The gilded castle gate shone brilliantly. The carriage carrying us blended in with the nurous esteed guests heading to the ballroom, erasing our presence. I could see the knights at the gate checking the invitation roster and nas. And in front of them was that golden carriage I saw yesterday. A knight, after checking a na on the roster, was startled and saluted before escorting her separately.
The strict-looking noble's wife, who covered her face with a fan, was quite old, her gaunt face full of a severe expression. I shook my head, thinking I didn't want to get involved with that woman.
"Ugh..."
Sieri let out a moan as she looked around. It wasn't that she was in heat. She was currently overwheld by the auras emanating from the nobles all around her. As if the imnse pressure had materialized and was crushing her body, Sieri pressed herself tightly against the chair and said to .
"Lusius. C-Can't I go back? I can't do this. I'm telling you I can't."
"Don't worry, Sieri. Who's going to say anything to you?"
The carriages passed, and soon it was our turn. I saw a familiar face through the carriage window.
"Karin!"
The princess knight of my heart. It was Bellix Karin. Startled like a cat by my call, she looked around before her eyes t mine and she gave a bright smile.
"High Priest Lusius. You've co to the ball."
"Yes, Karin. Have you been well?"
"Yes, High Priest. I have been well. I heard the news that thanks to your exploits, the demi-humans of the north were annihilated. Truly, as a knight, I can't help but respect you, High Priest."
"It wasn't that great of a feat. Even if you had gone, Karin, you would have accomplished it just as well."
If she, a master of torture, had gone, she would have made the demi-humans spill everything down to their family trees, even without sothing like an infinite regeneration heal. Karin nodded at my words and then gave a deep bow.
"Then, please enter. The banquet preparations are all complete."
Since we had departed rather late, there weren't many carriages waiting behind us. So, I held Karin back for a mont and asked a question. She was a noble young lady, after all, and I was curious why she wasn't participating in the ball.
"Bellix Karin, you're a noble young lady too, so why didn't you participate in this ball?"
"I am a knight before I am a young lady. The duty of the Knight Order is to ensure the safety of the royal family. I believe there is no reason to expend my ntal energy on sothing like a ball."
"That's a sha. I really wanted to see you dance."
"You would be disappointed."
Karin replied to my words with a smile.
With that, Karin walked towards the carriage following behind. Our carriage moved to a designated spot and was parked, and the coachman scurried off to the drinking party for the coachn. The coachn's feast, set up on the roadside, felt like a contest to see who could stuff the most food into their mouth.
Sieri glanced in that direction and then followed the attendant guiding us toward the ballroom. Passing through the castle gate, the ballroom in the inner palace annex was emitting a more brilliant light than the main palace lobby I had seen last ti.
Tiers of glowing orbs were embedded in the chandelier, boasting a heavy dignity, and golden chains were strung up all around to support it. The royal flag, with its red background, hung from the two pillars supporting the precarious ceiling, and beneath them, nobles were chatting amongst themselves.
As soon as we entered, the announcer shouted.
"Entering now, Southern High Priest of the Archdeity Church and Lord of Peta Territory, Peta Lusius and his wife!"
At that voice, everyone turned to look at . There were so who looked at with scowling faces, so who just glanced my way and snorted, and so who just sipped their drinks with completely indifferent expressions.
The noble's wife who had entered before was sitting at the seat of honor, engaged in a serious conversation with other nobles with that sa strict expression. Sieri looked at with a tense face and asked.
"I-Is it okay?"
"It will be."
Just how many tis were we having this conversation? Sieri looked at as if she believed everything would truly be okay if I just said so. I held her hand tightly and walked forward.
I had no particular connection with the nobles of the capital. According to the lore, Lusius was a cleric, and while clerics and nobles might be acquainted, they weren't that close. It wasn't like there were many important nobles in the original work, either.
Robin had gone to where the knights were gathered and was already chatting away. As long as you ignored his thing for older won, he was a good-natured person, so he would do well anywhere. Indeed, it seed there wasn't any particular sense of authority or territoriality among the knights, as they were making a spot for the late-arriving Robin.
And it seed there was no place for us at this ball. People were only wary of and didn't readily strike up a conversation. What was it? What was the problem? As we sat at a table, the food began to be served. The dining area was divided into round tables for four, and you were supposed to sit wherever there was an empty seat. At our table, only one young male noble was sitting. Sieri awkwardly held her fork and knife and looked at .
As if I'd know just because she looked at . I didn't know anything about the proper dining etiquette of the royal court. At ho, I ate while observing only the bare minimum of table manners. When it cos to eating, the necessary manners are not smacking your lips, not eating with food on your face, not spilling food on the floor, and not talking while eating. Just observing these was perfect enough.
It was because I had never been able to understand things like French etiquette or royal court dining etiquette. Why does a 'classy' way of holding a knife even exist?
I casually picked up my knife and fork and began to cut the at. Sieri awkwardly copied my actions beside and began to cut her at. Seeing this, the noble sitting across from let out a snicker. Sieri froze at the sound of his laughter. When I looked at him, the noble said.
"No, it's nothing. It's just that... it seems the rmaid is not well-versed in social life."
"What did you say?"
I understood a beat too late. The fact that I had submitted a petition and married a rmaid was well known, but my marriage to Sieri was purely a matter of paperwork. It seed these nobles thought I had, of course, brought Eve with .
Only then did I roughly understand the aning behind the nobles' overt ridicule and wariness. They were wary because they thought Sieri was a half-rmaid. Since she was noticeably frozen, that aspect was bound to be highlighted. I said to the noble.
"My wife who ca today is not a rmaid."
Since I had co all the way to the banquet, I decided to tolerate it just this once. I didn't want to spill blood again as soon as I arrived in the capital.
"Ah, my apologies for the discourtesy. To have so many wives, you are quite sothing."
"And who might you be?"
First, I dug into this noble bastard's personal information. It would be a pain if he turned out to be a big shot on the level of a grand duke.
"I am Alu Ted, son of Lord Alu Mason of the western Alu Territory."
"The Alu Territory. That's a trade city on the western coast, correct?"
"Yes, that's right. We're facing difficulties these days because of the rmaids."
It seed he had lost his temper at the thought that I brought a rmaid and had abruptly picked a fight. The western coast was being literally destroyed by rmaids, so it wasn't that I couldn't understand. He might get angry just hearing the word 'rmaid'. But fuck, why take it out on ?
I glanced around and looked for my mace, but it wasn't in my hand. I hadn't brought it in the first place, thinking I was going to a dance.
"But I don't see what that has to do with my wife, or why you're trying to harass her. If you insult my wife, do the rmaids retreat from the western coast?"
"No. It's just that, while people are suffering because of rmaids, I simply respect our High Priest who consistently practices his philanthropy."
"You're being sarcastic, you fucking bastard. Shall we see if you can still say that with your head smashed in?"
I didn't like pathetic verbal contests. As I leaned forward slightly from the table and asked, Alu Ted looked for his escort knight.
"G-Gu..."
No, he tried to.
Thwack!
With all possible speed, I chopped down on Alu Ted's head with the edge of my hand. As if a bell had been struck, Alu Ted's entire head vibrated, and he stared into empty space before going limp.
There was no reaction from the people around. I had struck his head at a speed exceeding 100 agility, so no one could have seen it properly. The conversation had been very quiet, and our voices hadn't been raised. To others, it would just look like Alu Ted had suddenly collapsed.
I left him and looked back at Sieri. Sieri looked at with a dispirited face and said.
"...Let's just go back. This isn't a place for ."
Sieri was on the verge of tears. I looked back at Alu Ted. A passing servant nudged Alu Ted a few tis before running off with a pale face. I said.
"No, Sieri. We're going to see this ball through to the end. Aren't you frustrated? That these people are looking down on us like this?"
"Huh? But... that's..."
"Look at their gazes. They're looking at us as if we're so sexual deviant or a cruel brute."
"It's too much. Lusius, you're a good person..."
"Right? So let's show them. Let's show them just what cheerful and good people we are here. Understood?"
While I was persuading Sieri, the servants silently carried Alu Ted out and disappeared. After hearing my words, Sieri looked at the people once more. The initial interest had already faded, and people were back to their own conversations. Sieri nodded with a determined expression, as if she had made up her mind, and said.
"I understand, Lusius. I'll do my best."
"Yes. That's the spirit."
"...is. A very cute child."
While we were eating, I heard a familiar voice from sowhere. I turned my head toward the voice and frowned. A young noble lady was talking to soone. A child who looked to be just around 10 years old was smiling and shouting loudly.
"I want to be a pretty and, um, charming? A charming woman, just like the Princess!"
Then, the person called Princess smiled as if she was pleased. She was, in fact, a princess. The princess of the Elf Kingdom. Ahildern Erina. She had also co to this ballroom. She really got around for a pregnant woman.
Next to her was AA. She was wearing male noble attire, but she still looked like a woman. It seed the Elf Queen planned to formally announce who Erina's groom was at this event. Insisting she was a man, even though anyone could see she was a woman.
Erina smiled and said to the little noble child.
"Yes. You, too, can beco a fine onahole like ."
AA spat out the water she was drinking and stared at Erina. The little noble child's father stared at Erina with a look of shock. That word, like a wave, made all the nobles turn their gazes toward Erina.
Erina looked around with a dazed expression and then asked AA.
"AA. Did I say sothing wrong? Do human won not wish to beco onaholes? Do n not like onaholes? So..."
"...Hold on, Erina. Just be quiet for a mont."
AA cald Erina down while grasping her head. I had to struggle to hold back my laughter.
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