“Bwahaha! It’s my first time seeing you with a monocle on, but it suits you well. I see, I see. So that’s how it is. It seems I was a bit too suspicious.” Charles laughed heartily.
“Well, tonight’s banquet should be a meaningful event for you as well. I’m sure you’ve heard of the Restoration’s establishment already, no? It’s a wonderful opportunity to gather information, so use it efficiently,” Reiss said.
“Understood.” Charles showed a hint of a bitter expression when he heard the word “Restoration,” but he soon replaced it with a bold look and sneer.
I will be using the banquet tonight efficiently myself. While half my goal is accomplished with my infiltration alongside Princess Sylvie, I must not let my guard down. But I shall have my fill of fun. Reiss grinned alongside Charles.
Chapter 7: Banquet, Turmoil of Day 2
Later, on the first floor of the social hall adjacent to the Galarc royal castle, the second night of the banquet was set to begin. Many guests from other kingdoms had been invited by Galarc to attend the second night onwards and were currently entering the venue one after another. The smaller kingdoms present had a favorable relationship with Galarc, in contrast to the large kingdoms, which were in precarious relationships with the host kingdom. The Galarc Kingdom didn’t have alliances with any large kingdoms east of the center of the Strahl region — at most, they had a cordial relationship with the Restoration, Beltrum Kingdom’s special administration to the west of Galarc. Beltrum’s main government had been distancing themselves for a while now, and the Centostella Kingdom to the south refused all diplomatic relations.
However, both the near-estranged Beltrum government and Centostella were attending tonight. The air around the banquet felt exceptional, their presence creating a strange mood among the invited guests, gathering the attention of several small kingdoms. On top of that, it was the first time the disaffected Huguenot faction would come face to face with the main Beltrum government in public, which would have inevitable repercussions, too.
And so, the nobles already in the hall were all impatiently waiting for the official guests from Strahl’s large kingdoms to arrive.
Normally, when a banquet was held in the name of the king of a large kingdom, it was custom for the attending kingdoms to send their own royalty as a representative, but the order of introduction was one-sidedly decided by the host kingdom based on national power and diplomatic relations. Thus, the attendees all looked forward to seeing what order the outside kingdoms would be introduced.
Presently, most of the officials from the small kingdoms had entered already, leaving only the more powerful small kingdoms to go.
“Rubia Kingdom’s First Princess, Princess Sylvie, has arrived!” The announcer’s voice echoed through the hall. The door on the upper floor of the hall opened, revealing Sylvie herself.
Sylvie wasn’t attending with a partner, and instead had five servants accompanying her.
“Ooh, if it isn’t the Princess Knight, Sylvie.”
“What a dignified woman, as always.”
“She normally attends events with her sister instead of a male partner, but I don’t see her little sister this time. It’s rare to catch her alone.”
The eyes of the male nobles were more passionate than for any of the other small kingdom royalty introduced until now. A few female nobles were also watching Sylvie with heated gazes.
Sylvie Rubia — the First Princess of the Rubia Kingdom who had been in a private talk with Reiss and Charles moments ago. She was in her late teens.
She was tall and slender for a woman, her alluring appearance highlighted by her dignified facial structure and beautiful blonde hair that reached down her back. Her most notable feature was the pure white dress she wore. It didn’t have a cute design like those of the other female nobles — its peculiar style nearly resembling ritualistic battlewear; it seemed to only be missing a sword around her waist. As a young lady, her body had a softness relative to her age, but the way she held herself was like that of a warrior.
In reality, her nickname of “Princess Knight” wasn’t for nothing, as Sylvie acted as a knight despite being royalty. Because of that oddity, Sylvie’s name was widespread, despite being a small kingdom’s princess.
Meanwhile, as the nobles in the hall focused their attention on Sylvie, Hiroaki was getting excited as he stood outside the door on the upper floor of the hall.
“Wow, a Princess Knight! In the flesh! Seeing a Princess Knight was a bucket list must for coming to a fantasy world. I’ve been waiting for this moment! If it’s possible, I’d like to hear her say the words ‘j-just kill me!’ too... Whew!” Hiroaki had been completely obsessed with other world fantasies while he was on Earth, so seeing a princess knight was like a dream come true for him. His inner fanboy shone through when he found out that Sylvie was also known as the Princess Knight, leaving him cheering excitedly even after she had entered the hall.
Most of the small kingdoms that were invited had already entered, leaving only the most influential of the small kingdoms and the large kingdoms left. Incidentally, Duke Huguenot and Charles were among those remaining, but while the fated rivals were within each other’s view, they both chose to ignore the other and stand in the corners of the corridor in silence.
Roanna was right beside Hiroaki, watching his excitement with a somewhat strained smile. Just then, a boy approached Hiroaki. He looked to be in his mid to late teens, his silky golden hair falling across his handsome face.
“...May I ask, out of curiosity, what did you mean by ‘just kill me’?” the golden-haired boy asked Hiroaki.
“...Ah? Mind your own business.” Hiroaki’s mood was immediately soured as he glared at the boy.
“How harsh. We may be affiliated with different powers — I was hoping we could get along for at least tonight, as a fellow Japanese person.” The blond haired boy shrugged with a faint smile.
“The halfie with the natural airhead face can shut up. I have nothing to say to you.” Hiroaki had apparently decided to despise the blond boy.
The blond boy showed no discouragement as he immediately went on to address Roanna, who was beside Hiroaki. “In that case, may I ask you the same question instead?”
“Oh, umm. No, I don’t know either...” Roanna was having a hard time answering, which was understandable. The boy standing before Roanna was someone she couldn’t interact with freely, even as the daughter of a duke.
“Hey, you bastard. Don’t go chatting up my Roanna right in front of me. Seriously — playboys need to stay in their own lane. Normies like you who try to play innocent disgust me the most.” Hiroaki made his irritation clear as he flared up at the blond boy.
“I wasn’t going to make a move on her...”
“So shameless... Guys like you end up ruining your own friendships all the time. You say you won’t make a move, but then the woman your friend likes falls for you,” Hiroaki said with an annoyed frown.
“Ahaha, you say that like you’ve experienced it yourself,” the blond-haired boy said in return.
“Tch. Bastard can’t get the hint... Go back to your partner already.”
“Unfortunately, she’s still getting ready. Though she should be here soon.”
“Ah? Well, if it’s a hero you want to talk to, there’s another one besides me. Look, go talk to that woman there,” Hiroaki said, gaze turning towards Satsuki, who was walking over with Rio and Charlotte’s group.
“Oh, so she is the one from the Sumeragi Group...” the blond boy narrowed his eyes at Satsuki’s face and muttered.
“...Long time no see, Shigekura Rui. I wondered if it was you when I heard the name of the hero summoned in Beltrum. What an odd twist of fate,” Satsuki said to the blond boy. His name was Shigekura Rui, the hero summoned to the main Beltrum government.
“How odd indeed. I never imagined that another acquaintance of mine would end up in the same world,” Rui agreed with a strained smile.
“Ah? You guys kno
w each other?” Hiroaki furrowed his brows in doubt.
“Yeah, through our parents’ connections. We’ve exchanged a few words in the past, enough to know each other’s name and face,” said Rui.
“Ah, so you’re rich kids, then. So people living the high life exist in Japan too, huh? No wonder you can’t get the hint.” Hiroaki looked at the two of them as though he was seeing something odd.
“E-Excuse me?” Satsuki’s brows twitched together, her face stiffening. Just then, Flora came up to Hiroaki.
“I’m sorry for the delay, great hero. Changing took longer than expected.”
“You’re here, Flora. No, it’s alright. If you got here any earlier you would’ve just been bothered by a creep,” Hiroaki replied with a smirk. Out of regard for Flora, Satsuki pouted her lips and sighed silently, swallowing her indignation.
“Might you be Princess Christina’s little sister?” Rui asked Flora, his eyes widening.
“...Yes.” Flora nodded fearfully.
“Oh my, speaking of which, Princess Christina has just arrived.” Charlotte, who had been talking to Rio a short distance away, looked towards the end of the corridor. There, wearing the same lavender dress as Flora, was Christina. She was making her way towards Rui.
“I’m sorry for the wait, great hero,” Christina said to Rui first. Flora was in her field of vision, but she acted as though she hadn’t noticed her at all.
“Not at all. There’s still time until we enter the hall, and I just arrived earlier myself.” In reality, Rui had been waiting for quite some time now, but he didn’t breathe a word of that.
“Long time no see, Princess Christina.” Charlotte sprang forward lightly and addressed Christina with a smile.
“Yes, it’s been a while, Princess Charlotte. Thank you for your invitation to this honorable banquet,” Christina with a friendly and elegant smile.
“No, no, we’ve been establishing a secret relationship with the Restoration recently, but we also became more estranged with the main Beltrum government, which I found very sad. I didn’t have high hopes, so I’m so happy to see you accepted our invitation,” Charlotte said with an honest smile.
“The fact that the Galarc Kingdom backed a side in our kingdom’s internal affairs is, at the very least, seen as a problem. However... I attended today in hopes that it could assist in repairing the gap between our kingdoms,” Christina replied flawlessly.
“Why, that would be splendid. Don’t you agree, Princess Flora? You haven’t seen your sister in a while, no? How about taking this opportunity to exchange some words?” Charlotte looked at Flora and heavily touched upon the delicate topic.
Flora gazed at Christina and gulped before opening her mouth. “Umm, Sister...”
“Unfortunately, I did not come all the way here to exchange words with those who have deserted our kingdom,” Christina said, curtly refusing the interaction with Flora. Charles and the other nobles of the Beltrum government observed the scene from a distance.
“Uh...” Flora flinched.
“Oh, what a harsh world it is.” Charlotte expressed her exaggerated disappointment with a sigh.
“Oh? So you won’t even exchange words with me, the hero?” Hiroaki joined the conversation with a bold grin.
“No, the great hero was summoned through the sacred stone belonging to the Beltrum main government, so we are prepared to welcome you at any moment. I apologize for the delayed introduction — I am the Beltrum Kingdom’s First Princess, Christina. It’s an honor to meet you,” Christina said fluently, pinching the hem of her dress to greet Hiroaki gracefully.
Hiroaki was captivated by Christina’s elegant appearance and mannerisms for a moment, before suddenly calming down. “...Ah, well. With how similar you look to Flora, there’s no denying you’re sisters. You have a pretty face too. Though the aura you exude is fairly different.”
“It’s an honor to receive the great hero’s compliment. I hope we have a cordial time tonight. The heroes from my kingdom are eagerly awaiting a chance to meet you as well.” Christina pasted a smile on her face as she spoke to Hiroaki.
“Well, I suppose I could listen to what they want to say. But nothing more than that,” said Hiroaki.
“Please do. Incidentally, I would love to greet the hero of the Galarc Kingdom as well. Might that be you?” Christina nodded with a smile before turning her gaze to Satsuki next.
“Yes. It’s nice to meet you, Princess Christina. I’m Satsuki Sumeragi, the hero summoned to the Galarc Kingdom. Pleased to make your acquaintance,” Satsuki said in a ladylike manner.
“I am most obliged by your polite greeting. My name is Christina, the First Princess of the Beltrum Kingdom.” Christina returned the greeting with a royal air about her.
“Now, allow me to introduce Lady Satsuki and my partner for tonight, Sir Haruto. Sir Haruto, please come this way.” Charlotte turned around and called out to Rio, who was watching quietly from a short distance away.
“He is the partner for the two of you tonight? It’s our first time meeting... right?” Christina stared closely at Rio’s face and cocked her head in wonder. At the same time, Flora stiffened and watched them with bated breath.
“Of course it’s your first time meeting. Sir Haruto isn’t a noble, but rather a great hero who stepped into the spotlight recently.” Charlotte smiled cheerily.
“A great hero, you say?” Christina continued to stare closely at Rio. The title of “great hero” was fairly exaggerated, so it was understandable for her to be curious. Rui was also watching Rio with deep interest, his attention focused solely on him.
“Yes. If you could introduce yourself directly, Sir Haruto.” Charlotte oozed confidence as she nodded.
“It’s nice to meet you, Your Highness. As stated, I am Haruto. While it is not appropriate for me to receive the title of ‘great hero’ in the presence of true heroes, I am most honored to be in your audience,” Rio said to Christina reverently, showing humility.
“...It’s nice to meet you too. His mannerisms are reminiscent of a high-ranking veteran knight... May I ask what feat he accomplished?” Christina’s eyes widened faintly as she asked Charlotte.
“Why, it’s beyond what words can describe... To summarize, he saved Lady Satsuki’s close friend, Lady Miharu, repelled a demi-dragon and tsunami of monsters, saved Liselotte Cretia, who is a noblewoman from our kingdom, and finally, he rescued your little sister, Princess Flora, when she was abducted!” Charlotte stared back at Christina and smiled as though she saw through her thoughts.
“...When she was abducted?” Christina asked, focusing on that part alone.
“Oh? Are you worried for your sister after all? It seems like the events that happened at Amande have yet to reach you,” Charlotte said with mischievous delight.
“...No,” Christina erased her expression and shook her head. The first thing that came to her mind when she heard Flora was abducted was the kidnapping incident from when Christina was seven.
However, the one who saved Flora back then was an orphan boy the same age as Christina. He had been admitted into the Royal Academy as a reward and demonstrated truly excellent abilities there, but his origins as an orphan and black hair from his immigrant background meant he was isolated from his classmates. Ultimately, he was slighted at the kingdom’s convenience and disappeared afterward. There was no knowing where he was now...
...It couldn’t be, right? His name and hair color are both different. The incident Princess Charlotte is referring to isn’t the same one, anyway. Christina stared at Haruto’s androgynous face. For a moment, Rio surfaced at the back of her mind, but she soon banished that thought.
“Oh, it looks like Takahisa and the others are here.” Satsuki looked towards the back of the corridor and noticed Takahisa, Lilianna, and Miharu approaching them. Behind them were three female knights.
“Tch, the other hero’s another hunk, huh? And he only has women in tow...” Hiroaki muttered in disgust. As he was doing so, Takahisa
and the others spotted Satsuki and came right up to her.
“Sorry for the wait, everyone,” Takahisa said in a refreshing tone.
“The Centostella Kingdom’s hero is here too? This means all the heroes who were invited to the banquet are attending.” Charlotte looked around at the heroes gathered and giggled.
The Galarc Kingdom’s hero, Sumeragi Satsuki. The Centostella Kingdom’s hero, Sendo Takahisa. The Beltrum Kingdom’s hero, Shigekura Rui. The Restoration’s hero, Sakata Hiroaki. These four heroes were assembled, together, for the first time.
“Hmm...” Hiroaki snorted in displeasure. Despite doing so, he had a smug grin on his face, as though he was enjoying the feeling of being someone special.
“I’m sure you’ve all been informed already, but the heroes and their partners — as well as any other attendants — will all enter the venue together. As the princess of the host kingdom, I will be taking the lead with Lady Satsuki and Sir Haruto, so please understand that. For now, we are to wait here,” Charlotte explained smoothly. Unlike the first night of the banquet, King Francois and First Prince Michel were already in the venue to welcome the guests from the smaller kingdoms.
“Ah, I have no intention of getting along with the normies. Let’s go, Flora, Roanna.” Hiroaki took his own partners and relocated them a small distance away.
“Honestly, what an uncooperative man. I’m astounded he can act so smugly just because he happened to get caught up in all this.” Satsuki said, watching Hiroaki’s back with disapproval.
“He seems like a difficult person to please.” Rui gave a small shrug.
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