Chapter 231: You Haven’t Heard The Rumor? (2)

The first social ball hosted by Sefira was also a celebration for Keter being named the Bow of the South. The nobles who attended, however, mostly looked down on Sefira.

“A family like Sefira staging a social ball with practically no experience, and thrown together at the last minute... And outdoors, too? I couldn’t bring myself to wear my best clothes.”

“I made sure to eat well beforehand. If there’s a bug in the food, I’ll be starving all day.”

“Did anyone here tell their coachman not to rest so they will be ready to leave at a moment’s notice? You know, so you can slip away from Sefira anytime. Hahaha!”

The nobles hadn’t attended out of excitement; they had come to mock the ball that Sefira had hastily arranged. There was nothing nobles enjoyed more than tearing someone else down. Of course, not every guest thought that way.

“This is Sefira... It’s not as shabby as the rumors said.”

“Was Sefira’s estate always this vast? You could build a city here.”

“I thought all of Sefira’s children would be ugly or disabled since they’re unmarried, but look. Each one is tall, handsome, and carries himself like a proper gentleman.”

On the day of the party, around a hundred nobles gathered, which was an impressive turnout. There were thousands of nobles in the entire kingdom, but what made it impressive was that everyone here was at least a low noble or higher.

In addition, Sefira wasn’t the only family throwing a post-tournament celebration. The Garcia and Luban families—famed Masters of Swordsmanship of the south—hosted lavish banquets, and the influential Bydent family staged their own grand affair.

They spent astronomical sums to stage the event, bringing in renowned poets, musicians, chefs, and jesters not only from across the country but from abroad as well. After all, a grand party was the perfect place to display a family’s prestige.

Not only had Sefira hastily put together such a party in the short span of a month, but one hundred nobles had attended; it was clearly a remarkable event. People judged that it owed less to Sefira’s own standing than to the outsized influence of three people: Keter, the Bow of the South, Veiga, the party fanatic, and Princess Iris.

Thanks to them, Sefira had drawn a crowd of powerful nobles, and that wasn’t all. The ball was scheduled to start at six o’clock, but it was only five. The nobles who were here now, an hour early, were known as the regular crowd.

The most powerful nobles never arrived on time and came late on purpose. The more prestige they had, the later they dared to arrive; one guest even set a record by arriving three hours late. The reason for this was simple: not all nobles attending a ball were equal. A low noble wouldn’t enter alongside a high noble. Even among high nobles, those from master families carried greater weight. Social balls were ruthlessly hierarchical.

Still, the nobles who arrived an hour early were no lightweights. They had passed two tests: the first was wealth. At balls where high nobles attended,

dignity

was a requirement; one needed to be wearing at least five thousand gold’s worth of finery, which was similar to the price of a small manor.

The second test was information. One had to know who would attend and what they would wear, so one could decide whether to arrive early or fashionably late. This was also to determine their influence level, but more importantly, it allowed one to calculate their social rank ahead of time and avoid matching outfits with someone with a higher standing.

At that moment, a chill ran through one side of the room—the standoff between the young ladies had begun.

“Oh my, Emily. You’re at the party too? That necklace looks lovely.”

“Anna, you have taste. It wasn’t that expensive—maybe three thousand gold.”

“That really isn’t much. Mine is worth seven thousand. I don’t know if you’ve heard of him, but it was made by Godric, one of the Samael Empire’s finest jewelers. Well, his apprentice, but...”

Anna mumbled the last part and chuckled, covering her mouth with her fan. Emily, smiling only with her eyes, pointed her fan at Anna’s dress.

“That red fabric—is that red velvet?”

“Oh, you noticed. It was awfully hard to get. You know red velvet only comes from the Baen Kingdom, and most of it goes to high nobles first. It’s like asking for the moon.”

“I know. I’ve worn a red velvet coat from the Baen Kingdom before. That’s why I know the one you’re wearing is fake.”

“Hehe, Emily, I know you envy me, but calling it fake? I’m quite offended by that.”

“There’s a way to tell. Want to test it?”

“Emily, this was a gift from my father. Claiming it’s fake insults my family... Ah!!”

Splash!

Emily grabbed a wineglass from the table and splashed it over Anna’s gown. Anna, who was now drenched, was furious, but Emily cut her off before she could voice her anger.

“Real red velvet is waterproof, so it never gets wet. One drop would have told you the truth, Anna... You poor thing.”

“Y-you...!”

The two young ladies’ squabble was about to make a scene when a man stepped in and called Anna’s full name.

“Anna Ken Blitz of the Blitz family.”

Both girls became flushed at his appearance. The man wore an immaculate black coat with gold embroidery for a single accent, his silver hair falling neatly. It was Anis El Sefira, Sefira’s third son. The two young ladies were speechless.

Anis approached Anna with a leisurely step, knelt on one knee, and lightly kissed the back of her left hand.

“I am Anis El Sefira. Is your brother, Sir Gillian, well?”

“D-do you know my brother?”

“I fought alongside him when the dark mage attacked the Sword of the South Tournament.”

“Oh...!”

“It seems like you accidentally spilled some wine. Fortunately, we have a red velvet dress at the Sefira manor. Would you please accept it?”

“A red velvet dress at Sefira?”

Sefira, known for its frugality, having red velvet dresses was unimaginable. The nobles muttered that Anis must be lying, but he didn’t care.

“I was curious about the Blitz family as well. Allow me to escort you to the dressing room.”

“Oh, o... of course.”

Anna was flushed, but no longer from anger. Anis escorted her away and glanced back. A boy seated on the platform gave a thumbs-up and smiled.

Well, it solved the problem, but having to chat about a woman and a house I don’t care about...

Anis had been acting on orders from Daat, the self-proclaimed advisor of Sefira. He had doubted it at first, but when the sour mood dissolved, he began to trust the plan. Still, Anna’s idle scratching at the back of his hand nearly made him snap—resisting the urge was no small feat.

* * *

“Perfect.”

Standing on the platform that overlooked the entire party ground, Daat smiled in satisfaction. An outdoor party in November as winter approached was an extremely foolish idea. Party attire couldn’t be too bulky, as it would look clumsy. In addition, revealing styles showing the back or calves were in fashion among women right now. Holding a party outdoors was practically the same as ordering everyone to undergo cold-weather training. However, there was no choice—they couldn’t build an indoor hall in time. So, Veiga had originally proposed a crude solution.

“We’ll dig pits in the ground and light fires to keep everyone warm.”

This was easier said than done. This would look ugly, and the smoke was a huge issue as well. To that, Veiga merely shrugged as if it were nothing.

“Better to have a cumbersome structure than everyone shivering.”

Unexpectedly, Keter solved the problem. Denison, the sticker mage who had recently joined Sefira, heard about the heating issue and demonstrated his stickers.

“Place these around the site, and the warm air will hold for a day.”

“How can a scrap of paper do that?”

Skeptical, the builders stuck the stickers to the walls, but soon opened their mouths in astonishment.

“No... No way! It really emits warm air! What kind of magic is this? I’ve seen countless magic devices across the Samael Empire, but never have I seen such heat from such a small surface!”

“Hahaha, that’s precisely the power of my sticker magic.”

Denison didn’t bother to mention how absurdly expensive they were, as Keter had already agreed to fund his research. Denison’s fix, however, offered more than heat.

“My word! A single sticker can make ice? This is revolutionary!”

“It even makes wind? Hah!”

Even Ultima trembled at Denison’s stickers.

“How has this extraordinary magic remained unknown? This is a greater invention than scrolls!”

“Sir, the production cost is steep.”

“I don’t care how much it is. Miniaturized magic of this sort is priceless...”

“One thousand gold apiece, and they last only a week. And they will break once it rains.”

“...We can’t sell them right now. Now I see why Keter insisted on funding the research.”

In any case, Denison’s stickers had neatly solved the outdoor penalty. The nobles gushed praise.

“I don’t know where this warmth is coming from. It’s clearly magic, yet we can’t detect it!”

“I came dressed for the cold, but I’m sweating.”

“I thought Sefira was hostile to magic, yet they were hiding a mage all this time? Impressive.”

The stickers were easy to hide, so the nobles didn’t even notice them, which made the wonders feel all the more astonishing.

“The food's perfect. Decoration’s perfect. Money really is everything.”

Between the Ultima Merchant Company and Sefira, they had spent a staggering one hundred twenty thousand gold on the party. This was pure extravagance. However, it paid off; even the nobles who had come to find fault couldn’t grasp at any real complaints and were forced to enjoy the festivities with frowns on their faces.

“Hehehe, who would have thought Sefira cared about us. Quite unexpected, isn’t it?”

A cluster of elder nobles sat to one side, but none of them were ordinary. They were the Old Nobles’ Circle, a gathering of retired high nobles. They were notoriously strict about legitimacy. Even at a light celebration, they were picky about etiquette and ceremony. It was practically impossible to satisfy their tastes even for a master family, yet Sefira had done it.

“Not entirely surprising. Didn’t Sefira have Reganon El Draiton?”

Reganon El Draiton was the former royal secretary of the kingdom. He knew every tradition and etiquette of the Lilian Kingdom and had drilled them into the household staff.

“I heard Lord Reganon had retired, yet he’s back working for Sefira. I don’t know what’s gotten into them.”

“Well, whatever has gotten into them, it’s for the better. Hahaha!”

The elders guffawed in satisfaction. And then, Panir, still strong and feisty despite nearing his eighties, approached them.

“Are you enjoying the party?”

“Judge Panir! What brings you here?”

One of the elders, who was a former high court judge, stood up. He was second in influence in the circle. Panir waved off the flattery with a modest tone.

“That’s ancient history. I’m retired now and only serve on an advisory committee.”

“You seem different.”

“Well, I’m fortunate to have taken a Rejuvenation Pill.”

“Haha! That’s not what I’m talking about—your expression’s changed. When you retired, you looked full of anger and ambition. You looked like someone about to cause a scandal. But now... you look genuinely pleased.”

“...Did I?”

“Don’t even get me started. You looked so emotionless that you were barely human. Speaking of which, would you like to join our Old Nobles’ Circle?”

“I’m sorry, but I’ll have to decline.”

“Haha, alright then. Oh, since you’re here, tell me what changed you. It must be incredibly difficult to change your ways as you get older.”

The other elder nobles leaned forward, curious.

Panir paused, smiled faintly, and replied, “I met someone more stubborn than I am. I had to yield.”

They were the only ones at the party who had come out of curiosity about Sefira itself rather than to see Keter. Yet when they saw Panir lavish such praise on someone for the first time, their curiosity was naturally piqued. They wondered what kind of person Keter was to have transformed a cold man like Panir.

* * *

Sefira’s party was warm and composed. The modest yet tidy decorations, an open vista, the cool breeze that threaded through the gathering—this all blended with the warm heat to create a cozy atmosphere. The gentle, high-quality music eased the nobles’ tension.

An hour passed in the blink of an eye. Before they knew it, a clear bell rang out, announcing that it was now six o’clock. At once, the guests turned toward the entrance as if it had been coordinated in advance.

“The finale will surely be Princess Iris, but who will appear first?”

“I heard Lord Vector of the Browning family is coming. I’d wager he’ll be the first.”

It was tradition for the most powerful to arrive last, but a different rule governed the first entrance: the second-most powerful figure arrived first, while the most powerful made the finale. Since everyone here expected Princess Iris to close the evening, the debate centered around who would take the opening.

“Lord Vector certainly deserves it, but I think the second-eldest son of Oaxford has a better chance.”

“Oaxford’s second son? The prodigy who reached six-circle at his coming-of-age?”

“Haven’t you heard? Burgundy is attending. He’s famous among mercenaries.”

“A mercenary at a social ball? That’s unheard of. Doesn’t a mercenary lower the prestige of a ball?”

“Don’t you know Burgundy? He’s the vice director of the Lillian Regional Mercenary Headquarters. He’s a mercenary but has the influence of a high noble. You have to be careful.”

“I can’t wait to see who comes in first...!”

The nobles were on edge, waiting to see who would enter first. If someone ignored their place and chose the order as they wished, this social ball could become a funeral. That was when...

Clip clop!

The nobles gulped in anxiety at the sound of carriage wheels approaching from afar. The first entrance was finally here. The carriage stopped before the gates, and the doors of the hall slowly opened.

Creak!!

The door was designed to creak loudly on purpose so that attention would be drawn to whoever entered. And the first guest to step through was...

“Huh?!”

“W-what? Why is that person here?!”

It was someone no one had expected. Every guest in the hall stared at the figure in disbelief.