Chapter 18
Chapter 18
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: 17. Birthday Party (3)
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‘She’ll be fine.’
Allen seemed skilled enough.
With that much mana, he’d rank in the upper echelons across the entire Empire.
‘Though using dual swords does bother me a bit….’
I gave her a light nod in greeting, then turned my head.
And decided to stop thinking about Irina.
I just wanted to get back to the office and catch some sleep.
That sofa Lea the princess bought me.
It was truly the best.
Lost in thoughts of the sofa alone.
A lively burst of music came from the entrance to the banquet hall where we’d come in.
―――.
It was as grand as if His Imperial Majesty the Emperor himself were arriving.
Every attendee turned toward the entrance in unison.
Soon after, the Empire’s pride, the Eastern Knights, made their appearance.
Men in red cloaks and ornate helmets marched in perfectly aligned rows.
Leading them confidently was a petite silhouette.
Lydia, dressed in a gown, entered the hall.
She looked just like a girl goddess and her mythical legion of guardians.
I knew she was always full of pride.
But to make her birthday party this extravagant.
Impressive at such a young age.
I quietly clapped as I waited for her to pass our table.
Soon, the red legion came into view.
Fortunately, the soldiers marched straight past without stopping.
But….
“Oh, you came too?”
The youngest imperial princess’s voice rang out from very close by.
I thought I’d misheard.
With a sense of unease, I slowly turned my head.
And in that moment.
I came face-to-face with Lydia looking down at me, hand on her hip, a mischievous expression on her face.
‘Damn it….’
Lydia hadn’t spared a glance at anyone else as she passed the tables.
Yet this princess had singled me out—not some other noble—to speak to me.
“Ah, ahem. That’s not it.”
She closed her eyes for a moment and cleared her throat.
Then she deliberately shifted to a more elegant tone.
“Oh, you came, have you?”
An awkward, stiff manner of speaking.
Even so, Miya shrank back like a startled cat.
“How do you find attending this body’s party?”
I glanced sideways.
Sure enough, all the nearby guests were now staring straight at me.
“As expected, he’s one of the Third Imperial Princess’s close aides?”
“They say she’s been expanding her influence lately—looks like she’s even recruited a civil servant knight.”
“Even so… a public official teaming up with a princess. Ambitious young man.”
‘Damn it, who’s teaming up with anyone!’
I had to shake off these stares somehow.
Should I respond indifferently?
People with strong pride lose interest fast if ignored.
I racked my brain quickly.
Then one idea popped into my head.
I blurted it out immediately.
“Well, the peanuts are tasty.”
A short remark.
The moment they heard it, everyone’s faces turned pale.
Ladies covered their mouths with their hands, gentlemen furrowed their brows in disbelief.
Even Miya mouthed urgently at me.
‘You idiot?!’
I looked at her with a bewildered expression.
Her senior’s face had gone deathly white with fear.
‘Was that not it?’
The Third Imperial Princess stared at me blankly after hearing my response.
She narrowed her eyes and asked back.
“Is that… so?”
All the guests swallowed hard.
They knew Lydia’s fiery temper well and looked tense.
“Fascinating.”
Fortunately, she didn’t get angry at me.
Instead, she gave me a playful smile.
“No one’s ever complimented the nuts in the banquet hall before.”
At the princess’s words, the guests all looked down at their plates.
They began sampling them cautiously.
“Those peanuts served at this party—they were all carefully grown in our Eastern soils.”
“Ah, no wonder the flavor was so exceptional.”
Pleased by my response, she lifted her chin proudly.
Emboldened, I calmly explained the taste.
“The nutty aroma that blooms with every chew, followed by that subtle sweetness—superb.”
This much was sincere.
After returning to the past, I’d enjoyed cooking more than swordsmanship.
Based on that experience, these peanuts were truly excellent.
“Hmm—.”
Lydia nodded, seemingly satisfied with my answer.
‘That should be enough to satisfy her, right?’
I calmly sipped my water, waiting for her to move on.
But….
The youngest princess didn’t head to the center of the hall.
Instead, she drew even closer to me.
“Well, you look shady, but your taste is decent enough.”
She tilted her head playfully as she spoke.
A faint apricot scent wafted from her hair.
“Expect something tonight.”
She whispered right into my ear.
“You’ll regret joining the Water Guard Division.”
With that, Lydia brushed past me.
She glanced back with a giggle.
Miya, who’d been holding her breath listening beside me.
She finally exhaled.
“W-what did the youngest princess say?”
“Just that I should look forward to tonight.”
Repeating it verbatim made Miya’s face flush red.
“What…?!”
What was there to be so shocked about.
“Expect something” probably meant she’d show off her knights at best.
Since she’d even brought Batsu, he’d likely perform a spear dance.
Lydia ascended the banquet stage.
She cast a simple amplification spell on her lips.
「Ah— ah. Is everyone enjoying the banquet?」
A tone befitting royalty, maintained with effort.
It was so awkward I almost snorted.
「Anyone who’s attended my parties even once would know.」
Her voice echoed loudly through the vast hall.
All the attendees focused on her instantly.
「I absolutely hate boring banquets.」
「I’ve prepared a performance for all you guests, so please enjoy.」
Lydia descended the stage gracefully with hands behind her back.
Left alone on the spacious main stage was one massive knight.
Batsu.
The Eastern region’s top prodigy stood there with his giant spear, facing the audience.
The ladies shrank back at the sight of his heavy-lidded eyes.
The gentlemen did the same.
They instinctively swallowed hard at the giant man’s imposing build.
Only I chewed my peanuts and watched indifferently.
I already knew his skill level well.
―――!
Batsu’s booming shout.
The sound made the white rugs adorning the ceiling flap in unison.
He then raised his Eastern-style spear high.
With skillful motions, he began swinging it.
I glanced up at the flapping rugs.
Then spoke flatly to Miya beside me.
“Senior.”
“Hm…?”
“You’re drinking that champagne, right?”
Miya, who’d been staring blankly at Batsu’s spear.
She tilted her head at the sudden champagne mention.
“Yeah…?”
“Cover it with the lid first.”
Miya cocked her head at my meaningful words.
But since she’d never lost out following my advice, she quietly placed the lid on her glass.
“The table’s gonna get messy.”
The sound of the spear slicing through the air.
By the time it filled the hall, Lydia had reached the imperial seats.
She plopped down boldly in the center chair.
“The kids have improved a lot?”
Lea, who’d been silently sipping tea beside her, said to the Third Imperial Princess.
Lydia crossed her arms alone and replied firmly.
“Of course. I never skimp on investing in my possessions.”
She looked down at the hall with a satisfied expression.
Batsu swung his spear at blinding speed.
Soon, signaling the end of his spear dance, he slammed the butt into the floor.
Kwaaaang―――!
An enormous vibrational boom struck the stage like a gong.
The sudden action made all the guests clap their hands over their ears.
But their furrowed expressions soon turned to awe.
Flutter―――.
The instant Batsu’s spear tip touched the ground.
All the white silk rugs on the ceiling tore apart.
White fabric scraps drifted down like falling snow.
The subtle snowflakes left the guests’ mouths agape.
Soon they rose, applauding.
Especially the prime minister, who’d been muttering oddly while looking at me.
His eyes welled up as he marveled greatly.
“Hahaha… White snow from the capital’s East! Truly impressive, impressive!”
White flakes drifted gently onto the lids.
Miya finally understood why I’d told her to cover the champagne.
“How did you know?”
She fiddled with a snowflake as she asked.
“Know what.”
“That the ceiling rugs would tear.”
“The drafts were sharp, so I had a hunch.”
Explaining fully would take too long, so I brushed it off.
With Miya’s current skill, she couldn’t detect the fine mana bursts fired at high speed.
Dodging her suspicious gaze, I looked up at the imperial seats.
Lydia nodded, pleased with Batsu’s performance.
Lea gazed steadily at her.
“That was good—not bad at all?”
At the question, Lydia glanced up at Lea.
“Not just ‘not bad.’ Batsu was perfect.”
Lea smiled faintly at the youngest’s firm response.
“Yeah, a flashy circus that had the audience cheering.”
Circus.
At the word, Lydia scoffed.
“If you’re jealous, just say so. Don’t sneer for no reason—.”
She narrowed her eyes disdainfully at Lea and smirked.
“But isn’t that kid a knight? Don’t you want him to show something more knightly than circus tricks?”
“Knightly…?”
Lea slowly set down her teacup.
She rested her chin on her hands atop the table.
“If he’s a knight, shouldn’t he at least do a demonstration ‘spar’?”
At “spar,” Lydia tapped a finger to her cheek thoughtfully.
The two were half-sisters.
Their rivalry far outweighed any closeness.
Into that situation came the sparring suggestion.
Plus the low-rank knight and Irina, who’d never been invited before.
“Ahh— is that so?”
Lydia quickly caught on to Lea’s intent and scoffed.
She grinned wide enough to show her prominent canines.
“You know, you’re even shadier than usual today?”
Her smile vanished.
The Third Imperial Princess turned deadly serious.
“You don’t show up to my party out of nowhere, add people to the guest list on your own….”
Was it the dim imperial lighting?
Her reddish eyes gleamed sharper than usual.
“Who are you trying to show us fighting for?”
Lea looked steadily down at the youngest princess.
She said nothing for a moment, then waved it off.
“As if—who would I show it to?”
Instead, Lea glanced toward Irina.
“The party’s just too boring, that’s all.”
She narrowed her eyes and whispered.
“Wouldn’t a special event or two be nice?”