempts were orchestrated by foreign assassin guilds.”

There were five countries on the continent. Among them, the Empire was the only one, while the others consisted of two kingdoms and two duchies. The two duchies were led by branches of the imperial family.

“The empire’s conquest wars took place 200 years ago, just before the disappearance of the Saintess. By now, tensions on the continent were bound to resurface, but they seemed unaware.”

Originally, the continent had many more countries. Freyon conquered seven out of about twelve countries, forcing two kingdoms to declare surrender. The remaining two small countries were renamed duchies and were governed by two imperial descendants who had joined the conquest.

Although fear had initially subdued all countries, 200 years had passed. Moreover, those who had been suppressed were bound to resist and rebel eventually.

“Even the number of monsters in the northern regions began to increase around that time.”

Of course, this had no direct connection. The increase in monsters was due to the rise of priests and clergy in preparation for the awakening of a new Saintess. The growing number of priests and the impending appearance of the Saintess were counteracted by an increase in the number of monsters.

“They realized the need for preparation. If the number of monsters increased or if a war broke out, the Mage Tower and the Verdun family would be essential.”

The Imperial Knights, the Holy Knights of the temple, and the knights of noble families were all exceptional. However, Owen, a Swordmaster, and Kyle, a 9th-class mage, were unmatched.

Even without Owen, the Verdun family had been training numerous knights and soldiers since the empire’s founding. The same applied to the Mage Tower. With 90% of the empire’s mages affiliated with the Mage Tower, excluding them was out of the question.

“It’s a sort of warning. If something like last time happens again, the empire won’t stand idly by.”

“Indeed.”

War was also unwelcome to the Verdun family and the Mage Tower. Given the mutual benefits, both participated willingly in the northern hunting competition and the summer Imperial banquets. In return, the imperial family somewhat reduced its hostility.

“Excuse me.”

As they were deep in conversation, a servant’s voice accompanied by a knock was heard.

“It’s time to enter.”

The waiting room door opened, and the servant spoke again.

Lucia and Owen, who had been sitting on the sofa, stood up immediately.

“Let’s go.”

Owen subtly extended his arm, and Lucia smiled, placing her hand on it. The two of them soon arrived at the large doors of the banquet hall.

“His Grace, Duke Verdun, and Lady Lucia Edelte are entering.”

The servant, seemingly in charge of the banquet, announced their entrance loudly. Thanks to the sound amplification magic stone, his voice filled the entire hall.

The heavy doors opened with a sound. Along with the dazzling light from the banquet hall’s lighting, dozens of gazes turned toward them.

‘…There are more people than I expected.’

Owen was surprised by the sheer size of the banquet hall and the number of people filling the tables. The hall, which had briefly fallen silent at their entrance, soon buzzed with murmurs. It seemed that seeing Lucia and Owen enter together had stirred up various thoughts.

“Are they going to get engaged?”

“Isn’t it a wedding?”

“Look at their clothes. They’re wearing black and red together, so it must be…”

Predictable comments began to flow. There was nothing particularly surprising.

“Owen.”

As they walked, ignoring the murmurs and glances, a familiar voice called out.

“I heard there are no assigned seats? Come this way.”

It was Kyle.

Owen looked at Lucia.

“It’s fine.”

She nodded, and reassured, he continued walking. They joined Kyle at the table where he was sitting alone.

“Good to see you again.”

“Likewise.”

Kyle greeted them awkwardly, and Lucia replied with a smile.

Kyle, looking embarrassed, chuckled and then turned to Owen.

“Wasn’t the entrance supposed to be by rank?”

“Yes.”

“Then why did I come in right before you?”

“Probably the Emperor’s wish.”

Owen almost said “the Emperor” without honorifics but quickly corrected himself. Even in a banquet hall full of nobles, one couldn’t ignore proper etiquette.

“Is that so?”

“Most likely. Perhaps he wanted to show respect.”

“…He should do that all the time.”

Kyle muttered in dissatisfaction, making Owen chuckle. He agreed with Kyle’s sentiment.

“But, are you two getting engaged?”

Kyle’s next question was straightforward.

“Everyone is saying that right now.”

Owen glanced at Lucia. She gently held his hand and replied.

“After the banquet. Does it seem too fast?”

In the noble world, it wasn’t fast at all. In fact, it was common to get engaged right after starting a relationship. Nobles rarely had love marriages.

However, commoners were different.

For commoners, the concept of engagement was almost nonexistent, and they often dated for several years before getting married. Despite divorce being relatively easier for commoners compared to nobles, they believed that marriage was a significant matter that couldn’t be decided in a short time.

“If you ask from my perspective, yes, it seems fast. However, it’s not my business. I have no reason to comment on something you two decided.”

“…Is that so?”

For Lucia, it was an unfamiliar viewpoint. Nobles enjoyed meddling in others’ affairs. Marriages were made for the benefit of the family. It was unthinkable for them to marry without considering the gains and losses and the family’s interest. The idea of someone focusing solely on the opinions of those involved was new and unusual to her.

“Yes. I just thought it was expected. Owen seems to like you a lot.”

“Ah.”

Lucia sighed softly, and Owen looked down at the table, embarrassed. The tips of his ears turned red.

“Look at him. He can’t handle even a simple comment.”

“Well, they say it’s his first love. That might explain it.”

“Really? He does seem quite inexperienced.”

With Kyle and Lucia teasing him together, Owen could hardly respond. He opened his mouth to say something but only managed to move his lips without producing any sound.

“Did you hear? He asked me for something.”

“Kyle!”

When Kyle mentioned the video stone, Owen urgently grabbed Kyle’s wrist.

But Kyle just smiled mischievously, showing no intention of stopping.

“See? He gets so flustered. He had no problem asking me, though.”

“Well…”

“You’ll have to tell her eventually. It’s illegal to use it secretly, except as evidence in a trial.”

“I know.”

Lucia, watching their exchange with interest, asked Kyle, “What did he ask for?”

“A video stone. He wanted me to make one. Said he wanted to capture your image because just having a painting wasn’t enough.”

Before Owen could stop him, Kyle spilled the beans. Lucia looked at Owen with wide eyes.

“You thought of that?”

“Yes…”

His ears turned even redder, and he averted his eyes, answering softly. Lucia chuckled at his embarrassment.

“Do you want me to send you a portrait?”

She asked playfully.

“…Yes.”

“Alright. Should I have a new one painted of us together?”

“That would be nice.”

As they continued their conversation, Kyle, sitting across from them, wore a bewildered expression.

“You two really…”

“Yes?”

“Nothing. Just thinking you’re both quite something.”

Kyle refrained from voicing his thoughts about them being overly sweet, though he came close.

“Are you not interested, Lord Kyle?”

Lucia asked with a light smile.

“Interested in romance, I mean.”

“I haven’t really thought about it…”

“Well, if you ever are, let me know. I know many young ladies. If you don’t like nobles, I can introduce you to some maids or knights.”

“Uh…”

Kyle, truly uninterested in romance, could only mumble a response. As the three continued their conversation, the entrance of the Edelte family concluded. Duke Edelte, the Duchess, and Louis had taken their seats at a table.

“Aren’t those your family members?”

“Yes, they are.”

Kyle asked, and Lucia responded nonchalantly. He looked puzzled but she offered no further explanation.

Then—

“The Holy Saintess is entering!”

The true highlight of the banquet made her entrance. The doors opened, and all eyes turned toward her. Stepping through the doors in a pure white dress was Bella Taylor. Her outfit was elegant, with glass slippers reminiscent of Cinderella’s and a dress sparkling with shimmering pearls.

Bella Taylor was truly the star of the evening.

“Greetings, everyone.”

Under the lights of the banquet hall, she smiled gently and sweetly.

“I am Bella Taylor, the Holy Saintess.”