Chapter 160
Chapter: 160
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>Translator: penny
>Chapter: 160
>Chapter Title: Storm (1)
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The sudden downpour that had started pouring down grew increasingly fierce.
A gust of unseasonably strong wind blew in alongside it, making the banquet hall feel surprisingly cozy and homey by the time they arrived.
The countless lights still scattered their brilliant glow, but with the excitement of the first banquet faded, the hall carried a calmer atmosphere than the day before.
‘The main banquet is supposed to have a bit more of a political bent, right…?’
A place where people sized each other up or kept each other in check—a small diplomatic skirmish, in a way.
However, since it wasn’t exactly a negotiation table where interests were directly exchanged, there were often cases where the goal was simply to mingle and build goodwill.
Thanks to that, the banquet hall’s mood flowed gently, making the word “political” seem almost out of place.
Having finished a light opening dance with Amelia, Seongjin took a moment to leisurely survey his surroundings. It felt like he’d cleared all his homework.
He’d heard that etiquette demanded at least one dance with each potential marriage prospect.
But little Chloe was absent before her debutante, Isabella was out with an injury to the crown of her head, and Julia Meyer was nowhere to be seen.
That meant he was free until the banquet ended.
“Long time no see, Prince Mores.”
Taking advantage of the somewhat subdued atmosphere, a small boy approached and spoke to him.
With his sharp bobbed haircut and rosy cheeks, it was Charles of the Rabijuri Marquis family.
‘This kid’s old enough to attend banquets now!’
Children of the Holy Imperial family grew tall and lanky like grass soaked with water, so the fact that this boy, even smaller than Sisle, was over thirteen came as quite a surprise in several ways.
Charles, who had been eyeing Seongjin with evident delight, soon wore a look of profound disappointment.
“My apologies, Your Highness. Did my gift not meet your tastes?”
Ah, right—this little one had been the one to gift him the savings ornament.
“I’d already matched my dress code and accessories ahead of time, so it’s a bit regrettable.”
The banquet attire had only been completed just before the birthday celebration, but there was no need to mention that.
Whether his excuse landed or not, the boy’s face fortunately brightened.
“I see. That aside, please speak more casually with me. I don’t know where to put myself.”
“No, I couldn’t do that. Aren’t you an honored guest who came from abroad to celebrate the birthday, young master?”
A flicker of puzzlement crossed Charles’s face at that.
“But why with the Prince of Rohan…?”
Ah. She must have overheard him speaking casually to that guy earlier.
It’s fine. That swallow bastard doesn’t count as a guest by my standards.
Observing Seongjin’s face, which had grown a bit menacing, Charles nodded as if he’d pieced something together.
He followed Seongjin’s gaze to where Amelia stood. She happened to be facing that swallow prince from Rohan, deep in conversation.
“You’d be better off keeping some distance from that prince. The rumors about him aren’t good in any way.”
Charles whispered with a worried expression.
“They say rumors are like bodiless winds by nature, but even so, weeds don’t sprout in barren wasteland without seeds blowing in.”
“Hmm, well…”
Certainly, Rohan’s Leonard didn’t give off a very good vibe.
There was something about the eyes of that princeling, raised in luxury, that smelled of blood. It reminded him of those trash hunters back on Earth who were more eager to slaughter fellow hunters for power than to fight monsters.
That’s why, at first, when the guy tried approaching Amelia, Seongjin had done his utmost to block him. His sister had looked somehow frightened standing before him.
But at some point after she regained her mental composure, things had changed.
She kept up a friendly smile for everyone, but Seongjin could tell right away.
The way his sister looked at the guy now was like a well-fed cat eyeing a plump little mouse.
‘Ah. She’s got some intriguing plan for that guy.’
So, separate from his dislike for the fellow, Seongjin decided to watch the situation for a bit. He knew Amelia wasn’t as naive as her pure impression suggested—she was surprisingly sharp and without blind spots.
‘Even if that guy suffers for it, it’d be his own comeuppance. If he’s made our angel sister angry, doesn’t that mean he’s worse than a devil?’
Of course, that didn’t mean he’d stop keeping a watchful eye on the guy!
As he glowered sullenly at Leonard, Charles cautiously spoke up.
“On the opposite end, Rohan’s First Prince is overly shrouded in mystery. I hear he’s never once attended a birthday celebration. They say he’s too frail for long-distance travel.”
Right. He vaguely recalled the etiquette tutor mentioning something like that.
“The ministers of Rohan must be greatly worried. Fortunately, our Brittany has no such concerns. Prince Philip is robust, diligent, and upright—flawless in every way.”
Seongjin lowered his gaze and looked straight at Charles.
Huh? Look at this kid.
“Quite the straightforward expression of opinion.”
He’d thought the boy always used that roundabout noble speech.
Charles gave a sly little smile.
“Why would I mince words before you? I won’t say more, Your Highness. Brittany will surely be the Empire’s most fitting companion in the days ahead.”
“…”
Without replying, Seongjin turned his eyes back toward Amelia and Leonard.
I see. He’d thought she was still just a kid, but she was already at that age? Well, Mores already had three marriage prospects on the table.
And Amelia was the eldest daughter of the Holy Imperial family, wasn’t she? Considering the impact her marriage would have on the continent’s future, it wasn’t surprising that people were already intensely focused on it.
‘Still, sixteen is right in the middle of growing up…’
Somehow, it left a bitter taste.
Even as that thought crossed his mind, Charles was staring at Seongjin with sparkling eyes, in a way that felt burdensome.
‘But why’s this kid coming to me with this?’
What exactly does he expect from me? He’d be better off going to Logan, the frontrunner for next Holy Emperor.
Or maybe…
Seongjin glanced toward the head table.
Hm, Father still hasn’t arrived.
Just then, Empress Consort Elizabeth, seated near the head table, met Seongjin’s eyes and flinched in surprise.
She then turned away with a rigidly stiff expression. What on earth was up with the Empress Consort lately?
He was starting to feel uncomfortable and considering excusing himself when, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a familiar face at one side of the banquet hall.
‘…Knight Julia Meyer? She’s here at the banquet today.’
The reason he recognized her unfamiliar face at a glance was surprising: she looked exactly as usual.
Amid all the girls dressed to the nines, she alone stubbornly wore her knight order uniform, standing with a somewhat businesslike expression, holding a drink.
Ah, right—there was another stubborn one like Logan.
‘Anyway, I’ve got to do my homework.’
His sister had repeatedly impressed upon him the need to ask every marriage prospect for a dance.
After excusing himself from Charles, Seongjin slowly approached Julia.
Come to think of it, he remembered Julia Meyer making a good first impression. She’d been quite helpful when he’d raided the capital guard barracks recently. She’d completely ignored the chaos.
In truth, Julia had been enjoying the sight of the capital guard captain—who’d had a prickly relationship with her—floundering about, but Seongjin was unaware of those deeper circumstances.
“Knight Julia. If it’s alright, may I have the next dance?”
At his words, Julia turned her head, her eyes widening round.
As if she couldn’t believe what she’d just heard, she opened and closed her mouth before finally managing a reply.
“…If I may be so bold, Your Highness. I’m in my knight order uniform right now.”
“Hm, I see.”
Would the dance steps be tricky in that?
He was pretty sure there was a move involving grabbing skirt hems and fluttering them.
“So…!”
She wanted to say this was a roundabout refusal because she didn’t want to dance, but there wasn’t a shred of suspicion on the prince’s face. He genuinely had no idea.
“Ah, are you on duty right now? Sorry. Are you guarding the banquet hall?”
“…No, Your Highness. Today is my day off.”
Then what was the problem?
Facing the boy’s innocently bright face, Julia sighed and took his hand.
Well, there was no rule against dancing in uniform.
‘Mom and Dad are going to nag me again when I get home…’
A woman who was a knight to her bones. A woman who maintained an iron wall against all suitors by insisting on her uniform.
Contrary to what people said, Julia Meyer had no particular aversion to prettily adorning her appearance.
Whether she wandered about in whatever state on non-duty days, it didn’t make her any less of a knight.
It was just that during academy days, studies had piled up, and after joining the knight order, work had come crashing in like mad—so she hadn’t wanted to waste energy on frivolities.
That’s why, despite her parents’ nagging, she showed up to every birthday banquet in uniform. Rejecting the flood of dance requests one by one was quite the hassle.
Feeling the young lords who’d been watching from afar stare at her with eyes wide like startled rabbits, Julia thought to herself.
‘Maybe even these peaceful birthday banquets are coming to an end this year.’
Well, she doubted there’d be another guy thick-skinned enough to ask for a dance with her in uniform.
“Oh my, look over there.”
“More decent than expected…”
The banquet guests turned curious eyes toward this unusual pair.
Julia Meyer was a young lady with a slender, willow-branch figure. Thanks to that, she was noticeably taller than Seongjin, who was still growing, so he figured they’d make a slightly awkward picture dancing.
But a handsome boy and a graceful beauty always made for a striking pair just standing side by side.
The couple, stepping lightly to the music and whispering, seemed quite well-matched.
Of course, if anyone overheard their conversation, that impression would vanish. Seongjin was seizing the opportunity to consult her on work matters.
“The 7th Knight Order’s deployment?”
When Julia asked back, Seongjin nodded. Lately, he’d been pondering which unit to pull in for a major search and seizure on Milo Company.
“Yeah. The 7th’s official name is the [Capital Defense Force], right? I know they handle similar duties to the capital guards.”
“That’s true.”
Julia’s expression then grew complicated.
“As Your Highness surely knows, deploying troops requires solid justification. Unless a direct order comes from the captain or higher-ranking officials, we usually submit formal requests and documents citing legal statutes to the administration first, then wait for the executive order.”
“So a simple support request won’t get the knight order to deploy?”
“In principle, yes. Otherwise, we establish prior coordination and cooperation agreements between departments. Of course, there are cases where the captain or vice-captain deems it an emergency and deploys on their own discretion.”
“Hm.”
Seongjin tilted his head and asked.
“So what you’re saying is, in the end, we should coordinate with the monster task force ahead of time? How should we go about it? Should I draft a formal cooperation document and send it to the 7th Knight Order?”
Julia Meyer’s face soured dramatically at that.
“Ah, still, please no cooperation documents…”
Her face turned into that of an overworked office worker buried in overtime, and she sighed.
“Very well, Your Highness. The various administrative procedures for troop deployment are indeed necessary, but I acknowledge they’re excessively cumbersome. Moreover, if you’re requesting support, it must be an urgent matter far from ordinary. For something like that, I believe I can handle it within my discretion.”
Considering incidents like the monster at Digory Manor or the gate incident at the Heresy Tribunal that the prince had been tangled in recently.
There were even rumors that if the prince was moving, it was already no ordinary affair.
Of course, Seongjin, oblivious to the context, just tilted his head.
“Let’s do it this way, Your Highness. Just submit a proper after-action report and take full responsibility for it, and I can deploy on an emergency basis at your request, within my authority.”
“Really? That’s okay?”
As Seongjin brightened, Julia Meyer replied with a somewhat resigned expression.
“Yes. That way, the paperwork gets cut in half at least.”
Everything was agonizingly picky and drawn-out in the application and approval stages, but cleanup after the fact happened relatively swiftly.
At least the Capital Defense Force’s vice-captain had some flexibility!
“Thanks so much, Knight Julia! For smooth cooperation going forward, how about a departmental dinner? I’ll hit up the budget soon and send an official invite to the 7th Knight Order!”
It was still a new department, so they had some leeway on budget. Seongjin added proudly.
Julia gave him a look of utter disbelief, then replied in a sinking voice.
“…No, really, the document is fine—no need.”
She seemed utterly fed up with paperwork itself.
As the dance ended, Seongjin parted ways with Julia.
It was their first real conversation like this, but she turned out to be someone he clicked well with. A satisfying encounter.
‘That said…’
Feeling a bit anxious, Seongjin unconsciously glanced toward the head table again.
And after confirming once more that it was empty.
‘Uh…’
Only then did he realize what had been nagging at him earlier.
Hadn’t the Holy Emperor been taking too long to arrive?
Rumble, crash!
Suddenly, his sensitive senses picked up the faint sound of thunder rumbling from afar.