Chapter 100
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 100
Chapter Title: Connection (6)
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The banquet had begun.
Oz, me, and Roselin.
We were the stars of the evening, but it wasn't some grand, ostentatious affair meant to parade us around.
None of us were the type for that sort of thing. Oz might be used to it, though.
It seemed they'd taken that into account and shown consideration.
Instead, it felt like a genuine social gathering, a place designed for everyone to freely build connections.
I naturally joined up with Oz. She exchanged greetings with my family, and since I was already acquainted with her family, I did the same.
Thanks to years of mutual support between our houses, our interactions had become quite natural by now, but bowing back and forth between the two families still made for a strange picture.
Especially with my family. I could feel it in the way my older brother and sister stared.
"You weren't just diligently training all this time, huh."
My brother whispered from the side.
"I'm proud of you, bro."
"... "
Even when I'd told him I'd reached the 7th Circle, he'd just been amazed.
Well, Oz was undeniably strikingly beautiful.
The problem was, she'd overheard it too.
As we finished talking with my family and headed toward hers, Oz asked,
"Does he say that kind of thing often?"
"What kind?"
"That he's proud."
"Ah... Not really. Brothers don't usually say stuff like that."
"Oh?"
She glanced at me briefly, then subtly lifted the corner of her mouth.
...She's really pleased about it.
"What do you think?"
"If you're proud?"
"......No. Don't answer. It's weird hearing it from you."
She quickly changed the subject.
"Your sister's really pretty too."
We chatted like that as we greeted Duke Eldis too.
"You've kept your promise."
As expected, he treated me with formality.
That was the status of a 7th Circle mage. Basically an archmage.
The promise he'd mentioned was lending me land in exchange for priority access to the communication orbs.
"You can speak casually."
"It's only proper to show respect befitting your station."
His attitude was firm.
To him, asking him to drop the formalities probably seemed stranger.
"I've noticed this while using it lately, but this orb..."
He brought up business before anything else.
As I listened, Oz glanced sideways at him from next to me.
"...Dad."
"What is it?"
"......Nothing."
She swallowed her words.
Because I'd quietly shaken my head to stop her.
Then, out of nowhere, the duke said,
"Ah. When do you plan to get married?"
"......Pardon?"
"You're both at an age to focus on training, so you can have children later, but marriage can happen anytime if your hearts are set."
Oz shook her head beside me and said,
"Your Grace, please stop..."
"No need to be shy. I'm just saying this in case you're hesitating out of concern for the family."
Oz was the Eldis family's only daughter.
If she became a Transcendent, there'd be no one left to inherit the house.
The duke was openly telling her not to worry about that.
"It was my fault for not preparing ahead. I got too caught up in work."
The moment he finished, Oz lightly tugged my arm and pulled me away from there.
She loved it when my family teased us like that, but when her own father did it, she got all embarrassed. Go figure.
"So, what about a real heir?"
When I asked what I'd been wondering, she shrugged and said,
"He took a concubine."
"...Wow."
I knew he was on the older side...
Then, my eyes caught Roselin standing off to the side.
Actually, when the banquet started, I'd checked on her a few times.
She'd looked lost, unsure what to do.
A ton of people had swarmed her, and she was floundering, unable to handle it well. I knew that feeling. I'd been the same at my first banquet. I just hadn't shown it outwardly.
Of course, I'd only watched from afar and quickly looked away. I'm not Cedric anymore.
But after a while, only knights from the orders or people from renowned swordsmanship families remained around her.
Her expression had relaxed too.
'But why's Parovian over there?'
I'd wondered why he wasn't with Duke Eldis, and there he was with Raistel.
'Roselin does suit the military type...'
Her speech, her mannerisms... If she weren't the hero, even I'd mistake her for a soldier.
Maybe that's why...
"Her name's Roselin, right?"
Oz followed my gaze and asked.
"Yeah."
"You knew her already?"
"Ran into her once when I went to help Professor Palrez."
"What? So you already knew when I said that last time?"
She meant when she'd said there were only two people our age who'd reached the 7th rank.
"Nah. I just knew her face. Didn't know she was a Sword Master."
"Ah."
"You knew all along and still said that."
"... "
She averted her eyes and said,
"Well... yeah, people say she's amazing. Already a Sword Master at that age. Even faster than us. And her face is super pretty too."
The last part felt a bit out of left field.
...She must've been pretty flustered.
When I turned my gaze elsewhere, I spotted a man talking with my family.
A man with silvery hair that waved down to his nape in a medium cut.
'Collio Bretton.'
Definitely my sister's fiancé.
I already knew his name and appearance.
I'd wanted to talk to him once. Perfect timing.
"Oz, hold on a sec. Gonna chat with my family."
She'd noticed the unfamiliar face among them and nodded.
As I approached, Collio sensed me and looked up.
Our eyes met, and he smiled.
"Finally getting to greet you."
"Hello."
"I'm Collio, eldest son of the Bretton family and Abella's betrothed."
"I've heard."
I smiled back at him.
I could now smile convincingly even when I didn't mean it.
Oz probably couldn't tell anymore.
A lot had happened since then, and if I had to pick what I'd improved most at, it'd be acting.
Of course, I still couldn't say for sure if Collio was a bad guy.
On the surface, he had no flaws. Gentle speech, polite manners.
I could be picky since he was becoming family, but still.
Just that much scrutiny. For now.
There must be another reason my family disapproved. Something not visible on the outside.
Even if they disliked him greatly, they weren't showing it right now.
Who knows what the future holds.
"I've heard so much about you lately my ears are worn out. I'm no mage myself, but from what my few acquaintances say, your name comes up in the Magic Tower every single day."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. Being able to distinguish mana patterns... They say it's technology with immense potential value."
After a few exchanges, he was clearly skilled at flattering without overdoing it, and good with words in general.
Nothing particularly off.
So why didn't my family like him?
Maybe some house-to-house knowledge.
Guess I'll have to look into it separately.
Collio set down his glass and smiled softly.
"Impressive."
"Impressive?"
"Honestly, I thought you'd disapprove of me... Didn't expect us to get along this well."
"Why would I disapprove?"
"Well, the engagement was set right after news spread of your 7th Circle ascent. Figured you'd have preconceptions."
I just smiled.
'The type to reveal a weakness first to build trust?'
It could be an act, but for now, since his demeanor seemed fine, I decided to step back.
"The engagement is sister's decision. If she's chosen, it's not my place to interfere."
Collio nodded and smiled at my words.
"Your reputation is well-earned. Wise indeed."
After sufficient conversation, Collio excused himself.
Lots of other people he needed to talk to, apparently.
I couldn't stick by my family forever either. The banquet hall was huge, packed with nobles. I spotted familiar faces here and there.
Even that blond guy from my first banquet, Pell-something, my classmate.
He didn't quite meet my eyes properly, but he'd inherited his house. Fully family head now.
Raistel. Parovian. And even Rojez, lord of the Yellow Magic Tower.
In the midst of it all, Oz came back.
"Engaged to the Bretton family?"
She seemed to have just heard.
"Not me."
"Obviously not. Lady Abella."
"Yeah. Heard before coming here."
"...Really?"
Oz hesitated a moment.
Does she know something?
I played dumb and asked,
"What's up?"
"No, the Bretton eldest son... Lady Abella's fiancé..."
"Yeah. Why? He seemed nice."
Even after hearing me, she didn't answer right away. She bit her lip as if pondering deeply, then said,
"He's kinda famous."
"For what?"
"In the noble faction..."
"Noble faction?"
Oz lowered her voice slightly.
"Ring a bell if I say anti-emperor faction?"
Anti-emperor faction...
Someone deeply involved in noble politics?
"Insanely wealthy house. Of course, recently they found a bunch of mines in their territory, got them turned into crown land and snagged shares, which bloated them more. But even before, no one knew where their money came from—they were that rich. Rumor has it Collio Bretton's tied to the underworld. Though that could be disinformation spread by the emperor's faction."
Meaning it might be deliberate mudslinging.
Fair enough... I'd been too focused on Transcendents, but in a normal medieval era, this was everyday politics.
I was just too detached.
"They're hardcore nobles... The mine ownership got resolved in a flash, and there was talk."
What was the endgame for such aggressive nobles?
Rebellion?
...Even I, clueless about noble politics, knew that was nonsense.
The emperor had Joart behind him. Sure, without cause Joart wouldn't intervene directly, but as I'd seen, indirect pressure was plenty.
Joart only acted when needed, but there were reasons the emperor was swayed too.
And someone deep in politics wouldn't know that?
They had to know at least somewhat.
'Hold on.'
High chance Collio proposed to our house because of me.
...Needing a Transcendent backer?
Even without going to extremes like rebellion, in politics, a Transcendent ally was huge.
That much made sense.
Our house benefits too, so that's why political marriages exist—for mutual gain.
But if they cross the line...
That backer might show up one day as a stranger's face.
'The underworld would be easy for info...'