Chapter 97
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 97
Chapter Title: The Extravagant Imperial Ball
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Radia was utterly dumbfounded by the sheer scale of the banquet.
Even a casual glance a short distance away revealed countless wooden crates being hauled into the ballroom.
There was no need to scrutinize the footmen's tasks, but anyone with a keen eye could tell that burly men were steadily carrying something in.
And from that simple observation, it wasn't hard to infer that every one of those crates was destined for this ball.
*Truly impressive.*
Fresh seafood was arriving one after another in the heart of the inland capital.
It looked even fresher than if it had just been pulled from the sea, leaving Radia speechless.
Not to mention the wines beneath them, bearing antique labels from vintages years unknown, the meats, and how renowned chefs and pâtissiers had already arrived and headed straight for the kitchens.
"Well... I suppose it's not entirely incomprehensible."
True to its evening party nature, some were held as masked balls, but as an imperial ball with every noble in attendance, the scale was on another level entirely.
No noble possessed the audacity to refuse an invitation stamped with the emperor's seal.
Even without that, the networking opportunities alone were enough to make any noble's head spin.
Radia let out a sigh as she adjusted the low-cut hem of her dress.
*Why on earth is the Sword Duke attending?*
The greatest contributor to elevating the empire to its current stature.
A living legend whose biography could rightfully be called the empire's own epic—a true knight.
But since retiring from the front lines due to old age and secluding himself in the palace, he had become one of the empire's untouchable treasures.
*And even Magic Emperor Oshuwa is participating.*
A pioneer whom even the haughtiest, title-obsessed mages dared not contradict, despite her arrogant moniker of "Master of Magic."
The very architect of the paradigm shift declaring all elements derived from a single primordial one.
Her attendance naturally opened the door for great archmages, of whom the unwritten rule allowed only ten per era.
For any parent with a mage child, it was an unmissable connection.
And finally...
"So Professor Aiden carries such renown."
The young lord of the Pisvolt Grand Ducal House.
His status seemed almost laughable next to the word "genius," etched indelibly into people's minds.
Nitpicky? Picky eater? Such traits were brushed off with a smile amid the otherworldly reverence for him.
A genius who etched his mark on history.
A proven new star.
An unprecedented prodigy who reached Master at twenty-seven.
No one in all of history had achieved Master rank before thirty.
Yet as the saying goes, an overly capable ally can be more terrifying than a capable foe—the empire cherished him deeply while watching him with razor-sharp vigilance.
"A central noble positioned almost like a vassal state with the Pisvolt Grand Duchy. And of pure lineage, having absorbed all the surrounding kingdoms' bloodlines."
By blood alone, it rivaled the imperial family's traditions, birthing an unparalleled Master.
Assuming Masters lived an average of four centuries, how much further could this top-tier grand noble grow?
Should Aiden receive a ducal title as things stood, people predicted the Pisvolt family would secede and found a kingdom.
"That's why the emperor is stubbornly forcing this ennoblement."
And this was the result.
A ball so lavish it was unclear how much it had plundered from the imperial coffers.
Somehow, the Roosevelt Palace Chamberlain had started looking deathly pale at some point, and now Radia thought she understood why, offering an awkward smile.
"Since Professor Aiden summoned me, I should go."
While Elin, Isel, and Arion had indeed earned noble status through exemplary deeds, their ranks were still too low for such an event.
In the end, Radia alone had to shoulder this headache.
She sighed deeply at the thought and set off.
Truth be told, given the watchful eyes she'd been wary of until now, such open contact felt a bit off...
But at this point, it hardly mattered anyway.
Radia found it odd why it no longer mattered now, but she quickly dismissed the thought.
*If he says so, then it must be.*
Professor Aiden's field of vision was far too broad to nitpick every detail.
She wasn't fool enough to insert unsolicited opinions just because she didn't fully grasp it.
Knock knock.
"Lord Pisvolt Aiden and Lady Radia of the Drake Ducal House. May I enter?"
"Come in."
As the attendant opened the door, Radia took a step inside and gasped.
*What... what is this?*
A black uniform accented with gold trim—rumors said the emperor favored white, so he'd chosen an achromatic one to avoid overlap, turning out to be a stroke of genius.
The muted tones made his golden blond hair gleam like molten gold under the lights.
Paired with starlit sapphire eyes.
He usually seemed laid-back, almost indolent, but now that sharpness was laced with sleek elegance.
A faintly melancholic expression, as if lost in thought, came as a bonus.
Yet his long legs crossed in a pose that exuded lethal dignity.
Radia's face flushed crimson.
"What's wrong, Lady Radia? See something strange?"
*That face—it's turning me inside out.*
Not a doll—a living, breathing man. A real one.
"Ahem, nothing at all. Nothing."
Radia stiffened her lips, which threatened to curve upward, and cleared her throat dryly.
The more she hemmed and hawed, the redder her cheeks grew.
"Uh, Lord Aiden as well..."
"Call me Professor in private."
"...Then, with your kind permission, Professor Aiden. You've dressed quite sharply yourself."
"It's a hassle. Makeup is such a chore."
"...Professor Aiden, it's probably best if you don't show this side too often."
Radia muttered in a voice barely above a whisper.
Charlotte, who had been silently watching, shot Radia an incredulous look.
"Am I invisible here?"
"Eh? Oh!"
Radia panicked, her eyes widening.
"W-When? No, did you just arrive?"
"Arrive? I've been here since you walked in—you just didn't notice me."
Distracted by Aiden from the moment she entered, it hadn't occurred to her that anyone else might be there.
Charlotte teased her mercilessly.
"Your eyes were practically dripping honey, weren't they?"
"Th-That's not! No, Lady Charlotte, I didn't mean to ignore you on purpose..."
"Sure, sure. Peel back the layers, and men and women are all the same. But opposite sex over same, right?"
"Uh... y-yeah..."
Radia sank under Charlotte's deliberate probing.
A historic rout for the future naval admiral held in high regard.
Charlotte grumbled.
"How is that even appealing? I just don't get it. Must be that even with a shitty personality, a pretty face makes it tolerable enough to live off, huh?"
"Charlotte, that's enough."
"What? Got something to say to me? Huh?"
Since Aiden had once asked a favor of Charlotte, she clamped her mouth shut.
Her sulking stemmed entirely from that.
"Shorten the flattery list? Wow, even after all I did, not an ounce of will to trim it. No point in beating around the bush."
Having glanced at the attendee list herself, Radia inwardly sympathized with Charlotte's ordeal.
"So I wanted to curb the guest list's expansion, but no—word is Masters are lining up to attend? His Majesty must've leaned hard on them. Every Master in the empire turning out."
"......"
"You know the emperor's own birthday bash isn't this flashy? You skipped the invite, so no surprise you wouldn't know, but whatever—emperor's birthday or not, if the Masters show, what choice is there."
Exactly. Aiden's veil of mystery came from ignoring holidays, annual events, socials, even the emperor's birthday.
Most nobles would've been ruined or vilified for such recklessness, but Masters were always like that.
Charlotte's tone grew thick with sarcasm.
"What could a lowly young lord's proxy do with otherworldly beings descending? Right? Oh, wait—there's one here too. Guess I'm the shrimp caught in the whales' battle..."
"I'm sorry, so let's drop it. My apologies."
Aiden pressed his forehead and bowed his head.
His headache was palpable, but what shocked Radia was elsewhere.
*The empire's mightiest might just be Lady Charlotte.*
Even back in Aiden's lab, she'd grabbed his collar over some weird misunderstanding, and that attitude was utterly domineering.
To hold the upper hand against a Master—the pinnacle of national might and resolve.
Astonishing. Awe-inspiring.
"Oh, sure, sure—if you're calling it quits, what can a lowly wretch like me do? Fine, I'll stop."
"Charlotte..."
"What, not just trimming flattery—scout palace internals, investigate so-and-so, set up a secret line to the Roosevelt Palace Chamberlain, all that miscellaneous crap. I'll shut my mouth now. Happy?"
"I'm sorry."
"What can you do? I'm the lowly one, so I'll roll with it body and soul. Right, Master?"
"I'm truly sorry."
Knowing how she'd toiled sleeplessly, Aiden squirmed.
As Radia mused that even the dignified Professor Aiden was helpless against family—
Pffft.
With a deflating sound, another victim sank under Charlotte's onslaught.
Having conquered both the future naval admiral and history's mark-making Master side by side, Charlotte crossed her arms and strutted.
The immensely cool sight deflated somewhat by sibling torment, Radia pressed on girlishly.
"So, Professor Aiden. What's this about Princess Lilian? From the intel so far and this flattery list, I gather some group is scheming something... but beyond that."
She subtly probed.
"Is it something I can know?"
Charlotte, arms still crossed, glanced at Aiden in agreement.
"Yeah, spill if you can; if not, whatever. Involves royalty—classified, probably."
Aiden shook his head.
"No, it's time you both knew. What they are, what they're after here—I'll tell you everything. And I have a request for your cooperation."
Radia and Charlotte gulped in unison.
The moment "devil worshippers" left Aiden's lips, their faces hardened.
Having finished, Aiden addressed them gravely.
"It'll be somewhat dangerous, but cooperate with me."
An chance to root out every spy in the palace.
Aiden's eyes burned with quiet resolve.