Chapter 414: Strata Magic School (3-25)
Whoa... this is beyond me?
I'd started out full of confidence.
No matter how massive the duke's mansion was, with Stealth and Sleep, I figured I could slip in undetected.
But now that I was actually spying on it from hiding, I realized it wasn't confidence—it was arrogance.
[The guards aren't elite, but even with your abilities, Su-ho, perfectly concealing yourself won't be easy.]
I was confident I could sneak in and wipe out the guards if needed.
But my real goal was to infiltrate Karin's room without anyone noticing.
The moment I got spotted even once, the chance would vanish completely.
Even if my identity stayed hidden, the second word got out that someone had breached the duke's mansion, security would ramp up to an entirely different level.
Should I level up Stealth?
[I don't recommend it. You won't gain much, and it won't guarantee better efficiency right now.]
I'd have to raise the skill eventually, so it wouldn't be a total loss.
But if the boost was negligible and didn't meaningfully improve my odds, there was no point burning Enel on it.
[There's a better way.]
?
[Get help from Lena and Beatrice.]
Armonia's plan was straightforward.
A place like the Brandtrup duke's mansion would have fixed patrol routes and schedules.
Lena and Beatrice would sneak in first, map everything out perfectly, and once it was safe, I'd make my move.
And that gave us a new target.
Let's scout the duchess's location too! She'll probably be sleeping with her husband, but still...
[...Understood.]
I wanted to know where the duke slept. The duke's room...
For now, I needed intel on every woman—and human—connected to Louis.
And if things got dicey...
[Lena and Beatrice won't get caught easily, and even if they do, a well-timed Warp should make the guards think they saw a ghost.]
Plus, with perception-impairing cloaks, they'd look like actual spirits from a distance.
Alright, let's do that.
Safety first, always.
The next morning, Luna shared some intriguing news.
"A masked welcome banquet?"
"Yes. They're holding a masked welcome for the dean at the royal palace."
A masked banquet made sense. But why masks?
"Why the masks, though?"
"It's traditionally called a masked ball, held once a year for unmarried young nobles."
The masked ball was an annual spring event hosted by the palace, inviting all eligible young nobles from Levin Kingdom to provide opportunities for matches.
Everyone entered wearing a mask suited to them, hiding their identities to converse freely.
A landless, penniless noble might flaunt his knowledge to impress a higher noble's heir. An overlooked lady might use her wit to captivate a suitor, securing a marriage.
But it seemed odd.
Some high nobles' heirs would already be recognizable.
No matter the mask, body type and voice were hard to fully disguise.
If every desperate noble swarmed the elites, wouldn't that defeat the purpose?
But the event had a twist.
"Court mages step in and use magic to alter appearances and voices."
"Ah..."
Being palace-hosted, they deployed court mages for the occasion.
For example, don a peacock mask, and your face becomes peacock-like, voice distorted beyond recognition.
Which meant this masked welcome...
"Everyone wears a mask, even His Majesty—no exceptions."
"...But does that magic work on the dean?"
I wondered if the question even made sense.
No matter the court mages' skill, I doubted it'd fool the dean—or even Sonya.
Luna shook her head with a wry smile.
"Of course not on the dean. The point is to show equality for everyone except him."
"Whoa..."
I didn't know much about Levin's king, but this felt like a bold move.
Hosting a ball where even he appeared as an ordinary man before the dean? No minister would dare suggest that.
It'd be like begging for your house's annihilation.
Luna began explaining the masked welcome's flow.
"Invitees wait at home. Royal one-person carriages arrive separately."
Even if Luna and I were together, two carriages would come.
Staying officially with the Brandtrups meant carriages for all of them too.
Board your solo carriage, don your chosen mask inside, then wait in a palace-provided lounge—still masked.
When the banquet starts, enter the hall slowly for the formal welcome.
"Follow the same rules as a regular masked ball."
Masked balls encouraged free talk across classes.
But rules existed.
Never badmouth another house or person. You never knew who was listening.
It seemed obvious, but deranged nobles occasionally spouted nonsense behind masks, so the palace stressed it.
"Small slip-ups get overlooked—that's the charm."
"What about big ones?"
"Leave immediately."
Being opportunity-focused, masked balls forgave minor errors.
They ended with masks off, revealing identities.
If you'd blundered too badly to unmask, slip out early and preserve your secret.
That was palace-approved too.
Forcing someone to stay was rude.
"Same rules for this welcome."
"But I'm worried."
"About what?"
"Will the dean even show?"
He'd skipped Count Potts's event.
If he no-showed the king's humble gesture, it'd embarrass the crown—not just nationally, but continent-wide gossip.
But Luna shook her head with a smile.
"Professor Sonya confirmed—he's attending."
"Good."
Even a maverick like the dean couldn't ignore yesterday's welcome entirely.
Potts's bash was their own half-baked idea.
The palace, though? Proper honors for a Levin-bound guest.
"Note: From boarding the solo carriage to entering the hall, no talking—even if you see others."
Enter the hall under the magic's influence from the lounge.
Luna gave a bitter smile.
"You'll probably... won't recognize me once we're in."
"Nah, I'll find you."
"No way. Court mages are top Strata grads—not dean-level, but elite."
"If I do?"
She scoffed playfully.
"Find me, and one wish granted. But if I spot you first, you grant mine."
I smiled inwardly.
"This masked welcome... can't wait."
Sunset barely faded when seven carriages lined up at the duke's mansion gates.
Family and guests stood in a row, ready to board.
Brandtrups first, then Luna and me... and...
"Enjoy the welcome—don't mind me."
"...Yes."
Jeff scowled at me.
As I smirked back, Duke Brandtrup spoke sternly.
"Let's go."
"Yes."
He boarded first; we followed into identical carriages—impossible to tell occupants apart.
Mine started rolling as the coachman turned.
"Masks in the box beside you. Many kinds—pick, wear immediately. Rules: no removing until end."
"Got it."
I opened the wooden box, brown and plain, browsing masks.
Mostly animals: birds and mammals dominant.
Bird? Mammal?
[Personally, I think a bird suits you. A raptor, ideally.]
Oho... why?
[No real reason.]
Well... raptors are cool.
Anything but a bald eagle hits average or better.
But cool birds had issues.
Everyone'll pick the flashy ones, right?
I don't like standing out.
But if everyone's eagles, another eagle blends in too much.
Rummaging, one caught my eye.
Ooh... this one's perfect. Thoughts?
[...Second-best, but solid choice.]
She'd wanted eagle, but too common—pass.
I donned my pick carefully, eyes closed till palace arrival.
Carriage halted; coachman finalized.
"Disembark for guidance. No talking. Enjoy."
I nodded, stepped out, followed the waiting maid.
Crowds moved similarly, guided.
She whispered rules, low enough for me alone—same as Luna's briefing.
Soon, my private lounge.
"Wait here. Court mages will cast soon. Your form and voice will match the mask—check mirror, then enter."
Nodded, sat, waited awkwardly alone.
Vision rippled suddenly.
Starting?
Excited, I approached the mirror.
I poked my mask-fused face, marveling.
Whoa... this is wild.
The odd mask had transformed into a real animal face.
Even clothes shifted to match.
Staring curiously, I messaged.
Suits me?
[More than expected...]
More than?
[Intense impression—works well.]
Grinning at the praise, I admired myself.
Lucky.
The mirror showed a fierce owl, eyes narrowed sharply.